This email newsletter is brought to you by Cambridge Muslim Community
Services (CMCS).
09 October 2003 Emergency Appeal Update #3

====================

1. Announcement

2. Article: Benefiting the Dead

3. Contact Us
- See this section for a list of ways to contact us.

==== 1. Announcement ====
by Elias Karim, News Editor, cmo@CambridgeMuslims.info

Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu.

   Our brother Yuniss Rgis passed away last night.

   "Due us to Allah that which He has taken away and His is whatever He has
given. With Him, everything has an appointed term; so have patience and seek
reward from Him" [Al-Bukhari]

   Please make Dua' for Yuinss and his family.

   Yuniss was extremely ill in hospital. He was staying in Northwich Park
Hospital, London.

   He was 37 years old with a wife and three children. He arrived in England
about a month ago to get a second opinion on his heart condition.
Unfortunately, he collapsed at Heathrow airport just as he arrived. He was
rushed off to hospital and since then the Muslim brothers and sisters in
London have been trying to raise money for a heart operation as his
condition has deteriorated.

   Unfortunately, the money he brought with him from Morocco for scans etc
was nowhere near sufficient so the Muslims in London managed to raise
£17,000 to help cover the costs of £25,000+ to cover the increasing expenses
of the clinic.

   It is expected that any remaining monies will be given to his family in
charity insha Allah.

   I have attached an extract from the book "Funeral Rites in Islaam" by Dr.
Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips on what we can do to benefit those that have
passed away.

Wasalam

Elias Karim


==== 2. Article: Benefiting the Dead ====

Benefiting the Dead
Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
Chapter 6 from "Funeral Rites in Islaam"
by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
© Copyright 1996 Dar Al-Fatah
http://islaam.com//Article.aspx?id=246

The Qur'aan established two general principles concerning the reward and
punishment for deeds:

1) Each human will fundamentally only be benefited or harmed by the deeds
which he or she actually did.
"...that humans will only have the result of their actions." [Soorah an-Najm
(53):39]

2) No human can carry the sin of another.
"...that no one bearing sins can carry the sins of others." [Soorah an-Najm
(53):38]

   Consequently, when a person dies, the opportunity for that person to do
good ends with the person's death. However, the chance to harvest good from
deeds which were done prior to death remains.

Du'aa

   The prayers of other Muslims on behalf of the dead will benefit the dead,
by the permission of God. Had they done no good, no one would consider
praying for them. If they were evil, the prayers of others will not benefit
them. In Chapter al-Hashr (59):10, Allaah praises the believers who pray for
those who have passed away before their time.

   "And those who came after them say: Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers
who preceded us in faith, and do not put in our hearts any hatred against
the believers. Our Lord, You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful."

   Furthermore, the funeral prayer itself consists mostly of prayers for the
dead.

   Safwaan [the narrator mentioned that Safwaan ibn `Abdillaah ibn Safwaan
was married to ad-Dardaa] said, "I visited Abud-Dardaa's home in Syria, but
did not find him there. Ummud-Dardaa asked [me], 'Are you going to make Hajj
this year?' I said: 'Yes.' She said, 'Pray to Allaah for good for us, for
the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, "The prayer of Muslim for
his Muslim brother in his absence will be answered. As long as he prays for
the good of his brother, there is an angel assigned near his head who says:
Amen, and may the same be for you."’ I left and went to the marketplace
where I met Abud-Dardaa and he related from the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi
wa sallam) the same as that." [Sahih Muslim, vol.4, p.1429, no.6590.]

Fasting

   Fasts missed by dead persons may be done on their behalf by their close
relatives. The fasts may be from Ramadaan or from oaths (nathar).

   `Aa'ishah quoted Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) as
saying, "Whoever died owing fasts, his guardian should fast on his behalf"
[Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 3, p.99, no.173, and Sahih Muslim, vol. 2, p.556,
no. 2553.]

   Ibn 'Abbaas said: A man came to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa
sallam) and asked: O Messenger of Allaah, my mother died owing one month of
fasting. Should I do it for her? He replied, "Yes, debts to Allaah, have
more right to be paid." [Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 3, p. 99, no. 174, and Sahih
Muslim, vol. 2, p. 556, no. 2554.] In another narration a woman asked about
her mother’s debt of fasting and got the same reply. [Sahih Muslim, vol. 2,
pp. 556-7, nos. 2554, 2557-61.]

Paying Financial Debts

   Anyone may cover the debts of a dead person, whether they are relatives
or not. Furthermore, the payment of outstanding debts can benefit the dead
by relieving them from some of the punishment due to them for their
negligence in repaying them.

   Jaabir said: A man died and we washed him, perfumed him and shrouded
him. Then we brought him to Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu `alayhi wa
sallam) to lead the funeral prayer for him. We asked, "Could you pray for
him?" He took a step forward then asked, "Does he have any outstanding
debts?" We answered: "Two deenaars." [He said, "Make the funeral prayer for
your companion," and] [This addition can be found in another narration of
the hadeeth] began to leave. Aboo Qataadah took responsibility for [paying]
them, saying, "The two deenaars are my responsibility." Allaah's Messenger
(sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) asked, "Will the creditor be taken care of
and will the dead person be absolved from them?" He replied, "Yes," so the
Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) led the funeral prayer for him. One
day later he asked [Aboo Qataadah], "What was done about the two deenaars?"
He replied, "He only died yesterday!" The following day he returned to the
Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) and said, "I have paid them off."
The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, "Now his skin
has become cool." [Musnad Ahmad, vol.3, p.330; authenticated in
Ahkaamul-Janaa’iz, p. 16]

The Charity of Children

   Parents will benefit from whatever righteous deeds their children do,
without decreasing the reward of their children's good deeds. A righteous
child is considered to be part of the parent's earnings.

   `Umaarah ibn `Umayr’s aunt asked `Aa’ishah, "I have an orphan under my
guardianship. May I consume some of his wealth?" She replied that she had
heard Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) say, "Among the
most pleasant things a man consumes is what comes from his own earnings, and
his child is from his earnings." [Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 2, p. 1002, no.3521;
authenticated in Saheeh Sunan Abee Daawood, vol. 2, p. 674, no. 3013]

   `Aa’ishah related that a man asked the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa
sallam): My mother died suddenly, and I think that if she had spoken
[before dying], she would have given something in charity. If I give
charity on her behalf, will she get the reward? He replied, "Yes." [Sahih
Al-Bukhari, vol. 2, p.266, no.470, Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p.866, no.4002, and
Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 2., p.812, no.2875]

   Aboo Hurayrah quoted the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alayhi wa
sallam) as saying, "When a man dies, his acts come to an end, except in
three cases: an ongoing charity, knowledge from which people continue to
benefit, and a righteous child who prays for him." [Sahih Muslim, vol. 3,
p.867, no. 4005, and Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 2, p.812, no.2874]

by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
© Copyright 1996 Dar Al-Fatah

==== 3. Contact Us ====
We very much value any comments and opinions you may have, and we would love
to hear from you.

About the e-newsletter         -- cmo@CambridgeMuslims.info
About the CMCS                 -- contact@CambridgeMuslims.info
About the CMCS website         -- webmaster@CambridgeMuslims.info
About Services in Cambridge    -- services@CambridgeMuslims.info
Advertising & sponsorship      -- ads@CambridgeMuslims.info

Telephone voice mail -- 0871 242 9696
Fax number -- 0871 242 9696

Meet face-to-face at the Friday Islamic Study Circle at Abu Bakr Siddiq
Mosque, Mawson Rd, Cambridge. After Isha prayers (~8.30pm).

====================
This email newsletter is brought to you by Cambridge Muslim Community
Services. Subscribe today.
http://www.CambridgeMuslims.info/join.htm

Read the Cambridge Muslims Online UPDATE archives
http://www.CambridgeMuslims.info/Newsletter/CMO

A full list of community services can be found at
http://www.cambridgemuslims.info/services

Any last minute updates and changes to events can be found at
http://www.cambridgeMuslims.info/Events

Copyright 2003, Cambridge Muslim Community Services

 

What is Islam?

Prayer Times

Muslim News

Disaster
Appeals

Guest Book

Businesses

FREE
E-Newsletter

 Weather

Traffic