TORCH BEARERS- Scholars of Islam| taught by Shaykh Saed Rageah

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

A) Hafsa bint Seereen ........................................................................................................................................................... 11 Her virtue ............................................................................................................................................................... 11 Her Karamat (Miracles) ......................................................................................................................................... 12 Her Advise to the youth ......................................................................................................................................... 15 Her Death .............................................................................................................................................................. 18

B) Umm Dardaa As-Sughraa ............................................................................................................................................... 19 Her lineage ............................................................................................................................................................. 19 Her Farwell to Dardaa ............................................................................................................................................ 22 Her Words of Wisdom............................................................................................................................................. 22

C) Abdullah bin Mubarak ...................................................................................................................................................... 24 His Lineage ............................................................................................................................................................. 24 In the Eyes of the Scholars ..................................................................................................................................... 29 His lifes Planning ................................................................................................................................................... 30

D) Fatimah bint Abdul Malik .................................................................................................................................................. 33 Her Love for Her Husband ...................................................................................................................................... 34

E) Fatimah Al-Samarqandiyah .............................................................................................................................................. 35 Her Legacy ............................................................................................................................................................. 36

F) Amrah bint Abdurrahman.................................................................................................................................................. 38 Her Partaking in Enjoining the Good....................................................................................................................... 41 Her Dealings with others ......................................................................................................................................... 42

G) Laith bin Saad ................................................................................................................................................................. 44 His thirst for Knowledge .......................................................................................................................................... 44 His Influence on the Nation ..................................................................................................................................... 45 In the Eyes of the Scholars ..................................................................................................................................... 46

H) Ataa bin Saad ................................................................................................................................................................. 47 His Lineage ............................................................................................................................................................. 47

I) Zubaidah bin Jafar ............................................................................................................................................................. 51 Her Character ......................................................................................................................................................... 51

J) Final Advice ...................................................................................................................................................................... 53

*BONUS: Quiz ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 55

TORCH BEARERS- Scholars of Islam| taught by Shaykh Saed Rageah Introduction

It was narrated by Ibada Ibnul-Samet that the Messenger of Allah said, "Guarantee for me to do six things and I shall guarantee for you paradise; be truthful if you speak, keep your word when you promise, render whatever you are entrusted with, protect your private parts (from sin), lower your gaze and do not harm anyone. Saheeh ul Jamie 1. Say the truth when you speak When you become truthful, you become a servant of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. One dignified and honest. Truthfulness will guide you to righteousness (it is a pillar). And righteousness will lead you to paradise.

The Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: Maintain truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Heaven; A man continues to maintain truthfulness until he is recorded in Allah's book as truthful. Refrain from lying, for lying leads to blatant evil, and evil leads to Hell; A man continues to lie until he is recorded in Allah's book as a liar." (Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, and At-Tirmidhi) A person will tell the truth until your name is written (as-Sadiq). Truthfulness is comfort (you are in ease). When you lie you are always in a state of discomfort.

2. situations where that when you lie is the worst: Lie against Allah [this deen, Rasul sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam] The Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: Whoever lies about me has reserved his seat in hellfire When a person lies to take the right of a Muslim with a false oath Narrated Abu Wail: Abdullah (bin Mas'ud) said, "Whoever takes a (false) oath in order to grab some property (unjustly), Allah will be angry with him when he will meet Him. Allah confirmed that through His Divine Revelation: "Verily! Those who purchase a little gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths . . . they will have a painful punishment." (3:77) Saheeh Bukhari

 When the Muslim lies by telling a joke: The Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: Woe to the person who tells lies as jokes to make people laugh. Woe to him, Woe to him! 3. Fulfill what you promise when you make a promise An example in Surah Maryam:

And mention in the Book, Ishmael. Indeed, he was true to his promise, and he was a messenger and a prophet. (19:54) Anas ibn Nadhr radi Allahu 'anhu: was absent from the battle of Badr. When the Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam and the companions returned triumphant he was gloomy when all were cheerful. He said Ya Rasul Allah, how could I miss the first opportunity to fight against the mushrikeen! If Allah gives me another opportunity I will show what I can do. In battle of Uhud, when Khaild radi Allahu 'anhu was leading the mushrikeen to fight from behind. Among this confusion some heard that the Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam had died. Some wanted to leave, others wanted to die for what the Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam had died for. Anas ibn Nadhr radi Allahu 'anhu was among the latter. He saw the mushrikeen coming, he raised his head to the heaven and apologized for what they did, he took his sword and approached the mushrikeen. He told Said WAllahi, I can smell heaven beyond the mountain of Uhud. Some fulfilled their covenant to Allah and some do not. Anas did.

4. Return the trust that has been entrusted with you If people cannot trust you with anything, than your eman is missing. No eman for those with no amanah (trust). It can be anything, a pet, house etc. 5. Protect yourself (your private parts, your honour) If you do this you will be among those in jannah. Narrated Sahl bin Sa'd: Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever can guarantee (the chastity of) what is between his two jaw-bones and what is between his two legs (i.e. his tongue and his private parts), I guarantee Paradise for him." - Bukhari Surah al- Muminoon is the recipe for success. 6. Lower your gaze:

- The thing that leads you to zinaa is not the physical part but its what you see first. What you see Is what you desire. - When you see something, redirect your vision. Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib: The Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: to Ali: Do not give a second look, Ali, (because) while you are not to blame for the first, you have no right to the second. Abu Dawood -Dont do anything that will lead you to a zinaa (fornication). Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the Quran: And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way. (17:32) Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, "Allah Most High has written for the son of Adam his inevitable share of adultery, whether he is aware of it or not: The adultery of the eye is looking (at something which is sinful to look at), and the adultery of the tongue is to utter (what it is unlawful to utter), and the inner-self wishes and longs for (adultery) and the private parts turn that into reality or refrain from submitting to the temptation -Bukhari -It starts with a look, than a greeting, than speech, than plans, etc The sight is the key of all of this. So lower your gaze. Withhold your hand from harming people It is narrated on the authority of Jabir that he heard the (Holy Prophet) say: A Muslim is he from whose hand and tongue the Muslim's are safe. Saheeh Muslim Example from the Sahabah: Abu Mas'ud al-Badri reported: I was beating my slave with a whip when I heard a voice behind me: Understand, Abu Masud; but I did not recognize the voice due to intense anger. He (Abu Mas'ud) reported: As he came near me (I found) that he was the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and he was saying: Bear in mind, Abu Mas'ud; bear in mind; Abu Mas'ud. He (Aba Maslad) said: threw the whip from my hand. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Bear in mind, Abu Mas'ud; verily Allah has more dominance upon you than you have upon your slave. I (then) said: I would never beat my servant in future. In another narration he freed the slave. - Saheeh Muslim

Are you a student of knowledge? Have you memorized the Qur'an? Memorized Bukhari, Muslim? Proficient in Arabic? Need to have all of these characteristics to be considered a student of knowledge. The purpose of ilm is to implement and apply. Shedding some light on the reason why those individuals (Sahabah) were successful. What made them eager to be Muslims, practicing Muslims. Know that you have to earn the title of being a Muslim Four things that the sahabah did to be successful Muslims: Firstly we need to understand the shahabahs environment. They used to sin (gamble, kill, commit zinaa, bury their own child alive-accepting as a society). They were worst then we can imagine before Islam. Example: In one of the gatherings, this man was sitting and they used to sit like any other person. Every time he sat there, he just had this gloomy face, never happy, never smiling. So a man asked, What is wrong with your life, why dont you smile once in a while? The man replied, Ill tell you a story and you tell me whether I should smile or not. He said every time his wife gave birth to a daughter, he buried his daughter in the desert. His wife gave birth to a daughter and secretly gave her away to her relatives. Years later, he saw a cute child in their home and the house was no longer the same. She became the light of his life, in love with her. The wife revealed to him that it was his child. Get her ready! The wife got her ready crying, she knew that she could not save her daughter. The wife said dont misuse the trust Allah blessed you with. He believed that as a man he could not have a daughter because it was shameful. This child did not know that this grave was made for her. The little girl screamed out remember what the lady said: dont misuse this amanah. He buried her while she was screaming and the screams became weaker and weaker. What made them so powerful; the perfect society was that they found the light of Islam. They found Muhammad sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam walking from the streets of Mecca, calling people, telling them who will take me to his people so that I can convey the message of my lord. This is what changed there lives, Islam and nothing else. They werent part-time Muslims. 1. Saw Islam as a source of izah (honour/dignity): Commanders of Islam: Abu Ubaydah, 'Amr ibn Al Aas, Said ibn Abi Waqas, Khalid ibn Walid. They went to receive the keys of masjid of Al-Aqsa. And the Christian Priests acknowledged that this key will be given to an individual but they said hes not here.

They had a description of him in their scripture. Abu Ubaydah recognized that only Umar radi Allahu 'anhu would fit this description. Umar radi Allahu 'anhu had clothes with 17 different patches. Umar did not travel with an army, he said wheres my servant? He grabbed a servant and a camel. Umar bin Al Khattab said to his servant you get on my camel and I will lead, Ill be reciting Surah Yaseen. When I finish reciting you will get off and Ill get on and you recite Surah Yaseen until you finish. And when you finish, I will get off and we will both walk and let the camel to rest (rahma (mercy) for the animals). Side note: At the time of Salahudeen there was a department for blind cats and retired animals (to avoid euthanasia). Umar bin Al Khattab got to masjid al Aqsa and the servant is on the mount. Umar is with a stick walking through a wet area and his feet are wet. His servant says to Umar, Ya Ameer ul Mumineen ride on the camel. Umar said isnt it your turn? The servant said yes. Umar said then stay there. The Christians went and started greeting the slave because they though he was Umar. The sahabah saw the condition of Umar and Amr ibn Al Aas said Ya ameer ul Mumineen you embarrass us. Abu Ubaydah said yes ameer ul Mu mineen. Umar said wAllahi Abu Ubaydah if someone other then you said that statement, I would hurt them. The he said to Amr ibn Al-Aas: Come here, We are a people who Allah honored with Islam, the moment we seek honour in any other place then we will loose. So the sahabah knew that izza is in Islam. Islam spread to the non-Arabs and they conveyed the message of Islam. Examples: Imam Bukhari (non-Arab) Hassan al Basri, many of the tabieen were non Arabs. They understood that the izah is in Islam and not in any thing else. 2. They desired the Akhirah not the Dunya: When Umar became Khalifah, he said if you have the Quran memorized you cannot live any where else except in the city of Madinah, if you are from the people of Badr you must live in the city of Madinah. He kept city of Madinah as rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam left it. In the middle of the night, Umar would go around and keep check of the sahabah. For example he entered one sahabahs house and said, where did you get those shoes? He would keep track of them. Example: Jaabir bin Abdillah, his father died in the battle of Uhud, he was the only one who Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala spoke to directly. He said to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala send me back so I can be killed for your sake again. Jaabir s wife said to him why dont you buy meat for us. Jaabir said, No Umar will see. But his wife insisted so he wanted to be a man and go get some meat. So he goes and buys meat and starts to go home while hiding the meat behind his back. He runs into no other then Umar. Umar says what are you hiding? Jaabir says, nothing that should be of concern to you. Umar said tell me or Ill hurt you. Jaabir said Ya ameer

ul Mumineen it is meat. I desired and purchased it. Umar said Ya Jaabir is it that every time you desire something you purchase it. wAllahi ya Jaabir I could be living the best life you can imagine but I know I had 2 companions (Abu Bakr and the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam), if I turn away from there path, Im afraid I might not reach them. Ya Jaabir your aim is Akhirah. One time Umar gathered some companions together after Abu Ubaydah radi Allahu 'anhu died. Umar said to them wish. One person said, I want a house full of gold so I can give it for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Khalid bin Waleed said, I wish if I were out there somewhere, middle of no where, in the enemy on a cold dark night that I get my shahadah for the sake of Allah. Ali said I wish to honour my guest, to fast during the summer time, to fight for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Umar said, my wish is to have this house full of men like Abu Ubaydah so I can use them for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Example of Ikrimah: His father was the firawn (pharaoh) of this Ummah and he stood by his father until his father died and Rasul Allah sal Allahu alyhi wa sallam conquered and walked into the city of Mecca. Ikrimah had to run and later came back as Muslim. In the battle of Qaadisiyyah, in the morning, Ikrimah radi Allahu 'anhu said after Fajr to his companions that I saw Rasul Allah in my dream last night. My Interpretation of my dream is that Ill be killed today, do you want me to convey your salam to rasul Allah. So the sahabah cried and they said, yes give our salam to Rasul Allah and tell him, we have changed after you have left us. He went back to his tent, did ghusul, took a white sheet and said when I die burry me like this. He got ready to meet rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam. He was wounded shortly after the battle started. Khalid was the commander of the army and he found Ikrimah lying down with other injured people. Khalid got drink for this wounded Mujahid, he went to Ikrimah. Before Ikrimah started drinking he said give my water to the next one. Before that brother started drinking he said give it to my brother. This continued until Khalid went to each of the seven. He came back to Ikrimah and Ikrimah had died. All 7 died. Khalid bin Waleed radi Allahu 'anhu had tears coming from his eyes. He threw the water and said, Ya Allah let them drink from the rivers of Jannah indeed they came out for your sake. 3. They were just With themselves and others. 4. They saw the need for change (werent happy with the status quo) Story of Musa 'alayhi salam:

It was narrated that in the days that Musa (Alahi salaam) wandered with Bani Israel in the desert an intense drought befell them. Together, they raised their hands towards the heavens praying for the blessed rain to come. Then, to the astonishment of Musa (Alahi salaam) and all those watching, the few scattered clouds that were in the sky vanished, the heat poured down, and the drought intensified. It was revealed to Musa that there was a sinner amongst the tribe of Bani Israel whom had disobeyed Allah (Subhanahu wa taala) for more than forty years of his life. Let him separate himself from the congregation, Allah (Subhanahu wa taala) told Musa(Alahi salaam). Only then shall I shower you all with rain. Musa (Alahi salaam) then called out to the throngs of humanity, There is a person amongst us who has disobeyed Allah for forty years. Let him separate himself from the congregation and only then shall we be rescued from the drought. That man, waited, looking left and right, hoping that someone else would step forward, but no one did. Sweat poured forth from his brow and he knew that he was the one. The man knew that if he stayed amongst the congregation all would die of thirst and that if he stepped forward he would be humiliated for all eternity. He raised his hands with a sincerity he had never known before, with humility he had never tasted, and as tears poured down on both cheeks he said: O Allah, have mercy on me! O Allah, hide my sins! O Allah, forgive me! As Musa (Alahi salaam) and the people of Bani Israel waited for the sinner to step forward, the clouds hugged the sky and the rain poured. Musa (Alahi salaam) asked Allah (Subhanahu wa taala), O Allah, you blessed us with rain even though the sinner did not come forward. And Allah (Subhanahu wa taala) replied, O Musa, it is for the repentance of that very person that I blessed all of Bani Israel with water. Musa (Alahi salaam), wanting to know who this blessed man was, asked, Show him to me O Allah! Allah (Subhanahu wa taala) replied, O Musa, I hid his sins for forty years, do you think that after his repentance I shall expose him? Whatever we do we may loose it because of a sin we do secretly. A person will come on the Day of Judgment with mountains of hasanaat (good deeds) and Allah will turn it into dust because this man when he was alone, he used to commit haram (secret sin). How to change: 1. Ask for it, you must want it. 2. Have the eman (faith) that the change will come about if you ask Allah and are sincere. 3. Al-Ajar- Ask for the reward of that change.

Why is the course based mostly on women? Women are the fabric of society. Kuffar (disbelievers) realized that the true strength of Islam is the women. Without them we are doomed. Scholars who were raised by mothers: Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Imam Bukhair, Imam Maalik (His mother would dress him like a scholar and would advise him to learn from his teachers etiquette before learning from his knowledge); Imam Shaafiee (was an orphan, his mother raised him). Majority of the scholars of the tabieen learned from female scholars. Concentrate on our sisters they can change/rectify our situation.

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Hafsa bint Seereen

After the death of the messenger of Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam the female companions realized that they must teach women their deen for the legacy of Islam to continue. Our mother Aishah radi Allahu 'anha was a pioneer in this field. She broke new grounds for all women. Female as well as male students would travel long distances to learn from her. Hafsa bint Seereen radi Allahu 'anha was one of those who learnt a great deal of knowledge from Aishah radi Allahu 'anha. Some of the great tabieen were from the females. Hafsa bint Seereen was one of the famous alimaat of her time. She was one of the core scholars that a student will travel, sit and learn from her. She was the aalimah of the tabieen. Her Virtue She was the master of the taabiaat (the second generation) Ibn Abi Dawood Her Lineage Hafsa bint Seereens father was a slave from Persia. As soon as he learnt about Islam he accepted it. He started teaching Islam to his family, until they became the best scholars of their time. Seereen (Hafsas father) was given to Anas bin Malik, the servant of Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam. He married a Muslim slave girl. Safiyyah a young girl in the house of Abu Bakr Sideeq Who came to the wedding? Three ladies from the house of the Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam prepared Safiyyah for her wedding night. The sahabah from the people of Badr came to witness the wedding of Seereen and Safiyyah. Learn the recitation of the Qur'an from (any of these) four persons: 'Abdullah bin Masud, Salim the freed slave of Abu Hudhaifa, Ubay bin Kab, and Muadh bin Jabal." - Bukhari Ubay ibn Kab was leading the crowd at the wedding. Shortly after, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala blessed them. First of the children was Yahya ibn Sireen, Hafsa was second, third was Muhammad, fourth was Kareema and fifth was Umma Sulaim. Yahya was a miracle in memorizing the Quran. All of the children used to sit under Abu Hurairah radi Allahu 'anhu.

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Abu Hurairah loved Yahya so much that he called him Abu Hurairah junior. He would memorize things instantly. Muhammed ibn Seereen was more famous than his sister. Knowledge & Worship Hafsa bint Seereen radi Allahu 'anha memorized the Quran at the age of 12 and started learning from the great sahabah like Umm Adiyyah, Anas bin Malik and others radi Allahu 'anhum. Note: You cannot be a student of knowledge unless you have Quran. She started sitting with the ulamaa and she learned with Anas ibn Malik. She loved learning from him because he was the one who fed her father. She had great respect for him. The traditional way of learning is that you learn and you sit with the teacher for a number of years until your teacher tells you to go and teach. When she became aalimah she also became a lady. Her Attachment to this Dunya (World) Hafsa radi Allahu 'anha understood that being righteous and being rich or well off is achievable and practicable. Being financially stable- go and ask for what Allah has provided for you. The ten that the Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam gave the glad tidings of Jannah were wealthy and self-sufficient. For example, Sad ibn abi Waqqas, after his death it took 3 long years to divide his wealth. He had 4 wives, the share of one wife was that she had like 1 million dirham. Her attachment does not mean that you give yourself to the dunya. Rather you use this dunya as means to what Allah (swt) has promised you, Jannah. Her Karamat (Miracles) The righteous are sometimes known for their karamat. This, however, is not a measuring stick for righteousness. Something special/unusual that happens (Miracles) There is a difference between miracles that are good and miracles that are bad. Karamat is something that Allah gives you because of your righteousness She was known for her Karamat. Hafsa used to perform the Qiyam ul-Layl, in the winter without the fire, the lights go off.

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When the light goes off, all of a sudden this light appears in her room which has no central point. This was the karamat of Hafsah bin Seereen. Her Sabr (Patience) in the Face of Calamity Hafsa radi Allahu 'anha had a son, Huthail. She loved to be called Umm Huthail, because of the love that she had for her son. Huthail was indeed good and kind to his mother. He would do anything to please her. Even though he knew that his mother fasted every day he would milk his camels and send the milk to her before he fed his wife and children He would come to her house every night and light a fire fro her so she could pray in a warm room at night. One day she was given the news that her beloved son can no longer be with her and that Allah had called his soul back. Hafsa was a student of knowledge, she was a wife and she was a mother. When the mother is righteous, the children most likely will be righteous. As children grow they will earn bigger space in the hearts of there parents. As you grow you will grow the hearts of your parents or you will maintain that parental love that they have for you. When youre always kind then there love for you will grow. If you have different children, you may love one of them more because he or she is good to you. It may happen that a righteous mother, Allah may test her with a child that was not righteous. Huthail: Was a very obedient child to his mother, a good child. Allah blessed Hafsa with a life long enough to see her son get married, to be independent, have his own house etc. He was always taking care of his mother. We have no option, we do not mistreat our parents, we dont talk back at them, roll our eyes or neglect them in spite of what they did to you none of that matters. Allah will ask you, how come you were not good to your parents? You will be asked about your responsibility as a child. Huthail- he used to try to make his mother comfortable. He knew what his mother loved and that is to worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. He used to try to take care of that part of her life. He wanted that his mother stands in the night worshipping Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala without any difficulties. At night he used to leave his family and he used to go where his mother was worshipping Allah and he would make a fire so that she would be warm. Hafsa said, every time I used to make tasleem, he (Huthail) would be ready. She would say to him go back and spend time with your family. He used to say I know what they want. (meaning I know there needs) He would spend the night with his mother. In the morning he would milk his she camel- and he would bring the milk to his motherknowing that she is fasting. She would say Subhan Allah, why do you have to bring milk every morning, you know Im fasting. He would say no you are my mother, you have the first right to my camel and it is yours to do whatever you will with it.

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One of the greatest amal (good deed) a Muslim can do is to honour their parents. Those that are tested the most are the messengers, the second is the righteous and it goes lower and lower. A man will be tested based on his eman. If we are struggling with the basics of Islam, you wont get tested with something great because you are not qualified. When you have a strong eman though, youll be able to go through the test with comfort and ease and youll be able to say Alhamdulilah Allah is testing me to see if I am a mumin (believer). A man came to the Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam and insisted that he loves Muhammad sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam. The prophet said then get ready to be tested. Her test: One day she was informed that her son died. She said I was blessed with comfort but not enough to make me forget the pain of loosing my child until she read the verse in surah an-Nahl: And We will surely give those who were patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do. (16:96) Lesson: You are tested because of one of two things: 1. That you did something wrong. Because of the thing that you did Allah wants to cleanse you of that sin so that you meet Him subhanahu wa ta'ala with a pure soul. 2. Allah may test you to elevate your status in Jannah Rasul Allah sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam was tested, did he commit any sin? How do you know if this test is because of a sin that you did or its because Allah loves you? If you are righteous you know how many sins you committed. And you will be able to say, Its because of a sin I committed. A scholar once said, when I commit a sin, I can see that through my wife, children, my riding animal, my shoes---Nothing will go right for me. Those individuals there lives are like white thawbs (clothes/garments), they knew how many sins they had. Her Effect on Others Hafsa radi Allahu 'anha taught a number of great scholars, among them were Mohammad bin Seereen (her brother), Qataadah, Ayub, Khalid Alhadaa abin. The students of knowledge would come from far and wide so that they may learn from her. What kind of change did you make in the lives of those around you?

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Imagine living in the dunya making no mark. She taught students of ilm so that student they can benefit, so that they can benefit other people, so that it can spread to the Ummah. Find someone to put under your wing, everything you teach you have a share in that ajar. Her Focus on the Hereafter Hafsa radi Allahu 'anhu was known as the person of the hereafter. She spent the last 30 years of her life in her room waiting for the moment when she would meet her lord. She would only come out of her room in case of extreme need. Her focus was to meet Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in the best manner, in the best state of eman. Hafsa lived her life as though this is the last day of her life. Today at the end of the day I will meet Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. 'Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "Allah's Apostle took hold of my shoulder and said, 'Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler." - Bukhari This is the way a mumin should live his life, you dont belong in this dunya, you belong in Akhirah. I have to live as a Muslim who is leaving this dunya, maybe today or tomorrow. Travelers should consider: 1. Stranger in a foreign land (on your best behaviour, follow the book of Allah) 2. The purpose of our journey (worship Allah and do the work you were assigned to do) 3. You are always homesick (long for your home- Jannah is our home) Her Advice to the Youth O young people, utilize your youthfulness. Indeed I have seen people who have eyes yet are blind; O young people, employ time in that which may benefit you in the hereafter Time is something we dont have authority over. It is the young people whom Rasul Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam relied upon to give dawah. Almost all of the early muslims were young: Bilal (r), Aisha (r), Asma (r), Hafsa, Uthman ibn Affan (r), Said ibn Abi Waqas (r) were all young. The younger generation adapted and accepted the dawah while the older generation rejected it. 15

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: The feet of a servant will not move on the Day of Judgment until he has been questioned about four things: "A persons feet will not move on the Day of Resurrection until he or she is questioned about their life-span how they spent it, about wealth how they earned and spent it, about knowledge what they did with it, and about youth how they used it!" - Tirmidhi Abdullah ibn Masood- I hate to see a man who is faarigh, (who has no purpose in life comes, sits around, has no goal and no aim) Her Hayah (Bashfulness) Even in her old age Hafsa bint Seereen radi Allahu 'anhu would put on her hijab while she was teaching men. One of her student said to her O my great scholar didnt you already reach the time when you do not have to wear the hijab, where Allah have excused you from wearing it all the time. Hafsa radi Allahu 'anha said, Did you not read the end of the Ayah in surah an-Noor? And as for women past child-bearing who do not expect wed-lock, it is no sin on them if they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as not to show their adornment. But to refrain (not to discard their outer clothing) is better fro them. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower. [an-Noor: 60] Types of Modesty that a Mumin should maintain Four types of Hayah: 1. Hayah from Allah- You dont do something haram, most important hayah, a lot of people have hayah from everyone but Allah. They dont do sin infront of anyone but they do them alone infront of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Conversation between Ibrahim ibn Adham and a young lad: *The Young Lad: O Abu Ishaaq, I am wronging my soul, advise me with something thatll hold me back from disobeying Allah and breathe new life into my heart. Ibrahim ibn Adham: Alright. If you take 5 things from me and fulfill them, you can disobey Allah azza wa jall all you want and no harm will come to you. The Young Lad: (Interested) Ok, tell me. Ibrahim ibn Adham: One, if you want to do other than what Allah subhaanahu wa ta aala wants you to do, then do not eat the food that He provides you. The Young Lad: Then where am I supposed to eat from when all the food on earth is from Allah?

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Ibrahim ibn Adham: Dear lad, is it right that you eat the food Allah azza wa jall has given you and then go off and disobey him? The Young Lad: No it is not right. What is the second? Ibrahim ibn Adham: Two, if you want to live life to the fullest in disobedience of Allah subhaanahu wa ta aala, dont live on His land. The Young Lad: Thats harder than the first. Where shall I live when all that is in the east and west belongs to Him? Ibrahim ibn Adham: Dear lad, is it right that you eat His food and live in His land, yet still insist on turning your cheek when he calls you? The Young Lad: No its not right. Whats the third? Ibrahim ibn Adham: If you want to disobey Allah subhaanahu wa ta aala, yet still eating the food He gave you and still living in His land, then find a place where He cant see you. The Young Lad: O Abu Ishaaq, how can that be so when Allah is the All-Seeing and All-Knowing of all that happens, even what the heart whispers? Ibrahim ibn Adham: Dear lad, is it right that you eat His food and live in His land and disobey Him while He watches you and what you are exposing? The Young Lad: No its not right. Whats the fourth? Ibrahim ibn Adham: When the angel of death comes to snatch your soul, tell him to give you a day so that you can sincerely ask Allah subhaanahu wa ta aala for forgiveness and change your life. The Young Lad: He wont agree to that. Ibrahim ibn Adham: Dear lad, if you find yourself helpless to push off death for just one day and you understand that it cannot be delayed by your wishes, how do you expect to win? The Young Lad: (With a sigh) What is the fifth? Ibrahim ibn Adham: When the gatekeepers of Hell come to drag you away on your face to Jahannam (Hellfire) refuse to go with them. The Young Lad: Nothing will stop them.

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Ibrahim ibn Adham: How do you expect to be saved then? The Young Lad: Enough, Abu Ishaaq. (And he lowers his head crying). O Allah, forgive me for my transgression. Epilogue: The young lad went on to become a disciple of Ibrahim ibn Adham. He repented to Allah sincerely and lived an upright life with his teacher until death parted the two.
*Reference: www.khutbah.com (Doomed to Love the Good by Muhammad Alshareef; Kitab at-Tawwaabeen, page 285, Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisi)

2. Modesty from the angels -Two angels are always on your shoulders recording what you do. 3. Modesty from people -A sin in public may encourage others to practice that sin. 4. Modesty from your self -Self-respect -Hayah in your INTENTIONS It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: Eman has over seventy branches, and modesty is a branch of Eman. Muslim Her Death Anas ibn Malik radi Allahu 'anhu asked Hafsa bint Seereen radi Allahu 'anha what ending she would wish for and how she would like to depart from this life. Hafsa did not hesitate and said, I would love to gain my shahadah (martyrdom) by being killed by a plague. At her funeral a number of scholars were present such as Al-Hassan Al-Basri and Mohammad bin Seereen (rh). Her death was a death of a scholar. Every time a scholar dies part of this ummah dies. Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "(Religious) knowledge will be taken away (by the death of religious scholars) ignorance (in religion) and afflictions will appear; and Harj will increase." It was asked, "What is Harj, O Allah's Apostle?" He replied by beckoning with his hand indicating "killing." (Fateh-al-Bari Page 192, Vol. 1) Now days we dont have enough ulamaa, it is more important to find ulamaa now days and then to search for Khalifahs. It is more important to have an alim, then a khalifah, mujahid etc.

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Umm Dardaa As-Sughraa

The peer of the realm of the Taabiaat were Hafsa bint Seereen, Amrah bint Abdirahman & Umm Dardaa radi Allahu 'anhuma Ibn Abi Dawood Her Lineage Juhaymah bint Huyai, known as Umm Dardaa as-Sughraa radi Allahu 'anha, was from the tribe of Himyyar from Yemen. Abu Dardaa (husband of Umm Dardaa) was one of the latest individual from the Ansar who accepted Islam. He refused to accept Islam and he accepted Islam very very late. When he accepted Islam he became very devouted. He could not keep his business and his desire of learning ilm at the same time. So he dropped the business and concentrated on learning ilm. When he learned enough, he started being an aabid - seriously devouted to worshipping Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. He used to fast a lot, recite Quran, pray qiyaam ul Layl to the point that he abandoned his wife, Umm Dardaa (not the one well be speaking about). Narrated Abu Juhaifa: The Prophet made a bond of brotherhood between Salman and Abu Ad-Darda.' Salman paid a visit to Abu Ad-Darda' and found Um Ad-Darda' dressed in shabby clothes and asked her why she was in that state. She replied, "Your brother Abu Ad-Darda' is not interested in (the luxuries of) this world." In the meantime Abu Ad-Darda' came and prepared a meal for Salman. Salman requested Abu Ad-Darda' to eat (with him), but Abu Ad-Darda' said, "I am fasting." Salman said, "I am not going to eat unless you eat." So, Abu Ad-Darda' ate (with Salman). When it was night and (a part of the night passed), Abu Ad-Darda' got up (to offer the night prayer), but Salman told him to sleep and Abu Ad-Darda' slept. After sometime Abu Ad-Darda' again got up but Salman told him to sleep. When it was the last hours of the night, Salman told him to get up then, and both of them offered the prayer. Salman told Abu Ad-Darda', "Your Lord has a right on you, your soul has a right on you, and your family has a right on you; so you should give the rights of all those who has a right on you." Abu Ad-Darda' came to the Prophet and narrated the whole story. The Prophet said, "Salman has spoken the truth." - Bukhari When rasul Allah sal Allahu Alayhi wa sallam passed away, Abu Bakr and then Umar became khalifah. Islam was spreading. A letter came from Ash- Shaam requesting ulamaa to teach. Abu Dardaa was one of the hufadh. Umar sent some of the ulamaa out and amongst them Abu Dardaa.

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Juhaymah was an orphan originally from Yemen. She used to come to the halaqa of Abu Daradaa and learned the Quran from Abu Dardaa. Later when she became a young lady, Abu Dardaa proposed to her, she accepted and they married. This is the young ladyJuhaymah bint huyai. Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "The people of Yemen have come to you, and they are more soft hearted and gentle hearted people. The capacity for understanding religion is Yemenite and Wisdom is Yemenite." - Bukhari Her Legacy Umm Dardaa as-Sughraa radi Allahu 'anhu was a scholar of jurisprudence and Hadeeth. She was of the generation that followed the companions of the Prophet. She narrated a number of ahadeeth from the companions such as Abu Dardaa, Salman Al-Farisi and Aishah radi Allahu 'anhuma. She was married to one of the greatest companion of the Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam, Abu Dardaa radi Allahu 'anhu. She was named Umm Dardaa as-Sughraa radi Allahu 'anha because she was younger of the two wives of Abu Dardaa. She radi Allahu 'anha learnt much from Abu Dardaa radi Allahu 'anhu. It is difficult to teach your wife. However Umm Dardaaa was the student of Abu Dardaa before she married him so she kept that in her life. She would see him as a Shaykh, a person whom she will learn from. When she learned, she learned from the other ulamaa of her time as well, such as Salmaan al Farsi, Kab al Ashari. She also studied under Ayesha and Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu 'anhuma. When she became an alimah, students of knowledge used to travel to learn from her. She was famous for her ibaadah. Now days to be a mother, student of Knowledge, strong in ibaadah and a wife is only something a few brothers and sisters can achieve. She was able to manage this, she would give due time to each. In her majlis, men used to come. Her students would say: When we used to visit the house of Umm Dardaa we would remember Akhira

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The ulamaa used to sit with her and she would remind them of akhirah. If your friends dont remind you of akhirah, then you need to change them. Umar bin Abdul Aziz- He selected certain individuals and used to say your job is to remind me of Allah. Women used to come to Umm Dardaa. When they came to the house of Umm Dardaa, some of the would listen, some of them would pray Qiyam ul Layl or pray some of the nawafil. Maymoon bin Mahran: One of the greatest ulamaa, the khalifah was afraid of him. This man said, Every single time that I go to see Umm Dardaa shes in a state of Salah. How do you know if a person is of eman? See how many sunnahs they pray. Do more nawaafil and guaranteed you will have a stronger eman. She used to say to her students, How do you know when Allah (swt) will answer your duaa? According to her, she said when youre making duaa (some times we cry.), youre so much into your duaa that you feel the hair on your body is standing up, you get goose bumps, so ask whatever you can at this time. This is one of her ijtihaadah. She used to teach students, fiqh, aqeedah, hadith, and seerah. She would teach in a different fashion, she would teach all these fields at the same time. Abu Dardaaa was alive when she was teaching. Her Proposal to Abu Dardaa You asked fro my hand from my *parents as a young lady and I am proposing to you to be my husband in Jannah
* She was an orphan, but she used the word "Ahli" which means my family or she meant her wali.

Umm Dardaa radi Allahu 'anha proposed to Abu Dardaa radi Allahu 'anhu, when he was on his death bed, to be her husband in the hereafter. Later, when Muawiyyah radi Allahu 'anhu proposed to her she said, I will not accept to be the wife of anyone in the hereafter other than Abu Dardaa radi Allahu 'anhu. During the life of Abu Dardaaa, Umm Dardaaa asked Abu Dardaaa a question, If you die before me, can I ask for charity? Abu Dardaaa said, No. She said, how should I support my self? Abu Dardaa said, get a job, dont depend on anyone, earn your rizq (provision). The sahabah lived with dignity.

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When Abu Dardaaa died, she lived a normal life but she had a child, she had a daughter, Dardaa. Her Farewell to Dardaa Nahya bin Maeen said that when Dardaa radi Allahu 'anha passed away Umm Dardaa radi Allahu 'anha said to her body, Go to your Lord and I shall go to my Lord, and then she entered the Masjid. And hearts suspended to the Masjid [Bukhari & Muslim] Her Love of the Masajid She started teaching in the masjid and said this is my 2nd home; this is where I want to be. She would teach people in the masaajid, teaching the students of knowledge. The students would come and just learn from her. Wherever she used to travel she would first head to the Masaajid, learn the culture and would start teaching the students and they would learn from her. Two types of Students: There were students who would only learn with her when shes in town then there were those who would always be with her, they would travel with her and they would write everything that she said. This is called first class students. Umm Dardaa radi Allahu 'anha periodically traveled between Damascus and Jerusalem for the love of the Masajid and to gain the reward of praying in such Masajid. Once while traveling with Sulaeman she said to him O Sulaeman, let the mountain hear what Allah promised them, thereupon Sulaeman raised his voice and recited: And (remember) the day we shall cause the mountains to pass away (like clouds of dust), and you will see the earth as a leveled plain, and we shall gather them all together so as to leave not one of them behind. [al-Kahf:47] They made sujood to Allah, asked for protection from the fitan of yawm ul Qiyamah. Her Words of Wisdom Umm Dardaa radi Allahu 'anha asked Do you know what a person would say on his/her death bed, O Hazaan? He answered in negation. She said: Do not let the worldly life fool you like it fooled me. This world is more deceiving than Haroot and Maroot

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Everyone who dies feels at the time of their death that they wasted their life in pursuit of supercilious goals (unsatisfied with their death, regrets). A few mumins such as Umar ibn Abdul Azziz welcomed the angels of death. Her Death After teaching the men and women of this Ummah for many years, Umm Dardaa radi Allahu 'anha passed away in 81 A.H. May Allah reward her for everything that she did for the Ummah. Her death was that of an alimah. It was witnessed by many ulamaa. You will know if a person is on the haqq by there Janazah.

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Abdullah Ibn Mubarak

Ibn Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu was al-Imam, Shaikh al-Islam, the scholar of his time, Amir of the righteous and he was a hafidh, mujahid Ibn Wadhiah One man that you must know about and must read about. He has everything that a man can ask for, ilm, status, wealth, taqwa, jihad fee sabil LillahWhatever you would want to ask for is in Abdullah Ibn Mubarak. His Lineage Abdullah bin Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu was born in 110H to a Turkish family. His Kunya was Aba Abdirahman. His father worked for a farm owner. Once the owner came to the farm with his guests and asked Mubarak to get the best pomegranate from the farm. Mubarak went and got an un-ripened pomegranate. The owner asked him to go again and get the best; however, Mubarak came again with an un-ripened pomegranate. The owner shouted at him in frustration, O ahmaq (unintelligent, brainless), I asked for a ripened pomegranate, and you keep bringing un-ripened ones. What is wrong with you? Mubarak said, By Allah, I never tasted pomegranate before because you never gave me permission; therefore, I cannot tell the ripened from un-ripened. He said from now on you are free to do whatever you want. The farm owner became a good friend with Mubarak. The farm owner came to Mubarak and said, these people are proposing to my daughter, should I entertain the proposal? Mubarak said, the Jews looked for money, the Christians looked for beauty, and this Ummah looks for piety. Mubarak ended up marrying the farm owners daughter and they had a son named Abdullah. Abdullah ibn Mubarak was born in 110 Hijraa. From a young age, Abdullah was blessed with a strong memory. A man said that Abdullah ibn Mubarak and he were passing by a man who was giving a long long speech. Abdullah told him I memorized everything he said. Abdullah ibn Mubarak memorized all his books. One day his father threatened him that he would burn his books, Abdullah said go ahead I have them memorized. At the age of 20, he started seeking ilm from the major scholars of his time. One of the first ulamaa he sat with was Al-Rabee bin Anas. Al-Rabee was imprisoned for 9 years and no student was allowed to learn from him. Abdullah ibn Mubarak was able to get into prison to learn. He stayed with Al-Rabee in prison until he learned 40 hadith from AlRabee and then he left. At the age of 23, he met one of the greatest scholars of his time and that was Imam Abi Hanifah (Numaan bin Thaabit). He learnt a lot but he used to differ with Abu Hanifah a lot.

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Abu Hanifah was a Faqeeh and Abdullah ibn Mubarak was a Muhaddith. When a person is a Faqeeh and a Muhaddith, this is a true scholar, Abdullah ibn Mubarak was both. He differed with Abu Hanifah but he respected him. He would not challenge, talk back with the shaykh. He would learn from the Shaykh with etiquettes. Abdullah ibn Mubarak met some of the tabieen: Hisham bin Urwah bin Zubair bin Awwam Ismaeel ibn Abi Khalid Al Amash Al-Amash was a very very strong scholar, in the sense that he will not let you have one hadeeth out of him without you working for him. You have to be a true student of knowledge to learn the hadeeth. Al-Amash was blind and students would travel from everywhere to sit with this man. When he hears a student coming he would turn them away. If you dont work hard to get the hadeeth you will not respect it. In the halaqa he would not allow anyone to sit on his right side. Never! One day a fresh student came and sat right next to him. If you move in his class he would just get up and leave. The masjid is packed and he sat on the place that is forbidden. Al-Amash had a feeling that someone was sitting next to him so after every few lines he taught, he would turn to his right and spit on the student. The students would run after him (Al-Amash). Abdullah ibn Mubarak had to hide to listen to him. No one would question the ilm of Abdullah ibn Mubarak. Some of the munaafiq were captured by Haroon Ar-Rashid. One munafiq said that he put over 1000 fabricated hadith in the sunnah of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam. The munafiq said, how can you kill me? No body knows it except my self. Haroon Ar Rashid said kill him, we have Abdullah ibn Mubarak. In 3 days Abdullah ibn Mubarak took out the 1000 fabricated hadith. Abdullah said, after having eman, nothing is equal to a man to go out and seek rizq (provision) for his family. Aqeedah of Abdullah ibn Mubarak: He used to say, We can say what the Yahood (Jews) and the Christians say but we can never say what the Jahmiyya said about Allah (swt). Jahmiyya were a so called Muslim sect who said that Allah (swt) is not above His throne that Allah is every where (physically).

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According to Abdullah ibn Mubarak he said that the Jahmiyyah say Allah is with us right here. A man came to Abdullah ibn Mubarak and said, Im afraid Allah may punish me for the amount of duaa I make against the Jahmiyya. He said dont worry they think Allah is nothing. His Affairs of this World and the Hereafter Abdullah bin Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu was blessed with Khair (good) of this world and the hereafter. He was wealthy and grateful. He was an aalim. Those who fear Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala the most are the scholars. Abdullah ibn Mubarak said there is one thing that the people of this dunya, if they dont taste it they will not taste the sweetness of eman. People said what is that? He said that is to know Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Al Qaasim bin Muhammad said we were traveling with Abdullah ibn Muabrak and one night the light in our tent went off. I used to say why is this man (Abdullah ibn Mubarak) accepted wherever he goes? When the light came back, I saw the beard of Abdullah ibn Mubarak wet from the fear of Allah (swt). He used to finishe the Quran every 3 days and he would make the duaa of khatmal Quran in the state of sujood. Abdullah ibn Mubarak was a person whose duaa was answered on the spot. And he used to say if you want to be a person whose duaa is answered then eat halal. Meaning your income must be halal.

He was so wealthy; he was Rajul Saalih (Righteous man) with a lot of wealth. So wealthy, if you really want wealth concentrate on halal income. What did he used to do with the wealth? He used to sponsor ulamaa. He would hire ulamaa and would tell them not to take anything from Haroon Ar-Rasheed. Haroon Ar-Rasheed was a righteous Khalifah. He went from his palace to the kaba walking. Abdullah used to say to the ulamaa, I will give you a salary and do not ask anything from Haroon Ar-Rasheed. And they respected that. Some of the ulama that he used to sponsor was Ibn Uleyya (an aalim of hadith and imam). He received a strong request from Haroon Ar Rasheed to be a judge. And he used to receive a salary from Abdullah ibn Mubarak. Ibn Mubarak found out that Ibn Uleyya accepted the job. Abdullah ibn Mubarak would not respond to him except the salam.

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Ibn Uleyya wrote a letter and said something to the effect of: I came to see you, to see the barakah that you provided for me and you did not welcome me, did I do anything wrong? Ibn Mubarak wrote on the back of that letter: O the man who hunts the rizq (provision) of the masaakeen (poor) Ibn Uleyya asked to be relieved from being a judge and said: I can take your wrath but I cannot take the anger and wrath of Abdullah ibn Mubarak. And he went back to Abdullah ibn Mubarak. Teach the ilm and dont take anything from the government. Why? Because you are influenced by the people who provide for you. Side note: The categories of khilaful muslimeen 1. Ahl us Sunnah: We know and respect 2. Shia 3. Nawaasul- they hate ahl ul bayt. After every kutbah they have to curse the family of the Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Different types of Scholars: Aalim Umm: aalim of what the people want-this is bad Aalim Dawla: Whatever the government says he does- an aalim of the state Aalim Millah: aalim of tawheed, this is the ulamaa that is requested. 2nd thing he would use: Sponsor students of knowledge: Ex. In this city 600 of you go learn ilm. One time he went to Darsus in Syria and found that one of his students was not present. Abdullah ibn Mubarak asked where he is. They said he was in prison for borrowing money and not returning it. He paid the man that was owed to get the student of knowledge out of jail. 3rd thing he would spend his wealth in: Sadaqah (nafaqah) A man asked for 700 dirham. Abdullah ibn Mubarak said give this man 7000 dirham. 700 or 7000 it doesnt matter. Shaykh bin Baaz was blind. And a miskeen came and asked for money. Shaykh bin Baaz gave him 1000 riyal. This miskeen was clever enough to change it and added another 0. Shaykh bin Baaz, when he heard the news, he cried and he said it was my fault, I didnt give him enough.

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He used to live in a very simple house. Initially he lived in a big house and people used to come and study. But he preferred to live in a small house and so he did, one that could only fit him and his family. Something he hated was fame but he couldnt get away from it. His Peers Abdullah bin Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu was well respected among his peers. Most of them would not give a fatwa or even answer any questions in presence of Ibn Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu; rather, they would tell the questioner that they cannot speak in his presence out of respect. Among his peers were Abu Dawood, Abdirizaq bin Hamam, Alqataan, Ibn Maeen and many others (rh). I tried to be like Ibn Mubarak for one year but I failed to be like him even for three days Sufyan You can only know the importance of a person, if those around him are important. He was very very generous and very very kind. His house was always open for guests. One of the things he was known for was his adab. This man did not eat alone not a single time. He used to attend the halaqaat of other scholars. At that time you would know the name of the individual but you would not know the face. Abdullah sat in the halaqah of Hammad bin Zaid (ulamaa of hadith). Hammad recognized that this stranger was well behaved so he asked him: Where are you from? Abdullah said: I am from Khurasaan. I am Abdullah ibn Mubarak. Hammad said SubhanAllah, You are the scholar of the east and you dont introduce yourself. Hammad said the students want you to talk to them. We were taught not to speak in the presence of our scholars and you are our scholar said Abdullah ibn Mubarak. Abdullah ibn Mubarak started teaching and everything he taught to Hammads students were things that he heard from Hammad bin Zaid. He didnt want the students to say oh hes more knowledgeable and this is from the etiquettes of the student.

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In the Eyes of the Scholars My eyes did not see anyone who is more compassionate to the needs of the Ummah than Abdullah bin Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu AbdurRahman bin Mahdi (the teacher of Imam al-Bukhari) Ahmad bin Hanbal said: There was no alim of hadith at our time like Imam Abdullah ibn Mubarak. Imam Shuba said nobody came from the east like Abdullah ibn Mubarak. Yahya bin Yahya, in the city of Madinah said we were sitting with Imam Malik. Someone said Ya Imam, Abdullah ibn Mubarak is outside asking for permission to enter. When Abdullah ibn Mubarak walked in, Imam Malik got up and made him sit next to him I have never seen Imam Malik doing such a thing for any other person except Abdullah ibn Mubarak. Imam Malik was a very very powerful person in the sense that if you ask a question and you talk back then Imam Malik would ask someone to drag you out of the Masjid or to give 80 lashes. No body used to talk to Imam Malik. If you ask him to tell you a hadith, he would not just tell you Hadith Rasul Allah. He would say this is disrespecting. Imam Malik would go to his house, make wudu, would pray two rakah at the masjid and then he would sit like a student of knowledge. And then he would relate the hadith of Rasul Allah sal Allahu Alayhi wa sallam. He had to dress nicely. The Ummah has four Imams, Imam Sufyan, Imam Malik, Imam Hammaad bin Zaid, Imam Abdullah ibn Mubarak. Abdur Rahman ibn Mahdi His Reverence towards the Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam & the Companions Abdullah bin Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu used to stay at home most of the time. One day someone asked him, Why do you run to your home and not sit with us? What do you do at home? He said, I sit with Muhammad sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam and his companions. Meaning reading and learning about them. The ulama used to say, if you see anyone that says anything negative about Abdullah ibn Mubarak then that person is from the people of Bida. The True King Once, the commander of the believers, Haroon ar-Rashid, went to visit Ar-Raqqah. When he entered the city, the people came out to welcome him. Shortly after that Ibn Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu entered the city un-announced. As soon as the people learnt that Abdullah bin Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu was in the city they left the leader and the

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commander of the believers to welcome Ibn Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu. The wife of Haroon ar-Rashid was surprised and she asked, Who is this man? She was informed that he is a scholar from Khurasaan. She said, By Allah that is the true king, not Haroon ar-Rashid. Abdullah ibn Mubarak disliked being famous but he was famous. He did not want anyone to know about him but everyone knew of him. He was the king in the hearts of people. People loved him for what he did. His Lifes Planning Ibn Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu planned his life such that he would go for Hajj for one year and go for Jihad the next. Hajj of Abdullah ibn Mubarak: The people will gather and say I want to go to Hajj with you. And people would bring money and give it to Abdullah ibn Mubarak (to pay for Hajj). He would feed them the best of food. He would say, I have a lot of your money and so he would say purchase whatever you want, and then at the city of Mecca he would say purchase whatever you want. And then they would go back after hajj and a week later, Abdullah ibn Mubarak would call them back and give them all there money back. Between Him & Allah! Al-Marwazi said, I heard Ahmed bin Hanbal saying, the reason Allah elevated the status of Ibn Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu is because of something that he used to do secretly between him and Allah He used to do many things in secret that were just between him and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Ahmad bin Hanbal said: The reason this man became this famous, because Allah loved him. Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: When Allah loves a servant, He calls Gabriel and says: Verily, I so and so; you should also love him, and then Gabriel begins to love him. Then he makes an announcement in the heaven saying: Allah loves so and so and you also love him, and then the inhabitants of the Heaven (the Angels) also begin to love him and then there is conferred honour upon him in the earth; and when Allah is angry with any servant He calls Gabriel and says: I am angry with such and such and you also become angry with him, and then Gabriel also becomes angry and then makes an announcement amongst the inhabitants of heaven: Verily Allah is angry with so-and so, so you also become angry with him, and thus they also become angry with him. Then he becomes the object of wrath on the earth also. Saheeh Muslim

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From the Wisdom of Ibn Mubarak Abdullah bin Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu used to say that every God fearing believer is most certainly concerned about four things: 01. A sin that was committed and its fate is unknown (punished by Allah for it or repentance accepted for it) 02. A life span full of uncertainty. 03. A test or trail that he/she looks at it as a bounty. 04. Heedlessness of the heart that he/she many never come back from A man asked Abdullah ibn Muaarak: What is the best thing that Allah can bless to anyone of us? He said: Aql- Intelligence The man said: What if the person is not intelligent? He said: Good manners The man said: What if the person does not have good manners? He said: Good friends who will tell you when you have short comings. The man said: What if he cant find any? He said: A long silence (a person whos always quiet) The man said: What if he cant be quiet? He said: A quick death

Abdullah ibn Mubarak used to say: If you disrespect the ulama you have lost your akhirah. If you disrespect the rulers you have lost your dunya. (they will kill you or harm you etc.) If you disrespect your friends you have lost your dignity. If you disrespect yourself you have lost everything. Four lessons from the life Abdullah ibn Mbuarak: 1. You learn ilm (knowledge) by applying. 2. It is a responsibility of the ummah to teach people after Rasul Allah sal Allahu Alayhi wa sallam. 3. Have Sabr (patience) with learning ilm and sitting under the feet of the scholars 4. Make duaa to Allah to accept your deeds. His Death In Ramadan, 181H, his death was announced; thereupon, Haroon ar-Rashid said, Today the Master of the scholars is dead. He was 63 years old.

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On his deathbed, this man came to him and said, say the shahada. The sunnah is to say the shahada and you only say it to him/her once and if they say it then thats it, if not then you wait until they say something else and then ask again. Many people saw Abdullah ibn Mubarak in there dreams after his death. One man saw Abdalah bin Mubarak in his dream and he asked Abdullah (who was in jannah in his dream), what was the best thing that Allah rewarded you with? Abdullah said, Al-ribat, if you die in a state of Al-Ribat, then your hasanat will continue and this is the best reward. He said, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala also forgave all my sins and I spoke to the women of jannah (hoor al ayn) and Allah is pleased with me. (Al-Ribat is to be tied to something but in this context it means when the Mujahid is stationed in a area waitng for jihaad.)

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Fatimah bint Abdul Malik

She was the daughter of the khalifah, AbdulMalik bin Marwan, the sister of Al-Waleed bin Abdul Malik, Sulaeman bin Abdul Malik, Hisham bin Abdul Malik and the wife of Omar bin Abdul Aziz (rh). Because of her status and her beauty, she was desired bye every prince in the Umayyad family. However, her father desired the best and most God fearing man for her: Omar bin Abdul Aziz. No other woman had similar status as Fatimah. She had everything a woman can ask for. She did not experience any difficulties or hardships in her life until her husband became the Khalifah. The ulamaa, some of them would consider Omar bin Abdul Aziz as the 5th Khalifah. He was a simple man in the member of a royal family, then he became the governor of the city of Madinah. He used to dress his finest and would not wear the same thing twice. This young lady, Fatimah bint Abdul Malik bin Marwan was extremely beautiful. Allah blessed her with beauty and every member of the royal family desired to marry her. Abdul Malik bin Marwan looked for a suitable husband for his daughter. He himself went to Omar bin Abdul Aziz and said, all of these men are proposing to my daughter, but I dont want any of them, I want YOU to be her husband Fatimah said, I would never refuse my father. She did not complain and she lived a very comfortable life until her husband became Khalifah. When the previous khalifah was dieing, he secretly put his name as the successor. When Omar learned of this he asked to be released of this duty. He said to the people Ummah the whole ummah said no we want you to be the khalifah. He cried and cried on the podium because of the responsibility that he just received. From that moment on he decided that he will approach the situation completely different. He said, I dont want any body guards, I dont want anyone to walk with me and I dont want to ride the horse for khalifah, I want a mule or a donkey to ride on. He said to his wife, either be with me or be with your wealth. She said no, I want to live with you and so she gave up everything. He took everything away from the royal family and gave it away for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Omar hired Umar bin Muhajir for a specific task. Omar hiring this man and said, Ya Umar bin Muhajir your job is this that every time you see me and you see that I went

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away from the right path. Wrap my thobe and shake me and tell me: Fear Allah, you are going to die. This is what Im paying you for. Fatimah just lived with her husband, a simple life and she went along with the plan of her husband. Her Love for Her Husband Her husband, Omar bin Abdul Aziz, became the Khalifah (caliph) in 717 A.D. Unlike previous Umayyad Khulafa, he was not a hereditary successor to the former Khalifah, but was appointed. However, he was the cousin of the former Khalifah, as he was the son of Abdul Maliks younger brother Abdul Aziz. Though Fatimah was never arrogant, she lived a comfortable life until her husband became the Khalifah. After Omar became the Khalifah she gave up everything for the love of Omar. Omar ruled the Umayyad Caliphate until he passed away in 720 A.D. When you raise your son, raise him as if hes going to be the next khalifah. When you raise your daughter, raise her as if shes going to the next khalifahs wife. Fatimah lived as a muminah, as a wife of a khalifah until the khalifah passed away. Her brothers who became khalifah said to her, you know Omar took all your jewels and we want you to have them back. She said: How can I obey him in life and disobey him after his death, wAllahi I will not take it. She lived in a very very simple house, she became the servant of her family, she used to cook, do laundry of her family and she was a lot happier. Instead of being the princess, she became the servant of her own family.

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Fatimah Al-Samarqandiyah
Her full name was Fatimah bint Muhammad bint Ahmad Al-Samarqandi (rh). Her father and her husband were both Jurists. She learnt from her father, and she had the capacity to authorize the fatawa (legal opinions) just as much as her father and her husband. Her father was the grand mufti of the city in Syria. She learned the hanafi math-hab under her father, and she became the second mufti. She used to issue fatwa (legal opinions) under her fathers guidance. Every time an aalim has a daughter that is an aalimah, the students of knowledge and the other ulama would love to have that young lady as his wife. Side Story: Saeed bin Musayab a tabiee and also the son in law of Abu Hurayrah. Saeeds daughter became an aalimah, so the people would come and propose to this young lady and Saeed bin Musayab would say no. Until one day, one of the students of Saeed bin Musayab was absent from the halaqa for three days. After three days he came, and Saeed asked where have you been? The student said, my wife died. The first question he asked, did you get married yet? An aalim, if he looses his wife they would get married on the spot again, its because they knew the worst situation a man can meet Allah with is being single. You should not die as being single. His student said, who would marry me, I am a man who has no money? Saeed said I will let you marry my daughter. This young man said, I have only 3 dirham or 7. He said Ill take that as her dowry. And then Saeed went to his house after the nikah. He knocked on the door, and his student asked who is it? He said, Saeed. The student thought to himself every possible Saeed it could be, but he never thought of Saeed bin Musayab because for the past 40 years, Saeed would go to salah ul Isha and then go straight to his house. Then the student thought that maybe Saeed changed his mind about giving his daughter. He opened the door and saw Saeed, Saeed bin Musayab stepped aside and there was his daughter. Saeed pushed his daughter in and closed the door. Saeeds daughter fainted and the student called out for help. His mother and friends came and they kicked him out of the house, and they got the lady ready. The next morning the student was getting ready to go to Saeeds halaqa, and his wife said where are you going? He said to your fathers halaqah. She said sit down, I have all the knowledge of my father and I will teach you. This story is similar to the story of Fatimah Al-Samarqandiyah. Fatimah was in the same situation, everyone wanted to marry her but no one was good enough until Alaa ud Deen bin Masood came.

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Her Legacy The author of the book, Ad-Dur al-monthur fi tabaqaat rabaatul khudoor, attests that she wrote many books which were known to the scholars of early generations. She left so many books behind, those books are some how missing, either they are not printed yet or they are lost. Ulamaa of her time used to read her books, especially Madhab Al Hanafiyyah. Her Dowry Her dowry was a book of commentary on one of the books written by her father. The book was compiled by one of his students. Her father had authored a book, At-Tuhfah Fuqaha. It was a matn. Matn- is the condensed material that a scholar would author and it is for other scholars to explain. At-Tuhafah Fuqaha was a matn for the fiqh of Hanafi. Alaa ud Deen bin Masood explained this book. When Muhammad bin Ahmad (the father of Fatimah) realized that this man explained his book. He said listen, I want you to marry my daughter for the dowry of that book, the dowry for my daughter is that book. It was 12 volumes long called Badaai As-Sanaai. Her Husband Just like her, her husband was one of the students of her father. It was well known that he would seek her advice in legal matters and would trust her verdict over his own. He was named, The King of the Scholars. He was so harsh on anyone who would differ with him. Before Abu Hanifah, there was no mathahib. When he came, he did not order ANYONE to follow him. When he died, a few scholars adopted it and improved on it. Their intention was not to establish a mathhab or to get people to follow it. They did it to simplify the deen for the people so they could follow it. If you want to follow a math-hab that is your choice, but when a hadith comes to you, you say: we hear and we obey.

When her father died, her husband became the mufti of the madhab. She wanted to go back to As-Samarqan (her home land), but Noori-deen az-Zinqy (the king of Syria at that time) convinced her to stay because people were in need of her ilm. Her and her husband became the muftis of the city.

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Her Death She passed away in Halab, 581A.H, where she was teaching on the request of the King Noori-deen.

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Amrah bint Abdurrahman

Her full name was Amrah bint Abdurrahman bin Saad bin Zurarah Al-Ansaari radi Allahu 'anha. She was born in the year 29H and grew up under the care of Aishah bint Abu Bakr radi Allahu 'anha. She learnt from Aishah radi Allahu 'anha, and conveyed that knowledge to the Ummah. The scholars would not question any of her narrations from Aishah. She narrated a large number ahadeeth. Shes from the family of Saad bin Zurarah who was one of the leaders of the Ansar. Asad bin Zurarah was the host of Musab ibn Umayr. We cannot be true believers until we love the Ansaar. Khalid bin Zaid (Abu Ayyub Al Ansari) hosted Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam when he came to Madinah. Shortly after he sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam gave the first lecture in the history of Madinah and he said, O people, spread peace among yourselves, feed the poor, keep the kinship ties, and pray at night while people are sleeping, so that you may enter paradise serenely. Abdullah ibn Salaam said I came to witness his (the prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) first speech and as soon as I saw his face, I said to my self this face is not a face of a liar. He accepted Islam after he heard the speech of Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Saad bin Ubaadah said: Ya Rasul Allah as long as I am in the city of Madinah you will not cook food. Saad ibn Ubaadah used to cook for 80 people every day just because of Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Qays (son of Saad bin Ubaadah) came to Saad and said I saw something I could not take. Saad asked what did you see? Qays said I saw rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam in a state of hunger. Saad ibn Ubaadah took his daughter and went to the masjid and said Ya Allah help me. He slaughtered 100 camels, even the birds and even the yahood (Jews) ate from the food of Saad ibn Ubaadah. When Umm Sulaym gave her son Anas to serve Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam, she said, Invoke blessings of Allah upon him. The Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: O Allah, make an increase in his wealth, and progeny. Anas said: By Allah, my fortune is huge and my children, and grand-children are now more than one hundred. Saheeh Muslim Anas became very wealthy and was one of the last sahabi who died. Saad bin Muadh just loved rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam. At the battle of Badr, the Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam asked for advice from his companions. Abu Bakr was the first who spoke on the occasion and assured the Prophet

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sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam of the unreserved obedience to his command. Umar was the next to stand up and supported the views expressed by his noble friend. Then Al-Miqdad bin Amr got up and said: "O Messenger of Allh! Proceed where Allh directs you to, for we are with you. We will not say as the Children of Israel said to Moses: "Go you and your Lord and fight and we will stay here;" Rather we shall say: "Go you and your Lord and fight and we will fight along with you." By Allh! If you were to take us to Bark Al-Ghimad, we will still fight resolutely with you against its defenders until you gained it." The Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam thanked him and blessed him. The three leaders who spoke were from the Emigrants (Muhajireen), who only constituted a minor section of the army. The Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam wanted, and for the more reason, to hear the Ansaars view because they were the majority of the soldiers and were expected to shoulder the brunt of the war activities. Moreover, the clauses of Al-Aqabah Pledge did not commit them to fighting beyond their territories. The Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam then said: "Advise me my men!" by which he meant the Ansaar, in particular. Upon this Sad bin Muadh stood up and said: "By Allh, I feel you want us (the Ansaar) to speak." The Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam directly said: "Oh, yes!" Sad said: "O Prophet of Allh! We believe in you and we bear witness to what you have vouchsafed to us and we declare in unequivocal terms that what you have brought is the Truth. We give you our firm pledge of obedience and sacrifice. We will obey you most willingly in whatever you command us, and by Allh, Who has sent you with the Truth, if you were to ask us to plunge into the sea, we will do that most readily and not a man of us will stay behind. We do not grudge the idea of encounter with the enemy. We are experienced in war and we are trustworthy in combat. We hope that Allh will show you through our hands those deeds of valour which will please your eyes. Kindly lead us to the battlefield in the Name of Allh." The Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam was impressed with the fidelity and the spirit of sacrifice which his companions showed at this critical juncture. [Ar-Raheeq Al Makhtum]

The battle of Hunain took place after Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam conquered the city of Mecca.

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Rasul Allah had the new comers such as Abu Sufyan, Hakim and other shabah who are fresh from kufr to emaan. We will go to the people of Taaif and we will fight the musrikeen of Taaif. Maalik bin Awf (one of the leaders of Taaif) learned that Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam was coming. Maalik brought everything and everyone with him, the children and the women. He said to the men, if you run your women will become the slaves of Muhammad sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam. The new comers, they went and they saw a tree and they said ya rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam, lets use this tree as a good luck. Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said you said the same thing that Bani Israel said. When they were attacking or getting ready they said wAllahi we will not be defeated (because the Muslims had huge numbers at this time). When they slept the watch slept too and Malik bin Awf attacked them by throwing rocks at them. Abu Sufyan said, nothing wills top these people except the red sea. Someone said the magic of Muhammad wasnt working today. So Rasul Allah marched directly towards the mushrikeen. No one came back to protect the Rasul. The ansar were then called and the Ansar radi Allahu 'anhuma turned and those who couldnt turn jumped off their mounts and went to attack. It wasnt the muhajireen but the Ansar that were behind his back. Rasul Allah smiled and said some thing to the effect of that now we are in business. And they were victorious. Malik bin Awf ran to Taif and all the women, wealth and children were captured. The new Muslims from Mecca said give us and they were given. The Ansar got nothing from the war booty. One of the Ansar said, may Allah have mercy on the Rasul, he gave his people and not us. Saad bin Ubaadah came to Rasul Allah and said this group of Ansar are saying that you found your people and forgot us. Rasul Allah said collect them all. So the all the Ansar were collected. He said to them, ya Masharal Ansaar, something I hear about you, that you have something against me in your heart. Ya masharal Ansaar, werent you kuffaar and then Allah guided you, werent you fighting with one another, werent you poor and Allah blessed you with wealth by me? They said: We are grateful to Allah and Muhammad sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Rasul Allah said: Ya Masharal Ansaar talk to me. No one said anything. Then he said if you wanted to say something you could have. You could have said, no body accepted you and we accepted you, you were lost and we found you but you didnt say this. Arent you happy for them to go back with the booty, but you go back with me. We are happy to have you said the Ansaar. Rasul Allah said if it werent for hijrah, I would call my self from Ansaar. The Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam made duaa for the Ansaar and they cried until their beards were soaking wet.

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Narrated Ibn Abbas: Once the Prophet ascended the pulpit and it was the last gathering in which he took part. He was covering his shoulder with a big cloak and binding his head with an oily bandage. He glorified and praised Allah and said, "O people! Come to me." So the people came and gathered around him and he then said, "Amma ba'du." "From now onward the Ansar will decrease and other people will increase. So anybody who becomes a ruler of the followers of Muhammad and has the power to harm or benefit people then he should accept the good from the benevolent amongst them (Ansar) and overlook the faults of their wrong-doers." - Saheeh Bukhari

She learned from Ayesha, from the wife of Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Ayesha said she was a faqeeeha and she understood how to implement. After the death of Ayesha and even at the time of the sahabah she was considered to be a great alimah. Her Partaking in Enjoining the Good When Amrah radi Allahu 'anha learnt that Al-Hussien bin Ali radi Allahu 'anhu was going to Iraq, she wrote him a letter letting him know that it is not a good ideas and that he should accept Muawiyyah radi Allahu 'anhu as caliph. She said, By Allah, I heard our mother Aishah radi Allahu 'anha saying that she heard from the messenger of Allah saying, Al-Hussien will be killed in the land of Babylonians. Therefore I strong recommend you not go. Every aalim would try to change the munkar and they will try to do what is good for the ummah. Her Thirst for Knowledge Amrah asked Aishah radi Allahu 'anha, How did the messenger of Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam act when he was alone with you? Aishah radi Allahu 'anha replied, Like any other man, except that he was the most honorable of all men and the best mannered and he used to laugh and smile a lot. You cannot learn ilm without the aalim. If you want to be a student of knowledge you need to have the ilm and the aalim. Studying and reading by yourself is not enough, if you do not have an aalim to refer back to it is very dangerous/difficult, you will make deadly mistakes. Why do we need ulamaa? 1. Allah chose them and made the ulamaa. They are the chosen and Allah favoured that individual over us and we have to accept that. 2. They are the protectors of the shariah-- without them you are lost. 3. We are told to go back to the ulamaa

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4. Real ulama are the doctors of the heart. Benefit of ilm: Purification for the mumineen It is a light of guidanceIt gives you khashya- fear of Allah in the heart It is the only thing that Allah ordered Muhammad sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam to ask for. 5. Ilm before aml--ilm is more important then ibaadah 6. The reward of becoming aalim is great1. 2. 3. 4. Amrah: The ilm that she learnt from Ayesha radi Allahu 'anha is the ilm she needed. Two types of ilm: Fard Ayn- Individual- Everyone has to know it Fard Kifayah- Collective- It is sufficient if some people in the community have it The Extent of Her Knowledge Nazeed bin Haroon narrated from Yahya bin Saeed who narrated from Abdullhi bin Dinaar that Omar bin Abdul Aziz worte to Abi Bakr bin Muhammad bin Hazm saying, Look into the ahadeeth of the messenger of Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam or any sunan from the past generation adinto the Hadith of Amrah bint Abdur Rahman radi Allahu 'anha. And when you find them then document them, for I fear the loss of knowledge otherwise. If you want true ilm, you have to go and learn from Amrah bint Abdur Rahman. Qasim bin Muhammad said a man saw me and he saw that I am really eager to learn ilm. He said my advice to you is that if you want true ilm then go sit under Amrah bint Abdur Rahman. Shes a true alimah of our time. Her Dealings with Others Amrah radi Allahu 'anha was very kind and gentle in her dealings with others. She was neither loud nor harsh. Her kindness stemmed from ahadeeth that she narrated from Aishah. This is what a lot of people are missing these days, the gentleness. Rasul Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam used to be very gentle.

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Narrated 'Aisha: Once the Jews came to the Prophet and said, "Death be upon you." So I cursed them. The Prophet said, "What is the matter?" I said, "Have you not heard what they said?" The Prophet said, "Have you not heard what I replied (to them)? (I said), ('The same is upon you.' Bukhari If you want to give dawah, you have to know gentleness. Her Death She narrated a lot of hadith and she was applied the hadith in her life. Amrah bint Abdurrahman radi Allahu 'anha passed away in 98H at the age of 77. May Allah have mercy on her.

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Laith bin Saad

Laith bin Saad (rh) was born in 94H in Qarqashandah, Egypt. He was the Imam of the Egyptians and one of the most learned scholar of his time. Imam Shafiee was raised by his mother, in the city of Mecca. When he was around nine years old he went to go study from Imam Maalik. He was a very young boy and Imam Maalik him to go memorize the Quran first. Imam Shafiee said, I already did. Imam Malik said go correct your tongue and Imam Shafiee said, I already did. Imam Malik said if you want to be my student, you have to memorize the Muwatta and Imam Shafiee said I already have. While he was sitting with Imam Maalik, an arabi came and he said to Imaam Malik that I made an oath that I would divorce my wife if she was not more beautiful then the moon. I told her to go prepare herself so that I could see if she was. When I saw her, she was not more beautiful then the moon. Imam Malik said then you have to divorce her. Imam Shafiee said no because Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala said in the Quran: We have certainly created man in the best of stature (95:4) Imam Malik accepted Imam Shafiees opinion over his. Imam Shafiee traveled to Eqypt to learn from Laith. He found that Imam Laith died so he sat under the students of Laith. Laith bin Saad (rh) was more knowledgeable than, Imam Malik. His students however, did not do justice in spreading his knowledge. Mohammad Bin Idrees (Imam Shafiee) Imam Laith was born in Egypt but he was not an Egyptian, he was from Aswahaan, around Pakistan. His family was not very well known in status. As soon as Imam Laith became a young man, he started traveling for ilm. The dream of every young man was to become an aalim. Some of them succeeded and some of them didnt. His Thirst for Knowledge He learnt from the greatest scholars of his time such as Attaa bin Abi Rabah, Ibn Mulaikah, nai and others (rh). Ibn Bukair narrated that Laith bin Saad said, I entered the city of Makkah in the year 113H and I sat (learnt) under Imam Az-Zurri and I was only 20 years old. Laith was the muahadith of Egypt and the true authority. No governor, no ruler would make any change in Egypt without the approval of Laith ibn Saad.

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The Extent & the Depth of His Knowledge He, may Allah have mercy on him, was the faqih, the muahdith and the crown of Egypt. He was the governor, and the Judge. Anyone of authority in Egypt wouldnt do anything without his consent. Al-Mansoor, the Commander of the believers, asked him to be the head of the region but he declined. AlHafith Abu Nuaim His Influence on the Nation Uthman bin Saaleh (rh) said, Egyptians used to disrespect Othman bin Affaan radi Allahu 'anhu, until Laith bin Saad (rh) started teaching them about the virtues of Othman bin Affaan radi Allahu 'anhu : the Khalifah (caliph). From that day on the people showed nothing but respect towards the Khalfiah. His Teaching Techniques Laith bin Saad (rh) would exercise wisdom and gentleness when giving advice to anyone. Abal Hassan Alkhadim said, I was the servant of Zubaidah, the wife of ArRashid. She came with her husband to ask questions to Laith bin Saad. After she finished Ar-Rashid said, I was told that you swore to Allah that I will be rewarded with gardens in paradise, Therefore, Laith asked him, Do you fear Allah? Ar-Rashid said, Yes! By Allah! Latih asked him again, Do you truly fear Him? Ar-Rashid said, Yes. Laith asked him three times and every time he would say, Yes, by Allah, I fear Allah. Laith said to him, Then glad tidings for you O Ameer, indeed Allah said: But for him who fears the standing before his lord, there will be two Gardens (in paradise). [Ar-Rahman: 46] He had very strong relationship with the khulafaaa especially with Haroon Ar-Rashid. The wife of Haroon Ar-Rashid used to go to Laith concerning her business, money, and what Haroon Ar-Rashid had done. Laith had a very unique way of talking to people, he would talk positively not negatively. Imam Laith ibn Saad had 4 halaqaat: 1. Halaqah for the ruling class- Educate anyone who works for the government. 2. Student of Hadith: Protecting the hadith and the sunnah because you dont want to loose the sunnah. 3. The business men- if you are in business, he will give you halaqah about transactions etc. 4. Halaqah for the general people- anyone who wanted the basics of Islam. Umar bin Al Khattab would not allow you to open your shop if you did not know the fiqh of business.

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In the Eyes of Scholars If it were not for Imam Malik and Imam Laith bin Saad people would go astray. Bin Wahab I accompanied Laith bin Saad for twenty years, and I never seen him eating alone. Abdullahi bin Saaleh Yahya said I have never met anyone who has more understanding of Fiqh then Malik and Laith bin Saad. Laith used to spend 80 000 dirham for the masakeen every year. He used to give special salary to a few individuals. One of them was Malik ibn Anas. When the daughter of Malik ibn Anas was getting married, he helped him by sending many gifts, etc. His Death Laith bin Saad (rh) passed away on Friday, 15th of Shabaan, 175H. It was an extremely sad day fro Egypt. People came from everywhere to witness his funeral. All you could see was a sea of people crying and weeping and giving each other condolences, narrated one of the youth who was at the funeral.

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Ataa bin Abi Rabah

I have not seen any one better than Ataa bin Abi Rabah. Abu Hanifah His Lineage Ataa bin Abi Rabah (rh) was born in Aljand, Yemen. He was known as Abu Muhammad al-Qurashi. It is from the characteristics of the scholars and the leaders that they aim high and Ataa was no different; he aimed high when he was a slave. Not only that, but he was also physically challenged. However, this did not stop him to become one of the elite scholars at the time of the companions. He was a one man show, when Ataa is in a Majlis no one else was allowed to talk or to give a fatwa or to say anything. However this man used to be a slave to one of the people in Mecca. This young boy was a slave from Abysinia. At a very young age he divided his time into 3 portions: 1. In the morning he would serve his master 2. Sit in the a halaqah 3. Salah- to worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala He was a young man and he didnt have the freedom that we have. He had no one to take care of him so he decided to schedule himself in this fashion. When the lady (his owner) saw this in him, she said if I free him for the sake of Allah perhaps he will benefit the Ummah. He went to Masjid Al Haram and gave his time. Abdullah ibn Abbas was alive and great sahabahs of the ulamaa were alive, and Ataa learnt from them. Ataa would not miss an opportunity to learn from male or female scholars because he was young; it was easy for the sahabiyyat and let him in. He learnt and became a student of knowledge shortly after that. Then something happened. When Hajjaj bin Yusuf attacked the city of Mecca, Ataa joined with Abdullah ibn Az-Zubayr. Ataa lost his arm in this fight, he got injured and he lost the ability on walking on one of his legs. He also lost an eye. It was test after test for this young man. Yet that did not stop him he continued learning. He learned from soo many people, too many to list. He became Faqih in every thing.

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He would teach and in the morning, the masjid was packed with students of Tafseer till Salah tul Dhuhr. Students of Hadith would come until Asr. Then the fuqahaa then the people of seerah and then the people Arabic. Each subject was taught after salah. Until he had thousands of students who would come and learn from this man, Ataa. O people of Makkah why do you gather around me when you have Ataa bin Rabbah with you in Makkah? Abdullah bin Abbas His Teachers Ataa had many teachers, some from the Sahabah (companions) and others from the Taabieen. From the Sahabah were Aishah, Umm Salamah and Abu Hurairah radi Allahu 'anhuma. From the Taabieen were Ubaidah bin Umair, Mujahid, Ibn Alhanafiya and others (rh). His Students His students include Mujahid bin Jubair, Abu Ishaq As-Subai, Abu Alzubair, Alzurayy and others (rh). In the eyes of the Scholars Ataa was the mufti of Ahli-Makkah (the people of Makkah). Ibn Saad Wallahi, he is better than me. - Abu Jaffar Al- Baqir For the season of Hajj no one was allowed to give a fatwah concerning the Hajj except Ataa. Incidents: The people of Mecca said Abdullah ibn Umar is coming to town, lets go ask Ibn Umar. Ibn Umar (statement of a sahabi) said, SubhanAllah, O Ahl ul Mecca (people of Mecca) you have surprised me, you are collecting your questions so you can ask me when you have Ataa ibn Abi Rabah. The same thing was said by Abdullah ibn Abbas, you coming for questions and you have Ataa ibn Abi Rabah. Im not going to entertain any of your questions. Umar bin Saeed said Ataa ibn Abi Rabah is the master of the Muslims. Ataa became an aalim through 2 things: 1. He had complete control over his desires 2. He had complete control over his time and his tongue.

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You control your emotions and you control your tongue and your time and youre good to go. Ataa disliked: 1. Useless talk- He used to hate vain talk He used to say anything that is not from the book of Allah is useless talk. If its not form the book of Allah, it should be from sunnah. If its not then the only reason you should talk is enjoining good and forbidding evil, if you cant then duaa to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, if you cannot then if its out of necessity. He saw this young man giggling. Ataa said Ya ibn Akhi, were you given the glad tidings of Jannah? Did you receive your book with your right hand? Then why were you laughing? 2. Waste of Time 3. Sleeping too much He ordered people to do good and make duaa for necessities. He made hajj 70 times. The khalifah came to make hajj and when he walked into the Haram, he asked about Ataa, they said he is at the other end of the Kaba. The khalifah said to his officer to stay away. He grabbed his two little boys and walked to the halaqa of Ataa. Ataa was in Salah. After he finished the Salah. Ataa said to the khalifah, Sit O Ameer ul Mumineen you are harming people. When the khalifah came to ask questions, he did so with adab. The kids said who is this man who abused you like this? He said that is Ataa. They said how did he become like this? He said through ilm. Khalifah used to humble himself when he sees an alim coming to town. Ataa said for 20 years he had not heard anything new from any of the scholars, but he acted like it was the first time he was hearing it. He was a student of ilm who would learn from the great ulumah as well as minor ulumah and the students of knowledge. This is how he became an aalim. Every time you meet someone: Either that person is better then you in ilm so you learn from him. So you cannot sit before he or she sits and you act like a student of knowledge If the person is compatible, equal to you at the same level of ilm: In this you exchange information with each other. When you meet someone less knowledgeable then you humble yourself and you teach that person with kindness.

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His Humbleness & Modesty Despite the fact that Ataa (rh) was a big scholar, he never stopped learning. Ibn Abi Lail (rh) said, I went to visit Ataa and during my visitation he kept asking me questions to the point that his students were unhappy about it. So they said, Why would you ask him (That is, he is not of your caliber)? Ataa (rh) said, Why do you disapprove of my action? He is indeed more knowledgeable than me. He was a student of knowledge who learned from both great and minor ulamaa. He was a humble man and lead a simple life. He received salary from bayt ul maal. His Attachment to the Salah (Prayer) Ataa had one thing that he really loved: Salah Nothing would matter to him as long as he can pray. It was his comfort. I was with Ataa for 18 years. When he became old, he used to recite 200 ayahs in one raka (unit) and he would not move. Ibn Jareej His Death He passed away in the year 115H at the age of 88. May Allah have mercy on him.

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Zubaidah bint Jafar

Her full name was Zubaidah bint Jafar bin Al-Mansoor al-Hashimy Al-Abbasi (rh). Zubaidah was a nick name given by her grandfather. Her actual name was Umm Al-Aziz. She married Haroon ar-Rashid in the year 165 AH in Baghdad during the Caliphate of Al-Mahdi. Ar-Rashid loved her very much. To display his affection for Zubaidah, ArRashid instated their son Al-Ameen as the Khaleefah (Caliph) instead of his older son. She was the cousin of Haroon from the khilafah of Abbasiyyah. Bani Abbas were known for the palaces they built. This young lady was raised in this environment. Haroon ArRashid proposed to her and they married. And they had together Muhammad Al Ameen who was the son of Zubaidah. Haroon ArRashid had two sons, Al Mamoon and Al Ameen. Her husband and her sons were very busy. Muhammad was a spoiled kid. When Mamoon became a young man who is ma sha Allah ready to take the role of a khilafah. She starts talking to Haroon and asking why dont you make my son your next successor. Haroon would say Mamoon is older then him (by 6 months), I cant give Muhamamd that right. But she changed his mind and he appointed her son as the khilafah. Fitnah occurred between the two brothers and Al Ma moon killed Muhammad Al Ameen. Al Mamoon, who killed her only son, came to her and said: its the qadar of Allah, from now on, I will be your son and I will treat you like my mother. Her Character Ibn Bardi said, She was one of the most religious, beautiful, and most honored women of her time. She was extremely generous. She was very keen with her concerns about the well being of the Ummah. She was exceptionally focused on how to educate the masses of the Muslim Ummah and she encouraged the students to study medicine, poetry, and other sciences she mastered the Arabic language and was very eloquent in her speech. Her Legacy She spent her wealth on a number of different causes, among them were, digging a well for Hujjaj in Makkah, building the masajid and building large dwellings for the travelers to rest on their journey. Zubaidah was a person who was generous. She was very giving. She went to hajj and she realized the condition of the hujjaaj and how difficult it is for them to drink water or to do anything. So she spent almost all her money changing the shaair in Mecca. Facilitating for the Hujjaj. Getting wells of Zam Zam to arafah to mina etc. She provided water for the Hujjaj and the Hujjaj were so pleased with that.

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From Mecca to Yemen, Syria, she used to build houses for Ibn As-Sabeel (travelers). They are like a resting area, whoever build this, its considered a sadaqah jariyyah. They dont exist now days any more. This is where she spent most of her money. She was the first lady to establish a hifdh (memorization of the Quran) program for girls in her palace. Zubaidah loved Quran and she used to collect the little girls in her house and she used to teach them. She was the only wife of a khalifah who made her palace a Quranic School. Every morning she had hundreds of little girls that were coming out of the house. She used to love listening the recitation of them in her house. Her Death She passed away in Baghdad in the year 216AH.

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TORCH BEARERS- Scholars of Islam| taught by Shaykh Saed Rageah Final Advice:
The Role of Women In Islam, we dont see women being confined in their houses where they cant go out or seek education. We need them to be doctors, teachers whatever field they can get into. However each one of us has an important role to play. The responsibility of the husband is to provide for the husband. Yet this doesnt mean you cant do anything at home. Rasul Allah used to serve his family at home as Aisha narrates, he used to wash clothes, sweep etc. But his main job was outside. The sisters main job is inside as a wife and mother. If she can balance this with education then thats great. Its not fair to request a wife to go out and earn and have the responsibilities at home as well. Single sisters, this is a golden opportunity to increase your knowledge and deen. Two things that have no barakah in the west: Time Money Schedule yourself around the five daily prayers: Best time to memorize is after Fajr. Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawzi said your brain works like a muscle when you lift, it becomes better and stronger. So try one ayah a day and do that for a week and then increase. There will be a point that when someone says something to you, for the first time youll be able to memorize it. You are training your mind. Fajr to Asr: Use this time for earning your rizq (provision) or going to school etc. Asr: Best time to read books of fiqh and the books of the ulumah Maghrib and Isha: Kitab al Aqeedah. (Aqeedah Tahawiya) You must be consistent. Principles that the Ulamaa taught us: -Anything that wastes your money is haram -Anything that harms your health is haram -Anything that harms someone else is haram -Anything that wastes your time is haram

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Example of Ibn Taymiyyah: In the morning he would pray salah tul fajr and would face the Qiblah and would not talk to anyone. When he would finish his dhikr he would turn to his students and say, I apologize that was my breakfast. He would close his eyes and teach until dhuhr. And at salah tul Asr he would climb a mountain and back, this was his physical exercise.

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TORCH BEARERS- Scholars of Islam| taught by Shaykh Saed Rageah

BONUS: QUIZ
Hafsa bint Seereen
1) Hafsa bint Seereen radi Allahu 'anha learnt a great deal of knowledge from which female scholar? 2) Who narrated the following quote: She was the master of the taabiaat (the second generation)? 3) Where was her father from, and which companion did he work for? 4) Who did Seereen marry and what was her name? 5) How many children did they have together? What were their names? 6) Who attended Seereen and his wifes wedding, and what was special about this companion? (Hint: the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi sallam was commended to recite a surah to him) 7) Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu 'anhu favoured which of Seereens sons and what nickname did he give him? 8) At what age did Hafsa become a Hafidhat? 9) What miracle was she known for? 10) Hafsa loved to be called ______________________ . 11) Her son ________________ would do anything to please her. Mention some of the things that he did for her? 12) Give 2 reasons why we are tested in this world? 13) What 3 things should travelers consider? 14) Name the person who said the following quote: O young people, utilize your youthfulness. Indeed I have seen people who have eyes yet are blind; O young people, employ time in that which may benefit you in the hereafter 15) What four matters will you be asked about on Judgement Day?

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16) What did Hafsa reply when one of her students asked her: O my great scholar, didnt you already reach the time when you do not have to wear the hijab, where Allah has excused you from wearing it all the time? Mention the Surah and ayah she responded with. 17) Name the 4 types of hayah and give an example for each. 18) Which companion asked Hafsa what ending she wished for and what did she respond?

Umm Dardaa As-Sughraa:

1) Who said this statement: The peer of the realm of the Taabiaat were Hafsa bint Seereen, Amrah bint Abdirahman & Umm Dardaa radi Allahu 'anhuma ? 2) What was her real name?

3) What tribe was she from?

4) Who was she married to? 5) Who said this statement and in what context: You asked fro my hand from my parents* as a young lady and I am proposing to you to be my husband in Jannah? 6) Who said this statement and in what context: Go to your Lord and I shall go to my Lord?

7) Which two cities did she travel between and why? 8) According to Umm Dardaa, who would say this statement: Do not let the worldly life fool you like it fooled me. This world is more deceiving than Haroot and Maroot?

9) What year (hijree) did she pass away in?

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Abdullah bin Mubarak:

1) Who said this statement: Ibn Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu was al-Imam, Shaikh al-Islam, the scholar of his time, Amir of the righteous and he was a hafidh, mujahid?

2) What year was he born in?

3) What was his Kunya? 4) Who said this statement: I tried to be like Ibn Mubarak for one year but I failed to be like him even for three days? 5) Who said this statement: My eyes did not see anyone who is more compassionate to the needs of the Ummah than Abdullah bin Mubarak radi Allahu 'anhu?

6) Why did Abdullah bin Mubarak stay at home most of the time? 7) Who said this statement and in what context: By Allah that is the true king, not Haroon ar-Rashid?

8) Abdullah bin Mubarak would go to ____ on year and go for ____ the next.

9) According to Abdullah bin Mubarak, what are the four things that every God fearing believers is most certainly concerned about?

10) What month and year did he pass away in? 11) Who said this statement: Today the Master of the scholars is dead.?

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Fatimah bint Abdul Malik:

1) She was from the ______ family. 2) What was Fatimahs full name?

3) Who did she marry?

4) She lived a comfortable life until her husband became what?

5) Her husband became the khalifah in what year?

6) Her husband passed away in what year?

Fatimah Al-Samarqandiyah
1) What was her full name?

2) What madhab did she learn and master?

3) What was her dowry?

4) What was the title given to her husband?

5) Where did she pass away?

6) What year did she die in (hijree years)?

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Amrah bint Abdurrahman

1) What was her full name? 2) What year was she born in? 3) Which sahabi did she grow in the care of? 4) Who did she advise to not go to Iraq on the basis of a hadith? 5) Who said this statement and to whom: Look into the ahadeeth of the messenger of Allah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam or any sunan from the past generation and into the Hadith of Amrah bint Abdur Rahman radi Allahu 'anha. And when you find them then document them, for I fear the loss of knowledge otherwise.? 6) With regards to Amrahs gentleness, she was neither _____ nor _____.

7) When did she pass away?

Laith bin Saad

1) What year was he born in and where? 2) Who said Laith bin Saad (rh) was more knowledgeable than, Imam Malik. His students however, did not do justice in spreading his knowledge.?

3) He learned under Imam Az-Zurri at what age? 4) Who would disrespect Othman bin Affaan until Laith bin Saad started teaching them the virtues of Othman bin Affaan? 5) Who said this statement: If it were not for Imam Malik and Imam Laith bin Saad people would go astray.? 6) What was the exact date that Laith bin Saad passed away on?

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Ataa bin Abi Rabah

1) Who said this statement: I have not seen any one better than Ataa bin Abi Rabah.? 2) Where was Ataa born? 3) He was a _____ and he was _____ _____ but that did not stop him from aiming high. 4) Who said this statement: Ataa was the mufti of Ahli-Makkah (the people of Makkah).? 5) Which scholar did he keep asking questions to until his students were unhappy, to which he said to them Why do you disapprove of my action? He is indeed more knowledgeable than me.? 6) After Ataa became old, how many ayahs did he recite in one raka (unit)? 7) What year did he pass away in?

Zubaidah bint Jafar

1) What was her full name?

2) Zubaidah was a nickname given to her by her _________.

3) Who did she marry? 4) Who said this statement: She was one of the most religious, beautiful, and most honored women of her time.?

5) What three things did she spend her wealth in?

6) What program for girls did she establish in her palace?

7) What year did she pass away in?

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