READ THE FOLLOWING AHADITH AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT FOLLOW:
a. “Allah is indeed pleased with His servant, who when he eats a morsel, praises Him for it, or drinks a sip and then praises Him for it”
1. Explain this hadith.
In this Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad has encouraged us to remember Allah and be grateful to Him whenever we eat or drink. When we enjoy the blessings of food and water, we need to be thankful to the Creator. When we are thankful to Allah, He is pleased with us. And when Allah is pleased with us, we become the blessed people in the world.
b. “When one of you yawns, he should hold his hand over his mouth, for the Satan enters through the open mouth”.
1. What is the Islamic way of yawning?
While yawning, a Muslim is expected to place his hand over his mouth. By doing this, a Muslim not only follows the hadith but also present a decent image of himself.
2. Why did the Prophet say that one should hold his hand over the mouth while yawning?
The Prophet said that one should hold his hand over the mouth while yawning because the Satan enters through the open mouth.
c. “When one of you sneezes, he should say الحمد للهand his brother (the one who hears) should say in return: يرحمك الله and he should reply: يهديكم الله ويصلح بالكم”
1. What will you say when you sneeze?
When I sneeze I say الحمد لله, which means ‘All Praise is for Allah’.
2. What should one say in return to the one who sneezes and says الحمد لله?
One should reply by saying يرحمك الله , which means ‘May Allah have mercy on you’.
3. What is the meaning of يهديكم الله ويصلح بالكم ?
It means ‘May Allah guide you and set your affairs in order’.
d. “Beware of envy, for envy devours good deeds as fire devours firewood”.
1. What is envy?
Envy is a kind of jealousy, the feeling of wishing to have what somebody has. It is also a feeling of wishing someone bad when good things are seen in others.
2. Why did Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم caution his followers to beware of envy?
Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم cautioned his followers to beware of envy as it is such an evil trait of character that eats away the reward of all the good deeds of a person. The Prophet has made this clear by giving an example of fire devouring firewood.
e. “He who truly believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or keep silent”.
1. According to this Hadith, what should a true believer in Allah and the Last Day do in his day to day life?
A true believer in Allah and the Last Day should either use his/her tongue for talking about good things or maintain silence.
2. Is quarrelling a good habit? If not, why?
No, quarreling is not a good habit because while quarrelling people get angry and start using bad words.
3. Can you give some examples of the good usage of tongue?
Enjoining what is good, forbidding what is evil, discussing among friends about the blessings of Allah, using kind words while talking to one’s parents, teachers and elders, avoiding indecent language, telling the truth, not being rude while talking to others, teaching Islam to those who don’t know – these are some of the good usages of one’s tongue
f. “Woe to him who tell lies to make people laugh – woe to him, woe to him”.
1. What do you understand by the word ‘woe’?
Woe is a kind of bad wish that a person desires in order to bring about great sorrow and distress to someone. It could be a kind of curse as well.
2. Give two examples to show how people tell lies in order to make others laugh?
Joking and mimicry are two examples to show how people tell lies in order to make others laugh. Some jokes are full of lies. April fooling is yet another example.
g. “When you are three together two of you must not talk privately leaving the third until you are in the company of other people because it makes him sad”.
1. What do you understand by the above-quoted Hadith?
In this Hadith, our beloved Prophet has highlighted an important but decent aspect of living together. When there are three in a group, all three should feel happy and comfortable. However, when two of them start conversing in private ignoring the third, he will feel hurt and become sad. Living with people also means bearing in mind the feelings of others.
h. “He who leaves the Asr prayer is like the one who has lost his family and property”.
1. What is the loss in leaving Asr prayers?
The loss is terrible: the one who leaves the Asr prayer is like the one who has lost his family and property.
2. Asr prayer is not performed regularly by some people. Give one reason.
Normally, after having lunch, some people have the habit of taking rest. When they oversleep, it would not be possible to get up for Asr prayers. People feel fatigue and lazy during this part of day time.
