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k.ibrahim
03-12-2019, 08:38 PM
Bismillah Ir-Rahman, Ir-Raheem. I begin with ALLAH's auspiciousness,whose Name is the Best among all the names. All Revences, All Sanctities and All Worships are due to ALLAH alone. Ashahadu An Laa illaaha illal llahuWa Ash Hadu Anna Muhammadan Abdu Hu Wa Rasooluhu
''I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah
who is without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) is the Rasool.''
"O Allah, Shower Your Peace come upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have brought peace to Ibrahim and his family.
Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, Shower your blessing upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious". I am Satisfied with ALLAH as My Rabb and Cherisher, I am Satisfied With Islam as My Din (religion) and I am satisfied with Muhammad as a Rasulallah (Messenger)sallallahu alaihi was salam.(Amin)-------------------------------------(Islamic principles constitute a signal line)-----------------------
-------------------It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that





“When the RasoolAllah (sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) breathed his last and Abu Bakr(radhiallahu `anhu) was appointed as his successor (The Caliph), those amongst the Arabs who wanted to become apostates became apostates. `Umar ibn Khattab(radhiallahu `anhu) said to Abu Bakr(radhiallahu `anhu) : Why would you fight against the people, when RasoolAllah (sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) declared: I have been directed to fight against people so long as they do not say: There is no god but Allah, and he who professed it was granted full protection of his property and life on my behalf except for a right? His (other) affairs rest with Allah. Upon this Abu Bakr(radhiallahu `anhu) said: By Allah, I would definitely fight against him who severed prayer from Zakat, for it is the obligation upon the rich. By Allah, I would fight against them even to secure the cord (used for hobbling the feet of a camel) which they used to give to RasoolAllah (as zakat) but now they have withheld it. `Umar b. Khattab remarked: By Allah, I found nothing but the fact that Allah had opened the heart of Abu Bakr for (perceiving the justification of) fighting (against those who refused to pay Zakat) and I fully recognized that the (stand of Abu Bakr) was right.” -------on the authority of Abu Hurayra, who said:

"After the Prophet(sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) had died, and Abu Bakr(radhiallahu `anhu) was made his successor, there were [some] Arabs who turned to disbelief. `Umar (radhiallahu `anhu) said: 'Oh Abu Bakr! How can you fight the people when the Prophet of Allah (sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) has said: 'I have been ordered to fight the people until they say: 'There is no God but Allah' and whoever says this, makes himself and his property inviolable except by legal right, and his reckoning is with Allah?' Abu Bakr replied: 'By Allah! I will fight whoever differentiates between salah and zakat , for zakat is a lawful right upon the property (that Allah gave)! By Allah! Were they to withhold even a single animal that they used to give (as zakat to) the Prophet of Allah (sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) , I will fight them over their withholding it'. Then `Umar (radhiallahu `anhu) said: 'By Allah! I saw then that Allah had opened the heart of Abu Bakr to [the cause of] fighting, and I realized then that it was correct----------------“Some Arab delegates began to come to Madinah. They accept the performance of salah but they are not willing to pay zakah. Although some of them accept to pay zakah they did not want to give it to Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu). Furthermore some of them from those who did not want to give it to Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)presented the following ayah as evidence: “Of their goods, take alms, that so thou mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf. Verily thy prayers are a source of security for them: And Allah is One Who heareth and knoweth” (At-Tawba 9; 103) and stated “we will only pay zakah to the one whose dua is trust for us.” )[1]---- It was said to Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) that this delegation represents The Ghatafan, The Asad, Abs, Dhubyan and Bakr. They said We have come enjoying the support of our peoples to put to you a decision we have made. And they said We will then go back and everything will be good for you and us. They said we have not deserted Islam as did the others. But we feel that we are entitled to do with our money what we want. We paid zakat and sadqat to Muhammad Rasulullah(Sallallahu alayhi wa salam) when He was alive. Now we do not want to pay this to you or to anyone else. We wish to inform you of this so that our position is made clear. Withdraw your zakat officers because we do not wish to see them in our quarters. We hope you will think about this. Then Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) said Do you want to withhold what you used to pay to Muhammad Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa salam)? On what basis? How will I be Rasulullah’s (Sallallahu alayhi wa salam) successor? If I do not succeed Him in administering people’s zakat, which is ALLAH's share in people’s money? Can anything in Islam, ALLAH’s Din (religion), be changed as a result of the Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa salam)’s death, when ALLAH is Eternal and never dies? Were we to accept your proposal to draw a distinction between prayer and zakat, that will mean that we believe in some portions of ALLAH’s book and deny others. Islamic principles constitute a signal line. If you undo one of them today, the whole line will soon be shattered. Besides, Today Islam has its state, Government, community and nation. What you are doing is a rebellion and an act of disobedience. If we condone it Islam will have neither a system nor a community. No! By Him who sent Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa salam) with the Message of the Truth, You shall pay your zakat and send it over as you used to do during the Muhammad Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wa salam)’s lifetime. Nothing of it will be left out Do you understand?---------------------------------------- Khalifa Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) - Encounter with the Tribes-----------------------------


Encounter with the tribes

Tribes around Madina. Madina was surrounded by a ring of tribes, whose attitude to Islam was luke warm. These tribes included Bani Asad; Bani Tha'lba; Bani Ghatafan; Banu Marrah Banu Abbas; Banu Dhanayan and others. In the battle of the Trench, these tribes had sided with the Quraish of Makkah and had fought against the Muslims. After the conquest of Makkah, when other tribes in Arabia sent delegations to Madina and accepted Islam, the tribes around Madina also followed suit and offered allegiance to Islam. Their allegiance was based more on diplomacy and expediency than on real faith and conviction of the heart. Islam sat lightly on them. They regarded Islam as a matter of personal allegiance to the Holy Prophet(sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) which abated with the death of the Holy Prophet(sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) .
Deputation of the tribes. When Usamah's army left Madina for the Syrian front, the tribes around Madina sent a deputation to wait on Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu). Their view was that with the passing away of the Holy Prophet(sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) their agreement vis a vis Islam had abated, and it was necessary that the authorities at Madina should make a fresh agreement with them. They said that they would remain on friendly terms with the authorities at Madina provided they were relieved of the obligation to pay Zakat. Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)treated the deputation with due courtesy, and said that he would give his reply after consulting his advisers.
Counsel of the advisers. Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)consulted his advisers. Almost all the eminent companions around Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)advised that as the Muslims were hemmed in by danger from all sides, it was expedient that the demand of the tribes should be accepted so that there was no defection from Islam. Even Umar (radhiallahu `anhu)known for his strong attitudes favored the acceptance of the demand of the tribes, in view of the impending danger.
Judgment of Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu). The question became a matter of great concern for Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu). He was conscious of the gravity of the situation, and was aware of the danger to which the Muslim community was exposed. Prima facie the advice of Umar (radhiallahu `anhu)and others to accept the demand of the tribes appeared to be sound under the circumstances. Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)however could not overlook the other side of the picture. Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)felt that the very basis on which the demand had been raised was open to attack. It was incorrect to hold that Islam was a matter of agreement between the Holy Prophet(sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) and the tribes, and that after his passing away this agreement had abated and was open to revision. Islam was an agreement with ALLAH, and as ALLAH existed, the passing away of the Holy Prophet(sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) after the fulfillment of his mission did not in any way affect their allegiance to Islam. Islam meant total faith, and such faith could not be made subject to any conditions.--------------------------



Zakat. As regards the demand for Zakat, Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)felt that if he conceded the demand, that might ease the situation temporarily, but that could in turn lead to other demands, and after having accepted one demand it would be difficult to refuse other demands. Islam stood for a central polity, and if any concession was once given in consideration of tribal loyalties, that would be subversive of the solidarity of Islam. Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)felt that as the successor of the Holy Prophet(sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) it was his duty to safeguard Islam, and as such he could not follow a policy of appeasement likely to compromise Islam in any way.
Another consideration that weighed with Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)was that Zakat was not a levy subject to political considerations; it was an imperative injunction ordained by Islam, and was equated with prayers. Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)recalled that when the people of Taif had waited on the Holy Prophet(sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) and had sought to be relieved of the obligation to offer prayers, the Holy Prophet(sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) had refused to accept the demand on the ground that he was not competent to amend the mandate of ALLAH. On this analogy, Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)felt convinced that he was not competent to grant a concession violation of the fundamental principle of Islam. The matter of fact position was that where ALLAH and the Holy Prophet(sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam) left any matter to the discretion of the community, the community could take such action as might be necessary on the basis of expediency, but where the command of Allah or the Holy Prophet (sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam)was definite and conclusive, it was absolute and mandatory, and it could not be compromised or modified because of any considerations of necessity or expediency. After considering all aspects of the case, Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)arrived at the conclusion that he had no jurisdiction to grant an exemption from Zakat, and that as the representative of the Holy Prophet (sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam)it devolved on him to enforce the command of Allah in letter as well as in spirit, and not to sit in judgment over such order, and seek to modify it for one reason or the other. Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) judgment, therefore, was that under the circumstances he had no option but to refuse the demand of the tribes. This conviction fired him with the determination to stand firm, and to refuse to compromise Islam.
Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)took Umar (radhiallahu `anhu)and other companions into confidence. Umar (radhiallahu `anhu)tried to insist on his previous advice of giving the concession, but as Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)unfolded his arguments step by step, all the companions came round to the view that truth was what Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)said.
Reply to the tribes. When on the following day, Abu Bakr met the delegation of the tribes, he explained to them the philosophy underlying Zakat. He brought home to them the point that he had no jurisdiction to grant any concession in respect of a matter which was a mandate of Allah. He explained to them that if they professed Islam, they had to observe all the injunctions of Islam in to. There was no half way house in Islam, and it was not permissible for them to pick and choose Islam according to their whims and caprices. Islam had either to be rejected or accepted, and there was no room in Islam for any compromise on fundamentals. Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)argued that Zakat being a fundamental injunction of Islam had to be paid with good grace, and any refusal to pay Zakat implied apostasy.
Addressing the delegates, Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu)declared in unequivocal terms: "Under the circumstances, if with reference to Zakat you withhold even as much as a string to tie a camel, as the Caliph of the Holy Prophet(sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam), it will be my duty to fight for it whatever the consequences. I will be prepared to face all risks, but I cannot be a party to the compromising of Islam on any fundamental issue."






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