Posted By Abdul-Baseer on Oct 21, 2014 in Family and
Community, Inspiration and Spirituality, Islam, Life | 0
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We live in a world where our sphere of concern is greater
than it has ever been, encompassing the entire globe fueled
due to the advent of international news and the Internet.
Meanwhile our sphere of influence has been ever shrinking
due to the larger number of people cohabiting the world
simultaneously and a loss of sense of community in many
parts of the world with even the family unit breaking under a
variety of stresses and pressures. Yet, despite our inability
to influence the world, the state, the community or even our
families, we generally still have a living environment which
we have complete control over.
The environment we live in might be extremely polluted with
un-Islamic people, culture, norms, forbidden activities and
indulgences widespread. But the environment we spend
those hours eating, sleeping and spending our idle time is
of utmost importance simply because we do have the ability
to control it. Our homes are a critical part of our life and the
idiom “home is where the heart is” shows the great role it
plays in our life, yet, more importantly, we should be aiming
to draw near Allah . We should transform our homes so
that remembering Allah is where our heart is,
ultimately experiencing true peace and contentment.
What is an Islamic home ? Can the modern home be
Islamic? The answers to these questions must be derived
from pearls of wisdom of the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet
Muhammad . Nearly all Islamic principles apply to the
home given it is a place we spend so much of our time in;
and should be our place of safety, security, grounding,
peace of mind and recovery.
Attending to Neighborly Needs
Neighbors not only deserve kindness but they have many
rights to it. One should bear in mind remembering their
neighbors when considering their home. A successful and
positive community comes about when neighbors attend to
each others rights which could ultimately change the
environment of the whole area. There are many rights
afforded to neighbors which make Islamic building codes,
and etiquette to neighbors when cooking or after having
purchased fruit.
Narrated Samurah : The Messenger of Allah said:
“The neighbor of a home has more right to the home.” –
Tirmidhi.
The rights are actually so great that they are stressed in the
Sunnah.
Mujahid narrated: “Abdullah bin Amr had a sheep
slaughtered for his family, so when he came he said: ‘Have
you given some to our neighbor, the Jew? Have you given
some to our neighbor, the Jew? I heard the Messenger of
Allah saying: ‘Jibril continued to advise me about
(treating) the neighbors so (kindly and politely), that I
thought he would order me (from Allah) to make them
heirs.” -Tirmidhi.
The book Leadership Lessons from the Life of Rasoolullah:
Proven Techniques of How to Succeed in Today’s World by
Shaykh Mirza Yawar Baig goes on to list these rights in
detail which the Messenger of Allah narrated to the
Sahaba, which we should bear in mind to maintain such
honorable and noble tradition even as hard as it can be, in
our modern style communities:
1. Assist him when he asks for assistance.
2. Give him a loan if he needs it.
3. Help him if he is needy.
4. Visit him when he is ill.
5. Accompany his funeral when he dies.
6. Congratulate him on happy occasions.
7. Console him in adversity.
8. Do not build your house higher than his without his
permission lest his ventilation is obstructed.
9. If you buy fruits, send some for him as a present. If you
cannot do so, take the fruit into your house concealed so
that he cannot see it. Don’t allow your children to take it
out and eat openly in case his children see it and become
grieved.
10. Don’t let the smoke from your house get into his house
causing him annoyance.
Acts of Worship
The home should be a spiritual abode. Prayers ,
supplications, ghusl and wudu, acquiring Islamic
knowledge, reciting the Quran are just some of the spiritual
activities that should be undertaken on a routine basis. Not
doing so will turn the home into a negative atmosphere. If
you are returning home after praying in the mosque, then it
is recommended to save the optional prayers for the home
to bring light, blessings and angels into it.
Zaid bin Thabit narrated that: The Prophet said:
“The most virtuous prayer of yours is in your homes, except
for the obligatory.” – Tirmidhi.
Avoiding Idolatry, Dogs, Etc.
Portraits, statues and the like should not be displayed
whether it be paintings, sculptures, photographs or
whatever the material form. Dogs are also not allowed in an
Islamic home with the exception of a guard dog when
security is an issue. Some people can make these types of
mistakes unknowingly out of ignorance, especially in
cultures where it is common place. Cleaning the home from
these types of things will bring immediate spiritual benefit.
Narrated Abu Talha : The Prophet said, “Angels do
not enter a house that has either a dog or a picture in it.” –
Al-Bukhari.
Simplicity
A very important aspect of the home is to practice
simplicity. The Prophet would not enter a home which
was excessive in the adornments and embellishments of
this world. Wealth should be spent where it’s needed; not in
a manner where you want a beautiful home that is
spiritually empty and shallow in all other ways.
Abu Umamah bin Tha’labah reported: The Companions
of Messenger of Allah mentioned the life of the world
before him. He said, “Do you not hear? Do you not
hear? Simplicity (in life) is part of Faith, simplicity is part of
Faith.” – Abu Dawud.
The furniture and food also need not be extravagantly
elegant or excessive. The principle applies to the home and
all that is inside the home.
Remembering Allah and the Hereafter
The ultimate aim of this life is to worship and please Allah
maintaining the hereafter as the goal and not any
small benefits of the worldly life. The Quran is very firm on
this and thus our home should reflect it given the amount of
time spent in it. We need reminders so that we do not forget
Allah and what He has blessed us with and the
home is an essential place for them. Specific strategies
from keeping the Quran near at hand or prayer clothing
nearby or a siwak (tooth stick) next to the place one does
wudu, are of the many examples that will be looked at in
detail later in this series.
“…the men who remember Allah often and the women
who do so – for them Allah has prepared forgiveness
and a great reward.” – (Al- ‘Ahzab 33:41)
To be continued…

Maintaining Wife and Raising Children
The treatment of the wife and children is a determining
factor on the Day of Judgment that can tip the scale. Thus,
they have rights that must be properly maintained, cared for
and given priority. If the home is not providing a positive
spiritual environment for the wife and children, then this will
harm the entire family.
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar : The Prophet said,
“Everyone of you is a guardian and everyone of you is
responsible (for his wards). A ruler is a guardian and is
responsible(for his subjects); a man is a guardian of his
family and responsible (for them); a wife is a guardian of
her husband’s house and she is responsible (for it), a slave
is a guardian of his master’s property and is responsible
(for that). Beware! All of you are guardians and are
responsible (for your wards).
Abu Sa’id narrated, ‘Zainab, the wife of Ibn Mas’ud
came along and said to the Prophet “O Messenger of
Allah ! You have commanded us today to give Sadaqah
(charity ). I have some jewelry of mine and I wanted to give
it as Sadaqah, but Ibn Mas’ud claims that he and his
children are the most entitled to my Sadaqah. (deserve it
more than anyone else.)’ The Messenger of Allah said:
“Ibn Mas’ud is right. Your husband and your children are
more deserving.’’ Related by Al-Bukhari.
Removing Extravagant Indulgences of the World
Things like gold and silver utensils, and silk clothing are
indulgences which are not befitting of us to have for this
world but these things are for the hereafter. Even the wrong
type of music, television and/or video games can very much
pollute and harm the environment of a home. Wasting time,
focusing on excessive materialism and competing in worldly
matters that are prohibited takes our focus away from
competing in good deeds for the hereafter.
It was narrated that Hudhaifah said: “The Messenger of
Allah forbade drinking from vessels of gold and silver.
He said: “They are for them in this world and for you in the
Hereafter.’” – Sunan Ibn Majah
“Then you will surely be asked that Day about pleasure.” –
(At-Takathur 102:
Clean
Cleanliness is a clear part of Islam without which our
prayers are not accepted, the punishment of the grave
becomes a serious risk and our physical and spiritual
health will be degraded.
Abu Malik at-Ash’ari reported: The Messenger of Allah
said: Cleanliness is half of faith and al-Hamdu Liliah
(Praise be to Allah) fills the scale, and Subhan Allah (Glory
be to Allah) and al-Hamdu Liliah (Praise be to Allah) fill up
what is between the heavens and the earth, and prayer is a
light, and charity is proof (of one’s faith) and endurance is a
brightness and the Holy Qur’an is a proof on your behalf or
against you. All men go out early in the morning and sell
themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying
themselves. – Muslim 223
Functionality Especially in Terms of Safety and Privacy
The Quran itself makes mention of the safety of a home and
thus, it is a priority especially in terms of the construction.
Privacy is also emphasized as it is a great part of the
etiquette of the home, when it comes to women and
children, and the various functions of the entryway, living
room, the kitchen, the bedroom and the bathroom. The
functionality should be maximized with safety and privacy
being the foremost guiding principles followed by utilizing
the home in a way to avoid waste.
“Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on
righteousness [with fear] from Allah and [seeking] His
approval better or one who laid the foundation of his
building on the edge of a bank about to collapse, so it
collapsed with him into the fire of Hell? And Allah does
not guide the wrongdoing people.” – (At-Tawbah
9:109).
Narrated Jabir : “The Messenger of Allah
prohibited that a man sleep on a terrace without something
to obstruct him (so that he will not roll off and fall).” –
Tirmidhi
Striving for Perfection
The home is a place to be perfected so that its maintenance
can be an act of worship and more good deeds will
hopefully come from it by not being distracted or bogged
down with unimportant things. It needs to make us
productive so we can make it our basis for being firm in the
path of Allah .
Abu Sa’id (Al Khudri) reported The Prophet was
asked “Which believers are most perfect in respect of faith?
He replied “A man who strives in the path of Allah with his
life and property and a man who worships Allah in a
mountain valley where he protects the people from his
evil.””- Abu Dawud.
The Islamic home requires a moderate balance and a
spiritual feel to ward off Shaitan-the rejected, and to
promote a positive, productive, stable, spiritual, intellectual
and focused atmosphere. Modern electronic devices such as
televisions, gaming systems, computers, radios and the like
must currently be very constrained to the few good uses
when most of what can come through them would be
otherwise totally materialistic and send un-Islamic
messages. The home is not a place for laziness,
indulgence, sinning in secret, wasting time or foul acts.
The home must be a place of worship, a classroom, a place
of taking care of the necessities of life, a place of close
family relationships, a place for rest, a place for work, a
place for drawing near to Allah even when no one else
can see, a place of thinking, a place of upbringing steadfast
and upright Muslim children. The home is the place we
always return to in this world while the hereafter is the
place we will certainly return to, after our death. Thus, it is
a temporary resting place for us given as sustenance from
Allah which we should use to prepare for the final
resting place to come.
In the future, the manners and etiquette along with the
specific details of each part of the home will be analyzed as
well as some tools that would make excellent reminders
(especially for those who don’t have access to sufficient
authentic knowledge) to maximize their nearness to Allah
through dua’a and actions in accordance with the
Sunnah.
May Allah grant homes filled with blessings and mercy
to all those who seek His favor. Ameen