Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah

As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu


                       AHAD - FAQ
                      ============

Here is the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for the AHAD
(A Hadith A Day) mailing list.  It is sent out once a month.
It not only contains questions but also definitions of
commonly used Islamic/Arabic terms.  Both of these will be updated as
and when required.

If you have any questions that you can't find below, mail them to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

This FAQ is mailed to the entire AHAD list once every
month. An HTML version of this FAQ shall appear on the up-comming AHAD
web site.

FAQ Maintainer Azeem Pirani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
FAQ Last Updated on  2nd Rajab 1424 (31 August 2003)


- What is AHAD

AHAD is an automated electronic mailing list that sends out an
authenticated Hadith (in english) everyday.


- Ok, AHAD stands for A Hadith A Day. Is AHAD an Arabic word
as well?

Yes, it means 'Only'. Al-Ahad (ie. the only) is also one of
the names, and attributes,  of Allah.


- What are Ahadith (plural of Hadith)

Ahadith are the words and deeds of the Holy Prophet Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam (peace and Allah's blessings be upon him).


- Who can subscribe to AHAD

AHAD is open to both Muslims and Non-Muslims who wish to learn more
about Islam.


- Are the Ahadith authentic

The Ahadith used will Insha'Allah (Allah willing) all be authentic and
will usually be taken from Saheeh Bukhari or Saheeh Muslim. These are
two of the most authentic sources of Ahadith. Other sources may also be
used.  Either way the source will always be mentioned at the end of the
Hadith. An authentic Hadith is one which can be correctly attributed to
the prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam).


- How can I subscribe, or unsubscribe from the list

Just send a message to the following address [EMAIL PROTECTED] In
the subject have the following
subscribe        [when subscribing]
or
unsubscribe      [when unsubscribing]
If you're having problems in doing so yourself, as a last resort, you
can ask the list owner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> to do so for you.


- Who translates these Ahadith

These Ahadith are taken directly from the English translations of these
collections (ie the collections of Bukhari and Muslim). If we do happen
to take a Hadith which is not from one of these two then we will make
sure the translation is done by people learned in the Arabic language.


- Can I mail to AHAD

AHAD is a *one* way list. Subscribers can't mail to the list and hence
it is not a discussion list.


- I want my friend/cousin/brother to receive AHAD; what can
    I do?

Just send them a copy of the FAQ, ask them to write to us 
([EMAIL PROTECTED]) asking to be added to the list, or visit 
our website:   http://list.ahad.org/


- Will it cost me anything

No. Subscription to the list is free. AHAD is a not-for-profit mailing
list. We do not advertise anything on our list nor do we provide the
addresses of our subscribers to advertisers. We believe that everyone
should receive what he or she wishes to. The list is funded by a few
brothers in Pakistan (may Allah reward them - Aameen).


- What is the size of each mail

There is only one mail from AHAD each day. The size of the daily message
is at most 3 kilobytes but if the Hadith is long, this may vary. Also,
there may be some Special AHAD Issues, or notices, occasionally.


- I have been receiving some of the Ahadith twice; why?

Usually when you receive a Hadith which looks like something you have
seen before it usually is one which has the same content but is narrated
by different individuals.  You can check the reference number at the end
of the Hadith to verify this.  On occasion we may mail out a Hadith
which has been sent before as it may pertain to a topic which needs to
be discussed at that point in time.


- I will be going on vacation / my email account will be
    temporarily shut down; what do I do?

To help us out so that we do not have to deal with 'gone
on vacation' notices and bounced messages, please
unsubscribe from the list when anything like this will be happening.
You can always resubscribe when you return / get your account back.


- I used to receive the ahadith fine but they suddenly
stopped; why?

This is usually because we may have received a bounced
message from your address and thus we would have removed
it from the list.  When it happens that you have nor
received and messages from AHAD in a few days then please
just subscribe yourself to the list again.


- When will the daily Hadith be mailed

We try to send out the daily Hadith by 2300 hrs Pakistan Standard Time
(i.e.1800 hrs GMT).


- What is the date stated before the Gregorian one

That is the date according to the Islamic calendar (see below). This is
called the Hijriah calendar as it began with the migration of the
Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) from Makkah to Madinah.
This journey is known as the Hijrah and took place in year 622 of the
Gregorian calendar.  This date may vary from place to place as it
depends on the actual sighting of the moon.


- I don't understand something, who can I ask

None of us here are scholars.  What we can do for you is that if you
would send us the question you have then we can forward it to the people
of knowledge.  We can not guarantee anything. Just send the query to the
following address [EMAIL PROTECTED]


- I want to send you a secure message. How do I do that

Use our PGP public key (given below) to send us your message. For more
information on PGP, visit the PGP international home page at
http//www.ifi.uio.no/~staalesc/PGP/
Our public PGP key is

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Version PGPfreeware 6.0 for non-commercial use <http//www.pgp.com>

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- How many people receive AHAD

The last time we checked, it was 9015


- Are the AHAD Ahadith archived

Yes.  You can access the archives via our website: http://list.ahad.org/


- How can I help AHAD

You can help AHAD by
        - putting information about AHAD on your home page
          (send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and we will
          send it to you).
        - sending out information about AHAD on mailing lists
          local to your area.
        - Telling your friends about AHAD and how to subscribe
          to it.
        - Posting the individual ahadith to different
          newsgroups.
        - Unsubscribing from the list when you will be away, so
          that we do not have to deal with unnecessary bounced
          messages.

- Does AHAD have a web site

Yes.  AHAD now has its own website.  This is located at the following
URL

http//list.AHAD.org/

Here you can find basic information about the mailing list as well as an
archive of previous messages.


- So what are the months of the Islamic calendar

The Hijriah Calender
The current year is 1423. The Hijriah calender is
about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calender. The
months change according the the sighting of the moon. An Islamic month
may be as short as 29 days or as long as 30 days (depending on the
sighting of the moon) and thus different areas may have different dates
at a given time.

          The months are (in order)
          1 Muharram
          2 Safar
          3 Rabi-ul-Awwal
          4 Rabi-ath-Thani
          5 Jumada-ul-Awwal
          6 Jumada-ath-Thani
          7 Rajab
          8 Sha'ban
          9 Ramadan
          10 Shawwal
          11 Dhul-Qa'da
          12 Dhul-Hijja


- What does this Arabic term mean

Many times you will find that the words used will be in Arabic. This may
occur both in the text of the Hadith or in any of our messages.  The
Quran and Sunnah are both in Arabic.  Thus to truly understand them we
must read them in their original language. Unfortunately as that is not
possible at the present time we will have to use the translation.  The
point is that the translation will never truly equal the original.  The
benefit of the supplications and other recitations will be derived when
they are recited in Arabic.  As the purpose of this list is to give
people not only access to the authentic knowledge of Islam but also to
what it means, thus we will provide the translation whenever necessary.
Those terms and phrases which are used very frequently will be defined
in this FAQ.


Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah:
      'In the name of Allah and all praise is for Allah and
      blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah'.

As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu:
     'Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy, and his blessings.'

Allah:
      This term has no English equivalent.  It is usually
      translated as God.

Rasulillah:
      Messenger of Allah.  Used for the Prophet Muhammad
      (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam).

Sahabah:
      Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alaihi
      wasallam).

Subhana wa Ta'ala:
      'Glorified and most high'.  This is usually said after
      saying Allah's name.

sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam:
      'Peace and Allah's blessings be upon him'. This is a
      benediction used for the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu
      'alaihi wasallam). This must be said.

Radhiallaho anha/anho/anhuma/anhum:
      'Allah is pleased with her/him/them (two persons)/
      them (many people).  This is mentioned after
      mentioning the names of the Sahabah.

Insha'Allah:
      'If Allah wills'.

Subhan Allah:
      To honor Allah from all what (unsuitable things) is
      ascribed to him.

Hadith:
      A saying, action, or approval of the Prophet Muhammad
      (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam). Plural is Ahadith.

Sunnah:
      The way of life of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu
      'alaihi wasallam), consisting of his sayings, actions, and
      silent approvals.  The Sunnah is contained in the various
      narrations of Ahadith.

Jannah:
     'Paradise'

Rabb:
      'Lord'. Used to refer to Allah.

Dua'a:
      'Supplication'

Sawm:
      Fasting

Tarawih:
      Optional prayers offered after the Isha prayers on the
      nights of Ramadan.

I'tikaf:
      Seclusion in a mosque for the purpose of worshipping
      Allah only.  The one in this state is not permitted to
      have sexual relations with his wife and is not allowed
      to leave the mosque except for a very short period and
      that is only for very urgent necessity, e.g. to answer
      the call of nature.

Hajj:
      Pilgrimage to Makkah

Jana'iz:
      Funerals

At-Taqsir:
      The abridged or shortened prayers

Al-Maghazi:
      Plural of Maghza, i.e. holy battle; or the location
      where the battle took place; or the deeds and virtues
      of Ghazi (fighters in Allah's cause).

Dhi-Mahram:
      A male whom she cannot marry at all due to the close
      relationship (e.g. her brother, father, grandfather,
      etc.), or her own husband.

Muhrim:
      One who assumes the state of Ihram for the purpose of
      performing the Hajj or Umra.

Ansar:
      Plural of Ansari.  Anyone of the companions of the
      Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) from the
      inhabitants of Madinah who embraced and supported
      Islam and who received and entertained the Muslim
      emigrants who had emigrated from Makkah, and other
      places.

Tafseer:
      An explanation of the meanings of the Quranic verses.

Khumus:
      One-fifth of the war booty to be given in Allah's cause
      to be distributed according to orders in the Qur'an.

Nikah:
      Marriage (wedlock) according to Islamic law.

Tawheed:
      The purely unitarian concept of God, found only in
      Islaam, in which Allah is considered as being uniquely one
      in his essence, qualities and actions.

Adab:
      Good Manners

Siwak:
      A piece of a branch or root of a tree, called Al-Arak, 
      that is used as a toothbrush.   Also called a miswak.

Haya:
      This term covers a large number of concepts.  It may mean 
      'modesty', 'self-respect', 'bashfulness', 'honor', etc. 
      Haya is of two kinds: good and bad.  The good one is to be 
      ashamed to commit a crime or a thing which Allah and his 
      Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) have forbidden.  
      The bad one is to be ashamed to do a thing which Allah and 
      his Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) have ordered to 
      do.

Kuniya:
      Calling a man, 'O father of so and so!' or calling a woman
      'O mother of so and so!' This is a custom of the Arabs.   

Musalla:
      A praying place.

Tashmit:
     'Yar-hamuka-l-lah' (May Allah bestow his Mercy on you).

Adhan:
     The call to prayer.

Qadr:
     Divine foreordainment

Riqa'iq:
     Softening of hearts.

Uhud:
     A well known mountain in Al-Madina.  One of the great battles
     of Islamic history took place at its foot.

Mudd:
     A measure of approximately two-thirds of a kilogram.

Sutra:
     An object like a pillar, wall, stick, spear, etc. the height
     of which should not be less than a foot and must be in front
     of a praying person to act as a symbolic barrier between him
     and others.

Janaba:
     A state of sexual impurity.

Junub:
     Being in a state of sexual impurity (Janaba).

Ghazawat:
     Plural of Ghazwah.  A holy battle or fighting in the cause
     of Allah consisting of a large army unit with the Prophet
     (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) himself leading the army.

Fahish:
     One who talks evil.

Mutafahhish:
     A person who conveys evil talk.

Sabbaba:
     A person who abuses others.

Burd:
     A garment.

Qattat:
     a person who conveys information from someone to another
     with the intention of causing harm and enmity between them.

Libas:
     Dress.

'Anza:
     A small spear.

Rida:
     A sheet covering the upper part of the body.

Izzar:
     A sheet covering the lower part of the body.

Sham:
     A cloak.

Yakhsifan:
     An Eclipse.

Ghuraf:
     Special abodes.

Al-Luqata:
     A lost fallen purse or a thing picked up by somebody.

Khamisa:
    Square garment.

Ghuraf:
    Special abodes.

Mufassal:
    The collection of suras from sura Qaf (sura number 50) till
    sura Nas (sura number 114).

Nawafil:
    Optional practice of worship.

Night of Qadr:
    One of the last ten odd nights of the month of Ramadan.
    Allah describes it as better than one thousand ordinary
    nights and the one who worships Allah in it by praying
    optional prayers and reciting the Holy Quran will receive
    great rewards.

Mazalim:
    Oppression

Ilm:
    Knowledge

Adahi:
    Sacrifices.  Animals sacrificed on Eid-ul-Adha.

Sadaqa:
    A charitable gift

Anbiya:
    Prophets

Salh:
    Peacemaking or Reconciliation

Luqata:
    Lost things picked up

Hadya:
   Gifts

Sharout:
   Conditions

Wasaya:
   Wills and Testaments

Fusuq:
   An evil-doing

Kufr:
   Disbelief

Dibaj:
   A type of pure thick silk cloth

Sundus:
   A type of silk cloth

Mayathir:
   Silk carpets or cushions used on saddles

Isti'zan:
   Asking permission

Jizyah:
   A tax paid by non-Muslims living in a Muslim State.  
   Since the non-Muslims are exempt from military service 
   and taxes imposed on Muslims, they must pay this tax 
   to compensate.  It guarentees them security and 
   protection.  If the State cannot protect those who 
   paid jizyah, then the amount they paid is returned to 
   them.

Umrah:
   This is the lesser pilgrimage which is optional and can 
   be performed at any time.

Hajj-Mabrur:
   Hajj performed in accordance with the Prophet's tradition 
   without committing sins and accepted by Allah.

Khuffs:
   Leather stockings

Izar:
   A waist sheet for wrapping the lower half of the body.

Miqat:
   The place for assuming Ihram.

Sidr:
   Lote tree

Talbiya:
   Saying "Labbaik, Allahumma Labbaik (O Allah! I am obedient 
   to Your Orders, I respond to Your Call).

Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal:
   Antichrist

Al-Kauthar:
   A river in paradise

Wudu:
  Ablution

Tayammum:
  Rubbing the hands and face with earth in place of making wudu 
  when water is unavailable.

Ghusl:
  Washing of the whole body after being in a state of janaba.

Salat:
  Prayer

Mawaqit As-Salat:
   Times of prayer

Ayat:
   Verses of the Quran

Suhur:
   The meal taken before dawn while fasting is observed

Hayd:
   Menses

Al-Istisqa:
   Rain prayer

Al-Kusoof:
   Eclipse Prayer

Sujud Al-Quran:
   Prostrations during Recitation of the Quran

At-Taqsir:
   Shortened Prayers

Tahajjud:
   Night prayer


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