Part 49

Tbn Mas‘ud 2 said: “Recite Surat al-Baqara in your houses, for Satan does not enter a house where Surat al-Bagarah is being recited.”

Al-Nu‘man ibn Bashir 4 reported that the Prophet # said: “Two thousand years before creating the Heavens and the Earth, Allah 3%

' Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

? Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. > Recorded by al-Darimi.

inscribed a book of which He sent down the last two Verses with which He concluded Surat al-Baqarah. The Devil will not come near a house in which they are recited for three nights.”!

5. Purifying one’s house from the voice (sound) of Iblis

Allah 4% said: (Stir up any of them you can with your voice.) Mujahid said: “In this Verse, the voice of Satan refers to singing.”

If Iblis calls out from inside a house (his presence is due to the fact that music is being played in the house), all his army of devils would gather in that house, and would cause all sorts of immoraity, grief and mischief to the people of the house; they would cause them to dispute among themselves and create an atmosphere of hatred between them. And as singing and music become frequently played in the house, the devils would take that house as a residence for themselves; therefore, O Muslim brother, you have to purify your house from singing, whether it is played from the radio, television or anything else.

6. Purifying one’s house from bells

Abu Hurayrah 4 reported that the Prophet # said: “The bell is the musical instrument of the Devil.”*

It was narrated that ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab # heard the Prophet 3¢ say: “There is a devil (that comes) along with every bell.”

Umm Habibah reported that the Prophet % said: “Angels do not accompany a travelling group who have a bell.”*

You should know that the angels are soldiers of the All-Merciful, and they are in a constant war against the army of Satan. So if the army of Allah vacate the house, it would be taken over by the army of Satan;

' Recorded by al-Tirmidhi.

? Surat al-Isra’, Verse 64.

3 Recorded by Muslim and Abu Dawud.

“Recorded by Abu Dawud.

5 Recorded by Muslim, Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi who categorised it as hasan sahih.

for ‘Aishah 2 said: “I hear the Prophet 4 say: Angels do not enter a house in which there is a bell.”!

7. Purifying one’s house from crosses

“Aishah said: “Whenever the Prophet found something in his house which had a cross on it, he would destroy it.””

8. Purifying one’s house from pictures and statues

The Muslim would cleanse his house from any type of statues, except those upon which there is exemption, like children’s toys, and also pictures, except what is necessary to have such as the picture on an Identity Card and other official document. This is because angels do not enter a house full of pictures and statues, as I (the author) said earlier, if the angels vacate a house, the devils would take it over. ‘Aishah said: “I bought a cushion which had pictures of animals on it. When the Messenger of Allah saw it, he stood at the door and did not enter. I noticed the sign of disapproval on his face, and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I repent to Allah and His Messenger. What sin have I committed?’ He 4 said: ‘The makers of these pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them: ‘Give life to what you have created (i.e. the pictures).”. The Prophet 3 added: ‘The angels of Mercy do not enter a house in which there are pictures (of animals).””

Abu Hurayrah 2 reported that the Prophet # said: “Angels do not enter a house in which there are images or pictures.”*

You should know the prohibition is general; it includes all types of pictures, whether it is a picture or a statue, whether it has perspective or not, made by hand or by a machine.

Al-Nawawi said: “There is no difference between any of them (between what has perspective and what has not), and this is the

’ Recorded by Abu Dawud.

? Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. > Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. * Recorded by Muslim.

summary of our school (the Shafi‘i school) on this matter. And the same opinion has been adopted by the majority of scholars, among the Companions of the Prophet # and the followers after them. It is also the opinion of Imam Athawri, Imam Malik, Abu Haneefah and others.”

Pictures that are excepted are those without a soul on, such as images of trees, rivers, plants, and inanimate things.

Sa‘id ibn Abi al-Hasan - said: “While | was with Ibn ‘Abbas % a man approached me and said: ‘O son of ‘Abbas! My sustenance is from my manual profession and I make these pictures.’ Ibn ‘Abbas said: ‘I will tell you only what I heard from the Messenger of Allah. I heard him saying: ‘Whoever makes a picture will be punished by Allah till he puts life in it, but he will never be able to put life in it.’ Hearing this, that man heaved a sigh and his face turned pale. Ibn ‘Abbas said to him: ‘What a pity! If you insist on making pictures I advise you to

make pictures of trees and any other ianimate objects’”.

9. Purifying one’s house from dogs

Abu Talhah 2 reported that the Prophet # said: “Angels do not enter a house wherein there is a dog or a picture.””

‘Aishah 2 said: “Jibreel (Gabriel) 8s& made a promise with Allah’s Messenger # to come at a definite hour; that hour came yet he did not visit him. There was a stick in the hand of the Messenger of Allah; he threw it, from his hand, saying: ‘Never have Allah nor His Messengers (angels) ever broken their promise.’ Then he cast a glance, and by chance found a puppy under his cot and said: ‘‘Aishah, when did this dog enter here?’ She replied: ‘By Allah, I don’t know.’ He then commanded and it was turned out. Then Gabriel #8 came and the Prophet # said to him: ‘You promised me and I waited for you, but you did not come, whereupon he replied: ‘It was the dog in your house which prevented me (from coming), for we (angels) do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture.”*

' Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. ? Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. > Recorded by Muslim.

Only the dog tamed for hunting or watching a herd of sheep or other domestic animals may be exempted with the condition that it is not black; for the Prophet 3 said: “A black dog is a devil’. He % also said: “Whoever keeps a dog which is neither a watchdog nor a hunting dog, will get a daily deduction of two qirats* from his good deeds.”

10. Increase the number of sa/at nawafil (optional prayers) in one’s house

Ibn ‘Umar 4 reported that the Prophet 48 said: “Offer some of your prayers in your houses; do not turn them into graveyards.”

It is known that places like graveyards, deserted and ruined spots are places of residence for the devils, and so it is as if the Prophet 4 wanted us to keep them (devils) away from our houses by offereing nawafil prayers in them.

The Prophet & urged us to offer salah in our houses, saying: “O people, offer salah in your houses; for the best salah of the individual is the one he offers in his house, except the obligatory one (which should be offered in congregation in the mosque).”*

Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari 2 reported that the Prophet 3 said: “The example of a house in which the Name of Allah is mentioned compared with that of a house in which the Name of Allah is not mentioned is like comparing the living with the dead.”*

11. A good word and a shining smile

It is clear that Satan’s desire is to destroy the Muslim society; he plans and plots its downfall, and among his stratagems is the breaking of the Muslim family, because that is the foundation of society. This was highlighted in the Hadith narrated by Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah, in which the Prophet 3% said: “The throne of Iblis is upon the ocean, and he sends

' Recorded by Muslim.

* inch; a dry measure; a square measure; a weight. ? Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

3 Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

4 Recorded by al-Nasa’i.

5 Recorded by Muslim.

detachments to different parts in order to put people to trial, and the most important figure in his eyes is one who is most notorious in sowing the seed of dissension. One of them (a devil) would come and say (to Iblis): ‘I did not leave him until I separated him from his wife’. Iblis would draw him closer to him and say: ‘Yes you are the one.” The separation of a married couple is the destruction of society from its basis, and this is an accursed goal of Satan. Therefore, a husband shoud treat his wife and children well, and only use good words to prevent Satan from stiring hatred between them. Allah 3 said: (Say to My Servants that they should only say the best. Satan wants to stir trouble between them)’.

A good word delights the heart, enhances relations and spreads happiness between a married couple. The Prophet 3% said to Jabir ibn “‘Abdillah 4: “Why don’t you marry a young girl, so that you play with her and she with you.”?

The twenty second shield

Anas ibn Malik .& reported that the Prophet 3 said: ““When a man goes out of his house and says: “In the Name of Allah, I trust in Allah; there is no might and no power but in Allah” the following would be said to him at that time: “You are guided, defended and protected”. The devils would go far from him, so that another devil would say: ‘How can you deal with a man who has been guided, defended and protected?”

The twenty third shield

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amru ibn al-‘As 4 reported that the Prophet % used to say upon entering to the mosque: “I seek refuge in Allah the Greatest, in His Noble Face and His Eternal Reign from the accursed Satan”. If someone says this, Satan replies: “He is protected from me all day long.”*

' Recorded by Muslim.

? Surat al-Isra’, Verse 53.

3 Recorded by al-Bukhari.

4 Recorded by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi who categorised it as hasan sahih.

* Recorded by Abu Dawud who categorised it as hasan, and authenticated by alAlbani.