Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah

AHAD - FAQ

If you have any questions that you can't find below, mail them to ahad-owner@listbox.com.

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 Iqbal Pirani FAQ Last Updated on: 1st Rajab 1418 (2 November 1997)

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: majordomo@listbox.com In the body have the following:
subscribe ahad [when subscribing]
or
unsubscribe ahad [when unsubscribing]
If you're having problems in doing so yourself, as a last resort, you can ask the list owner 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.

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).

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.

When will the daily Hadith be mailed:

We try to send out the daily Hadith by 2300 hrs Pakistan Standard Time (i.e.1900 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: ahad-owner@listbox.com

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: 2.6.3i

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How many people receive AHAD:

The last time we checked, it was 2790.

Are the AHAD Ahadith archived:

Not just yet. We hope to do so once we get some web space for AHAD.

How can I help AHAD:

You can help AHAD by:
• putting information about AHAD on your home page (send a message to ahad-owner@listbox.com 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.

Does AHAD have a web site:

Not yet, but we are working on it and Insha'Allah it should be up in the near future.

---

So what are the months of the Islamic calendar:

The Hijriah Calender:
The current year is 1417. 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 28 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/anhum: 'Allah is pleased with her/him/them'. 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: Military expeditions led by the Prophet (SAW)
• 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.
• Maghazi: Military expeditions.
• 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 root of a tree called Al-Arak. It is used as a toothbrush.
• Haya: This term covers a large number of concepts. It may mean "modesty", "self-respect", "bashfulness" or "scruple" etc.
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