Hadith

Closing the doors and covering food at night

Q: I have a question about sunan actions to do in the evening. I know it is recommended to close the doors saying Bismillah, cover the food and drinks, turn off the fire for example in the stove or in the fireplace, when it falls in the evening.

But I have a practical doubt: doors should be closed BEFORE or AFTER the Maghrib time? And the food and the drinks should be closed BEFORE or AFTER the Maghrib time?

I ask this because on some sites I read conflicting versions, some say before, others later, others still say to do these actions after a portion of the night has passed. Maybe all these versions are right, but I do not know. Please clarify.

Who is the best person?

Q: There are many ahadith that speak about the person who is the best of Muslims. Can we summarize all of those ahadith and say that the best Muslim is the one who has the best character? Also who is this the best person according to the Quran?

Unauthentic narration regarding qaza namaaz

Q: I saw a picture in which there was a hadeeth. The hadeeth mentioned that if a person has many qaza namaaz and he does not know how many qaza namaaz he has then he should perform a 4 rakat nafal namaaz with 1 salam on the last jumuah in Ramadhan. He should just read surah fatiha then 7 times ayatul kursi and 15 times surah kothar. All the qaza namaaz will be done after this 4 rakat nafal namaaz. Is it true?

Authenticity of a Hadith on rainwater treatment

Q: I just want to verify the authenticity of a hadith on rainwater treatment:

Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said that Jibareel (alaihis salaam) taught me a remedy that obviates the need for any medicine or physician.

Recite 70 times on rain water, Surah Faatiha, Surah Ikhlaas, Surah Falaq & Surah Naas.

Drink for seven days, morning and evening. Whoever drinks it Allah will eliminate all sicknesses and pain. Whoever gives it to a woman before sleeping with her, she will, by the permission of Allah, fall pregnant. It cures the eyes, eliminates sihr, toothache, urine stoppage, etc.

Hadith on maintaining family ties

Q: It is reported in Sahih Muslim #2556 that "The severer would not enter Paradise". Ibn Umar said that Sufyan (explained it as): "One who severs the tie of kinship would not enter Paradise"

I would like to know 2 things from the above hadith:

1. Does the above hadith talk about blood relationship like your parents, siblings or does it include your relatives like cousins, uncles, etc.

2. Does the above mean a person will never enter paradise if he severs the tie of kinship?

Authenticity of a dua to be recited on Aashuraa

Q: There was a message going around on Aashurah day that read as follows: Zainul Aabideen is reported to have said that whoever reads the following duaa between sunrise and sunset on Aashurah will not die the following year, meaning this is a guarantee for his life for a year. And if a person is to die co incidentallly he will not read this duaa. And there was a long duaa mentioned after. Is there any authenticity to this?

Meaning of "Allah is above the clouds"

Q: I read this Hadith:

“O Allaah’s Messenger! Where was our Lord before He created the heavens and earth?” He (salallaahu `alaihi wasallam) responded: “He was above the [white] clouds – no air was under him, no air was above him, and He created His Throne upon the water.”

Is it correct that we don’t have to take the first part (He was above the (white) clouds) literally because attributing a direction to Allah is kufr?