The Icy Fortress

General Guidelines for Internet Users

2010-02-28T12:15:00.000-08:00

General Guidelines for Internet Users

By Sheikh: Hamed Ibn Abdullah El Aly

First:

When a Muslim hears the call for prayer, he should rise up to the remembrance of Allah and not let anything take him away from answering that call. The Lord SWT said: In houses that Allah ordered to be built and His name to be mentioned in them mornings and nights, men who are not diverted by trade or selling from the Remembrance of Allah, pray, give alms, fear a day where hearts and eyesight’s are diverted in all directions. (24:36-37)

Second:

The Internet is a way for communication that is considered a double-edged weapon. When it provides benefit, it becomes a gift. And when it provides evil, it becomes a disgrace. Muslim should use the good side of this facility to serve his religion and life, rather than its evil side that corrupts his religion and life.

Third:

It’s very important for internet users to protect their eyes from falling on prohibited scenes. The prohibited scene is considered Satan’s arrow, his weapon that he uses to spoil the Muslims heart by offering immediate pleasure, followed by long lasting feelings of remorse and regret. Watching scenes that Allah prohibited causes darkness in the heart, gloominess in the chest and heaviness and reluctance to perform actions of worshiping Allah. It deprives the soul of enjoying the sweetness of deep faith. By all means it is a tool that Satan uses to sugar coat sins with, and the moment one falls in this trap, Satan takes complete control of his heart, and play with it like a young boy who plays with a ball. The end is always a fatal loss.

Fourth:

Don’t let the internet consume your effort and time for no value. That happens when you navigate between the various sites and online groups for long hours. You waste your precious lifetime hours. That time that you should devote for people like your family, parents, children and relatives, or for your job where you earn the living for you and your dependants.

Fifth:

Visit the Islamic Sites frequently. Visit the useful sites that add to your useful information, and widens up your scales of knowledge. Stay away from the sites that promote corruption to Belief or Morals, those groups that seek the spread of Fitnah or controversy, even if this is over religious issues. Bad controversy is of no avail. Don’t interfere in conversations with the enemies of Islam unless you have the necessary knowledge and power that enables you to handle this task. And if not, ask a scholar to handle it instead.

Sixth:

Take caution against the chatting sites. They are traps for males and females to drag them into a prohibited relationship, which often starts by an innocent introduction and end up in mere pain and causes damage to life and faith.

Seventh:

Its either you control or you get controlled by the trap of the internet. If you put it under your control, you take its benefit and shed away its harm. Hence Internet becomes a gift from Allah for your welfare. And if you fall under its control, it blurs your eyes with its glittering charm and temporary pleasures, steals your money, time, life and the duties your have towards your family and beloved ones. You become the prey without being aware of it. Save yourself from this trap before you are lost, and before it is too late.

Opinion: Why I'm proud to wear the burqa

2010-02-28T12:12:00.000-08:00

"Oumkheyr"-- who has asked CNN not to use her real name -- is a French Muslim woman in her 40s. Of Algerian origin, she is divorced and has a daughter. She tells CNN why she's proud to wear the burqa, also known as the niqab or full veil, and what she thinks of the law proposed by the French government to ban the burqa. A French parliament report has called for a ban on the burqa in schools, hospitals, government offices and public transport.

(CNN) -- I wear the burqa for the simple reason that I am a Muslim and the Koran says that I must wear the full veil in order to be modest.

I am proud of my Muslim faith and my modesty. I am proud to follow God's law.

Nobody ever forced me to wear the full veil and I have been wearing it for around 10 years now.

In fact, very few of my friends actually wear one. There are, of course, situations in which some men force their wives or daughters to wear the burqa but, believe me, these cases are a very, very small minority.

For those of us who are believers, we just want to do God's will and live by the sacred text, so what any man says has nothing to do with that.

I am testament to that as I don't have a husband and I practice my religion freely, that's why I'm always shocked when people say it's the husband who forces his wife to wear a burqa.

It is actually the case that a lot of men in France do not wish their wives to wear the full veil because when they go out, they are insulted or attacked and their husbands don't want them to be put in that situation.

I first started wearing the full veil when I was a teenager but I stopped for a while because when you're young, you don't want to be set apart, you want to look like everyone else.

But later after seeing what was happening with terrorist attacks involving Muslims all over the world, I decided to become more conscious and find out more about my faith.

In the process, I found myself becoming more spiritual and decided to start wearing the burqa.

Now, my liberty is being threatened with this law proposed by the French government. If this law is passed, it will be a great injustice. It is very unfair that they are even considering this law.

Perhaps the French authorities are terrified that women will start dressing like this, despite evidence to the contrary.

Why am I, as a Muslim woman, targeted unfairly, when there are less than 2,000 of us in France who wear the burqa? Where is my freedom of clothing or expression?

France prides itself as a country that upholds the rights of man but where are my rights? Why am I not free to wear what I want?

Many cite security reasons because they can't tell who is under the veil. But myself and a lot of women who wear the burqa are always happy to identify ourselves when asked.

In the past, I have taken off my veil when it is asked of me -- as long as it's a woman who does it. My religion demands that I cover my face in front of any man who is not either my brother, father or husband.

I have been wearing the veil in France for years and it has never been a problem, I use public transport like everyone else and I've never had any problems.

Although, it can be quite strange when I'm on a bus for example and people say to me: 'You poor thing, we feel sorry for you.' And I wonder exactly why they feel sorry for me.

I'm very happy wearing the veil and it makes me spiritually fulfilled as I'm practicing my religion, so I don't really see it as anything to pity me for.

I really believe that France is scared of Muslims, which is the motivation for this law, but people shouldn't generalize as not all Muslims are the same.

Yes, some have done terrible things, but it is done in the name of man, never in the name of God. I, as a French Muslim woman, have nothing but love in my heart towards all people.

And whatever the outcome, if France succeeds in banning the veil on its streets, I will never take mine off. My freedom means a lot to me and if this law is passed, I would rather move to another country where I can worship in peace.

I obey the laws of God not the laws of man.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Oumkheyr.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/04/france.burqa.ban/index.html?dsq=32770555#comment-32770555

Muslim-American body issues fatwa against airport body scanners

2010-02-28T11:57:00.000-08:00

Muslim-American body issues fatwa against airport body scanners

IANS, Feb 12, 2010, 12.47pm IST
WASHINGTON: Some Muslim-American groups are supporting a fatwa issued by a body of Islamic scholars forbidding Muslims from going through full body scanners at airports, a media report said.

The Fiqh Council of North America issued the religious ruling this week that says going through the airport scanners would violate Islamic rules on modesty, Free Press reported.

"It is a violation of clear Islamic teachings that men or women be seen naked by other men and women," reads the fatwa issued Tuesday. "Islam highly emphasises haya (modesty) and considers it part of faith. The Quran has commanded the believers, both men and women, to cover their private parts."

After the Christmas Day bombing attempt in Detroit by a Muslim suspect from Nigeria, some US airports are now in the process of buying and using the body scanners to find explosives and other dangerous materials carried by terrorists.

But Muslim groups say the scanners, which show in graphic detail the outlines of a person's body, go against their religion. One option offered to passengers who don't want to use the scanners would be a pat down by a security guard. The Muslim groups are urging members to undergo those instead.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says it endorses the fatwa. "We support the Fiqh Council's statement on full-body scanners and believe that the religious and privacy rights of passengers can be respected while maintaining safety and security," Nihad Awad, national executive director of CAIR was quoted as saying.

Currently, there are 40 full-body scanners at 19 airports in the US, including two in Detroit, said spokesman Jim Fotenos of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). There are plans for 450 more body scanners in US airports, he said.

In a statement, the TSA said it is committed to keeping passengers safe and also protecting their privacy.

"TSA's mission is to keep the travelling public safe. Advanced imaging technologies
are an important tool in a multi-layered security system to detect evolving threats such as improvised explosive devices.

"TSA's use of these technologies includes strong protections in place to safeguard passenger privacy. Screening images are automatically deleted, and the officer viewing the image will never see the passenger."

The TSA stressed that the body scanners are "optional to all passengers". Those who turn them down, "will receive equivalent screening that may include a physical pat-down, hand-wanding, and other technologies".

"Physical pat-downs are performed by transportation security Officers of the same sex as the passenger in a private screening area, if the passenger requests."

Body scanners "do not produce photos", the agency said. Rather, the images "look like chalk outlines".

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Muslim-American-body-issues-fatwa-against-airport-body-scanners/articleshow/5564134.cms

Airport body scanners violate Islamic law, Muslims say

2010-02-28T11:54:00.000-08:00

Airport body scanners violate Islamic law, Muslims say

By Niraj Warikoo - Feb. 11, 2010

Saying that body scanners violate Islamic law, Muslim-American groups are supporting a “fatwa” – a religious ruling – that forbids Muslims from going through the scanners at airports.

The Fiqh Council of North America – a body of Islamic scholars that includes some from Michigan – issued a fatwa this week that says going through the airport scanners would violate Islamic rules on modesty.

“It is a violation of clear Islamic teachings that men or women be seen naked by other men and women,” reads the fatwa issued Tuesday. “Islam highly emphasizes haya (modesty) and considers it part of faith. The Quran has commanded the believers, both men and women, to cover their private parts.”

The decision could complicate efforts to intensify screening of potential terrorists who are Muslim. After the Christmas Day bombing attempt in Detroit by a Muslim suspect from Nigeria, some have called for the use of body scanners at airports to find explosives and other dangerous materials carried by terrorists. Some airports are now in the process of buying and using the body scanners, which show in graphic detail the outlines of a person’s body.

But Muslim groups say the scanners go against their religion. One option offered to passengers who don’t want to use the scanners would be a pat down by a security guard. The Muslim groups are urging members to undergo those instead.

Two members of the Fiqh Council are from Michigan, Imam Hassan Qazwini of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, and Imam Ali Suleiman Ali of the Canton Mosque. “Fiqh” means Islamic jurisprudence.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has a chapter in Michigan, says it endorses the fatwa.

“We support the Fiqh Council’s statement on full-body scanners and believe that the religious and privacy rights of passengers can be respected while maintaining safety and security,” said Nihad Awad, national executive director of CAIR.

Currently, there are 40 full-body scanners at 19 airports in the U.S., including two of them in Detroit, said spokesman Jim Fotenos of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). There are plans for 450 more body scanners in U.S. airports, he said.

The TSA stressed that the body scanners are “optional to all passengers.” Those who turn them down, “will receive equivalent screening that may include a physical pat-down, hand-wanding, and other technologies. Physical pat-downs are performed by Transportation Security Officers of the same sex as the passenger in a private screening area, if the passenger requests.”

Fiqh Council advises Muslims on Islamic law

The Fiqh Council is based in Plainfield, Ind., where it is affiliated with the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and advises Muslims on sharia, or Islamic law.

An earlier version of the group started in the 1960s with the Muslim Students Association of the United States and Canada. The chairman of the Fiqh Council is Muzammil Siddiqi, religious director of the Islamic Society of Orange County in California and former president of ISNA.

In its fatwa, the council said the use of body scanners “is against the teachings of Islam, natural law.”

http://www.freep.com/article/20100211/NEWS05/100211044/1318/Airport-body-scanners-violate-Islamic-law-Muslims-say

The Month of Safar (3)

2010-01-31T17:04:00.000-08:00

4. What happened in this month of military campaigns and important events in the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

There are many such events, some of which we will refer to below:

(1) Ibn al-Qayyim said:

Then he himself [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] went on the military campaign of al-Abwaa’, also known as Waddaan. This was the first military campaign in which he took part himself. It happened in Safar, twelve months after the Hijrah. The banner, which was white, was carried by Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. He appointed Sa’d ibn ‘Ubaadah in charge of Madeenah (in his absence), and he went out with the Muhaajireen only, to intercept a caravan of Quraysh, but there was no fighting.

During this campaign, he made a peace treaty with Makhshiy ibn ‘Amr al-Dumari, who was the leader of Bani Dumrah at his time, agreeing that he would not attack Bani Dumrah and they would not attack him, that they would never join any group to attack him and that they would never help any enemy against him. The treaty between them was written down, and the Prophet was away for fifteen nights.

(Zaad al-Ma’aad, 3/164, 165)

(2) And he said:

When Safar came (in 3 AH), some people from ‘Adal and al-Qaarah came to him and said that there Muslims among them, and they asked him to send with them someone who would teach them Islam and the Qur’aan. So he sent six people with them, according to the report of Ibn Ishaaq. According to al-Bukhaari, the number was ten. He put Marthad ibn Abi Marthad al-Ghanawi in charge of them, and among them was Khubayb ibn ‘Adiy. They went with them, and when they reached al-Rajee’ – which is water belonging to Hudhayl, somewhere in the Hijaaz – they betrayed them and sought the help of Hudhayl against them. So they came and surrounded them; they killed most of them and took Khubayb ibn ‘Adiy and Zayd ibn al-Dathinah prisoner. They took them to Makkah and sold them there, because they had killed some of the leaders of Quraysh at Badr.

(Zaad al-Ma’aad, 3/244)

(3) And he said:

In the same month of Safar, in 4 AH, there was the battle of Bi’r Ma’oonah (the well of Ma’oonah), which may be summed up as follows:

Abu Baraa’ ‘Aamir ibn al-Maalik, who was known as Mulaa’ib al-Asinnah, came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in Madeenah. He invited him to Islam but he did not become Muslim, but neither did he seem far away from doing so. He said, “O Messenger of Allaah, why do you not send your companions to the people of Najd to call them to your religion? I hope that they would respond.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “I fear that the people of Najd may harm them.” Abu Baraa’ said: “They will be under my protection.” So he sent forty men with him, according to the report of Ibn Ishaaq. According to al-Saheeh, the number was seventy, and what is narrated in al-Saheeh is correct. He put al-Mundhir ibn ‘Amr, one of the tribe of Bani Saa’idah which was known as al-Mu’annaq, in charge of them. They were among the best, most virtuous and foremost Muslims. They travelled until they stopped at Bi’r Ma’oonah – which is between the land of Bani ‘Aamir and the harrah (lava field) of Bani Sulaym – where they camped. Then they sent Haraam ibn Milhaan, the brother of Umm Sulaym, with the letter of the Messenger of Allaah to the enemy of Allaah, ‘Aamir ibn al-Tufayl. He did not look at it, and he commanded a man to stab him in the back with a spear. When he was stabbed and he saw the blood, he said, “I have won, by the Lord of the Ka’abah [i.e., attained martyrdom].” Then the enemy of Allaah immediately urged Banu ‘Aamir to kill the rest (of the Muslims), but they did not respond, because of the protection of Abu Baraa’. Then he urged Bani Sulaym, and ‘Asiyah, Ra’l and Dhakwaan responded to him. They came and surrounded the companions of the Messenger of Allaah, and they fought until they were all killed, except for Ka’b ibn Zayd ibn al-Najjaar, who was found wounded among the dead. He lived until he was killed at the battle of al-Khandaq. ‘Amr ibn Umayyah al-Dumari and al-Mundhir ibn ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir were looking after the animals of the Muslims, and they saw a bird hovering over the battle field. Al-Mundhir ibn Muhammad came and fought the mushrikeen until he was killed along with his companions, and ‘Amr ibn Umayyah al-Dumari was taken prisoner. When he told them that he was from Mudar, ‘Aamir shaved his head and released him on behalf of his mother who was obliged to free a slave. ‘Amr ibn Umayyah went back and when he reached al-Qarqarah min Sadr Qanaah (a place), he rested in the shade of a tree. Two men from Bani Kilaab came and rested there with him, and when they slept ‘Amr killed them. He thought that he had avenged the deaths of his companions, but they had a treaty with the Messenger of Allaah, of which he was unaware. When he came (to Madeenah) he told the Messenger of Allaah what he had done, and he said, “You have killed two people for whom I will certainly pay the diyah (blood money).”

(Zaad al-Ma’aad, 3/246-248)

(4) Ibn al-Qayyim said:

When he set out for Khaybar, it was the end of Muharram, not the beginning, and he conquered it in Safar.

(Zaad al-Ma’aad, 3/339-340)

(5) And he said:

Section on the campaign of Qutbah ibn ‘Aamir ibn Hadeedah to Khath’am.

This took place in Safar 9 AH. Ibn Sa’d said: they said: the Messenger of Allaah sent Qutbah ibn ‘Aamir with twenty men to a region of Khath’am at the end of Tibaalah, and he commanded him to launch a raid. They went out with ten camels, which they took turns riding. They captured a man and interrogated him, but he would not speak, then he started yelling, raising the alarm, so they killed him. They waited until the people had gone to sleep, then they launched their attack. There was intense fighting, resulting in many wounded on both sides. Qutbah ibn ‘Aamir killed whoever he killed, and they (the Muslims) took the cattle, women and sheep to Madeenah. It says in the story that the people regrouped and pursued them, then Allaah sent a great flood which came between them and the Muslims, so the Muslims drove the cattle, sheep and prisoners whilst they were looking on, but they could not cross the water until they had gone.

(Zaad al-Ma’aad, 3/514)

(6) And he said:

A delegation from ‘Udhrah came to the Messenger of Allaah in Safar of 9 AH, consisting of twelve men, including Jamrah ibn al-Nu’maan. The Messenger of Allaah said: “Who are these people?” Their spokesman said: “Some people that you may know of; we are Bani ‘Udhrah, the brother of Qusayy on his mother’s side. We are the people who supported Qusayy and removed Khuzaa’ah and Bani Bakr from the valley of Makkah. We have relatives and families.” The Messenger of Allaah said: “Welcome to you, I know you well.” They became Muslim, and the Messenger of Allaah gave them the glad tidings of the conquest of Shaam (Syria) and the flight of Heraclius to a well-fortified part of his country. The Messenger of Allaah forbade them to consult fortunetellers, and to offer the sacrifices which they used to offer, telling them that they were obliged only to offer the udhiyah (sacrifice of Eid al-Adha). They stayed for a few days in the house of Ramlah, then they departed.”

(Zaad al-Ma’aad, 3/657)

5. False ahaadeeth that have been narrated concerning Safar.

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

Section of ahaadeeth which give the dates of future events.

This includes ahaadeeth in which it mentions such and such a date, for example, “In the year such and such, such and such will happen” or “In the month such and such, such and such will happen.”

This is like the words of the big liar: “When the moon is eclipsed in Muharram, there will be a rise in prices, fighting, and the ruler will be distracted from public affairs, and when it is eclipsed in Safar, such and such will happen… ” and so on, as the liar said concerning all the months.

All the ahaadeeth of this type are false and fabricated.

(al-Manaar al-Muneef, p. 64)

And Allaah knows best.

www.islamqa.com

The Month of Safar (2)

2010-01-31T17:02:00.000-08:00

2. What has been narrated in Islam that contradicts the views of people of the Jaahiliyyah concerning this month

We have quoted above the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah narrated in al-Saheehayn, which explains that the belief of the people of Jaahiliyyah concerning Safar was reprehensible, and that is it simply one of the months of Allaah and it has no will of its own, it simply passes, subject to the control of Allaah.

3. Innovations and false beliefs concerning this month that exist among people who claim to be Muslims.

(1) The Standing Committee was asked:

Some of the scholars in our country claim that in the Islamic religion there is a naafil (supererogatory) prayer which is prayed on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar, at the time of Duha (mid-morning) prayer, (consisting of) four rak’ahs with one tasleem. In each rak’ah one recites Soorat al-Faatihah, Soorat al-Kawthar seventeen times, Soorat al-Ikhlaas 50 times, al-Mi’wadhatayn (the last two soorahs of the Qur’aan) one time each. This is done in each rak’ah, then one says salaam, and when one says salaam it is prescribed to recite “And Allaah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not” [Yoosuf 12:21 – interpretation of the meaning] 360 times, and Jawhar al-Kamaal (the essence of perfection) three times, and to finish by saying,

“Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of honour and power! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him!

And peace be on the Messengers!

And all the praises and thanks be to Allaah, Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)” [al-Saaffaat 37:180-182 – interpretation of the meaning].

And they give charity to the poor, and they say that this aayah is especially for warding off the calamities which come down on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar.

They say that every year, 320,000 calamities come down, and all of that comes down on the last Wednesday of Safar, so that is the most difficult day of the entire year. But whoever prays this prayer in the manner described, Allaah will protect him by His generosity from all the calamities that come down on that day, and they will not come around him, but they will affect those who could not do this prayer, like small children. Is this true?

The scholars of the committee replied:

Praise be to Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon His Messenger and upon his family and his companions.

We do not know of any basis in the Qur’aan or in the Sunnah for the naafil prayer mentioned in the question. We have no proof that any one among the salaf of this ummah or the righteous people of its later generations did this naafil prayer. Rather it is a reprehensible innovation.

It was narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does an action which is not in accordance with this matter of ours [Islam], will have it rejected.” And he said: “Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours that is not part of it, will have it rejected.”

Whoever attributes this prayer and the things that are mentioned with it to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or to any of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) is fabricating serious lies, and Allaah will give him the punishment for liars which he deserves.

(Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 2/354)

(2) Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Salaam al-Shuqayri said:

The ignorant have the habit of writing down the verses of salaam such as “Salaam (peace) be upon Nooh (Noah) (from Us) among the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!”” [al-Saafaat 37:79 – interpretation of the meaning] etc. on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar, then they put them in vessels and drink it and seek blessings from it, and they give it as gifts to one another, because they believe that this will take away bad things. This is a false belief and a blameworthy superstition, a reprehensible innovation which must be denounced by everyone who sees it.

(al-Sunan wa’l-Mubtada’aat, p. 111, 112)

Continued…

The Month of Safar (1)

2010-01-31T16:57:00.001-08:00

The Month of Safar

*******************************************************
Praise be to Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah.

The month of Safar is one of the twelve Hijri months, and it is the month which comes after Muharram. Some of the (scholars) said that it is so named because of the emptying (isfaar) of Makkah (i.e., its people would all leave) when they travelled during this month. It was also said that this month is named Safar because they used to raid other tribes at this time, and they would leave those whom they encountered bereft of their possessions (sifran min al-mataa’) – i.e., they would take all their belongings away and they would leave them with nothing.

(See Lisaan al-‘Arab by Ibn al-Mandhoor, part 4, p. 462-463)

Our discussion of this month will cover the following points:

1. What has been narrated concerning it from the Arabs of the Jaahiliyyah.

2. What has been narrated in Islam that contradicts the views of people of the Jaahiliyyah concerning this month.

3. Innovations and corrupt beliefs concerning this month that exist among people who claim to be Muslims.

4. What happened in this month of military campaigns and important events in the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

5. False ahaadeeth that have been narrated concerning Safar.

*******************************************************

1. What has been narrated concerning it from the Arabs of the Jaahiliyyah.

The Arabs were guilty of two serious wrongdoings concerning the month of Safar. Firstly, they played about with it, bringing it forward or postponing it, and secondly, they had superstitions concerning it.

(i) It is known that Allaah created the year and the number of its months is twelve, four of which Allaah has made sacred, in which it was forbidden to fight, out of respect for these months. These months are: Dhu’l-Qi’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab.

This is confirmed in the Book of Allaah, where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, the number of months with Allaah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allaah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein…” [al-Tawbah 9:36]

The mushrikeen were aware of that, but they used to postpone it or bring it forward according to their whims and desires, such as putting Safar in place of Muharram!

They used to believe that ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj was one of the most evil of actions. There follow some of the comments of the scholars on that.

(a) It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: “They used to think that ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj was one of the most evil of actions on earth. They would make Muharram Safar, and they used to say, ‘When the wounds of the camel's back heal up (after they return from Hajj) and the footprints of the camels vanish and the month of Safar passes away then (at that time) ‘Umra is permissible for the one who wishes to perform it.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1489; Muslim, 1240)

(b) Ibn al-‘Arabi said:

“The second issue: how postponing (al-nasiy) was done:

(i) It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that Junaadah ibn ‘Awf ibn Umayyah al-Kinaani used to come on this occasion each year, and he would call out that no one could criticize Abu Thamaamah or reject what he said, and that Safar in the first year would not be sacred, then we would make it sacred one year and not the next year. They were with Hawaazin, Ghatafaan and Bani Sulaym.

According to another version, he used to say, “We have brought Muharram forward and postponed Safar.” Then the next year he would say, “We will make Safar sacred and delay Muharram.” This was the postponement.

(ii) Adding. Qutaadah said: Some of the people of misguidance deliberately added Safar to the sacred months. Their spokesman would stand up on this occasion and say, “Your gods have made Muharram sacred this year,” and they would regard it as sacred that year. Then the next year he would stand up and say, “Your gods have made Safar sacred,” so they would regard it as sacred that year. And they would say (that there were) two Safars. Ibn Wahb and Ibn al-Qaasim narrated something similar from Maalik, who said: the people of the Jaahiliyyah used to have two Safars, hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “(There is) no Safar.” Ashhab also narrated something similar from him.

(ii) Changing the time of Hajj. Mujaahid said with a different isnaad: “ ‘The postponing (of a Sacred Month) is indeed an addition to disbelief’ [al-Tawbah 9:37 – interpretation of the meaning] – they would perform Hajj in Dhu’l-Hijjah for two years, then they would perform Hajj in Muharram for two years, then they would perform Hajj in Safar for two years. They would perform Hajj in each month for two years until, when Abu Bakr performed Hajj that was in Dhu’l-Qi’dah, then when the Prophet performed Hajj it was in Dhu’l-Hijjah. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in his sermon, according to the saheeh hadeeth:

“Time has completed a cycle and assumed the form of the day Allaah created the heavens and the earth.” Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas and others. This version was narrated by him. And he said:

“The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

‘O people, listen to what I say, for I do not know whether I will meet you again after this day in this place. O people, your blood and your wealth are sacred until the Day when you meet your Lord, as sacred as this day of yours in this month of yours in this land of your. You will meet your Lord and He will question you about your deeds. I have conveyed (the message). Whoever has had something entrusted to him, let him fulfil that trust.

All riba is abolished. You shall have your capital sums, deal not unjustly and you shall not be dealt with unjustly. Allaah decreed that there should be no riba. The riba of ‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib is abolished. All claims for blood-vengeance belonging to the jaahiliyyah period have been abolished. The first of those murdered among us whose blood-vengeance I remit is Ibn Rabee’ah ibn al-Haarith ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, who was suckled among Banu Layth and killed by Hudhayl.” He was the first one whose blood-vengeance of the jaahiliyyah was abolished.

“O people, the Shaytaan has despaired of ever being worshipped in your land, but he will be pleased to be obeyed in any matter other than that, in matters that you may think of as insignificant. So beware of him in matters of your religion. The postponing (of a Sacred Month) is indeed an addition to disbelief, by which the disbelievers are led astray… Time has completed a cycle and assumed the form of the day Allaah created the heavens and the earth. The number of months with Allaah is twelve, of which four are sacred, three consecutive months, and Rajab Mudar which comes between Jumaada and Sha’baan…” and he mentioned the rest of the hadeeth.

(Ahkaam al-Qur’aan, 2/503-504)

2. With regard to superstitions concerning the month of Safar, these were well known among the people of the Jaahiliyyah, and still exist among some of those who claim to be Muslims.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “(There is) no 'Adwa (no contagious disease is conveyed without Allah's permission), nor is there any bad omen (from birds), nor is there any Haamah, nor is there any (bad omen in the month of) Safar, and one should run away from the leper as one runs away from a lion.”

(narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5387; Muslim, 2220)

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“The word ‘Safar’ was interpreted in several ways:

(i) that it refers to the well-known month of Safar, concerning which the Arabs were superstitious.

(ii) That it refers to a stomach disease of camels, which is passed from one camel to another, and that this mentioned in conjunction with the word ‘adwa (contagion) in the sense of mentioning something specific in conjunction with something general.

(iii) That ‘Safar’ means the month of Safar, and that what is referred to here is the postponing of Sacred Months by which those who disbelieved were led astray, when they would delay the sacred months and make Safar sacred one year and not the next.

The most correct of these views is that what is meant is the month of Safar, concerning which there were many superstitions during the Jaahiliyyah.

Times have no effect (on people’s lives) and Allaah never decreed that it should have any effect. Like any other month, both good and bad may be decreed during this month.

If a particular action is completed on the twenty-fifth of Safar – for example – some people note the date and say, “It has been finished on the twenty-fifth of this good month of Safar.” This is like refuting one innovation with another, because there are no good or bad months. Hence some of the salaf denounced those who, when they hear the hooting of an owl, say, “It is good, in sha Allaah.” It cannot be said that this is good or bad, it is simply the sound of a bird, like any other bird.

The four things which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) denied (in the hadeeth referred to above) indicate that we must put our trust in Allaah and be sincere and determined; the Muslim should not feel helpless when faced with these things.

If a Muslim does pay any attention to such things, one of the following must apply in his case:

Either he pays attention to them in deciding whether to go ahead or refrain, in which case he is basing his actions on something that is not real.

Or he does not pay attention to them with regard to deciding whether to go ahead or refrain, but he still feels some kind of worry or anxiety. Although this is not as bad as the first case, he should not pay any attention to these things at all, rather he should depend only on Allaah.

The denial of these four things is not a denial of their existence, for they do exist; it is a denial of their having any effect on things, for the One Who affects things is Allaah. If there is a reason that is known to have effects, then this is a real reason, and any reason which is merely imagined is a false reason. So we deny its effect and it has no effect. ”

(Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 2/113, 115)

Continued…

Study: American Women Are Not Happy

2009-12-31T15:55:00.000-08:00

Study: American women are not happy

A recent study, titled The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness, conducted by professors Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers (University of Pennsylvania) for the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) – concludes that though American women are better off economically since 1970s – socially they feel more miserable than before….. The women who have been to a women shelter (there 300 of those in Canada as compared to none for the men) – will tell you how callously they are treated by the hags employed there. Distressed women are pressured to end their marriages and are offered help and resources to do so. Feminists are not interested in the welfare of women. They rely on domestic violence for their cushy jobs and to emasculate men – by portraying them as abusers….”

Could this be due to the American feminist movement, mostly run by Jewish communist women or women working for the CIA, such as Betty Friedan, Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem, Gloria Allred, etc.? These so-called “women’s rights’ activists have made the American women to see themselves as the victim of oppressive patriarchy in which their true worth will never be recognized and any success is beyond their reach.

Heather MacDonald in her 2008 article, The Campus Rape Myth exposed some of the feminist hoaxes.

Canadian Jew academic Henry Makow PhD in his article titled Domestic Violence Hysteria is Political said:

“Even though the women initiate violence against men in almost equal numbers, most of the publicity is devoted to women as victims. This is because the feminist activists, funded and empowered by Rockefeller social engineers, want to stigmatize men and marriage in the eyes of young women. they want the young women to Eat at Lesbian Jill’s or Single Jane’s but definitely not at Joe’s. This is how mass behavior modification works.

Of all the major religion – Islam is the only religion which, though physically and psychologically different, sees both sexes share a common fate and are subject to the same existential conditions, with the same spiritual protection and same purpose of being. Holy Qur’an is the only divine book which in all its 114 chapters (Surahs), has one chapter ‘al-Nisa (The Woman)’ dedicated to women and deals with women’s rights and the family life. Interestingly, no chapter is named after men.

Islam is only religion which gave the women right to marry of her choice, right to divorce, entitled for inheritance from her parents and husbands, and right to testify in the court of law – and more over 1400 years ago when no women of other religion or society dreamed of those privileges.

Marriage and family life is the most important unit in Islam and a successful marriage and a loving-family is regarded as a charity with immense rewards in the life after. Islam (Holy Qur’an 4:34 prefers that decisions on family affairs to be taken inside the family – and as a rule, gives the husband – normally the earner and protector – the decisive vote. However, that doesn’t translate into husband being superior to wife. Holy Qur’an doesn’t reject birth control or family planning under certain conditions but it doesn’t give a mother the right to abortion. Islamic Shar’ah gives a Muslim wife an exclusive right to manage and dispose of her personal property, including her dowry – the right a western woman only got during the 20th century, if at all.

With all the hype by the feminist activists, the women situation in the American society is pathetic. To count a few – a woman is raped every 90 seconds; majority of the 2.1% population of Americans in jails is women; women are still paid 60% of the salary of men doing the same jobs; there are over seven million battered women, and the majority of annual murders (12,054, the highest in the world – are women).

“Of course Islam’s scheme of life is from another world. It is an alternative that confronts the so-called modern world, its values, agnosticism, and ‘anything goes’ mentality, with a genuine counter-project that only appears to be outdated because it is timeless,” – Murad Wilfried Hofmann, former German diplomat and NATO’s Director of Information (1983-87).

http://rehmat1.wordpress.com/2009/10/17/study-american-women-are-not-happy/

Jesus vs. Santa: Give back its true meaning to Christmas

2009-12-31T15:51:00.000-08:00

Jesus vs. Santa: Give back its true meaning to Christmas

'Tis the Season of Deception

by Rick Watson

What do a decorated tree, Santa, St. Nick, the birthday of Jesus Christ and the 25th of December have to do with each other?

And why is the 25th of December a holy day (holiday)?

The pagan Babylonian sun worshipers didn't just worship the sun, but also 35 other pagan gods ~ one of which was the tree of life, and today we know this as the Christmas tree.

The Holy Bible gives us instructions on what NOT to do concerning this pagan practice in Jeremiah 10:

10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

10:3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

10:5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

It "speaks not" because it is indoors and the wind is not whistling through it.

The Babylonian practice was to offer gifts unto their tree god by placing gifts of sacrifice under the tree.

There is a lighted Christmas tree at the Vatican in St. Peter's Square every midnight mass, or should I say Christ-Mass.

Catholic belief is that Jesus was born at midnight on the 25th of December but there is no basis for this belief in Christianity.

There simply is no history or Biblical scriptures to back this claim.

As for Santa and "St. Nick," this is a Catholic creation as well as the birth of Christ being the 25th of December. The 21st thru the 25th of December is the marked pagan worship days of Saturn, the winter solstice, praying to the sun god to return. Since the evergreen tree remained green throughout winter, it had power and therefore must have been a god, hence, the tree of life. The Roman Catholic church devised the deception of Christ being born on that day to emulate the pagan festival so the Pope blessed the 25th of December as a holy day (holiday). God only blessed and sanctified one day in the Bible, and this was the Sabbath Day (seventh day of the week.)

So why did the Pope allow such paganism as the tree to exist in the Roman Catholic church, when God Almighty instructed against it as demonstrated in Jeremiah 10?

This, my friend, is part of a bigger deception. Christmas (or "Christ-Mass) is using the name of Jesus in vain, or falsely, by saying it is His birthday so you will honor a pagan winter festival.

Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain (falsely); for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain (falsely).

Jesus Christ stated in Revelation 1:8,

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending," saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

People lie to their children about Santa, they bring a tree that belongs outside into their homes, and are told by the media to buy everything in the store for someone because its the day Jesus was born.

The suicide rate is higher during this time of year, as well as robberies and numerous other crimes. Alcohol consumption, depression and anxiety abound. Families fight about what gifts they were expecting but didn't get. Divorces and spousal problems occur over money and the lack thereof, while some spend more for Christmas than they can afford, sinking them more and more in debt. This is the joy and peace that is all supposed to be in the name of Christ?

Let's all wake up and smell the coffee.

Have you ever noticed that as soon as a "holiday" is over, all the stores start stocking up the shelves with the next holiday's junk?

Revelation 18:3 ... and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Friends, this is Satan at his best. These things are not of Christ.

1 James 2:15 Love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him.

As a matter of fact, all holidays, or should I say "Holy days," are a deception of the Roman Catholic Church. For example, St. Valentine's day, St. Patrick's day, Halloween (the holy eve of all saints day.) Most do not know that Easter was a Babylonian fertility festival. Did you ever wonder what bunnies and eggs have to do with the resurrection of Christ? Most Easter egg hunts take place on church grounds, Catholic or not. Candy is passed out to kids on Halloween at most churches, who claim to be anything but Catholic.

What will happen to the deceivers of the world, who boldly think of themselves as more powerful than almighty God and create their own holy days?

Let's look in the book of Revelation:

Revelation 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

So the next time that the 25th of December comes around, take a stand for Jesus Christ and separate yourselves from it. Stop following "man" instead of following Jesus. Jesus is the Master Teacher, all you have to do is listen to His Word.

http://www.helium.com/items/1377634-jesus-vs-santa-give-back-its-true-meaning-to-christmas?page=2

Was Jesus Born on the 25th of December?

2009-12-31T15:48:00.000-08:00

Was Jesus Born on the 25th of December?

By AM - The Light (December 24, 1982; pages 7 and 8 & 48 and 49)

The twenty-fifth day of December, being the Christmas day is celebrated by millions all over the world as the birthday of Jesus Christ.

Was he born on the twenty-fifth December? No one knows exactly when Jesus was born.1

Exact Date of Christ's Birth:

"It is impossible to determine the exact date for the birth of Christ, either from the evidence of the Gospels or from any sound tradition."2 Did the disciples, who knew Jesus personally, celebrate his birthday (i.e., Christmas)3 on the 25th December? "Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church. The first evidence of the feast is from Egypt."4 The early Church had no fixed date for Christmas; "by some it was observed in May, by some in January, and by others combined with Epiphany."5 We learn from the Oxford Dictionary of Christian Church that "through speculation as to time of year of Christ's birth dates from the early 3rd Century â€¦ the celebration of the anniversary does not appear to have been general till the 4th century."6 The Encyclopaedia Americana says: "Christmas was, according to many authorities, not celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian Church as the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than their birth. A feast was established in the memory of this event in fourth century. In the fifth century the Western Church ordered it to be celebrated for ever on the day of the Old Roman feast of the birth of Sol, as no certain knowledge of the day of Christ's birth existed."7 Thus there is "no authoritative tradition as to the date or month of Christ's birth."8 The above historical authorities led us, as they have led Christian scholars to conclude that the "Christmas was not observed by Christians for the first two or three hundred years. It got into the Western or Roman Church by the fourth century A.D. It was not until the fifth century that Roman Church ordered it to be celebrated as an official Christian festival."9

Christmas Customs:

"Most of the Christmas customs now prevailing are not genuine Christian customs, but heathen customs which have been absorbed or tolerated by the Church. The Saturnalia in Rome provided the model for the most of the merry customs of the Christmas time."10 The pagan customs were so deeply entrenched in the daily life that the Christian influence could not get rid of them.

In fact "the pagan festival with its riots and merry-making was so popular that Christians were glad of an excuse to continue its celebration with little change in spirit and manner. Christian preachers of the West and the Near East protested against the unseemly frivolity with which Christ's birthday was celebrated, while Christians of Mesopotamia accused their Western brethren of idolatry and sun-worship for adopting this pagan festival."11 As to the origin of the date the World Book Encyclopaedia says: "In A.D. 354 Bishop Liberins of Rome ordered the people to celebrate it on December 25th. He probably chose the date because the people of Rome already observed it as the Feast of Saturn, celebrating the birthday of the sun."12 However, the choice of the 25th December in the West was chiefly due to the following considerations: "The Winter solstic was regarded as the birthday of the sun and at Rome a pagan festival of Sol invictus was introduced by the emperor Aurelian on 25th December 274. The Church unable to stamp out this popular festival, spiritualized it as the feast of the Nativity of the Sun of Righteousness."13 According to the Collier's Encyclopaedia, "The choice of December 25 was probably influencedby the fact that on this day the Romans celebrated the Mithraic feast of the Sun god (Natalis Solis invicti), and that the Saturnalia also came at this time."14

We have seen from the above evidence that Chraistmas has its roots in paganism and certainly did not originate in Christianity. The next question is, was Jesus born on 25th December? There is no historical evidence as to the day or month of Christ's birth and some uncertainty exists as to the actual year. "St. Clements of Alexandria refers to calculations which placed it in April or May. Some such dates would better accord with the Gospel statement that 'shepherds were watching their flocks by night' than 25th December which falls in the cold and rainy seasons in the hilly country of Judaea".15 The 25th December could not have been the birthday of Jesus. The Bible shows that at the time "Shepherds" were still in the fields at night. As the Encyclopaedia Britannia (1907, Vol. V, p. 611) acknowledges, they would not have been there in the cold, rainy season of winter (Luke 2:8-12)."16 Accordingly, Jesus was not born in the winter season. We have seen that when he was born "there were, in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night."17

Could this have occurred in Judaea in the month of December? "The shepherds always brought their flocks from the mountain sides and fields and corralled them not later than October 15, to protect them from the cold, rainy season that followed that date. Notice that the Bible itself proves, in songs of Solomon 2:11 and Ezra 10:9, 13 that winter was a rainy season not permitting shepherds to abide in open fields at night."18 We read in Adam Clarke's Commentary19 that it was ancient custom among Jews to send out their sheep to fields and deserts about the Passover in early spring and bring them home at the commencement of the first rain. The same authority states, "During the time they were out, the shepherds watched them night and day. As the first rain began early in the month of Marchesvan, which answers to 'part of our October and November' (begins sometimes in October), we find that the sheep were kept in the open fields during the whole summer. And as these shepherds had not yet brought home their flocks, it is a presumptive argument that October had not yet commenced, and that, consequently, our Lord was not born on the 25th of December, when no flocks were out in the fields, nor could He have born later than September, as the flocks were still in the fields by night. On this very ground, the nativity in December should be given up."20
The facts produced in these pages may shock those who had faithfully believed that Jesus was born on the 25th December, but they are plain facts of history.

To conclude we shall summarise below the conclusions we have reached:

1. Jesus was not born on the 25th December.
2. The early Christians were neither aware of the "25th December" nor celebrated the Christmas.
3. The festival was borrowed from Pagans and spiritualised as Christmas in the fourth and fifth century - so it is against Jesus teachings.
4. As Jesus was born at a time when shepherds were abiding in the fields keeping watch over their flocks by night, Jesus could not have been born, later than September.

source: By AM - The Light (December 24, 1982; pages 7 and 8 & 48 and 49)

Footnotes:

1. The World Book Encyclopaedia, U.S.A. (1977) vol. 3, p. 409.

2. Colliers Encyclopaedia, Macmillan Educational Corporation, New York (1980), vol. 6, p. 403.

3. Christmas in Old English was called "Cristes Maesse" which means "the mass of Christ" later shortened to Christ-Mass and eventually became Christmas.

4. The Catholic Encyclopaedia, (1908), vol. III, p. 724.

5. Everyman's Encyclopaedia, (1978), vol. 3, p. 299.

6. The Oxford Dictionary of Christian Church, Oxford University Press, London (1977), p. 280.

7. Encyclopaedia Americana (1944 edition), quoted by Herbert W. Armstrong in "The Plain Truth About Christmas". Worldwide Church of God, California, p. 9.

8. Chambers Encyclopaedia, (1967), vol. 3 p. 538.

9. Herbert W. Armstrong, The Plain Truth About Christmas, Worldwide Church of God, California, p. 9.

10. James Hastings, Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, vol. 3, pp. 608-609.

11. New Schaff Herzog, Encyclopaedia of Religious Knowledge, quoted by Herbert W. Armstrong in "The Plain Truth About Christmas", a Worldwide Church of God publication.

12. The World Book Encyclopaedia, (1966), vol. 3, p. 416.

13. Chambers Encyclopaedia, (1967), vol. 3, p. 528.

14. Colliers Encyclopaedia, Macmillan Educational Corporation (1980), vol. 6, p. 403.

15. Chambers Encyclopaedia, London, (1955), vol. 3 p. 540.

16. The Truth that leads to Eternal Life, Watch Tower Bible Tract Society, New York, (1968), p. 148.

17. Luke, 2:8.

18. Herbert W. Armstrong, Supra, p. 9.

19. Adam Clarke, Commentary, New York, vol. 5, p. 370.

20. Adam Clarke, Commentary, New York, vol. 5 page 370 quoted by Herbert W. Armstrong in "The Plain Truth About Christmas", Worldwise Church of God, California, p.11.

Salutations at Graves

2009-12-31T15:44:00.000-08:00

Salutations at graves

What are the salutations done at graves? Is there any difference in greeting the Prophets and Martyrs at graves?
Is it right to say As-salamu ^alaykum ya rasula Allah' on Prophet’s grave and Asslam-o-Alaikum ya Ahlol Quboor at the entrance of the graveyard or Does it count as Shirk?

Praise be to Allaah.

Visiting graves is mustahabb for men, because according to the hadeeth of Buraydah ibn al-Husayb, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I used to forbid you to visit graves, but now visit them.” (Narrated by Muslim, 977). According to another report, “… for they will remind you of the Hereafter.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 1240; Ibn Maajah, 1569; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh ibn Maajah).

When visiting the graves it is mustahabb to greet the occupants of the graves with salaam and to make du’aa’ for them saying the words that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to teach his companions. It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “O Messenger of Allaah, what should I say to them (i.e., to the occupants of the graves)?” He said, “Say: Al-salaamu ‘ala ahl il-diyaar min al-mu’mineen wa’l-Muslimeen, wa yarham Allaah al-mustaqdimeena minna wa’l-musta’khireen, wa innaa in sha Allaah bikum la laahiqoon (Peace be upon the inhabitants of the graves, believers and Muslims. May Allaah have mercy upon those who have gone ahead of us and those who come later on, and verily we will, in sha Allaah, join you).” Narrated by Muslim, 974.

It was narrated from Buraydah ibn al-Husayb (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to teach them, when they went out to the graveyard, to say: “Al-salaamu ‘alaykum ahl al-diyaar min al-mu’mineen wa’l-Muslimeen, wa inna in sha Allaah lalaahiqoon. As’al Allaah lana wa lakum al-‘aafiyah (Peace be upon you, O inhabitants of the graves, believers and Muslims. Verily we will, in sha Allaah, join you. I ask Allaah for well-being for us and for you).””

With regard to the graves of the Sahaabah, he should say the same du’aa’s as described above; there is no special du’aa’ for that.

With regard to visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his two companions Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them), what was narrated from the Sahaabah is to greet them with salaam. Ibn ‘Umar used to say, “Al-salaamu ‘alayka ya Rasool-Allaah, al-salaam ‘alayka ya Aba Bakr, al-salaamu ‘alayka ya abati (O my father),” then he would go away. This was classed as saheeh by al-Haafiz ibn Hajar.

Some of the scholars added to that: “Al-salaamu ‘alayka ya kheerat Allaah min khalqihi, al-salaamu ‘alayka ya sayyid al-mursaleen, ash-hadu annaka ballaghta al-risaalah (Peace be upon you, whom Allaah chose from among His creation; peace be upon you O leader of the Messengers, I bear witness that you indeed conveyed the message).”

See al-Adhkaar by al-Nawawi, p. 174; al-Mughni, 5/466

Al-Tabari said: If the visitor says the above longer version, there is nothing wrong with that, but following the example (of the Sahaabah) is better, i.e., limiting oneself to what was narrated from the Sahaabah is better.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Manaasik al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah: After (the pilgrim) prays upon arrival in the Prophet’s Mosque as much as Allaah wills he should pray, he should go and send salaams upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his two companions Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them).

1 – He should stand in front of the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), facing the grave and with his back towards the qiblah, and say, “Al-salaamu ‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-Allaahi wa barakaatuhu (Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy and blessings of Allaah).” If he wants to add something appropriate there is nothing wrong with that, such as saying, “Al-salaamu ‘alayka ya khaleel-Allaah wa ameenahu ‘ala waheehi wa kheeratahu min khalqihi, ash-hadu annaka qad ballaghta al-risaalah wa addayta al-amaanah wa nasahta al-ummah wa jaahadta fi Allaahi haqqa jihaadihi (Peace be upon you, O close friend of Allaah, the one with whom He entrusted His revelation and the one whom He chose from among His creation. I bear witness that you conveyed the message, fulfilled the trust, sincerely advised the ummah and strove with all your might for the sake of Allaah).

But if he limits himself to the first salutation, that is good. Ibn ‘Umar used to say “Al-salaamu ‘alayka ya Rasool-Allaah, al-salaam ‘alayka ya Aba Bakr, al-salaamu ‘alayka ya abati (O my father),” then he would go away

2 – Then he should take one step to his right so that he is in front of Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) and say, “Al-salaamu ‘alayka ya Aba Bakr, al-salaamu ‘alayka ya khaleefat Rasool-illaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fi ummatihi, radiya Allaahu ‘anka wa jazaaka ‘an ummati Muhammadin khayran (Peace be upon you, O Abu Bakr, peace be upon you O successor of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his ummah, may Allaah be pleased with you and reward you with good on behalf of Muhammad).”

3 – Then he should take one step to his right so that he is in front of ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) and say, “Al-salaamu ‘alayka ya ‘Umar, al-salaamu ‘alayka ya ameer al-mu’mineen, radiya Allaahu ‘anka wa jazaaka ‘an ummati Muhammadin khayran (Peace be upon you, O ‘Umar, peace be upon you, O leader of the believers, may Allaah be pleased with you and reward you with good on behalf of Muhammad).

But he should send salaams upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his two companions with proper etiquette and in a low voice, for raising the voice in the mosque is forbidden, especially in the Mosque of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and at his grave.

Manaasik al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah wa’l-Mashroo’ fi’l-Ziyaarah, p. 107, 108

If a person says “al-salaamu ‘alayum” when visiting graves, and says, “Al-salaamu ‘alayka ya Rasool-Allaah” when visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), this is not considered to be shirk, because it is not a prayer to the dead or seeking their help. Rather it is du’aa’ for them, praying that Allaah may keep them safe from all the dangers that a person may encounter after death, such as the torment of the grave, the resurrection, the reckoning and the horrors of the Hereafter.

We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound in this world and in the Hereafter.

And Allaah knows best.

See Zaad al-Mustanqi’, 5/473; Ashraat al-Saa’ah by Dr. Yoosuf al-Waabil, p. 337.

http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/34561

Al-Muhaddithat: the Women Scholars in Islam

2009-12-31T15:42:00.001-08:00

Al-Muhaddithat: the Women Scholars in Islam

AbdulShaheed Drew

The book covers centuries of female scholarship from the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and thereafter. Although women became scholars in all fields of knowledge, this particular book covers the prominent female scholars of Hadith. It should be noted that Al-Muhadithat is only the Muqaddimah or introduction to Akrams 40 volume biographical dictionary on this subject. That's right, 40 volumes dedicated to female scholars of Hadith. Only the Muqaddimah has been translated from Arabic into English and it consists of about 300 pages.

Al-Muhaddithat is a great source of reference for female scholarship in Islamic history. It is well indexed and divided into ten chapters dealing with a number of valuable subjects. The biographical examples I isolated [below] were done so in order to provide a feel for some aspects of the book. Overall, I am pleased that such a detailed work has been translated into English on this subject. Likewise, it is significant because it highlights the potential of female scholarship.

Classes could be held in various venues such as Mosques, houses, schools etc. The attendees would be male and female and likewise the teachers could be male or female. The lists of attendees were recorded in the students manuscripts which would display the names of many female students. Akram notes that women became proficient with the pen in the second year after the migration to Madinah (Hijrah). For the centuries that followed, women as well as men sought out the obligatory knowledge of their religion based on the Hadith, Seeking knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim.

Akram points out that much of the early education started at home with the parents and relatives. Afterwards they may continue further studies with a teacher in the Mosque etc. They would also learn from their husbands and there were situations where their husbands would learn from them. A man who had a Shaykhah as a wife could refer to her for difficult juristic issues. The author gives some examples of parents who passed their knowledge to their daughters such as Imam Malik. His daughter memorized the Muwatta from him -the best book at that time for Hadith and Fiqh issues. Likewise, Saeed ibn Al-Musayyab had a daughter who learnt all the Hadiths her father knew by heart. The Umayyad Caliph Abdul-Malik ibn Marwan asked if his son Al-Walid could marry Saeed ibn Al-Musayyabs daughter. Rather than marry the Caliphs son, Saeed refused and preferred for her to marry one of his impoverished students. Her husband said about her, She was among the most beautiful people, and most expert of those who know the book of God by heart, and most knowledgeable of the Sunnah of the Prophet, and most aware of the rights of the husband.

The author gives many examples of greatly influential female teachers. For example, Umm Kiraam, Kareema Al-Marwaziyyah who came from central Asia was considered to be the best women of the fourth Hijri century to learn the entire Sahih of Al-Bukhari from her teacher Abul-Haytham Al-Kushmihani. Kareema later traveled with her father and settled in Makkah where students would travel from far and wide to learn the Sahih of Al-Bukhari from her. Akram notes, Her version of it has always been particularly popular. Imam Al-Dhahabi stated about her, Whenever she narrated, she would compare with her original. She had knowledge and good understanding [combined] with goodness and worship.

Another famous Shaykhah was Fatimah bint Saeed Al-Khair (sixth Hijri century). Her father was a scholar and she married one of her fathers greatest students. Although she was born in China, her father migrated from Valencia (in the western side of the world) possibly due to the upheaval caused by the Christians of the Spanish region at that time. Her father took her to learn from many scholars in different places. In fact, the map that appears on the cover of this particular book under review shows the study journeys of Fatimah. Fatimah had too many students to mention, so Akram left them out of the Muqaddimah. Her teachings were very influential and far reaching. In Akrams biographic dictionary about the Muhaddithat, he composed 20 pages alone on Fatimah bint Saeed Al-Khair.

The author gives name after name such as Aasia bint Muhammad AlIrbili. She received Ijaazahs (permission to teach a text or subject) from over two hundred of her teachers male and female. Many of our great male Scholars such as Ibn Taymiyah and Ibn Al-Hajr had numerous female scholar teachers. For example, Al-Mizzi, Ibn Taymiyah and Al-Dhahabi had Zaynab bint Makki ibn Ali ibn Kaamil Al-Harrani as one of their teachers. Abdul-Malik ibn Marwan (the Caliph) used to attend Fiqh classes with Umm Ad-Dardaa (a Muhaddithah and Taabiiyyah) etc. Although it is only the introduction, this book demonstrates great research in isolating the significance of these invaluable scholars in our illustrious history. It is also very well referenced.

Akram also makes such points in his preface that the correct Islamic etiquette was present such as no intermixing which will lead to forbidden relationships and Islamic attire such as Hijab was worn -as it is commanded from the Most-High. These women were upright adherents to the way of Islam as it was revealed.

Out of 8000 biographical accounts, Akram notes that there were no complaints from any of these women with respect to the position of women in Islam. They did not get the impression of inferiority or show disdain for the teachings of Islam and family life etc. Rather, they were firm defenders of the Sunnah and their scholarship attests to that. One of the women considered to be one of the reformers of her time (seventh Hijri century) was Umm Zaynab, Fatimah bint Abbas Al-Baghdadiyyah. When we say reformer, it is not in reference to changing the religion, rather it is in reference to reviving it back to the way it was. She was praised by the scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaah such as Ibn Taymiyyah who said she was a great scholar, jurist, leader of the women of her time etc. Al-Dhahabi commented that the women of Damascus and Egypt were reformed by her. She had a lot of popularity and influence over the hearts [of people]. Ibn Kathir mentioned that she commanded good and forbade evil, spoke out and opposed deviant sects and opposed the people of bidah, in [all] that she did what men were unable to do.

The believing men and believing women are protecting friends (awliya) of one another, they bid to good (al-maruf), and forbid from evil (al-munkar); they establish the prayer and give the alms (zakah) and obey God and His Messenger. [Qur'an: 9:71]

Zamzam Water: The history & Significance

2009-11-24T14:19:00.000-08:00

Zamzam Water: The history & significance

Introduction

Allaah has made all living creatures out of water. People require water for almost everything; for agriculture, construction, transportation, and for cooling and heating. But not all water carries the same value and significance? Muslims refer to the water of Zamzam as something revered and unique. They crave this mysterious liquid and love to drink it whenever they can. And for those who managed to go to the Hajj, they return home carrying it for thousands of miles as a prized possession and to give as special gift to their friends and families.

So, what is so special about Zamzam water? In a word: Everything.

There is nothing ordinary about it. The miracle of how it came to being in the middle of the desert, its consistency throughout thousands of years, the beneficial qualities it has, the fact that it never dries up. This water is special.

The fact is, this small 5 ft. deep well is far away from any other source or body of water. It is self-replenishing. It is constantly replenishing itself in order to produce gallons upon gallons of water for consumption of thirsty pilgrims plus the additional amount that is bottled and also the amount that is taken as gifts distributed worldwide to millions. Zamzam water has scientifically been proven to contain healing qualities due to its higher content of Calcium and Magnesium Salts and also the natural fluorides that encompass a germicidal action.

It is also an established scientific fact that pools or water wells tend to grow vegetation such as algae—especially in warm climates. Amazingly this is not the case in the well of Zamzam. It has remained free from biological contaminants.

From the time that Hagar wandered aimlessly through the desert in search of sustenance for her son and herself; to the moment that Ismaa'eel may Allaah exalt his mentionkicked his tiny feet on the sand and the well of Zamzam was born out of the great Mercy of Allaah, Muslims have been drinking from it. What is more fascinating is that it has never once dried up. To Muslims this blessed water is special in significance and history.

A Lofty History

Ibn 'Abbaas may Allaah be pleased with himnarrated that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )said: "When Ibraaheem (Abraham) had differences with his wife, (because of her jealousy of Haajar, Ismaa’eel’s (Ishmael) mother), he took Ismaa’eel and his mother and went away. They had a water-skin with them containing some water, Ismaa’eel's mother used to drink water from the water-skin so that her milk would increase for her child. When Ibraaheem reached Makkah, he made her sit under a tree and afterwards returned home. Ismaa’eel's mother followed him, and when they reached Kada, she called him from behind, `O Ibraaheem! To whom are you leaving us?' He replied, '(I am leaving you) to Allaah's (Care).' She said, 'I am satisfied to be with Allaah.' She returned to her place and started drinking water from the water-skin, and her milk increased for her child. When the water had all been used up, she said to herself, 'I would better go and look so that I may see somebody.' She ascended the hill of the Safaa and looked, hoping to see somebody, but in vain. When she came down to the valley, she ran till she reached the hill of the Marwah. She ran to and from (between the two hills) many times. Then she said to herself, 'I would better go and see the state of the child,' she went and found it in a state of one on the point of dying. She could not endure to watch her child dying and said (to herself), 'If I go and look, I may find somebody.' She went and ascended the hill of the Safaa and looked for a long while but could not see anybody. Thus she completed seven rounds (of running) between Safaa and Marwah. Again she said (to herself), 'I would better go back and see how the child is doing.' But all of a sudden she heard a voice, and she said to that strange voice, 'Help us if you can offer any help.' It was Gabriel (who had made the voice). Gabriel hit the earth with his heel like this (Ibn 'Abbaas may Allaah be pleased with himhit the earth with his heel to illustrate it), and so the water gushed out. Ismaa’eel's mother was astonished and started digging ... She started drinking from the water and her milk increased for her child..." [Al-Bukhaari]

In another narration of Ibn 'Abbaas may Allaah be pleased with himthe Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )said: "May Allaah be merciful to the mother of Ismaa’eel! If she had left the water of Zamzam (fountain) as it was, (without constructing a basin for keeping the water), it would have been a flowing stream. Jurhum (an ancient Arab tribe) came to Hagar and asked her, 'May we settle at your dwelling?' She said, 'Yes, but you have no right to possess the water.' They agreed." [Al-Bukhaari]

It was thus how the dry and barren valley of Makkah became inhabited.

The Archangel Gabriel unearthed the water of Zamzam such that the life of Ismaa’eel, the great grandfather of Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )maybe saved. Hagar, the wife of Ibraaheem the patriarch, restricted its flow and caused it to become a well. It is located next to the holiest of all holy places: the Ka'bah. Its water was the direct cause of Jurhum's settlement in Makkah, and hence the start of the Makkan era in the human history. No other water can claim this honor.

The Rebirth of Zamzam

With passage of time, the inhabitants of Makkah started to forego the ways of the pious ones. Jurhum, the core of the Makkan population, were driven out of Makkah when they became unjust and tyrannical.

They, being fully aware of the importance of Zamzam, hideously plugged it to deny their conquerors its blessings. Zamzam was not reopened and henceforth was forgotten.

Many generations passed in Makkah with Zamzam in complete oblivion, until Abdul-Muttalib (the paternal grandfather of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )) resurrected the dead well. Abdul-Muttalib himself was oblivious to Zamzam. With the approaching of the last divine message, a sequence of significant preludes was in order; the rebirth of Zamzam was one.

It so happened that for three consecutive nights, Abdul-Muttalib had a very clear vision about digging a well. During each vision, the name of the well was different and no location was mentioned. On the fourth night, however, both Zamzam and its location were communicated to Abdul-Muttalib so clearly that he attended to the appointed task on the morning of the very fourth night.

To the utter disbelief of the Makkans who ridiculed the seemingly futile attempt at finding water in such an arid place, Abdul-Muttalib found water in an ancient buried well so close to the Ka'bah. And it was only natural that the Makkans claim a share in this, obviously, special well. Abdul-Muttalib gave no concessions and rejected any such claim.

The Makkans and Abdul-Muttalib' s could not negotiate a middle ground, so both parties agreed to seek arbitration. They set out for a priestess whose judgment was accepted by both parties.

On their way, and while crossing the desert, the caravan ran out of water. The companions of Abdul-Muttalib all but gave up any hope of salvation. And when all seemed lost, water sprang out from the ever so small notch that Abdul-Muttalib' s camel made with its pad. Upon seeing this, the Makkans knew that He who saved Abdul-Muttalib from this eminent death on this very journey to settle the very question of Zamzam, had made Abdul-Muttalib the sole heir to this special water. The matter was settled and the family of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )was ennobled with a mark of clearest distinction.

It is of paramount importance to mention that Abdul-Muttalib' s possession of Zamzam was not an act of ownership where he would deny its water to others. Being the sole heir to Zamzam meant that Abdul-Muttalib alone was to provide Zamzam water to the pilgrims; no one else (save his family of course) could partake in this most honorable privilege.

Venerable Even Before Islam

After the rebirth of Zamzam on the hands of Abdul-Muttalib, the Makkans accorded Zamzam the veneration it deserved. They used to drink from Zamzam whenever they were about to engage in matter of grave importance.

Al-Haarith Ibn Khaleefah As-Sa'di narrated that Quraysh always commenced their preparation to fend enemies by drinking from Zamzam. This was so customary that one could easily infer the gravity of matters from the collection of pots near Zamzam.

The Makkans realized that Zamzam was blessed water. They sought its blessing in matters of gravity, and many a times it was the difference.

The Location of the Well

The well is located only few paces from the Ka'bah, behind the Maqaam (the stepping stone which Ibraaheem may Allaah exalt his mentionused while building the Ka’bah) to the left. Its location is now clearly marked on the marbles of the Mataaf (the nearly circular open space where the pilgrims circumambulate around the Ka'bah). The well itself was lowered below the ground to facilitate the modernization of water extraction from the well, and to remove all obstacles from the path of Tawaaf.

It is worth mentioning that there are other wells named Zamzam after the original one. Such a well can be found, for example, in Madeenah.

The Names of Zamzam

Like any object of reverence, Zamzam commands both love and respect. In addition to the sublime nature and the loft history of this unique water, its attributes have originated its many names. Some of its names that are related to its sublimity are `blessing' and `blessed'. Another beautiful name is 'Bushra' which signifies glad tidings for the believers.

Its lofty history contributed to its many names, such as 'sanctified' . Another set of names derive from the fact that the Archangel Gabriel (Jibreel) unearthed the water, such as 'Hamzat Jibreel' and 'Wat'at Jibreel', with both names referring to the act of knocking the ground open by the Archangel.

Zamzam's attributes, however, account for most of its names. Some of these attributes were learned from teachings of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ); others were coined as descriptive names for physical and spiritual attributes of the water. These names include, for example, 'a cure for illness', and 'a food for hunger'. It is also called 'sufficient' , 'beneficent' , and 'pure and sweet'.

The Heavenly Connection

Ibn 'Abbaas may Allaah be pleased with himrelated that when a man drowned in Zamzam much of the water was removed out of the well in order to retrieve the body. After removing the body, Ibn 'Abbaas may Allaah be pleased with himtold the man who was at the bottom of the well to collect water from the wellspring which flows from the direction of the Ka'bah. The source of this wellspring, said Ibn 'Abbaas may Allaah be pleased with himis from Paradise. 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Amr may Allaah be pleased with himcorroborates the same reference to the heavenly connection. This gives Zamzam yet a further distinction whereby this earthly stream is mixed with water from Paradise. This is a most generous gift of Allaah.

A Clear Sign

Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (The Sacred Mosque in Makkah) is the first House of worship appointed for mankind. Along with this appointment, Allaah blessed this sacred place with many signs of distinction. Allaah Says (what means): "Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-'Aalameen (the mankind and jinn). In it are manifest signs (for example), the Maqaam (place) of Ibraaheem (Abraham); whosoever enters it, he attains security..." [Quran 3:96-97]

Zamzam is one of those signs. Chronologically it is the first, for when Ibraaheem, the Patriarch may Allaah exalt his mentionleft his wife and infant son at the barren valley, following Allaah's command, he made a humble request: "O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) in order, O our Lord, that they may perform salaah (prayer). So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allaah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks." [Quran 14:37]. Zamzam was the first among many fruits.

A Perpetual Water

One of the greatest attributes of Zamzam is that it will never dry up. This is a gift from Allaah to Makkah and to its pilgrims. Ibn 'Abbaas may Allaah be pleased with himnarrated that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )said: "... May Allaah bestow his mercy upon her (Hagar, the mother of Ismaa’eel), had she let go (of the water of Zamzam) it would have become a spring (rather than a well) whose water shall never dry." [Ahmad]

Every year, millions upon millions of pilgrims drink Zamzam water, which has been around for thousands of years. It is fed daily to the Prophet's mosque in Madeenah in large quantities, and is packaged and shipped to millions of Muslims worldwide, without the slightest blemish in its flow. It is the epitome of munificence; the more we drink, the more it gives.

A Friend of the Believer

Ibn 'Abbaas may Allaah be pleased with himnarrated that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )said: "One difference between us (believers) and the hypocrites is that they could not drink much from Zamzam." [Ibn Maajah]

A Muslim loves Zamzam and drinks it abundantly until he is full, whereas a hypocrite could not. This inability is caused by innate dislike to whatever the believers do in accordance with Allaah's wishes, which, in turn, causes the wretched one to forsake this divine gift for a mere mortal one.

The chemical analysis of Zamzam Water

Dr. Ahmad Abdul-Qaadir Al-Muhandiss indicates that the results of chemical analyses show that Zamzam Water is pure water, without color or smell, has a distinct taste, and its hydrogen exponent is 7.5, indicating that it is alkaline to some extent.

A study conducted in American laboratories showed that traces of thirty elements were identified in Zamzam water by means of energizing neutrons. Some of these elements scored less than 0.01.

After matching up the chemical analysis to international specifications, especially to the specifications of the World Health Organization (WHO), results proved the portability of Zamzam water as well as its beneficial effect on the body health. Additionally, sodium is very high in Zamzam water and the international specifications do not put a limit to the measurement of its composition.

Minerals	Percentages
Calcium	^I9⁸
Magnesium	43.7
Chloride	335
Sulfur	37^o
Iron	o.^I5
Manganese	o.^I5
Copper	o.^I2

This is an Analysis of a study conducted in the
laboratory of the Department of Water and Waste Water Treatment, the Western
Province, Saudi Arabia (^I4^oo H.)

This is an Analysis of a study conducted in the laboratory of the Department of Water and Waste Water Treatment, the Western Province, Saudi Arabia (I4oo H.)

Zamzam water has also been treated by ultraviolet rays, and microbes have no place to survive in it, which means that Zamzam water preserves its taste and is not a congenial environment for bacteria.

According to various chemical analyses, dry weather make: Zamzam more saline through evaporation, which is, with Allaah's might, good for the human body.

In conclusion, it becomes clear that we should believe in the Prophet's miracles sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )and that he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )as described by Allaah (what meant): "Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only Inspiration that is inspired." [Quran 53: 3-41]

Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )said: "Zamzam water is a lavish meal and a great healer," and, "Zamzam water is what one intends to drink it for." Thus, it is a Sunnah to Drink Zamzam water, wash with it, and splash it on a sick person.

The Benefits of Drinking Zamzam Water

Ibn 'Abbaas may Allaah be pleased with himsaid: "The people of Makkah used to be the fastest when it comes to sprinting, and the most powerful when it comes to wrestling, but as soon as they stopped drinking Zamzam water, they started to suffer from a disease in their legs."

He also said that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )had said: "Zamzam water is what one intends to drink for. When one drinks it to be healed, Allaah heals him; when one drinks it be full, Allaah makes him full; and when one drinks it to quench his thirst, Allaah quenches it." [Ahmad and Ibn Maajah]

There is no doubt that drinking Zamzam water is very beneficial. Thus, dear brothers and sisters! One should drink Zamzam water because it is the best water on earth. Ibn 'Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )had said: "The best water on earth is Zamzam water".

Ibn Khaytham may Allaah have mercy upon himsaid, "Ibn Wahb may Allaah have mercy upon himcame to us suffering from an illness. We, then, paid him a visit and found out that he had Zamzam water. We said to him, 'If you taste this water, you will find it crude (salty).' Then, he said: 'I'll drink from it till I recover. I swear by the One Who owns my soul that it is in the Book of Allaah, 'Zamzam neither drains nor can by vilified.' It is in the Book of Allaah, `... It is the drink of the pious.' It is in the Book of Allaah, 'Priceless perfume.' It is in the Book of Allaah, ‘It is a lavish meal and a great healer.’ I swear by the One Who owns my soul that if anyone drink his full from it, he recovers.' [Sa'eed Ibn Mansoor and Al-Arzaqi]

All the above proves the authenticity of the narration: "Zamzam water is what one intends to drink for." Additionally, many Islamic scholars drank it and experienced its dazzling effects. For instance, Imaam Abu Haneefah may Allaah have mercy upon himdrank from Zamzam water in order to be a knowledgeable scholar and he became the best among the scholars in his era.

Al-Bakri may Allaah have mercy upon himsaid: "I tried (Zamzam water) and sensed the truth about what had been said about it, and when I drank it, I had no doubt about its amazing effect."

It is also true that Imaam Shaafi'i may Allaah have mercy upon himfelt its tangible results when he drank Zamzam water in order to be a knowledgeable person and a good arrow shooter, fitting nine out of ten targets at a time.

Al-Ajmi may Allaah have mercy upon himsaid that when drinking Zamzam water one should ask for forgiveness from sins, one may say: "O Allaah! It came to my knowledge that your Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )said, 'Zamzam water is what one intends to drink it for.' O Allaah! I am drinking it to forgive me. O Allaah! Forgive me." Besides, when someone drinks it to be healed, it is good to say: "O Allaah! I am drinking it to be healed. O Allaah! Heal me."

The ruling of carrying Zamzam Water outside Makkah

Al-Imaam Al-Faarisi may Allaah have mercy upon himmentioned that it is permissible to carry Zamzam water outside Makkah according to the four juristic schools, and that it is even recommended by Imaam Maalik and Imaam Shaafi'ee may Allaah have mercy upon them.

'Aa'ishah may Allaah be pleased with heralso mentioned that the Prophet, salallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and herself used to do that. [At-Tirmithi] . Abu Hasan may Allaah be pleased with himsaid: "The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )wrote to Suhayl Ibn 'Amr may Allaah be pleased with him: 'If you receive my message at night, do not wait till the morning, and if you receive it in the morning do not wait till night; just immediately send me some Zamzam water.' Then, Suhail's wife with the help of his grandfather, Ayoob Ibn 'Abdullaah, and their maids carried Zamzam water at night…" [Abu Moosaa Al-Madeeni & Al-Azraqi]

Attaa may Allaah have mercy upon himstated that Ka'bah Al-Ahbaar used to carry it to ancient Syria.

'Aa'ishah may Allaah be pleased with hercarried Zamzam in bottles for sick people. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )also carried it in leather bags and used to pour it on the sick and give it to them as a drink. [Al-Faakihi]

http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/archive/article.php?lang=E&id=138390

Muslim Pilgrimage: a journey toward tolerance?

2009-11-24T14:06:00.000-08:00

Muslim Pilgrimage: a journey toward tolerance?

Imagine the power of standing at the geographical and spiritual center of your religious faith, together with millions of fellow believers. How would that experience change your life, your spirituality, your politics and your relationships?

In 2006, David Clingingsmith, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management, asked this question in the context of perhaps the most famous religious pilgrimage in the world-the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, called the hajj.

Every Muslim, if he or she is physically and financially able, is urged to participate at least once in the hajj, which consists of a series of rituals commemorating the life and struggles of the biblical prophet Abraham. The pilgrimage is one of the "Five Pillars of Islam," crucial religious duties that also include daily prayer, charity, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, and professing Allah as the one true God.

Given that the hajj is a large-scale religious and community ritual, it is a powerful subject of study. Muslims pray five times each day facing Mecca and the Kaaba, a black, cube-shaped building at the center of the city's Masjid al-Haram mosque. Standing at this site of holy veneration with so many fellow Muslims (nearly 3 million attended in 2006), walking counter-clockwise around the Kaaba seven times and participating in other hajj rituals is surely life-altering.

But what exactly is its impact? Does it change the way Muslims think about their religion, or even lead to a radicalized form of the faith? In forging unity among Muslims, might the hajj inspire negative thoughts and opinions of non-Muslims?

These are the questions Clingingsmith asked in his study.

He and colleagues Asim Ijaz Khwaja and Michael Kremer, both professors at Harvard University, interviewed Pakistani Muslims who participated in a random lottery system to secure one of the 150,000 hajj visas allotted to Pakistan by Saudi Arabia. Half of those interviewed were granted visas and went on the hajj; the other half were denied and did not attend. Clingingsmith notes that this comparison lets researchers know that they are measuring a "real" effect of the hajj and not an erroneous correlation.

What Clingingsmith found was that participation in the hajj actually increased both connection within the Muslim community and positive regard for those outside the faith. Among the study's findings:

* Those returning from the pilgrimage (called hajjis) were 22 percent more likely to declare that people of different religions are equal, as compared with the non-hajji group.
* Hajjis were twice as likely as non-hajjis to openly condemn the goals of Osama Bin Laden.
* Male hajjis were 8 percent more likely than non-hajjis to express hope that their daughters and granddaughters would adopt professional careers.

These findings would not surprise anyone who has read the famous hajj account in Malcolm X's autobiography. "My pilgrimage broadened my scope," Malcolm X said. "It was in the Holy World that my attitude was changed...by what I witnessed there, in terms of brotherhood. ..between all men, of all nationalities and complexions."

The results of the survey also could be understood in terms of social identity theory, which says that when you share a positive experience within a group, you are more likely to think positively of others, even members of other groups, Clingingsmith says. Clingingsmith says his study should comfort the 45 percent of Americans that a 2007 Pew study showed believe that Islam encourages violence more than other religions.

"When you have extremist elements within a religious tradition, you should be careful not to let that color your view of the character of that belief system in a general sense," he says. "From the point of view of people who are non-Muslims, the experience that the pilgrims have of going on the hajj is something we should feel positive about."

http://www.case.edu/magazine/fallwinter2009/muslimpilgrimage.html

Study Finds Hajj Promotes Peace

2009-11-24T14:03:00.000-08:00

Study Finds Hajj Promotes Peace

Published On Tuesday, May 06, 2008 12:32 AM

By AHMED N. MABRUK
Crimson Staff Writer

A study published by researchers at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) last month found that the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, makes pilgrims more peaceful and tolerant rather than fostering feelings of self-isolation.

After reviewing data from a 2006 survey to 1,600 Sunni pilgrims from Pakistan, researchers Asim Ijaz Khwaja of HKS, Michael R. Kremer of the Department of Economics, and David Clingingsmith of Case Western Reserve University, concluded that participation in the Hajj bolsters pilgrims’ observance of Islamic practices, including the five daily prayers and fasting, while decreasing their adherence to local customs, like the practice of dowry.

The study also found that the Hajj promotes “harmony among ethnic groups and Islamic sects and leads to more favorable attitudes toward women, including greater acceptance of female education and employment.”

And while the report recognizes that some observers have assumed that the pilgrimage serves to isolate Muslims from non-Muslims, the study concluded that, though the Hajj increases unity among Muslims, it doesn’t foster “antipathy toward non-Muslims.”

“So many Muslims getting together might change, in a negative way, their views [regarding] non-Muslims,” Clingingsmith said. “And I think that there’s sort of a view out there in the world that they might find an increased support for political Islam—in fact, we see the opposite of that,”

“That’s something the typical person might find surprising,” he added.

The researchers pointed to “exposure to and interaction with Hajjis from around the world” as the reason for increased tolerance.

After going on the pilgrimage twice, Na’eel A. Cajee ’10 said the study’s findings support his firsthand experiences.

He said the Hajj “is not just about tolerating the people next to you—it’s about having the differences but bonding.”

Though the two million pilgrims typically in attendance for the Hajj are logistically ordered by country, Cajee said the diverse backgrounds “weren’t obstacles.”

“I’d go into random tents—the American tents, the Indonesian tents, the South African tents—and it didn’t matter if they were poor or rich, people would invite me to eat,” he said.

The study’s authors echoed Cajee’s personal experiences.

“Social distance isn’t as large as you thought on Hajj, and maybe that’s the learning you come out with,” Khwaja said. “Once you think a Muslim European is good, then maybe all Europeans are, too. A famous example of this broader learning may have been Malcolm X and his letter from Hajj, [in which] he attributes rethinking his views on race to performing the Hajj.”

—Staff writer Ahmed N. Mabruk can be reached at amabruk@fas.harvard.edu

The Well of Zamzam

2009-11-24T13:54:00.000-08:00

The Well of Zamzam
Mahmoud Isma`il Shil
`Abdur-Rahman `Abdul-Wahid

The Well of Zamzam that gushed forth underneath the footsteps of Isma`il, peace and blessings be upon him, is considered one of the important elements within the Sacred Sanctuary. Actually, this blessed Well had passed by several incidents which we are going to mention here as follows:

Zamzam Before Islam

It was reported on the authority of Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, came to Makkah along with Hajar, the mother of Isma`il, who was a suckling baby. He left her and her son in a place on the spot of Zamzam with a water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward. She used to drink and then give suck to her son until the water had all been used up. Then, her child (Isma`il) became thirsty and she started looking at him tossing in agony. The mother of Isma`il thought that he was dying of thirst; so, she left him and went to the mountain of Safa (that was the nearest mountain to her on that land). She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anyone. Then she descended from Safa and when she reached the valley, she ran like a person in distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and reached the Marwah mountain where she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but she could not see any. She repeated that (running between Safa and Marwah) seven times. When she returned to her son, she heard a voice and she said, `O, (whoever you may be)! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?' Ibn `Abbas added, The Archangel Gabriel stroke (dug) the earth (at the place of Zamzam with his heel or his wing), till water flowed from that place. She started making something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started filling her water-skin with water. Then she drank (water) and suckled her child." This incident was mentioned in detail by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih.

Zamzam was the First Sign of Permanent Settlement in Makkah

Al-Azraqi mentioned in his Akhbar Makkah and At-Tabari in his Tarikh Ar-Rusul wal-Muluk that some people from the tribe of Jurhum or a family from Jurhum passed by Hajar and her child, as they (i.e. the Jurhum people) were coming in a trading caravan from Ash-Sham (the Levant). They landed in the lower part of Makkah where they saw a bird hovering above the valley. Someone said, "This bird must be hovering over water (of a well), though we know that there is no water in this valley." They sent two men to see what is there. They came to Isma`il's mother and talked to her. Then, they returned to inform their people of the good news (that there is water). So, they all came and settled beside the water after getting the permission of Isma`il's mother. The whole story is mentioned in detail in Sahih Al-Bukhari. The narration cited that she granted them permission to dwell in this place without having any right to possess the water and they agreed to that.

The area of dwellings at Makkah had been increasing especially after Abraham and his son Isma`il, peace and blessings be upon them, built the Sacred House. (The tribe of) Jurhum continued to take charge of the Sacred House and (the Well of) Zamzam for a period of time until a Yemenite tribe so called Khuza`ah emigrated to this place after the collapse of the Ma'rib dam. Khuza`ah went into battle with Jurhum and at the end Khuza`ah were victorious and took charge of the Sacred House.

The Jurhumites were finally driven out from Makkah and they were separated in the province of Tuhamah. In the fifth century, Qusayy Ibn Kilab established himself in control of Makkah after a fierce battle with the tribe of Khuza`ah ending with their evacuation from Makkah and joining Kinanah under his authority. He thereupon brought people of Quraish to Makkah and divided it among its clans. The Well of Zamzam at that time was neglected since it had been buried and its landmarks were hidden completely. It continued to be so until `Abd Al-Muttalib Ibn Hashim, the grandfather of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, rediscovered it. One may wonder: how could people of Makkah and the pilgrims drink (water) after covering the Well of Zamzam?

The answer is: there were wells and springs that were dug after the disappearance of the Well of Zamzam such as the well of Al-Yusrah that was dug by Ka`b Ibn Lu'ayy and another well so called Ar-Rwua; they were opposite to the mount of `Arafah.

`Abd Al-Muttalib dug Zamzam following the Incident of the Elephant after he saw a spiritual figure in a vision saying, "Dig Zamzam." Then, it vanished and once again came to him and said, "Dig Zamzam which is located between dung and blood, an ants' nest, and pecking ravens."

When `Abd Al-Muttalib woke up, he went immediately to the Sacred House wherein he discovered the place, where a cow was to be slaughtered at Al-Hazurah (a market in the Pre-Islamic period of Ignorance) but it escaped from its slaughterer. Then, it was overcome by death in the Sanctuary in the very place of Zamzam. The cow departed life and its flesh was carried away. Then, a raven came to eat from it and it fell in the dung and then ants gathered around what remained of it.

`Abd Al-Muttalib rose and started to ding in the assigned location but people of Quraish came to him and asked him, "What are you doing, why do you dig in the Sanctuary?" `Abd Al-Muttalib replied: "I am going to dig this well and fight anyone who tries to bar me." He continued along with his sole son Al-Harith at that time to dig despite their vehement protest. Some Quraishites disputed with them while others stopped because they knew well `Abd Al-Muttalib' s high-ranked pedigree. `Abd Al-Muttalib was sharply harmed until he vowed that if he would have ten sons he would slaughter one of them (in sacrifice). Digging continued until he found golden swords. When the people saw the swords they said, "O `Abd Al-Muttalib, we should have a share in what you have found." He replied that these swords would go to the Sacred House. He afterwards continued to dig until water flowed in the bottom.

Then, he built a cistern beside it and used to fill it with water along with his son so that the pilgrims may drink thereof. But some people of Quraish used to break this cistern by night and when `Abd Al-Muttalib wakes up he reforms it. When their corruption to the basin increased, `Abd Al-Muttalib supplicated his Lord (against them), then a shadowy figure came to him in a vision and told him to say: "O Lord, I do not make it permissible for the one who wants to take a bath in it but it is permissible for anyone to have a drink (of water) from it." When `Abd Al-Muttalib woke up, he proclaimed what he had seen in the Sanctuary, then he went out. Afterwards, no one of Quraish corrupts his cistern unless he is afflicted with a malady in his body. So, they stopped corrupting it altogether.

Then, `Abd Al-Muttalib married another woman who bore him ten sons. He intended to sacrifice one of his sons, so he gathered them in the Ka`bah. The lots were cast, and it was `Abdullah's arrow that came out. But after consultation with people they suggested to put `Abdullah and ten camels side by side and cast lots between them. If the arrow falls against `Abdullah, he should add more ten camels and so forth until his Lord accepts them and the arrow falls against the camels. The lots were cast ten times until the arrow fell against the camels. At last `Abd Al-Muttalib became certain that God had accepted his expiation, and the camels were duly sacrificed.

Zamzam in the Islamic Era

After `Abd Al-Muttalib dug the Well of Zamzam, it became the main source for watering the pilgrims to the Sacred House of God. With the advent of Islam, its importance increased since many Hadiths were reported in its favor. We may cite in this regard some of these Hadiths as follows:

Ahmad reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Fever is from the heat of the Hell-fire; so, cool it with Zamzam water."

`Ali Ibn Abu Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, also reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, performed Tawaf (circumambulation) of Ifadah, then he asked that a bucket of Zamzam water should be brought to him. He afterwards performed ablution with this water and then said, "Draw water, O Banu `Abd Al-Muttalib; were it not that people would usurp this right of supplying water from you, I would have drawn it along with you."

Disappearance of the sources and springs of water before the Day of Judgment except that of Zamzam

`Uthman Ibn Saj narrated, "Muqatil informed me on the authority of Ad-Dahhaq Ibn Muzahim that Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, will take away the fresh water before the Day of Judgment. All sources and springs of water-supply will be lost except the water of Zamzam and the earth will issue (cast away) what is in its hollows of gold and silver. At that moment, the man will come with a sack full of gold and silver and offer it saying: is there anyone who accepts this from me? He will be replied: had you offered it to me yesterday I would have accepted it from you."

Description of the Well of Zamzam in the course of time

Ibn Juraij was reported as having said that `Ata' described to him the way of their watering from Zamzam saying: (The Well of) Zamzam had two cisterns in the first era; one between it and (Ar-Rukn) the Corner through which the pilgrims would have their drink of water and another cistern from behind for performing ablution. It had an attached reservoir to which water comes through the gate of As-Safa and it had no window at that time.

It was merely a well surrounded by a fence of stones that had been simply built. It continued to be so until the era of the `Abbasid caliph Abu Ja`far Al-Mansur who was the first to build a dome above the Well of Zamzam in the year 145 AH.

Zamzam was sixty cubits length. Its bottom included three springs: one facing the black corner, another opposite to mountains of Abu Qubais and As-Safa, and the third one facing Al-Marwah. The width of the mouth of Zamzam was 3.2/3 cubits.

The commander of the believers Abu Ja`far was the first to construct marbles on Zamzam, on the window, and to tile its floor with marble during his caliphate. Then, Al-Mahdi reconstructed them during his caliphate and roofed the room of Zamzam with teak at the hands of `Umar Ibn Faraj. The little dome was covered with mosaic as well as the building of Zamzam was restored and a large dome of teak was constructed above the room allocated for watering the pilgrims instead of the little dome that was above the Well of Zamzam. This was during the caliphate of Al-Mahdi in the year 160 AH. The Well of Zamzam and its dome was then restored and was covered with marble during the caliphate of the `Abbasid caliph Al-Mu`tasim in the year 220 AH.

A description for the cistern of Zamzam

This cistern is 39 cubits from inside and 40 cubits from outside. Its diameter is 12 cubits and is tiled with marble. Its walls are covered with marble. The length of its walls is 11 fingers and their width is 8 fingers. The area of this cistern through which the pilgrims have their drink of water is 28 cubits. This cistern is surrounded by 12 teak cylinder. The length of each cylinder is 4 cubits. Above the room there is a dome made of teak whose outside is green and its inside is yellow.

The most important repairs

The dome of Zamzam received several repairs and restorations in the course of time. The most important of these repairs are the following:

The Sacred Mosque was restored in the Mamluk era during the reign of Sultan An-Nassir Faraj Ibn Barquq after fire erupted in the Sacred Mosque in the night of 28 Shawwal, 802 AH. The dome of Zamzam was also restored in the year 815 AH at the hands of the Judge of Makkah Jamal Ad-Din Muhammad Ibn Abu Dhahirah. In the era of Sultan Qaitbai, the Well of Zamzam was restored and its marbles were replaced in 884 AH.

In the Ottoman era, the Sacred Mosque received great interest and several repairs were made to the building of Zamzam especially during the reign of Sultan Salim II, 982 AH. The dome of Zamzam was also restored in the era of Sultan Ahmad IV, 1083 AH. Then, the building of Zamzam was restored in the era of Sultan `Abd Al-Hamid I, 1187 AH and once again in 1203 AH.

Before nowadays, the greatest works of building that were made to the dome of Zamzam was accomplished during the era of Sultan `Abd Al-Hamid the Second 1300 AH. These works were made by the engineer As-Said Muhammad Sadiq. Eventually, during the modern era, the building of Zamzam was reconstructed but away from its original location since the old building that was located near the Ka`bah used to hinder Tawaf in the modern age because of the large number of the pilgrims. The water of Zamzam was conducted to its new location in the eastern part of the Sanctuary by way of engines for lifting water and pipes. There became an assigned place for men and another for women. Finally, it is worth mentioning that despite the passage of thousands of years on discovering the Well of Zamzam, its water remained and will continue to be a source of purity and cure.

http://www.islamonline.net/English/hajj/2002/01/stories/article4.shtml

A brief history of al-Masjid al-Haraam in Makkah

2009-11-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

A brief history of al-Masjid al-Haraam in Makkah

Praise be to Allaah.

Al-Masjid al-Haraam (the Sacred Mosque) is situated in Makkah, a city in the Arabian Peninsula 330 meters above sea-level. The history of the mosque goes back to its founding at the time of Ibraaheem (Abraham) and his son Ismaa’eel (Ishmael), peace be upon them both. Makkah is the place where the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was born and where the Revelation began, and from which the light of Islam spread. Al-Masjid al-Haraam is located here. This is the first mosque that was built for people on earth, as Allaah says in the Qur’aan (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for al-‘aalameen (mankind and jinns).” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:96].

It was reported in Saheeh Muslim that Abu Dharr said: “I asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about the first mosque to be built for people on earth. He said, ‘Al-Masjid al-Haraam.’ I asked, ‘Then which?’ He said, ‘Al-Masjid al-Aqsaa [The Furthest Mosque, in Jerusalem].’ I asked, ‘How long between them?’ He said, ‘Forty years.’”

The Ka’bah – which is the direction of prayer for all Muslims throughout the world – is situated roughly in the middle of al-Masjid al-Haraam. It is a 15-meter high stone structure more or less in the shape of a cube. It was built by Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) on the command of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) when We showed Ibraaheem the site of the (Sacred) House (the Ka’bah at Makkah) (saying): ‘Associate not anything (in worship) with Me, and sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it, and those who bow and make prostration.” [al-Hajj 22:26]

The word “bawwa’naa” [translated here as “We showed”] means “He guided him and gave him permission to build it.” (Tafseer Ibn Katheer).

Allaah also says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) when Ibraaheem and (his son) Ismaa’eel were raising the foundations of the House (the Ka’bah at Makkah)…” [al-Baqarah 2:127]

Wahb ibn Munbih said: “… It was built by Ibraaheem, then [rebuilt] by the Amalekites, then by Jurham, then by Qusayy ibn Kilaab. Its rebuilding by Quraysh is well known… They began to rebuild it with the stones of the valley, which Quraysh carried on their shoulders, and they built it up, 20 cubits high… Between the rebuilding of the Ka’bah and the beginning of the Revelation there were five years, and between the rebuilding and the Hijrah there were fifteen years. ‘Abd al-Razzaaq reported from Mu’ammar from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Uthmaan from Abu’l-Tufayl, and from Mu’ammar from al-Zuhri: ‘They were building it and when they reached al-Rukn, Quraysh argued about which tribe should lift it up. Then they said, “Let us ask the first person who comes from this direction to judge between us.” They agreed on that, then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to them, and he was a young man wearing a spotted sash. They asked him to judge between them, and he told them to place al-Rukn on a piece of cloth, then he told the chief of every tribe to hold the edge of the cloth, then he climbed up and they lifted al-Rukn up to him, and he himself (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put it into its place.” (Taareekh Makkah by al-Azraqi, 1/161-164)

Muslim (2374) reported that ‘Aa’ishah said: “I asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about al-Jadr [the wall] and whether it was part of the House [the Ka’bah]. He said, ‘Yes.’ I asked, ‘So why is it not incorporated into the House?’ He said, ‘Your people ran out of money.’ I asked, ‘What about the door? Why is it high up?’ He said, ‘Your people did that so they could let in whomever they wanted and keep out whomever they wanted. If it were not for the fact that your people are still new [in Islam] and too close to their Jaahiliyyah, and I am afraid that they would resent it, I would think of incorporating al-Jadr into the House and bringing the door down to ground level.’”

Before Islam (in the year in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was born), the Ka’bah was subjected to an attack by the Ethiopian Abrahah, who had built al-Qulays, a church to which he wanted the Arabs to make their pilgrimage. He set out with his army, with whom was the elephant, and when they reached Makkah, Allaah sent flocks of birds against them; each bird was carrying three stones like chickpeas or lentils, one in its beak and two in its claws. Every man who was struck by a stone was killed, so the army was destroyed, by the command of Allaah.

Allaah has mentioned this incident in His Book, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the Owners of the Elephant? Did He not make their plot go astray?
And sent against them birds, in flocks,
Striking them with stones of Sijjeel,
And made them like an empty field of slaks (in which the corn has been eaten up by cattle).” [al-Feel 105:1-5]

(See al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Hishaam, 1/44-58).

There was no fence or wall around the Ka’bah until it became necessary. Yaaqoot al-Hamawi said in Mu’jam al-Buldaan (5/146): “The first one to build a wall around the Ka’bah was ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him); there was no wall around it during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or Abu Bakr. [The wall was built] because people were building their houses too close to the Ka’bah and making the space around it too small for people. ‘Umar said: ‘The Ka’bah is the House of Allaah, and a house needs a courtyard. You have encroached on its space, it has not encroached on yours.’ So he bought those houses, demolished them and added that space to the space around the Ka’bah. He also destroyed the houses of people in the vicinity of the Ka’bah who had refused to sell, and kept the money aside for them until they came and took it later on. He built a wall around the mosque, lower than the height of a man, and lamps were placed on it. When ‘Uthmaan was khaleefah, he bought more houses that were more expensive… It was said that ‘Uthmaan was the first one to build porticos around it … When Ibn al-Zubayr was in power, he improved its appearance, although he did not increase its size, by adding marble pillars, extra doors and other improvements. When ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan was khaleefah, he added to the wall of the mosque, and brought columns from Egypt by sea to Jeddah, which were carried from Jeddah to Makkah on wheels. Al-Hajjaaj ibn Yoosuf commanded that the Ka’bah should be covered in drapes (al-kiswah) and when al-Waleed ibn ‘Abd al-Malik was khaleefah, he added to the adornment of the kiswah and spent money on improvements to the drainage spout and roof… When al-Mansoor and his son al-Mahdi were khaleefahs, they added more adornments to the mosque and improved its appearance.”

There are also other religious monuments in the Mosque, such as Maqaam Ibraaheem (the Station of Ibraaheem), which is the rock on which Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) stood whilst he was building the Ka’bah. There is also the Well of Zamzam, which is a spring of water brought forth by Allaah for Haajar and her child Ismaa’eel (peace be upon him) when he got thirsty. We should not forget either the Black Stone and al-Rukn al-Yamaani, which are two of the precious stones of Paradise. Al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad reported that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying that the Rukn and the Maqaam are two of the precious stones of Paradise, whose light has been extinguished by Allaah. If He had not extinguished their light, it would illuminate everything between the East and the West.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 804).

Near the Mosque are the two hills of al-Safa and al-Marwah. One of the unique features of the Mosque is that it is the only mosque in the world to which people come on pilgrimage (Hajj). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily! Al-Safa and al-Marwah are of the Symbols of Allaah. So it is not a sin on him who performs Hajj or ‘Umrah (pilgrimage) of the House to perform the going (tawaaf) between them. And whoever does good voluntarily, then verily, Allaah is All-Recognizer, All-Knower.” [al-Baqarah 2:158]

Another of its unique features is that Allaah has made it safe, and one prayer in it is equal to a hundred thousand prayers elsewhere. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) when We made the House a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety. And take you (people) the Maqaam (place) of Ibraaheem as a place of prayer, and We commanded Ibraaheem and Ismaa’eel that they should purify My House for those who are circumabulating it, or staying (I’tikaaf), or bowing or prostrating themselves.” [al-Baqarah 2:125]

“In it are manifest signs (for example); the maqaam (place) of Ibraaheem; whoever enters it, he attains security. And Hajj to the House is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves [i.e., denies Hajj, then he is a disbeliever of Allaah], then Allaah stands not in need of any of the ‘aalameen (mankind and jinns).” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]

(See Akhbaar Makkah by al-Azraqi and Akhbaar Makkah by al-Faakihi).

And Allaah is the Source of Strength and the Guide to the Straight Path.

http://islamqa.com/en/ref/3748

Eid-ul-Adha- History & Origin

2009-11-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

Eid-ul-Adha- History & Origin

Two of the most important Islamic holidays of the year are Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha. While the former marks the end of the long fasting month of Ramadan, Eid-ul-Adha marks the end of Hajj, the sacred pilgrimage to the holy city Mecca. It's customary for every able Muslim (as prescribed in the Five Pillars of Islam) to go on a Hajj at least once during his lifetime. Also popularly known as the Festival of Sacrifice, this Muslim holiday Eid-ul-Adha commemorates Prophet Abraham's unselfish act of sacrificing his own son Ishmael to the One God, Allah.

The history behind Eid-ul-Adha follows the story of the faithful Abraham, who was instructed by Allah in a dream to raise the foundations of Kaaba, a black stone, the most sacred Muslim shrine in Mecca (Saudi Arabia), which the Muslims face during their prayers (salat). Immediately responding to the Lord's call, Abraham set off for Mecca along with his wife and son, Ishmael. At that time, Mecca was a desolate and barren desert and Abraham had to face a lot of hardships. However, he supplicated Allah's commands uncomplaining. In a divine dream, he also saw himself sacrificing his son Ishmael for Allah's sake. When he told this to Ishmael, the latter immediately asked his father to carry out Lord's commands without faltering and assured that he was completely ready to give up his life for God. But miraculously enough, when Abraham was about to sacrifice Ishmael, Allah spared the boy's life and replaced him with a lamb. And this is what Abraham ultimately sacrificed.

To commemorate this outstanding act of sacrifice (qurbani) by Prophet Abraham, people sacrifice a lamb, goat, ram or any other animal on Eid-ul-Adha and give the meat to friends, neighbors, relatives and the needy. People who are away from the holy pilgrimage, Hajj, also carry out this traditional sacrifice. Hence Eid-ul-Adha is also known as the Feast of Sacrifice or the Day of Sacrifice.

Eid-ul-Adha begins from the 10th day of the 12th Islamic month Dhul-Hijjah. But the date of Eid-ul-Adha depends on the visibility of the moon each year. Eid-ul-Adha is known by different names in different parts of the world. For instance, Eid-ul-Adha is known by the name Hari Raya Aidiladha in south-east Asia. In Singapore, the local name for Eid-ul-Adha is Hari Raya Haji and in Malaysia, people refer to this festival as Id al-Adha and has made it a national holiday there. Indians know Eid-ul-Adha as Id al-Adha or Idu'z Zuha. And in Bangladesh, Eid-ul-Adha is known as Eid-ul-Azha or sometimes even Id al-Adha. But whatever the name, the celebratory spirit of Eid-ul-Adha runs high among Muslims all over the world, the geographical variations notwithstanding.

What does Eid al-Adha commemorate?

During the Hajj, Muslims remember and commemorate the trials and triumphs of the Prophet Abraham. The Qur'an describes Abraham as follows:

"Surely Abraham was an example, obedient to Allah, by nature upright, and he was not of the polytheists. He was grateful for Our bounties. We chose him and guided him unto a right path. We gave him good in this world, and in the next he will most surely be among the righteous." (Qur'an 16:120-121)

One of Abraham's main trials was to face the command of Allah to kill his only son.

Upon hearing this command, he prepared to submit to Allah's will. When he was all prepared to do it, Allah revealed to him that his "sacrifice" had already been fulfilled. He had shown that his love for his Lord superseded all others that he would lay down his own life or the lives of those dear to him in order to submit to God.

Why do Muslims sacrifice an animal on this day?

During the celebration of Eid al-Adha, Muslims commemorate and remember Abraham's trials, by themselves slaughtering an animal such as a sheep, camel, or goat. This action is very often misunderstood by those outside the faith.

Allah has given us power over animals and allowed us to eat meat, but only if we pronounce His name at the solemn act of taking life. Muslims slaughter animals in the same way throughout the year. By saying the name of Allah at the time of slaughter, we are reminded that life is sacred.

The meat from the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha is mostly given away to others. One-third is eaten by immediate family and relatives, one-third is given away to friends, and one-third is donated to the poor. The act symbolizes our willingness to give up things that are of benefit to us or close to our hearts, in order to follow Allah's commands. It also symbolizes our willingness to give up some of our own bounties, in order to strengthen ties of friendship and help those who are in need. We recognize that all blessings come from Allah, and we should open our hearts and share with others.

It is very important to understand that the sacrifice itself, as practiced by Muslims, has nothing to do with atoning for our sins or using the blood to wash ourselves from sin. This is a misunderstanding by those of previous generations: "It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches Him." (Qur'an 22:37)

The symbolism is in the attitude - a willingness to make sacrifices in our lives in order to stay on the Straight Path. Each of us makes small sacrifices, giving up things that are fun or important to us. A true Muslim, one who submits his or herself completely to the Lord, is willing to follow Allah's commands completely and obediently. It is this strength of heart, purity in faith, and willing obedience that our Lord desires from us.

What else do Muslims do to celebrate the holiday?

On the first morning of Eid al-Adha, Muslims around the world attend morning prayers at their local mosques. Prayers are followed by visits with family and friends, and the exchange of greetings and gifts. At some point, members of the family will visit a local farm or otherwise will make arrangements for the slaughter of an animal. The meat is distributed during the days of the holiday or shortly thereafter.

Hajj: Its Virtues and Benefits

2009-11-11T15:09:00.000-08:00

Hajj: its virtues and benefits

Praise be to Allaah and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allaah.

This is a brief discussion of Hajj – its virtues, benefits and a little about its rulings.

1. When Hajj was prescribed

According to the correct view, Hajj was made obligatory in 9AH, the year of the Delegations (al-Wufood), in which Soorat Aal ‘Imraan was revealed, in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka’bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allaah, those who can afford the expenses (for one’s conveyance, provision and residence).” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97]

2. The ruling on Hajj

Hajj is a fareedah (obligatory duty), one of the pillars of Islam. The evidence (daleel) for this is the aayah mentioned above, and there is also evidence in the Sunnah which indicates the same thing.

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam is built upon five (pillars): testifying that there is no god but Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, establishing regular prayer, paying zakaah, Hajj and fasting Ramadaan.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 8; Muslim, 16).

3. Is Hajj obligatory straight away?

Yes, it should be done straight away. The evidence for this is the aayah referred to above. This (doing things straight away) is the guiding principle concerning the commands of sharee’ah. The evidence in the Sunnah which indicates this is as follows:

a. Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave a sermon (khutbah) and said: “O people, Allaah has enjoined Hajj upon you so do Hajj.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1337).

b. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever wants to go for Hajj, let him hasten to do it, because he may fall ill or some other problems may arise.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1732, without the phrase “because he may…”’ also narrated by Ibn Maajah, 2883 and Ahmad, 1836).

According to a report narrated by Ahmad “Hasten to do Hajj –i.e., the obligatory Hajj – for none of you knows what may happen to him.”

These two reports strengthen one another. (See Irwaa’ al-Ghaleel by al-Albaani, 4/168).

The Shaafa’is say that Hajj may be delayed, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) delayed his Hajj until 10 AH. But the answer to this is as follows:

a. He only delayed it for one year, but they say it may be delayed indefinitely!

b. He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to purify the House (the Ka’bah) of the Mushrikeen and those who performed Hajj naked.

c. He was kept busy with the delegations who had started to come to Madeenah one after another to announce their Islam.

(See al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 7/17, 18)

4. It is obligatory to do Hajj once in one's lifetime

Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave a sermon (khutbah) and said: “O people, Allaah has enjoined Hajj upon you so do Hajj.” A man said, Is it every year, O Messenger of Allaah? He remained silent until the man had said it three times, then he said, “If I say yes, it will become obligatory and you will not be able to do it.” Then he said, “Do not push me to tell you more than what I have left you with, for those who came before you were destroyed because they asked too many questions and argued with their Prophets. If I command you to do a thing, do as much of it as you can, and if I forbid you to do something, then avoid it.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1337)

5. The virtues of Hajj

There are many ahaadeeth which speak of the virtues of Hajj, including the following:

a. From Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked which deed is best. He said, “Belief in Allaah and His Messenger.” He was asked, then what? He said, “Jihaad for the sake of Allaah.” He was asked, then what? He said, “An accepted Hajj.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 26; Muslim, 83).

An accepted Hajj means:

1. It must be paid for with halaal money

2. One should keep away from evil, sin and unjust disputes during Hajj.

3. One should observe all the rituals according to the Sunnah.

4. One should not show off by doing Hajj; it should be purely and sincerely for the sake of Allaah.

5. One should not follow it with acts of disobedience and sin.

a. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whoever does Hajj for the sake of Allaah and does not have sexual relations (with his wife), commit sin, or dispute unjustly during the Hajj, will come back like the day his mother gave birth to him. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1449; Muslim, 1350)

b. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “ ‘Umrah is an expiation for the time between it and the previous ‘Umrah, and an accepted hajj has no less a reward than Paradise.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1683; Muslim, 1349).

c. ‘Aa’ishah, the Mother of the Believers (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: I said, O Messenger of Allaah, can we not go out on campaigns and fight in jihaad with you? He said, “But the best and most beautiful of jihaad is Hajj, an accepted pilgrimage.” ‘Aa’ishah said, I never stopped going for Hajj after I heard that from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1762).

d. ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Hajj wipes out whatever (sins) came before it.” (Narrated by Muslim, 121).

e. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Keep on doing Hajj and ‘Umrah, for they eliminate poverty and sin just as the bellows eliminate impurities from iron and gold and silver.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 810; al-Nasaa’i, 2631. The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani – may Allaah have mercy on him – in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1200).

f. Ibn ‘Umar reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The one who fights for the sake of Allaah and the pilgrim who goes for Hajj or ‘Umrah are all guests of Allaah. He called them and they responded; they ask of Him and He will give them.” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 2893. The hadeeth is hasan and was classed as such by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, 1820).

6. The benefits of Hajj

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“That they may witness things that are of benefit to them” [al-Hajj 22:28]

The benefits are both worldly and religious (spiritual).

With regard to the religious benefits, the one who goes for Hajj earns the pleasure of his Lord, and comes back with all his sins forgiven. He also earns the immense reward which he cannot earn anywhere else than in these places. One prayer in al-Masjid al-Haraam, for example, is equal to a hundred thousand prayers elsewhere, and Tawaaf and Saa’ee cannot be done anywhere except in these places.

Other benefits include meeting other Muslims and discussing their circumstances, and meeting scholars, learning from them and asking them about one’s problems.

Worldly benefits include trade and business, and other kinds of earnings that have to do with Hajj.

7. The ruling on Hajj and its spiritual effects on a person

There are many virtues of the rituals of Hajj, and much wisdom behind them. Whoever is blessed with proper understanding of them is blessed with much goodness. For example:

a. When a person travels to carry out the rituals of Hajj, he is reminded of his journey to Allaah and the Hereafter. When he travels, he leaves behind his dear friends, wife, children and homeland, and the journey to the Hereafter is like that.

b. The one who goes on this journey equips himself with enough provision to help him reach the sacred land, so let him remember that for his journey to his Lord, he needs to have sufficient provision to help him get there safely. Concerning this, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwaa (piety, righteousness, etc.).” [al-Baqarah 2:197]

c. Travelling is a kind of torment, and the same is true of the journey to the Hereafter, only much more so. Ahead of man there is his dying, death, the grave, the gathering, the accounting, the scales and al-Siraat, followed by either Paradise or Hell. The blessed one will be the one whom Allaah saves.

d. When the pilgrim puts on the two garments of his ihraam, he cannot help but be reminded of the shroud in which he will be wrapped [after he dies]. This prompts him to give up disobedience and sin. Just as he has given up his regular clothing [for Hajj], so he has to give up sin. Just as he has put on two clean, white garments, he has to make his heart clean and white [pure], and keep his faculties clean and pure, uncontaminated by the stain of sin and disobedience.

e. When he says “Labbayk Allaahumma labbayk” at the Meeqaat [station of entering ihraam], he means that he has responded to his Lord, so how can he insist on still sinning and not respond to his Lord’s call to give it up? When he says “Labbayk Allaahumma labbayk”, he means, “I am responding to Your prohibition of it and this is the time I am giving it up.”

f. When he gives up haraam things during his ihraam, and keeps himself busy with the talbiyah and dhikr, this shows him how the Muslim should be. He trains himself to give up some things which in principle are halaal, but Allaah has forbidden them to him at this time [during his ihraam], so how can he violate the prohibitions of Allaah by doing things which are haraam at all times and in all places?

g. When he enters the Sacred House of Allaah, which Allaah has made a sanctuary for mankind, he remembers the sanctuary of the Day of Resurrection, which no one can reach without striving hard and making a concerted effort. The greatest thing which will keep a person safe on the Day of Resurrection is Tawheed and avoiding Shirk (associating others with Allaah). Concerning this, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their Belief with Zulm (wrong, i.e. by worshipping others besides Allaah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided.” [al-An’aam 6:81].

Kissing the Black Stone, which is the first ritual to be undertaken, teaches the visitor to honour the Sunnah and not to oppose the laws of Allaah with his feeble reasoning. He recognizes that there is wisdom and goodness behind the laws and rituals which Allaah has prescribed for mankind, and he trains himself to submit himself totally to his Lord, may He be exalted. Concerning this, ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said, after he kissed the Black Stone: “I know that you are only a stone and that you can neither benefit nor harm. If I had not seen the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kiss you, I would not have kissed you.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1520; Muslim, 1720).

h. When he does Tawaaf, he is reminded of his father Ibraaheem (peace be upon him), who built the House to be a place of resort for mankind and a place of safety, and that he called them to perform pilgrimage to this House. And our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also called them to perform pilgrimage to this House. Moosa, Yoonus and ‘Eesaa (peace be upon them) also performed pilgrimage to this House. This House was a symbol and a meeting place for these Prophets; how could it be otherwise, when Allaah had commanded Ibraheem (peace be upon him) to build it and venerate it?

i. When he drinks the water of Zamzam, he is reminded of the blessing which Allaah has bestowed upon mankind in the form of this blessed water, from which millions of people have drunk throughout the long ages, but it has never dried up. He is encouraged to make du’aa’ when he drinks it by the hadeeth which has been reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)” “The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for.” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 3062; Ahmad, 14435. This is a hasan hadeeth; classed as hasan by Ibn al-Qayyim – may Allaah have mercy on him – in Zaad al-Ma’aad, 4/320).

j. When he does al-Saa’ee, running between al-Safaa’ and al-Marwah, he is reminded of the trial endured by Haajir, the mother of Ismaa’eel and the wife of al-Khaleel [Ibraaheem] (peace be upon him), and how she ran back and forth between al-Safaa’ and al-Marwah, searching for water which would save her from what she was suffering, and especially so that she could give her little son – Ismaa’eel – water to drink. Since this woman was patient in the face of this adversity and turned to her Lord, this teaches man that doing this is better and more appropriate. When a man remembers the struggle and patience of this woman, it makes it easier for him to bear his own problems, and a woman who is of her own kind will find her problems easier to bear.

k. The standing (wuqoof) in ‘Arafaah reminds the pilgrim of the throngs of people on the Day of Gathering. If the pilgrim feels tired from being in a crowd of thousands, how will it be in the crowds of barefoot, naked, uncircumcised people, standing for fifty thousand years?

l. When he throws the pebbles at the Jamaraat, the Muslim trains himself to obey Allaah unquestioningly. Even if he does not understand the reason and wisdom behind this throwing (ramy), and cannot make the connection between rulings and their purpose, this is a manifestation of complete submission (‘uboodiyyah) to Allaah.

m. When he slaughters his sacrifice (hady), he is reminded of the great event when our father Ibraaheem submitted to the command of Allaah to sacrifice his only son Ismaa’eel, after he had grown up and become a help to him. He is also reminded that there is no room for emotions which go against the commands and prohibitions of Allaah. This teaches him to respond to what Allaah commands, as Ismaa’eel said (interpretation of the meaning): “ ‘O my father! Do that which you are commanded. In shaa Allaah (if Allaah wills), you will find me of al-saabireen (the patient ones).’” [al-Saaffaat 37:102].

n. When he comes out of his ihraam and things that had been forbidden to him once again become permissible, this teaches him about the consequences of patience and that after hardship comes ease. The one who responds to the call of Allaah will have joy and happiness, and this joy cannot be known by anyone except those who have tasted the sweetness of obedience, such as the joy felt by the one who fasts when he breaks his fast, or by the one who prays Qiyaam during the last part of the night, after he has finished praying.

o. When he has finished performing all the rituals of Hajj as they were prescribed by Allaah and in the manner that Allaah loves, he has the hope that his Lord will forgive him all his sins, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) promised in the hadeeth, “Whoever does Hajj for the sake of Allaah and does not have sexual relations (with his wife), commit sin, or dispute unjustly during the hajj, will come back like the day his mother gave birth to him. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1449; Muslim, 1350). This invites him to start a new page in his life, free of sin.

p. When he comes back to his wife and children, and experiences the joy of meeting them again, this reminds him of the greater joy of meeting them in Paradise. This also teaches him that the greatest loss is losing oneself and one’s family on the Day of Resurrection, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “The losers are those who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Verily, that will be a manifest loss!” [al-Zumar 39:15].

We ask Allaah to help us to obey Him and to reach His House and to do all that He has enjoined upon us. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Story of the Pearl Necklace

2009-10-14T00:10:00.000-07:00

Story of the Pearl Necklace
Narrated by Dr. Saleh As-Saleh

English Audio (6 minute):
http://abdurrahman.org/audio/SalehAsSaleh/Seerah_-_Stories_of_Muslims/Saleh-asSaleh_-_03-_Story_of_the_Pearl_Necklace_www.AbdurRahman.org.mp3

Qazi Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Abdul Baqi Ansari is an illustrious personality of Islamic History. He was the most pious person of his time. Even after the lapse of nine centuries, his exemplary life is a source of guidance to Muslims. His biographers tell a number of tales of his honesty and reliability but the one that affected his whole life is full of strange and unique events. He has narrated this story in his own words and it adorns the pages of history books.

"In the middle of the 5th century Hijri, I was a student of the Holy Quran and Hadith in Makkah. During that period, I once became jobless and my means of income came to an end. I managed, somehow, to subsist for a few days but soon it became hard to obtain even two square meals. My studies were discontinued and I had to sell a few of my books to support myself. I was at the edge of starvation but my feelings of self-respect did not allow me to borrow or beg from anybody.

One day, I was hungry, as usual. I went to the Holy Ka'bah to pray to Almighty Allah to save me from my sad plight. On my way back, I saw a velvet cloth pouch lying near the road edge. I picked it up. It was nicely sewn and neatly tied with a silk cord. I looked around to find its owner but the road was deserted and nobody was in sight. I carried the pouch to my house.

I was curious to know the contents of the small bag. As I untied the cord, a very precious necklace of pearls slipped into my hand. The luster of the spotless pearls almost lit my room. The pearls of different sizes were nicely put together in a string of crimson colored silk. It was a radiant beauty and I was thrilled to hold the valuable ornament. For a moment, I altogether forgot the hungry and pitiable state in which I was. My thoughts went to the unfortunate owner who had lost the precious jewelry. He must be unhappy and very worried due to his great loss. The course of action which I instantly decided on was to look for the owner and give him back his necklace to relieve him of this mental suffering. It never came to my mind to keep it wrongfully in my possession. So I set out to search for him. Leaving the bag behind, I went straight to the place were it was found.

A group of excited men were standing there and were busy in anxious conversation. I went close to them. Their topic of discussion was the missing pouch of pearls. An old man whose nobility and magnanimity was evident from his imposing personality, was standing amidst them. He was explaining the loss of his pearls to the attentive audience and was announcing a reward of five hundred gold coins to the person who could help him in recovering the lost necklace.

I listened to his account of the loss very carefully. When I was sure of his ownership, I held his hand gently and requested him to come along with me. He looked at me very hopefully and without asking any questions, he followed me. On the way back to my house, I was delightfully thinking that a handsome amount of five hundred dinars would be mine after a short while. The very thought of getting a reward of that much money was very pleasing. I was wondering whether my miseries would be over. I would no longer be a hungry or poor person. With such happy ideas in my mind, I entered my house and also invited the old man to come in.

When we sat down, I asked my perplexed guest about some marks of identification of his lost bag, so that his ownership could be established beyond doubt. He readily explained the shape and color of the pouch. He told me about its contents and gave an exact count of the pearls. He even described the tying cord. It convincingly proved that he was the rightful owner of the bag and the necklace of pearls. I silently rose and brought out the necklace pouch. As he saw it, his gloomy expression at once changed. His shining eyes beamed with joy and he looked at me with sincere gratefulness. His pleasant glance of thanks impressed me, and my own mode of thinking suddenly changed.

A little earlier, I was enjoying the idea of getting a good reward but now my mind was reasoning as to what I had actually done to deserve it. It was by sheer chance that the bag had came into my possession. I had exerted no efforts to obtain it. Therefore, why did I expect to get a reward for returning it to its rightful owner? But I was actually in dire need of money. My poverty and the grim realities of life were looking me in the face. Why shouldn't I accept the reward? It was absolutely legitimate and surely there was no harm in taking it. A painful conflict of indecision was going on within me and I was in an uneasy state of double mindedness.

The noble old man was looking at the necklace again and again as to assure himself of its recovery. He then looked at me and said, "O dear me, you are a virtuous person and I thank you from the core of my heart. I am unable to express fully my feelings of gratittude for your act of praiseworthy conduct. Nevertheless, I offer you a purse of five hundred dinars as a humble present and request you to kindly accept it."

He then placed in front of me a purse full of gold coins. A conflicting struggle of ideas was still going on in my mind. The sight of money which was within my easy reach was very tempting but I checked myself and said, "Sir, I thank you for offering me a substantial amount as a reward but it is impossible for me to accept it."

"Why not?" asked my noble guest, "You justly deserve the reward because I am giving it entirely of my own free will. I gladly give it to you as a humble token of my gratitude. Please do not dishearten me by refusing it." I replied, "Sir, I cannot even think of being rude to decline your kind offer, but it is certainly improper for me to take it without doing anything to earn it. The necklace is yours and I happened to find it only by chance. Its restoration to you does not entitle me to take anything in return. Please do not insist on me to accept what is not morally due to me."

He was rather surprised by my firm refusal. Normally people yearn for money but I was adamantly declining it. He said, "My son! It is a virtue to be an honest person but the money is which is being offered to you is not disallowed by our faith. It is not prohibited to offer or accept such presents. Therefore, I request you to reconsider your unrealistic stand and keep that purse for the sake of my pleasure if not for anything else."

I said, "Sir, I do not at all intend to displease you, but the pleasure of Almighty Allah is more important to be reckoned with than your or my pleasure. If there is any good in my action, I will prefer to leave the matter to His Grace for compensation, which I do not want to risk for all the riches of this world. Kindly do not insist because I am determined not to accept any undue reward." My guest collected his pouch and purse and stood much dejectedly to leave. He patted me on the back and left without a word.

After a week or so, I got back my previous job. My days of deprivation and hunger were over. I rejoined my classes and forgot all about the incident in my busy schedule of daily routine. I exerted all of my energy to acquire knowledge of the Holy Qur'an and Hadith. My main subject of interest was Islamic Jurisprudence. I completed my studies with a distinction.

On the recommendation of my tutor, I was offered an appointment as Qazi of Qurtaba, (Cordova) the capital city of Haspaniyah (presently known as Spain). I readily accepted the post and started to prepare myself very happily for the long journey. I took leave of my colleagues and went to the port of Jeddah to embark on the ship for my destination. I boarded a merchant ship to carry me to the land of my future hopes.

For the first few days, the voyage was smooth and very enjoyable. Then suddenly a violent storm of severe intensity overtook us and the ship was engulfed by stormy waves. The mountain high waves tossed the ship around like a tiny toy. The masts were broken and the sails torn. A mighty wave crushed the ship and wrecked it completely. A few screams were heard and it was all over. I saw some floating boards and a few victims of the crash swimming around trying to save their lives. They were the only survivors of the hapless ship who were drifting over the ocean surface. When I recovered from the shock, I found myself clinging to a plank and moving with it at the mercy of the waves.

After drifting for two days, in a semi-conscious state, the waves tossed me upon the shore. I thanked Almighty Allah for saving me from the jaws of death. I was so weak that I couldn't move. I helplessly lay there exposed to the scorching heat of the burning rays of the sun. I crawled to the dim shadows of a thorny bush. I lost track of time and was in a state between dizziness and heavy slumber.

After some time, I slightly opened my eyes and saw a few strange faces staring at me. They poured a few drops of water into my mouth and I came out of my oblivion but was still unable to speak. They made up a stretcher and carried me to a nearby town. When we approached near it, the first man-made thing which caught my eye was a towering minaret of a Masjid. I thanked Allah for being among my own brethren of faith.

They took me to a house belonging to one of them and laid me on a comfortable bed. With proper care, feeding, and treatment, I soon regained my lost energy. I told my kind host all about myself and the mishap of the ship wreck. My host, whose name was Faleh Hasan, informed me that I was in Hodeida, a coastal town of Yemen. The tract where I was luckily found was a desolate region and was a less treaded part of the coast. Faleh Hasan and his friends noticed a few vultures circling over the area, so they went to investigate and found me there in an unconscious state. He introduced me to his friends and I expressed my heartful thanks for saving my life. Due to their loving concern, I was soon normal, both mentally and physically.

I began to attend Masjid to offer my regular prayers and there I came to know many persons of nobility and of high-ranking positions. They all knew my unhappy episode through my host and treated me with understanding and respect. One of them was the aged and pious Sheikh Ahmad bin Suhail who usually led the prayers. He always greeted me with fatherly affection which touched me to the heart.

One day, he was a little late to arrive to the Masjid, so the people requested me to lead the prayers. My hesitation and excuses proved to be useless before their sincere appeals. That day I performed the duties of Imam. I did my best to recite clearly the Verses of the Holy Qur'an during the prayer and afterwards delivered a brief sermon on Islamic Law. Everyone seemed to be highly impressed. Sheikh Ahmad bin Suhail came forward and congratulated me on my excellent performance. I thanked him for his appreciation and encouragement. I came back to the house of my host filled with delight and self-confidence.

But later, I had sometimes thought that I had overstayed my welcome. So after the evening prayers, I stated my intention of leaving, but my host disagreed with me. He wanted me to stay for a few more days to recoup my health fully. At night, when I was going to bed, Sheikh Ahmad bin Suhail came with a few respectable people of the town. The friends of Faleh Hasan, who were my saviors, were also with them. When the preliminary formalities of greeting each other were over and all were comfortably seated, Sheikh Ahmad turned his eyes towards me and said, "Dear Abu Bakr, I have been honored by these gentlemen to speak to you, on behalf of them, about their commendable wish. I expect, you will please assent to it."

I was perplexed by that kind of address. So I said nervously, "Sir, you are very helpful and kind to me. I cannot disregard any of your commands or wishes. You can order me to do anything and it will be an honor for me to obey it."

He said, "Dear son, we all earnestly desire you to stay here with us forever. The regular Imam of our Masjid had died last year. We still mourn his death and perhaps will do so forever. His respect is deeply rooted in our hearts. He had enlightened our lives with the torch of knowledge. We wish you to take his place and consent to be our Imam. We may not be able to offer you a better paid position than that of the Qazi in Qurtaba, but we will surely give you our love, affection, and respect."

"But Sir," I protested, "I am a fresh, inexperienced student and feel small to carry out the sacred duties of the high office of Imam." The Sheikh said, "My son, do not underestimate yourself. We all have heard your recitiation and sermon, and are fully convinced of your ability to fulfill those responsibilities. "

Before I could think of any evasive answer, my host, Faleh Hasan, and his friends vehemently backed up the proposal. I was left with no other alternative but to nod in affirmative. Everybody was pleased with my decision, especially Sheikh Ahmad who thanked me and kissed my forehead. They all rose to leave and thanking me individually, departed very happy.

They left me thinking how the secret hands of fate change the course of destiny in a secret manner. Circumstances secretly take such a turn that they altogether change the plans made up by man. I had cherished the hope of being a Qazi of Qurtaba and had taken steps to attain that goal, but preordained events made me an Imam of the Masjid in Hodeida.

So a new phase in my life began. I took charge of the imposed position and shifted to the assigned house of the Imam. I restarted the primary school that had closed due to the sad demise of the former Imam. I also commenced evening classes to impart lessons to explain the meaning of the Holy Qur'an.

I completely adjusted myself to the new environment and people generally accepted me as their religious leader. I was very contented and never for a moment regretted my decision to settle there. All the people, young and old alike, were happy and respected me. The feelings of any estrangement all faded away and I became as if I was one of them for ages.

One day, Sheikh Ahmad came to me and after enquiring about my welfare, said, "Dear Abu Bakr, your services to our townsmen are praiseworthy and beyond our expectations. I am glad that you had accepted our offer of staying with us. Now have come to you to ask one more favor."

I said, "Sir, I am at your service. Please tell me and I will comply with your order."

He said, "Dear son, a man is not perfect without his partner of life. I want you to marry and take full advantage of life. Marriage is also a sacred Sunna of our Holy Prophet. The sweet marital responsibilities are a real blessing which have been conferred onto man."

I replied, "Sir, you have always advised me in my best interest. I take you as a father to me and in this matter also, I will follow your counsel."

The Sheikh said, "Your predecessor, the late Imam of this Masjid was a very close friend of mine. He had a daughter, and when he was sure of his end, he entrusted her to my protection and care. Since then she has been under my guardianship. She is a lovely and adorable girl of good manners. Allah has endowed her with physical and mental beauty. She is virtuous and is a suitable match for you. I wish to give her in marriage to you and I feel sure that it will be a marriage of true minds."

I had no objection to the proposal whatsoever. A few days later, the bonds of marriage united us. After the festive ceremonies were over, Sheikh Ahmad escorted her to my house that was in fact her old abode where she had lived with her late father. I looked at her and my gaze was concentrated steadily on her. I forgot to even say welcome to her. I was not only looking at her beautiful and charming face, and at her downcast eyes; but my glance was riveted upon her pretty neck, which was ornamented by precious pearls. I at once recognized that necklace. It was the same necklace that I once found on a deserted road of Makkah. I looked at her in silent and open-mouthed wonder.

Sheikh Ahmad noticed my confused condition and thought that her beauty and the luster of the pearls had enchanted me. He politely said, "Dear Abu Bakr, that necklace and its wearer, both are yours now and you can take all your time to behold them. It may, perhaps, interest you to know that the necklace has a strange story of its own. Five years ago, my friend went to Makkah for pilgrimage and took that necklace with him to get it re-polished. There, he lost it. But due to the goodness of an honest young man, he recovered it intact. That commendable young man refused to sell his honesty and declined the pressing offer of a handsome reward. He left a lasting impression upon my friend who always remembered and talked about him. He once confided to me that he had a mind to go to Makkah again and ask that virtuous young man to accept the hand of his daughter, but time did not allow him to do so. Anyhow, it was destined differently. His daughter was to become your wife instead of his. The decreed decisions of fate are strange and beyond the understanding of man."

An emotional storm erupted within me. The strange happenings of the fateful events which were unfolded by the hidden hands of destiny agitated me and drops of tears rolled down my cheeks; I looked towards Sheikh Ahmad through misty eyes and said, "Dear Sir, you are very right to say that insight into the unknown mysteries of fate is not possible. It would perhaps be a pleasant surprise to know that I am the same person who found the necklace and restored it to your friend. He, in return, offered me an amount of five hundred dinars. Although I was a pauper and was suffering from the agonies of hunger in those days, my conscience did not allow me to accept anything that was not my due. I pinned all my hopes and expectations of Almighty Allah for any reward. And here I am with His gracious and greatest reward of all."

Sheikh Ahmad was amazed and without saying a word, he held my hand and shook it with a passion. My newly wedded wife lifted her eyes and looked me full in the face. Her eyes were filled with enthusiastic love that any husband ever could desire for. Almighty Allah had bestowed upon me His favors by giving me a considerate and loving wife and nothing in life surpasses that bliss."

Meaning of the Arabic Word Hijab

2009-10-14T00:05:00.000-07:00

Meaning of the Arabic Word Hijab

Hijab in Arabic means “barrier” or “screen” and thus it appears in various Qur’anic verses, referring to many things besides the woman’s head cover. For example:
Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an that He only talks to humans from behind a hijab. The Qur’an says what means:

*{It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him unless [it be] by revelation, or from behind a veil}* (Ash-Shura 42:51).

The Virgin Mary worshipped behind a hijab:

*{She placed a screen [to screen herself] from them}* (Maryam 19:17).

And, on Judgment Day there will be a hijab between the residents of Paradise and the residents of Hell:

*{And between them will be a [barrier] screen}* (Al-A`raf 7:51).

In all these verses, the Arabic word hijab was used to mean different things. In this light, let’s ponder the logic of hijab.

The Qur’an teaches us to look around us with open eyes and minds, to think, rationalize, and reach logical conclusions. If we look at the universe, from the tiny atom to the huge celestial bodies, don’t we see how everything important or precious is protected and concealed with a cover? Think of the skin to the human body, the womb to the baby, the plasma wall to the cell, the bark to the tree trunks, the shell to the egg, even the entire planet we live on is enjoying the protection of a “hijab”—which we call the atmosphere—against the dangers of asteroids and harmful cosmic rays. Think how other planets—Mars for example— deprived of their “hijab” have suffered much harm.

Meaning of the Word Khimar in Arabic

The Arabic word khimar means “top-cover” and it also applies to many things besides women’s head covers. For example, it applies to the top covering a pot or jar, to any head cover worn by people even men. Notably, that’s where liquor and narcotics got their Arabic name khamr because they “cover” the reasoning when a person is intoxicated.

Khimar is the word used to prescribe the head cover of Muslim women in the verse you referred to. The Qur’an says what means:

*{And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons...}* (An-Nur 24:31).

The meaning apparent to the Arabic reader is that in the presence of men who are not mahrams to a Muslim women, she should wear a head cover that extends long enough to cover the bosom, not that only the bosom is covered. Another verse in Surat Al-Ahzab clarifies this further. The Qur’an says what means:

*{O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons [when abroad]; that is most convenient, that they should be known [as such] and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful}* (Al-Ahzab 33:59).

The Arabic word used here to indicate the cover is the plural of jilbab. Ibn Taymiyyah stated in Majmu` Al-Fatawa 22:110-111: “The jilbab is a cover which is large enough to cover the woman’s head and the rest of her body hanging from the top of her head.”

Further, the Qur’an instructs the Prophet’s Companions in words that mean:

*{And when you ask [the Prophet’s wives] for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen}* (Al-Ahzab 33:53).

The meaning of hijab in this verse is any object that conceals a woman such as a wall, a door, or clothes. The ruling of the verse, even though it was revealed concerning the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him), generally encompasses all Muslim women. This is because the wisdom behind the ruling is specified in the remainder of the verse. It says what means:

*{that makes for greater purity for your hearts and theirs}* (Al-Ahzab 33:53).

This wisdom is general among all men and women. Therefore the generality of the wisdom also indicates the general application of the rule as apparent in surah 33, verse 59 above.

Islam uplifted women, gave them equality, and expects them to maintain their status. The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The hijab or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the “subjugation” of women under Islamic law. Yet, the truth is that 1400 years ago, Islam recognized women’s rights in a way that grants them the utmost protection and respect as well, a combination other systems fail to offer. Islam granted them freedom of expression, political participation, business and financial rights, and asked the rest of society to hold them in high esteem and offer them due respect as mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters.

In the Qur’an, Allah Almighty first mentions lowering the gaze for men before lowering the gaze and wearing hijab for women. The Qur’an teaches us what means:

*{Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do}* (An-Nur 24:30).

The moment a man looks at a woman with any brazen or unashamed thought in mind, he should lower his gaze. The next verse of Surat An-Nur is the one commanding believing women to wear the hijab.

Islam expects women to maintain their status by following Allah’s rules designed for their advantage. Hijab is one such rule.

Six Criteria for Hijab

According to the Qur’an and Sunnah, there are basically six criteria for observing hijab:

1. It is obligatory for males to cover at least from the navel to the knees. For women, it is obligatory to cover the complete body except the face and the hands up to the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover even these parts of the body. Some scholars insist that the face and the hands are part of the obligatory extent of hijab, especially if temptation (fitna) is feared in times and places where Islamic rules are not prevalent or if security is scarce.

All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women:
2. The clothes should be loose and should not reveal the figure.
3. The clothes should not be transparent or see-through.
4. The clothes should not be so glamorous as to attract attention.
5. The clothes should not resemble those of the opposite sex.
6. The clothes should not resemble those of the unbelievers, that is, clothes that identify or are symbols of the unbelievers’ religions.

Hijab Includes Conduct

Complete hijab, besides the six criteria of clothing, also includes the moral conduct, behavior, attitude, and intention of the individual. A person only fulfilling the criteria of hijab of the clothes is observing hijab in a limited sense. Hijab of the clothes should be accompanied by hijab of the eyes, the heart, the thought, and the intention. It also includes the way a person walks, talks, and behaves. Therefore, the hypocritical use of hijab is not a good example of Muslim conduct.

Hijab Prevents Molestation

The Qur’an says that hijab enables women to be recognized as modest women and this will also protect them from being molested. Suppose there is a hooligan who is waiting to tease a girl. Whom will he tease? a girl wearing hijab, or one wearing a mini skirt or shorts? Hijab does not degrade a woman but uplifts a woman and protects her modesty and chastity.

Lifting the Veil Will Not Uplift Women

Woman’s liberalization mostly disguises exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honor. Non-Muslim societies claim to have uplifted women via allowing them to expose their bodies, but on the contrary, this has actually degraded them to mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketers, hidden behind the colorful screen of “art” and “culture.”

Muslim women should be well aware of these facts. They should be aware that hijab protects them from evil glances and evil desires of those who are sick in the heart, as described in the Qur’an. Muslim women must adhere to Allah’s rules and not be persuaded or tempted by the media that opposes hijab or belittles its significance, as those who spread these ideas only desire evil for her. The Qur’an warns by saying what means:

*{But the wish of those who follow their lusts is that you should deviate away [from the right path], -far, far away}* (An-Nisaa’ 4:27).

The Hijab - why?

2009-10-14T00:03:00.000-07:00

The Hijab - why?

Muslim women wear hijab—which is more than just a head cover—because God ordered them to do so in two places in the Qur’an, and because Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also ordered it. The Qur’an says in Surah 24, verses 30 - 31 what means:

*{Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands fathers, or their sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons or sisters sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigor, or children who know naught of women's nakedness. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed.}*

These verses tell us that our Islamic dress is not just a matter of covering the head alone, but also of covering the bosom, which is attractive to men, and of lowering the gaze and walking in a way that does not attract attention. Note that the order to lower the gaze was addressed first to men…

You can also read the other verse about the same point, which is verse number 59 in Surah 33. It may be translated:

*{O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them [when they go abroad]. That will be better, that so they may be recognized and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.}*

This indicates that one of the reasons for hijab is to distinguish the believing woman from the non-believing. This relates to your second question concerning the logic behind hijab.

Ask yourself, or ask the next person who asks you that question, if a female judge walked into the courtroom wearing a tight miniskirt and low-cut blouse, would you take her seriously? Who would you respect more, a woman dressed like that or one dressed modestly? The Qur’an was revealed for all times, and though circumstances change, human nature does not. The fact is that men do like to look at women’s bodies, so a woman who covers herself is more likely to be respected as a person than looked upon as a piece of meat!

Up until the end of the nineteenth century, a Western woman who had any self respect covered her head—though perhaps not all her hair—in public. Your audience may argue that a woman who does not cover her hair is no longer looked upon as a loose woman. That may be true, but women still know that men look at them. Otherwise, why would they spend millions of dollars every year to style, color, and treat their hair?

It is true that men don’t have to cover their heads, but there is a dress code for them, as well, although it is not so widely publicized as the women’s dress code. Men must at least be covered from the navel to the knees with loose fitting clothing. The rules for men are different because women are less likely to ogle men than the other way around.

· Do women feel hot in hijab? To be honest, sometimes, yes, so smart women wear cotton. But overall, loose dresses are much cooler and healthier than pants [trousers] or pantyhose.

Some women cover their faces either because they think it is required of them - only a minority of scholars say so - or because they think it is better for them to protect their modesty. Others do not think it is required, but they prefer to act as the wives of Prophet Muhammad did, for they take them as a model in their everyday life. Those, believe that such act is a fadl, which would earn them more heavenly reward.

· Does a head cover prevent a woman from practicing her daily activities? I don’t see how it could! A woman does not normally wear hijab in her own house, so it shouldn’t get in the way when she’s doing housework. If a long head covering would get in the way in her work or pose a danger to her—if the woman were working around machinery or in a laboratory, for example—she can wear a different style that doesn’t have dragging ends. Actually, hijab—perhaps loose trousers and a long shirt if her work requires her to bend, lift, or climb steps or ladders—gives a woman more freedom of movement while protecting her modesty than does a short dress.

· Is hijab an oppression? Quite the contrary. Dr. Fatima Naseef, author of Women in Islam, sees hijab as a woman’s right to maintain her modesty and to be respected as a person. Please turn the question around to the asker: if one woman has the right to go half naked in public, why doesn’t another woman have the right to cover herself in public? Why is it looked upon as an oppression if she chooses to be modest?

Making fun of Hijab, Niqab...

2009-10-14T00:02:00.001-07:00

Making fun of Hijab, Niqab...

Question:

What is the ruling concerning one who ridicules those who wear the proper hijab and cover their faces and hands?

Response:

Whoever ridicules a Muslim woman or man for sticking to and applying the teachings of Islam is a disbeliever. This is regardless of whether it is concerning woman's hijab or any other matter of the Shariah. This is based on the following narration from ibn Umar: At a gathering during the Battle of Tabuk, one man said, "I have not seen anyone like our Quranic readers who is more desirous of food, more lying in speech and more cowardly when meeting the enemy." A man said, "You have lied and you are a liar. I shall definitely tell the Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) about that." That news was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah and the Quran was revealed. Abdullah ibn Umar added, "I saw the man holding on to the bag of the camel of the Messenger of Allah and the dust was striking him while he was saying, 'O Messenger of Allah, we were just joking and playing. The Messenger of Allah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) was simply saying the verse of the Quran:

"Was it Allah, and His Signs and His Messenger you were mocking? Make no excuse, you have disbelieved after you had believed. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others among you because they were sinners" (al-Tauba 65-66).

So ridiculing believers has been equated with ridiculing Allah, His Signs and His Messenger.

source: Fatwaa from Shaikh AbdulAziz Bin Abdullah Bin Bazz (Rahimahullah) From his book 'Islamic Fatwas regarding Women' Page #259

Ruling on Making Fun of the Hijab

2009-10-13T23:59:00.000-07:00

Question # 13245: Ruling on making fun of the hijab

Question:

What is the ruling on one who makes fun of a woman who wears the correct Islamic hijaab and covers her face and hands?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Whoever makes fun of a Muslim man or woman for adhering to the Islamic sharee’ah is a kaafir, whether he is mocking a Muslim woman for observing correct Islamic hijaab or for some other reason.

‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) narrated that during the campaign of Tabook a man said: “I have never seen anything like these Qur’aan readers of ours. They have the biggest bellies, the most lying tongues and they are the most cowardly when meeting the enemy.” Another man said, “You are lying, and you are a hypocrite. I will most certainly tell the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) [what you have said].” He told the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then Qur’aan was revealed. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar said: “I saw him (that man) hanging onto the saddle of the she-camel of the Messenger of Allaah, (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), stumbling over the stones, and he [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] was saying,

“Was it at Allaah, and His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and His Messenger that you were mocking?”

Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others amongst you because they were Mujrimoon (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, criminals)”

[al-Tawbah 9:65-66 – interpretation of the meaning]

So mocking the believers is equivalent to mocking Allaah, His verses and His Messenger. And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, in al-Fataawa al-Jaami’ah li’l-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, part 3, p. 813

http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/13245

The Conditions for the Proper Hijaab

2009-10-13T23:57:00.000-07:00

The Conditions for the Proper Hijaab

An explanation of the conditions required for the Hijaab to fulfill its religious objective. Below is a list of the Hijaab’s necessary conditions:

1. The Hijaab must cover a woman’s entire body, based on Allaah’s statement: “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the believing women to cast their jalaabeeb over themselves (i.e. their bodies).” [33:59] You have already come to know from what we have written previously that the jilbaab is a long garment that is ample enough to cover the entire body and that the meaning of the word idnaa (to cast) is “to lower” and “to let down” as was stated previously.

2. The garment must be thick, not thin and transparent. This is since the objective of the Hijaab, which is to veil a woman’s entire body and her hidden and apparent adornment, cannot be achieved with a thin garment. Therefore, that which a great amount of covered women wear today, which they call the ‘abaa’ah (cloak) or the malaa’ah (mantle), but which are transparent and describe the skin, such that the onlooker can see what lies beneath the garment, is not considered a legitimate Hijaab since it only brings about an increase in her ability to entice (men) with her attractive and alluring features. And yet they only wear it so that it could be said: “They are wearing Hijaab.” So we seek Allaah’s refuge from deception, the harm of which only falls on those who love and are infatuated with it.

3. The Hijaab must not be a source of decoration in itself, such as by it being colorful and flashy, causing eyes to turn towards it and hearts to be diseased (with temptation). We explained previously the meaning of Allaah’s saying: "And (tell the believing women) not to display their zeenah (adornment) except for that which is apparent from it.” [24:31] So since it is this way, then every Hijaab that does not prevent the display of one’s adornment in front of male-strangers, is not a valid Hijaab.

4. It must be ample and loose, since a tight garment outlines the body and reveals it in front of male strangers. So it goes against the objective that is sought after from the obligation of Hijaab. Furthermore, from the various types of tight clothes is that which is called pants, since it does not properly cover what it goes over. On top of that, it describes and outlines the body, as well as resembling the dress of men, and the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) cursed: “The man who wears a woman’s garment and the woman who wears a man’s garment.” [Reported by Abu Dawood and An-Nasaa’ee]

5. It is also required for the Hijaab not to be perfumed, since fragrances cause men’s desires to be incited and for them to be tempted, against their wills. So a woman who does this carries the sin of her action as well as the sin of those who respond to her active call to this type of fornication. It is reported in a hadeeth collected by the Sunan compilers and others that the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Indeed, when a woman perfumes herself and then passes by a gathering, she is such and such” – meaning a fornicator. And in another narration, he (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Verily, when a woman perfumes herself and then passes by a group of people such that they can smell her scent, she is a fornicator.”

These, O Muslim brothers and sisters, are the conditions required for the Hijaab to achieve its intended objective. So we must fear Allaah and be dutiful to Him by obeying what He has commanded and abstaining from what He has forbidden, and by following His Messenger (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), for indeed this brings success in both this life and the next.

Subhaanak Allaahumma Wa Bihamdika Ash-Hadu Anna Laa Ilaaha Illaa Anta Astagfiruka Wa Atoobu Ilayk
As Salaamu'alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuhu
Fi amanAllaah

Author: Shaikh Zayd bin Muhammad Al-Madkhalee
Source: His treatise "Wujoob Sitr-il-Wajhi wal-Kafayn"
Produced by : Al-Ibaanah.com

Rulings Derived from the Evidences on Hijaab

2009-10-13T23:55:00.000-07:00

Rulings derived from the Evidences on Hijaab

A clarification of the rulings that can be derived from the evidences on Hijaab, and they are as follows:

1. The obligation of the legislated Hijaab is definite and binding on all of the believing women, there being no room for lenience or negotiation with regard to abolishing it or belittling its status and its significance.

2. A clarification that the Prophet’s chaste wives and noble daughters serve as the best examples and most outstanding role models for all Muslim women when it comes to implementing the issue of Hijaab.

3. The prescribed Hijaab is that which covers a woman’s adornment, garments and all of her body, which includes the face and the hands.

4. The obligation of wearing the Hijaab on the Muslim woman consists of honoring her status, raising her rank, and protecting her dignity and personality. In fact it protects the whole society from the avenues of mischief and corruption appearing in it and the spreading of vile acts amongst its people and inhabitants.

5. A severe warning to the Muslim woman against her wearing that which will make the eyes of men look towards her or which will make their hearts incline to her or which will incite the causes of mischief. Such enticements include wearing perfumes and cosmetics. However she is permitted to wear these when she is in the presence of her husband or her male guardians according to the limits of the noble Religion.

6. There is nothing wrong with children, young boys and whoever else falls under their ruling, to enter into a woman’s presence due to the lack of there occurring any fitnah or danger from them, as is apparent from the Qur’aan.

7. The obligation of repenting to Allaah in general and to seek forgiveness for falling short of abiding by the Hijaab in particular, hoping for Allaah’s Contentment and Mercy, and desiring to attain success in both this world and the next life, acting on Allaah’s statement: “And turn in repentance to Allaah, all of you, O believers, in order that you may be successful.” [Surah An-Noor: 31]

Shaikh Zayd bin Muhammad Al-Madkhalee
Produced by: Al-Ibaanah.com

Source: His treatise "Wujoob Sitr-il-Wajhi wal-Kafayn"

The Islaamic Hijaab

2009-10-13T23:54:00.000-07:00

The Islaamic hijaab

Question:
What is the Islaamic hijaab?

Response:
The Islaamic hijaab is for the women to cover everything that is forbidden for her to expose. That is, she covers everything that she must cover. The first of those bodily parts that she must cover is her face. It is the source of temptation and the source of people desiring her. Therefore, the woman must cover her face in front of those men that are not mahram. As for those of who claim that the Islaamic hijaab is to cover the head, shoulders, back, feet, shin and forearms while allowing her to uncover her face and hands, this is a very amazing claim. This is because it is well-known that the source of temptation and looking is the face. How can one say that the Sharee'ah does not allow the exposure of the foot of the woman while it allows her to uncover her face? It is not possible that there could be in the Esteemed, Wise and Noble Sharee'ah a contradiction. Yet everyone knows that the temptation from uncovering the face is much greater than the temptation that results from the uncovering of the feet. Everyone also knows that the most sought after aspect of the woman for men is the face. If you told a prospective groom that a woman's face is ugly but her feet are beautiful, he would not propose to such a woman. However, if you told him that her face was beautiful but her hands, palms, or shins were less than beautiful, he would still propose to her. From this one can conclude that the face is the first thing that must be covered. There are also evidences from the Book of Allaah and the sunnah of our Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam). There are also statements from the Companions, the leading Imams and the great scholars of Islaam that indicate that it is obligatory for the woman to cover all of her body in the presence of non-mahram men. This obviously indicates that it is obligatory upon the woman to cover her face in front of such men. However, this is not the place to quote all those authorities.

And Allaah knows best.

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen rahihmullaah

Fataawa al-Mar'ah

Stark Warning For Women Who Wear Perfume

2009-08-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Stark Warning For Women Who Wear Perfume

There are many ahaadeeth which forbid women to wear perfume when they go out of their houses. We will quote here some of those which have saheeh isnaads:

Abu Musa al-Ash’ari said: RasulAllah (saw) said: “Any woman who puts on perfume then passes by people so that they can smell her fragrance, is an adulteress.”

Zaynab al-Thaqafiyyah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “If any one of you (women) goes out to the mosque, let her not touch any perfume.”

Abu Hurayrah said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Any woman who has scented herself with bakhoor (incense), let her not attend ‘Ishaa’ prayers with us.”

Moosa ibn Yassaar said that a woman passed by Abu Hurayrah and her scent was overpowering. He said, “O female slave of al-Jabbaar, are you going to the mosque?” She said, “Yes,” He said, “And have you put on perfume because of that?” She said, “Yes.” He said, “Go back and wash yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: ‘If a woman comes out to the mosque and her fragrance is overpowering, Allah will not accept any prayer from her until she goes home and washes herself.’”

The reason for this prohibition is quite clear, which is that women’s fragrance may cause undue provocation of desires. The scholars also included other things under this heading of things to be avoided by women who want to go to the mosque, such as beautiful clothes, jewellery that can be seen, excessive adornments and mingling with men. See Fath al-Baari, 2/279.

This indicates that it is forbidden for a woman who wants to go to the mosque to wear perfume, because this causes provocation of men’s desires. This was reported by al-Manaawi in Fayd al-Qadeer, in the commentary on the first hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah quoted above.

These ahaadeeth are general in implication. Just as the prohibition covers perfume applied to the body, it also covers perfume applied to the clothes, especially in the third hadeeth, where bakhoor (incense) is mentioned, because incense is used specifically to perfume the clothes.

Using perfume for the husband is mustahabb and recommended, because it is part of treating him kindly, and it helps to increase love between the spouses, when each of them pays attention to what the other likes.

Al-Mannaawi said in Fayd al-Qadeer (3/190): As for putting on perfume and adorning herself for her husband, it is required and is something that is liked. One of the wise men said: For a woman to adorn herself and put on perfume for her husband is one of the strongest causes of love and affection between them, and wards off dislike and disdain, because the eye is the pioneer of the heart; if the eye looks at something attractive, the message will reach his heart and love will be created, but if it looks at something ugly or that it does not like of outfits or garments, that that message will reach the heart and dislike and disdain will be created. Hence the advice that Arab women gave to one another was: Beware of letting your husband see anything that does not please him or letting him smell anything from you that he finds off-putting.

Putting on perfume and going out with the aim of letting non-mahram men smell it. This is haraam, and is a major sin.

al-Mannaawi said in Fayd al-Qadeer (1/355): “She is an adulteress” means: because of that she is exposed to zina, and implementing the means that lead to it and calling those who seek it. Hence she is called an adulteress in a metaphorical sense, because desire may prevail and real zina may take place. Her passing by men is likened to her sitting in their path so that they pass by her.

If she puts on perfume and goes out, and thinks it most likely that she will pass by a group in which there will be men who will smell her perfume and fragrance, this is also haraam, even if she does not intend to tempt men and that is not her aim, because this action is a fitnah (temptation) in and of itself. There is also an indication in sharee’ah that it is haraam and not allowed.

Allah says: “And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer palms of hands or one eye or dress like veil, gloves, headcover, apron), and to draw their veils all over Juyoobihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islâm), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of feminine sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” [al-Noor 24:31]

So women are forbidden to show their adornments to non-mahram men, and perfume is undoubtedly one of the woman’s adornments, so it is included in this prohibition.

If the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade women to go out to the mosque wearing perfume, because men will usually smell some of the fragrance because of close proximity and there being no barrier between men and woman, then it is more likely that women are not allowed to go out to the marketplace and gatherings wearing perfume, although it is not regarded as a major sin, rather it is something that is clearly haraam.

Ibn Hajar al-Haytami said in al-Zawaajir ‘an Iqtiraab al-Kabaa’ir (2/71-72):

The ahaadeeth which count it as a major sin should be interpreted as meaning that this applies if the fitnah is certainly there; when there is merely the fear of fitnah, then it is makrooh, or when she thinks it will cause fitnah then it is haraam but is not a major sin, as is obvious.

A thoughtful conversation about Hijab (Veil) of women

2009-08-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

A thoughtful conversation about Hijab (Veil) of women

A thoughtful conversation to reflect

A Mufti sat next to a Reverend on a flight.

The Rev asked the Mufti: What is your occupation?

Mufti: I'm into big business

Rev: But what business exactly?

Mufti: I deal with God

Rev: Ah, so you're a Muslim religious leader. I have one problem with you Muslims: you oppress your women.

Mufti: How do we oppress women?

Rev: You make your women cover up completely and you keep them in the homes.

Mufti: Ah. I have a problem with you people: you oppress MONEY

Rev: What? How can one oppress money?

Mufti: You keep your money hidden away, in wallets, banks and safes. You keep it covered up. Why don't you display it in public if it's a beautiful thing

Rev: It will get stolen, obviously.

Mufti: You keep your money hidden because it is so valuable. We value the true worth of women far, far more. Therefore, these precious jewels are not on display to one and all. They are kept in honour and dignity.

Does my father have the right to take whatever he wants of my wealth?

2009-08-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

Does my father have the right to take whatever he wants of my wealth?

Question:
I have always heard that music, singing and dancing are haram in My father keeps quoting a hadith that says all that a son possesses belongs to his father. Is this correct? If so, does this mean that a father can take part of or all of the son's possession against his son's will? I am aware that it is the duty of the son / daughter to look after the parents, be kind to them and ensure that they are fed, clothed and have somewhere to live. Can a father really take his son's possessions (both alive, both not in dire need) again his son's wishes?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

1. The hadeeth is:

It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah that a man said: “O Messenger of Allaah, I have wealth and children, but my father wants to take all my wealth.” He said, “You and your wealth are for your father.” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 2291; Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh, 2/142 from the hadeeth of Jaabir, and 2922; Ahmad, 6902 from the hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr).

And Ahmad narrated from ‘Amr ibn Shu’ayb from his father from his grandfather, who said: A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “My father wants to take all my wealth.” He said, “You and your wealth are for your father. The best that you can eat is what you have earned, and your children’s wealth is part of what you have earned, so eat it and enjoy it.”

This report has other isnaads and corroborating reports which make it saheeh. (See Fath al-Baari, 5/211; Nasb al-Raayah,3/ 337)

2. The laam in the hadeeth (li in li abeeka – for your father) does not mean possession, rather it means permission.

Ibn al-Qayyim said: The laam in the hadeeth does not mean possession at all… If we say that it means permission, then the hadeeth makes sense, otherwise it does not have any significance. (I’laam al-Muwaqqi’een, 1/116)

3. One of the things which indicate that it does not mean possession is the fact that the son’s children, wife and mother can inherit from him. If his wealth were the property of his father, no one would be able to take his property except the father.

Al-Shaafa'i said: Because it was not proven. When Allaah decreed that a father could inherit from his son, He made him (the father) like other heirs. He may even have a smaller share than many other heirs, which proves that the son is the owner of his own wealth, not the father. (al-Risaalah, p. 468)

4. This permission is not absolute. It is subject to four conditions.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah preserve him) said: This hadeeth is not da’eef (weak) because it has corroborating reports. What this means is that if he (the son) has wealth, the father has the right to enjoy that wealth and to take whatever he wants from it, but this is subject to certain conditions:

The first condition: that by taking it he does not cause harm to his son. If it does cause harm – such as taking his cover with which he protects himself from the cold, or he takes his food with which he wards off hunger –it is not permissible for the father to do this.

The second condition: it should not be something that the son needs. If the son has a concubine whom he sleeps with, it is not permissible for the father to take her, because his son needs her. Similarly, if the son has a car which he needs for getting about, and he does not have enough cash to buy a replacement, then the father does not have the right to take it under any circumstances.

The third condition: he should not take the wealth from one of his sons in order to give it to another, because this creates enmity between the sons and because it means preferring one of the children over another, if the second son is not in need. If he is in need, then the father’s giving something to the one who is in need and not to the ones who are not in need, does not mean that he is preferring one child over another; on the contrary, it is obligatory for him to do this.

Whatever the case, the hadeeth is something which the scholars refer to and use as evidence. But there are conditions attached, as we have mentioned. The father does not have the right to take one son’s wealth and give it to another son.

And Allaah knows best.

(Fataawa Islamiyyah,4/ 108, 109)

There is also a fourth condition, which is that the father should be in need of the wealth that he is taking from his son. This condition is clearly stated in some ahaadeeth.

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Your children are a gift from Allaah to you: ‘He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills’ [al-Shoora 42:49 – interpretation of the meaning]. So they and their wealth are for you, if you have need of it.” (narrated by al-Haakim, 2/284; al-Bayhaqi, 7/480)

The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2564, where he says:

This hadeeth contains an important fiqhi point which is that it explains that the famous hadeeth, “You and your wealth are for your father” (al-Irwaa’ 838) does not give the father absolute permission to take whatever he wants from his son’s wealth. Far from it! But he may take whatever he is in need of.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

www.islamqa.com

ruling: Women wearing pants under garment & Garments below ankles

2009-08-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

Question # 60131: Ruling on women wearing pants under a short garment

Question:
Is it permissible to wear wide pants with a garment that covers the entire body and comes a handspan above the ankles, with no slits in the garment, and the garment is not see-through or tight?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The clothing in which a woman appears before non-mahram men must meet eight conditions:

1- It should cover the entire body, including the face and hands. The evidence for that has been discussed in the answer to question no. 11774.

2- It must be wide and loose, not showing the size of her limbs or the shape of her body.

3- It should not be thin, showing the colour of her skin.

4- It should not be an adornment in and of itself, such as clothing decorated with embroidery.

5- It should not be perfumed.

6- It should not resemble the clothing of men.

7- It should not resemble the dress of kaafir women.

8- It should not be a dress of fame and vanity.

See Adaab al-Zafaaf by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him), p. 177; Hijaab al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, p. 16-111; ‘Awdat al-Hijaab, 3/145-163.

Based on this, a woman should not appear in front of men wearing pants or trousers for two reasons:

1 – They show the shape of the woman’s legs

2 – Wearing them is an imitation of men

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: I think that the Muslims should not follow these fashions and kinds of clothes that come to us from here and there. Many of them are not in accordance with proper Islamic dress which involves covering the woman completely, like the short or very tight or thin clothes. That includes pants, because they show the size of a woman’s legs, as well as her stomach, waist, breasts, etc. Wearing it comes under the description given in the saheeh hadeeth: “there are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen: people with whips like the tails of cattle, with which they strike the people, and women who are clothed yet naked, walking with an enticing gait, with something on their heads that looks like the humps of camels, leaning to one side. They will never enter Paradise or even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be detected from such and such a distance.” This hadeeth was narrated by Muslim, 2128.

He also said: What I think is that it is haraam for women to wear pants, because they are an imitation of men. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed women who imitate men. It also takes modesty away from the woman, because it opens the door to wearing the clothes of the people of Hell, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not seen…” and he described one of them as being, “women who are clothed yet naked, walking with an enticing gait, with something on their heads that looks like the humps of camels, leaning to one side. They will never enter Paradise or even smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be detected from such and such a distance.”

End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 12, question no. 192, 104.

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (17/102): It is not permissible for (a woman) to wear pants, because that involves women resembling men.

See also question no. 10436. [http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ln=eng&QR=10436]

With regard to wearing pants under a jilbaab, there is nothing wrong with that, rather it is more covering and more protective, if the jilbaab is wide and concealing and does not have any splits that show what is underneath it.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If a woman wears pants and puts over them a wide garment then she will not be resembling men, so long as she wears them underneath her garments.

End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, p. 573.

The basic principle is that the woman’s jilbab should be wide and cover the tops of her feet, because of the report narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1731), al-Nasaa’i (5336), Abu Dawood (4117) and Ibn Maajah (3580) from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever lets his garment drag out of pride, Allaah will not look at him on the Day of Resurrection.” Umm Salamah said: “What should women do with their hems?” He said: “Let them down by a handspan.” She said: “But then their feet will be uncovered.” He said: “Then a cubit, but no more than that.” This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi.

Al-Baaji said: The words of Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) regarding lengthening the hem by a handspan – “But then their feet will be uncovered” – show that this length was not sufficient to cover them, because the movement of her feet when walking quickly, combined with the shortness of the hem, would lead to them being uncovered. When she pointed that out to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he said: “Then a cubit, but no more than that.” End quote from al-Muntaqa.

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allaah preserve him) was asked: Is it mustahabb or waajib for a woman to make her dress long? Is wearing socks on the feet sufficient if the dress is shortened only so much that nothing of the calf shows? How should a woman lengthen her dress by a cubit – below the ankle or below the knee?

He replied: What is required of the Muslim woman is to cover all her body in front of men, hence she is allowed to lengthen her garment by a cubit so as to cover her feet, whereas men are forbidden to let their garments hang below their ankles. This indicates that women are required to cover all of their bodies. If a woman wears socks that is doing something extra to be more on the safe side with regard to covering, which is something good. She should also make her garment long, as described in the hadeeth. And Allaah is the Source of strength.

End quote. Al-Muntaqa min Fataawa al-Shaykh al-Fawzaan, 5/334.

The point is that a woman’s jilbab should be wide and come down to her ankles or more. If it is short and comes a handspan above the ankles, that is not permissible even if she covers her calves and feet with pants or socks, because that is imitating men who are enjoined to make their garments short, above the ankles. It also shows the shape and size of her feet.

And Allaah knows best.

http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=60131&ln=eng

Forget fashion, this is freedom

2009-08-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

Forget fashion, this is freedom

(Filed: 31/12/2003)

The Muslim veil has become a hot political issue in France - but Stella White cannot see what the fuss is about. A Catholic from Kent, she explains the joys of the complete cover-up

To liberated Westerners, the hijab, or veil, is a stain on womankind. It symbolises the crushing of the female spirit and is the mark of slavery, transforming a woman into a passive lump who is only allowed out of the house to buy her husband's dinner.

When faced with this piece-of-cloth- on-legs, English women will often meet the eyes peeking out of the hijab with an expression of pity and sadness. For them, the veil represents a living death. This might also be the feeling of the French authorities, who have decided to ban the hijab in schools, believing that no young girl should have to carry the burden of repression on her tender head.

Yet for many, including myself, the veil is not an instrument of coercion, but a means of liberation. Personally, I have never felt so free as I do when I am wearing it.

Before you presume that I am regurgitating propaganda from a culture that has brainwashed me, I should point out that I am a Catholic, not a Muslim. I am not from the mysterious East, but am a 32-year-old woman from boring Kent. Nor am I a prude: my life has included spells as an exotic dancer, kissogram and glamour model. Three of my best friends are strippers. I have had relationships with Muslim men, but none of them ever demanded I wear the hijab; in fact, they found my behaviour slightly embarrassing.

There is nobody in my past that has coerced me to wear a veil. I do so simply because I love it.

I relish the privacy; the barrier that the hijab creates between myself and the harsh, frenetic world, especially in London. I find a great peace behind the veil: I don't feel invaded by nosy passers-by; the traffic, noise and crowds seem less overwhelming. I can retreat into my own safe world even as I walk and, on a practical level, I feel completely secure from unwanted advances.

The hijab is also a financial security system. Like most pedestrians in London, I can't afford to give money to every homeless person I see, but feel stressed and guilty when I walk past them. In my hijab, my conscience can hide. I also feel fairly safe from muggers. Thieves glance at me and probably think, "illegal immigrant; not worth the effort", presuming that my big carrier bags contain only weird, knobbly vegetables for my 16 children.

In my hijab, shopping is also cheaper. A small minority of Muslim traders operate a two-tier pricing system with the "one of us" price being considerably lower than the price for Westerners. If I want a bargain, I make sure I am "hijabbed-up".

The most amazing effect of wearing the veil is that you automatically seem to become a member of the Muslim community and are accorded all of the privileges and dignity of a Muslim woman. When I walk into a Muslim shop, a man will say to me, gently, "Salaam aleikum [peace be upon you]. How can I help you, madam?" On the bus, Muslim men from Africa, the Middle East or the Far East will move aside for me and say, "After you, sister."

The offices, bars and clubs of London are full of English girls in short skirts and strappy sandals, many of them looking for love. Women who wear the hijab, often despised by the West, actually feel sorry for these Western women who have to harm themselves with crippling high heels, skin-choking make-up and obsessive dieting in order to find a man.

My Iranian friend Mona is a successful businesswoman who goes out every day looking impeccable, with painted nails, stilettos, sharp suits and perfect make-up. "It was just so much easier when I was in Iran," she says. "You'd get up at nine, throw on your big black hooded dress and jump in the car. Now, I have to spend two or three hours getting done up every morning."

Too often, the hijab is dismissed as the preserve of Muslim fundamentalists. But in the Christian tradition, St Paul ordered women to cover their heads and, until the Sixties, no woman would be seen in an English church without a hat and gloves.

Many English women wore hats out in the street or headscarves tied under their chin. Hindu and Sikh women are still expected to cover their heads loosely for their honour, or izzat, and Orthodox Jewish women have traditionally worn wigs over their real hair to conceal it from men who are not their husbands. Yet, among all these cultural groups, only Muslim women seem to have been described as weak or oppressed on account of their headgear.

Two of the most unlikely bedfellows are the woman who wears a hijab and the militant feminist. When women in the early Seventies began cropping their hair short, and wearing dungarees and comfortable shoes, they were rejecting the idea of suffering for fashion and were refusing to take part in the desperate ritual to attract spoilt, fussy males.

Similarly, a woman in a hijab can retain her identity without being a slave to finicky Western notions of beauty.

A particularly sad article appeared in a popular women's magazine last week, entitled: "How to hate your body less." I showed it to my Arab friend Malika, who shook her head and said: "In my culture, men are so grateful when they marry a woman that they see her as a gorgeous princess, whatever shape or size she is."

Within the hijab, Muslim women know their power and their value. One Muslim man told me: "My wife is like a beautiful diamond. Would you leave a precious diamond to get scratched or stolen in the street? No, you would wrap it in velvet. And that is how the hijab protects my wife, who is more precious to me than any jewel."

Of course, if anybody tried to remove my veil or force me to wear it, I would react violently. I am privileged to live in a country in which I can wear whatever I want to. Not all women are so lucky. Personally, I have found in the hijab a kind of guardian angel. My mother, on the other hand, claims that I wear it because I can't be bothered to brush my hair.

Comments:

Here is a non-Muslim woman who has realized and understood the value and benefits of the Islamic hijab, and she is using it for herself despite being a non-Muslim.

Do Headscarfs = Hijab?

2009-08-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

Do Headscarfs = Hijab?

By Humza Mullick

HEADSCARFS and head coverings are some of the misrepresented words that have been connected with the Hijab. Many haven't really understood the meaning or implementation of Hijab. Most misconceptions are due to: lack of knowledge or simply not wanting to obey Allah.

Linguistically, Hijab means a screen or covering (Hans Weir Arabic to English dictionary). Screen, when used as a noun means an upright partition used to divide a room, give shelter, or provide concealment and, when used as a verb it means conceal, protect, or shelter with a screen. Conceal means to prevent from being seen or known. (Oxford dictionary, online version).

In Islamic Shariah terms, Hijab means covering or veil. Allah said in the Qur'an:

"Nay! Surely, they (evil-doers) will be veiled from seeing their Lord that Day." (Qur'an, 83:15)

The word used here is 'Mahjooboon' , which is derived from 'Hajaba' which means to prevent from being seen. Allah also says in the Qur'an:

"And when you (Muhammad, peace be upon him) recite the Qur'an, We put between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter, an invisible veil (or screen their hearts, so they hear or understand it not)." (Qur'an, 17:45)

These verses show that both linguistically and Islamically, Hijab refers to something that covers and veils. During the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), when Allah commanded that Muslim women must cover in front of non-Mahram men, they tore their 'Murats' – woolen dress or a waist-binding cloth – and covered themselves.

In another verse, Allah said:

"O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies. That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Qur'an, 33:59)

A major mistake many make is restricting the term 'Hijab' to mean a flimsy scarf that covers the hair only; in other words, a 'headscarf.' Some Muslim women in the West wear tight jeans, t-shirts and a headscarf while going out and think they are adhering to the Islamic dress code. This is incorrect. Some of the conditions laid out in the Qur'an and Sunnah for Hijab are as follows:

• Covers the whole body

Some scholars say it includes covering of face and hands, while others say it is recommended and not obligatory.

• Not a display that attracts attention

• Not perfumed

• Not transparent

• Roomy, and not tight-fitting

• Doesn't resemble the dress of men or what is specific to non-Muslims.

Hijab is for all times and all places, not restricted for Muslim lands alone. Some wear Hijab in Muslim lands and switch to headscarfs in the West. We have to fear Allah everywhere we go and this dysfunctional practice is a direct result of our weakness in our understanding of Tawheed (monotheism) and a deficiency in our Aqeedah (belief). Hijab is a protection of Muslim women's honour and respect.

Islam is about submission to the Creator in all aspects of our lives. When we are instructed to do something by Allah, we should just "hear and obey."

More information on Proper Hijab

http://members.tripod.com/~ibnfarooq/niqaab.htm

‘Where is Sheikh Bin Baz?’

2009-06-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

‘Where is Sheikh Bin Baz?’

By Dr. Muhammad Bin Sa’d Ash-Shuway’ir

DURING the Haj of 1406H (1986CE), the first official group of pilgrims from China came to Saudi Arabia. Along with this group were some scholars who wanted to visit Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Baz to convey their greetings to him. The head of the group – about seven scholars in all – was a very old man who had studied at Al-Azhar university.

After the group conveyed their greetings to the gathering of people (that included Sheikh Bin Baz), the old man turned to me and asked:

“Where is Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Baz, and when will he arrive?”

So I said to him: “There, he is the one you just conveyed your greetings to now.”

But this old man did not believe me, and speaking in fluent Arabic he demanded: “I want to see him now.”

So I said to him: “There he is,” firmly pointing him out. So he stood up from his gathering and presented himself before Sheikh Bin Baz for a second time to greet him. I then informed the Sheikh about the eagerness of this old man, so the Sheikh stood to embrace him. I saw the old Chinese man affectionately cling to the Sheikh’s chest and cry, saying:

“All Praise be to the One Who has enable me to see you. We used to hear about you in China that you give hope to the Muslims and support them.”

Then one of his companions said (to Sheikh Bin Baz): “Pray to Allah, Sheikh that He takes 10 years of my life and adds it to yours because of what you have benefited Islam and its people. As for me, then I am just a (simple) human being like others from among the children of Islam.”

The old Chinese man began crying profusely turning again to embrace Sheikh Bin Baz and repeating:

“All Praise be to the One Who has enabled me to see you before my death, since I used to long for this (opportunity) all my life.”

– Mawaqif Madhi’ah fee Hayat Al-Imam Abdul Aziz Bin Baz; pg. 8-9, translated by Fatwa-online.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009052238661

Indonesian imams OK Facebook - but no flirting!

2009-06-01T23:40:00.000-07:00

Indonesian imams OK Facebook - but no flirting!

By INDRA HARSAPUTRA – May 22, 2009

SURABAYA, Indonesia (AP) — Muslim clerics debating the exploding popularity of Facebook in Indonesia said Friday that followers could use the networking site to connect with friends or for work — but not to gossip or flirt.

The nonbinding ruling followed a two-day meeting of clerics in the world's most populous Muslim nation.

Around 700 clerics, or imams, agreed to draft up guidelines on surfing the Web after receiving complaints about Facebook and other sites, including concerns they encourage illicit sex, said Nabil Haroen, a spokesman for the organizers.

They decided "Facebook is haram (or forbidden) if it is used for gossiping and spreading lies," he said, and that users also could not ask overtly intimate questions or in anyway encourage "vulgar behavior."

But the clerics noted, too, there were many upsides to Facebook and other trendy, new forms of communication, from mobile phone text messaging to video conferencing.

It has become easier today for the young to connect, the imams' 300-word edict said, "erasing space and time constraints" and making it possible for couples to get to know — before they get married — if they really are well-suited.

Facebook had no immediate comment Friday, but said ahead of the ruling that people typically use the site to connect with their friends, family or learn about local and world issues and events.

"We have seen many people and organizations use Facebook to advance a positive agenda," said Debbie Frost, a Facebook spokeswoman.

Indonesia is a secular nation of 235 million people, 90 percent of whom are Muslim, and Facebook is the top-ranked site in the country, beating out even search engines Yahoo and Google.

Though an edict by the clerics does not carry any legal weight, it could be endorsed by the influential Ulema Council, which recently issued rulings against smoking and yoga. Some devout Muslims adhere to the council's rulings because ignoring a fatwa, or religious decree, is considered a sin.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jVKz1vrKgxjEwyiWuW3NeEkn31uQD98B59K00

Indonesian Muslim clerics frown at Facebook

2009-06-01T23:32:00.000-07:00

Indonesian Muslim clerics frown at Facebook

May 22, 2009

SURABAYA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesian Islamic clerics warned Muslims on Friday not to use popular Internet networking sites like Facebook for flirting or gossiping.

A non-binding resolution issued after a meeting of hundreds of Islamic scholars from Java and Bali islands warns that using sites like Facebook can lead to pornography and "obscenity."

"We forbid the use of Facebook, Friendster and other social networking sites unless they are being used to foster Islamic teaching," a spokesman for the clerics, Abdul Muid Shohib, said.

"So spreading ill words about others, gossiping and other things that go against religious teaching on social networking sites in the virtual world are forbidden according to Islamic law."

Facebook is hugely popular in the world's most populous Muslim country, and while rulings from Islamic clerics are influential they are rarely followed to the letter.

Indonesia ranks fifth behind the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy and France in terms of Facebook use, according to Internet tracking website Alexa.com.

This is despite its crumbling or, in many areas, non-existent digital infrastructure, and the fact that the majority of the country's 234 million people have little or no access to computers.

Shohib acknowledged that the networking site, where people can set up their own profile pages and share comments and pictures with their friends, was also popular among students and imams at Indonesia's conservative Islamic schools.

"We realise that the virtual world is hard to control," he said.

"There are many senior imams who worry because pornographic images often pop out while they interact through Facebook," he added.

The clerics will monitor the use of such websites and will urge the government to close them down if they became a threat to Islamic teachings, he said.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jtjhtlZQ6rgnzDe005obQjIRbAnQ

Laban (Milk)

2009-05-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

Laban (Milk)

Allah said: “And verily, in the cattle, there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from between excretions and blood, pure milk; palatable to the drinkers.” (16:66)

Also, Allah said, while describing Paradise: “In it are rivers of water the taste and smell of which are not changed, rivers of milk of which the taste never changes.” (47:15)

In the Sunan, it is also narrated: “Whoever Allah gives some type of food, let him supplicate, ‘O Allah! Bless it for us and grant us what is better.’ Whoever Allah grants some Laban, let him say, ‘O Allah! Bless it for us and grant us more of it,’ for I do not know of a more complete food or drink than milk.’”

Although milk is a simple type of food, it is very natural to the body as it contains three major substances: cheese, fat and water. Cheese is cold and wet and provides good nutrition. The fat contained in the milk regarding warmth and wetness, and it is very beneficial for healthy bodies. The water part contained in milk is hot and wet, and it softens the stomach and provides the body with beneficial moistures. Laban in general is mild regarding warmth and wetness, although there are other opinions in this regard.

Milk is best when it has just been milked, and its value decreases by the passage of time thereafter. When it is freshly milked, milk is less cold and, more humid. Sour milk is the opposite. Also, milk is better forty days after the animal has given birth. The best type of milk is the most white in color, as it has a good scent, delicious taste, mildly sweet, less fat and light consistency. It is also best when young healthy animals are milked, especially those that have less meat and which graze in healthy grazing lands. Milk is good and produces red blood, brings wetness to the body and is also a nutritious food. Also, milk helps relive depression, obsession and black bile ailments. When milk is drunk with honey, it will help cleanse the insides of septic materials. Drinking milk with sugar makes the color of the skin fairer. Milk is favorable for the chest, lungs and for those suffering from tuberculosis.

Furthermore milk is not favorable for the head, the stomach, the liver and the spleen. Also, drinking milk excessively is armful for the teeth and the gums, and this is why it is better to rinse the mouth after one drinks it. In the Sahihain, it is narrated that the Prophet, sallahu aleyhi wa sallam, once drank some milk and then asked for some water and rinsed his mouth, saying: “It has fat.”

Milk is not good for those suffering from fever and headaches and is not favorable for the weakness in the head and the brain. Excessive drinking of milk causes darkness in the sight, sight impairment, gout, kidney clogs and swelling in the stomach and the intestines. These side effects will be neutralized when mixing milk with honey, ginger, and so forth, for those who are not used to drinking it.

Sheep Milk

Sheep milk is the most watery, and it has more fat and bad odour than goat or cow milk. Sheep milk produces phlegm and causes white spots or stains on the skin if one drink it on a regular basis. This is why it is better that sheep milk is mixed with water so that its concentration becomes less. Sheep milk quenches the thirst quicker and cools the body faster than other milks.

Goat Milk

Goat milk is mild and light, works as a mild laxative, is wet for dry bodies, and helps cure mouth cankers, dry cough and epistaxis (nosebleeds) . Milk in general is the most beneficial drink for the body due to its nutritional value and closeness to the nature of the body and to the childhood of mankind.

In the Sahihain it is narrated: “The night of the Isra’ (the Prophet journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and then to heaven). The messenger of Allah, sallahu aleyhi wa sallam, was given two cups, one containing milk and the other wine. The Prophet, sallahu aleyhi wa sallam, looked at them and then took the cup of milk. Jibreel said: ‘If you had taken the wine, your followers would have gone astray.’”

Sour goat milk is not digested quickly and produces unfavorable moistures. The hot tempered stomach benefits from goat milk, though, and easily digests it.

Cow Milk

Cow milk provides nutrition for the body and is also a mild laxative. Cow milk is one of the best milks, between sheep milk and goat milk regarding thickness and fat. ‘Abduallah bin Masood narrated that the prophet, sallahu aleyhi wa sallam, once said: “Drink cow milk because it grazes on all types of trees.”

Taken from: "Healing with the Medicine of the Prophet," by Ibn ul-Qayyim

Giving da’wah without knowledge

2009-05-28T21:42:00.000-07:00

Giving da’wah Without Knowledge

Q- Which of the two is better: Taking out time to give da’wah or using the time to seek knowledge?

A – Seeking knowledge is better and a priority. It is possible that a student of knowledge can give da’wah while seeking knowledge. And it is not possible to give da’wah while one has no knowledge. Allah says:

“Say (O Muhammad): “This is my way; I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge...” (Qur’an, 12:108)

So how can one give da’wah without knowledge? And no one has ever given da’wah without knowledge, and whoever does so without knowledge, will not succeed.

– Sheikh Bin Uthaymeen;
Kitab-ul-’Ilm, pg. 145, no. 43

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009042435970

Imams of Holy Mosques in live conference

2009-05-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

Imams of Holy Mosques in live conference

A TWO days conference dedicated to the Book of Allah is being held in New York on May 23-24. Imams of the Two Holy Mosques will address via live video-telecast.
The conference – organized by Masjid Ahlul-Qur’an wa As-Sunnah and albaseerah.org – will be available for international audience live on the website albaseerah.org.

Sheikh Abdul Rahman As-Sudais, Imam of the Grand Mosque at Makkah, will be speaking on Saturday, the 23rd at 9:30 P.M., while Sheikh Ali Al-Hudhaifi, Imam of Prophet’s Mosque, will speak on Sunday, the 24th at 9:30 P.M. Lectures will be simultaneously translated into English.

Several other American graduates of Islamic universities will also be presenting their address. Should any problems be faced in the live telecast, Albaseerah says it will upload the recorded lectures at the earliest possible time.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009052238660

Modesty is a Part of Faith

2009-05-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

Modesty is a Part of Faith

It was related on the authority of Abu Mas'ood Al-Badri, may Allaah be pleased with him, that: "The Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam (may Allaah exalt his mention) said: "One of the admonitions of the previous prophets which has been conveyed to people is that if you have no shame, you can do whatever you wish." [Al-Bukhaari]

Explanation of the Hadeeth:

The saying of the Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam: "If you feel no shame, you can do whatever you wish" is in the command form, and can be looked at from two angles, each conveying a distinct meaning:

(1) The first is that it is a form of threat and a challenge thrown down against those who engage in inappropriate behavior. Such people have no shame in front of Allaah and therefore, no matter what course they take, it would not make any real difference. In this case, it would be as if the Hadeeth is stating: "If you do not feel any shame from doing these prohibited acts, then do whatever you wishâ€¦" Modesty is the quality that prevents one from immodest behavior, and the lack of it will only cause one to increase in distancing himself from Allaah and make him indifferent to creed or deed.

(2) The second meaning pertains to doing that which is lawful. That is, if the action that one is about to do is not within the category of the unlawful, and we are not ashamed of doing the act in front of Allaah or the people, then we are free to do it. However, if we are ashamed to do it, then we should not. The Hadeeth gives a measuring stick by which we can evaluate actions, both privately and publicly.

Thus, the first explanation relates to a lack of consciousness regarding Allaah and the second is regarding the opposite, which is to be conscious of Allaah and of His watching over a person and his actions. The former explanation relates to an unbridled Nafs (base desires and lower self), whereas the latter implies observance of due constraint over it, so that it does not embark on the road to destruction.

Modesty is of two types:

Modesty is either natural or acquired. Natural modesty means that the individual has this quality by nature and does not need to exert any effort to acquire it. Acquired modesty, on the other hand, is attained by those who possess knowledge concerning Allaah, being cognizant concerning His Greatness, Proximity and His Inspection of all that they do.

Points Related to Modesty:

1. Modesty is one of the most honorable attributes and is a consistent virtue found in all the various laws sent down to each prophet and messenger.

2. It is one of the most perfect and desirable characteristics to possess and an excellent state to be in.

3. Modesty only brings good to individuals and is an indication of faith.

4. Bashfulness and shame is in direct opposition to indecency and shamelessness.

5. Modesty is an element of faith, and indecency has no relation to it.

6. Modesty adorns one's nature and personality and is indicative of his being Islamically cultured and refined.

7. Indecency, on the other hand, shows that one lacks virtues and is uncouth, dishonorable and uncultured.

8. We are obligated to guard ourselves against indecency and from acting indecently or uncultured, as qualified by Islam.

9. We must never misconstrue bashfulness or shyness with cowardice - Islamically they are far from synonymous.

10. Modesty, as mentioned, is a root virtue. One of the fruits of modesty is chastity.

11. There is no modesty when it comes to teaching the laws of Islam or searching for the truth.

Rights of Workers in Islam

2009-05-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

Question:
Respected scholars, as-salamu `alaykum. I would appreciate it if you would kindly write a brief note on the rights of workers in Islam. Jazakum Allahu khayran.

Answer:
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear brother in Islam, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His sake.

As far as Islamic Shari`ah is concerned, work is an act of worship that has certain rights and duties on the part of the employers and the employees.

E laborating on this, Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, president of the Fiqh Council of North America, states the following:

Workers justice is a very important topic and it should be discussed in detail by Muslim scholars. There is a great need for developing specific rules and legislations for governments and corporations in the Muslim world. Among Muslim countries, to my knowledge, Pakistan and Iran have some specific rules in this area. The full and proper implementation of these rules is also needed. To explain briefly some basic values and principles related to workers rights, let me say the following:

Justice and fair dealings are basic values of Islam and they must be always emphasized. No peace and harmony in the society can exist without justice. Justice should be done to all people. What is justice? There are two words used for justice in the Qur'an: al-`adl and al-qist. `Adl is to follow the balanced way, neither going to one extreme nor to another, neither extravagance nor negligence. Qist means to recognize that every person and everything in this world has some rights. To give every one his, her or its dues is justice. Injustice is to deprive others their dues. Almighty Allah says in the Qur'an: [ O you who believe, stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you swerve, and if you distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well acquainted with all that you do] (An-Nisaa' 4:135).

All people are equal. It does not make any difference to what race they belong, what color they have, what country they come from, what their gender is or what their occupation is. Young and old, rich and poor, white and black, citizens or foreigners with legal work permits are all equal; and they all should be respected, honored, and treated equally. Almighty Allah says: [ O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full Knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)] (Al-Hujurat 49:13).

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said the following words in his last sermon:

"O people, indeed your Lord is one and your father is one. Behold, there is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a non-Arab over an Arab, nor for a white person over a black person, nor for a black person over a white person, except through piety." (Musnad Ahmad)

High Regard for Work and for Workers

Islam has given high regard for work. Those who work and earn their living by their own labor must be respected. Of course, the work has to be lawful and it should be done in an honest and sincere manner. All anti-social works, irresponsible behavior, and work done with cheating and deception are forbidden in Islam. Employers and employees all must be honest and must deal with each other justly.

On the treatment of workers there are general and specific teachings in Islam. The following five points must be emphasized:

1. Clear and proper agreements. All agreements, whether oral or written, must be clear and transparent. The agreements must be just and lawful. Employees should know their duties and responsibilities and they should be told their rights in terms of vacations, leaves, compensations, etc. Allah says in the Qur'an [ O you who believe, fulfill your contracts] (Al-Ma'idah 5:1). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Muslims must abide by their agreements, unless there is an agreement that makes halal what is haram or makes haram what is halal" (At-Tirmidhi). This means that illegal terms and conditions are not valid under Islamic law. It is the duty of both the employers and the employees to fulfill their agreements to the best of their capacities.

2. The dignity of workers. Islamic law allows all human beings the right to enter upon any lawful profession or occupation and to conduct any lawful trade or business. The workers should be treated with dignity and honor. No work is menial or degrading. Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kissed the hands of a laborer who showed him his rough hands due to his hard labor. He prayed for him and spoke very highly of those who labor over against those who sit idle or go begging. Islam teaches that workers should be treated with kindness. Allah says [ Serve Allah, and make not any partners with Him in His divinity. Do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the way-farer (you meet) and those whom your right hands possess (your workers): for Allah loves not the arrogant, the vainglorious. (Nor) those who are stingy, or enjoin stinginess on others, or hide the bounties which Allah has bestowed on them; for We have prepared, for those who are ungrateful, a humiliating punishment] (An-Nisaa' 4:36-37).

3. Kindness to workers. Workers are our brothers and sisters. They are our helpers. We need them; we depend on them for many things that we cannot do for ourselves. Workers should not be given work beyond their capacity. They should have a humane and safe environment for work. They should be compensated if they are injured on the job. They should have time for work and time for themselves and their families. Children or minors should not be used for labor. Women should have proper environment for hijab without jeopardizing the rules of khalwah (privacy). They should not be employed in vocations that are unsuitable to their gender, and they must be ensured maternity benefits in their employment. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Your brothers are your responsibility. Allah has made them under your hands. So whosoever has a brother under his hand, let him give him food as he eats and dress as he dresses. Do not give them work that will overburden them and if you give them such task then provide them assistance" (Al-Bukhari).

4. Proper and timely wages. Workers should be given proper and just wages. Exploitation of any person is not allowed in Islam. Allah says [ To the Madyan people We sent Shu`aib, one of their own brethren. He said: "O my people, worship Allah; you have no other god but Him. Now has come unto you a Clear (Sign) from your Lord. Give just measure and weight, nor withhold from the people the things that are their due; and do no mischief on the earth after it has been set in order: that will be best for you, if you have Faith] (Al-A`raf 7:85). Allah warns those who take full measure but give less to others: [ Woe to those that deal in fraud. Those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, exact full measure. But when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due. Do they not think that they will be called to account? On a Mighty Day. A Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds] (Al-Mutaffifin 83:1-6). Workers should also be paid on time. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Give to the worker his wages before his sweat dries" (Ibn Majah).

5. Freedom to form unions. Based on all the above principles, we can also infer that workers in Islam have a right to exercise the freedom of association and the right to form unions. Special trade unions and associations help workers in their work and socialization. They can also help workers to seek justice for their rights and bargaining power to receive proper compensations. However, employers and employees all must fear Allah in the exercise of their rights and duties.

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1155193577227

Brief Chronology of the Compilation of the Qur'an

2009-05-15T11:21:00.001-07:00

Brief Chronology of the Compilation of the Qur'an

During the life of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wassalam) (570 - 632 CE)
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassalam) used to recite the Qur'an before angel Jibree (Gabriel ) once every Ramadhan , but he recited it twice (in the same order we have today) in the l Ramadhan before his death.
Jibreel also taught the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassalam) the seven modes of recitation.
Each verse received was recited by the Prophet (saw), and its location relative to other verses and suras was identified by him.
The verses were written by scribes, selected by the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassalam), on any suitable object - the leaves of trees, pieces of wood, parchment or leather, flat stones, and shoulder blades.
Scribes included Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Mu'awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan, Ubey Ibn Ka'ab, Zayed Ibn Thabit.
Some of the companions wrote the Qur'an for their own use.
Several hundred companions memorised the Qur'an by heart.

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr (632 - 634 CE)
Umar Ibn Al - Khattab urged Abu Bakr to preserve and compile the Qur'an. This was prompted after the battle of Ya mamah, where heavy casualties were suffered among the reciters who memorised the Qur'an .
Abu Bakr entrusted Zayed Ibn Thabit with the task of collecting the Qur'an. Zayed had been present during the last recitation of the Qur'an by the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wassalam) to Angel Jibree (Gabriel).
Zayed, with the help of the companions who memorised and wrote verses of the Qur'an , accomplished the task and handed Abu Bakr the first authenticated copy of the Qur'an . The copy was kept in the residence of Hafsah, daughter of Umar and wife of the Prophet.

During the caliphate of Uthman (644 -656 CE)
Uthman ordered Zayed Ibn Thabit, Abdullah Ibn Al Zubayr, Saeed Ibn Al - Aas, and Abdur -Rahman Ibn Harith Ibn Hisham to make perfect copies of the authenticated copy kept with Hafsa. This was due to the rapid expansion of the Islamic state and concern about differences in recitation.
Copies were sent to various places in the Muslim world. The original copy was returned to Hafsa, and a copy was kept Medina .

Three stages of dotting and diacritisation
Dots were put as syntactical marks by Abu Al -Aswad Al Doaly, during the time of Mu'awiya Ibn Abi Sufian (66 - 680 CE).
The letters were marked with different dotting by Nasr Ibn Asem and Hayy ibn Ya 'amor, during the time of Abd - Malek Ibn Marawan (685 - 705 CE).
A complete system of diacritical marks (damma, fataha, kasra) was invented by Al Khaleel Ibn Ahmad Al Faraheedy (d. 786 CE).

Adapted from an article in Perspectives, Vol 3, No. 4, Aug/Sept 1997

"Slumdog Muslim"?!

2009-05-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

"Slumdog Muslim"?!

by Abdullah al Hindi

8 oscars, 14 golden globe nominations, world wide recognition and appreciation, resultant media frenzy. The media frenzy created waves all over the world.

Slumdog millionaire brought the harsh reality of a particular country (India) on to the widescreen with elegance, and shocked the audiences with its larger than life cinematic experience. Slumdog Millionaire earned critical acclaim from the biggest media houses and gained unparalleled publicity for its bold picturisation, powerful screenplay and strong message by addressing issues that still dominate India, although India would like to forget such issues or hide it behind its glittering Capatalist aspirations and dreams.

Child labour, poverty, beggary, slums, high illiteracy rate, police brutality, racial discrimination and more importantly the hindu-muslim tensions ever since India got independence in 1947. Director Danny Boyle used a plot revolving around the protagonist, Jamal Malik, a ‘muslim’ kid born and brought up in the poverty of Mumbai, India and goes through some unforgettably disturbing experiences in life .

It was precisly this reason that some Hindu activists in India; drowned in the fanatical emotion of nationalism, saw the movie as being Pro Muslim and came out in large numbers to protest against it.

Blogs, forums, and some websites were full of hatred and disgust shown by such people and some changed the title of the movie to ‘Slumdog Muslim’ to express their anger.

Ironically but truly ‘Slumdog Muslim’ neither sounds absurd nor abstract.

In fact, ‘Slumdog Muslim’ is also a film that’s still in production. The production of this epic began exactly 85 years ago. The production team however started planning this film, its storyline and its cast and crew years before hand. The planning was intense and involved a number of conferences, meetings and political calculations.

The producers of this films are the western powers. The directors are western and arab politicians and leaders. The story writers are the members of parliament and the biased media.

Hence unlike Slumdog Millionaire, this film titled ‘Slumdog Muslim’ is still in production. Its one of its kind indeed. The story writers and directors of this film are busy writing the continuing story line every day. Everyday a new plot is created, a new scene is shot with a new villian; and a new trailor is filmed and watched by millions of people around the world on the news channels. Special screenings and previews of this film are watched in the political cinemas and the next shot or sequence is discussed and debated; sometimes privately but often publicly to make the audience feel they are part of the plot.

Unlike Slumdog Millionaire which had only one Jamal Malik, in this movie there is more than one Jamal Malik. Probably hundreds and thousands of Jamal Maliks. Unlike Slumdog Millionaire this movie is not just about India but other countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

There are probably hundreds of Jamal Maliks that represents each one of these countries. There are Jamal Maliks on the streets of Pakistan suffering the consequences of political corruption. There are Jamal Maliks in the slums of Bangladesh. There are Jamal Maliks resisting the occupation in Palestine.

In this film there are Jamal Maliks who beg to survive just another day and protect themselves from the bloody hands of the occupying forces.

‘Slumdog Muslim’ began filming on the day the Muslim Ummah was made a ‘slumdog’ by the dismemberment of the Islamic State. It was this Islamic State - Khilafah State, that gave the ummah its honour and glory. It was the 3rd of March 1924, exactly 85 years ago when the directors of the movie shot the first official scene of this movie. There were no heroes but only villains such as Mustapha Kemal, Sharif Hussain of Makkah, Abdul Aziz ibn Saud and the other agents of the colonialists.

The truth is that every Muslim will be a slumdog without the just Islamic system that would give him his honour back.

On the whole the Muslim Ummah will be treated like a slumdog at the hands of corrupt and selfish western power till the film comes to the climax.

But there is a major problem with this movie. Since the producers and directors of the movie did not fix the climax of the film for their own selfish reasons, as a result they are unable to bring the film to an end. Now they have realised that the climax is out of their hands. The climax looks more and more likely to be shaped by the heroes of this film themselves.

85 years on, the film is being produced and made everyday, Slumdog Muslim is the film that portrays the real situation that the Ummah is in today.

The following are some of the scenes of this film:

1920 British Mandates to Iraq, Transjordan and Palestine. French Mandate to Lebanon and Syria.

1921 'Abdullah recognised as Amir of Transjordan, Faisal made King of Iraq.

1924 Abolition of the Khilafah.

1926 Ibn Sa'ud proclaimed King of Hijaz.

1926 Sheikh Sa'id moved against Mustapha Kamal in 1926 with arms

1927 British recognition of independent Ibn Sa'ud's Kingdom.

1930 Britain terminates Mandate in Iraq and sponsors Iraq's membership of League of Nations.

1932 Ibn Sa'ud's Kingdom named Saudi Arabia.

1933 King Faisal of Iraq dies and is replaced by his son Ghazi.

1934 War between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, ended by British mediation with border changes favouring Saudi Arabia.

1936 Beginning of Arab revolt in Palestine.

1937 Peel Commission proposes partition in Palestine.

1939 Anglo-Turkish Treaty. White Paper on Palestine.

1940 Rashid Ali government formed in Iraq.

1941 British military intervention in Iraq, overthrowing Rashid Ali's government.

1942 British impose Wafd Party government on King Faruk. Jews demand Jewish state.

1945 Arab League pact signed in Cairo.

1947 Creation of Pakistan and India

1948 The creation of the illegal state of Israel

1971 The bloodshed in East Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh

1995 Bosnia war

1990 Gulf war

1992 The destruction of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, India by Hindu mobs

1995 Chechnya massacre

2003 Occupation of Afghanistan

2005 Occupation of Iraq

2009 Islamic Lands continue to be divided into more than fifty secular nations.

Just as with Jamal in ‘Slumdog millionaire’ some aspects are in our control and other aspects beyond us. Whether we follow the guidebook of life, the Quran or not is within our control, whether we strive to work for its implementation by the establishment of a true Islamic state is also in our sphere of control. When will we hit the jackpot and become ‘millionaires’ and regain our security, independence, authority, justice and tranquility is beyond our control, this will happen only when Allah decides. However there is a difference here, for us it is not about ‘if’ its about ‘when’ – as we are promised this victory by the Almighty and His Messenger (salallahu alayhi wasalam). What remains is for us all to seriously work for it.

Allah says: "Allah has promised those amongst you who believe and work righteous deeds, that he will indeed grant them inheritance of power in the earth, as he granted it to those before them; that he will establish in authority their Deen, which he has chosen for them, and that he will change their state from a state of fear into a state of security and peace. They will worship me alone and not associate partners with me, and those who reject faith after this, they will be the rebellious and the wicked" [An-Noor :55]

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal extracted that Huthayfah said the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wasalam) said: "The Prophecy will remain amongst you as long as Allah wills, then Allah will lift it when he wishes, then it will be a Khilafah Rashidah (i.e.: The first four Khalifahs) on the method of the Prophecy, it will remain for as long as Allah wills, then he will lift it when he wills, then it will be a hereditary leadership (i.e.: the Abbasid and Ummayid dynasties etc.) for as long as Allah wills then he will lift it when he so wills. Then there will be a tyrannical rule (i.e.: all the current Kufr regimes of the Muslims) for as long as Allah wills, then he will lift it when he so wills, then there will be a Khilafah Rashidah on the method of the Prophecy, then he kept silent." [Musnad Imam Ahmed 4/273]

The sweetness of Islamic faith

2009-05-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

The sweetness of Islamic faith

Adil Salahi | Arab News

Anas ibn Malik quotes the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying: “Any person who combines these three qualities will experience the sweetness of faith: 1) that God and His messenger are dearer to him than anything else; 2) that his love of others is purely for God’s sake; and 3) that he hates to relapse into disbelief as much as he hates to be thrown in the fire.” (Related by Al-Bukhari).

The first thing to note in this Hadith is that certain qualities are necessary before a person experiences the sweetness of faith. This suggests that a person may look at the message of Islam and find it reasonable and logical. He declares himself a believer and expresses his unhesitating belief in God’s oneness and in Prophet Muhammad’s message. Such a person is a Muslim, no doubt. He earns the reward of believers. However, he needs to do more in order to experience what the Prophet describes as “the sweetness of faith.”

Such sweetness is like the fruit of a tree. Thus, when one is convinced of the truth of faith, that person has planted a shoot, which one needs to nurture and look after so that it grows into a tree and produces its fruits. Nurturing the tree of faith is by fulfilling God’s orders, doing what He wants us to do and refraining from what He has forbidden us. Indeed when a believer begins to do that, committing himself to do what God has bidden, he will soon find the effects of such commitment within himself and in his life generally because God only orders us to do what is good for us, and He forbids us only what is evil and harmful to us or others. Thus, such committed person will realize that his commitment brings him increasing benefits in this present life, in addition to what he hopes to receive of God’s reward. He would then love his commitment and do it more than willingly.

Islam forbids all intoxicating drinks, putting extra emphasis on even tasting an alcoholic drink. Take the case of a young Muslim studying in Europe or America. He may find himself among a group of friends who are all drinking. They try to persuade him to have a small glass of wine, concentrating on its benefits and saying that drinking in moderation causes no harm. He may feel tempted to join, but then he looks at one of his friends on whom the effects of alcohol are beginning to tell and realizes how that person is starting to lose control of himself. Our Muslim friend will then step back, finding extra strength to resist the temptation. The more he reflects on the effects of drinking the greater is his love of the Islamic way that forbids all alcoholic drinks, even in the smallest measure. His commitment to do God’s bidding grows always stronger. It is such strong commitment that is the mark of his love of God and His messenger.

The two other qualities develop in consequence of the first. A Muslim’s commitment to obey God in all that He bids us to do or refrain from will begin to influence his social life. His relations with other people will put much importance on their attitude to Islam and Islamic life. He will love those who do what He does of obeying God and following the Prophet’s guidance. His relationship with them will be based on the fact that they share a commitment and a method of living that places obedience to God as paramount. They will all feel a bond uniting them in a cause that brings only goodness in human life. Such bond generates a sort of happiness that envelops them all, a happiness that can transform every human society and bring the best out of it.

Experiencing all this, a true believer is always increasingly happy with his faith and way of life. He will not barter it for anything on earth. He realizes that this happy life will also bring him far superior happiness in the life to come. He cannot imagine himself going back to disbelief. Indeed, to him the very thought is so repugnant that he would prefer to be thrown in the fire rather than be an unbeliever.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=5§ion=0&article=120209&d=22&m=3&y=2009

What is Barzakh?

2009-03-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

What is Barzakh? Please explain in details. also I would like to know what kind of punishment is there on which sins?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

What is meant by al-barzakh is the period between a person's death and his resurrection on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever dies as a Muslim, obeying Allaah, will be in a blessed state, and whoever dies as a kaafir, disobeying Allaah, will be punished. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning);

“The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon. And on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): ‘Cause Fir‘aun’s (Pharaoh) people to enter the severest torment!’” [Ghaafir 40:46]

The punishments vary according to the sins committed. A hadeeth was narrated in Saheeh al-Bukhaari which describes the torments of al-barzakh which will befall some of those who committed major sins. It was narrated that Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allaah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) often used to ask his companions, ‘Did any one of you see a dream?’ So dreams would be described to him by those who Allaah willed should speak. One morning, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Last night, two people came to me (in a dream), and woke me up and said, ‘Let’s go!’ I set out with them, and we came across a man who was lying down, with another man standing over him, holding a big rock. He threw the rock at the man's head, smashing it. The rock rolled away, and the one who had thrown it followed it, and picked it up. By the time he came back to the man, his head had been restored to its former state. Then he (the one who had thrown the rock) did the same as he had done before. I said to my two companions, ‘Subhaan Allaah! Who are these two persons?’ They said, ‘Move on!’

So we went on, and came to a man who was lying flat on his back, with another man standing over him, holding an iron hook. He put the hook in the man's mouth and tore off that side of his face to the back (of his neck), and he tore his nose and his eye from front to back in a similar manner. Then he turned to the other side of the man's face and did likewise. No sooner had he finished the second side but the first side was restored to its former state, then he went back and did the same thing again. I said to my two companions, ‘Subhaan Allaah! Who are these two persons?’ They said, ‘Move on!’

So we went on, and came to something like a tannoor (a kind of oven, lined with clay, usually used for baking bread). – I think the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, in that oven there was much noise and voices. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) added: - We looked into it and saw naked men and women. A flame of fire was reaching them from underneath, and when it reached them, they cried out loudly. I asked them, ‘Who are these?’ They said to me, ‘Move on!’

So we went on and came to a river – I think he said, red like blood. – In the river there was a man swimming, and on the bank there was a man who had gathered many stones. Whilst the swimmer was swimming, the man who had gathered the stones approached him. The swimmer opened his mouth and the man on the bank threw a stone into it, then the swimmer carried on swimming. Each time he came back, he opened his mouth again, and the man on the bank threw another stone into his mouth. I said to my two companions, ‘Who are these two persons?’ They said, ‘Move on, move on!’

We went on and came to a man who had the most repulsive appearance imaginable. Beside him there was a fire, which he was kindling, and he was running around it. I asked my companions, ‘Who is this man?’ They said, ‘Move on, move on!’

So we went on until we reached a garden of deep green dense vegetation, with all kinds of spring colours. In the midst of this garden was a very tall man, whose head I could hardly see because of his great height. Around him there were children, a great number such as I have never seen. I said to my companions, ‘who is this man, and who are these children?’ They said, ‘Move on, move on!’

So we went on, until we came to a huge garden, bigger and better than any I have ever seen. My two companions said to me, ‘Go up.’ So we went up into it, until we reached a city built of gold and silver bricks. We went to the gate and asked for it to be opened. It was opened and we entered the city, where we found men with one side of their bodies more handsome than the most handsome person you have ever seen, and the other side uglier than the ugliest person you have ever seen. My two companions ordered those men to throw themselves into the river. There was a river flowing through the city, and its water was pure white. The men went and threw themselves in the river, and came out with the ugliness in their bodies gone, and they were in the best shape. (My two companions) said to me, ‘This is the Paradise of ‘ Aden (the Garden of Eden), and that is your place.’ I looked up and saw a palace like a white cloud. They said to me, ‘That is your place.’ I said to them, ‘May Allaah bless you both, let me enter it.’ They said, ‘For now you will not enter it, but you shall enter it (one day).’ I said to them, I have seen many wonders this night.

What do all these things mean that I have seen?’ They said: ‘We will tell you. The first man you came across, whose head was being smashed with the rock, is the man who studies the Qur’aan then he neither recites it nor acts upon it, and he goes to sleep, neglecting the obligatory prayers. The man you came across whose mouth, nose and ears were being torn from front to back, is the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells a lie that is so serious that it spreads all over the world. The naked men and women whom you saw in a structure that resembled an oven are the adulterers and adulteresses. The man you saw swimming in the river with rocks being thrown into his mouth is the one who consumed riba (usury). The ugly-looking man whom you saw kindling a fire and walking around it was Maalik, the keeper of Hell. The tall man whom you saw in the garden was Ibraaheem, and the children around him were the children who died (young) in a state of fitrah (natural state of mankind, i.e., Islam).’ – Some of the Muslims asked, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what about the children of the mushrikeen?’ He said, ‘And the children of the mushrikeen too.’ – ‘As for the men who were half handsome and half ugly, they were people who had mixed a good deed with another deed that was bad, but Allaah forgave them.’”
(narrated by Muslim, no. 6525)

Shaykh Waleed al-Firyaan
http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/%2011110/

What Does It Mean to Be a Muslim?

2009-03-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

What Does It Mean to Be a Muslim?

In Surah Al-Israa', Allah mentions some basic commitments of Muslims. Without fulfilling these commitments, no individual or group can succeed. Muslims have to live by these values and should invite humanity to these principles.

These principles are not limited to one race, tribe, or group; they are universal in their scope and application. These are also called the hikmah or the teachings of wisdom. If followed properly, they are capable of increasing the goodness and wisdom of all people.

These principles are as follows:

1. To worship Allah alone

[Thy Lord hath decreed, that ye worship none save Him.] (Al-Israa' 17:23)

This means to recognize Allah as the ultimate reality and to recognize Allah as the Lord, to worship Him with all sincerity and to submit to Him in every aspect of life. A Muslim's life is nothing but total commitment to Allah.

We are not only monotheists but we are also theocentric people. Allah is the center of our life and He is our total and ultimate concern.

2. To be respectful and kind to parents

[And (that ye show) kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not "Fie" unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word. And make yourself submissively gentle to them with compassion, and say: My Lord! Have mercy on them both as they did care for me when I was little.] (Al-Israa' 17:23-24)

This is to acknowledge the compassion and kindness of parents, to be grateful to them, and to do one's utmost to reciprocate that love and compassion.

Filial piety and devotion is the second most important commitment of Muslims. Respect and kindness to parents is not just a social duty for us; it is our religious duty and obligation.

3. To be good to relatives, to the poor, and to travelers

[Give the kinsman his due, and the needy, and the wayfarer.] ( Al-Israa' 17:26)

This is to remember that we are interconnected in this world. Our responsibilities are not only towards ourselves and our immediate families, but also to other relatives and to the society at large.

We are all in need of each other and we are all fellow travelers in this path of life. We must see what we can do for others. Muslims must live a socially responsible life. Social responsibility begins with the family and other relatives and it includes all those who are in need.

4. To be careful with money and not waste resources

[And squander not (thy wealth) in wantonness. Lo! the squanderers were ever brothers of the devils, and the devil was ever an ingrate to his Lord … And let not thy hand be chained (like a niggard's) to thy neck nor open it with a complete opening, lest thou become blameworthy and destitute. Lo! thy Lord enlargeth the provision for whom He will, and straiteneth (it for whom He will). Lo, He was ever Knower, Seer of His slaves.] (Al-Israa' 17:26-27, 29-30)

One should be neither too tight with one's money nor too loose with it. Extravagance is not right, but also one should not become stingy and miserly. A Muslim is committed to the balanced life style.

Money should be earned in halal (lawful) ways and it should be spent in the right manner. This principle can be applied to all resources that Allah has given us. Wise and conscientious use of resources is a very important commitment of Muslims.

5. To take good care of children

[Slay not your children, fearing a fall to poverty, We shall provide for them and for you. Lo! the slaying of them is great sin.] (Al-Israa' 17:31)

As we recognize the rights of the parents, we should also recognize the rights of children. Our children are our future. We must see that we raise healthy, intelligent and morally responsible children. Our commitment should be to raise them in safe and healthy environment. We must protect their life as well as their sprit and mind, their morals and manners.

6. To steer clear of adultery and illicit relations

[And come not near unto fornication. Lo! it is an abomination and an evil way.] (Al-Israa' 17:32)

Sexual perversions bring the greatest harm to individuals and societies. Observing the proper rules in this matter lead to health, happiness, and a good, moral society. Muslims are committed to pure, clean, and socially responsible lifestyle.

Islam teaches that one should not come even close to adultery or fornication. This means proper dress codes for males and females, proper behavior in mixed societies, and proper control on social relations and entertainment.

7. To respect every life and not to kill anyone unless in the pursuit of justice

[And slay not the life which Allah hath forbidden except for a just cause.] (Al-Israa' 17:33)

This means that one should recognize the sanctity of all life and should not do anything that may jeopardize life. One should avoid aggression and violence, because these things lead to murder. Every Muslim must be committed to peaceful ways. Conflicts should be resolved by dialogue and negotiations, not by killings and murders. However, justice must be maintained, because just punishment brings safety and protects life.

8. To take care of the orphans

[Come not nigh to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength] (Al-Israa' 17:34)

Orphans and all those who are vulnerable must be taken care of. Their rights must be recognized and they should be protected from all harm. A Muslim must be deeply committed to the care of the young, poor, infirm, and handicapped. Kindness and compassion is the basic commitment of a Muslim. It includes everyone and includes the animals.

9. To fulfill promises and commitments

[And keep the covenant. Lo! of the covenant it will be asked.] (Al-Israa' 17:34)

Promises and contracts are an important part of human life and human civilization. When promises are not kept, people lose trust in each other and the whole society becomes weak. Muslims must be true to their words. Our commitment must be to speak the truth and to be honest and when we make a pledge we must do our best to fulfill our pledges.

10. To be honest in business dealings

[Give full measure when ye measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight: that is the most fitting and the most advantageous in the end.] (Al-Israa' 17:35)

Honest business brings progress, success, and blessings. All business, whether commercial, social, or political must be done with a sense of justice and fairness. A Muslim is committed to fair dealing in every thing and with every one. Dealing with a Muslim means dealing with full confidence. A Muslim businessman should be the most truthful businessman. A Muslim worker should be the most honest worker. A Muslim in any profession should bring honor to that profession.

11. To act upon knowledge and not follow hearsay or act on half-truths

[Follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart—of each of these it will be asked.] (Al-Israa' 17:36)

Information agencies, the media, have a great responsibility. A lot of injustice is done when misinformation is given or information is misused. Muslims should be committed to truth in information. They should promote truthful and honest reporting about everyone, including their enemies. A report coming from a Muslim source should be the most trustworthy report. In a similar way, Muslims should be extremely careful with their actions and reactions. They should not react against everyone without proper evidence.

12. To be humble and have no arrogance

[And walk not on the earth exultant. Lo! thou canst not rend the earth, nor canst thou stretch to the height of the mountains.] (Al-Israa' 17:37)

Moderation and balance is the best thing in one's behavior as well as in one's attitude toward others. A Muslim is a dignified person, but he or she is humble. A Muslim is not boastful, arrogant, or vainglorious. A Muslim thanks Allah for all His gifts. For everything, the ultimate praise is for Allah and the real glory belongs to Allah.

These are the basic commitments of Muslims as individuals and as people. These are the principles of wisdom and the universal values of Islam. When they are followed, they bring justice, peace, and happiness in this world and they will indeed bring success and salvation in the Hereafter. Let us all try to make these our real commitments.

http://www.readingislam.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1184649509187&pagename=Zone-English-Discover_Islam/DIELayout

The Ruling Concerning Celebrating Birthdays.

2009-03-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

The Ruling Concerning Celebrating Birthdays.

Question:

What is the ruling concerning celebrating birthdays?

Answer:

Celebrating birthdays has no source whatsoever in the pure shariah. In fact, it is an innovation, since the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi-wasallam) said,

“Whoever introduces anything into this matter of ours that does not belong to it shall have it rejected.”

This was recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. In a version recorded by Muslim and by al-Bukhari in definitive muallaq form.

"Whoever performs a deed which is not in accord with our affairs, that deed is rejected.”

It is well-known that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi-wasallam) did not celebrate his birthday at all during his lifetime nor did he ever order it to be celebrated. Nor did he teach such to his Companions. Therefore, the rightly-guided caliphs and all of his Companions did not celebrate it. They are the most knowledgeable of the people concerning his sunnah and they are the most beloved to the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi-wasallam). They were also the most keen upon following whatever the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi-wasallam) brought. Therefore, if one is supposed to celebrate the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi-wasallam) birthday, this would have been made evident at their time. Similarly, not one of the scholars of the best of generations celebrated his birthday nor did they order it to be done.

Therefore, it is known from the above that such a celebration is not from the Law that Allah sent Muhammed (sallallaahu ‘alaihi-wasallam) with. We ask Allah and all Muslims to witness that if the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi-wasallam) had done so or ordered such to be done, or even if the Companions had done so, we would rush to do it and call others to do it. This is because, and all praises are due to Allah, we are the most keen in following his sunnah and respecting his commands and prohibitions. We ask Allah, for ourselves and for all our brethren Muslims, steadfastness upon the truth, avoiding everything that differs from Allah’s pure shariah. Verily, He is Generous and Noble.

Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz
Islamic Fatawa Regarding Women - Darussalam Pg.33-34

Lack of Understanding of Religion

2009-03-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

Written by Shaykh `Aa'id Abdullah al-Qarnee

That is what distinguishes the hypocrites, that they and all praise be to Allah, do not understand a thing about the Religion. The hypocrite knows how to drive a car and its mechanics, he knows the nations of the world and their capitals, he also knows lots of trivial things and various other useless facts which do not benefit him, if they do not harm him. However, when you approach him with things from the Religion which are common knowledge, he doesn't know a thing about them.

Allah, the Sublime, says:

"But the hypocrites do not understand." [Al-Qur'an, Al-Munaafiqoon (63):7]

The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam, said as is reported in the Saheehs of Al-Bukhari and Muslim: "Whomsoever Allah wishes to show goodness, he gives him understanding of the Religion."

The people of knowledge have said the opposite to this is that whomsoever Allah does not wish to show goodness, He does not bestow upon him the understanding of the Religion.

The sign of a believer is that he understands the Religion and is constantly increasing his knowledge of certain matters and benefits and he is covetous of all that is good, as well as the gatherings wherein it is disseminated. The hypocrite, however, completely turns away. When the people talk in a gathering about matters to do with the Prayer or worship, it is to him as if they are speaking in a different language. However, when a matter of this world comes up such a price of goods, vouchers, bills, travellers cheques, the yen and the dollar (and I do not say that the believer does not know these matters, rather he knows these matters but he also knows the affairs of the Religion) then he (the hypocrite) speaks as if that is the only thing in the world which interests him besides food and drink. So he whoknows these matters but does not know a thing about the Religion, then that is a sign of hypocrisy and refuge is only with Allah!

http://www.newmuslimguide.com/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=93
http://web.archive.org/web/20070814133406/www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=11

The ruling on democracy and taking a leadership role

2009-02-28T08:38:00.000-08:00

Question:

What is the ruling on democracy and taking a leadership role in parliment or other levels of the democratical government? What is the ruling regarding voting for someone in democracy? How was the islamic state organized, and governed in the classical times?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Democracy is a man-made system, meaning rule by the people for the people. Thus it is contrary to Islam, because rule is for Allaah, the Most High, the Almighty, and it is not permissible to give legislative rights to any human being, no matter who he is.

It says in Mawsoo’at al-Adyaan wa’l-Madhaahib al-Mu’aasirah (2/1066, 1067):

Undoubtedly the democratic system is one of the modern forms of shirk, in terms of obedience and following, or legislation, as it denies the sovereignty of the Creator and His absolute right to issue laws, and ascribes that right to human beings. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named (forged) — you and your fathers — for which Allaah has sent down no authority. The command (or the judgement) is for none but Allaah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him (i.e. His Monotheism); that is the (true) straight religion, but most men know not” [Yoosuf 12:40]

“The decision is only for Allaah” [al-An’aam 6:57]

End quote.

This has been discussed in detail in the answer to question no. 98134.

Secondly:

The one who understands the true nature of the democratic system and the ruling thereon, then he nominates himself or someone else (for election) is approving of this system, and is working with it, is in grave danger, because the democratic system is contrary to Islam and approving of it and participating in it are actions that imply apostasy and being beyond the pale of Islam.

But as for the one who nominates himself or nominates others in this system in order to join the parliament and enjoin good and forbid evil, and establish proof against them, and reduce its evil and corruption as much as he can, so that people of corruption and disbelievers in Allaah will not have free rein to spread mischief in the land and spoil people’s worldly interests and religious commitment, this is a matter that is subject to ijtihaad, according to the interests that it is hoped will be served by that.

Some scholars are even of the view that getting involved in these elections is obligatory.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on elections, and he replied: I think that elections are obligatory; we should appoint the one who we think is good, because if the good people abstain, who will take their place? Evil people will take their place, or neutral people in whom there is neither good nor evil, but they follow everyone who makes noise. So we have no choice but to choose those who we think are fit.

If someone were to say: We chose someone but most of the parliament are not like that,

We say: It does not matter. If Allaah blesses this one person and enables him to speak the truth in this parliament, he will undoubtedly have an effect. But what we need is to be sincere towards Allaah and the problem is that we rely too much on physical means and we do not listen to what Allaah says. So nominate the one who you think is good, and put your trust in Allaah. End quote.

From Liqaa’aat al-Baab al-Maftooh, no. 210
http://www.ibnothai meen.com/ all/sound/ article_16230. shtml

The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked:

Is it permissible to vote in elections and nominate people for them? Please note that our country is ruled according to something other than that which Allaah revealed?

They replied:

It is not permissible for a Muslim to nominate himself in the hope that he can become part of a system which rules according to something other than that which Allaah has revealed and operates according to something other than the sharee’ah of Islam. It is not permissible for a Muslim to vote for him or for anyone else who will work in that government, unless the one who nominates himself or those who vote for him hope that by getting involved in that they will be able to change the system to one that operates according to the sharee’ah of Islam, and they are using this as a means to overcome the system of government, provided that the one who nominates himself will not accept any position after being elected except one that does not go against Islamic sharee’ah. End quote.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Qa’ood.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (23/406, 407

They were also asked:

As you know, here in Algeria we have what are called legislative elections. There are parties which call for Islamic rule, and there are others that do not want Islamic rule. What is the ruling on one who votes for something other than Islamic rule even though he prays?

They replied:

The Muslims in a country that is not governed according to Islamic sharee’ah should do their utmost and strive as much as they can to bring about rule according to Islamic sharee’ah, and they should unite in helping the party which is known will rule in accordance with Islamic sharee’ah. As for supporting one who calls for non-implementation of Islamic sharee’ah, that is not permissible, rather it may lead a person to kufr, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And so judge (you O Muhammad s.a.w.) among them by what Allaah has revealed and follow not their vain desires, but beware of them lest they turn you (O Muhammad s.a.w.) far away from some of that which Allaah has sent down to you. And if they turn away, then know that Allaah’s Will is to punish them for some sins of theirs. And truly, most of men are Faasiqoon (rebellious and disobedient to Allaah).

Do they then seek the judgement of (the days of) Ignorance? And who is better in judgement than Allaah for a people who have firm Faith” [al-Maa'idah 5:49-50].

Hence when Allaah stated that those who do not rule in accordance with Islamic sharee’ah are guilty of kufr, He warned against helping them or taking them as allies or close friends, and He commanded the believers to fear Him if they were truly believers. He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Take not as Awliyaa’ (protectors and helpers) those who take your religion as a mockery and fun from among those who received the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before you, and nor from among the disbelievers; and fear Allaah if you indeed are true believers” [al-Maa’idah 5:57]

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.

Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (1/373).

http://islamqa. com/en/ref/ 107166

Thinking Haram

2009-02-28T08:31:00.000-08:00

Question:

What is the ruling on a person thinking of doing haram acts like stealing or committing adultery, while he is sure that he will not do them even if it is very easy for him to do?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

If something crosses a person’s mind, such as thoughts of zina, stealing, consuming intoxicants and so on, but he does not do anything, then he is forgiven for that and he does not incur sin thereby, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has forgiven my ummah for what crosses their minds, so long as they do not speak of it or act upon it.” And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever thinks of doing a bad deed but does not do it, it will not be recorded against him;” and according to another version, “one hasanah (good deed) will be recorded for him, because he refrained from it for My sake.” Agreed upon – narrated from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him). What this means is that if a person refrains from a bad deed that he was thinking of for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will record one hasanah for him, and if he refrains from it for any other reason, then no sayi’ah (bad deed) will be recorded against him, but no hasanah will be recorded for him either. This is the bounty of Allaah to His slaves; to Him be praise and thanks, there is no god but Him and no lord beside Him.

May Allaah send blessings and peace upon Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn Baaz (5/424)

Tel Aviv blanks out unpleasant images

2009-01-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

Tel Aviv blanks out unpleasant images

ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER: Every morning, a dangerous game of cat and mouse unfolds on the Gaza border as foreign photographers seek to get around the tight grip that Israel has imposed on information on its war on Gaza.

As dawn breaks, mud-splattered jeeps veer off the main road and drive at breakneck speed across the bumpy terrain in search of action shots of the troops deployed along the border.

Creeping through the undergrowth, a handful of photographers stop several hundred meters from two of Israel’s big guns, waiting to catch on film the precise moment the cannons blast their payload toward Gaza — a deafening roar which rocks the ground.

Those who are caught — and Israel’s military police are everywhere — are arrested, their cameras seized and in some cases, the images erased. Others say they have been held at gunpoint.

“It’s a game of cat and mouse,” said one photographer. “The military police are everywhere — it’s impossible to work like this.”

Keeping foreign journalists away is one of several steps that Israel has taken to control the information about its biggest military operation since the 2006 war in Lebanon. Others have included confiscating the mobile phones of thousands of soldiers ahead of the launch of its massive ground offensive.

Despite a ruling from Israel’s Supreme Court on Friday, which ordered the state to allow groups of up to 12 foreign reporters in to Gaza to cover the war, no one has yet been permitted to enter.

On the Palestinian side, Hamas fighters are preventing photographers from reaching areas where fighters are battling Israeli ground troops.

The result: The only images available of one of Israel’s largest and deadliest offensives in Gaza are night shots of troops walking across the border, smoke rising from Gaza and pictures of the dead.

The situation was starkly different less than three years ago, when journalists enjoyed much freer access to the fighting between Israeli troops and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Danny Seaman, head of the Government Press Office, explained the new situation: “No reporters are allowed into Gaza because our soldiers will not sacrifice their lives to protect them. The world press doesn’t care about the suffering of the Israeli people. They are only worried about the Palestinian. Why isn’t anyone reporting on what’s happening in southern Israel?”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor was more diplomatic. “I can’t say that there is a deliberate and overall decision not to allow reporters in. There is fighting at the crossings. Hamas is shelling the crossings and the army does not want to take responsibility for the lives of civilians,” he said.

http://www.arabnews .com/?page=4§ion=0&article=117926&d=7&m=1&y=2009&pix=world.jpg&category=World

GAZA: How Biased Media Manipulates the Facts

2009-01-18T10:28:00.000-08:00

GAZA: How Biased Media Manipulates the Facts
YVONNE RIDLEY on 09 January, 2009

THE media coverage of the war in Gaza by Western television companies is largely unfair and biased because of a refusal to show viewers the real images of the victims. One of the reasons for this is Israel's decision not to allow the Western media in to Gaza.

In addition to this outrageous censorship by a so-called democracy, we get the usual arguments that most of the images shown by the Arab media are too shocking to show the viewing public in the West.

Admittedly, the horrific clip sent to me of a child's head lying detached, among debris in Gaza did make me gasp.

But this is war and this is real and if the Western media did show these sort of images may be the general public would wake up to the full horrors of what happens when bombs are dropped on civilian populations.

There is no such reticence in the Arab media which is why more people with satellites are switching on to television from the Middle East to watch the unfolding genocide in Gaza.

And one rising media star is the fledgling Press TV, broadcast from Iran, and recently introduced to the Sky platform 515. It is fast becoming the first station of choice for the viewing public - especially the English-speaking across Europe - who simply want the truth, no matter who shocking or unpalatable it may be.

There are around half a dozen Palestinian journalists on the ground with Press TV crews revealing the full horrors of the war as20it unfolds. I am amazed by their dedication and courage and I salute each and every one of them ... some are my personal friends.

Yes, I do present a show for20the station, but I have also worked as a journalist for more than three decades covering conflicts and their aftermaths from The Falklands, first and second Gulf wars, the Irish Troubles, as well as Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq for a variety of print and electronic media.

And one thing common in each conflict is the constant battle by journalists and war correspondents to get to the truth of the matter, but the battle to tell the truth is becoming more and more difficult despite the amazing technology now available.

People in powerful places who do terrible things do not want the truth to get out, which is why journalists are finding themselves banned or censored more and more.

You see the truth is a very strong and influential weapon which can be used against those people.

Sadly when it is twisted and manipulated it can wreak even more havoc.

The Israeli war machine is master full in its complete distortion of the truth which is why the state continues to go unpunished for its failure to adhere to the Geneva convention concerning the collective punishment of the citizens of Gaza.

Israeli tactics are cruel, malicious and demonstrate that its leaders are not interested in the peace process or a Palestinian State.

They are creating the ideal breeding ground for extremism, sabotaging peace efforts and squandering the good will they have been given.

Five years ago, the Bush administration lied about weapons of mass destruction ... it was a lie eagerly repeated by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to fool the media into supporting an illegal, immoral invasion of Iraq. And it worked.

To their eternal shame, most of the western media fell in line and swallowed the lie - with the exception of a few journalists most have kept quiet about this collective cock up. The New York Times did issue a front page apology later, but the damage had been done and public perception was difficult to change.

Sadly, many of the same news organisations and the same journalists have learned nothing from that shameful period. At the beginning of this war, Israel trotted out only the flimsy excuse of the Hamas rockets as justification for unleashing its brand of Shock and Awe in Gaza.

Hamas rockets have killed just over 20 Israelis since 2001 whereas Israel's war on Gaza has killed more than 700 including more than 200 children in the last 13 days. The seriously maimed and injured is running in to thousands as I write.

But the 'Hamas rocket' excuse went unchallenged in the West, although to its full credit the Israeli media revealed20days later that Operation Cast Lead was a long-planned campaign six months in the making aimed at crushing democratically elected Hamas.

Yes, I admit the rockets do exist but they are nothing more than metal barrels of junk fuelled by fertiliser. As one colleague remarked they're mere slingshots compared to the shells, million dollar missiles and bunker-busting bombs used by Israel.

Some argue the Qassam rockets are used out of desperation, I personally think they're more of a two-fingered gesture from a people who have suffered a brutal, medieval siege at the hands of Israel for years.

Despite its amazing war machine, and its state-of-the- art-technology these little rockets rarely show up on any military radars. The Israelis don't know about them until they've landed and that's what hacks them off.

Yet Israeli leaders and their supporters continue to present absurd propaganda about Hamas rockets which are far less sophisticated than anything the IRA ever used in mainland Britain during the height of The Troubles. Mind you, the IRA was funded and backed by US dollars whereas the Hamas military wing has no such generous donors.

I don't recall the British Government ordering cruise missiles to be launched on Belfast in retaliation for the misery and suffering of IRA bombing campaigns in London, Manchester, Birmingham and other places. I can't ever recall Apache Attack Helicopters hovering outside the Sinn Fein offices in the Falls Road or targetted assassinations of IRA leaders.

Most journalists with an ounce of investigation skills would realise that the Hamas Rocket excuse is a sham.

But it continues to be used as an excuse for unleashing what has been described by various people, including Jewish peace activists, as a holocaust and genocide.

Millions across the world have demonstrated - anger and anarchy on the streets has been witness across all continents but the only ones who look away are the Western leaders and the servile media.
The gaggle of belly-dancing Middle Eastern leaders are largely a disgrace and are about as much use as the increasingly toothless United Nations, but there is a backlash coming and it's coming from ordinary citizens across the world.

People power, the sort of power which inspired the Iranian and Cuban revolutions, the toppling of brutal dictators like Romania's Nicolae Ceausescu and the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, is emerging.
The Western media can either catch up with the agenda instead of trying to follow the Zionist agenda by continuing to peddle big lies. The viewing public have largely lost trust in the mainstream media, especially in the wake of Iraq.

Quite simply, the public has become cynical and jaded and can not be lied to any more. if the mainstream media is to regain any credibility journalists need to challenge israeli and Western leaders.
The truth is a powerful we apon and it is true that...

ISRAEL targets civilians - more than two thirds of the dead are women and children. So why allow Tzipi Livni to say: "Gaza Strip being controlled by Hamas, and the price is being paid by Israeli children and Palestinian children, but the blame is and the address is Hamas." This is a clear lie. What Israeli children have been killed? The only dead children are in Gaza.

Hamas is a political organisation which has a military wing and not the other way around. It was democratically elected by the people who were sick of the previous corrupt politicians who let them down.
Israel broke the ceasefire on November 4 2008 - a fact finally acknowledged on CNN nearly two months later in a discussion show although the BBC, Fox and other western media have yet to mention this.

Hamas does not use civilians as human shields - again, where is the evidence? Israel needs to put up or shut up, but the media never demands to see the evidence.

Israel says it cares about civilians and warns them in advance of the bombing raids in their area - well so did the IRA but I don't remember anyone congratulating them on their humanitarian actions.
And beware of the latest lie about to hit the media about Hamas commander Mahmoud Zahar who, according to the Zionist propaganda said jewish children across the world are targets. A guest columnist in The Guardian quoted Zahar as saying: "The Zionists have legitimised the killing of their children by killing our children. They have legitimised the killing of their people all over the world by killing our people."

This is not what he said. Unfortunately the Arabic translation was incorrect and those who should know better have failed to check the original speech against the transcript.
The damage has now been done and it remains to see if an apology or correction will follow.

As Sir Winston Churchill said: "A lie is halfway round the world before the truth has a chance to get its boots on."

*Yvonne Ridley presents The Agenda show on Press TV every Thursday. She and film-maker Haq Nawaz recently returned from Gaza for a documentary which will be shown on Press TV later this spring. To watch Press TV live without satellite download www.presstv. com

She regularly contributes to DailyMuslims.com

Vote for Palestine

2009-01-18T10:21:00.000-08:00

Vote for Palestine

ZIONIST…. THEY ARE SAD ABOUT WORLD OPINION

zionists are worried about world opinion…..they are sending out mass emails begging everyone to click on zionist flag to support them.

Click on the Palestine Flag and show your support for the oppressed!

http://www.israel-vs-palestine.com/gz/

If error or something shows up, go back and try again, keep trying until you can vote. And share with others!

Benefits of Practicing lkhlas With Allah

2009-01-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

Benefits of Practicing lkhlas With Allah
Shaykh Husayn al-Awaaishah
Kitab Al-Ikhlas
The Daar of Islamic Heritage

1. The Muslim ummah will be victorious, for the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, what translated means, "Allah only gives victory to this nation because of its weak ones, because of their du`aa', prayer and ikhlas." [At-Targhib wa At-Tarhib].

2. Acquiring safety from Allah's punishment and wrath in the Hereafter. Allah said about some people who observe ikhlas, what translated means,

"And they give food, in spite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to the poor, the orphan, and the captive. (Saying), 'We feed you seeking Allah's Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you. Verily, we fear from our Lord a Day, hard and distressful, that will make the faces look horrible (from extreme dislikeness to it).' So Allah saved them from the evil of that Day, and gave them Nadhratan (a light of beauty) and joy. And their recompense shall be Paradise , and silken garments, because they were patient." [76:8-12].

3. Elevation to a higher grade in the Hereafter. There are many ayat and hadiths about this subject, such as the following ayah that describes the abrar (the pious). Allah said, what translated means,

"So Allah saved them from the evil of that Day, and gave them Nadhratan (a light of beauty) and joy. And their recompense shall be Paradise, and silken garments, because they were patient. Reclining therein on raised thrones, they will see there neither the excessive heat of the sun, nor the excessive bitter cold. And the shade thereof is close upon them, and the bunches of fruit thereof will hang low within their reach. And amongst them will be passed round vessels of silver and cups of crystal. Crystal-clear, made of silver. They will determine the measure thereof according to their wishes. And they will be given to drink there a cup (of wine) mixed with Zanjabil (ginger, etc.). A spring there, called Salsabil. And round about them will (serve) boys of everlasting youth. If you see them, you would think them scattered pearls." [76:11-19].

Also, the Messenger of Allah said, what translated means, "The first group that enters Paradise will be glittering like the moon when it is full. The following group will glitter like the brightest planet in the sky; they will neither urinate, nor answer the call of nature, nor spit, nor have any nasal secretions; their brushes will be from gold, their sweat is Misk. The aloes-wood will be used in their centers, and their wives are from Hur al-`Een (Houris, female fair ones, with wide, lovely eyes). They will all look like each other, just as is the statute of their father Adam, sixty feet in the sky." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim].

4. Safety from falling into misguidance in this dunya, that is, the life of this world. We have mentioned before example to this subject in the story of Prophet Yusuf.

"Thus it was, that We might turn away from him evil and illegal sexual intercourse. Surely, he was one of our Mukhlasin (chosen, guided persons who observe ikhlas with Allah." [12:24]

5. Acquiring an increase in huda (Right Guidance), as Allah said, what translated means, "Truly! They were young men who believed in their Lord (Allah), and We increased them in guidance." [18:13].

6. Residents of the heavens will love those who observe ikhlas. The Messenger of Allah said, what translated means, "When Allah loves a slave, He summons Jibreel, saying, 'Allah, the Exalted, loves Fulan (such and such person), so love him,' and Jibreel will love him. Then he calls upon the people of the heaven, 'Allah loves Fulan, so love him', and the people of the heaven will love him. Then acceptance (honor, content, love, etc.) will be sent down (and spread up [meaning between the community of the believers]) on earth for him." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim].

7. Acceptance and honor for the mukhlisin, those who observe ikhlas, will be sent down and spread up on earth for them, as was mentioned in the previous hadith.

8. Having a good reputation among people, as was mentioned in the previous hadith. Also, the Messenger of Allah said, what translated means, "Each slave has a reputation in the heaven. If his reputation in the heaven is good, it will be sent down to earth (transferred as such). However, if his reputation is bad in the heaven, it will be transferred as such to the earth." [Al-Bazzar].

9. Acquiring safety from all types of hardships and disasters in this life, as was mentioned in the story of the three persons who were trapped in the cave.

10. Achieving tranquility in the heart and feeling joy, content and elation, for Allah said, what translated means, "Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." [13:28].

11. Faith will be endeared to the Mukhlisin, while wickedness will be made hateful to them. Allah said, what translated means, "And know that, among you there is the Messenger of Allah. If he were to obey you (follow your opinions and desires) in much of the matter, you would surely be in trouble, but Allah has endeared the Faith to you and has beautified it in your hearts, and has made disbelief, wickedness and disobedience (to Allah and His Messenger) hateful to you. These! They are the rightly guided ones." [49:7].

We have mentioned before how Prophet Yusuf was made to hate fornication, disbelief and wickedness, and how iman was made beautiful to him, that he preferred staying in jail rather than falling into fornication and sin.

12. Allah willing, ikhlas will guide one to choose the rightly-guided company, those who observe ikhlas. The best example for this subject is that the companions of the Messenger of Allah were friends with each other as they were friends with the Messenger, and who can find a better company than the Prophet and his companions.

13. Enduring all types of hardships in this life with patience. The Messenger of Allah and his companions were excellent in this behavior, for they endured and were patient in the face of all types of hardships, and the proof to this better behavior is detailed in abundance in their seerah (life stories).

14. Acquiring the good end, as is evident from the story of the man who had killed ninety nine persons, but then sought to repent from his crimes. This person's ikhlas in seeking forgiveness from Allah guided him until he died while his heart was coming back to Allah, the Exalted.

15. Du`aa' will be accepted, as is evident from the story of the young boy, the wizard and the priest. Also, an example to this is the story of the three men who were trapped in the cave. This, indeed, is a vast subject with numerous examples testifying to the fact that ikhlas is an essential ingredient that ensures the acceptance of du`aa'.

16. Being rewarded in the grave, and receiving the glad tidings of the joy and happiness that the mukhlisin will enjoy in the grave and in the Hereafter. We have narrated the hadith by Al-Baraa' ibn `Azib which describes how one's good deeds will come in the shape of a handsome man, wearing nice clothes and whose scent is pleasing, saying, "I am your good deeds."

UN: " Gaza Health Services on Brink of Collapse"

2009-01-04T09:32:00.000-08:00

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said the health services in Gaza are on the "brink of collapse."

"We are short of rooms and supplies, we are up to our necks," said a surgeon at Gaza 's main Al-Shifa Hospital . Added the doctor, "The buildings are falling on the heads of the patients."

In addition to the urgent medical needs for the victims, the short supply of food is another worry for those trying to survive.

Read in detail about Islamic Relief's aid efforts in Gaza thus far.
[http://cts.dundee.net/t/30887586/105911620/79341/0/]

Islamic Relief's aid worker on the ground, Hatem Shurrab, who is writing about the situation for BBC News, has said, "I've met families who are resorting to boiling weeds that they've dug out from the ground in order to feed their families." (Read the latest entries on the BBC News website of an Islamic Relief aid worker sharing first-hand accounts of the situation on the ground in Gaza and IR's relief efforts.)
[ http://cts.dundee.net/t/30887586/105911620/79296/0/ ]

"What makes the food situation even worse is that Gazans were already facing difficulties with food over the last year - now they are on the brink," said Shurrab.

80% of the 1.5 milion Gazans depend on international humanitarian assistance.

Please donate now to provide urgently needed aid.
[ http://cts.dundee.net/t/30887586/105911620/79342/0/ ]

Islamic Relief responded immediately after the crisis, delivering vital medicines and medical supplies to hospitals in Gaza just 6 hours after the crisis began.

In addition to the medical aid, Islamic Relief is also providing food aid, with a recent delivery of four trucks filled with food supplies. Al-Shifa Hospital has been one of the recipients of this aid. (see distribution photos [ http://cts.dundee.net/t/30887586/105911620/79343/0/ ])

Islamic Relief has launched an emergency multi-million dollar appeal to help the victims and is asking for urgent and repeated support. Islamic Relief has been able to bring in aid supplies to Gaza through it’s partnership with the UN’s World Health Organization.

Your support has helped save lives. The people of Gaza are still in desperate need, please continue your help.

Islamic Relief’s Shurrab: "When we go out and assess what is needed you can see that the people are beyond despair. Food provided by Islamic Relief, the UN and other agencies is beginning to run out in people's homes. The heads of households are despairing at the thought of how to feed their children. "

Please act now and donate generously. The people of Gaza need you.
[ http://cts.dundee.net/t/30887586/105911620/79342/0/ ]

FATWAS – Islamic Rulings -Regarding Palestine

2009-01-04T09:26:00.000-08:00

FATWAS – Islamic Rulings

http://www.fatwa-online.com/news/0020221.htm

Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh:

"Indeed waging war against the weak Muslims in Palestine is (Israeli) terrorism and oppression.

...today the Muslim Ummah was passing through a severe phase which requires it to take a close look (at itself) so that it can become a single Ummah defending and protecting it's 'aqeedah".

...

http://www.fatwa-online.com/news/0020414.htm

Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan:

"It is obligatory upon the Muslims to make supplication for their Muslim brothers and to assist them with wealth. To assist them with wealth and supplication, this is what is obligatory, and this is what will benefit them.”

...

http://www.fatwa-online.com/fataawa/worship/jihaad/jih003/0020406_1.htm

Shaykh Ibn Baaz:

"It has been confirmed to us by trustworthy and reliable witnesses that the Palestinian intifaadhah (uprising) and those who have stood forth in this are from the most dedicated Muslims there, and that their jihaad is (an) Islaamic (one). This is because they are oppressed by the Jews, and that which is obligatory upon them is to protect their religion and themselves and their families and children and to drive out their enemy from their land with all they are able to of strength."

...

http://www.fatwa-online.com/fataawa/worship/jihaad/jih003/0020404_1.htm

Shaykh Ibn Baaz:

"Certainly, the Muslim(s) feel much pain and great sadness at the deteriorating situation in Palestine, with matters going from bad to worse, escalating in complexity as the days pass, such that it has reached where it has (today).

...and that which is worth mentioning here, is that the Palestinian issue is an Islaamic issue from the beginning (right through) to the end."

...

For further fataawa regarding Palestine
http://www.fatwa-online.com/worship/jihaad/jih003/index.htm

PLEASE NOTE: Terrorism is prohibited in Islaam, and these fataawa do not in any way or form imply it's permissibility or acceptance. Rather, they provide qualified Islaamic legal rulings from the recognised Senior Scholars of Islaam to oppose those who have caused oppression by occupying Palestinian land.

Gaza: What can I, as a Muslim, do?

2009-01-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

Question:

What can we do about the slaughter of Muslims in Palestine and around the world? What is our stance concerning the slaughter of Muslims in Palestine and other parts of the world that is happening right now, where houses are being destroyed, farms are being wrecked, children are being killed, the wounded are being detained in the streets, houses are being bombarded and people are being prevented by the Jews and others, from buying the food and drink that they need? What can I, as a Muslim, do?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

1- You have to make du’aa’, and recite du’a’ al-qunoot in your salaah (prayer).

2- Collect charity and send it through trustworthy channels.

3- Support the weak and oppressed in all ways, including the media and the internet.

4- Get scholars, daa’iyahs, khateebs and writers to explain the oppression that is happening and the negligence on the part of the ummah, and to mobilize the ummah to defend the holy places.

5- Check on one’s own intentions with regard to fighting for the sake of Allaah, and see whether he is applying the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Whoever dies without having fought for the sake of Allaah or having had the intention of doing so, has died following one of the branches of hypocrisy.” (Saheeh Muslim, no. 3533)

6- Pursuing all the means of building up material and moral strength, in preparation for meeting the enemy (in battle).

7- Reminding oneself and others of the virtues of martyrdom for the sake of Allaah and studying the rulings on jihad, and not having an attachment to this world.

8- Doing as much damage as possible to the enemies who are in a state of war with us, by boycotting their products, attacking them verbally and in writing to humiliate and annoy them, and to point out their kufr and shirk, and their insults to Allaah, His Messenger and the believers, publishing as much as possible in the audio-visual and print media about this serious topic whilst also connecting that to Islamic belief and the words of Allaah and His Messenger,

We ask Allaah the Exalted and All-Powerful to support His religion and cause His word to prevail.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Statement released by The Permanent Committee for Islaamic Research and Verdicts : on the Palestinian crisis

2009-01-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

The Permanent Committee for Islaamic Research and Verdicts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , has followed – with all sorrow and pain- what has occurred, and is still going on against our Muslim brethren in Palestine – and specifically in Gaza . That which is [actions] of oppression, and killing of children, and women and old people! And [it is] transgression on that which is sacred [innocent], and the destruction of infrastructure and institutions, and the terrorizing of innocent people. And there is no doubt that this is a crime and oppression on the rights of the Palestinian nation.

And at this sorrowful event; it is an obligation on the Muslims to be with their Palestinian brethren, and to help and aid them, and to make an effort to lift the oppression against them – through any means which is of their reach – so as to actualize the Islamic bond, and the ties of 'Eeman.

Allaah The Exalted said: "The believers are indeed brothers [in Islâmic religion]."(Al-Hujuraat: 10)

And He The Most Mighty, The Most Majestic said: "The believers, men and women, are Auliyâ' (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another…"(At-Tawba : 71)

And The Prophet (sallahAllaahu alayhi wasallam) said: "The believer to another believer is like the structure [like a wall] ; each part strengthens the other,' and then he co-enjoined his fingers."(Agreed upon)

And he (may Allaah's blessings and good mention be upon him) also said: "The example of the believers in their relationship, and their love, and their having mercy upon each other ; is like the example of one body part to the rest of the body; if one part is affected then the whole body complains of fever and pain."(Agreed upon)

And he (may Allaah's blessings and good mention be upon him) also said: "The Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; he does not oppress him, nor does he deceive him, nor does he give him up to the enemy, nor does he look down on him."(Narrated by Muslim)

And help comprises of many things –according to the ability, and depending on the situations – whether it is intellectually or physical [things], or whether it is from the general Muslims through wealth, and food, and medicine, and clothing, and other things. Or whether it is from the Islamic Arab nations through making it easy and possible that the aid reaches them, and by taking a sincere position in regards to their [the Palestinian Muslims] matter, and by supporting their case in the gatherings, and seminars, and the international conferences: And all of these are from the ways of co-operation upon good and piety – which is something that is ordered- in the statement of The Exalted :

"Help you one another in virtue, righteousness and piety…"(Al-Maaida : 2)

And also from those ways is: to direct sincere advice to them [the Muslims in Palestine ], and to direct them to that which is of good and of benefit to them. And from the greatest of those is to make du'aa for them -at all times – so that their tribulation is lifted, and their affliction is raised, and that their situation is rectified, and that their statements and actions become good.

Upon this, we also advise our Muslim brethren in Palestine to have fear of Allaah – The Exalted- and to return to Him, just as we advise them to be united; upon the truth, and to leave off divisions and splitting up, and not to give a chance to the enemy – who has taken advantage of it – and will continue to use it in enmity and oppression.

And we also encourage and emphasize our brethren to take the causes which will lead to lifting the oppression directed at their land – while having complete sincerity to Allaah The Exalted – in [those and all other] actions, and to seek His pleasure, and to seek His assistance – through righteous actions, and prayers, and consulting the scholars and people of wisdom; in all their matters – indeed that is a way of being facilitated [to that which is good] and establishment.

Just as we call on to the intellectuals in the world and the international meetings; to have an open look at this catastrophe – with a look of insight, intellect, and equality – so that the Palestinian community can be given its rights. And so that the oppression be lifted from it: such that they live in a honourable life. And at the same time we thank all -the nations and individuals- who have initiated in aiding and helping them.

We ask Allaah by His Beautiful Names and His Lofty Attributes; that He lifts the despair on this Ummah, and that He strengthens its religion, and to raise its statement, and to aid His allies, and to disgrace His enemies -and to return back their plots against themselves- and to save the Muslims from their evil, Indeed He is the Patron, and the One who is Most Able of all that. And may His blessings and good mention be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and also his family and his companions and those who follow them upon good; upto the Last Day.

His eminence; the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia ,

President of the Council of Senior Scholars,

Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn 'Abdullaah Aal ash-Shaykh.

Member of Permanent Committee for Islaamic Research and Verdicts

Translation by Abu Waheeda As-Salafi

5th Muharram 1429.

Source : The Madeenah Journal

http://www.al- madina.com/ node/89303

New Year Resolutions - A Muslim Perspective

2009-01-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

New Year Resolutions - A Muslim Perspective

Take Benefit of Five Before Five, Your Youth Before Your Old Age, Your Health Before Your Sickness, Your Wealth Before Your Poverty, Your Free Time Before Your Preoccupation, & Your Life Before Your Death.” [Prophet Muhammad (saws)]

New Year’s Resolutions

Every year, as Muslims, we try our hardest to be patient, eat well, pray regularly and make positive life changes during Ramadan. However, as the year progresses it often seems that we forget those promises to ourselves. Whether it is a Muslim new year or western, it is a good time for Muslims to renew the resolutions they made during Ramadan. A list of resolutions should be written down so one can refer to them throughout the year. They should include spiritual, as well as physical and mental practices, for Allah encompasses all of our lives and not just the hours in which we pray. The following is a list of resolutions I often give consulting clients who ask me what they should do to better their spiritual, physical and mental lives:

1-Exercise:

“When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close [to them]: I respond to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way,” (Qur’an 2:186)

As I perform more iridology readings and consultations, I am struck with the vitality I see in one certain group of people. This group includes smokers, people who eat junk food, people who have a family history of disease and people who have stressful lives. So what do they all have in common? Exercise! Their enthusiasm for joining a health club, swimming and sports teams, or their dedication to walking once a day, or taking a Tai Chi or Yoga class on a regular basis, has more than made up for their lack of dedication in other health areas. I do not recommend eating badly or smoking, for doing so will eventually catch up to you, but if you could change just ONE thing in your life it should be to exercise. Keep in mind that exercise can even be as simple as praying five times a day. Many people have compared the benefits of the Muslim prayer with those of yoga.

2. Drink Water:

“We made water essential for every life,” (Qur’an 21:30)

Very few people drink the doctor-recommended eight to ten cups of water a day. Most people drink only three cups of water a day or less. Even worse, many people cancel out what they do drink by drinking coffee, green tea or sodas which cause dehydration in the body. One can solve many health problems simply by drinking eight to ten glasses a day.

3. Give up Bad Habits:

The Prophet said, "Allah has forbidden you ( 1 ) to be undutiful to your mothers (2) to withhold (what you should give) or (3) demand (what you do not deserve), and (4) to bury your daughters alive. And Allah has disliked that (A) you talk too much about others (B), ask too many questions (in religion), or (C) waste your property,” (Bukhari: Volume 8, Book 73, Number 6).

Everyone seems to have a bad habit that harms his or her health. Drinking, smoking and overeating are the most popular. However, there are many other bad habits that are unhealthy as well, such as: drinking excess coffee or colas, eating junk food, harboring bad feelings for people, yelling, gossiping, stealing, lying, cheating, watching too much TV, gambling, and many others. Keep in mind that any activity that is forbidden in Islam is unhealthy. Also keep in mind that any activity that starts to become and addiction (such as television, coffee, a friend and even your job) is also unhealthy. Make a pledge to yourself to identify your addictions and stop them (in the case of alcohol or smoking) or at least reduce them to a healthier level (in the case of indulgent socializing, work and television).

4. Be Positive:

“Give Glad tidings to those who exercise patience when struck with adversity and say, ’indeed we belong to God and to him is our return’ such ones receive blessings and Mercy of their lord, and such are the guided ones,” (Qur’an 2:155).

Start cultivating a positive attitude. There is a mountain of physical and medical evidence now to support that a positive attitude can work miracles. One reason could be that a positive attitude influences the thymus gland, which in turn strengthens the immune system.

5. Start Using Tonic Foods:

“Ye people, eat of what is on earth, lawful and wholesome,” (Qur’an 2:168).

Even if the rest of your diet is miserable, the addition of some simple "super foods" can supercharge it. Add some alfalfa sprouts to your salads often, use raw honey on your crackers or bread in the morning, eat sesame (found in Zaa’tar), sunflower and flax seeds regularly and start snacking on sheets of dried seaweed. All of the foods mentioned above contain a dense concentration of nutrients and serve the body in the same way vitamins do.

6. Sleep:

“Lo! your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then mounted He the Throne. He covereth the night with the day, which is in haste to follow it, and hath made the sun and the moon and the stars subservient by His command. His verily is all creation and commandment blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!” (Qur’an 7:54).

Allah created nighttime for a reason, but it is amazing how few people use that time to actually sleep. In fact, many research studies show that lack of sleep can exacerbate almost any health problem from hypoglycemia and diabetes to pain and mental illness. Even missing an hour of sleep on a regular basis can harm your health.

7. Pray More:

A man who was stung by a scorpion was brought to the Prophet [peace be upon him]. He said: Had he said the word: "I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He created, "he would not have been stung, or he said, "It would not have harmed him,” (Bukhari: Book 28, Number 3890).

“And when I sicken, God heals me,” (26:80 Qur’an).

There are entire sects and groups of people who do not use conventional medicine at all, but, rather, use prayer as medicine. Even the Prophet himself used prayer alone as medicine in many instances. In addition, many new studies have found that prayer does have healing effects - for the prayer as well as the prayed for.

8. Keep Good Company:

“The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Allah has cursed wine, its drinker, its server, its seller, its buyer, its presser, the one for whom it is pressed, the one who conveys it, and the one to whom it is conveyed,” (Bukhari: Book 26, Number 3666).

In many cases in the Qur’an and Hadith it is mentioned that you do not actually have to perform a bad act to be affected by it. Muslims are encouraged to “hang out” with people they would like to emulate and not with those that are a bad influence on them. This influence, in fact, can come in many forms. Do you hang out with friends that drink, smoke or consume too much coffee? Does your office always have donuts available for breakfast and your local grocer always have goodies on sale? Start hanging out with people who have the good habits of eating well and start shopping in stores that offer healthier whole grain and organic foods. Reduce time spent with people or in places that are a bad influence.

9. Use Natural Healing:

“God never inflicts a disease unless he makes a cure for it...” (Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad related by Abu Hurairah)

The Prophet himself used natural healing in his community. In fact, Allah HAS created a cure for every disease - so go see a natural health care practitioner and get evaluated.

10. Laugh More, Yell Less:

Allah's Apostle said, "The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger,” (Bukhari: Volume 8, Book 73, Number 135).

Laughing, instead of yelling, has enormous healing potential. Tell jokes to your children, listen to comedy on radio or television, buy comedy tapes, and read the comics in the newspaper. Laughing has been found to have therapeutic qualities, as illustrated by Robin Williams in the film “Patch Williams”. On the other hand, anger has been found to reduce immune system function.

Fifteen Examples of Supplications Immediately Answered by Allah

2008-12-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

Fifteen Examples of Supplications Immediately Answered by Allah

The Messenger of Allah related that Allah Said: "...if he calls upon Me, I answer him, and if he asks of Me, I will give him..."

Ibn Rajab commented: "...This means that this person who is beloved and close to Allah has a special status with Allah such that if he asks Allah for something, He gives it to him, and if he seeks refuge with Allah from anything, He protects him from that thing, and if he calls upon Him, He answers him. So, he ends up becoming from those whose supplications are answered due to his honor with Allah.

And many from the righteous early generations were known to have their supplications answered.

It is related in the 'Sahih' that ar-Rubay' bint an-Nadr broke a tooth of a slave. So, they offered compensation, and they refused. They asked for pardon, and they refused. The Messenger of Allah was then going to implement the rule of retaliation between them. Anas bin an-Nadr said: "The tooth of ar-Rubay' will be broken? By the One who has sent you with the truth, her tooth will not be broken." So, the people were pleased and took the compensation. The Messenger of Allah then said: "Indeed, from the slaves of Allah are those who, if they make an oath upon Allah, He fulfills it."

...And Ibn Abi ad-Dunya reported with his chain that an-Nu'man bin Qawfal said on the day of Uhud: "O Allah, I swear that I will be killed and enter Paradise ." So, he was killed, and the Prophet said: "Indeed, Nu'man made an oath upon Allah, and He fulfilled that oath."

And Abu Nu'aym reported with his chain from Sa'd that 'Abdullah bin Jahsh said on the day of Uhud: "O Lord, if I meet the enemy tomorrow, give me an adversary who is strong and harsh for me to fight for Your Sake and for him to fight me. Then, let him cut off my nose and ear so that when I meet You the next day, You Say: 'O 'Abdullah! Why were your nose and ear cut off?' I will say: 'For You and Your Messenger.' And You will Say: 'You have spoken the truth.'"

Sa'd said: "I saw him at the end of the day with his nose and ear hanging from a thread."

And Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas would have his supplications answered. A man lied upon him, and he said: "O Allah, if he is lying, take away his eyesight, elongate his life, and expose him to trials and tribulations." So, the man was stricken with all of this, as he used to walk through the streets and come into contact with the slave girls, saying: "I am an old man who is experiencing fitnah. I have been stricken with the supplication of Sa'd!"

And he supplicated against a man he heard insulting 'Ali, and immediately, a camel came and trampled him to death.

And a woman disputed with Sa'id bin Zayd over some land he owned, claiming that he had taken from her land. So, he said: "O Allah, if she is lying, take away her eyesight and kill her in her own land." So, she became blind, and one night when she was walking in her land, she fell into a well and died.

And al-' Ala ' bin al-Hadrami was on an expedition, and those with him became very thirsty. So, he prayed and supplicated: "O Knower, O Bestower, O Most High, O Mighty! We are Your slaves, and we are fighting Your enemy for Your Sake. Give us water to drink and make ablution from, and do not allow anyone else to benefit from this water!" They walked for a bit to find a river of water flowing from the sky. They drank from it and filled their vessels. Later, some of his companions returned to where the river was to find that there was nothing there, as if there had never been any water there.

And someone complained to Anas bin Malik of a drought in a part of al-Basrah. So, he performed ablution and went out to the patch of land, prayed two units, and it then began raining on the patch of land, and the rain did not fall anywhere beyond that patch of land.

...And Abu Muslim al-Khawlani was known for having his supplications answered. Once, a gazelle passed by him, and the young boys in the area said: "Ask Allah to allow us to capture this gazelle!" So, he supplicated, and he captured it and held it until they were able to take it from his hands.

And he once supplicated against a woman who had ruined his relationship with his wife that her eyesight be taken away. She immediately went blind, and she came to him begging. So, he had pity for her and asked Allah to return her eyesight to her, and his wife returned to her normal state with him.

And a man lied upon Mutarraf bin 'Abdullah, and Mutarraf said: "If you are lying, I ask Allah to hasten your departure," and the man died on the spot.

And a Kharijite used to pass by the classes of al-Hasan al-Basri and annoy those present. When it became unbearable, al-Hasan said: "O Allah, You Know how he has harmed us. So, suffice us against him with what You Will," and the man immediately collapsed and was carried dead to his family.

And Silah bin Ashim was on an expedition, and his camel wandered off with all of his belongings, and there was nobody else around. So, he stood and prayed, saying: "O Allah, I swear that you will return my camel and belongings," and it walked back until it stood right in front of him.

...And Habib al-'Ajami Abu Muhammad was known for having his supplications answered. He once supplicated for a young boy who was bald, and would weep and wipe his tears over the boy's head. The boy's hair began growing black all over his head, and it looked better than it had before.

...And Sa'id bin Jubayr was patient upon the harm inflicted upon him by al-Hajjaj until he killed him, and he was from those whose supplication was answered. He used to have a rooster whose crowing would wake him up to pray at night. One night, it didn't wake him up on time, and he became very distressed, saying: "What is wrong with it? May Allah cut off its voice!" It never crowed again, and his mother said: "My son, do not supplicate against anything ever again."

See 'Jami' al-'Ulum wal-Hikam' (2/348-354) for more.

Many American meat exporters obtain halal certificate fraudulently

2008-12-23T10:13:00.000-08:00

Many American meat exporters obtain halal certificate fraudulently

By Nadia Saleem, Staff Reporter
November 13, 2008

Dubai: Ninety-five per cent of American food items found in supermarket shelves in the UAE and some other Gulf countries are not halal even though they may be certified as such, an industry specialist said at the Halal World Expo in Abu Dhabi .

Jalel Aossey, director of Midamar, a US-based international supplier of halal food and foodservice equipment, said that there is a significant flow of non-halal food items in the region from meat-supplying countries, and the Gulf countries need tougher regulations to stop that flow.

"On one side you have producers who genuinely don't know what they have to comply with because of a lack of education from the industry. But you also have companies and exporters that are deliberately defrauding governments and consumers by not complying with regulations because they don't want to pay the fees and the transition costs to make halal products," Aossey said.

Corrupt certifiers

Nearly 1.8 billion Muslims around the world as well as some non-Muslims are fuelling the halal food industry, generating sales of $2.1 trillion annually, according to recent reports. The attractive halal food industry is drawing many dubious players.

"Corrupt certifiers get a taste for the money generated producing "paper halal certificates" for companies without actually performing any work," Aossey said.

On regulatory measures, Aossey said, "People have to realise that it is not impossible, and that it's not too costly to put the correct halal standards in place here. There's a big misconception about how difficult this process is."
Noor Al Deen Abdullah, executive director of Kasehdia, a communications and consultancy company in Malaysia , and publishers of The Halal Food Journal earlier told Gulf News, "The global halal industry is still in its infancy because huge awareness is required, especially in the Middle East ."

The major producing nations are Australia, New Zealand , Brazil and Canada , Abdullah said, from where halal and non-halal meat is supplied.
Aossey said that inspection teams can be sent to the various countries where food is being produced to allow it to be inspected, at that country's cost. "This is nothing when you consider the huge dollar volume of food products exported to the UAE and other Gulf countries."

In the UAE, 80 per cent of imported food is said to be halal, coming from countries such as Brazil and Australia .

Facts: What is halal meat?

Halal (or permissible) in Islam is the meat of animals that have been slaughtered reciting the name of Allah on them and all the blood has been drained from the carcass.

Additional criterion that make meat halal are that the animal should not be dead prior to slaughter, since carrion is forbidden and that the animal is from those that are allowed according to Islamic teachings.

http://www.gulfnews .com/business/ General/10259492 .html

The signs of an accepted Hajj or 'Umrah

2008-12-23T10:05:00.000-08:00

The signs of an accepted Hajj or 'Umrah

Question:

Are there any signs which appear upon those whose performance of the Hajj or the 'Umrah is accepted?

Response:

It is possible for there to be signs for the one whose Hajj, fasting, charity or prayer has been accepted by Allaah and they are: the opening of the heart (to good), happiness of the heart and a lighted face. Certainly, for worshipping (Allaah) there are signs that appear on the body, signs that are visible and signs that are hidden. Some of the Pious Predecessors have mentioned that from the signs that a good (act) has been accepted (by Allaah) is that he will be granted the towfeeq to do (yet) another good (act). Certainly the towfeeq of Allaah for him to do more good (acts) after it, is evidence that Allaah ('Azza wa Jall) has accepted his previous good (acts). He has made it easy for him to do another good act and is happy with him for it.

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen
Daleel al-Akhtaa.a yaqa'a feehaa al-Haaj wal-Mu'tamir wat-tahdtheer minhaa - Page 115

ref:
http://www.fatwa-online.com/fataawa/worship/hajjandumrah/haj016/0000303_1.htm
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2008120823905

Eight Things to Learn !

2008-12-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

Eight Things to Learn !

One time a scholar asked one of his students, "You have spent a long time with me, what have you learned?

He said I learned eight things:

First , I looked to the creation. Every one has a loved one. When he goes to the grave , he leaves his loved one. Therefore, I made my loved one my good deeds ; that way, they will be with me in the grave .

Second, I looked to the verse , 'But as for him who feared to stand before his Lord and restrained his soul from lust, ' and, there fore, I struggled against my desires so I could stay obeying Allah .

Third, I saw that if anyone has something with him that is worth something, he will protect it. Then I thought about the verse , ' That which you have is wasted away; and that which is with Allah remains,' therefore, everything worth something with me I devo ed to Him so it would be with Him for me.

Fourth, I saw the people seek ng wealth, honor and positions and it was not worth anything to me. Then I thought about Allah's words , 'Lo, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most aware of Allah ,' so I did my best to become aware of Allah in order to nobility in his sight .

Fifth , I saw the people being jealous towards each other and I looked at the verse , 'We have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of the world ,' so I left jealousy.

Sixth , I saw the people havin genmity and I thought about the verse , 'Lo, the devil is an enemy for you, so take him as an enemy ,' so I left enmity and I took the Satan as my only enemy .

Seventh, I saw them debasing thems elves in search of sustenance and I thought about the verse , 'And there is not a beast in the earth but the sustenance there of depends on Allah ,' so I kept myself busy with my responsibilities toward Him and I left my property with Him.

Eighth, I found them relying on their business, buildings and health and I thought about the verse , 'And whosoever puts his trust in Allah , He will suffice him, ' there fore, I put my trust only on Allah .

Abu Mas'ud ' Uqba ibn 'Amr al- Ansari al- Badri reported that the Messenger of Allah , ( PBUH) , said, " Anyone who shows the way to something good has the same reward as the person who does it.
" [ Muslim]

E.g. if you encou rage someo ne to go for Salah , or pay Zakat and the person actually goes ahead and prays or pays Zakat , Allah will reward him for the good deeds and at the same time give you (the one that encouraged them to do good) an equal reward as he has given them- without decreasing what he gave them.

So Encourage Other To Do Good And Refrain From Bad Deeds

Al-Barzakh and the Life in the Grave

2008-12-23T09:46:00.000-08:00

Al-Barzakh and the Life in the Grave

“Literally Al-Barzakh means interval or a barrier between two things. Allah Almighty says: “Between them is a Barzakh (Barrier) which they do not transgress.” (Ar-Rahman: 20)

Technically, it stands for an intermediary stage between this life and another life in the Hereafter; it’s an interval between death and the Day of Resurrection. Allah says: “Before them is a Partition till the Day they are raised up.” (Al-Mu’minun: 100)

This does not mean that there would be special places for every soul, but the souls of dead people are in different places according to the level of their Iman: some of them will be on the highest paradise with the souls of Prophets and martyrs; some believers will be in a particular place in Paradise before the Day of Judgment; some will have their graves like gardens of Paradise and some will have it like pits of the Hell-Fire. All of these cases and states of people will be in the period of Al-Barzakh, each one according to the status of his Iman.

For more visit: http://www.islamqa. com/en/ref/ 11110/

Words of Wisdom from the Qur'an

2008-11-29T08:49:00.000-08:00

Words of Wisdom from the Qur'an

1. Respect and honour all human beings irrespective of their religion, color, race, sex, language, status, property, birth, profession/job and so on [17/70]

2. Talk straight, to the point, without any ambiguity or deception [33/70]

3. Choose best words to speak and say them in the best possible way [17/53, 2/83]

4. Do not shout. Speak politely keeping your voice low. [31/19]

5. Always speak the truth. Shun words that are deceitful and ostentatious [22/30]

6. Do not confound truth with falsehood [2/42]

7. Say with your mouth what is in your heart [3/167]

8. Speak in a civilized manner in a language that is recognised by the society and is commonly used [4/5]

9. When you voice an opinion, be just, even if it is against a relative [6/152]

10. Do not be a bragging boaster [31/18]

11. Do not talk, listen or do anything vain [23/3, 28/55]

12. Do not participate in any paltry. If you pass near a futile play, then pass by with dignity [25/72]

13. Do not verge upon any immodesty or lewdness whether surreptitious or overt [6/151].

14. If, unintentionally, any misconduct occurs by you, then correct yourself expeditiously [3/134].

15. Do not be contemptuous or arrogant with people [31/18]

16. Do not walk haughtily or with conceit [17/37, 31/18]

17. Be moderate in thy pace [31/19]

18. Walk with humility and sedateness [25/63]

19. Keep your gazes lowered devoid of any lecherous leers and salacious stares [24/30-31, 40/19].

20. If you do not have complete knowledge about anything, better keep your mouth shut. You might think that speaking about something without full knowledge is a trivial matter. But it might have grave consequences [24/15-16]

21. When you hear something malicious about someone, keep a favorable view about him/her until you attain full knowledge about the matter. Consider others innocent until they are proven guilty with solid and truthful evidence [24/12-13]

22. Ascertain the truth of any news, lest you smite someone in ignorance and afterwards repent of what you did [49/6]

23. Do not follow blindly any information of which you have no direct knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception) you must verify it for yourself. In the Court of your Lord, you will be held accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning [17/36].

24. Never think that you have reached the final stage of knowledge and nobody knows more than yourself. Remember! Above everyone endowed with knowledge is another endowed with more knowledge [12/76]. Even the Prophet [p.b.u.h] was asked to keep praying, "O My sustainer! Advance me in knowledge." [20:114]

25. The believers are but a single Brotherhood. Live like members of one family, brothers and sisters unto one another [49/10].

26. Do not make mockery of others or ridicule others [49/11]

27. Do not defame others [49/11]

28. Do not insult others by nicknames [49/11]

29. Avoid suspicion and guesswork. Suspicion and guesswork might deplete your communal energy [49/12]

30. Spy not upon one another [49/12]

31. Do not backbite one another [49/12]

32. When you meet each other, offer good wishes and blessings for safety. One who conveys to you a message of safety and security and also when a courteous greeting is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous or (at least) of equal courtesy [4/86]

33. When you enter your own home or the home of somebody else, compliment the inmates [24/61]

34. Do not enter houses other than your own until you have sought permission; and then greet the inmates and wish them a life of blessing, purity and pleasure [24/27]

35. Treat kindly " Your parents " Relatives " The orphans " And those who have been left alone in the society [4/36]

36. Take care of " The needy, " The disabled " Those whose hard earned income is insufficient to meet their needs " And those whose businesses have stalled " And those who have lost their jobs. [4/36]

37. Treat kindly " Your related neighbours, and unrelated neighbours " Companions by your side in public gatherings, or public transportation. [4/36]

38. Be generous to the needy wayfarer, the homeless son of the street, and the one who reaches you in a destitute condition [4/36]

39. Be nice to people who work under your care. [4/36]

40. Do not follow up what you have given to others to afflict them with reminders of your generosity [2/262].

41. Do not expect a return for your good behaviour, not even thanks [76/9]

42. Cooperate with one another in good deeds and do not cooperate with others in evil and bad matters [5/2]

43. Do not try to impress people on account of self-proclaimed virtues [53/32]

44. You should enjoin right conduct on others but mend your own ways first. Actions speak louder than words. You must first practice good deeds yourself, then preach [2/44]

45. Correct yourself and your families first [before trying to correct others] [66/6]

46. Pardon gracefully if anyone among you who commits a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and amends [6/54, 3/134]

47. Divert and sublimate your anger and potentially virulent emotions to creative energy, and become a source of tranquility and comfort to people [3/134]

48. Call people to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful exhortation. Reason with them most decently [16/125]

49. Leave to themselves those who do not give any importance to the Divine code and have adopted and consider it as mere play and amusement [6/70]

50. Sit not in the company of those who ridicule Divine Law unless they engage in some other conversation [4/140]

51. Do not be jealous of those who are blessed [4/54]

52. In your collective life, make rooms for others [58/11]

53. When invited to dine, Go at the appointed time. Do not arrive too early to wait for the preparation of meal or linger after eating to engage in bootless babble. Such things may cause inconvenience to the host [33/53]

54. Eat and drink [what is lawful] in moderation [7/31].

55. Do not squander your wealth senselessly [17/26]

56. Fulfil your promises and commitments [17/34]

57. Keep yourself clean, pure [9/108, 4/43, 5/6].

58. Dress-up in agreeable attire and adorn yourself with exquisite character from inside out [7/26]

59. Seek your provision only by fair endeavour [29/17, 2/188]

60. Do not devour the wealth and property of others unjustly, nor bribe the officials or the judges to deprive others of their possessions [2/188]

Muham mad bin `Abdu l- Wahha b

2008-11-29T08:47:00.000-08:00

Muham mad bin `Abdu l- Wahha b

His Birth and Lineage

Shaik hul- Islam , Muham mad bin `Abdu l- Wahha b, was born in 1115H in the city of Uyain ah, seven ty kilom eters north west of Riyad h, the capit al of Kingd om of Saudi Arabi a. He belon ged to a highl y respe ctabl e and schol arly famil y; his fathe r Shaik h `Abdu l- Wahha b bin Sulai man, chara cteri zed by his profo und schol arshi p and right eousn ess, inher ited an exalt ed statu s from his ances tor Shaik h Sulai man bin `Ali, the chief of the schol ars and well verse d in teach ing, writi ng and givin g verdi ct.

Educa tion

Shaik hul- Islam acqui red his prima ry educa tion from his estee med fathe r at his nativ e place and was nurtu red under his guida nce. He was intel ligen t enoug h to memor ize the Quran by heart at a very tende r age of ten only. He read outse t, he was great ly inter ested in study ing the works of early schol ars, parti cular ly those of Shaik hul- Islam Ibn Taimi yah and his noble disci ple Allam ah Ibn Qaiyi m. He went throu gh all those books and well grasp ed the conte nts.

On attai ning the age of matur ity, he set out to perfo rm Hajj at Makka h and deriv ed benef its from the schol ars there . He then proce eded to Al- Madin ah, met the learn ed ones there , and adopt ed the stude ntshi p of two renow ned erudi te, Shaikh Abdul lah bin Ibrahim bin Sa'id and Shaik h Muham mad Hayat Sindh i for a long perio d. Out of the curio sity for highe r educa tion, he took also the journ ey to Iraq and Basra h and got himse lf benef ited there .

Condi tion of Najd

In those days, the peopl e of Najd ere indul ged in polytheist ic deeds and un- islamic practices. They were compl etely overw helmed with polytheism . The graves, trees , stones, caves , evil spirits, and insane persons were regarded as deities. The baseless stories and tales were ascribed to them to manifest their excellence . The world ly `Ulam a' too had misguided them for the fulfillment of their mater ialistic lust. The sooth sayers and magicians were having their influence over the society.

None could dare chall enge their holds on the commo ners. Same condi tion was preva iling in both Makka h and Al- Madin ah also. Yemen was also in the same line. Polyt heism , erect ion of struc tures on the grave s, seeki ng refug e and assis tance of the dead, saint s, and jinns were the commo n relig ious featu res.

Missi on of Da'wa h

Havin g studi ed this pitia ble condi tion of the natio n, Shaik h was highl y moved . More pitia ble was the situa tion that no one was ready to take troub le to guide the peopl e to t he Right Path. It is obvio us that to take this task meant to chall enge those evild oers who had their provi sions throu gh these pract ices. It meant to make onese lf prepa red to face very tortu re and atroc ities from these selfi sh misgu iders and there follo wers. But Shaik h resol ed to make every effor t to fight again st the circu mstan ces up to the exten t of Jihad .

Shaik h was a man of coura ge and enthu siasm . He start ed his preac hing, made corre spond ence with relig ious schol ars invit ing them to lend helpi ng hands in eradi catio n of the preva iling absur ditie s and defil ement s of relig ious matte rs. A numbe r of schol ars from Makka h, Al- Madin ah and Yemen accep ted his invit ation , and suppo rted him. But apart from them, there were also such ignor ant and selfi sh schol ars who criti cized him and kept thems elves aloof .

The so- calle d learn ed ones rose again st the Shaik h as t hey were being affec ted by his Da'wa h in terms of their world ly gains . Even then he took journ ey to diffe rent place s to conve y this messa ge to the peopl e given to error . Trave ling throu gh Zabir , Ahsa, Hurai mala, he reach ed `Uyai nah.

Arriv al at `Uyai nah

That was the perio d when the ruler of `Uyai nah was `Uthm an bin Hamd bin Ma'ma r. he welco med the Shaik h gladl y, and assur ed him every help in his missi on of Islam ic Da'wa h. Shaik h devot ed himse lf to his great work of refor matio n for the sake fo Allah . He gaine d the popul arity far and wide. Peopl e start ed resor ting to him in large numbe rs. He becam e engag ed in their guida nce and teach ings.

Shaik h, howev er, conti nued his strug gle to free the envir onmen t from all the defil ement s and pollu tions . There were numer ous tombs , grave s, caves , trees , etc. , which were worsh ipped by the Musli ms. With the help of Amir `Uthm an bin Ma'ma r, most of them were extir pated by the Shaik h. He becam e engag ed in purif ying the peopl e from polyt heist ic and heret ic ritua ls in `Uyai nah and its surro undin gs.

In the mean time, a woman came to him for purif icati on from the sin of commi tting adult ery. Inves tigat ions were made as to wheth er she was menta lly sound or not and also that wheth er she had chose for the punis hment under some press ure or volun taril y. When it was confi rmed that she was doing that volun taril y out of repen tance , Shaik hh order ed for her Rajm (to kill by throw ing stone s – punis hment for adult ery) . Owing to these event s – disma ntlin g of tombs , self- surre nderi ng of the woman for punis hment and migra tion of the peopl e to `Uyai nah to seek guida nce from the Shaik h – the reput ation of the Shaik h sprea d far and wide.

Exit from `Uyai nah and Entra nce to Dar'i yah

When the ruler of Al- Ahsa and its surro undin gs, Sulai man bin Urai' ar came to know about the popul arity of the Shaik h among the peopl e, he becam e afrai d of the growi ng stren gth of the Shaik h and resol ved to crush him at the very outse t, lest he shoul d overt hrow him from his power . So he threa tened Amir `Uthm an, with whom Shaik h was livin g, and asked him to kill the Shaik h. Amir `Uthm an was no in a posit ion to withs tand Sulai man, hence he becam e panic ky. Appre hendi ng that if he disob eyed the order , Sulai man would punis h him and overp ower him, he made Shaik h acqua inted with the whole situa tion and submi tted him to migra te to any other place . And Shaik h migra ted from `Uyai nah to Dar'i yah.

The peopl e of Dar'i yah knew the Shaik h very well and they were also aware of his missi on. When the ruler of Dar'i yah amir Muham mad bin Sa'ud came to know about the arriv al of the Shaik h in his terri tory, he was much pleas ed and visit ed the Shaik h at his place . Muham mad bin Sa'ud belon ged to a pious famil y and himse lf was a pract ical Musli m. He excha nged his views with the Shaik h and was rejoi ced to know that Shaik h's missi on aimed to reviv e the Quran and Sunna h and the Islam ic teach ings in its origi nal form; he desir ed to promo te him the belie f in the Onene ss of Allah and true guida nce of the Proph et Muham mad ( pbuh) .

[ Note: for those who don't now Muham mad ibn Sa'ud conqu ered other tribe s in the Arabi an Penin sula and made the Penin sula into one unite d stron g natio n known today as Saudi Arabi a]

Pledg e to Propa gate the Teach ing of Islam

Shaik h descr ibed befor e him the accou nts of the Proph et ( saws) and his Compa nions as to how did they striv e for the cause of Allah , endur ing all the diffi culti es and makin g their best effor ts with all the sacri fices . Shaik h persu aded the Amir also to the same and assur ed him of Allah 's Pleas ure in the Herea fter, and His favor and victo ry in this world . Ibn Sa'ud , being convi nced by the Shaik h, agree d with him and promi sed his full suppo rt to him and his missi on, provi ded when Allah would bless him with victo ry, he would not leave him. Shaik h also gave his words to this effec t, and thus Ibn Saud gave Shaik h his pledg e to propa gate the teach ings of Islam ( espec ially Tauhi d, the Onene ss of Allah ), mobil ize the adher ence to the Sunna h of Allah 's messe nger ( saws) , enjoi n the good deeds and forbi d the evils . Shaik h invok ed Allah to be his Guide and bless him to be firm in his deter minat ion, and to give him every succe ss in this life and Herea fter.

Dar' iyah, the Cente r of Da' wah

At this time Shaik h found himse lf in a peace ful envir onmen t, most suita ble for his work of Dawah . He seize d the golde n oppor tunit y and start ed to educa te the masse s. Peopl e of Dar' iyah and its surro undin gs resor ted to him for the lesso ns of in Islam . Amir Muham mad bin Saud prese nted himse lf befor e the membe rs of his famil y. Dar' iyah was crowd ed with the peopl e visit ing for learn ing. Shaik h start ed teach ing, preac hing and invit ing peopl e to Allah . He under took the task of deliv ering lectu res on diffe rent branc hes of knowl edge namel y, Tauhi d ( Islam ic Monot heism ), expos ition of Quran and Sunna h, knowl edge of Fiqh and Arabi c langu age etc.

Thus Dar' iyah turne d into a cente r of learn ing and Dawah , and peopl e start ed migra ting to it in a large numbe r.

The conco urse of peopl e and far- reach ing effec t of his missi on made him a far- famed which rende red his enemi es into jealo us. They start ed false propa ganda again st the Shaik h and even blame d him of blasp hemy, and brand ed him a Zindi q and sorce rer. Shaik h was a man of coura ge. He did not care for these blame s and conti nued his missi on with full enthu siasm . He even debat ed his oppon ents in the best manne r and in a polit e way. This attit ude prove d very effec tive and rende red his oppon ents to be his suppo rters . Shaik h, along with his work of dawah , plann ed for Jihad again st the overw helmi ng polyt heism and heret ic ideas and pract ices, and invit ed peopl e of all ranks to join in this missi on. Deleg ates from every corne r of the Arab Penin sula visit ed Dar' iyah to pledg e their suppo rt to the Shaik h and to take a lesso n of true monot heism of Islam . Then they would retur n back to their areas to teach the same to their peopl e and educa te them.

The ruler of ' Uyain ah and the elite s took journ ey to pay visit and reque sted him to turn back to ' Uyain ah, but Shaik h rejec ted the propo sal. They also pledg ed to fight for the cause of Islam till their last. Shaik h also sent his disci ples to the diffe rent regio ns and count ries to preac h the teach ings of Islam based only on Quran and authe ntic Ahadi th of the Proph et ( pbuh) .

Corre spond ence with Ruler s

Shaik h drew the atten tion of the ruler s and schol ars of each regio n towar ds the polyt heism and heres y in which the peopl e were indul ged, and invit ed them for their eradi catio n. For the purpo se, he stepp ed into corre spond ence. He wrote lette rs to t he ruler s, elite s and schol ars of Najd, Riyad h, Kharj , towns of south ern regio n, Qasee m, Hayel , Washm , Sudai r, etc. He also wrote to the surro undin g ' Ulama ' of Ahsa, Makka h, and Al- Madin ah. Outsi de the Arab Penin sula, he made corre spond ence to the learn ed figur es of Syria , Iraq, India , Yemen as well. He maint ained his commu nicat ion with them, expla ined them the aims and objec ts of his missi on, subst antia ted the point s with Quran and Sunna h and invit ed their atten tion towar ds the eradi catio n of absur d and heret ical belie fs and pract ices in the masse s.

Shaik h's missi on sprea d far and wide. A large numbe r of schol ars and other peopl e throu ghout India , Indon esia, Afgha nista n, Afric a, Moroc co, Egypt , Syria , Iraq, etc. got influ enced and attra cted towar ds his dawah . They also stood up in their own regio ns, with a great zeal and enthu siasm , to invit e the peopl e towar ds Allah and to the pure and basic teach ings of Quran and Sunna h, free from all heres ies and misin terpr etati ons.

Death

Shaik h dedic ated his whole life for this Dawah and Jihad with his utmos t since rity and with the help of Muham mad bin Saud and his son ' Abdul - aziz, the ruler s of Dar' iyah. He breat hed his last on the last day of month of Dhul- Qa' dah in 1206 H ( 1792 CE).

Impac t of Dawah

As a resul t of conti nued Dawah , vigor ous strug gle and Jihad in the way of Allah for a long perio d of about fifty years from 1158 H to 1206 H, a compl ete victo ry over the entir e Najd was gaine d. Peopl e aband oned worsh ippin g grave s, tombs , shrin es, trees , etc. and all the more they deser ted all of them and pract iced the pure faith of Islam . Blind follo wing of the foref ather s, ances tors and tradi tions in vogue was aband oned; and Shari 'ah was reviv ed and estab lishe d. Oblig atory dutie s were being obser ved in the light of the Quran and Sunna h.

A frame work for enjoi ning good deeds and forbi dding bad ones was insti tuted . Mosqu es began to be visit ed by peopl e in abund ance for perfo rming Salat .

Peace and tranq uilit y preva iled every where , in towns as well as in villa ges. Peopl e becam e safe even in deser ts and on lonel y ways. The ignor ant and notor ious Bedou ins molde d their condu ct. The preac hers and prece ptors were sent to every corne r to teach and educa ted the commo n peopl e.

Thus a thoro ugh reviv al of compl ete relig ion came into exist ence. After the expir y of Shaik h, his sons, grand sons, disci ples, and suppo rters conti nued the work of Dawah and jihad in the way of Allah . Among his sons, the most arden t in these activ ities were: Shaik h Imam Abdul lah bin Muham mad, Shaik h Husai n bin Muham mad, Shaik h ali bin Muham mad, and Shaik h Ibrah im bin Muham mad; and among his grand sons were: Shaik h Abdur - Raman bin Abdul lah. Apart from them, a large group of his disci ples inclu ding Shaik h Hamd bin Nasir , schol ars from Dar' iyah and other s remai ned conti nuous ly engag ed in invit ing peopl e towar ds Allah 's true relig ion by writi ng and publi shing books , fight ing for the cause of Allah and makin g corre spond ence in this regar d.

Some of His Works

Despi te the fact that Shaik hul- Islam Muham mad bin Abdul lah- Wahha b was a refor mer and man of dawah , he still engag ed in writi ng also.
His some famou s works are as follo ws:

1.
Kitab At- Tauhi d
2.
Kitab Al- Kabaa ir
3.
kashf Ash- Shubh at
4.
Mukht asar Seera t Ar- Rasoo l
5.
Masai l Al- Jahil iyah
6.
Usool Al- Iman
7.
Fadai l Al- Quran
8.
Fadai l Al- Islam
9.
Majmu Al- Ahadi th
10.
Mukht asar Al- Insaf wa Ash- Sharh Al- Kabee r
11.
Al- Usool Ath- Thala tha
12.
Aadaa b Al- Mashi ilas- Salat

And other s

Sourc e: The Conci se Colle ction on Creed & Tauhi d by Darus salam ( This is an Engli sh trans latio n of the Shaik h's book "Kita b At- Tauhi d.")