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The Traps of Iblees

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:47:38 PST

by Ibn al-Qayyim
from At-Tafseer Al-Qayyim of Shaikh Ibn Al-Qayyim [Al-Hijra magazine]

It is not possible to encompass one of Iblees' evils, let alone all of them. Since Iblees' evil is of six types, Iblees remains behind the son of Adam until he gets him to do one or more of these six evils.

THE FIRST EVIL IS THE EVIL OF KUFR AND SHIRK and enmity to Allaah and His Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam). If he gains this from the son of Adam, his moaning is eased, and he rests from his ordeal with this man. Further, this is the first thing Iblees wants from al-'Abd (the worshipper). If Iblees gains this, he makes this person part of his army, one of his soldiers, and he appoints him as a deputy or agent against other human beings. Then, this person becomes one of the deputies or callers of Iblees.

If he despairs of enticing him with the first evil, and if this person is one of those for whom it was written that he would be a Muslim in his mother's womb, Iblees tries the SECOND CLASS OF EVIL. THIS IS BID'AH (innovation). Iblees loves Bid'ah more than debauchery and disobedience because the harm of Bid'ah is in the essence of the religion. Moreover, it is an unrepentable sin and is against the call of the messengers and is a call to a message different from the one conveyed by Ar-Rasool. Bid'ah is a gate to Kufr and Shirk. Therefore, if Iblees gains the performance of Bid'ah from a person and makes him one of the people of Bid'ah, he also becomes one of his agents and a caller of his.

If Iblees fails and is unable to trap Al-'Abd at this class, and if he is one of those who were granted by Allaah the gift of As-Sunnah and hatred of the people of Bid'ah and error, he proceeds to the THIRD CLASS OF EVIL, which is the class of MAJOR SINS in their various forms.

Iblees is very covetous of letting a person fall into major sin, especially if he is a scholar who is followed. Iblees is covetous of that, so that he may repel people from him and spread his sins and disobedience amongst the people. He uses some people as his agents to spread this person's sins under the false pretence that this will help them to get closer to Allaah. But in fact this person is the deputy of Iblees without knowing it. For those who would like abomination to be spread amongst the believers there is a great torment in this life and in the Hereafter especially if they take charge of spreading about enormities, not out of advice, but by obeying Iblees and being his agent. All this is to repel people from the Scholar and from his benefit.

Furthermore, the sins of this person (scholar), even if they reach the sky, are less to Allaah than the sins of those who would like to spread his sins about. The scholar's sins are wrongdoing to himself. If he seeks forgiveness from Allaah and repents, Allaah will accept his repentance, and He will change his bad deeds to good deeds. However, the sin of those who spread about abominations are doing wrong to the believers by looking for their mistakes and by intending to expose them. Allaah is in close observation, and He knows about this ambuscade. Nothing hidden in the chest or soul is hidden to Allaah.

If Iblees is unable to snare Al-'Abd at this degree he moves him to the FOURTH CLASS, or the MINOR SINS. These sins may ruin a person if they accumulate. That is why Ar-Rasool (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, Be aware of the minor sins, because the simile of the minor sin is like the people who went to a desert. Then he (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) mentioned a Hadeeth the meaning of which is that every one of them brought a stick of wood until they had kindled a huge fire (just as the minor sins add up little by little until they become a major sin). The person continues taking the matter of minor sins easily until he considers them inconsequential. Therefore, a person who commits major sins but fears their effect is in a better condition than he is.

If the Al-'Abd has prevented Iblees from trapping him at this level, he moves him to the fifth level. The FIFTH LEVEL IS TO OCCUPY HIM WITH PERMISSIBLE THINGS that do not gain him reward or punishment. However, the punishment of this level is caused by passing the reward missed by being occupied with these deeds. If Al-'Abd has kept Iblees from succeeding at this level, and if he is careful about his time, being covetous with it, knows the value of moments, and knows the value of what comes of comfort or torment, Iblees transfers him to the sixth level. The SIXTH CLASS is to OCCUPY HIM WITH DEEDS OF LESSER REWARD to keep virtue away from him and to prevent him from attaining the reward of the favoured deed.

Therefore, he orders him to do a good action with less reward if that includes leaving a better action. Very few people are aware of this. Because if a person feels a strong urge to some kind of obedience, he does not doubt that it is true obedience and that he is getting closer to Allaah. He never thinks that this call is from Iblees because he believes that Iblees never calls one to do good. Therefore, he thinks that this call is from Allaah. Actually he is excused because he never knew that Iblees would call one to seventy doors of good deeds either to get him to one door of evil or to let a better deed than these seventy deeds pass away from him.

This cannot be known except by a light from Allaah, a light he instils in the heart of Al-'Abd. The source of this type of knowledge is following the way of Ar-Rasool (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and taking care of the levels of deeds with Allaah, the deeds of His favoured ones, the deeds more pleasing to Him, and those more beneficial to Al-'Abd, and deeds that have more Naseehah (guidance) from Allaah, His Rasool, His Book, and His believing worshippers. No one has this type of knowledge except the inheritors of Ar-Rasool (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), his deputies in the Ummah, and his successors on earth. In addition, most of the creation is screened from this. This call does not come to their hearts. Allaah gives His favour to whomever He wills from among His worshippers.

If Al-'Abd prevents Iblees from trapping him at any of these six levels, and if it becomes difficult for Iblees, he empowers his party of jinn and human beings with different kinds of harm, IMPUTING DISBELIEF TO HIM, CALLING HIM MISGUIDED AND AN INNOVATOR, WARNING PEOPLE AGAINST HIM, and intending to weaken him and to disturb his heart. Iblees, by using this method, tries to confuse this person's thinking and tries to PREVENT PEOPLE FROM BENEFITING FROM HIM. Therefore Iblees expends his utmost effort to empower the defenders of falsehood, from human beings and from jinn, against him. Then the believer is at war until death. Whenever he gives up, he is hurt or is taken captive. Hence the believer is in Jihad until he meets with Allaah.

Finally, we hope you take note of this chapter and think about its great benefit. Moreover, make this knowledge your balance to weigh people and deeds. This shows you some universal realities and the level of people. Allaah is the one from whom we seek aid, and on Him we depend.

Attitude Prophet Muhammad SAW is an example for us

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:56:46 PST

Muslims, commemorating the birth of Prophet Muhammad. However, every time that we are always wondering when and where we find leaders who are able to personally emulate the noble figure.

One of the noble attitude of a person attached to the Prophet Muhammad is honesty and responsibility. Thanks to the two things that, Muhammad rewarded with the epithet of Al Amin by the local community, both followers and hostile.

In addition to outstanding leadership abilities, since the young prophet was involved moral movement or oath Hilful Fudul virtue. That movement in defense of justice and truth to anyone.

Honest, brave to risk, and responsible leadership that the Prophet's noble heritage that should ditauladani and leaders of our elite. In fact, very difficult to find an elite acting and behaving kiita example of the Prophet.

Finding honesty alone, for example, is difficult to find a needle in a haystack. In fact, honesty is not enough to be a capital for the leader.

The fact it's hard to find honest advice is inversely proportional to emulate the attitude and actions of the Prophet. In the pulpit and in written texts, almost every time we hear the leaders and advocates to take us modeling attitudes and behaviors of Muhammad.

However, we encounter these days lekatnya hypocrisy more precisely on the fact that already naked. About the pros and cons of the name in the end view of the Special Committee Questionnaire Century Bank, for example, shows that honesty is still defeated by the narrow interests and short-term.

Now the question is, can we be like him?

Ethical trading and the prohibition Become Divorce Women Causes

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:25:00 PST

narrated from Abu Hurairah ra. : Prophet forbade selling goods on behalf of the city dwellers desert dwellers, as well as with najsh. and one should not recommend to buyers who have reached an agreement with another vendor to cancel the deal, so he switched him to buy his wares; as well as one can not woo a girl who has dipinang different people and a woman is forbidden to be the cause of divorced women another with the intent to take his place.

Terms Haji Mabrur

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:23:00 PST

From Abu Hurairah ra. : Prophet Muhammad once said, "anyone who perform the Hajj solely for Allah and do not engage in intercourse with his wife and not to sin (during pilgrimage) he will come back as a born-again"

Haj on Behalf of Parents and Prohibition Looking Mutual Opposite Sex

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:19:00 PST

From Abdullah bin Abbas. : Al-Fadl (his brother) riding in the back of the Prophet and a woman from the tribe came Khats'am, perempuang Al Fadl and looked at each other. Prophet Muhammad al-Fadl turned her face towards the other. She said, "yes Allah, the pilgrimage required of God to His servant and my father was old and weak and can not sit upright on a horse, may I perform Hajj on his behalf?" Prophet Muhammad replied, "yes, you allowed ". The incident happened on Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajj final Prophet).

Died In Case pilgrimage

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:16:00 PST

From Ibn Abbas r.a. : When one man was in Arafat (Hajj worship) with Allah's Messenger, he fell from his horse up to his neck broken. Prophet Muhammad said, "wash it with water and Sidr and kafani it with two pieces of cloth, not scented or covered his head because he would be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection, saying labbaik."

Prohibition Thawaf for a menstruating woman

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:15:06 PST

(from Al-Bara 'bin Azib) r.a. ; Prophet Muhammad delivered sermon after the prayers worked on the holiday of Nahr and said, "whoever is doing like our prayers and slaughtering (qurban) as we then stabbed him (kurbannya) will be accepted by Allah. And anyone who slaughtered kurbannya before the Id prayer, then stabbed him was not acceptable to God ".
Abu Burdah bin Niyar, uncle Al Bara 'said, "yaa Allah! I have slaughtered my sheep before the Id prayer and I thought that today was a day of eating and drinking, and (was) I want my sheep to be slaughtered first sheep in my house. So I kill it and eat before doing the prayer ".
Prophet Muhammad said, "are you a sheep is slaughtered meat (not stabbing)"
Abu Burdah said, "yaa Allah, I have a young she-goat which is more dear than two my sheep. Is that enough as a stinging in my name?"
Prophet Muhammad said, "yaa, that's enough for you (as a stabbing) but not for anyone else after you".

THE MESSAGE

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:53:05 PDT

rtIn or about the year 570 the child who would be named Muhammad and who would become the Prophet of one of the world's great religions, Islam, was born into a family belonging to a clan of Quraysh, the ruling tribe of Mecca, a city in the Hijaz region of northwestern Arabia.

Originally the site of the Ka'bah, a shrine of ancient origins, Mecca had with the decline of southern Arabia (see Chapter l ) become an important center of sixth-century trade with such powers as the Sassanians, Byzantines, and Ethiopians. As a result the city was dominated by powerful merchant families among whom the men of Quraysh were preeminent. Muhammad's father, 'Abd Allah ibn'Abd al-Muttalib, died before the boy was born; his mother, Aminah, died when he was six. The orphan was consigned to the care of his grandfather, the head of the clan of Hashim. After the death of his grandfather, Muhammad was raised by his uncle, Abu Talib. As was customary, Muhammad as a child was sent to live for a year or two with a Bedouin family. This custom, followed until recently by noble families of Mecca, Medina, Tayif, and other towns of the Hijaz, had important implications for Muhammad. In addition to enduring the hardships of desert life, he acquired a taste for the rich language so loved by the Arabs, whose speech was their proudest art, and learned the patience and forbearance of the herdsmen, whose life of solitude he first shared and then came to understand and appreciate. About the year 590, Muhammad, then in his twenties, entered the service of a widow named Khadijah as a merchant actively engaged with trading caravans to the north. Sometime later Muhammad married Khadijah, by whom he had two sons - who did not survive - and four daughters. During this period of his life Muhammad traveled widely. Then, in his forties he began to retire to meditate in a cave on Mount Hira outside of Mecca, where the first of the great events of Islam took place. One day, as he sat in the cave, he heard a voice, later identified as that of the Angel Gabriel, which ordered him to: Recite: In the name of thy Lord who created, Created man from a clot of blood. Three times Muhammad pleaded his inability to do so, but each time the command was repeated. Finally, Muhammad recited the words of what are now the first five verses of the 96th surah or chapter of the Quran - words which proclaim God the Creator of man and the Source of all knowledge. At first Muhammad divulged his experience only to his wife and his immediate circle. But as more revelations enjoined him to proclaim the oneness of God universally, his following grew, at first among the poor and the slaves, but later also among the most prominent men of Mecca. The revelations he received at this time and those he did so later are all incorporated in the Quran, the Scripture of Islam. Photo: The sun rises over Jabal al-Rahmah, the Mount of Mercy, where Muhammad in his farewell sermon told the assembled Muslims, "I have delivered God's message to you and left you with a clear command: the Book of God and the practice of His Prophet.

If you hold fast to this you will never go astray." Not everyone accepted God's message transmitted through Muhammad. Even in his own clan there were those who rejected his teachings, and many merchants actively opposed the message. The opposition, however, merely served to sharpen Muhammad's sense of mission and his understanding of exactly how Islam differed from paganism. The belief in the unity of God was paramount in Islam; from this all else followed. The verses of the Quran stress God's uniqueness, warn those who deny it of impending punishment, and proclaim His unbounded compassion to those who submit to His will. They affirm the Last Judgment, when God, the Judge, will weigh in the balance the faith and works of each man, rewarding the faithful and punishing the transgressor. Because the Quran rejected polytheism and emphasized man's moral responsibility, in powerful images, it presented a grave challenge to the worldly Meccans

The Ideal Muslim Character 1

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

The Prophet's[saw] Moral Teachings. The position of morality is not like that of the means of pleasure and luxuries, from which one may remain indifferent. Morality is the name of the principles of life which religion must adopt and must care for the respect of its standard bearers.The Prophet's[saw] Excellent Example.

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Mere teachings and commands of Do's and Don'ts do not form the foundation of good moral character in a soceity because only this is not sufficient for developing these good qualities in the human nature; a teacher may merely order something done, or
left alone, and the society becomes moralist. The teachings of good conduct which is fruitful requires long training and constant watchfulness.

The training cannot be on the right lines if the example before the society is not such and commands not full confidence, because a person having a bad moral character cannot leave a good impression on his surroundings.

The best training can be expected only from such whose personality by force of its morality would create a sense of admiration in the beholder, and feel the urge to follow in his footsteps.

The holy prophet[saw] himself was the best example of a good moral character, to emulate which he was giving a call to his followers. Before advising them to adopt a moral life by giving sermons, and counsels, he would be sowing the seeds of
morality among his followers by actually living that sort of life.

Abdullah ibn Amar says:" Rasulullah[saw] was neither ill mannered or rude. He used to say that the better person among you are those who are best in their moral character.[Bukhari] Anas says:" I served Rasulullah[saw] for 10 years. He never
said "Uf"[ a sign of displeasure] nor did he ever say " why did you do this, " Or " why did you not do that."[Muslim]

It is also reported by him: " My mother used to take the prophet's hand and used to take him where ever she wanted. If any person came before him, and shake his hand, the prophet[saw] never used to draw his hand away till the other person did so
firts, and he never used to turn his face away from that person till the latter himself turned away.

And in meetings he was never seen squatting in such a way that his knees were protruding further than fellow squatters.[Tirmizi] Aisha[ra] says: "If there were 2 alternatives, Rasulullah[saw] would adopt the easier one, provided there was no sin in
it. If that work was sinful, he used to run away the farthest from it. The prophet[saw] did not take any personal revenge from any body. Yes, if Allah's[swt] command were to be disobeyed, then his wrath was to be stirred. Rasulullah[saw] did not beat
anybody with his own hands, neither his wife, nor servant. He used to fight in the wars in the cause of Allah[swt]. [Muslim]

Anas has narrated that : "I was walking with the prophet[saw] . He had wrapped around his body a thick chadar. An arab pulled the chadar so forcefully a part of his shoulder could be seen by me, and I was perturbed by the force exerted. The arab
then said" O Muhammed[saw]! Give me some of my share from the property which Allah[swt] has given you. Rasulullah[saw] turned towards and laughed, and gave orders for a donation to be given to him. [Bukhari]

Aisha[ra] says rasulullah[saw] said: Allah[swt] is soft hearted and likes softheartedness. And the reward which he gives for soft heartedness, nay such a reward He does not give for any thing.[ Muslim] In another tradition it is stated :
Softness in whichever thing it may be will make it beautiful. And from whichever thing it is taken out will become ugly."

Jair narrates that rasulullah[saw] has said: The reward which He gives for softeheartedness He does not give for folly; and when Allah[swt] makes any slave His favorite, He gives him softness. Those families devoid of softness become deprived of every virtue.[Tibrani] Abdullah bin Harith has reported that he did not see anyone smiling more than rasulullah[saw][ Tirmizi]

Aisha[ra] was aksed what the prophet[saw] did at home, she replied:" He used to be in the service of his home people and when it was time to pray, he used to perform ablutions and set for prayer."[Muslim]

Of all the traits of the prophet[saw] one trait he was very well known for was philantrophism. He was never miserly in anything. He was very brave and courageous. He never turned away from truth. He was justice loving. In his own decision he never commited any excess or injustice. In his whole life he was truthful and an honest trustee.

Allah[swt] has commanded all muslims to follow the excellent habits and best traits of rasulullah[saw] and to take guidance from his life. "Surely there is in the person of Allah's Messenger[saw] an excellent example for you- for every person who has hope in Allah[swt] and the hereafter and remembers Allah[swt], reciting His name many times. [Ahzab:21]

Qazi Ayaz says that rasulullah[saw] was the most excellent mannered and bravest of all. One night the people of Medina were terribly frightened by a sound; some proceeded towards the possible source, and saw the prophet[saw] approaching from
it. He had rushed before all others to find the cause.

Ali says in battles when fighting started we used to worry much about the prophet [saw] because no one was nearer to the enemy than him.

Jabar bin Abdullah says that whenever anything was asked of the prophet[saw], he never said no.

Once he received 70000 dirhams; they were placed before him on a mat. He distributed them standing, and did not refuse a single beggar till all the money was spent.

A man approached him and asked for something. He replied he was unable to give the latter anything at present, but asked him to buy something in his name, to be reimbursed when money was available. Umar stated:" Allah[swt] has not made it compulsory for you to do a thing like that over which you have no power or control." This saddened rasulullah[saw]; one ansari said:"O rasulullah[saw]! spend and do not be afraid of straitened circumstances imposed by Allah[swt]" At this, he smiled and his face shone as he said"I have been commanded to do this only."

Imaan Shivani Joshi

CHILDREN'S RIGHTS ON PARENTS

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

Social commandments begin with the birth of a child, hence we begin with the Prophet's Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam sayings regarding birth and the duties of parents to the newborn child.
Saying of Adhaan (in the ears of a new-born child).

Abu Rafey (R.A.) relates that "I saw the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam saying the adhaan of salaah in the ear of his grandson, Hasan, when the child was born to his daughter Fatima."

Commentary: In this hadeeth only the saying of adhaan has been mentioned, but in another hadeeth reported by Husain (R.A.) the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam prescribed the saying of adhaan in the right ear and iqaamah in the left ear (of the new-born child, and also mentioned its auspiciousness. He said, that on account of it, the child remained safe from infantile epilepsy.

As these ahaadeeth show, the primary claim of a child on his parents is that his ears, and through his ears, his head and heart are made aquainted with the name of the Almighty and His Oneness and with the Call of Faith and salaah. The best way to it, evidently, is that adhaan and iqaamah are said in his ears, as these impart the knowledge of spirit and the fundamental practices of Islam in a most effect manner.

Tahneeq

When a child was born in the family of the Sahaaba(R.A.),they would take it to the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam so that he would bless it,and apply the pulp of a date, chewed by him, to its palate, which the Sahaaba believed would help to keep the child safe from evils and bring it good fortune. This is called 'Tahneeq' in Islamic terms Ayesha (R.A.) narrates that "The people used to bring their new-born children to the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam and he would bless them and perform the Tahneeq."

This shows that when a child is born in a Muslim home, it should be taken to a virtuous, pious person to receive his blessing and have the Tahneeq done. It is one of the sunnah practices that have now sadly become extinct.

Aqeeqah

In almost all the communities of the world, the birth of a child is considered a blessing and some ceremony is held to celebrate the
event. Besides being natural, it also serves a special purpose, and makes it known, in a suitable and dignified manner, that the father has accepted the child as his own and there is no doubt or suspicion in his mind concerning it. It shuts the door to many Mischiefs that can arise in the future. The practice of aqeeqah was observed among the Arabs,even during the Age of Ignorance, for this very reason.The hair on the child's head was shaved off and its weight equivalent was sacrificed as a mark of rejoicing - which was a characteristic feature of Millat-u Ibrahim (the religion of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.)) While preserving the practice in principle, the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam gave appropriate instructions, and he set an example of how it was to be done.

It is reported by Buraidah (R.A.) that "During the Age of Ignorance", when a child was born to anyone of us, we used to slaughter a goat and smear the head of the child with its blood. Later, after the dawn of Islam, our practice became, (on the advice of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) that we sacrifice a goat of aqeeqah on the seventh day after the birth of a child, and shave the head of the infant, and apply saffron on it."

Since, as we have seen, the aqeeqah served as a useful purpose in many ways, and was also in keeping with the spirit of Islam and, perhaps, like the rituals of Hai, it was among the remaining practices of Millat-u-Ibrahim, the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam preserved the reality of aqeeqah, but corrected the backward practices that had become associated with it.

The aqeeqah ceremony was also observed by the Jews, but they sacrificed an animal only in the case of a male child - which was indicative of the lesser value placed on girls in the pre-Islamic times. The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam corrected this too, and enjoined that the aqeeqah of girls should also be performed, like that of the boys. However, keeping in mind the natural difference between the two sexes, the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam laid down that while one goat was to be sacrificed in the aqeeqah of a female child, two should be sacrificed in the aqeeqah of a male child - provided that one's financial position permitted it.

It is reported by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn-ul-Aa's (R.A.) that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said "To whomsoever a child is born, and he wants to perform a sacrifice of aqeeqah on behalf of it, he should sacrifice two goats for a boy and one for a girl."

Commentary: As is evident in this hadeeth, aqeeqah is not obligatory, but it is among the Mustahab acts, i.e. those acts which are
recommended and rewardable but are not binding or compulsory. In the same way it is not necessary to sacrifice two goats for a male child. It is better to sacrifice two, if one can afford it, otherwise, one is enough.

In some ahaadeeth, the giving away in charity of silver equal in weight to the child's shaved hair, or its price in cash, is also mentioned, in addition to the sacrifice of the animal. This too is Mustahab and not compulsory.

The command to perform the aqeeqah on the day of the birth has not been given, perhaps for the reason that, at the time the family is occupied with the needs and comforts of the mother and the shaving of the hair (head) can also be harmful to the child. Generally, after a week the mother gets well and does not need special attention and the baby, too, becomes strong enough to go through the shaving of the hair.

In some other ahaadeeth, it is said that the child should also be named on the seventh day, together with aqeeqah, but from a few other ahaadeeth it appears that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam had named children even on the day of their birth. There is, as such, no harm in naming the child before the seventh day, but if it has not been done, the child should be named on the seventh day, together with the aqeeqah.

The aqeeqah ceremony, as we've seen consists of two acts: the shaving of the hair (head) and the sacrifice of the animal. There is a peculiar link between the two acts and these acts are among the religious practices of Millat-u-ibrahim. In Haj, too, they go together - where the pilgrims have their hair (head) shaved after the Adhiyah. Thus, aqeeqah also, is a practical demonstration of our association with Nabee Ibrahim (A.S.) and of the fact that the child, too, is a member of the same community.

Tasmiya

That the child be given a good name is also an obligation of the parents.

Abdullah ibn Abbas (R.A.) relates that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said "It is also a claim of the child on his father that he gives him a good name and teaches him good manners."

In another hadeeth, the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said "on the Day of Resurrection, you will be called out by your name and the name of your father. -The call will be:- so and-so, son of so-and-so, therefore, give good names."

From these sayings and the practices of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam, we get the guidance that it is the responsibility of the parents to give names to their children or have them named by a pious person.

Religious Upbringing

All the prophets, and, lastly the Prophet Muhammed Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam have stressed that the brief earthly stay of a human being is an introduction to the everlasting life of Eternity. It, therefore, follows that a greater attention is paid to the betterment of prospects in the life to come and attainment of happiness in the Hereafter than to the affairs and interests of this life. Thus, the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has enjoined upon the parents to take care of the religious instruction of their children from the very beginning, otherwise they will be called to account for negligence on the Day of Judgement.

It is related by lbn Abbas (R.A.) that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said "Have your children utter, first of all, the Kalima of Laa-ilaha-iliallah, (i.e. let these be the first words that they speak), and emphasize upon them to utter the same Kalima at the time of their death."

Commentary: The child begins to receive the impression of what it sees or hears from the time of its birth. The saying of adhaan and iqaamah in the ears of a newly-born infant, also, gives a clear indication of it. This hadeeth shows that when a child begins to speak, it should be taught to utter the Kalima, as a first step towards its education. It further tells that when the dying moment is near, a person should, again be urged to pronounce the same Kalima. Blessed indeed is the man who when he utters the first words, on coming into this world, it is the Kalima, and the same Kalima is on his lips when he departs.

The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has said "No father gives a better gift to his children than good manners and good character."

It is related by Anas (R.A.) that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said "Show respect to your children and adorn them with good manners." Showing of respect to one's children denotes that they should be treated not as a burden, but a blessing and trust of Allah, and brought up with care and affection.

In another hadeeth, the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said "When your children attain the age of seven, insist upon them to offer salaah (regularly), and when they are ten years old, punish them if they do not, and have separate beds for them (to sleep on)."

Commentary: Children generally, develop the faculty of understanding at the age of seven, and it is time that their feet were set on the parth of the worship of Allah. They should, therefore, be told to offer Salaah regularly when they attain that age. At ten, their powers of discretion and intelligence are fairly advanced and they begin to approach maturity. At that time, the observance of Salaah ought to be enjoined strictly upon them, and they should be taken to task, in an appropriate manner, if they fail to do so. They should further be required to sleep on separate beds and not together (which is permitted up to the age of ten).

All these, in brief, are the rights of children, both boys and girls, on their parents, and the parents will have to render a full account in respect of them on the Day of Reckoning.

Showing Kindness to Daughters

Even now daughters are considered an unwanted burden in some societies and instead of rejoicing, an atmosphere of grief and disappointment is produced in the family at their birth. This is the position, today, but in the pre-Islamic times the daughters were positively considered a shame and disgrace among the Arabs, so much so that even the right to live was denied to them. Many a hard-hearted parent used to strangle his daughter to death, with his own hands, when she was born, or bury her alive. The Qur'aan says:

"When news is brought to one of them, of the birth of a female, his face darkens and he is filled with inward grief. He hides himself with shame, from the people, because of the bad news he has had. (Asking himself): shall he keep it in contempt or bury in the dust. Ah: What an evil choice they decide."

Abdullah ibn Abbas (R.A.) reports that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said "Whoever becomes the father of a girl, he should neither hurt her nor treat her with contempt nor show preference over her to his sons in kindness and affection. (Both boys and girls should be treated alike.) Allah will grant him Paradise in return for kind treatment towards the daughter."

It is narrarated that a very poor woman, with two daughters, came to Ayesha's (R.A.) place to beg. By chance, Ayesha (R.A.) had only one date with her, at that time, which she gave to the woman. The woman broke the date into two partsand gave one part each to the girls. She did not eat anything of it herself. When after some time, the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam came, Ayesha (R.A.) related the incident to him, upon which he remarked:

"The believing man or woman upon whom there is the responsibility of daughters and he or she discharges it well and treats them with affection, the daughters will become a means of freedom, for him or her, in the hereafter."

It is related by Anas (R.A.) that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said "The believer who bears the responsibility of two daughters and supports them till they attain Puberty, he and I will be close to one another like this on the Day of Judgement." Anas (R.A.), adds that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam showed, by joining the fingers of his (the fingers were close to one another), in the same way will the believer be close to him on the Day of Judgement.

Abu Saeed Khudri (R.A.) relates that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said "Whoever bears the responsibility of three daughters or sisters or even of two daughters or sisters, and bears it well, and looks after their training and welfare properly, and then, gets them married, Allah will reward him with Paradise."

In these ahaadeeth, the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has not only stated that kind treatment was the natural right or claim of the daughters, but, also that the believers who fulfilled the obligation towards them in a good and proper manner would be rewarded with Paradise in the hereafter. He, further, gives the joyful tidings that such a man will be close to him, on the Day of Judgement, as the fingers of a hand are, when joined together.

Treating All the Children Equally

The Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has emphasised that parents should be just and fair to all the children, particularly in matters of gifts and kindness, and it must not be that while one gets more the other gets less or nothing. Besides being desirable in itself, equality to all the children also meets the demands of justice and equity which is pleasing to the Almighty. Besides, if discrimination is made among the children and one is favoured more than the other, it will lead to ill-will and jealousy, and nothing but evil can arise from this. The child who is discriminated against will bear a grudge against the father, - the painful consequences of which, are easy to imagine.

Narrates No'man ibn Bashir(R.A.), "My father took me to the Prophet (S.A.W.) and said (to him), "I have given a slave to this son of mine." The Prophet enquired, "Have you given the same to all of your sons?" "No," my father replied. The Prophet, thereupon, said, "It is not correct. Take it back.""

In another version, of the same hadeeth, The Prophet asked, "Do you want all your children to be equally devoted to you?" "Yes, of course," he replied. The Prophet said "Then do not act like that (let it not be that you give some property to one child and exclude the others.)"

In yet another version it is added that the Prophet remarked, "I cannot be a witness to an act of injustice."

In this hadeeth, it is enjoined upon parents not to discriminate among their children when it comes to giving them something as a gift etc. This has been condemned by the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam as unist and unfair. Some of the learned people have gone to the extent of calling it Haraam, but the majority of them hold the view that though it is not Haraam, it is Makrooh, and highly undesirable.

It must, however, be emphasised that the command applies only to a situation where the preferential treatment is based on a consideration that is not lawful or justifiable in the eye of the Shariah, otherwise no blame will be attached to it. For example, if a child is physically handicapped and cannot earn his livelihood like his brothers, a special favour to him will not be incorrect, but to an extent it will be essential and worthy of Divine reward. Similarly, should any child dedicate himself to the cause of Imaan or public welfare and have no time to look after his economic needs, it would also be correct and deserving of reward, to make a reasonable allowance for him over the other children.

There is no harm if preference is shown to one of the children with the consent of the others (ie the brothers & sisters).

In a hadeeth, the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam says, "Treat all your children equally in regard to free gifts. If I were to show
preference in this matter, I would show it to daughters.(If equality was not necessary and binding, I would have declared that more be given to daughters than to sons.)"

It can be concluded from this hadeeth that though, after the death of the parents, the shares of daughters in ancestral property is half of the sons, in their life-time, the share of both the sons and the daughters is equal. Therefore whatever the parents give to the sons, in their life-time, should also be given to the daughters.

Responsibility of Marriage

It is the duty of parents to arrange the marriage of their children when they come of age. The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam has stressed that it should be taken seriously and with a full sense of responsibility. Abu Saeed Khudri and Abdullah ibn Abbas (R.A.) narrated that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam said "Whoever is blessed by the Creator with children should give them good names, a good training, teach them good manners, and arrange for their marriage when they attain the age of puberty. If he does not pay due heed to it and fails to get them married, on reaching marriagable age (due to negligence) and they take to ways that are forbidden, the father will be held responsible for it."

Commentary:- In this hadeeth the marriage of the children, too, on their attaining the marriagable age, has been made a responsibility of the father. But alas we are growing increasingly indifferent to it mainly because we have made marriage a most tiresome and expensive affair by following and adopting the customs of others.

If we follow the good example of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam and begin to perform marriages as he had performed his own marriage or the marriages of his daughters, the whole ceremony will be as easy and simple, as it is for a Muslim to observe and fulfill the Friday prayers. Blessings will then flow from it - of which we have deprived ourselves, through thoughtless imitations of un-islamic societies.

by Shaikh Musa Ibrahim Menk

A Muslim is a brother to a Muslim

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

by Shariffa Carlo Al Andalusia

Allah has made the relationship of the Muslim to a Muslim more sacred than any relationship, even that of blood, culture or nation. He has united us into one ummah, the Muslim ummah, and has made us responsible for each other. The relationship between the Muslims is a sacred one:

...A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He neither oppresses him nor humiliates him nor looks down upon him. The piety is here, (and while saying so) he pointed towards his chest thrice. It is a serious evil for a Muslim that he should look down upon his brother Muslim. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother in faith; his blood, his wealth and his honor. Sahih Muslim Book 31, Number 6219.

We have special responsibilities towards our brothers and sisters in Islam that we do not have towards the non-Muslim, and the rights of Allah come first, and the rights of Allah include the treatment we give to our brothers and sisters in Islam. We are to consider the Muslim, first and foremost, regardless of our relationships. The Muslim is sacred for us in his faith, his blood and his honor. The act of looking down upon a Muslim brother or sister is a serious sin in Islam. Think about this. How many times do we look down to the Muslim for his or her position in life. For instance, a brother refuses to consider a woman for marriage because she is a maid, or a sister refuses to consider a brother because he has not finished college. Yet, these people are great in their deen and their manners. This is a serious offense, to look down upon a Muslim because his or her social status does not suit us. We mu! st also not assume the worst about people. Many Muslims from overseas come here having been warned that the African American Muslims are not good. They are dangerous. They are not "real" Muslims. Shame on us for accepting such a thing before we have even a chance to meet one of them! Based on such presumptions, many of us would prefer to assist a non-Muslim in need, while ignoring our brothers and sisters. The ties of Islam must be stronger than all other ties. The most vivid example of this is that of the prophet Noah and his son.

Allah tells us;
And Noah called upon his Lord, and said: "O my Lord! surely my son is of my family! and Thy promise is true, and Thou art the justest of Judges!" He said: O Noah! Lo! he is not of thy household; lo! he is of evil conduct, so ask not of Me that whereof thou hast no knowledge. I admonish thee lest thou be among the ignorant. 11:45-46

Here was the prophet's own son, and Allah was telling him that the son's disobedience had effectively removed him from the family unit and from Allah's protection. How did Noah react to this?

Noah said: "O my Lord! I do seek refuge with Thee, lest I ask Thee for that of which I have no knowledge. And unless thou forgive me and have Mercy on me, I should indeed be lost!" 11:47

and

Noah said: "This day nothing can save, from the command of Allah, any but those on whom He hath mercy! 11:43

The Prophet was true to his character, recognizing the wisdom of Allah over his own judgement, and he sought forgiveness for his assumption.

Another example of this is Prophet Lut. He fled his city by Allah's command, and tried to save his family, but this was not the will of Allah, for his wife was not of the believers. "But we saved him and his family, except his wife: she was of those who lagged behind" 7:83 Here we see that Allah did not save the wife of the Prophet. He had to choose between obeying Allah and saving his wife, he had no choice, he obeyed Allah. He knew that the only relationships that exist are those for the sake of Allah - seeking His Great Pleasure.

We are supposed to love each other for the sake of Allah, no other reason. If we do this, the rewards are so great:

For example:

Narrated AbuHurayrah: Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: Verily, Allah would say on the Day of Resurrection: Where are those who have mutual love for My Glory's sake? Today I shall shelter them in My shadow when there is no other shadow but the shadow of Mine. Sahih Muslim: Book 31, Number 6225.

and

Narrated AbuHurayrah: Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: A person visited his brother in another town and Allah deputed an Angel to wait for him on his way and when he came to him he said: Where do you intend to go? He said: I intend to go to my brother in this town. He said: Have you done any favour to him (the repayment of which you intend to get)? He said: No, excepting this that I love him for the sake of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious. Thereupon he said: I am a Messenger to you from Allah (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you love him (for His sake). Sahih Muslim: Book 31, Number 6226.

We can not hold enmity/hatred for our fellow Muslims. Too often I hear Muslims talking about other Muslims because they are from a particular race or nation. How many times have you heard Arabs insulted or Pakistanis or Indians, for what is perceived to be a flaw in their deen or character as a race? Too often. It is easy to argue that Saudi or the other Arab nations are not living up to their duties as Muslim nations, and in the same breath, we praise America for what it does. Brothers and sisters: I am here to tell you that the worst of the Muslim states: the worst Muslim ruler: the worst Muslim on this earth is better in the sight of Allah than the best kafir! Do not doubt this.

Allah says:

And remember Moses said to his people: "O my people! Ye have indeed wronged yourselves by your worship of the calf: So turn (in repentance) to your Maker, and slay yourselves (the wrong-doers); that will be better for you in the sight of your Maker." Then He turned towards you (in forgiveness): For He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. 2:54

The Muslim has rights upon us, and we must fulfill these rights first. then we can help others, but we can not go to a non-Muslim when a Muslim needs. The fact of belief in Allah is what makes the Muslim's life sacred. The Muslim servant of Allah can not be ignored, for serving/helping him is equal to serving/helping Allah.

Narrated AbuHurayrah: Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said, Verily, Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, will say on the Day of Resurrection: O son of Adam, I was sick but you did not visit Me. He will say: O my Lord, how could I visit Thee when Thou art the Lord of the worlds? Thereupon He will say: Didn't you know that a certain servant of Mine was sick but you did not visit him, and were you not aware that if you had visited him, you would have found Me by him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food but you did not feed Me. He will say: My Lord, how could I feed Thee when Thou art the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Didn't you know that a certain servant of Mine asked you for food but you did not feed him, and were you not aware that if you had fed him you would have found him by My side? (The Lord will again say:) O son of Adam, I asked you for something to drink but you did not provide Me with any. He will say: My Lord, how coul! d I provide Thee with something to drink when Thou art the Lord of the worlds? Thereupon He will say: A certain servant of Mine asked you for a drink but you did not provide him with one, and had you provided him with a drink you would have found him near Me. Sahih Muslim: Book 31, Number 6232.

How far does this go? How far does the ties go? When the ansar welcomed the muhajireen, they shared everything with them. They divided their property in half. They even offered their wives to be wives the Muhajireen. They became brothers in the true sense of the word.

I remember an example of a story I read of how a man took his shahadah. He was in a hospital. He was sharing a room with a Muslim man. One day some people came to visit the Muslim. They came in, hugged the Muslim brother, kissed him, greeted him with love and affection. They visited with this brother for a period, and shared a closeness that was true and unbound. After they left, the man asked the Muslim if these were his brothers who had visited him. The Muslim said, "No, they learned that I was sick today, at the Friday prayer, and they came to visit me. I just met them today." This shocked the man. These people had not acted in that awkward stranger fashion. They had acted like true brothers. This led the man to ask questions and finally accept Al Islam. This duty, visiting the sick had the special blessings from Allah, and this time had the extra blessing of serving as a! vehicle to guide a man to Islam.

Narrated Thawban: Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: The one who visits the sick is in fact like one who is in the fruit garden of
Paradise so long as he does not return. Sahih Muslim: Book 31, Number 6227

We expect too much from each other. We want everyone to be perfect just because he or she is Muslim. We go to the Muslim countries expecting a nation of angels. It does not exist. We have to stop thinking that the Muslim must be perfect because he/she has accepted Allah. None of us is perfect. Even in the Prophet's time, there were hypocrites, drunks, adulterers, thieves and slanderers. And these were the companions! We must recognize that we are imperfect creatures, and Allah wants us that way. If we were not of those who sin and return to our Lord in repentance, He would destroy us and bring about a nation that is. We have to be patient with each other and avoid anger.

Narrated AbuHurayrah: Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: The strong man is not one who wrestles well but the strong man is one who controls himself when he is in a fit of rage. Sahih Muslim: Book 31, Number 6313.

We have to forgive each other our sins against each other:

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: It is not permissible for a Muslim to have estranged relations with his brother beyond three days. Muslim: Book 31, Number 6212.

We have to be kind to each other:

Narrated Aisha: Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: Aisha, verily Allah is kind and He loves kindness and confers upon kindness which he does not confer upon severity and does not confer upon anything else besides it (kindness). Sahih Muslim: Book 31, Number 6273:

and

Narrated Aisha: Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: Kindness is not to be found in anything but that it adds to its beauty and it is not withdrawn from anything but it makes it defective. Sahih muslim: Book 31, Number 6274.

We have to guard our tongues against backbiting him/her:

Narrated AbuHurayrah: Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: Do you know who is poor? They (the Companions of the Prophet said: A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth. He (the Prophet) said: The poor of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and Zakat but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others and shed the blood of others and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then his sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire. Sahih Muslim: Book 31, Number 6251.

Let us not forget, while we are being patient with each other's faults that we have a special obligation of advising each other:

Except those who believe and do good, and enjoin on each other truth, and enjoin on each other patience 103:3

We have to not take allies except from the Muslims, especailly against each other:

O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people. 5:51

Last but not least, I beg you, brothers and sisters, to be careful in what you say and feel for your fellow Muslims. We are not perfect, but we all share a common bond, love for Allah and His messenger. Even the worst of Muslims will fight to the death to defend his Lord, his Messenger and His deen. May Allah give us all increased faith, knowledge and love for each other. Ameen.

The Pleasures of Paradise in Brief

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

God has said in the Quran:

“And give good news (O Muhammad) to those who believe and do good deeds, that they will have gardens (Paradise) in which rivers flow....” (Quran 2:25)

God has also said:

“Race one with another for forgiveness from your Lord and for Paradise, whose width is as the width of the heavens and the earth, which has been prepared for those who believe in God and His messengers....” (Quran 57:21)

The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, told us that the lowest in rank among the dwellers of Paradise will have ten times the like of this world,[1] and he or she will have whatever he or she desires and ten times like it.[2] Also, the Prophet Muhammad said: “A space in Paradise equivalent to the size of a foot would be better than the world and what is in it.”[3] He also said: “In Paradise there are things which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has thought of.”[4] He also said: “The most miserable man in the world of those meant for Paradise will be dipped once in Paradise. Then he will be asked, ‘Son of Adam, did you ever face any misery? Did you ever experience any hardship?’ So he will say, ‘No, by God, O Lord! I never faced any misery, and I never experienced any hardship.’”[5]

If you enter Paradise, you will live a very happy life without sickness, pain, sadness, or death; God will be pleased with you; and you will live there forever. God has said in the Quran:

“But those who believe and do good deeds, We will admit them to gardens (Paradise) in which rivers flow, lasting in them forever....” (Quran 4:57)

How To Benefit From the Holy Quran

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

Allah the Most High says:

"Indeed in this there is a remembrance for those who have a living heart, listen attentively and are awake to taking heed." (Quran: Qaaf:37)

Therefore, if you desire to benefit from Quran, gather your heart when reciting it, focus your attention to it and focus as if you are the one being directly addressed by it. For indeed it is an address from Allah via the path of the Messenger (p.b.u.h.). This is because gaining complete benefit from Quran is dependent upon the object providing the benefit, the place by which it is to be received, the conditions related to attaining the benefit and the non existence of anything that may hinder the benefit from occurring. Hence the verse contains an explanation of all of these points, with the shortest and clearest of words, and those that best prove the point. Thus the saying of Allah: (Indeed in this there is a remembrance) has an inference to what has preceded the verse from the beginning of Soorah Qaaf up to this verse and this is what is causing the benefit. Whilst the saying of Allah (who have a living heart) then this refers to the place that receives the benefit and this is the heart that has life and comprehends what Allah has sent, as Allah the Most High says:

"Indeed this is only a clear reminder and a plain Quran so as to warn those who have a living heart." (Yaaseen: 69-70)
And His saying (listen attentively) i.e. who turns his attention to it and listens mindfully to what is being said. This is the condition that is placed so that one can be benefited by it. And His saying (are awake to taking heed) i.e. that the heart is attentive to it. Ibn Qutaibah said: "Listen to the book of Allah whilst your heart and mind are attentive, not neglectful nor distant."This is an inference to the matter that prevents one from attaining benefit. That is when the heart is distant and unmindful such that it does not understand what is being said, nor comprehend it.Therefore, if the cause of the benefit - Quran, is found and the place of receiving it - and that is the heart has life - and the condition is fulfilled - and that is listening attentively - and the barriers that would prevent benefit from being attained are avoided - and that is the heart being pre-occupied with something else and it being unmindful of what is said - then one attains the benefit, of being benefited by Quran. (al-Fawaa'id by Ibn-ul-Qayyim)

Source: www.islaam.com

Hajj in Quran

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

“Our Lord! And make us submissive unto You and of our offspring a nation submissive unto You, and show us our Manasik (all the ceremonies of pilgrimage - Hajj and Umrah, etc.), and accept our repentance. Truly, You are the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.” (Quran: 2/128)

Verily! As-Safa and Al-Marwah (two mountains in Makkah) are of the Symbols of Allah. So it is not a sin on him who performs Hajj or Umrah (pilgrimage) of the House (the Kabah at Makkah) to perform the going (Tawaf) between them (As-Safa and Al-Marwah). And whoever does good voluntarily, then verily, Allah is All-Recognizer, All-Knower. (Quran: 2/158)
And perform properly (i.e. all the ceremonies according to the ways of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.)), the Hajj and Umrah (i.e. the pilgrimage to Makkah) for Allah. (Quran: 2/196)
The Hajj (pilgrimage) is (in) the well-known (lunar year) months (i.e. the 10th month, the 11th month and the first ten days of the 12th month of the Islamic calendar, i.e. two months and ten days). So, whosoever intends to perform Hajj therein (by assuming Ihram), then he should not have sexual relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the Hajj. And whatever good you do, (be sure) Allah knows it. And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness, etc.). So fear Me, O men of understanding! (Quran: 2/197)
There is no sin on you if you seek the Bounty of your Lord (during pilgrimage by trading, etc.). Then when you leave Arafat, remember Allah (by glorifying His Praises, i.e. prayers and invocations, etc.) at the Mashar-il-Haram. And remember Him (by invoking Allah for all good, etc.) as He has guided you, and verily, you were, before, of those who were astray. (Quran: 2/198)
And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Kabah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for ones conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves (i.e. denies Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a disbeliever of Allah), then Allah stands not in need of any of the Alameen (mankind and Jinns). (Quran: 3/97)
O you who believe! Kill not game while you are in a state of Ihram for Hajj or Umrah (pilgrimage), and whosoever of you kills it intentionally, the penalty is an offering, brought to the Kabah, of an eatable animal (i.e. sheep, goat, cow, etc.) equivalent to the one he killed, as adjudged by two just men among you; or, for expiation, he should feed poor persons, or its equivalent in fasting, that he may taste the heaviness (punishment) of his deed. Allah has forgiven what is past, but whosoever commits it again, Allah will take retribution from him. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Able of Retribution. (Quran: 5/95)
Lawful to you is (the pursuit of) water game and its use for food - for the benefit of yourselves and those who travel, but forbidden is (the pursuit of) land game as long as you are in a state of Ihram (for Hajj or Umrah). And fear Allah to Whom you shall be gathered back. (Quran: 5/96)
Allah has made the Kabah, the Sacred House, an asylum of security and Hajj and Umrah (pilgrimage) for mankind, and also the Sacred Month and the animals of offerings and the garlanded (people or animals, etc. marked with the garlands on their necks made from the outer part of the stem of the Makkah trees for their security), that you may know that Allah has knowledge of all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and that Allah is the All-Knower of each and everything. (Quran: 5/97)
And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj). (Quran: 22/27)
Allah Azza wa Jall mentioned the sacrifice together with the first and foremost worship in Islam: prayer. This is a clear indication of its great importance. Thus, He ordered His Messenger (p.b.u.h.) to slaughter sacrifices by saying: <<…Pray unto your Lord and slaughter (your sacrifice)…" (Quran: 109/2) Hajj in Sunnah Narrated Ibn Umar: Allah's Apostle said: “Islam is based on (the following) five (principles): 1. To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is Allah's Apostle. 2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly. 3. To pay Zakat (i.e. obligatory charity). 4. To perform Hajj. (i.e. Pilgrimage to Mecca) 5. To observe fast during the month of Ramadan.” (Bukhari: Book 2, Hadith 7) “Sound Hajj has no reward except Paradise” (Bukhari & Muslim) Narrated Ibn Umar: A man asked the Prophet: "What (kinds of clothes) should a Muhrim (a Muslim intending to perform Umrah or Hajj) wear? He replied, ‘He should not wear a shirt, a turban, trousers, a head cloak or garment scented with saffron or Wars (kinds of perfumes). And if he has n slippers, then he can use Khuffs (leather socks) but the socks should be cut short so as to make the ankles bare.’” (Bukhari: Hadith 615, Vol. 2). (Bukhari: Book 3, Hadith 136) Allah's Messenger (p.b.u.h.) said, "He who is not prevented from performing the pilgrimage by an obvious necessity, a tyrannical ruler, or a disease which confines him at home, and dies without having performed the pilgrimage, may die if he wishes as a Jew, or if he wishes as a Christian." (Tirmidhi: 2535, Narrated Abu Umamah) (Darimi transmitted it) "The best days in the world are the Ten days." (The First Ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah) (Ibn Hibban, al-Bazzaar, authenticated in Sahih Jaami us-Sagheer 1133) "There are no days during which good deeds are more beloved by Allah than these (ten) days." (Bukhari, Tirmidhee and others) "The day of al-Fitr (i.e. Eid ul-Fitr), the day of an-Nahr, and the days of Tashriq are Eid days for us Muslims. They are days of eating and drinking." (Ahmad, Nasa’i, Sahih ul-Jaami 8192) Amr Ibn Al-Aas narrates, “When Islam entered my heart, I went to the Messenger of Allah and said: ‘Give me your hand so that I may pledge allegiance to you.’ The Prophet spread his hand, but I withdrew mine. He said, ‘What is wrong Amr?’ I said, ‘I want to make a condition.’ ‘And what is that?’ he said. I said, ‘That Allah will forgive me.’ Then the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Did you not know that Islam wipes out what came before it, and that Hijrah wipes out what came before it and that Hajj wipes out what came before it!’” (Muslim: 121) Abu Hurairah narrates: “I heard the Prophet say, ‘Whoever performs Hajj and does not commit any Rafath (obscenity) or Fusooq (transgression), he returns (free from sin) as the day his mother bore him’”. (Bukhari) Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), “We find that Jihad is the best deed, shouldn’t we (women) do jihad?” The Prophet replied, ‘Rather the best Jihad is a Hajj Mabroor!’ Aisha later said, ‘I’ll never cease performing Hajj after I heard that from Rasul Allah’”. (Bukhari and Muslim) The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said, “There is no day on which Allah frees more of His slaves from Fire than the Day of Arafat, and He verily draws near, then boasts of them before the angles, saying: ‘What do they seek?’” (Sahih Muslim) And in another Hadith: “Verily Allah boasts of the people of Arafat before the people of Heaven (angels) saying: ‘Look to my servants who have come to Me disheveled and dusty.’” Standing at Arafat is one of the greatest pillars of Hajj as stated by the prophet (p.b.u.h.), He said, "Hajj is Arafat." (Ahmad) Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) say: ‘Whoever does Hajj for the sake of Allah 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.’” (Bukhaari: 1449, Muslim: 1350) Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (p.b.u.h) 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.” (Bukhaari: 1683, Muslim 1349) Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood said: “the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h) 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.’” (Tirmidhi: 810, Nasa’i: 2631) Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: “The one who fights for the sake of Allah and the pilgrim who goes for Hajj or Umrah are all guests of Allah. He called them and they responded; they ask of Him and He will give them.” (Ibn Majah: 2893)

Marriage in Islam (by Dr. Ahmad Shafaat (1984)

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

From a legal point of view Islam views marriage as an 'aqd or contract. Like any other contract the marriage contract requires full and free consent of the parties concerned.

The parents or guardian of any of the parties may give advice, choose a marriage partner or use persuasion, but the final decision to enter into a marriage must be the result of a free choice on the part of each partner, even though this freely made choice may consist of nothing but accepting the choice of one's parents or guardian. This right of free choice is fairly well recognized in the case of men but (unfortunately) not in the case of women. In the Holy Qur'an we read:
"Do not inherit women against their will" (4:19)
And in Hadith we find traditions like the following:
"Khansa bint Khidhan who had a previous marriage, related that when her father married her and she disapproved of that, she went to the Messenger of God and he revoked her marriage." (Bukhari, Ibn Majah)
"A [girl who was not married] came to the Messenger of God and mentioned that her father had married her against her will, so the Prophet allowed her to exercise her choice." (Abu Da'ud, on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas)

Just as any adult can enter into any legal contract, so also any adult man or woman can arrange his or her own marriage, provided that during the process of arranging the marriage there is no sexual contact, in other words, there is no dating in the North American style. It is well known that Khadijah, the Prophet's first wife arranged her own marriage with the Prophet. It is true that this happened before sayyadna Muhammad received prophethood. But if an arrangement by a woman of her own marriage were so shameful in the eyes of Allah as it is in the eyes of some Muslims, then He would have somehow prevented His Messenger from such a marriage. Moreover, there are some ahadith which show that even after receiving prophethood sayyadna Muhammad did not disapprove of women arranging their own marriage.We quote here one such hadith:
"A woman came to the Messenger of God and offered herself to him (in marriage). When she had stood for a long time (without receiving an answer) a man got up and said: Messenger of God! Marry her to me if you have no need of her. He asked the man if he had anything to give her as dower (marriage gift), and when he replied that he had nothing but the lower garment he was wearing, the Prophet said: Look for something, even though it be an iron ring. Then when the man had searched and found nothing, God's Messenger asked him whether he new anything of the Qur'an. When the man replied that he knew Surah so and so and Surah so and so, God's Messenger said: Go away, I give her to you in marriage. Teach her some of the Qur'an." (Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Sahl bin Sa'd)
In this hadith a woman is arranging her own marriage but the Prophet does not rebuke her or admonish her in any other way. Thus while it may not be the best thing for a woman to do, she can if she wishes, make a marriage proposal for herself without being blameworthy in the eyes of God.
What are the terms involved in the marriage contract? This contract involves two things: First, a gift from the husband to the wife, which may be a sum of money, an object of some value such as a ring or such non-material things as acceptance of Islam or teaching a part of the Qur'an(1). Second, a commitment from both parties to try to make life physically comfortable for each other and to provide emotional, psychological and spiritual happiness to each other, with the responsibility for taking care of economic needs generally falling on the shoulders of the man.(2)

At the time of the marriage both partners should have the fullest possible intention of keeping the marriage commitment for life, although under some extreme circumstances it may perhaps be possible to enter into a marriage contract on a temporary basis.(3)

Even though the marriage commitment is for life, should it so happen that after marriage the two partners find it impossible to live together the Islamic law provides for the termination of the marriage contract. The termination of the marriage contract can be initiated by any party which has decided that the other party cannot or will not satisfactorily fulfill the commitment implicit in the marriage contract, namely, to provide enough physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual happiness. It is evident that the judgment as to whether a marriage partner is getting enough satisfaction out of his or her marriage is a subjective one and therefore belongs entirely to the partner himself or herself. Consequently, for the dissolution of marriage Islam does not require that a partner prove to some authority such as a court that there has indeed been a failing on the part of the other partner in the fulfillment of his or her marital obligations. It is enough for the dissatisfied partner to say that he or she can no longer love or respect the other partner to be able to continue living with him or her. Third parties such as relatives, the community, etc. can and indeed should (4:35) get involved at some stage of marriage difficulties and try to prevent the break-up of the marriage through counseling, etc.; but they cannot oblige any marriage partner to remain in the marriage bond, as for example the catholic church or the Hindu tradition that obliges couples to remain tied in marriage until one of the partners dies.

A man can on his own dissolve the marriage by following a prescribed procedure, the details of which need not concern us here. A woman can dissolve the marriage by asking the husband to divorce her and if he refuses can go to court which should arrange the terms of dissolution as regards to compensation and order the husband to dissolve the marriage.(4) To avoid this procedure the woman can include in the marriage contract the condition that she can dissolve the marriage without having to go to court.

The party which initiates the divorce may have to pay some compensation to the other party. This compensation may be the return of the marriage gift in the case of a woman initiating the divorce(5) and payment of an alimony in the case of a man taking that step.(6) Again, the details of these matters are out of the scope of this article.

The degree by which the husband has greater right

In the above outline of the legal view of marriage in Islam, man and women are completely equal partners except in the following respects:

1) Both parties make the equal responsibility to provide physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual happiness to each other, but men generally have the added responsibility to provide for the economic needs of the wife.

2) In case the husband initiates divorce, he is obliged by religious law to pay some maintenance expenses (2:241). This prescribed alimony belongs to the wife by right. However, when the woman initiates the divorce she does not pay any compensation to the husband as requirement of religious law; she need at most return part of what she received from the husband as dower if such payment is helpful in an amicable settlement. (2:229)

3) A man can divorce his wife on his own while a woman needs to go through court or introduce into the marriage a clause giving her the right to divorce her husband.

In regard to the above differences the Holy Qur'an says:

"And (wives) shall have rights similar to those (the husbands have) over them, in accordance with justice, (except that) husbands' rights are a degree greater." (2:228)
"Husbands are guardians (qawwamun) of wives because God has favoured some more than others and because they (i.e. husbands generally) spend out of their wealth." (4:34)

The first of the above two Qur'anic statements occurs in a long passage dealing with divorce and should be understood in relation to that context. The degree by which husband's rights are greater should therefore be understood as the degree by which the husband is freer than the wife to break the marriage bond. This, however, is not a very big degree since as stated earlier the wife can get out of the marriage bond whenever she wants to, practically without giving any reason. It is only that she has to follow a more indirect procedure.
The second Qur'anic statement refers to the greater responsibility husbands generally have as protectors and providers of women and to the greater say this gives them in making decisions.

The fact that husbands' rights are a degree greater does not effect the claim that in Islam men and women have equal rights, since men's greater rights within the marriage relationship do not mean that men also enjoy greater rights outside that relationship and since within the marriage relationship men's greater rights are completely justified by their greater responsibility. We must remember here that whenever we talk about members of a society having equal rights it is never precluded that members of that society cannot freely enter into terminable arrangements in which some take greater responsibility and therefore also have greater rights. Equality of rights can only be asserted on the assumption of equality of responsibility. This principle sometimes works in favour of women. For example, as mothers women give much more to children than do men as fathers and so Islam recognizes greater rights of mothers over children than of fathers except where economic considerations demand otherwise.

Notes

(1) See the hadith quoted earlier in which the dower for marriage consists of the husband teaching a portion of the Holy Qur'an to the wife. In the following hadith it consists of the husband accepting Islam:

"Umm Sulaym had become a Muslim before Abu Talha and when he asked her in marriage she said: "I have become a Muslim. so if you also become one I shall marry you." Abu Talha accepted Islam and that was the dower arranged between them." (Nasa'i on the authority of Anas)

This hadith also supports the view that men and women can arrange their own marriage.

(2) See Qur'an 4:34. The wife can, however, with her own free will choose to share part of the economic burden. Khadijah helped the Prophet and Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr, helped her poor husband Zubayr.

(3) This is the shi'a view. Sunni traditions admit that temporary marriage was at some point in time allowed in Islam but say that this was later forbidden.

(4) See Qur'an 2:229 in the light of the following hadith:

"The wife of Thabit bin Qays came to the Prophet and said, "Messenger of God, I do not reproach Thabit bin Qays in respect of character or religion but I do not want to be guilty of kufran regarding Islam (meaning that she did not like him enough as a marriage partner and so was afraid she might not give him the respect and love due to a husband)." God's Messenger asked her if she would give back to Thabit his garden, and when she replied that she would, he told him to accept the garden and declare the divorce." (Bukhari, Nasa'i, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Bayhaqi, on the authority of Ibn Abbas)
(5) See the hadith quoted in the previous note. The wife is not obligated by religious law to pay the compensation and need only do so as part of a settlement with the husband. (Qur'an 2:229)
(6) "For divorced women a reasonable maintenance (should be provided). This is a duty on the righteous." (Qur'an 2:241)

First published in Al-Ummah, Montreal, Canada in 1984. Copyright, Dr. Ahmad Shafaat. The article may be reproduced for Da'wah purpose with proper references.

TYPES OF SADAQAH

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

Sadaqah is not restricted to any special deed of righteousness. The general rule is that all good deeds are sadaqah. Some of them are as follows:

The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "Every Muslim has to give sadaqah." The people asked: "O Prophet of Allah, what about the one who has nothing?" He said: "He should work with his hands to give sadaqah." They asked: "If he cannot find [work]?" He replied: "He should help the needy who asks for help." They asked: "If he cannot do that?" He replied: "He should then do good deeds and shun evil, for this will be taken as sadaqah." This is related by al-Bukhari and others.
The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "Sadaqah is prescribed for every person every day the sun rises. To administer justice between two people is sadaqah. To assist a man upon his mount so that he may ride it is sadaqah. To place his luggage on the animal is sadaqah. To remove harm from the road is sadaqah. A good word is sadaqah. Each step taken toward prayer is sadaqah." This is related by Ahmad and others.

Abu Dhar al-Ghafari said: "The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said: 'Sadaqah is for every person every day the sun rises.' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, from what do we give sadaqah if we do not possess property?' He said: 'The doors of sadaqah are takbir [i.e., to say: Allahu-akbar, Allah is Great]; Subhan-Allah [Allah is free from imperfection]; Alhamdulillah [all praise is for Allah]; La -ilaha-illallah [there is no god other than Allah]; Astaghfirul-lah [I seek forgiveness from Allah]; enjoining good; forbidding evil; removing thorns, bones, and stones from the paths of people; guiding the blind; listening to the deaf and dumb until you understand them; guiding a person to his object of need if you know where it is; hurrying with the strength of your legs to one in sorrow who is appealing for help; and supporting the weak with the strength of your arms. These are all the doors of sadaqah. [The sadaqah] from you is prescribed for you, and there is a reward for you [even] in sex with your wife.' " This is related by Ahmad, and the wording is his. According to Muslim, they said: "O Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, is there a reward if one satisfies his passion?" He said: "Do you know that if he satisfies it unlawfully he has taken a sin upon himself? Likewise, if he satisfies it lawfully, he is rewarded."

It is related following Abu Dhar that the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "Sadaqah is prescribed for each descendant of Adam every day the sun rises." It was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, from what do we give sadaqah every day?" He said: "The doors of goodness are many--the tasbih [to say 'Subhaan-Allah'], the tamhid [to say 'Alhamdu lillah'], the tahlil [to say 'La-ilaha-illallah], enjoining good, forbidding evil, removing harm from the road, listening to the deaf, leading the blind, guiding one to the object of his need, hurrying with the strength of one's legs to one in sorrow who is asking for help, and supporting the feeble with the strength of one's arms--all of these are sadaqah prescribed for you." This is related by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih. Al-Bukhari related it in a shortened form and added in his report: "Your smile for your brother is sadaqah. Your removal of stones, thorns, or bones from the paths of people is sadaqah. Your guidance of a person who is lost is sadaqah."
The Messenger of Allah also said: "He from among you who is able to protect himself from the Fire should give sadaqah, even if but with half a date. If he does not find it, then with a good word." The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "Allah, the Majestic and Mighty, shall say on the Day of Judgment: 'O son of man! I was ill and you did not visit me.' He will reply: 'O my Lord! How could I visit You and You are the Lord of the Worlds?' Allah shall say: 'Did you not know that My slave, so-and-so, was ill and you did not visit him? If you had visited him, you would have found Me with him. O son of man! I asked you for food and you did not give it to me.' He will reply: 'O my Lord! How could I give You food--You are the Lord of the Worlds?' Allah shall say: 'Did you not know that My slave, so-and-so, asked you for food and you did not give it to him? Did you not know that if you had given the food, you would have found that with Me? O son of man! I asked you to quench My thirst and you did not.' He will say: 'O my Lord! How could I quench Your thirst--You are the Lord of the Worlds?' Allah shall say: 'My slave, so-and-so, asked you to quench his thirst and you did not. If you had given him to drink, you would have found that with Me.' " This is related by Muslim.

The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "A Muslim does not plant or sow anything from which a person, an animal, or anything eats but it is considered as sadaqah from him." This is related by al-Bukhari.

The Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, said: "Every good deed is sadaqah. To meet your brother with a smiling face and to pour out from your bucket into his container are sadaqah."

Aspect of Islamic Mysticism

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

Mysticism is generally called tasawwuf in India and irfan (realization) in Iran. To me irfan is the most appropriate word, for mysticism, in actual fact, is another name for the realization of inner reality.

The word mysticism has been variously defined in academic works. By way of a simple definition, it means to penetrate one’s inner soul and to enable it, by developing it, to establish contact with God, the Greater Soul.
This process purifies the human personality, and the soul comes to realize itself. The latent natural potential of the soul is ultimately awakened; in the words of the Quran, it becomes the serene (89:27) or pure soul (87:14).
It is but natural that the personality developed by the mystic (or the Aarif) in this way does not remain enclosed within a boundary. His inner state also having its external manifestation, his personality finds expression in his social relations.
One who has realized himself will, at the same time, place a higher spiritual value on other human beings too. One whose heart is filled with God’s love, will necessarily be filled with the love of human beings — the creatures of God. One who respects the Higher Reality will surely respect other human beings. It is this aspect of mysticism which I have called its social aspect.
A Persian mystic poet has expressed the mystic code of behavior in these most beautiful words:

"The stories of kings like Alexander and Dara hold no interest for us. Ask us only about love and faithfulness."

Another mystic poet has this to say:

"The comforts of both the worlds are hidden in these two things: Being kind to friends and according better treatment to foes."

When a sufi or mystic is engrossed in the love of God, he rises above the mundane world and discovers the higher realities. He becomes such a human being as has no ill-feelings for anyone. In fact, he cannot afford hatred, as hatred would nullify his very spirituality. He cannot divest himself of feelings of love as this would amount to divesting himself of all delicate feelings.
Islam is the answer to the demands of nature. It is in fact a counterpart of human nature. This is why Islam has been called a religion of nature in the Qur’an and Hadith.
A man once came to the Prophet Muhammad and asked him what he should do in a certain matter. The Prophet replied, ‘Consult your conscience (heart) about it.’ By the conscience the Prophet meant his finer feelings. That is, what one’s conscience tells one would likewise be what Islam would demand of one as a matter of common sense.
What does human nature desire more than anything? It desires, above all, peace and love. Every human being wants to live in peace and to receive love from the people around him. Peace and love are the religion of human nature as well as what Islam demands of us. The Qur’an tells us, "...and God calls you to the home of peace" (10:25).
One of the teachings of Islam is that when two or more people meet, they must greet one another with the words, Assalamu-‘Alaikum (Peace be upon you). Similarly, Salat, or prayer, said five times daily is the highest form of worship in Islam. At the close of each prayer all worshippers have to turn their faces to either side and utter the words Assalamu-‘Alaikum wa rahmatullah (May peace and God’s blessing be upon you). This is like a pledge given to people: ‘O people, you are safe from me. Your life, your property, your honor is secure with me.’
This sums up the spirit of true religion, the goal of which is spiritual uplift. It is the ultimate state of this spiritual uplift which is referred to in the Qur’an as the "serene soul" (89:27).
Thus a true and perfect man, from the Islamic point of view, is one who has reached that level of spiritual development where peace and peace alone prevails. When a person has attained that peaceful state, others will receive from him nothing less than peace. He may be likened to a flower which can send out only its fragrance to man, it being impossible for it to emit an unpleasant smell.
An incident relating to a Muslim saint very aptly illustrates the spirit of the mystic individual. The story goes that once a Muslim Sufi was travelling along with his disciples. During the journey he encamped near a large grove of trees upon which doves used to perch.
During this halt one of the Sufi’s disciples aimed at one of the doves, killed it, cooked it, then ate it. Afterwards something strange happened. A flock of doves came to the tree under which the Sufi was resting and began hovering over it and making a noise.
The Muslim Sufi, communicating with the leader of the birds, asked them what was the matter with them and why they were protesting. The leader replied, ‘We have a complaint to make against you, that is, one of your disciples has killed one of us.’ Then the Muslim Sufi called the disciple in question and asked him about it. He said that he had not done anything wrong, as the birds were their foodstuff. He was hungry, so he killed one for food. He thought that in so doing he had not done anything wrong. The Sufi then conveyed this reply to the leader of the doves.
The leader replied: "Perhaps you have failed to understand our point. Actually what we are complaining about is that all of you came here in the garb of Sufis, yet acted as hunters. Had you come here in hunter’s garb, we would certainly have remained on the alert. When we saw you in the guise of Sufis, we thought that we were safe with you and remained perched on the top of the tree without being properly vigilant."
This anecdote very aptly illustrates the reality of a true mystic or spiritual person. One who has reached an advanced stage of spiritual uplift, having found the true essence of religion, no longer has the will or the capacity to do harm. He gives life not death, to others. He benefits others, doing injury to no one. In short, he lives among the people like flowers and not like thorns. He has nothing but love in his heart to bestow upon others.
There is another interesting story which illustrates this point very well. This is related to Sheikh Nizamuddin Aulia, a Muslim Sufi of the 13th century. He lies buried in New Delhi, the area is named ‘Hazrat Nizamuddin’ after him.
Fortunately I am also a neighbor of this great Muslim Sufi.The story goes that once a disciple of Sheikh visited him. He offered him a gift of a pair of scissors, a product of his hometown. When the Sheikh saw this gift, he remarked politely:

‘What am I to do with this gift. It would have been better if you had brought me a needle and thread. Scissors cut things apart while a needle and thread join things together. You know my job is to unite people, and not to separate them’.

Islamic mysticism elevates people. It makes them think spiritually rather than materially. This spiritual elevation generates tolerance. People feel good about forgiving others. They eschew taking revenge. They return love for hatred. This kind of temperament is bound to establish peace and mutual respect. In this way, Islamic mysticism, in the practical sense, is the key to a good and peaceful society.

Now I should like to say a few words about prayer and meditation. Let me begin with a quotation from the Qur’an:

"When My servants question you about Me, tell them that I am near. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls to Me; therefore, let them answer My call and put their trust in Me, that they may be rightly guided (2:186).

This verse of the Qur’an tells us that, in Islam, there is no need for any intermediary to establish contact between God and man. At any time and place man can contact God directly. The only condition is that man should turn to God with sincere devotion.
Islam believes in a personal God. God is an alive being, fully aware of His servants. He hears and sees. That being so, man must call upon God in all personal matters. Whenever he calls upon God with a sincere heart, he will find Him close by.
Meditation in Islam aims at bringing man closer to God. When man worships God, when he remembers Him, when his heart is turned towards Him with full concentration, when he makes a request or a plea, then he establishes a rapport with his Maker. In the words of the Hadith, at that particular moment he comes to whisper with his Lord. He has the tangible feeling that he is pouring his heart out to God and that God in turn is answering his call.
When this communion is established between God and man, man can feel himself becoming imbued with a special kind of peace. His eyes are moist with tears. He starts receiving inspiration from God. It is in moments such as these that man can rest assured of his prayers being granted by God.
According to a Hadith the Prophet Muhammad said the highest form of worship is to pray as if you were seeing God. We learn from this Hadith the true sign of a superior form of worship. The true sign is for man to sense the presence of God during worship, and feel that he has come close to God. That is when he can experience the refreshing, cooling effect of God’s love and blessings for man. It is this feeling of closeness to God which is the highest form of spiritual experience

Salah (Prayer)

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

There is no word in English to translate Salah. it is not merely "prayer" in the limited sense of turning to God in supplication. The Arabic word for supplication is Du’a.

Salah is performed in a prescribed form. It is preceded by ablutions (wudu). The five set prayers have special names and are performed at special times — between dawn and sunrise (Fajr) early after noon (Zuhr), mid-afternoon (‘Asr) sunset (Maghrib) and night (‘Isha’).
Salah needs to be performed on time. It should not be delayed deliberately.Salah consists of units or rak‘ah. Each rak‘ah consists of the pronouncement of Allahu Akbar (God is Most Great), of the Opening Surah of the Qur’an, of praising and glorifying God. All words in the salah are always recited in Arabic.
Salah consists of precise bodily postures — standing, bowing, prostrating and sitting. The posture of salah is an indication of man’s relation to his Creature — a relation of reverence submission and gratitude.
Salah sharpens our moral sense. It keeps us from indecent, shameful activities. This is stated in the Qur’an: "Salat indeed prevents a person from indecency and evil." (29:45).
Salah is a regular means of purifying both body and soul. The ablution before the Prayer with fresh water act as a refresher and cleanser. The salah if properly performed purifies the soul of arrogance and hypocrisy. The Prophet, peace be on him, likened a person who regularly performed salah to a person who washes himself regularly in a stream of clean running water five times a day. Salah thus serves as a training in cleanliness, purity and punctuality.Salah brings mental satisfaction and emotional fulfillment.

Dr. Farida Khanam

Why Women Are Coming to Islam

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

Source: Ad-Da'wah ilAllah - A Womens' Islamic Magazine
By the editors of Ad-Da'wah ilAllah

There are many stories of conversions to the deen of Allah. Many are very touching and poignant and serve us as a reminder that Allah guides who he wills often in ways and in circumstances we would never imagine. We would like to highlight in this article that among the most inspiring and illustrative of the fact that a pure heart and intention is rewarded with guidance, are those stories of our Muslim sisters who have accepted Islam.

Considering the intense anti-Islamic and hostile media propaganda these past few years, some with a particularly strong emphasis on the 'supposed' degrading position of women in Islam, we feel that those women are exceptional who accept Islam and who were able to separate the negative stereotyping and nonsense from the reality of faith.

Women are most clearly the signposts of Islam and whether we Muslim men like it or not, we are often judged by the perception people have of just how we treat our women. Muslim women stand out more so than men when they fully practice their religion, one reason obviously being their observance of Islamic dress or hijaab that covers and obscures the shape of their bodies completely and in many cases the face as well. However, what most people are not aware of is what is 'beyond the veil' (to borrow a title from one of the plethora of anti-Islamic books on Muslim women).

Seeing Through The Fog

Muslim women, especially converts, are by no means the empty-headed, submissive, rejects of western society that some essays and articles written by so-called journalists and researchers would have us believe. Most of those non-Muslim writers in many cases just seek to find the sensational or even make it up to sell books or papers or to serve their own preset agendas or to validate their own philosophical or ideological positions. They usually fail miserably to understand or relate the true underlying reasons for so many Muslim women's acceptance of and strict adherence to Islam.

It is this writer's opinion that much of what is written by such people, especially the women amongst them, stems from their inability to face the reality of the true motivations of intelligent, thoughtful, western women, both young and old, for accepting Islam. It would be an indictment of the shortcomings within their own culture and lifestyles and perhaps force even their own personal revaluation which often involves the type of critical examination that most people simply choose to avoid. Biased, slanted, and incomplete reporting is often due to plain old ignorance and significant doses of arrogance and pride.

The acceptance of Islam by women has mostly nothing to do with mere rejection of cultural tradition, men, or economics so much as it does with a sincere search for the truth motivated by a strong desire to serve Allah properly. It becomes clear to the thoughtful, truth seeking woman that what western society and culture (or eastern for that matter), even at its highest levels has to offer, is a far cry from what they, and all women, need. Namely, true freedom from the oppression of men and the tyranny of religion. Spiritual fulfillment and right guidance and living that leads to real happiness and satisfaction as well as true success in this life and the life to come is what they seek. Only real Islam offers this.

We present the true stories of two such thoughtful women to serve us all as a reminder of the substance of this great deen and the kind of consideration each and every person should give to his or her role and purpose in life and their relationship with Allah. Some editing has been done only for the sake of space and minor grammatical corrections.

Sex and Marriage in Islam

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

"And Allah has made for you Mates (and Companions of your own nature." (Surah Al Nahl 16:72)

"And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves that you may dwell in tranquility with them and He has put love and mercy between your hearts: verily in that are signs for those who reflect." (Surah Al Rum 30:21)

Sex has always been a difficult topic to talk about publicly among the Muslims. This topic is always shoved aside and not dealt with in an honest manner. Every young Abdul and Ayisha is confused by the ambivalence shown toward sex by their parents and elders. They go out in the world where sex is a commodity, everyone is engaging in sex and talking about sex but then they come back to their Muslim communities only to find that their elders are unwilling to engage the topic in a manner both relevant and ethical. This article will try to address some common questions about sex & marriage by presenting a compilation of different ahadith, quranic ayahs, and scholarly statements on the etiquettes of sex.

Q1: Is Sex and relationships before marriage allowed in Islam?

Sex outside of marriage is categorically prohibited and that includes touching, kissing, fondling, hugging a non-mahram man or woman

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity, and God is well acquainted with all they do. And say to the believing woman that they should lower their gaze, and guard their modesty." (24:30-3 1).

"Do not go near to adultery. Surely it is a shameful deed and evil, opening roads (to other evils)." (17:32)

Q2: But I am in a relationship with this person, I really love her and I am going to marry her!

Nevertheless you should cease all physical relationship with her. It is understandable that you have feelings for her, which is not haram (prohibited) by the way, but you are expressing your feelings in ways God has prohibited. Love can make you do crazy things but you must see that this can ruin your afterlife. You do not necessarily have to stop all contacts with her, which would confuse and hurt her, but tell her plainly that you want to behave more islamically and she should support you. If you truly love her and she loves you truly then you wouldn't want to do things with her that can destroy her afterlife. Forego the immediate haram physical pleasure for an eternity with her in heaven, inshallah.

"And those who guard their chastity, Except with their wives and whom their right hands possess,- for (then) they are not to be blamed. But those who trespass beyond this are transgressors." (70:29-31)

"Allah created male and female from a single soul in order that man might live with her in serenity." (Quran, 7:189)

Q3: When should I get married? I cannot wait!!!

Marriage is a hefty responsibility. It is immensely rewarding but also emotionally taxing. According to Sh Abullah Adhami,

"By getting married you are not just getting a wife, you are getting your whole world. From now until the rest of your days your wife will be your partner, your companion, and your best friend. She will share your moments, your days, and your years. She will share your joys and sorrows, your successes and failures, your dreams and your fears. When you are ill, she will take the best care of you; when you need help, she will do all she can for you. When you have a secret, she will keep it; when you need advice, she will give you the best advice She will always be with you: when you wake up in the morning the first thing your eyes will see will be hers; during the day, she will be with you, if for a moment she is not with you by her physical body she will be thinking of you, praying for you with all her heart, mind and soul; when you go to sleep at night, the last thing your eyes will see will be her; and when you are asleep you will still see her in your dreams. In short, she will be your whole world and you will be her whole world."

Also Sheikh Abdullah Adhami advices that one should not marry unless one has a job and can pay for his wife's expenses. In the Quran it says:

"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard." (4:34)

Also do not make a girl wait for you by promising her that one day you will marry her. Approach a parent of the girl you are intending to marry only if you are sure that you can marry her the next day (hypothetically speaking), move her into your place and be able to support her. If you can not then you should not leave a woman hanging with empty promises and uncertainty. It is not allowed in Islam to make another suffer from one's own uncertainty. It can be emotionally and spiritually very damaging for her and for you.

Q4: Many people in America use different types of aphrodisiacs, preventative measures and enticement techniques in their sex life which has no precedents in the Prophet's time. Are they allowed in our religion?

This is a tough question. Certainly there are some things and practices that are clearly prohibited in Islam. However the absence of a practice in the Prophet's (pbuh) time does not necessarily make it haram. Please consult a jurist for rulings on specific issues. One rule of thumb to follow is that any practice or act that somehow demeans or hurts your significant-other should be avoided.

Q5; Hi, I am a sister and I will be married soon! I was wondering if you could tell me and my future hubby how the Prophet (sa) approached his wives and what did he suggest?

"They are your garments and you are their garments." (Surah Al Baqarah 2:187).

"Your wives are as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will; but do some good act for your souls beforehand; and fear Allah . And know that ye are to meet Him (in the Hereafter), and give (these) good tidings to those who believe." (2:223)

Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: "In the sexual act of each of you there is a sadaqa." (i.e. a good deed, an act of charity). The Companions replied: "O Messenger of Allah! When one of us fulfils his sexual desire, will he be given a reward for that?" And he said, "Do you not think that were he to act upon it unlawfully, he would be sinning? Likewise, if he acts upon it lawfully he will be rewarded." (Muslim)

The First Time

The first time is very special and a man should take extra care with his wife. Most likely his wife has been very modest all her life and will be very shy. She will feel very uncomfortable, at first, about undressing herself in front of a man (that is you) right away.

A wise man said "Women are like beautiful flowers. Their petals are very soft and sensitive so be careful when handling them."

I have no advice for women about how to treat men because, well simply men are easily satisfied (trust me on this one).

The Prophet (s.a.w.) recommended that on the wedding night the husband should be kind to his bride, and comfort her by offering her something to drink when they meet the first time after the official marriage ceremony (Zawaj.com Editor's Note: this does not refer to alcoholic drinks, but rather milk, water, juice, etc).

The man should put his hand on her forehead, say the name of Allah (Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim), and pray to Allah (make a Du'a) to bless their marriage.

The groom and the bride are also recommended to pray two Rak`ahs together when they meet on the first day of marriage.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) recommended that the couple should start every intercourse by saying: Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim (in the name of Allah ), and by praying to Allah (making a Du'a) to protect them from Satan, and to protect the child from Satan if a child comes from that intercourse. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: "If one of you when going to his wife said: Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim (In the name of Allah ), O Allah! Protect us from Shaitan and protect the sustenance (child) you give us from Shaitan, and if Allah then gave them a child, Shaitan would not affect it at all." (Al-Bukhari).

The Prophet (s.a.w.) also told the men not to leave their wives before they too had been satisfied, as is their right. The man should not surprise his wife by starting the intercourse suddenly, since that is harmful to her, and the consequences could be harmful to her faith. He should get acquainted with her and should make her feel comfortable instead. "Not one of you should fall upon his wife like an animal; but let there first be a messenger between you." (Zawaj.com Editor's Note: this "messenger" consists of sweet words and caresses).

And Imam al-Ghazali says: "Sex should begin with gentle words and kissing."

The Prophet (saw) said: "The best of you, is the one who is best to his wives, and I am the best of you toward my wives." (At-Tahaawi: Saheeh )

And Allah knows best.

Adl, Ihsan and Qurba

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

The first part of verse 16:90 says:
"Allah enjoins justice, generosity and kind treatment with kindred."
The verse 16:90 is being recited in Jumuah khutbas every Friday in millions of Masajid throughout the world since the time of Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah T'ala be please with him).

The first of these three commandments of Allah T'ala is justice which has two aspects.
To make such arrangements as may enable everyone to get one's due rights without stint. Justice does not, however, mean equal distribution of rights, for that would be absolutely unnatural. In fact, justice means equitable dispensation of rights which in certain cases may mean equality. For example, aII citizens should have equal rights of citizenship but in other cases equality in rights would be injustice. For instance, equality in social status and rights between parents and their children will obviously be wrong. Likewise those who render services of superior and inferior types cannot be equal in regard to wages and salaries. What AIIah enjoins is that the full rights of everyone should be honestly rendered whether those be moral, social, economic legal or political in accordance with what one justly deserves.

The second thing enjoined is "ihsan" which has no equivalent in English. This means to be good, generous, sympathetic, tolerant, forgiving, polite, cooperative, selfless, etc. In collective life this is even more important than justice; for justice is the foundation of a sound society but ihsan is its perfection. On the one hand, justice protects society from bitterness and violation of rights: on the other, ihsan makes it sweet and joyful and worth living. It is obvious that no society can flourish if every individual insists on exacting his pound of flesh. At best such a society might be free from conflict but there cannot be love, gratitude, generosity, sacrifice, sincerity, sympathy and such humane qualities as produce sweetness in life and develop high values.
The third thing which has been enjoined is good treatment towards one's relatives which in fact is a specific form of ihsan. It means that one should not only treat one's relatives well, share their sorrows and pleasures and help them within lawful limits but should also share one's wealth with them according to one's means and the need of each relative. This enjoins on everyone who possesses ample means to acknowledge the share of one's deserving relatives along with the rights of one's own person and family. The Divine Law holds every well-to-do person in a family to be responsible for fulfilling the needs of aII his needy kith and kin. The Law considers it a great evil that one person should enjoy the pleasures of life while his own kith and kin are starving. As it considers the family to be an important part of society, it lays down that the first right of needy individuals is on its well-to-do members and then on the others. Likewise it is the first duty of the well-to-do members of the family to fulfil the needs of their own near relatives and then those of others. The Holy Prophet has emphasized this fact in many Traditions, according to which a person owes rights to his parents, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, other relatives, etc. , in accordance with the nearness of their relationships. On the basis of this fundamental principle, Caliph Umar made it obligatory on the first cousins of an orphan to support him. In the case of another orphan he declared that if he had no first cousins he would have made it obligatory on distant cousins to support him. Just imagine the happy condition of the society every unit of which supports its every needy individual in this way-most surely that society will become high and pure economically, socially, and morally.

Islam - An Historic Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

Islam began when man's career on earth began---more precisely at the time of man's creation and his descent. Allah created Adam and Eve and enjoined them to worship Him and live a life of obedience to the Divine Will.

Allah is the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe and of human beings. Man must turn to Him for sustenance and guidance. The very word Islam means obedience to God. In this respect, Islam is man's natural religion---the only natural course is for man to look towards Him for guidance.

The day Adam and Eve were sent down to live on earth, Allah told them that they were His servants and He was their Master and Creator. He told them and mankind that the best course was for them to follow His guidance, to obey His orders and to refrain from what He had forbidden. God said to them that He would be pleased if they obeyed Him and in turn He would reward them. If, however, they did not heed His commands, He would be displeased and would punish them. This was the simple beginning of Islam.

Adam and Eve invited their children to follow the Islamic way of life. They and their children and their later generations followed the teachings of Islam as propounded by Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) for quite a long period of time. It was only later on that certain people began disobeying Allah. Some of them began worshipping other gods of their own making, some of them regarded themselves as gods, while a few others even declared their freedom to do as they pleased--defying God's orders. This is how kufr (disbelief) came into being. Its essence lies in refusal to worship God--pursuing the path of defiance to the Creator.

When kufr (disbelief) began to increase and multiply it affected the life of society in a number of ways. Exploitation, oppression, viciousness and immorality emerged in different forms. Life became intolerable. Allah then appointed some righteous people to preach the Message of Truth among the wrongdoers, invite them to the Right Path and convert them to God-fearing people--worshipping and obeying God Alone. In short, they were asked to perform a mission--to make people righteous and true Muslims. These noble people entrusted with this great mission were called Prophets or Messengers of Allah. Allah sent these Prophets to different nations and countries. All of them were honest, truthful, and people of noble character. All of them preached the same religion--Islam. To mention a few names--Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. All of them were the Prophets of God and thousands of them were, over the centuries, sent into the world to guide mankind.

In the history of the last few thousand years, one can see the recurrent arrival of Prophets whenever kufr(disbelief) increased and assumed menacing proportions. The prophets tried to stop the tide of disbelief and invited people towards Islam. Some people adopted the Islamic way of life, but others rejected it. The people who followed the Prophets became Muslims and, after learning higher ethical and moral disciplines from them, began to preach and spread nobility and goodness. Having forgotten the teachings of Islam, later generations of Muslims themselves gradually sank into disbelief. Whenever such a situation arose, God sent a Prophet or Messenger to revive Islam. This continual arrival of Messengers of God continued for thousands of years. In the course of those long years, Islam was revived by those Prophets, who restated the Message forgotten by their people. At long last God sent the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who revived Islam in such an outstanding fashion that it still exists today and will continue to exist (God willing), till eternity.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in 571 C.E. in the now famous city of Arabia called Makkah. Islam had no following in Arabia at that time nor did it have any following anywhere else in the world. Although the traces of teachings of the earlier Prophets could be found among a few pious people who tried to worship one and only one God and live a life of obedience to Him, the true religion of God was lost in a maze of paganism and pantheism. The pure worship of God, unadulterated by shirk (worship of false gods), was nowhere to be found. Moral values had lost their grip and people were indulging in all sorts of lax behavior and wickedness. Such was the situation in Arabia as also in the whole world at the close of the sixth century when God decided to send the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as His last Messenger. He spent forty years of his life as a patient observer in the city of Makkah. Everyone respected him for his noble qualities of head and heart. But they were not aware that this man was destined to become the world's greatest leader.

During the early years of his life, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) felt very much grieved to see the gross immorality of the world of his time. There was exploitation of man by man. There was injustice and tyranny. He was grieved and anxious, but was somewhat silent as he, too, was unable to devise a remedy for the ailing humanity of the day. At long last, God chose him as His Messenger. When he attained the age of forty, God entrusted him with the Mission of spreading Islam, the true religion of God, the religion of peace and justice, by means of the Revelations which we now know as the Quran.

Having been appointed as the Messenger of God, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) started to communicate God's Message to his people in Makkah. He began by inviting them to worship none but God--their sole Creator and Master. People in general opposed him and tried to prevent him from spreading Islam. He, however, continued his work with unflinching determination and dedication. As a result, many honest people gathered round him. They became his staunch supporters. The teachings of the Messenger of God spread slowly but surely outside his native Makkah to Arabia at large. Those who had a reputation for honesty and moral excellence began to accept the Faith, while opposition to them came from many ignorant people and vicious quarters. This continued for thirteen years. There was a gradual breaking of new ground. Islam was gaining a following all over Arabia. This is one side of the story. On the other hand, the defenders of the old order, people with vested interests and steeped in ignorant customs were hardening their opposition to Islam. Whenever new converts to Islam were presented, they were abused, humiliated, beaten, tortured, expelled and even put to death. Nevertheless, they remained firm and steadfast. At last the Makkah elders devised a plot to assassinate the Messenger of God in order to nip the Islamic movement in the bud. When affairs reached that pitiful state, God ordered His Messenger to leave Makkah and migrate to Madinah.

Having learned that the Prophet was planning to migrate from Makkah, its leaders expedited their plans to murder him on his journey outward. However, their disgraceful conspiracy could not succeed. The Prophet arrived at Madinah safe and sound. This is the most famous migration (hijrah) in the history of Islam. The Muslim calendar begins from that day, the years being numbered "After Hijrah" (A.H.).

Madinah, a city some 450 kilometers from Makkah, was growing as a centre for Islam. A number of people had already been converted to the new faith. Islamic teachings were winning new supporters every day. Leaders of the two major tribes of Madinah had accepted Islam and were ready to sacrifice their lives and property for the cause of Islam. At this point, the Prophet started planning to move to Madinah.

As soon as the Prophet settled in Madinah, the new Muslims started to flock into the city from the four corners of Arabia. This further strengthened the new centre. Islam was no longer a persecuted religion; it was able to obtain a firm foothold and was provided with the historic opportunity to establish an Islamic State and society. This constitutes the most important development of the post-Hijrah period. The leaders of Makkah, the defenders of the old order, did not miss the significance of this change. They realised that a new model was being set up, which would be a challenge to the way they were running their society. This caused great anxiety amongst them. They decided to crush this rising force while it was still in its infancy. For they believed that it would be easy to crush the Muslims while they were few and far between and lacked a centralized power. Now things were changing. Muslims were concentrating at one place and organizing a new society with its own government. The prospects of annihilating such a state, once it was firmly entrenched, looked remote to them. The unbelievers feared that if the Muslims were allowed to gain momentum they would become a great power. Consequently they hurried to band themselves together with a view to eradicating the embryonic Islamic government at Madinah. The Makkah leaders lost no time in issuing a clarion call to their kith and kin and to all supporters of the old order in neighboring towns and all over Arabia to rally round them to form a force which could crush the Muslims. They formed a band of cavalry which invaded Madinah and its environs time and again with all their military might. They, however, could not defeat the Prophet and his loyal supporters. In spite of all efforts on the part of the unbelievers, Islam continued to spread in Arabia. The good, honest folk continued to forsake kufr (disbelief) and come into the fold of Islam.

Eventually, Islam gained a crowning success when the Prophet entered victoriously into Makkah--once the stronghold of kufr. This all happened within eight years of the establishment of the Islamic State of Madinah. No sooner had Makkah submitted to the Islamic forces than the remaining hostile groups of unbelievers of Arabia began to surrender. Within the next year, the whole of Arabia accepted Islam and the Muslims established a powerful government over an area consisting of some twelve hundred thousand square miles.

Arabia had the most singular government of the time, based as it was on the principle of the sovereignty of God and the vicegerency (Khilafah) of man. The law of the land was Islamic. The administration of the state lay in the hands of the honest and pious people. The country had no trace of violence, oppression, injustice or immorality. Peace, justice, truth and honesty reigned supreme everywhere. Many of the people of the country had come to possess the highest moral attributes because they were honest in worshipping God and obeying Him.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) changed the character of Arabian life in a short period of only twenty-three years. He instilled in the people a spirit that helped to serve the cause of Islam. They set out with the great mission of spreading Islam throughout the whole world. The Prophet passed away at the age of sixty-three, after completing the greatest mission of all time.

The Companions of the Prophet took up the mission of the Prophet after his death. They traveled to distant lands to spread the Islamic teachings. They succeeded wherever they went. Obstacles that stood in their way in spreading Islam were all surmounted. Islam became so strong in such a short while that no one dared try to stop its growth. The Muslims were spread out from India to Spain. They changed the face of the globe. The entire population of the countries they visited were so much impressed by their good example and noble behavior that they began to enter quickly into the fold of Islam. Wherever the Muslims went, they took their highest moral attributes with them--so much so that immorality and injustice dissolved in their presence. They transformed Godless people into God-conscious people and gave them the Light of Knowledge and strength of character. They changed their way of life so that virtue and goodness could prevail. The entire social climate was reformed and remoulded. The hands of the oppressors were held and a reign of justice and fair play established. This was the greatest achievement in the history of mankind.

The Companions of the Prophet rendered yet another great service to mankind. This consisted in memorising the Quran and preserving it in its original form as it was revealed to the Prophet. They wrote down the Quran word for word and did not miss even a mark in its Arabic orthography. Today, we are most fortunate in having the Quran exactly as it was revealed to the Prophet, written and read in the same language and in the same diction as it was written and read in the time of the Prophet--about 1,400 years ago.

Another important aspect of their work was to preserve and communicate to posterity the most detailed account of the Prophet's life, speeches, instructions, commands, morals and behaviour. These accounts by the Prophet's Companions are grouped together under the all-embracing title of the Sunnah of Hadith (Traditions of the Prophet). This is the greatest record ever preserved about the life and activities of a man and is a great blessing to every generation. For even after a lapse of 1,400 years after the Prophet's death, people can still see and hear his teachings as the Companions of the Prophet saw and heard them during his lifetime. Now anybody can approach hadith literature and find out the Islamic point of view on any subject. He can learn how to become obedient to God and what type of man is liked by God.

The Quran and the Hadith are things of greatest importance to a Muslim. With their preservation and security (God has promised to secure and preserve them), Islam is protected for all time to come. In the days before the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Islam was forgotten again and again after being revived, owing to lack of the necessary care regarding the preservation and security of the earlier Revealed Books and the details of the lives of their Prophets. This was the reason why, after every Prophet, generations following forgot the real teachings and drifted towards a life devoid of good morals and norms of behaviour. But Islam, as revived by the Prophet Muhammad, is bound to last for ever because the Book of God and the traditions of the Prophet are both secure and preserved in their original purity.

The Islamic way of life can be revived and reconstructed again and again with the help of the Quran and the traditions if ever, God forbid, the freshness of its true spirit wanes. The world no longer requires any new Prophet to revive Islam to its pristine glory. It is enough to have among us the learned people who know the Quran and the traditions of the Prophet and who are able to apply their teachings to their own lives and stimulate others to adopt and apply them in their lives as well. This is how the stream of Islam will continue to flow, refreshing the eternal thirst of mankind.

Author: Syed Abul Ala Maududi

Three Who Were Tried on Wealth

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said that: He heard the Prophet (PBUH) said: "There were three men among the Banu Israel, one leper, one bald and one blind. Allah wanted to test them. He therefore, sent to them an angel who came to the leper and asked him what he would like best. He replied: "A good colour, a good skin and to be rid of what makes me loathsome to people". He (the angel) rubbed him and his loathsomeness vanished and he was given a good colour and a good skin. He then asked him what type of property he would like best. The leper replied that he would like camels - [or perhaps he said cattle, for Ishaq (one of the subnarrator of the Hadith) was uncertain, either said: 'Camels,' or: 'Cattle']. He was given a pregnant she-camel. The angel invoked for Allah's Blessing on it.

The angel then went to the bald man and asked him what he would like best and he replied: "Good hair and to be rid of what makes me loathsome to people". The angel ran his hand over him and he was given good hair. He then asked him what property he would like best. He replied that he would like cattle, so he was given a pregnant cow. The angel invoked Allah's Blessing on it.

The angel then went to the blind man and asked him what he would like best, and he replied: "I wish that Allah restore my sight to me so that I may see people.'' Thereupon the angel ran his hand over him and Allah restored his sight. The angel then asked what property he would like best. He replied that he would like sheep, so he was given a pregnant ewe. Flocks and herds were produced for the three men, the first having a valley full of camels, the second one, a valley full of cows and the third one full of sheep. Then the angel came in the form of a leper, to the one who had been a leper, and said: "I am a poor man and my resources have been exhausted in my journey, and my only means of reaching my destination are dependent on Allah and then on you, so I ask you by Him Who gave you the good colour, the good skin and the property, for a camel by which I may get to my destination". He replied: "I have many dues to pay.'' The angel then said: "I think I recognize you. Were you not a leper whom people found loathsome and a poor man to whom Allah gave property?'' He replied: "I inherited this property through generations". The angel said: "If you are telling a lie, may Allah return you to your former condition". The angel went in the form of a bald man to the one who had been bald, and said the same as he had said to the former and received a similar reply. So he said: "If you are telling a lie, may Allah return you to your former condition". The angel then went to the one who had been blind and said: "I am a poor traveller and my resources have been exhausted in my journey. My only means of reaching my destination are dependant on Allah and then on you, so I ask you by Him Who restored your eyesight for a sheep by which I may get to the end of my journey". He replied: "Yes, I was blind. Allah restored my eyesight, so take what you wish and leave what you wish. I swear by Allah that I shall not argue with you today to return anything you take, as I give it for Allah's sake". The angel said: "Keep your property. You have all simply been put to a test, and Allah is pleased with you and displeased with both of your companions".
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Shalat (Prayer)

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:41 PDT

Prayer (Salat)

Salat is the name for the obligatory prayers which are performed five times a day, and are a direct link between the worshipper and God. There is no hierarchical authority in Islam, and no priests, so the prayers are led by a learned person who knows the Quran, chosen by the congregation. These five prayers contain verses from the Quran, and are said in Arabic, the language of the Revelation, but personal supplication can be offered in one's own language.
Prayers are said at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall, and thus determine the rhythm of the entire day. Although it is preferable to worship together in a mosque, a Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories and universities. Visitors to the Muslim world are struck by the centrality of prayers in daily life.

Adhan Pray

God is most great. God is most great.
God is most great. God is most great.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer! Come to prayer!
Come to success (in this life and the Hereafter)!
Come to success!
God is most great. God is most great.
There is no god except God

Zakat (Charity)

noreply@blogger.com (goldmail) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:01:38 PDT

One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word zakat means both 'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.
Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakat individually. For most purposes this involves the payment each year of two and a half percent of one's capital.

A pious person may also give as much as he or she pleases as sadaqa, and does so preferably in secret. Although this word can be translated as 'voluntary charity' it has a wider meaning. The Prophet said 'even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is charity'.

The Prophet said: 'Charity is a necessity for every Muslim. ' He was asked: 'What if a person has nothing?' The Prophet replied: 'He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity.' The Companions asked: 'What if he is not able to work?' The Prophet said: 'He should help poor and needy persons.' The Companions further asked 'What if he cannot do even that?' The Prophet said 'He should urge others to do good.' The Companions said 'What if he lacks that also?' The Prophet said 'He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity'.