The Physical Charity

Whenever we think of charity or sadaqa, we always think of it in monetary terms. But as my parents reminded us a couple of days back, that there’s a different type of sadaqa which we can all do, even if we’re broke: Physical Sadaqa!

Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “On every Muslim there is enjoined (a compulsory) sadaqa (alms).” They (the people) said, “If one has nothing?” He said, “He should work with his hands so that he may benefit himself and give in charity.” They said, “If he cannot work or does not work?” He said, “Then he should help the oppressed unhappy person (by word or action or both).” They said, “If he does not do it?” He said, “Then he should enjoin what is good (or said what is reasonable).” They said, “If he does not do that” He said, “Then he should refrain from doing evil, for that will be considered for Him as a sadaqa (charity).”  (Sahih Bukhari, Book #73, Hadith #51)

Use the body that Allah has given you to help your brothers, whether that’s laying carpets for prayers, serving Iftars, carrying a load from an old man, or walking to fulfill a brother’s/sister’s needs. This concept is beautifully narrated in the following hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

“Every good act is charity. Your smiling to your brother is charity;  an exhortation of your fellowman to virtuous deeds is equal to alms-giving; your putting a wanderer on the right road is charity;  your assisting the blind is charity; your removing stones, and thorns, and other obstructions from the road is charity; your giving water to the thirsty is charity. A man’s true wealth, as regards the Hereafter, is the good he does in this world to his fellow men. When he dies, people will say “what property has he left behind him?” But the angels will ask, “what good deeds has he sent before him?”

Abu Huraira narrated that Allah’s Apostle said, “There is a (compulsory) sadaqa (charity) to be given for every joint of the human body (as a sign of gratitude to Allah) everyday the sun rises. To judge justly between two persons is regarded as sadaqa, and to help a man concerning his riding animal by helping him to ride it or by lifting his luggage on to it, is also regarded as sadaqa, and (saying) a good word is also sadaqa, and every step taken on one’s way to offer the compulsory prayer (in the mosque) is also sadaqa and to remove a harmful thing from the way is also sadaqa.”  (Sahih Bukhari, Book #52, Hadith #232)

Ideal Marriage

Once there was a very handsome, pious, well educated young man, whose parents emphasized for him to get married. they had seen so many marriage proposals, and he had turned them all down. The parents thought it was becoming a little ridiculous or suspected that he may have someone else in mind.

However every time the parents left the girls house, the young man would always say “she’s not the one!”

The young man only wanted a girl who was religious and practicing, however one evening his mother arranged for him, to meet a girl, who was religious, and practicing.

On that evening, the young man, and girl, were left to talk, and ask each other questions. (As one would expect).

The young man, being a gentleman that he was, allowed the lady to ask first.

The young girl asked the young man so many questions, she asked about his life, his education, his friends, his family, his habits, his hobbies, his lifestyle, his enjoyment, his pastime, his experiences, his shoe size..

The young man replied to all of her questions, without tiring, and politely, with a smile the young girl took up nearly all of the time, over an hour, and felt bad, and asked the young man do you have any questions?

The young man said, it’s ok. I only have 3 questions…

The young girl thought, wow, only 3 questions okay, shoot.

The young man’s first question was, who do you love the most in the world, someone whose love nothing would ever overcome?

She said, this is an easy question; my mother, he smiled second question, he asked, you said that you read a lot of Quran, could you tell me which surahs you know the meaning of?

Hearing this she went red and embarrassed and said, I do not know the meaning of any yet, but I am hoping to soon Insha’Allah. I’ve just been a bit busy.

The third question the young man asked, was I have been approached for my hand in marriage, by girls that are a lot more prettier than you, why should I marry you?

Hearing this, the young girl was outraged, she stormed off to her parents with fury, and said I do not want to marry this man he is insulting my beauty, and intelligence. And the young man and his parents were once again, left without an agreement of marriage.

This time, the young man’s parents were really angry, and said what did you do to anger that girl, the family were so nice, and pleasant, and they were religious like you wanted. What did you ask the girl?? Tell us!

The young man said, firstly I asked her, and who do you love the most? She said, her mother,

The parents said so, what is wrong with that??

The young man said, “no one, is Muslim, until he loves Allah, and his Messenger (peace be upon him) more than anyone else in the world”

If a woman loves Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) more than anyone, she will love me and respect me, and stay faithful to me, because of that love, and fear for Allah and we can share this love, because this love is greater than lust for beauty.

The young man said, then I asked, you read a lot of Quran, can you tell me the meaning of any Surah?

And she said no, because I haven’t had time yet. so I thought of that hadith  “ALL humans, are dead except for those who have knowledge”  She has lived 20 years and not found ANY time, to seek knowledge, why would I marry a woman, who does not know her rights, and responsibilities, and what will she teach my children, except how to be negligent, because the woman IS the madrasa (school) and the best of teachers. And a woman who has no time for Allah, will not have time for her husband.

The third question I asked her was, that a lot of girls, more prettier than her, had approached me for marriage, why should I choose you?

That is why she stormed off, getting angry. The young man’s parents said that is a horrible thing to say, why would you do such a thing, we are going back there to apologise. The young man said I said this on purpose, to test whether she could control her anger.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said “do not get angry, do not get angry, do not get angry” when asked how to become pious; because anger is from Satan.

If a woman cannot control her anger with a stranger she has just met, do you think she will be able to control it with her husband??

So, the moral of this story is, a marriage is based on:

• Knowledge, not looks,
• Practice, not preaching,
• Forgiveness, not anger,
• Spiritual love, not lust.
• and Compromise

One should look for a person who

• Has love for Allah and the Messenger (PBUH)
• Has knowledge of the deen, and can act upon it.
• can control their anger
• and willing to compromise.

And it goes both ways, so women seeking a man, should look for the same things.

Insha’allah, may Allah make every marriage a success, and let us create Love for Allah and his Messenger (PBUH) so that Allah can bless us, and create love in our lives.

There is no better structure founded in Islam other than marriage.

In History : The Al-Karaouine Mosque

The story of Masjid Al-Karaouine represents the true understanding of Productivity in Islam. The Masjid is located in the historical city of Fes in Morocco.

The masjid is also better known as the oldest continuously operating institution of higher learning in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. But even more amazing is the story behind this mosque.

The story goes that the mosque was built by a pious woman known as Fatimah Al-Fihri, the daughter of a wealthy merchant named Muhammad Al-Fihri. The Al-Fihri family had migrated from Kairouan (hence the name of the university), Tunisia to Fes in the early 9th century, joining a community of other migrants from Kairouan who had settled in a western district of the city. Fatimah and her sister Maryam, both of whom were well educated, inherited a large amount of money from their father. Fatimah vowed to spend her entire inheritance on the construction of the mosque.

What’s incredible about this vow was that not only did she vow to spend her entire inheritance on the mosque, but she also made sure that any money that goes into building this mosque comes from a purely halal source. Moreover, whilst the mosque was being built, Fatimah spent her days fasting until the mosque was complete.

The result, was not just a mosque, but Al-Karaouine quickly developed into a place of learning, understanding and debate. The University of Al-Karaouine became the pinnacle of the Muslim land higher education years before Oxford or Cambridge hosting a wide range of subjects, (not only religious but even sciences & mathematics).

It’s amazing how when you walk into Al-Karaouine and realize that this was a place where Muslim scholars taught, kings sent their sons to learn, and knowledge was produced, that you cannot but feel awe at the place.You can only wonder at the powerful nature of the blessing of Allah, which when someone taps into it with their sincere intention and hard work, remains eternally attached to whatever you worked hard for. Fatimah Al-Fihri combined tapped into this blessing with her spiritual side (the fasting) along with her hard work (ensuring every dime is halal) and Allah blessed it in ways she could not even imagine, and that’s the key to Productivity in Islam.

“Abbu, when will we ever relax?”

A moving story that I’ve heard once and that I always remember and cherish for its meanings. It’s the story of one of the great imams of this Ummah, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal.

His son, Abdullah, once asked his father one day, “Abbu when will we ever relax?” His father, one of the greatest revivers of the Sunnah, a role model for all Muslims, looked him in the eye and said, “With the first step we take into Jannah.”

Ya Allah, what a beautiful response!

There are days that come to you and you are tired, and you just want to sleep and relax and “shut off” as they say. Those are the days that you need to ask yourself, a critical question: Where am I going with life? If it’s towards Allah and for Allah, then regain your strength and continue your work, for Jannah is precious and must be sought. But if you look into your life and realise that it’s not towards Allah, but it is towards Dunya, then here tiredness becomes a blessing, for it is a reminder that you need to change direction.

I love the story on many levels. For one, it shows you that when someone’s focus is Jannah, their priorties change, and their outlook on life is different. What we perceive as difficulty, they perceive as ease. What we perceive as calamity, they perceive as reward. What we perceive as obstacles, they perceive as opportunities for sincere dua. Moreover, when your focus is Jannah. This dunya and its constant demand becomes small and the least of our concern.

Also, I love the way the son phrased his question, “Abbu” sweet way of calling your father, and “when will we ever relax?” he didn’t say, “when will I relax dad?”. He wasn’t selfish, he wanted to relax, but also cared for his father’s condition. This also shows you how the father and son were working hard together. Again, when your focus is Jannah it reflects in your family, children, and those around you and everyone gears up towards that goal.

Our problem today is not that we’re tired, our problem today is that we relax too much. We do everything so that we relax. We cheat, break promises, not fulfill vows, lie, take and give bribery… so we can relax. We don’t stay up for tahajjud or wake up for fajr, we don’t fast, or go for Hajj and Umrah… so we can relax. We don’t walk towards the Masjid, open the book of Allah so we can understand it, all in the name “I need to relax!”

Brothers/sisters, there’s plenty of relaxation where we’re going, but this is not the time for it. Let’s all work for Jannah and be productive in the path of Allah, and work so hard that one day our children would come to us and ask us “Abbu”… or “Ummi”… “when will we ever relax?” and you can smile and look them into the eyes and say “When we enter Jannah inshaAllah”.

 

Source : Productive Muslim

How I Came to Love the Veil

Source : http://whyislam.wordpress.com/

Written by : Yvonne Ridley
Tuesday, 31 October 2006

 

POLITICIANS AND JOURNALISTS just love to write about the oppression of women in Islam… without even talking to the females beneath the veil.

They simply have no idea how Muslim women are protected and respected within the Islamic framework which was built more than 1400 years ago.

Yet, by writing about cultural issues like child brides, female circumcision, honor killings and forced marriages they wrongly believe they are coming from a point of knowledge.

And I am sick of Saudi Arabia being cited as an example of how women are subjigated in a country where they are banned from driving.

The issues above have simply nothing to do with Islam yet they still write and talk about them with an arrogant air of authority while wrongly blaming Islam. Please do not confuse cultural behavior with Islam.

I was asked to write about how Islam allows men to beat their wives. Sorry, not true. Yes, I’m sure critics of Islam will quote random Quranic verses or ahadith but all are usually taken out of context. If a man does raise a finger to his wife, he is not allowed to leave a mark on her body… this is ANOTHER WAY of the Quran saying; Don’t beat your wife, stupid.

Now let’s take a glance at some really interesting statistics, hmm. I can almost hear the words pot, kettle, black. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, four million American women experience a serious assault by a partner during an average 12-month period.

On the average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands and boyfriends every day…..  that is nearly 5,500 women battered to death since 9/11.

Some might say that is a shocking indictment on such a civilized society, but before I sound too smug, I would say that violence against women is a global issue. Violent men do not come in any particular religious or cultural category. The reality is that one out of three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Violence against women transcends religion, wealth, class, skin color and culture.

However, until Islam came on the scene women were treated as inferior beings. In fact we women still have a problem in the West where men think they are superior. This is reflected in our promotion and wages structure right across the spectrum from cleaners to career women who make it into the boardroom.

Western women are still treated as commodities, where sexual slavery is on the rise, disguised under marketing euphemisms, where womens’ bodies are traded throughout the advertising world. As mentioned before, this is a society where rape, sexual assault, and violence on women is commonplace, a society where the equality between men and women is an illusion, a society where a womens’ power or influence is usually only related to the size of her breasts.

I used to look at veiled women as quiet, oppressed creatures and now I look at them as multi-skilled, multi-talented, resilient women whose brand of sisterhood makes Western feminism pale into insignificance. My views changed after the truly terrifying experience of being arrested by the Taleban for sneaking into Afghanistan in September 2001 wearing the bhurka.

During my 10-day captivity I struck a deal that if they let me go I would read the Quran and study Islam. Against all the odds, it worked and I was released. In return I kept my word but as a journalist covering the Middle East I realized I needed to expand my knowledge of a religion which was clearly a way of life.

And no. I’m not a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. To be a victim you have to bond with your captors. During my imprisonment I spat, swore, cursed and abused my jailers as well as refusing their food and going on hunger strike. I don’t know who was happier when I was released – them or me!

Reading the Quran was, I thought, going to be a very simple academic exercise. I was stunned to discover that ut clearly stated women are equal in spirituality, education and worth. A woman’s gift for child birth and child-rearing is very much recognised as a quality and attribute. Muslim women say with pride they are homemakers and housewives.

Furthermore The Prophet (pbuh) said that the most important person in the home was The Mother, The Mother, The Mother. In fact he also said that heaven lies at the feet of the mother. How many women make it into the top 100 power lists for simply being a “great mother”?

With Islam choosing to remain at home and raise children takes on a new dignity and respect in my eyes, similar to those sisters among us who choose to go out to work and have careers and professions.

I then began looking at inheritance, tax, property and divorce laws. This is where Hollywood divorce lawyers probably get their inspiration from. For instance the woman gets to keep what she earns and owns while the man has to stump up half his worth.

Isn’t it funny the way the tabloid media gets very excited over the prospect of some pop or film stars pre-nuptial wedding agreement? Muslim women have had wedding contracts from day one. They can choose if they want to work or not and anything they earn is theirs to spend while the husband has to pay for all the household bills and the upkeep of his family.

Just about everything that feminists strived for in the 70s was already available to Muslim women 1400 years ago.

As I said, Islam dignifies and brings respect to motherhood and being a wife. If you want to stay at home, stay at home. It is a great honor to be a home maker and the first educater of your children.

But equally, the Quran states if you want to work, then work. Be a career woman, learn a profession become a politician. Be what you want to be and excel in what you do as a Muslim because everything you do is in praise of Allah (swt).

There is an excessive, almost irritating concentration or focus on the issue of Muslim womens’ dress particularly by men (both Muslim and non-Muslim).

Yes, it is an obligation for Muslim women to dress modestly but, in addition, there are many other important issues which concern Muslim women today.

And yet everyone obsesses over the hijab. Look, it is part of my business suit. This tells you I am a Muslim and therefore I expect to be treated with respect.

Can you imagine if someone told a Wall Street executive or Washington banker to put on a t-shirt and jeans? He would tell you his business suit defines him during work hours, marks him out to be treated seriously.

And yet in Britain we have had the former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw describing the nikab – the face veil revealing only the eyes – as an unwelcome barrier. When, oh when, will men learn to keep their mouths shut over a woman’s wardrobe?

We also had Government Ministers Gordon Brown and John Reid express disparaging remarks about the nikab – both these men come from over the Scottish Borders where men wear skirts!!

Then we had a series of other parliamentarians enter the fray describing the nikab as a barrier for communication. What a load of nonsense. If this was the case can anyone explain to me why cell phones, landlines, emails, text messaging and fax machines are in daily use? Who listens to the radio? No one switches off the wireless because they can not see the face of the presenter.

The majority of sisters I know who choose to wear the nikab are actually white, Western reverts who no longer want the unwelcome attention of those few leering men who will try and confront females and launch into inappropriate behavior. Mind you, there are a couple of London sisters I know who say they wear the nikab at anti-war marches because they can’t stand the smell of spliffs.

I am afraid Islamophobia has become the last refuge of the racist scoundrel. But the cowardly, chauvinistic attacks launched – largely by men – is unacceptable to Muslimahs as well as their secular, female sisters from the left.

I was a feminist for many years and now, as an Islamic feminist, I still promote womens’ rights. The only difference is Muslim feminists are more radical than their secular counterparts. We all hate those ghastly beauty pageants, and tried to stop laughing when the emergence of Miss Afghanistan in bikini was hailed as a giant leap for women’s liberation in Afghanistan.

I’ve been back to Afghanistan many times and I can tell you there are no career women emerging from the rubble in Kabul. My Afghan sisters say they wish the West would drop its obsession with the bhurka. “Don’t try turning me into a career woman, get my husband a job first. Show me how I can send my children to school without fear of them being kidnapped. Give me security and bread on the table,” one sister told me.

Young feminist Muslimahs see the hijab and the nikab as political symbols as well as a religious requirement. Some say it is their way of showing the world they reject the excesses of Western lifestyles such as binge drinking, casual sex, drug-taking etc.

Superiority in Islam is accomplished through piety, not beauty, wealth, power, position or sex.

Now you tell me what is more liberating. Being judged on the length of your skirt and the size of your cosmetically enhanced breasts, or being judged on your character, mind and intelligence?

Glossy magazines tell us as women that unless we are tall, slim and beautiful we will be unloved and unwanted. The pressure on teenage magazine readers to have a boyfriend is almost obscene.

Islam tells me that I have a right to an education and it is my duty to go out and seek knowledge whether I am single or married.

No where in the framework of Islam are we told as women that we must do washing, cleaning or cooking for men – but it is not just Muslim men who need to re-evaluate women in their home. Check out this 1992 exert from a Pat Robertson speech revealing his views on empowered women. And then you tell me who is civilized and who is not.

He said:  “FEMINISM ENCOURAGES WOMEN TO LEAVE THEIR HUSBANDS, KILL THEIR CHILDREN, PRACTICE WITCHCRAFT, DESTROY CAPITALISM AND BECOME LESBIANS”.

Here is an American man living in a pre-Islamic age who needs to modernize and civilize. People like him are wearing a veil and we need to tear that veil of bigotry away so people can see Islam for what it is.

Friday Khutbah (Sermons) : Between Our Civilization and Theirs

Friday Khutbah (Sermons) : Between Our Civilization and Theirs
- by Imam Al-Haramain ‘Abdur-Rahman As-Sudais
from the Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah, 18 Dhul-Qa‘dah, 1422 (February 1, 2002)

The Transcript:

 

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. May peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.

Brethren in Faith! I implore you and myself to fear Allah, for it is through fear of Allah that happiness can be achieved in this world and the hereafter.

Fellow Muslims! The making of glory lies in perpetuity of civilizations and that can never be achieved in the absence of true faith and high moral values. Whoever studies the history of civilizations will realise that they rise and fall while some have totally disappeared from the pages of history because of the absence of the stabilizing factors. The noblest civilization the human history has ever known is that of Islam and today’s western civilization is only a product of Islamic civilization in Andalusia and other places. The cause of its bankruptcy is its absolute dependence on materialism and shunning of religion and moral values causing thereby a great misery for mankind of which moral corruption, suicide cases and psychological disorder are some of its examples.

Brethren in Islam! The credibility of the western civilization has been put to shame in its claim that it is capable of bringing about the much needed peace and stability and preserving moral values. The only nation capable of doing that and elevating the human civilization is the Muslim nation. Allah says,

“Thus We have made you (true Muslims) a just nation, that you be witnesses over mankind.” (Surah Al Baqarah 2:143)

Allah also declares the Muslims as the best community,

“You (true Muslim) are the best of people ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin all that is good, forbid all that is evil and you believe in Allah.” (Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:110)

The Muslims are also those whom Allah describes thus,

“Those who, if We give them power in the land enjoin performing prayers, paying of Zakaah, enjoin all that is good and forbid all that is evil. And with Allah is rests the end of (all) matters.” (Surah Al Hajj 22:41)

This should not be surprising, for our righteous predecessors were the builders of the imposing edifice of Islamic civilization and the bearers of the light of guidance. They raised the banner of prosperity for all mankind and presented abundance gift to humanity. None can really know this honour except him who takes Allah as his Lord, Muhammad as his prophet and Islam as his religion.

 

Brethren in Faith! The greatest quality of this religion is its pure Islamic monotheism that encourages knowledge, recognises reason, takes care of man and aims at benefiting mankind and save them from harm. It also protects man’s fundamental rights, preserves his religion, honours and nurtures his mind and positively elevates his soul. Islam commends gentleness, easiness, fairness and mercy regardless of what its enemies may say. Allah says,

“We know indeed the grief which their words cause you (O Muhammad): it is not you that they deny, but it is the Verses of Allah that the wrongdoers deny.” (Surah Al An‘aam 6:33)

No just man will deny the fact that the world has never witnessed a civilization better than that of Islam in compassion, high moral standard and justice. And since the so-called modern civilization has fallen into the abyss of materialism and moral corruption, it is Islam that remains the only viable leader that can lead the world. Islam does not use modern technologies to exploit nations, drain their wealth and desecrate their honour neither does it take modern inventions and discoveries as means to promote atheism or use sophisticated weapons to threaten the security of other countries. Also, Islam does not use the mass media to mislead people. The responsibility of the Message of Islam is to save man, bring him the much-needed peace and protect him from injustice and misery.

Fellow Muslims! Our Islamic civilization has left its impacts in all fields of sciences and ethics, achieved much in the area of human development and has had far-reaching influence on modern civilization. This is not an exaggeration but facts recorded by the history in golden pages.

In the area of human civilization, Islam established the pure foundation. Allah says,

“O Mankind! We have created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has piety.” (Surah Al Hujurat 49:13)

By this honourable verse, Islam removes man from the atmosphere of hatred and racialism to the blissful world of equality and mutual cooperation in which there is no place for racial superiority. This concept was exemplified in our civilization through many incidences. ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab one day saw an old Jew in the market of Al-Madinah begging. He asked him of his condition and then said, “We have not been fair to you. We took tax from you while you were young and neglected you in your old age.” He then took him to his house, gave him food and then sent to the keeper of the Muslims’ bank to give him and people like him what could suffice them and their families. This is a marvellous example from the history of our civilisation.

Brethren in Faith! In the area of treating the opponents, Islam established a principle of fairness, good relationship and calling unto the way of Allah with the best method through dialogue and conviction. Allah says,

“And argue not with the people of the scripture (Jews and Christians) unless it be in a way that is better.” (Surah Al ‘Ankabut 29:46)

Islam enjoins it adherents, while arguing with their opponents to refrain from insulting their deities.

To promote social harmony, Islam enjoins good neighbourliness. The Messenger of Allah had some neighbours among the people of the Scripture whom he used to visit and from whom he accepted gifts.

Another glowing example in this regard is what ‘Umar (RA) did to the residents of Iliya (who were Christians) by giving them protection on their properties and places of worship and granting their request that no Jew should be allowed to reside there with them. These and other examples from the history of Islamic civilization caused those with sense of justice among non-Muslims to admit that no country had known conquerors who are more passionate and more tolerant than the Arabs and that no religion is more tolerant than their religion which is Islam.

Fellow Muslims! There is another shining aspect of our civilization: our war etiquettes. While the rest of the world was being ruled by jungle law, Islamic civilization has started shining with the establishment of war etiquettes and rules. In war, Islam prohibits looting and desecration of the honours of the opponent. It gives war a noble goal which is defence of the faith, security of the society and driving back the aggressors. Allah says,

“And fight in the way of Allah those that fought you, but transgress not the limits, Truly, Allah likes not the transgressors” (Surah Al Baqarah 2:190)

War does not make us forget our principles. That is why Abu Bakr gave this instruction, “When the war becomes terse, do not mutilate, nor betray or steal from the booty or kill an old man, young child or woman. Do not destroy date plantations nor burn it, neither should you cut a fruit-bearing tree or slaughter a goat, cow or camel except for food. You will come across some people who keep themselves busy (with worship) in their hermitages so leave them as they are.” Abu Bakr admonished the Muslim soldiers with these words while he was sending them on an expedition under the command of Usaamah bin Zayd.

More wonderful than this is the saying of the Messenger of Allah when he was injured in the battle of Uhud and had his molar tooth broken. He told his companions who asked him to curse the disbelievers, “I am not sent as a curser but as a mercy to mankind. O Lord, forgive my people for they know not what they are doing!” He also told his adversaries on the day of Conquest of Makkah, “You are free, so you can go.” In one of his battles, he saw a slain woman and was annoyed and said, “Had I not forbidden you from killing women? This woman should not have been killed.”

During the Tatar wars, many Muslims and non-Muslims who were living under their protection fell as captives in the hands of Tatars. Shaykul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah interceded for their release and the then ruler agreed to free only Muslims. Shaykul-Islam rejected that and said, “All of them should be freed both Muslims and non-Muslims and no captive should be left behind.” This is how our civilization deals with war captives, Muslims and non-Muslims.

When Salahuddeen Al-Ayyoobee conquered Baitul-Maqdis, there were more than one hundred thousand non-Muslims. He gave them security over their lives, properties and allowed them to go out of the city in exchange for a paltry sum to be paid by those who were able to. As for those who were not, he paid on their behalf. This is our civilization.

The contemporary history has witnessed the barbarism of others and their terrorism in spite of the beautiful slogans that are being disregarded in practice and the international pacts that proclaim human rights through imaginary treaties and democracies. Christian wars against Muslims in Andalusia and in the present age did not and will never escape the notice of history, so are other atrocities committed by their civilization against humanity. Their hatred for humanity manifested in the two world wars in spite of the so-called United Nations pacts.

Theirs are mere slogans. They hide under the call for world peace and stability to cultivate terrorism and colonialism. World events have unfold their cruelty and testify to the fact that they are merciless murderers and heartless racists. How could they then unleash media campaign against Muslims and call them terrorists while their evils are so open that everyone can see it?! The Muslims will never forget the massacre of Sabra and Shatilla at the hands of the Zionists against our brethren.

The secret of the Western media has been unveiled when it became confirmed that most news agencies and satellite channels are controlled by Zionist organisations. Since this reality is known, it then becomes the duty of the journalists all over the Islamic world to awake from their slumber, take up the challenge and use the Muslim mass media to explain the beauties of our civilization to the world. It is also incumbent on them to verify their information, stare clear of instigations and preserve the correct Islamic values.

We have to decide on terminologies so that there would not any mix up between the abhorred terrorism and legal resistance to injustice and in order that innocent and well meaning people who work for charity, Islamic propagation and knowledge are not wrongly accused of terrorism. There is however a question for the world opinion leaders and western media: Is what is happening presently in Palestine and the atrocities being committed by the malicious Israeli government against Palestinians in agreement with truth, fairness and humanity? If the vicious crimes of the Zionists in Palestine are not acts of terrorism what then is terrorism?

All the above will make it necessary for the Muslims to see their civilization as the only one capable of paddling the canoe of humanity to safety in a world full of challenges and where the weak have no say.

 

Brethren in Faith! While we are talking about the necessity of a plan under which the Islamic civilization will be promoted, we must have sincerity of purpose and unite in our adherence to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. We should free our minds from hatred, rancour and whimsical desires, nurture our youths with the true knowledge of Islam through erudite scholars and get ourselves preoccupied with the most importance issues. We should review our political stands and examine ourselves, so that the arena will not be free for those who only serve their personal interests; those who have been defeated and deluded by false glittering of the of the enemy’s civilization, lost confidence in themselves and their nation and have become beggars at the dinning tables of western culture and philosophy. They are paid to launch assault on Islamic belief and values. Islamic principle of allegiance and denunciation has become weak in their hearts and they attack Muslim woman’s manner of dressing and belittle the Muslims’ culture and educational system with impunity.

In the midst of these malicious attacks against Islam and Muslims, a voice emerged from the land of the two Sacred Mosques that there would not be any bargaining over our religion and faith. This gladdened the hearts of the true Muslims and blocked the way in the face of the selfish people, so that our society can have progress.

JOF 2008 : Dr. Bilal Philips – The Message : La Ilaha Illallah

Bismillah.

Dr. Bilal Philips lecture at Journey of Faith 2008 - The Message : La Ilaha Illallah

Official site: http://www.journeyconference.com/

 

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Part : 02

Part : 03

Part : 04

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Part : 06

Part : 07

 

Please spread the word.

Date : 4th & 5th July 2009
Venue : Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Canada.
Tickets Also Available Online
www.journeyconference.com

Nasheed : Rasool Allah

A very beautiful video Nasheed by Abu Ali, with translation by Truepath1290

The Quran and the Miracle of the Spider : “… if they but knew.”

The Quran and the Miracle of the Spider : “… if they but knew.”

 

Allah, the Almighty, said:

“The parable of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of the spider, who builds (to itself) a house; but truly the flimsiest of houses is the spider’s house;- if they but knew.” (Surah Al ‘Ankaboot 29:41)

From these verses, the following universal signs can be detected:

Confirmation of the fact that the spider’s house is the flimsiest house, whether physically or spiritually. This has been proven by the late studies in zoology.
Following are some of the expositors’ statements to explain the previous verses:

• In abbreviation, Ibn Kathir (May Allah bless his soul) mentioned: “This is an example given by Allah, the Almighty, of the idolaters who revere gods besides Allah. The idolaters hope that those gods will assist them, provide for them, and they turn to them in times of hardship. In this regard, they are like the spider’s house, in its weakness and frailty, because by clinging to these gods they are like a person who holds on to a spider’s web and does not gain any benefit from that. Had they known this, they would not have taken protectors other than Allah. This is unlike the Muslim believer, whose heart is devoted to Allah and, in addition, does well in following Allah’s decrees. The Muslim has grasped the most trustworthy handle, the one that never breaks because of its strength and stability.”

• In Tafsir Al-Jalalain “Al-Jalalain Interpretation” (may Allah bless their souls), which was investigated and commented on by Sheikh Mohammed Kan’an (May Allah bestow good on him), the following was stated: (The parable of those who take protectors other than Allah): idols which they hope will benefit them (is that of the spider, who builds (to itself) a house) in order to lodge in it. (The flimsiest) the weakest (of houses is the spider’s house) that does not protect from heat nor cold. The same thing applies to idols which do no good to their worshippers. (If they but knew), they would not have worshipped those idols.

• In Safwat Al-Bayan Lem’any Al-Quran, the following was stated: (The parable of those who take protectors other than Allah), meaning that the parable of those who worship idols and depend on them, as well as, hope for benefit and meditation of those idols, is that of the spider which builds itself a weak house by its spinning. This house does not protect the spider from the hot or cold weather, nor does it protect from the rain or in times of danger.

• The authors of Al-Montakhab fey Tafsir Al-Quran Al-Karim (may Allah bestow good on them) stated the following:  The talkers of vanities, who follow others than Allah, are similar, in their weakness, frailty, and dependence on others, to the spider which builds itself a house to protect itself. The spider’s house is the flimsiest of houses and farthest from being suitable for protection. If those talkers of vanities were people of knowledge and intelligence, they would not have done that.

The Spider from a Scientific Perspective

The spider is an animal of phylum Arthropoda, classified in Class Arachnida, which combines Order Araneida along with other orders including scorpions and mites.

The spider’s body is divided into a prosoma where the head is connected to the breast and an undivided opisthosoma which includes the abdomen. The prosoma carries four pairs of legs, two pairs of feelers, and two chelicerae which resemble a pair of pincers or claws that contain the poison glands. The prosoma is separated from the opisthosoma by a thin waist.

The spider has simple eyes whose number might be eight or less. It is a predator of insects and has a thick skin covered with hair which is shed around 7 to 8 times until it reaches maturity. Zoologists today know more than thirty thousand types of spiders which vary in sizes (from less than a millimeter to ninety millimeters), shapes and colors. Most spiders live in the wild, mostly alone except at times of mating and egg hatching. The spiders’ environment extends from sea level to heights of five thousand meters. The spider has three pairs of prominent moving protrusions in the lower abdomen. These protrusions have tiny holes from which the fluid used to make the threads for its house comes out; therefore, they are known as the spinners. This fluid which comes out from a number of special glands to outside the spider’s body, through the rear spinners, dries as soon as it is subjected to air. When it dries, various threads are produced which differ in types, length, and strength according to the difference in the producing glands.

The spider might stay in its house, where it practices all life’s activities, or it might have a nest or a hideout other than the house, which is connected to the house by a thread known as the trap thread. The spider escapes to this hideout at times of danger.

 

The Scientific Indications of the Holy Script

First: Referring to the spider in the singular form :

In Lissan Al-Arab, under the subject (ankab), it was mentioned that the (ankaboot “spider”) is an animal which weaves in the air, and on the mouth of the well, a flimsy thin web. It is a feminine word, and may have been mentioned in poetry. The spider’s house is called (al-akdaba). Al-Feraa said: the spider is feminine, and some Arabs may mention it. The plural form is (al-ankabotat), (al-anakeb), and (al-anakeeb). In Yemen’s language, it is (aknabaah), as well as, (ankbaa) and (ankabowah). Sibawayh mentioned (ankabaa) while giving evidence on the addition of ta’a in (ankaboot), so he does not know if it is singular or plural. Ibn Al-A’rabey said” (al-ankab) is for the masculine, and (al-ankaba) is for the feminine. It was said that (al-ankab) is the spider’s classification. Al-ankaboot maybe masculine or feminine. Al-Moubarid said: al-ankaboot is feminine and can be used for the masculine.

Most likely, the term (al-ankaboot) is for the feminine singular, the plural of which is (al-anakeb).

Naming the noble surah with the singular form (Al Ankaboot “The Spider”) indicates the solitary life of this animal, except at times of mating and egg hatching. This can be compared to the two surahs Al Nahl (The Bees) and Al Naml (The Ants), where the names are plural since these insects live in groups.

Second: In Allah (SWT)’s saying: “(Builds to itself a house)” :

In this noble quranic verse, there is a clear indication that the female spider is the one mainly undertaking the building of the house. Consequently, building the spider’s house is a mission shouldered by the female spiders. It is the female which has in its body the glands for secretion of the silk material from which the spider’s house is woven. Sometimes, the male spider might take part in helping with the building, repairing or expanding. However, the process of building is mainly feminine. It is here where we find the scientific miracle in Allah’s (the Almighty) saying: builds to itself a house.

Third: In the Almighty’s saying: “(the flimsiest of houses is the spider’s house)” :

This miraculous Quranic script indicates a number of important facts, some of which are:

(1) Physical weakness : The spider’s house, from the physical point of view, is the weakest house of all, because it is made out of a number of very delicate silk threads. These threads are interwoven, leaving large separating spaces at most times. Therefore, they do not protect from the heat of the sun, or the extreme cold. These threads do not form adequate shade, nor protect from the rain, storming winds, or the dangers of attackers. This is despite the miraculous building of this house.

(2) The weakness is in the spider’s house and not the threads; for the Almighty says “(the flimsiest of houses)”. This is a clear indication  that the weakness and frailty are within the spider’s house and not the spider’s threads. This is a very precise indication. The threads of the spider’s house are made of very delicate silk. The thickness of one thread is usually one million of the squared inch, or one part of four thousand parts of the thickness of the ordinary human hair. Despite its delicacy, it is the strongest biological substance known to mankind so far. The silk threads which make up the spider’s web are considered stronger than steel, and their strength is surpassed only by the melted quartz. The thin thread stretches to five times its length before it is cut. Therefore, the scientists call it “biological steel” or “bio-steel”. It is more than five times stronger than the metal steel of the same thickness.

(3) Spiritual weakness : The spider’s house, spiritually speaking, is the flimsiest of all houses, because it is deprived of all love and kindness, which are the pillars of any happy home. The female, in some types of spiders, kills the male as soon as the fertilization takes place. Being larger in size and more violent, the female kills the male and eats its body. In some cases, the female eats its youngsters mercilessly. In some types, the female dies after fertilizing its eggs, which are usually fostered in a silk bag. When the eggs hatch, spiderlings come out to find themselves in a very crowded place inside the eggs bag. The siblings then start to fight for food, space or both. The brother kills its brother and sister, and the sister kills its sister and brother, until the fight ends with a few spiderlings remaining. These spiderlings shed their skin and tear the eggs bag to come out one after the other with unhappy memories. They all then spread in the surrounding environment. Each female starts to build its house. On the road to achieve this goal, some of the spiderlings die, whereas those who survive repeat the same tragedy. This makes the spider’s house the most violent and ruthless house, lacking all forms of kinship. Hence, Allah the Almighty sets it as a parable in its weakness and frailty because it lacks the simplest form of kindness between the husband and wife, the mother and her children, the brother and his siblings, and the sister and her siblings.

(4) In the Almighty’s saying :  “(If they but knew)” :
These facts were unknown to any human at the time of revelation, and for long centuries thereafter. They have been discovered after extensive studies of the behavior of the spider by hundreds of scientists, for tens of years, until they were realized in the last decades of the twentieth century. That is why our God (Exalted be He) ended the noble verse with His saying “if they but knew”.

Some Hidden Quranic Signs:

(1) The house of the spideris not merely its dwelling place. Being the sticky net it is, it constitutes a trap for flying insects such as flies and others. These insects are a prey on which the spider feeds. Similarly, those idolaters who revere gods besides Allah, and call people to those revered gods, are in fact calling them to an artful trap which leads them to their death and destruction in this life and the hereafter. Allah, the Almighty, said:

“Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed.” (Surah Al Nisa’ 4:48)

(2) Warning against those with corrupt invocations who revere others besides Allah, whether money or whim. This warning is issued through indicating their hidden strings with which they hunt their victims. These strings can be money, sex, power, or any other hidden string which destroys the victim once it is trapped.

 

Allah says in the holy Quran:

“Blessed is He who sent down the criterion to His servant, that it may be an admonition to all creatures;- He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: no son has He begotten, nor has He a partner in His dominion: it is He who created all things, and ordered them in due proportions. Yet have they taken, besides him, gods that can create nothing but are themselves created; that have no control of hurt or good to themselves; nor can they control death nor life nor resurrection.” (Surah Al Furqan 25:1-3)

“Say: “Have ye seen (these) ‘Partners’ of yours whom ye call upon besides Allah? Show Me what it is they have created in the (wide) earth. Or have they a share in the heavens? Or have We given them a Book from which they (can derive) clear (evidence)?- Nay, the wrong-doers promise each other nothing but delusions.” (Surah Fatir 35:40)

Consequently, the Quranic description of the spider’s house as being the flimsiest of all houses; this description which was revealed to an illiterate Prophet (PBUH) in a nation with a majority of illiterates, moer than fourteen hundred years ago, is considered a scientific achievement which no sensible person would imagine a source for other than Allah the Creator.

Allah is the one who revealed the noble Quran with His knowledge to the final Prophet and Messenger, Muhammad (PBUH). It is Allah who protected the Quran in the same language in which it was revealed (the Arabic language) for fourteen or more centuries. Allah will continue to protect the Quran until He inherits earth and those who live on it. The Quran will remain as evidence on all people till the Day of Judgment. The truth within Quran will stand witness to the holy Quran being the words of Allah, the Creator. It will also stand witness to the Prophethood and message bestowed on the Final Prophet and Messenger to whom the Quran was revealed (PBUH). The Prophet has delivered the message, fulfilled the trust, advised the nation, and struggled in the cause of Allah until his final days. We ask you Allah, the Almighty, to reward him, our Prophet (PBUH), with the best of the rewards given to a prophet for his works with his ummah, and the best of rewards given to a messenger for the fine fulfillment of his mission. We pray to Allah to bestow on our Prophet the right of intercession and superiority and send him (on the Day of Judgment) to the highest standing (in Paradise) which He promised him, for Allah does not break His promises. We end our supplication by praising Allah, and praying to Him to bestow peace and blessing on our Prophet Muhammad, his family, companions and whoever follows his way till the Day of Judgment. Ameen!

“By the Fig and the Olive…” : Japanese Research Team President Embrace Islam

“By the Fig and the Olive…” : Japanese Research Team President Embrace Islam

 

A Scientific Miracle of the Holy Quran

Dr. Taha Ibrahim Khalifa, former dean and Professor of medicinal plants and drugs at Al-Azhar University and tells the following article about a Quran miracle.

Metallothionein (MT) :  A material which is produced by humans and animals brains in small quantities. This material is a protein that contains Sulfur which can easily bind with zinc, iron and phosphorus. This substance is considered very vital to the human body in the sense of reducing cholesterol, performing metabolism, strengthening the heart, and controlling breath.

MT production increases gradually between the ages of 15 to 35 years. Then, the production level decrease till it stops at the age of sixty. That is why it was not easy to obtain MT from humans. Also, small amount of MT was found in animals.

Therefore, scientists kept searching for MT in plants. A team of Japanese scientists searched for this magical substance that works as a removal of the symptoms of aging. The team found subject substance only in two types of plants; fig and olive.

 

 

The sincerity of Allah Almighty says in his holy book:

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

“By the Fig and the Olive, And the Mount of Sinai, And this City of security,- We have indeed created man in the best of moulds, Then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low,- ” (Surah Al Tin 95:1-5)

Let’s just think for a moment in the oath of God Almighty in fig and olive. Then, let’s try to link it directly to the creation of human beings in the best manner and then abasing them to the lowest of the low.

After MT was deduce from figs and olives, scientists found that the use of MT from fig or olive alone did not give the expected benefit for the human health. The benefits were only seen when MT that is extracted from fig was mixed with MT that is extracted from olive. After noticing that, the Japanese team tried to find the best mix ratio between fig and olive that provides the best influence.

The best mix ratio was found to be 1 fig to 7 olives!

Dr. Taha Ibrahim Khalifa has searched the Holy Quran and found that fig was mentioned once while olive was mentioned six times explicitly and one time implicitly in Al Mu’minun chapter:

“Also a tree springing out of Mount Sinai, which produces oil, and relish for those who use it for food.” (Surah Al Mu’minun 23:20)

Dr. Taha has sent all the information that he gathered from the Holy Quran to the Japanese research team. After verifying that the discovered information were mentioned in the Holy Quran 1427 years ago, the President of the Japanese research team declared his Islam and the research team surrendered the patent to Dr. Taha Ibrahim Khalifa.

“It is He who sends down rain from the sky: from it ye drink, and out of it (grows) the vegetation on which ye feed your cattle. With it He produces for you corn, olives, date-palms, grapes and every kind of fruit: verily in this is a sign for those who give thought.” (Surah Al Nahl 16:10-11)

Friday Khutbah (Sermons) : Uncomparable Love

Friday Khutbah (Sermons) : Uncomparable Love

Shaykh Yasir Qadhi gave a khutbah at Islamic Foundation Masjid in Villa Park, Chicago, IL, Friday 14 March, 2008.
May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala reward Bint Abel Hamid for doing the transcription.

The Transcript:

 

In one of our classical books of history and narrations, it is mentioned that once, Abdullah ibn Umar was doing tawaaf around the Kaaba as an elderly person, many years after the death of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam. And he saw a man doing tawaaf around the Kaaba who had a very old lady on his back. He was doing tawaaf carrying this lady on his back. And when the man saw ibn Umar, he rushed up to him, recognizing who he is, and he said, “Oh ibn Umar,” oh son of Umar ibn al-Khattaab, “Oh ibn Umar, this lady on my back is my mother.” This lady is my mother. “And she had a desire to go do Hajj. And I live in such and such a province,” and he mentioned a far province in the Muslim lands, “And I could not afford a mount.” I could not afford an animal, I could not afford to bring her in any other means except by carrying her on my back, walking from such and such a village. “Oh ibn Umar, have I done my duty as a son?” Is the scale now equivalent? Have all of the good deeds that the mother did, have I now recompensed her the way that she deserves?

Ibn Umar responded: “You have done nothing in return.” You’re proud and boastful about this? You have done nothing, your deeds are not worth anything in the scale! You’re comparing a scale of what your mother has done to what you have done back to her?! He says, “You have done nothing in return. But you have done good, and Allah will reward you.”

The man said, “Oh ibn Umar, I have traveled from such and such a province,” what do you mean I’ve done nothing? “I have traveled from the furthest lands, carrying my mother on my back – and you say I have done nothing?” Ibn Umar said – and listen to this psychologist, listen to the profundity of the response that he gave to this man, listen to it and understand it and apply it in your daily lives – he said: “You have done nothing because: when she sacrificed everything for you; when she did everything that she did for you – she gave up her time, her pleasures, her health – she gave up everything she had to raise you as you are – she did it out of a pure love and joy – wanting to see you flourish, waiting so you grow up and you live a full healthy life – she did it for your life – and now that you do it in return, you are waiting for her death – doing it as a pity – doing as an equivalent, doing it in return for the favors – you’re not doing it to see her flourish and live. You’re doing it as a sense of guilt, trying to pay back what she’s done, and waiting for her death, so she is literally off your back.”

The psychology of what she did versus what you are doing are completely separate! How can you compare the two? And how true, how profound is the statement of ibn Umar! When the child is raised by the parents, when the mother and father give everything that they have: their money, and their health, their wealth, their beings, everything. When they give to this child, what is the motivation of the parent? The parent wants to see this child flourish and live! They will literally give their lives for this child to live.

But when the child becomes old, and the child is entrusted to take care of his or her parents, the same emotions are not felt. The same patience is not there, the same love and tenderness, completely absent. And [for] this one reason, ibn Umar said: you cannot compare the two.

 

 Oh Muslims, many are the khutbahs that we have heard about the rights and status of parents in Islam. Many are the ayaat and ahadith that outline this very very important relationship. How often have we heard them? But have we truly acted upon them? Have we truly understood the role of parents and the status that Allah ‘azza wa jal has given them? And it is not just in our religion, it is not just with the coming of the Prophet Muhammad salla Allahu alayhi wasallam, no! Allah says in the Quran:

“When Allah took a meethaaq from the children of Israeel – from the most ancient civilizations – “Worship none but Allah, and show ihsaan to your parents…”" (Surah Al Baqarah 2:83)

From the earliest civilizations, Allah ‘azza wa jal took a meethaaq – do you know what a meethaaq is? It’s a covenant of the highest order! It’s a treaty that should never ever be gone against and contravened. It is a treaty between Allah and man. That is what meethaaq is. And what are the conditions of this meethaaq? Allah mentions many in the Quran – but the first two in every single series of verses that talks about it, the first: worship Allah; number two: be good to your parents.

“Your Lord has decreed” – such is the decree of Allah, such is the commandment of Allah, pay attention and heed –

“Your Lord has decreed: that no one shall be worshipped except for Allah, and that you be good to your parents…” (Surah Al Isra’ 17:23)

This is the decree of Allah – the eternal decree of Allah: be good go your parents.

What does it mean, be good? Allah mentions the word ihsaan. Ihsaan is the highest level of good. There is no level, there is no word in the Arabic language that gives the meaning of ihsaan. And the famous linguist of the Arabic language by the name of al-Raaghib al-Asfahaani, very famous ‘aalim of the Arabic language, he said that ihsaan is a state. It is not an action – it is not a deed, it is a state of mind, it is a frame of relationship, in which you give the most that you can, and you expect the least in return. You give your utmost being, this is what ihsaan is. You do everything you possibly, physically, spiritually, emotionally, can. What do you want back from the party? The least amount: nothing. You do it out of ihsaan. That is what ihsaan is.

Your rewards are not with your parents, your parents are not going to give you anything back – no. You do what you do, you give them the most – and you expect the least back. And had there been a word higher than ihsaan, Allah would have used it.

Notice in these series of verses – verses that you have all heard, all read, numerous times:

“Your Lord has decreed that you shall worship none but Him and that you have ihsaan to your parents…” (Surah Al Isra’ 17:23) -

Allah says, – “If either of them or both of them reach old age,…” (Surah Al Isra’ 17:23) -

and you are in charge of them – it is a blessing that they are old and you are alive, it is a blessing – many have been deprived of this blessing – if either or both of them have reached this age where you’re in charge of them – what does Allah say? You all know:

- “Don’t say uf…” (Surah Al Isra’ 17:23) -

What is the meaning of “uf”? Uf – two letter word; smallest letter, smallest word in the Arabic language that as a meaning: uf. Uf means: you are irritated. It’s the equivalent of “tsking” in English, or saying “ouch” when you’re hurt. The smallest indication, the slightest indication, that you are irritated is said by uf. The scholars of tafseer say: had there been a word that was less trivial, Allah would have used it here.

So the first verse uses ihsaan, the second versus uses “uf.” Ihsaan, the peak; uf, the lowest, but of what? Of what? Profound, brothers and sisters, think about this: Allah ‘azza wa jal said: “Don’t say uf to them” – meaning, don’t show or express your frustration and anger.

If Allah ‘azza wa jal had said to us, don’t become irritated, don’t be angry, don’t be frustrated, Allah ‘azza wa jal would have commanded us with something we could not bear. It is human nature to get frustrated, especially at elderly parents. It is human nature to get angry, it is human nature to get irritated. Allah knows this. So Allah did not oblige us that we don’t get angry, we don’t get frustrated, we don’t get irritated – no. He obliged us with something that is well within our capabilities. Don’t say, don’t express, don’t show, don’t outwardly give the impression that you’re irritated. Feel what you like in your heart, control it, be a man – control it:

- “…and don’t speak to them in a harsh manner…” (Surah Al Isra’ 17:23) -

Notice, Allah ‘azza wa jal has created us, He knows how difficult it is, not just to take care of children, especially to take care of parents. He knows how difficult it is. So Allah ‘azza wa jal put upon us a condition and a rule that is well within our limits: feel what you like; don’t express it, don’t make it outward, don’t show it to them.

- “…say to them beautiful, generous speech…” (Surah Al Isra’ 17:23) -

Say to them sweet things. Kareem: be generous in your speech to them. “And if they ask you,” Allah goes on in Surah Al Isra’, “If they ask you for more that you can give” – if they ask you for things you don’t have, Allah ‘azza wa jal says,

- “…give them optimistic phrases…” (Surah Al Isra’ 17:28)

“Insha’ Allah, I’ll try,” “insha’ Allah, we’ll do that,” give them hope, give them encouragement. Allah ‘azza wa jal is saying, even if they want more that you can give – don’t get irritated, don’t get angry – give them good speech, give them optimism, fill them and their hearts with joy, just like they had done for you when you were a child.

- and make du’aa for them, “Oh Allah, have mercy on them as they raised me…” (Surah Al Isra’ 17:24) -

… Because they have raised me, due to the face they raised me, just as they raised me. Beautiful speech here, we cannot go into too much detail, beautiful speech of Allah that Allah ‘azza wa jal is giving so many profound meanings: because they have raised me, just as they have raised me, due to the fact that they have raised me, oh Allah have mercy on them, because of what they have done for me.

Oh Muslims, much can be said about the verses in the Quran and the ahadith of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam about treating the parents. But I want to mention an aspect that perhaps some of us have not appreciated. It is a psychological aspect, it is an aspect that I only came to realize when I became a parent, and so I primarily talk to those who are not yet parent, or are still new parents: you will not understand the love that a parent has for a child until you yourself have you own child.

You will NEVER understand that it means to love somebody until you become a parent. You will never understand it. You never ever have a relationship, have a feeling for any human being, like you do for your son or daughter.

No matter who that person is – many of you who are still young, you have this idealistic concept of loving the opposite gender and getting married to them – ask anybody who’s gone beyond that stage. Ask anybody who knows that truth – that type of love, it is a selfish love. Why is it a selfish love? Because you want something back in return. It is a love of give and take – it is a love of fights along with good, there’s good and there’s bad. Your most painful moments and your sweetest moment will be with your partner. This is a part of life.

But the love of a parent? The love of a mother? The love of a father? This is unselfish love, unrestricted.

You want to give up everything you have to bring a smile on that child’s face. You go to work, and you are motivated in your work to bring home some food to your children, to give an income to them – you will give up your life’s savings for their education. THAT is what you call love!

No human being feels that type of love for another, except a parent for the child. And when you think about it, and when you experience parenthood, you understand the POWER of Allah’s creation, for verily, I swear by Allah, if the parents did not have this love for this child, no child could live on the face of this earth.

A child is given to you. A child will be handed over to you, and you will be told, this is your baby, this is your child, you are responsible for it, you have to take care of it. This child will take up most of your time, most of your energy, most of your wealth, your living will become dependant upon this child, your entire life will change because of this child. The amount of sacrifice you must do cannot be measure in words, cannot be measured in figures, cannot be measured in quantities. Those who have children and are growing up with them, they know what I’m talking about – and yet you have not experienced everything, because your children are still growing up with you.

Your parents have done that for you. Your parents have done that for you, and you don’t even realize it, because when you become an adult, you “know it all,” you’re the one who thinks they know better than their parents, you’re the one who wants to leave the nest and become independent. And you don’t realize that a mother’s love, a father’s love – once you leave that nest, it will never be the same. Once that parent goes away as well, you will never have that opportunity again.

 

Oh Muslims, this is the beauty of the cycle of life – that Allah ‘azza wa jal blesses all of us with parents. And then He blesses some of us with children, and those children grow up, and some of us are still alive. Some of us have our parents alive when we grow up – that’s why Allah says in the Quran: “If one or both of them are alive, take care of them” (Surah Al Isra’ 17:23), because some of us don’t have that luxury.

One of the companions, famous companions, his mother passed away, and he was crying… greatly. So some of the other sahabah tried to console him, and they said: it’s alright, she is in jannah insha’ Allah, she’s forgiven. They tried to console him. And he said, “Do you think I’m crying because she died? Of course I’m sad because she died, that’s not why I’m crying.”

Notice how the sahabah view things and how we view them. He said: “I am crying because my door to jannah has been shut! And I don’t know if I got in or not.” She was my door to jannah! That’s why I’m crying. My door to jannah has been shut. I don’t know – was I a good enough son?! I don’t know – did I do what I needed to do?! There’s no other way for me except through her.

And he quoted, or he paraphrased an authentic hadith of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam when he said that the parent is the LARGEST door to paradise; the parents is the middle door to paradise, the parent is the MAIN door to paradise. It’s an authentic hadith.

So the sahaba understood this. The death of a parent was not just a personal loss. It was a religious and spiritual loss as well: I don’t know whether I made it in or not…

A man came to Ibn Abbas, and he said: I have done this and I have done that, I have done this and I have done that. He listed a whole long list of sins, and he had just repented and come back to Islam. He said, “What can I do now?” Ibn Abbaas said, “Are one of your parents alive?” He said, “Yes, my mother is alive.” Ibn Abbaas said: “Go stick to her – go at her feet” – go service here – go give everything you have to her – “because I know of no other deed that forgives the amounts of sins that serving your parents does.” No deed can take that place of cleansing an entire life of evil, cleansing an entire lifetime of disease, than being good to your parents. Go to her, and give your entire body and soul to her – bring to her that happiness and joy, and that’s your only hope that I can see for you.

And he’s basing this as well on many ahadith of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam.
A man came to the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam, and he said, “Ya rasool Allah” – this hadith is in Bukhari – “Ya rasool Allah, I have come from Yemen” – the furthest corners of Arabia, nothing further than Yemen – “I have come from Yemen, in order to be with you!” He has now become a sahabi – he has elevated his rank in history by visiting the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam! “…in order to be with you, and do jihad behind you. And in order to do so, I had to leave my parents crying at my loss and departure.”

He’s trying to boast, he’s trying to brag, he’s trying to show his status: I want to do this, and I even left my parents crying, in order to come here.

The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam asked him: “Do you want jannah?” Meaning: is that your goal? You want the pleasure of Allah? He said: “Yes.” The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam said: “In that case, go back to them now, GO BACK TO THEM and make them laugh, just like you left them cry.”

Meaning: you want jannah and you have done this? You want jannah and your own parents are not happy with you? You will not be able to earn jannah in any other way! Brothers and sisters, this man left everything to come to the Prophet of Allah salla Allahu alayhi wasallam, he left everything to do jihad behind the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam, and the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam is saying, you want jannah? Go back to your parents, and be with them! Make them laugh like you have made them cry!

Do you understand the rights of the parents? Do you understand the Prophet of Allah is saying: do you really want jannah and you’re coming to me? You’re coming to me to do jihad with me, and your own parents need you? He told that man to go back to his parents, and make them laugh like he had made them cry.

Oh Muslims, the status of parents is something that transcends even religion. Generally speaking; generally speaking, if a man or a woman is abusive to Islam, cursing Allah and His Messenger, we leave him alone – we don’t associate with him. There’s only one exception, and that exception is the parent. That exception is the parent.

Allah ‘azza wa jal says: “even if your parents try to force you to idolatry,…” (Surah Luqman 31:15) -

They’re forcing you – they’re physically trying to shove you down in front of an idol – emotional blackmail, spiritual blackmail, whatever they’re doing – they’re doing jihad against you, to do shirk… Allah says:

- “Don’t listen to them.” – You can’t contravene the first principal which is la illah illa Allah, BUT:

leave their affair to Allah, “in this world, you must be good to them” (Surah Luqman 31:15) -

“Ma’roof”: be kind and just to them.”

EVEN parents who are idol worshippers, who are mushriks, trying to force you to leave Islam, you still don’t have the right to be rude to them. If you can’t be rude to someone like that, then brothers and sisters, let us look at our own lives. When have we been rude to our mothers and fathers? When they show us love?

 

Oh brothers – especially the younger amongst you – Oh brothers, listen to me, and listen well:

The love that your mother and father have for you is a love you will never understand until you become a parent and are at that age. And the feeling that you have of being stifled with rules and regulations – that feeling is a feeling that you will miss – you will miss when you leave your parents’ nest. And you will be even more strict with your children when your time comes.

Don’t fool yourselves. You don’t understand the meaning of your parents’ love for you. Every rule and regulation they put upon you is because of their love for you – they want what is best for you. Every single rule and regulation that they have upon you – every requirement, every desire – it is a desire for you, and not against you. You won’t realize it now. These are only going to be words to you. But when you have your own child, and you have raised that child in front of your eyes, and the child becomes a young man or a young woman, you will be even stricter upon that child than your parents were with you. Why? Because you’re living in this society. You know what it means to be in this world. You know the ins and outs. Therefore, you’re gonna be even more protective than your parents were.

Realize this, and pay heed to it. And understand that they only do this out of love for you.

And understand another part, which is ever more profound. And many of you will not fully comprehend it until the age comes. And that is: no matter what you think of your parents, in terms of their knowledge of this world, in terms of their knowledge of American culture, or their knowledge of civilization – no matter how you look down at them because of whatever they have or haven’t done – they have one thing that you don’t have. And that is experience – wisdom – age. Experience and wisdom is not taught in a book. You don’t learn it by studying. It comes by living through life.

And you as a 17 year old kid – you don’t know what experience is, you don’t know what wisdom is. Your mother and father have gone through life, they know what it means to live. Even if they speak with a different accent, even if they do things that to you look backwards, they are more knowledgeable than you of the mechanisms of human life. They understand emotions better than you. They know what it means to live amongst humans, because they have done it, and you haven’t -

And a time will come – trust me – a time will come when you will regret that you didn’t take their advice more.

Right now, for many of you who are young, you trivialize their advice. You think, my parents don’t know anything. As a 20 year old, you know everything, and they, at 50, 60, they know nothing. A time will come when you would wish that your parents were still alive, so you can call them up and get their advice. A time will come when you will realize: my parents did indeed know this best.

And this is something that, you should pray to Allah that that time comes when you are still alive. Because it is possible – it is the sunnah of Allah that children grow up, and their parents die before them – this is the sunnah of Allah, the general rule.

We should strive our best to make sure, that when our parents die, whenever that happens – and we ask Allah to give all of us a long life, we should try and strive, that when they leave this world, they leave this world pleased with us, content with us, happy with us, knowing that we have done everything we can for them.

Because it is possible a parent will die… and you haven’t done your job – you haven’t done justice. And when that happens, you can never return the clock. You can never bring them back. And you will live the rest of your life in regret and remorse, now that this door of jannah has been shut, and you don’t know whether you have entered it or not.

 

[istighfaar... followed by second khutbah]

 

What can we do, to our parents? What can we do for them? What can we do to make them happy? If your parents are alive, first and foremost thank Allah ‘azza wa jal for this opportunity. Thank Him; rejoice that there is still chance and hope! THANK Allah that Allah has blessed you to be an adult while your parents are still alive. Do for them everything that is humanly possible.

Financially. Many of us think that financially, our wives or children take precedent – no! Islamically speaking, it is number one: the mother and father; number two: the wife and kids. We have to take care of ALL – it is our obligation as men, we have to take care of a lot of people, but number one on that list is mother and father – and that is why, when a man came to the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam complaining, “Oh ya rasool Allah, my father takes this, my father takes that,” complaining that his father would take some things of his possession. After ALL that the father has done for this son, after ALL the money and time and effort and sweat, this man came and complained that he took bits and pieces – he took trinkets from his wealth? And he’s complaining, “My father takes money without asking me?”

Do you know the response of the Rasool salla Allahu alayhi wasallam? “Anta wa maaluka li abeek.” “You and your wealth – all of it – belongs to your father.” You’re now getting angry that he’s taken a hundred dollars? A thousand dollars? After ALL that he’s done? ALL that you own belongs to your father – you and ALL of your possessions. “Anta wa maaluka li abeek.” Who are you now to come and complain that he takes a little bit from you?

And from this, scholars of fiqh have derived many, many rulings: that the father owns the property of the son, some of the fuqahaa’ said. And others disagreed with this. The point being, from this, they took many rulings of fiqh.

If they’re alive, financially, number one – it is not possible for you to eat a full meal, and your parents don’t have that. Take care of them, in any way possible. Spiritually. Make du’aa for them. Do what you can to show your love to them. If they’re with you, alhamdulillah. If they’re in another country, make sure they are taken care of. Calling them up – simple phone call – do not underestimate the joy that you will bring your mother by calling her up on the phone. Do not underestimate that. The love that she will feel, talking to her regularly. Do not underestimate the power of a conversation, and being in touch. Make sure that you do anything -

Every one of us comes from a culture and civilization – there are things that we do in that culture, to show respect to them – do those things. It is a part of your religion – it is a part of your duty to Allah, that you do this.

But if it so happens that they are no longer with you – if Allah ‘azza wa jal has willed that they have moved on to the next life – then still, there are things that can be done.

First and foremost: du’aa. Du’aa for them. Du’aa that Allah forgives them, raises their ranks, blesses them. The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam told us, that of the best thing we can do when somebody dies is to make du’aa for them – when the parent dies, we make du’aa for them. Allah commands us in the Quran: make du’aa for them. The Prophet Nooh made du’aa for his parents. The Prophet Ibrahim made du’aa for his parents. All of this is in the Quran. Continual du’aa.

One of the sahabah, when his father died, he said: “for one year, I could not think of anything to make du’aa, except for my father. ONE YEAR, every time I raised my hand, all I could do was make du’aa for him.” This is a part of being a good son. Make du’aa for them.

Another thing you can do: give charity on their behalf. Give money – and you say, “Oh Allah, may the reward of this go to my mother and father.” Go for Hajj and Umrah. “May the reward of this go to my mother and father.” Sacrifice an ‘udhiya. “May the reward of this go to my mother and father.” You do what you can, financially, and you expect the reward to go to your parents, and not to yourself.

Also, you can visit their relatives, and visit their friends that you used to visit when they were alive. You visit their circle of friends, that you used to visit. And you do what you can, to bring about their memory, in that sense. Because when you go to their gatherings – your parent’s relatives, your parent’s friends – what will happen? The topic of conversation will always be your mother and father. And when that brings about, you will remember them with good, and you will pray for them.

So this, too, is part of being a dutiful son.

Basically, brothers and sisters, do what you can before it is too late. Do what you can, ALL that you can do, and there is no good deed after the worship of Allah that is more beloved than being good to the parent.

In the authentic hadith of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam when a man came to him, wanted to do good, the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam asked, “Is your mother alive?” He said: “Yes.” The Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam said: “go to her, and stick to her feet (an Arabic expression, meaning: submit yourself to her), because at her feet is jannah.” Jannah is around her feet. That’s what the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam said.

I conclude this khutbah with one hadith of the Prophet salla Allahu alayhi wasallam. Where, he was climbing up the minbar, and when he got up to the last minbar (step), he said, “Ameen.” And, when he said Ameen, the sahaba asked him, “why are you saying Ameen?” He said: “Jibreel came to me and said, “Make du’aa that any man who finds his parents alive at an old age, and still does not manage to get his sins forgiven, make du’aa that he is never forgiven.”” Meaning, there is no hope for the man who reaches old age with his parents, and yet does not gain the forgiveness of Allah. If you can’t be a good son, you cannot be a good Muslim. It’s that simple.

Allahum inee daa’in fa amminno.

Sarkozy Distracting French Public by Crusading Against Muslim Women’s Rights to Hijab

In stark contrast to Obama’s call for respecting the Muslim women’s right to observe hijab, as well as the lack of any official effort in the United States to prevent a Muslim woman from chosing to wear whatever she wishes to, Sarkozy has launched a frontal attack on the Burka (the hot-button word for full niqaab).

The reference of burka has another dimension to it since that is the common terminology for Afghani-style hijab/niqab, where France has recently sent troops. Thus, building the propaganda of “fighting for womens rights” as a means to justify its unpopular war.

This French President, described in a recent book (failed to be blocked from publication — so much for free speech!) as an uncaring father and a womanizer wants to now tell Muslim women how to dress. I’d like to ask Sarkozy that if he can tell us how we should dress, then under equal rights of the “republic”, why can’t Muslims tell French women how not to dress?  We are even willing to donate some extra clothing material to help the near-nudity on display everyday in this model nation!

For a President to devote significant time to the hijab in an important speech to the Parliament, the first one since the 19th century, is a clear indication that Sarkozy is running out of ideas to save the country from its economic and social ills. By letting the public focus on a clearly divisive issue, but one whose inherent prejudice bonds French citizens across the political spectrum, Sarkozy wants to use this “coalition of bigots” to distract the public from real problems.

This low-level terror against minorities is not a new phenomenon. Historically, other tyrants and dictators have used anger and prejudice against minorities to help their own standing with the people. Hitler used the Jewish people as his whipping-boy. Sarkozy is on the same track, albeit several steps back. But mark my words: if this helps him, he will continue on the path of trying to implement this French sense of superiority over its Muslim minority, to the point that it will cause more fissures between the Muslim community and the non-Muslim majority.

On the path of this “Frenchize” culture would be a ban on beards. Far fetched? Think again. The French government was ready to deny entry of students who wear a beard since beards can be interpreted as a religious sign. This was only rejected because the head of the schools realized that it was too difficult to manage, not because it would be against freedom of religion.

If Sarkozy thinks that he can force the will of the majority over its minority in the matter of dress choice, then he is sadly mistaken, and setting the French society up for a massive clash.

It is interesting that many Europeans fled Europe for America’s shores about three centuries ago to escape religious persecution. While Europe has claimed great progress in freedom of religion, time and time again, we see the rise of religious persecution. It seems that some people can never quite get it right on rights, and Sarkozy is just another stark example of what’s wrong with Europe, and France in particular.

 

May Allah protect our Muslim sisters from cultural terror and religious persecution wherever it raises its ugly head, and may He protect them and allow them to wear whatever they choose to wear, when done solely for the sake of their Lord.

 

Source : Muslim Matters

Download AL-QURAN : Arabic with English Translation

As-salaam Wa-alaikum!

“When the Quran is read, listen to it with attention, and hold your peace: that ye may receive Mercy.” (Al-Quran, Surah Al A’raf 7:204)

The Quran was revealed in the Arabic language, and any translation, at best, is an interpretation of the meaning,  intended only as a tool for the study and understanding of the original Arabic text and not the Quran itself.

Alrahman Printers and Publishers, a renowned name for Authentic Islamic books, Al-Quran, Digital Quran, Haj Guide and more. Each publication is proofed many a times for authenticiy and printed only after lot of research. Some of their famous publications are:

• Sooe Haram, one of the most authentic and comprehensive manual for performing Haj and Umrah for the would be hajis and the people who have already performed Hajj. It contains complete instructions in Urdu for each and every rituals of Umrah and Hajj. It follows the authentic sources of Islam, the Al-Quran, which is the word of God, and the authentic Sunnah, and the traditions of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him).
• Seerat un Nabi, a complete history of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) available in 3 volumes.

A full Al-Quran, with english translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali,  is available for download in their download section. It is highly encouraged for every Muslim to read the Quran and hopefully this English translation will be a good reference. As Abdullah Yusuf Ali says, “It is the duty of every Muslim – man, woman, or child – to read the Quran and understand it according to his own capacity.” May Allah reward him for his life’s work, for it has changed the life of millions of humans irrevocably by allowing us to read the words of Allah’s divine guidance.

Please feel free to download it and send your valuable comments. You can download the Holy Al-Quran (Arabic with English Translation) here.  The files are in PDF format.

 

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The 2nd Annual Journey of Faith Conference!

Date : 4th & 5th July 2009
Venue : Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Canada.
Tickets Also Available Online
www.journeyconference.com

A Praise of Perfection

 

Asalamu ‘alaikum,

Allah says in the most recited surah of the Quran: “Alhamdolilahi rabbil alameen…”, the meaning of which is: “All praise is due to Allah…”

What does alhamdolilah mean? What is hamd?

Hamd means praising orally regardless of you being benefited by it. It is doing something, a favor or anything else, without the expectation of some reward or a statement of kind words back. This is different from shukr (thanking), in that you expect some reward or a statement of kind words in return.

Ibn al-Qayyim rahimuhallah writes that hamd denotes qualities of love and respect; its connotation is of a special nature.

In the word Al-Hamdu, the prefix al has been used to include all forms of hamd. Thus, the perfect degree of hamd is only reserved for Allah.

And so you stand in front of Allah, the one who has the most perfect degree of hamd, and you recite:

“Alhamdolilahi rabbil ‘aleem”, the meaning of which is: All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

You recite this knowing that He is Allah, the One who is worthy of all praise, the One who has created the heavens and the earth, the stars and the sky, the sun and the moon. It is Allah, the one who deserves all hamd, who created life and death; it is He who has given you life and it is He who will cause you to die. It is Allah, who is deserving of all hamd, who brought you into existence and gave you the honor of worshiping Him. Thus, you stand in front of Allah, recognizing these bounties and acknowledging the fact that surely Allah is worthy of all praise… and you recite: “All praise is to Allah…”

Immerse yourself in the greatness of Allah.  Join us at the 2nd Annual Journey of Faith Conference and take an incredible spiritual Journey to Allah!

 

Date : 4th & 5th July 2009
Venue : Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Canada.
Tickets Also Available Online.

 

- Yaseen Ahmed, www.journeyconference.com