Sweet Muslimah

IBLIS - ANGEL OR JINN?

2011-02-17T18:06:00.000+08:00

Incidence of Iblis and Angels mentioned in the Quran

The story of Adam and Iblis is mentioned in the Quran in various places in which Allah (swt) says, "We said to the angels bow down to Adam: and they bowed down: not so Iblis".

This is mentioned in:

Surah Al Baqarah Chapter 2 verse 43
Surah Al ‘Araf Chapter 7 verse 17
Surah Al Hijr Chapter 15 verses 28-31
Surah Al Isra Chapter 17 verse 61
Surah Ta Ha Chapter 20 verse 116
Surah Sad Chapter 38 verses 71-74

But in Surah Al Kahf chapter 18 verse 50 the Quran says:

"Behold! We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam." they bowed down except Iblis He was one of the Jinns." [Al-Quran 18:50]

Arabic Rule Of Tagleeb

The English translation of the first part of the verse ‘We said to the angels bow down to Adam: they bowed down except Iblis’, gives us the impression that Iblis was an angel. The Quran was revealed in Arabic. In Arabic grammar there is a rule known as Tagleeb, according to which, if the majority is addressed, even the minority is included. If for example, I address a class containing 100 students of whom 99 are boys and one is a girl, and if I say in Arabic that the boys should stand up, it includes the girl as well. I need not mention her seperately.

Similarly in the Quran, when Allah addressed the angels, even Iblis was present, but it is not required that he be mentioned separately. Therefore according to that sentence Iblis may be an angel or may not be an angel, but we come to know from Surah Al Kahf chapter 18 verse 50 that Iblis was a Jinn. No where does the Quran say Iblis was an angel. Therefore there is no contradiction in the Quran.

Jinns have free will and can disobey Allah

Secondly, Jinns have a free will and may or may not obey Allah, but angels have no free will and always obey Allah. Therefore the question of an angel disobeying Allah does not arise. This further supplements that Iblis was a Jinn and not an angel.

Question's about Jinn

Question 1: Who are the jinn?

The jinn are among the creatures that Allah (swt) created. Allah (swt) created angels, jinn, mankind, animals, plants and others. Jinn have some qualities like human beings. These qualities are intellect, discrimination, freedom, and the power to choose between right and wrong, between true and false, as well as between good and bad.

Question 2: When did Allah (swt) create the jinn?

Allah (swt) created the jinn before Adam (pbuh) was created. Both were created in heaven and lived in paradise. One may read in Surah Al-Hijr (The Rocky Tract) [Qur'an, 15:26-27]. However, nothing was mentioned about the duration of time of the jinn's creation before Adam (pbuh).

Question 3: What are jinn created from?

Jinn are created from fire of hot wind [Qur'an, 15:27]; and from smokeless fire [Qur'an, 55:15]. They were originally made from fire and then molded and shaped in the form and shape that Allah (swt) wanted them to be. This means that they do not anymore possess their fiery nature. It is not known therefore, their final shape, form, and chemical composition. Since we cannot see them, therefore, it is not easy to do any analysis of their chemical nature. In contrast, mankind was created from soil, mud, and clay. They were molded as human beings. Our final form is no more mud or clay.

Question 4: Do jinn have bodies?

Yes and no! It depends upon the information that one has. One group of scholars believe that jinn do not have bodies of their own. They also do not inhabit bodies of other creatures. However, they do exist independently by themselves. Therefore, they do not know how they exist without bodies: smoke, flame, fire or what?

The other group of scholars do believe that jinn do have bodies either definite or subtle. If their bodies are definite then they have some density; otherwise, if they are subtle, then they are so fine that our weak eyes cannot see them. One may read Surah Al-A'raf (The Heights) [Qur'an, 7:27]. Even if they are subtle they should have weight and density similar to that of the air itself.

Question 5: Do jinn die?

Yes. Jinn do die. As long as they are creatures created by Allah (swt), they should die. They are creatures that marry, produce children, eat, drink, and die like all other creatures in the universe. One may read Qur'an Surah Al-Rahman (The Most Merciful) [Qur'an, 55:26-28].

Question 6: Do the jinn feel envy of us?

Yes. There are two types of evil eye: human and the jinn. One has to read regularly 'A'oozu Billahi Minash-shaitanir Rajeem. Also, by reading Ayah Al-Kursi and Al-Mu'awwazatain, one will be protected from the evil eyes of both the jinn and mankind.

Question 7: Are there messengers and prophets from within the community of jinn?

Yes. Allah (swt) has sent prophets and messengers to jinn from within the jinn community. Also, Allah (swt) sent Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to mankind, to jinn, and to other creatures. In Surah Al-An'am (The Cattle), Allah (swt) explains that He sent messengers to men and to jinn. See Qur'an [6:130].

Question 8: Do jinn have different religions, sects and denominations?

In Surah Al-Jinn (Ch. 72), Allah (swt) informs us that some jinn accepted Islam, while others refused. Those who refused have deviated, and developed for themselves different methods, different ways of life, and different religions, sects and denominations.

Question 9: Do jinn marry and have children?

Yes. Jinn do marry and they do have children. The way they marry is not known to us yet. We may be able to know the future if Allah (swt) wants us to know.

People never knew about microbes, viruses, and the unseen micro creatures. Now we are able to know many things about their life cycles, their life duration, their methods of duplication or reproduction: sexually and asexually. The mere fact that we do not know how the jinn marry and reproduce does not negate their being married and reproduced. The Qur'an stipulates in Surah Al-Kahf (18:50) that they have offsprings. Similarly, the Qur'an states in Surah Al-Rahman (55:56) that jinn and human beings never touched (married) the ladies of paradise.

Question 10: Can human beings and jinn inter-marry?

Yes and no. It depends upon how one looks at it. It is a known fact in the Qur'an in Surah Al-Israa' (17:64) that jinn may share with us our wealth and our children. The Hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) reconfirms this concept when he says that when a man has marital relationship with his wife, he should mention the name of Allah (swt). He should seek refuge in Allah (swt) from the outcast shaitan. Otherwise, shaitan folds himself up in the man's urethra and shall have sexual relations along with him.

Moreover, when a man goes to his wife while she is in her menses, shaitan precedes him. She shall conceive and will bring forth a sterile person (Mukhannath). Such a sterile person is considered to be child of the jinn.

Question 11: Do jinn have animals as pets?

Yes. Jinn do have animals or beasts of their own. The Prophet (pbuh) mentioned that every piece of dung is fodder for the beasts of the jinn. However, we do not know what type of beasts the jinn have. The same thing is to be said as to the varieties of beasts, their number, their shape, their size, their weight and so on.

Question 12: Do jinn have homes of their own?

Yes. The jinn do have homes. They live all over the planet earth. However, there are special places that one may find them in abundance and on a regular basis. These are deserts, ruins, places of impurities such as dunghills, bathrooms and graveyards. They live in houses of human beings too. For those who enter their houses mentioning the name of Allah (swt), the jinn cannot have a place to stay overnight in that house. If the people of the house mention the name of Allah (swt) before eating, then the shaitan will not be able to eat with them.

Question 13: Is it true that animals see jinn and angels?

Yes. Animals do see angels and shaitan. When a rooster sees an angel, it starts crowing. However, when a donkey starts braying it is seeing a jinn.

A CLOSER LOOK AT CHRISTIANITY

2011-02-17T18:00:00.001+08:00

Was Jesus sent to be crucified?

One of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity relates that Jesus died and allowed for the shedding of his blood for the sake of granting forgiveness to people. In other words Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Let us investigate this topic from the Bible, and find out whether Jesus was sent to be crucified and whether he was crucified at all.

Willingness of Jesus Christ to die for our sins

Peter and the two sons of Zebedee were with Jesus Christ before the elders of the people and the chief priests came to take him to be crucified. Jesus at this point talked to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee as in Matthew 26:38 "Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me." Then Jesus went a little further away from them and prayed to God as in Matthew 26:39 "And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

It is very clear from the above verse in Matthew 26:39 that Jesus had no intention of dying. In this verse it is shown that Jesus was praying strongly (Matthew mentions Jesus repeating this prayer three times) to have this death removed from him. Had Jesus Christ been sent to be crucified, he would not have hesitated to be killed at all.

God answered the prayers at Jesus Christ

After Jesus made the above mentioned prayer he was answered by God according to Hebrews 5:7 "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared." These words clearly show when Jesus was praying strongly to God, God granted him his request. The words "heard in that he feared" (Hebrews 5:7) mean that God granted him what he requested. So the above verse shows when Jesus asked of God to "let this cup pass from" (Matthew 26:39) him, God responded to his prayer and saved him from death or crucifixion.

Why would Jesus have to die on the cross?

According to the Christian doctrine, Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Every human is born with sins, or all humans will eventually sin, and therefore it was necessary that someone as pure as Jesus would be crucified to nullify these sins. The question is; why does anyone have to die for our sins when God, the all merciful, could as easily grant us forgiveness if we asked for it? Why does He have to make someone suffer for our sins or for someone else's sins? Isn't that unjust of Him? According to the Bible the way to redemption could be obtained without the need for sacrifice. The Bible says:

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. Ezekiel 18:21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Clearly the soul that sins shall die. Clearly, no one shall bear the iniquity (sins) of others. So Jesus cannot bear the sins of others either. If one is righteous then it shall be upon him, and if one commits a sin then it shall be upon him, and not on Jesus. Finally, the way to repentance and forgiveness is by turning from all sins, doing what is right, and keeping the commandments.

Also we see the same message given by Solomon. He says in the book of Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." This is the whole message, and this is the conclusion of messages. It is that one should fear God, keep His commandments, and nothing else.

Again in II Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" This clearly states that to seek forgiveness from God we have to humble ourselves, pray, seek God, and turn away from wickedness.

Finally the Bible says in I Samuel 15:22 "And Samuel said Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." This clearly states that obeying God is better than sacrifice whether this sacrifice is of objects, animals, or humans, or any other type. What God likes is for us to heed and obey Him, and if that is what God likes then it is not of Him to come later and change His mind and His ways. God says in the Holy Qur'an, "Verily God is All-Knowing, All-Wise" (9:28).

Now that we have seen this, Christians say that Jesus has changed some of these laws. Did Jesus come to change laws? Let's look at what Jesus says. In Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Jesus clearly states that he was not sent to abolish the law, the law of which had already existed. What is mentioned above cannot be discounted. Then Jesus continues to say, in Matthew 5:18 and 19 "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Jesus here asserts that not even as much as a tittle (dot) shall pass from the law. Every thing is kept the way it was. This is why the previous laws cannot be removed or discarded, and those who willfully change these laws "he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven."

Is Jesus the same as God?

In John 10:30 Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" This verse, according to Christians, shows God and Jesus Christ to be same. On the other hand, we read in John 20:17, "Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God and your God." Here Jesus stated that there was a distinction between him and God. In other words that Jesus himself had a God. Also, Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Here Jesus Christ cried in loud voice calling for his God.

These are two different and opposite ways Jesus relates himself to God. The first one, he and God are one, and the second; he refers to a higher authority than him, which is God. Now assuming that both are correct statements then we have a contradiction. If, for example, Jesus Christ was God himself as in John 10:30 then it would be more appropriate for him to say " .and to myself and your God." in John 20:17, or "Myself, Myself, why hast thou forsaken me?" in Matthew 27:46. If, on the other hand, one of them is wrong and the other is correct then we have to discard the one we believe to be incorrect! Since God does not make mistakes then we no longer believe the Bible is the word of God (because we believe there is a contradiction of God's words in the Bible).

A third possibility is that we have to look at how we can interpret the words of Jesus in those verses. As far as John 20:17 and Matthew 27:46 it is very clear Jesus had a God whom he prayed to and Whom had a higher authority than his own. We can back this up with other verses from the Bible that say, "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear; I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." (John 5:30) Also Jesus said, "...for my Father is greater than I" (John 14:28). If Jesus and God were the same then he would not have said what he said in the above verses.

Now, the only verse that can be interpreted is John 10:30. It is the only one that does not render itself clear. The only way John 10:30 could be interpreted such that it does not contradict all the other verses is by saying that Jesus meant he and God had something in common.

To find out what the common grounds were, we have to look at the context in which this verse came:

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. John 10:30 I and my Father are one.

As can be seen from John 10:28 and John 10:29 Jesus was telling the Jews that he and God share something in common, and it was: no one can pluck the faithful from either of their hands. This was the common factor between Jesus and God in this case, and not that Jesus was himself God, or that they were exactly the same.

Let us go on to see what Jesus says in John 10:

John 10:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. John 10:32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? John 10:33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. John 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? John 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; John 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? John 10:37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. John 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. John 10:39 Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand, John 10:40 And went away again beyond Jordan ...

In John 10:31 we see that the Jews misunderstood what Jesus had meant by "I and my Father are one." (John 10:30). And in John 10:33 they accused him of blasphemy. Now, had Jesus been God, or had he and God been one in a literal sense then he wouldn't have hesitated to clarify the matter at that point. Jesus at that point said, "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?" What he was trying to say was that if the Jews called "I and my Father are one" blasphemy then they should call what was written in their law "Ye are gods" blasphemy too.

The reasoning behind this is "Ye are gods" does not mean that you, the Jews, are Gods, it is rather an expression. It just means that you are godly people. The same applies to "I and my Father are one." It does not mean that Jesus is God or that he and God are the same literally. It's just an expression. (The same goes for calling himself "the Son of God." This statement should not be taken literally either).

The Holy Qur'an says, " ... Nothing whatsoever (is there) like the like of Him, and He (alone) is All-Hearing and All-Seeing" (42:11). Nothing at all is like God, not Moses, not Jesus, not Muhammad, and certainly nothing of His creation.

Is Jesus the Son of God?

One of the fundamental beliefs in Christianity is the literal sonship of Jesus Christ to God. This belief comes from the verse in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Also in I John 5:1 "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." these verses clearly state that Jesus is the only begotten, and born Son of God.

Let us look at other verses from the Bible to find out whether Jesus was the only begotten son of God, or that there were more than one. Also let us investigate whether Jesus was the only one born of God. Finally, let us investigate whether the word begotten is to be taken literally.

Was Jesus the only begotten son of God?

In the book of Psalms 2:7 we find "I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." David, in this verse, is saying that God had told him he was the son of God and God has begotten him. Clearly Jesus is not the only begotten son of God.

Of course, one could say that although Jesus was not the only begotten son of God, he had no human father in contrast to David who had a human father. That is true! Since Jesus had no human father it makes the relationship between him and God a closer one. The question is what about Adam? Adam had neither human father nor a human mother, and according to the Bible he too was the son of God. The Bible says, "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli" (Luke 3:23) The Bible goes on to mention the supposed genealogy of Jesus Christ. At the end of this genealogy the Bible comes to Adam, and it says, "Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God." (Luke 3:38)

So Adam is also the son of God. According to the assumption: "because Jesus had no human father then he is closer to God than David who had a human father," we can safely conclude that Adam is better than Jesus because he did not have a human father or mother.

The truth is Jesus and Adam do not differ in God's sight. They were a mere creation of God. The Holy Qur'an says in clear terms, "Verily, similitude of Jesus with God is as the similitude of Adam; He created him out of dust then said He unto him BE, and he became." (3:59)

Who was Jesus if not the literal son of God?

According to the Bible in Matthew 21:11 "And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." This was Jesus. He was a prophet of God, He was sent like other prophets to deliver the message of his ONE and only ONE God (glory be to Him). Also, in Luke 24:19 the Bible says "And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people."

Jesus was a true messenger of God Almighty. He was sent by Him to deliver His will, The Bible says in John 5:30 "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." These are the true characteristics of a prophet. They do as they are commanded. They are sent to deliver a message, and the only difference between them and other humans is their utmost righteousness, "mighty in deed and word" (Luke 24:19) They are the best of all the people of their time. They are the only ones who could bear and act upon the commandments of God completely and fully. They are loved by God because of that, and their nearness to God comes from that.

The same applies to all other prophets. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ismael, Isaac, Jacob, Jonah, Moses, Jesus, Jonas, Muhammad and all the other prophets shared the same qualities. The qualities of those who could withstand all forms of tribulations in God's name. They all fully abided by what God has commanded them. The Qur'an says, "Say: (O' Our Apostle Muhammad!) (unto the People) 'We believe in God and what hath been sent down to us, and what hath been sent down to Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Tribes, and what was given to Moses, and Jesus and the Prophets from their Lord, we make no difference between any of them, and we unto Him are muslims"' (3:84). (Note that "what was given to Moses, and Jesus" is not the same as the current Bible written by Paul, John, Luke, Matthew, and so on. Rather they were the true books of Moses and Jesus. These are not to be found today.)

Oneness of God

One of the main doctrines in Christianity is the trinity. This idea comes from I John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." This verse indicates that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are one. These words are John's words and not Jesus words nor God's, but according to the Christians John was inspired by God, and that is the reason for taking his words as the truth. Let us investigate the Bible to see if God is One and only One, or that He is, or they are three in one.

Are Jesus and God the same?

I have already talked about this topic, and showed the difference between God and Jesus. If you have not read that yet please do so.

Let us see what Jesus himself says

One of the scribes asked Jesus, Mark 12:28 "...Which is the first commandment of all?" Clearly from the question the man wanted to know the first of all commandments, and the most important one. Jesus replied to him in the following verse:

Mark 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of oil the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Jesus was not talking to this man only, but he made sure to call the attention of all Israel "Hear O Israel." This indicates the importance of this message.
Jesus says, "the Lord our God." This clearly indicates that God is not only the God of the people Jesus is talking to, but He is also Jesus God ("our").
Jesus continues to say, "is one Lord." This clearly indicates the Oneness of God.
Finally, in Mark 12:30 Jesus reiterates that this is the first commandment "this is the first commandment." A commandment before all others.

Jesus in these verses showed how important this message was by calling the attention of the Israelites, and when he talked about the Oneness of God he excluded himself from that "Oneness" when he said, "our God." He stated that this One God is his God as well as every one else's. Had he been one of the three mentioned in John (according to John) then he would not have said "the Lord our God," but he would have said "the Lord your God."

The Absolute Oneness of God from the rest of the Bible

In many instances in the Bible, God and His prophets mention that God is only One, and not three in one. The following are some of the many verses from the Bible:

Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD" God is one and not three in one.
Isaiah 43:10-11 "Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. " God wants us to "know," "believe," and "understand" that He is the LORD, and "beside" Him there is no other. Had there been any other "beside" Him then He would have said it.
Ephesians 4:6 "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
I Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
James 2:19 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." What makes the devil tremble is the belief that God is one, and not three.
Deuteronomy 4:35 "Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.
I Samuel 2:2 "There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God."
Isaiah 44:6 "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God."
Isaiah 44:8 "Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any."
Isaiah 45:5 "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me."
Isaiah 45:6 "That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from list west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else."
Hosea 13:4 "Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me."

Some of these verses testify that God is "one," others attest that there is nothing "beside" Him, one of them declares that nothing is "like" Him, and so on. None of the above verses include anything that describes that God is three in one. Jesus did not say that he was one of three, nor did God in His own words.

I am told that although God and Jesus never mentioned the idea of the trinity, yet John who was inspired by God clarified this idea for all of us, the idea that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are one.

My argument is: God never said that He is three in one, never were any prophets of God ever instructed to say that God is three in one, not even Jesus was instructed to say that, yet John who was not a prophet of God (he was an apostle of Jesus, or a disciple) said that God is really three in one, and the whole world of Christians believe him! I am wondering, who has more authority? What is more powerful? That which was quoted from Jesus mouth and God's words, or the interpretation of John?

Before I end this section, "The Absolute Oneness of God from the rest of the Bible," I would like to raise some points about the idea of inspiration:

If the idea that the Bible is the book of God because it was inspired is to be believed, then we should disregard the book of Luke if we are willing to take Luke for his own words, when we read Luke 1:1-3 "For as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus." Luke tells us that he saw it good to write his book. It was his own choice, and not an inspiration.
If we should believe that the Bible is the book of God because it was inspired, then we should also believe in the book "The Book of Mormon, Anther Testament of Jesus Christ." The Author of this book, Joseph Smith, claims he too was inspired by God. Why should we stop at the Bible alone?
There are hundreds of different denominations in Christianity, and many in almost all denominations claim to be inspired by God, yet they are all different in their beliefs and convictions. Who are we to believe? Who is right and who is wrong? Especially when some of these denominations differ with others on the most crucial points in Christianity. Also, why does God deliver different message to each denomination, is God the author of confusion? I Corinthians 14:33 "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."

What about worshiping God through Jesus?

The worship of God should be aimed directly to God. God does not need a medium for prayers to come to Him. This is clear from the Bible. When God says in such a bold manner:

Exodus 20: 1-5 "And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me."

We should not make any images or likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth as something to worship. God is the only One that we should bow down to. God, the God of everything, is a Jealous God, and he does not like us to worship anything but Him, not even Jesus. God shows how jealous He is when people worship images in Exodus 34:14 "For thou shalt worship no other God: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."

Who is Jesus?

If Jesus is not God, not the Son of God, and not one of three (trinity), then who is Jesus? I have briefly discussed this previously "Is Jesus the Son of God?" This time I would like to expand on Jesus life (peace be upon him). I want to talk about Jesus from birth, starting with his mother (peace be upon them both) till the day he was taken up to God.

Who was his mother?

His mother was The Virgin Mariam (Mary) the daughter of Imran (father) and Hinnah (mother). When Hinnah carried Mariam in her womb she vowed to offer Mariam to God by letting her serve Him in one of His houses of worship. When Mariam was born, her mother wrapped her in a piece of cloth, and took her to Al-Aqsa Mosque where she was handed over to the bishops.

When the bishops looked at her, and found out that she was the daughter of their lord and leader Imran they all wanted to take care of her. Although Zachariah the prophet (P.B.U.H.) was the person in charge of sacrificial offerings he was not allowed to take charge of Mariam's matter this time. After a long quarrel over her, they all decided that the person who wins the lottery is the one that takes her in.

Zachariah won, and sponsored Mariam. He gave her a place to live, assigned her a female caretaker and personally watched over her until she was old enough to take care of herself and didn't need the caretaker anymore.

When Zachariah came to Mariam in her place of worship he used to find fruits that would normally grow in other seasons. When he asked her where she acquired these fruits from, she would say that it was from God Almighty. The following verse relates the story of Mariam after she was born and offered by her mother to God:

"So her Lord accepted her with a good acceptance and made her grow up a good growing, and gave her into the charge of Zachariah; whenever Zachariah entered the sanctuary to (see) her, he found with her food. He said: O Mariam! Whence comes this to you? She said: It is from Allah. Surely Allah gives to whom He pleases without measure." (3:37)

Angels used to always come to Mariam and tell her of her purity, and chastity. They also used tell her that God has chosen her above the women of the world, and that He has protected her from all types of corruption. She was constantly inspired to work harder and apply herself more in worship, supplication, and prostration for God. The Qur'an says, "And when the angels said: O Mariam! Surely Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the world. O Mariam! Keep to obedience to your Lord and humble yourself, and bow down with those who bow. (3: 42-43)

How was Jesus born?

The following verses from the Chapter 19 (Mariam) narrate the story of the birth of Jesus Christ the prophet who was born without a father:

And mention Mariam in the Book when she drew aside from her family to an eastern place; So she took a veil (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our spirit, and there appeared to her a well-made man. She said: Surely I fly for refuge from you to the Beneficent Allah, if you are one guarding (against evil). He said: I am only a messenger of your Lord: That I will give you a pure boy. She said: When shall I have a boy and no mortal has yet touched me, nor have I been unchaste? He said: Even so; your Lord says: It is easy to Me: and that We may make him a sign to men and a mercy from Us, and it is a matter which has been decreed.

So she conceived him; then withdrew herself with him to a remote place. And the throes (of childbirth) compelled her to betake herself to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: Oh, would that I had died before this, and had been a thing quite forgotten! Then (a voice) called out to her from beneath her: Grieve not, surely your Lord has made a stream to flow beneath you; And shake towards you the trunk of the palm-tree, it will drop on you fresh ripe dates: So, eat and drink and refresh the eye. Then if you see any mortal, say: Surely I have vowed a fast to the Beneficent Allah, so I shall not speak to any man today.

And she came to her people with him, carrying him (with her). They said: O Mariam! Surely you have done a strange thing. O sister of Haroun (Aaron)! Your father was not a bad man, nor, was your mother an unchaste woman. But she pointed to him. They said: How should we speak to one who was a child in the cradle? He said: Surely I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet; And He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and He has enjoined on me prayer and poor-rate so long as I live; And dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me insolent, unblessed; And peace on me on the day I was born, and on the day I die, and on the day I am raised to life. Such is Jesus, son of Mariam; (this is) the saying of truth about which they dispute. (19:16-34)

This was the story behind Jesus birth. Two of the most magnificent miracles were connected to his birth: the first was the birth to a chaste mother, and without the need for a father. This miracle shows that God has the ability to do anything He wishes. God says after the above verse, It beseems not Allah that He should take to Himself a son, glory to be Him; when He has decreed a matter He only says to it "Be," and it is. (19:35) The idea of Son ship is ambiguous. What does it mean for God to have a son when everything in this world is His creation, and a mere command of His?

The other miracle was that Jesus spoke when he was in the cradle. God gave him the ability to talk to people to fend off any accusations made to his virtuous mother, and to notify the world that he was a prophet of God. That was Jesus. He was sent to tell people about the true God. The One and only One God of this universe. It was people who then changed this idea, and took Jesus as the Son of God. The Qur'an relates, "And surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serve Him; this is the right path." (19:36)

Who was Jesus sent to?

Jesus was sent to the entire world. It is known that the total number of prophets that God sent was 124,000. Five of these prophets were considered to be the best, and they were called Ol-ool Al-Azm. These prophets were Nooh (Noah), Ibraheem (Abraham), Mousa (Moses), Eesaa (Jesus), and Muhammad (Peace be upon them all, and Muhammad's progeny). Being one of the five Ol-ool Al-Azm prophets meant that Jesus was sent to the entire world of mankind and Jin (other beings living amongst us that can see us without us seeing them).

Did Jesus have a heavenly book?

Yes, God sent down to Jesus the In-Jeel (the gospel). The book is nonexistent today, and the Bible that we have today is authored by people who came after Jesus (P.B.U.H.). The proof is simple: none of the books in the Bible is named after Jesus (the book of Luke, John, and so forth). All the books were written by people other than Jesus the prophet of God. It is a known fact amongst scholars that not a single word in the Bible was instructed to be written or written by Jesus himself during his time on earth.

What were Jesus miracles?

Jesus (P.B.U.H.) had many miracles. They are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, and I have already mentioned two of them: the first being his birth without a father, and the other being his speech while he was in the cradle. God says in the Holy Qur'an, "And (make him) a messenger to the children of Israel: That I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I determine for you out of dust like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird with Allah's permission and I heal the blind and the leprous, and bring the dead to life with Allah's permission and I inform you of what you should eat and what you should store in your houses; most surely there is a sign in this for you, if you are believers." (3:49)

He was able to make birds out of clay, and breathe life into them.
He was able to bring back the dead to life.
He was able to predict what people stored of food.
He was able to heal the blind, and the leprous.

He was able to do all this by God's permission and will.

Was Jesus crucified?

No. Jesus (P.B.U.H.) was raised to God.

On the night that Jesus was supposed to be taken up by God he called the 12 apostles for a meeting. He advised them, and told them of what he wanted from them, Then he asked if one of them would volunteer to take his place (form) after he left, God would then make that person look like Jesus. That apostle would have to endure killing, and crucifixion by the Jews, and in return he would be in the same level in paradise as Jesus.

One of the apostles agreed to sacrifice himself, and Jesus was taken up from one of the corners of the house while the apostles were watching. When the Jews came looking for Jesus, God made the volunteer look like him, the Jews took him, and crucified him.

Is Jesus coming back again?

Yes. Jesus will have a second coming. Jews and Christians together will follow him along with Muslims.

PROPHET ISA PBUH

2011-02-17T17:56:00.003+08:00

INTRODUCTION

Allah sent many messengers to the humans as a mercy from Him. Allah sent them all to teach the people what is the correct and acceptable worship of Allah--their Creator and the Creator of everything. All the prophets of Allah, the first of whom was Adam and the last of whom is Muhammad, came with one Religion--Islam, one creed--the belief in the Oneness of Allah. They all taught that Allah is attributed with all the perfect attributes and that He does not resemble any of His creations. They taught what Allah ordered us to perform with and refrain from in this life. They taught there is the Judgment Day in which each one of us will be judged as to whether or not we fulfilled our obligations in this life. None of them taught their people what contradicts the belief in the Oneness of Allah. Each one of them ordered their followers to believe in the rest of the prophets. Imam al-Bukhariyy related that Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said:

The prophets are like brothers from the same father with different mothers. Their Religion is one although their Shariah (rules of the Religion) differed. I am the most deserving of Prophet Isa. There was no other prophet between us.

Allah revealed Prophet Isa (Jesus) as the messenger before Prophet Muhammad. He was one of the five best messengers of Allah, called Ulul-Azm, those with the highest status, who were the most patient. He was Isa, the son of Maryam, the daughter of Imran, from the sons of Israel. Prophet Isa, as all the prophets, was truthful in what he conveyed from Allah, and although today we follow the Shariah of Prophet Muhammad, Muslims respect, love, and believe in Isa and in his prophethood.

MARYAM, THE MOTHER OF ISA

Maryam (Mary), the mother of Isa, was a pious Muslim woman from the offspring of Israel during the time of Prophet Zakariyya. Prophet Zakariyya was a prophet of Allah revealed to convey to the people to follow the Shari^ah revealed to Prophet Musa. In the Qur'an there is a chapter named Maryam referring to Maryam (Mary), the mother of Isa. This chapter talks about Maryam: her birth, her story, and the birth of Prophet Isa, and other things.

Maryam's mother conceived and delivered Maryam when she was an old woman, at an age when women usually can no longer have babies. One day Maryam's mother saw a bird feeding its young and she longed for a baby herself. She made a supplication to Allah to bless her with a child and vowed that she would make him a servant for the Holy House in Jerusalem, dedicated for worship, because she thought the child would be male. Allah answered her supplication and Maryam's mother conceived and delivered a baby girl. She named her "Maryam" and asked Allah to protect her and her offspring from evil.

Since Maryam's father had died, Prophet Zakariyya (who was the husband of Maryam's sister) became Maryam's guardian. From him, Maryam learned the Religion. She grew up as a righteous, pure, and pious Muslim woman worshipping Allah and endeavoring greatly in performing obedience to Him. Before she turned fourteen (14) years old, Maryam was a waliyyah (a very pious woman with a special status). She became the best of the women in the world. It is mentioned in the Qur'an that the angels said Allah chose Maryam and preferred her to the other women of the world. (Al Imran, 42-43).

THE BIRTH OF ISA

Ibn Jarir and others narrated that one day Maryam ran out of water. She asked her cousin, Yusuf, the son of Yaqub to go with her to get some. He declined, saying he had his sufficiency for that day, so Maryam went to fetch water alone. There, she found Jibril, whom Allah had sent to her in the shape of a man. Thinking he was a human who might harm her, she asked refuge with Allah from him. Jibril told her, "I am the Messenger of your Lord to you. I was sent to give you a pious child who is pure from sins." Maryam told him, "How would I have a son? I have no husband, and I am not an adulterer or a fornicator." Jibril told her, "Creating a son without a father is an easy matter to Allah. Allah will make him a sign for the people and an indication of the Power of Allah. He will send him as a mercy from Him and an endowment to the one who follows him and believes in him. Creating him is a matter Allah willed and destined, so it will not be blocked or changed."

Jibril blew the soul of Isa into Maryam and Isa's soul entered into her womb. Maryam became pregnant with Isa, peace be upon him. There is a difference of opinion as to the term of her pregnancy, some said nine months, some said eight, and some said other than that. However, when the signs of pregnancy became apparent on her, her cousin, Yusuf the Carpenter, was disturbed and did not know how to interpret that matter. If he wanted to accuse her he would remember how pious she was. If he wanted to declare her innocence, he would see the signs of pregnancy. So he decided to open the subject with her. He asked her, "Tell me, would plants grow without seeds? Would trees grow without rainfall? Would there be a child without a male?" To all these questions Maryam said "Yes." Then she asked him, "Did you not know Allah made the plants emerge without seeds the day He created them? Did you not know Allah created the trees the first time without rain? Did you not know Allah created Adamand Hawwa' (Eve) without a father or a mother?" Yusuf knew all these things and when she responded in this way, he felt assured of her innocence and that this was something special given to her by Allah.

When the signs of her pregnancy became apparent, Maryam went away from her people. The pangs of birth led her to the trunk of a dead palm tree. Out of her shyness from the people, and fearing they would accuse her of having done something ugly, she wished she was dead and not a trace of her could be found. Jibril called to her, comforting her. He told her Allah made a small river run under her from which she could drink, and should she shake the trunk of the dead palm tree next to her, it would turn green and moist dates would fall down from which she could eat and be nourished. Jibril told her when she faces her people with her son to tell anyone who questions her about him that she had made a vow not to talk to any human for that day. That day, Maryam gave birth to her son, Isa, peace be upon him. Forty (40) days later she carried him back to her people. They accused her of having fornicated. In response, Maryam pointed to her son, meaning to tell them to talk to him. They were angered at this and thought she was mocking them by asking them to speak with a 40-day old baby lying in a small cradle. At this, Allah made Isa speak. He said:

which are verses 30-33 of Surat Maryam and mean: [I am a slave of Allah. He will reveal the Book to me and make me a prophet. He blessed me wherever I am. In the rules revealed to me there will be a special attention given to Prayers and Zakat. Allah predestined that I will be kind to my mother and not a tyrant with a bad ending. Peace was on me the day I was born. Peace will be on me on the day I will die and on the day I am raised alive again.]

When Maryam's people heard that, they refrained from harming her or Prophet Zakariyya, about whom they had made ugly accusations. After Baby Isa spoke these words, he did not speak again until he became at an age when children normally begin to speak. Isa's speaking from the cradle was a preparation and a sign of his creed and coming prophethood, when he would call the people to believe in Allah, the One Who does not have a partner and to believe in the message of Isa--that he was the slave and messenger of Allah. The first words he spoke were, "I am a slave of Allah.

EARLY LIFE OF PROPHET ISA

Lady Maryam took Isa to Egypt where they stayed for a period of time. Then they returned to the countries of ash-Sham--to a city known as an-Nasirah. Isa, peace be upon him, studied the Torah in the schools and memorized it. He spoke Syriac, the language of the people of Palestine at that time, and the language in which the Heavenly Book, called the Injil, was revealed to him. He was a pious worshipper of Allah, following the rules of the Torah revealed to Prophet Musa.

THE REVELATION OF PROPHETHOOD

Allah sent the Revelation of Prophethood to Isa when he was thirty years old. Allah revealed to him new laws which abrogated some of the laws revealed to Prophet Musa. Prophet Isa conveyed the revelation to the people and called them to believe in his message.

Prophet Isa, like all the prophets of Allah, performed miracles. Allah sent all the prophets with miracles as a proof to their prophethood, so the people would witness, know about them, and believe in their prophethood. Many of Prophet Isa's miracles were in curing illnesses, to be a stronger proof of his truthfulness, since the people at his time were famous for being knowledgeable in the field of medicine. Prophet Isa cured those with seemingly incurable illnesses. Prophet Isa cured a man inflicted with leprosy. He put his honorable hand on the face of a man who was born blind and cured his sight. Once Prophet Isa supplicated to Allah to bring back to life one person who had died and was being carried to the burial place, and Allah brought this person back to life.

Prophet Isa had other kinds of miracles also. He formed the shape of bats from clay and then they would fly away a distance. One of the miracles of Isa is mentioned in the Qur'an in Surat al-Maidah, Verses 112-114, which tells about one time when Prophet Isa and the people who were with him reached to a place where there was not enough food for all the people with him. The students of Isa asked him to supplicate Allah for food which would come down on them from the sky. Isa made supplication to Allah and the angels brought down the food on a piece of material before the eyes of the people. Hundreds and hundreds of people ate from that food, and there was no sign the food had diminished in quantity. This miracle increased the belief of the believers. The blasphemers however, claimed Isa had performer sorcery on their eyes.

After his revelation, Prophet Isa lived on earth for about three years. He used to travel from place to place calling people to the proper worship of Allah. He was so detached from the worldly matters that he did not worry that he did not have a house to return to at night. He used to sleep wherever the night would fall on him, whether he was in an open land or in a sheltered place. He wore clothing made out of unwoven wool. He ate from the raw plants of the earth, without desiring to cook them. He did not marry or have children.

THE INJIL(BIBLE)

Isa received a Heavenly Book, the Injil, which contained the Shariah, (rules of the Religion) revealed to him. In it was the prohibition of associating partners with Allah. In it was the prohibition to consume the usurious gain (riba), pig meat, blood, and the meat of animals not slaughtered properly. It contained the order to perform the Prayer (with bowing and prostration) twice a day. It had the order to fast (but other than the month of Ramadan), and the order to perform taharah. Prophet Isa came with a Shariah that contained making permissible some of the things which had been forbidden upon the children of Israel in the Torah. Although what is called "The Bible" today contains some true stories of Prophet Isa, it does not contain the true Injil which was revealed to him.

THE ASCENSION OF PROPHET ISA

When Prophet Isa was 33 years old, the blasphemers among the offspring of Israel plotted to kill him, but Allah saved him from their harm. Ibn AbiHatim and an-Nasa'iyy narrated from the route of Ibn Abbas that he said:

Prophet Isa was in session with twelve of his elite companions in a house. He told them that among them would be who would blaspheme in the future. Then he asked them, "Who among you would want to be made to look like me, be killed in my place, and be my companion in Paradise." The youngest among them stood up and said, "Me." Prophet Isa told him to sit, then repeated his same question. Again, the same young man said, "Me." Again, Prophet Isa told him to sit, then again asked the same question. After the same young man volunteered for the third time, Prophet Isa received the Revelation that this young man would be the one who would be made to look like him and killed instead of him. Prophet Isa was raised to the sky from an opening in the ceiling of the house. When the Jews came after Prophet Isa, they saw that young man, whom Allah made to look like Isa. They took him, thinking he was Prophet Isa, and crucified him.

It should be noted here there are two widespread false stories about this matter. In one, it is claimed that one of Isa's students was paid a great sum of money to lead those Jews to Isa however Allah made him look like Isa, so they though he was Isa and they crucified him. In another, it is said that the person killed in place of Isa was the leader of the Jews. Both of these stories are false.

After Prophet Isa was raised to the sky, his nation lived following his guidance, teaching, and methodology for two hundred (200) years. However, the nation of Prophet Isa did not remain steadfast to Islam. Three hundred (300) years after Prophet Isa was raised to the sky, those who were following the ones who had perverted the teachings of Prophet Isa became very numerous, and those who were truly following the Religion of Islam were few and weak. After some five hundred (500) years, none of the believing Muslims of Isa's nation were left. When Prophet Muhammad was revealed, he was the only Muslim worshipping only Allah from among the people of the earth.

PROPHET ISA'S DESCENT TO EARTH

Prophet Isa, peace be upon him, is still alive--in the second sky--worshipping Allah. He will descend to earth before the Day of Judgment and his descent will be one of the great signs of the nearing of that Day. Prophet Muhammad informed us Isa will descend to earth at a place on the eastern side of Damascus, with his hands on the wings of two angels. He will meet a group of Muslims getting ready to perform the Prayer, with the Mahdiyy as their Imam. The Mahdiyy will ask Prophet Isa to lead them in that prayer, however, Isa will ask the Mahdiyy to stand imam for them--as a sign that Prophet Isa will rule with the rules revealed to Prophet Muhammad. After this one time, Isa will lead the people in prayers because he has a higher status than the Mahdiyy.

After he descends, Prophet Isa will rule the earth with the Shariah of Prophet Muhammad, the Shariah Muslims are ordered to follow until the Judgment Day. He will break the cross, kill the pig, and abolish the jizyah (compulsory payment by the People of the Book to the Muslim state), because in the rules of Prophet Muhammad the jizyah is only applicable until the descent of Isa. He will kill the Dajjal, an ugly, evil blasphemer who claims himself as God, and who misleads many people to blaspheme. Prophet Isa will perform Hajj and travel to visit the grave of the Prophet to salute him, and to greet him by saying, "As-salamu alaykum ya rasulAllah", as narrated by Abu Dawud at-Tayalisiyy and others.

During his time, the people of Ya'juj and Ma'juj will appear and cause great destruction to the earth and devastation to the Muslims. Prophet Isa will take the believers to Mount at-Tur to supplicate Allah there to relieve them from these people. Allah will answer their dua' and destroy all the people of Ya'juj and Ma'juj. After that, Prophet Isa will rule the Muslims and there will be a time when peace, comfort, and safety will prevail. Prophet Isa will live for forty (40) years on earth after he descends. He will marry and have children. Then, he will die and be buried. Adullah Ibn Salam said, "It is written in the original Torah that Prophet Isa will be buried next to Prophet Muhammad" (in the chamber of Lady A'ishah.)

CONCLUSION

Prophet Isa was a messenger of Allah revealed to convey to the people the religion of Islam and to call them to worship Allah, their Creator. Muslims believe in his prophethood and in his truthfulness in conveying that message. Prophet Isa is alive now, living in the second heaven, worshipping Allah. He will return to earth before the Day of Judgment and will rule the Muslims with the Shariah of Prophet Muhammad. Peace be upon this respected, honored and beloved Messenger of Allah.

Praise be to Allah,and Allah knows best.

Verse 33 of Surat Maryam means:
[Peace was on me the day I was born. Peace will be on me on the day I will die and on the day I am raised alive again.]

Signs Of Hypocrisy

2010-05-11T21:21:00.005+08:00

On the authority of Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (sa) said:

"Four traits whoever possesses them is a hypocrite and whoever possesses some of them has an element of hypocrisy until he leaves it: the one who when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, when he disputes he transgresses and when he makes an agreement he violates it.

Muslim and Bukhari

Other wordings of this same hadith:
"The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise and when he is entrusted he betrays the trust." (Bukhari and Muslim)

"…even if he prays and fasts and imagines that he is a Muslim" (Muslim)

"Among the signs of the hypocrite are three…" (Muslim)
Nifaaq (hypocrisy) in the Arabic language means the general category of deception, scheming and presenting an outward appearance of good while concealing its opposite.
In the Shari’a, nifaaq is of two types:

Greater (An-Nifaaq Al-Akbar): To present an outward appearance of belief in Allah, his Angels, his books, his messengers, the last day, etc. while concealing withing that which negates all or some of that. This is the hypocrisy which the Prophet (sas) confronted during his life and the ones who Allah said in the Qur’an that they are in "

Lesser (An-Nifaaq Al-Asghar) or hypocrisy of action: To present an outward appearance of good and good deeds while concealing within that which negates that. This form of hypocrisy is built on the 5 things mentioned in the hadith at hand.

The actions in this hadith are all part of lesser hypocrisy. One who has these character traits in interaction with other people is most likely to have them with regard to Allah and his Prophet (sa). That is why the existence of them is a ‘sign’ of the existence of greater nifaaq.
Lying. Al-Hassan Al-Basri said: "Nifaaq is the difference between the inner and the appearance, between statement and action and between entering and leaving and it used to be said that the foundation of nifaaq upon which it is built is lying."
Breaking Promises. This falls into two categories:

Making a promise with no intention of keeping it. Al-Awzaa’iy said that one who says "I will do such-and-such isha Allah" without intending to do it has committed both lying and breaking a promise.

Making a promise intending to keep it and then later deciding to break it.

Transgression in Dispute. The main meaning of ‘transgression’ here is to intentionally speak other than truth making truth falsehood and vice versa. Lying ‘calls to’ this as in the hadith: "Beware of lying for lying guides to transgression and transgression leads to the fire." (Bukhari and Muslim). Also, the Prophet (sas) said: "The most hated of men to Allah is the one given to fierce and violent disputation." (Bukhari and Muslim) Also, the Prophet (sas) said about the one who takes what is not his through clever speech has only been given a piece of the fire.
Breaking Agreements. Allah said: {And fulfill your agreements for verily agreements will be asked about} Al-Israa’: 34. And: {And fulfill Allah’s agreement when you have made an agreement and don’t violate your oaths after they have been established and you have made Allah your guardian (therein)} An-Nahl: 91. Also: Aal-Imraan: 77. This applies to Muslim and non-Muslim alike. The Prophet (sas) said: "Whoever kills an individual protected by treaty without right will not even smell the scent of paradise and its scent can be found at a distance of forty years march." The most serious oath to dishonor is the oath of allegiance to the khalifa of the Muslims.
Betraying of Trusts. When a Muslim is entrusted with something, he must do his best to protect it and to render it back to its owner when the time comes. Allah said: {Verily, Allah orders you to render trusts to their rightful owners…} An-Nisaa: 58 Also: Al-Anfaal: 27.
These issues have all been connected to hypocrisy in the Qur’an:

Al-Munaafiqoon: 1-2 (Lying, breaking oaths)

At-Tauba: 73-77 (False oaths, breaking promises (to Allah), lying)

Al-Ahzaab: 72-73 (Betraying trusts)

Umar mentioned the hadith of the Prophet (sas): "The thing from which I fear for you the most is the knowledgeable hypocrite." Umar was then asked: "How can a hypocrite be knowledgeable?" To which Umar answered: "He speaks with wisdom but acts with injustice."
Ibn Umar was told: "We enter the presence of the ruler we speak to him other than what we say after we leave." Ibn Umar said: "We used to consider that hypocrisy." (Bukhari)
Ibn Abi Mulaika said: "I encountered thirty Companions of the Prophet (sa) every one of them fears hypocrisy for himself and Al-Hassan Al-Basri used to say about it: No one fears it but a believer and no one feels safe from it but a hypocrite." (Bukhari)
Another aspect of hypocrisy is to do apparently good deeds with wicked intentions. Allah said: {They set up a masjid for the purpose of harm, kufr, creating division among the Muslims and as an outpost for those making war against Allah and His Prophet before this and they will swear "We only intended good." And Allah bears witness that they are liars.} At-Tauba: 107
Also: {Do not imagine that those who are joyful with what they have done and love to be praised for that which they did not do – do not imagine them to be safe from punishment – and theirs is a painful punishment.} Aal-Imraan: 188
Consciousness will vary and this is not hypcrisy. The Prophet (sas) said to Handhala: "If you were to continue in the state which you achieved in my presence, the angels would greet you in your sittings and in the streets however, O Handhala, there are times and there are times."

50 Signs of the Day of Judgment

2009-12-14T09:42:00.005+08:00

The Signs are listed in roughly chronological order, although the order is not necessarily precise, especially for those in the future.

This is a brief summary of the signs; there are many books, articles, cassettes etc. which discuss these in greater detail. May Allah enable us to recognise and heed the Signs, and strengthen us in the times of tribulation.

"Are they waiting for anything except the Hour, to come to them suddenly? But its Signs have already come!" (Al-Qur’an, Surah Muhammad)

Past

Splitting of the Moon.
Death of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
A form of death which will kill thousands of Muslims. (Understood to refer to the plague of Amwas during the caliphate of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab.)
A major fighting in Madinah (understood to refer to the battle of al-Harrah during the caliphate of Yazid, 63 AH).
The Muslim conquest of Jerusalem.
The Muslim conquest of Constantinople.
Two large groups of Muslims will fight in war.
A war between the Muslims and a reddish people with small eyes, wearing sandals made of hair (understood to refer to
the Mongol Tatar invasion of the Islamic lands)
A peace agreement between the Muslims and non-Muslims from the yellow race (Chinese, Mongols, etc.)
Thirty impostors (dajjal) will appear, each thinking he is a prophet.

Present

Naked, destitute, barefoot shepherds will compete in building tall buildings.
The slave-woman will give birth to her master or mistress.
A trial (fitnah) which will enter every Arab household.
Knowledge will be taken away (by the death of people of knowledge), and ignorance will prevail.
Wine (intoxicants, alcohol) will be drunk in great quantities.
Illegal sexual intercourse will become widespread.
Earthquakes will increase.
Time will pass more quickly.
Tribulations (fitan) will prevail.
Bloodshed will increase.
A man will pass by the grave of another and wish he was in the latter’s place.
Trustworthiness will be lost, i.e. when authority is given to those who do not deserve it.
People will gather for prayer, but will be unable to find an imam to lead them.

Future

The number of men will decrease, whilst the number of women will increase, until for every man there are 50 women.
The Euphrates will reveal a treasure of gold, and many will die fighting over it, each one hoping to be the one who gains the treasure.
The Romans (Europeans) will come to a place called A’maq or Wabiq, and an army of the best people will go forth from Madinah to face them.
The Muslim conquest of Rome.
The Mahdi (guided one) will appear, and be the Imam of the Muslims.
Jesus Christ will descend in Damascus, and pray behind the Mahdi.
Jesus will break the cross and kill the swine, i.e. destroy the false christianity.
The Antichrist (al-masih al-dajjal, the false christ) will appear, with all his tools of deception, and be an immense trial. He will be followed by 70,000 Jews from Isfahan (present-day Iran).
The appearance of Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog), and the associated tribulations.
The emergence of the Beast from the Earth, carrying the Staff of Moses and the Seal of Solomon, who will speak to the people, telling them they did not believe with certainty in the Divine Signs.
A major war between the Muslims (including Jews and Christians who truly believe in Jesus after his return) led by the Imam Mahdi, and the Jews plus other non-Muslims led by the Antichrist.
Jesus will kill the Antichrist at the gate of Ludd (Lod in present-day Israel, site of an airport and a major Israeli military base).
A time of great peace and serenity during and after the remaining lifetime of Jesus.
Wealth will come so abundant that it will become difficult to find someone to accept charity.
Arabia will become a land of gardens and rivers.
Society will then decay.
The buttocks of the women of the tribe of Daws will again sway in circumambulation (tawaf) around the idol Dhul-Khulsah.
A great fire in the Hijaz, seen by the inhabitants of Busra.
Three major armies will sink into the earth: one in the east, one in the west, one in Arabia.
An Abyssinian leader with thin shins will destroy the Ka’bah.
The huge cloud of smoke.
The sun will rise from the west (its place of setting).
A gentle wind which will take the souls of the believers.
There is no-one left on the earth saying, "Allah, Allah" or "There is no god except Allah."
Eventually the Day of Judgment is established upon the worst of the people, who copulate like donkeys in public.
The blowing in the Trumpet by the Angel Israfil, upon which everyone will faint except as Allah wills.
The second blowing in the Trumpet, upon which everyone will be resurrected.

The Message " The True Story Of ISLAM "

2009-12-11T09:37:00.009+08:00

Screenshot

Language : English + Subtitle: English
3:02:00 720 x 304 PAL(29fps) MPEG Layer 3MP3 - 128kbps 701Mb+701 Mb
Genre Action

This video is the world renowned epic film about the birth of Islam in Mekah and the message of the prophet. The Message also known as "Mohammad Messenger of God", is an epic in the true sense of the word, it took six years to prepare and 1 year to film. To capture the story of Prophet Mohammad and the riotous, violent period with its idol worshipping demagoguery, producer-director Moustapha Akkad assembled an international cast and crew - Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas, Michael Ansara, Johnny Sekka, Michael Forest and more ...

Mecca, the 7th Century AD. Mohammad receives a message from the Angel Gabriel, which forms the basis of a new faith called Islam. Mohammad defies the rich and powerful rulers of Mecca and demands that the people worship the one true God, not the many idols that they do worship. Following on from previous prophets such as Abraham and Jesus, Mohammad soon attracts a following...

There are many films about the life of Jesus and the birth of Christianity, so it was inevitable that someone would attempt to make a similar film about the founding of Islam. That someone was Syrian-born Moustapha Akkad, better known as the executive producer of Halloween and its sequels. The Message (aka: Mohammad: Messenger Of God) is a large-scale, foursquare epic of the old school, taking three years to make, and with the literal cast of thousands that would nowadays be CGI extras. In accordance with the precepts of Islam, there is no visual or audible representation of Mohammad. Akkad gets round this prohibition by subjective camera, or by having Mohammad just off screen, and using a narrator to fill some gaps in the storyline. This adds a strange note of avant-gardism to what is otherwise a thoroughly old-fashioned epic. It's a device that reminds one of the otherwise entirely different Salvatore Giuliano, Francesco Rosi's film of 1962, in which the Sicilian gangster of the title is never seen except as a corpse at the beginning.

The Message is the type of film that isn't made any more, and remains watchable throughout its three-hour running time, with plenty of spectacle (not to mention a couple of battles) holding the interest. It was shot simultaneously in two versions, English and Arabic languages. Both versions are available in this two-disc DVD set. The second-unit work is the same, but the principal cast is different (Abdallah Gheith, Mona Wassef). As I don't speak Arabic and there are no subtitles provided on either version, my review comments are restricted to the English version.

Over 500 Islamic & Ramadan HQ Wallpapers

2009-12-11T09:32:00.002+08:00

Over 500 Islamic & Ramadan HQ Wallpapers

3840 x 2400 90444 KB (90 MB)

Download: Rapidshare

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Islamic Ringtones

2009-12-11T09:30:00.003+08:00

Islamic Ringtones Format: mp3 Quantity: 19 Size: 19.52mb

Tracklist:

Hasanat.mp3
99 NAMES OF ALLAH.mp3
Aay-Allah-Aay-Allah.mp3
Aay-Rasool-e-Ameen-Sallalaho-Alaihi-Wasallam.mp3
Aazaan.mp3
Al-Asr ( The Time ).mp3
Al-Falaq ( The Daybreak ).mp3
Al-Fil ( The Elephant ).mp3
Al-Humazah ( The Slanderer ).mp3
Al-Ikhlas ( Sincerity ).mp3
Baadi-uz-Zamaan.mp3
Hamaray-Paighambar-Sallalaho-Alaihi-Wasallam.mp3
Jaan-day-dee-may-nay-unkay-naam.mp3
kamaluddinpromo-in the name of Allah.mp3
Meeta-Meeta-Payara-Payara.mp3
Mola ya salle wasallam.mp3
Muhammad-Sallalaho-Alaihi-Wasallam-Ka-Rooza.mp3
Nahi-pao-gaay-jo-zakham.mp3
Ya taiba.mp3

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http://rapidshare.com/files/248714931/IslamicRT_raimova_softarchive.net.rar

Wallpaper - Islamic Architecture Around the World

2009-12-11T09:25:00.004+08:00

Wallpaper - Islamic Architecture Around the World

248 MB l 500 JPGs l 1024 X 768

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http://rapidshare.com/files/234149113/Islamic.Architecture_HiTMaN_one.softarchive.net.part1.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/234186822/Islamic.Architecture_HiTMaN_one.softarchive.net.part2.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/234195488/Islamic.Architecture_HiTMaN_one.softarchive.net.part3.rar

Sha'ban: Merits, Do's, and Dont's

2009-08-08T13:55:00.006+08:00

Sha'ban is one of the meritorious months for which we find some particular instructions in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. It is reported in the authentic ahadith that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fast most of the month in Sha'ban.

These fasts were not obligatory on him but Sha'ban is the month immediately preceding the month of Ramadan. Therefore, some preparatory measures are suggested by Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. Some of these are given below:

1. The blessed companion Anas, Radi-Allahu anhu, reports that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was asked, "Which fast is the most meritorious after the fasts of Ramadan?" He replied, "Fasts of Shaban in honor of Ramadan."

2. The blessed companion Usama ibn Zaid, Radi-Allahu anhu, reports that he asked Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam: "Messenger of Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Sha'ban so frequently that I have never seen you fasting in any other month." Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, replied: "That (Sha'ban) is a month between Rajab and Ramadan which is neglected by many people. And it is a month in which an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the universe, so, I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting."

3. Ummul Mu'mineen 'Aishah, Radi-Allahu anha, says, "Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fast the whole of Sha'ban. I said to him, 'Messenger of Allah, is Sha'ban your most favorite month for fasting?' He said, 'In this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year. Therefore, I like that my death comes when I am in a state of fasting."

4. In another Tradition she says, "Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, would sometimes begin to fast continuously until we thought he would not stop fasting, and sometimes he used to stop fasting until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, fasting a complete month, except the month of Ramadan, and I have never seen him fasting in a month more frequently than he did in Sha'ban."
5. In another report she says, "I never saw the Messenger of Allah, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, fasting in a month so profusely as he did in the month of Sha'ban. He used to fast in that month leaving only a few days, rather, he used to fast almost the whole of the month."

6. Ummul-Mu'mineen Umm Salamah, Radi-Allahu anha, says: "I have never seen the Messenger of Allah fasting for two months continuously except in the months of Sha'ban and Ramadan."

These reports indicate that fasting in the month of Sha'ban, though not obligatory, is so meritorious that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, did not like to miss it.

But it should be kept in mind that the fasts of Sha'ban are for those persons only who are capable of keeping them without causing deficiency in the obligatory fasts of Ramadan. Therefore, if one fears that after fasting in Sha'ban, he will lose strength or freshness for the fasts of Ramadan and will not be able to fast in it with freshness, he should not fast in Sha'ban, because the fasts of Ramadan, being obligatory, are more important than the optional fasts of Sha'ban. That is why Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, himself has forbidden the Muslims from fasting one or two days immediately before the commencement of Ramadan. The blessed Companion Abu Hurairah, Radi-Allahu anhu, reports Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, to have said, "Do not fast after the first half of the month of Sha'ban is gone."

According to another report Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam has said: "Do not precede the month of Ramadan with one or two fasts."
The essence of the above-quoted ahadith is that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, himself used to fast most of the month of Sha'ban, because he had no fear of developing weakness or weariness before the commencement of Ramadan. As for others, he ordered them not to fast after the 15th of Sha'ban for the fear that they would lose their strength and freshness before Ramadan starts, and would not be able to welcome the month of Ramadan with enthusiasm.

The Night of Bara'ah

Another significant feature of the month of Sha'ban is that it consists of a night which is termed in Shariah as "Laylatul-bara'ah" (The night of freedom from Fire). This is the night occurring between 14th and 15th day of Sha'ban. There are certain traditions of Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, to prove that it is a meritorious night in which the people of the earth are attended by special Divine mercy. Some of these traditions are quoted as follows:

1. Ummul-Mu'mineen 'Aishah, Radi-Allahu anha, is reported to have said, "Once Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, performed the Salah of the night (Tahajjud) and made a very long Sajdah until I feared that he had passed away. When I saw this, I rose (from my bed) and moved his thumb (to ascertain whether he is alive). The thumb moved, and I returned (to my place). Then I heard him saying in Sajdah: 'I seek refuge of Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and I seek refuge of Your pleasure from Your annoyance, and I seek Your refuge from Yourself. I cannot praise You as fully as You deserve. You are exactly as You have defined Yourself.' Thereafter, when he raised his head from Sajdah and finished his salah, he said to me: 'Aishah, did you think that the Prophet has betrayed you?' I said, 'No, O Prophet of Allah, but I was afraid that your soul has been taken away because your Sajdah was very long.' He asked me, 'Do you know which night is this?' I said, 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, 'This is the night of the half of Sha'ban. Allah Almighty looks upon His slaves in this night and forgives those who seek forgiveness and bestows His mercy upon those who pray for mercy but keeps those who have malice (against a Muslim) as they were before, (and does not forgive them unless they relieve themselves from malice).'"

2. In another Tradition Sayyidah' Aishah, Radi-Allahu anha, has reported that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, has said, "Allah Almighty descends (in a manner He best knows it) in the night occurring in the middle of Sha'ban and forgives a large number of people more than the number of the fibers on the sheep of the tribe, Kalb."
Kalb was a big tribe the members of which had a very large number of sheep. Therefore, the last sentence of the hadith indicates the big number of the people who are forgiven in this night by Allah Almighty.

3. In yet another Tradition, she has reported Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, to have said, "This is the middle Night of Sha'ban. Allah frees in it a large number of the people from Fire, more than the number of the hair growing on the sheep of the tribe, Kalb. But He does not even look at a person who associates partners with Allah, or at a person who nourishes malice in his heart (against someone), or at a person who cuts off the ties of kinship, or at a man who leaves his clothes extending beyond his ankles (as a sign of pride), or at a person who disobeys his parents, or at a person who has a habit of drinking wine."

4. Sayyidna Mu'adh ibn Jabal, Radi-Allahu anhu, reports that Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, has said: "Allah Almighty looks upon all those created by Him in the middle Night of Sha'ban and forgives all those created by Him, except the one who associates partners with Him or the one who has malice in his heart (against a Muslim)".
Although the chain of narrators of some of these traditions suffers with some minor technical defects, yet when all these traditions are combined together, it becomes clear that this night has some well founded merits, and observing this night as a sacred night is not a baseless concoction as envisaged by some modern scholars who, on the basis of these minor defects, have totally rejected to give any special importance to this night. In fact, some of these traditions have been held by some scholars of hadith as authentic and the defects in the chain of some others have been treated by them as minor technical defects which, according to the science of hadith, are curable by the variety of their ways of narration. That is why the elders of the ummah have constantly been observing this night as a night of special merits and have been spending it in worship and prayers.

What Should be Done in this Night?

In order to observe the Night of Bara'ah, one should remain awakened in this night as much as he can. If someone has better opportunities, he should spend the whole night in worship and prayer. However, if one cannot do so for one reason or another, he can select a considerable portion of the night, preferably of the second half of it for this purpose, and should perform the following acts of worship:

(a) Salah. Salah is the most preferable act to be performed in this night. There is no particular number of Rak'at but preferably it should not be less than eight. It is also advisable that each part of the Salah like qiyam, rukoo' and sajdah should be longer than normal. The longest surahs of the Holy Qur'an one remembers by heart should be recited in the Salah of this night. If someone does not remember the long surahs, he can also recite several short surahs in one rak'ah.

(b) Tilawa. The recitation of the Holy Qur'an is another form of worship, very beneficent in this night. After performing Salah, or at any other time, one should recite as much of the Holy Qur'an as he can.

(c) Dhikr. One should also perform dhikr (recitation of the name of Allah) in this night. Particularly the following dhikr is very useful:
One should recite Salah (durood) on Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, as many times as he can. The dhikr can also be recited while walking, lying on bed and during other hours of work or leisure.

(d) Dua. The best benefit one can draw from the blessings of this night is prayers and supplications. It is hoped that all the prayers in this night will be accepted by our Lord, insha-Allah. Prayer itself is an 'Ibadah, and Allah Almighty gives reward on each prayer along with the fulfillment of the supplicator's need. Even if the purpose prayed for is not achieved, one cannot be deprived of the reward of the prayer which is sometimes more precious than the mundane benefits one strives for. The prayers and supplications also strengthen one's relation with Allah Almighty, which is the main purpose of all kinds and forms of worship.

One can pray for whatever purpose he wishes. But the best supplications are the ones made by Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. These are so comprehensive and all-encompassing prayers that all the human needs, of this world and the Hereafter, are fully covered in the eloquent expressions used in them. Actually, most of the prophetic prayers are so profound that human imagination can hardly match their greatness.

Several books in various languages are available which provide these prophetic prayers, and one should pray to Allah Almighty in accordance with them, whether by reciting their original Arabic text or by rendering their sense in one's own language.

(e) There are some people who cannot perform any additional Salah or recitations for any reason, like illness or weakness or being engaged in some other necessary activities. Such people also should not deprive themselves completely of the blessings of this night. They should observe the following acts:

(i) To perform the Salah of Maghrib, 'Isha' and Fajr with Jama'ah in the mosque, or in their homes in case of their being sick.

(ii) They should keep reciting the dhikr, particularly the one mentioned in para (c) above, in whatever condition they are until they sleep.

(iii) They should pray to Allah for their forgiveness and for their other objectives. One can do so even when he is in his bed.

(f) The women during their periods cannot perform salah, nor can they recite the Qur'an, but they can recite any dhikr, tasbeeh, durood sharif and can pray to Allah for whatever purpose they like in whatever language they wish. They can also recite the Arabic prayers mentioned in the Qur'an or in the hadith with the intention of supplication (and not with the intention of recitation).

(g) According to a hadith, which is relatively less authentic, Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, went in this night to the graveyard of Baqi' where he prayed for the Muslims buried there. On this basis, some of the fuqaha hold it as mustahabb (advisable) in this night to go to the graveyard of the Muslims and recite Fatihah or any other part of the Qur'an, and pray for the dead. But this act is neither obligatory nor should it be performed as regularly as an obligatory act.

What Should Not be Done in This Night

1. As mentioned earlier, the Night of Bara'ah is a night in which special blessings are directed towards the Muslims. Therefore, this night should be spent in total submission to Allah Almighty, and one should refrain from all those activities, which may displease Allah. Although it is always incumbent upon every Muslim to abstain from sins, yet this abstinence becomes all the more necessary in such nights, because committing sins in this night will amount to responding to divine blessings with disobedience and felony. Such an arrogant attitude can invite nothing but the wrath of Allah. Therefore, one should strictly abstain from all the sins, particularly from those mentioned in the Hadith No. 3 quoted earlier in this article, because these sins make one devoid of the blessings of this night.

2. In this night some people indulge in some activities which they regard as necessary for the celebration of the Night of Bara'ah, like cooking some special type of meal, or illuminating houses or mosques, or improvised structures. All such activities are not only baseless and innovated in the later days by ignorant people, but in some cases they are pure imitation of some rituals performed by non-Muslim communities. Such imitation in itself is a sin; performing it in a blessed night like the Night of Bara'ah makes it worse. Muslims should strictly abstain from all such activities.

3. Some people spend this night in holding religious meetings and delivering long speeches. Such activities are also not advisable, because these acts can easily be performed in other nights. This night requires one to devote himself for the pure acts of worship only.

4. The acts of worship like Salah, recitation of the Qur'an and dhikr should be performed in this night individually, not collectively. The Nafl Salah should not be performed in Jama'ah, nor should the Muslims arrange gatherings in the mosques in order to celebrate the night in a collective manner.

On the contrary, this night is meant for worshipping Allah in solitude. It is the time to enjoy the direct contact with the Lord of the Universe, and to devote one's attention to Him and Him alone. These are the precious hours of the night in which nobody should intervene between one and his Lord, and one should turn to Allah with total concentration, not disturbed or intermitted by any one else.

That is why Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, observed the acts of worship in this night in total seclusion, not accompanied by anyone, not even by his favorite life companion Sayyidah 'Aishah, Radi-Allahu anha, and that is why all forms of the optional worship (Nafl Ibadah), are advised by him to be done in individual, not in collective manner.

Fast of the 15th Sha'ban

On the day immediately following the Night of Bara'ah, i.e. the 15th of Sha'ban, it is mustahabb (advisable) to keep fast. Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, is reported to have recommended this fast emphatically. Although the scholars of hadith have some doubts in the authenticity of this report, yet it is mentioned earlier that the fasts of the first half of Sha'ban have special merits and Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fast most of the days in Sha'ban. Moreover, a large number of the elders (salaf) of the Ummah have been observing the fast of the 15th of Sha'ban. This constant practice indicates that they have accepted the relevant hadith as authentic.

Therefore, it is advisable to fast the 15th of Sha'ban as an optional (nafl) fast. One can also keep a fast of qada on this day and it is hoped that he can also benefit from the merits of this fast.

E-Book The True Religion of God

2008-05-01T08:12:00.002+08:00

Dr. Bilal Philips Format: PDF Language: English Pages: 28 Size: 1 MB

ZS, RS & MU Links

The True Religion of God: A beautiful book for non-Muslims which takes a look at the criteria used to find the true religion of God.

Contents

- Which is the True Religion of God?
- The Religion’s Name
- God and Creation
- The Message of False Religions
- Universality of God’s Religions
- Recognition of God
- The Signs of God
- Conclusion

Which is the True Religion of God?

Each person is born in a circumstance which is not of his own choosing. The religion of his family or the ideology of the state is thrust upon him from the very beginning of his existence in this world. By the time he reaches his teens, he is usually fully brain-washed into believing that the beliefs of his particular society are the correct beliefs that everyone should have. However, when some people mature and are exposed to other belief systems, they begin to question the validity of their own beliefs. The seekers of truth often reach a point of confusion upon realizing that each and every religion, sect, ideology and philosophy claims to be the one and only correct way for man. Indeed, they all encourage people to do good. So, which one is right? They cannot all be right, since each claims all others are wrong. Then how does the seeker of truth choose the right way?

Read and discover more facts in this beautiful book.

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http://www.zshare.net/download/10866271bba03ad1/

http://rapidshare.com/files/109137796/The_True_Religion_of_God_-_www.softarchive.net.rar.html

25 Dua From The Holy Quran

2008-05-01T08:02:00.002+08:00

25 Dua's From The Holy Quran Format: EXE Size: 1.5 MB

ZS, RS, MU & VF Links

25 Dua's From The Holy Quran is an E-Book: Du'a (also spelt du'ah or dwuha) is a supplication in Islam, an Arabic term which means to 'call out' or to 'summon'. Muslims use this term and call out to God, and Muslims regard this as one of the second greatest acts of worship in Islam. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is reported to have said "Dua is the very essence of worship." One of Allah's commands expressed to Muslims through the Quran is for them to call out to it.

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http://www.zshare.net/download/109844174d0be2f1/

http://rapidshare.com/files/109774900/25_Duas_From_The_Holy_Quran_-_www.softarchive.net.rar.html

E-Book The Fundamentals Of Tawheed

2008-05-01T07:55:00.003+08:00

Dr. Bilal Philips Format: PDF Language: English Date: Aug 19,2007 Pages: 250 Size: 7.5 MB

ZS, RS & I-File Links

Tawheed, the oneness of God, is the core of the Islamic faith. Mankind is assigned the duty of implementing this concept on earth in every walk of life since the days of Adam. However, Satan spares no effort to distract mankind from the guided path. This book points out and clarifies this concept.

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http://rapidshare.com/files/111367346/The_Fundamentals_Of_Tawheed_-_www.softarchive.net_-_thevista.rar.html

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E-Book Become Acquainted With Islam

2008-04-24T17:03:00.005+08:00

Dr. Munqidh Ben Mahmoud Assaqar Pages: 173 Format: PDF Size: 2 MB

Become Acquainted With Islam: This book will teach you how to become knowledgeable in Islam Religion, It will also teach you the basics of Islam.

- Muslims prefer using the name “Allah”, which is one of many other beautiful names and it is God Almighty’s greatest name, instead of the English word “God”. The word “Allah” is pure and unique unlike the English word “God”, which can be used in many forms. If we add ‘s’ to the word “God” it becomes “Gods”, that is a plural of God. Allah is one and singular, there is no plural of Allah. If we add ‘dess’ to the word ‘God’, it becomes ‘Goddess’, that is a female God. There is nothing like male Allah or female Allah.

- Muslims do not mention the name of Allah without glorification. The letters “S.W” are contractions of the two Arabic words “Sobhanahu Wataala”, which means, “Glory to Him! He is high above all” (Holy Quran 17:43). The English meaning of these two words is from the “Meaning of the Holy Quran by Abdullah Yusof Ali”. Therefore, in this book I will use the words “Allah (S.W)” when referring to God Almighty, except for excerpts and quotations.

- Muslims also do not mention the name of a Prophet without honoring him with prayer and invocation. The letters “PBUH” are contractions of the sentence, “Peace Be upon Him” when mentioning a prophet, or “Peace Be upon Her” when mentioning the Pure Virgin Mary, and the letters “PBUT” are contractions of the sentence, “Peace Be upon Them”, when mentioning more than one prophet.

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http://rapidshare.com/files/108451048/Become_acquainted_with_Islam_-_www.softarchive.net.rar.html

http://www.zshare.net/download/107352305c9ef930/

E-Book Translation Of The Meanings Of The Glorious Quran

2008-04-24T16:49:00.005+08:00

Sahih International Format: PDF Pages: 713 Language: English Size: 2.5 MB

Translation Of The Meanings Of The Glorious Quran: Saheeh International, based out of Saudi Arabia, apparently took the Muhsin Khan "Noble Qur'an," and modified and revised its translation, to come up with this new translation

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http://rapidshare.com/files/108826273/Translation_Of_The_Meanings_Of_The_Glorious_Quran_-_www.softarchive.net.rar.html

http://uploaded.to/?id=y4u24o

http://www.zshare.net/download/1081267247981ac8/

E-Book Answering Those Who Altered The Religion of Prophet Jesus Christ (PBUH)

2008-04-24T16:28:00.003+08:00

Sheikh-ul-Islam ibn Taimiyah 385 Pages Language: English Format: PDF Size: 12.5 MB

Answering Those Who Altered The Religion of Prophet Jesus Christ (PBUH):

This book is one of the most important Islamic books which gives right answers about Christianity.

THE MAIN CONTENTS OF THE BOOK

CHAPTER ONE:

- Section One: The First Claim Of The Christians
- Section Two: The Refuting The Claims Of The Christians
- Proofs that the Messenger Of Allah was sent to all Mankind
- Some Quranic verses that prove the prophet hood Of Muhammad
- Refuting the Claim that the Quranic verses Contradict Each Other
- Glad tidings about the Coming of Prophets
- The Quran was Revealed in Arabic

CHAPTER TWO:

- Section One: The First Claim Of The Christians
- Section Two: The Refuting The Claims Of The Christians
- Divine and Human Entities United
- The Holy Spirit
- Invented Monasticism
- Misplaced Inference
- Remembering Allah in Monasteries, Synagogues and Mosques
- Praising Jesus Christ and His Followers
- Reasons Why the Christians Deviated
- The Book of Enlightenment

CHAPTER THREE:

- Section One: The First Claim Of The Christians
- Section Two: The Refuting The Claims Of The Christians
- Distortion of the Torah and The Gospel
- Invalidity Of the Comparison of their Books to the Quran
- Who Speaks Seventy-Two Languages
- Changes made in Torah and Gospel
- Section Three: The Claim Of The Christians Regarding The Prophets' Books Supporting Them And Attributing Injustice To The Jews
- Section Four: Refuting The Christians Claim
- Sections Five: The Christians' Claim That The Quran Regards All Religions On An Equal Footing
- Section Six: Reputing The Christians' Claim

CHAPTER FOUR:

- Section One: The First Claim Of The Christians
- Section Two: The Refuting The Claims Of The Christians
- invalidity of the Three Entities Being One God
- Baptizing in the Name of the Father and the Son

CHAPTER FIVE:

- Section One: The First Claim Of The Christians
- Section Two: The Refuting The Claims Of The Christians
- The Christians Claim that the Attributes Serve as Names
- Their Claim Regarding Incarnation and Immanentism
- Their Claim Regarding God's Appearance in Jesus
- The Difference Between Similarity and being Identical
- Christians Claim regarding the Three Hypostases
- The Invalidity of their Claim that they are Monotheists
- Among Their Scholars: Al-Hasan bin Ayyub

CHAPTER SIX:

- Section One: The First Claim Of The Christians
- Section Two: The Refuting The Claims Of The Christians
- Section Three: The Prophets Prophesied The Advent Of Muhammad
- The Scriptures' Witness For Muhammad
- Sixteen Prophecies

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AZAAN A MIRACLE ? YES !

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Amazing as it sounds, but fortunately, for the Muslims of the world, it is an established fact.

Have a look at a map of the world :

And you will find Indonesia on the eastern side of the earth. The major cities of Indonesia are Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Saibil. As soon as dawn breaks on the eastern side of Saibil, at approximately 5:30 am local time, Fajar Azaan begins.

Thousands of Muazzins in Indonesia begin reciting the Azaan. The process advances towards West Indonesia . One and a half hours after the Azaan has been completed in Saibil, it echoes in Jakarta .. Sumatra then follows suit and before this auspicious process of calling Azaan ends in Indonesia, it has already begun in Malaysia ..

Burma is next in line, and within an hour of its beginning in Jakarta, it reaches Dacca, the capital city of Bangladesh . After Bangladesh , it has already prevailed in western India , from Calcutta to Srinagar . It then advances towards Bombay and the environment of entire India resounds with this proclamation. Srinagar and Sialkot (a north city in Pakistan ) have thesame timing for Azaan. The time difference between Sialkot , Quetta , and Karachi is forty minutes, and within this time, Fajar Aazaan is heard throughout Pakistan . Before it ends there, it has already begun in Afghanistan and Muscat .

The time difference between Muscat and Baghdad is one hour. Azaan resounds during this one hour in the environments of Hijaaz-e-Muqaddas (Holycities of Makkah and Madinah), Yemen , United Arab Emirates , Kuwait and Iraq .

The time difference between Baghdad and Alexandria in Egypt is again one hour. Azaan continues to resound in Syria, Egypt, Somalia and Sudan during this hour. The time difference between eastern and western Turkey is one and a half hours, and during this Alexandria and Tripoli (capital of Libya ) are located at one hour's difference. The process of calling Azaan thus continues throughout the whole of Africa . Therefore, the proclamation of the Tawheed" and "Risaalat" that had begun in Indonesia reaches the Eastern Shore of the Atlantic Ocean after nine and half hours.

Prior to the Aazaan reaching the shores of the Atlantic, the process of "Zohar Azaan" has already started in east Indonesia , and before it reaches Dacca , Asr Azaan" has started. This has hardly reached Jakarta one and half hours later, the time of "Maghrib" becomes due, and no sooner has "Maghrib" time reached Sumatra , the time for calling "Isha Aazaan" has commenced in Saibil! When the Muazzins of Indonesia are calling out "Fajar Azaan", the African Muazzins are calling the Azaan for Isha.

If we were to ponder over this phenomenon thoughtfully, we would conclude the amazing fact that there is not even a single moment when hundreds of thousands of Muazzins around the world are not reciting the Azaan on the surface of this earth. Subhaan Allah !!!

Even as you read this material right now, you can be sure there is Azaan somewhere !!!

Allah said: "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you." If you are not ashamed, pass this message on...only if you believe.

"Yes, I've faith in Allah. Allah is my fountain of Life and My Savior. Allah keeps me going day & night. Without Allah, I am no one. But with Allah, I can do everything. Allah is my strength."

Why do we read Quran, even if we can't understand a single Arabic word???? This is a beautiful story.

2008-04-13T15:34:00.002+08:00

An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Quran. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.

One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Quran just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Qur'an do?"

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."

The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.

The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Qur'an. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives."

If you feel this email is worth reading, please forward to your contacts/friends. Prophet MUHAMMAD (PBUH & his family) says: *"The one who guides to good will be rewarded equally"*

THE SUNNAH WAYS OF CUTTING THE NAILS

2008-04-13T15:31:00.002+08:00

COLLECTION OF ISLAMIC SOFTWARES

2008-03-04T11:33:00.009+08:00

Quran :

PC Application Quran with English Translations.

Hadith - Prophet Muhammad's Narrations :

PC Application Hadith with English Translations - Complete Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidh.

Athan :

PC Application Athan - Muslim Call for Prayer with 6 million cities in the database.

Download : Islamic Softwares

Size : 53 MB

TABLEEGHI JAMAAT EXPOSED

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The movement of Tableeghi Jamaat is being utilised by the enemies of Islam as an effective instrument in their struggle to prevent the emergence of a true Islamic movement in Europe and elsewhere in the world. Therefore, it is incumbent on all Muslims to disown it and discourage its activity in every way. The British were continually looking for ways of infiltrating and subverting Islam. They kept, through their comprehensive spy network, a very careful eye, on any new Muslim group and movement. The Tableeghi Jamaat was set up under the British Rule in India. After closely watching the Jamaat for some time, the British realised that here was exactly what they were looking for, a movement that totally absorbed the energy of its members and yet did not threaten British domination in any way as the doctrine of Jihad was totally absent in this movement. They saw that instead of the Jamaat's directing their energies outwardly towards their legitimate Kaafir enemies, was now directed inwardly towards the rest of the Muslims. Therefore, it was a group that was allowed to flourish. This news was spread to other interested parties.

THEIR BRAND OF TRUE ISLAM:

The book that is held by many among the Tableeghi Jamaat to be as important as the study of the Quran itself is the "Teachings of Islam." In "Teachings of Islam" the Jamaat says that there is "NO WAY to gain honour, happiness, peace and tranquillity in this life OTHER THAN to adopt and firmly hold on to the work and system of Tabligh." This statement shows that the Tableeghi Jamaat wants to be an exclusive sect of Muslims, which excludes all other Muslims who do not follow its peculiar definition of what it means to convey the message of Islam, a definition which is clearly and erroneous and far removed from the one which Allah gives in the Quran. One can only conclude from this statement that all other Muslims are considered by them to be misguided.

If one reads through their five point action plan which the author of "Teachings of Islam" says that one must put into practice and "will automatically ensure the growth and expansion of Islam in its true form." He claims that this is the Prophetic method and was followed by their ancestors and early Muslims. If one looks deeply, this five point action plan meets the complete approval of the enemies of Islam, since there is no mention anywhere of anything which might even slightly inconvenience a Kaafir government. How different this is from the actual practice of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)!

From the day the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) made his Prophethood public, the very people who held him in high regards became hostile to him. Whenever the message of Islam is truly conveyed, it strikes at the very roots of every other system with which it comes into contact. How different is the case with the Tableeghi Jamaat. The British Weekly, "The Economist", the mouthpiece of the Kufaar, in its article entitled "The Other Side of Islam" pays glowing tribute to the Tableeghi Jamaat, saying, "So long as such movements exist, and attract millions of Muslims, essential Islam remains alive and well." Even the Kaafir authorities positively welcome what is happening, as they clearly do in the case of the Tableeghi Jamaat, because they know that other than the true Islam is being propagated.

Their brand of true Islam only centres around Ijtima, Ghust, Chilla and Kitaab reading. To them, Moulood, Urs Celebrations, Esaale Sawaab, the Recitation of Salaams, visiting of the Mazaars of Awliya Allah, etc. are all Shirk and Bid'at.

TABLEEGHI JAMAATS ROLE IN KUFAAR COUNTRIES:

The thousands of members of the Tableeghi Jamaat are utilising all their energy exclusively inwards towards other Muslims and leaves the Kaafir powers to pursue their Godless exploitation of the Muslims completely unimpeded. They have defined Jihad to be "spreading the Kalima of Allah and enforcing of Allah's Commandments." (Teachings of Islam). In the very same book, under the heading of "General Principles", the following point is made - "No controversial matter or points of secondary importance to be discussed at any time .... and confine all talk to the main points of Tabligh." Thus, a programme originally designed to ensure that the adherents of Tableeghi Jamaat did not come into conflict with the British authorities in India has now been extended to include all aspects of Kufaar domination in the world. The members of the Jamaat are actually forbidden to question it at all. No wonder the enemies of Islam are delighted.

This is the reason why the Tableeghi Jamaat moves freely in Kufaar countries in Europe and the rest of the world, while other Muslims are being imprisoned, tortured, and killed on a daily basis. In Israel, under Zionist control, the Jamaat is allowed free access to any part to do "Allah's Work" while Palestinian men, women and children, who are opposing Zionist rule, are tortured and killed.

It is also not surprising that under the Apartheid government in South Africa and under the cruel "State of Emergency" in which gatherings were restricted and carefully monitored under the vigilant eye of the then police force, the Ijtima's used to draw crowds of thousands of devotees - and there was not a single policeman in sight. It is obvious. With the type of Islam that they portrayed of being completely subservient to Kufaar politics and their rejection of Jihad in all its practical aspects, this Jamaat was not even considered as a threat. Not a word was uttered by the Jamaat's leaders condemning the then Apartheid regime. This is their policy throughout the world - do not condemn the Kufaar and the Kufaar governments!

TABLEEGHI JAMAAT'S ROLE UNDER PUPPET MUSLIM GOVERNMENTS:

The Jamaat has also flourished under the puppet governments of Muslim countries who rule in the name of they Kaafir paymasters (Israel, America, Britain, France, etc.) - thousands upon thousands as well-behaved, submissive Muslims praying in their mosques, quite content to live under a system which is opposed to Islam in every way and which is openly dedicated to the suppression of true Islam wherever it emerges.

SOME OF THEIR MAKRUH? PRACTICES:

(1) EATING AND SLEEPING IN MOSQUES :

Uninvited, they take over the local mosques for days at a time, sleeping and eating in them and imposing their own programme in complete disregard of the actual needs and on-going organisation of the community concerned.

(2) RECRUITMENT DRIVES:

They also cause great offence to Muslims in the way that they disrupt the worship in the mosques they visit by they announcements immediately after the Fard prayers and their offensive recruitment drives. As a result of which is to keep away from the mosque many people who would normally be present. They encourage and force poorer ignorant Muslims to leave their family and places of work for 3, 10, 20, 40, etc. days and go out for Ghast, while they themselves, belonging to the upper strata in society have accumulate enough wealth to live comfortable lives. We often hear their women-folk, of course, after being brainwashed by their husbands, as saying "Allah will give us Jannat for allowing our husbands to go in the path of Allah."

(3) THEY REGARD ALL OTHERS AS INFERIOR MUSLIMS:

They always treat those not in the Jamaat as inferior beings in need of guidance. They often repeat the same speeches regardless of the people that they are speaking to. Much of their activity is based on having a bad opinion of Muslims, something in fact forbidden by Allah and completely contrary to the Messenger (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), who, as we know, refused to listen to anything that would give him a bad opinion of any of the Muslims. In "Teachings of Islam" they condemn all Muslims as only being involved in vice and sinning. Besides, 99.9% of their devotees in South Africa belong to the Gujerati community and look down upon other ethnic groups!

(4) IGNORING THE MESSAGE OF ISLAM TO BE GIVEN TO THE KUFAAR:

They address their message solely to Muslims, the vast majority of whom are as knowledgeable or more knowledgeable than they themselves are, ignoring the Kaafir populations among whom they move, who actually are the people to whom the message should be directed. Allah's words are frequently, and sometimes specifically, directed towards the Kufaar and the efforts of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and the Companions (radiya'allahu 'anhum ajma'een) were devoted to conveying Islam to them (kuffar). Even when they visit the African townships, their only aim is to "convert" the poorer African Muslims (who have already reverted to Islam) to their brand of Islam. In fact, they do not even pass the message of Islam to the non-Muslims in the townships.

(5) LARGE NUMBERS THAT ATTEND THE IJTIMA:

If the leaders of the Tableeghi Jamaat are sincere, let them hold their next annual gathering on the East bank of Jordan and let them cross the river and march to Al-Quds and liberate it from Jewish/Zionist occupation. Let them hold their Ijtima near the Babri Masjid in India and counter-attack the might of Hindu extremist and capture the mosque. Lem them hold their Ijtima near the Shia' centre in Ottawa and take over the centre in defence of true Sunni beliefs. They would not! The Jamaat is only interested in increasing its number and wasting the energy of thousand and thousand of Muslims.

When the Tableeghi Jamaat is asked about their complete indifference to the dominance of the Kufaar, they say "We are not yet strong enough to do anything yet." Yet, they boast of the large numbers that attend their Ijtima's. The Quran says that if you are a hundred, steadfast, you will overcome two hundred and if there are a thousand of you, you will overcome two thousand by Allah's permission (Surah al-Anfal: 65-6). The Tableeghi Jamaat's lack of strength cannot be considered as a valid excuse.

And speaking about the mass Nikahs that take place at the Ijtimas, which is by the way, a meeting place of the rich upper class, the grooms are immediately shoved off to sleep in some mosque for 40 days. And after 40 days, these "spiritually enlightened" individuals qualify as Molvis!

THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS:

The Jamaat claims that it is a Sunnah of the Prophets and the Sahaba and, on the other hands, it says that Molvi Ilyas is the founder of this movement. The questions we ask, are:-

If, in reality, this is a Sunnah of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) as claimed, then it must be proven by authentic Islamic books that the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and his Sahaba also used to form Jamaats and do Ghast and Tableegh of Kalimah and Namaaz amongst Muslims.
Why was this Sunnah ignored for 1 419 years? Do we classify all the past spiritual luminaries as anti-Sunnah?
If this is a Sunnah practice, then surely Molvi Ilyas cannot be its founder. But, if he is the founder, then obviously this type of Tableegh did not exist before him. It is a Bid'ah!

It is the religious duty of the members of Tableeghi Jamaat to clarify the position with their Tableegh work and deceiving the Muslim community. The answers are obvious. This is a new movement founded by a Molvi Ilyas and definitely not a Sunnah.

THE AQEEDA OF THE TABLEEGHI JAMAAT

To have good and strong Imaan, one must have the proper Aqeeda. It is for this reason that we quote a few un-Islamic beliefs of the leaders of the Tableeghi Jamaat together with the proper Islamic answers. The present Molvis and devotees of the T. Jamaat refuse to condemn the persons who wrote such bad beliefs and to even disassociate themesleves from such false beliefs. The un-Islamic beliefs which we have quoted below are quotations from those individuals who possess such beliefs and by writing them in this handbill, we have no intention of Kufr.

FALSE BELIEF 1: "Allah can speak lies". ("Barahine Qaatia" by Khaleel Ambetwi; "Yakrozi" by Ismaeel Dehlwi; "Fatawa Rasheedia" by Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi).
ANSWER: Lies is a defect which is not worthy of the Zaat of Almighty Allah and is totally Muhaal (Impossible) for Almighty Allah. Allah is free from all shortages and defects thus making lies Muhaal for Almighty Allah.

FALSE BELIEF 2: "The Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) had died and is mixed in the sand." ("Taqweeyat-ul Imaan" by Ismaeel Dehlwi).
ANSWER: It has been stated in the Hadith: "Verily, Almighty Allah has made it Haraam upon the earth to eat the bodies of the Ambiya". It has also been stated that Ambiya are alive and are blessed with Sustenance from Almighty Allah.

FALSE BELIEF 3: "Every creation, no matter how big or small, is equivalent to a cobbler before Allah." ("Taqweeyat-ul Imaan" by Ismaeel Dehlwi).
ANSWER: The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is the most beloved Nabi of Almighty Allah. Almighty Allah took Qasm (Oath) even on the city of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). He is the greatest of the creations of Almighty Allah. His every word is accepted in the Court of Allah. He is a perfection in the Attributes of Almighty Allah and Allah has not created any unique being besides Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).

FALSE BELIEF 4: "To think of an ox and donkey in Salaah is permissible, but to think of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) in Salaah is Shirk (Polytheism)." ("Seerate Mustaqeem" by Ismaeel Dehlwi).
ANSWER: For a Muslim to perform any Ibaadat accepting that it is a noble action of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is the true sense of Ibaadat. If one reads Namaaz thinking of it as the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), then, without doubt, one will think of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). This belief creates in the mind of the performer the thought of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). Not only is the thought of the Prophet in Namaaz permissible, it is also the demand of Shari'ah that one must remember the Holy Prophet (salall laahu alaihi wasallam) at the time of Tasha'hud. According to the Fuqaha (Jurists) it is Waajib to believe that the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is observing you and that he is aware of your actions.

FALSE BELIEF 5: Any person who says the Nabi to be Haazir and Naazir is a Kaafir. ("Jawaahirul Quraan" by Ghulaamullah Khan).
ANSWER: Until and unless we do not accept Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) as being Haazir and Naazir, the concept of Risaalat will be incomplete. Our Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is Shaahid, Mubashir and Nazeer.

FALSE BELIEF 6: To commemorate the Meelad is like commemorating the function of the Hindu deity. ("Baharine Qaatia" by Khaleel Ambethwi).
ANSWER: Meelad is a means of gaining blessings and closeness to Almighty Allah. It is the practice of all the great predecessors. Many sources of Shari'ah are available to prove it's authencity. In fact, Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) observed fast on Monday as he was born on a Monday.

FALSE BELIEF 7: If Allah wills, then he may create a million Muhammads. ("Taqweeyatul Imaan") A Prophet can even come after Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). ("Tahzeerun Naas")
ANSWER: The doors of Prophethood have been sealed. Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is the Seal of Prophethood. The Prophet also said that no Prophet shall come after him. Any person who claims Nabuwat after the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is a Liar, Dajjal Kazaab and a Shaitaan.

FALSE BELIEF 8: "Rahmatul Lil Alameen" (Mercy unto the Worlds) is not a special title of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), but the Ummati are also "Rahmatul Lil Alameen". ("Fatawa Rasheedia")
ANSWER: "Rahmatul Lil Alameen" is the unique quality of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) as stated in the Holy Quran.

Note: To believe all these above mentioned false "Islamic" beliefs makes one a hypocrite, and one is included in the ranks of the Shia, Rafazi, Khaarijite, Qadiani, Ghair-Muqallid (Ahle Hadith), Tabligi, Deobandi, Maudoodi, Ahle Quran (People of Quran), etc. which are totally out of Islam. Any person who falsely claims to be the true Mahdi is misguided and a Faasiq. Any person who says that Allah can lie, that the Prophet's (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) knowledge are like those of animals, that the Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is not the Final Messenger, that the swearing of the Sahaba does not make one a criminal, that the Prophet's knowledge is less than Shaitaan, etc. IS A KAAFIR (totally out of the folds of Islam). We should not perform Salaah or associate with such persons as their companionship is detrimental to our Imaan.

IN CONCLUSION:

The members of Tableeghi Jamaat have become extremely unpopular with many communities of Muslims throughout the world and even in South Africa. However, many continue to tolerate them. In fact, what they do, in the manner of Christian evangelists, is to play on the guilt of insecure people and then offer them an emotional environment in which they can redeem themselves and find others in a similar plight who are ready for the same treatment. Such "conversions" are frequently very superficial and sometimes superficially quite dangerous for the individuals concerned.

As we have seen, the ludicrous claim is made that the programme of the Tableeghi Jamaat comprises in every respect the way followed by the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and his Companions (radia'llahu 'anhum ajma'een), in their establishment of Islam. In fact, the opposite is true. From its inception, the programme of the Tableeghi Jamaat was designed, while giving the appearance of Islamic activity, to leave in place the very Kaafir forces whose explicit intention was precisely the prevention of the establishment of Islam in any real way. In the light of all the foregoing:

We declare that the Tableeghi Jamaat is, by its own admission, a deviant sect of Islam and that it is being used by the enemies of Islam to help them in their continuing battle to prevent governance by the laws of Allah from being re-established in the world.
We therefore call on the leadership of the Tableeghi Jamaat to acknowledge that they are directly responsible for the misguidance of millions of Muslims and to abandon their present programme which only furthers the interest of the enemies of Allah.
We therefore call on all members of the Tableeghi Jamaat to reject the subversive role they have been unwittingly persuaded to play and leave this sect which is being used by the enemies of Islam to prevent Allah's Deen being restored and governance by His Laws re-established.
We therefore call on all Muslims to disown the Tableeghi Jamaat and to discourage its activities by refusing to give its members permission to sleep in mosques and to use them for their activities. And we call on all Muslims to reject the modernist perspective of Islam that they have been given to and respond to Allah and His Messenger (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) by giving their wealth and lives to see the totality of Islam once again re-established on the earth.

AQEEDA (TRUE BELIEF)

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To think according to principle, to possess true faith and believe and accept the true Commands of Islam is known as "Aqeeda". It is also understood as one's intention, concept and path that one follows. It must also be understood that the basis of one's action is one's Imaan and that the basis of one's Imaan is one's Aqeeda. If one's Aqeeda is corrupt, then one's Imaan is improper and if one's Imaan is not proper, then his Amaal (actions) are useless. In other words, Aqeeda is the soul, Imaan is the body and Amal is the garb.

To have good and strong Imaan, one must have the proper Aqeeda. It is for this reason that we quote a few un-Islamic beliefs together with the proper Islamic answers, so that we may, after reading about them, repent from any false and corrupt beliefs that we may hold and, thereafter, hold firmly to the proper Islamic beliefs. To hold improper per Aqeeda leads to Kufr, whereas proper Aqeeda is strength for Imaan.

The un-Islamic beliefs which we have quoted below are quotations from those individuals who possess such beliefs and by writing them in this book, we have no intention of Kufr.

FALSE BELIEF 1: "Allah can speak lies". ("Barahine Qaatia" by Khaleel Ambetwi; "Yakrozi" by Ismaeel Dehlwi; "Fatawa Rasheedia" by Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi).

PROPER BELIEF 1: Lies is a defect which is not worthy of the Zaat of Almighty Allah and is totally Muhaal (Impossible) for Almighty Allah. Allah is free from all shortages and defects thus making lies Muhaal for Almighty Allah.

FALSE BELIEF 2: To say that Allah is free from place, space, direction and time, etc. is to be misled. ("Izaahul Haq" by Ismaeel Dehlwi)

PROPER BELIEF 2: Time and space have been created and will be eventually destroyed. Almighty Allah is Qadeem (Always Is and Always Will Be). If one accepts Allah to be in a fixed place and in a fixed time zone, then one will have to accept, Ma'az-Allah, that Allah is a creation and can be destroyed, whereas it is well known that, that which is Haadith (non-Eternal) and can be destroyed can never be Allah. The Being of Allah is Eternal and anything that is non-Eternal cannot be Allah. It is, thus, necessary to accept Almighty Allah to be free from time and place.

FALSE BELIEF 3: The Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) had died and is mixed in the sand. ("Taqweeyat-ul Imaan" by Ismaeel Dehlwi)

PROPER BELIEF 3: It has been stated in the Hadith: "Verily, Almighty Allah has made it Haraam upon the earth to eat the bodies of the Ambiya". It has also been stated that Ambiya are alive and are blessed with Sustenance from Almighty Allah.

FALSE BELIEF 4: Every creation, no matter how big or small, is equivalent to a cobbler before Allah. ("Taqweeyat-ul Imaan" by Ismaeel Dehlwi)

PROPER BELIEF 4: The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is the most beloved Nabi of Almighty Allah. Almighty Allah took Qasm (Oath) even on the city of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). He is the greatest of the creations of Almighty Allah. His every word is accepted in the Court of Allah. He is a perfection in the Attributes of Almighty Allah and Allah has not created any unique being besides Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).

FALSE BELIEF 5: Ambiya are not totally free from lies. To say that it is not possible for Ambiya to lie or to say that they are totally sinless is false. ("Tasfiyatul Aqaa'id" by Qasim Nanothwi)

PROPER BELIEF 5: Ambiya and Malaa'ikah are Masoom (Sinless). It is Muhaal for them to commit sin. Committing a sin is not a quality of Ambiya. Ambiya are free from all small and big sins and all defects even before and after their Nubuwat.

FALSE BELIEF 6: The Ummah sometimes supercede the Ambiya in A'maal (Good deeds). ("Tahzeerun Naas" by Qasim Nanotwi)

PROPER BELIEF 6: A Kaafir can never be equal to a Muslim. An ordinary Muslim is not equal to a practising Muslim. A practising Muslim can never be equal to a non-Aalim, who is not equal to an Aalim. An Aalim is never equal to a Wali, a Wali can never be equal to a Tabbe Taabi'ee. A Tabbe Taabi'ee can never be equal to a Taabi'ee. A Taabi'ee can never be equal to a Sahaba. A Sahaba can never be equal to the Khulafa-e-Arbaa. None from the Khulafa-e-Arbaa can be equal to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddique. He in turn can never be equal to a Nabi. No Nabi can be equal in any way to the King of Prophets, Muhammad Mustapha (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). How then can a Ummah supercede Nabi Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) in good deeds? Ma'az-Allah!

FALSE BELIEF 7: To think of an ox and donkey in Salaah is permissible, but to think of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) in Salaah is Shirk (Polytheism). ("Seerate Mustaqeem" by Ismaeel Dehlwi)

PROPER BELIEF 7: For a Muslim to perform any Ibaadat accepting that it is a noble action of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is the true sense of Ibaadat. If one reads Namaaz thinking of it as the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), then, without doubt, one will think of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). This belief creates in the mind of the performer the thought of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). Not only is the thought of the Prophet in Namaaz permissible, it is also the demand of Shari'ah that one must remember the Holy Prophet (salall laahu alaihi wasallam) at the time of Tashahud. According to the Fuqaha (Jurists) it is Waajib to believe that the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is observing you and that he is aware of your actions.

FALSE BELIEF 8: Any person who says the Nabi to be Haazir and Naazir is a Kaafir. ("Jawaahirul Quraan" by Ghulaamullah Khan)

PROPER BELIEF 8: Until and unless we do not accept Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) as being Haazir and Naazir, the concept of Risaalat will be incomplete. Our Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is Shaahid, Mubashir and Nazeer.

FALSE BELIEF 9: Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is our elder brother and we are his younger brothers. ("Taqweeyatul Imaan" by Ismaeel Dehlwi)

PROPER BELIEF 9: The Holy Quran has commanded us that the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) cannot be regarded as the father of anyone of you. How then can he be regarded as the elder brother? Then, to call him elder brother is disrespect and against of Quranic command. We are the Ummati, he is the Nabi. We are sinners, he is the Masoom most pure. We are believers, he is the source of Imaan. The difference here is enormous. It must be understood, that if the husband takes his wife as his mother, then his Nikah will be nullified. Likewise, if one takes the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) as the elder brother, then one's Imaan will be nullified.

FALSE BELIEF 10: To respect the Prophet deeply is Kufr. ("Ad Durrun Nadheed" by Qazi Shaukani)

PROPER BELIEF 10: The respect and reverence of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is not only waajib, but is an obligation upon every Muslim. Unless a person does not love the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) more than anyone and anything in the world, his Imaan will not be perfected. The love of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is the first condition of Imaan.

FALSE BELIEF 11: The grave of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is an idol and to respect it is Kufr and Shirk. ("Ad Durrun Nadheed" by Qazi Shaukani)

PROPER BELIEF 11: Madinah is more exalted than Makkah; the Roza-e-Anwar more than the Kaaba; and the actual Qabr-e-Anwar is even more exalted than Jannat. The Qabr-e-Anwar is a sign from amongst the signs of Allah and to respect it is a sign of Imaan and Taqwa.

FALSE BELIEF 12: Any person who says, "As Salaatu Was Salaamu Alaika Ya Rasoolallah", is a Bid'ati and sinner. ("Akhbaar Ahle Hadith Amritsar")

PROPER BELIEF 12: Bukhari and Muslim narrate on the authority of Hazrat Uthman bin Haneef (radi Allahu anhu) that a Sahabi who was blind by birth was once taught a special Du'a by the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), which he was to recite after every Salaah. The Du'a is as follows: "O Allah, i ask from you, and turn towards you through the Wasila of Your Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), who is indeed a prophet of mercy. O Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)! with your Wasila, I turn towarsds Allah for my need so that it may be bestowed. O Allah, accept the Prophet's intercession for me".
To say "Ya Nabi" and call to the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), and to send salutations upon him, is the Sunnah of Almighty Allah, the Angels, the Prophets and the Sahaaba-e-Kiraam. Almighty Allah has commanded us to send salutations upon the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) in abundance. To send Durood at least once in one's life is Fard and in Namaaz it is Waajib. It is also Waajib to send salutations out of Namaaz, for the fist time the name of the Prophet is mentioned. Even if the name is mentioned continuously, then to send salutations is Sunnah.

FALSE BELIEF 13: To ask assistance from the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is the work of Shaitaan and Shirk. ("Kashfush Shubhaat" by Abdul Wahab Najdi; "Taqweeyatul Imaan" by Ismaeel Dehlwi)

PROPER BELIEF 13: "Ya Rasoolallahi Unzur Haalana, Ya Habeeballahi Isma Qaalana, Innani fir Bahri Hammim Mughriqun, Khuz Yaddi Sahhil lanaa Ishkaalana", has been the Wazeefa of the great predecessors and is accepted as a means of asking from the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). To seek assistance from the Prophet (salall laahu alaihi wasallam) and seek Wasila of Awliya and Saaliheen is permissable.

FALSE BELIEF 14: To use the Ambiya, Awliya and Malaa'ikah as a means of Wasila (Mediation). ("Tohfa-e-Wahaabiya" by Ismaeel Dehlwi)

PROPER BELIEF 14: We did not enter this world without means, and we will not leave this world without means. With the exception of the verse of the Quran commanding mediation, the following verses of Sheikh Bouseeri and Sheikh Saadi (radi Allahu anhuma) are always in the Du'as of Muslims: "Ya Rabbi bil Mustapha Baligh Maqasidana, Waghfirlana Ma Madaa Ya Waasi al Karami", and "Ilahi bahaqe bani Fathima, ke Barqaul Imaan Qunni Khatima, Agar Daawatam rad Kunni War Qabool, Manno Dast Damaane Aale Rasool".

FALSE BELIEF 15: Anyone who accepts the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to be an intercessor for him on the Day of Qiyamah, is a Mushrik equal to Abu Jahl. ("Taqweeyatul Imaan")

PROPER BELIEF 15: When the intercession of a Hafizul Quran, according to the Hadith Shareef, and of an Aalim ba Amal is accepted, then why not that of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)? On the Day of Qiyamah, the doors of intercession will be opened by none other than the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). It is also very rewarding to recite Durood-e-Taaj.

FALSE BELIEF 16: "Rahmatul Lil Alameen" (Mercy unto the Worlds) is not a special title of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), but the Ummati are also "Rahmatul Lil Alameen". ("Fatawa Rasheedia")

PROPER BELIEF 16: "Rahmatul Lil Alameen" is the unique quality of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) as stated in the Holy Quran.

FALSE BELIEF 17: To say that if Allah and His Rasool wills, then only will a certain thing happen, is Shirk.

PROPER BELIEF 17: That which Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) wants, is what Allah wills. Almighty Allah will not will anything without the pleasure of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).

FALSE BELIEF 18: Those persons whose names are "Muhammad" or "Ali" have no control over anything. ("Taqweeyatul Imaan")

PROPER BELIEF 18: Almighty Allah has blessed the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) with the keys to the treasures of both the worlds and Hazrat Ali's (radi Allahu anhu) name is the means of assistance in problems, why then can they not have any control?

FALSE BELIEF 19: To keep the names: Rasool Baksh, Nabi Baksh, Abdun Nabi, Abdul Mustapha, Abdur Rasool, Abdul Ali, Ghulam Nabi, Ghulam Mustapha, Ghulam Nabi, Ghulam Husain, Ghulam Muhiyyudeen and Ghulam Mu'eenudeen, or to like such names, is Shirk. ("Taqweeyatul Imaan")

PROPER BELIEF 19: All these names are allowed and are very exalted and blessed names.

FALSE BELIEF 20: The knowledge of the Prophet is like children and animals. The knowledge of Shaitaan is more than the Prophet. To say that the Prophet possessed 'Ilm-e-Ghayb or Knowledge of the Unseen, is Shirk. ("Hifzul Imaan" by Ashraf Ali Thanwi; "Barahine Qaatia"; "Fatawa Rasheedia")

PROPER BELIEF 20: The meaning of the word "Nabi" alone is "one who knows and shows the Unseen". What position does the knowledge of an ordinary person hold in front of that of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)? It is even less than a drop in front of an ocean or a grain of dust compared to all the sand in the world. The Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has been blessed with all the knowledge by Almighty Allah.

FALSE BELIEF 21: If Allah wills, then he may create a million Muhammads. ("Taqweeyatul Imaan") A Prophet can even come after Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). ("Tahzeerun Naas")

PROPER BELIEF 21: The doors of Prophethood have been sealed. Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is the Seal of Prophethood. The Prophet also said that no Prophet shall come after him. Any person who claims Nabuwat after the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is a Liar, Dajjal Kazaab and a Shaitaan.

FALSE BELIEF 22: To commemorate the Meelad is like commemorating the function of the Hindu deity. ("Baharine Qaatia" by Khaleel Ambethwi)

PROPER BELIEF 22: Meelad is a means of gaining blessings and closeness to Almighty Allah. It is the practice of all the great predecessors. Many sources of Shari'ah are available to prove it's authencity.

FALSE BELIEF 23: The illusion of illusionists are greater than the Miracle of Prophets. ("Mansab-e-Imaamat")

PROPER BELIEF 23: The Miracles of Prophets are to show proof of their Prophethood and it is that which is from Allah, whereas the illusions of illusionists are from Shaitaan.

FALSE BELIEF 24: Anyone who says the Sahaba to be Kaafirs is not out of the Sunnah Jamaat. ("Fatawa Rasheedia")

PROPER BELIEF 24: By one calling an ordinary Muslim a Kaafir, he himself becomes a Kaafir. How then can those who call the Sahaba Kaafirs not be Kaafirs?

FALSE BELIEF 25: To call oneself as "Qaaderi", "Chishti", "Naqshabandi", etc. is Bid'at and words of Kufr. ("Tazkeerul Ikhwaan")

PROPER BELIEF 25: To call oneself by these titles are totally allowed and is a means of recognition of ones spiritual order. Examples of these are: Siddiqi, Alawi, Uthmaani, Farooqi, Hanafi Shafa'i, etc.

FALSE BELIEF 26: To put lights, carpets, to give water and food, or arrange Wudhu water at the Mazaar of Awliyah Allah are Shirk.

PROPER BELIEF 26: If carry out all the above mentioned practices at other places are permissible, then it should be a means of blessing to do so at the Darbaar of Wali where there are a gathering of Muslims.

FALSE BELIEF 27: To eat and drink the Tabarukaat (Niyaz) of the Saints causes the heart to die (spiritually). ("Fatawa Rasheedia")

PROPER BELIEF 27: Eating the Niyaz of the Awliya brightens the heart and one's life and is a means of great blessing.

FALSE BELIEF 28: To call the Prophet "Shafi'ul Muznibeen", to recite Khatam, to imagine the blessed face and the Tomb of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), to think that he has authority - all these qualities, even with the granting of Allah Ta'ala - is all Shirk, so much like the Shirk of Abu Jahl. (Kitaabut-Tauheed by Ibne Abdul Wahab Najdi)

PROPER BELIEF 28: According to authentic sources of Islamic Shari'ah, to belief that Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is interceder, mercy, authority, helpful, and to imagine his blessed face and Tomb with respect, is regarded as a great and rewarding action. To recite Khatam Shareef is also permissable and rewarding as well. A person who denies this, his belief is like Abu Jahl.

Note: To believe all these above mentioned false "Islamic" beliefs makes a person a hypocrite, Shia, Rafazi, Khaarijite, Qadiani, Ghair-Muqallid (Ahle Hadith), Tabligi, Deobandi, Maudoodi, Tahiri, Ahle Quran (People of Quran), etc. which are totally out of Islam. Any person who falsely claims to be the true Mahdi is misguided and a Faasiq. Any person who says that Allah can lie, that the Prophet's (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) knowledge are like those of animals, that the Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is not the Final Messenger, that the swearing of the Sahaba does not make one a criminal, that the Prophet's knowledge is less than Shaitaan, etc. IS A KAAFIR (totally out of the folds of Islam). We should not perform Salaah or associate with such persons as their companionship is detrimental to our Imaan.

QURAN EXPLORER 1.0

2008-02-06T16:22:00.000+08:00

Quran Explorer, where you can Listen to the Quran Recitation and Translation online in Arabic, English, and Urdu. ((updatable for more languages automatically))

-Arabic audio recitation from 5 famous Qaris (Reciters)
-Arabic text with English and Urdu translation
-Audio Translations in English and Urdu
-Sura, Verse, Juz, & Qari selection options
-Easy Navigation and Streaming Audio
-Easy to read font with adjustable sizes
-Automatically Bookmarks your progress
-No programs to download

What is the Quran:

The Qur'an ("Qor-Ann") is a Message from Allah (swt) to humanity. It was transmitted to us in a chain starting from the Almighty Himself (swt) to the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (saw). This message was given to the Prophet (saw) in pieces over a period spanning approximately 23 years (610 CE to 632 CE). The Prophet (saw) was 40 years old when the Qur'an began to be revealed to him, and he was 63 when the revelation was completed. The language of the original message was Arabic, but it has been translated into many other languages.

The Qur'an is one of the two sources which form the basis of Islam. The second source is the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw). What makes the Qur'an different from the Sunnah is primarily its form. Unlike the Sunnah, the Qur'an is literally the Word of Allah (swt), whereas the Sunnah was inspired by Allah but the wording and actions are the Prophet's (saw). The Qur'an has not been expressed using any human's words. Its wording is letter for letter fixed by no one but Allah.

Prophet Muhammad (saw) was the final Messenger of Allah to humanity, and therefore the Qur'an is the last Message which Allah (swt) has sent to us. Its predecessors such as the Torah, Psalms, and Gospels have all been superseded. It is an obligation - and blessing - for all who hear of the Qur'an and Islam to investigate it and evaluate it for themselves. Allah (swt) has guaranteed that He will protect the Qur'an from human tampering, and today's readers can find exact copies of it all over the world. The Qur'an of today is the same as the Qur'an revealed to Muhammad (saw) 1400 years ago.

Homepage: www.quranexplorer.com

Notice: This program isn't available in its site! ((Rare Program))

Download Link :

http://www.2shared.com/file/2809518/3c279871/Quran_Explorer_10.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/89561215/Quran_Explorer_1.0.zip.html

ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF KNOWLEDGE

2007-11-28T15:52:00.000+08:00

One of the distinctive features of Islam is its emphasis on knowledge. The Quran and the Islamic tradition (sunnah) invite Muslims to seek and acquire knowledge and wisdom and to hold men of knowledge in high esteem.

In the Holy Quran the word al-Ilm, knowledge, and its derivatives are used more than 780 times. The first few verses that were revealed to our Holy Prophet (SAW) mention the importance of reading, pen, and teaching for human beings:

Read: in the name of your Lord who created. He created man from something which clings. Read and your Lord is the most generous. Who taught with pen. Taught man what he knew not..." (96:1-5)

In the Islamic traditions, too, there are many words of praise for knowledge and the learned.

Traditions attributed to the Holy Prophet (SAW) in this regard, some of which are quoted below:

It is an obligation for every Muslim to seek knowledge.
Seek knowledge even if it be in China.
Seek knowledge from cradle to grove.
Scholars are the heirs of the prophets.
The ink of the learned will be weighed with the blood of the martyrs on the Resurrection Day; and then, the ink of the learned would be preferred to the blood of the martyrs.
Anyone who pursues a course in search of knowledge, God will ease his way to paradise.
The most learned of men is the one who gathers knowledge from others on his own; the most worthy of men is the most knowing and the meanest is the most ignorant.
Acquire knowledge, it enables its possessor to distinguish right from wrong; it lights the way to heaven.

Knowledge is better than Wealth because of the following seven reasons:

Knowledge is inheritance of Prophets while wealth is inheritance of Firauns (Pharaohs).
Knowledge does not diminish (rather increases) with spending, while wealth diminishes with spending.
Wealth requires to be protected, while knowledge protects its owner.
Knowledge will enter the Kafan (Shroud) while wealth will be prevented from doing so.
Wealth reaches both believers and unbelievers (Kafir), while knowledge is reserved only for those who are worthy of it.
Knowledge will facilitate passing over the Seraat (Bridge over Hell) while wealth will pore hurdles.
People are always in need of scholars while they might not be in need of those possessing wealth.

Explanation of one of the famous Hadith of the Holy Prophet (SAW):

Acquisition of knowledge is incumbent on every Muslim.

Accordingly, the tradition intends to state that at whatever stage of knowledge one May be, he should strive to make further advance. The Prophet means that acquisition of knowledge is obligatory for all Muslims, scholars as well as ignorant men, beginners as well as learned scholars. Whatever stage of knowledge man may attain, he is still like a child entering into adulthood i.e. he should learn things which were not obligatory for him earlier.
The tradition implies that a Muslim can never be relieved of his responsibility of acquiring knowledge.
No field of knowledge or science is undesirable or detestable in itself; for knowledge is like light and so it is always desirable. The reason that some of the sciences have been regarded as "undesirable" is because of the undesirable effects they produce.
The knowledge which is incumbent on every Muslim to acquire is the one that elevates man's position in the next world, and that which brings him the knowledge of his self, his Creator, prophets, messengers of God, elite of Islam, signs of God, doomsday, and whatever causes proximity of God or divergence from the Almighty's way.
The levels of acquisition of this knowledge differ from person to person in accordance with their talents, and even in the case of a particular person, the level of attainment changes with his evolution. Therefore, there is no limit to the acquisition of this type of knowledge, and no matter what level one reaches, it is still incumbent on him to attain a higher level (this of course depends on his capacity and patience too).

Is there are two types of knowledge's "religious" and "non-religious"?

In most of the Quranic verses and the Islamic traditions the concept of Ilm (knowledge) appears in its absolutely sense, as can be seen from examples given below:

Say: Are those who know and those who do not know alike? (39:9)

(God) taught man what he knew not (96:5)

It has been a subject of fundamental importance from the early days of Islam as to which kind of knowledge Islam recommends; is there any specific kind of knowledge to be sought?

Some well-known Muslim scholars have counted as praise-worthy only those branches of knowledge which are directly connected with religion.

As for other types of knowledge they hold the view that it is up to the community to decide which of them are essential for the sustenance and welfare of the community.

We believe that there can be no restriction on the acquisition of knowledge, and, if there were any limitations of this kind, our Holy Prophet (SAW) would have mentioned them.

We do not approve the classification of sciences into "religious" and "non-religious". As the Martyr Professor Murteda Mutahhari has rightly pointed out, such classifications may entail the misconception that the "nonreligious" sciences are alien to Islam, and this seems incompatible with the universality of Islam. The religion which claims to bestow full felicity upon mankind. A religion that considers itself self-sufficing cannot estrange itself from the issues which play a vital role in securing welfare and independence for the Islamic society.

Some Quranic verses and the Prophet's traditions are explicit in pointing out that knowledge does not mean only learning the principles and laws of the religion.

Holy Quran verse:

And certainly We gave knowledge to Dawood and Sulaiman, and they both said: Praise be to Allah, Who has made us to excel many of His believing servants. And Sulaiman was Dawood's heir, and he said: O men! we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given all things; most surely this is manifest grace. (27:15-16)

We see that Sulaiman (AS) considers knowing the language of birds as a divine blessing or grace.

Holy Prophet (SAW) sayings:

Seek knowledge by even going to China, for seeking knowledge is incumbent on every Muslim.

Wisdom is the believer's lost property therefore, wherever he finds it, he deserves more than anyone else to have it.

Grasp wisdom from whoever offers it to you, see what is said not who Says it.

All these sayings indicate that acquisition of knowledge is not confined to learning the principles and laws of religion, because it is quite obvious that China in those days was not the center of theological studies, but it was famous for its industry. Moreover, it is clear that the laws and principles of Islam could not be learnt from atheists or polytheists.

Another reason for believing that 'desirable' knowledge is not confined to theological studies or the Shari'ah laws dealing with permissible and forbidden is the invaluable heritage itself left by Muslim scholars of the first few centuries after Hijrah.

It is also confirmed by contemporary historians that Muslim scholars have been the torch bearers of science for many centuries, and their works were used as text books in Europe for several hundred years.

In fact, a major reason why Muslim scholars assimilated the scientific heritage of other nations was that they did not see any conflict between the goals of science and religion, and were convinced that both religion and science aimed to demonstrate the unity of nature which in turn is an indication of the Unity of its Creator. It was for this very reason that theology and rational and physical sciences made up a conjoint discipline to be taught in theological schools and mosques.

Hence we may conclude that the word Ilm as it occurs in the Quran and Sunnah appears in its generic sense rather than referring exclusively to religious studies. On this ground it can be said Islam has only discourage Muslims from preoccupying themselves with any pursuit of such branches of knowledge whose harm is greater than their benefit (like magic and sorcery and games of chance used for gambling).

The relevant sayings of the Prophet (SAW) may be noted:

The best fields of knowledge are those which bring benefit.

O God! Benefit me through knowledge that You have bestowed on me, teach me whatever would benefit me, and increase my knowledge.

Knowledge is too immense in scope for anyone to be able to learn all of it. So learn from each science its useful parts.

There is no division of opinion on the necessity of acquiring knowledge relevant to religious studies. Accordingly, we shall abstain from any further discussion of the subject. Instead, it is worthwhile to concentrate on the question of necessity of learning other sciences in the view of the Quran and Sunnah.

In this regard there are a number of arguments which we shall take up immediately.

1- If knowledge of a science is a prerequisite to the attainment of Islamic goal as imaged by the Shari'ah, its pursuit is an obligation (Wajib) since it entails the preliminary condition for fulfillment of a duty prescribed by the Shari'ah. For example, the physical welfare of individuals in an Islamic society is necessary, hence it is a "Wajib kifa'i" for the Muslims to study medicine.

Some are of the opinion that in this context the duty to learn any specific science depends on the need of the society for it. For example, in our day, in order to succeed in large scale agriculture or commerce, specialized knowledge of these subjects is necessary. Accordingly, it is a Wajib kifa'i for Muslims to specialize in these fields.

Evidently, if Muslims are to restrict their learning's to what has already been established in other countries, in other words, to be satisfied with the minimum of their scientific requirements, they will never be able to beat the non-Muslim world in scientific progress.

2- The society envisioned by the Quran is an independent society of majesty and magnificence, not one submissive to and dependent on the unbelievers, as can be seen from this verse of the Quran:

"...and Allah does not grant the unbelievers any way (of domination) over the believers." (4:141)

In order to realize this goal set by the Quran, it is essential that the Islamic society should have cultural, political and economic independence; this in turn necessitates training of specialists of high caliber in every field and creation of the necessary scientific and technical facilities in Islamic societies. It is clear that one of the reasons of decline of Muslim societies in the recent centuries is that they left the study of those sciences to others which they themselves deserved to study most and made themselves dependent on others.

Is worshipping God is only through prayers, fasting and so on?

And I have not created the Jinn and the men except that they should serve Me. (51:56)

And that you should serve Me; this is the right way. (36:61)

Therefore, the main objective of man should be seeking proximity to God and attaining His consent; and his activities should be focused in this direction. Anything that brings about this proximity or guides in that direction is praiseworthy. Thus knowledge is useful only if it is an instrument for obtaining knowledge of God, and His pleasure and proximity; otherwise knowledge itself is an inscrutable veil (Hijab-e-Akbar), whether it is linked with the sciences of nature or the sciences of the Shari'ah.

It is obvious that worshipping God is not only through prayers, fasting and so on. In fact, any move in the direction of proximity to God is considered as worship. One of the means to help man in his way towards God is knowledge, and of course it is only in this case that knowledge can be considered valuable. By the help of knowledge a Muslim can gain proximity to God in various ways and manners.

First of all, he can increase his cognition of God.

Our great Prophet (SAW) is related as having said:

God can be worshipped and served by means of knowledge; bliss in this world and Hereafter comes through knowledge; and adversity of this world and Hereafter lies in ignorance.

Secondly, he can effectively help in the advancement of Islamic society and realization of Islamic goals:

A tradition has been quoted from our great Prophet (SAW):

Should death occur to a man who is learning knowledge with the purpose of reviving Islam, his position in paradise will be (only) one stage below (that of) the prophets.

Thirdly, he can guide other people. It is reported from our dear Prophet (SAW) as having said:

God will patronize my successors. He was asked. Who are your successors? He answered, those who revive my traditions and teach them to God's servants.

Fourthly, he can solve many problems of human society, Our great Prophet (SAW) is quoted as having said:

All People are God's family. Among them, God's favorites are those who are more useful to His family.

The knowledge employed in the above mentioned ways is deemed to be useful; otherwise, it would not have any real value:

"This is because Allah is the truth and that which they call upon besides Him is the falsehood." (31:30)

"And the word of Allah is the highest." (9:40)

Our great Prophet (SAW) is related as having said:

He who learns knowledge for other than God, and his aim be other than God, will abide in fire (hell).

One whose knowledge increases but his salvation does not keep pace with it, his remoteness from God increases.

Any knowledge not helping man on his way to Allah is similar to the load of books carried on the back of a donkey.

As Martyr Dr. Beheshti puts it: Any area of knowledge as long as it does not become an instrument in the hands of Taghut (non God or anti God) is a means of enlightenment; otherwise knowledge may also become a means of misguidance.

The only limit set to the acquisition of knowledge in Islam is that Muslims should seek useful knowledge. Our great Prophet (SAW) is reported as having said:

My Lord, save me from the useless knowledge.

Any knowledge helping man in performing his God assigned role in this world is useful, other than that is considered useless knowledge.

SUNNIS VS SHI"ITES

2007-11-26T22:45:00.000+08:00

THE GLORIOUS QUR'AN

Sunnis

There is unanimous agreement among them regarding its authenticity, and its text being safeguarded from any additions or deletions. The Qur'an is to be understood in consonance with the rules and bases of the Arabic language. They believe in every single letter of it, it being the word of Allah the Exalted. The Qur'an is neither temporal nor newly created, but is eternal. Falsehood does not approach it from before it or behind it. It is the primary source of all the Muslims' tenets of faith, their rites and rules of conduct.

Shi'ites

To some of them, the Qur'an's authenticity is doubtful, and if it appears to contradict any of their sectarian beliefs or doctrines, then they give the Qur'anic text strange, far-fetched interpretations that agree with their sectarian views. For that reason they are called Al-Mutawwilah (those who give their own interpretations to the revealed texts). They love to draw attention to the discord that occurred at the time when the Qur'an was first compiled. The views and opinions of their Imams are the primary source of their jurisprudence.

HADEETHS (THE PROPHETIC TRADITIONS)

Sunnis

For the Sunnis, it is the second source of revealed law, complementary to the Noble Quran It is not permissible to contradict or reject the rulings and directives contained in those Hadeeths (ahaadeeth) which are reliably attributed to the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him). The methodology applied in determining the authenticity of these traditions utilizes a set of stringent rules agreed upon by the scholars who specialize in this field, and involves detailed analysis of the chain of transmitters of any given tradition. No distinction is made between male and female narrators; judgment is made solely on the basis of individual trustworthiness and technical ability in relating traditions, and every narrator's history is recorded. No tradition is accepted from a known liar, or from one whose morals or scholarly ability were not corroborated, or from anyone, merely on the basis of his family connection or lineage. The compilation of the Prophetic Traditions is taken to be a sacred Trust, the fulfillment of which overrides all other considerations.

Shi'ites

The Shi'ites reject all Prophetic Traditions which were not related by members of Ahlul-Bait, or their descendants. The only exception to this rule is their acceptance of a few Hadeeths (ahaadeeth) narrated by those who sided with 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in his political wars. They do not attend to the authenticity and soundness of the chain of narrators, nor do they approach the study of the Prophetic Traditions with a scientific, critical attitude. Their narrations often appear in a form like that of the following example: "It has been reported regarding Muhammad bin Isma'eel by way of some of our friends through a man who transmitted it from him ['Ali] that he said..." Their books are filled with hundreds of thousands of traditions whose authenticity cannot be confirmed. They have built their religion specifically upon these spurious texts while outright rejecting over three quarters of the authentic Prophetic Traditions. This is one of the main differences between the Shi'ites and the Sunnis.

THE COMPANIONS OF THE PROPHET

Sunnis

It is unanimously agreed that the noble Companions deserve our utmost respect, and are absolutely trustworthy. As for the discord which occurred among them, it is to be considered as the consequence of the sincere exercise of personal conviction and opinion. The discord was resolved and is a thing of the past. It is not permissible for us to hold, on the basis of past differences among the Companions, grudges and ill will which continue for generations. The Companions are those whom Allah has described in the best of terms; He has praised them upon many occasions. It is not lawful for anyone to make any accusation against them or cast suspicion upon them, and there is no benefit to be derived therefrom.

Shi'ites

They charge that all save a few of the Companions had turned apostate after the death of the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). On the other hand, they grant the Companion 'Ali bin Abi Taalib a very special status; some of them consider him vicegerent, and some view him as a prophet, while others take him for a god! Shi'ites pass judgment on Muslims in accordance with their position with regards to 'Ali. Whoever was elected caliph before 'Ali is held by them to be a tyrant, an apostate or a sinner. The same judgment is passed on every Muslim ruler who did not step down for any of the descendants of 'Ali and his wife Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with them). The Shi'ites have thus created an atmosphere of animosity throughout the history of Islam, and the question of partisanship of Ahlul-Bait developed into a school of thought which preached and perpetuated such detrimental teachings down through the generations.

BELIEF IN THE ONENESS OF ALLAH

Sunnis

Sunnis believe that Allah is the One, the Only, God, the Almighty Subduer. He has no partners or rivals, and He has no equal. There is no intermediary between Him and His worshippers. They believe in His attributes as they were revealed In the Qur'anic verses, and they do not obscure their obvious meanins with far-fetched Interpretations. They do not strike any comparison between the divine attributes and other things, for as Allah says in His Book "There is nothing like unto Him." They believe that Allah sent the Prophets and commissioned them with conveying to mankind His Message and Guidance. They conveyed Allah's Message and did not conceal any part of it They believe that knowledge Of the unseen belongs to Allah alone. Intercession is confined to the Hereafter, and none may intercede except by Allah's permission. All supplication, vows, offerings of sacrifices and requests for needs are to be directed to God alone; they are not to be directed to any other besides Him. Allah alone controls good and evil. There is no one, living or dead in His authority or in His administration of affairs. All beings depend on Him, and need His favor and mercy. The knowledge of Allah is attained through knowledge of divinely revealed law, and this has precedence over the exercise of reason, which might never guide one to the truth, although it may provide reassurance to the believer, and help him to achieve tranquillity.

Shi'ites

The Shi'ites also believe in Allah the Exalted and His Oneness, except that they adulterate this belief with polytheistic rituals and observances. They implore and make supplication to Allah's slaves and worshippers rather than to Him alone, saying "O Ali! and "O Husain!" and "O Zainab!" Similarly they make vows and sacrifice beasts in the name of others besides Allah. They request the dead to fulfil their needs as is shown by their prayers and poems. They consider their Imams to be infallible, to have knowledge of the unseen, and to partake In the administration of the universe. It is the Shi'ites who Invented Sufism (mysticism) to consecrate their deviated tenets and thus give them the air of legitimacy They claimed that there is special power and authority invested in the "awliyaa"' (mystic saints), "aqtaab" (those considered to be the spiritual axes of the universe, which turns due to their exalted status), and Ahlul-Bait Shi'ite scholars and clergy impressed upon their followers the concept of a hereditary privileged class, as a matter of religion, although this has no foundation in Islam at all. Knowledge of Allah, is attained, according to them, through the exercise of reason, not by knowledge of divinely revealed law. That which came to us by way of revelation in the Qur'an merely represents an affirmation of reason's judgment; it is not considered to be a source which is independent of, and beyond the limits of reason.

SEEING ALLAH

Sunnis

Sunnis believe that believers will be blessed with the sight of Allah in the Hereafter, as is mentioned in the Qur'an: "On that Day faces [of the believers] will be resplendent, looking towards their Lord."

Shi'ites

The Shi'ites believe that to see Allah is not possible in this world nor in the Hereafter

THE UNSEEN

Sunnis

Allah the Exalted has reserved knowledge of the unseen for Himself; however, He has revealed to His Prophets some of the affairs and conditions of the unseen, for particular reasons. The Qur'an says: "And they do not encompass anything of God's knowledge except what He will to reveal thereof"

Shi'ites

They claim that knowledge of the unseen belongs solely to their Imams, and it is not for the Prophet to inform us about the unseen. Some Shi'ites have gone so far as to claim godhead for those Imams.

AALUR-RASOOL (THE FAMILY OF THE MESSENGER) (MAY ALLAH BE PLEASED WITH THEM ALL)

Sunnis

Aalur-Rasool, according to the Sunnis, has various meanings. The best single definition of this term is "the followers of the Prophet Muhammad in the faith of Islam." It is also defined as "the pious and God-fearing people of the Prophet's ummah (nation of believers)." It is also said that the term refers to the believing relatives of Muhammad, from the tribes of Haashim and 'Abdul-Muttalib.

Shi'ites

According to the Shi'ites the term Aalur-Rasool refers only to 'Ali bin Abi Taalib, to some of his sons, and to the descendants 'of those sons.

THE MEANING OF SHARI'AH (ISLAMIC LAW) AND HAQEEQAH (THE TRUTH)

Sunnis

In the Sunnis' view, the shariah (the divinely revealed law) is itself the haqeeqah (the essential knowledge, the reality). They hold that Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, did not conceal from his nation of believers any part of that knowledge, contained in the revealed law. There was no good thing that he did not guide us to, and no evil thing that he did not warn us about. Allah has said 'On this day I have completed your religion. Therefore, ' the sources of the Islamic faith are Allah's Book and the sunnah (practice) of the Prophet, and there is no need to add anything to that. The relationship of the believer with Allah, and the path to the achievement of 800d works and worship, are clear and direct. The only one to know the actual condition of the believers is Allah, so (i.e do not pass judgment on the praiseworthiness or purity of anyone, lest we overstep our bounds). The views and opinions of anyone may be accepted or rejected, except or those of the infallible Prophet of Allah, upon whom be Allah's blessings and peace.

Shi'ites

The Shi'ites see the shari'ah as being merely the various rulings and directives set forth by the Prophet; they concern the common and superficial folk only. As for the haqeeqah, no one knows it except the Imams of AhlulBait These Imams acquire the sciences of haqeeqah through inheritance, one generation after another. It remains a secret possession among them. Furthermore, the Shi'ites consider their Imams infallible; their every work and practice is deemed incumbent upon their followers. They believe that one may communicate with God only through intermediaries, and it is for this reason that their religious leaders have such an inflated opinion of themselves, as evidenced by the exaggerated titles they take for themselves, e.g. Baabullah (the door to Allah), Waliyullah (the friend of Allah), Hujjatullah (Allah's proof), Ayatullah (the sign of Allah), Al-Ma'soom (the infallible one), etc.

ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE

Sunnis

Ahlus-sunnah adhere strictly to the legal rulings and directives of the Noble Qur'an, as clarified by the sayings and practices of the Messenger We also depend upon the sayings of the Companions and the generation of trustworthy scholars who followed them. They were the nearest to the Prophet's era and the most sincere in supporting his mission, throughout the tests and trials which had to be endured in the course of establishing Islam. Since this religion has been completed, no one has the right to formulate new legislation or directives; however, in order to properly understand the details of the revealed law, and to apply it according to new situations and circumstances while keeping in mind the general welfare of the people, one must refer to the qualified Muslim scholars who must work solely within the bounds established by Allah's Book and the sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him).

Shi'ites

They depend only on the exclusive sources which they claim for their Imams: upon their farfetched interpretations of the Quran; and upon their contrary attitude which puts them at odds with the majority of the Muslim peoples. The Shi'ites consider their Imams to be infallible, and to have the right to create new rulings and directives .in contradiction to the revealed law. For example, they have altered:

The call to prayer and the prescribed times and postures of prayers.
The rites of Hajj (pilgrimage) and visitation to the sacred places.
The specified times for beginning and breaking the fast.
The rulings with regards to zakaah (alms-tax) and its distribution.
The inheritance laws. The Shi'ites are very particular to take positions in opposition to Ahlus-Sunnah, thus widening the gap between Sunnis and Shi'ites.

AL-WALAA' (OBEDIENCE AND DEVOTION)

Sunnis

Al-walaa ' means "total adherence, obedience and devotion." The Sunnis believe that it is due only to the Messenger of Allah, for Allah says in His Book "Whosoever obeys the Messenger, he has verily obeyed Allah.'' No other person deserves our strict adherence or our obedience and devotion. Our responsibilities to others are defined by known legal principles, and there is no obedience due to any human being if that entails disobedience to the Creator.

Shi'ites

They view al-walaa' as being one of the pillars of iman. They define it as the firm belief in the Twelve Imams including the "hidden" Imam). They consider one who does not have strict devotion to Aalul-Bait as one who has no faith. They will not pray behind such a person, nor will they give him zakaah although he be deserving of it. Such a person would be treated as a kaafr by them.

TAQIYYAH (CALCULATED DECEPTION)

Sunnis

It is defined as presenting an outer appearance that belies what one conceals inside, to protect oneself from harm. It is considered impermissible for a Muslim to deceive other Muslims, because of the Prophet's saying: Whoever deceives is not of us." Resorting to taqiyyah is permitted only in one situation: during war against the disbelievers who are the enemies of Islam. That is part of the etiquette of war. It is incumbent on the Muslim to be truthful and courageous in upholding the truth, and to be neither ostentatious, nor deceiving, nor treacherous. He should give sincere counsel, enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil.

Shi'ites

In spite of the differences among the various Shi'ite sects, they all agree that taqiyyah is a prescribed duty and a pillar of their faith. Their schools of thought could not stand without it. They learn its principles and methods and they practice it, especially if they are in dire circumstances. They exaggeratedly praise and flatter those whom they consider disbelievers, whom they consider deserving of slaughter and destruction. The verdict of kufr is passed on anyone who is not of their sectarian school, and for them "the end justifies the means." Their ethics allow every manner of lying, cunning and deception.

GOVERNING THE ISLAMIC STATE

Sunnis

The state is ruled by a Caliph (Khalifa) elected to his position of leadership from among the Muslim people. To be leader, a man must be sane, rightly guided and knowledgeable. He should be known for his piety and trustworthiness, and he should be capable of bearing such a responsibility. The caliph is nominated to his position Of leadership by those Muslims endowed with knowledge and experience. If he does not hold firm to his duty, and deviates from the directives of the Qur'an, then they may remove him from his position and strip him of all authority. Otherwise, he deserves the obedience and cooperation of every Muslim. The role of caliphate is, to the Sunnis, a great burden and responsibility, not a mere honor or opportunity for exploitations.

Shi'ites

Generally speaking, the right to govern according to Shi'ites, is hereditary, and restricted to 'Ali, and his descendants by Fatimah (the daughter of the Prophet). There is, however, some slight difference among them on the point of the hereditary right as to whom it belongs to. Due to this view of theirs, the Shi'ites are never loyal to any ruler unless he is one of the descendants of 'Ali bin Abi Taalib. When the practice of hereditary leadership vested in the descendants of 'Ali and Fatimah could no longer be maintained, because the line had come to an end, the Shi'ites invented the doctrine of Ar-Raj'ah, according to which the last Imam was not dead, but "hidden". He is expected to arise and return at the end of time, when he will slaughter all of his political opponents, and those of his ancestors, and will restore to the Shi'ites their rights which were "plundered" by the other sects over the centuries.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHIA AND SUNNI MUSLIMS?

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Both Sunni and Shia Muslims share the most fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith. The differences between these two main sub-groups within Islam initially stemmed not from spiritual differences, but political ones. Over the centuries, however, these political differences have spawned a number of varying practices and positions which have come to carry a spiritual significance.

The division between Shia and Sunni dates back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad, and the question of who was to take over the leadership of the Muslim nation. Sunni Muslims agree with the position taken by many of the Prophet's companions, that the new leader should be elected from among those capable of the job. This is what was done, and the Prophet Muhammad's close friend and advisor, Abu Bakr, became the first Caliph of the Islamic nation.

The word "Sunni" in Arabic comes from a word meaning "one who follows the traditions of the Prophet."

On the other hand, some Muslims share the belief that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet's own family, among those specifically appointed by him, or among Imams appointed by God Himself.

The Shia Muslims believe that following the Prophet Muhammad's death, leadership should have passed directly to his cousin/son-in-law, Ali. Throughout history, Shia Muslims have not recognized the authority of elected Muslim leaders, choosing instead to follow a line of Imams which they believe have been appointed by the Prophet Muhammad or God Himself. The word "Shia" in Arabic means a group or supportive party of people. The commonly-known term is shortened from the historical "Shia-t-Ali," or "the Party of Ali." They are also known as followers of "Ahl-al-Bayt" or "People of the Household" (of the Prophet).

From this initial question of political leadership, some aspects of spiritual life have been affected and now differ between the two groups of Muslims.

Shia Muslims believe that the Imam is sinless by nature, and that his authority is infallible as it comes directly from God. Therefore, Shia Muslims often venerate the Imams as saints and perform pilgrimages to their tombs and shrines in the hopes of divine intercession. Sunni Muslims counter that there is no basis in Islam for a hereditary privileged class of spiritual leaders, and certainly no basis for the veneration or intercession of saints. Sunni Muslims contend that leadership of the community is not a birthright, but a trust that is earned and which may be given or taken away by the people themselves.

Shia Muslims also feel animosity towards some of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, based on their positions and actions during the early years of discord about leadership in the community. Many of these companions (Abu Bakr, Umar, Aisha, etc.) have narrated traditions about the Prophet's life and spiritual practice. Shia Muslims reject these traditions (hadith) and do not base any of their religious practices on the testimony of these individuals. This naturally gives rise to some differences in religious practice between the two groups. These differences touch all detailed aspects of religious life: prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, etc.

Sunni Muslims make up the majority (85%) of Muslims all over the world. Significant populations of Shia Muslims can be found in Iran and Iraq, and large minority communities in Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, and Lebanon.

It is important to remember that despite all of these differences in opinion and practice, Shia and Sunni Muslims share the main articles of Islamic belief and are considered by most to be brethren in faith. In fact, most Muslims do not distinguish themselves by claiming membership in any particular group, but prefer to call themselves simply, "Muslims".

THE ORIGINS OF THE SUNNI/SHIA SPLIT IN ISLAM

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INTRODUCTION

The Shia shahadah (declaration of faith) states:

"There is no god but Alláh, Muhammad is the Messenger of Alláh, Alí is the Friend of Alláh. The Successor of the Messenger of Alláh And his first Caliph."

If you are already familiar with standard Sunni beliefs, you will immediately notice the addition to the shahadah regarding Imam Ali (ra), cousin of the Prophet (pbuh), husband of his daughter Fatima, father of Hassan and Hussein and the second person ever to embrace Islam. The term Shia or Shi'ite derives from a shortening of Shiat Ali or partisans of Ali.

HISTORY

Ali is the central figure at the origin of the Shia / Sunni split which occurred in the decades immediately following the death of the Prophet in 632. Sunnis regard Ali as the fourth and last of the "rightly guided caliphs" (successors to Mohammed (pbuh) as leader of the Muslims) following on from Abu Bakr 632-634, Umar 634-644 and Uthman 644-656. Shias feel that Ali should have been the first caliph and that the caliphate should pass down only to direct descendants of Mohammed (pbuh) via Ali and Fatima, They often refer to themselves as ahl al bayt or "people of the house" [of the prophet].

When Uthman was murdered while at prayer, Ali finally succeeded to the caliphate. Ali was, however, opposed by Aisha, wife of the Prophet (pbuh) and daughter of Abu Bakr, who accused him of being lax in bringing Uthman's killers to justice. After Ali's army defeated Aisha's forces at the Battle of the Camel in 656, she apologized to Ali and was allowed to return to her home in Madinah where she withdrew from public life.

However, Ali was not able to overcome the forces of Mu'awiya Ummayad, Uthman's cousin and governor of Damascus, who also refused to recognize him until Uthman's killers had been apprehended. At the Battle of Suffin Mu'awiya's soldiers stuck verses of the Quran onto the ends of their spears with the result that Ali's pious supporters refused to fight them. Ali was forced to seek a compromise with Mu'awiya, but this so shocked some of his die-hard supporters who regarded it as a betrayal that he was struck down by one of his own men in 661.

Mu'awiya declared himself caliph. Ali's elder son Hassan accepted a pension in return for not pursuing his claim to the caliphate. He died within a year, allegedly poisoned. Ali's younger son Hussein agreed to put his claim to the caliphate on hold until Mu'awiya's death. However, when Mu'awiya finally died in 680, his son Yazid usurped the caliphate. Hussein led an army against Yazid but, hopelessly outnumbered, he and his men were slaughtered at the Battle of Karbala (in modern day Iraq). Hussein's infant son, Ali, survived so the line continued. Yazid formed the hereditary Ummayad dynasty. The division between the Shia and what came to be known as the Sunni was set.

An opportunity for Muslim unity arose in the 750's CE. In 750 except for a few who managed to flee to Spain, almost the entire Ummayad aristocracy was wiped out following the Battle of Zab in Egypt in a revolt led by Abu Al Abbass al-Saffah and aided by considerable Shia support. It was envisaged that the Shia spiritual leader Jafar As-Siddiq, great-grandson of Hussein be installed as Caliph. But when Abbass died in 754, this arrangement had not yet been finalised and Abbas' son Al Mansur murdered Jafar, seized the caliphate for himself and founded the Baghdad-based Abbassid dynasty which prevailed until the sack of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258.

THEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES AND ATTEMPTS AT PROMOTING UNITY

The line of Mohammed (pbuh) through Ali and Hussein became extinct in 873CE when the last Shia Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, who had no brothers disappeared within days of inheriting the title at the age of four. The Shias refused, however, to accept that he had died, preferring to believe that he was merely "hidden" and would return. When after several centuries this failed to happen, spiritual power passed to the ulema, a council of twelve scholars who elected a supreme Imam. The best known modern example of the Shia supreme Imam is the late Ayyatollah Khomeni, whose portrait hangs in many Shia homes. The Shia Imam has come to be imbued with Pope-like infallibility and the Shia religious hierarchy is not dissimilar in structure and religious power to that of the Catholic Church within Christianity. Sunni Islam, in contrast, more closely resembles the myriad independent churches of American Protestantism. Sunnis do not have a formal clergy, just scholars and jurists, who may offer non-binding opinions. Shias believe that their supreme Imam is a fully spiritual guide, inheriting some of Muhammad's inspiration ("light") . Their imams are believed to be inerrant interpreters of law and tradition. Shia theology is distinguished by its glorification of Ali. In Shia Islam there is a strong theme of martyrdom and suffering, focusing on deaths of Ali and, particularly, Hussein plus other important figures in the Shia succession. Shi`ism attracted other dissenting groups, especially representatives of older non-Arab (Mawali) civilizations (Persian, Indian, etc.) that felt they had not been treated fairly by the Arab Muslims.

Sunnis and Shias agree on the core fundamentals of Islam - the Five Pillars - and recognize each others as Muslims. In 1959 Sheikh Mahmood Shaltoot, Head of the School of Theology at Al Azhar university in Cairo, the most august seat of learning of Sunni Islam and the oldest university in the world, issued a fatwa (ruling) recognizing the legitimacy of the Jafari School of Law to which most Shias belong. As a point of interest, the Jafari School is named after its founder Imam Jafaf Sidiq who was a direct descendent through two different lines of the Sunni Caliph Abu Bakr. And Al Azhar University, though now Sunni, was actually founded by the Shia Fatimid dynasty in 969CE.

However, there remain significant differences between the two forms of Islam and these are what tend to be emphasized. Many Sunni's would contend that Shias seem to take the fundamentals of Islam very much for granted, shunting them into the background and dwelling on the martyrdoms of Ali and Hussein. This is best illustrated at Ashura when each evening over a period of ten days the Shias commemorate the Battle of Karbala, with a wailing Imam whipping the congregation up into a frenzy of tears and chest beating. It is alleged that instead of missionary work to non-Muslims, the Shia harbor a deep-seated disdain towards Sunni Islam and prefer to devote their attention to winning over other Muslims to their group. There is ongoing violent strife between Sunnis and Shias in Pakistan. On the other hand, in recent years there has been signification co-operation between the two groups in the Lebanon. And some of the most dynamic developments in Islam today are taking place in Shia-dominated Iran.

PRACTICAL DIFFERENCES

On a practical daily level, Shias have a different call to prayer, they perform wudu and salat differently including placing the forehead onto a piece of hardened clay from Karbala, not directly onto the prayer mat when prostrating. They also tend to combine prayers, sometimes worshipping three times per day instead of five. The Shias also have some different ahadith and prefer those narrated by Ali and Fatima to those related by other companions of the Prophet (pbuh). Because of her opposition to Ali, those narrated by Aisha count among the least favored. Shia Islam also permits muttah - fixed-term temporary marriage - which is now banned by the Sunnis. Muttah was originally permitted at the time of the Prophet (pbuh) and is now being promoted in Iran by an unlikely alliance of conservative clerics and feminists, the latter group seeking to downplay the obsession with female virginity which is prevalent in both forms of Islam, pointing out that only one of the Prophet's thirteen wives was a virgin when he married them.

SHIAS TODAY

Iran is overwhelmingly Shia - 89%. Shias also form a majority of the population in Yemen and Azerbaijan, Bahrain and 60% of the population of Iraq. There are also sizeable Shia communities along the east coast of Saudi Arabia and in the Lebanon. The well known guerilla organization Hizbollah, which forced the Israelis out of southern Lebanon in 2000, is Shia. Worldwide, Shias constitute ten to fifteen percent of the overall Muslim population.

Within Shia Islam there are different sects. Most Shias are "Twelvers", i.e. they recognize the 12 Imams. There are also Sevener and Fiver Shias who don't recognize the later Imams.

FUNDAMENTALS OF FAITH OF THE SHI'Í IMAMÍ ITHNA ASHARÍ

THE SHAHADAH: THE DECLARATION OF FAITH

La iláha il Alláh, Muhammadan Rasúl Alláh, Alíyun Walí-Alláh, Wasíyu Rasulillah, wa Khalífa tuhu bila fasl. There is no god but Alláh, Muhammad is the Messenger of Alláh, 'Alí is the Friend of Alláh. The Successor of the Messenger of Alláh And his first Caliph.

USUL AL-DÍN: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF ISLAM

Tawhíd (The Oneness of Alláh)
'Adl (Divine Justice)
Nubuwwah (The Prophethood)
Imámah (The Imamate)
Qiyámah (The Day of Judgement)

FURU AL-DIN: THE MAIN BRANCHES OF ISLAM

Salat (Prayer)
Sawm (Fasting)
Zakát (Poor-due of 2.5%)
Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah)
Khums (The Charity of 20%)
Jihad (To Struggle in the Path of Alláh)
Amr bil ma'ruf (To Promote the Good)
Nahy 'an al-munkar (To Forbid the Wrong)
Tawalla (Loving the Prophet's Family)
Tabarra (Shunning the Enemies of the Prophet's Family)

THE PROPHETS OF ALLÁH (mentioned in the Holy Qur'án)

Adam
Idrís (Idrees)
Núh (Noah)
Húd
Sálih
Ibráhím (Abraham)
Ismá'íl (Ishmael)
Isháq (Isaac)
Lút (Lot)
Ya'qúb (Jacob)
Yúsuf (Joseph)
Shu'aib
Ayúb (Job)
Músa (Moses)
Hárún (Aaron)
Dhu l-kifl (Ezzekiel)
Dawúd (David)
Sulaimán
Ilyás (Elijah)
al-Yasa' (Elisha)
Yúnus (Jonas)
Zakaríya (Zakariyah)
Yahyá (John the Baptist)
'Ísa (Jesus)
Muhammad

In a famous hadith (prophetic tradition), the number of prophets given was 124 000. May the blessings of Alláh be upon them all. Prophethood ended with Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny). Then, Alláh deputed Imams to guide us.

THE LAW-BRINGING PROPHETS

Núh
Ibráhím
Músa
'Ísa
Muhammad

THE BOOKS OF ALLÁH

Sahífa (scroll revealed to Nuh)
Sahífa (scroll revealed to Ibráhím)
Taurat (the book revealed to Músa)
Zabúr (the psalms revealed to Dawúd)
Injíl (the gospel revealed to 'Isa)
Qur'án (the Koran revealed to Muhammad)

THE PANJATAN: THE FIVE HOLY ONES

Muhammad, Fátima al-Zahra, 'Alí, Hasan, Husayn

THE FOURTEEN MASUMIN: THE RIGHTLY-GUIDED

Muhammad, Fátima al-Zahra and the Twelve Imams

THE TWELVE IMAMS

Name Title Year of birth and death

Imam 'Alí ibn Abu Talib al-Murtadha (The Satisfied One) 600–661
Imam Hasan ibn Ali al-Mujtabah (The Chosen One) 625–669
Imam Husayn ibn Ali Sayyid al-Shuhudah (The Lord of the Martyrs) 626–680
Imam 'Alí ibn Husayn Zayn al-Ábidín (The Jewel of the Believers) 658–713
Imam Muhammad al-Báqir (The Spreader of Knowledge) 676–743
Imam Ja'far al-Sádiq (The Truthful One) 703–765
Imam Músa al-Kazim (The Patient One) 745–799
Imam 'Alí al-Ridhá (The Accepted One) 765–818
Imam Muhammad al-Taqí (The Pious One) 810–835
Imam 'Alí al-Naqí (The Pure One) 827–868
Imam Hasan al-Askarí (The One with an Army) 846–874
Imam Muhammad al-Mahdí (The Rightly-Guided One) 868-

The Twelth Imam is still alive. He is in a state of occultation. He will reappear at a moment determined by Alláh. He is the Awaited One who will spread justice throughout the world

THE PROFESSION OF FAITH OF THE TWELVER SHI'I

I bear witness that there is no god but Alláh and that Muhammad, peace be upon him, is His servant and Messenger, and that 'Alí, the Commander of the Faithful, and the Chief of the Deputies of Alláh, is the Imam whose obedience has been made incumbent by Alláh on all people; and that Hasan and Husayn, 'Alí ibn al-Husayn, Muhammad ibn 'Alí, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, Musa ibn Ja'far, 'Alí ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn 'Alí, 'Alí ibn Muhammad, Hasan ibn 'Alí, and the Living One, the Mahdí (the blessings of Alláh be upon them all), all the Imams of the believers and the Proofs of Alláh for the whole of creation are my Imams, the rightly-guiding and the pious. I bear witness that: Alláh is my God, Muhammad is my Prophet, Islam is my religion, the Qur'án is my scripture, the Ka'aba is my qibla, 'Alí ibn Abú Tálib is my Imam, Hasan ibn 'Alí is my Imam, Husayn, the Martyr of Karbala, son of 'Alí, is my Imam, 'Alí Zayn al-'Ábadín is my Imam, Muhammad al-Báqir is my Imam, Ja'far al-Sádiq is my Imam, Musa al-Kádhim is my Imam, 'Alí al-Ridhá is my Imam, Muhammad al-Taqí is my Imam, 'Alí al-Naqí is my Imam, Hasan al-Askarí is my Imam, and al-Huja al-Muntazar is my Imam. They, upon whom be peace, are my Imáms, Masters and Intercessors before Alláh. I love them, all of them, and shun their enemies in this life and the next.

I bear witness that: Alláh, the Almighty, the Exalted, is the best Lord; that Muhammad, the blessings of Alláh be upon him and his Family, is the best Prophet; and that the Commander of the Faithful, 'Alí ibn Abú Tálib, and his offspring, are the best Imams; and that the message Muhammad brought from Alláh is true, death is true, the questioning in the grave by Munkar and Nakír is true, the Resurrection of the dead is true, the appearance before Alláh is true, the Bridge (al-sirát) is true, the Divine Scales are true, the dissemination of the book of one's deeds at Doomsday is true, paradise is true, and hell is true; and that there is no doubt about the coming of the inevitable Hour of Reckoning; and that the rising of the dead from their graves is true.

THE POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES OF ALLÁH

Qadím: Alláh is eternal. He has neither a beginning nor an end.
Qadir: Alláh is omnipotent. He has power over all things.
'Alim: Alláh is omniscient. He is all-knowing.
Hai: Alláh is living. He is alive and will remain alive forever
Muríd: Alláh has his own discretion is all affairs. He does not do anything out of compulsion.
Mudrik: Alláh is all-perceiving. He is all-hearing, all-seeing, and is omnipresent. Alláh sees and hears everything though he has neither eyes nor ears.
Mutakalim: Alláh is the Lord of the Worlds. He can create speech in anything: the burning bush for Musa and the curtain of light for Muhammad.
Sadiq: Alláh is truthful. His words and promises are true.

THE NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES OF ALLÁH

Sharík: Alláh has no partners.
Murakab: Alláh is neither made, nor composed, of any material.
Makán: Alláh is not confined to any place and has no body.
Hulúl: Alláh does not incarnate into anything or anybody.
Mahale hawadith: Alláh is not subject to changes. Alláh cannot change.
Marí: Alláh is not visible. He has not been seen, is not seen, and will never be seen, because he has no form or body.
Ihtiyaj: Alláh is not dependant. Alláh is not deficient, so he does not have any needs.
Sifate zayed: Alláh does not have added qualifications. The attributes of Alláh are not separate from His being.

ISLAMIC DOCTRINE

2007-11-24T11:12:00.000+08:00

Because of man's afflictions and troubles, he is in constant search for a solution. The materialistic theories do not ease his pains and suffering. These theories have failed because they have deviated from God's path of truth and enlightenment.

God has created man and made him the successor of the land. He made man the master of nature. He bestowed on man many blessings, including knowledge to understand how to behave and deal with his existence.

He has established truth for man's ease to achieve happiness in this life and the Hereafter. God has sent prophets and messengers as a mercy for man. All prophets and messengers such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace be with them all, followed each other in succession in order to guide us to the right path.

One of the hopeful signs of today is the return of most people to the worship of God and His religion. Millions of truth seekers are familiarizing themselves with Islam and its principles.

The Definition of Islam: The Arabic meaning of "Islam" is submission, yielding and obedience. This religion of Islam was revealed by Prophet Muhammad who was the last prophet to be sent by God and therefore his mission was to guide all of mankind for all time since no prophet shall follow him.

A Muslim is one who bears witness to one God and the prophethood of Muhammad. Faith holds a higher position than submission (Islam). Faith is belief and action. A faithful Muslim's belief is rooted in a deep conviction and certitude toward his Creator in obeying and worship and sets the course of his life, behavior and thought based on Islam.

Concepts concerning the creation of the universe, belief in God, belief that the universe will end, belief in the prophets, belief in the messengers, belief in the Hereafter, and belief in the angels, are some of what is called divine doctrine. Islamic doctrine is built on basic pillars. The main pillars are:

Belief in the Oneness of God;
Belief in prophethood;
Belief in the Hereafter.

BELIEF IN THE ONENESS OF GOD (ALLAH):

The belief in Allah as the Creator of the universe is the base of Islam and the criterion of thought, education, behavior and action of a Muslim. Belief in Allah, in Islam is based on logical evidence. Islam disapproves of imitation.

Islamic doctrine is rooted in the pure belief in the Oneness of Allah and that there is no one but Allah, no one like Him, or opposite Him, or equal to Him. Allah is the Absolute, Independent and Self-Sufficient. He is above human qualities like dependence and need.

Sound intellect and scientific reason verify these facts. Logic accepts that the cause is different from the effect.

Allah, alone has divine attributes. He is absoluteness, knowledge, power, will, wisdom, and independence. He is without fault and no one is like Him in His attributes. Allah is above any fault the polytheists attribute to Him. The belief in the Oneness of Allah cannot be comprehended except after stating the attributes, which are His. They are the "attributes of perfection", like power, knowledge, will, eternal being, wisdom, creator, etc. Believing in His Oneness also entails denying whatever attributes are not His such as imperfection, need for time and space, evil, incarnation, movement, physical being, etc. These are the "negative attributes". Belief in Allah's Oneness is also belief in His actions. He can do whatever He wills and no one can repeal Allah's will, or do what He does.

True belief in the Oneness of Allah is incomplete without worshipping Him faithfully. He is the Creator and the Owner of His creatures. He grants them His grace. He is worthy of being worshipped.

Worship is the gratitude shown to the source of grace and blessing and acknowledgement of His favors and obedience to His orders. Obeying Allah propels man to break the shackles of servitude to any party except Allah. The feeling of freedom and dignity intensifies in man. The soul of man yearns for a god with such attributes and seeks to attain perfection. A Muslim knows with certainty that Allah owns the glorious attributes. he is the Just, Merciful, Wise, Oft-Returning to Mercy, Kind, Generous, Benefactor, Acknowledger of thanks, Protector, Truthful, etc. Man works to reflect these attributes on his life. Islamic rites of worship have educational and reformatory effects on the life of the individual and the group.

DIVINE JUSTICE:

Another attribute of Allah is justice. He does not do injustice to anyone, nor does He deny anything beneficial to mankind. He does not resort to injustice because He does not need to, nor is He unaware of it. He created everything on the basis of justice and right. He does not order injustice, nor does He approve of it. He does not coerce man to do something then punish him for it, nor does He order man to do something beyond his ability. He does not leave people without reward or punishment. He sent the prophets and revealed religion to save people and guide them to the right path so that we would know how to obey and worship Him.

Allah's justice is manifested in everything. For example:

Creation: He does not do injustice to anyone in respect to His creation. He creates everything in justice and right. We can see this in the creation of the human body. He creates man in a way that he can live on earth, grants him hearing, sight, emotions, mentality, and the ability to move.
Destiny: Allah causes death, provision, events that befall man and everything else on the basis of justice. Man is compensated for the pains he suffers in this life, as willed by Him, by granting him more grace than the pains he sustained.
Obligations and Laws: Divine obligations and laws are distinguished by being just. Allah does not impose any duty on His servants above their abilities. So, all the obligations are within man's capability. The prominent manifestations of divine justice are the call to social equality, administration of justice between people, and fighting oppressors, for injustice is forbidden.
Freedom of Choice: Allah grants man the ability to choose. Man can choose freely for himself. He can do good by helping the poor, respecting parents, offering prayers, and discharging justice. He can also do evil like murder, alcohol and drug use, stealing, backbiting and slander, etc. Allah never forces anyone to do anything. If He did, man would not deserve rewards or punishment in proportion to his good and evil deeds.
Punishment and Reward in the Hereafter: The good and upright ones receive Allah's grace. The evil doers are punished according to their bad deeds. If this were not so, than the doer of good and the evil doer would be equal. This is injustice and Allah is incapable of injustice.

Everyone is responsible for his own deeds: Allah never punishes anyone for something someone else has done, except when he is the one who incites to evil. In this case he is an accomplice in the evil deed.

BELIEF IN PROPHETHOOD:

The prophets and the revelations they brought call for reform and cultural values. It is the second pillar of Islamic doctrine.

The prophets are human beings ordained by Allah to carry the divine message and reform mankind because of their psychological and intellectual perfection and their righteous behavior. All the prophets called man to worship Allah. They all called to good and the best of morals. They all challenged injustice, corruption, and the tyrants. They all brought the good news of Allah's rewards and forewarned of His punishment. They all told of the Hereafter. Therefore, they all preached the same message and should all be honored and obeyed.

Islamic doctrine leans on the belief of the prophethood of Muhammad supported by the miracles. One of these miracles is the everlasting and unchangeable Qur'an, which cannot be challenged nor changed. The belief that Muhammad is the last of Allah's messengers and prophets means that all previous messages are abolished and Islam is the final perfected form of worship and religion.

The Islamic message, being complete and perfect, is able to solve all the problems of mankind.

BELIEF IN THE HEREAFTER:

The belief in the Hereafter and life after death is the third pillar of Islamic doctrine. The life of this world is only a stage in man's journey. The deeds of this life are not disconnected from their fruits in the Hereafter. Islamic doctrine, relating to the Hereafter, is composed of the following principles:

Man is flesh and soul. Death is the separation of the soul from the flesh. The body is only a container for the soul.

The materialistic world is edging towards complete destruction. No one and no thing will survive except Allah.

Allah will raise the dead from their graves as He created them in the first place.
An individual's deeds, the good, the bad, and the ugly, are recorded and nothing will be forgotten. Actions will be reckoned with justly and precisely. Both the doers of good and evil will be rewarded or punished accordingly. There is paradise and hell. There is an eternal life after death, while this material life is only a temporary stage.

Muslims believe that:

Death is a process in which the spirit leaves the body. It remains eternally in another world.
After death, human beings pass through a middle stage called the "world of isthmus" (purgatory), before the Day of Resurrection.

On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will make the spirits return to their bodies. Every one will see that every deed he performed in his life is recorded.

In summary Islamic doctrine is the belief in Allah, His books, His apostles, His angels, the Day of Resurrection and Judgement, and submission to Allah's will.

DUA’-AS FROM THE HOLY QURAN

2007-11-21T18:31:00.000+08:00

(1) No matter how much wisdom you have, beseech Allah to guide you on the right path, whatever the field of enquiry or activity you are taking after. Seek Allah’s help to keep you very close to the ways and means of the righteous and the pious servants of Allah (the Holy Prophet and his Ahl ul Bayt), the surest road to success, in this and the next world, and to keep you away from the dishonest methods and hypocritical attitude of the astray devils (the followers of the accursed shaytan), although they may appear profitable for a little while, but finally bring ruin and destruction in the end.

Keep us (O Lord) on the right path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed Your bounties, not (the path) of those, inflicted with Your wrath, nor (of those) gone astray.

IHDINAS’S’IRAAT’AL MUSTAQEEM S’RAAT’AL LAD’EENA AN-A’MTA A’LAYHIM GHAYRIL MAGHZ’’OOBI A’LAYHIM WA LAZ’’ Z’’AALLEEN
(AL FAATIH’AH: 6 and 7)

(2) Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Isma-il while building up the house of Allah, the holy ka’bah, prayed to Allah for the successful completion of their project. Putting in the best efforts does not make your labour fruitful, because there are many unknown and uncontrollable forces working in the universe that can bring disappointment if Allah, who not only knows but has total control over all things and events, does not help you. So always invoke Allah by reciting this verse in the traditions of His prophets, whenever you take up a job, which has not been prohibited.

Also recite this verse at the end of any good deed-after praying and wajib or sunnah salat, or when you have read whole or part of the holy Quran, in a single sitting, or after attending a majlis (a religious gathering for mentioning the merits of the Holy prophet and his Ahl ul Bayt). Recitation of this verse is also recommended for seeking fulfillment of any legitimate desire.

O our Lord, accept (this service) from us. Verily You and You (alone) are the hearer, the knower.

RABBANAA TAQABBAL MINNA INNAKA ANTAS SAMEE-U’L A’LEEM
(AL BAQARAH: 127)

(3) This verse tells us not to turn to anyone but Allah to ask for fulfillment of all our wants and needs, and also makes it clear that there is no other way to get satisfaction of our desires except to invoke Allah, who answers whenever called by a supplicant. It brings you near Allah and keeps you on the right path. Allah answers to the cry for help because the love of Allah for His servants is much greater than the love of a mother for her children. This dua’a may be recited before and other dua’a as it helps to get nearness of Allah and to have complete faith in Him alone; and because Allah says He will answer whenever He is called. This verse makes the recitation of dua’as necessary and obligatory for all Muslims. (Please see Imam’s saying at the beginning).

To multiply livelihood and to obtain fulfillment of legitimate desires recite this verse 700 times after performing wudu and before praying any wajib salat. It can be reduced to 70 times or 7 times according to your convenience.

And when my servants ask you about Me, then (say to them that) verily I am very near; I answer the prayers of the supplicant when he beseeches Me. So they should hear My call, and believe in Me, so that They may be led aright.

WA ID ‘AA SA-ALAKA I’BAADEE A’NNEE FA INNEE QAREEB UJEEBU DA’-WATADDAA-I’ID’AA DA-A’ANI FAL-YASTAJEEBOO LEE WAL YOO-MINOO BEE LA-A’LLAHUM YARSHUDOON
(AL BAQARAH: 186)

(4) According to this verse, short and temporary life in this world is as important as the eternal life in hereafter.

Although good in the permanent life of hereafter is the aim of all Muslims, but good in this world is also necessary because man has been asked by his creator Lord to take part in all activities of this world without breaking the rules and regulations, made by Him. So beseech Him for the good in both the worlds. This verse is generally recited as qunoot in all prayers.It can be recited at the time of walking around (tawaf) the holy ka’-bah.

Our Lord, give us good in this world, and good in the hereafter, and save us from the torment of fire.

RABBANAAA AATINAA FIDDUNYAA H’ASANATAW WA FIL AAKHIRATI H’ASANATAW WA QINAA A’D’AABAN NAAR
(AL BAQARAH: 201)

(5) This verse teaches us to pray for grant of patience and perseverance in the face of trials and tribulations of this world so that we remain faithful to the true religion of Allah, even if deprived of the comforts of life, as these two aspects of our character makes us fight our enemies and the enemies of Allah.

If we read the life account of Holy prophet, Imam Ali and their infallible descendants, we find that their lives were the true exposition of this verse. Recite this dua’a in the times of trial, and to undo and put an end to the intrigues of your enemies.

O OUR lord, pour patience down on us, and make our foothold firm, and help us against the disbelieving people.

RABANAAA AFRIGH A’LAYNAA S’ABRAW WA THABBIT AQDAMANAA WAN S’URNAA A’LAL QAWMIL KAAFIREEN
(Al BAQARAH: 250)

(6) The right path (what to do and what not to do) has been clearly shown to man by Allah. These commandments are very easy to follow, not beyond our capacity, as the Holy prophet once said: :”I have brought for you a very easy religion.”

Now man is responsible for what he does. If we make mistakes, by breaking laws of Allah, we must admit our mistakes and humbly and sincerely seek forgiveness of our merciful Lord, who not only forgives faults but helps us to overcome our enemies and the enemies of Allah; and in this way, keeps away from us hardships and sorrows that they (enemies) might bring if Allah does not stop them, in answer to our supplications.

Through this prayer we pray for the triumph of truth over falsehood and the suppression of satanic tendencies by godliness, and ask Allah not to inflict on us situations under which we may not be able to avoid wrongdoing. After acknowledging our limitations we undertake to work at our maximum capacity, hoping that through His mercy HE will wipe clean all traces of errors and mistakes.

O our Lord, do not hold us responsible if we forget or make a mistake. O our Lord, do not lay on us a burden such as You laid on those before us. O our Lord, do not impose upon us that which we have not the strength (to bear). Pardon us, and forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Lord-master, so help us against the unbelieving people.

RABBANAA LAA TOO-AKHID’NAA IN-NASEENAA AW AKHT’AANAA RABBANAA WALAA TAH’MIL A’LAYNAA IS’RAN KAMAA HA’MALTAHOO A'LAL LAZEENA MIN QABLENAA RABBANAA WA LAA TUH’AMMILNA MAA LAA TAAQATA LANAA BEHI WA’-FU A’NNAA WAGHFIRLANAA WARH’AMNAA ANTA MAWLANAA FANS’URNAA A’LAL QAWMIL KAAFIREEN
(Al BAQARAH: 286)

(7) It is better to be careful and recite this dua’a in advance so that we may not change our heart and mind (follow another religion) after accepting the true religion of Allah, Islam, the only right path. This prayer is a precaution to avoid possible perversion of the mind and the heart after accepting divine guidance. The purpose of our lives in this temporary and transient world is to make preparation for the eternal life of the hereafter. To strengthen you faith recite this dua’a in every wajib as well as Sunnah salat.

O our Lord, do not suffer our hearts to go astray after You have (rightly) guided us, grant us mercy from You, for verily You and You (alone) are the ever bestower.

RABBANAA LAA TUZIGH QULOOBANAA BA’-DA ID’HADAYTANAA WA HAB LANAA MIL LADUNKA RAH’MAH INNAKA ANTAL WAHHAAB
(ALI IMRAN: 8)

(8) Sovereignty belongs to Allah. He is the sole and ultimate authority in the domains of creation and legislation. Every thing is created by Him, so total submission to His will is Islam, which has been described in these verses in the form of a prayer. The Holy Prophet and his Ahl ul Bayt have rightly advised the believers to recite this prayer ay all occasions, so that the conviction in the omnipotence of the almighty Lord permeates their hearts and minds to guide them in all their mental and physical activities. A complete resignation to Allah’s will is possible only when man believes that it is Allah who alone can do and undo things, conceivable and inconceivable, easy and difficult. Then the grace of the Lord abounds, because in His hand is all good. There should be no complaint, nor grudge, nor frustration. With total resignation to His will, man must pray and invoke His mercy to obtain fulfillment of his or her legitimate wants and needs.

He (Allah) and He alone, and no one else, bestows upon whomsoever He chooses, the power to exercise authority, in this world, or in the hereafter. To some he gives power in this world though many of them do not follow his commandments. We must not get confused. It is not our lookout because knowledge of things, persons and events is hopelessly very little. He knows why He has done so. Abdullah Ibni Abbas said that this verse may contain the great name of Allah, ismi azam. If this dua’a is recited with realization of its meaning, the realization of His absolute sovereignty and His exclusive right and option, Allah will fulfill the legitimate desires of the reciter of this dua’a.

Not to be proud and arrogant after achieving success, in this world, recite this dua’a regularly.

According to the Holy prophet whoso recited these verses daily after the Fajr salat, gets sufficient means of livelihood. Also the reciter gets enough funds to repay loans. To discard nervousness in big public gatherings, or if there is fear of a person or a group of persons recite this dua’a.

O Allah, master of the kingdom. You give kingdom to whomsoever You like and take away the kingdom from whosoever You like. You exalt whomsoever you like and abases whomsoever You like; in Your hand is the good; verily You have the power over all things. You cause the night to pass into the day, and You cause the day to pass into the night; You bring forth the living from the dead, and You bring forth the dead from the living, and You give sustenance to whom You like, without measure.

ALLAAHUMMA MAALIKAL MULKI TOO-TIL MULKA MAN TASHAAA-U WA TANZIL-U’L MULKA MIMMAN TASHAAA WA TU’I’ZZU MAN TASHAAA-U WA TUD’ILLU MAN TASHAAA BIYADIKAL KHAYR INNAKA A’LAA KULLI SHAY-IN QADEER TOOLIJUL LAYLA FIN NAHAARI WA TOOLIJUN NAHAARA FIL LAYL WA TUKHRIJUL H’AYYA MINAL MAYYITI WA TUKHRIJUL MAYYITA MINAL H’AYY WA TARZUQU MAN TASHAAA-U BIGHAYRIH’ISAAB
(ALI IMRAN: 26 AND 27)

(9) When Zakariyya saw Maryam receiving her sustenance direct from Allah, he was so much convinced of His extraordinary benevolence and its miraculous nature that he beseeched Him to give him a tayyab (virtuous, blessed and good) son, he could not normally have since his wife was barren. Recitation of this dua’a 7 times after every wajib salat will make your children pious and obedient.

O lord, bestow on me a goodly offspring from You; verily, You are the hearer of prayer.

RABBI HAB LEE MIL LADUNKA D’URRIYYATAN T’AYYIBAH INNAKA SAMEE-U’D DU-A’AA
(ALI IMRAN: 38)

(10) The holy Quran says that all the prophets of Allah who had fought in the way of Allah, never giving in to the enemies of Allah, used to recite this dua’a.

By reason of their steadfastness and their asking for protection and seeking refuge with Allah, Allah granted them victory against infidels, glorified their mission and enhanced their reputation.As human beings we may commit mistakes and not follow the instructions given by Allah, so we must seek His forgiveness with firm determination that we will not commit such sins any more. We must also recite this dua’a to remain firm in our faith no matter what the temptations are, so that we may defeat our enemies and the enemies of Allah.

This dua’a can also be recited to remove hardships and difficulties put in your way by our enemies so as to induce us to give up the right way of doing things as Allah has asked us to do.

O our Lord, forgive us our sins and our excuses in our affairs, and set our foothold firm, and help us against the disbelieving people.

RABBANAGHFIR LANAA D’UNOOBANAA WA ISRAAFANAA FEEE AMRINAA WA THABBIT AQDAAMANAA WAN S’URNAA A’LAL QAWMIL KAAFIREEN
(ALI IMRAN: 147)

(11) The holy Quran says that those who remember Allah and try to understand the nature of His creation recite this dua’a, because in the creation of heavens and the earth and in the difference of night and day are signs of His omnipotence for the men of understanding.

Recite this dua’a in the qunoot of tahajjud (night prayer).

O our lord, You have not created (all) this in vain. Glory be to You. Save us then from the torment of fire.

RABBANAA MAA KHALAOTA HAAD’AA BAAT’TILAA SUBH’AANAKA FAQINAA A’D’AABAN NAAR
(ALI IMRAN: 191)

(12) This is the continuation of dua’a 11. The wise men hear the message of Allah, and, as they have already understood the meaning of the nature of divine creation, readily accept the true faith, the belief in the one and only Allah, seeking His forgiveness for the sins they have committed in the days of ignorance; and not forgetting that Allah (alone0 can keep them on the right path till the last day of their lives in this world, invoke Him to make them die as true believers.

Make a habit of reciting this dua’a because there is nothing worth keeping with yourself except the true faith to the last breath of your life, in order to obtain permanent bliss in the next world. This world is a place of test and trial for you. Even after a whole life time of true faith if a person for a single insignificant moment, does not believe in the one and only almighty Allah in the last breath of his life, he is forever condemned to the fire of hell.

O our Lord, we have indeed heard the voice of crier (messenger) calling (us) to faith: “Believe in your Lord.” So we believed. Our Lord, forgive us then our sins, and remove from us our evil deeds, and make us die with the virtuous.

RABBANAAA INNANAA SAMI’-NAA MUNAADIYAY YUNAADEE LIL-EEMAANI AN AAMINOO BIRABBIKUM FA-AAMANNA RABBANAA FAGHFIR LANAA D’UNOOBANAA WA KAFFIR A’NNAA SAYYII-AATINAA WA TAWAFFANNA MA-A’L ABRAAR
(ALI IMRAN: 193)

(13) Through this dua’a the faithful servants of Allah, who have accepted the true religion, revealed by Allah through His messengers, invoke Allah to keep them safe from the same shame and disgrace, the evil-doers will face on the day of judgment, because rewards and favours have been promised only for those who believe in Allah and do good deeds in this world.

Every faithful should recite this dua’a to receive favours of Allah on the day of judgment.

O our Lord, give us what You have promised us through Your messengers, and do not disgrace us on the day of resurrection. Verily, You do not break your promise.

RABBANAA WA AATINAA MAA WA-A’TTANNAA A’LAA RUSULIKA WA LAA TUKHIZNAA YAWMAL QIYAAMAH INNAKA LAA TUKHLIFUL MEE-A’AD
(ALI IMRAN:194)

(14) This dua’a should be recited to obtain protection of Allah when calamities surround you, having total faith in His power, with firm determination that you will always thank your Lord for saving you from the calamities.

If He (our Lord) delivers from this, certainly we shall be of the thankful.

LA-IN ANJAANAA MIN HAAD’IHEE LANAKOO-NANNA MINASH SHAAKIREEN
(AN A’AM:63)

(15) Every true believer must seek Allah’s help to avoid the company of unjust people who not only do not believe in Allah but have gone astray by not following the rules and regulations made by Allah to direct their behaviour in this world.

O our Lord, put us not together with the unjust people.

RABBANAA LAA TAJ-A’LNAA MA-A’L QAWMIZ’Z’AALIMEEN
(A’-RAAF: 47)

(16) If hardship, poverty and discomfort come into your life, you as a faithful servant of Allah must recite this dua’a to have patience and self-control to remain firm on the right path and face misfortunes boldly, without ever showing any weakness, or taking any action that has been prohibited, so that you may leave this world as a true muslim, submitting to the will of Allah.

A group of master magicians, on the invitation of Pharaoh, came to show their superiority over Moosa because Pharaoh wrongly thought that Moosa was also a magician. The magicians threw a few ropes on the floor and they took the shape of snakes. Moosa put the staff, he was holding in his hand on the ground. The staff changed into a python and swallowed up the snakes. Pharaoh got angry and threatened to kill them. When the magicians came to know that Moosa was not a magician but a prophet of Allah, and what they saw was a miracle of Allah, they laughed at Pharaoh and recited this dua’a.

O our Lord, pour out on us patience, and make us die as those who have submitted (to You).

RABBANAA AFRIGH A’LAYNAA S’ABRAW WA TAWAFFANAA MUSLIMEEN
(A’-RAAF: 126)

(17) A true faithful must always recite this dua’a to seek mercy of the merciful Lord, particularly when he is in the middle of unmanageable difficulties.

To receive the Tawrat Moosa climbed the mountain of Toor and observed fast for 30 days, as directed by Allah. Moosa noticed that on account of fasting his mouth was stinking, so he thought it improper to pronounce the glory of Allah with a stinking mouth, and brushed his teeth. It was considered as an act of disobedience and he was required to observe fast for 10 more days. After 40 days, Moosa came back to his people with Tawrat, but he found his people worshipping the false god of the magician, Saamiree. Seeing this Moosa became angry and criticized his brother Haroon who was acting as lieutenant, in his 40 days absence. Haroon explained that he tried his best to keep them on the right path and warned them against the tricks of magician but they paid no attention to his advice, so his brother (Moosa) should not have included him in the group of unjust followers. Moosa on hearing the explanation of Haroon recited this dua’a.

It is highly recommended to read this dua’a as qunoot in all prayers.

O Allah, forgive me and my brother and admit us to Your mercy, You are the most merciful of the merciful.

RABBIGHFIR LEE WA LI-AKHEE WA ADKHILNAA FEE RAH’MATIKA WA ANTA ARH’AMUR RAAH’IMEEN
(A’RAAF: 151)

(18) Recite this dua’a again and again to take stock of your mistakes and faults as to avoid them in future, and to seek Allah’s protection and forgiveness with firm determination that you will live an honest and pious life to deserve His mercy.

According to holy Quran, Moosa chose his people 70 men, who insisted upon seeing Allah with their own eyes, for an appointed tyrst on the mountain. As soon as they reached there, a trembling came on them. All the 70 men were destroyed. Then Moosa recited this dua’a to beseech Allah to have mercy on him and the pious among his followers.

(O Lord) You are our guardian, so forgive us and have mercy on us and You are the best of the forgivers.

ANTA WALIYYUNNA FAGHFIR LANAA WARH’AMNAA WA ANTA KHAYRUL GHAAFIREEN
(A’-RAAF: 155)

(19) This dua’a was also recited by Moosa immediately after the above noted dua’a to invoke Allah to give him and his followers all that which is good in this world and the next world, because it is Allah (alone) who can give whatever His obedient servants ask for. Allah’s mercy enfolds all those wrong-doers who turn repentant unto Him as said in verse 153 of al Araf. Islam assures the sinners that the doors of Allah’s mercy remain open for those who sincerely turn repentant to Allah.

(O Lord) ordain for us good in this world and in the hereafter. Verily we turn to You alone.

WAKTUB LANAA FEE HAAD’IHID DUNYAA H’ASANATAW WA FIL AAKHIRATI INNAA HUDNAAA ILAYK
(A’RAAF: 156)

(20) Whenever Allah revealed the verses of the holy Quran to His last prophet the hypocritic men used to ask each other how could these verses of Allah be of any use to them?

In this verse Allah says that His messenger was very kind to his followers and was anxious not to overburden them, he was full of pity and mercy. When they turned away, Allah asked the Holy Prophet to recite this verse.

This dua’a was recited by the Holy Prophet. We, his followers, must also recite it to put our trust in Allah (alone) and to ask for the fulfillment of all our desires. If recited 66 times daily, it brings honour and respect.

Suffices me Allah. There is no god save Him. On Him do I rely, and He is the Lord of the great ‘ARSH’ (the glorious throne of the mighty power.)

H’ASBIYALLAAH LAAA ILAAHA ILLAA-HUW A’LAYHI TAWAKKALTU WA HUWA RABBUL A’RSHIL A’Z’EEM
(TAWBAH: 129)

(21) When Moosa observed that none from among his people, save a few, trusted him, because they were in fear of Pharaoh and his chiefs, he advised them to put trust in Allah if they had indeed surrendered unto Him, then they recited this dua’a.

We must also recite this dua’a daily to remain firm in our faith and to seek protection of Allah from the harm of our enemies.

O our Lord, make us not a trial for the unjust people. And deliver us by Your mercy from the disbelieving people.

RABBANNA LAA TAJ-A’LNAA FITNATAL LIL-WAQMIZ’ Z’AALIMEEN WA NAJJINAA BIRAH’MATIKA MINAL QAWMIL KAAFIREEN
(YUNUS: 85 and 86)

(22) When Nooh came to know that Allah was going to destroy all that had been created, by drowning the whole world, except those who came on the ark built by him, he advised one of his dons to do the same. His son refused and told his father that he would climb a high mountain, but waves like mountains came and he was drowned. Nooh cried unto his Lord and said his son was his household and that surely the word of Allah came true because He is most just in all judges.

This dua’a is to be recited along-with any other prayer (dua’a) which is recited to seek fulfillment of legitimate desires.

(My) Lord, verily my son is of my family; and verily Your promise is true and You are the most just of all judges.

RABBI INNABNEE MIN AHLEE A INNA WA’-DAKAL H’AQQU WA ANTA AH’KAMUL H’AAKIMEEN
(HOOD: 45)

If any of the Quranic verses written in this blog is not recited as qunoot in any salat, but prayed as a du-a’a then recite ; in the beginning ALLAAHUMMA S’ALLI A’ALAA MUH’AMMADIN WA AALI MUH’AMMAD Before you say and the text of the verse (du-a’a) and in the end again say ALLAAHUMMA S’ALLI A’ALAA MUH’AMMADIN WA AALI MUH’AMMAD

IMAM ALI IBN ABI TALIB SAYS : Put faith in Allah. Seek His protection. Direct your prayers, requests, solicitations and supplications to Him and Him alone. To give as well as to withhold lies in His power. Ask as much of His favours as you can.

Know that Allah owns the treasures of the heavens and the earth. Not only He has given permission to ask for His mercy and favours, but also has promised to listen to your prayers. He has not appointed guards to prevent your prayers reaching Him. Invoke His help in difficulties and distress. Implore Him to grant you long life and sound health. Pray to Him for prosperity.

Think over it that by simply granting you the privilege of praying for His favours and mercy, He has handed over the keys of His treasures to you. Whenever you are in need, pray, and He gives His favours and blessings.

Sometimes you find requests are not immediately granted. Do not be disappointed. Fulfillment of desires rest in the true purpose or intention of the prayer. More often fulfillment is delayed because merciful Lord wants to bestow upon you suitable rewards. In the meantime bear patiently hardships, believing sincerely in His help. You will get better favours, because, unknowingly you may ask for things which are really harmful to you. Many of your requests, if granted, may bring eternal damnation. So at times, withholding fulfillment is a blessing in disguise.

SAY : S’ALLALLAAHU A’LAYHI WA AALIHEE WA SALLAM Whenever you read or say the name of any epithet or appellation of the Holy Prophet.

SAY : A’LAYHIS SALAAM Whenever you read or say the name or any epithet or appellation of any Imam of Ahl ul Bayt, any prophet or messenger of Allah, and any distinguished member of the family of the Holy Prophet.

SAY : SALAWAATULLAAHI A’LAYHAA Whenever you read or say the name of Fatimah Zahra, Khadija Kubra, Zaynab Binti Ali, Maryam or Asiya.

ANGER MANAGEMENT IN ISLAM

2007-11-21T14:58:00.000+08:00

Anger is one of the evil whispers of Shaytaan, which leads to so many evils and tragedies, of which only Allah knows their full extent. For this reason Islam has a great deal to say about this bad characteristic, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) described cures for this "disease" and ways to limit its effects, among which are the following:

(1) Seeking refuge with Allah from the Shaytaan:

Sulayman ibn Sard said: "I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and two men were slandering one another. One of them was red in the face, and the veins on his neck were standing out. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, 'I know a word which, if he were to say it, what he feels would go away. If he said "I seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytaan," what he feels (i.e., his anger) would go away.'" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 6/337)

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "If a man gets angry and says, 'I seek refuge with Allah,' his anger will go away." (Saheeh al-Jaami' al-Sagheer, no. 695)

(2) Keeping silent:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "If any of you becomes angry, let him keep silent." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, al-Musnad, 1/329; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 693, 4027).

This is because in most cases, the angry person loses self control and could utter words of kufr (from which we seek refuge with Allah), or curses, or the word of divorce (talaaq) which would destroy his home, or words of slander which would bring him the enmity and hatred of others. So, in short, keeping silent is the solution which helps one to avoid all that.

(3) Not moving:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "If any of you becomes angry and he is standing, let him sit down, so his anger will go away; if it does not go away, let him lie down."

The narrator of this hadeeth is Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), and there is a story connected to his telling of it: he was taking his camels to drink at a trough that he owned, when some other people came along and said (to one another), "Who can compete with Abu Dharr (in bringing animals to drink) and make his hair stand on end?" A man said, "I can," so he brought his animals and competed with Abu Dharr, with the result that the trough was broken. [i.e., Abu Dharr was expecting help in watering his camels, but instead the man misbehaved and caused the trough to be broken]. Abu Dharr was standing, so he sat down, then he laid down. Someone asked him, "O Abu Dharr, why did you sit down then lie down?" He said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: . . ." and quoted the hadeeth. (The hadeeth and this story may be found in Musnad Ahmad, 5/152; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', no. 694).

According to another report, Abu Dharr was watering his animals at the trough, when another man made him angry, so he sat down . . . (Fayd al-Qadeer, al-Manaawi, 1/408)

Among the benefits of this advice given by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the fact that it prevents the angry person from going out of control, because he could strike out and injure someone, or even kill - as we will find out shortly - or he could destroy possessions and so on. Sitting down makes it less likely that he will become overexcited, and lying down makes it even less likely that he will do something crazy or harmful. Al-'Allaamah al-Khattaabi, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his commentary on Abu Dawud: "One who is standing is in a position to strike and destroy, while the one who is sitting is less likely to do that, and the one who is lying down can do neither. It is possible that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told the angry person to sit down or lie down so that he would not do something that he would later regret. And Allah knows best." (Sunan Abi Dawud, with Ma'aalim al-Sunan, 5/141)

(4) Following the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):

Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that a man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "Advise me." He said, "Do not become angry." The man repeated his request several times, and each time the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told him, "Do not become angry." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Fath al-Bari, 10/456)

According to another report, the man said: "I thought about what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, and I realized that anger combines all kinds of evil." (Musnad Ahmad, 5/373)

(5) Do not become angry and Paradise will be yours (a saheeh hadeeth, see Saheeh al-Jaami', 7374. Ibn Hajr attributed it to al-Tabaraani, see al-Fath 4/465):

Remembering what Allah has promised to the righteous (muttaqeen) who keep away from the causes of anger and struggle within themselves to control it, is one of the most effective ways of extinguishing the flames of anger. One of the ahaadeeth that describe the great reward for doing this is: "Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to act upon it, Allah will fill his heart with contentment on the Day of Resurrection." (Reported by al-Tabaraani, 12/453, see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 6518).

Another great reward is described in the Prophet's words: "Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to act upon it, Allah will call him before all of mankind on the Day of Resurrection, and will let him choose of the Hoor al-'Iyn whoever he ants." (Reported by Abu Dawud, 4777, and others. It is classified as hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami, 6518).

(6) Knowing the high status and advantages offered to those who control themselves:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The strong man is not the one who can overpower others (in wrestling); rather, the strong man is the one who controls himself when he gets angry." (Reported by Ahmad, 2/236; the hadeeth is agreed upon). The greater the anger, the higher the status of the one who controls himself. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The strongest man is the one who, when he gets angry and his face reddens and his hackles rise, is able to defeat his anger." (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 5/367, and classified as hasan in Saheeh al-Jaami', 3859)

Anas reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed by some people who were wrestling. He asked, "What is this?" They said: "So-and-so is the strongest, he can beat anybody." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Shall I not tell you who is even stronger then him? The man who, when he is mistreated by another, controls his anger, has defeated his own shaytaan and the shaytaan of the one who made him angry." (Reported by al-Bazzaar, and Ibn Hajr said its isnaad is saheeh. Al-Fath, 10/519)

(7) Following the Prophet's example in the case of anger:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is our leader and has set the highest example in this matter, as is recorded in a number of ahaadeeth. One of the most famous was reported by Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: "I was walking with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he was wearing a Najraani cloak with a rough collar. A Bedouin came and seized him roughly by the edge of his cloak, and I saw the marks left on his neck by the collar. Then the Bedouin ordered him to give him some of the wealth of Allah that he had. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) turned to him and smiled, then ordered that he should be given something." (Agreed upon. Fath al-Baari, 10/375)

Another way in which we can follow the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is by making our anger for the sake of Allah, when His rights are violated. This is the kind of anger which is praiseworthy. So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) became angry when he was told about the imaam who was putting people off the prayer by making it too long; when he saw a curtain with pictures of animate creatures in 'Aa'ishah's house; when Usaamah spoke to him about the Makhzoomi woman who had been convicted of theft, and he said "Do you seek to intervene concerning one of the punishments prescribed by Allah?"; when he was asked questions that he disliked, and so on. His anger was purely for the sake of Allah.

(8) Knowing that resisting anger is one of the signs of righteousness (taqwaa):

The righteous (al-muttaqoon) are those praised by Allah in the Qur'aan and by His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Paradise as wide as heaven and earth has been prepared for them. One of their characteristics is that they (interpretation of the meaning) "spend (in Allah's Cause) in prosperity and in adversity, [they] repress anger, and [they] pardon men; verily, Allah loves al-muhsinoon (the good-doers)." [Aal 'Imraan 3:134]
These are the ones whose good character and beautiful attributes and deeds Allah has mentioned, and whom people admire and want to emulate. One of their characteristics is that (interpretation of the meaning) ". . . when they are angry, they forgive." [al-Shooraa 42:47]

(9) Listening to reminders:

Anger is a part of human nature, and people vary in their anger. It may be difficult for a man not to get angry, but sincere people will remember Allah when they are reminded, and they will not overstep the mark.

Some examples follow:

Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man sought permission to speak to 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him), then he said: "O son of al-Khattaab, you are not giving us much and you are not judging fairly between us." 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was so angry that he was about to attack the man, but al-Hurr ibn Qays, who was one of those present, said: "O Ameer al-Mu'mineen, Allah said to His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): 'Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish' [al-A'raaf 7:199]. This man is one of the foolish." By Allah, 'Umar could go no further after al-Hurr had recited this aayah to him, and he a man who was careful to adhere to the Book of Allah. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 4/304).
This is how the Muslim should be. The evil munaafiq (hypocrite) was not like this when he was told the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and one of the Companions said to him, "Seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytaan." He said to the one who reminded him, "Do you think I am crazy? Go away!" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, 1/465). We seek refuge with Allah from failure.

(10) Knowing the bad effects of anger:

The negative effects of anger are many; in short they cause damage to one's own self and to others. The angry person may utter words of slander and obscenity, he may attack others (physically) in an uncontrolled manner, even to the point of killing. The following story contains a valuable lesson:

'Ilqimah ibn Waa'il reported that his father (may Allah be pleased with him) told him: "I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when a man came to him leading another man by a rope. He said, 'O Messenger of Allah, this man killed my brother.' The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked him, 'Did you kill him?' He said, 'Yes, I killed him.' He asked, 'How did you kill him?' He said, 'He and I were hitting a tree to make the leaves fall, for animal feed, and he slandered me, so I struck him on the side of the head with an axe, and killed him.' . . ." (Reported by Muslim, 1307, edited by al-Baaqi).

Anger could lead to less than killing, such as wounding and breaking bones. If the one who caused the anger runs away, the angry person turns his anger in on himself, so he may tear his clothes, or strike his cheeks, or have a fit, or fall unconscious, or he may break dishes and plates, or break furniture.

In the worst cases, anger results in social disasters and the breaking of family ties, i.e., divorce. Ask many of those who divorced their wives, and they will tell you: it was in a moment of anger. This divorce results in misery for the children, regret and frustration, a hard and difficult life, all as a result of anger. If they had remembered Allah, come to their senses, restrained their anger and sought refuge with Allah, none of this would have happened. Going against the sharee'ah only results in loss.

The damage to health that results from anger can only be described by doctors, such as thrombosis, high blood pressure, tachycardia (abnormally rapid heartbeat) and hyperventilation (rapid, shallow breathing), which can lead to fatal heart attacks, diabetes, etc. We ask Allah for good health.

(11) The angry person should think about himself during moments of anger:

If the angry person could see himself in the mirror when he is angry, he would hate himself and the way he looks. If he could see the way he changes, and the way his body and limbs shake, how his eyes glare and how out of control and crazy his behaviour is, he would despise himself and be revolted by his own appearance. It is well-known that inner ugliness is even worse than outer ugliness; how happy the Shaytaan must be when a person is in this state! We seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytaan and from failure.

(12) Du'aa':

Du'aa' is always the weapon of the believer, whereby he asks Allah to protect him from evil, trouble and bad behaviour and seeks refuge with Him from falling into the pit of kufr or wrongdoing because of anger. One of the three things that can help save him is: being fair at times of contentment and of anger (Saheeh al-Jaami', 3039). One of the du'aa's of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was:

"O Allah, by Your knowledge of the Unseen and Your power over Your creation, keep me alive for as long as You know life is good for me, and cause me to die when You know death is good for me. O Allah, I ask You to make me fear You in secret and in public, and I ask You to make me speak the truth in times of contentment and of anger. I ask You not to let me be extravagant in poverty or in prosperity. I ask You for continuous blessings, and for contentment that does not end. I ask You to let me accept Your decree, and for a good life after death. I ask You for the joy of seeing Your face and for the longing to meet You, without going through diseases and misguiding fitnah (trials). O Allah, adorn us with the adornment of faith and make us among those who are guided. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds."

"And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not do or witness not) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those one will be questioned (by Allah)." (Al-Isra' 17:36)

POINTERS ON CHOOSING MARRIAGE PARTNERS

2007-11-20T16:48:00.000+08:00

In light of the experience of the past years, it is time to take stock and try to halt the ever-mounting tide of divorces among Muslims. It is not unusual today to find Muslim women (and even an occasional Muslim man) who, by the time they are 30 or 35, have been married three or four times, their children suffering again and again through the trauma of fatherless and broken homes. Accordingly, we may list a few essential points to be considered by both brothers and sisters in the process of choosing a partner in life (although the masculine pronoun has been used throughout for the sake of simplicity, the following is generally equally applicable to both men and women).

1. Du'a.
Unceasingly ask help and guidance from Allah, Most High, in the matter of finding and choosing a mate. As often as you feel it necessary, pray Salaah al-Istikhara, Islam's special prayer for guidance, in order to reach a suitable decision.

2. Consult your heart.
Listen to what your inner voice, the 'radar' which Allah has given you to guide you, tells you about the prospective partner. It is likely to be more correct than your mind, which often plays tricks and can rationalise almost any- thing. For many people, first impressions are often the most accurate.

3. Enquire.
Find out the reason why this man wants to marry you. Is he interested in you as an individual or will just any person do? Why is he not doing the logical thing, that is, to marry someone from his culture? If there is evidence that the primary reason for this marriage, despite claims to the contrary, is for convenience (greencard, money, property, etc.), forget it. This spells trouble.

4. Get to know your prospective partner, within the limits of what is permissible in Islam, before deciding on marriage.
Just ' seeing' someone once or twice in the company of others, who may be anxious for this marriage to take place, is simply not enough under today's conditions, where two per- sons of totally dis-similar backgrounds are meeting each other without the safeguards of families. Without violating Islam's prohibition about being alone, try to understand his nature, what makes him tick, his temperament, what he might be like to live with.

5. Talk to several people who know your prospective partner, not just one, or have someone whom you can trust do this for you.
Ask about him from various people, not just from his friends because they may conceal facts to do him a favour. And ask not only about his background, career, Islamicity, etc., but about such crucial matters as whether he gets angry easily; what he does when he is 'mad'; whether he is patient, polite, considerate; how he gets along with people; how he relates to the opposite sex; what sort of relationship he has with his mother and father; whether he is fond of children; what his personal habits are, etc. And find out about his plans for the future from people who know him. Do they coincide with what he has told you? Go into as much detail as possible. Check out his plans for the future - where you will live and what your lifestyle will be, his attitudes toward money and possessions and the like. If you can't get answers to such crucial questions from people who know him, ask him yourself and try to make sure he is not just saying what he knows you want to hear. Too many people will make all kinds of promises before marriages in order to secure the partner they want but afterwards forget that they ever made them, (this naturally applies equally to women as to men).

6. Find out about his family, his relations with his parents, brothers and sisters.
What will his obligations be to them in the future? How will this affect where and under what conditions you will live? What are the character and temperament of each of his parents? Will they live with you or you with them? And are they pleased with his prospective marriage to you or not? Although it may not be the case in most Western marriages, among Muslims such issues are often crucial to the success or failure of a marriage, and answers to these questions need to be satisfactory to ensure a peaceful married life.

7. Understand each other's expectations.
Try to get a sense of your prospective partner's under- standing of the marriage relationship, how he will behave in various situations, and what he wants of you as his spouse. These are issues which should be discussed clearly and unambiguously as the negotiations progress, not left to become sources of disharmony after the marriage because they were never brought up beforehand. If you are too shy to ask certain questions, have a person you trust do it for you. At an advanced stage of the negotiations, such a discussion should include such matters as birth control, when children are to be expected, how they are to be raised, how he feels about helping with housework and with the children's upbringing, whether or not you may go to school or work, relations with his family and yours, and other vital issues.

8. See him interacting with others in various situations.
The more varied conditions under which you are able to observe your prospective partner, the more clues you will have as to his mode of dealing with people and circumstances.

9. Find out what his understanding of Islam is and whether it is compatible with your own.
This is a very important matter. Is he expecting you to do many things which you have not done up to this point? If he emphasises " Haraams", especially if you are a new Muslimah, and seems unable to tolerate your viewpoint, chances are your marriage will be in trouble unless you are flexible enough to accommodate yourself to his point of view and possibly a very restrictive lifestyle. Let him spell out to you clearly how he intends to practise Islam and how he wants you to practise it as his wife so there will be no misunderstandings later.

10. Don't be in a hurry.
So many marriages have broken because the partners are in such haste that they don't take time to make such vital checks as the ones outlined above and rush into things. Shocking as it may seem, marriages between Muslims which are contracted and then broken within a week or a month or a year have become common place occurrences among us. Don't add yourself to the list of marriage casualties because you couldn't take time or were too desperate for marriage to find out about or get to know the person with whom you plan to spend the rest of your life.

11. Ask yourself, Do I want this man/woman to be the father/mother of my children?
If it doesn't feel just right to you, think it over again. Remember, marriage is not just for today or tomorrow but for life, and for the primary purpose of building a family. If the person in question doesn't seem like the sort who would make a good parent, you are likely to find yourself struggling to raise your children without any help from him or her - or even with negative input - in the future.

12. Never allow yourself to be pressured or talked into a marriage.
Your heart must feel good about it, not someone else's. Again, allegations of "Islamicity" - he is pious, has a beard, frequents the Masjid, knows about Islam; she wears Hijab, does not talk to men- are not necessarily guarantees of a good partner for you or of a good marriage, but are only a part of a total picture. If an individual practises the Sunnah only in relation to worship or externals, chances are he /she has not really understood and is not really living Islam. Possessing the affection and Rahmah (mercy) which Islam enjoins between marriage partners is vital for a successful relationship, and these are the important traits to be looked for in a prospective partner.

13. Never consent to engaging in a marriage for a fixed period or in exchange for a sum of money. (Mut'a marriage).
Such marriages are expressly forbidden in Islam and entering into them is a sinful act, as marriage must be entered into with a clear intention of it being permanent, for life, not for a limited and fixed duration.

If these guidelines are followed, Insha' Allah the chances of making a mistake which may mar the remainder of your life may be minimised. Choosing a marriage partner is a most serious matter, perhaps the most serious decision you will ever make in your life since your partner can cause you either to be successful or to fail miserably, in the tests of this life and, consequently, in the Here- after. This decision needs to be made with utmost care and caution, repeatedly seeking guidance from your Lord. If everything checks out favourable, well and good, best wishes for happiness together here and in the Hereafter. If not, better drop the matter and wait. Allah your Lord knows all about you, His servant, and has planned your destiny and your partner for you. Be sure that He will bring you together when the time is right. As the Qur'an enjoins, you must be patient until He opens a way for you, and for your part you should actively explore various marriage leads and possibilities.

THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN ISLAM

2007-11-19T17:09:00.000+08:00

I would ask you to consider two distinctly separate views regarding mankind: According to one, all men (including women) are equal, and therefore a sound social system is one that is based on the principle of absolute "equality". According to the other, all men (or women) are different – they are different in their mental, physical and emotional qualities, they are different in the opportunities life gives them and they are different in their natural strengths and weaknesses – and because they are different, a good society is not the one based on the principle of equality, but the one based on the principle of "justice". Just for the sake of further clarification, "equality" means that all persons should be dealt with equally, irrespective of their needs, abilities or strengths and weaknesses. In other words, according to this principle, a sound society is the one that places equal responsibilities and gives equal priveleges and authorities to its members. On the other hand, "justice" means that a person should be dealt with on the basis of what he deserves. In other words, acording to this principle, a sound society is the one that places responsibilities and gives priveleges and authorities to its members according to their abilities and qualities.

I would like to clearly state here (even at the risk of being misconstrued) that Islam has based its teachings on the presumption that all human beings are equal in all spheres of life, except in the case of their inherent abilities and in the case of their position in the family (or on a broader scale, the social) setup. In other words, Islam after accepting that all human beings are equal, and should be dealt with accoridng to the principle of equality, wants the society to give only two exceptions to this principle.

These exceptions are:

Because human beings are different in their inherent abilities, a person (man or woman) with more abilities should have the opportunities to progress further in life as compared to a person (man or woman) with less abilities. The system adopted to insure "justice" in this sphere is quite a simple one. Islam simply advocates that there should be no artificial hinderances in the progress of a person (man or woman) with more abilities.

In this sense, Islam although allows a differentiation among individuals, but this differentiation is not based on the sex of the individuals, but on their abilities.

Because a sound social setup is possible only through strengthening the basic unit of this setup, (i.e. the family) Islam wants the family to have a well defined authority-responsibility relationship.

According to the Qur’an, man and woman are two units of a pair. When both are taken independent of each other, there are ceretain obvious vacuums in the mental, physical and emotional personalities of each. God has created the two in such a way that they complement each other in different ways, so that these vacuums are generally removed to a great extent. For this very purpose, God gave different mental, physical and emotional qualities to the male and the female. These different mental, physical and emotional qualities, on the one hand complement man and woman, and on the other establishes for them different spheres of activity in their interpersonal relationships.

According to the Qur’an, man, for two reasons, should be the head of the family: One, because he is given the responsibility of earning the livelihood for the family (i.e. he is to strive for the provision of the financial requirements of the family); and two, because he is given the mental, physical and emotional qualities that are more suitable for this responsibility; just like women are given certain qualities that make them more suitable for responsibilities in a number of other spheres. It is only in this sphere (i.e. in the relationship of husband and wife) that God has given the man a degree of authority over the woman. Besides this sphere, both are considered equal.

If the above explanation is clearly understood, you shall be able to see that Islam does not assign a lower status to the womankind, as compared to the mankind, it is only in a particular relationship that one is given a degree of authority over the other, and that too for fulfilling the responsibility assigned to him from the perspective of this life as well as the hereafter. In this sense, it is the same thing as saying that:

the parents (both male and female) are responsible for the well being of their children (both male and female) and therefore should be given a degree of authority over them; or
the teachers (both male and female) are responsible for the well being of their pupil (both male and female) and therefore should be given a degree of authority over them; or
the head of the state (whether male or female) is responsible for the well being of the citizens (both male and female) and therefore should be given a degree of authority over them.

I hope it is clear from the above explanation that in my opinion, Islam does not differentiate between the status of a man or a woman. It is only in the particular relationship of husband and wife that Islam gives a degree of authority to the husband. It would be as wrong to say on this basis that Islam gives women a lower status in the social setup as compared to men, as it would be to say that Islam gives men a lower status as compared to women on the basis of the degree of authority that a mother has over her male child.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME IN ISLAM

2007-11-18T16:35:00.000+08:00

There are among those who believe in the popular saying as "Time is Gold." Time in Islam is more than Gold or any precious material thing in this world. Of all religions, only Islam guides mankind not only to the importance of time but also how to value it. Allah the Almighty and His Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), very clearly tell us the value of time, why we must not waste it and how we can make use of our time wisely to increase our Eeman (Faith) and thus attain success, especially eternal success in the life hereafter.

The following are some of the most important duties demanded of Muslims:

1. Ensuring benefiting from time
2. Utilizing leisure time
3. Racing for good deeds
4. Learning from the passage of time
5. Seeking the superior times
6. Planning and organizing time
7. Fulfillment of time commitments
8. Necessary awareness of time wasters

Both the Qur'an and the Sunnah enjoin Muslims to be conscious of time. We are reminded that life in this world is nothing but temporary. We never know when death has been appointed for us. We must value time for the satisfaction of Allah the Almighty. For our guidance and success, we must never waste time nor abuse it.

Ibn Abbas narrated that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

"There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and free time for doing good." (Bukhari 8/421)

Indeed, we displease Allah the Most High when we abuse time. We must remember that time must be spent to fulfill our very purpose in life that is to worship Allah all throughout our lives. Allah makes this very clear in the Qur'an when He says:

I have only created Jinns and Men, that they may serve Me. No Sustenance do I require of them, nor do I require that they should feed Me. For Allah is He Who gives (all) Sustenance, Lord of Power, Steadfast (for ever). Qur'an (51:56-58)

But celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and be of those who prostrate themselves in adoration. And serve thy Lord until there come unto thee the Hour that is certain (i.e., death). Qur'an (15:98-99)

Everything we do in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah is an act of worship. Such worship must be done sincerely for the pleasure of Allah alone. We should make use of our time (which includes our "free time") in doing beneficial things especially those that will make us closer to Allah and earn His Mercy.

We have to make use of our time wisely by knowing more of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. We must have correct knowledge of what Allah and His Messenger Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) have commanded us to do and at the same time to refrain from what they have forbidden us. This is imperative so that we earn Allah's pleasure and reward. Allah the Exalted makes it very clear, when he says:

O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger, and make not vain your deeds! Qur'an (47:33)

Corollary to the above divine commandment, we must ask ourselves: Have we been obeying Allah and His Messenger? To what extent have we used our time learning the Qur'an and the Sunnah in order to have correct Eeman (Faith), to do righteous deeds, to enjoin the Truth or do Da'wah, and be patient and constant? As time passes by, are we sure we are devoting our time for the sincere worship and pleasure of Allah the Most High? Are we taking guidance from the following very enlightening Ayat (Qur'anic verses)?

By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), Verily Man is in loss, Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy. Qur'an (103:1-3)

In line with the above Qur'anic injunction, we have to discipline ourselves by giving value to the importance of time. We must be prompt in doing good deeds, which will increase our faith and subsequently enable us to gain Allah's pleasure and mercy.

Islam encourages Muslims to care for time, to utilize it wisely and not to waste it and to benefit from it. Besides, it holds them responsible for their time.

We have to remember that on the Day of Judgment we shall be asked how we spent our lives, wealth and knowledge. In other words, we will be questioned on how we spent everything that Allah has given us as implied in the following Hadith:

O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger, and make not vain your deeds! Qur'an (47:33)

Corollary to the above divine commandment, we must ask ourselves: Have we been obeying Allah and His Messenger? To what extent have we used our time learning the Qur'an and the Sunnah in order to have correct Eeman (Faith), to do righteous deeds, to enjoin the Truth or do Da'wah, and be patient and constant? As time passes by, are we sure we are devoting our time for the sincere worship and pleasure of Allah the Most High? Are we taking guidance from the following very enlightening Ayat (Qur'anic verses)?

By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), Verily Man is in loss, Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy. Qur'an (103:1-3)

In line with the above Qur'anic injunction, we have to discipline ourselves by giving value to the importance of time. We must be prompt in doing good deeds, which will increase our faith and subsequently enable us to gain Allah's pleasure and mercy.

Islam encourages Muslims to care for time, to utilize it wisely and not to waste it and to benefit from it. Besides, it holds them responsible for their time.

We have to remember that on the Day of Judgment we shall be asked how we spent our lives, wealth and knowledge. In other words, we will be questioned on how we spent everything that Allah has given us as implied in the following Hadith:

Narrated Abdullah Bin Mas`ud Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said:

"A man shall be asked concerning five things on the day of resurrection: concerning his life, how he spent it; concerning his youth, how he grew old; concerning his wealth, whence he acquired it, and in what way he spent it; and what was it that he did with the knowledge that he had."

The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), used to call on Muslims to take the initiative to do good deeds before any obstacles arise. For instance, he said, "Lose no time to do good deeds before you are caught up by one of seven calamities awaiting you: a starvation which may impair your wisdom; a prosperity which may mislead you; an ailment which may damage your health; an old age which may harm your senses; a sudden death; the Dajjal (Antichrist); or Doomsday, which is indeed the hardest and most bitter." (at-Tirmidhi, al-Baihaqi)

The above Hadith urges Muslims to take the initiative, and not to delay good deeds; man's life is not free from impediments, such as those calamities, which can prevent him from accomplishing what could have been done earlier. Wise are those who grab available opportunities before being handicapped by obstacles.

If we are to evaluate ourselves objectively, have we been spending our time wisely for the pleasure of Allah the Almighty? Have we been spending our lives based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah? Have we been practicing Muslims? How many of us are Muminoon (Faithful Muslims) and/or Mutaqqoon (God Fearing Muslims)? How much knowledge of the Qur'an and the Sunnah do we know? Do we practice what we learn and impart the same to others or at least share them to our families and kin? Have we ever enjoined to others what is right and forbid what is wrong?

To be successful, we have to manage our time wisely by making plans for virtuous deeds that please Allah the Almighty. We must spend time learning Islam based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

Another Year Passes By and Time Marches On

O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and let every soul look to what (provision) He has sent forth for the morrow. Yea, fear Allah: for Allah is well-acquainted with (all) that ye do. Qur'an (59:18)

Another year has passed; minutes move into hours => into days => into weeks => into months => into years - seemingly faster than ever; yet every moment is a precious component of life and every moment counts.

Time - Use it, do not abuse it

Our attitude towards time indicates our attitude towards the value of the capital of life. If we want to purchase something, we require financial capital; and if we want to do something in life, we require the capital of life, time. That is why the Qur'an exhorts us to value the time we have before life is up. Qur'an (63:10)

Realize that...

Time is the measure of life, time is an amaanah (trust), time is a gift from the Creator and its proper use will determine our outcome for eternity.
We are born in time, live in time and die in time; time is the ambit within which we operate. What we do with time is what we do with our lives.
Each one must realize that every moment that passes by is an opportunity gone, used or abused; never to return. Soon time will be up and we'll have to leave this physical world and give account for our lives.
The more we remind ourselves of the responsibility of the present the better we get at living the moment and the better we live the present moment the better the consequence for the future.

Our attitude towards the future influences our mind-set towards the rest of life. Being positive about life ahead is among life's greatest motivators. Hope is the best attitude one can harbor towards the future; this realistic expectation that something good or better could/will happen if only we continue doing the best we can. Remember that today well-lived makes yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Wise are the words of the one who said ... "I expect to pass through this world but once; any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."
"O Allah! Make life a means for every dimension of goodness." [Prayer of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)

The Characteristics of Time

We are to bear in mind that time has certain characteristics, among of which are the following:

Time passes quickly.
Time that passes can never return, nor can it be compensated for, for time is irretrievable.
Time is the most precious thing that man possesses.

Muslim's Duty towards Time:

Having all this great value and importance, time is to be duly appreciated and managed. In Islam there is no room for slogans like the so-called "killing time", for in Islam time is really valuable. In fact, wasting time is much more dangerous than squandering property, because unlike property, time cannot be compensated. Free time is a blessing that is overlooked, and not wholly appreciated by many people.

This indicates that it's very important for a Muslim to try his utmost to husband his time and make the best use of it in beneficial things. A Muslim may use portion of his time in making invocations and supplications, celebrating the praises of Allah. The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), used to supplicate:

O Allah! I seek refuge in You from sorrow and distress, and I seek refuge in You from disability and laziness."

A Muslim should learn how to organize his time, and make a realistic plan for his worldly and religious duties, without any of them overlapping the other. That is to say that one should know how to arrange his priorities: the most important and the most urgent comes first, and carried out according to schedule. Organizing time also includes leaving a place for relaxation and entertainment, for 'all work and no play make Jack a dull boy.'

One of the methods of managing his time properly is for a Muslim to get up early and sleep early, for early hours always yield great blessings. Starting his day with prayer and the supplication of the morning brings the Muslim Allah's grace. A Muslim should always bear in mind that every time has its own task that suits it. Doing tasks in their due times brings about peace of mind and comfort.

Finally, we would like to cite the following Hadith of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), quoting from the Book of Ibrahim, peace be upon him: "A sane person, unless he is mindless, should have four hours: an hour to invoke to his Lord, an hour to count his own deeds, an hour to contemplate about the creation of Allah and an hour to satisfy his worldly needs."

Verily, time is very important for our success both in this temporary world and the eternal world to come. If we waste time, if we abuse it, then we waste and abuse our lives. In the Life Hereafter we will be among the losers, who will suffer the torments in the Hell Fire, if Allah the Almighty will not forgive us. Therefore, if we really give value to our lives then, we must give due value to the importance of time.

WOMEN IN ISLAM

2007-11-17T01:14:00.000+08:00

A woman is a flower vase of beauty and fragrance. So smell her gently, do not wrestle with her! - Imam Ali (as)

Women are like flowers. Do not put on them responsibilities they can not bear! - Imam Ali (as)

According to Islam, being a human, woman is even superior to angels and all other living organisms. If she performs any good task or deed, she will be equally blessed as much as a man will for his good deeds.

She is the benefactor and patron of Islam, as lady Khadija (Wife of Holy Prophet [saw]).

She is a partner of prophethood, as lady Fatima (Daughter of Holy Prophet [saw]).

She is one of the greatest leaders, as lady Zainab (Daughter of Imam Ali [as])

She superior to man, as a mother.

She's respectable like a saint.

She is precious like an expensive pearl.

She is honorable like a delicate rose.

Islam emphasizes the equality of all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or social status. Islam has prescribed different roles and responsibilities for men and women, with each gender complementing the other. Centuries before the modern world recognized women's rights, Islam acknowledged the equality of the two genders, and abolished the barbaric ritual of burying infant daughters alive, an outrageous crime practiced by the Arabs before the time of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).

Islam made women aware of their rights and gave them an identity, a personality, freedom, and independence. These rights, among others, include the right to inherit, to own property, to obtain a divorce, to collect a dowry, and to gain child custody. Regarding the equality of the genders, the Holy Qur'an states:

"Surely the men who submit and the women who submit, and the believing men and the believing women, and the obeying men and the obeying women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women and the humble men and the humble women, and the almsgiving men and the almsgiving women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, and the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember-Allah has prepared, for them forgiveness and a mighty reward." (33:35)

Muslims consider four ladies to be the most noble and pious:

1. Aasiya - Wife of Fir'awn / Pharoah (peace be upon her)

2. Maryam / Mary - Mother of Isa / Jesus (peace be upon her)

3. Khadija - Wife of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon her)

4. Fatima - Daughter of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon her)

MOTHER (THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE)

And the paradise is under the feet of your mothers. - Prophet Muhammad (saw)

Islam has greatly emphasized the issue of loving and respecting the parents, the father and the mother. In our infancy and childhood, we needed the protection, love and nurturing of the parents; but when they become old, they need us to protect them and take care of them.

"Your Lord has commanded that you shall not worship (anyone) but Him and to be good to the parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (so much as) 'Ugh' nor chide them, and speak to them a generous word. And lower for them 'the wings of humility' out of mercy; and pray; 'O my Lord! Have mercy on them as they brought me up (when I was) little.'" (17:23-24)

However, out of the two, the mother has been given greater priority as far as kindness is concerned. Once Hakim bin Hizam came to the Prophet of Islam and asked: "To whom should I be kind?" The Prophet replied, "Your mother." Hakim asked, "Then to whom?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." Hakim asked, "Then to whom?" The Prophet replied, "Your mother." Only when Hakim asked the fourth time that, "Then to whom?" the Prophet replied, "Your father." This shows that the right of mother upon the children is three times more than the rights of father as far as kindness is concerned.

Imam Ali bin Hussain, the great-grandson of the Prophet, said: "Coming to the rights of relatives, it is the right of your mother that you should appreciate that she carried you [in her womb] as nobody carries anybody, and fed you the fruits of her heart which nobody feeds anybody, and protected you [during pregnancy] with her ears, hands, legs, hair, limbs, [in short] with her whole being, gladly, cheerfully and carefully; suffering patiently all the worries, pains, difficulties and sorrows [of pregnancy], till the hand of God removed you from her and brought you into this world."

"Then she was most happy feeding you, even if she herself had no clothes; giving you milk and water; not caring for her own thirst; keeping you in the shade, even if she had to suffer from the heat of the sun; giving you every comfort with her own hardship; lulling you to sleep while keeping herself awake."

"And [remember that] her womb was your abode, and her lap your refuge, and her breast your feeder, and her whole existence your protection; it was she, not you, who was braving the heat and cold of this world for your safety."

"Therefore, you must remain thankful to her accordingly, and you cannot do so except by the help and assistance from Allah." (The Charter of Right, p.18)

WOMEN'S ROLE IN ISLAM

The Purpose of Life: Wherever God talks about the human beings (Insaan) or whenever He talks about human soul (Nafs) in the Qur'an, Muslims theologians and scholars have never considered that humanness or the soul as 'male' or 'female'. (See 51:56, 91:1-10; 53:38-39)

The male or female division is only possible when we talk about the physical dimension of humans, not when we talk about the spiritual dimension. And so, from the Islamic perspective, the humanness of woman has never been denied or questioned; nor has there ever been any discussion whether she possesses a soul or not.

Since both are same in their humanness, both have been created for the same purpose: to serve God.

The Virtues in Human Beings: Whenever and wherever Islam has talked about virtues in human beings, it has not differentiated between men and women. Both have the potential to acquire knowledge. Both, men and women, are expected to exhibit the spirit of piety and other good attributes in Islam.

MODESTY & DECENCY (HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT FOR HUMANITY

The beauty of a woman:
Is not in the clothes she wears,
the figure that she carries,
or the way she combs her hair,
or the style she does make up.
The beauty of a woman:
must be seen in her Hijab, and her eyes,
because that is the doorway to her heart,
the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman:
is not in a facial mole,
but true beauty in a woman,
is reflected in her soul.
The beauty of woman is in her modesty.
And the real glamour of her is her honesty.
It is the caring that she lovingly gives,
the passion that she shows.
And the beauty of a woman,
with passing years - only grows!

HOLY QUR'AN PROCLAIMS: O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. ( Soorah-e-Ahzaab, verse 59)

And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss. ( Soorah-e-Noor, verse 31)

Islam does not allow free and unrestricted intermingling of the sexes. The rule of modesty applies to men as well as women.

CORRUPT VS PURE: Women impure are for men impure, and men impure for women impure and women of purity are for men of purity, and men of purity are for women of purity: these are not affected by what people say: for them there is forgiveness, and a provision honorable. (Holy Quran 24:26)

A woman's best Jewelry is her Shyness. - Lady Fatima Zehra (sa)

Nice girls are with Hijaab. - Prophet Muhammad (saw)

HAJIRA (MOTHER OF ISHMAEL):

Prophet Ibrahim had become over 90 years old and had no child. Sarah, his wife, gave her slave-girl, by name of Hajira, to Ibrahim as a wife. Through Hajira, Almighty God blessed Ibrahim with a son: Ishmael (peace be upon him).

Sarah became jealous of Hajira. Finally, decided to test the patience of Ibrahim by asking him to take Hajira and the infant Ishmael into a desert and leave them there. Ibrahim was guided to that desert area which later became famous as Mecca. Prophet Ibrahim brought Hajira and Ishmael to Mecca and left them as commanded by God.

Whatever provisions Ibrahim had brought for his wife and child finally ran out. The baby Ishmael started crying out of thirst. Hajira set out in search for water. She was standing on the small hill of Safa; she looked towards the hill of Marwah and thought that there was water over there. When she reached Marwah, there was not water; it was just a mirage. She turned facing Safa and thought that there was water over there. She returned to Safa, but there was no water; it was just a mirage.

As mother, desperately looking for water for her child, Hajira ran between the hills of Safa and Marwah seven times. Finally, she saw that a water stream had started at the feet of Ishmael. This miraculous steam is still running on beside the Kaaba, the House of God, and it is known as Zamzam.

God so much loved the spirit of motherhood demonstrated by Hajira - ho ran seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah in search of water for her child that, He has commanded the Muslim pilgrims to walk between the hills of Safa and Marwah when they go for the pilgrimage.

The ritual of walking between the two hills of Safa and Marwah seven times is an essential part of pilgrimage and it perpetuates the memory of Hajira as a mother.

ASIYA BINT MUZAHIM (THE PHARAOH'S WIFE):

The holy Qur'an has presented Asiya bint Muzahim as one of the best role models for women.

Asiya's greatness is in the fact that although she was the wife of one of the most Powerful, arrogant and tyrant rulers of Egypt, she was able to see and accept the truth in message of Prophet Moses. For her, wealth, beauty or status was not the main criterion of human excellence; she realized that without faith in God, a human being has nothing.

God had chosen her to provide refuge to Moses when he was an infant. When her maids brought the cradle of Moses from the river, she insisted to Pharaoh that she wanted to adopt that infant as a child: The wife of Pharaoh said: "(Here is) joy of the eye, for me and for thee: slay him not. It may be that he will be use to us, or we may adopt him as a son." And they perceived not (what they were doing)! (28:9)

Asiya bint Muzahim had declared her faith in the message of God after witnessing the miracle of Moses in the Court of Pharaoh; and after witnessing the death of another believing, woman under torture. Pharaoh tried to turn her away from the God of Moses and sought her mother's help. But Asiya refused to reject the God of Moses. On Pharaoh's order, she Was tortured to death.

The Qur'an says: "And Allah gives an example for those who believe: the wife of pharaoh. (Remember) when she said, 'My Lord! Build for me a house with Thee in the Paradise, and deliver me from Pharaoh and his deeds; and deliver me from the unjust people.'" (66:11)

In this lady, we see the example of supreme sacrifice: By marrying Pharaoh, Asiya bint Muzahim became the Queen of Egypt, she gained everything that she wanted in this worldly life from the materialistic point of view: the best of clothes, food, palaces, jewels, servants and maids, etc. But she sacrificed all that to be closer to Allah. And that is why we see her included by the Prophet in the list of the four women who attained the level of perfection.

MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS):

Mary is one of the noblest women in Islamic teachings since she was chosen to miraculously give birth to the Prophet Jesus.

When the Angel approached her with the news that she has been chosen as mother of the Prophet who is to be born miraculously without a father, she was perplexed. She said, "When shall I have a boy and no man has yet touched me, nor have I been unchaste?"

The Angel conveyed the answer of God: "It is easy for Me. And We intend to make Jesus a sign to people and a mercy from Us; and this is a matter which has been decreed."

She was alone when the throes of childbirth compelled her to take refuge by the trunk of a palm tree. She was distressed and said, "I wish that I had died before this, and had been a thing quite forgotten!"

Right then, Jesus was born and he called out: "Grieve not, surely your Lord has made a stream to flow beneath you; and shake towards you the trunk of the palm-tree, it will drop on you fresh ripe dates. So eat, drink and refresh the eyes." She was also told: "If you see people, do not worry about their questions. Just say that you have make a vow to that you shall not speak to any person today."

When she came back to his people with Jesus, they said, "O Mary! Surely you have done a strange thing; your parents were not unchaste people!" She pointed towards the baby. They responded, "How can we speak to a child in the cradle?" At that moment, Jesus, by the power of God, started to speak. He said:

"Surely I am the servant of God, He has given me the Book and made me a prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I may be. He has enjoined on me to pray, to give charity so long as I live, and to be dutiful to my mother. He has not made me insolent and unblessed. So peace upon me on the day I was born, on the day I die, and on the day I shall be raised back to life."

This is the story of the Virgin Mary and her son, Jesus, the Prophet and Messenger of God, as mentioned in Chapter 19 of the Qur'an.

KHADIJA (THE WIFE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD):

Khadija bint Khuwaylid, the wife of the Prophet, is truly known as a noble lady; she was, in the modern terminology, the First Lady of Islam.

During the Meccan phase of Islam's movement, Khadija was the main pillar of support for Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). She was the first one to declare her faith in Islam. Her declaration of faith was a great testimony of the Prophet's character: a wife knows her husband's outer as well as inner character. By being the first to accept person to accept Islam, Khadija demonstrated that she believed in the truthfulness of Muhammad as the Messenger of God.

The initial years of Islam's mission were very trying; the Prophet faced severe opposition from the people of Mecca. In face of this rejection, Khadija provided the moral support and boasted the morale of the Prophet. According to Muslims historians, he even used to consult and discuss with her the issues related to the Islamic movement.

Khadija whole-heartedly supported the Prophet's cause by placing her wealth at his disposal. Almighty God has praised that by addressing the Prophet: "Did We not find you in need and made your free of need?" (93:8) It was through Khadija's wealth that the Almighty made the Prophet self-sufficient in his financial needs.

Although Khadija came from a very affluent background, she did not shy from sacrificing her wealth for the cause of Islam. Not only that, she even willingly went through the difficulties of three years of social/economic embargo imposed upon Prophet Muhammad and his family, the Banu Hashim. The hardship of these three years eventually resulted in her death.

It is to her credit that the Prophet of Islam did not marry another woman as long as Khadija was alive; she was the only wife who bore children for him. The name of Prophet continued through Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet and Khadija.

FATIMA (THE DAUGHTER OF THE PROPHET):

Jab Kabhi Ghairat-e-Insaan Ka Sawaal Aata Hai
Bint-e-Zehra Terey Pardey Ka Khayaal Aata Hai

Fatima bint Muhammad is one of the four noblest women in Islamic teachings. This is not just because she is the daughter of the Prophet of Islam or the wife of Imam Ali or the mother of Hasan and Hussain. These relationships are significant in themselves, but Fatima is important to the Muslims in her own right.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is seen as the perfect model of the values and teachings that were revealed in the holy Qur'an. He was the Last Prophet and the Qur'an was the Final Revelation: no prophet or scripture is to be sent after him. However, the Prophet was a man and so he could not be a complete role model for half of the humanity; therefore, there was a need for a perfect female model of Qur'anic values and teachings. And that role model for women was Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet. This is how Fatima is part of the Prophet; she completes the female dimension of the Prophet's function as a complete role model for humanity.

That is why the Prophet of Islam described Fatima as follows: "The leader of all the ladies of Paradise." (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 4, p.819.)

"Fatima is a part of me, and he who makes her angry, makes me angry." (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 5, p. 61.)

According to the holy Qur'an (33:33) she is among the infallibles ones in Islam. This status of infallibility comes with being a part of the Prophetic mission: he is the perfect role model for the men whereas she is the perfect role model for women.

Fatima was not only a loving daughter, a loyal wife and a caring mother; she is known in history as a woman of knowledge and wisdom, and she actively stood up for her rights. An excellent example of her social activism can be seen when she was denied her inheritance upon her father's death. Fatima challenged the authorities in power on basis of the Qur'an. She argued that the Qur'an has examples where the children of past prophets inherited their father. Using the Qur'an as her basis, she argued that she should not be denied her right.

PROPERTIES OF THE BEST WOMEN:

She is content: Such woman is the best one who becomes happy and content when her husband puts a loving glance on her, and when he orders her for something right, she obeys him immediately, and never does any thing against his will. - Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)

She is a great cook and a good administrator: A woman who cooks neat, clean and delicious food for her husband. Allah has provided great food for such nice wife in paradise. In heaven, she will be asked to drink and eat whatever you wish, as this is the reward for the pain and services which you performed for your husband! - Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)

The best woman among your women is one who cooks delicious food, spends the money justly and does not waste it. Such women are the workers of Allah, and the workers of Allah never get hopeless and regretful! - Imam Jafer-e-Sadiq (as)

She is priceless: A woman doesn't have any price, whether she is good or bad. A good and nice lady can not be measured with money or gold or silver, as she is far more expensive and precious than money or gold. Similarly, a woman with bad character and worst nature can not be compared with sand, as sand is far more higher and good than her. - Imam Jafer-e-Sadiq (as)

She is loving, caring and patient: Do not you want me to tell you about those ladies who will enter paradise? A woman who is loving and caring to her husband, and gives births to his children and when he gets angry with her, she instantly says My hand is in your hand like she does not get satisfied until her husband becomes happy with her. - Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)

She is obedient: Lucky and fortunate woman is one who respects her husband and does not give him any pain, hurt or discomfort and does not makes him worried and obeys him in all the right aspects of life. - Imam Jafer-e-Sadiq (as)

She does Jehaad: The Jehaad of woman is that she must not lose her patience if she gets hurt from her husband. Her patience is her Jehaad. - Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)