Tazkiyah

Why Calamities and Destructions are Happenning to Muslims?
By: Mohamad Sharis Abdul Karim
Dear brothers, one question that may arise in our mind is why are
these calamities, and destructions happenning to muslims. Yes, indeed
the opressosrs are the wrong doers. They make destruction and kill
muslims and steal their properties. On the other side, it is worth for
us to look on ourselves so that we can improve our weaknesses. I would
like to recite one hadith…and I don't intend to elaborate on it. Let
us hear and we judge it ourselves.
The companion 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abbaas r.a., narrated that the Prophet
sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said: "Five matters result when five
things happen: If people break their covenant with Allaah,He will send
an enemy against them; If they rule by other than the Law of Allaah,
poverty will spread among them; If they become deceptive in
trade,Allaah will deprive them ofcrops and they will be struck with
famine; And if they withhold the payment of Zakaah, they will be
struck with drought." [At- Tabaraani]
In another narration he sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said: "If they
break the covenant of Allaah andHis Messenger, Allaah will send an
external enemy against them who will seize some of their possessions;
If they do not rule by the Book of Allaah, nor attempt to implement
everything in it, Allaah willspread enmity among them."
Conversely, obeying Allaahand His Messenger sallallaahu 'alaihi wa
sallam is the source of victory. Allaah says "O you who have believed,
if you support Allaah, He will support you [by giving you victory]."
[Surah Muhammad Ayah 7]
Indeed, Allah give victory to those who deserve it. And most of the
times defeat comes from ourselves.
One night, Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, was
checking on his army during the battle of Qaadisiyyah. He passed by
the tent of one group of soldiers at night and foundthe men inside
praying Qiyaam, or voluntary night-prayer, and remarked: 'Victory
comes from such a tent' then he passed by another tent and found the
men inside sleeping and remarked: 'Defeat comes from such a tent.'
This was despite the fact that the men who were sleeping only missed a
recommended prayer and not an obligatory one;yet Sa'd considered
missing this recommendedact to be a reason for defeat.
Let us avoid destructions, disasters and humiliation. Muslims have
experienced to many appalling tragedyin their own land, It was Bosnia,
and now Palestine,and tomorrow we never know whose turn.
The Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam was once asked: "Would we be
punished by disasters which befall us while we have righteous people
amongst us?' he sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam replied: "Yes, if evil
becomes widespread." Allaah says clearly on this issue in al Quraan:
"And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial, etc.) which affects not in
particular (only) those of you who do wrong (but it may afflict all
the goodand the bad people), andknow that Allâh is Severein
punishment" . [Surah Al-Anfaal Ayah 25]
Therefore, if Muslims truly wish for safety from destruction and given
victory, then they must change and improve what is in themselves as
Allaah says that which translates as:
"For each (person), there are angels in succession, before and behind
him. They guard him by the Command of Allâh. Verily! Allâh will not
change the good condition of a people as long as they do not change
their state of goodness themselves. But when Allâh wills a people's
punishment, there can be no turning back of it, and they will find
besides Him no protector." [Surah Ar-Ra'd Ayah 11]

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Easy way to change ourselves

There was a king long time ago and he had a vast kingdom. Though he
had tremendous amount of wealth, but he didn't have peace of heart. So
hedecided to be a good Muslim. He heard that there is a very pious man
who stays in a jungle and that many people go to visit him for advice.
The king decided to visit him for some advice also. When he got there,
he asked the pious man"How can I become pious like you?" The pious man
replied that remember death 40 times a day for 40 days. The king
thoughtthat it was very easy and he thanked him and left for his
palace. He remembered death 40 times a day for 40 days but no change
came to hislife. He was same as before.
The king became angry and called that pious manto his court. The king
told him that he is nothing buta liar and that he should be killed
before he fools other people. It was decided that he will be beheaded
the next day. But the Pious man had a request. He asked if he could
become the king fora day. He promised that after getting the command,
he will not kill the previous king or do any harm to him. So, the king
agreed and made thepious man the king for a day. As soon as the pious
man became the king, he went to the market and saw a man selling
peanuts. He told the soldiers to catch that manand bring him to the
palace. So, the peanut sales man was brought tothe court. The pious
man told the peanut sales manthat he will be killed tomorrow. The
peanut sales man became frightened and dropped all his peanuts. He
started crying and asked what he did. But the pious man said that he
will be killed tomorrow and locked up in jail for today.
Now, as the peanut sales man knew that he is going to die, he forgot
about everything else andstarted asking forgivenessfrom Allah. He
started praying and doing excessive dhikir (remembrance of Allah). The
Pious man ordered that the most beautiful prostitute in the city
should be brought and placed in the jail with peanut sales man. She
was brought and she asked the man to commit adultery with her. Now the
pious man brought the previous king and toldhim to watch. The peanut
sales man started yelling at the woman to get away because he is going
to die tomorrow and this evil deed will surely causehim problems with
Allah.
Then the pious man askedthe previous king if he understood what is
going on. The Pious man explained that when you really know that you
will die, then you will surely stay away from all evil deeds and
engage yourself into the worship of Allah. So, remembering death once
properly would be enough to change the life of a human being.
Ofcourse, the peanut salesman was released afterwards.

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Being Muslim is My Biggest reward From (الله)

The Prophet Muhammad (Sal lal lahu alaihi wa sal lam), said "(There
are) two words which are dear to the Beneficent (Allah) and very light
(easy) for the tongue (to say), but very heavy in weight in the
balance. They are: 'Subhan Allah wa-bi hamdihi' and 'Subhan Allah
Al-'Azim.
سُبْحَانَ اللّهِ وَ بِحَمْدِهِ ، سُبْحَانَ اللّهِ الْعَظِيمِ -
SubhanAllahi wa biHamdihi, Subhan-Allahi 'l-`adheem
(Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 93, Number 652: )
Whoever says "SubhanAllah wa bihamdihi" a hundred times during the
day, his sins are wiped away, even if they are like the foam of the
sea. [Sahih al-Bukhari;#7:168, Sahih Muslim;#4:2071]
Jabir RadhiallahuAnhu reported: The Prophet Muhammad (Sal lal lahu
alaihi wa sal lam) said,"For him who says: `Subhan-Allahi wa bi
hamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection, and I begin with praising
Him, and to Him),' a palm-tree will be planted in Jannah.''[At-Ti
rmidhi].
سُبْحَانَ اللّهِ وَ بِحَمْدِهِ - SubhanAllah wa biHamdihi (Glory be to
Allah and Praise Him). —

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1a] Hadeeth about the manwho will be commanded to be takento Hell, but he will turn to his Lord hoping that He would admit him to Paradise, and He will admit him to Paradise

1a] ' He will say: 'O Lord, are You making fun of me when You are the
Lord of the Worlds?'"
Ibn Mas'ood smiled and said: Why don't you ask me why I am smiling?
They said: Why are you smiling? He said: This is how the Messenger of
Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) smiled and they
said:Why are you smiling, O Messenger of Allaah? He said: "Because the
Lord of the Worlds will smile when he says, 'are You making fun of me
when You are the Lord of the Worlds?' and will say: 'I am not making
fun of you, but I am Able to do whatever I will.'"
And Allah knows best.

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1] Hadeeth about the manwho will be commanded to be takento Hell, but he will turn to his Lord hoping that He would admit him to Paradise, and He will admit him to Paradise

1] How sound is this hadeeth: "A man will be headed towards Hell on
the Day of Resurrection, then he will turn around and Allah will say
to him: Why have you turned around? And he will say, after Allah
prompts him to give the answer that will save him: I was hoping that
You will admit me to Paradise. AndAllah will command that he be
admitted to Paradise"?.
Praise be to Allaah.
This is the meaning of a hadeeth that was narrated by Ibn al-Mubaarak
in az-Zuhd (409) and via him by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad (22287) and
byIbn 'Abi'd-Dunya in Hasan az-Zann Billah (58). Ibn al-Mubaarak said:
Rishdeen ibn Sa'd informed us: Abu Haani' al-Khawlaani told us,
from'Amr ibn Maalik al-Janbi, that Faddalah ibn 'Ubayd and 'Ubaadah
ibn as-Saamit told him that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: "On the Day of Resurrection, when
Allah, may He be exalted, has finished judging mankind,there will be
two men leftwho will be commanded to be taken into Hell. One of them
will turn around and the Compeller (Allah, may He be exalted) will
say: Send him back. And they will send him back. He will say to him:
Why did you turn around? He will say: I was hoping thatYou would admit
me to Paradise. And it will be commanded to take him to Paradise. He
will say: Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has given methat
which, if I were to feed the people of Paradise, that would not
detract at all from what I have." And whenever the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned that, happiness
could be seen on his face.
Al-Haythami said in al-Majma', 10/698
It was narrated by Ahmadand its men were regarded as trustworthy
despite the weakness of some of them. End quote.
It narrators are trustworthy except Rishdeen ibn Sa'd who is da'eef.
See: Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb, 3/240241; Mizaan al-I'tidaal, 2/49
A similar, more sound andclearer hadeeth was narrated by Muslim in his
Saheeh (187) from 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood (may Allah be pleased with
him), according to which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peaceof
Allah be upon him) said:
"The last one to enter Paradise will be a man who will walk once,
stumble once and be burned by the Fire once. When he gets past it, he
will turn to it and say, 'Blessed be the One Who has saved me from
you. Allaah has given me something that He has not given to the first
and the last.' A tree will be raised up for him, and he will say, 'O
Lord, bring me closer to this tree so that Imight shelter in its shade
and drink of its water.' Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, will
say: 'O son of Adam, perhaps if I give you that, you will ask Me for
something else.' He will say, 'No, O Lord,' and he will promise that
he will not ask Him for anything else, and his Lord will excuse him
because he has seen something that he cannot help wanting. So he will
be brought near to it and he will shelter in its shade and drink of
its water. Then another tree will be raisedup for him that is more
beautiful than the first, and he will say: 'O Lord, bring me closer to
this tree so that I might drink of its water and shelter in its shade,
and I will not ask You for anything else.' He will say: 'O son of
Adam, did you not promise Me that you would not ask Me for anything
else?' He will say: 'Perhaps if I bring younear to it, you will ask Me
for something else.' He will promise that he will not ask Him for
anything else, and his Lord will excuse him because he has seen
something that he cannot help wanting. So he will be brought near to
it and he will shelter in its shade and drink of its water. Then
another tree will be raisedup for him at the gate of Paradise that is
more beautiful than the first two, and he will say: 'O Lord, bring me
closer to this tree so that I might shelter in its shade and drink of
its water, and I will not ask You for anything else.' He will say: 'O
son of Adam, did you not promise Me that you would not ask Me for
anything else?' he will say, 'No, O Lord, I will not ask You for
anything else.'His Lord will excuse him because he has seen something
that he cannothelp wanting. He will be brought close to it, and when
he draws close to it,he will hear the voices of the people of Paradise
and will say, 'O Lord, admit me therein.' He will say: 'O son of Adam,
what will make you stop asking? Will it please you if I give you the
world and as much again?' He will say: 'O Lord, are You making fun of
me when You are the Lord of the Worlds?'"

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Like a dead goat

Jabir bin Abdullah reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon
him) happened to walk through the market coming from the side of
'Aliya and the people were on both his sides. There he found a dead
lamb with very short ears.He took hold of his ear and said: Who
amongst you would like to have this for a dirham? They said: We do not
like to have it even for less than that as it is of no use to us. He
said: Do you wish to have it (free of any cost)? They said: By Allah,
even if it was alive (we would not have liked to possess that), for
there is defect in it as its ear is very short; now it is dead also.
Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: By Allah,
this world is more insignificant in the eye of Allah as it (this dead
lamb) is in your eye. SahihMuslim Book 42, Number 7059.
Severe conditions come upon human beings so that they return back to
Allah. Dear friends, let us not wait for conditions to come upon us
also to remind us of Allah. The world that we admire is of no value at
all as we can see from this hadith. So let us turn to Allah and pray
for all the Muslims who are suffering in various parts of the world.If
Allah wanted, we could've been in their place right at this moment.

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Healthy tips for DIABETICS~ (simple natural tips which can b followed easily)

1. Eat food at fixed hours.
2. Do not eat immediately after a workout.
3. Do not overeat.
4. If you are on insulin, make sure you have three
proper meals with light snacks in between.
5. Do not eat fast; masticate and munch yourfood well before you swallow.
6. Drink a lot of water that will help flush the toxins
off your system.
7. Make sure the gaps between your meals are
short.
8. Avoid fried foods and sweetmeats.
9. Include fresh vegetable salad in every meal.
10. Have at least 20 to 25 grams of raw onion daily.
11.Do atleast 1 hour exercise daily.
12. Add wheat bran to your wheatflour (50%
wheatflour + 50% wheat bran). This helps increase fibre in your diet.!!

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Mohammad Mertabanis a volunteer matchmaker who helps observant young Muslims searching for a modern path to marriage that stays true to Islam.

The one-line email that greeted Mohammad Mertaban came straight tothe point.
"Mertaban, find me a husband, k? I await your list of potential
suitors," wrote a woman who liveson the East Coast.
Mertaban was not surprised, although he knew the woman only slightly.
"If it comes from a brother or sister whom Idon't know very well, I
know that she would do it out of frustration, desperation or a strong
desire to get married," he explained later.
An information technology project manager who lives in Fullerton,
Mertaban, 30, has grown accustomed to urgent requests — by phone,
email and in person — since he began dabbling in matchmaking for
friends and acquaintances about eightyears ago. Those he helps are
observant young Muslims searching for a modern path to marriage that
stays true to Islam.
American Muslims regularly speak of a "marriage crisis" in their
communities, as growing numbers of Muslims reachtheir late 20s and
early 30s still single. Young religious Muslims tend to avoid
Western-style dating, but many also reject the ways of earlier
generations, in which potential spouses were introduced to one
anotherby family.
Traditionally, in South Asia and the Middle East, older women — often
called the "aunties" — and parents recommended matches by drawing upon
their extensive networks of family, friends and acquaintances.
Marriage criteria were typically limited to religion, ethnicity, jobs
and looks. But in the U.S., their little black books of contacts are
significantly thinner and many second-generation American Muslims see
such methodsas decidedly old-world.
So, many turn to young volunteer matchmakers like Mertaban, who have
connections in their hometowns, college circles and vast online
networks.
Muslims gather for the special Eid ul-Fitr morningprayer at the Los
Angeles Convention Center on August 30, 2011 in Los Angeles,
California.
"The aunties don't really know people very well and I think they're
just shooting in the dark," saidMertaban, whose parents emigrated from
Lebanon. "I think people have veered away from that."
Amir Mertaban, Mohammad's younger brother and a matchmaker as well,
said the goal was "to keep thisas close to Islam as possible. I'm
trying to get people hooked up, but we're trying to do this in a halal
(permissible) manner."
::
What is and isn't allowed is debated within the Muslim community. But
those who seek a matchmaker's help tend to steer clear of anything
resembling dating and to avoid meeting one another without a
chaperone. And even though they may see their parents' methods as too
traditional, they are still more comfortable seeking help from a
go-between than online matrimonial sites or singles' events held at
mosques under the guise of "networking."
Mertaban, who is lively with a quick laugh and a wide, almost
Joker-like smile, says he didn't choose to be a matchmaker but fell
into the role after he helped a number of friends.
He grew up in Diamond Bar and has lived in Los Angeles, Irvine and
Fullerton — where he is now a youth mentor at the area mosque —
whichhelped him establish a wide Southern California Muslim network.
In his senior year at UCLA, Mertaban was president of the campus'
Muslim Student Assn. and the following year he was president of
MSA-West, anumbrella group covering much of the West Coast. With
chapters at universities nationwide, ithas jokingly been called the
Muslim Singles Assn.
He was well-liked and known for making other students, especially
freshmen, feel welcome. Many turned to him for advice about their
problems.
"He's a leader… everybodytrusts Mohammad," said Lena Khan, 26, an
independent filmmaker who attended UCLA with Mertaban. "If you need
something at 2 a.m., you know Mohammad is happy to help you."
In a community that observes a certain level ofgender segregation,
Mertaban, because of his leadership roles, interacted regularly with
both men and women. Soon, students began asking him for help finding
potential mates.
His first attempt involved one of his best friends, of Palestinian
descent, and an Indian woman the man was interested in. It didn't
work, partly because of their different ethnicities — a cultural
lesson Mertaban now keeps in mind when suggesting pairings. He
organizes his lists of single men and women by nationality.
The "Single Sisters" directory on his laptop begins with a
28-year-oldAfghan woman and ends with a 25-year-old Syrian.

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The Reaction to the Khutba

Normally, two or three people will approach me after a Khutba to thank
and compliment me for it.This time, ten times more people came over,
appreciating what I had said, Alhamdu lillah. That'sone of the most
positive instances of feedback I've ever gotten in years of giving
Khutbas! Although I have yet to hear the response from the leadership
of the Masjid, this gives me hope that the community is ready for
change.
A few board members also spoke very positively about the points I
raised, including one of the founding members. The question is, who is
stopping the change?
Current Chicago Masjid Spaces for Women
In Chicago, I estimate thatin about ten percent of the Friday prayer
locations, there is proper space for sisters' participation. In these
places men and women are in the same location without a curtain or
wall separating them. In termsof the remaining 80 percent of mosques
that do have a space for women, these are often cramped and
inconvenient. By inconvenient, I mean that women cannot see the Imam
or do not know what is happening in the congregational prayer. In
about 10 percent of the Chicago-area mosques there are no spaces for
women.
One Muslim sister in the city related to me her experience after
visiting one of the largest mosques in Chicago that had an
inconvenient roomfor women. When she entered the women's area, a group
of sisters was standing in line, thinking prayer had started because
the recitation of the Quran could be heard. Taking Quran recitation as
a cue for congregational prayer,the sister joined the others in line.
After several minutes, when theman ended his recitation without
calling for the next step of prayer, Ruku, the women learned that
itwas not a prayer. Needless to say, the women were humiliated and
upset about this confusing situation. This isjust an example of the
practical problems this segregation in prayer places causes.
An additional problem in mosques where women cannot see the Imam is
the fact that the noise level often becomes unacceptable. This tends
to be because most men dump the responsibility for taking care of
their active children on their wives when they go to the men's section
of mosque. Also, since women can't see what's going on, they end up
talking to each other. Thisleads to the Imam asking women to "be quiet
please," furthering tension and exclusion.
When women are out of sight, it's also more likely that they will be
out of mind. That means their discourse and participation are ignored
on a Masjid and community level. Moreover, few women have easy access
to the Imam, which worsens the problem, since the Imam is the one man
who can make a significant difference in bringing women's issues and
problems to the attentionof other Muslim men in the community. This
perhaps explains why youdon't normally hear manyKhutbas on women's
challenges here in America or abroad.
Negative Dawa
The situation becomes worse when non- Muslimsvisit. They see there are
hardly any women present in the mosque. Or,if there are a few, they
areconfined to a small and less ceremonious corner. What kind of Dawa
is this? What kind of impression does this give in our current
context, where the battle against stereotypes is ten times harder than
it was pre-9/11 America? This visual impact is far greater and far
more lasting then tens of bookslauding the status of women in Islam.
Since Shahadah (witnessing) is the first pillar of Islam, this
obstacle to outreach must be dealt with.
Of course, women, unlike men, are given a choice by the Prophet to
pray at home or in the mosque. But the Prophet was categorical in
telling men "do not stop women from coming to the Masjid." Friday
prayers are also optional for women. But considering that Friday
sermons are the only Islamic educational opportunity available to most
women in the North America Muslim women should attend Friday prayers.
Thisis especially important because we do not yet have a widespread
tradition of female teachers, as is the case in the Muslim world. I am
pretty sure Caliph Omar would have encouraged Friday prayer attendance
by women if he was alive today in the United States,may God be pleased
with him.
Who is stopping womenfrom the Masjid
Knowing both of these Masjids, their volunteer leadership, and the
fact that women are on their boards, I don't think either of them
stops women from attending and participating. The firstMasjid's
president did make an announcement twice in front of me inviting women
to visit the new location to help determine the sisters' space.

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The Importance of Making a Good Space for Women in the Masjid

Last Friday, I was all set togive a Khutba about the need for Muslims
to plan ahead on an individual and community level. My notes were
ready and I was in full "Khutba mode". But before sermontime, I
decided to change the topic completely — totalk about the exclusion of
Muslim women from the mosque and community life.
It wasn't an earth-shattering event that made me change the topic. It
was an email. Andit proved to be the proverbial straw that broke the
camel's back. It was one of five emails I received last week about
Islamic events with a clear"brothers only" statement. One notice for a
regional conference even stated categorically that there was no space
for women and children under 15 at the event.
But the emails were only part of the story. A week before, I had given
a Khutba in another, brand-new mosque in the heart of Chicago. After
the prayer, while in the elevator, I overheard four Muslim sisters
speaking angrily about their experience in the Masjid.
"If I wanted to watch TV, I'd stay home," said one of the women,
disgusted. I asked them what was wrong, and they told me how they
could only see the Imam through a TV system set up in the women's
section. Moreover, the space was inconvenient, uncomfortable and was
changed twice that day. This was despite the fact that months ago, the
leadership of this mosque had promised me that they would involve
sistersin decision-making about how the women's space would be set up.
The Khutba
I was speaking in Chicago's oldest mosque where the main prayer hall
accommodates about a thousand people. It has a small, curtained off
space in the corner for about 40 or so women. Due to the sensitive
nature of my topic, it did occur to me before the Khutba that I might
not be invited to give a Fridaysermon there in the future.
Nonetheless, I made the following points and asked these questions:
Who decides how women's space in the mosque is allocated and organized?
How many women sit on the Board of Directors of our mosques?
If women are part of the Board of Directors, are they elected, chosen
by women, selected by both men and women or are they simply the wives
of male board members?
I also reminded the audience that in the Prophet's mosque, women could
hear and see the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings are upon him,
and later, the leaders of the Muslims (Khulafa) when they spoke from
the pulpit. Actually there are reports of interaction with the Prophet
when women raised questions. Caliph Omar even went back to give
another sermon to withdraw his opinion when a women from the audience
gave him critical feedback after his Khutba.
Moreover, when the Prophet felt that the women were too far away to
hear or he had specific points to make, hewould walk over to their
section and present a Khutba for them.
Examples from Islamic history
Women in early Islamic history were active not just as "mothers and
wives" but contributed as individual Muslim women in all aspects of
the community.
On a scholarly level, there was Aisha, may God be pleased with her.
She is credited with disseminating the knowledge of Islam and
information about almost all aspects of Islamic life. Today, nearly
half of the Islamic jurisprudence of the Hanafi school of thought
(which is followed by about 70 percent of the Muslim world) comes
through thestudents of Aisha alone.
On a political level, there was Umm Salama. During the signing of the
Treaty of Hudaibiya, when none of the Muslim men agreedto forego Hajj
due to the demands of the pagan Meccans, the Prophet consulted Umm
Salama. Her advice to him was to perform the rituals indicating that
they would not be performing the pilgrimage, and the Muslims would
follow. He heeded her advice, and as she suggested, the Muslims
accepted this.
After the death of the Prophet, one major issue was how to preserve
the authenticity of the Quran. Although the Quran had always been
committed to memory and writing, the written pages were scattered.
When a master copy was put together at the time of the first Khalifa,
Abu Bakr, that copy was not kept with him or any other Muslim man. It
was kept with a woman — Hafsa (may God be pleased with her).
Finally, in Madina during the leadership of Omar (may God be pleased
withhim) Al Shifa Bint Abdullah was made in charge of trade and
commerce in the city.
These are just a few examples of the dynamic role women played in
early Islamic history. But they are of no use if the inclusion of
Muslim women in the mosque and community is reflected only in theory.

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Like a dead goat

Jabir bin Abdullah reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon
him) happened to walk through the market coming from the side of
'Aliya and the people were on both his sides. There he found a dead
lamb with very short ears.He took hold of his ear and said: Who
amongst you would like to have this for a dirham? They said: We do not
like to have it even for less than that as it is of no use to us. He
said: Do you wish to have it (free of any cost)? They said: By Allah,
even if it was alive (we would not have liked to possess that), for
there is defect in it as its ear is very short; now it is dead also.
Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: By Allah,
this world is more insignificant in the eye of Allah as it (this dead
lamb) is in your eye. SahihMuslim Book 42, Number 7059.
Severe conditions come upon human beings so that they return back to
Allah. Dear friends, let us not wait for conditions to come upon us
also to remind us of Allah. The world that we admire is of no value at
all as we can see from this hadith. So let us turn to Allah and pray
for all the Muslims who are suffering in various parts of the world.If
Allah wanted, we could've been in their place right at this moment.

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Advice from Shaikh Sulaiman

Shaikh Sulaiman, a well known scholar from SouthAfrica, once visited
us and was asked to give some advice. He mentioned thatthe way
sweetness cannot be separated from honey, whiteness cannot be
separated from milk and fragrance cannot be separated from a flower,
the success of mankind cannot also be separated from following the
religion of Islam. Our totalsuccess is in Islam alone. Then he told us
to be mindful about keeping our duties to Allah. He gave an example
that assume India sends an ambassador to Canada forimproving
relationships between the two countries. Now, if this ambassador
becomes too busy with looking at the beautiful niagra falls and other
landmarks of Canada and forgets about his duties then what will happen
to him when he goes back to India? Yes, he will be fired from his job.
Similarly, if we also don't carry out our duties while we are sent to
this world then we will also not be appreciated in front of Allah on
the Day of Judgement when we return to Him. As a result, let us be
cautious about our responsibilities as being Muslims.

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A man argues that wine should be halal

A man came to Iyas Ibn Mu'awiyah, a Muslim judge famous for his
wisdom, and the following conversation took place between them:
Man: What is the Islamic ruling regarding wine?
Judge: It is Haram (Forbidden).
Man: How about water?
Judge: It is Halal (Permissible).
Man: How about dates and grapes?
Judge: They are Halal.
Man: Why is it that all these ingredients are Halal, and yet when you
combine them, they become Haram?
The judge looked at the man and said: If I hit you with this handful
of dirt, do you think it would hurt you?
Man: It would not.
Judge: How about if I hit you with this handful of straw?
Man: It would not hurt me.
Judge: How about a handful of water?
Man: It surely would not hurt me.
Judge: How about if I mix them, and let them dry to become a brick,
and then hit you with it, would it hurt you?
Man: It would hurt me and might even kill me!
Judge: The same reasoning applies to whatyou asked me!!

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NEWS - Rainstorms cause 65deaths in China 2012-07-10 00:00:58 GMT 2012-07-10 08:00:58(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

A man swims in Yangtze River in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province,
July 9, 2012. The water level of Yangtze River rose after heavy rains.
[Photo/Xinhua]
~
Rainstorms have killed 65people and left 30 others missing in eight
provincial-level regions since June 28, the Ministryof Civil Affairs
said Monday.
The downpours have triggered floods and landslides that have affected
17.44 million people in Jiangsu, Anhui and Shandong provinces in East
China, Henan and Hubei provinces in CentralChina, Chongqing
Municipality and Sichuan province in Southwest China and Shaanxi
province in Northwest China, the ministry said, adding that 1.17
million people have been evacuated.
About 982,400 hectares of farmland have been affected by bad weathers
and about 66,000 houses have collapsed, the ministry said.
The ministry has sent three teams of experts and officials to aid in
reliefwork in affected regions, as well as shipped tents and quilts to
hard-hit Sichuan, the ministry said.
In another Monday report, the ministry said 465 people were killed and
97 missing in natural disasters in the first half of this year.
More than 113.36 million people were affected by natural disasters
during the period, the report said.
Floods, hail and landslideshad the greatest impact on people, followed
by droughts, earthquakes, snowstorms and typhoons, the report said.

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What is the right age to get children used to fasting?

What is the age at which children are obliged to fast? How can we
encourage them to fast and pray in the mosque, especially Taraweeh
prayer? Are there any simple religious ideas which can be used to fill
children's spare time in Ramadaan?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Fasting is not obligatory for young children, until they reach the age
of adolescence, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "The penshave been lifted from three: from one who has
lost his mind until he comes back to his senses, from one who is
sleeping until he wakes up, and from a child until he reaches the age
of adolescence." Narrated byAbu Dawood, 4399; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Nevertheless, children should be told to fast so that they can get
used to it, and because the good deeds that they do will berecorded
for them.
The age at which parents should start to teach theirchildren to fast
is the age at which they are able to fast, which will vary according
to each child's physical makeup. Some scholars have defined this as
being ten years of age.
Al-Kharqi said:
When a child is ten years old and is able to fast, he should start to do so.
Ibn Qudaamah said:
This means that he shouldbe made to fast and told to do so. And he
should be smacked if he does notdo it, so as to train him and make him
get used toit, just as he should be made to pray and told to do it.
Among those who were of the view that a child should be told to fast
when he becomes able to do it were 'Ata', al-Hasan, Ibn Sireen,
al-Zuhri, Qataadah and al-Shaafa'i.
Al-Awzaa'i said: If he is able to fast for three consecutive days
without interruption and without becoming weak, then he should be made
to fast Ramadaan. Ishaaq said: When (a child) reaches theage of twelve
I think that he should be made to fastso that he gets used to it.
The age of ten is more likely, because the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined smacking children for not
praying at this age, and regarding fasting as beinglike prayer is
better, because they are close to one another, and because they are
both physical actions that are pillars of Islam. But fasting is
harder, so attention should be paid to when the child becomes able
forit, because some may be able to pray who are not yet able to fast.
End quote.
Al-Mughni, 4/412
This is what the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) did with their children; they would tell those who
were able to fast to do so, and if one ofthem wept because of hunger,
they would give him a toy to distract him, but it is not permissible
toforce them to fast if it willharm them in cases of physical weakness
or sickness.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said:
A young child should not be forced to fast until he has reached the
age of adolescence, but he may be told to fast if he is ableto do it,
so that he may get used to it and it will be easier for him after he
reaches puberty. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) –
whoare the best of this ummah – used to make their children fast when
they were young. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 19/28, 29
And the Shaykh (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
My young son insists on fasting Ramadaan even though fasting is
harmful for him because he is so young and his health is not good.
Should I use force with him to make him break his fast?
He replied:
If he is young and has notyet reached puberty, he is not obliged to
fast, but if he is able to do it withouthardship, then he should be
told to do so. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) used to
make their children fast, and if the younger ones cried they would
give them toys to distract them. But if it is proven that it is
harmful to him, then he should be stopped from fasting. If Allaah has
forbidden us togive youngsters their wealth if there is the fear that
they may abuse it, then it is more appropriate that they be stopped
from doing something if there is the fear of physical harm. But that
should not be done by force, because that is not appropriate in
raising children. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 19/83
Secondly:
The parents can encourage their children to fast by giving them a gift
each day, or by exploiting the spirit of competition between them and
their peers or those who are younger than them. They can encourage
them to pray by taking them to pray in the mosques, especially if they
go out with their father and pray in different mosques each day....,

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He died and left behind a wife, three sons and five daughters

My father died and left us 25 million riyals. He has a wife, three
sons and five daughters. How should the estate be divided?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If a man dies and leaves behind a wife, three sons and five daughters,
and the heirs are limited to these people, then his estate is to be
divided as follows:
The wife gets one eighth, because there are descendants of the
deceased. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"but if you leave a child, they [wives] get an eighthof that which you
leave after payment of legacies that you may have bequeathed or debts"
[an-Nisa' 4:12].
The male and female children get the rest, with each male getting the
share of two females, because Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Allah commands you as regards your children's (inheritance); to the
male, a portion equal to that of two females"
[an-Nisa' 4:11].
So the common denominator in this issue is eight. So the wife gets one
eighth, which is one share. The remaining seven shares cannot to
bedivided according to the number of children. The correct way is to
divide it into 88 shares, of which the wife gets 11, each male gets 14
and each female gets 7.
The wife's share = the estate × 11 ÷ 88
= 25,000,000 × 11 ÷ 88 = 3,125,000
The share of each male = the estate × 14 ÷ 88
= 25,000,000 × 14 ÷ 88 = 3,977,272.70
The share of each female= the estate × 7 ÷ 88
= 25,000,000 × 7 ÷ 88 = 1,988,636.30
And Allah knows best.

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Where Are the Answers?

"What am I going to do? Why is my life so messed up? Why can't I find
happiness? Why am I alone? Why do I feel stuck? Why do I have these
problems?'…
These questions only have meaning if we direct them to Allah. No one
else can answer them. Consider thewords of the Prophet Ya'qub
(alayhis-salam, peace be upon him) when his son Yusuf (as) was
secretly thrown into a wellby his brothers. They then reported to
their father that Yusuf had been killed by a wolf.
And he turned away from them and said, "Oh,my sorrow over Yusuf," and
his eyes became white from grief, and he fell into silent melancholy.
They said, "By Allah , youwill not cease remembering Yusuf untilyou
become fatally ill or become of those who perish."
He said, " I only complainof my suffering and my grief to Allah , and
I know from Allah that which you do not know.
- Quran, Surat Yusuf, 12:84-86
"I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah…"
When you feel stuck, whenyou feel that no one understands your
situation, when you're in pain and you can't even imagine a solution,
only Allah has the answers. Youcan't see a way forward, but He can.
You don't see your own worth, but He does. You can't figure out the
road to happiness, but He can show you.
I remember a night in Arizona when I was twenty six years old. I lay
on a cot in a small, frigid cell. There was snow outside and I had
only a thin blanket. As I often did,I put on all my clothing in layers
– three pants, three shirts, an army jacket and a pair of boots – and
still I kept waking up shivering and shaking. Yet, even more than the
physical discomfort, my spirit was tired. I had made mistakes in my
youth and had been locked up for almost five years. I had become hard
mentally and physically, but my heart was full of sorrow. I lay there
that night and I thought, "I have nothing in life. I haveaccomplished
nothing. I have no university degree, no wife, no children, and not
even my freedom."
That was a bad time. But I had my faith, and I used toweep to Allah,
asking Him to have mercy on me. I think I gave up on myself for a
while, but I never gave up on Allah. It would not even have occurred
to me to do so. I did cry to Him sometimes saying, "Why, Allah? Why?
Why am I here, suffering like this?" But it wasn't despair, only
confusion. In my heart I knew that He heard me and that an answer
would come.
Shortly after that I received a letter from the parole board granting
me early release. I had previously been told very clearly that I was
not eligible. It was entirely unexpected, and if you are familiar with
the Americanpenal system, miraculous. But for Allah, nothing is
impossible or even difficult.
Within a few months I wasfree. I found a job a week after my release,
and I excelled. I began writing, sitting at my desk every night after
work and disciplining myself to workon poetry, stories and articles.
Eventually I went back to school and began a new career, got married,
bought a beautiful house, and one day had a child…
What can I say except Alhamdulillah! SubhanAllah! What can I do except
weep in gratitude for these blessings that I did nothing to earn, but
were given to me by my Lord who loves me and cares about me, and wants
goodfor me. I am so deeply touched and moved by theway Allah has
answered my prayers from the depths of darkness. If I did anything to
merit His blessings, perhaps it was only that I directed my pleas to
Him. I knew that no one else could help me.
This is a very emotional post for me to write. I want every Muslim to
havethis sense of Allah as their friend, as someone who cares for them
deeply. I want to put that awareness into your heart like a gift.
When I was in that cell I used to pray the same dua'over and over,
begging Allah repeatedly. If I had made such pleas to a human being
they would have stopped hearing me long ago. When we're needy with
people it pushes them away, but when we're needy with Allah He comes
closer to us! He never tires of answering our need and forgiving us.
I know of many similar stories of people who havehit rock bottom and
have called upon Allah – or , noteven knowing "Allah" by that name,
have called to the Supreme Being, saying,"I know you hear me, tell me
what I need to do, show me the way!" – and then, like a circle of
sunlight piercing a cloud, something or someone comes into their lives
to show them the way forward.
When we're out of ideas, surrounded by problems, and feeling totally
alone… we're not alone . Allah is with us. If we pray sincerely and
strive, He willput light in our hearts and help us from directions
wedid not expect.

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poem Everything to Gain

I open to you like a door
on a spring morning.
Your voice is a sun song.
Your words are water and earth.
I hold your heart like a newborn.
I hang on
because I have everything to gain.

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Does she have to ask her husband who is travelling for permissionto travel with her family?

My sister is married having two children. Her husband is away from his
home living in another city with his parents for one month. It means
theirhouse is closed. During this absence she lives in my house with
my parents. We have houses in more than one city. We want to go with
my family to another city where is my house until her husband returned
back his home.
My question is, while my sister is living with us if suddenly we make
a program to go another city where my house is fora short period.
Did she require informing her husband and get permission?
Kindly request you to answer me according to shari'ah.
Praise be to Allaah.
The basic principle concerning a woman is that it is not permissible
for her to leave her husband's house without his permission. That is
part of obedience to her husband that her Lord hasenjoined upon her,
and part of her care and respect towards him, and part of treating one
another honourably.
That applies except in cases of necessity; she may go out if need be.
It says in Mataalib Ooli'n-Nuha (5/271): It is haraamfor the wife to
go out without her husband's permission or unnecessarily, such as
going to buy food if there is no one who can bring itto her. End
quote.
See also the answer to question no. 106150 .
As the husband is travelling and the wife (your sister) has her two
children with her, her being with you is better and safer for her. If
you travel and she goes with you, that is better for her than staying
on her own with her children in her husband's house with no one to
keep her company.So there is nothing wrongwith her travelling with you
without her husband's permission, unless he has told her not to
travel, in which case she should ask him for permission and not go out
without his permission, except in caseof necessity.
Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
If a woman knows that her husband will allow her to go to her family
and relatives, is it permissible for her to go without his permission
in case of necessity?
He replied:
This depends on what sheknows of her husband's preference. In some
cases,the wife knows that the husband would give her permission to go
out to see her relatives in case ofnecessity, and in other cases the
wife knows thatthe husband does not want his wife to overstep the mark
with regard to what he has permitted. Soit depends on how the husband
is. But if he has told her not to go out for any need or reason other
than this specific purpose, then it is not permissible for her to go
out except for this specific purpose. End quote from Fataawa Noor 'ala
ad-Darb by Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 10/298
He was also asked:
What is the ruling on a woman who goes out without her husband's permission?
He replied:
If her husband is present it is not permissible for her to go out
except with his permission. If he is absent, she may go out solong as
he has not forbidden her to go out and said "Do not go out." If he has
told her not to go out, he has the right todo that. End quote.
Fataawa Noor 'ala ad-Darb by Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 10/298
And Allah knows best.

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Story of a Jinn

The well-known scholar Khateeb has stated on theauthority of Hadhrat
Jabir bin Abdullah who stated:"Once, we were travelling with the
Prophet (SAW). The Prophet was sitting under a tree for taking rest.
All of a sudden, therecame a snake near him, took his mouth near the
hole of his ear. After sometime, the Prophet took his mouth near its
ear and said something. On that, the snake vanished in such a way as
if the earth had swallowed it. We submitted to the Prophet that we
were very much frightened when you let itreach near your ear. The
Prophet told that it was an animal and in fact, it was a jinn who had
forgotten a few verses of such and such Surah and the jinns had sent
it to inquire about the same verses. Because of your presence, he came
changing its form to that of a snake and inquired about the verses
accordingly." Source: fromthe book "The Miracles of the Prophet" by
Ahmed Saeed.

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The smart thing to do

Here is another story about Sultan Mahmud of Afghanistan and his
servant, Ayyaz. Sultan Mahmud would respect Ayyaz for his wisdom even
though he was a servant. This made the ministers and other people of
high positions very jealous of Ayyaz. They talked wrong against him
and started a rumour that Ayyaz was nothing but a fool. The king came
to know of thisand he decided to prove to them who were the real
fools. An announcement was madeto all the people that the King will
distribute his belongings on a particulardate. Whatever a person touch
will become his on that day. When the day came, many people appeared
by the king's palace. The king made his announcement again thata
person can have whatever he touches. The door was opened and everyone
ran to touch whatever was of value in the palace. Some touched
jewelery of gold while others touched fancy furnitures, etc. But Ayyaz
was just standing by the king and was not touching anything.
Peoplethought that Ayyaz was crazy as he wasn't taking advantage of
this great event. Now, Ayyaz asked the king if the announcement he
made was certain. The king said"Yes, whatever you touch is yours."
Immediately, Ayyaz placed his right hand on the king's head and the
left hand on his shoulder. He then shouted, "Listen everyone.I was
waiting for this moment to aquire the most expensive thing. All of you
took whatever the king possessed, but you forgot about the owner ofall
these, which is the kinghimself. I hereby declare that my hands are on
the king, so the king is mine. You cannot remove one thing from this
palace because I am the owner of all these now." After hearing this
from Ayyaz, everyone realized that actually, Ayyaz is the only smart
one and everyone else was in error.
Today people are only running after the creations but, very few are
running towards the Creator Himself. If Allah, the King of all kings,
becomes our Friend then what else do we need?

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Fighting at the age of 94

Ammar bin Yasir (RA) and his parents were subjected to the severest
afflictions after becoming Muslims. They were tormented on the
scorching sands of Mecca. The Prophet (SAW) while passing by them
would enjoin patience giving them glad tidings about paradise. Ammar's
father Yasir (RA) died after prolonged sufferings at the hands of
persecutors and his mother Sumayya (RA) was killed by Abu Jahl, who
put his spear through the most private part of her body, causing her
death. She had refused to renounce Islamin the face of terrible
torture in her old age. Theblessed lady was the first to meet
martyrdom in thecause of Islam. Ammar fought against the enemies of
Islam with great zeal and courage. Once (after the death of Prophet
Muhammad) he was fighting in a battle when he said rejoicingly:"I am
to meet my friends very soon, I am to meet Muhammad (SAW) and
hiscompanions." He then asked for water. He was offered some milk
instead. He took it and said: "I heard the Prophet (SAW) saying to me,
"Milk shall be the last drink of your worldly life." He thenfought
till he met his coveted end. He was then aged about nintey-four.
Source: Extracted from thebook "Stories of the Sahabah" translated by
Abdul Rashid.
These real Muslims even continued to give service to Islam even beyond
the age of 90! May Allah also bless us with such spirits.

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