7a] The prostration of everything in the universe to Allaah

7a] This prostration includes the submission and humbling of these createdentities to Allaah and their surrendering to His Lordship, Might and Sovereignty. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim said: “It is the prostration of humility and submission, for everything submits to His Lordship, humbles itself before His Might andis subject to His Sovereignty.” Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/107 The prostration of these created entities is a prostration in a real senseas befits each of these entities. So man prostrates in the manner that suits him, in the manner that is well known, on seven parts of the body. The sun prostrates in the manner that suits it, as mentionedin the saheeh hadeeth of Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Abu Dharr when the sun had set, ‘Do you know where it went?’ I said, ‘Allaah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘It has gone to prostrate beneath the Throne, then it asks for permission to rise, but soon it will prostrate and its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask for permission to rise and that will not be granted to it, and it will be said to it, “Go back from whence you came,” and it will rise from the west. This is what Allaah says: “And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing” [Yaa-Seen 36:38].’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3199) So it prostrates in a real sense, as is suited to the sun, but how does it prostrate to Allaah beneath the Throne? Allaah knows best how this prostration happens. The apparent meaning of the hadeeth proves that what this prostration means is not simply submission to the command of Allaah and obedience to Him. Indeed,it is submission, humility and surrender by prostrating in a real sense,but we do not understandhow it happens. Similarly it is said that the moon, the trees, the animals andall other entities prostratein a manner that suits them. What the believer should do is not to let the fact that he does not know how some entities prostrate prevent him from believing in this prostration, rather he must believe in what Allaah has told him about other entities prostrating to Him. And Allaah knows best./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

7] The prostration of everything in the universe to Allaah

7] It says in Soorat al-Hajj 22:18 that the dawaab (moving living creatures, beasts, etc.) prostrate to Allaah. What is the nature of this prostration? Praise be to Allaah. Note that this universe and all the created beings in it is in thrall to Allaah, whether by choice or by force. The believer worships Allaah by choice and is rewarded for his worship. Even though the kaafir may be alienated from his Lord and failing to worship Him, the atoms of his body and everything in him is worshipping Him and glorifying Him, but because our understanding and perception are limited, weare unaware of that tasbeeh (glorification of Allaah) and unable to understand its nature. Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning): “The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies His Praise. But you understand not their glorification. Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving” [al-Isra’ 17:44] What this means is that every created being is in astate of submission to Allaah and worships Him in a manner appropriate to its situation. The sun, moon, stars, trees and animals are all in a state of subjugation to Allaah and prostrate to Him, and all of them worship Him in an appropriate manner.Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning): “See you not that whoever is in the heavensand whoever is on the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and Ad-Dawaabb [moving (living) creatures, beasts], and many of mankind prostrate themselves to Allaah. But there are many (men) on whom thepunishment is justified. And whomsoever Allaah disgraces, none can honour him. Verily, Allaah does what He wills” [al-Hajj 22:18] “Have they not observed things that Allaah has created: (how) their shadows incline to the right and to the left, making prostration unto Allaah, and they are lowly? And to Allaah prostrate allthat is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, of the moving (living) creatures and the angels, and they are not proud [i.e. they worship their Lord (Allaah) with humility]” [al-Nahl 16:48-49] Imaam Ibn Katheer said: Allaah is telling us of His Might, Majesty and Pride, for everything submits to Him and all things and creatures humble themselves before Him, inanimate objects and animals, and those which are accountable among mankind and the jinn, andthe angels. Allaah tells us that everything that has ashadow that inclines towards the right and towards the left – i.e., morning and evening – prostrates to Allaah. Mujaahid said: When the sun passes its zenith everything prostrates to Allaah. Allaah has confirmed that all beings prostrate to Him, and He has explainedhow some of them prostrate, which is by the inclining of its shadow towards the right and the left. It does not mean thateverything prostrates on seven parts of the body; that applies only to the Muslims. The prostration of all other beings is in accordance with their nature. The fact that this prostration is prostration in the real sense is indicated by the apparent meaning of the text, because there is no valid reason for not interpreting the text as it appears to be, so we mustaccept it. That is also supported by the fact thatthe prostration of the sun,moon, stars, trees and animals is mentioned in conjunction with the prostration of the angels and humans, which indicates that this is prostration in a real sensefor all the entities mentioned. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Prostration is a form of humility, so the prostration which includes all creatures implies the utmost submission and humility. For every created thing submits to His greatness and humbles itself before His might and power. Thisdoes not mean that everything prostrates like human beings do, on seven parts of the body, putting the forehead on the ground. This kind of prostration is only for human beings. Some other nations bow but do not prostrate, and that is their prostration. Allaah says (interpretation of themeaning): ‘and enter the gate in prostration (or bowing with humility) and say: “Forgive us”’ [al-Baqarah 2:58] It was said that this means enter it bowing, and some of them prostrate on their sides like the Jews. Sujood (prostration) is a generic term but because the wayin which Muslims prostrate is so well known, many people think that this is how everything prostrates. Jaami’ al-Rasaa’il, 1/27 And he said: It is known that everything prostrates according to its nature, and the prostration of these created entities does not mean that they put their foreheads on theground. Majmoo’ al-Fataawa,/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

Should he focus on purifying his heart or ondoing naafil acts?

Which is more important – dealing with feelings and thoughts that Allaah dislikes, such as destructive envy, hatred, arrogance, showing off, thinking highly of one's deeds, hard-heartedness, etc., which form the evil that resides in the heart, or focusing on doing outward naafil deeds suchas prayer, fasting and other acts of worship and fulfilling vows even though those other thingsare present in the heart? Please advise us, may Allaah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allaah.
Some of the acts mentioned are obligatory,and those which are obligatory should be given precedence, as Allaah says according to the hadeeth qudsi narrated from His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "My slave doesnot draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined on him." Then He says: "And My slave continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him." Outward physical acts are not valid and acceptable unless they are accompanied by appropriate actions of theheart, because the heart islike the king and the physical faculties are like his troops. If the king is evil his troops will also beevil. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "In the body there is a piece of flesh: if it is soundthe whole body will be sound and if it is corrupt then the whole body will be corrupt." Similarly the (hidden) actions of the heart
inevitably affect the (visible) physical actions. So precedence must be given to that which is more obligatory, whether it is called inward or outward. Perhaps things that are called inward may be more obligatory, such as refraining from destructive envy and arrogance, for that is more essential than observing naafil fasts. Or acts that are described as outward or physical may be better, such as qiyaam al-layl (praying at night), which is better than simply giving up some thoughts that may cross one's mind such as (non-destructive) jealousy, etc. Inward and outward deeds support one another, and prayer keeps one from doing evilactions and generates fearof Allaah, and has other important effects. It (prayer) is the best of good deeds and charity. And Allaah knows best.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him), Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 6/381
So there is no separation between correcting what is inward and correcting what is outward or physical.
The outward acts of worship which a person performs with his physicalfaculties – if he does themfor the sake of Allaah – will undoubtedly have an effect on his inward nature.
For example, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Shall I not tell you of something that will take away the evil of the heart? Fasting three days of each month." (Narratedby al-Nasaa'i, 2386; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa'i, 2249). The evil of the heart refers to rancour, hatred and destructive envy.
One of the most important remedies for diseases of the heart is to study and ponder the texts which include warnings to the one who leaves these diseases to fester in his heart, such as the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "No one will enter Paradise who has an atom's-weight of arrogance in his heart." (Narrated by Muslim, 91).
And the hadeeth according to which Hell will say, "My share is the arrogant." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4850; Muslim,2846)
And the hadeeth: "On the Day of Resurrection the arrogant will be gathered like ants in the form of men." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2492; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2025).
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The disease of the nations who came before you has started to spread among you: destructive envy and hatred. These are the shavers. I do not mean that they shave hair but they shave away religiouscommitment. By the One in Whose hand is my soul,you will not enter Paradise until you believe,and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something which ifyou do it, you will love one another. Spread (the greeting of) salaam amongst yourselves." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2510; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2038).
Whoever ponders with true insight such warnings about the diseases of the heart will undoubtedly strive to cleanse his heart thereof, and will seek help in doing so by doing outward physical acts, praying to his Lord to cleanse his heart of hatred, destructive envy, rancour and so on, as Allaah says, describing theprayer of the believers:
"and put not in our heartsany hatred against those who have believed"
[al-Hashr 59:10 – interpretation of the meaning]
And Allaah knows best.
Keyword: Acts of Worship

Is it permissible to slaughter an animal with the intention of offering a sacrifice?

I have been married for four years and have not been blessed with children. Praise be to Allaah, I have recently heard the news that my wife is pregnant, and on my father's advice I slaughtered two animals (as a sacrifice) and distributed the meat among needy Muslims, purely for the sake of Allaah on behalf of myselfand my wife. What is the Islamic ruling on that? May Allaah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allaah.
If this sacrifice and feeding the needy was done as an act of thanksgiving to Allaah, then it is permissible, for feeding people is a way ofdoing good to people, and Allaah loves those who do good.
But if your sacrifice was aimed at warding off evil and bringing about good,then it is not permissible. This is what is well-known among people when the word "sacrifice" (fadw) is used, because they think that by doing this they will ward off evil and bring about good, so they do this when accidents or sickness happen to them or their loved ones.
In Islam, sacrifice is not a means of warding off thatwhich has been decreed by Allaah, whether good or bad.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about slaughtering an animal when a building is completed or halfway through building. He said:
This action is subject to further examination. If the intention behind the sacrifice is to protect oneself against the jinn orsome other intention by which the owner of the house intends to achieve something, such as keeping it or its occupantssafe, this is not permissible, and it is a kind of bid'ah (innovation). If it is done for the jinn then it is major shirk, because it is an act of worship done forsomeone other than Allaah.
But if it is done as an act of thanksgiving for a blessing that Allaah has bestowed, such as reaching the roof or completing the house, so the person gathers his relatives and neighbours and invites them to this feast, there is nothing wrong with this. This is what many people do as an act of thanksgiving for a blessing from Allaah, as He has enabled them to build a house and live in itinstead of renting. Similar to this is what some people do when they come back from a journey, and they invite their relatives and neighbours as an act of thanksgiving to Allaah for their safe arrival. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came back from a journey he would sacrifice a camel and invite the people to eat. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3089).
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 5/388.
Shaykh Muhammad al-Saalih ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
What some people do when they move into a new house and slaughter an animal and invite their neighbours and relatives is fine so long as it is not accompanied by any corrupt beliefs, as is done in some places where, when a person moves into a new house, the firstthing he does is to bring asheep and slaughter it on the threshold so that the blood will fall onto it, and they say that this will prevent the jinn from entering the house. This isa corrupt belief which has no basis in Islam. But if a person slaughters it as an expression of joy and happiness, there is nothing wrong with that.

And Allaah knows best.
Keyword: Acts of Worship

The reason for the existence of the honourable scribes eventhough Allaah knows all things

What is the reason for theexistence of the honourable scribes even
though Allaah knows all things?.
Praise be to Allaah.
We say concerning such matters: we may or may not understand the
wisdom behind it, because we do not know the wisdom behind many
things, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And they ask you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) concerning the Rooh
(the spirit). Say: 'The Rooh(the spirit) is one of the things, the
knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you
(mankind) have been given only a little'"
[al-Isra' 17:85].
With regard to these creatures, if someone were to ask us: what is the
reason behind Allaah making the camel in this manner, and making the
horse in this manner, and making the donkey in thismanner, and making
the human in this manner? and so on, if he were to ask us about the
reason or wisdom behind these things, we would not know. If we were to
be asked: what is the reason why Allaah has made Zuhrprayer four
rak'ahs, and 'Asr prayer four, and Maghrib three, and 'Isha' four, and
so on? We would not be able to know the wisdom behind that.
Thus we know that with regard many matters, both in the universe and
in terms of sharee'ah, the wisdom behind them is hidden from us. As
that is the case, we say: if we manage to understand the wisdom behind
some things in creation or in sharee'ah, if Allaah blessesus by
enabling us to understand it, that is additional virtue, goodness and
knowledge.If we do not understand that, that is not going to harm us
in any way.
Now let us go back to the question, which is what is the reason why
Allaah hasappointed honourable scribes to record what we do?
The wisdom behind that is to show that Allaah has organised and
measured all things in the most perfect manner, to such an extent that
He has appointed honourable scribes to record the actions and words of
the sons of Adam; they are enjoined to watch over them and write down
all that they do, even thoughHe knows what they are going to do before
they do it. But this is a manifestation of the perfection of Allaah's
care for man and His complete protection, and it shows that this
universe is organised in the best possible manner, and Allaah is All
Knowing, Most Wise. And Allaah knows best.

Flight Of The Fairies

Old woman rises from her slumber
Earlier than the sun
Sleep; an infrequent visitor in her world
She feels the burden of her world, heavy in her bones
Gently brushing a strand of silvery gray out of her eyes
She labors to unsteady feet
Slowly she makes her way to her window
To watch the moon shimmer upon the lake
She sees Them gently fluttering, awaiting the sunrise
Calling to her, beckoning her to join them
She pulls her robe tight about her, making her way outside along the shore
They are waiting for her there: The Otherkin
No cold wind does she feel,
Aches and pains forgotten
She sits upon the damp grass as they dance for her
They land softly upon gnarled hands
Beauty and age in stark contrast
They whisper to her , beckoning her to join them
She closes her eyes and flies with them
Over miles, years, time, space
Their music fills her heart and soul; she smiles
Once more she is with him; love of her life
From oh so long ago
Their music fills her heart and soul
Tonight she joins Them
The pain and fetters of age fall from her
She is young again; she is with him
The sun rises casting its yellow glow
Upon the lifeless figure of an old woman
Morning breeze gently lifting her silver strands
Peeking from a rosebud nearby
They sing; hand in hand
Together again

EAGLES IN A STORM

Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long
before it breaks?
The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds tocome.
When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it
up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle
is soaring above it.
The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift
it higher. It rises on thewinds that bring the storm.
When the storms of life come upon us - and all of us will experience
them - we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief
toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God's
power to lift us above them.
God enables us to ride the winds of thestorm that bring sickness,
tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above
the storm.
Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how
we handle them.

The ideological basis of the Rwandan Genocide is rooted in Darwin'stheory of evolution

The theory of evolution bases the development ofliving things on a
"struggle for survival" that exists in nature. According to the
founder of the theory, Charles Darwin, there is a ruthlessfight for
survival and permanent conflict in nature. The strong invariably
eliminate the weak, and progress is only possible in this way.
Darwinism longs for a world in which human beings live and behave like
animals. When this Darwinist law of the jungle is applied to
societies, conflict and war between races and nations are inevitable.
War, killing, mass murder and barbarity in many parts of the world
assumed a scientific guise,and the 20th Century was one of pain and
ruthlessness.
Darwin's writings about "the protection of favoredraces," and
especially the unscientific claims in his book The Descent of Man,
supported the German error of the superiority of the alleged Aryan
race and the British idea of thesuperiority of the Anglo Saxons.
The mass murder of approximately 40 million people by the Nazis and
their racially driven program of systematic genocide during the Second
World War, the former apartheid system in South Africa and the racial
discrimination against black people in the USA and the aboriginal
peoples in Australia all drew strength from the supportthat Darwinism
supposedly provided for racism.
How can those who say, "These ideologies are things of the past" or
"There is no longer any need to tell people of the invalidity of the
theory of evolution" ignore the fact that in Rwanda in 1994 some
800,000 Hutus and Tutsis died in 100 days as a result of skull-based
racism?
The roots of the Rwandangenocide go back to the Belgian colonization
of the country in the wake of World War I. It was claimed in those
days, on the supposed scientific basis of Darwin's theory of
evolution, that the people living in the regionof Rwanda were an
intermediate race between the Aryan race and negroes, who were
regarded as an inferior race. Skull measurements were taken, common
linguistic, traditional and ethnic similarities between the Rwandan
Hutus and Tutsis were ignored and an artificial policy of racial
discrimination was followed.
In order to foment racial discrimination, Belgian administrators
enforced ethnic identity cards and gave everyone a card on which his
or her ethnicity was written. These racially-based practices between
Hutus and Tutsisfrom 1930 to 1994 brought the background conflict in
the country to apeak. And despite a concerted last-minute UN
intervention in 1994, 800,000 Rwandans lost their lives in just 100
days.
The documentary " Shake Hands With The Devil; TheJourney of Romeo
Dallaire" , in which the commander of the UN Peace Force during the
genocide describes those events, describes how the racism in the
region was supported by Darwinist circles:
"The problem that essentially was created bythe Belgians, who had
thiscountry as a colony, and through their whole etnictiy, exercise,
and their antropologists who had gone on a wild sphere of idiotic
theories and sizes of heads and this and that, and the administrators
included the ethnicity on the ID cards. And then that splits the
country and identifies you as elements of difference.
"I understand the intense ethnic hatred weren't really in the soul of
Hutus and Tutsis but were encouraged by the emperial powers over the
years."
According to Social Darwinism, people's skullsneed to be measured and
classifications made on that basis. Under this twisted way of
thinking, members of supposed inferior classes must be ruthlessly
eliminated and exploited. For these people, who believe that only when
such savagery is applied can human beings and societies progress, and
massacres, genocide, cruelty and ruthlessness on that path are to be
regarded as successes. People, societies, cultures and nations that
fail to achieve that success must be eliminated.
This is without doubt a most twisted and dangerous way of thinking.
The dangers of Darwinism must not be ignored. We must not forget that
Darwinism and social models based on Darwinism have inflicted the most
awful tragedies on mankind. Butthe moral values commanded by Allah and
revealed in the Qur'an willalways bring with them well-being, peace
and tranquility.
If the pains of the last century are finally to come to an end in the
21st Century, and if this century is to be one of peace, then an end
must be put to dogmatic Darwinist education.

6a] Do the angels see Allah in this world?

6a]
[al-Baqarah 2:260].
Allah spoke to Moosa (peace be upon him) frombehind a screen, and that does not mean that he did not believe. To sum up, there is no contradiction between faith and seeing Him. This is borne out by the fact that Moosa (peace be upon him) asked his Lord to let him see Him so as to increase him in faith: “…he said: ‘O my Lord! Show me (Yourself), that Imay look upon You’” [al-A‘raaf 7:143]. Yes, afterseeing Allah, faith will no longer be regarded as belief in the unseen, so it is possible that the bearers of the Throne andthose who are around it may have seen Allah and thus attained the highest level of certainty. By the same token, when the believers see their Lord onthe Day of Resurrection, they will move from certainty based on knowledge to certainty based on seeing, for whenthey see Allah they will believe in Him with the faith of having seen and they will find the deepest joy in that; they will be blessed with seeing Him and hearing His words. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Some faces that Day shallbe Nâdirah (shining and radiant).
Looking at their Lord (Allâh)”
[al-Qiyaamah :22-23].
We ask Allah for the joy oflooking upon His noble Countenance. And Allah knows best.
End quote from Fataawa al-Islam al-Yawm.
To sum up: This is a matter of the unseen and it is not permissible to affirm it or deny it except on the basis of evidence. The correct approach is to refrain from asking about it.
And Allah knows best./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

6] Do the angels see Allah in this world?

6]
Angel Jibreel or any of theangels have they ever seen Allah (sabhanu wa tala)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing in the Qur’aan or Sunnah to indicate that Jibreel (peace be upon him) or any other angel has seen Allah, may He be exalted, and it is well known that this is one of the issues of the unseen which cannot be proven except on the basis of evidence.
In the hadeeth of the Mi‘raaj (Prophet’s ascent to heaven) it says that Jibreel (peace be upon him) ascended with our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to a level where the scratching of the pens could be heard, but there is no proof that either of them saw Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) in that place.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Then I passed by Ibraaheem, andhe said: ‘Welcome to the righteous Prophet and therighteous son.’ I said: ‘Who is this?’ He said: ‘This is Ibraaheem (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).’” Ibn Shihaab said: And Ibn Hazm told me that Ibn ‘Abbaas and Abu Habbah al-Ansaari used to say: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Then I was taken up until we reached a level where I could hear the scratching of the pens.” Ibn Hazm and Anas ibn Maalik said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah enjoined upon my ummah fifty prayers, and I went back with that until I passed by Moosa…”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 349; Muslim, 263
The scholars differed concerning this seeing: some of them affirmed it and some of them denied it.
Ibn Hajar al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy onhim) was asked: ||Do the angels see Allah, may He be exalted?
He replied:
Shaykh ‘Izz al-Deen ibn ‘Abd al-Salaam stated thatthey do not see Him, and he quoted evidence at length to support that, and he was followed in that by some scholars, buthe was refuted by the statement of the imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Shaykh Abu’l-Hasan al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that they do see Him. This was mentioned in his book al-Ibaanah fi Usool al-Diyaanah. He was followed by al-Bayhaqi who narrated it with its isnaad from ‘Abd-Allah ibn‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas and another Sahaabi. This wasalso followed by Ibn al-Qayyim and al-Jalaal al-Balqeeni. According to a hadeeth that was classed as saheeh by al-Haakim, Jibreel never saw his Lord before the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prostrated before hisLord on that occasion, butthis does not necessarily mean that he did not see Him after that or that others of the angels do not see Him. The view that only Jibreel could seeHim is invalid.
End quote from al-Fataawa al-Hadeethiyyah, p. 153
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Do the angels see their Lord in this world or does He send revelation to them from beyond a screen?
He replied: Allah knows best.
End quote from Fataawa Noor ‘ala al-Darb.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak (may Allah preserve him) was asked:
There is evidence to suggest that they do not see Him. That is the verse in Soorat Ghaafir in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of themeaning): “Those (angels)who bear the Throne (of Allâh) and those around itglorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (in the Oneness of Allâh) (saying):‘Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your Way, andsave them from the torment of the blazing Fire!’” [Ghaafir 40:7].
The word “believe” in thisverse may point to that meaning -- is this correct?
He replied:
The fact that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says of the angelswho bear the Throne and who are around it that they believe in Him does not necessarily mean that they do not see Him, or that some of them do not see Him, or that other angels do not see Him, just as (aspiring to) see Him does not contradict faith. Similarly, the fact that Allah spoke (to some of the Prophets) is not contrary to faith. Ibraaheem (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw how Allah brought the dead back to life and that increased him in faith, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And (remember) when Ibrâhim (Abraham) said, ‘My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead.’ He (Allâh) said: ‘Do you not believe?’ He [Ibrâhim (Abraham)] said: ‘Yes (I believe), but to be stronger in Faith’”/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

The return of China’s wild panda

Bamboo is luring the pandas back to China's Sichuan province, its
spiritual home. (Thomas Kokta/Getty)
When it comes to picking national animals, there is no doubt that
China has struck gold in choosing theloveable, ink-eyed, roly poly
panda, and the Sichuan province, in the country's southwest, is
thepanda's spiritual home. Shops in Chengdu, the capital of the
province, andon the outskirts of Jiuzhai Valley (China's most popular
national park, attracting some 10,000 visitors a day) are packed with
panda paraphernalia, from furry-eared hats to huge panda boxing
gloves.
*. Related slidehow: The falls and hues of Jiuzhaigou
There is only one thing missing -- the pandas.
Uncovered by the Chinese government in the late 1960s and populated
only by a handful of tiny Tibetan villages (the local name,
Jiuzhaigou, means "Nine Villages Valley"), the remote Jiuzhai Valley
was threatened by logging until 1982 when it becameone of the
country's first protected national parks to preserve the region's
staggering beauty. Midnight blue lakes reflect the huge forested
canyons in their flawless waters, crystalline waterfalls flow from the
mountain tops and exquisite orchids and rhododendrons weave threads of
colour through the greenery of the forest floor. Most importantly,
these mountains were covered in bamboo, making Jiuzhai a haven
forpandas.
But bamboo is something of a tragic plant -- it only flower once in
its lifetime -- and the Jiuzhai Valley bamboo flowered and died in the
1980s, depriving pandas of the food that makes up 99% of their diet.
The animals were forced to leave the park and move into the even more
remote Min Shan mountains in search of sustenance.
Since then, the only way tosee a panda in the Sichuan province has
been to visit the Chengdu Panda Reserve -- one of the most important
international centres for panda research -- which provides a fantastic
opportunity to get up close to the animalsand watch them chompingdown
on bamboo and playfighting. The chance of seeing pandas in the wild –
always remote, even when the bamboo was at its height -- was thought
to have gone forever.
But slowly and surely, bamboo has started to regrow in Jiuzhai. And in
June 2012, a mountain ranger working for the national park authority
came across evidence of panda feeding sites within the boundary of the
park. Droppings that looked like panda scat were collected and brought
back for testing, and the results confirmed that after a gap of 20
years, pandas have begun their return to the valley.
"If pandas do return here in greater numbers they will be returning to
a well-protected nature reserve with no threat from logging or
poaching,"said Kieran Fitzgerald, a sustainable tourism expertwho has
worked at the park for the past four years. "Even though Jiuzhai
Valley is a popular tourist site, the tourist buses will be far enough
away so as not to affect these reclusive mountain dwellers."
The chances of seeing a panda in the wild at Jiuzhai remain very slim
– but there is now at least a chance. "Pandas are very shy, reclusive
animals," said Fitzgerald. "If in the future if they do return in
better numbers, it would still be extremely hard for tourists to see
them in the wild. But when the time comes, there could be some viewing
opportunitythrough long range telescopes or binoculars – who knows?"
And in any case, there are plenty of other reasons to go to Jiuzhai.
Visiting someof the park's Tibetan villages is a fantastic way to
learn about the region'sTibetan culture. Everywhere you look, linesof
colourful prayer flags flutter in the breeze and prayer wheels spin as
the water flows beneath them.
The local Tibetan people are beginning to adapt to the tourism that
the natural beauty of their home has inspired. The road leading to the
entrance of the park is lined with the high risechain hotels that are
popular with many Chinese tourists, but there are also signs that an
alternative, more sustainable approach to tourism is on the rise.

Is the Rock in Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) suspended in the air?

They told us that the sacred rock from which the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) started his ascent into heaven on
thenight of the Mi'raaj is suspended in the air by the power of
Allaah. Please tell us if this is correct, may Allaah reward you.
Praise be to Allaah.
Everything is standing in its position by the permission of Allaah,
whether it be the heavensand all that is in them or the earth and all
that is on it – even the rock which you asked about. Allaah says
(interpretationof the meanings):
"Verily, Allaah grasps the heavens and the earth lest they move away
fromtheir places, and if they were to move away from their places,
there is not one that could grasp them after Him…" [Faatir 35:41]
"And among His Signs is that the heaven and the earth stand by His
Command…" [al-Room 30:25]
The Rock in Bayt al-Maqdis is not suspended in space with air around
it on all sides; it is attached to the side of the mountain of which
it is a part and by which itis supported; both it and the mountain
stand in their positions because of the well-known physical laws
governing the universe; in this regard it is like everything else
thatexists. We do not deny that Allaah is Able to hold part of His
creation in space; all of creation is standing in space by the power
of Allaah, as stated above. Allaah raised the mountain above the
people of Moosa when they refused to follow thelaws that Moosa brought
them. It was held up by the power of Allaah. Allaah says
(interpretationof the meaning):
"And (remember) when We took your Covenant and We raised above you the
Mount (saying): 'Hold fast to that which We have given you, and
remember that which is therein so that you may become al-muttaqoon
(the pious)." [al-Baqarah 2:63]
"And (remember) when We raised the mountain over them as if it had
been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them. (We
said): 'Hold firmly to what We have given you, and remember that which
is therein, so that you may fear Allaah and obey Him." [al-A'raaf
7:171]
But our point here is to explain what is in fact the case: the rock in
Jerusalem is not suspended in space, completely separate from the
mountain; it is attached to it and is supported by it. And Allaah
knows best.
:- keyword: Islamic history and biography

Should a woman start with making up missed fasts from Ramadaan or with the six days of Shawwaal?

What should a woman dofirst: fast the six recommended days of Shawwal
( Alayam Alsetta Albeed) or fast equivalent to the days she missed in
Ramadan due to her monthly period?
Praise be to Allaah.
If she wants to earn the reward mentioned in the hadeeth of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "Whoever fasts
Ramadaanthen follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it will be as if he
fasted for a lifetime" (reported by Muslim, no. 1984), then she should
complete her Ramadaan fasts first, thenfollow it with six days of
Shawwaal, so that the hadeeth with be applicable to her too, and she
will gain the reward mentioned in it.
As regards the matter of permissibility, it is permissible for her to
delay making up her Ramadaan fasts, provided that she makes them up
before the next Ramadaan comes along./
Sheikh Muhammed SalihAl-Munajjid
:- key word : Naafil (supererogatory) fasts

He works as a security guard in a store that sells alcohol; what is theruling on his work?

I want to know is it permissible to work in a supermarket as a
security guard. The supermarket isin the UK and sell haraam products
such as alcohol and tobacco also. I am worried about working there as
i may have to stop people that steal alcohol and be included inthe
chain of transporting and guarding it. Can you give a clear answer.
Also it is very difficult to work anywhere in the UK without it being
linked to haraam income so what would you advise?
For example most jobs are linked to insurance, riba, alcohol etc. I am
finding it hard to get a halal job
Praise be to Allah.
There is nothing wrong with working as a securityguard in a
supermarket, but if this store sells haraam things such as alcohol and
pork, it is not permissible to work there either as a guard or a
cashier, because that implies approval of evil and because of what you
mention of helping to transport it. This is emphatically forbidden
because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood (3674) and Ibn Maajah
(3380) from Ibn 'Umar who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Allaah has cursed khamr (alcohol)
and the one who drinks it,the one who pours it, the one who sells it,
the one who buys it, the one who squeezes it, the one for whom it is
squeezed, the one who carries it and theone to whom it is carried."
Classed as saheehby al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. For more
information concerning the ruling on carrying andtransporting alcohol
for someone else, please see the answer to question no. 96739
Based on that, you shouldlook for a job that is befitting for the
Muslim who is proud of his religion, follows its commands and heeds
its prohibitions. You should take measures to find permissible ways of
earning a living. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Quran) that
when you hear the Verses of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit
not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if
you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them"
[an-Nisa' 4:140]
"And when you (Muhammad SAW) see those who engage in a false
conversation about Our Verses (of the Quran) by mocking at them, stay
away from them till they turn to another topic. Andif Shaitan (Satan)
causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the
company of those people who are the Zalimoon (polytheists
andwrongdoers, etc.)"
[al-An 'am 6:68]
"And those who do not witness falsehood, and if they pass by some evil
play or evil talk, they passby it with dignity"
[al-Furqaan 25:72].
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on) said:"Falsehood" includes
all kinds of evil. That includesshirk (associating others with Allah),
kufr (disbelief), the festivals of the mushrikeen (those who associate
others withAllah), gathering to drink alcohol and smoke, songs,musical
instruments, movies and other evils. Something similar was stated by
al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer in his commentary on this verse.
End quote from Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 27/429
Shaykh Khaalid ibn 'Ali al-Mushayqih (may Allah preserve him) was
asked about working in the management of a hotel that sells alcohol.
He replied:
There is no doubt whatsoever that the one who welcomes guests in such
a hotel and prepares accommodation for them is a partner in that sin.
I advise the brother to keep away from that and to try hard to look
for permissible work even if it brings a lower income.
"And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a
way for him to get out (from every difficulty).
3. And He will provide himfrom (sources) he never could imagin"
[al-Talaaq 65:2-3].
He should try hard to lookfor permissible work and when he finds that
he should move to that job.
End quote from a fatwa by Shaykh Khaalid ibn 'Ali al-Mushayqih (on the
Internet).
For more information please see the answer to question no. 96739
To sum up, it is not permissible for you to work in these and similar
places even if you need towork. For more information please see the
answer to questions no. 82886 and 31781
You have to offer a great deal of du'aa' (supplication) to Allah
andbeseech Him, for He is the One in Whose hand are the stores of
heaven and earth and He is able to help you and make thingseasy for
you.
For more information on the means that help to bring a response to du'aa',

And Allah knows best.

4b] Who was Ibn Sayyaad? Was he the false messiah (al-maseeh al-dajjaal)?

4b]
Because the matter is so confusing, al-Bukhaari, instead of attempting a reconciliation, narrated the hadeeth of Jaabir from ‘Umar, believing it tobe more saheeh, and did not narrate the hadeeth of Faatimah bint Qays about the story of Tameem. (Fath al-Baari, 13/328)
It was said that Ibn Sayyaad was one of the dajjaals or liars, but he was not the greater Dajjaal. And Allaah knows best./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

4a] Who was Ibn Sayyaad? Was he the false messiah (al-maseeh al-dajjaal)?

4a]
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) examined him – indicates that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not pass judgement on the matter of Ibn Sayyaad, because it was not revealed to him (by Wahy) whether he was the Dajjaal or not.
Many of the Sahaabah thought that Ibn Sayyaad was the Dajjaal. ‘Umar ibnal-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) swore that he was the Dajjaal in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Sahaabah, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not disapprove of that. Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said, “I saw Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah swear by Allaah that Ibn al-Saa’id was the Dajjaal. Isaid, ‘Do you swear by Allaah?’ He said, ‘I heard ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab swear to that effect in thepresence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not disapprove of that.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6808).
Ibn ‘Umar told a strange story about Ibn Sayyaad which was narrated in Saheeh Muslim from Naafi’, who said: Ibn ‘Umar met Ibn Sayyaad onone of the paths of Madeenah, and said to him something which made him so angry that he swelled up and filled the road. Ibn ‘Umar went to Hafsah and told her about this. She said, “May Allaah have mercy upon you! Why did you upset Ibn Sayyaad? Don’t you know that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that he (the Dajjaal) will emerge when something makes him very angry?” (Saheeh Muslim, 2932)
In spite of that, when IbnSayyaad grew up, he tried to defend himself and said that he was not the Dajjaal; he was apparently upset by this accusation, and he quotedas evidence the fact that the attributes of the Dajjaal described by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not apply to him.
Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said:“We went out for Hajj or ‘Umrah, and Ibn Saa’id was with us. We stopped at a place to camp, and the people separated and I was left with him (Ibn Saa’id). I felt very nervous and afraid of him, becauseof what had been said about him. He brought hisluggage and put it with mine. I said, ‘It is very hot – why don’t you put your things under that tree?’ So he did that. Then somesheep appeared before us,and he went and brought a large vessel (of milk) and said, ‘Drink, O Abu Sa’eed.’ I said, ‘It is too hot, and the milk is hot.’ In fact (the only thing wrong was) that I did not want to drink from his hand, or take anything from his hand. He said, ‘Abu Sa’eed, I have been thinking that I should take a rope and suspend it from a tree, and hang myself, because of what people are saying about me. O Abu Sa’eed, does anyone know more abouthadeeth than you Ansaar?Are you not one of the most knowledgeable of people about the hadeethof the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? Didn’t the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that the Dajjaal is a kaafir, and I am a Muslim? Didn’t the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that he would be sterile, with no children, and I have left my child behind in Madeenah? Didn’t the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that he will never enter Madeenah or Makkah, but I have left Madeenah and am headed for Makkah?’… I was about to accept his excuses, then he said, ‘But, by Allaah, I know who the Dajjaal is, where he was born and where he is now.’ I said to him, ‘May you perish for the rest of the day!’” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 5211).
According to another report, Ibn Sayyaad said: “By Allaah, I know where he is now and I know his father and mother.” It was said to him, “Would you not be happy to be that man?” He said, “If it were offered to me, I would not refuse.” (Narrated by Muslim, 521)
The scholars were confused by the reports about Ibn Sayyaad. Some scholars said that he was the Dajjaal, and others said that he was not. Bothgroups had evidence (daleel) for what they said, and their views conflicted a great deal. Ibn Hajar tried to reconcile the two views by saying: the best way inwhich we may reconcile what is said in the hadeeth of Tameem al-Daari and the view thatIbn Sayyaad was the Dajjaal is to say that the Dajjaal is the exact same person whom Tameem al-Daari saw chained up, and that Ibn Sayyaad was a shaytaan (a devil) who appeared in the image of the Dajjaal at that time, until he went to Isfahaan, where he hid with his qareen, until the appointed time comes when Allaah will decree that he should emerge. Because the matter is so confusing, al-Bukhaari, instead of attempting a reconciliation,
:->/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

4] Who was Ibn Sayyaad? Was he the false messiah (al-maseeh al-dajjaal)?

4]
I have read in some ahaadeeth about a strange person who appeared at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). His name was Ibn Sayyaad or Ibn Saa’id. Who was this man and what was he?
Praise be to Allaah.
Ibn Sayyaad’s name was Saafi, or ‘Abd-Allaah, ibn (the son of) Sayyaad or Saa’id.
He was one of the Jews of Madeenah, and it was said that he was one of the Ansaar. He was a childat the time when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah. It was also said that he became Muslim.
Ibn Sayyaad was a dajjaal(a liar), and he used to tellfortunes, sometimes whathe said came true, and sometimes it did not. He became famous among the people, and it was rumoured that he was theDajjaal. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to find out about him, so he used to go to him secretly, without revealing his identity to him, hoping to hear something from him. He also asked him some questions directly, to find out what he really was. He outlived the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then he was lost on the day of al-Harrah. [comment deleted]
The story of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and Ibn Sayyaad
‘Abdaan told us, ‘Abd-Allaah informed us, from Yoonus from al-Zuhri, who said, Saalim ibn ‘Abd-Allaah informed me that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) informed him that ‘Umar set out with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to look for Ibn Sayyaad, and they found him playing with some boys near the battlement of Banu Maghaalah. At that time Ibn Sayyaad was on the threshhold of adolescence. He did not notice anything until the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) struck him on the back with his hand. Then he said to Ibn Sayyaad, “Do you bear witness that I am the Messenger of Allaah?” Ibn Sayyaad looked at him and said, “I bear witness that you are the Messenger of the unlettered.” Ibn Sayyaad said to the Prophet (peaceand blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Do you bear witness that I am the messenger of Allaah?” He ignored that and said, “I believe in Allaah and His Messengers.” Then he asked him, “What do you see?” Ibn Sayyaad said, “(Sometimes) a truthful one comes to me and (sometimes) a liar comes.”The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “You havebeen confounded.” Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him, “I am concealing something from you.” Ibn Sayyaad said, “It is al-dukh.” [Referring to Soorat al-Dukhaan]. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him, “Be off with you! You will never go beyond your rank.” ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said, “Permit me to strike his neck (kill him), OMessenger of Allaah.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “If he is he (the Dajjaal), then you will not be able to overpower him, and if he is not (the Dajjaal), then your killing him will not do any good.” Saalim said, I heard Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) say: After that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and Ubayy ibn Ka’b set off to go to some date-palm trees where Ibn Sayyaad was. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concealed himself in order to hear something from Ibn Sayyaad before Ibn Sayyaad saw him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw him lying on his bed with a blanket around him from which was coming a murmuring sound. The mother of Ibn Sayyaad saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) hiding behind the trunk ofthe palm-tree and said, “OSaaf!” – which was his name – “Here is Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)!” Then Ibn Sayyaad jumped up and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “If she had left him alone, things would have been made clear.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1355).
“Battlement” refers to a structure like a fortress.
Maghaalah was a tribe of the Ansaar.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wanted to talk to Ibn Sayyaad without him realizing who he was.
“from which was coming a murmuring sound” means, a low voice, or moving the lips as in speech, or speaking in an indistinct manner.
See Fath al-Baari for the commentary on the above hadeeth in Kitaab al-Janaa’iz of Saheeh al-Bukhaari.
· Was Ibn Sayyaad the great Dajjaal?
The hadeeth quoted above – which describes some of the features of Ibn Saayaad and how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) examined him – indicates that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

3b] Discussion of numerical miracles in the Qur’aan and use of the solar calendar

3b]
It was also mentioned by al-Albaani in al-Saheehah (1575). This could not be known unless the calendar was based on the moon and new moons. This is also indicated by the hadeeth which was narrated in al-Saheehayn from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cameto Madeenah, he found the Jews fasting on the day of ‘Ashoora’. He said: “What is this?” They said: This is a good day, this is the day on which Allaah saved the Children of Israel from their enemies. So Moosa fasted on that day … Narrated by al-Bukhaari (2004) and Muslim (1130). And al-Haafiz (may Allaah have mercy on him) stated clearly that they did not base their count (of time) on the sun. See: al-Fath (4/291 and 7/323).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaahhave mercy on him) said, commenting on the verses “It is He Who madethe sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out for it stages” [Yoonus 10:5] and“And the moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it returns like the old dried curved date stalk” [Yaa Seen 36:38, 39]: Hence the lunar calendar was better known among the nations and was less likely to involve errors, and it is more precise than the solar calendar, and all people can follow it easily. Hence Allaah says(interpretation of the meaning): “and measuredout for it stages that you might know the number of years and the reckoning” [Yoonus 10:5]. But He did not say that about the sun, hence the months of Hajj, fasting, Eid and other Islamic occasions are based on the lunar calendar. This is by the wisdom of Allaah and His mercy, and so as to protect His religion, as the people may all be able to figure out this count of time easily and avoid mistakes, and so that no differences or confusion would happen to the religion as happened to the people of the Book.
End quote from Miftaah Daar al-Sa’aadah, p. 538, 539.
It may be understood from the last comment of Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaahhave mercy on him) that the people of the Book used to follow a solar calendar, and this was stated clearly by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) in his response after he attributed this view to Ibnal-Qayyim. See al-Fath (7/323).
But in fact it played no role in their religion, rather it was introduced after that by the ignorant among them. End quote.
Concerning the things we learn from the verse “They ask you (O Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about the new moons…”, Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
… and we learn that the fixed periods of time for all nations are the fixed periods of time that were established by Allaah for them – which are the newmoons – so these are global fixed periods of time, because Allaah says “fixed periods of time for mankind”. As for what hashappened recently, namely the adoption of the European calendar, there it has no tangible basis and it makes no sense and is not prescribed in sharee’ah. Hence you find that one month has twenty-eight days and some have thirty days and some have thirty one, without any known reason for thisdiscrepancy. Moreover these months have no physical sign that the people can refer to in order to work out time, unlike the lunar months which have a physical sign that is known to everyone. End quote.
Tafseer al-Baqarah (2/371).
Al-Qurtubi said, commenting on the verse “Verily, the number of months with Allaah is twelve months (in a year),so was it ordained by Allaah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth” [al-Tawbah9:36]: This verse indicates that rulings on acts of worship and other matters must be connected to the months and years that were known to the Arabs, and not those that were used by the Persians, Byzantines or Copts, and they should not be more than twelve months, because they vary in the number of days; some of them being thirty days and some of them being more or less. But the months of the Arabs never exceed thirty days, although some of them may be less; the ones thatare less are not any specific months, rather that varies according to variations in the moon’s movement through the sky. End quote. Tafseer al-Qurtubi (8/133).
And Allaah knows best./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

3a] Discussion of numerical miracles in the Qur’aan and use of the solar calendar

3a]
to prove this he counted the words “al-yawm” and “yawman”but he ignored words such as “yawmukum” (your day) and “yawmuhum” (their day) and yawma’idhin (on thatday), because if he had done that, he would have got a different number. The same applies to the word al-isti’aadhah whichrefers to seeking refuge from the shaytaan. He says that it is repeated 11 times, but he includes in that the words “a’oodhu” (I seek refuge) and “fasta’idh” (seek refuge) but not “ ‘udhtu” (I sought refuge) or “ya’oodhoona” (they seek refuge) or “u’eedhuha” (I seek refuge for her) or “ma’aadh Allaah” (Allaah forbid).
See: Ittijaahaat al-Tafseer fi’l-Qarn al-Raabi’ ‘Ashara (2/699, 700), Beirut, Mu’sasat al-Risaalah, second edition, 1414 AH.
From this well-founded discussion, the answer to the issue of the word “yawm” and the number of times it appears in the Qur’aan, which is mentioned in the question, is clear.
Thirdly:
With regard to the count (of time) (al-hisaab, mentioned in Yoonus 10:5) that Allaah has mentioned in His holy Book, it is the precise count (of time) that does not differ as the years pass, which is the lunar count (of time).
With regard to the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
“And they stayed in their Cave three hundred years,adding nine”
[al-Kahf 18:25],
some of the scholars havestated that the number 300 refers to solar years, and that the number 309 refers to lunar years. This view was refuted by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, who explained in his refutation that the count (of time) with Allaah is lunar, not solar.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“adding nine” means that they added nine years to three hundred, so they stayed there for three hundred and nine years. Itmay be said: Why doesn’t it just say three hundred and nine?
The answer is that this is what is meant, but the Qur’aan is the most eloquent of books, and in order for the ends of the verses to match (in Arabic)it says: “And they stayed in their Cave three hundred (solar) years, adding nine (for lunar years)”. It is not as some people think, that the three hundred refers to solar years and the nine was added for lunar years,because we cannot testifythat Allaah meant that. Who can testify that this is what Allaah meant? Even if it so happens that three hundred solar years are equal to three hundred and nine lunar years, we cannot testify about Allaah in this way, because the count (of time) with Allaah is one.
What are the signs by which the count (of time) is reckoned with Allaah?
The answer is that they are the new moons; hence we say that the view that “three hundred years” refers to solar years and “adding nine” refers to lunar years, is a weak view.
Firstly: because we cannottestify that Allaah meant this.
Secondly: because the number of months and years with Allaah is based on the new moons. Allaahsays (interpretation of themeaning):
“It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory and the moon to be a light (of beauty), and measured out stages for it; that ye might know thenumber of years and the count (of time)”
[Yoonus 10:5]
“They ask you (O Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage”
[al-Baqarah 2:189]
Tafseer Soorat al-Kahf.
Reckoning time by the moon and the new moons was well known to the Prophets and their peoples, and reckoning time by the sun was only known to the ignorant followers of false religions, but unfortunately many Muslims follow them nowadays.
Dr Khaalid al-Sabt says, in his refutation of those who say that the verse “The building which they built” [al-Tawbah 9:11] in al-Tawbah refers to the explosions in America:
5 (the fifth point) – These connections are based on the solar calendar, which is a calendar that was inherited from idolatrous nations, and which was ofno significance to the Prophets (blessing and peace be upon them). Rather the calendar that counts in sharee’ah is the calendar that is based on the moon and new moons, which is more precise. This indicates that what was known to the Prophets was the lunar calendar. In the hadeeth of Waathilah ibn al-Asqa’ (may Allaah be pleased with him) it says that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Suhuf of Ibraaheem were revealed to him on the first night of Ramadaan, and the Tawrat (Torah) was revealed on the sixth of Ramadaan, and the Injeel (Gospel) on the thirteenth of Ramadaan, and the Furqaan (Qur’aan)was revealed on the twenty-fourth of Ramadaan.” Narrated by Ahmad (4/107) and by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan (9/188). Its isnaad is hasan. It was also mentioned by al-Albaani in al-Saheehah (1575).
:->/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

3] Discussion of numerical miracles in the Qur’aan and use of the solar calendar

3]
I read some 'miracles' of the qur'an recently. These included many things such as the 3 stages of embryos, the orbits of planets, etc etc. However, one of them claimed that the word yawm (day) is mentioned 365 times in the qur'an, and the word qamar is mentioned 12 times in the quraan. I forget how many times the word ayyaam is mentioned. However, a friend pointed out that the islamic calender does not have 365 days in it. What does this mean about the islamic calender? That it is wrong? Or that God knew that most of the world would use the Gregorian calender and that this is a sign that it is the correct one?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Many people are infatuated by the different types of miraclesin the Qur’aan, including the “numerical miracles”. In newspapers and magazines and on the internet they publish lists of words that are repeated a number of times that corresponds to their structure, and wordsthat are repeated the same number of times as their opposites. They also claim that the word yawm (day) is repeated 365 times and the word shahr (month) is repeated12 times, and they do thiswith other words too, such as al-malaa’ikah (angels) and al-shayaateen (devils), and al-dunya (this world) and al-aakhirah (the Hereafter), etc.
Many people think that these numbers are true and that this is one of the miracles of the Qur’aan, but they do not distinguish between subtleties and miracles. Writing a book which contains a specific numberof certain words is something that anyone can do; what is so miraculous about that? The miracle that appears in the Book of Allaah is not like these subtleties, rather it is far deeper and greater than that. It is the fact that the most eloquent and well-spokenof the Arabs could not produce anything like the Qur’aan, or ten soorahs of it, or even one soorah. It is not like these subtletiesthat any writer could produce in any book that he writes, or more.
It should be noted that some people have taken this beyond mere statistics. Some of them have used these numbers to foretell when the state of Israel will fall, and others have used them to say when the Day of Judgement will be. One ofthe latest fabrications against the Book of Allaahis that which they have published saying that the Qur’aan foretold the explosions in the towers in New York! Based on the number of the verse in al-Tawbah, and the number of the soorah andjuz’. All of that is toying with the Book of Allaah which is caused by ignorance of the true nature of the miracle of the Book of Allaah.
Secondly:
By examining the statistics presented by those who have publishedthese numbers, we find that they did not get the numbers of some phrases right, and some of them have been selective in theway they counted the words, and that is so that they might reach the conclusion they want and that they think is in the Book of Allaah.
Shaykh Dr. Khaalid al-Sabtsaid:
Dr. Ashraf ‘Abd al-RazzaaqQatanah presented a “study of the numerical miracles in the Holy Qur’aan” which he published in a book entitled: “The Qur’aan andthe Numerical Miracles, a critical study of the numerical miracles of the Holy Qur’aan.” In the conclusion to this book hereviews three other books: (1) I’jaaz al-Raqm 19 (The miracle of the number 19) by Baasim Jaraar; (2) al-I’jaaz al-‘Adadi fi’l-Qur’aan (the numerical miracle in the Qur’aan) by ‘Abd al-Razzaaq Nawfal; and (3) al-Mu’jizah (the miracle) by ‘Adnaan al-Rifaa’i. The author reached a conclusion which he describes as follows:
As the result of my study Ireached the idea that the “numerical miracle” as presented in these books is not real at all, and thesebooks are based on conditions that are sometimes selective , in order to prove the validityof this view in a way that will make the reader accept these preconceivedresults referred to above. These selective conditionssometimes lead the author to go against that which is proven accordingto the consensus of the ummah, such as going against the spelling of the‘Uthmaani Mus-haf, which is not permissible at all; oradopting the spelling of some words which appears in some Mus-hafs and without paying attention to the spellings in other Mus-hafs. It also goes against basic principles of the Arabic language with regard to synonyms and antonyms.
p. 197, Damascus, Manaar li’l-Nashr wa’l-Tawzee’, first edition, 1420 AH/1999 CE.
Dr. Fahd al-Roomi said something similar about the selective way in whichDr ‘Abd al-Razzaaq Nawfalchose words in order to reach this numerical balance, such as when he said: The word yawm (day) is mentioned 365 times in the Qur’aan, the number of days in a year. In order to prove this he counted the words/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

Nothing has been proven about the place where Adam came down to earth

Is it true that Adam (peace be upon him) camedown in India and that Hawwa’ came down in Jeddah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
What is proven definitively in the Holy Qur'aan is that Adam and Hawwa’ (peace be upon them) came down from Paradise to earth after they ate from the tree.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Then the Shaytaan (Satan) made them slip therefrom (the Paradise), and got them out from that in which they were. We said: ‘Get you down, all, with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be a dwelling place for you and an enjoyment fora time’”
[al-Baqarah 2:36].
With regard to the place where they came down on earth, the Qur'aan doesnot say anything about it, and there is no saheeh, marfoo‘ hadeeth in the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which explains that, although there are some da‘eef (weak) hadeeths, such as the hadeeth that says: “Adam came down in India and felt lonely…”. This was narrated by Ibn ‘Asaakir in Tareekh Dimashq (7/437) and classed as da‘eef by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Da‘eefah, no. 403. There are also other hadeeths which speak of this matter, but their isnaads are very weak.
The only saheeh reports about this matter are the words of some of the salaf, most of which are taken from the knowledge of the people of the Book which were transmitted during their time. Such reports cannot be relied upon or trusted, and it is not permissible to believe in what they mention of things concerning which our religion is silent. Rather they may be narrated for the purpose of story-telling only.
Despite that, the scholarlyopinions concerning this matter differ.
Some of them said: Adam came down in India and Hawwa’ came down in Jeddah.
Some of them said that they both came down in India.
Some of them said that Adam came down in a land between Makkah andal-Taa’if called Dahna.
Some of them said that Adam came down on al-Safa and Hawwa’ came down on al-Marwah.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy onhim) said:
Al-Saddi said: Allah said (interpretation of the meaning): “Get you down,all” [al-Baqarah 2:36]. So they came down; Adam came down in India and the Black Stone and a handful of leaves from Paradise came down withhim, and he scattered them in India, and a perfume tree grew, whichis the origin of what comes from India of perfume from the handfulof leaves that Adam brought down. Adam onlytook them because of his sorrow at leaving Paradise when he was expelled from it.
‘Imraan ibn ‘Uyaynah said,(narrating) from ‘Ata’ ibn al-Saa’ib, from Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ‘Abbaas, who said: Adam came down from Paradise in Dahna, in the land of India.
Ibn Abi Haatim said: Abu Zar‘ah told us: Uthmaan ibn Abi Shaybah told us: Jareer told us: from ‘Ata’, from Sa‘eed, from Ibn ‘Abbaas who said: Adam (peace be upon him) camedown in a land called Dahna, between Makkah and al-Taa’if.
It was narrated that al-Hasan al-Basri said: Adam came down in Indiaand Hawwa’ in Jeddah, and Iblees in Dastumeesaan a few miles from Basrah, and the serpent came down inAsbahaan. This was narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim.
Ibn Abi Haatim said: Muhamamd ibn ‘Ammaar ibn al-Haarith told us: Muhammad ibn Sa‘eed ibnSaabiq told us: ‘Amr ibn Abi Qays told us, from Ibn ‘Adiyy, from Ibn ‘Umar, who said: Adam came down on al-Safa and Hawwa’ on al-Marwah. End quote.
Tafseer al-Qur’aan al-‘Azeem, 1/237
But all of these are words for which there is no evidence.
And Allah knows best./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

Is it proven that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote a letter to the Nile in Egypt so that its water would flow by Allah’s leave?

I want to know the authenticity of the story about Umar writing a letter to River Nile. It seems to me as illogic, for the Qur'aan and the Saheeh Sunnah do not teach such thing. Also thatfor drought, Salah Ul Istisqa is authentically established.
Praise be to Allaah.
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It was narrated to us via Ibn Luhay‘ah from Qays ibn al-Hajjaaj from someone who told him: When Egypt was conquered, its people came to ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas and said to him: O Ameer, this Nile of ours is used to something and cannot flow unless it is done. He said, What is that? They said: On the twelfth night of this month, we take a young girl from her parents, and we placate her parents, then we dress her in jewellery and the finest garments there can be, then we throw herinto this Nile.
‘Amr said to them: This is something that cannot happen in Islam; Islam erases that which came before it (of bad customs).
So they stayed for a while,during which the Nile did not flow at all, neither a little nor a lot, until they thought of leaving. Then ‘Amr wrote to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, telling him about that. He wrote to him, saying: You did the right thing. I am sending you a piece of paper with my letter; throw it into the Nile.
When his letter came, ‘Amr took the piece of paper on which was written:
“From the slave of Allah ‘Umar, Ameer al-Mu’mineen, to the Nile of the people of Egypt.
To proceed: If you only flow on your own initative, then do not flow, for we have no needof you. But if you only flow on the command of Allah, the One, the Subduer, and He is the One Who causes you to flow, then we ask Allah, may He be exalted, to make you flow.”
He threw the paper in the Nile and by Saturday morning, Allah had causedthe Nile to flow (to a depth or width of) sixteencubits in one night, and Allah put an end to that custom of the people of Egypt until today.
End quote from al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah, 7/114-115
Similar reports were also narrated by Ibn ‘Abd al-Hakam in Futooh Misr, p. 165; al-Laalkaa’i in Sharh I‘tiqaad Ahl as-Sunnah, 6/463; Ibn ‘Asaakir in Tareekh Dimashq, 44/336; Abu’sh-Shaykh in al-‘Azamah, 4/1424, via Ibn Luhay‘ah.
This is a da‘eef isnaad thatis not saheeh, and this report cannot be proven with such an isnaad. Ibn Luhay‘ah – whose full name was ‘Abdullah ibn Luhay‘ah ibn ‘Uqbah – is da ‘eef as he used to get mixed up, and in addition to that he is mudallis. See at-Tahdheeb, 5/327-33; Mizaan al-I‘tidaal, 2/475-484
Qays ibn al-Hajjaaj is sadooq, from the sixth level of hadeeth narrators(tabaqah) according to al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar; they are the ones who it is not proven that they met any of the Sahaabah. See: Taqreeb at-Tahdheeb, 1/25
Sometimes he narrated it as a mursal report and sometimes he narrated it from the one who told him, but the one who toldhim is majhool and not known.
So the report is da‘eef (weak) and is not saheeh (sound)
If this story were true, everyone would know about it and it would be well known, and it would have been widely narrated through confirmed isnaads, because it is an importantand significant event, the like of which should not be ignored; rather an incident less significant than this would not be overlooked by historians and narrators.
And Allah knows best./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

1a] Bin Laden’s death, anything untold?

1a]
Readers worldwide would prefer to learn about some truth elements of a “fairy tale” which would have otherwise been concealedfrom the public for good./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

1] Bin Laden’s death, anything untold?

1]
Isn’t it that President Barack Obama has a skeleton in his cupboard?
A U.S. serviceman, who took part in Osama Bin Laden’s elimination on May 2, 2011, now intends to publish a book in which he will reveal somedetails of this operation.
However, the news aboutthe book’s possible release was met with great dissatisfaction by the U.S. authorities, both civil and military. The reason is that some details of Bin Laden’s elimination are still kept secret.
The Obama administration quickly took notice of the promise, or threat, by a former US special operations soldier who was in the room when Osama Bin Laden was killed to "set the record straight" in a first-hand and unvetted account of the mission to get the al-Qaida leader to be published just weeks before the presidential election.
Representatives of the Republican Party, of course, used this scandal as another chance to criticize their perpetual opponents, the Democrats. Republicans said that Democrats were trying to create a better image of themselves by reminding to the world once again that it was them, Democrats, who initiated the elimination of the world’s most dreadful terrorist.
The publisher, a subsidiary of Penguin, hassaid little about the book, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden, other than thatthe author is a former member of Navy Seal Team Six who "was one of the first men through the door on the third floorof the terrorist leader's hideout and was present at his death".
It promises a "blow-by-blow narrative of the assault" beginning with the helicopter crash that could have ended the author's life straight"through to the radio call confirming Bin Laden's death". Penguin said the account is "an essential piece of modern history".
But the book will land in the midst of an election inwhich Republicans, concerned that Bin Laden's death has neutralized attempts to paint Barack Obama as weak on national security,are accusing the presidentof overstating his role in the raid for political advantage.
No Easy Day is to be published under a pen name, Mark Owen. But Fox News said it has established the true identity of the author, naming him and saying he is a 36-year-old from Alaska who also took partin a Seal raid in 2009 that rescued the captain of an American merchant ship seized by Somali pirates. He retired from the military last year.
The book has been a closely held secret in the publishing world, and the announcement that it willbe released on September11, the 11th anniversary of the al-Qaida attacks on the US, caught the Pentagon and intelligenceservices off guard.
There are strong reasons to suppose that the author of the new book, who does not reveal his name but hides under a pseudonym, may repeat the fate of John Kiriakou, a former CIA agent, who isnow persecuted by the USauthorities after he has disclosed a shocking truthabout the methods of interrogation, which US special services sometimes apply.
John Kiriakou used to be aCIS agent and took part inmany operations, mainly in the Middle East.
In 2010, John Kiriakou published a book titled “The Reluctant Spy: My Secret Life in the CIA’s Waron Terror”, in which he revealed even more abouttortures applied by the CIA to suspects in terrorism. The CIA has tried hard to prevent this book from being published. When it was published after all, the CIAinitiated a lawsuit againstJohn Kiriakou. His case is still being investigated. The man, who was once awarded with a Counterterrorism Service Medal, is now charged of endeavor on national security.
In this connection, the man who hides under the pseudonym of Mark Owenis also playing a very riskygame. Although no lawsuit has been issued against him so far, it may be issued any moment to punish the revealer of unwanted truth.
After all, President Obama’s administration has applied a law on espionage, which was adopted back in 1917 andwhich is still in force, 6 times within the time Mr. Obama has been in power. None of the previous U.S. administrations has applied this law so many times as the current one.
The book’s editors claim that its author, who writes under the pseudonym of Mark Owen, was one of the firstto rush into Bin Laden’s hiding-place several moments before the world’s greatest terrorist was killed, and who witnessed Bin Laden’s death with his own eyes.
Mark Owen has a long record of service in the U.S. special services. However, judging by several previous similar cases, this may not save him from persecutions. The US authorities have already showed several times how intolerant theymay be against those who try to disclose things that the authorities wouldprefer to keep secret, despite President Obama’smultiple words about the need for transparency of the government’s actions and freedom of speech.:->
/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

Over 50 die in floodsin India and Pakistan

More than 50 people havedied in India and Pakistandue to floods caused
by heavy downpours. Thousands of people wereleft homeless, and
hundreds were evacuated.
Search-and-rescue operations are underway in the disaster zone. The
number of victims is likelyto increase.

Their reckoning on the Day of Resurrection

The jinn will be called to account on the day of Resurrection. Mujaahid (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, concerning the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): "...but the jinns know well that they have indeed to appear (before Him) (i.e., they will be brought to account)" [al-Saffaat 37:158]: "They will be brought to judgement." Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Baab Dhikr al-Jinn wa Thawaabihim wa 'Iqaabihim./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

The First Muslim Jinns

Allaah tells us that some of the jinn said (interpretation of the meaning):
" 'And some of us are Muslims, and of us some are al-qaasitoon (disbelievers - those who have deviated from the Right Path). And whosoever has embraced Islam, then such have sought the Right Path. And as for the qaasitoon, they shall be firewood for Hell.'" [al-Jinn 72:14-15]
The Muslims among the jinn are of different levels as regards righteousness and taqwa. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"[Some jinn said:] 'There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary; we are groups, each having a different way (religious sects, etc.)'" [al-Jinn 72:11]
The story of how the first jinns of this ummah became Muslims was narrated by 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Abbaas, who said:"The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out with a group of his Companions heading for the marketplace of 'Ukaaz.This was when the shayaateen were prevented from getting any news from heaven, and shooting stars had been sent against them. The shayaateen went back to their people, who said, 'What is the matter with you?' They said, 'We cannot get news from heaven, and shooting stars were sent against us.' Their people said, 'Nothing is stopping you from hearing news from heaven except some new event that must have happened. Go and look in the east and the west of the earth, and see if you can find out what it is that is stopping you from hearing news from heaven.' Those who went out in the direction of Tihaamah came upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in Nakhlah, when he was on his way to 'Ukaaz, and found him leading his Companions inFajr prayer. When they heard the Qur'aan, they listened to it and said, 'By Allaah, this is what is stopping us from hearing news from heaven.' Whenthey went back to their people, they said, 'O our people, we have heard a wonderful Recital (the Qur'aan). It guides to the Right Path, and we have believed therein, and we shall never join (in worship) anything with our Lord (Allaah). [al-Jinn 72:2 - interpretation of the meaning]. Then Allaahrevealed to His Prophet peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) the words (interpretation of the meaning): "Say (O Muhammad): 'It has been revealed to me that a group of jinns listened (to this Qur'aan)...' [al-Jinn 72:1], and Allaah revealedto him what the jinn had said." (reported by al-Bukhaari, 731)./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

news - No men allowed: Saudi all-women plays attract crowds in Eid

Gender segregation is the norm in most aspects of everyday life in
Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)
More than 7,000 women have attended performances of "SowaleefHarem"
(Women's Talk) since the play opened to audiences four days ago inthe
Saudi capital, Riyadh.
No men have attended theplay, a comedy about four women who
accidentally discover that they are married to the same man.
Actually, men are not allowed to attend the shows. Unlike television,
where Saudi actors and actresses work together, theater remains a
gender-segregated field in the conservative Kingdom.
So, the show being performed at the King Fahad Cultural Center is an
all-women affair. Only women act in the play, and only women are
allowed to attend.
This gender segregation is the norm in most aspects of everyday life
in Saudi Arabia, which practices a strict interpretation of Islam, and
local theatre is a tradition. But the droves flocking to "Sowaleef
Harem" mark an upswing in popularity of women's theatre in the
country.
With limited entertainment options andstrict laws in their
country,many Saudis take advantage of the Eid holiday to travel to
neighboring countries like Bahrain and Lebanon, where they take
vacations in a more liberal atmosphere.
But as political tensions run high this year in Manama and Beirut,
many Saudi families changed or canceled their travel plans.The local
government in Riyadh has attempted to attract residents with theirown
programming that includes activities for children, fireworks shows,
and plays for men and women.
According to local media reports, four all-women plays were available
to female audiences in Riyadh during Eid al-Fitr festivities which
follow theholy fasting month of Ramadan. A fifth play tookplace in the
coastal city of Jeddah.
Many of the performances touched on the gender barriers being
delicately addressed in the country. With the high unemployment rate
among women, the Saudi government has tried in recent years to
integrate more women into the job market by loosening the segregation
laws in the workplace.
One of this year's plays, "Al-Rekada Zeina" (It's Good To Slow Down),
tackled the issues faced byfemale teachers, who struggle to find jobs
and then struggle to get to work because women are not allowed to
drive in Saudi Arabia.
Manal al-Eisa, the lead actress of the play, said acting in all-female
theater gives her freedom to "deliver the message with no
reservations."
Al-Eisa pointed out that she has received support from Prince Adelah
bint Abdullah, the King's daughter who is known tobe actively involved
in women's empowerment efforts in the country.
Samir al-Wohaibi, the director of "Sowaleef Harem," told al-Riyadh
daily that all-female theater provides a great outlet to showcase
women's talents and address common concerns.
"We can tackle our women's issues with morecomfort and privacy," she said.

He studied in an institute by means of a trick; shouldhe work in the profession that he has learned?

I entered a professional institute which only requires a high school
certificate (secondary education). I have a diploma from the same
government foundation towhich this institute belongs, but they won\'t
accept you if you have anycertificate higher than the general high
school certificate. So I did not tell them that I have a diploma and I
gave them the high school certificate only. They accepted me and I
studied with them and learned a profession, but after that I regretted
itand repented and I graduated from this institute but I did not take
the certificate from them. Is it permissible for me to practice this
profession that I have learned with them, or is it haraam for me to
practice this profession because I learned it by means of a trick?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible to use tricks in order to study in these
institutes and go against the conditions thatthey have set out,
because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "O you who
believe! Fulfil (your) obligations" [al-Maa'idah 5:1]. And the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The Muslims are
bound bytheir conditions." Narrated by Abu Dawood (3594) and classed
as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
But there is nothing wrongwith you practising the profession that you
learned, even if you learned it through a trick or by impermissible
means. It is not one of the obligations of repentance that the
penitent should forget about the profession that he learned or give up
working in that field; rather he should ask Allah for forgiveness for
the wrong things he did and work in whatever permissible field he
wants.

And Allah knows best.

When should airplane passengers enter ihraam?

I intend to go for Hajj this year, if Allaah wills, and I want to
travel from Riyadhto Jeddah by air. When exactly should I enter
ihraam?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Your meeqaat in this case is Qarn al-Manaazil, which nowadays is
called al-Sayl al-Kabeer.
The one who passes by themeeqaat has to enter ihraam from that point.
If he does not pass it then hehas to enter ihraam when he comes in
line with it on land, on the sea or in the air. So you have to enter
ihraam when the plane comes in line with it. As the plane will pass
the meeqaat quickly, there is nothing wrong with entering ihraam a
little before that, in order to be on the safe side.
Shaykh Ibn Jibreen said:
If there is no meeqaat on aperson's route, he should enter ihraam when
he comes in line with the nearest place to it, whether he is coming by
land, by sea or by air. Airplane passengers should enter ihraam when
they come in line with the meeqaat or, to be on the safe side, before
they reach it, so that they will not pass it before entering ihraam.
Whoever enters ihraam after passing the meeqaat has to offer a
sacrifice. and Allaah knowsbest.
Fataawa Islamiyyah, 2/198
From Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah:
Jeddah is not a meeqaat for Hajj or 'Umrah, except for its citizens
and residents, and for those who come to it for a reason other than
Hajj or 'Umrah, then decide to go for Hajj or 'Umrah. But those who
have a meeqaat before Jeddah, such as Dhu'l-Hulayfah for the people of
Madeenah and places beyond, or whocome in line with it on land or in
the air, or al-Jahfah for those who live there, or who come in line
with it on land, on the sea or in the air, or such as Yalamlam as
well, have to enter ihraam from their own meeqaat or when they come in
line with it inthe air or on the sea or on land.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah. 11/130
The evidence for entering ihraam from a point that isin line with the
meeqaat isthe report narrated by al-Bukhaari (1458) from Ibn 'Umar
(may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: When these two cities –
meaning Kufa and Basrah – were conquered, they came to 'Umar and said,
"O Ameer al-Mu'mineen, the Messenger of Allaah (peaceand blessings of
Allaah be upon him) defined the meeqaat for the people of Najd as
being Qarn, but it is out of our way, and if we want to go to Qarn it
istoo difficult for us." He said, "Look for a place on your route that
is in line with it," and he defined Dhaat 'Irq for them (as their
meeqaat).
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Baari (3/389):
"Look for a place that is in line with it" means find a place that is
parallel with the meeqaat and make that your meeqaat.
It should be noted that it is not Sunnah to enter ihraam before
reaching the meeqaat, because this is not what the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did, and the best of guidance isthe
guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). But
if a person is in a plane and cannot stop at the place that is in line
with the meeqaat, then he may do what he thinks is more on the safe
side so that he will not pass the meeqaat without being in ihraam.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him)said:
It was not narrated from any of those who performed Hajj with the
Messenger of Allaah (peaceand blessings of Allaah be upon him) that
they entered ihraam before Dhu'l-Hulayfah. If there was no meeqaat
they thenthey would enter ihraam before it, so this would be more
difficult and would bring a greater reward.
Fath al-Baari, 3/387.
And Allaah knows best.
:-> key word: Hajj/