Islam is a Game Changer

Islam is a game changer. Every other system, every human-made "ism" –
feudalism, tribalism, nationalism, monarchism, capitalism, communism,
fascism – treats human beings like commodities orless. Every other
system simply plays around with variables like distribution of wealth
and labor, or elevates one group of human beings based on lineage or
geography, while devaluing others to less-than-human status.
All these systems are fundamentally uncivilized, even barbaric.
Islam changes everything. Islam says, we're going to uphold the
fundamental dignity of all human beings.
"And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them
on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and
preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite]
preference." – Quran, 17:70
Allah has honored all the children of Adam. Not onlyMuslims, not only
men, notone race or nation, not only the wealthy or beautiful, but all
humans. As for the nature of man, Allah says, "[So mention] when your
Lord said to the angels, 'Indeed, I am going to create a human being
from clay. So whenI have proportioned him and breathed into him ofMy
[created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration.'" – Quran,
38:71-72
A being into whom Allah breathed cannot help but be noble by nature.
Yes, we humans are corruptibleand shortsighted, but we don't have to
be. Our nature is pure. We can, at times, rise above our own
foolishness and become great.
When it comes to morality,Islam takes the approach of trusting human
beings to live by values like compassion, justice, fairness, help for
the poor, brotherhood and sisterhood, devotion to God, and
non-attachment to material luxuries.
That's what Islam is supposed to be!
This is why certain oppressive cultural practices found in parts of
the Muslim world are so abominable. I'm talking about so-called honor
killings, female genital mutilation, denial of education to women,
violence against religious minorities, etc. These practices must be
abolished. They are anathema to everything Islam represents.
Islam came to promote an idea of human dignity based on:
1- Our relationship with Allah;
2- The love and mercy we show one another;
3- The utilization of our free will for a higher purpose.
All human beings are created in the best of molds ( You Are Perfectly
Created ). All human beingsare born on the fitrah , the pure and
natural way, with an inborn inclination to recognize the Creator and
do good. Racism and nationalism are abhorred and abolished. Women
arerecognized as intellectual and spiritual beings, not property,
objects, or vassals.
That's Islam as it should be. It's a revolutionary system. Rather than
a limited material or tribal system, it is for the first time in
history a human system. If we're practicing anything less then we're
not practicing Islam. If we look down on certain races, if we hate
people because of their nationality or religion, if we subjugate
women, then we're practicing a fraud, and shaming ourselves before the
world.
Islam rises above everything that came before. Islam came to change
the world, and to elevate the essential nobility all human beings, a
nobility not based on nation or tribe, but on our eternal souls.
That's the call of Islam. That's the path we must follow.

Patiently Persevere

"The writer Mustapha Sadiq Ar-Rafei wrote, 'When I looked into history
I found a small number of individuals whose lives mirrored thelife
cycle of a grain of wheat. They were torn from their roots, then
crushed, then ground in mills, then kneaded withfists, then rolled out
and baked in ovens at high temperatures… just so they could provide
food for others.'
Patiently persevere in the face of hardship hoping fora good outcome
because you never know how many dead hearts you willbring to life in
the process. No hardship lasts forever. There is always an end."

The Tall Grass

I could listen all day
to the eucalyptus leaves
rustling in the wind, passing it on.
You said once
that the world was stale and worn,
like a room where everything's been used.
Sometimes I wonder
if you were speaking of yourself.
I don't see the world that way,
or you either. At this moment
the clouds in the Eastern sky
are limned with red light
like the edge of a forest fire.
The cows across the road are grazing
in the acres that burned last year.
Now tall green grass grows there.
I know they are slow beasts, barely aware,
but they love their calves,
and they worship in their way.
They are beautiful in their striped coats.
All is beautiful, especially you.
If your world is a stale room
then let me break the door
and carry you into the June sunshine.
Maybe you're right that everything's been touched,
but the world renews itself.
The rains wash to the sea,
and all is clean. I know that -
like the acres where the cows graze -
you've been burned.
You said you have ten thousand questions
and nowhere to turn. You said
you are a painful mystery to yourself.
That's okay. None of us have answers,
none of us know our own depths
any more than we know the stars..
You are innocent as a childto me.
You are new, never stained,
the tall grass growing green
on the acres of your soul.

1a. Ruling on raising the hands when offering supplication (du‘aa’) after burying the deceased

1a.
Theissue of raising the hands or not may be as follows:
1. Where there is a text which speaks of raising the hands, such
as offering supplication (du'aa') in 'Arafah, offeringsupplication at
the first and second Jamarah, and praying for rain (istisqa')
2. Where there is no mention of raising the hands, such as the
supplication in the Friday sermon (khutbah), when no one is to raise
his hands in supplication, neither the khateeb nor the members of the
congregation, because theMessenger (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) did not raise his hands although he delivered so many
khutbahs to the people.
3. In other cases, the matter is broad in scope; one may raise the
hands or not

1. Ruling on raising the hands when offering supplication (du‘aa’) after burying the deceased

1
What is the ruling on raising the hands in supplication when one
offers supplication (du'aa') in thegraveyard after the burial?
Praise be to Allah.
The basic principle is to raise thehands when offering supplication
(du'aa') except in some cases where it is not prescribed to raise the
hands. This has been discussed previously in the answer to question
no. 11543
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If he offers
supplication and raises his hands, this is one of the means of having
the supplication answered, except in some cases where the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not raise his hands, so
we should not do that either, such as during the khutbah on
Friday,when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did
not raise his hands unless hewas praying for rain (istisqa'), in which
case he did raise his hands. The same applies between the two
prostrations and before saying the salaam at the end of the tahajjud;
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not raise
his hands, so we should not raise our hands in these cases where he
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not raise his hands,
because his doing something is proof and his not doing something is
proof. Similarly, after saying the salaam at the end of the five daily
prayers, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used
to recite adhkaar as prescribed in Islam, without raising his hands,
so weshould not raise our hands either in that case, following his
example. As for the cases in which he (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) did raise his hands, the Sunnah in those cases is to raise
the hands, following his example and because that is one of the means
of having supplications answered. The same applies to cases in which
the Muslim may offer supplication to his Lord and there is no report
from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to
indicate whether he raised his hands or not. In such cases we may
raise our hands, because of the hadeeths which indicate that raising
the hands is one of the means of having the supplication answered, as
statedabove.
End quote from Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 26/146
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Chapter: it ismustahabb
to raise the hands when offering supplication outside of prayer. Then
he (may Allah have mercy on him) quoteda number of hadeeths which
indicate that it is permissible to raise the hands when offering
supplication outside of prayer… Then he said: There are many hadeeths
concerning this issue other than those I have quoted, but those that I
have quoted are sufficient. The point is that it should be understood
that the one who claims that raising the hands should be limited to
the cases mentioned in the hadeeth is mistaken.
End quote from Sharh at-Tahdheeb, 3/489
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Should
supplication be offered at the grave by raising one's hands?
He replied: If one raises the hands there is nothing wrong with it,
because of the report proven from the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) in the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah (may Allah be pleased
with her), according to which he(blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) visited the graves, raised his hands and offered supplication for
their occupants. Narrated by Muslim.
End quote from Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 13/337
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
with regard to offering supplication for him after the burial, it is
proven in a report narrated by Abu Dawood that the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) would, after burying the deceased,
stand over him and say: "Pray for forgiveness for your brother and ask
for him to be made steadfast, for now he isbeing questioned." If
someone raises his hands when asking for forgiveness for him, there is
nothing wrong with that, and if someone does not raise his hands and
says "O Allah, forgive him; O Allah, forgive him; O Allah,forgive him;
O Allah make him steadfast; O Allah, make him steadfast; O Allah, make
him steadfast," then leaves, (that is also acceptable).
End quote from Liqa' al-Baab al-Maftooh. No. 82
Shaykh 'Abd al-Muhsin al-'Abbaad (may Allah preserve him) was asked
about the rulingon raising the hands when offering supplication for
the deceased after burying him.
He replied: The matter is broad in scope. We do not know of anything
to indicate that it is proven or that it is not allowed. So the
individual may raise his hands or not. The issue of raising the hands
or not may be as follows::->

My Heart

When the coals of faith are cooling off inside you;
and you feel like all you do is act a part;
When you're desperate for one ember that's still burning -
you will find it, hot and glowing, in my heart.
When you've lost that smiling image of yourself,
and you don't know where to stand or where to start;
When you're looking for your compass and your candle,
you will find them, safe and protected, in my heart.
When some people label you a failure,
and the accusation pierces like a dart;
There's one to whom you've always been an angel;
I still love you, I still see you, in my heart.
Everything that's good and sweet about you -
and there's so much, you're a living work of art -
is alive in me, I've kept it like a songbird,
soaring still and calling in my heart.

You Are One

The trees and shadows
are black and brown -
I'm afraid to turn around -
then I hear a sound
like a trumpet call,
ringing like the dawn,
orange and clean.
It's the call of the One,
a perfect Quran,
revealed upon a man
and lights the world like a sun.
It shines on my skin
and warms my mind.
I stride through the trees
tall like a woodsman -
no fear now.
You call and I come,
O Allah, As-Salam,
You are the One.

For Every Trouble, Allah Helps You Double

For every setback, Allah has a comeback. For every trouble, He helps
you double. Every day He shows you the way. Alhamdulillah.
Allah does not get tired of you. Hedoes not write you off, or forget
about you, or give up on you. In fact, when you need Him and call on
Him, He comes to you quickly, at speed, rushing to help you:
The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "Allah the Most High
said, 'I am as My servant thinks (expects) I am. I am with him when he
mentions Me. If he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself;
and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly
greater than it. If he draws near to Me a hand's length, I draw near
to him an arm's length. Andif he comes to Me walking, I go to him at
speed.'" [Sahih Al-Bukhari]
What an amazing, benevolent, merciful God is Allah. He is Master of
all: He could have been capricious, selfish, or destructive, and we
would have been helplesspawns, unable to help ourselves or be helped.
But that is not His nature. In hundreds of verses of the Quran, Allah
Almighty describes Himself as "Ghafurun Rahim", that is One Who
forgives and has mercy.

Advice

I'm often touched by my readers' comments, and I feel grateful to
Allah that I have the opportunity to help people through my writing.
However, I will no longer advise people personally through email or
Facebook chat. I have so many business and personal projects going,
and I also have a daughter to take care of. And I have my own
struggles. I'm doing my best just to walk the path, and raise Salma up
right.
I have to be blunt about another thing: sometimes sisters read my
writing or poetry here and then want to message me privately. I'm not
comfortable with that. Please take my writing as it is: a gift, a
sharing of whatever wisdom I have acquired, and an expression of love
to all. And if you benefit from it then Alhamdulillah.
If you need advice on a marriage or family issue, please to go my
IslamicAnswers.com website and submit your question to the
team.Besides, I really have only one answer to almost any question:
"Take responsibility for your ownchoices and happiness. Live up to
your talents and make something happen. Eliminate 'I can't' from your
vocabulary. Create opportunities. People will tell you 'no': you tell
them 'yes'.
Turn to God for guidance with an open heart and have the courage to
follow what comes, rather thanclinging to your own imagined outcomes.
He will always provide a way out, will always open a door; you only
need eyes to see it, and that comes from sincerity.
Be sincere with yourself above all,because if you're lying to yourself
then you're stuck. Focus on your own mistakes rather than the mistakes
of others, but only in order to learn and do better. Don't bind
yourself with guilt and self-pity. Regret for the past is a waste:
it's gone and you can't change it, so forgive yourself and forgive
others.
Believe in something greater thanyourself. You have a purpose in this
life, a mission, and most likelyyou know in your heart what it is,so
find a way to follow that path, one step at a time.
Guard your spirit from harm but be open to love. Choose compassion
again and again, even when the world makes it hard. Be patient with
your family and friends. Don't hold your love back: you only go
through this world once, so let your love shinelike the sun."
Finito. If this has been helpful, then make dua' for me. Jazakum Allah
khayr, may Allah reward youall.

Poem: Hear Those Who Call

O Allah, hear those who call:
the refugees, the small,
and those who cannot speak.
Hear them and help with blessings from above;
and for me…
give me love.
I know I'm weak.
A life that sometimes weighs
to others would be sweet.
Help the victims of war, and prisoners of speech:
feed them, care for their wounds…
and for me… bring a heart that beats.
For my people in Palestine,
in Syria, in Burma, I weep.
Give them freedom and a new day.
And if there's one stray soul
searching for me, Ya Allah,
then show her the way.
If You think I'm arrogant,
then break me down.
Bring me low to praise You above.
And if You think it's right,
if I've grown as You want me to grow,
if You look inside
and see a soul
sincere as a dove,
new and ready to be born…
then bring me love.

Compared to the Atlantic slave trade

Slavery in Muslim cultures and the Atlantic slave trade
Slavery in Muslim history lasted much longer than the Atlantic slave
trade - although slavery had existed in many cultures long before
Islam.
The Muslim slave trade from Africa seems to have enslaved roughly
similar numbers (estimates vary between 11 and 14 million Africans) to
the Atlantic slave trade, and the transportation conditions endured by
victims of the Eastern trade were probably justas horrible in their
own way as those of the Atlantic slave trade.
One poignant fact is that when the Atlantic slave trade was abolished
the Eastern trade expanded, suggesting that for some Africans the
abolition of the Atlantic trade didn't lead to freedom, but merely
changed their slave destination.
Slavery played a significant part in the history of Muslim
civilisation, but it was a form of slavery that was inherently
different from the 'slave trade' inthat the Muslim concept of slavery
regarded those enslaved as people who had some, albeit fewer, human
rights that must be respected.
What was notably different fromthe slavery of the western
world,however, was the degree to which they [slaves] were protected by
Muslim law. When the law was observed, their treatment was good. They
mightexpect to marry and have families of their own, and they had a
good chance of being freed. There were also built in avenues of
escape.
Gwyn Campbell; Frank Cass, The Structure of Slavery in Indian Ocean
Africa and Asia, 2004
But even though slavery under Islam could be significantly less harsh
that that of the Atlantic slave trade, both involved serious breaches
of human rights and restricted liberty. However well they were treated
the slaves still had restricted freedom, and when the law was not
obeyed their lives could be very unpleasant.
The relationship between slave and master in Islam is a very different
relationship from that between the American plantation labourer and
owner. It was a much more personalized relationship and relatively
benevolent. Everything here is relative -- being a slave is being a
slave and it shouldn't be romanticized.
Ronald Segal, interview with Suzy Hansen in Salon magazine, 2001
Here are some of the main differences between Muslim slavery and the
Atlantic slave trade:
*. The Atlantic trade lasted from the 15th to 19th centuries, the
Eastern trade from the 7th or 9th century to the 20th
*. Under Islam slaves were considered people first, and then property.
In the Atlantic trade slaves were considered property not people, and
often just regarded as units of productive labour
*. Islamic law laid down considerable protection for slaves; those
taken for the Atlantic trade had very little protection
*. Islamic law only permitted those conquered in legitimate warfare to
be enslaved, all other methods being illegal - although this was often
ignored - whereas the Atlantic trade enslaved anyone who had
commercial value
*. In Islam, slave-owners were forbidden to take young children from
their mothers, something common in the Atlantic trade
*. The owner-slave relationship could be kinder in Islam than in the
Atlantic trade, and often more personal
*. Islam recommends the freeing of slaves in itself as a 'good'
religious act and says that slaves who convert to Islam should be
freed. Zakat (the requirement for charity) was used by Muslim states
to free slaves. There were many other avenues whereby a slave couldbe
freed, for example as expiation for irregularities in other religious
rituals; as a result many more slaves were freed than in the Atlantic
trade
*. Under Islamic law a slave couldtake his/her master to the Islamic
courts to address a grievance, and the judge had the right to grant
freedom against the master's wishes and/or other compensations; there
was no such protection for slaves taken by the Atlantic trade
*. Islam permitted slaves to attainhigh office; those taken for
theAtlantic trade stayed at the bottom of society *. In the Atlantic
trade there weretwo males to every female; in the Islamic trade, there
were two females to every male
*. Islam permitted women to be enslaved for sexual purposes, although
not for prostitution
*. Africans were enslaved in the Atlantic trade to work on an
industrial scale in agricultural labour; in the Islamic trade they had
a far wider variety of roles
*. The Atlantic trade only involvedblack Africans; Muslim slavery
involved many racial groups
*. Slavery in the Atlantic trade was highly racist, something
prohibited in Islam where there was much less institutionalised
racism. Both masters and slaves had a wide range of colours and
backgrounds;

Muhammad and slavery

The Prophet Muhammad did not try to abolish slavery, and bought, sold,
captured, and owned slaves himself. But he insisted that slave owners
treat their slaves well and stressed thevirtue of freeing slaves.
There are two different ways of interpreting this:
*. some modern writers believe that Muhammad intended his teachings to
lead to the gradual end of slavery by limiting opportunities to
acquire new slaves and allowing existing slaves to become free. This
idea doesn't appear in early writings.
*. others writers argue that by regulating slavery the Prophet gave
his authority to its continued existence, and that by having slaves
himself he showed his approval
Muhammad treated slaves as human beings and clearly held some in the
highest esteem.
For example, he personally ensured the freedom of Bilal, an African
slave who had convertedto Islam. Bilal was chosen as the first muezzin
of Islam because ofhis beautiful voice. A muezzin is the person who
calls the community to the daily prayers, and is a position of great
prominence and responsibility.
Zayd was a young boy who had grown up in the household of the Prophet
as a slave, and remained with the household, almost as an adopted son,
even after he was freed. He was amongst the first four people to adopt
Islam. Indeed when Zayd'sfather (a wealthy nobleman) tracked his son
down and offered to buy his freedom from Muhammad, Muhammad told Zayd
that he was free to go withhis father with no money changing hands,
and to his father's astonishment Zayd chose to stay with Muhammad.
The Prophet also married a Coptic Christian slave girl.
In his lifetime the Prophet introduced the following rules about slavery:
*. Stated that freeing slaves was the act that God found most acceptable
*. Zakat (charity - the third Pillar of Islam ) was often used by the
state to free slaves
*. Stated that freeing a slave was the appropriate way to gain
forgiveness for certain wrongs
*. Ordered that those who committed certain wrongs should be penalised
by having to free their slaves
*. Stated that slaves should be allowed to buy their freedom, and if
necessary should be given the opportunity to earn money, or be lent
money by the state, in order to do so
*. Allowed slaves to be freed in certain circumstances
*. Stated that slaves' contracts should be interpreted in favourof the slaves
*. Stated that the duty of kindness towards slaves was the same of
that towards family, neighbours and others
*. Stated that when a slave owner had a child with a female slave, the
child should be freed and could inherit from their father like any
otherchild (as in the case of Ibrahim )
There are a number of hadith that show that the Prophet treated slaves
well and expected others to do the same...
He will not enter Paradise who behaveth ill to his slaves. The
Companions said, 'O Apostle of God! have you not told us, that there
will be a great many slavesand orphans amongst your disciples?' He
said, 'Yes; then be kind to them as to your own children, and give
them to eat what you eat yourselves. The slaves that say their prayers
are your brothers.
Be kind to slaves as to your own children...and those that say their
prayers are your brethren.
They (slaves or servants) are your brothers, and Allah has put them
under your command. So the one under whose hand Allahhas put his
brother, should feed him of what he eats, and give him dresses of what
he wears, and should not ask him to do a thing beyond his capacity.
And ifat all he asks him to do a hard task, he should help him
therein.'
'There are three categories of people against whom I shall myself be a
plaintiff on the Day of Judgement. Of these three, one is he who
enslaves a free man, then sells him and eats this money'.
al-Bukhari and Ibn Majjah
Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari:"The Prophet said, 'Give food to the
hungry, pay a visit to the sickand release (set free) the one in
captivity (by paying his ransom).'"
Bukhari/

Allah Do All Things In Time! So That We Can Get His Blessings In Time! Unfortunately We Are Not In Time; We Take And Forget His Blessings;* O Allah We Are Ashamed Forgive Us And Give Us Ability To Do More And More Good For You!

'' All praise is due to Allah'. May peace and blessings beupon the
Messenger, his household and companions '' - - - O Allah, I am Your
servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant; my forelock is
in Your hand; Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree
over me is just; I ask You by every name belonging to You that You
have named Yourself with,or revealed in Your book, ortaught to any of
Your creation, or have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with
You, that You make the Qur'an thelife of my heart and the light of my
breast, and a departure formy sorrow and a release from my anxiety.

According to the Qur'an Muslims havepossessions and lead a beautiful life in abundance and blessings

In many verses of the Qur'an Allah promises the dominion of the
morality of Islam all over the world. The promise of ourAll-Mighty
Lord is true andAllah never fails to keep His promise.
Those who believe in Allah also believe that Allah's promise will
absolutely come true. Because our All-Mighty Allah gives the news of
the dominion of the morality of Islam over theworld and promises it,
what befalls to sincere believers is to pray for its realization by
heart, demand it and strive for itwith all their might. Believing that
morality of Islam will reign and making effort for the realization of
this blessed event is obligatory for every Muslim who abides by the
Qur'an. In one verse our All-Mighty Allah says:
Allah has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that
He will make them successors in the land as He made those before them
successors, and will firmly establish for themtheir religion with
which He is pleased andgive them, in place of their fear, security.
'Theyworship Me, not associating anything with Me.' Any who are
unbelivers after that, such people are deviators. (Surat an-Nur,55)
Some other verses in which Allah promises the dominion of the morality
of Islam over the world are as follows:
Allah has written, 'I will be victorious, I and and My Messengers.'
Allah is Most Strong, Almighty. (Surat al-Mujadala, 21)
They desire to extinguish Allah's Light with their mouths but Allah
will perfect His Light, though the unbelievers hate it. It is He Who
sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth to exalt it
over every other religion, though the associaters hate it. (Surat
as-Saff, 8-9)
They desire to extinguish Allah's Light with their mouths. But Allah
refuses to do otherthan perfect His Light, even though the
kafirundetest it. It is He Who sent His Messenger withguidance and the
Religion of Truth to exalt it over every other deen, even though the
associaters detest it. (Surat a-Tawba, 32-33)
Allah confirms the Truth by His words, even though the evildoers hate
it. (Surah Yunus, 82)
Those before them plotted but all plotting belongs to Allah. He knows
what each self earns, and the unbelievers will soon know who has the
Ultimate Abode. (Surat ar-Ra'd, 42)
We destroyed generations before you when they did wrong. Their
Messengers brought them the clear signs, but they were never going to
have faith. That is how We repay evildoers. Then We appointed you
after them to be successors on the earth so We might observe how you
would act. (Surah Yunus,13-14)
That those people of pure natural belief in Allah whodo not associate
any partners to Him will be the inheritors of this world is a divine
Law which is stressed in many verses of the Qur'an:
We wrote down in the Psalms, after the Reminder came: 'It is
Myservants who are righteous who will inherit the earth.' (Surat
al-Anbiya, 105)
We will leave you the land to live in after them. That is the rewardof
those who fear My station and fear My threat.' They asked for Allah's
victory, and everyobdurate tyrant failed. (Surah Ibrahim, 14-15)
Moses said to his people, 'Seek help in Allah and be steadfast. The
earth belongs to Allah. He bequeathes it to any of His slaves He
wills. The successful outcome is for those who fear [and respect
Allah].' They said, 'We suffered harm before you came to us and after
you came to us.' Hesaid, 'It may well be thatyour Lord is going to
destroy your enemy andmake you the successors in the land so that He
can see how you behave.' (Surat al-A'raf, 128-129)
We destroyed generations before you when they did wrong. Their
Messengers brought them the clear signs, but they were never going to
have faith. That is how We repay evildoers. Then We appointed you
after them to be khalifs on the earth so We might observe how you
wouldact. (Surah Yunus, 13-14)
Rather We hurl the truth against falsehood and itcuts right through it
andit vanishes clean away! Woe without end for you for what you
portray! (Surat al-Anbiya, 18)

Evolution Theory Cannot Explain How Life Originated

Origin-of-life researcherscannot identify any location on primordial
Earth suitable for production of prebiotic molecules. Those
studyingthe problems cannot explain how the uniform "handedness"
(homochirality) of amino acids, nucleotides, and sugars could emerge
in any so-called prebiotic soup.
Data from the geological, geochemical, and fossil records all place
impossible constraints on naturalistic scenarios. Life arose rapidly
and early in Earth's history - as soon asEarth could possibly support
it. Origin-of-life researchers recognize thatlife had no more than
tens of millions of years to emerge. Life also appeared under
amazingly harsh conditions – conditions that would not allow life to
survive, let alone originate.
Earth's first life was complex chemically… Consistent with this,
investigators have discovered that life in its most minimal form
requires an astonishing number of proteins that must be spatially and
temporally organized within the cell.
History seems to be repeating itself. Just as the first Darwinists
gave up on the earliest versionsof abiogenesis, so scientists today
are abandoning long-cherished pillars of the naturalistic
origin-of-life paradigm. Many now speculate that life may have
originated somewhere other than onEarth.

Dua best Times

Best Times to make Dua
There are certain times dua (supplication)
is more likely to be accepted by Allah (SWT)
as mentioned by Prophet (SAW). These
times are as follows:
1. The Last Third Of The Night
Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that Allah's
Messenger (SAW) said: 'In the last third
of every night our Rabb (Cherisher and
Sustainer) (Allah (SWT)) descends to the
lowermost heaven and says; "Who is
calling Me, so that I may answer him?
Who is asking Me so thatmay I grant
him? Who is seeking forgiveness from
Me so that I may forgive him?."'
[Sahih al-Bukhari, HadithQudsi]
Amr ibn Absah narrated that the
Prophet said: 'The closest any
worshipper can be to HisLord is
during the last part of the night,
so if you can be amongstthose
who remember Allah at that time,
then do so.'[at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i,
al-Hakim - Sahih]
2. Late at night
When people are sleeping and busy
with worldly pleasures Allah (SWT)
gives the believers an opportunity,
or an answer hour if theycan fight
sleep and invoke Allah (SWT) for
whatever they need. TheProphet
(SAW) said: 'There is at night an
hour, no Muslim happens to be
asking Allah any matter of this world
or the Hereafter, except that he will
be given it, and this (occurs) every night.'
[Muslim #757]
3. Between Adhan and Iqamah
Anas (RA) narrated that Allah's
Messenger (SAW) said: 'Asupplication
made between the Adhan and Iqama
is not rejected.'
[Ahmad, abu Dawud#521, at-Tirmidhi
#212, Sahih al-Jami#3408, an-Nasai
and Ibn Hibban graded itsahih (sound)]
4. An Hour On Friday
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA): Allah's
Messenger (SAW) talked about Friday
and said: 'There is an hour on Friday
and if a Muslim gets it while offering Salat
(prayer) and asks something from
Allah (SWT), then Allah (SWT) will definitely
meet his demand.' And he (the Prophet (SAW)
pointed out the shortness of that
particular time with his hands.
[Sahih al-Bukhari]
Some have said that this hour is from
the time the Imam (prayer's leader)
enters the mosque on Friday's prayer
until the prayer is over (ie between the
two khutbahs), whereas others have
said that it is the last hour of the day
(ie after the Asr prayer until the
Maghrib prayer).
5. While Drinking Zamzam Water
Jaber (RA) narrated that Allah's
Messenger (SAW) said: 'Zamzam
water is for what it is drunk for.'
[Ahmad 3: 357 and Ibn Majah #3062].
This means that when you drink Zamzam
water you may ask Allah (SWT) for anything
you like to gain or benefit from this water
such as healing from illness.... etc.
6. While Prostrating
Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that
Allah's Messenger (SAW),said:
'The nearest a slave can be to his Lord
is when he is prostrating, so invoke
(supplicate) Allah (SWT) much in it.
[Muslim, abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i and others,
Sahih al-Jami #1175]
When a Muslim is in his Salat (prayer)
he is facing Allah (SWT) and when
he prostrates he is the nearest
he can be to Allah (SWT) so it is
best to invoke Allah (SWT) at this time.
It is said that while in prostration,
one should not ask for worldy needs
(ie a nice car, a new job, etc),
but for the Hereafter.
7. When Waking Up at Night
Narrated Ubada Bin As-Samit that
Allah's Messenger (SAW) said:
'Whomever wakes up at night and
says La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la
shrika lahu lahulmulku, wa lahul hamdu,
wa huwa ala kulli shai'inqadir.
Alhamdu lillahi, wa subhanallahi
wa la ilaha illallahu, wallah akbir,
wa la hawla wala quwata illa billah
(none has the right to beworshipped
but Allah (SWT) He is the only one who
has no partners.

What is the power of DUA at Iftaar

Once Prophet Moosa / Musa / Moses (peace be upon him) asked Almighty
Allah (SWT): O Allah! You have granted me the honor and privilege
oftalking to you directly,Have you given this privilege to any other
person? Almighty Allah (SWT) replied, O Moosa / Musa / Moses during
the last period I am going to send an Ummat / Ummah (Community or
Nation), who will be the Ummat / Ummah (Community or Nation) of
Muhammad(SAW) with dry lips, parched tongues, emaciated body with eyes
sunken deep intotheir sockets, with livers dry and stomachs suffering
the pangs of hunger - will call out to me (in dua) they will be much
much closer to me than you O Moosa / Musa / Moses! While you speak to
me thereare 70000 veils between you and me but at the time of iftaar
there will not be a single veil between me and the fasting Ummati of
Muhammad (SAW). O Moosa / Musa / Moses I have taken upon myself the
responsibility that at the time of iftaar I will never refuse the dua
of a fasting person!
KEEP YOURSELF OCCUPIED WITH DUA BEFORE BREAKING YOUR FAST
Never underestimate the power of dua. When nothing helps only dua helps/

In a season of consumerist madness,let’s be grateful, and give

At this time of year the stores are pushing their sales at us.
Advertising is everywhere. There if a frenzy to buy, buy, buy. Let's
realize that this is nota spiritual way of life. It's not an
appropriate lifestyle for someone who is dedicated to God. The
consumerist madness is a deception. There's no joy or peace attached
to it. It's a shallow illusion.
Look at what society has done to itself in the name of consumerism. A
day of thanks (Thanksgiving) has become the prelude to "Black Friday",
the biggest shopping day of the year. It used to be that Black Friday
did not begin until Friday morning, out of respect for Thanksgiving.
Then the starting gun was moved to midnight, and now it has crept into
Thursday evening. Nothingis sacred.
The Prophet 'Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus the son of Mary), peace be upon
him, has been turned into a marketing strategy. His purported birthday
has become a month of shopping insanity, presided over by a mythical
sub-deity named Santa. People go into debt,they fight over sale goods…
no mention is made of faith.
We Muslims fall prey to the same consumerist lifestyle. Sometimes the
holy month of Ramadan becomes a month of shopping, sleeping and binge
eating, astaghfirullah.
Let us – Christians, Muslims, Jews and all people of God – not
followthis path. Let's hew to a way of sacrifice, zakat
(purification), sadaqah (charity), zuhd (giving up material luxury).
We don't have to be monks, but we must focus on the things that
matter: faith and family.
There are movements thatadvocate a simple living, back-to-nature,
low-impact lifestyle. In Islam this is called zuhd , which could be
translated as detachment or asceticism. Zuhd is a choicethat a person
makes to give up the hunger for material possessions and transgressive
carnal experiences, and live a simple lifestyle dedicated to God.
That's what we need.
The faith in our hearts is more important than the brand name of the
clothes we wear. Where our feet carry us – to someplace good or bad –
is more important than the cost of our shoes. The sincerity in our
hearts is more important than any gift. May Allah help us to see what
is important in life.
The Enjoyment of Delusion
There's a powerful verse from the Bible, Proverbs 30:8-9:
Give me neither poverty nor riches,
grant me only my share of bread to eat,
for fear that surrounded by plenty, I should fall away
and say, "Yahweh – who isYahweh?"
or else in destitution, take to stealing
and profane the name of my God.
(Yahweh is an ancient Hebrew name for God).
If you visit the shopping malls at Christmastime, and read the news
stories of people lining up from the night before and huddling in
sleeping bags in order to buy the latest gadgets, then trampling each
other in the rush; if you turn on the TV to the usual Christmas
comedies and "Frosty the Snowman"cartoons, you see that God has been
forgotten, and has even become taboo. It's not politically correct to
speak of God. Just watchwhat we broadcast, be hypnotized by our
Christmas elevator music, buy and forget…
Allah says about this:
"Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and
adornment and boastingto one another and competition in increase of
wealth and children – like the example of a rainwhose [resulting]
plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned
yellow; then it becomes debris. And in the Hereafter is severe
punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the
worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion." – Quran, Surat
Al-Hadeed, 57:20
This theme is struck repeatedly in the Quran. The amusement and
adornment of the dunya isan illusion that dries up and crumbles like a
corn stalk, and becomes dust. It is empty, the enjoyment ofdelusion .
Wow. That phrase, "enjoyment of delusion", makes me think of a madman
alone in a room, tied in a straight jacket, engaged in a pleasant
delusion playing only in his mind.
I know people who have abedroom devoted to all the junk that they have
bought but do not use. They never enter that room and the door is kept
locked. Isn't that a kind of mental illness?
Gratitude
How do we resist the onslaught of the season? How do we remember Allah?
The greatest tool in our toolbox is gratitude. By looking at what
we've been blessed with, our hearts become content. Socrates commented
that contentment is natural wealth, while luxury is artificial
poverty. Contentment does not mean complacency or passivity; it refers
to a state of awareness of our blessings, and gratitude for the
smallest to the greatest provisions – the tiniest cells in our bodies,
to the grand earth itself.

Tafsir Aayatil Kursi

All Praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, and seek His help and
forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah, Most High, from the evils of our
own selves and from our wicked deeds. Whomever Allah guides cannot be
misguided, and whomever He leads astray cannot be guided. I testify
that there is no true God worthy of being worshipped except Allah,
alone, without partner or associate. I further testify that Muhammad
is His slave and Messenger. [1] May Allah's salah and salaam also be
granted to the Prophet's pure family and to all of his noble
companions.
Know, O Muslims, may Allah bestow upon us fromHis Mercy, that
knowledge is the basis for the understanding and application of
Islamic principles and laws. This is in accordance with the sayings of
Allah, the Exalted:
So know [O! Muhammad] that la ilaaha illaAllah [none has the right to
be worshipped but Allah]. [Qur'an, Surah Muhammad (47:19)].
In a related context, the Prophet affirmed that:
" He upon whom Allah intends goodness, He confers upon him a true
understanding and keen insight into the din ," and [in the narration
by Imam Al-Bukhari], he said: " Trulyknowledge is attained by learning
." [4]
Imam Al-Bukhari commented: "So Allah stated that one should acquire
knowledge first, and scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets (i.e.
they inherit knowledge)." He added: "Itis essential to know a thing
first before saying oracting upon it." [5]
Imam ibnul Qayyim said:
"The salaf did not generalize the name "fiqh"except on the knowledge
which is associated with action." He further added: "al-'ilm
Imamul-'amal (Knowledge is the Imam ofactions) and its leader,
andal-'amal is adherent to knowledge and is led by it.Every action
which is not led by knowledge is of no benefit for the one who
initiates it. On the contrary,it inflicts harm upon him, just as some
of the salaf said "Whoever worships Allah without knowledge, the
mischief he causes is more than the goodness he may bring about." He
also stressed that: "Deeds vary with respect to their acceptance or
rejection respectively depending upon their adherence or opposition to
knowledge. Action which is in accordance with 'ilm is an approved
thing, and what opposes al-'ilm is repudiated. Knowledge, therefore,
is the measure and is the test. Allah said:
[Blessed be Allah] Who has created death that He may test you as to
which of you is best in deeds, andHe is al-'Aziz [Who subdues
everything by His Might; the Mighty in His Revenge; the
Unapproachable, none willprevail against Him; none is like unto Him],
al-Ghafur [The One Who is Oft-Forgiving]. [Qur'an, Surah Al-Mulk
(67:2)].
Al-Fudail bin 'Iyad explained that, "The best of deeds are those which
are done with sincerity [seeking Allah's Face] and are upright." They
said, "What is considered sincere and right of the deeds?" He replied,
"Deedswhich are sincere but not correct are not accepted, and if they
are correct but not sincere then they are also not accepted, until
they are sincere and right. In order to be sincere, theymust be done
for Allah alone, and for them to be correct, they must comply with the
[authentic] sunnah. Indeed Allah, MostHigh, says:
Whoever hopes for the meeting of his Rabb let him work righteousness
and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Rabb [Allah].
[Qur'an, Surah Al-Kahf (18:110)].
The doer will not be able to act in a way which comprises both
qualities (sincerity and rightness) except by the way of knowledge.
For if he does not know what the Messenger brought, he willnot be able
to follow him in the straight way. On theother hand, if he does not
know of the One Who deserves to worshipped alone [Allah], he will be
unable to seek Him solely." [6]
In the absolute sense, what is meant by al-'ilm (knowledge) is the
Islamic knowledge, based upon kitaabullah [the Book of Allah, the
Qur'an], and the authentic sunnah in accordance with the understanding
and methodology (manhaj) of as-salaf as-salih Shaykh 'Abdul 'Aziz bin
Baz (hafithahullah: May Allah preserve him) explained: "When
generalized, al-'ilm,pertains to the intended knowledge in the Book of
Allah and the sunnah of His Messenger. It is knowledge of Allah, His
Names and Attributes, knowledge of His rights over His creation, and
what He (subhanahu wata'ala: Far is He removed from every
imperfection, the Most High) has prescribed for them. And it is the
detailedknowledge of the path that leads to Allah; knowledge of the
purpose of our creation, and the final outcome, in the Hereafter,
which the 'ibad/