Festival of Sacrifice

Every year at the time of Eidal-Adhaa and Hajj, we recount the story
of Ibraheem and Isma'el . Their lives were permeated with the Love of
Allah and with dedication to His service and obedience. They lovedand
obeyed Allah to such a level of perfection that Allah presented them
as model Muslims, the way every Muslim should be. Their lifestyle is
not only a perfect model of Submission to Allah but also a beautiful
example of an ideal parent-child understanding without any generation
gap.
There are many lessons we should learn from their story, butfor the
sake of brevity, we will concentrate only on the episode of sacrifice.
As you know, Ibraheem was bornin a society where many false gods such
as idols, stars, planets and moons were being worshipped and offerings
were made to them. Animals and even humans were sacrificed to keep
those false gods happy.
Ibraheem had dedicated his life to call people to abandon false gods
and only believe in Allah , the One and Only Creator. The sole mission
of his life was to bring the message of Islam (complete obedience to
Allah in every aspect of one's life) to all people around him. His
objective, like every other prophet and messenger, was to call people
to submit in obedience to Allah and to establish an Islamic society -
a political entity where majority of people were dedicated Muslims and
that society of Muslims was amodel of peace, love, caring, sharing,
fairness, justice, generosity, human equality, dignity, balance and
moderation.
His people rejected his call completely and decided to kill him by
throwing him into the burning fire from which Allah saved him. Now it
was evident that he could not live among those people and carry out
his mission. He did not know where to go, but he departed with faith
and trust in Allah He had grown old working tirelessly for that
purpose and felt a need for someone to carry on this missionof love -
inviting people to true Islam and establishing a Muslim-majority
Islamic state consisting of those who accept the invitation. This goal
gave him a strong desire for a son who couldcontinue his mission.
After a lot of Du`aa (supplications), Allah granted him a son when he
was extremely old (86 years accordingto the Bible).(1) He was named
Isma'el (which meant: Allah has heard) because Allah had listened to
the Du`aa of Ibraheem . This son, Isma'el, was Ibraheem's dearest and
most beloved asset in this world.
When Isma'el was about thirteen (Ibraheem being 99), Allah decided to
test their faithin and submission to Allah in public (2). Both father
and son were put through the most difficult test of their love for
Allah. Ibraheem saw in a dream that he was sacrificing Isma'el - an
unimaginable act - sacrificing the son he begot after so much Du`aa,
the only one he had and the one who had been the centre of his
affection and love for all these years. Ibraheem knew that the dreams
of the prophets were inspired by Allah. They were one of the ways
Allah communicated with his prophets. This must be what Allah wanted
him to do. When the intent of the dream became clear to him, Ibraheem
decided to offer his beloved son in sacrifice. Although it would be
easier for him to give his own liferather than take his son's, he
willingly surrendered to the perceived commandment. To him, as to any
Muslim, the love for Allah must always be supreme and strongest. Every
other love must be subservient tothe love of Allah , hence
sacrificeable for His sake.
Although Ibraheem was ready to sacrifice his dearest for Allah's sake,
he could not just go and drag his son to the place of sacrifice
without his consent. Isma'el had to be consulted as to whether he was
willing to die forAllah . This consultation would be a test of
Isma'el's maturity in faith, love for Allah, Islamic commitment,
willingness to sacrifice his life for the sake of Allah and parent's
obedience. It would also be a test of how well Ibraheem had been able
to train his son in Islam and how close orapart were the two Muslims
of different generations in their thinking, approach and attitude.
Ibraheem presented the matter to his son and asked for his opinion
about the dreams of slaughtering him. Isma'el's reaction was
absolutely astounding. He did not show any hesitation or reservation
even fora moment. He said, "Father, proceed ahead for what you
havebeen commanded. You will find me, Inshaa Allah, very patient." His
mature response, his insight into the nature of dad's dreams, his
willingness to sacrifice his life for the sake of Allah and commitment
to Allah's submission were all unparalleled.The most amazing and
noteworthy, however, was the perfect coherence and unity of thought,
attitude and outlook between the father and the son. We do not see any
generation gap between the two because both of them were looking at
life through an Islamic paradigm - that a Muslim must submit to Allah
in any circumstances and that love for Allah is over and above any
other love in the life of a Muslim.
When both father and son had shown their perfect obedience toAllah and
they had practically demonstrated their willingness to sacrifice their
most precious possessions for His sake - Ibraheem by laying down his
son for sacrifice and Isma'el by lying patiently under the knife -
Allah saved Isma'el and replaced him with a ram. Allah also told them
that they had passed the test with flying colors and that they had
fulfilled what Ibraheem was shown in the dream.
This is mentioned in the Holy Qurann as follows:
They said, "Build him a furnace, and throw him into the blazing fire!"
They sought a stratagem against him, but We made them the ones most
humiliated! And he said: Lo! I am going unto my Lord Who will guide
me. "O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!" So We gave him the good
news of a boy, possessing forbearance. And when (his son) was old
enough to walk and work with him, (Abraham) said: Omy dear son, I see
in vision that I offer you in sacrifice: Now see what is your view!"
(The son) said: "O my father! Do what you are commanded; if Allah
wills, you will find me one practicing patience and steadfastness!" So
when they both submitted and he threw him down upon his forehead, We
called out to him saying: O Ibraheem! You have indeed fulfilled the
vision; surely thus do We reward those who dogood. Most surely this
was a manifest trial. And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice.
And We perpetuated (praise) to him among the later generations."Peace
and salutation to Abraham!" Thus indeed do We reward those who do
right. Surely he was one of Our believing servants. (As-Saafaat
37:97-111 )
It was as one of the reward for this sacrifice that Allah gave
Ibraheem good news of the second son, Is-haaq (Isaac):
وَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَقَ نَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
And We gave him the good news of Is-haaq, a prophet among the good
ones. (As-Saafaat 37:112 )
According to the Bible, the good news about Is-haaq was given when
Ibraheem was 99 years old and Is-haaq (Isaac) was born when Ibraheem
was 100 years old (3). However, the Bible omits the mention of the
sacrifice at that time and only mentions circumcision of Ibraheem and
Isma'el (4). The Holy Qurann clarifies the reality that it was a
tremendous demonstration of submission to Allah in the form of
sacrifice, not a small thing like circumcision that pleased Allah so
much that He miraculously bestowed Ibraheem another son despite the
fact that he and Sarah both had long passed their normal child
bearingage and Sarah was barren all her life (5).
This was the greatest of the testsIbraheem and Isma'el went through.
Its difficulty was compounded by the fact that Ibraheem had invested a
lot of love and affection during 12-13 years of Isma'el's life and
Isma'el had grown up to cherish his own life. The test would have been
easier for both the father and the son, if Isma'el were newborn where
bonding between father and son had not taken place and where the son
could not have grown up to enjoyhis life. But Allah selected the most
difficult time for this test todemonstrate their true level of
commitment to Allah's pleasure. This test demonstrated to the world
the following:
*. Ibraheem and Isma'el are not just theorizing about Allah as the One
and Only Creator, but He is a real entity in whom they truly and
sincerely believe and to whom they happily and willingly submit;
*. Unlike false gods who neither know that they are being worshipped
nor can react to the actions of their worshippers, the true God if
fully aware of what His slaves do and He interacts with them;
*. The One True God does not expect people to offer ritual human
sacrifices. People lose their life to ritual sacrifice only because of
the falsehood created by those who promote false gods.
Allah loved their example of total dedication and devotion to His
commandment so much that He made it incumbent on all Muslims until the
Day of Judgment to commemorate Ibraheem's and Isma'el's spirit of
complete submission to Allah through a yearly celebrationof their
sacrifice. The major purpose is that the Muslims can refresh,
understand and internalize the full implications ofclaiming to be
'Muslims' (i.e. obedience to Allah) by simulatingthe act of sacrifice
devotedly performed by Ibraheem and Isma'el .
Every year Eidal-Adhaa must remind us that:
*. A lifestyle of complete and total submission to Allah is the
essence of being a Muslim;
*. A Muslim willingly sacrifices his/her most cherished belongings
(things, ideas, habits, desires) in obedience toAllah ;
*. A properly practicing Muslim family does not encounter a generation
gap between different generations of Muslims. A gap between two
generations is caused only by the presence of un-Islamic behaviors or
attitudes in either of the generations or both.
Eidal-Adhaa is not merely an occasion of ritual celebrations, but an
annual tune-up of one's lifestyle so that it becomes a lifestyle that
is totally submergedin submission to Allah . It is a celebration of
simulating a Muslim's readiness to sacrifice everything for the sake
of Allah. May Allah grant us the strengthof spirit and will to
perfectly emulate the examples of Ibraheem and Isma'el in every facet
of our daily struggle to become better Muslims, Inshaa Allah.

We Get What We StriveFor

What we repeatedly think and say is what we get.
Our inner conversations, words, thoughts and feelings determine the
kind of life and reality we experience. If we occupy our mind with
negative thoughts and expect difficulties and problems, we will draw
them into our lives. If we constantly think of success we will achieve
success. If we find it difficult to think positively, affirmations can
help us change the way we think!
The greatness of our human mind is that we can think and imagine what
does not exist right now. We can envision situations and circumstances
that are different from our current reality, and in this way we can
create better situations and circumstances.
TRY SAYING SOME OF THESEPOSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS DAILY:
*. Insha Allah, I will see stressful situations as challenges.
*. Challenges bring opportunities.
*. Insha Allah, I will choose to focus on the good things and not the bad.
*. Insha Allah, I will deal with whatever Allah swt puts before me in
the best way (with patience and prayer).
*. Insha Allah I will strive to get and maintain balance in my life.
*. Insha Allah, I am loveable and open to giving and receiving love.
*. With Allah swt is my success.
*. I have good intentions (niyyah).
Repeat the affirmations faithfully ever day and you will find over
time that these concepts will re-program the way you think, turning
you into a more positive person Insha'Allah.
Allah swt tells us in the Holy Quran that man gets what he strives
for. We know that what we put our focus, energy and efforts on is what
we ultimately strive for.....wecan get there from here....just believe
in the power of faith and good deeds, surely Allah swt hears the
prayers of every supplicant!!
Explanation of this Ayat from Tafsir
"That no bearer of burdens can canbear the burden of another. That man
have nothing exceptwhat he strives for. That (the fruit) of his
striving will soon come to sight. Then will he be rewardedwith a
reward complete." (Quran 53:38-41)
Tafseer ibn Katheer
Then the Exalted clearly explains what He revealed in the Books of
Ibraheem and Moosa, so He said "That no bearer of burdens can bear the
burden of another" meaning that every soul wrongs itself with
rejection (kufr) and anything from among the sins. So upon it, is its
own burden, no one else will carry it, just as the Exalted has said
"If one heavily laden should call another to bear his load not the
least portion of it can be carried (by the other) even if he be
closely related."
"That man can have nothing except what he strives for." Meaning just
as he will not carry the burden of anybody else, likewise he will not
acquire any reward except what he has earned for himself; and from
this noble ayah Imaam ash-Shaafi`ee concluded that the recitation (of
the Quraan)and the presentation of its reward does not reachthe dead,
because it is not from among the actions or the earnings ofthe dead
and because of this the Messenger of Allah
(sallallahu-alaihi-wasallam) did not recommend it to his Ummah, nor
did he directthem towards it, either with a text or indirectly.
Furthermore, this has notbeen reported from anyone among the Sahaabah
(radiallahu-anhum) and if there was a good deed then they would have
been the foremost in doing it.
As for the matter of actions done for the sakeof Allah, they are
restricted to a text and are not dealt with with the types of Qiyaas
(Deduction by analogy) or Ra`iy (Opinion); but as for supplication and
charity then it is agreed upon that they reach the dead and there is a
text from the Sharee`ah for them both. As for the hadeeth which is
reported by Muslim in hisSaheeh, from Abu Hurairah, who said that the
Messenger of Allah (sallallahu-alaihi-wasallam) said:
"When a man dies his deeds are cut off except for three: recurring
charity, knowledge by which people benefit and a righteous son who
supplicates for him."
Then these three are in truth from his striving, his toil, his
struggle and his actions as is reported in the hadeeth:
"Verily the most wholesome of what a man eats is from his earnings."
The recurring charity such as endowments and the like, these are also
from the effects of his actions and his endowments as the Exalted has
said "Verily We shall give life to the dead and We record that which
they send before them and that which they leave behind..."
As for the Knowledge which he divulged among the people and the people
acted upon it, then that is also from his striving and his actions,
and it is confirmed in the Saheeh:
"Whoever calls to guidance there is for himreward with the like of it
and the reward of whoever follows him without any decrease form their
reward."
The speech of Allah {And that (the fruit of) his striving will soon
come tosight} meaning the Day of Judgement as He, the Exalted, says
{And say: Work (righteousness); soon will Allah observe your work, and
His Messenger, and the believers...} Then He recompenses you with a
completeness of reward (a reward complete); if it is good then with
good and if it is bad then with bad. Thus He said here {Then will he
be rewarded with a reward complete} meaning amply, in abundance.

The Evils of Gambling

INTRODUCTION
Gambling has unfortunately become anacceptable practise in Muslim
Society due to its wide scale promotion by the media. A large number
of good Muslims are also caught in the web, not realising that they
are gambling and that the earnings from the gambling are haraam.
The following is a translation of a scholarly article by the late
Mufti Muhammad Shafi rahmatullahi alaihe which is being published to
make Muslims aware of the different forms of transactions and other
items which are classifiedin Shar'iah as gambling.
THE DEFINITION OF GAMBLING
Every transaction in which gain and loss is obscure is known as
Qimaar' and 'Maisar' in the Shar'iah terminology,and as 'Juwa' in the
Urdu language. For instance, if two people compete in a race with the
following conditions, that if you surpass me, then I will give you a
thousand pounds and if I surpass you then you will have togive me a
thousand pounds. Or if someone says, 'If it rains today you will have
to give me a thousand pounds and if it does not rain then I will give
you a thousand pounds.'
Likewise if some packed boxes are being sold for a fixed price, for
examplefour pounds per box and some of the boxes have contents with a
value of five pounds with others containing a value of twopounds, then
the purchase of these boxes will be Qimaar. Because of the obscurity
of the gain and loss. There are numerous methods of gambling and in
every age and region, gambling has been played in different forms and
methods.
There was a certain procedure amongst the Arabs for gambling. There
would be ten arrows, each with a special name, all having different
shares allocatedto them, for example, one share, two shares, three
shares, etc. There would also be some without a share at all. They
would then jumble the arrows and ask someone to pick an arrow for each
person. Whichever arrow was picked out for a person, that would be his
allocated share and thereafter would be considered the owner of it. On
the other hand, whosoever happened to acquire a share-less arrow he
would receive nothing at all. The custom, which went hand in hand with
this, was that a camel would be slaughtered and distributed according
to the shares entitled to them by the arrows. A person who was unlucky
would not only be deprived of the camel meat but he would also have to
pay for that camel. This kind of gambling has been labelled Maisar and
Azlaam by the Qur'aan. Maisar is that particular camel which is
slaughtered and distributed because of gambling and Azlaam arethe
arrows that are used to define the amount of the shares in gambling.
Apart from this, gamblingwas prevalent in trade in different forms.
They were known as Mulamasa and Munabaza,etc., the prohibition of
which is present in the Ahaadith of the Prophet sallallahu alaihe
wasallam.
Before the advent of Islam, gambling was not only customary but also
taken to be a cause of pride, nobility and honour. For excessive show
of pride, these people would distribute their share of the winnings
amongst the poor.
(Tafseer-ul-Kabeer Lir-Razi vol 2 p231)
THE PROHIBITION OF GAMBLING
As Islam plays a moderaterole in worship, similarly it plays a role in
economics and social orders. How can Islam, the moderate way of
life,cope with a state where one can take possession of somebody
else's property without any valid reason, due to which, the latter
gets poorer and his state diminishes and the former, without
working,gathers the wealth equivalent to that of Qaroon (Korah, a
kaafir whom Allah bestowed with great wealth at the time of Musa
alaihis salaam)? Alternatively, without any religious excuse, a great
amount of wealth is taken from the poor people's pocket and a single
person is made to own it. Therefore, it was vital forIslam to prohibit
these unfair ways of taking possessions. For this reason the open
mindedness of the all-encompassing religion, Islam, took consideration
and concern of the human passions. When alcoholic drinks and gambling
were intended to be banned, their prohibitionwas not revealed
immediately, but firstly all the disadvantages concerning them were
made clear. Once these were totally engraved into their hearts, then
the laws of prohibition were revealed.
In the early days of Islam the Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam was
questioned regarding the permissibility of gambling and alcohol. The
first verse that was revealed regarding this, is in Surah Baqarah
which is as follows:
"They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say, 'In them isgreat sin
and some benefit for men; but the sin is greater than the benefit."
(Qur'aan 2:19)
In the above aayah, the permissibility and non-permissibility of wine
and gambling is notclarified. Soon after understanding the tone of
discountenance in the verse, the highly ranked companions of the Holy
Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam abstained from them. On the other
hand, Muslims in general were still involved in them and the Prophet
sallallahu alaihe wasallam had not said anything that indicated their
prohibition, until Allah revealed the following verse:
"O believers! Intoxicants and gambling, worshipping stones and
divination by arrows are impure, of shaytan's handiwork: refrain from
such abomination that yemay prosper. "
(Qur'aan 5:90)
In this verse, the total prohibition of alcoholic drinks and gambling
has been clearly revealed. Its prohibition has been mentioned with
such assurance that Imaam Razi rahmatullahi alaihe states as follows:
"Firstly, the Arabic word 'innama' has been placedin the beginning of
the verse. In Arabic, this creates emphasis on what is mentioned
afterwards. Secondly, these prohibited things have been classified as
being 'rijs' (impure), from which natural disposition abstains.
Thirdly, they have been branded as satanic acts. Fourthly, their
severity has been categorised in the same level as idol worshipping
(shirk) in the sense that they all arelinks of a single chain."
After mentioning that these all are 'rijs' (impure), Allah Ta'ala orders:
"Keep away from them."
Allah Ta'ala does not terminate the subject here, but He carries on
mentioning their religious and worldly harm in the following aayah.
Allah, the Almightystates conclusively that shaytaan wants to ruin our
worldly life and the life of the Hereafter. These forbidden things,
(alcohol and gambling), lay the seeds of hatred and hostility between
human beings. These evil outcomes are innumerable. Their habit
distracts a man from obligatory duties such as salaah and the
remembrance of Allah.
May Allah protect all the Muslims from their evil.
THE NOBLE SAHAABAH'S SPIRIT OF OBEDIENCE AFTERTHE ORDER OF PROHIBITION
Generally, habits and old customs that become part of a person's
temperament are almost second to human nature. This was a time of
great trial when, up to now, these sinful acts were part of their life
and nobility, but today, they became expressly prohibited. This period
is of a great importance forthe Muslim Ummah in Islamic history.
It is amazing that, on onehand, there was the concern of human
feelings and habits in theShari'ah, and on the other hand, there was a
great desire in the Ummah to obey the revealed commandments.
After the revelation of the above mentioned verse, Rasoolullah
sallallahu alaihe wasallam sent out a callerto proclaim:
"Behold, alcoholic drinks (intoxicants) have been made haraam."
It was the cry of the calleror perhaps a lightning which immediately
changed their habits and feelings.
Intoxicants were very popular among the Arabs. They were manufactured
and imbedded almost in every home and to drink had, so to speak,
become a mark of advancement in culture. As soon as the announcement
was made, the people who were greatly addicted to it and who regarded
it a virtue and sign of social and cultural eminence and who would
spend lavishly in the state of drunkenness from which the poor and
needy profited. These very samepeople now in a short span of time were
ready to forsake and sever any ties they may have had inregards to
alcohol which had, for years played a major role in their lives. Those
who held goblets in their hands immediately threw them on the ground.
Many others who were in the act of drinking, spat the contents out.
Sounds of pitchers and jars being smashed up were soon audible from
neighbouring houses. Wine was running to such an extent that the
streets of Madinah were overflowing.
Hazrat Anas radiyallahu anhu, an eminent companion of the Prophet
sallallahu alaihe wasallam narrates that some friends including Abu
Ubayda ibn Jarrah, Abu Dujahna, Mu'az ibn Jabal and Sahl ibn
Bayzahradiyallahu anhum had gathered at the house of Abu Talha.
Alcohol was flowing and I was acting as the cup-bearer when suddenly
the cry of the announcer reached our ears. None of us considered it
necessary to go out and investigatethe matter. Instead, the containers
and jars were smashed to the ground and the wine thrown onto the
streets of Madinah. After performing wudhu and ghusl we proceeded
towards the Masjid where upon our arrival we found the blessed Prophet
sallallahu alaihe wasallam reciting the aforesaid verse.
Hazrat Buraidah radiyallahu anhu also narrates a similar account
wherein a groupof Sahaabah were busy consuming liquor when the
announcement was made. The words no sooner reached their earsthat the
cups were thrown to the ground. Others who were about to swallow the
alcohol immediately spat it out, numerous barrels were also destroyed
in the process.
(Ibn Kathir vol2 p95)
This is not the occasion for a lengthy discussion regarding the
prohibition of alcohol, nonetheless, due to the fact that the
prohibition was revealed at the sametime to that of gambling, it was
necessary to give an example of the Sahaabah's habitual obedience,
courage and passion. From these incidents it can be imagined just how
difficult the situation hadbecome for the Sahaabah. Likewise it canbe
conceived as to how much hardship they musthave endured when the
prohibition of gambling was also revealed. Therefore, history itself
isa witness that after the revelation of the aayah, the Companions
refrained from associating with anything that was even minutely
related to gambling. In an authentic hadith of Bukhari the Prophet
sallallahu alaihe wasallam is reported to have said, "If one person
says to another, 'Come lets gamble.' (regardless of whether he acts
upon it or not) then he shall beliable of committing a sin; and the
compensation for that sinwill be to give Sadaqah."
It is a disgrace that today's Muslims, despite the fact that severe
and grave warnings have been given in the Qur'aan and Ahaadith
relating to gambling and alcohol, lead a life of complete ignorance
and unconcern. It seems that they no longer have faithin the Qur'aan
and Ahaadith, Allah save us! Itis not only the illiterate who are
involved, but the sad fact is that those who hold lofty positions in
society and who are regarded as religious, because they perform their
fasts and salaah, have also fallen prey to its evil clutches. Hence
forthe benefit of those who are unaware or not acquainted, a few forms
of gambling are being mentioned that are currently prevalent.
CROSSWORD PUZZLES
Nowadays, just like the epidemic of plague, the art of gambling too
has now become so common that it has become virtually a means of
tradeand commerce. Under such headlines as "Solve this Puzzle", or
"Win this Lottery" of innumerable newspapers and monthlyjournals that
are on an ever-increase. They offer prizes for solving puzzles subject
to the submitting of a fee. The participants are lured into false
belief that they can win substantial sums of money. Some organisers
fix huge prizes for the winners due to which thepoor public think that
the fees is only a small amount and will not bring no harm and
therefore enter trying to win a substantial amount.
Because people have fallen prey to this disease, thousands of
individuals are entering the lottery.
It is crystal clear that when a person enters into playing this game
hesubmits his fee on the understanding that he either loses a small
amount or wins a fortune; according to the divine law of Islam this
act is classified as 'gambling'.
In some monthly magazines this form of gambling has expanded very
widely and the income runs into millionsfrom which the businesspersons
gain overall benefit. Even if the company tries not to indulge in any
form of cheating, and distributes the prize money justly, a
substantial amount of money is left over which is the blood and sweat
ofthe poor people.
The outcome of all this, isthat it is the public who ends up in
poverty whilstthe organisers benefit from the expenses of the poor. In
confirmation of the prohibition of gambling, the above mentioned
evidence is sufficient; the democraticrules and curriculum of lslam
and its fundamentalprinciples forebears the public money to go in
thepossession of few individuals. Gambling in the form of crosswords
which are prevalent today, are to be reprimanded furthermore severely
since they are an aggregation of vices and sins.
The sole reason for this isthat the public is being urged and exhorted
to go against the commandments of Allah Ta'ala and His disobedience
and the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam'.
Each and every person that takes part in this vice is disobeying the
commandments which are stated by Allah Ta'ala very clearly in the Holy
Qur'aan. The participator becomes a doer of major sins, most of which
falls upon the organisers. The people who help them in any form also
become guilty of this particular major vice.
Likewise, thousands and millions of Muslim brethren openly go against
the clear order ofAllah Ta'ala and his Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe
wasallam. In addition, thousands and millions ofMuslims become
involvedin this act of gambling with the result that it becomes an
unending and everlasting vice. May Allah Ta'ala bestow the entire
mankind with salvation and freedom from this disease, Aameen.
THE PRIZE WINNING TICKETS OF (CAR) SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS
It has been observed throughout the years in Karachi, Lahore and many
other places that various types of tickets are being sold to enter
exhibitions. The organisers issue tickets with lucky numbers and then
prizes are allocated to the lucky persons whose numbers appear.
This form is not regardedas open gambling because the ticket
ownerreceives the returns by entering the exhibition but now it is all
depending on the intention. The person who purchases this ticketon the
basis of winning aprize will be indulging in gambling. On the other
hand if his intention is solely to enter the exhibition with no
desireof winning a prize, and wins the prize then it willnot be
classified as gambling according to the rules pertaining to gambling.
HORSE RACING
The present day horse racing where one stakes a certain amount on a
particular horse is in fact gambling. It is exactly that form where
loss and gain is based on something indistinct, where one person loses
his initial amount and the other wins a substantial amount.
LOTTERY
In this present day each and every kind of lottery is included within
gambling and is prohibited. It is found in bazaars and factories
andout of which, a few well-known forms are mentioned.
The lottery business of this category has now reached an international
level. The purchaser of this ticket does not buy the ticket solely
with the intention of just buying itbut he buys it on the basis of it
being a possible winning dice by which he can win the amount of money
he has aimed for. That is the reason why this is not merely trade or
business venture but rather it is anact of sin to buy these or even to
sell them. Because he is not merely committing a sin and transgressing
but is also promoting it.
Islam gives peace to the mind, body and soul, keeping the human in
perfect harmony. Every iota balanced and scaled to perfection. A
serene picture of bliss and joy but when a shattering and destructive
vice strikes through the heart it leaves it in a weak and downtrodden
state. The National Lottery, a new religion, has hit Britain.
Amoneymaking, exciting, nail-biting game of chance, preying on the
human soul and wealth.
This modern lottery system of gambling camefrom the crusades. The
crusaders during a siege of the Islamic citadel of Azhar were forced
to pass their time by developing new pass-times. One of those was
called hazard and today this is the usual French word used for games
of chance.
Christians developed hazard into a state enterprise and since thenit
has been upgraded and reformed constantly, without any feeling of
guilt. Now it has, ultimately, hit Britain with a vengeance. It seems
it is here to stay for a long time to come.
The saddening thing however is that from the constant onslaught of
theWest on Islam, the National Lottery will contribute a great deal
towards their ultimate goal, the total assimilation of the Muslims
into the British society.
Coming towards the mainaspect of our argument that in no manner can it
be justified that it is permissible to play the lottery or to take
part in any form of gambling whatsoever will follow. The Christians,
developedit and turned it into a money-maker, all in the name of
charity. The Qur'aan has commanded the prohibition and total ban of
any form of gambling and in no way whatsoever can it be proven
permissible. Thus,any person who denies the prohibition of any form of
gambling such aslottery etc. will be committing an act of kufr.
Gambling is prohibited with absolute proof as the Allah Almighty says
in the Holy Qur'aan, "O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds
ofalcoholic drinks), gambling, Al-Ansab, and Al-Azlam (arrows for
seeking luck or decision) are an abomination ofsatan, handiwork. So
avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be
successful."
(Qur'aan 5:90)
When the Sahaabahs received the order to refrain from gambling they
did not hesitate to fulfil. This is because the Holy Prophet
sallallahu alaihe wasallam had said,"Whosoever invites a person
towards gambling should give some amount of charity to the poor."
(Bukhari)

Selected Verses From The Quran Requiring in-depth Contemplation

1. " 'O you who have believed; Aminu B'illahi [1] ' That is, 'O you
who have believed, believe in Allah in accord with the meaning
signified by the letter B.'..." (Quran 4:136)
2. "And of the people are some who say, 'We believe in Allah (in
accordwith the meaning of the letter B – that His Names comprise our
being) and the life after (that we willforever live the consequences
of our deeds),' but they are not believers (in accord with the meaning
of the letterB) ." (Quran 2:8)
3. "So believe in Allah, whose Names comprise the essence of your
being, and his Rasul, the Ummi Nabi, who believesin Allah, the essence
of his self, and what He disclosed..." (Quran 7:158)
4. "As for those who believe in Allah, the essence of everything, and
hold fast unto Him astheir essential reality - HUwill admit them to
grace ( rahmah ) and bounty (the awareness of the qualities of the
Names) and guide them to Himself (enable the observation of their
innermost essence) on a straight path ( sirat al-mustaqim ) ." (Quran
4:175)
5. "And when it is said to them, "Believe what Allahhas revealed (the
knowledge that the Names of Allah comprise the entire existence,
yourvery being, and the knowledge of sunnatullah ) ," they say,"No,
rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers following
(external deification) ." What if their fathers were misguided and
failed to understand the reality?" (Quran 2:170)
6. "...Verily Allah is Ghani from the worlds." (In terms of His
Absolute Essence, Allah is free frombeing conditioned and limited by
the manifestedcompositions of His Names) (Quran 29:06)
7. "...There is nothing that resembles HU!..." (Quran 42:11)
8. "Every constructed sense of self (ego) on the earth (corporeal
life) is illusory (inexistent) . Al-Baqi (eternal, without being
subject to the concept of time) is the face (absolute reality) of your
Rabb (the meanings of the Names comprising your essence) , the
Dhul-Jalali Wal-Ikram ." (Quran 55:26-27)
9. "Sensory perception perceives Him not but He perceives (evaluates)
all perception..." (Quran 6:103)
10. "..Never can ' You ' (with your illusory self - ego) see
(comprehend) ' Me '... (Absolute Reality, Absolute 'I') ..." (Quran
7:143)
11. "They did not justly appraise (the manifestations of the qualities
denoted by the name) Allah ..." (Quran 22:74)
12. "Rahman is established on the Throne" ( Rahman established His
sovereignty by creating the worlds [the existential world created by
the potential of the Names inherent in one's brain] with His Names),
i.e., Rahman observes His knowledge with His knowledge, in the quantum
potential) (Quran 20:5)
13. "Verily, when He wills a thing, His Command is, ' Kun = be ' (He
merely wishes it to be) , and it is (formed with ease) ! Subhan is He
in whose hand (governance) is the Malakut (the force of the Names) of
all things, and to Him you will be returned (the illusory self – ego
will come to an end and the Absolute Reality will be discerned) ."
(Quran 36:82-83)
14. "Within your own selves (the essence of the self) . Will you still
not see (discern) ?" (Quran 51:21)
15. "And whoever is blind (unable to perceive the truth) in this life
(outer life) will also be blind in the eternal life to come (inner
life) and further astray in way (of thought) ." (Quran 17:72)
16. "HU is the Al-Awwal (the first and initial state of existence) and
Al-Akhir (the infinitely subsequent One, to all manifestation) ,
Az-Zahir (the explicit, unequivocaland perceivable manifestation; the
Absolute Reality beyond the illusion) and Al-Batin ... (the
unperceivable reality within the perceivable manifestation, the
sourceof the unknown; the Absolute Self beyond the illusory selves) .
(There is nothing other than HU) ." (Quran 57:3)
17. "...We are closer to him (within the dimensions of the brain) than
his jugular vein!" (Quran 50:16)
18. "...And He is with you (the origin of your being) wherever you are
(as your reality exists with His Names) ... (This points to the unity
of existence beyond the illusion of duality) ." (Quran 57:4)
19. "...So wherever you turn, there is the face of Allah (you are face
to facewith the manifestation ofthe qualities denoted by Allah's
Names) ..." (Quran 2:115)
20. "...Be careful! Verily He is Al-Muhit (the One who forms the
existence of all things with the qualities of His Names) ." (Quran
41:54)
21. "...Fear me (for you will face the consequences of your deeds
based on the mechanics of the system; sunnatullah) , if you are of the
believers." (Quran 3:175)
22. "...Which will tell them that man had no certainty in Our signs
(they were unable to observe the qualities of the names that comprise
their being) ." (Quran 27:82)
23. "...Verily, if you followtheir desires (ideas and wants formed by
their conditionings) after whathas come to you of knowledge be among
the wrongdoers (those who punish themselves as a result of their
failureto discern their essential reality) ." (Quran 2:145)
24. "Set your face (consciousness) as a Hanif (without the concept of
a deity-god, without making shirq to Allah, i.e. with the
consciousness ofnon-duality) towards the One Religion (the only system
and order) , the natural disposition ( fitrah ) of Allah (i.e. the
primary system and mechanism of the brain) upon which Allah has
created man. There is no change in the creation ofAllah. This is the
infinitelyvalid System ( deen al-qayyim ) but most people do not
know." (Quran 30:30)
25. "And We have createdthe heavens (the stages of manifestation
pertaining to the qualities denoted by the Names) and earth (man's
illusory world) and everything in between them in Absolute Truth."
(Quran 15:85)
26. "... Say: 'Allah' and let them amuse themselves in their empty
discourse (their illusory world) in which they're absorbed." (Quran
6:91)
27. "...And you threw not,when you (illusory self; ego) threw, but it
was Allah who threw..." (Quran 8:17)
28. "He is not questioned for what He does! (as there is no duality!)
..." (Quran 21:23)
29. "...He creates whatever He wills..." (Quran 42:49)
30. "...Indeed, Allah does as He wills." (He forms what He wills to
manifestfrom His knowledge withPower; Knowledge – Will – Power) (Quran
22:14)
31. "...Allah does as He wills (Allah manifests the qualities of His
Names that He wishes!) ." (Quran 14:27)
32. "...Allah enables the observation of his innermost essential
reality to whom He wills." (Quran 22:16)
33. "...Allah (the Names [the various compositions of structural
qualities constituting existence] within the essence of man) enables
the realization of His Nur (theknowledge of the Absolute Reality
beyond what is perceived) whomHe wills." (Quran 24:35)
34. "Whoever Allah enables the observation of his innermost
essentialessence, he is the one who reaches the reality..." (Quran
7:178)
35. "He who Allah enables the observation of his innermost
essentialreality can never be led astray!..." (Quran 39:37)
36. "...Allah enables thosewho turn to Him to realize their inner
reality!" (Quran 42:13)
37. "He gives wisdom (thesystem by which the qualities of the Names
are manifested) to whomHe wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has
certainly been given much benefit. And none will discern this except
those with intellect and deep contemplative skills." (Quran 2:269)
38. "Allah chooses (enables the comprehension of one's inner reality)
for Himself whom He wills..." (Quran 42:3)
39. "...Such is the bounty of Allah (the realization of the vastness
of the qualities of the Names) , which He grants unto whomever He
wills..." (Quran 57:21)
40. "And whomsoever Allah wills the realization of his essential
reality, Heopens his breast (his innermost comprehension) to Islam (to
the consciousness of his submission) and whomsoever He wills to lead
astray, He makes his breast tight and constricted, as though hewere
laboriously climbing into the sky!..." (Quran 6:125)
41. "...but Allah purifies (from the illusory self; ego) whom He
wills..." (Quran 24:21)
42. "He who purifies (his consciousness) has succeeded." (Quran 91:9)
43. "...Know well, that (if you do not attend to this invitation)
Allah will intervene between the person's consciousness and his heart
(Allah creates a barrier between his emotions and reason, abandoning
him to an emotional state of existence that comprises his hell through
the system of the brain) and prevent him. To Him you will be
resurrected (you will reside in a realm in which the Absolute Reality
will become apparent; you will be evaluated by the qualities of the
names that comprise your essence) ." (Quran 8:24)
44. "...Every instance HU (the Absolute Essence of Existence)
manifests Himself in yet another way." (Quran 55:29)
45. "Allah abolishes what He wills or forms (into a perceivable
reality, what He wills)) , and with Him is the Mother of the Book
(primary knowledge; theknowledge of the ways in which the Names will
manifest at every instant) ." (Quran 13:39)
46. "My decision (rule) will not be altered!.." (Quran 50:29)
47. "...And Allah gives provision (both limited sustenance for the
corporeal life and infinite life sustenance pertaining to the
realization of one's innerreality and its benefits) towhom He wills
without account." (Quran 2:212)
48. "...To each of you We prescribed a law (rules and conditions
regardinglifestyle) and a method (a system based on fixed realities
not subject to change within time) ..." (Quran 5:48)
49. "The Rasul (Muhammad saw) has believed in what was revealed
(knowledge that emerged from the dimensional depths) to him (to his
consciousness) from his Rabb (the qualities of the Names of Allah
comprising his essential reality) ." (Quran 2:285)
50. "...We make no distinction between (the ways in which the
knowledge of Allah was revealed to) His Rasuls..." (Quran 2:285)
51. "...Had Allah willed, He would surely have enabled the realization
of the absolute reality to all of mankind..." (Quran 13:31)
52. "And if We had willed, We could have enabled every being (illusory
self; ego) to realize its essential reality, but My word: 'I will
surely fill Hell (the conditions to manifest the specific
configuration of the qualities of the Names that result in an infernal
state of life) with jinn and man all together' is in effect." (Quran
32:13)
53. "Had your Rabb (the reality of the Names comprising your essence)
willed, all those who live on earth would surely have had faith (in
the qualities of the Names of Allah that comprise his being and all
that is manifested through him) , all of them entirely... So then,
will you compel thepeople to become believers? And it is not for a
soul to believe unless the unique composition of Allah's Names
comprising his essence permits." (Quran 10:99-100)
54. "No more is the Rasul bound to do except to provide the knowledge
(of the reality and its requisites) ..." (Quran 5:99)
55. "There is no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion (the
system and order of Allah; sunnatullah) ..." (Quran 2:256)
56. "...and never will suffering occur unless a Rasul of the absolute
reality is revealed." (Quran 17:15)
57. "And We have not revealed you except as grace to the worlds
(people) ." (Quran 21: 107)
58. "...but [he is] the Rasulof Allah, the final of Nabis (the summit
of perfection) ." (Quran 33:40)
59. "O covered one; arise and awaken!" (Quran 74:1-2)
60. "Say (O Rasul) : 'I am only a man like you (aside from the
knowledge of Allah disclosed through me [ Risalat ], we possess the
same reality) .'" (Quran 18:110)
61. "And obey Allah and His Rasul..." (Quran 8:46)
62. "Indeed, the religion (system and order) in the sight of Allah is
Islam (thewhole of creation is in a state of submission, whether
conscious or unconscious of the qualities of the Names) ..." (Quran
3:19)
63. "And whoever seeks areligion (system and order) other than Islam
(the consciousness of being in a state of submission) his search will
be ineffective!.." (Quran 3:85)
64. "Whose heart (essence) Allah has expanded towards comprehending
Islam, is he not upon a Nur (knowledge) disclosed byhis Rabb (his
essential reality) ?..." (Quran 39:22)
65. "This day I have perfected for you your religion (your
acquisitionof religious knowledge) and completed My favor upon you and
have approved for you Islam (complete submission to Allah) as (the
understanding of) religion..." (Quran 5:3)
66. "It is HU who shapes (forms, programs) you in the womb (mother's
womb – in Arabic rahim ; the productive mechanism within your essence:
rahimiyyah ) as He wishes..." (Quran 3:6)
67. "...But if good comes to them, they say, 'This is from Allah'; and
if evil befalls them, they say, 'This is from you.' Say, 'All [things]
are from Allah...'" (Quran 4:78)
68. "Your Rabb (reality of the Names comprising your essence) creates
andchooses as He pleases, they have no free will (or choice) ..."
(Quran 28:68)
69. "Who brings the living (the consciousness of being alive with the
Names of the Hayy) out ofthe dead (the futile state of corporeal
existence) and brings the dead (the state of being blinded to the
reality of one's self orthe reality of others; confining one's
existenceonly to the body and assuming life is going to end once the
body deteriorates under the soil) out of the living (while in respect
of his essential reality he is alive) ? Who carries out the judgment?
They will say, 'Allah'..." (Quran 10:31)
70. "...And whoever is grateful, his gratitude is for his self (the
realization and evaluation of the perfection of his essence) ..."
(Quran 27:40)
71. "When a [single] disaster struck you, although we had struck [the
enemy] with one twice as great, you said, 'Why and how did this come
about?' Say, 'It has come about from yourselves (your ego) '. Indeed,
Allah is Qadir (thepossessor of continual and infinite power) over all
things." (Quran 3:165)
72. "...He who submits to,and places his trust in Allah, Allah will be
sufficient for him (he who believes in the forces pertaining to the
qualities of the Names comprising his essence and complies with their
requirements, those forces will be ever sufficient for him) ." (Quran
65:3)
73. "...Seek the continual manifestation of the Names of Allah (from
your essence in respect of its Uluhiyyah ; from theforces of the Names
comprising your being) and have patience..." (Quran 7:128)
74. "And your Rabb has decreed that you serve only Him (He created you
to manifest the qualities of His Names) ..." (Quran 17:23)
75. "I have created the jinn and men only so thatthey may serve me (by
means of manifesting thequalities of my Names) ." (Quran 51:56)
76. "He is al-Badee (The originator of the heavens[states of
consciousness] and the earth [the body] who makes things without any
sample or like) . When He wills a thing, He only says to it, 'Be,' and
it is." (Quran 2:117)
77. "... While it is Allah who created you and all your doings." (Quran 37:96)
78. "Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens
and whoever is on the earth, the sun, themoon, the stars, the
mountains, the trees, the moving creatures and many of the people? But
upon many the suffering has been justified. And he whom Allah
humiliates - for him thereis no bestower of honor. Indeed, Allah does
what He wills." (Quran 22:18)
79. "Say: 'Everyone acts according to his own creation program
(natural disposition; fitrah ) .'..." (Quran 17:84)
80. "And to Him belongs whoever is in the heavens (conscious beings)
and the earth (bodily beings) . Thus, all are in a state of devout
obedience to Him (in manifesting the qualities of His Names) ..."
(Quran 30:26)
81. "...The seven heavens (all creation within the seven dimensions of
consciousness) and the earth (the bodies) and whatever is in them
continue their existence through Him ( tasbih ) . And there is not a
thing that does not continue itsexistence through His hamd (the
reality of the Names comprising one's essence [ Rabb ] is the
evaluator of this continual existence) , but you do not understand
their [way of, discourse, disposition] disclosure..." (Quran 17:44)
82. "...There is no animate creature but that He holds its forehead
(the brain; the very qualities of the Names of Allah!) ..." (Quran
11:56)
83. "You cannot will unless Allah wills (your will is Allah's will)
..." (Quran 76:30)
84. "Indeed we have created everything with its program ( qadar ) ."
(Quran 54:49)
85. And there is not a thing of which its depositories (the forces
comprising it) is not with us! and We disclose (the forces/qualities)
according to its program.The requirements of its core creation program
unfold sequentially. (Quran 15:21)
86. "No calamity befalls you on earth (on your physical body and outer
world) or among yourselves (your inner world) that has not already
been recorded ina book (formed in the dimension of knowledge) before
We bring it into being! Indeed for Allah, this is easy. We inform you
of this in order that you don't despair over your losses or exult (in
pride) over what We have givenyou, for Allah does not like the
boastful and the arrogant!" (Quran 57:22-23)
87. "...Perhaps you hate athing and it is good for you; and perhaps
you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows,while you know
not." (Quran 2:216)
88. "Whatever good comes to you it is from Allah, but whatever evil
comes to you it is from your self (from complyingwith your conditioned
beliefs including your alleged 'moral codes') ..." (Quran 4:79)
89. "...Indeed, the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah isAkbar (enables one
to experience Akbariyyah – Absolute Magnificence) ..." (Quran 29:45)
90. "...and engage much in the dhikr (contemplation on the forces of
the Names comprising your essence) of Allah so you can overcome
difficulties andattain salvation." (Quran 8:45)
91. "...And remember ( dhikr ) Him, to the extent of your awareness of
your innermost essential reality..." (Quran 2:198)
92. "Allah will never hold anyone responsible for that which they have
no capacity..." (Quran 2:286)
93. Remember ( dhikr ) the qualities of the Names comprising your
essence; your Rabb , and seclude yourself to Him incomplete devotion.
(Quran 73:8)
94. "So remember ( dhikr ) Me; so that I will remember you." (Quran 2:152)
95. "...And remember Allah while standing, sitting, or [lying] on your
sides (i.e. experience Him in your being at all times) ..." (Quran
4:103)
96. "They (those who have attained the essence of the reality)
remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides..."
(Quran 3:191)
97. "And if you speak your thoughts (or concealthem,) know that indeed
He knows the secret (in your consciousness) and what is [even] deeper
(the actual Names that compose it) ." (Quran 20:7)
98. "O believers! Let not your worldly goods or your children prevent
you from the remembrance of Allah (the remembrance of your essential
self and the resulting experience) . And whoever does this – it is
they who are the losers!" (Quran 63:9)
99. "And he who turns away from My dhikr (the absolute reality of
which I have reminded him) indeed, he will have a restricted life
(limited by the conditions of his body and mind) , and We will
resurrect him as blind on the day (period) of resurrection." (Quran
20:124)
100. "They (the objects/idols of their worship) will say, ' Subhan ,
You are! It is notpossible for us to take besides You any allies. But
when You provided comforts for them and their fathers, they forgot the
knowledge of reality and indulged in bodily pleasures eventually
leading to their ruin.'" (Quran 25:18)
101. "...And whoever is blinded (with external things) from the
remembrance of Rahman (remembering that his essential reality is
composed of the names of Allah and thus from living the requirements
of this) We appoint for him a satan (a delusion; the idea that he is
only the physical body and that life should be lived in pursuit of
bodily pleasures) and this (belief) will become his (new) identity!
And indeed, these will avert them from the way [the path to reality]
while they think that they are on the right path." (Quran 43:36-37)
102. "Satan (corporeality;the idea of being just thephysical body) has
overcome them and made them forget the remembrance of Allah (their own
reality of which they have been reminded, and that they will abandon
their bodies and live for eternity as 'consciousness' comprised of
Allah's names!) Those are the acquaintances of Satan (those who are
receptive to satanic impulses and who think of themselves as only the
physical body) . Beware, for most assuredly, the party of Satan will
be the very losers!" (Quran 58:19)
103. " [Are] men whom neither trade nor worldlydealings distracts from
the dhikr of Allah (remembering their essential reality) and
performance of salat (experiencing their essence) and giving of zakah
(unrequited sharing) ." (Quran 24:37)
104. "And when My servants ask you concerning Me - indeed I am Qarib
(so close that you are naught; only I exist... Let us remember the
verse 'I am nearer than the jugular vein') . I respond to the one who
turns to me and asks of Me (in prayer) ..." (Quran 2:186)
105. "...And never will you find in the System (course) of Allah
(sunnatullah) any change." (Quran 48:23)
106. "...You will never seea change in sunnatullah (the mechanics of
Allah's system) ." (Quran 35:43)
107. "Maintain salat (prayer; turning to Allah) with care [in
particular] the middle salat (asr prayer – the constant experience of
this reality in one's consciousness) ..." (Quran 2:238)
108. "So woe to those who pray (due to tradition) , who are heedless
(cocooned) of (the experience of the meaning of) their salat (which is
an ascension [ miraj ] to their innermostessential reality; their
Rabb) ." (Quran 107:4-5)
109. "They (the believers) are awed by the experience of observing the
qualities of Allah's Names." (Quran 23:2)
110. "...Among His servants, only those who have knowledge (of whatis
denoted by the name Allah and who are aware of its Might) truly feel
awe towards Allah! (realize their nothingness in respect ofHis
magnificence) ..." (Quran 35:28)
111. "Certainly, I have turned my face (my consciousness) cleansed
from the concept of a deity ( Hanif ) , toward 'Al-Fatir' (He who
creates everything programmed according to its purpose) who created
the heavensand the earth, and I am not of the dualists." (Quran 6:79)
112. "Did you not see the one who had deified his ' hawa '
(instinctual desires, bodily form, illusionary self) ..!" (Quran25:43)
113. "Indeed, Allah does not forgive (apparent or discrete forms of)
shirq (i.e. directly or indirectly assuming the existence of beings
'other' than Allah, whether external objects [apparent] or ourown egos
[discrete]; thereby fragmenting the non-dual reality) , but He
forgives lesser sins other than this ( m a doona ) ('lesser sins' here
connotes the perception that actions are initiated by the self/ego
rather than by Allah) , as He wills..." (Quran 4:48)
114. "...Certainly, if you live in a state of duality ( shirq ) , all
your doings would surely become worthless and you wouldsurely become
among the losers..." (Quran 39:65)
115. "We will cast fear into the hearts of those who deify their egos
(duality) over the names of Allah comprising their essence, and cover
the absolute reality within, even though there is no evidence that
their ego-identities actually exists! And their abode will be the
fire..." (Quran 3:151)
116. "...Assuredly, duality is a great injustice/wrongdoing (duality,
which denotes the denial of one's essential qualities referenced as
the Names of Allah, leads to one's deprivation from these very core
qualities) ." (Quran 31:13)
117. "Verily the dualists (who claim the existence of their
ego-identities alongside the Absolute Oneness) are contaminated..."
(Quran 9:28)
118. "...None but the purified (from the dirt of shirq – duality –
animalistic nature) can touch it (i.e. become enlightened with the
Knowledge of the Absolute Reality) ." (Quran56:79)
119. "Do not assume the existence of a god (exterior manifestations of
power or your illusory self) besides Allah. For there is no God. Only
HU! Everything (in respect of its thingness) is inexistent, only the
face of HU (only that which pertains to the Absolute Reality)
exists!.." (Quran 28:88)
120. "Do not make [up in your mind] another deity besides Allah (do
not deify your illusory selves) ! Lest you find yourself disgraced and
forsaken (as a result of your shirq , dualistic understanding, you
will be confined to the limits of your ego rather than manifesting the
infinite potential of your essence) ." (Quran 17:22)

Taaj Salawath

Transliteration:
Allahumma salli `ala sayyidina wa mawlana Muhammadin sahibit
tajiwal-mi`raji wal-buraqi wal-`alam. Dafi` al-bala'i wal-waba'i
wal-qahti wal-maradi wal-alam. ismuhu maktubum marfu`um mashfu`um
manqushun fil lawhi wal-qalam. Sayyidil `arabi wal-`ajam. Jismuhu
muqaddasum mu`attarum mutahharum munawwarun fil-bayti wal-haram.
Shamsid duha badrid duja sadril `ula nuril huda kahfil wara misbahiz
zulam. Jamilish shyami shafi` il-umam. Sahibil judi wal-karam. Wallahu
`asimuhu. Wa jibrilu khadimuhu. Wal-buraqu markabuhu.
Wal-mi`rajusafaruhu wa sidratu al-muntaha maqamuhu. Wa qaba qawsayni
matlubuhu. Wal-matlubumaqsuduhu wal-maqsudu mawjuduh. Sayyidil
mursalin. Khatimin nabiyyeena shafi`il mudhnibin. Anisil gharibeena
rahmatil lil `alamin. Rahatil `ashiqeen. Muradil mushtaqeen. Shamsil
`arifeen. Sirajis salikeen Misbahil muqarrabeen. Muhibbil fuqara'ay
wal-ghuraba'ay wal-masakeen. Sayyidiththaqalaynay nabiyyil haramayn.
imamil qiblatayn. Waseelatina fid darayn. Sahibi qaba qawsayni mahbubi
rabbil mashriqayni wal-maghribayn. Jadd al-hasani wal-husayn mawlana
wa mawlath thaqalayn Abil Qasimi MUHAMMAD dibni `Abdillahi nurinm min
nurillahi yaa ayyuhal mushtaquna bi nuri jamalihi sallu `alayhi wa
alihi wa ashabihi wa sallimu taslima.
Translation:
O Allah, send blessings and Peace upon our Master and Patron Muhammad,
The Owner of the Crown and the Ascent and the Buraq and the Standard,
The Repeller of Affliction andDisease and Drought andIllness and Pain.
His name is written on high,served and engraved in the Tablet and the
Pen, The Leader of All, Arabs and non-Arabs, Whose body is sanctified,
fragrant, and pure, Illumined in the House and the Haram, The Sun of
Brightness, the Full Moon in Darkness, The Foremost One in the Highest
Fields, the Light of Guidance, The Cave of Refuge for Mortals, the
Lamp That Dispels the Night, The Best-Natured One, The Intercessor of
Nations, The Owner of Munificence and Generosity. Allah is his
Protector, Gabriel is his servant. The Buraq is his mount, the Ascent
is his voyage, The Lote-Tree ofthe Furthermost Boundary is his
station, Two Bow-Lengths or Nearer is his desire, His desire is his
goal, and hehas found his goal, The Master of the Messengers, the Seal
of the Prophets, The intercessor of sinners, the friend of the
strangers, The Mercy for the Worlds, The rest of those who burn with
love, the goal of those who yearn, The sun of knowers, the lamp of
travellers, The light of Those Brought Near, Thefriend of the poor and
destitute, The master of Humans and Jinn, The Prophet of the Two
Sanctuaries, The Imam ofthe Two Qiblas, Our Means in the Two Abodes,
The Owner of Qaba Qawsayn, The Beloved of the Lord of the Two Easts
and the Two Wests, The grandfather of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, Our
patron and the patron ofHumans and Jinn: Abu al-Qasim MUHAMMAD Sonof
`Abd Allah, A light from the light of Allah. O you who yearn for the
light of his beauty, Send blessings and utmost greetings of peace Upon
him and upon his Family.

First Infallible: Mohammad Al-Mustafa (saw) Description:

Name: Muhammad (Ahmad) Title: Al-Mustafa, Rasulullah (saw)
Designation: Last Prophetof Allah (SWT) Kuniyat: Abul Qasim
Father: Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib Mother: Aminah Bint Wahab
Born: 12 th /17 th of Rabi al-Awwal (570 AD) Died: 28 th Safar 11 AH (632 AD)
Martyred by: Natural Buried: Madina Al-Munawwarah
Lived: 63 years

Holy Quran and the story of Pharaoh Ramses II (Firaun Mummy) Miracle of Islam

A miracle, by definition, is a supernatural event beyond the laws of
science; it is fulfilled only by Allah's will and power.It has
significance and can be confirmed only bythose who directly witnessed
the event in time.
When Francisco Mitra became the president of France in 1981, France
requested from the Egyptian government to host the mummy of Pharaoh.
For the purposeof running laboratory and archeological examinations on
the mummy of the most notorious dictator ever lived on earth. Upon
arrival, very royal attendants were there including the French
president himself and all ministers who bowed in honor for the Firaun
Mummy.
When the ceremony ended, the mummy was carried to a specially-designed
section at the Archeology Centre of France. Were it started tobe
tested by the greatest French archeological andanatomical scientists
in order to discover more about such a great FiraunMummy.
The scientists were headed by Professor Maurice Bucaille. The
scientists were trying to restore the mummy while Professor Maurice
Bucaille was mainly concerned with how did this mummy died? The final
report of the scientists was released late at night which statesthat
the remaining salt inthe mummy is an overt evidence that it was drawn
in the sea, and thebody was rescued very shortly where it was
immediately embalmed to be saved.
An amazing thing was still confusing Professor Maurice Bucaille is
that how could this body possibly be safer than any other mummy
despite being taken out of the sea up until this time. Professor
Maurice Bucaille was writing his final report on what he thought would
be a new discovery about saving Pharaoh's body immediately after his
death and embalming it.
Note: The picture shown above is the dead body of Ramses II, the
EgyptianKing in the era of Prophet Moses (pbuh) . Itsage is
approximately 3000 years old and it wasfound by the Red Sea, at the
place called Jabalain, and is now on display in the Royal Mummies
Chamber of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
And there, someone whispered to him that Muslims claim to know
something about the drowning of this mummy. Yet Professor Maurice
Bucaille firmly denied such thing saying that it's impossible to
discover this without the development of science and without using his
high-tech and complicated laboratories and computers.
To his surprise, he was told that Muslims believe in a book called "
Holy Quran " and this Holy Quran narrates the story of Pharaoh's
drowning and ensures the safety of his body after his death as to be a
Sign to mankind.
Professor Maurice Bucaille couldn't believe his own ears and started
to wonder: How can a book existed 1400 years ago speak about the mummy
that was only found 111 years ago, in 1898? How can that be possible
while the ancient Egyptian heritage was discovered only a few decades
ago and no one knew about it before?
Professor Maurice Bucaille sat down pondering on what he was told
about the book of Muslims, Holy Quran while his Holy Book (The Bible)
narrates only the drowning of Pharaoh without saying anything about
his body.
"Is it possible that this mummy in front of me is the one who was
chasingProphet Moses?" "Is it possible that Prophet Muhammad knew this
1400 years ago?"
Professor Maurice Bucaille couldn't sleep that night till they brought
him the Old Testament where he read: "And the waters returned, and
covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh
that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one
of them. (Exodus 14:28) But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red
sea: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 136:15) For the horse of
Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea,
and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the
Children of Israel went on dry land inthe midst of the sea. (Exodus
15:19)"
Professor Maurice Bucaille was surprised that the Holy Book ( The
Bible ) didn't mention about the destiny of the body and that it will
be saved.
When the scientists were done with the mummy, France retuned it to
Egypt, but Professor Maurice Bucaille couldn't rest for a moment since
he was told that Muslims know about the safety ofthe body from Holy
Quran. So, he decided to travel and meet anatomy Muslim scientists and
there he spoke about his discovery of the safety of the mummy after
its death in the sea and so on.
One of the Muslim scientists stood up and simply opened Holy Quran and
pointed to theProfessor at one verse:"We brought the Childrenof Israel
across the sea and Pharaoh and his troops pursued them out of tyranny
and enmity. Then, when he was on the point of drowning, he (Pharaoh)
said, I believe that there is no god but Him in whom theChildren of
Israel believe.I am of those who submit(to Allah in Islam). What! Now!
And indeed you disobeyed before and you were of the mischief-makers.
This day shall Wesave you in your body, that you may be a Sign tothose
who come after you! But verily, many among mankind are neglectful of
Our Signs." (Holy Quran 10:90-92)
Professor Maurice Bucaille was struck whenhe read that and immediately
stood in front of the crowd and said loudly: "I believe in Islam, I
believe in Holy Quran."
Then he went back to France with a different face he traveled with. In
France, he dedicated 10 years investigating the scientific discoveries
and comparing them with Holy Quran and trying to come up with one
scientific contradiction with Holy Quran. Finally he quoted one verse
from Holy Quran to be hisconclusion:
"No falsehood can approach it (this book) from before or behind it: it
is sent down by One Full of Wisdom, Worthy of all praise." (Holy
Quran41:42)
As a result of all years of his research, Professor Maurice Bucaille
wrote a book that shook all Europe, especially the scientists there
"The Bible, the Quran and Science: The Holy Scriptures Examined in the
light of Modern Knowledge."
Ariel Sharon still brain dead (Neither Dead nor Alive)
Ariel Sharon is lying in coma since years, and no doctor is able to
find the correct disease. No life - No death, this is the result of
killing thousands of innocent people in Palestine. Whatwe do in this
world, we have to taste, before we leave this on our heavenly abode as
well. This is what the whole World is watching the result of assault
of innocent Muslim in Palestine.

Pre-Islamic World is the era of "Ignorance" (Jahiliah)

Before the advent of Islam, people all over the world were sadly
impoverished in thought,opinions, and individual and social attitudes.
Although such conditionswere not the same in all parts of the world,
generally speaking, all the people of the world shared superstitious
beliefs, intellectual deviations, inhumane social traditions, myths
and social and moral conflicts.
Before Islam emerged, the Jews had changed the religion of Prophet
Musa / Moses (as) into hidebound dogma and its principles into
hollow,lifeless rules and precepts. The spirit of materialism had
penetrated into people's lives. Unfortunately, Christianity, which had
been presented for the moral rectification and spiritual refinement of
the people, was changed in nature by the Christianclergy and became a
vehicle for the passionateambitions of most of them. Since it lacked
complete, comprehensivelaws and regulations for social systems, it
proved unable to provide the people with deliverance and comprehensive
guidance.
It was due to such conditions that people allover the world shared
superstitious ideas, inhuman social traditions, myths, social and
moral conflicts.
The fire of corruption and perdition was raging. Superstitions
andfalse views ruled people in the name of religion! Paganism and the
concept of the Trinity had been imposed upon them. Many worshipped
idols, fire, cows and stars.This same moral and spiritual corruption
and regression, which had spread everywhere, caused dishonesty,
darkness and deviations in human societies. Bloodshed, murder,
tyranny, and oppression prevailed all over the world. In fact,
humanity had been put on the verge of the abyss of total destruction!
Arabia during the dark Pre-Islamic Times (BeforeProphet Muhammed (saw))
The people of the Arabian Peninsula suffered from their tribal and
pastoral life in the deserts, coupled with blood-thirsty feudalism.
The economic crisis resulting from the exploitation of the people by
the ruling classand by bands of usurers had robbed human life ofits
meaning and darkened the horizon of social well-being.
What was lacking was law and justice. The wealthy usurers who engaged
in trade in Makkah had amassed enormous amounts of wealth by
illegitimate means and exploited the weak and poor classes of society
and by overcharging the orphanand the widow. In fact, they
increasingly exacerbated anti-human social class differences through
usury and oppressive exploitation.
Due to their ignorance, the Arab tribes in those days generally
engaged in worshipping natural phenomena. Most shameful of all was
their worship of lifeless statues- idols. The House of God, the Kaaba,
was used as the idol-temple of the Arabs.
Any one of the indecent, degrading social and moral customs in Arabia
at that time was enough to destroy the honour of a whole nation. False
beliefs and class differences were strong. The Arabs wrongly believed
that only those were superior who descended from the Arab race and had
Arab blood!As a matter of fact, the twentieth-century form of
nationalism and racism was quite prevalent among the Arabs during the
first pagan period.
Murder, bloodshed, drinking, and illegitimatesexual intercourse were
quite ordinary and commonplace. Plunder, robbery, savagery,
aggression, and treachery were their obvious characteristics, and
genocide was considered a sign of bravery and courage. As the Arabs
before the timeof the Prophet Muhammed (saw) believed the birth of a
daughter to be harmful or were either afraid of poverty and
destitution, they either killed their innocent daughters or buried
them alive. In some cases even the existence of one daughter in a
family was considered shameful.
"And do not kill your children for fear of poverty; We give them
sustenance and yourselves (too); surely tokill them is a great wrong."
(Noble Qur'an 17:31)
Such was the situation and moral conditions of amiserable society out
of whose dark horizon came the light of Islam.
There is no doubt that a leader who is himself immoral, unscrupulous,
and without praise-worthy human characteristics is unable to rectify
human societiesand save the people. It is only divine leaders who,
inspired by Almighty Allah (SWT), are able to make profound basic
transformations in all phases of the people's individual and social
life.
Now we must try to understand what kind of person such a leader of the
worldwide revolution was and what changes he made in the world. It is
crystal clear that a person who not only is not affected by such a
corrosive society, but also grieves over it and attempts to combat it,
possesses a great divine character and is competent to lead peopleand
guide them onto the path of salvation.
Prophet Muhammed (saw) and Animal Rights
In that age when men were often cruel to each other, let alone to
animals, Prophet Muhammed's (saw) taught his companions (Sahabah) ,
that one should be kind to all living things, animal or plant, since
they are all part of Allah's creation. Prophet Muhammed's (saw) mercy
and compassion was so deep that animals, even plants would benefit
from His existence as their guardian.
"Fear Allah (SWT) with regard to animals", said Prophet Muhammed
(saw), "ride them when they are fit to be ridden, and get off their
backs when they are tired; surely, there are rewards for being kind
and gentleto animals, and for givingthem water to drink."
Islam has taught that in the eyes of Almighty Allah(SWT), animals also
have rights in the same way asman has. They should notbe treated
badly, tortured or left to starve without food or water.
One day, Prophet Muhammed (saw) told hiscompanions (Sahabah) the story
of two women:"A prostitute was guided by Allah's truth and ultimately
went to paradise because she gave water to a dog dying of thirst in
the desert." While a dog was going round a well and was about to die
of thirst, prostitute saw it and took off her shoe and watered it. So
Allah (SWT) forgave her because of that good deed." And for the other
women, Prophet Muhammed (saw) said, "Awoman was tortured andwas put in
Hell because of a cat which she had kept locked till it died of
hunger." Prophet Muhammed (saw) furthersaid, "You neither fed it nor
watered when you locked it up, nor did you set it free to eat the
insects of the earth."
Prophet Muhammed (saw) said: A man walking along a path felt very
thirsty. Reaching a well, he descended into it, drank his fill, and
cameup. Then he saw a dog with its tongue hanging out, trying to lick
up mudto quench its excessive thirst.
The man said, "This dog is feeling the same thirst that I felt." So he
went down into the well again, filled his shoe withwater and gave the
dog a drink.
So, Almighty Allah (SWT) forgave his sins.
Prophet Muhammed (saw) was asked, "O Messenger of Allah (SWT),are we
rewarded for kindness towards animals?" Prophet Muhammed (saw)
replied: There is a rewardfor kindness to every living animal or
human.
Prophet Muhammed (saw) was once performing ablution (Wudhu) for
prayers froma pot of water. A Cat passed there and turned its eyes at
the pot of water with a thirsty look.Prophet Muhammed (saw) realized
at once that the Cat was very thirsty, so he stopped theablution
(Wudhu) and placed the pot before theCat.
Only after the Cat had fully quenched its thirst, did Prophet Muhammed
(saw) resume the ablution (Wudhu). By thisaction, Prophet Muhammed
(saw) has shown that quenching the thirst of even a small dumb animal
is a noble act full of virtue and should be given first attention
before one prepares for offering prayers to Almighty Allah (SWT).
A man brought the chick of a bird to the gatheringof Prophet Muhammed
(saw) and his companions (Sahabah), and they noticed that theparent of
the chick was following it, flapping around it. When the man sat down
its parent threw itself upon its chick, and did not concern itself
with the danger, out of care towards its chick. This astonished the
companions.
Prophet Muhammed (saw) then turned to his companions said: 'Are you
amazed at this bird? You have taken its chick and it threw itself into
danger out of mercy for the chick! I swear by Allah (SWT), your Lord
is more merciful to you than this bird is to its chick. Then he turned
to the man and asked him to let the chick go.
Even the means of slaughtering animals in Islam is done in a way which
will bring minimal pain to the animal. Is not it amazing that these
laws came about 1400 years ago. Yet, we are still struggling to keep
animals from being abused and mistreated.
Prophet Muhammed (saw) and Beating the Servant
Once, a companion of Prophet Muhammed (saw) began hitting his slave.
The slave kept pleading: "By Allah! Do not beat me. For Allah's sake
forgive me." The master, however, refusedto pardon him and continued
to shower beatings upon him.
Some people informed Prophet Muhammed (saw) of the slave's predicament
whereupon he (saw) got up and started out towards the scene of this
incident. As soon as the companion's eyes fell upon Prophet Muhammed
(saw) he stopped his beatings whereupon Prophet Muhammed (saw) said to
him: "He placed you under the oath of Allah (SWT), but you refused
topardon him and now that you have set your eyes upon me, you have
restrained yourself?"
The man, in order to make amends for his deplorable behaviour, said:
"I now free him for the sake (and pleasure) of Allah (SWT)!"
Prophet Muhammed (saw) said: "Had you not freed him, you would have
dropped face-downinto the fire of Hell."
Prophet Muhammed (saw) and Impartiality between Children
Once, a lady entered the house of Aishah, the wifeof Prophet Muhammed
(saw), with her two children. Aishah presented three dates to the
lady, who gave one date to each of her two children and taking the
third date she halved it and once again distributed it evenly amongst
them.
When Prophet Muhammed (saw) returned, Aishah narrated the episode to
him whereupon he (saw)said: "Did the lady's act leave you astonished?
Due to her fairness and even-handedness, Allah (SWT) shall place her
in Paradise."
It has also been reported that once, a father arrived in the presence
of Prophet Muhammed (saw) accompanied by his two children. In his
presence he kissed one child and ignored the other. Noticing this
incorrect act Prophet Muhammed (saw) commented: "Why do you not treat
your children equally?"

Cultural India : Indian Monuments : Jama Masjid

Jama Masjid of Delhi is the largest mosque in India. The Jama Masjid
stands across the road infront of the Red Fort. Built between 1644 and
1658, Jama Masjid is one of the last architectural works of the Mughal
emperor Shah Jahan. The spacious courtyard of the Jama Masjid holds
thousands of faithful. Jama Masjid is located on a mound in the heart
of the old city and projects beautifully into the Old-Delhi skyline.
Jama Masjid Mosque wasbuilt in red sandstone and marble by more than
5000 artisans. Originally called the Masjid-i-Jahan-Numa, or"mosque
commanding view of the world", the Jama Masjid stands at the center of
the erstwhile capital city of the Mughals, Shahjahanbad.
The Jama Masjid was completed under the supervision of Saadullah Khan,
the Prime Minister of Shah Jahan. A sum of Rs 10 lakhs was spent on
the construction of the Jama Masjid. The Jama Masjid is built on a red
sandstone porch, about 30 feet (10 m) from the level of the ground and
is about 1400 square yards (1200 m²) in extent. The Jama Masjid has
three gateways, fourtowers and two minarets. The gateways in the north
and south are led by a fleet of steps. The main entranceis on the
eastern side facing the red fort. It was probably used by the
emperors. The towerof the Jama Masjid is made up of five distinctive
storeys. Each one of the storeys has a projecting balcony. The
adjoining edifices are beautifully done with calligraphy.
The first three storeys of the Jama Masjid tower are made of red
sandstone and the fourth one is made of marble, while the fifth is
made of sandstone. The Jama Masjid is covered with intricate carvings
and has verses inscribed from the holy Koran. Thegrand Red fort (Lal
Qila) stands on the eastern side of the Jama Masjid. The main prayer
hall of the Jama Masjid is made up of high cusped archesand marble
domes. The cabinet in the north gateof the Jama Masjid contains a
collection of Muhammad's relics - the Koran written on deerskin, a red
beard-hair of the prophet, his sandals and his footprints, implanted
in a marble block.

Precious Stones

Agate
Agate is a semi-precious gemstone and belongs to the Chalcedony family
and can be distinguished only by its color and stripes. The word
慳gate� is derived from a Greek word which means 慼appy�. Agate is
available in a wide range of colors. This stone is said to havebeen
discovered along the banks of the river Achates, now known as river
Drillo, by the famous Greek naturalist and philosopher- Theophrastus.
Aquamarine
'Aquamarine� gemstones resemble the greenish- blue color of the sea.
In fact the name aquamarine is derived from the Latin word for sea
water. Aquamarine gemstones look like the crystal blue seas and are
normally pastel blue to greenish or the deep blue. The larger the
stone the more the sheen is.
Carnelian
The carnelian is a varietyof microcrystalline quartz and chalcedony
and is said to have been used in jewelry as early as 1800 B.C. It is
consists of silicon oxide and a few impurities that givesit its color.
Carnelian is an attractive stone that is deep red to brownish orange
in color. It has a long past and was considered the stone of the upper
classes in ancient times. The Egyptian people even buried this stone
in the tomb along with the dead pharaohs.
Citrine
Citrine is a crystal whose color varies from lemon yellow to a deep
red brown or amber. The name "Citrine" is derivedfrom the French word
for lemon. It is a popularand affordable substitute to the much more
expensive yellow sapphire or yellow diamond. To create stunning
multi-colored jewelry, it is often combined with other stones such as
amethyst, peridot, and garnet. It is the birthstone for the month of
November.
Emerald
Emerald is a much admired fantastic green stone. It is the green
variety of the mineral beryl and one of the most well prized gems. All
over history emerald has been one of the most preferred and popular
gems. Due to its dazzling beauty, emerald jewelry such as earrings,
finger rings, necklaces, pendants and bracelets are highly cherished.
Garnet
Garnets belong to the semi-precious stone category. The name is
derived from the Latin word 揼ranatus� which was a reference to the
fruit 憄omegranate� which has seeds similar to the shape, size and
color of garnet crystals. Archeologists have discovered garnet jewelry
dating back to 3100 B.C.
Kunzite
Kunzite, the beautiful icypink colored gemstone and was discovered in
the year 1902 by the gemologist George Frederick Kunz in a placecalled
Pala in California. It was named 慿unzite� after the discoverer. It is
available in countries like Brazil, Canada, Afghanistan, USA, Mexico,
Western Australia, Pakistan and Sweden.
Lapis Lazuli
Lapis lazuli is a semi-precious gemstone which appears as though it
might have come straight out of the 慉rabian Nights�: 慉 deep blue
background with golden insertions of pyrites which shimmer like little
stars�. Lapis Lazuli is a semiprecious stone valued for its deepblue
color, and one can often spot golden pyrite inclusions. Lapis Lazuli
has a stretched history and has been consideredprecious by people
around the planet for centuries.
Moissanite
Moissanite, the exact replica of diamond, is a distinctive mineral
discovered by the Noble prize winner Dr. Henri Moissan in the year
1893. He found it as tiny bits of silicon carbide, inside a meteorite
in canyon Diablo, Arizona. The stone was named after him. In the year
1959, moissanite was found with an inclusion of kimberlite in a
diamond mine in Yakutia, Siberia and Wyoming- Western United States.
Moonstone
The moonstone is namedfor its resemblance to the color of the moon. It
owes its name to the softmilky white stone with abluish or yellowish
tint. It is also known as 慡tone of Emotional Balance� and represents
the moon goddess. It is an excellent gemstone usedin meditation to
understand oneself. It is believed that the stone transmits lunar
energy and helps soothe and balance human emotions.
Obsidian
揂pache tears�, the other name given to obsidian is a natural volcanic
glass which is formed by swift cooling of the glutinous lava inside
the earth. This is made of rich silica without a trace of water. The
making process of obsidian is the same as that of granite. However, it
cools down so quickly that there is exactly no time to crystallize.
Opal
The Opal is considered a symbol of clarity, optimism and confidence.
Any jewelry designed with opal gemstone adds beauty to the ornament.
There are numerous myths enveloped with this enchanting gemstone.
According to the ancient dream of the Australian aborigines, the
creator came down to the Earth on a rainbow to convey the message of
peace to all the humans. As soon he stepped on the ground
Pearl
Pearls are exquisite to behold and have been used in jewelry for
hundreds of years. Unlike other gems, the pearl is organic matter
obtained from the living creatures of the sea like the mollusks and
oysters.The pearl is actually formed as the mollusks or the oyster
coats itself with layers of nacre to protect itself from unwanted
materials thatcould damage them. Theprocess is very delicate and it
takes years for a pearl to be formed.
Quartz
The quartz gemstone is probably one of the most popular and versatile
gemstones that are available. Quartz is a rock crystal and has been in
use since ancient times. Despite the most sought varieties of quartz
like citrine, amethyst, rose quartz, agates, ametrine,chrysoprase,
onyx and rutilated quartz, there are many other varieties available
too.
Sapphire
Sapphire is the blue variety of corundum andis made up of aluminum
oxide. Excluding the red and pink color, all the other colors of
corundum are sapphires.The red colored corundum is called a ruby. The
sapphire resembles the ruby in all properties except for thecolor.
Sapphire is a wordderived from the Greek word 憇appheiros� whichmeans
慴lue stone�. Certain other elements like chromium, iron, etc
Tiger抯 Eye
Tiger Eye also called as the 憈iger抯 eye�, 慶rocidolite cat抯 eye� or
慉frican cat抯 eye�, as the name entails, resembles the eyes of a tiger
or a female cat. The surface of the stone glistens as a small ray of
light passes through. Tiger抯 eye is a variety of quartz and contains
fibers of crocidolite which is thenaltered to silica.
Turquoise
Turquoise is one of the oldest known semi precious gemstones known to
man. This popular gemstone is opaque, clear and transparent. This
stone was used to make jewelry for the Pharaohsof Egypt and also used
asjewelry to compliment the ceremonial dress of the early native
Americans.

Justifying Evil Acts in the light of Noble Qur'an andIslamic Teachings

Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS) had heard that an old man had become famous
for his piety. One day, he saw him surrounded by alarge crowd. A
little later, the man came out of the crowd and distancing himself
from them, proceeded alone, whereupon Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS) began
to follow him. After a short time, Imam Jafar al-Sadiq(AS) observed
that he hadstopped near a bakery from where he stealthily picked up
two loaves of bread. After a short distance, he stopped at a fruit
store, picking up two pomegranates in thesame manner and once again
continued on his way.
As he walked further, the old man approached a sick person, handed
over the loaves and fruits to him and was about to move on when Imam
Jafar al-Sadiq (AS) came up to him and said, "I have witnessed
something greatly astonishing from you", and then proceeded to narrate
the acts, which he had witnessed.
The old man said, "I suppose you are Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS)."
Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS) replied in the affirmative.
The man continued, "It is really unfortunate that inspite of being of
the progeny ( Ahlul Bayt ) of Prophet Muhammad (saw) You do not seem
toknow anything."
Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS) asked, "What act of ignorance have you
noticed from me?"
The man said, "But do you not know that God has said in the Noble
Qur'an "Whoever brings a good deed, he shall have ten like it and
whoever brings an evil deed, he shall be recompensed only with the
like of it".
On this basis, since I have stolen two fruits and twoloaves of bread,
I have four sins in my account, but on the other hand, since I have
given it in the way of God, I have earned forty good deeds.Reducing
four from forty,I still have thirty-six gooddeeds in my account; a
pity that you possess no knowledge of such computations!"
Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS) explained to him, "But have you not heard
this verse of the Noble Qur'an, which says: "Allahonly accepts from
those who guard (against evil)". [5:27] You have earned four sins by
stealing those four items and four more sins for giving them to
someone else without the permission of the owners, so you have
collected eight sins but not a single good deed."
Later, Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (AS) said to his companions, "With such
interpretations and justifications, not only dothey mislead
themselves, but others as well."