Nasruddin Stories - The Second Banquet (retold by Nasruddin)

A banquet is a wonderful thing for those who attend, but for he or she
who is the guest of honor, it is a trial. All the attention is on you,
everyone hangs on your every word and move, and your mannersare under
close scrutiny.
O my beloveds, it befell upon me that I was invited to a second
banquet. This surprised me after the story of the first banquet was
told far and wide. Yet people are strange, and will admire that which
they do not understand.
So it was I was told a special carriage would be sent for me. I could
not abide being such a curiosity as the guest of honor is, but what
could I do? The carriage pulledup in front of my little home, and I
stepped out to meet my doom.
The coachman turned and looked at me."Where is Nasruddin?" he asked.
"I'm supposed to pick up the Great and Honorable Nasruddin, and bring
him to the banquet in gracious style."
"Oh, him," I replied. "He is almost ready." Then it struck me.
"However, mygood man, he has a quirk about which you may have heard."
"A quirk? What quirk? Heis a great man! He is much honored! He has no quirks!"
"Oh, we all have our quirks" I said. "His is benign. His humility is
sogreat that he does not wish to be seen while entering and exiting
the carriage. He wishes for you to avert your eyes atthese moments so
that he is not distressed by undue attention."
"Ah, is that all?" cried thecoachman. "I will oblige the great man, of
course.Just warn me before he makes his appearance."
"Here he comes now," I said, looking back over my shoulder. "Are your
eyes averted?"
"My eyes will not look upon the Great and Honorable Nasruddin if he
does not wish it!" he cried. He averted his eyes and covered his head
with his cloak. I walked to the carriage and opened the door."There
you are," I said. "Iwill sit up with the coachman." And with that I
slammed the carriage door, and climbed up with the coachman, who of
course had no idea who I was. He uncovered his head and we began the
trip to the banquet hall.
Along the way one of the wheels rolled into a considerable hole in the
road, and the carriage gave a mighty jolt. The coachman was much
concerned. He turned and addressed himself tothe door of the
carriage."Is the Great and Honorable Nasruddin in good order?" he
bellowed.
"I'll check," I said, and climbed down. I opened the door and looked
in."Everything okey dokey?" I asked. Then I slammed the door and
climbed back up. "All is well." I told the coachman.
"I was surprised at the familiar way in which you addressed the great
man," the coachman said. "It seemed a great liberty, most impolite."
"It would seem so to the uninformed, it is true," I replied. "But
Nasruddin and I are on very close terms." The coachman was satisfied
and we drove on our way.
We arrived at the banquet hall. There were many carriages and
palanquins, and guests dressed in gloriously colored garb. The
coachman began to bellow,"All avert your eyes..." but I put my hand on
his arm.
"Nasruddin's humility is so great, he would not want to draw notice in
this way. Let us wait for a lull in the crowd." When the crowd had
thinned a little, I instructed to coachman to avert his eyes.
"My eyes will not look upon the Great and Honorable Nasruddin if he
does not wish it!" he cried, and he averted hiseyes and covered his
head with his cloak. I opened the door of the carriage with great
ceremony, and said just loud enough for the coachman to hear, "We have
arrived, Nasruddin.You may disembark and make your way into the
banquet hall. The ushers will guide you. I myself will remain with the
carriage to keep the coachman company."
I waited for a few moments, then slammed the door and climbed back up
with the coachman. "Let us ride out to the river," I suggested. "It is
peacefulthere, and we can see the banquet hall, so we will know when
we are wanted again."
The coachman agreed it was a good plan, so we spent a quiet evening
bythe river, watching the sun set over the peacefulwater, and
listening to the night birds calling toeach other. We talked of this
and that, of the coachman's life, and hada very nice time. At last
things began to stir at the banquet hall. People poured out, and
carriages began to arrive. The coachman was concerned lest we be late.
"Nasruddin will want to wait until the others have left," I assured
him.Let us wait." So we did. When it was quiet at the banquet hall, we
rolled up to the door, and I dismounted. "Please avert your eyes," I
said to the coachman.
"My eyes will not look upon the Great and Honorable Nasruddin if he
does not wish it!" he cried, and he averted hiseyes and covered his
head with his cloak. I opened the carriage door with great ceremony.
"There you are, yes, it's alittle high, watch your step. Good man,
you're in. Settled? Comfy? Good." and I slammed the door. I climbed up
next to the coachman and we rolled back through the town to my little
home.
"The Great Nasruddin does you considerable honor to stay with you when
he could obviouslystay with the Caliph himself," said the coachman
when we had arrived.
"Ah, he is a strange man,that Nasruddin," I replied. "He does pretty
much what he wants. Now please, avert your eyes."
"My eyes will not look upon the Great and Honorable Nasruddin if he
does not wish it!" he cried, and he averted hiseyes and covered his
head with his cloak. For the final time I opened the carriage door
with great ceremony.
"Here we are, home at last," I said, and waited afew moments, then
slammed the carriage door. I opened my door and said,"Go right in,
I'll just say a word of thanksto the coachman," and slammed the door
of my house.
"I thank you for an enjoyable evening, my good friend," I said. "It
was a pleasure and an honor to spend the evening with such a courteous
and considerate soul. May the blessings of Allah be upon you and your
family."
"I thank you as well," replied the coachman. "I have seldom enjoyed
such a peaceful and contented evening. I only hope the Great Nasruddin
was satisfied with the service. I assureyou, I never even peeped at
him."
"I have it from his own mouth that he was fully satisfied. He commends
you in the highest terms,and wishes you good fortune always. He
particularly wanted me to tell you that he hopes that Allah will smile
on you all your days."
And we both returned toour homes well pleased with the evening, in
spite of the strange rumors that circulated for a while that the Great
and Honorable Nasruddin never showedhis face at his own banquet.

Nasruddin Stories - The First Banquet (retold by Nasruddin)

One day, it happened that someone said something to someone, who said
something to someone else, who somehow formed the impression I was an
important person. The result of this chain of folly was that I was
invited to be the guest of honor at a banquet.
I was puzzled but honored to be given such an invitation. At
theappointed day I presented myself at the door of the banquet hall.I
had walked all day in my usual simple garb to get to the city in which
the banquet was being held, and I suppose I could have used some
freshening up. At any rate, the guards at the door took one look at me
and barred the door.
"But I'm Nasruddin, the guest of honor!"
"Of course you are!" the guards laughed. One bent toward me and said,
"And I am the caliph himself!" At whichthey both roared with laughter.
Still chuckling, they said, "Go away, old man, and don't let us seeyou
here again!"
I obliged them with the first part of their request. The banquet hall
was located on the city square, and I recognized a friend's house on
the opposite side. I walked there and knocked. My friend answered.
"Nasruddin!" he embraced me and we gave each other warm greetings and
gratitude to Allah, glorious and merciful is He, for this meeting. I
came right to the point.
"Do you remember that red brocade coat you wanted to give me last
year?" I asked.
"Certainly! It still hangs in my closet, waiting for you. Are you
ready to receive it?"
"With gratitude," I replied. "Do you have other plans for it?"
"What do you mean, Nasruddin?" he asked.
"I just wondered if you would like the coat back after I have borrowed it?"
"Oh, no, Nasruddin! It is yours to keep and do with what you wish!"
"Just so, my friend. Thank you." I visited for a brief while, then
received the coat and put it on. I made my apologies and departed back
across the square, adorned with a dazzling brocade coat with gold
brade and colored stones lining the epaulets. The buttons were ivory,
the fastenings were jet black. All in all, I was a wonderful sight.
The guards bowed low at my approach, and ushered me into the banquet
hall. The table was richly laid, and all the guests were there.
Someone showed me to a seat at the head of the table, and
announced"The august, the wise, the true Nasruddin!" I sat, and
everyone else sat at the same moment.
They all watched expectantly, waiting to see what the guest of honor
would do. The first course was soup. When it was served, all eyes were
on me. I picked up my bowl of soup and stood, holding it high. Then I
poured the soup down the front of my coat.
The guests were astounded. A gasp arose so that the air was almost
sucked from the room. Then they broke into remonstrations and shouts.
"What are you doing! What are you thinking!"
When it was quiet enough so I could speak,I addressed my coat. "O
coat, I hope you have enjoyed that delicious soup. It is clear that it
is you who are welcome here, not I!"

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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WHO IS ALLAH?

He is Allah beside Whom La Ilaha Illa Huwa (none has the right to be
worshipped but He), the King, the Holy, the one Free from all defects,
the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures, the All-Mighty,
the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory, be to Allah! (High is He) above all
that they associate as partners with Him. The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 59,
Verse 23.

He is Allah, the creator, the Inventor of of all things, the Bestower
of forms. To Him belong the Best Names. All that is in the heavens and
the earth glorify Him. And He is the All-Mighty, the All Wise. The
Holy Qur'an, Chapter 59, Verse 24.

"Verily! I am Allah! La ilaha illa Ana (none has the right to be
worshipped but I), So worship Me, and perform As-Salat
(Iqamat-as-Salat) for My Remembrance. The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 20,
Verse 14.

Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but
He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyuum (the Ever Living the One Who sustains and
protects all that exists). Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To
Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth
.Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He
Knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what
will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass any
thing of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursi extends
over the heavens and the earth and He feels no fatigue in guarding and
preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. (This Verse
2:255 is called Ayat-ul-Kursi) .
The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 2, Verse 255.

He merges the night into the day (i.e.the decrease in the hours of the
night is added to the hours of the day), and He merges the day into
the night (i.e. the decrease in the hours of the day is added the
hours of the night). And has subjected the sun and the moon: each runs
its course for a term appointed. Such is Allah, your Lord; His is the
Kingdom, and those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own
not even a Qitmir (the thin membrane over the date-stone). The Holy
Qur'an, Chapter 35, Verse 13.

Allah bears witness that La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be
worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge (also
give this witness); (He always) maintains His creation in justice La
ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the
All-Mighty, the All-Wise. The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 3, Verse 18.

Truly! Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him ...

WHO IS THE CREATOR?

llah, it is he Who has made for you the earth as a dwelling place and
the sky as a canopy. and has given you shape and made your shapes good
(looking) and has provided you with good things. That is Allah, your
Lord: so Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinn and
all that exists). The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 40, Verse 64.

He created you (all) from a single person (Adam); then made from him
his wife {Hawwa , (Eve)} . and He has sent down for you of cattle
eight pairs (of the sheep , two , male and female ; of the goats , two
, male and female of the oxen , two , male and female and of the
camels, two, male and female) . He creates you in the wombs of your
mothers: creation after creation in there veils of darkness. Such is
Allah your Lord His is the Kingdom. La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the
right to be worshipped but He). How then are you turned away? The Holy
Qur'an, Chapter 39, Verse 6.

Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in
six days, and then He rose over (Istawa) the Throne (really in manner
that suits His Majesty). He brings the night as a cover over the day,
seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars
subjected to His Command. Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment.
Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that
exists)! The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 7, Verse 54.

Such is Allah, your Lord in truth. So after the truth, what else can
there be, save error? How then are you turned away? The Holy Qur'an,
Chapter 10, Verse 32.

HISTORY OF QURAN

In this Book, the Holy Prophet's life, the history of the Arabs and
the events which occurred during the period of the revelation of the
Quran have not been mingled with the Divine Verses, as is the case
with the Bible. The Quran is the pure word of God. Not a single word
therein is not divine. Not a single word has been deleted from its
text. The Book has been handed down to our age in its complete and
original form since the time of Prophet Muhammad. From the time the
Book began to be revealed, the Holy Prophet had dictated its text to
the scribes. Whenever some Divine Message was revealed, the Holy
Prophet would call a scribe and dictate its words to him. The written
text was then read out to the Holy Prophet, who, having satisfied
himself that the scribe has committed no error of recording, would put
the manuscript in safe custody. The Holy Prophet used to instruct the
scribe about the sequence in which a revealed message was to be placed
in a particular Surah (chapter). In this manner, the Holy Prophet
continued to arrange the text of the Quran in systematic order till
the end of the chain of revelations. Again, it was ordained from the
beginning of Islam that a recitation of the Holy Quran must be an
integral part of worship. Hence the illustrious Companions would
commit the Divine verses to memory as soon as they were revealed. Many
of them learned the whole text and a far larger number had memorized
different portions of it.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Islam, Qur’an&Science

Introduction
•"Do they not consider the Qur'an? Had it been from any other than
God, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy. [Qur'an
4:82]"
• Do they not carefully consider (investigate) the Qur'an or are there
locks upon their hearts. [Qur'an 47:24]
• A scientific approach has been encouraged in the Qur'an with the
objective of ascertaining its truthfulness. It provides man with a
chance to verify it authenticity.

The Origin of Universe&Life
• Do the unbelievers not realize that the heavens and the earth used
to be one solid mass that we exploded into existence? And from water
we made all living things. Would they believe? [Qur'an 21:30]
• Say: The (Qur'an) was sent sent down by Him who knows the secrets
(that is) in the heavens and the earth... [Qur'an 25:6]
• " Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics 1400
years ago could not, I think, be in a position to find out from his
own mind for instance that the earth and the heavens had the same
origin, or many others of the questions that we have discussed here.
"Professor of Geology Dr. Albert Kroner".

The Origin of Life (Cont.)
• "... this very information is exactly what they awarded the 1973
Noble Prize for ... The Qur'an reveals the origin of the universe -
how it began from one piece - and mankind continues to verify this
revelation, even up to now. Additionally, the fact that all life
originated from water would not have been an easy thing to convince
people of fourteen centuries ago. "Professor of Mathematics, Dr. Gary
Miller

Cosmology
• Then he turned to the sky, and it had been (as) smoke (dukhaan): He
said to it and to the earth: come you together, willingly or
unwillingly. They said: we do come (together) in willing obedience.
[Qur'an 41:11]
• Scientists now can observe new stars forming up out of that smoke,
which is the origin of our universe, as we see on these pictures.

Expansion of the Universe
• The following verse of the Qur'an where God is speaking may perhaps
be compared with modern ideas:"The heaven, we have built it with
power. Verily, we are expanding it. [Qur'an 51:47]
• The expansion of the Universe is the most imposing discovery of modern
science. Today it is a firmly established concept and the only debate
centers around the way this is taking place. It was first suggested by
the general theory of relativity and is backed up by physics in the
examination of the galactic spectrum; the regular movement towards the
red section of their spectrum may be explained by the distancing of
one galaxy from another. Thus the size of the Universe is probably
constantly increasing and this increase will become bigger the further
away the galaxies are from us.

Evolution
• Is it not a fact that there was a time when the human being was
nothing to be mentioned? We created the human from a liquid mixture,
from two parents, in order to test him. Thus, we made him a hearer and
a seer. [Qur'an 76:1-2]
• And God created every living creature from water. Some of them walk
on their bellies, some walk on two legs, and some walk on four. God
creates whatever He wills. God is Omnipotent. [Qur'an 24:45]

Embryology
• What is the matter with you, that you are not conscious of God's
Majesty. Seeing that it is He that has created you in diverse stages?
[Qur'an 71:13-14]

• He creates you in the wombs of your mother, in stages, one after
another, in three veils of darkness. [Qur'an 39:6]
• ... Subsequently, we reproduced him from a tiny drop, that is placed
into a well protected repository. Then we developed the drop into a
hanging (embryo), then developed the hanging (embryo) into a bite-
..size (fetus), then created the bite-size (fetus) into bones, then
covered the bones with flesh. We thus produce a new creature. Most
blessed is God, the best Creator. Then, later on, you die. Then, on
the Day of Resurrection, you will be resurrected. [Qur'an 23:12-16]

Embryology (Cont.)
• It was not until the middle of the 19th century when the scientists
began to discover that the human embryonic development took place in
several successive stages.
• A noted embryologist Keith L. Moore and expert in his field, upon
being presented with the statements made in the Qur'an regarding the
stages of the formation of the embryo from the mixing of the male and
female gametes up to the embryo's full development remarked"It has
been a pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Qur'an about
Human Development. It is clear to me that these statements must have
come to Muhammad from God or Allah because almost all of this
knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later."

Embryology (Cont.)
• A famous French physician Maurice Bucaille addressed the French
Academy of Medicine in 1976 and expressed the complete agreement of
the Qur'an and established findings of modern science. He presented
his study on the existence in the Qur'an of certain statements
concerning physiology and reproduction. His reason for doing that was
that"our knowledge of these disciplines is such, which it is
impossible to explain how a text produced at the time of the Qur'an
could have contained ideas that have only been discovered in modern
times".

Geology
• When you look at the mountains, you think that they are standing
still. But they are moving, like the clouds. Such is the manufacture
of God, Who perfected everything. He is fully Cognizant of everything
you do. [Qur'an 27:88]
• And the mountains as pegs
..[Qur'an 78:7]
• And He has set up on the Earth Mountains standing firm, lest it
should shake with you. [Qur'an 16:15]
• And we sent down Iron, in which is great might, as well as many
benefits for mankind [Qur'an 57:25]

Conquest of Space
• O assembly of Jinns and Men, if you can penetrate regions of the
heavens and the earth, then penetrate them! You will not penetrate
them save with a Power. [Qur'an 55:33]
•"Even if We opened unto them a gate to Heaven and they were to
continue ascending therein, they would say: our sight is confused as
in drunkenness. Nay, we are people bewitched." [Qur'an 15:14-15]
• When talking of the conquest of space therefore, we have two
passages in the text of the Qur'an: one of them refers to what will
one day become a reality thanks to the powers of intelligence and
ingenuity God will give to man, and the other describes an event that
the unbelievers in Makka will never witness, hence its character of a
condition never to be realized.

Conquest of Space (Cont.)
• The event will however be seen by others, as intimated in the first
verse quoted above. It describes the human reactions to the unexpected
spectacle that travelers in space will see: their confused sight, as
in drunkenness, the feeling of being bewitched. This is exactly how
astronauts have experienced this remarkable adventure since the first
human space flight in 1961.
• It is known in actual fact how once one is above the Earth's
atmosphere, the Heavens no longer have the azure appearance we see
from Earth. The human observer in space above the Earth's atmosphere
sees a black sky and the Earth seems to be surrounded by a halo of
bluish color due to the same phenomena of absorption of light by the
Earth's atmosphere.

Other Facts
• In regards to Clouds, "Have you not seen how God makes the clouds
move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a stack,
and then you see the rain come out of it...?" [Qur'an 24:43]
• Preservation of genetic data, "Does the human being think that We
will not reconstruct his bones? Yes indeed; We are able to recreate
even his fingerprint." [Qur'an 75:3-4]
• ... ...Lost City of Ubar, "Seest thou not how thy Lord dealt with
the'Ad (people),- Of the (city of) Iram, with lofty pillars, The like
of which were not produced in (all) the land?" [Qur'an 89:6-8]
• Currently, about 1,000 scientific signs have been identified in the
entire Qur'an.

Qur'an: A Reminder to the Worlds
• It must be stressed that the Qur'an is accurate about many things,
but accuracy does not necessarily mean that a book is a divine
revelation. In fact, accuracy is only one of the criteria for divine
revelations.
• The Qur'an states,"This book is a divine revelation; if you do not
believe that, then what is it?"In other words, the reader is
challenged to come up with some other explanation. Here is a book made
of paper and ink. Where did it come from? It says it is a divine
revelation; if it is not, then what is its source?
• … And they say,'Surely he [i.e. Prophet Muhammed] is possessed [by
jinn],' but it [i.e., the Qur'an] is not except a reminder to the
worlds."[Qur'an 68:51-52]

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

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 or less. 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 toless-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 only Muslims, not only
men, not one race or nation, not only the wealthy or beautiful, but
all humans. As for the nature of man, Allah says, "[So mention] when
yourLord said to the angels, 'Indeed, I am going to create a human
being from clay. So when I haveproportioned him and breathed into him
of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration.'" – Quran,
38:71-72
A being into whom Allah breathed cannot help butbe noble by nature.
Yes, we humans are corruptible and shortsighted, but we don't have to
be. Our nature is pure. We can, attimes, 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, denialof education to women,
violence against religiousminorities, etc. These practices must be
abolished. They are anathema to everything Islam represents.
Islam came to promote an idea of human dignitybased on:
1- Our relationship with Allah;
2- The love and mercy weshow 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 beings are born on the fitrah , the pure and
natural way, with an inborn inclination to recognize the Creator and
do good. Racism and nationalism are abhorredand abolished. Women are
recognized 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 beforethe
world.
Islam rises above everything that came before. Islam came to change
the world, and toelevate 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.

Where Are the Answers?

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

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Forty Hadith of HAJJ, Forty Hadithson HAJJ, Importance of HAJJ, Benefits of HAJJ

01 - Importance of Hajj
Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) has said, "By Allah, by
Allah, keep the House of your Lord in mind. Do not disregard it as
long as you remain (alive) because surely if it is ignored, then He
shall not look towards you (with His Mercy)."
02 - Hajj and Focusing on Allah
It has been narrated from Abi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir]
(peace be upon him) that in regards to the words of Allah, the
Glorious and High:
"So then hasten towards Allah, surely I (Muhammad) am a plain warner
to you from Him."(Holy Quran 51:50)
Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said, "Struggletowards Allah (perform Hajj)."
03 - Talbiyah and the Sacrifice
It has been narrated fromImam Ali [Ibn Abi Talib] (peace be upon him)
thathe said, "Jibril (Gabriel) descended to the Noble Prophet Muhammad
(blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) and said to him, 'O'
Muhammad! Command your companion's al-Ajj and al-Thalj. The al-Ajj is
to raise your voice in pronouncing the Talbiyah (Labbaik Allahumma
Labbaik) out loud, while the al-Thalj is to slaughter an animal (on
the day of Eid)."
04 - The Major Hajj (Hajj al-Akbar) and the Minor Hajj (Hajj al-Asghar)
It has been narrated by Mu'awiyah Ibn Ammar that he said, "I asked Aba
Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) in
regards to the day of the major Hajj (Hajj al-Akbar) and he said,
'This is the day of the sacrifice ('EidulQurban), while the minorHajj
(Hajj al-Asghar) is theUmrah."
05 - The Benefits of Hajj
It has been narrated from al-Ridha [Imam Ali Ibn Musa] (peace be upon
him) that he said, "I have not seen a single thing which makes a
person free from want (financially secure) quicker, nor which is more
effective in removing poverty, than continuously performing Hajj (year
after year)."
06 - Dying While on the Way to Hajj
It has been narrated fromAba Abdillah [Imam Ja'farIbn Muhammad
as-Sadiq](peace be upon him) thathe said, "A person who dies while
proceeding towards Makkah or whilereturning back (from Makkah) will be
protected from the great distress of the Day of Resurrection."
07 - The Sanctity of the Guests of Allah
It has been narrated fromAba Abdillah [Imam Ja'farIbn Muhammad
as-Sadiq](peace be upon him) thathe said, "Those who perform Hajj and
the Umrah are the guests of Allah. If they ask Him for something, He
will grant it to them; if they call upon Him then He will answer them;
if they intercede (for others), their intercession will be accepted;
if they remain quiet, then He will begin to speak to them; for every
dirham which they spend (in their trip to Hajj), they will receive one
million dirhams in return."
08 - Preparing for the Ihram
It has been narrated fromHimad Ibn Isa that he said, "I asked Aba
Abdillah [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq] (peace be upon him) on
how to prepare for the (wearing of the) Ihram? Imam Ja'far Ibn
Muhammad as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) replied, (One should prepare for
wearing the Ihram) by cutting the nails, trimming the moustache and
shaving the pubic hair."
09 - Looking at the Kaaba
It has been narrated fromal-Baqir [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali] (peace be
upon him) that: "As long as a person is looking at the Kaaba, good
deeds will be written (in his record) and one's evil deeds will be
erased until one turns away one's glance (from the Kaaba)."
10 - Intention for Hajj
It has been narrated fromAba Abdillah [Imam Ja'farIbn Muhammad
as-Sadiq](peace be upon him) that, "Hajj is of two types:Hajj for the
sake of Allah and Hajj for the sake of people. A person who performs
Hajj for Allah, surely his reward will be with Allah - Paradise; anda
person who performs Hajj for people, surely hisreward will be with
people (to give him) on the Day of Resurrection."
11 - Fasting on the Day ofTashriq in Mina (Makkah)
As-Sadiq [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad] (peace be upon him) was asked,"Why
is it discouraged to fast on the days of Tashriq (11th, 12th, and 13th
of Dhul Hijjah)?" Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (peace be upon
him) replied, "Since people are visiting Allah and are His guests
(during these days), it is not advisable that a guest should fast in
the presence of the One whom he is visiting."
12 - Hajj or Jihad?
It has been narrated fromas-Sadiq [Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad] (peace be
upon him) who said,"There is no path from the paths of Allah which is
greater than Hajj, except when a person comes out with his swordand
strives in the way of Allah until he is martyred."
13 - Reward for the Tawaf (Circumambulationof Kaaba)
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his
family) has said, "A person who circumambulates this House (the Kaaba)
seven times and performs the two Rak'at Salat (of Tawaf) in the best
form possible will have his sinsforgiven."
14 - Hajj and the Renewalof the Pledge
Abi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir] (peace be upon him) has
said, "The Hajr (Hajr Aswad - the Black Stone) is like the pledge (of
Allah) and rubbing the hand over it is like making a pledge of
allegiance (to Allah)." Whenever Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir (peace
be upon him) would rub his hand over the Hajr Aswad he used to say:
"O' Allah! I have fulfilled my trust and have renewed my pledge so
that it (the HajrAswad) can bear witness that surely I have
fulfilledmy responsibility."
15 - The Success and Perpetuity of Islam
It has been narrated fromAba Abdillah [Imam Ja'farIbn Muhammad
as-Sadiq](peace be upon him) who said, "As long as the Kaaba is
standing, the religion (of al-Islam) will remain standing."
16 - Philosophy behind the Name "Al-Kaaba"
It has been narrated that Abi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir]
(peace be upon him) was asked, "Why is it (the Kaaba) named Baitul
Atiq (the Emancipated House)?" Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir (peace
be upon him) replied: "Because this house is free and emancipated from
people and was never under the ownership of anyone."
17 - Three Sacred Things
It has been narrated fromAba Abdillah [Imam Ja'farIbn Muhammad
as-Sadiq](peace be upon him) who said, "Surely Allah, the Noble and
Grand, has made three things sacredand there is nothing else
equivalent to them: His Book (Holy Quran) which is His Command and
Divine Light; His House (The Kaaba) which He hasmade as the focal
point (Qiblah) and He will not accept from anyone facing any other
direction; and the family of your Prophet."
18 - Donations to Maintain the Kaaba
It has been narrated fromImam Ali [Ibn Abi Talib] (peace be upon him)
who said, "If I were to possess two valleys flowing with gold and
silver, I would not donatea single thing to the Kaaba because it would
reach the (unworthy) people who maintain theKaaba - and not to the
poor and deserving people."
19 - The Safety of the Sanctuary (Haram)
It has been narrated from'Abdullah Ibn Sanan fromAba Abdillah [Imam
Ja'farIbn Muhammad as-Sadiq](peace be upon him) thathe asked, "What is
the meaning of His words: {And whosoever enters into it (the Haram),
does so in safety.}
Does this refer to the Kaaba or the entire Sanctuary (Haram)?"
Imam Ja'far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) replied, "A
person who enters into the Sanctuary (Haram) seeking protection, shall
remain protected; whoever from amongst the true believers enters into
the Sanctuary (Haram) seeking protection from the wrath of Allah shall
be protected from it; and whichever wild and domestic animal or bird
enters into the Sanctuary (Haram) will be protectedfrom being
disturbed and bothered until it leaves the Sanctuary (Haram)."
20 - The Four Chosen Cities
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his
family) has said,"Surely Allah has chosen four cities from amongst all
others, just as He, the Noble and Grand has said(in the Holy Quran):
"I swear by 'the fig' and 'the olive' and the 'Mountain of Sinai' and
by this protected city." (Holy Quran 95:1-3)
'The fig' is the city of Madinah; 'The olive' is the city of Baitul
Maqdis (in Jerusalem); 'The Mountain of Sinai' is Kufah; and the
protected city is Makkah."
21 - Performing Hajj withHaram (Forbidden) Wealth
Abi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir] (peace be upon him) has
said, "Allah, the Noble and Grand shall not accept Hajj or Umrah of a
person who performs them using Haram (Forbidden) wealth."
22 - Etiquette of Hajj
It has been narrated fromAbi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir]
(peace be upon him) that he said, "It doesnot matter if one visits
this House (Kaaba) if he does not possess three traits: Cautiousness
(Wara) which prevents him from sinning; forbearance which helps him
rule over his anger; and good interaction with those who are with
him."
23 - Exemptions for Women in Hajj Rites
It has been narrated fromAbi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir]
(peace be upon him) that he said, "The following things are not
necessary for women to perform in Hajj: women do not have to pronounce
Talbiyah (Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik) out loud; nor dothey have to
perform the Harwalah (act of briefly running) between the mountains of
al-Safa and al-Marwah; the rubbing of the hand on the Hajr Aswad - the
Black Stone; entering into the Kaaba; and the shaving of the head;
instead, they only cut some of their hair."
24 - Distribution of Mercy in the Vicinity of the Kaaba
It has been narrated fromAba Abdillah [Imam Ja'farIbn Muhammad
as-Sadiq](peace be upon him) thathe said, "For Allah, the Noble and
Grand, there are 120 parts of Mercy around the Kaaba. From these,
sixty are for those performing the Tawaf around the Kaaba; forty are
for those performing the prayers; and twenty are for those just
looking(at the Kaaba)."
25 - Hijr (Wall) of Isma'il
Aba Abdillah [Imam Ja'farIbn Muhammad as-Sadiq](peace be upon him)
said, "Isma'il buried his mother (Hajrah) in the (area) of the Hijr
and then built a semi-circle shaped wall over it so that people would
not step upon her grave."
26 - Three Hundred and Sixty Tawaf of the Kaaba
It has been narrated fromAba Abdillah [Imam Ja'farIbn Muhammad
as-Sadiq](peace be upon him) who said, "It is recommended that a
person does the Tawaf of the Kaaba three hundred and sixty times - the
number of days in a year and if one is unable to doso, then one should
perform the Tawaf as much as possible."
27 - Rubbing the Corner of the Hajr Aswad - the Black Stone
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his
family) has said,"Perform the Tawaf of the House (Kaaba) and rub your
hand over the Corner which has Hajr Aswad - the Black Stone, because
this is the right hand of Allah on His Earthwhich He shakes with His
creations."
28 - Salat inside Masjidul Haram (Makkah)
Al-Baqir [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali] (peace be upon him) has said, "Salat
inside Masjidul Haram is greaterthan 100,000 Salat performed in any
other Masjid."
29 - Water of Zamzam
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his
family) has said, "The water of Zamzam is a curefor whatever (ailment)
it is taken for."
30 - Supplication in Arafat
It has been narrated fromal-Ridha [Imam Ali Ibn Musa] (peace be upon
him): "Surely my father, Abu Ja'far (peace be upon him) used to say,
'There is not a single righteous person or sinner who makes a sojourn
at the Mountains of Arafat and calls upon Allah there, except that
Allah answers his call. For a righteous person (his call is answered)
in regards to the needs and necessities of the life of this temporal
world and the next life; while a sinner (is answered) in regards to
the affairs of the temporal world (only)."
31 - Importance of Arafat
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his
family) has said, "The greatest sin of a person who goes to Arafat and
then leaves is to think that he has not been forgiven of his sins."
32 - Rewards for Stoning the Shaitan
It has been narrated fromAba Abdillah [Imam Ja'farIbn Muhammad
as-Sadiq](peace be upon him) in regards to the stoning of the Shaitan
that he said,"For every stone that a pilgrim throws, a major sin,
which would have led to his destruction, is averted from him."
33 - Philosophy behind Stoning the Shaitan
It has been narrated fromAli Ibn Ja'far from his brother Musa [Ibn
Ja'far al-Kadhim] (peace be upon him) that he said, "Iasked (my
brother) in regards to the philosophy of the stoningof the pillar and
why this was enacted." Imam Musa Ibn Ja'far al-Kadhim(peace be upon
him) replied to me, "Because Iblis, the despised, appeared to Ibrahim
[Abraham] (peace be upon him) in the place where the pillar is and
Ibrahim [Abraham] (peace be upon him) threw stones at him and thus,
this act became a Sunnah (practice) in Hajj."
34 - The Sacrifice of an Animal in Hajj
In a tradition, Imam Ali Ibn Hussain [Imam Zainul Aabidin] (peace be
upon him) has said, "When a person performing Hajj, slaughters an
animal, it saves him from the fire ofhell."
35 - Burying the Shaved Hair in Mina (Makkah)
It has been narrated fromAbi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir]
(peace be upon him) from his father Imam Ali Ibn Hussain [Imam Zainul
Aabidin] (peace be upon him) thathe said, "al-Hasan and al-Hussain
used to ask that their hair (shaved onthe Eid day in Hajj) be buried
in Mina."
36 - Ziyarat of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon
him and his family)
It has been narrated fromthe Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of
Allah be upon him and his family) that he said,"A person seeing
(visiting) my grave deserves my intercession.And a person who visits
me after my death is like a person who visited me during my lifetime."
37 - Bidding Farewell to the Kaaba
It has been narrated fromIbrahim Ibn Mahmud thathe said, "I saw
al-Ridha [Imam Ali Ibn Musa] (peace be upon him) bid farewell to the
House (Kaaba) and when he intended to make his way out from the
Masjid, he fell into prostration (Sajdah), stood up, faced the Kaaba
and then said:"O' Allah! I have reinforced my belief that there is no
entity worthy of worship except Allah."
38 - Importance of the Ziyarat of the Ahlul Bayt after Hajj
It has been narrated fromAbi Ja'far [Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Baqir]
(peace be upon him) that: "People have been commanded to come and
perform the Tawaf around these rocks (the Kaaba) and then come to us
(the Ahlul Bayt) and declare their submission and offer their help to
us."
39 - Welcoming People who return from Hajj
It has been narrated fromAba Abdillah [Imam Ja'farIbn Muhammad
as-Sadiq](peace be upon him) that: "A person who meets one who has
returned from Hajj and shakes his hand (welcomes him back) is like a
person who rubbed his hand on the Hajr Aswad - the Black Stone."
40 - Walimah - Feeding Others after Returning From Hajj
The Noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah be upon him and his
family) has said,"Walimah is only in five occasions: in the Urs,
Khurs, Idhar, Wikar and Rikaz - Urs is when a person gets married; and
Khurs is when a child is born; and Idhar is on the circumcision of a
baby boy; and Wikar is when aperson purchases a house; and Rikaz is
when a person returns from Hajj."

Benefits of Duaa

Numan bin Basheer narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Duaa isibadat." Then
He readthis ayat . (Tirmizi, Abu Dawod, and Ibn-e-Majah)
Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , "In the court of Allah,
there is nogreater thing than duaa" (Ibn-e-Majah)
Abdullah bin Umar narrates from Rasool-Allah ," Amongwhatever has been
descended and whatever has not been descended Duaa is beneficial of
all. Oh people of Allah! Assume Duaa a must for yourselves. (Tirmizi)
Abdullah bin Umar from Rasool-Allah ,"For whoever the door of duaa
opened, for him the doors of mercy are opened. Whatever duaa is asked
from Allah the best duaa is for well-being and safety among them."
(Tirmizi)
Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Allah isextremely
displeased with the person who doesn't do duaa to Allah". (Tirmizi)
Salman narrates fromRasool-Allah , "Your Rab is modest and kind. A
person raise his hands in HIS court and HE leave them empty, Allah
shies from it." (Tirmizi and Abu Dawood)
Jabir narrates from Rasool-Allah ,"Whoever does duaa to Allah, Allah
fulfills his seeking or in exchange averts misfortune until the duaa
is not related to sin or breaking some relation." (Tirmizi)
Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Do duaa to Allah with this
confidence that HE will accept it and know this well that Allah
doesn't accept the duaa done with a negligent and careless heart.
(Tirmizi)
Salman Farsi narrates from Rasool-Allah ,"Duaa turns away destiny and
good deeds lengthen age. (Tirmizi)
Umar narrates that,"Whenever Rasool-Allah raised his hands for duaa He
did not put down them down until HE took both hands over his face."
(Tirmizi)
Aisha (Radi Allahu Anha) narrates that,"Rasool-Allah liked duaas that
were inclusive and he left the rest." (Abu Dawood)
Abdullah bin Umar narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Duaa for a person not
present is accepted quickly by Allah." (Tirmizi and Abu Dawood)
Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Three duaas are such in
which there is no doubt of their acceptance: 1) Father's duaa 2)
Traveler's duaa 3) Duaa of the oppressed". (Timizi, Ibne Majah)
Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Three types of people's
duaas are not rejected: 1) At the time of iftar the person who has
fasted 2) Adil ruler's duaa 3) The duaa of the oppressed. Allah raises
the duaa of the oppressed on the clouds and the doors of heaven are
opened for it and Allah says, "Oath of MY Majesty and Honour! I will
help and aid you. Even though if the help is after few days."
(Tirmizi)
Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , "When anyone of you does
duaa then don't say "Oh Allah! Forgive me if you want", "Have mercy on
me if you want", "Give me subsistence if you wish" rather believe
completely that HE will do whatever HE wishes. Nobody can force HIM."
(Bukhari)
Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Allah excepts the duaa of a
person till the duaa is not related to sin or breaking of some
relation and until he does not haste in that duaa. The people (May
Allah be happy with them) asked, "Oh Rasool-Allah! What is meant by
haste?" He replied,"That the person say "I did duaa again and again
but my duaa wasn't accepted and afterwards he becomes hopeless and
leaves the duaa. This is called haste." (Muslim)
Jabir narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Don't do Bad-duaa [against]
yourself, your wealth, or for your children. May it be the moment of
acceptance in the court of Allah and your Bad-duaa be accepted.
(Muslim)
Boraidah narrates that Rasool-Allah heard a man performingduaa like so
*1, so He said, "He [the man] has performed duaa with the Ism-e-Azam
and when Allah is asked through the Ism-e-Azam,Allah grants and when
duaa is performed with it HE accepts it." (Tirmizi and Abu Dawood)
Asma binte Yazeed (Radi Allahu Anha) narrates from Rasool-Allah
,"Ism-e-Azam is in these two ayahs and in the beginning of Ale-Imran .
" (Tirmizi and Abu Dawood)
Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Saying is dearer to me than
this world and all that is in it." (Mislim)
Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah ,"Whoever said hundred times
in one day his sins are erased even if they are equal to the foam of
the sea." (Muslim and Bukhari)
Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Every Prophet had a special
duaa which is accepted in the court of Allah. All Prophets were in
quick in their duaas. On the day of Judgment, for theintercession of
my Ummah, I have saved my duaa. My duaa will reachto every person in
my ummah, who did not make any partners with Allah. (Muslim)

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
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WEAKNESS OF MORALS--PROOF OF LACK OF FAITH

Faith is imperfect without morality
Faith is such a power thatit keeps men away from low attributes and
mean acts, and encourages himto achieve high attributes and clean
morals. That is why whenever Allah called hisslaves towards virtue or
whenever He wanted them to hate evil, He declared it as an
essentialrequirement of the Faith in their hearts. For example when
He, in Surah Tauba, commands men to adopt righteousness and to speak
truth, He addressesthem as ''0 you who havefaith" (or "O you who
believe"): "0 you, who have faith ! Fear Allah and be with the
truthful people."
(Tauba: 119)
Allah's Messenger has nicely explained it that when faith is firm and
belief is strong, then strong and lasting moral will be developed, and
if the moral character is low then faith will accordingly be weak.
A man, who is immodest and ill-mannered and who adopts bad habits
without caring for others, is like the person about whom the holy
Prophet has said:
"Modesty and faith are twins. One who gives up one has to lose the other too."
Once the Prophet passed by an Ansari who was scolding his brother
about his immodesty. TheProphet advised him to let him go as modesty
was a branch of faith.
A man who harasses his neighbor and makes him suffer any kind of
damage is called cruel and stone hearted by the religion. In this
connection the decision of the Prophet is:
"By God, he cannot be a Momin ;by God, he cannot be a Momin; by God,
he cannot be a Momin. He was asked: 'who"? He answered: 'He from whose
misdeeds hisneighbor is not safe."
--(Bukhari)
The holy Prophet advises his companions to keep away from the talk
that istrash, the acts that are wicked, and the deeds that are
senseless. He says:
"A person who believes in Allah and the Hereaftershould speak about
goodthings or else should keep quiet."
--(Bukhari)
In this way through the truth of faith and by means of its perfection
noble qualities are nurtured and developed and they are guarded and
kept secure till they bear fruits.
Rows disrupted, heartssad, prayers tasteless
However, you will also find such people, who will be calling
themselvesMuslims, yet they will be lazy in offering compulsory
prayers, and will be posing in the public as if they are very keen on
establishing these prayers. But they will not lag behind at thesame
time in acting in such a way that will be contrary to the demands of
the noble character and perfect faith. Such people have been warned by
the holy Prophet and the Ummah has been asked to be careful of them.
A man who commits the mistake of performing the various forms of
worship without understanding their significance can only be aman who
had not understood the spirit of the worshiper has been unable to rise
to that standard.
Many times even a child can copy the movements of salat and is able to
repeat what is recited during the prayer. Sometimes an actor also
offers prayer with all humility and concentration, and performs all
the necessary rites.
But these kinds of movements do not benefit belief or meet thepurpose.
There is only one way of offering prayers in the best manner or
performing other forms of worship that will never bring out wrong
results, and that is: high moral character. Any person who has this
attribute in him, his prayer is useful. But one who is deprived of
this attribute, his worshiping is useless.
It is narrated by Imam Ahmed: "One person asked the Prophet: 'O
Messenger of Allah ! a certain woman is very famous for her prayers,
fasting and many charities, but she talks rudely with her neighbors.
Tell me, what will be her fate ?' He replied that she would go to
Hell. Then that person asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Another woman
does notdo much by way of prayers and fasting ; gives pieces of cheese
in charity and does not harm her neighbors. He replied: 'She is of the
Paradise.' "
This reply gives an idea of the high value attached to good character.
It also shows that charity is a collectiveprayer whose benefit reaches
the society. For this reason there is no room for any reduction in
them. As salat and fasting are apparently individual forms of worship,
a little relaxation--to a very littleextent--is allowed in not making
very elaborate arrangements about them.
The holy Prophet did not merely answer a casual question that explains
the relationship betweenmorality and the religion,shows its connection
with the correct forms of worship, and forms the basis of reform and
improvement in the world and salvation in the next world.
The problem of morality was much more important. It was necessary that
he should have continually provided guidance to his followers. He
should havepersisted in giving good advice to them so that its
importance takes root in the mind and heart and itbecomes quite clear
that faith, goodness and morality are all dependent on each other.
They are connected with each other and none can separate them.
Who is poor ?
One day the Prophet asked his dear companions whether they knew who
was poor. They answered thatpoor was one who had no dirham or dinar
(money)' He said:
"In my Ummah, the poor is that man who would appear on the Day of the
Judgment before Allah; he had offered prayer; hehad paid Zakat ;he had
observed fast; but he would have abused somebody, he would have
falsely accused some one; he would haveunauthorizedly taken some one
else's property;he would have murderedsome one; would have hit some
body. All his virtues would be given tohis victims. If his Virtues are
finished before his wicked deeds are finished, then the errors and
sins of the victims would be given to him and he would be thrown into
the Hell.''
(Muslim)
Such a man is really poor.His condition is like that trader who has
goods worth one thousand rupees but he is a debtor for two thousand
rupees.How can such a man be called rich ?
A religious man who offers certain prayers or performs certain forms
ofworship, but even after that performs certain evildeeds, behaves
rudely with the people, treats poor and helpless people cruelly, how
then such a man will be called righteous ?
The Prophet has explained by quoting an example. He said that the best
moral character melts errors like water and bad morals spoil man's
record as vinegar spoils honey.
Identification of a hypocrite
When wickedness is nourished in the self, andthe loss caused by it has
become manifest and thedanger has increased, then that man has come
out of his religion like a nude who has come out of his garments. At
that time his claim of righteousness or faith would be false.
What will be the value of religiousness without good morality ? How is
it possible that a man should belong to Allah and at the same he
should be a victim of corruption ?
This relationship between faith and morality is clearly shown in the
hadith of the holy Prophet:
"The man who has these three habits is a hypocrite even if he observes
fast, offers prayers, performs umra (pilgrimage), and calls himself a
Muslim: when he talks he speaks untruth, when he makes a promise he
does not keep it, and when he is given something in trust, he commits
dishonesty."
-( Muslim ).
In another tradition, he has said:
"There are three signs of a hypocrite: when he talks he speaks
untruth, when he makes a pro mise he does not keep it, and when he
makes a contract he deceives, although he may be offering prayers,
observing fast and callinghimself a Muslim."
He has also said:
"There are four habits, in whosoever they are found, he will be a
complete hypocrite. If any one of these habits isfound in a man, he
will have one habit of disruption till he gives it up, when something
is given to him in trust he commits dishonesty, when he talks he tells
lies, when he makes a contract he deceives, andwhen he quarrels he
starts abusing. -( Bukhari).

Purpose of Prophethood -- Perfection of Morals

The holy Prophet has stated the foremost purpose of his being sentdown
in this world and the method of his call to the people in these words:
"I have been sent only forthe purpose of perfectinggood morals."
--(Al-Muta)
That great message which has left an indelible impression on the
history of life, and forpropagating which and for bringing people
under whose influence Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) worked ceaselessly.
Its purpose was nothing else but to strengthen the moral character of
the people so that the world of beauty and perfection may be
illuminated before their eyes and they may try to achieve
itconsciously and with knowledge.
Worshiping has been made compulsory in Islam, and it has been included
in the basic pillars of faith. But the Islamic forms of worship are
not some sort of mystic exercises that link men with some unknown,
mysterious being, and which subject men to perform useless acts and
meaningless movements. All the Islamic compulsory forms of worship are
designed as exercises and training to enable people to acquire correct
morals and habits and to live righteously, and to adhere to these
virtues till the end, whatever be the changes in their circumstances.
Prayer prevents commitment of Evil
Salat (prayer) is a compulsory form of worship, which is like an
exercise towards which man is attracted with interest and willingness.
He offers it continually, so that his life may be free from all
diseases andthe body may be healthy and strong.
The holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet-both are the open proofs
of these realities.
When Allah commanded the compulsory prayers to be established, He
stated its wisdom in this way:
"Prayer prohibits obscenity and evil."
To keep away from evil, wickedness and to purify from bad deeds are
also realities of the prayer. In a Hadith-e-Qudsi it is stated:
"I accept the prayers of the person who adopts the policy of humility
with it on account of My greatness, obliges My creatures, does not
insist on sinning against Me, spends his day in remembering Me, and is
kind to the poor, travelers, weak and the suffering people.
Zakat is a means of purification
Zakat has been made compulsory on the eligible 'scheduled' ( sahibe
Nisab ) persons. It is not merely a tax that is collected from the
pockets of the people, but its foremost purpose is to sow the seeds of
kindness. sympathy and benevolence, and to provide a chance of
introduction among the various sections of the society and to
establish the relationship of love and friendliness.
The purpose of paying Zakat has been stated in the Qur'an in the
following words:
"O Prophet ! Take charity from their property so that if may clean
them and purify them."
--(Tauba: 103)
To clean the self of the worldly impurities and toraise the standard
of the society to the heights of decency and purity are the wisdom
behind the levy of Zakat.
For this reason the Prophet has taken it in a very wide sense, and to
pay Zakat has been madecompulsory for every eligible Muslim. The
Prophet has said:
"To smile in the company of your brother is charity.To command to do
good deeds and to prevent others from doing evil is charity. To guide
a person in a place where he can go astray is charity. To remove
troublesome things like thorns and bones from the road is charity. To
pour water from your juginto the jug of your brother is charity. To
guide a person with defective vision is charityfor you.''
--(Bukhari)
The environment of desert and the Bedouin life--an environment which
had its basis on internal bickerings and fights--in such an
environment the teachings of Islam were presented to the world and
they show what aimsand purpose these teachings had, and it shows where
these teachings led the Arabs inthat dark and dismal environment.
Fasting is a stepping stone to Righteousness
Similarly Islam has made fasting compulsory. But itis not envisaged
that men should keep away from their carnal desires and other
prohibited things for a fixed period only. The Prophet has said:
"Pasting is not the name of merely keeping away from eating and
drinking, but it is keeping away from wicked and obscene things. If in
the state of fasting, someone abuses you or picks up a quarrel with
you, say: "I am fasting."
Qur'an states the purposeof the imposition of fasting in these words:
"Fasting has been made compulsory for you, as it was made compulsory
forthose (followers of earlier prophets) who preceded you, so that you
may become righteous."
(Baqarah: 183)
Hajj is a compulsory pilgrimage to weaken the love for the world
Sometimes man thinks that to travel to the holy places and to perform
pilgrimage, which has been made compulsory for every rich Muslim, and
which is included in the basic pillars of Islam, is merely a form of
worship that has no relation with the world of morality and character.
This is a clear misunderstanding. Givingcommands about this compulsory
worship, Allah states:
"The months of Hajj are well-known. In these months whoever intends to
perform Hajj should not indulge in sexual act, wicked act, and
Fighting during the Hajj. Whatever righteous act you will perform will
be known to Allah. Take with you provision for the journey (for Hajj),
and the best provision is righteousness. So fear me, 0 men of
understanding !"
-(Baqarah: 197)
This is merely the main outline of the forms of worship which are well
known and generally practiced in Islam and they are its basic pillars.
They show us what a deep relationship is therebetween religion and
morality and how strong and lasting is this relationship. How varying
are these forms of worship in their spirit and appearance from one
another, but in thoseaim and purpose how close they are, which the
holy Prophet declared hismain objective.
Therefore, saint (prayer), sawm (fasting), zakat, Hajj and other forms
of worship like these are the stepping stones for real perfection, and
are the means of cleanliness and purity that make life secure and
magnificent. On account of high attributes and noble qualities that
are the inalienable parts and the consequences of these forms of
worship, they have been given a very high and important placein
Allah's religion.
If these forms of worship do not purify the hearts of men, if they do
not nourish best qualities in those who observe them,and if they do
not improve and make firm the relationship betweenAllah and His
slaves, then there is nothing left for men but destruction and
devastation.
Allah says:
"Surely, he who appears before his Lord as a criminal, there is hell
for him, in which he will neither die nor will he live. And he who
will appear before Him as a faithful, who has performed good
deeds--for all such people there are high positions, ever green
paradise, beneath which canals will be flowing; they will live in them
for ever. who adopts purity."

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True stories - I think i dont have a heart to love

my story starts from long time ago when i was 14. ifall in love with a
boy who was my first love. i loved him so much but unfortunately he
didnt and he doesnt like me what so ever, which was so understanable
this time.
after the years i was still thinkin eventhough i hada boyfriend and
argued about it once. when i was 19 i left my home town to london to
study, but i couldnt left without saying to him goodbye, so i called
his home and tried to talk to him, but his mom said he went to london
to study too. i was shocked asked his email address and when iwent to
london i left him an email saying that im in london i just wanted him
to know that im there, never expected him to reply me back.
maybe i was praying initially wished that to reply me back. he
replyedme and would like to chat with me and so on. after few weeks we
did meet and had lot of fun,i was living in my dream wishing that time
foreverif it could last i was happy all times, but he told me that he
would never see me as his girlfriend or anything because he has one
which is going to engagewith her.
i was shocked and cried many nights and see her pics from his computer
when im with him at his place. which was so hurting mentallly and
psychally. and after 4 months of our romance come to the ending
because he had to go back home for good. so i went to airport to say
bye to him but he just saw me for a secon and left me without saying
any single word.
all this confussion of our affair left with no heart to love to anyone
else. now im 24 still dont have no bf and just keep thinking he stole
my heart forever with him. i try to love someone but i loose my
interest for 2 weeks later. am i psycho or is it just cos i dont
findmy mr right?

True stories - I want him back. But...

I had known this guy since we were little kid. we had crush to each
other since then. one dayi met him again and sincethen, we started to
contact. we talked, we chat, but we were not officially dating that
time. just kinda flings.
After all the obstacles that we've been through,at last we were going
out. but after two months, i broke up with him as i thought
I had no feelings for him..he was hurt by then. after few months, I
went back to him and he accepted me. But then, the event recycled over
and over again for 3 times. and it was for the same reason: i have no
feelings for him. The problem was me, I just made the decision without
thinking much. I was so stupid. Now, he has a new girlfriend..
andthey'll be having one-year-relationship this September. I'm not
over him, i still love him but i wont disturb his relationship. I'll
just wait for him to come back to me.
The problem is... last week he told my best friend that he was
confused with his feelings, between me or his current girlfriend. I
could tell that he still cares for me. So, I gave him a text. we
managed to talked, and he didn't gave me much details though on his
problem. My friends said that i might have chance with him. I miss him
so much, and i want him back. But if i have to hurt his current
girlfriend in order to get him back, I don't think I can do that. But
I really want him back. I don't know what to do anymore. :(

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Does weather forecasting come under the heading of astrologyor claiming to know the unseen?

- :roll: Published by, M NajimudeeN Bsc :roll:
:-> There are some weather sites on the internet which forecast
the weather that is expectedin the next 5-10 days. Is it permissible
for me to visit them? I am asking this question because I am afraid
that they may be claiming to have knowledge of the unseen or it may be
a kind of astrology, in which case it is haraam for me to visit them.
Praise be to Allaah.
Forecasting the weather does not come under theheading of astrology or
claiming to have knowledge of the unseen, rather it is based on
physical evidence and experience, and study ofthe natural laws
established by Allaah. The same applies to knowing the times of solar
and lunar eclipses, or when there are likely to be strong winds and
rainfall.
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah: The time of solar and lunar
eclipses may be known from calculating the movements of heavenly
bodies, from which it may also be known whether the eclipse will be
total or partial. There is nothing strange about that, because this is
not a matter of the unseen for everyone, rather it is only "unseen"
for those who have no knowledgeof astronomy and it is not "unseen" for
those who have knowledge of this science. That does not mean that
solar and lunar eclipses are not among the signs of Allaah with which
He instils fear in His slaves so as to bring them back to their Lord
and to obedience to Him.
It also says:
Forecasting the weather and predicting strong winds and storms or
saying where clouds are expected to form or where rain is likely to
fall is based on knowledge of the natural laws of Allaah. One who has
experience of these laws may say what he expects to happen, without
certain knowledge, on the basis of scientific theories or common
experience, so he expects that and predicts it on the basis of
likelihood, not certainknowledge, and he gets it right sometimes and
gets it wrong sometimes. End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The one who
speaks of that which may be worked out by calculations is nota
fortune-teller at all, because there is no element of fortune-telling
in that which maybe worked out by calculations. If a person predicts a
solar or lunar eclipse, this is not fortune-telling because it is
worked out by calculations. If he says that the sun will set at a
20-degree angle at such and such a time, this is not knowledge of the
unseen, because it is something that may be worked out by
calculations, and predicting something that can be worked out by
calculation, even if it is in the future, is not regarded as being
knowledge of the unseen, or fortune-telling.
Is twenty-four hour weather reporting such as we have now fortune-telling?
The answer is no, because it is also based on scientific data which is
describing climatic conditions, because climatic conditions have to do
with precise measurements that are known to them. Thus they may
predict that certain conditions are likely to produce rain or not.
That is like the primitive predication that we make when we see clouds
forming, and thunder and lightning and thick clouds, and wesay: "It is
going to rain soon."
What matters is that what points to physical phenomena is not
knowledge of the unseen, even if some of the common folk think that
these things are matters of the unseen and say that believing inthem
is like believing in fortune-telling.
End quote from al-Qawl al-Mufeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed.
See al-Fataawa al-Kubra by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (4/424) with
regard to the knowledge of astronomers about the times of solar and
lunar eclipses, the beginning of spring and winter, and other matters
that may be known by meansof calculations and are not matters of the
unseen.
And Allaah knows best.

The difference between du’aa’ for asking and du’aa’ for woership

What is the difference between du'aa' for asking and du'aa' for worship?.
Praise be to Allaah.
We use the word du'aa' (invocation) to refer to two things:
1-
Du'aa' for asking, which means seeking that which will benefit, or
asking to ward off that which will cause harm, by asking Allaah for
that which will benefit in thisworld and in the Hereafter, and to ward
off that which will cause harm in this world and in the Hereafter,
Such as du'aa' for forgiveness, mercy, guidance, help, to attain
Paradise, to be saved from Hell, for Allaah to grant good things in
thisworld and in the Hereafter and so on.
2-
Du'aa' for worship, which means that the person is worshipping Allaah
by any of the types of worship, in the heart or physically or
financially, such as fearing Allaah, loving Him, hoping for His mercy,
putting one's trust in Him, praying, fasting, doing Hajj, reading
Qur'aan, reciting tasbeeh and dhikr, giving zakaah andcharity, jihad
for the sake of Allaah, calling people to Allaah, enjoining what is
good and forbidding what is evil, and so on.
Everyone who does any of these acts of worship is calling upon Allaah.
See: al-Qawl al-Mufeed (1/264) and Tasheeh al-Du'aa' (p. 15-21).
Usually when the word du'aa' appears in verses of the Qur'aan, it
refers to both meanings, because they are interconnected. So everyone
who asks of Allaah verbally is worshipping Him, because du'aa' is
worship, and every worshipper who prays to Allaah, fasts or does Hajj
is doing that hopingfor reward from Allaah and to attain Paradise and
to be saved from punishment.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaanal-Sa'di (may Allaah havemercy on him) said:
Everything in the Qur'aan that enjoins du'aa' and forbids du'aa'to or
calling upon anyone other than Allaah, and praises thosewho say du'aa'
or call upon Him, includes the du'aa' of asking and the du'aa' of
worship. End quote.
Al-Qawaa'id al-Hisaan (no. 51).
One of the two types of du'aa' may be more apparent than the other in
some verses.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said
concerning the verse (interpretation of the meaning): "Invoke your
Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not theaggressors. 56. And
do not do mischief on the earth, after it has been set in order, and
invoke Him with fear and hope. Surely, Allaah's Mercy is (ever) near
unto the good-doers" [al-A'raaf 7:55-56]:
These two verses includethe etiquette of two types of du'aa': the
du'aa' of worship and the du'aa' of asking. Du'aa' in the Qur'aan may
refer to either of these types, or it may refer to both, because they
are interconnected.Du'aa' of asking means seeking that which will
benefit the supplicant, and asking to be spared that which will harm
him, and for it to be warded off. So he asks for benefit and for harm
to be warded off, and that is du'aa' of asking. And the du'aa' that is
offered with hope and fear is the du'aa' of worship. Therefore it is
known that both types are interconnected. Every du'aa' of worship
implies du'aa' of asking, and every du'aa' of asking implies du'aa' of
worship.
Based on this, the words (interpretation of the meaning): "And when My
slaves ask you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) concerning Me, then
(answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond
to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any
mediator or intercessor)" [al-Baqarah2:186] include both types of
du'aa', and it is in terms of both that the verse is to be understood.
It was said: Iwill give to him when heasks of Me, and it was said: I
will reward him if he worships Me. Both are interconnected.
This does not come under the heading of using a common word inboth of
its meanings, or of using a word in a real and metaphorical sense,
rather it is using it in its real sense which includes both things.
Think about it, because it is a matter that is of great benefit, but
it is rarely paid attention to. Most verses of the Qur'aan point to
both meanings and more, andit is of this type.
For example, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to the disbelievers): My Lord pays
attention to you only because of yourinvocation to Him"
[al-Furqaan 25:77].
i.e., because of your du'aa' to Him. And it wassaid: (it means)
because of His call to you to worship Him.
Based on that, what is meant is both types of du'aa', of which is the
du'aa' of worship is more apparent, i.e., He would not have paid
attention to you were it not that you put your hope in Him. Worship of
Him implies asking of Him, so both types are included.
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And your Lord said: Invoke Me [i.e. believe inMy Oneness (Islamic
Monotheism) and ask Mefor anything] I will respond to your
(invocation)"
[Ghaafir 40:60].
The word du'aa' here includes both types, although du'aa' of worship
is more apparent, hence it is followed by the words (interpretation of
the meaning): "Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke
Me, and do not believe in MyOneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will
surely enter Hell in humiliation!". So the word du'aa' in this
versemay be interpreted in both senses.
Al-Tirmidhi narrated thatal-Nu'maan ibn Basheer (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) say on the minbar: "Du'aa' isworship." Then he
recited the verse (interpretation of the meaning): "And your Lord
said: Invoke Me [i.e.believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and
ask Me for anything]I will respond to your (invocation)...". Al-Tirmidhi
said: a saheeh hasan hadeeth.
With regard to the verses (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, those on whom you call besides Allaah, cannot create (even) a
fly, even though they combine together for the purpose..."
[al-Hajj 22:73]
"They (all those who worship others than Allaah) invoke nothing but
female deities besides Him (Allaah) ..."
[al-Nisa' 4:117]
"And those whom they used to invoke before (in this world) shall
disappear from them..."
[Fussilat 41:48]
everything that is mentioned in them is the du'aa' or invocation of
the mushrikeen to their idols. What is meant is the du'aa' of worship
which includes the du'aa' of asking, although the meaning ofdu'aa' of
worship is more apparent.
The words (interpretation of the meaning): "so invoke Him making your
worship pure for Him Alone (by worshipping Him Alone, and none else"
[Ghaafir 40:65] refer to the du'aa' of worship. What is meant is:
Worship Him alone and make your worship sincerely for Him alone, and
do not worship anyone else along with Him.
With regard to the words of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) in the verse
(interpretationof the meaning): " 'Verily, my Lord is indeedthe
All-Hearer of invocations'" [Ibraaheem 14:39], whatis meant by hearing
hereis hearing in a specific sense, which is the hearing of response
and acceptance, not hearing in the general sense, because Allaah hears
all that can be heard. As that is the case, du'aa' here means the
du'aa' ofworship and the du'aa' of requesting, and the Lord's hearing
of it means that He rewards the praise and answers the request, so He
hears both.
With regard to the words of Zakariya (peace be upon him) in the verse
(interpretationof the meaning): " 'and Ihave never been unblestin my
invocation to You, O my Lord'" [Maryam 19:4], it was said that what is
meant is the du'aa' of asking, meaning: You always answered me and
never rejected me or deprived me. So he is seeking to draw closer to
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, by means of His previous
answers and kindness. This is clear in this case.
With regard to the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): Invoke Allaah or invoke the Most Gracious
(Allaah)..." [al-Isra' 17:110],
The well known view is that this is the du'aa' of asking, and this is
the reason for revelation. They said: The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) used to call upon his Lord, sometimes saying Ya
Allaah and sometimes saying Ya Rahmaan, so the mushrikeen thought that
he was calling upontwo gods, so Allaah revealed this verse.
With regard to the verse (interpretation of the meaning): "Verily, We
used to invoke Him (Alone and none else) before. Verily, He is Al-Barr
(the Most Subtle, Kind, Courteous, and Generous), the Most Merciful"
[al-Toor 52:28],this is the du'aa' of worship which includes asking
with hope and fear. What it means is: we used to devote our worship
sincerely to Himalone, and thus they deserved that Allaah should save
them from the punishment of Hell, not just because of asking, which is
something that is sharedin common between those who are saved andthose
who are not, because everyone who is in heaven and on earth asks for
that. "never shall we call uponany ilaah (god) other than Him"
[al-Kahf 18:14]i.e., we will never worship anyone other than Him.
Similarly Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Will you call
upon Ba'l (a well-known idol of his nation whom they used to worship)
and forsake the Best of creators?" [al-Saffaat 37:125].
With regard to the words (interpretation of the meaning): "And it will
be said (to them): 'Call upon your (so-called) partners (of Allaah)',
and they will call upon them..." [al-Qasas 28:64], this is du'aa' of
asking. Allaah will rebuke and humiliate them on the Day of
Resurrection, by showing them that their partners (whom they ascribed
to Allaah) will not answer their du'aa's or supplications. But it does
not mean worship them. It is similar to the verse in which Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "And (remember) the Day He will say:
'Call those (so-called) partners of Mine whom you pretended.' Then
they will cry unto them, but they will not answer them" [al-Kahf
18:52]. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn Taymiyah (15/10-14).
See other examples in Badaa'i' al-Fawaa'id by Ibn al-Qayyim (3/513-527).
And Allaah knows best.

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