When seeing a muslim in new clothes
Recite:
تُبْلِي وَيُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ
"May Allah prolong your life so that this clothing become old and may
Allah give you other clothing after this".
(Hisnul Hasin from Abu Dawood)
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Dua's - When seeing a Muslim in new clothes
When seeing a muslim in new clothes
Recite:
تُبْلِي وَيُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ
"May Allah prolong your life so that this clothing become old and may
Allah give you other clothing after this".
(Hisnul Hasin from Abu Dawood)
Dua's - When wearing new clothes
When wearing new clothes
Recite:
اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ كَمَا كَسَوْتَنِيهِ أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَهُ
وَخَيْرَ مَا صُنِعَ لَهُ وَأَعُوذُ مِنْ شَرِّهِ وَشَرِّ مَا صُنِعَ
لَهُ
"O Allah, all praise is to You, just as You have dressed me, I seek
Your blessings of it and the blessings of what it is made of and I
seek protection and Your refuge from all evil and the evil of that
which it ismade of".
(Mishkat)
Umar (R.A.) stated that Prophet Mohammad (SAW.) said that if a person
recites the following dua when dressing in new clothing and gives the
old clothing in charity, then Allah will protect him both in this life
and the Aakhirah and he will be under Allah's cover (i.e. he will be
protected fromall calamities and his sins will be hidden).
(Mishkat)
Alternatively recite
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي كَسَانِي مَا أُوَارِي بِهِ عَوْرَتِي
وَأَتَجَمَّلُ بِهِ فِي حَيَاتِي
"All praise belongs to Allah who adorned me with clothing by which I
cover (hide) my private areas and by which I obtain beauty in my
life".
Note: While removing clothing recite"Bismillah" as Satan does not look
at the private parts due to this.
(Hisnul Hasin)
Dua's - When dressing
When dressing
Recite:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي كَسَانِي هَذَا وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ
حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُوَّةٍ
"All praise belongs to Allah who has clothed mewithout my effort or strength".
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
On the Necessities of Life
hold a tight grip on us from the day that we are born. Some of these
necessitiessuch as food, clothes and shelter are basic and the
preservation of life's system depends on them.Needs of this type are
natural and cannot be taken care of permanently. The other type of
needs are non-essential and are constantly changing and can never be
totally fulfilled.
According to natural motives and the sense of need, man seeks money
and struggles with all his might against all problems and difficulties
which may stand in his way to make more money for to most people
wealth is the beauty of life.
It is natural for the condition of men to vary in this field. For
instance, if a man is surrounded bypoverty and weakness, he starts to
seek sustenance by all means possible trying to eradicate the poverty
which surrounded him. Ifa man has acquired wealth, he becomes
inflicted with conceit andarrogance as if there wasa direct
relationship between wealth and the latter traits. Finally, if a man
acquires wealth andsecurity for himself, he becomes intoxicated with
conceit and arrogance and evil inspirations endlessly battle his mind.
Life takes various forms depending on how everyindividual views it and
because the reasoning ability differs from person to person. For
example there are many people who have not realized the truth or
reached the stage where they can distinguish between places of safety
and danger.
Realization of the facts oflife, and reaching the state of happiness
requires precision in the secrets of existence, especially the secret
of"knowing one's self which can only be done in the domain of reason
and logic.
Man must understand why he is in this world inorder to start his
search for happiness. He must choose the method with which he can
advance according to his natural and spiritual needs whilerefraining
from shortcomings that separate the soul from the realistic growth of
one's personality.
Yet, success and happiness do not mean that man must constantlyexcel
over others in exploiting material resources, for material matters are
not the main goal in life and man should not violate the borders of
morality and piety to make material gains.
According to Dr. Carl :"Personal interests overtake our minds in the
ideological atmosphere which liberalmaterialism founded. Wealth has
come to be the greatest talent in our eyes and success is now measured
by currency bills.
"A society which gives priority to economical affairs can never be
inclined to morality which requires complete obedience to the laws of
life. An individual who excludes all affairs but the economical ones
from his day-to-day struggle cannot adhere to the natural laws of
life. Morality. undoubtedly, leads us to the truth and organizes all
our physical and psychological activities inaccordance to the
humansystem. Moral excellence may be compared to strong engines which
function properly. Dissention in a society is not but a consequence
ofimmorality"
The authentic aim of life is to achieve spirituality. Spirituality is
the most important and valuable matter which man can achieve. He who
keeps his soul confined to spiritual treasures seldom needs this
world, for he gains spiritual satisfaction in the shadow of
spirituality which accompanies him for the rest of his life. Such an
individual wouldnot exchange his spiritual wealth for material gains
under any conditions.
A Greedy Person is Never Satisfied
Coveting the belongings of others is a psychological state that forces
the individual to pursue materialism in a matter that makes material
gains an axis on which the mind rotates.
Material inclination arises from uncontrollable greed. Because of the
imaginaryhappiness that it creates, greed is considered a factor which
brings misery into the lives of men. As a result man disregards
everything and sacrifices all moral traits in his quest towards
gathering wealth until finally the feelings of want become rooted deep
in his soul.
Dr. Schopenhauer said :"It is rather difficult to define the
inclinations which are related to acquiring wealth because
individual's satisfaction varies greatlyand there is not a defined
scale by which people's wants can be judged. Some people are satisfied
with small amounts of money that meet their necessities while others
com-plain about their unhappiness despite their abundant wealth (which
vastly surpasses their needs). Therefore, everyone has certain limits
to his wantsby which he fulfills his hopes. Yet, when man experiences
difficulties on this path he complains and may give up.
"The vast wealth of the rich does not deceive thepoor. Wealth is like
salt water the more you drink the thirstier you become."
Indeed, the greedy will never be satisfied with all the sustenance of
the world just as fire burns all the fuel that it is given!!
When greediness rules a nation, it transforms its social life into a
field of disputes and dissention in the place of justice, security and
stability. Naturally, in such a society moral excellence and
spirituality do not stand a chance.
It should be noted, however, that there is a great difference between
money worship and the desire for advancement, including that of
material features. Hence, it is important to draw a line between these
two aspects for there is no righteous justification preventing human
societies from seeking advancement and excellence in the shadows of
nature and talents.
The endeavor of the greedy creates a chain ofmiseries for his society,
for he intends to acquire his lusts with unjust methods including
methods which may bring poverty to others. One who covets seizes the
sources of wealth in order to acquire more for himself and
consequently creating acute economical problems.
Some people claim that wealth is a source that fulfills many desires,
so they give it their greatestattention. In fact, it is thepoor who
have excelled in the most honorable and greatest fields in history.
Writers, inventors and scientists were mainly from the poor class.
Furthermore, vast wealthis destructive to many people. For example,
when youth inherit largesums of money they generally disregard all
avenues of education and knowledge drowning themselves in sin and
lusts because they feel no need for work or development.
Once a wealthy man visited a famous Greek philosopher. The latter did
not trust the wealthy man so he did not make any special
arrangementsfor his visit. The philosopher said to the wealthy man :
"Surely you have not come to learn from me but to put me down for my
financial situation, am I not right?
The wealthy man replied : "Had I followed your path in acquiring
knowledge 1 would not have had wealth, a palace, servants, etc."
At this the philosopher said : "Regardless of Your material
belongings, I amricher than you. I do not need servants to protect me,
for I fear no-one including Caesar. Becauseyou are dependent on others
you will always bepoor. I possess reason, satisfaction and the freedom
to think instead of gold and silver, while you waste your time
thinking about silver plates.
"My ideas are my vast empire where I live happily, while you spend
your lifetime in anxiety and unrest. All that whichyou possess is
worthless to me, but what I possess is abundant for you will never
fulfill all your hopes and wants, hut my needs are always fulfilledby
using my reason. Surely everyone should rely on knowledge and not on
gold and silver; for only the ignorant relyon them.
Felicity and dissatisfaction undoubtedly are a part of everyone's
life; each having its place in the events of life. Everyone who enters
this world shall experience a portion of both regardless of his
materialcondition. Here we can safely say that wealth, which exceeds
one's needs is useless in finding happiness. According to Socrates
many individuals do not possess money, gems, fancy garments, or
palaces, yet their lives are a thousand times happier than the lives
of the wealthy.
Surely the greedy is a humiliated, poor slave to the world and its
money. He has surrendered his neck to the chains of wealth and has
submitted to immature thoughts. The greedy imagines that his
wealth,which is enough for generations of his descendants, is not but
a reserve for his gloomy days. Only when the bells of danger and death
ringdoes a greedy man realizes his mistakes.
When the bell rings to announce the final seconds of his life, he
looks at his wealth, for which he has wasted all his life, with sorrow
and disappointment knowingthat it is useless to him inhis grave-the
grave to which he carries sorrows for the many errors he has committed
throughout his life.
Fair Distribution in Islam
Along with its call upon people to struggle and advance Islam included
a strong warning against fanatical adherence to materialism. Islam
declares that such adherence deprives man from seeking the real goal
of life, the eternal happiness. Imam al-Baqir(a.s.) gave the following
description of the greedyman : "An example of the greedy man of this
worldis that of the silkworm. The more silk that it spinsaround
itself, the less of achance it has to survive until it finally
suffocates itself."[149]
The Messenger of Allah (S) said : "Refrain from greed for those who
were before you perished as a result of greed. Greed commanded them to
be stingy and they obeyed: it ordered them into alienation and they
obeyed; and it commanded them to sin and they sinned."[150]
Imam 'Ali (a.s.) pointed out the misery which results from coveting
when he said : "Avoid greed for its champion is the captor of
humiliationand exhaustion,"[151]
Dr. Mardin said : "Wealth is not everything in man's life, nor does
his real happiness lie in collecting money. Nevertheless, many young
people make the mistake of believing that money is the most important
matter in life. They, therefore, waste the primes of their life
seeking wealth while depriving themselves of everything else. This is
a very mistaken way of thinking and it is one of the reasons behind
manypeople's miseries.
"We struggle to acquire grand clothes, etc thinking that they are the
ways to happiness: while in fact they only bring -disappointment and
deprivation to us''.[152]
Imam 'Ali (a.s.) said : "A greedy person is a captorof humiliation,
whose captivity does not cease.[153]
The righteous religion of Islam, which conforms to mans nature,
equally distributes between materialism and spirituality. It has,
therefore, chosen a path for its followers that guarantees healthy
spirits and bodies. Religious individuals possess wise and righteous
spirits for they understand divine facts.
Satisfaction is a unceasing treasure, for its possessors endeavor to
acquire only what they have a need for. Those with reason organize
their lives and avoid polluting their spiritual happiness with
mistaken attempts to collect wealth and lowliness. An individual who
is satisfied is happy with what he ethically acquires.
This sufficient method allows him to reach the real goal of life
(moral excellence); in this matterhe achieves real wealth (that is
satisfaction) which brings him harmony and does not need to ask for
that which is in the hands of others.
Imam 'Ali (a.s.) said : "It is best to submit and adhere to
satisfaction and piety, and to relieve one's self from covetousness
and greed; for greed and covetousness are presentpoverty and
submission and satisfaction are apparent wealth." [154]
He also pointed out the spiritual and psychological disorders which
affect the covetous when he said :"One who covets brings illness."
[155]
Dr. Mardin said : "Certain thoughts which arise from greed,
covetousness, and all other psychological reactions not only adversely
affect the bodybut also the soul. They, therefore, deprive us of agood
living and change the path of harmonious living. Greed and
covetousness destroy all natural human traits in us.[156]
Imam 'Ali (a.s.) is quoted as saying : "Greed pollutes the soul.
corrupts religion and destroys youthfulness." [157]
The Messenger of Allah (S) explained the afflictions and calamities
which arise from greediness. He said : "A greedy person faces seven
acute problems:
1) Worrying, which harms his body and is disadvantageous to him;
2) Depression, which is endless;
3) Exhaustion, from which death is the only relief-and with that
reliefthe greed shall be more exhausted;
4) Fear, which uselessly disturbs his life;
5) Sadness, which uselessly disturbs his life;
6) Judgment, which does not save him from Allah's torture unless Allah
forgives him.
7) Punishment, from which there is no escape or avoidance."[158]
Greediness: is surely an evil desire which leads man to humiliation
and sin. Imam 'Ali (a.s.) said :"greed is a motive for evil." [159]
He (a.s.) also said : "The fruit of covetousness is complaining about
shortcomings." [160]
Dr. S.M. Caughaust said :"Stealing stems from greed. Thieves steal
that which they do not own because they covet it. He who steals a pair
of socksfrom a merchant, or a bicycle entrusted to him, only does so
because of the influence of covetousness to possess things. Thus, the
thieves motive for stealing is covetousness."[161]
Here we conclude that greed - this dangerous spiritual disorder-can be
treated by believing in Allah and the Last Day. Satisfaction can only
be achieved by strengthening one's spirituality and developing moral
excellence.
Possibility of Satan
you as much as needed." This shows that everyoneand everything in
this world is linked to God. This also shows that our world is not the
only existing world and that we are leaving in the lowest world of
all.
God has said that man could have all the worlds in hands. This proves
thatno creature from anotherworld could control man,unless it
establishes a reasonable relationship with him.
No matter how strong Satan is, man is stronger. Satan could only
deceive man by temptation. Satan is not a simple creature as we
imagine; it has different ways to deceive human man beings. But it
should be mentioned that Satan could only give one an idea. Man
himself extends that idea in such a way that it even amazes Satan.
We think that Satan is a simple being, but according to traditions,
whenever Satan faces a problem in deceiving man, he summons all
satans, infidels and jinns and tests different ways to deceive human
beings.
We may not be having a clear picture of the tricks of Satan, while the
late Ayatollah Bahjat used to say: human beings must be very careful
as if they have entered a field where bullets are shot at him from six
sides. Human beings can overcome Satanic forces by relying on their
divinenature and divine traditions whose objective is guidance of
human beings.
Another point is that as man is above all the other creatures, his
being controlled by Satan can only happen athis own will. Therefore,
in order to stop Satan, one should try to be more sensitive towards
what is right and what is wrong and to make his will stronger.
There are two sides to the primordial nature of man; one is to gain
perfection with love and affection towards sublime beings, and the
other one is passion for perfection by detesting imperfection or
imperfect beings, like Satan. Hating Satan helpsone move towards
perfection faster.
Satan can appear in different forms. In regards to the prophets, Satan
could never deceive them by temptation, and the only way he could
confront the prophets is to appearin a worldly form.
Some people believe thatSatan cannot incarnate into a human form, but
there are verses that reject this belief, like,"Remember Satan made
their (sinful) acts seem alluring to them, and said: No one among men
can overcome you this day, while I am near to you: But when the two
forces came in sight of each other, he turned on his heels, and said:
Lo! I am clear of you; lo! I see what ye see not; Lo! I fear Allah.
for Allah is strict in punishment." (Al-Anfal: 48)
Some believe that peoplecannot see Satan as God says in the Qur'an, "O
ye Children of Adam! Let notSatan seduce you, in the same manner as He
got your parents out of the Garden, stripping them of their raiment,
to expose their shame: for he and his tribe watch you from a position
where ye cannot see them: We made the evil ones friends (only) to
those without faith." (Al-A'raf: 27)
Maybe this just means that Satan cannot be seen by man in its real
form, but it is visible to man if it incarnates in a human (or another
worldly) form. Satan can turn into many different forms, but he can
never turn into the form of Prophet Muhammad or other prophets.
According to Prophet Muhammad, "Whoever sees me in a dream is actually
seeing me; because Satan could never turn into me."
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Islamic scholars' views of the ''truth of the matter''
illusion of matter in our minds is not compatible with Islam, and
maintain that religious scholars in the past rejected this fact. That
is not actually the case, however. On the contrary, what we are saying
here is in complete conformity with the verses of the Koran. It is
exceedingly important for a definite understanding of many verses and
subjects revealed in the Koran, such as heaven and hell, timelessness,
infinity, resurrection and the Hereafter.
Unquestionably, even if he is unaware of this subject, a person can
stilllive in complete faith. Hecan have faith, with all his heart and
feeling no doubt, in what God has revealed in the Koran. We must still
make it clear, however, that an awareness of this subject allows such
a person to deepen his faith and certainty. A number of Islamic
scholars of the past looked on the matter from that same point of
view. The only factors that prevented what they had to say from being
widely spread andknown were 1) the fact that the level of science when
they lived was unable to totally clarify the subject and 2) the
existence of trends that were apt to lead to its being misunderstood.
Explanations by Imam Rabbani
The most important ofthose Islamic scholars who explained the
true nature of matter was Imam Rabbani, who has been widely respected
in the Islamic world for hundreds of years and is seen as "the
greatest reformer of the 10th century according to theMuslim
calendar." In his book Letters, Imam Rabbani provides a detailed
commentary on this very subject. In one of his letters, Imam Rabbani
says that God created the entire universe at the level of perception:
… The Glorious God assigned an appearance from all appearances for
names from all names in the sphere of non-existence with his Perfect
Might. And He created it at the sphere of sensations and perceptions.
At the time He willed and in the wayHe willed … Even in the exterior
level, there is nothing permanent and existing other than the being
and attributes of Almighty God... 1
In another letter, Imam Rabbani once again stresses that all
that exists is created only at the level of senses and perceptions:
I have used the following sentence above, "God's creation isat the
level of senses andperceptions." 2
On close examination, Imam Rabbani is careful to emphasize that
the world we see, in other words all that exists, has been created on
the level of perception. Another of his statements on the subject is
as follows:
Nothing but God existson the outside… Perhapsall of Almighty God's
creation finds constancy on the level of perception… It only has
permanency thanks to God's artistry on that one level. In short, it
only has permanency and appearance on one level. It does not have
existence on one plane and appearance on another… 3
Explanations by Muhyiddin Ibn al-'Arabi
The great Islamic scholar Muhyiddin Ibn al-'Arabi also believed
that the only thing that has definitive existence is God, Who has
created the whole universe only on the perceptual level. He is known
as "The Greatest Master" (Shaykhal-Akbar) on account of the depth of
his knowledge, and in his work The Essence of Wisdom (Fusûs al-Hikam),
he reveals that the universe is but ashadow existence consisting of
what is manifested by God:
I say that you must know that apart from God, all that exists, or
everything in the universe, stands in the same relation to God as a
shadow to a man. That being the case, everything apart from God is but
His shadow… There is no doubt that the shadow exists in perception. 4
The Prophet Muhammad said that"people are asleep and wake up when
they die." This is to say that the objects seen in the world when
alive are similar to those seen when asleep while dreaming, meaning
that they exist in the imagination. 5
The Perversion of Philosophers
These explanations regarding the fact that the matter is illusion
are misunderstood by some people and likened to the views of some
ancient Greek philosophers or some other disbelieving philosophers.
Indeed, there have been philosophers who said matter is illusion, yet
these people went astray since they failed to grasp that this
illusionwas created by God. For instance, ancient Greek sophists said,
"Matter is aperception we have created ourselves." This view is
rationally and scientifically flawed, anddeparts from true religion.
As stressed fromthe very beginning, the truth is that matter is
created by God and doesexist, but we don't knowthe actual matter but
merely a version of it weperceive in our minds.
It is a grave error to confuse this false view of those
philosophers with the explanation given here by Islamic scholars about
the"nature of matter." In fact, Imam Rabbani mentions those
philosophers who depart from the truth when discussing the subject of
matter. He stresses that what he says is very different to their
twisted views. He says the following in his Letters:
When I refer to the world as "imaginary," I do not mean that it
is made and shaped by theimagination … Of course,what it really means
is that God has created the world on the perceptual level …
On the other hand, philosophers who are comprise a group of
lunatics actually talk about something else. What they mean is that
the world is the work of imagination and it is shaped by the
imagination. There is a great difference between the two. 6
Having a Grasp of the Truth of the Matter is Essential
As we have seen, the fact that we merely deal wih the version of
matter in our minds is a very important fact also stated by Islamic
scholars. Yet throughout history, this issue has never been accessible
to the masses; only a limited number of people knew about it. Inthis
century, this fact hasnow become explicable, thanks to the evidence
science has provided. The fact that we have noexperience of the actual
material world that exists outside our minds is, for the first time in
history, being clearly and comprehensibly explained. For this reason,
everyone must seriously consider the matter. Muslims in particular
must attach vital importance to it, because comprehendingthe true
facts about matter is important for attaining true faith in God.
Otherwise people will assume matter to be the absolute truth, which
will help the development of materialist philosophies that deny God or
perverted faiths.
Materialists tell the lie,"Matter is all that exists, and there
is no God". We, on the other hand, say, "The only absolute being is
God; matter is created by Him but we merely deal with its version in
our minds." Allpower belongs to God, Who creates matter at every
moment. That is the true meaning of "La Ilaha Illallah", the basis of
Islam, which means"there is no deity other than God". There is no
deity other than God. And in fact, there is nothing other than God.
There is only God and Hismanifestations. Everything we see around are
but His manifestations.
Having a grasp of the true facts about matter is important
because it will help people to comprehend this inner meaning. The fact
that having a grasp of this fact is an attribute peculiar to people of
profound faith and wisdom is stated in a verse:
God bears witness that there is no deity but Him, as do the angels and
the people of knowledge, upholding justice. There is no deity but Him,
the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Koran, 3:18)
1 - Imam Rabbani, Lettersof Rabbani, Vol II, 470. Letter, p. 517-518
2 - Imam Rabbani, Lettersof Rabbani, Vol II, 357. Letter, p. 163
3- Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, Vol II, 470. Letter, p. 519
4- Muhyiddin Ibn al-'Arabi, Fusus al-Hikam,p. 117-18
5- Muhyiddin Ibn al-'Arabi, Fusus al-Hikam,p. 220
6- Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, Vol II, 480. Letter, p. 543, 545
Truths that will change your life
Everyone lives inside his brain throughout his life, and can in no
way ever step out of it. Perceptions related to every illusion we see,
every sound we hear, every object we touch and everything we taste are
the perceptions that electrical signals form in our brain. We can
never make direct contact withthe original of any illusion we see, any
sound we hear or the fruit we taste outside our brains. Throughout our
lives, we watch perceptions formed in our brains.
For instance, someonewho travels in a plane, crossing over
oceans, actually travels between images formed in his brain. The image
and noise of the airport, the announcements made tothe passengers, the
noise of the engines, thesensation produced by a plane taxiing on a
runaway, clouds, the image of the city left behind, the oceans, the
sense of distance, the hardness of the seats, the texture of its
fabric.... All of these are perceived in the tiny visual center in the
brain.
The sense of distance formed in that center, which is only a few
inches in size, on the other hand, is a great miracle created by God.
Within such images created in such a small area, God also creates a
sense of distance, perceived as if one's destination were miles away.
Someone looking at the ocean from a plane window actually watches it
in his brain from the plane in his mind. The distance between the two,
on theother hand, is a perception God creates in the human being
wholives within his brain.
At this point, we encounter another important fact: The
consciousness that sees the ocean miles below, hears the noise of the
engine or feels the hardness of the seat does not consist of the cells
or nerves in the brain.
Who does perceive these sensations, then? The answer to this
question, which materialists cannot answer, is the soul God creates.
It is our soul thatexperiences all these sensations.
You must also have a better understanding of this glorious and
unprecedented artistry, this infinite wisdom in God's creation and
draw the appropriate conclusions from this miracle of creation.
Have they not reflected within themselves? God did not create the
heavens and the earth and everything betweenthem except with truth and
for a fixed term. Yet many people reject the meeting with their Lord.
(Koran, 30:8)
THERE IS MATTER OUTSIDE OF US, BUT WE CAN NEVER REACH ITS
ORIGINAL THROUGH OUR SENSES
If someone asks you how far away the TV set is when you are
watching the late-night news, you will most probably answer, "A
fewfeet." Yet, that answer is far from accurate. That isbecause the TV
set is not"a few feet" away from you at all, but is in the sensory
center in your brain. What you see is not the television out there but
an image formed in the visual center in your brain. Thesignal reaching
you by means of light from the external world is transformed into
electrical signals by your cells, and these signals reaching the brain
are perceived as an image.
This fact is a great miracle created by God. In a tiny space made
up of flesh, lipids and proteins, God creates a colorful, bright image
that gives a true sense ofdepth. This is an image of perfect quality
and sharpness that has no blurriness, darkness or shift. Furthermore,
in another tiny spot in that same brain, God creates high-quality,
multi-dimensional sound with no distortion that accompanies this image
perfectly and is totally synchronized with it.
It is a scientific fact that everyone actually lives in a small
room in his skull, in a tiny part of his brain. No one, no matter how
much he strives, can ever step outof that room in his brain.He can
never reach the original of the world that occurs in his brain.
This scientific fact is very important in the sense that it
indicates the glorious and unprecedented creation of God. From the
Prophet Adam on, God has created separate lives in the brains of all
the people that have ever appeared on Earth, showed colorful, bright
images providing a sense of distance in the brains of billions of
people and caused them to hear the loveliest songs, the roaring of a
waterfall, thunder or thebuzzing of a bee. More strikingly, God
created all such perceptions withsuch delicate harmony and perfection
that the majority of these people never realized that they actually
heard the sounds or watched the images in their brains. They always
assumed that they saw the actual things that existed in theoutside
world, talked to them or touched them.
Never forget this important truth:
We can never reach the original object. We can only experience
what we see in our brains.
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION DARWINIST-MATERIALISTS CANNOT ANSWER:
Who Is It That Watches A Bright World, Hears BirdsSinging Or Smells A Rose?
Stimuli coming from the ears, eyes and nose reach the brain in
the form of electrical signals.Who is it in the brain that experiences
these electric signals as sound, smell and sensation? Inside the brain
there exists a consciousness that perceives all these without having
any need for eyes, ear or nose. To whom does thisconsciousness belong?
Darwinist-materialists, who believe that nothing exists except matter,
cannot answer these questions.
Never forget that it is in your power to destroythe basic claims
of Darwinist-materialist ideology.
The 21st century will be the century when all these facts will be
grasped and accepted.
EVERYONE LIVES HIS ENTIRE LIFE IN THE SMALL SPACE IN HIS BRAIN
There is one fact everyone knows: The senses of sight, sound,
smell and taste are perceived in the brain. That is, we experience the
outside world inside us. We spend our entire lives in that small space
in our brains. We watch the outside world on thetelevision in our
brain. We smell the electrical signals entering our brains from the
external world in our sensory centers. We again perceive the
electrical signals entering our brains from the external world as
hardness. The electrical signals entering our brains are transformed
into soundsin the loudspeakers in our brains.
We experience all these sensations in that room of a few cubic
inches in our brains, andall through our lives we can never step out
of it. No individual, not someone traveling from one continent to
another, nor the first man who walked on the moon, nor a farmer whohas
never left his village in his life can go anywhere outside the small
room in his brain. We see oceans, woods, the sky, the Sun, the Moon,
flowers and fruits,which do exist in the external world, in this small
room in our brain. We smell them there andhear the sounds they produce
in that room, without ever making direct contact with their originals
outside … Inside the brain there is a consciousness perceiving all
these sensations. However, that conscious certainly does not belong to
the nerve cells or lipids making up the brain. This consciousness is
the soul God creates.
Every individual who reads this obvious fact must ponder on God,
theExalted, Who places the entire universe with all its colors in a
pitch-dark space of a few cubic inches in the brain, fear Him and take
refuge in Him.
THE TRUTH OF THE LIFE OF THIS WORLD IS THE DESTINY GOD SHOWS US
IN OUR BRAINS
The entire life of a human being is made upof the perceptions in
his brain revealed to him through his five senses. For instance, a
person walking on the street actually walks on the street inside his
brain. His feet, the unevenness of the pavement, the sloping road, the
discomfort his shoes cause him, the height of the curbstones, the
windand all the cars passing by are seen and sensed in the brain.
A person who rubs hiseye because of an irritating dust particle
init will grasp this reality. When he rubs his eye, hesees the image
of the road, trees and cars moving up and down. This is similar to the
shifting of images on thetelevision. That system also exists in the
brain. In this sense, a person is similar to someone watching
television. In the same way that he watches television programs, he
also watches what is provided for him, through his senses, in
hisbrain.
This being the case, who is it that sees these images in his
brain or feels the cold wind on his face? God informs us that it is
the SOUL that perceives these sensations. What we call"our life" is
actually what our Lord shows our soul in accordance with the destiny
He creates for us.
WHO IS IT THAT WATCHES THE IMAGE OF A HOUSE FORMED IN HIS BRAIN?
The question that most bothers Darwinist-materialists is; "Who is
it that SEES the three dimensional, bright image that is formed in the
brain?" As we know, everything we see is an image formed by electrical
signals reaching our brains. Stimuli entering from the eye reach the
visual center in the brain, and the brain forms a three dimensional,
colorful image conveying a flawless sense of dimension.
Books on biology, physiology and biochemistry give a detailed
account of how this image is formed in the brain. However, you will be
unable to find the most important fact about this issue anywhere: The
image is formed in the brain. But,who is it that watches the image
formed there?An image without an audience is of no use. So, where is
this audience located in the body? No one has so far encountered a
being in the brain that watches this image.
The one who watchesthe image in the brain is not a being made up
of flesh and bone. It is rather man's consciousness, that is, his
soul. Because they donot want to accept the existence of the soul,
Darwinist-materialists always avoid this question. Once the issue is
raised, they strive to silence the speaker in a panic. You can try
askinga Darwinist-materialist that question yourself!
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT?
If someone asks you how far away a friend ofyours is from you as
you chat to him, you will most probably answer,"A few feet." Yet, that
is not an accurate answer. Your friend is not a few feet away at all;
he is in the visual center in your brain. The direction from which you
hear his sound and his three-dimensional image conveying a perfect
sense of depth makes you think that he is a few feet away from you.
This sensation is so strong that proving otherwise demands a
lotof explanation, as is the case right now. However, what we are
discussing here is not a philosophy or a system of thought. The fact
that what we call "the material world" is created in the sensory
centers in our brain is also verified by science today.
The TV set which you think exists in the cornerof your room, the
music you hear, the roses you smell, your friends you enjoy being
with, the ice-cream that tastes so good, in brief, everything in the
outside world an image formed in your brain.
NO LEAF FALLS WITHOUT HIS KNOWING IT
God knows;
That you are reading these lines right now,
What crosses your mind while you read these lines,
What you will be doing in a moment,
Everything you will dountil the end of your life,
Everything you assume you have witnessed alone.
In some sections of society, we observe the prevalence of a
distortedunderstanding of destiny. This distorted concept of fate
holds thesuperstitious belief that God has determined a"destiny" for
everyone, but that these destinies can sometimes be changed by people.
For instance, if someone comes back from the brink of death people
make superstitious statements like "He cheated fate." Yet, nobody is
able to change his destiny. The reason the person who comes back from
death'sdoor does not die is because he is destined not to do so at
that particular time. It is also the destiny of those people who
deceive themselves by saying "I cheated fate" to say so and maintain
such an erroneous mindset.
All events, whether we witness them or not, occur under God's
knowledge and control. Destiny is the eternal knowledge of God, and
for Him, Who knows time like a single moment and Who rules all time
and space, everything is determined and done with in destiny.
The keys of the Unseen are in His possession. No one knows them
but Him. He knows everything in the land and sea. No leaf falls
without His knowing it. There is no seed in the darkness of the earth,
and nothing moist or dry which is notin a Clear Book. (Koran, 6:59)
THE MAGNIFICENT SECRET IN THE BRAIN
A region of a few cubic centimetres in the cerebral cortex is similar
to a television screen collecting the stimuli coming from the optic
nerves. And we, or rather our minds, watch the colours, various
lightcombinations or the beautiful wing of a butterfly within our
pitch-dark skulls on the black cerebral cortex. This is similar to
watching something on a television screen. We see our entire world on
this screen in our brains.
Who knows what the originals of the objects we see are like? For
instance, does the original of the butterfly we see on the screen in
our brains, possess the same colours as the reds,blues and yellows we
perceive? Or are these only the colours of the image we see in our
brains? We can never know the answers to these questions. Our soulthat
watches these images in the brain can never step out of the brain and
see the originals of these images. Consequently, the soul can never
know whether the things it sees are the same as their originals.
This is such a great miracle that the majorityof people fail to grasp
this fact, and those who do feign ignorance of it. From the moment
they are born, God makes people watch a screen intheir brains, makes
every soul live inside a skull, a narrow, small and compact space.
However, the images God makes people perceive are so magnificent,
detailed and identical to their originals that they do not even notice
where they really are. When watching copy images intheir brains, and
living within their skulls, people assume they are sailing by boat,
flying in the sky in a jet, or covering thousands of miles.
Furthermore, no matter how often they may be told, they still cannot
conceive that they are, in reality, livingin their skulls. This is
oneof the greatest miracles a person can ever come across in this
world. You will see that pondering deeply over this miracle will open
new horizons for you.
THE GREATEST FEAR OF THOSE WHO ARE SWEPT AWAY BY MATERIAL GREED…
Think for a moment about those people who are swept away by material
greed: What do they value most? A fine house, luxurious things,
ostentatious jewellery, the latest model car, big bank accounts, a
yacht ...For this reason, such people are terrified of the fact that
they are observing all the things they possess on a screen in their
brains, and that they will never actually possess the originals of
these things.
However, this is a fact confirmed by the scientific advances in
the21st century. People live in a world of facsimiles composed in
their brains, and cannot possibly have any relationship with any
external world. Sound, light and smell cannot enter the skull; what
enters is only electrical impulses coming from these material things.
This is the situation of someone, as in the example above, who gives
money for the magnificent villa shown in the background. While he
thinks that he is buying the villa and counting out the money,he is
really buying an impression formed in hisbrain, and is not giving
actual money to the person in front of him, only an image of money.The
person receiving themoney is really receivingan impression. In other
words, there is a"transaction of impressions".
THE WEALTHIEST MAN IN THE WORLD ACTUALLY POSSESSES NOT WORLDLY GOODS
BUT THE IMAGES OFTHESE POSSESSIONS FORMED IN HIS BRAIN...
Have you ever thought that you can never possess the originals of the
possessions you think you own? This is a scientific fact that appears
even in biology and physiology textbooks.
Let's assume that you have a car. You actually watch this car on a
screen in your brain. When you hold the steering-wheel or drive down
the highway, you are actually watching these actions on the screen in
your brain. Light rays from the steering-wheel, the indicators,
rear-view mirror and all the other components of the car are
transformed into electrical signals in your eye and conveyed to the
visual centre of the brainvia the nerves. This way, an image of a car,
identical to its original, is formed in your brain. But you must be
cautious! YOU SEE AN IMAGE IDENTICAL TO THE ORIGINAL, YET WHICH IS NOT
THE ORIGINAL.
Even if you wished you could never see the original of that car. That
is because, no matter what you do, the image of the car will always
form in the visual centre in your brain. No matter what you do, you
can never see even a single point outside the image that is formed in
the visual centre in your brain. For this reason, what you possess is
actually not the car itself,but a copy.
In the same manner, youcan only have copies of your clothes in your
wardrobe, the house in which you live, your furniture and all the
fortune you think you own, in your brain. Consequently, even the
wealthiest man in the world does not possess the greatest fortune in
the world at all, but copies of that fortune in his brain.
THE OWNERS OF THE FACTORIES, YACHTS AND LANDS THAT ARE ONLY IMAGES IN
THE BRAIN FEEL DISTRESSED FOR NO REASON
The majority of people value their houses, factories, yachts, lands,
jewellery, bank accountsand antiques very much. They devote all their
lives to attaining these material goods, and work day and night to
that end. Their greatest fear is of losing these things accumulated
overthe years with such difficulty. Never pondering the real meaning
of these material goods, however, they are greatly misled.
That is because they can never encounter the originals of these
possessions they strive to preserve with such ambition.
They can never live in their actual houses, sail on their actual
yachts and can never wear their actual jewellery. They can only watch
the electrical signals from these objects on the screen in their
brains. What they watch are theone-to-one copies of their possessions.
This great fact renders all those ambitions and concerns meaningless,
and humiliates those who boast about what they watch on the screen in
their brains. However, when death comes upon them it will be too late
for those who spend their lives ongaining worldly benefitsand those
who yearn forthe worldly life and forget the hereafter. OurLord
informs us of this fact with the verse "If only death had really been
the end! My wealthhas been of no use to me. My power has vanished."
(Qur'an, 69:27-29)
HUMANITY UNDERSTANDS THIS GREAT FACT NOW
When you sit by the ocean and watch the sea, the breathtaking scenery
actually forms inyour brain. That is, you do not see the actual ocean
but a copy formedin your brain. The nerves, as with an electrical
cable, convey the light rays from the outside to the visual centre in
the brain. The scenery, on the other hand, forms in this tiny centre.
Yet, there exists not a single light, colour or movement in the visual
centre, because the skull is completely insulated from light. Despite
this fact, on this tiny and pitch-dark region, we watch a highly
detailed, coloured, three-dimensional external world with a quality
better than any image produced by high-tech equipment.
The blue colour of the sea and the sky, the white appearance of
theclouds, the grey colour of the buildings in the distance are all
colours produced by the electrical signals in your brain. You can
never know the actual colours of the sky, clouds, the sea and
buildings. That is because you can neverbe in touch with their real
images. But the image in your brain is soperfect that it is almost
identical to the original. That is why, from the moment you are born,
you are deceived by assuming that what you see in the external
worldare the real images. The fact is, however, you are always
watching the image formed in your brain.
In that case, can you be sure that the real colour of the sea is blue?
Or, is it certain that everyone sees the clouds as white and the sky
blue, like you do? This is something you can never know, and that you
can never learn. That is because you can never step out of the
boundaries of your brain and see the actual sky, ocean, clouds and
buildings.
This is one of the most important facts in your life, and for
centuries there has been a deliberate effort to keepthat fact hidden.
The scientific developments of the 20th and 21st centuries have now
made it possible to reveal that fact. Never feign ignorance of this
fact, but ponder over it.
ARE YOU IN THE ROOM, OR IS THE ROOM INSIDE YOU?
A person who sits in his house, watching television or having dinner
with his family, experiences a great miracle, even though he is
unaware of it. That miracle is the fact that the image of four walls
surrounding a person sitting in a room is, in reality, within the
brain of that person.
That being the case, are you in the room, or is the room inside you?
The majority of people are unaware of this great truth; they assume
themselves to be sitting in a room, watching television or chatting
with their family. Those who grasp this fact, on the other hand,
pretend not to understand this miracle since they fear it.Yet, this
great fact about which they plead ignorance is an undeniable,
confirmed one, also revealed by science. Stimuli reachingthe eye from
the four walls that make up the room, the pictures hanging on the
wall, thetelevision, the carpet on the floor, the coloured furniture
and the light on the ceiling are transformed into electrical currents
by theeye cells. These currents are then transmitted to the visual
centre in the brain, and the person watches the image of the house,
which he thinks he is in, in the tiny space in the rear part of his
brain.
At this point, an important question arises: What is it that sees
these coloured, vivid images, without the need for an eye, eye lens,
retina and iris in the pitch-dark skull?
It is the "soul".
The reason why a personassumes himself to be in a room is the
sharpness of the images he watches in his brain and their
identicalness to theoriginals. This is a miracle by itself.
EVERY ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN A STADIUM WATCHES A SEPARATE GAME
A person entering a stadium assumes that he will watch the same game
as thousands of other people in the stands. Yet, this is a
greatdelusion.
That is because, in the brain of each person in the stadium, there
exists a separate stadium, separate players, a separate playground, a
separate crowd, in brief,a separate image. Yet, everyone assumes that
there exists a single game being played in a single stadium and that
thousands of people are watching the same game. Furthermore,
theyassume that those who remain in their houses are watching the very
same game on their televisions.
Yet, the fact is that in everyone's brain, copies that are
indistinguishable from their originals are created. The number of
these copies is equal to the number of watchers.The people in the
stadium cannot see the image in the outer world, and neither can those
at home see the real image on the television screen. That is because
it is impossible for anyone to step outside the screen in their brain
and get in touch with the original image outside. The only thing these
people can see is their brain's interpretation of the information
reaching it. It is the soul that sees. It is, on the other hand, God,
the Lord of the entire universe, Who creates both the soul and the
images with one-to-one similarity to their originals. What is more,
God creates these copies one by one for each and every individual.
WHO IS IT THAT LISTENS TO A CONCERT IN THE DEEP SILENCE OF THE BRAIN?
The ear captures the sounds around us and delivers them to the middle
ear. The middle ear amplifies the sound vibrations and delivers them
to the inner ear. The inner ear transformsthese sound vibrations into
electric signals, and then transmits them to the brain. The hearing
process takes place in the hearing centre of the brain.
But, who is it that hears?
The hearing centre is completely insulated from sound. That is, no
matter what the level of noise coming from the outside, the inside of
thebrain is always silent. But, in this deep silence, we listen to our
favourite songs or the concerts of famous bands from the giant
loudspeakers placed in astadium.
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Akhirah · Preparation
that I was prepared by putting on my big coat, woolly hat and gloves
before even leaving the house. So what?
Well, we are always reminded, either in the quran, ahadith or by
others, of the temporary nature of this life in the dunya, yet we
still remainignorant to prepare for when we have to leave this world.
The journey to work/ school etc. for us is only a short one yet we
prepare for whateverthe weather may be outdoors, but for the permanent
abode of the akhirah (hereafter) we choose to cast aside in our mind
and ignore the signs telling us to prepare?
I leave you to ponder over this…May Allah Almighty give us the ability
to draw some important lessons from above and act in order toprepare
for our eternal life in the hereafter, ameen.
Akhirah · Currency of Jannah
cannot function inAmerica, where the currency is the dollar , and
whoever has more dollars will live that muchmore comfortably.
Likewise, the currency of Saudi Arabia is the riyal , and whoever has
more riyals will be that much richer than the one who does not.
The currency of the Hereafter is righteous deeds and no other currency
will benefit manafter his death . There willbe no foreign currency
exchange where he can change his money for good deeds like we do here
when traveling from country to country. The person who has more of
this currency of good deeds will be in that much more comfort than the
person who does not. Today we have been given time to amassthis
currency so that we may be in comfort in the Hereafter. It will be too
late in the grave.
Does man ever stop to reflect on the fact that heis getting old? The
answer is an emphatic nobecause man always considers himself young in
every circumstance. Hisyouth slips away and man becomes an empty shell
but he does not realize this. He still thinks himself young when the
Angel of Death comes for him.
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
First Infallible: First Infallible: Mohammad Al-Mustafa (saw) Sayings:
-
First Infallible: Mohammad Al-Mustafa (saw) Sayings:
*. The most honored among people who is pious, and the strongest among
people who depends on Allah.
*. A man giving in alms one piece of silver in his lifetime is better
for him than giving one hundred when about todie.
*. To meet friends cheerfully and invite them to a feast are charitable acts.
*. To extend consideration towards neighbors and send them presents
are charitable acts.
*. To acquire knowledge is binding upon all Muslims, whether male or female.
*. The ink of the scholar ismore holy than the blood of the martyr.
*. He who travels in the search of knowledge, to him God shows the way
of Paradise.
*. Acquire knowledge, because he who acquires it, in the way of the
Lord, performs an act of piety; who speaks of it praises the Lord; who
seeks it, adores God, who dispenses instruction init, bestows alms;
and who imparts it to its fitting objects, performs an act of devotion
to God. Knowledge enables its possessor to distinguishwhat is
forbidden from what is not; lights the way to Heaven; it is our friend
in the desert, ourcompanion in solitude, our companion, when benefit
of friends; it guides us to happiness; it sustains us in misery; it is
our ornament in the company of friends;it serves as an armor against
our enemies. With knowledge the creatures of Allah rises to the
heights of goodness and to noble position, associates with the
sovereigns in this world and attains the perfection of happiness in
the next.
*. Keep yourselves far from envy, because it eats up and takes away
good actions, like the fire that eats up and burns wood.
*. Whoever suppresses hisanger, when he has in his power to show it,
God will give him a great reward.
*. He is not strong and powerful, who throws people down, but he is
strong who withholds himself from anger.
*. Deal gently with a people, and be not harsh; cheer them and condemn not.
*. Much silence and a good disposition; there are no two works better
than these.
*. The best of friends is hewho is best in behavior and character.
*. One who does not practice modesty and does not refrain from
shameless deeds is not a Muslim.
*. Paradise lies at the feet of thy mother.
*. He who wishes to enter Paradise must please his father and mother.
*. No one who keeps his mind focused entirely upon himself can grow
large, strong and beautiful in character.
*. Whoever loves to meet God, God loves to meet him.
*. The five stated prayers erase the sins which have been committed
during the intervals between them if they have not been mortal sins.
*. God is not merciful to him who is not so to humankind. He who is
not kind to God's creation and to his ownchildren, God will not be
kind to him.
*. Whosoever visits a sick person, an angel calls from Heaven: "Be
happy in the world and happy be your walking;and take your habitation
in Paradise."
*. The love of the world is the root of all evils.
*. Wealth properly employed is a blessing; and a man may
lawfullyendeavor to increase it by honest means.
*. One who listens to the call of a Muslim, and does not respond to
it, is NOT a Muslim.
*. One, who gets up in themorning and is not concerned about the
affairs of other Muslims,is NOT a Muslim.
*. Being in need of Allah isa source of pride for meand I take pride in it.
*. Honesty brings subsistence. Dishonesty brings poverty.
*. I will certainly hear himwho greets me near mytomb, and I will
surely respond the salaams of him who greets me from any place.
Islam's History - The Battle of Islam at Nahrawan:
(A.S.) returned with his army back to Kufa on the 13th of Safar 37
A.H. During the march, a group of 12,000 men kept themselves at a
distance from the main part of thearmy.
The group was furious at the way things had ended at Siffin. These
were the Kharjites (Kharjite means one who rebels against religion).
They were the same people who had put down their weapons on the
battlefield. Now they said that Imam Ali (A.S.) had betrayed Islam by
agreeing to the truce andshould have referred judgment to the Holy
Qur'an alone or continued to fight. They demanded that he repentfor
this great sin.
When the army neared Kufa, the Kharjites camped at a village named
Harura. They started saying that all Muslims were equal and nobody
could rule over the other. In this way, they denounced both Imam Ali
(A.S.) and Muawiya and said that their belief was in "La Hukma Illa
Lillah", meaning, "No Ruler ship except by Allah alone."
Imam Ali (A.S.) sent Sasaa Bin Sauhan and Ziad Bin Nazr Harisi in the
company of Ibne Abbas towards them and afterwards himself went to the
place of their stay and tried to explain to them that they were
misunderstanding the words "La Hukma Illa Lillah" , and that in
accepting the arbitration (peace talks) at Siffin, he had not gone
against theteachings of the Holy Qur'an.
He pointed out that they themselves were at fault, because they should
never have laid down their arms and forced him to call back Malike
Ashtar , who was at the point of securing victory. He reminded them
that they had pressed for the arbitration and had forced him to
appoint Abu Musa Ash'ari as their representative. He told them that he
found their present behavior very strange, considering their
involvement in Siffin. To this they admitted that they had sinned but
now they had repented for it and he should do the same.
Imam Ali (A.S.) replied that he was a true believer and did not haveto
repent because he hadnot committed any sin and dispersed them after
discussion.
The Kharjites refused to accept the words of Imam Ali (A.S.) and
awaited the decision of Amr al-Aas and Abu Musa Ash'ari. When they
learnt of the decision they decided to revolt, and they set up their
headquarters at Nahrawan, twelve miles from Baghdad. Some people came
from Basra to join the rebels.
On the other side, after hearing the verdict of Arbitration Imam Ali
(A.S.)rose for fighting the army of Syria and wrote to the Kharijites
that the verdict passed by the twoarbitrators in pursuance of their
heart's wishes instead of the Qur'an andsunnah was not acceptable to
him, that he had therefore decidedto fight with them and they should
support him for crushing the enemy. But the Kharijites gave him this
reply, "When you had agreed to Arbitration in our view you had turned
heretic. Now if you admit your heresy and offer repentance we will
think over this matter and decide what we should do." Imam Ali (A.S.)
understood from their reply that their disobedience and misguidance
had becomevery serious. To entertainany kind of hope from them now was
futile. Consequently, ignoring them he encamped in thevalley of
an-Nukhaylah with a view to marching towards Syria to fight against
Muawiya.
Imam Ali (A.S.) had already started towards Muawiya when he received
the news that they had butchered the governor of Nahrawan namely
Abdullah Ibn Khabbab Ibn al-Aratt and his slave maid with the child in
her womb, and have killed three women of Banu Tayyi and Umm Sinan
as-Saydawiyyah. Imam Ali (A.S.) sent al-Harith Ibn Murrah al-Abdi for
investigation but he too was killed by them. When their rebellion
reached this stage it was necessary to deal with them. There was a
danger that the Kharjites might attack Kufa while Imam Ali (A.S.)and
his men were marching towards Muawiya, so Imam Ali (A.S.) decided to
stop them. He changed his course eastward, crossed the river Tigris
and approached Nahrawan.
On reaching there Imam Ali (A.S.) sent a messengerto the Kharjites
demanding that those people who had murdered innocent Muslims around
their camp should be surrendered. The Kharjites replied that they were
all equally responsible for killing these sinners.
There was some reluctance in the army of Imam Ali (A.S.) to fight the
Kharjites, because they had been their companions against Muawiya at
Siffin. Imam Ali (A.S.) himself did not desire the bloodshed of these
misguided fanatics,so he sent Abu Ayyub al-Ansari with a message of
peace. So he spoke to them aloud, "Whoever comes under this banner or
separates from that party and goes to Kufah or al-Mada'in would get
amnesty and he would not be questioned. As a result of this Farwah Ibn
Nawfal al-Ashja'i said that he did not know why they were at war with
Imam Ali (A.S.). Saying this he separated along with five hundred men.
Similarly group after group began to separate and some of them joined
Imam Ali (A.S.). In the end, only cores of 1,800 die-hards were left
under the command of Abdallah binWahab. These Kharjites swore that
they would fight Imam Ali (A.S.) at any cost.
Nahjul Balagha - Sermon 36/Warning the people of Nahrawan of their fate:
"I am warning you that you will be killed on the bend of this canal
and onthe level of this low area while you will have no clear excuse
before Allah nor any open authority with you. You have come out of
your houses and then divine decree entangled you. I had advised you
against this arbitration but you rejected my advice like adversaries
and opponents till I turned my ideas in the direction of your wishes.
You are a group whose heads are devoid of wit and intelligence. May
you have no father! (Allah's woe be to you!) I have not put you in any
calamity nor wished you harm."
The Kharjites attacked Imam Ali's (A.S.) army with desperate courage.
However, they did not stand a chance against the superior army that
faced them and they were all killed except nine men. These nine
managed to flee to Basra and elsewhere, where they spread the fire of
their hatred and recruited more followers.From Imam Ali's (A.S.) army
only eight persons fell as martyrs. The battle took place on the 9th
Safar, 38 A.H. Two years later, in 40 A.H., it was theKharjites who
sent out three assassins to kill Imam Ali (A.S.), Muawiya and Amr
al-Aas. The lattertwo survived but Imam Ali (A.S.) was martyred
following Ibne Muljam's cowardly attack in the mosque of Kufa.
Having disposed of the Kharjites at Nahrawan, Imam Ali (A.S.) resumed
his march to Syria. However, the chiefs of hisfollowers urged him to
stop at Kufa to let the men rest before the long journey and to enable
the army to repair their weapons and armours. Imam Ali (A.S.) agreed
to this request and camped at Nukhayla outside Kufa.The soldiers were
allowed to leave the camp for a day.
On the next day, hardly any men returned and at length, Imam Ali
(A.S.) entered Kufa and gave a stern sermon to the people. However,
nobodycame forward and finally,Imam Ali (A.S.) turned away from them
in disappointment. The Syrian expedition was abandoned, never to be
resumed.
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Thumamah ibn Uthal - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)
God be on him, decided to expand the scope of his mission.He sent
eight letters to rulers in the Arabian peninsula and surrounding areas
inviting them to Islam. One of these rulers wasThumamah ibn Uthal.
Thumamah was one of the mostpowerful Arab rulers in pre-Quranic times.
This is not surprising since he was a chieftain of the Banu Hanifah
and one of the rulers of al-Yamamah whose word no one dared to
challenge or disobey.
When Thumamah received the Prophet's letter, he was consumed by anger
and rejectedit. He refused to listen to the invitation of Truth and
goodness. More than that, he felt a strong desire to go and killthe
Prophet and bury his mission with him.
Thumamah waited and waited for a convenient time to carry out his
design against the Prophet until eventually forgetfulness caused him
to loseinterest. One of his uncles, however, reminded him of his plan,
praising what he intended to do.
In the pursuit of his evil design against the Prophet, Thumamah met
and killed a group of the Prophet's companions. The Prophet thereupon
declared hima wanted man who could lawfully be killed on sight. Not
long afterwards, Thumamah decided to perform umrah. He wanted to
perform tawaf around the Kabah and sacrifice to the idols there. So he
left al-Yamamah for Makkah. As he was passing near Madinah, an
incident took place which he had not anticipated.
Groups of Muslims were patrolling the districts of Madinah and
outlying areas on the lookout for any strangers or anyone intent on
causing trouble. One of these groups came upon Thumamah and
apprehended him but they did not know who he was. They took him to
Madinah and tied him to one of the columns in themosque. They waited
for the Prophet himself to question the man and decide what should be
done with him.
When the Prophet was about to enter the mosque, he saw Thumamah and
asked his companions, 'Do you know whom you have taken?"
"No, messenger of God," they replied.
"This is Thumamah ibn Uthal al-Hanafi," he said. "You have done well
in capturing him."
The Prophet then returned home to his family and said,"Get what food
you can and send it to Thumamah ibn Uthal."He then ordered his camel
to be milked for him. All this was donebefore he met Thumamah or had
spoken to him.
The Prophet then approached Thumamah hoping to encouragehim to become
a Muslim. "What do you have to say for yourself?"he asked.
"If you want to kill in reprisal," Thumamah replied, "you can have
someone of noble blood to kill. If, out of your bounty, you want to
forgive, I shall be grateful. If you want money in compensation, I
shall give you whatever amount you ask."
The Prophet then left him for two days, but still personally sent him
food and drink and milk from his camel. The Prophet went back to him
and asked, "What do you have to say for yourself?" Thumamah repeated
what he had said the day before. The Prophet then leftand came back to
him the following day. "What do you have to say for yourself?" he
asked again and Thumamah repeated what he had said once more. Then the
Prophet turned to his companions and said, "Sethim free."
Thumamah left the mosque of the Prophet and rode until he came to a
palm grove on the outskirts of Madinah near al-Baqi' (a place of
luxuriant vegetation which later became acemetery for many of the
Prophet's companions). He watered his camel and washed himself well.
Then he turned back and made his way to the Prophet's mosque. There,
he stood before a congregation of Muslims and said: "I bear witness
that there is no god but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His
servant and His messenger." He then went tothe Prophet, upon whom be
peace, and said: "O Muhammad, by God, there was never on this earth a
face more detestable than yours. Now, yours is the dearest face of all
to me." "I have killed some of your men," he continued, "I am at your
mercy. What will you have done to me?"
"There is now no blame on you, Thumamah," replied the Prophet.
"Becoming a Muslim obliterates past actions and marks a new
beginning."
Thumamah was greatly relieved.His face showed his surprise andjoy and
he vowed, "By God, I shall place my whole self, my sword, and whoever
is with me at your service and at the serviceof your religion."
"O Rasulullah," he went on,"when your horsemen captured me I was on my
way to perform umrah. What do you think I should do now?"
"Go ahead and perform your umrah," replied the Prophet,"but perform it
according to the laws of God and His messenger."The Prophet then
taught him how to perform umrah according to Islamic rules.
Thumamah left to fulfill his intention. When he reached the valley of
Makkah, he began shouting in a loud, resonant voice:
"Labbayk Allahumma labbayk. Labbayka Laa shareeka Laka labbayk. Innal
hamda wan ni'mata Laka wall mulk. Laa shareeka Lak. (Here I am at Your
command O Lord, Here I am. Here I am. No partner have You. Here I am.
Praise, bounty and Dominion belong to You. No partner have You.")
He was thus the first Muslim on the face of the earth to enter Makkah
reciting the talbiyah.
The Quraysh heard the sound of the talbiyah and felt both anger and
alarm. With drawn swords, they set out towards the voice to punish the
one who had thus assaulted their preserve. As they came closer to him,
Thumamah raised his voice even higher while reciting the talbiyah and
looked upon them with pride and defiance. One of the Qurayshyoung men
was particularly incensed and was about to shoot Thumamah with an
arrowwhen the others grabbed his hand and shouted:
"Woe to you! Do you know who this is? He is Thumamah ibn Uthal, ruler
of al-Yamamah. By God, if you should harm him, his people would cut
our supplies, with dire consequences for us."
Swords were replaced in their scabbards as the Quraysh went up to
Thumamah and said:
"What's wrong with you, Thumamah? Have you given in and abandoned your
religion and the religion of your forefathers?"
"I have not given in," he replied,"but I have decided to follow
thebest religion. I follow the religion of Muhammad. "
He then went on: "I swear to you by the Lord of this House that after
my return to al-Yamamah, no grain of wheat or any of its produce shall
reach you until you follow Muhammad."
Under the watchful eyes of the Quraysh, Thumamah performed umrah as
the Prophet, peace be upon him, had instructed him. He dedicated his
sacrifice to God alone.
Thumamah returned to his land and ordered his people to withhold
supplies from the Quraysh. The boycott gradually began to have effect
and became more and more stringent. Prices began to rise. Hunger began
to bite and there was even fear of death among the Quraysh. Thereupon,
they wrote to the Prophet, saying:
"Our agreement with you (the treaty of Hudaybiyyah) is that you should
maintain the bonds of kinship but you have gone against that. You have
cut the bonds of kinship. You have killedand caused death through
hunger. Thumamah ibn Uthal has cut our supplies and inflicted harm on
us. Perhaps you would see fit to instruct himto resume sending us what
we need."
The Prophet immediately sent a messenger instructing Thumamah to lift
the boycott and resume supplies to the Quraysh. This Thumamah did.
Thumamah spent the rest of his life in the service of his religion,
abiding by the undertaking he had given to the Prophet. When the
Prophet died, many Arabs began leaving the religion of God in great
numbers. Musaylamah, the impostor, began calling the Banu Hanifah to
believe in him as a Prophet. Thumamah confronted him and said to his
people:
"O Banu Hanifah, beware of this grievous matter. There is no light or
guidance in it. By God, it will only bring distress and suffering to
whoever joins this movement and misfortune even to those who do not
join.
"O Banu Hanifah, two prophets do not come at the same time and there
shall be no Prophet after Muhammad and no Prophet to share in his
mission."
He then read out to them the following verses of the Quran:"Ha Mim.
The revelation of this Book is from God the Almighty, the Knowing. He
forgives sins and accepts repentance. He is severe in punishment and
has a long reach. There is no god except Him. To Him is the journey's
end." (Surah Ghafir; verses 1-3).
"Can you compare these words of God with the uttering of Musaylamah?" he asked.
He then gathered together all those who had remained in Islam and
began to wage a jihadagainst the apostates and to make the words of
God supreme. The loyal Muslims of Banu Hanifah needed additional help
to stand against the armiesof Musaylamah. Their arduous task was
completed by the forces dispatched by Abu Bakr but at the cost of many
a Muslimlife.
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
A Day on the Tennis Courts
tennis league... although I am not sure how funny it was at the time.
Our next opponent in the tennis league, Richmond, came into the match
witha dreadful record of 0 wins, 5 losses. The interesting thing about
Richmond was their captain. Every captain hasa different personality
in this league, but I have been warned about Mikhail being a"handful".
We hosted Richmond on Saturday. Some of their players, who had paid
large dues to be a member of their club, seemed annoyed that they had
to play on our public courts, a far cry from the quality of the
typical private club. As their players took the court, Mikhail grabbed
a measuring tape out of hisbag and measured the height of the net. He
complained that the net was a ½ inch too high and demanded that we
drop it. I felt like saying,"Look, your team is 0-5, does it really
matter?", but instead I lowered the net to his satisfaction. Then,
when he opened a can of balls that we supplied, he complained that the
balls were too fuzzy.
When I tested the ball, it bounced fine and I realized the only thing
fuzzy was his logic."You're welcome to open another can of your own if
you like." He muttered something under his breath before he found
something new to complain about, a few cracks on our public courts.
Due to Mikhail's shenanigans, we started the match about fifteen
minutes late. After my partner and I won a hard fought first set in
doublesagainst Mikhail and his partner, we had our next controversy.
For background, Mikhail is the kind of guy who would argue with a sign
post. He spent the next five minutes disputing (incorrectly) whose
serve and on what side the server should start in the next set.
This is exactly why every league captain should bring to each match
The Code, which lists all the league rules and regulations. It's not
enough to know the rules. When you have to deal with guys like
Mikhail, you have to actually show him the rules in black and white.
After showing Mikhail therelevant section of The Code, he mumbled,
"They must have changed the rule recently." Yeah, right.
Later in the match, four points into a game, Mikhail called out the
score "40-15."
"No, no. The score is 30 all," I said, approaching the net. My partner
nodded in agreement.
"No, it's 40-15," Mikhail said adamantly.
After a long argument and attempt to recall all the points in the
game, we could only remember three points, two, they won and one we
won. I said, "The rule in this caseis that we play from 30-15, the
specific points in the game we all agree on."
"No," Mikhail said, shaking his head. "As server, it's my call and I
say the score is 40-15. That's the rule."
I respectfully asked him what he had been smoking and was it for
medicinal purposes before pulling out the rule book again. After
showing him the relevantsite proving my point, Mikhail grumbled under
his breath that it should be the server's decision because he's the
one thatknows the score.
Mikhail went on to win his service game. Then, I started my next
service game by shouting the score "40 love". When Mikhail put both
hands on his hips in clear protest, I said, "As server, it's my call."
And the congeniality went down from there.
We went on to win the match. Afterwards, I learned Mikhail is one of
those league players whoalways had an excuse for a loss. Here is a
list of my favorite excuses (three of which Mikhail used) that all
start with the quote, "Iwould've won if it wasn't for the..."
(1) Bad line calls
(2) Blinding sun (didn't your opponent have to deal with this too?)
(3) Wind (didn't your opponent have to... nevermind)
(4) New racket (you believed the ad saying it would make you a better player)
(5) Play of my partner (Some people have never lost a doubles match...
but their partners have)
(6) Heat, if temperatures were greater than 75 degrees
(7) Cold, if temperatures were less than 75 degrees
(8) Crowd noise (because you play your best tennis in libraries)
(9) Fact that your opponent simply played better than you. The real
reason for almost all defeats in tennis.
The Bush Brothers: Children's Park (1)
he looks over at it, and then quickly turns his attention back onto
the game. While he continuesto look at the ringing phone and then back
onto his game, his hesitant mind is telling him to ignore the game and
answer the damn phone, while the other side of his mind is arguing to
continue playing and ignore the phone.
Eventually, he sighs in loud frustration as the big, bold letters
appear on the screen. GAME OVER.
He snatches the phone and answers it. "What?" He snaps. "You better
not be those damn telemarketers trying to sell me crap again! I
already told you: I am NOT interested!"
"Frederik," a quiet, shaky voice says, "It's me, Matt."
"Matt?" Frederik repeats, while reaching for the television remote
nearby."What's up? Why are you whispering?"
"Listen, I don't have muchtime 'cos they'll come back. I need you to come and-"
"Yes! Digimon is on!" Frederik happily exclaims."Yoshi is so hot for
an anime and all."
"Frederik, pretty much all anime girls are freaking hot, but we can
discuss that later." Matt says sternly, "Right now, I'm ina crisis! I
need you to pay attention."
"Fine then," says Frederik,lowering the television volume. "The theme
tune is over anyway. Tell me what happened."
"Well, I went to town for some free supplies of pretzels in Sharpie's
Pretzel stand, but then I felt sick afterwards. So, I went to Kiddie's
Fun Park and played on the swings. Then-"
"Wait. What? You were inthe children's park?" Frederik repeats the words slowly.
"Yes!"
"What were you doing there?"
"Playing on the swings!" Matt hisses, "Then these big guys came and
tied me up in an awkward position. It really hurts! They've been
torturing me for hours, Frederik, hours! "
Frederik's eyes go wide as he listens to his brother. He confidently
says, "It's okay, I've got your back! I'm coming to save you, you hear
me?"
"Hurry! They're going to come back soon. They promised to play Justin
Bieber Baby ." Matt sobs,"I can't take it anymore! I've still got
Rebecca BlackFriday stuck in my head!"
Frederik gulps, "Hold on, Matt. Stay strong, I won't be long!" He
hangs up thephone and throws it on the sofa next to him."Don't worry,
I'll save you... Even if it's the last thing I do." He mutters."But
first - I'll need some equipment as it'll be a long, dangerous
mission."
********************************************************************************************
Frederik is hiking up a large hill, his face red andsweaty. The hot,
blazing sun is threatening to become an enemy to him.He opens his
rucksack and reaches for his waterbottle. He takes a large sip of
water, and then wipes away his sweat with the back of his hand.
"If only I caught the bus on time," mutters Frederik.
He finally reached the topof the hill and stared down at view. His
eyes immediately spot a cab parked nearby.
"Oi!" He screams, waving his hand, while running down the hill. "Wait
up!" His eyes turn wider in panic as the cab driver begins moving the
vehicle. He stumbles and rolls down the hill. Quickly, he picks
himself up and then runs after the cab that's driving away.
Knowing that the cab was getting away, Frederik scans the area closely
and then sees two bikes standing outside someone's house. His facelits
up and he races towards it. He climbs ontothe red bike, and then
pedals as fast as his aching legs could manage. The cab was still in
view, but it would soon get away if he didn't think of somethingfast.
Luckily for Frederik, he knew a shortcut. He turnsa corner and then
begins to gain speed. The ride is easy and there are no obstacles to
slow him down. It is simply a clean path. While pedaling freely, he
produced yet another bottle of water out of his rucksack.
In no time, he rode out ofthe corner and was now riding side-by-side
next to the cab. He finished gulping down his water and threw the
bottle behind his shoulder. He steers the bike away fromthe pavement
and onto the road. He is now in front of the cab, causing it to come
to a halt.
"You stupid f**king idiot!" The cab driver shouts angrily, "Were
youtrying to kill yourself or something?!"
Frederik jumps off the bike and opens the vehicle's door. He seats
himself comfortably."Nope, I just wanted a ride to Sharpie's Pretzel
stand."
"Sharpie's Pretzel stand?"The cab driver repeats.
"Yup, it's near Kiddie's Fun Park."
"Like the one over there?" The cab driver points towards a large,
colorful sign that read in a friendly tone: Kiddie's Fun Park. There's
a line ofinanimated children on the bottom of the sign, holding hands.
Frederik nods his head slowly, "Yup, that's the one." He chuckles
delightfully, and then turns to see an angry cab driver.
"Get out." The cab driver says.
Frederik hastily leaves thevehicle. He watches the cab drive away with
the driver still pissed off. Frederik shrugs. "Now, it's time for some
free pretzels!" He says.
He walks to the pretzel stand and pushes in frontof everyone else.
"Oi!"
"Watch it!"
"Do you mind?"
"Stop pushing! Get to the back of the line!"
"Oi, I was first!"
"Hey, can I have some free pretzels?" Frederik asks the annoyed
womandressed in white uniform.
"Sorry, but all the free supplies have been given out already." She informs him.
"Dammit!" Frederik groans.
A big, chubby female patted his shoulder with her pointy fingers.
"Erm, excuse me? This is a line . Go to the back of the line."
"No, I will not!" Frederik screams in her face,"Because I'm going to
save my brother Matt from being raped! So, I think you should just
shutup!"
The woman moves her head back, slightly stricken. She was about to
speak her mind, but Frederik repeats loudly,"Just SHUT UP! "
"Sir, please leave if you'renot buying any pretzels. You're scaring my
customers away." The pretzel lady says uncomfortably.
Frederik grumpily stompsaway, his steps purposely loud. He crosses the
road, while hearing the usual car beeps thrown his way. He then makes
his way to the large green fence. He gazes at the massive sign -
Kiddie's Fun Park.
"I've finally made it," Frederik says, panting slightly. With a deep
breath, he bravely steps in... The children's park...
--
- - - - -
And Allah Knows the Best!
- - - - -
Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA
¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤
Jumma Prayers - Jumu’ah is obligatory for everyone in the city even if they do not hear the adhaan
mosque is far away, is it obligatory for me to pray Jumu'ah and pray
in congregation?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Jumu'ah prayer is one ofthe symbols of Islam and is one of the major
obligations. There are stern warnings against abandoning it, as the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
misses three Jumu'ahs out of neglect, Allaah will place a seal upon
his heart." Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1052; al-Nasaa'i, 1369; Ibn
Maajah, 1126; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Prayer in congregation is obligatory for every able-bodied man who
hears the call. The fact that it is obligatory is indicated by a great
dealof evidence, which you may see in the answer toquestion no. 120 .
What is meant by hearing the call is that a person can hear the adhaan
if it is given at a normal volume without loudspeakers, when the
muezzin raises his voice, and the wind and other sounds etc that could
affect hearing are silent. See question no. 21969 and 20655 .
This has to do with the five daily prayers in congregation. As for
Jumu'ah, this is another matter. The fuqaha' say that everyone who is
in the city or village in which Jumu'ah prayers are held is obliged to
attend, whether they can hear the call or not. This is agreed upon, as
we shall see below.
As for those who are outside the city or village where no Jumu'ah
prayer is held, there is a difference of scholarly opinion concerning
them.
Some of the fuqaha' say that if they can hear the call – the call to
Jumu'ah in the city or village – then they are obliged to pray
Jumu'ah, but if theycannot hear it then they are not obliged to do
so.This is the view of the Shaafa'is and is the opinion of Muhammad
ibn al-Hasan. Fatwas to this effect have also been issued by the
Hanafis.
Some of them say that if there is more than one farsakh (i.e., three
miles)between them and the place of Jumu'ah, then they are not obliged
to attend Jumu'ah, but if it is a farsakh or less then they must
attend. This is the view of the Maalikis and Hanbalis.
Some of them say that the one who is able to go to Jumu'ah and then
return to his family before nightfall is obliged to attend. This was
narrated by Ibn al-Mundhir from Ibn 'Umar, Anas, Abu Hurayrah,
Mu'aawiyah, al-Hasan, Naafi' the freed slave of Ibn 'Umar, 'Ikrimah,
'Ata', al-Hakam,al-Awzaa'i and Abu Thawr.
We have drawn attention to the ruling on those who are outside the
city or village because some people think that this difference of
opinion applies to those who areinside the city, but that is mistaken
thinking.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:al-Shaafa'i said to his
companions: If there are forty or more mature people in the city, then
Jumu'ah is obligatory foreveryone who is in the city, even if the city
is wider than many farsakh, whether they can hear the call or not.
This is unanimously agreed upon.
End quote from al-Majmoo', 4/353
Al-Mardaawi said in al-Insaaf: The difference of opinion concerning
what is meant by a farsakh, or whether theyare able to hear the call,
or whether they can go and come back in one day, apply to those who
live in a village where the numbers do not reach the level stipulated
for Jumu'ah, or those who live in tents and the like, or those who are
travelling a distance that is less than that at which it becomes
permissible to shorten one's prayers. The dispute is concerning these
and similar cases. As for the one who is living in a city where
Jumu'ah prayers are held, he is obliged to attend even ifthere are
many farsakhs between him and the place of Jumu'ah, whether he can
hear thecall or not, and whether his building is contiguous to the
city or is separate, if it is called by the same name.
End quote.
See: Majma' al-Anhar, 1/169; Haashiyat al-'Adawi 'ala Sharh
al-Risaalah, 1/376; Kashshaaf al-Qinaa', 2/22.
Conclusion: The one whois living n a city is obliged to attend
Jumu'ah, whether he can hear the call or not. This is a matter
concerning which there is no difference of opinion among the scholars.
But there is a difference of opinion concerning what is meant by a
"city"in cases where the houses are far apart and scattered, and there
are farms and agricultural areas in between the residential quarters.
Some of the scholars said: If they are separated, with farms in
between, then each quarter is like a separatecity.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, after
quoting this opinion: But the correct view is that so long as they
come under one name, then this is one city. If we assume that the city
has spread and there aremiles or farsakhs between one side and the
other, it is still a single city and Jumu'ah is obligatory for those
on its eastern edge just as for those on its western edge, and the
same applies to the north and south, because it is one city. End quote
from al-Sharh al-Mumti', 5/17.