Dua - ,

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ‏‎ -
-To soothe ill children:
-
Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
To soothe ill children
أُعِيذُكَ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ
وَهَامَّةٍ وَمِنْكُلِّ عَيْنٍ لَامَّةٍ
To soothe children during illness or at any harm recite:
"I seek refuge in Allah with His total words fromthe evil Satan, from
everypoisonous animal and from the evil eye". (Bukhari)
If any member of ProphetMohammad (SAW.)'s household fell ill, he
usedto recite the the four Qulsand blow on them.
******************************************Dua by an ill person
-
Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
Dua by an ill person
Prophet Mohammad (SAW.) said that if an ill person recites the
following dua forty timesand dies in that illness, he will be rewarded
as a martyr and if he regains his health, all his sins will be
forgiven:
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
"There is none worthy of worship besides You O Allah, You are pure, I
have oppressed my soul".
(Mustadrak)
In another hadith Prophet Mohammad (SAW.) said that if a person
recites the following dua during his illness and dies, then the fire
of Jahannam is forbidden for him.
(Hisnul Hasin from Trimidhi etc)
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ
وَحْدَهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَا
إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ لَا إِلَهَ
إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
"There in none worthy ofworship besides Allah, Heis the greatest.
There is none worthy of worship besides Allah, He is all by Himself.
There is none worthy of worship besides Allah. Hehas no partner with
Him. His is the Kingdom and allPraise. He is the one to grant us the
ability to save ourselves from sinning and to do
good".******************************************When death is eminent
-Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
When death is eminent
Recite:
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالرَّفِيقِ الْأَعْلَى
"O Allah, forgive me and have mercy on me and letme reach the
Companion on high".
(Hisnul Hasin)

MAN AND THE SECRETS OF NEARNESS- Chapter 2 Finding Glorious God's Greatness, Magnificence, and Perfection in Things

Chapter 2
Finding Glorious God's Greatness, Magnificence, and
Perfection in Things
While we struggle to unravel the truth of this secret (perceiving the
Essence of His Being), we lack the words to describe it. How, then,
can it be possible for us to achieve this goal? Namely, to perceive
the Perfection and Glory of His Great and Eternal Being, with all the
deficiencies of comprehension that we must endure.
It is obvious that we can appreciate the station of a Force, only if
at the veryleast, we have an equivalent capacity within ourselves, or
if weknow of its corresponding likeness. Whereas, if we merely ponder
the amount of intelligence and understanding bestowedby Glorious God
from the beginning of the universe up until our age, we shall
experience nothing but perplexity and astonishment.
For example: In order to comprehend, just consider the magnitude of
understanding and intelligence that the Almighty Great Omnipotent
Being has bestowed upon each human being, from the beginning to the
end of the creation of the world.If we were to collect and lump it all
together, it would come to hundreds of billions of tons,
metaphorically speaking. Today's world populationis upwards of four
billion. Suppose that Almighty God has bestowed about an average of
half a kilogram of intelligence and understanding upon each person.
That would make about two billion kilograms, which, when converted to
tons, would come to a rather staggering amount. At the end, we are
plunged into a world of perplexityand astonishment. According to this
standard, if one ponders on what quantity of intelligence and
understanding has been bestowed upon mankind in each century or
generation, from the beginning of the world up to today, it would be
an astonishing and imperceptible issue. One would clearly find out
that, Praise be to God, the Greatness, Perfection,Knowledge and
Understanding of Him Almighty, Whose favors are indiscriminately
abundant, is totally beyond our understanding and perception.
Moreover, if you add the amount of understanding and intelligence of
three other inhabited worlds on our side (i.e., of the Jinn, the
Angels, and the Devils) to that of our world, what would it addup to?
If one considered the five other sides alongwith this side
encompassing eighteen thousand worlds, what could be reached? If one
were to include the animals' instinct as well, what would then be the
outcome, other than perplexity upon perplexity? The case can be
compared to the situation where, for instance, one small ant had the
task, according to its own ability, to do the statistical and
organizing work of the president of a country. Could the ant ever
accomplish such a task? No, never.
Thus man, according to what we have said, is notat all able to
perceive and fathom the Perfection and Force, andeven to estimate the
Plans of His Almighty Being. Therefore, when Khidher was explaining to
Moses while they wereriding on a boat, peace be upon them, the limits
of man's knowledge when compared to Almighty God's, Khidher pointed to
a sparrow. The sparrow perched on the side of the boat, dipped its
beak into the ocean, and then left. Khidher asked Moses: "How much
water did this sparrow take from the ocean by plunging itsbeak into
it?" Moses answered, Compared to the ocean's greatness, consider it
nothing. Khidher replied: Similarly, you can imagine that the total of
all of humanity's knowledge and understanding, from the beginning of
the world until the end, does not amount to a drop from the ocean of
Almighty's Knowledge and Understanding.
Thus the unworthy position of some among the underdeveloped, tempted
by Devils, allows them to show off. Compared to more educated people
or the inhabitants of other globes, however, they are zero plus zero.
Furthermore, there are some people who might possess a limited
knowledge granted to them by the Power of His Glorious Great and
Unique Hand in the science of matter and technology. These
peopleintentionally, unintentionally, and egotistically give
themselves the permission of wishing to reach the Precious World
(Proximity to His Almighty's Presence), without having acquired the
proper means, or reached the proper path. This is illusion, absurdity,
and insanity.
Thus, primarily, we hereby draw your attention to a series of brief
discourses on topicsthat may enlighten as well as explain the
Perfection and Greatness of His Almighty.
Second, we shall try to explain why man does not try to acquire this
fortune, even though he is inclined by nature to acquire it.
Third, we will briefly explain the methods one can use in making that effort.

MAN AND THE SECRETS OF NEARNESS - Chapter 1 MAN AND THE SECRETS OF NEARNESS

Chapter 1
MAN AND THE SECRETS OF NEARNESSPreface
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Translation: "Praise be to God Who hath guided us to this (felicity):
never could we have found Guidance, had it not been for the Guidance
of God." (7:43 Quran)
We do hope that by reading this Epistle, the intellectual faithful ,
will uncover, within the proposed questions, truths which may not be
apparent to them from many readings of the books of the Interpretation
of the Quran and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad .
Hence, before explaining each topic under its own particular heading
within a few limited lines, we are trying, by God's willingness, to
draw the reader's attention to separate headings. One after the other
they will increasingly strengthen your ability to explore the eloquent
secrets of this treasury of Insight into Almighty God. They have been
prepared withthe purpose of fortifying the Light of Faith in the
reader and reaching and discovering the Forth Dimension (The World
invisible to us).

Christmas greating tips - ,

I know Jesus is with you... But I'll also be there for you... Whenever
you need me... Have a blessed Christmas
Thinking of you on Christmas and praying that the Lord keeps you in
his loving care always...
It`s Baby`s first Christmas, what a beautiful sight As he gurgles out
loud in spontaneous delight. As he gazes at the Tree
It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well,
ifany man alive possessed the knowledge.Happy Christmas
Christmas is all about wishing and greeting sparkling future and
alsoabout spreading happiness all over the world.Happy Christmas
Christmas is just around the corner with the beginning of December.
Christmas has its own magical powers to fill our lives with delight.
In the daytime if sun shine so shall Ur expectations come true At
night when moon comes out so shall U receive blesses.Happy Christmas
Somehow, not only 4 Christmas But throughout the days,months and years
The joy that you gave 2 some people Is the joy.Happy Christmas
live nativity, Santa Claus, large binges, great trips, fun movies,
fireworks.. Everything Christmas party.Happy Christmas
Moments will be gone soon and very soon. Add,adjust, modify and be the
best in what you likeand want to do.

Islam's History - , The Battle of Islam at Nahrawan:

After the unsatisfactory conclusion to the Battle of Siffin , Imam Ali
(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.

Story - , Moons Peak [FINISHED]- She's Mine (chapter 16)

I WATCHED SATCHEL SHIFT the sheet - that held the dead wolf - from one
shoulder to the other, as he trudged up the hill leaving me far
behind.
I practically had to run to try to keep up with his long strides.
Despite the fact that he was carrying 200 pounds of dead weight on his
back.
I also noticed the amountof sweat gleaming on his body that he'd
conjured up from our mile hike through the two estates.
Just the way his shoulders rolled in his gait; made him look like he'd
just been from a swim. In any other circumstances, I would have gladly
enjoyed the view.
Especially the way the slick moisture caught the sun so brilliantly,
making his taut muscles gleam with every movement. However, that
wasn't the case at all, since the sight of the thing he was carrying
was a dead carcass of what once wasa live wolf.
A werewolf, or accordingto Satchel, a she-wolf.
We'd been walking for a while now, but I was relieved when I saw the
cemetery come into view a few meters up ahead. I exhaled, trying not
to pant so much.
"Finally, we're nearly there." I breathed dramatically, as if it were
me whom had been bearing the 200 pounds of dead weight on my back.
I heard Satchel chuckle infront of me.
"Come on, it wasn't even that far." He teased in that low sensual
voice I was growing to love. He shot me a backward glance as he said
it, and I noticed a faint smirk on his face. He turned back and kept
walking in frontof him. I rolled my eyes athis back.
"Tell that to my legs." I muttered to no one in particular. His laugh
confirmed he'd heard me, and I found myself smiling. I liked it. I
felt the need to keep talking, just so I could hear more of him.
"So…after we bury this…were-she wolf. Do you wanna maybe have dinner
with me?" He stopped abruptly and turned to me with his eyebrows
raised. He had a curious expression on his face.
"Did you just ask me out?" I bit my lip, and then finally nodded.
"Yeah, I guess I did." I blushed as his eyes scrutinized me. "Is that
a problem?" He shook his head.
"No…just…I've never been asked out from a girl before." I smiled.
"Well…I've never asked a guy out before too. So what do you say?" His
eyes roamed my body, then landed on my lips. I noticed he was closer
now, both of our chests nearly touching. I looked up at him in
earnest. Then his smile spread across his face.
"It's a date." He agreed, he kissed my nose then added, "but from now
onI think it should be a work of a boy to ask the girl out." He walked
ahead, leaving me there smiling like an idiot.
"Fine by me." I said following behind him. Just as we were coming up
to the cemetery, I nearly squealed when I rammed straight into
Satchels back, as he stopped up short. More so at the fact that I'd
just bumped into the dead weight on his back.
I grimaced and wiped the front of my shirt, as ifI'd just gotten it
dirty from merely touching it. Ifrowned, as I watched Satchel's eyes
scan the area. His eyes were on the pine trees to our right, frowning
as if he'd heard something, that I was clearly oblivious about.
I frowned too, following his stare.
"What is it?" His started sniffing and his nose flared a few times in
alarm. He was making menervous.
He settled the sheet down gently at his feet, never taking his eyes
off the pine trees, and I had that awful feeling in my gut dreading
what was about to take place.
I was about to say something until he pegged me with a stare, with his
index finger against his lips in a hushing gesture. I complied,
wondering what the hell was going on.
"Something's out there, I can smell it." He whispered.
I wasn't sure what that something was yet, but by the look on his
face, it was definitely somethingI should be worrying about. Better
yet, the silence was scaring me tono end. I watched Satchelsquare his
shoulders getting in some sort of fighting stance, I guessed.
"Satchel…what's wrong? You're scaring me." I matched his earlier
whispers, and my heart wouldn't slow down. He took my hand and
squeezed it reassuringly.
"Get behind me, and whatever you do, don't look in their eyes." He
hissed low in his throat, and a rumble from his chest purred like a
growling dog warning itsfellow mate not to dare eat from his bowl. His
eyes always stained the forest, using his nose as ifto sniff out the
threat.
The trees answered his call with a loud rumble, and the trees looked
like they shuddered in anticipation. Or was that me?
Satchel backed us away from the dead wolf we'd been carrying for the lasthour.
What I realized too late, was when a pack of dogsmaterialized out from
thepine trees, which kept me from saying a word even to breathe. I
gulped, vaguely aware that my heart rate had picked up rapidly.
There were six of them atthe most. All huddled together, as one big
pack. They wore various colored coats, the color gray was more
dominant.
At least four of them were different shades of grays. The only
distinct thing to tell them apart, were the different color of their
eyes.
The other two were at the far back, sporting thecolors brown. It was
the most terrifying and most beautiful thing I'd ever been alive to
witness.
The front wolf looked like the leader of the pack. I watched it stalk
toward the dead wolf on the ground, and it nudged its cold lifeless
body.
It nudged it twice before letting a whine out of its own. I wanted to
cry just from hearing the animal mourn as it licked the dead wolf's
wounds clean. The whinning voice coming from him was so sad.
His soft ashy fur was shiny, in fact he was the biggest one out of the
lot, but what caught me up short was his gunmetal gray eyes, they were
startling.
Almost as blinding as Satchel's green ones. I blinked, noticing the
wolf had caught me staring at it…and Satchel's words came stumbling
back to me.
Whatever you do, don't look in their eyes.
It all happened so fast. One minute, the wolves were on the ground in
front of us, the next.
They were pouncing in the air, heading for both Satchel and I. Satchel
wasable to dodge the attack, but I wasn't so lucky.
I screamed as one of the wolves took me to the ground, growling so
low,you couldn't mistake the venom in it. It was the wolf with
gun-metal grayeyes.
I squirmed under his weight, as it snarled down at me showing justhow
many sharp teeth it had, knowing with one bite, I'd be a goner.
Satchel, I noticed was surrounded by the rest ofthem, so it was
impossible for him to come to my aid without getting hurt. The way its
teeth were snapping at me made me think I wasn't going to come outof
this alive.
"Satchel!" I cried, as the animal nipped at my throat, but never
piercing my skin.
I was lying on the groundnow, with four hundred pounds of animal on
top of me. I could almost smell death just from the smell of its
breath.
My heart pounding, trying to escape out of my chest. I screamed when I
heard a howl in the distance and then saw Satchel at the corner of my
eyes tear at one of the wolves with his human teeth.
He was trying to fight four against one. Human against beast, he was
outnumbered and outweighed. It was an unfair fight, but Satchel stood
there fighting, while tears I was too shocked to let go held metrapped
between the teeth of an animal.
Satchel, now bloody and ragged crawled toward me trying to distract
the animal, then cursed when he pegged a level stare on it.
"Get away from her." He growled, as his eyes challenged the wolf, but
never once did the wolf flinch.
I don't know what the animal was doing, but I didn't move for fear of
itssharp teeth piercing my skin.
"Satchel…please…help me." I whispered. He gulped, giving me an
apologetic look on my face.
"Willy, listen carefully. Everything's going to be okay. He's not
gonna hurtyou. He's...marking you." I blinked up at the animal, then
back at Satchel. I wasn't quite sure what he meant by marking me as
his, but I knew it wouldn't be good.
I eyed the wolf's teeth and thought better of it, so I kept my gaze on Satchel.
"He's got his teeth hovering over my throat." I whispered. Howcould he
think everything would be okay? He shook his head.
"I know. It's not…he's justmarking you…marking you as his ." He
growled, but stayed where he was.
I realized the wolves had backed off. "She's mine, you hear me!" He
hissed at the animal. But nothing Satchel could saywas good enough.
I squeezed my eyes shut in desperation.
"Satchel…why is he doingthis?" Satchel was still surrounded by the
pack of wolves, so he couldn't crawl any closer.
"He thinks I took something from him. He thinks I killed his mate. The
gray wolf we brought here? He thinks Itook her life, so he's taking
something that belongs…he's taking you from me."
His voice was strained as he said that last statement. I opened my
eyes and pegged them on Satchel, letting my tears fall in submission.
"Do something. Please…" I felt myself getting dragged and Satchel's
figure was getting blurry.
"I can't …I never claimed you yet, you belong to him now…" Was the
last thing I heard him say, as the animal dragged me through the pine
trees.
I must of passed out, because the pine trees faded from my view, and I
could faintly hear my name being shouted in the distance.
"I'll come for you, I swearI'll come for you."

Can sihr (witchcraft, magic) kill?

i would like information on majic (jadoo) what are the consequences
and can people use it to kill people.
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, there is sihr that cankill. When discussing different forms of
murder the scholars have mentioned that theperson who kills anotherby
means of a kind of sihr that usually kills should be executed (qisaas
– retaliation), because he has killed by means of something
thatusually kills. Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni (9/330): "The sixth
kind: if he killed him by means of a kind of sihr that usually kills,
then he has to be executed, because he has killed by means of
something that usually kills, like killing by use ofa knife. If he
killed by means of something thatdoes not usually kill or something
that sometimes kills and sometimes does not, then he has to pay
diyah(blood-money), but qisaas is not required, because he intended to
do harm, and it is akin tobeating someone with a stick (which may or
may not kill)."
The ruling concerning the saahir (practitioner of sihr) in
al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (24/267) says that in the case where he
killed a personby means of his sihr… the majority say that killing by
means of sihr may be done deliberately, in which case qisaas is
required. According to the Maalikis, evidence or a confession is
required. According to the Shaafi'is, if the person whom the
practitioner of sihr killed was his equal , then qisaas is required if
the killing was deliberate, which may be proven by a confession on the
part ofthe saahir, such as his saying "I killed him by means of my
sihr", or "I killed him with this type of thing", supported by the
testimony of two reliable witnesses who have practised sihr in the
past but have now repented, who can confirm that this kind of sihr
usually kills. If it is a type that does not usually kill, then the
matter is more akin to manslaughter.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Do the jinn help humans in some ways?

What is the difference between a shaytaan (devil) and a jinn? Do
theshayaateen reproduce from males and females?Do the shayaateen
interact with humans and serve them in returnfor the human's
disobeying his Lord? Are there Muslim jinn who serve the Muslims as
theyserved Sulaymaan (peace be upon him)? If the shayaateen or jinn
are able to serve humans, then why do the Muslim jinn not help the
Muslim humans in their wars against the kuffaar, and tell them their
secrets and supportIslam? Why do the kaafirjinn not help the kaafir
humans in some way? Did any examples of suchthings happen at the time
of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? If there
are any books about such matters, please tell me about them so that I
can be safe from the evil of the shayaateen. May Allaah keep me and
you safe from their evil.
Praise be to Allaah.
The shayaateen are fromamong the jinn; they arethe rebellious ones and
the most evil among them, just as the devils among mankind are the
rebellious ones and the most evil among them. There are among the
jinn, as is the case among mankind, devils who are the rebellious ones
and the most evil, kaafirs and evildoers. There are also Muslims among
them who are righteous and good. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies — Shayaateen
(devils) among mankind and jinn, inspiring one another with adorned
speech as a delusion (or by way of deception). If your Lord had so
willed, they would not have done it; so leave them alone with their
fabrications"
[al-'An'aam 6:112]
The Shaytaan is the father of the jinn according to many scholars. He
is the one who disobeyed his Lord and was too proud to prostrate to
Adam, so Allaah expelled him and banished him. Other scholars say that
the Shaytaan was one of a group of angels who were called al-jinn; he
was too proud to prostrate, so Allaah expelled him and banished him.
He became the leader of every evildoer and wicked one, every kaafirand
wrongdoer. Every person has a shaytaan and an angel with him, as the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"There is no one among you but he has with him a constant companion
(qareen) from among the jinn and a constant companion from among the
angels." They said, "You too, O Messenger ofAllaah?" He said, "Me too,
but Allaah has helped me against him (the devil-companion) and he has
become Muslim."
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that
the Shaytaan inspires man to evil and calls man to evil. There are
times when he has control over man's heart and can find out, by
Allaah's decree, what a person intends to do of good or evil. There
are also times when the angel has control over a person's heart. He
makeshim incline towards good and calls him to good. These are things
that Allaah has enabled them to do, i.e., He has enabled the two
companions, the jinn-companion and the angel-companion, to do these
things. Even the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
had a shaytaan with him, his constant companion (qareen) from among
the jinn, as stated above,in the hadeeth which says that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"There is no one among you but he has with him a constant companion
(qareen) from among the jinn and a constant companion from among the
angels." They said, "You too, O Messenger ofAllaah?" He said, "Me too,
but Allaah has helped me against him (the devil-companion) and he has
become Muslim."
The point is that every man has with him a companion from among the
angels and a companion from among the shayateen. The believer
suppresses his shaytaan by obeying Allaah and adhering steadfastly to
His religion, so he humiliates his shaytaan until he becomes weak and
unable to stop the believer doing good or make him fall into evil,
except what Allaah wills. The sinner, by his disobedience and evil
actions, gives his shaytaan the strength to make him do evil and
encourageshim to do evil, and discourage him from doing good. The
believer has to fear Allaah and strive against his shaytaan by obeying
Allaah and His Messenger, and seeking refuge with Allaah from the
Shaytaan. And he should strive to help his angel by obeying Allaah and
His Messenger and heeding the commands of Allaah.
The Muslims help their brothers among the jinn to obey Allaah and His
Messenger just as they help their human brothers. Humans may help them
in some matters without realizing it. They may help them to obey
Allaahand His Messenger by teaching and reminding other humans, for
the jinn may attend the lessons of humans in the mosques and elsewhere
and benefit from them. Humans may also hear some things from the jinn
which benefit them;they may wake them up to pray or draw their
attention to things which may benefit them or harm them. All of this
happens even though the jinn do not make themselves visible to humans.
A jinn may make himself visible to some people when pointing them
towards something good or something evil. This may happen, although it
is rare. Usually they do not appear to humans, although their voices
may be heard on some occasions when they wake a person for prayer or
tell him of some things. In conclusion, the believingjinn help the
believers even though the believers may not realizeit, and they love
everything good for them. Similarly, believing humans love everything
good for their believing brethren among the jinn, and they ask Allaah
to give them everything good. They may attend lessons,and they love to
listen tothe Qur'aan and knowledge, as stated above. The believers
among the jinn attend the lessons of humans, atsome times and in some
lands, and they benefit from the lessons of humans. All of this
happens and is well known. This has been clearly stated by many ofthe
scholars whom the jinn contacted and asked about some issues;they told
them that they had attended their lessons. All of this is well-known,
and Allaah is the One Whose help we seek.
Allaah has told us that the jinn listened to the Qur'aan from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). At the end of
Soorat al-Ahqaaf, He says(interpretation of the meaning):
"And (remember) when We sent towards you (Muhammad) a group (three to
ten persons) of the jinn, (quietly) listening to the Qur'aan. When
they stood in the presence thereof, they said: 'Listen in silence!'
And when it was finished, they returned to their people, as warners.
They said: 'O our people! Verily, we have heard a Book (this Qur'aan)
sent down after Moosa (Moses), confirming what came before it, it
guides to the truth and to the Straight Path (i.e. Islam)"
[al-Ahqaaf 46:29-30]
And Allaah revealed other aayahs in a separate soorah, where He says:
"Say (O Muhammad): "It has been revealed to me that a group (from
threeto ten in number) of jinnlistened (to this Qur'aan). They said:
'Verily, we have heard a wonderful Recitation (this Qur'aan)!"
[al-Jinn 72:1]
Many books have been written on this matter. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah
have mercy on him) mentioned a great deal on this topic in his books.
There is also a book by one of the scholars entitled al-Marjaan fi
Bayaan Ahkaam al-Jaan, by al-Shibli, which is a useful book. There are
other books written on this topic as well. You can look for them and
ask for them in any bookstore. You could also read the books of
Tafseer and learn from the commentary on Soorat al-Jinn and the other
aayahs from Soorat al-Ahqaaf and elsewhere which speak of the jinn.
You can learna lot from what the mufassireen (may Allaah have mercy on
them) said about the jinn, boththe good and the bad among them.
Kitaab Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh
al-'Allaamah 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn 'Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have
mercy on him), vol. 9, p. 373

Frightening dreams.

I am a young sister who got married recently to aman with very good
character and deen, masha-Allah. Since I havegot married, I
frequentlyhave very frightening dreams about my husband and others I
love.
Before marriage I never had frightening dreams as I always make my
adhkaar at bedtime. Sometimes I see that there are jinns inside other
people and I am trying to fight them by reciting ayatul-Kursi, butthey
are stopping me from doing so. I cannot sleep at night and wake up
several times. One good sister suggested to me that it may be the evil
eye brought on by others who are jealous. If that is the case, then
please could you guide me as to what I can do about this problem as it
is very distressing.
May Allah Reward you greatly for your advice.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Undoubtedly the frightening dreams that this sister sees are from the
accursed Shaytaan who is trying his hardestto prevent people from
following the true religion and keep them away from their Lord Whom
they worship, and he wants to cause grief to the believers. But his
plots against the pious close friends of Allaah are weak and
insignificant, especially against those who fortify themselves with
ruqya as prescribed in sharee'ah day and night.
Secondly:
You should note that thebest way in which the Muslim can protect
himself against the Shaytaan is to rememberAllaah. According to the
hadeeth narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2863), Allaahcommanded Yahya ibn
Zakariyya (peace be upon him) to tell the Children of Israel to do
five things, including thefollowing:
"I command you to remember Allaah, for thelikeness of that is that of
a man who enemy comes after him, until hecomes to a strong fortress
where he protects himself from him. Similarly, a person cannot protect
himself against the Shaytaan except by remembering Allaah." Classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmdihi.
If the Muslim fears Allaahin all his affairs, and adheres to that
which Allaah has commanded and avoids that which He has forbidden, and
he constantly remembers Allaah, praying and fasting and other kinds of
worship, and he fortifies himself by reading Qur'aan night and day,
out loud and silently, and he regularly recites the wirds and dhikrs
prescribed in Islam for the morning and evening, and when eating,
drinking, gettingdressed and going to sleep, then the Shaytaan will go
away from him, blameworthy and defeated, and will have no power to do
anything to him. How can it be otherwise when Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Those who believe, fight in the Cause of Allaah, and those who
disbelieve, fight in the cause of Taaghoot (Satan). So fight you
against the friends of Shaytaan (Satan); ever feeble indeed is the
plot of Shaytaan (Satan)"
[al-Nisa' 4:76]?
The Shaytaan only comesclose to those who are far away from their
religion and Qur'aan. The Shaytaan may try to divert the righteous
from the straight path, in order to ruin their lives and religious
commitment and worldly interests. But protection may be sought against
him in the manner described above. You can also referto the books of
dhikr such as al-Adhkaar by al-Nawawi; 'Aml al-Yawm wa'l-Laylah by
al-Nasaa'i; 'Aml al-Yawm wa'l-Laylah by Ibn al-Sunni; and other books
of dhikr that deal with this topic, or books of Sunan in general. If
you do that we hope that your situation will improve and you will find
peace of mind, and Allaah will change your situation to a better one.
Among the dhikrs with which we advise you to recite regularly are the following:
1 – Adhkaar for morning and evening.
(a) Reciting every evening the words, "A'oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah
il-taammah min sharri ma khalaqa (I seekrefuge in the perfect words of
Allaah from theevil of that which He has created)."
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: A man came to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of
Allaah, I am suffering because of a scorpion that stung me yesterday."
He said, "If you had said in the evening, A'oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah
il-taammah min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek refuge in the perfect words
of Allaah from theevil of that which He has created),' it would not
have harmed you.
Narrated by Muslim.
Indeed, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
encouraged us to say that in every place where we stop (when
travelling).
It was narrated that Khawlah bint Hakeem al-Salamiyyah said: I heard
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
say: "Whoever makes a stop in some place, then says, 'A'oodhu bi
kalimaat Allaah il-taammah min sharri ma khalaqa (I seekrefuge in the
perfect words of Allaah from theevil of that which He has created),'
nothing will harm him until he moveson from that place."
Narrated by Muslim, 2708.
(b) It was narrated that'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "There is no personwho says in the morningand
evening of each day, 'Bismillaah illaahi laa yadurru ma'a ismihi
shay'un fi'l-ard wa la fi'l-sama' wa huwa al-samee' ul-'aleem (In the
name of Allaah with Whose name nothing is harmed on earth nor in
heaven, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing)' three times, but
nothing will harm him."
Narrated and classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi, 3388; also narrated by
Ibn Maajah, 3869. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn
Maajah.
(c) Reciting Aayat al-Kursiy and al-Mu'awwidhaat beforegoing to sleep.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: "The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put me in charge of
guarding the zakaah of Ramadaan. Someone came to me and started
grabbing handfuls of thefood. I took hold of him and said, 'I will
take you to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him).' He said, 'I will teach you some words by means of which
Allaah will benefityou.' I said, 'What are they?' He said, 'When you
go to your bed, recite this aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but
He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyoom (the Ever Living, the One Whosustains and
protects all that exists)…" [al-Baqarah 2:255] – until he completed
the aayah. Then Allaah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with
you and no shaytaan (devil) will come near you until morning.' The
Messengerof Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked
me, 'What did your prisoner do last night?' I said, 'O Messenger of
Allaah, he taught me something, and claimed that Allaah would benefit
me by it.' He said, 'What was it?' I said, 'He taught me to recite
Aayat al-Kursiy when I go to bed, and said that no shaytaan would come
near me until morning, and that Allaah would appoint a guard for me
who would stay with me.' TheProphet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said, 'He told you the truth, although he is an inveterate
liar. That was the Shaytaan.'"
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,3101; Muslim, 505.
There are many such dhikrs; we do not have room to mention them all here.
Thirdly:
With regard to the hasad(envy) and the evil eye of which you speak, it
may be that this harm has come to you throughhasad. Protection against
that is to be sought by reciting the dhikrs prescribed in sharee'ah.
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them
both)said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to seek refuge withAllaah for al-Hasan and al-Husayn. He said:
'Your father [i.e., Ibraaheem] used to seek refuge withAllaah for
Ismaa'eel and Ishaaq with these words:A'oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah
al-taammah min kulli shaytaanin wa haammah wa min kulli 'aynin laammah
(I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah, from every devil and
every poisonous reptile, and from every bad eye).'"
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,3191.
With regard to the remedy:
It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas that the Prophet(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "The evil eye is real,and if anything
were to overtake the divine decree (al-qadar) it would be the evil
eye. When you are asked to take a bath (to provide acure) from the
influence of the evil eye, you should take a bath"
Narrated by Muslim, 2188.
If you know that the evil eye has been put on you by a certain person,
thenyou should ask him to doghusl and wudoo', then you should pour the
water of his ghusl or wudoo' over yourself. The way in which this
should be done has beenexplained by Ibn al-Qayyim, who said:
In Sunan Abi Dawood it is narrated that 'Aa'ishah(may Allaah be
pleased with her) said: The 'aa'in(the one who put the evil eye on
another) would be ordered to do wudoo', then the ma'een (the one on
whom he had put the evil eye) would do ghusl with that water.
In al-Saheehayn it is narrated that 'Aa'ishah said: "The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded me or he
commanded us to recite ruqyah for protection against the evil eye."
Al-Tirmidhi narrated from Sufyaan ibn 'Uyayanah from 'Amr ibnDinaar
from 'Urwah ibn 'Aamir from 'Ubayd ibn Rafaa'ah al-Sarqi that Asma'
bint Umays said: "O Messenger of Allaah, the children of Ja'far have
been afflicted by the evil eye, shall we recite ruqyah for them?"He
said, "Yes, for if anything were to overtake the divine decree it
would be the evil eye." Al-Tirmidhi said: a saheeh hasan hadeeth. Then
he mentioned the hadeeth which described how 'Aamir ibn Rabee'ah
afflicted Sahl ibn Hunayf with his eye, and the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded 'Aamir to do ghusl.
So he washed his face, hands, forearms, knees and the sides of his
feet, and inside his izaar (lower garment) in the vessel. Then that
water was poured over him, and a man poured it over his head and back
from behind. He did thatto him, then Sahl got up and joined the
people.
Al-Tibb al-Nabawi, p. 127-129.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Determined prayer is the key to destiny

There are various elements in life you come face to face with every
day and that you imagine you know and understand very well; so much so
that you imagine it would be impossible to understand the majority of
them any better than you do already. But that is not always true.
Sometimes you may heara different account or witness something that
leads to a brand new door, a new horizon youhad never contemplated
before, opening up on a subject you thought you knew so well. Your
whole perspective changes, not only momentarily but fundamentally. You
acquire a new perspective on that long familiar subject, as if youwere
encountering it forthe first time.
One of these subjects about which one constantly acquires a new and
more profoundconception during the various stages of one's life is
'prayer.' A believer knows that Allah will heed all prayers, and
trusts in that truth with all his heart. But the more a person's
closeness to Allah, depth of faith and understanding of destiny grow,
the more his perspective toward prayer deepens and is perfected.
Although he knows the verses of the Qur'an very well, the spiritual
power that Allah instills in his heart through those verses constantly
increases whenever he reads themagain. And for someone who is
determined in faith, this situation is repeated constantly untilthe
end of his life.
One piece of knowledge regarding prayer that will again be
instrumental in the opening of his heart when he hears it is that
prayer 'is the key to destiny.' This is part of the law of Allah. When
Muslims beseech Allah with love and passion, by His leave, what they
desire will come about.
This is a secret mystery of Allah that very few people are aware of.
When one prays, Allah's destiny goes into motion. Mass prayer
especially has a particular power; when Muslims request something
determinedlyand en masse , and whenthey embrace natural causes, then
by Allah's leave, something that people thought would never happen
does in fact come to pass. Allah has created the world bythat law.
Allah is He Who heeds every prayer
Allah has cited many examples in the Qur'an so that people can
understand this secret ofdestiny: the Prophet Jonah (pbuh) frequently
prayed to Allah from inside the stomach of the whale, and Allah
rescued him in an incomparable manner. When the Prophet Moses(pbuh)
and his people were trapped between Pharaoh's army and the sea, the
Prophet Moses (pbuh) prayed to Allah infull submission, and Allah
created a miraculous escape for him and his people. Rasulullah (saas)
placed all his trust in the infinite might of Allah when he and a
friend were in the cave, and Allah spared him from the traps of the
unbelievers and grantedhim victory. In the same way, when the Prophet
Joseph (pbuh) was thrown down the well, Allah in His infinite mercy
sent him help. Allah again manifested His infinite mercy when the
Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was about to be cast into the flames, and made
them cool for him. The Prophet Zechariah (pbuh) prayed to Allah, and
despite their advanced age, he and his wife were blessed by Allah with
the birth of the Prophet John (pbuh).
Some of the verses of the Qur'an that reveal how Allah heeds the
sincere calls of His prophets are as follows:
Jonah too was one of the messengers. When he ran away to the fully
laden shipand cast lots and lost. Then the fish devoured him and he
was to blame. Had it not been that he was a man who glorified Allah,
he would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are raised
again. So We cast him uponto the beach and he was sick; and We caused
a gourd tree to grow over him. We sent him toa hundred thousand or
even more. They believed and so We gavethem enjoyment for a time.
(Surat as-Saffat, 139-148)
And when the two hosts came into sight of one another Moses'
companions said, "We will surely be overtaken!" He said, "Never! My
Lord is with me and He will guide me." So We revealed to Moses,
"Strike the sea with your staff." And it split in two, each part like
a towering cliff. And We brought the others right up to it. We rescued
Moses and all those who were with him. Then We drowned the rest. There
is certainly a sign in that yet most of them are notbelievers. (Surat
ash-Shu'ara', 61-67)
If you do not help him, Allah did help him when the unbelievers drove
him out and there were two of them in the Cave. He said to his
companion, "Do not be despondent, Allah is with us." Then Allah sent
down His serenity upon him and reinforced him with troops you could
not see. He made the word of the unbelievers undermost. It is the
wordof Allah which is uppermost. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.
(Suratat-Tawba, 40)
When they declared, "Why! Joseph and his brother are dearer to our
father than we are although we constitute apowerful group. Our father
is clearly making a mistake. Kill Joseph or expel him to some land so
that your father will look to you alone and then you can be people who
do right." (Surah Yusuf, 8-9)
But when, in fact, they did go out with him and gathered all together
and agreed to put him atthe bottom of the well, We then revealed to
himthat: "You will inform them of this deed they perpetrate at a time
when they are totally unaware." (Surah Yusuf, 15)
Some travelers came that way and then dispatched their water-drawer
who let his bucket down. He said, "Good news for me, I've found a
boy!" They then hid him away among their goods. Allah knew very well
what they were doing. They sold him for a pittance, a fewsmall coins,
considering him to be of little worth. (Surah Yusuf, 19-20)
The Egyptian who had bought him told his wife, "Look after him with
honor and respect. It's possible he will be of use to us or perhaps we
might adopt him as a son." And thus We established Joseph in theland
to teach him the true meaning of events. Allah is in control of His
affair. However, most of mankind do not know. And then when he became
a full-grown man, We gave him knowledge and right judgement too. That
is how We reward all doers of good. (Surah Yusuf, 21-22)
They said, "Who has done this to our gods? He is definitely one of the
wrongdoers!" They said, "We heard a young man mentioning them. They
call him Abraham." They said, "Bring him before the people's eyes so
they can be witnesses." (Surat al- Anbiya', 59-61)
They said, "Burn him andsupport your gods if youare resolved to do
something." We said, "Fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham!" They
desired to trap him but We made them the losers. (Surat al- Anbiya',
68-70)
And Zechariah when he called out to his Lord, "My Lord, do not leave
me on my own, though You are the Best of Inheritors." We responded to
him and gave him John, restoringfor him his wife's fertility. They
outdid oneanother in good actions,calling out to Us in yearning and in
awe, and humbling themselves to Us. (Surat al- Anbiya', 89-90)
Then and there Zechariah called on his Lord and said, "O Lord, grant
me by Your favor an upright child. You arethe Hearer of Prayer." The
angels called out to him while he was standing in prayer in theUpper
Room: "Allah givesyou the good news of John, who will come to confirm
a Word from Allah, and will be a leader and a celibate, a Prophet and
one of the righteous." He said, "My Lord, how can I possibly have a
son when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?" He said, "It
will be so. Allah does whatever He wills." (Surah Al 'Imran, 38-40)
Some people who encounter similar situations to these cited in the
Qur'an in their own lives fall into the error of thinking that "it is
impossible" for their prevailing circumstancesto ever change. Since
their attitude is essentially one of despair and lack of faith,they
fail to properly appreciate the might of Allah and do not pray to Him
with a genuine and absolute submission to Him. And this stems from
these people being unaware of the secret ofdetermined prayer, and
being unaware that prayer is the key to destiny.
Yet if Allah so wishes He can immediately make those things that
people mistakenly think of as "impossible" a reality. In the same way
that Allah sent His help to messengers and true believers in the past,
andthat situations regarded as "impossible" were made a reality, so
this also applies to the lives of everyone today.
Praying with absolute faith
Everyone may face situations wherein they may truly want from Allah
but that look impossible to happen. But people must never be deceived
under thesecircumstances. It is very important not to forget that
prayer is the key to destiny and that when one prays, so Allah's
destiny goes into motion, and thus to beseech Allah with an absolute
faith. In the same way that our Lord smoothed the way for the Prophet
Moses (pbuh) and helped the prophets Jonah (pbuh), Abraham (pbuh) and
Zechariah (pbuh), so all sincere Muslims hope for Him to respond to
their prayers with mercy.
Of course, however, a believer who really wants something to happen
must frequently call on Allah, just like theProphet Jonah (pbuh) and
must, just like our Prophet Muhammad (saas) and the Prophet Moses
(pbuh), say "Of course, our Lord is with us," without losing
heartunder even the most difficult of conditions; he must trust in
Allah's might with a powerful faith, feeling no doubts at all. And
then the secret in prayer will come about and, by Allah's leave,
destiny willbegin to work in the desired direction.
The great Islamic scholarImam Rabbani reminds believers of this great
and certain truth in the following passage:
"To ask for something is to obtain it; because Almighty Allah will not
allow His servant to uttera prayer that He will not heed." (Imam
Rabbani)

Hujjat al-Islam al-Ghazali

Al-Ghazali, the great Islamic scholar who lived10 centuries ago, was a
great example to all believers with his good moral values and his
exemplary life. He trained many students and done great services to
the Islamic world. Al Ghazali was born in Tus, Iran in 1058 when there
were serious conflicts in the Islamic world and the Andalusian Empire
was in a period of decline . In such challenging times, through his
books and lectures, he was the means for the enlightening of the
Islamic world.
Because he had such deep and profound knowledge, he was also known as
'Hujjat al-Islam" and ' Zauniddin ' which means the 'evidence of
Islam, proofthat Islam is the true religion'. Hujjat al-Islam also
means the person who memorized three hundred thousand hadiths with the
names of the reporting people. When he was still young,he went to
Baghdad upon the invitation of the then Seljuk vizier Nizam al-Mulk.
The scholars in the court were amazed to see the depth of knowledge
andeloquence in explaining matters. Nizam al-Mulk appointed him to the
Nizamiye Madrassah to act as the master, a position equivalent to
today's university rectors. During his tenure , Al Ghazali trained
many students and selected three hundred of the best and taught them
allthe necessary knowledge. His students included prominent Islamic
scholars such as Muhammad ibn Asad al-Tusi, Abu Mansur Muhammad, Abu
Abd Allah Jumart al-Hussaini, and Abu al-Hasan al-Balansi.
Al Ghazali is recognized for his vast knowledge not only by the
Islamic world, but also by Westerners as well. The knowledge of Al
Ghazali was advanced in every aspect compared to the European
scholars of his time. For instance, at a time when the Europeans
commonly believed that the earth was flat, Al Ghazali asserted that
the earth was round, that liver cleansed the blood of toxins and
microbes and the ratio of substances in the blood were vital to keep
it healthy, the latter two being facts included in today's physiology
books.
Not only this;, Al Ghazali wrote about many othersubjects in his
books, which are around 1,000. His books deal with Islam, Islamic
moral values and science in a way that can be clearly understood by
people ofevery age and of every education level. Some of his most
famous books are as follows: Ihya Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the
Religious Sciences), Kimya al-Saadat (The Alchemy of the Happiness),
Jawahir al-Qur'an (The Jewels of the Qur'an), Mizan al-Amal (Balance
of Action), Durrat al- Fakhira (The Exquisite Pearl) , Ayyuh-al-Walad
(O my son!), Qistas al- Mustaqim(The Correct Balance) .
Europeans studied the books of Al Ghazali's in a very detailed
manner,. and in 1959, upon reading the books of Al Ghazali and being
fascinated by Islam religion, four Professors Ordinarius translated
thebooks of Al Ghazali into German and then converted to Islam.
AL GHAZALI CALLED ATTENTION TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSLIMS BEING
UNITED AND LIVING IN A BROTHERLY MANNER:
Another point Al Ghazali paid attention to was the brotherhood,
friendship and love between the Muslims. In his famous book, Ihya Ulum
al-Din , he explains in the light of the verses of the Qur'an and the
hadith, why the brotherhood of Muslims is very important as follows:
The Prophet Mohammed (saas) explains: "Muslims are siblings, they do
not hurt, wrong or afflict one another." (Bukhari and Muslim)
Don't get jealous of eachother, don't hold a grudge against each
other, don't say bad things to each other, don't turn your backs to
each other, don't gossip about each other. Servants of Allah, be
brothers. (Bukhari and Muslim; Hujjat al-Islam Al Ghazali, Ihya
al-Ulum al-Din, vol. 3, p. 315)
The great scholar Al Ghazali explains how thebelievers should approach
each other in these wise words:
... You should always approach them with the compassion that they
expect from you. You should see their good sides and ignore the
badones. When they come to you and talk to you, you should not turn
youreyes away from them. (Ihya al-Ulum al-Din, p. 431)
Some of the sage advice of Al Ghazali …
"Don't forget that Almighty Allah knows everything you think and say.
People see only the outside of each other, but Almighty Allahsees both
the inside and the outside of all. Those who know that will be careful
with their thoughts and actions. "
"O my lower self, if you are saying 'I'll repent and do good things
later', remember that death can come before that and you can only
regret. If you think repenting tomorrow is easier than it is today,
you are mistaken".
Al Ghazali gave the goodnews of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as)
In his works Hujjat al-Islam Al Ghazali explained in detail the
qualities of Hazrat Mahdi(as) who is to come in the End Times based on
the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (saas) and heralded Muslims with
the comingof Hazrat Mahdi (as).

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
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Accusing chaste women of adultery

Allaah Almighty Says in the Noble Quran (what means):
"The [Unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual
intercourse— lash each one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not
be taken by pity for them in the religion [i.e. law] of Allaah, if you
should believe in Allaah and the Last Day.And let a group of the
believers witness their punishment. The fornicator does not marry
except a [female] fornicator or polytheist, and none marries her
except a fornicator or a polytheist, and that [i.e. marriageto such
persons] has been made unlawful to the believers. And those who accuse
chaste women (of adultery) and then do not produce four witnesses —
lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony
ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient. Except for those
who repent thereafter and reform, for indeed Allaah is Forgiving and
Merciful." [Quran 24: 2-5]
Islamic law (Sharee'ah) prescribes a very heavy penalty for adultery.
However, Islam does not legislate such a penalty without first putting
in place sufficient legislation that protects people against falling
in sin. It also ensures that the punishment is not enforced except in
cases where there is certainty about the offence and its perpetrators.
Islam is a complete code of living that is not based on punishment.
Its basis is toprovide all that promotesa clean and morally pure life.
If some individuals then abandon such a clean and easy life in order
to deliberately submerge themselves into filth, they incur such heavy
penalty.
In the case of adultery, Islam requires four witnesses to testify that
they have seen the offence, or else, a clear and confirmed confession
by the perpetrators.
It may be suggested, then, that the punishment is unreal
andunenforceable, which renders it ineffective as adeterrent.
Punishment is not the basis of the Islamic approach; its basis is
prevention, education and cultivatingpeople's finer feelings and
consciences so that they refrain from even contemplating this offence.
Imaam Maalik narrated that a man confessed to fornication in the time
of the Messenger of Allaah . The Messenger of Allaah called for a
whip, and he was brought a brokenwhip. He said: "Above this," and he
was broughta new whip whose knots had not been cut yet. He said:
"Below this," and he was brought a whip which had been used and made
flexible. The Messenger of Allaah gave the order and hewas flogged.
Then he said: "O people! Observe the limits of Allaah. Whoever has
committed any of these ugly things (adultery or fornication) should
cover them up with the veil of Allaah. Whoever reveals to us hiswrong
action, we shall perform what is in the Book of Allaah against him
(i.e. the prescribed penalty)." [Maalik]
Prescribing a very harsh punishment for adultery is not sufficient, on
its own, to protect the Muslim community and ensure the purity of its
atmosphere. Therefore, asupplementary order is given to isolate the
adulterers from the rest of the Muslim community.It goes further to
remove the air of the offence from the Muslim community, prescribing
aheavy punishment for those who accuse chaste women of adultery
without providing firm evidence in support of their accusation. Allaah
Almighty Says in the Quran (what means):
"And those who accuse chaste women of adultery and then do not produce
four witnesses — lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from
them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient.
Except for those who repent thereafter and reform, for indeedAllaah is
Forgiving and Merciful"." [Quran 24: 2-5]
Allowing people to accuse chaste women, whether married or not,
without a clear proof means that people could always make up such
accusation, fearing no repercussion. This means that the Muslim
community finds itself with a stained reputation. Every individual is
threatened with false accusation. Every man suspects his wife, and
every wife suspects her husband, and people doubt their legitimacy. In
such an intolerable state of doubtand suspicion, every family is
undermined. Moreover, when such accusations are frequently made, those
who steer themselves away from adultery will begin to think that the
crime is common in society. Thus, people begin to think about adultery
in a different spirit, with its ghastly nature sounding less ghastly
as a result of its frequent mention. Those who would not have
contemplated it at all may begin to think of doing so, feeling that
many others are doing it.
Thus, in order to protect people's honor and their suffering from
suspicion as a result of uncorroborated accusations, the Quran
prescribes for false accusation a punishment that comes close to that
of adultery. The punishment is flogging with 80 stripes, rejecting
their testimony in any case or situation, and giving them the label of
transgressors. The first part of the punishment isphysical, while the
second is moral. It is sufficient that the accuser is deprived of
theright to testify, and considered deceitful. The third part of the
punishment is a religious one. The one guilty of false accusation is
following a line that deviates from that of faith. The only way to
protect himself from suchpunishments is that the accuser should
provide four witnesses who have seen the offence being committed, or
three alongside him if he himself has seen it.
It is agreed upon by Muslim scholars that for adultery (or
fornication) case to be authentically proven, four witnesses must
simultaneously see, by their own eyes, the man's sexual organ inserted
in the woman's sexual organ. Only when these four witnesses givesuch
testimony is the accusation proved and the punishment of adultery (or
fornication) is enforced on the perpetrators.
Such restrictions are set forth by Sharee'ah in order to limit to the
least minimum the possibility of falsely accusing chaste women of
adultery (or fornication), which leads to social and psychological
troubles for the accused women. Even when such a sin –adultery (or
fornication)- is committed, such restrictions laid by Sharee'ah will
guarantee the suppression of the crime and prevents its spread among
the people, which contaminates the morallypure Muslim community.

Backbiting & Slander - AnIslamic perspective

Allaah Says in the Quran what means: "And why, when you heard it, did
you not say: 'It is notfor us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O
Allaah]; this is a great slander?'" [Quran 24:16]
Backbiting & Slander Defined
Prophet Muhammad once asked: "Do you know what backbiting is?" His
companions replied: "Allaah and His Messenger know best." He then
said: "It is to say something about your brother that he would
dislike." Someone asked:"But what if what is said is true?"The
Messenger of Allaah replied: "If what you say about him is true, then
you have backbitten him, but if it is not true then you have slandered
him." [Muslim]
Islam is a religion of peace, love and compassion. Lies, suspicion,
backbiting, slander and gossip are totally alien to Islam. In fact,
they are considered amongst the most destructive of major sins. This
is so because these sins sow enmity and discord among the Muslim Ummah
(nation) and lead to its destruction. They cause hostilities between
people of the same household, and between neighbours, friends and
relatives.
Islam demands that our relationship with mankind be one of sincerity
and responsibility. It should be one where we have respect for the
honour, reputation and privacy ofothers. Islam teaches us that we are
not only held accountable for our attitudes and actions, but also for
anything over which we have control or influence in our society or the
world around us.
Allaah has Forbidden the Believers from Backbiting
Allaah states in the Quran (what means): "O you who have believed!
Avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And
do not spyor backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the
flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allaah;
indeed, Allaah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful." [Quran 49:12]
If we were to reflect deeply over this example, it would be enoughto
keep us away from backbiting!
Backbiting and Slander are Great Sins and Cannot be Treated with Indifference
The Quran Says (what means): "When you received it with your tongues
and said with your mouths that of which you had noknowledge and
thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allaah,
tremendous." [Quran 24:15]
Many of us backbite and gossip without thinking. We think it is a
minor matter, however, Allaah reminds us to be careful, for eventhough
we think we are doing something small, it is in fact very large in the
sight of Allaah!
Allaah Teaches Us to Speak Out Against Slander and Try to Put a Stop to It
Allaah Says (what means): "And why, when you heard it, did you not
say: 'It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allaah];
this is a great slander?'" [Quran 24:16]
Many people are so busy spreading the slander they hear that they do
not even stop to consider whether it is true or not.
Satan Wishes that We Use Our Tongues to Create Conflict and Hatred
Allaah Says (what means): "And tell My servants to say that which is
best. Indeed, Satan induces [dissension] among them. Indeed, Satan is
ever, to mankind,a clear enemy." [Quran 17:53]
Are we falling into Satan's trap? We can all analyse ourselves to see
if this is the case. Let's now compare that to what Prophet Muhammad
said about backbiting:
Allaah states in the Quran (what means): "There has certainly beenfor
you in the Messenger of Allaahan excellent pattern…" [Quran 33:21]
We Should Guard Our Tongue from Sins and Use Our Limbs in Acts of Obedience
Prophet Muhammad said: "Hewho protects his tongue from unlawful
utterances and his private parts from illegal sexual intercourse, I
shall guarantee himentrance into Paradise." [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]
The Best Muslim Defined
Prophet Muhammad was once asked: "Who is the best Muslim?" He replied:
"He is the one from whom Muslims are safe from the evil of his tongue
and hands." [Muslim]
Deriding people in their presence by making negative facial
expressions or by hand gestures while they are unaware is also a form
of backbiting.
We Need to Beware of the Slipping of Our Tongues
Prophet Muhammad said: "When man wakes up in the morning each day, all
his body parts warn his tongue saying: 'Fear Allaah with regards to
us, for we are under your mercy; if you are upright, we will be
upright and if you are crooked, we will be crooked.'" [At-Tirmithi]
Summary
Backbiting and slander are so widespread that they have become the
topic of people's meetings and an avenue for expressing their anger,
misgivings and jealousy. Those who indulge in backbiting are oblivious
of the fact that they are only harming themselves. This is because on
the Day of Resurrection, both the wrongdoer and the wronged willstand
before Allaah, the Just Judge. Allaah will then give the wronged
person from the good deeds of the person who wronged him by backbiting
or other injustices.
Some situations allow us to inform others of what someone has done. We
are permitted to inform the authorities when someone does injustice to
us or others. We are permitted to inform someone who can prevent a
perpetrator from committing further vice. It is alsopermissible for us
to tell whoeverseeks our advice about a person for business dealings
or marriage. In this case we are allowed reveal only as much as
necessary about the person so that the enquirer will not feel
deceived. All these forms of speaking about others are lawful.
Islam teaches us that if people are being ridiculed or backbitten in
our presence, we should defend their honour. If we neglect doing so,
we risk depriving ourselves of the ever-needed help and mercy
fromAllaah.
Prophet Muhammad said: "If a man's Muslim brother is slandered in his
presence, and he is capable of defending him and does so, Allaah will
defend him inthis world and in the next. But if he fails to defend
him, Allaah will destroy him in this world and thenext." [Al-Baghawi]
What will we do the next time we are tempted to backbite, or if we
hear slander in our presence? The choice is ours.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
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Dought & clear - , A fabricated hadeeth about the reward for charity given on behalf of the deceased being presented to him on a platter of light.

How sound is this hadeeth: "If you offer supplication for the
deceased, the angel will enter upon him with a platter of light and
will say: 'This is a gift to you from your brother or relative So and
and so,' and he will rejoice thereat"?.
Praise be to Allaah.
This hadeeth is fabricated. It was narrated by at-Tabaraani in
al-Mu'jam al-Awsat (6504): Muhammad ibn Dawood ibn Aslam as-Sadafi
told us, 'Ubaydullah ibn 'Abdillahal-Munkadiri told us, Muhammad ibn
Ismaa'eel ibn Abi Fudayksaid: I heard Abu Muhammad ash-Shaami narrate
that he heard Abu Hurayrah say that heheard Anas ibn Maalik say: I
heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) say: "There is no household of whom one person dies and they give
charity on his behalf after his death, but Jibreel (peace be upon him)
will present it to him on a platter of light. He will stand at the
edgeof the grave and say: 'O occupant of the deep grave, this is a
gift given to you by your family, so accept it.' Then he will enter
upon him, and he will rejoice thereat and be of good cheer, and his
neighbours who were not given anythingwill be sad."
At-Tabaraani said after quoting it: This hadeeth was not narrated from
Anas except via this isnaad, which was narrated only by Ibn Abi
Fudayk.
Al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It was narrated by at-Tabaraani in al-Awsat;its isnaad includes Abu
Muhammad ash-Shaami, of whom al-Azdi said: He is a liar.
End quote from Majma' az-Zawaa'id, 3/139
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned it in
as-Silsilah ad-Da'eefah (486) and said: It is fabricated … The problem
with this hadeeth is that it is narrated by Abu Muhammad ash-Shaami.
Adh-Dhahabi said: He narrated odd hadeeths from some of the Taabi'een.
Al-Azdi said: He is a liar.
This is how it appears in al-Lisaan; it is as if what they meant by
munkar hadeeth was this report. End quote.
So it is not permissible toattribute these words to the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or to narrate it from him
except for the purpose of explaining its status and to warn against
narrating it, because theProphet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "Whoever narrates a hadeeth from me thinking that it is a
lie is one of the liars." Narrated by Muslim in the Introduction to
his Saheeh (1/7).
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This hadeeth contains a stern warning against lying and indicates that
whoever thinks it most likely that what he is narrating is false but
stillnarrates it is a liar. How can he not be a liar when he is
telling you ofsomething that did not happen? End quote.
In the same chapter there is another hadeethwhich says: "The dead
person in his grave is like the drowning person who calls for help,
hoping for a supplication to reach him from his father or mother or
brother or friend, and when it reaches him it will be dearer to him
than this world and everything in it. Allah will cause to reach the
inhabitants of the graves gifts like mountains as a result of the
supplication of the inhabitant of houses (i.e., the living). And the
gift of the living to the dead is prayers for forgiveness."
This was quoted by Shaykh al-Albaani in as-Silsilah ad-Da'eefah (799).
He said: (It is) munkar jiddan (very odd). End quote.
With regard to the hadeeth which says: "When you offer supplication
for the dead, the angel enters upon him with a platter of light…", we
could not find any such report from the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) whether this version or the first version. So it
is not permissible to attribute that to the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) just as it is not permissible to quote it,
even if it is not attributed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him), because the matterof al-barzakh is one of the
matters of the unseen, and it is not permissible to indulge intalking
about it without knowledge.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear - , Ruling on the Muslims celebrating at the time of Christmas and decorating their homes with balloons.

What do you say to Muslims in the United Kingdom who celebrate at
Christmas time by holding dinner parties intheir houses on Christmas
or afterwards, for their Muslim families,such as preparing roast
turkey and the other dishes of the traditional Christmas dinner, and
they adorn their houses with balloons and paper chains, and they do
the "secret Santa" tradition, whereby each relative brings a gift for
one of the people present and these gifts are brought to the party to
be given to the one for whom he bought it, without the recipient
knowing who he is. ["Secret Santa" is anew, growing custom among
non-Muslims who celebrate Christmas,and is in accordance with their
belief in the myth of Santa Claus].
Is this action regarded ashalaal or haraam, if no one is attending
this party except Muslims (relatives and family members)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no doubt that what is mentioned of celebrations is haraam,
because it is an imitationof the kuffaar. It is well known that the
Muslims do not have any festival apart from Eid al-Fitr andEid
al-Adha, and the weekly "Eid" which is Friday (Yawm al-Jumu'ah).
Celebrating any other festival is not allowed and is either of two
things: either it is aninnovation (bid'ah), if it is celebrated as a
means of drawing close to Allah, such as celebratingthe Prophet's
Birthday (Mawlid); or it is an imitation of the kuffaar, if it is
celebrated as a tradition and not as an act of worship, because
introducing innovated festivals is the action of the people of the
Book who we are commandedto differ from. So how about if it is a
celebration of one of their actual festivals?
Decorating the house with balloons at this time is obviously joining
in with the kuffaar and celebrating their festival.
What the Muslim is required to do is not to single out these days for
any kind of celebration, decorating or adornment, or special foods,
otherwise he will be joining the kuffaar intheir festivals, which is
something that is undoubtedly haraam.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Similarly it
is forbidden for the Muslims to imitate the kuffaar by holding parties
on these occasions, or exchanging gifts, or distributing sweets or
other foods, or taking time off work and so on,because the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever imitates a
people is one of them." Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in his book
Iqtida' al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem Mukhaalifat Ashaab al-Jaheem: Imitating
them on some of their festivals implies that oneis happy with the
falsehood they are following, and that could make them (the
non-Muslims) take this opportunity to mislead those who are weak in
faith. End quote.
Those who do any of these things are sinning,whether they do it to go
along with them, or to be friendly towards them, or because they feel
too shy (to refuse to join in) or any other reason, because it is a
kind of compromising the religion of Allah to please others, and it is
a means of lifting the spirits of the kuffaar andmaking them proud of
their religion,
End quote from Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 3/44
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked
about a Muslim who makes the food of the Christians on Nawrooz
(Persian New Year) and on all their occasions such as Epiphany and
other feastdays, and who sells themthings to help them celebrate their
festivals. Is it permissible for the Muslims to do any of these things
or not?
He replied: Praise be to Allah. It is not permissible for the Muslims
to imitate them in any way that is unique to their festivals, whether
it be food, clothes, bathing, lightingfires or refraining from usual
work or worship, and so on. And it is not permissible to give a feast
or to exchange gifts or to sell things thathelp them to celebrate
their festivals, or to let children and others play the games that are
played on their festivals, or to adorn oneself or put up decorations.
In general, (Muslims) are not allowed to single outthe festivals of
the kuffaar for any of these rituals or customs. Rather the day of
their festivals is just an ordinary day for the Muslims, and they
shouldnot single it out for any activity that is part of what the
kuffaar do on these days.
End quote from al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 2/487; Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 25/329

Islamic Stories - , Ali's Sacrifice

"There! I found the moon," exclaimed six year old Ali to his father.
"Where?" asked Ali�s tenyear old brother, Abdullah.
"See that big tree? Its right next to it," replied Ali.
The boys were trying to sight the new moon for the beginning of the
Islamic month of Zulhijjah. Eid would be ten days from the day they
saw the new moon.
"Oh, I see it now," said Abdullah.
"Daddy, can we go tomorrow to buy a goat?" asked Ali.
"Sure, we�ll go tomorrow after the Zuhrprayer," replied their father.
The next day, all of the boys got in to the car with their father.
They were going to the neighboring hills to buy a goat to slaughter on
the day of Eid in commemoration of whatProphet Ibrahim (Abraham),
alayhi salam, did.
"We�re going to bring the goat home this time," said their father,"so
you will have to takecare of it and feed it. You can also play with
it."
"Yahoo! I�ll take care of it," said Ali, "I�ll even teach it tricks!"
The boys and their father finally found a goat and took it home. The
next day, Ali woke up early long before the time he used to wake up.
He washed and dressed, then went outside to play with the goat. His
brothers Usmanand Abdullah were already outside playing with the goat.
"Assalamu alaikum," they said together.
"Wa-alaikum as salam," replied Ali.
"We have decided that we will take turns to feed the goat. Everyone
will take care of the goatfor one day. You can be the first one to
feed him," said Abdullah.
"Okay," said Ali, "where is the food?"
"Right here," replied Abdullah, pointing to thefood hidden in a corner.
"Make sure, you give him enough water and hay," said Usman.
Ali then called the goat. The goat came to him obediently and ate the
food. Then he drank a little water.
The boys kept on taking turns until the Eid day. Many times they took
it for walks around their neighborhood. One time, as Abdullah was
getting out of his house to go for the Maghrib prayer, the goat
followed him. Abdullah then had to force the goat back into the
backyard, which the goat resisted very much. The boys started liking
the goat very much.
After the Eid prayer, on the Eid day, the family returned home. It was
time to slaughter the goat.
"D-d-daddy, why are yougoing to k-k-kill the goat?" asked Ali, who was
nearly crying, as his father sharpened his knife.
"We have to kill him, because Allah has ordered us to," came thereply,
"Every Eid-ul-Adha,Muslims all over the world, who can afford,
slaughter a goat, sheep, lamb, cow, or camel. Prophet Ibrahim, alayhi
salam, was ordered by Allah to slaughter his sonas a test. He was
about to do that because it wasAllah�s order, but then Allah provided
him with a ram to slaughter, and Ibrahim, alayhi salam, slaughtered
that. As a commemoration of that great sacrifice, Muslims are asked to
slaughter an animal. You will also be slaughtering an animal when you
grow up."
Ali did not reply but rather watched his father as he slaughtered the
goat. Then he ran into the house, because he could not stand watching
the goat die.
Abdullah went after him and explained everything to him again that his
father had said before. Ali finally understood, but he still seemed
sad.
The boys then helped their father in doing the rest of the work. As he
kept thinking about it, Ali realized he had just learned the
word"sacrifice" now: you giveup something you love for a higher
purpose. He had become happy now because he knew they had killed the
goat because Allah had commanded them to do so. Then he skipped into
his house and started helping his mother clear up the meat.

Islamic Stories - , We are extremly rich, yet we don't know it

Once a person came to a Shaikh (Islamic scholar) and complained to him
about his own poverty, saying that he was in great distress and
wouldprefer death to such a life. The Shaikh said to him, "Are you
willing to have your eyes taken out in exchange for ten thousand
Dirhams (silvercoins)." He replied"Certainly not." The Shaikh said
"Would you like to have your tongueplucked out and get ten thousand
Dirhams in return?" The man said,"Of course not." The Shaikh said,
"Would you agree to having both your hands and feet cut off in return
for twenty thousand Dirhams." The man said that he would not. The
Shaikh asked"Are you willing to be made a mad man and get ten thousand
Dirhams in return?" The man said that he was not willing. At this, the
Shaikh said to him, "Are you not ashamed of yourself? You admit that
Allah Ta'ala has granted you so many precious gifts, the value
whereof, in your own estimation, exceeds fifty thousand Dirhams
(counting only afew gifts, by way of illustration) and yet you
complain of poverty!"
Source: "Fadhail-e-Sadaqaa Part II", translated by Prof. AbdulKarim.
The value of the above mentioned gifts can be fully understood when we
lose them. Let us be more thankful to our Lord.