8.1.1
Yahya related to me fromMalik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that
the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
said,"Prayer in congregation is better than the prayer of a man by
himself by twenty-seven degrees."
8.1.2
Yahya related to me fromMalik from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn
al-Musayyab from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, said, "Prayer in congregation is better
than the prayer of one ofyou on his own by twenty-five parts."
8.1.3
Yahya related to me fromMalik from Abu'zZinad from al-Araj from Abu
Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, "By Him in whose hand myself is! I had in mind to order
firewood to be collected, then to order the prayer to be called, and
to appoint a man to lead the people in prayer, andthen to come up
behind certain men and burn their houses down aboutthem! By Him in
whose hand myself is! If one of them knew that he would find a meaty
boneor two good legs of meat, he would be present at isha.''
8.1.4
Yahya related to me fromMalik from Abu'n-Nadr, the mawla of Umar ibn
Ubaydullah from Yusr ibnSaid that Zayd ibn Thabit said, "The most
excellent prayer is your prayer in your house, except for the
prescribed prayers."
8.2.5
Yahya related to me fromMalik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Harmala al-Aslami
from Said ibn al-Musayyab that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, said, "What separates us from the hypocrites
is being present at isha and subh. They cannot do it," or words to
that effect.
8.2.6
Yahya related to me fromMalik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakr ibn
Abd ar-Rahman from AbuSalih from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless himand grant him peace, said, "If a man who is
walking along a road finds a branch of thorns on the road and
removesit, Allah thanks him for doing it and forgives him." He also
said,"Martyrs are five: the onekilled by a plague, the one killed by a
disease ofthe belly, the one who drowns, the one killed bya collapsing
building, and the martyr in the path of Allah.' He also said, "If
people knew what there was in the call to prayer and the first row,
and they could find no other way exceptto draw lots for it, they would
draw lots for it. And if they knew what there was in doing dhuhrat its
time, they would race each other to it. Andif they knew what there was
in the prayers of ishaand maghrib, they wouldcome to them even if they
had to crawl .
8.2.7
Yahya related to me fromMalik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Bakr ibn
Sulayman ibn Abi Hathmathat Umar ibn al-Khattab missed Sulayman ibn
Abi Hathma in the subh prayer. In the morning he went to the market,
and Sulayman's house was between the market and the Prophet's mosque.
He passed ash-Shifa, Sulayman's mother, and said to her,"I did not see
Sulayman at subh." She replied, "Hespent the night in prayer and his
eyes overcame him. Umar said, "I would rather be present at subhthan
stand the whole night in prayer.
8.2.8
Yahya related to me fromMalik from Yahya ibn Said from Muhammad ibn
Ibrahim that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Amra al-Ansari said that Uthman ibn
Affan came to the isha prayer and seeing only a few people in the
mosque, he lay down at the back of the mosque to wait for the number
of people to increase. Ibn Abi Amra went and sat down beside him and
Uthman asked him who he was, so he told him. Uthman said, "What have
you memorised of the Qur'an?", and he told him. Uthman said, "If
someone is present at isha, it is as if he had stood in prayer for
half a night, and if some one is present at subh, it is as if he had
stood in prayer for a whole night.
8.3.9
Yahya related to me fromMalik from Zayd ibn Aslam from a man of the
Bani'd-Dil called Busr ibn Mihjan from his father Mihjan that he was
in a gathering with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, and the call toprayer was made. The Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, rose and prayed and
then returned. Mihjan remained sitting and did not pray with him. The
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
"What prevented you from praying with the people?Aren't you a muslim?"
He said, "Of course, Messenger of Allah, but I have already prayed
withmy family." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, "When you come, pray with the people, even if you
have prayed already."
8.3.10
Yahya related to me fromMalik from Nafi that a man asked Abdullah ibn
Umar, "Sometimes I pray in my house, and then catch the prayer with
theimam. Should I pray with him?" Abdullah ibn Umar said to him,
"Yes," and the man said, "Which of them do I make my prayer?" Abdullah
ibn Umar said, "Is that up to you? It is up to Allah. He will decide
on whicheverof them He wishes."
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Islam is a religion of Mercy, Peace and Blessing. Its teachings emphasize kind hear tedness, help, sympathy, forgiveness, sacrifice, love and care.Qur’an, the Shari’ah and the life of our beloved Prophet (SAW) mirrors this attribute, and it should be reflected in the conduct of a Momin.Islam appreciates those who are kind to their fellow being,and dislikes them who are hard hearted, curt, and hypocrite.Recall that historical moment, when Prophet (SAW) entered Makkah as a conqueror. There was before him a multitude of surrendered enemies, former oppressors and persecutors, who had evicted the Muslims from their homes, deprived them of their belongings, humiliated and intimidated Prophet (SAW) hatched schemes for his murder and tortured and killed his companions. But Prophet (SAW) displayed his usual magnanimity, generosity, and kind heartedness by forgiving all of them and declaring general amnesty...Subhanallah. May Allah help us tailor our life according to the teachings of Islam. (Aameen)./-
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Tuesday, February 5, 2013
39 hadith found in ' Prayer in Congregation ' of Malik's Muwatta.
Hazrat Uthman (ra)
Hazrat Uthman (ra), one of the handful of peoplewho first embraced
Islam, had been one of the closest people to ourProphet (saas)
throughout his life. He was the son-in-law of our Prophet (saas) and
the third Caliph. Becausehe was twice honored with being the
son-in-law of our Prophet (saas), he was called "Thun-Nurayn"
(Zunnorain), meaning "the possessor of two lights." He participated in
all the struggles of our Prophet (saas) except for the Battle of
Badr. When Hazrat Uthman (ra) embraced Islam, he was subjected to
torture by the idolaters. When migration to Ethiopia was allowed, he
became one of the first immigrants to Ethiopia together with his wife
Mrs. Ruquayyah, our Prophet's (saas) daughter.
Hazrat Abu Bakr's (ra) communication of Islam became instrumental in
Hazrat Uthman's (ra) embracing Islam. He wasone of the precious
companions of our Prophet (saas) who was exemplary to all Muslims with
his superior moral qualities and beautiful speech.
Apart from his refined and influential manner of speaking , he had an
extraordinarily retentive memory and he committed the Holy Qur'an to
memory. Having a very profound knowledge of hadith, healso made great
services to Islam by writing and recording the revelations.
Hazrat Uthman's (ra) spending in the way of Allah
Hazrat Uthman (ra), who was engaged in commerce before converting to
Islam, was a wealthy and greatly respected merchant of his tribe. When
he was honored with Islam, he spent his entire wealth which Allah had
grantedhim for the spread of Islam and the welfare of Muslims.
In a time when there was a water shortage in Medina, he paid twenty
thousand dirhems, which was quite a sum of money for that time, to buy
the Well of Ruma and donated it to the service of Muslims who were
paying for the water taken from this well. He was also the person who
met all the needs of the army, consisting of ten thousand Muslims, who
would participate in the expedition to Tabuk. This aside, in a time
when there was famine in Medina, Hazrat Uthman (ra) purchased ahundred
loads of wheatthat arrived from Damascus by camel and distributed
them to the needy and the companions of our Prophet (saas) in Medina.
Hazrat Uthman's (ra) Superior Services as a Caliphate
Following the martyrdom of Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Uthman (ra) was
chosen as Caliph by a committee. Because he was considered
deserving of this duty bythe Islamic community, nobody objected to
this decision and everyone offered allegiance to him. Hazrat Uthman
(ra) no doubt rendered one of his most important services in spreading
themorality of Islam during his Caliphate by orderingthe production of
multiple copies of the text of the Qur'an as it exists today, and
sending them to all the Muslim provinces. Duringthe time of Hazrat
Uthman (ra), the copies of the Qur'an were produced, a copy was left
in Medina and otherswere sent to Mecca, Damascus, Kufa, Basra, Egypt
and other provinces. Due to this honorable and great service of Hazrat
Uthman(ra), he was given the name "Nashri al-Qur'an", meaning "theone
who spreads the Qur'an."
During his Caliphate, Hazrat Uthman (ra) achieved many other great
accomplishments, one of which was the establishment of the firstMuslim
navy on the coasts of Syria that madeits first expedition to Cyprus.
Following this first naval triumph, other expeditions were made to
other islands in the Mediterranean in thefollowing years, with great
victories followingthese expeditions.
During his military expeditions both on land and sea, and as a
requisite of the morality of Islam, Hazrat Uthman (ra) always assumed
a just and compassionate attitude. He observed the rights of the
People of the Book and treated them with compassion and justice.
During the conquest of Dabil (Dvin), which was an Armenian city during
the Caliphate of Hazrat Uthman (ra), he granted indemnity to the
Christians, Jews and zoroastrians living in thecity and guaranteed the
protection of their sanctuaries.
The following letter which Hazrat Uthman (ra) wrote to the financial
and administrative authorities when he became the Caliph reveals his
understanding, which was in full conformity with the morality of the
Qur'an:
"Almighty Allah had created nothing for a vain purpose. He
createdeverything as right. Therefore He accepts nothing but the
right. Take whatever you take as right; and give those things you give
away to the needy. Be especially attentive to honesty. Conduct
yourself honestly and don't be the one violating it, for those
violating it also undertakes the sins of those coming later. Be
attentive to be loyal; do not violate the rights of the orphan and
comply with the conventions. Beaware that Allah is hostile to those
who oppress the orphan."
This aside, he always allowed the repair of demolished churches and
the construction of new ministries and synagogues.
During the Caliphate of Hazrat Uthman (ra), the Muslim army had great
victories against the Byzantine Empire, and Armenia, Caucasia,
Khorasan, Marrakesh, Karman, Africa and manyothers were included in
the territories of the Islamic state.
The first Sermon of Hazrat Uthman (ra)
When Hazrat Uthman (ra) came to the pulpit topreach his first sermon,
he told the following after giving thanks to Allah:
"Muslims! You are indeed living in the blessings of peace and security
in Islam. You have come to the end of your lives with this blessing.
May your life end with goodness. Day and night, you have struggled
with all your might and main. But be well aware that the yeast of this
world is decisive. May the life of this world not deceive you. Do not
be proud towards Allah and take lessons from those who preceeded you.
Do not be idle and insensitive; be alert. Allah is not heedless. Now
where are those men of means who preceeded us and loved this world,
felt attached to it and had palaces everywhere? Hasthis world ever
remained faithful to them? Take at least lessons from it, and do not
overestimate this world which Allah despises. Get prepared for the
Hereafter, which is your eternal abode."
Hazrat Uthman (ra) concluded his sermon saying, "There is a good
example in the followingverse" and read:
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan:
Make a metaphor for them of the life of the world. It is like water
which We send down from the sky and the plants of the earth combine
with it but thenbecome dry chaff scattered by the winds. Allah has
absolute powerover everything. (Surat al-Kahf, 45)
Wise words of Hazrat Uthman (ra)
"Take heed from the past and work for the good."
"Almighty Allah granted this world to you so that you can seek the
life of the Hereafter. He did notgrant it to you so that you feel
inclined to it!"
"Hurry for the good deeds you can do beforedeath catches up with you."
"O people! Avoid opposing the commandments of Allah, for avoidance
from opposing Allah's commandments is a loot… A servant of Allah
should fear from being resurrected blind although he was the oneable
to see. A single word is sufficient for theone who understands wisdom.
Those who are deaf in soul already do not hear the right. Be aware
that that person fears nothing if Allah is with him."
The news of Hazrat Uthman's (ra) martyrdom was given byour Prophet (saas)
Our Prophet (saas) sent amessenger to Hazrat Uthman (ra) to call him
and when he came he told him:
"You will be murdered and die a martyr! Be patient. May Allah give you
patience."
"Never take off the shirt of Caliphate that Allah will put on you for
ten years and six months." While Hazrat Uthman (ra) was leaving, our
Prophet (saas) told him: "May Allah grant you patience. You will be
martyred while you will be fasting and you will break your fast with
me!" (Imam Suyuti, our Prophet (saas) with his Extraordinary Features
, Iz Publishing, Istanbul, 2003, p.729)
Hazrat Uthman (ra) was martyred on 35 Hijr (the year 657 according to
the Gregorian Calendar) by some rebels in his home.
Our Prophet's (saas) words about Hazrat Uthman (ra)
"Uthman is the one with the most sense of shame in the ummah and the
most graceful."
"Every prophet has a companion in the Garden. My companion there is Uthman."
"My Lord! Remove Uthman's grief and sorrow on the Day of Judgment, for
he removed much of our grief."
"Uthman is from me, andI am from Uthman."
Islam, had been one of the closest people to ourProphet (saas)
throughout his life. He was the son-in-law of our Prophet (saas) and
the third Caliph. Becausehe was twice honored with being the
son-in-law of our Prophet (saas), he was called "Thun-Nurayn"
(Zunnorain), meaning "the possessor of two lights." He participated in
all the struggles of our Prophet (saas) except for the Battle of
Badr. When Hazrat Uthman (ra) embraced Islam, he was subjected to
torture by the idolaters. When migration to Ethiopia was allowed, he
became one of the first immigrants to Ethiopia together with his wife
Mrs. Ruquayyah, our Prophet's (saas) daughter.
Hazrat Abu Bakr's (ra) communication of Islam became instrumental in
Hazrat Uthman's (ra) embracing Islam. He wasone of the precious
companions of our Prophet (saas) who was exemplary to all Muslims with
his superior moral qualities and beautiful speech.
Apart from his refined and influential manner of speaking , he had an
extraordinarily retentive memory and he committed the Holy Qur'an to
memory. Having a very profound knowledge of hadith, healso made great
services to Islam by writing and recording the revelations.
Hazrat Uthman's (ra) spending in the way of Allah
Hazrat Uthman (ra), who was engaged in commerce before converting to
Islam, was a wealthy and greatly respected merchant of his tribe. When
he was honored with Islam, he spent his entire wealth which Allah had
grantedhim for the spread of Islam and the welfare of Muslims.
In a time when there was a water shortage in Medina, he paid twenty
thousand dirhems, which was quite a sum of money for that time, to buy
the Well of Ruma and donated it to the service of Muslims who were
paying for the water taken from this well. He was also the person who
met all the needs of the army, consisting of ten thousand Muslims, who
would participate in the expedition to Tabuk. This aside, in a time
when there was famine in Medina, Hazrat Uthman (ra) purchased ahundred
loads of wheatthat arrived from Damascus by camel and distributed
them to the needy and the companions of our Prophet (saas) in Medina.
Hazrat Uthman's (ra) Superior Services as a Caliphate
Following the martyrdom of Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Uthman (ra) was
chosen as Caliph by a committee. Because he was considered
deserving of this duty bythe Islamic community, nobody objected to
this decision and everyone offered allegiance to him. Hazrat Uthman
(ra) no doubt rendered one of his most important services in spreading
themorality of Islam during his Caliphate by orderingthe production of
multiple copies of the text of the Qur'an as it exists today, and
sending them to all the Muslim provinces. Duringthe time of Hazrat
Uthman (ra), the copies of the Qur'an were produced, a copy was left
in Medina and otherswere sent to Mecca, Damascus, Kufa, Basra, Egypt
and other provinces. Due to this honorable and great service of Hazrat
Uthman(ra), he was given the name "Nashri al-Qur'an", meaning "theone
who spreads the Qur'an."
During his Caliphate, Hazrat Uthman (ra) achieved many other great
accomplishments, one of which was the establishment of the firstMuslim
navy on the coasts of Syria that madeits first expedition to Cyprus.
Following this first naval triumph, other expeditions were made to
other islands in the Mediterranean in thefollowing years, with great
victories followingthese expeditions.
During his military expeditions both on land and sea, and as a
requisite of the morality of Islam, Hazrat Uthman (ra) always assumed
a just and compassionate attitude. He observed the rights of the
People of the Book and treated them with compassion and justice.
During the conquest of Dabil (Dvin), which was an Armenian city during
the Caliphate of Hazrat Uthman (ra), he granted indemnity to the
Christians, Jews and zoroastrians living in thecity and guaranteed the
protection of their sanctuaries.
The following letter which Hazrat Uthman (ra) wrote to the financial
and administrative authorities when he became the Caliph reveals his
understanding, which was in full conformity with the morality of the
Qur'an:
"Almighty Allah had created nothing for a vain purpose. He
createdeverything as right. Therefore He accepts nothing but the
right. Take whatever you take as right; and give those things you give
away to the needy. Be especially attentive to honesty. Conduct
yourself honestly and don't be the one violating it, for those
violating it also undertakes the sins of those coming later. Be
attentive to be loyal; do not violate the rights of the orphan and
comply with the conventions. Beaware that Allah is hostile to those
who oppress the orphan."
This aside, he always allowed the repair of demolished churches and
the construction of new ministries and synagogues.
During the Caliphate of Hazrat Uthman (ra), the Muslim army had great
victories against the Byzantine Empire, and Armenia, Caucasia,
Khorasan, Marrakesh, Karman, Africa and manyothers were included in
the territories of the Islamic state.
The first Sermon of Hazrat Uthman (ra)
When Hazrat Uthman (ra) came to the pulpit topreach his first sermon,
he told the following after giving thanks to Allah:
"Muslims! You are indeed living in the blessings of peace and security
in Islam. You have come to the end of your lives with this blessing.
May your life end with goodness. Day and night, you have struggled
with all your might and main. But be well aware that the yeast of this
world is decisive. May the life of this world not deceive you. Do not
be proud towards Allah and take lessons from those who preceeded you.
Do not be idle and insensitive; be alert. Allah is not heedless. Now
where are those men of means who preceeded us and loved this world,
felt attached to it and had palaces everywhere? Hasthis world ever
remained faithful to them? Take at least lessons from it, and do not
overestimate this world which Allah despises. Get prepared for the
Hereafter, which is your eternal abode."
Hazrat Uthman (ra) concluded his sermon saying, "There is a good
example in the followingverse" and read:
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan:
Make a metaphor for them of the life of the world. It is like water
which We send down from the sky and the plants of the earth combine
with it but thenbecome dry chaff scattered by the winds. Allah has
absolute powerover everything. (Surat al-Kahf, 45)
Wise words of Hazrat Uthman (ra)
"Take heed from the past and work for the good."
"Almighty Allah granted this world to you so that you can seek the
life of the Hereafter. He did notgrant it to you so that you feel
inclined to it!"
"Hurry for the good deeds you can do beforedeath catches up with you."
"O people! Avoid opposing the commandments of Allah, for avoidance
from opposing Allah's commandments is a loot… A servant of Allah
should fear from being resurrected blind although he was the oneable
to see. A single word is sufficient for theone who understands wisdom.
Those who are deaf in soul already do not hear the right. Be aware
that that person fears nothing if Allah is with him."
The news of Hazrat Uthman's (ra) martyrdom was given byour Prophet (saas)
Our Prophet (saas) sent amessenger to Hazrat Uthman (ra) to call him
and when he came he told him:
"You will be murdered and die a martyr! Be patient. May Allah give you
patience."
"Never take off the shirt of Caliphate that Allah will put on you for
ten years and six months." While Hazrat Uthman (ra) was leaving, our
Prophet (saas) told him: "May Allah grant you patience. You will be
martyred while you will be fasting and you will break your fast with
me!" (Imam Suyuti, our Prophet (saas) with his Extraordinary Features
, Iz Publishing, Istanbul, 2003, p.729)
Hazrat Uthman (ra) was martyred on 35 Hijr (the year 657 according to
the Gregorian Calendar) by some rebels in his home.
Our Prophet's (saas) words about Hazrat Uthman (ra)
"Uthman is the one with the most sense of shame in the ummah and the
most graceful."
"Every prophet has a companion in the Garden. My companion there is Uthman."
"My Lord! Remove Uthman's grief and sorrow on the Day of Judgment, for
he removed much of our grief."
"Uthman is from me, andI am from Uthman."
Birds' defensive techniques
What precautions do birds take to protect themselves?
Which bird species use camouflage to protect themselves?
How do birds use their mimicking techniques toprotect themselves from enemies?
Allah has created every life form with different abilities to protect
themselves from enemies. Camouflage is one of these defensive
techniques. Birds, like some other life forms, make use of this
defensive technique inspired in them by Allah.
The Camouflage Technique That Makes Protection Easier:
The Sun bittern that livesin the rain forests of South America uses
visual signals to protect itself. When approached,the bird suddenly
raises its tail and spreads its wings as wide as it can. This exposes
large spots on the wings, resembling eyes. This sudden movement
frightens predators and causes them to run away.
The pearl-spotted owlet, which has eye-shaped spots on the back of its
head, is another species that mimics large eyes. This imitation face
givento the owl deters predators seeking to sneak up from behind.
The ptarmigan that lives in the Arctic tundra is almost invisible in
winter thanks to its white plumage. Only its black eyes, resembling
pieces of rock, and its black beak can be seen against the snow. When
the snow starts to melt, these birds need to change color right
away.Changing color by molting generally takes a long time, and the
birds collect together on patches of melting snow for greater safety.
For that reason, the females shed their plumage first. As soon as the
females have molted they fly toward the scrub bushesand start building
their nests. This time is lost forthe males, who have become an easy
target with their white plumage. Molting takes 3to4 weeks. That length
of time could prove fatalfor the males. However, the males have
discovered a way of turning from white to brown in just a few minutes.
They turn their feathers from white to brown by diving into a puddle
of mud and thus match their new environment. There is nodoubt that
this changingof color to match the environment takes placethanks to
highly complexmechanisms created in the birds' bodies, and this gives
rise to a great protective mechanism asthese feathers, which are white
on snowy daysand earth colored in other seasons, provide a great
advantage in terms of camouflage.
The bird known as the patoo supports its mimicry with actions. It
lands on a log and is indistinguishable from that log, which is the
same color as its feathers. But when approached, it begins moving in
such a way as to perfect that mimicry even further. It graduallylowers
its tail and insertsit into a hole in the log. In this way it becomes
unclear where the log stops and the bird begins. It then, equally
slowly, raises its head until its beak is perpendicular, and it closes
its eyes. The bird remain frozen and immobile even at just 90
centimeters away. One distinguishing feature ofthe bird is that it can
seewith its eyes closed. There are very small vertical slits in both
eyelids. These protect the bird's sensitive eyes against the sunlight
and thus enable it to see the environment around it.
Specially Secure Nests
Nutcracker birds open nest holes in the soft wood of dead trees. They
have developed an effective protection against nest thieves. After
opening a hole, a nutcracker collects mud from a nearby puddle and
plasters the entrance to the nest with it. It leaves just enough room
for a nutcracker to wriggle through. In this way, larger birds such as
starlings are unable to enter the nest through that hole.
Plovers build their nests on the ground and are therefore exposed to
any number of threats. Whenever a cat, dog or fox approaches, the
plover leaves one of its wings immobile and drags it along the ground,
giving the impression it is trying to flee with only one wing. Once it
has completely distracted the predator'sattention and drawn it away
from the nest it will then fly away itself. Not only the plover but
quite a few species of bird adapt a similar technique in dealing with
predators.
As its name suggests, theburrowing owl, lives in burrows it digs in
the ground itself or those abandoned by other animals. The burrowing
owl faces many predators, such as jackals, cats and stoats. Whenever a
burrowing owl feels itself in dangerit adopts a most interesting
strategy. For example, if a fox starts digging up a burrow belong to a
burrowing owl, the owl starts hissing like a snake and frightens the
predator off.
Allah has created the hoopoe with an unpleasant-smelling scent gland.
They rub the foul smelling fluid from these glands on their feathers
and thus keep predators at bay. This fluid also possesses
antibacterial properties and protects the hoopoeagainst many diseases.
The locust bird, or wattled starling, lives in Africa in spherical
nests. They generally build their nests among thorny branches in
orderto deter predators. It is not, of course, the bird itself that
comes up withthe idea of building its nest among thorns. As Hedoes
with all other life forms too, Allah inspires the locust bird to build
its nest in such a way as to protect itself.
Male ducks always have a much brighter plumage than that of
thefemales. This is an important source of protection for females
incubating their eggs in the nest because thanks to their muted
coloring they are in greater safety in their nests as predators cannot
see them as easily. The muted colors of the females that match thoseof
their surroundings and their forms of camouflage make it hardto see
them even from quite close up. Male ducks use their brightly colored
feathers to protect the nest-buildingfemales by attracting
theattention of predators. When a predator approaches the nest,
themale immediately takes off, making a lot of noiseand doing all it
can to turn the predator away from the nest.
When a predator approaches, goldfinches and blackbirds send a warning
by emitting powerful calls. This loud noise and mass movement
neutralizes birds of prey and causes them to move away from the flock.
Small birds generally livetogether in flocks; this communal life has a
verypowerful effect. For example, when starlings sense the presence of
anapproaching hawk they immediately press together and assume theform
of a black cloud. There is nothing the predator bird can do in the
face of this large mass.
Secretary birds only live in Africa. They furnish the nests they build
in trees and high places with leaves, grasses and feathers and renew
these materials every year. Secretary birds mainly feed on snakes,
which they hunt using a most interesting technique. When a secretary
bird encounters a snake, it attacks the snake and tries to kill it
with its claws, without using its beak. If the snake is poisonous, the
secretary bird will use its wings to keep it at a distance and try to
get the snake to swallow a few feathers in order to empty its poison
sac. If it succeeds,the venom is expended harmlessly and it cannot
harm the bird. The secretary bird then attacks the snake, which has
used up most of its venom and therefore no longer represents a danger,
again using its claws. The surface of the secretary birds claws
hasvery few blood vessels, so even if the snake doesbite it, the bird
will not be harmed. It is Allah who inspires all the behavior of
secretary birds, which have a mostinteresting hunting technique and
are even able to cope with poisonous snakes.
These defensive and hunting techniques possessed by birds are just one
example showing that there is no "incompatibility or inconsistency" in
the universe created by Allah, as well as His infinite might and
omniscience. Allah reveals this flawless harmony in the universe as
follows in Surat al-Mulk :
"... You will not find any flaw in the creation of the All-Merciful.
Look again – do you see any gaps?
Then look again and again. Your sight will return to you dazzled and
exhausted!" (Surat al-Mulk, 3–4)
One of the techniques that living things have inorder to survive is
camouflage, the art of self-concealment. Living things need to conceal
themselves for two reasons. The first is when they are prey, and the
second when they are predators. The most important difference between
camouflage and other techniques is that it involves an enormous
intelligence, skill and harmony.
Living things that camouflage themselves have been placed under
special protection with their body structures, shapes, colors and
patterns that closely match their surroundings. Some of these have
bodies that so perfectly match their environments that it is almost
impossible to distinguish them from the plants around them.
Which bird species use camouflage to protect themselves?
How do birds use their mimicking techniques toprotect themselves from enemies?
Allah has created every life form with different abilities to protect
themselves from enemies. Camouflage is one of these defensive
techniques. Birds, like some other life forms, make use of this
defensive technique inspired in them by Allah.
The Camouflage Technique That Makes Protection Easier:
The Sun bittern that livesin the rain forests of South America uses
visual signals to protect itself. When approached,the bird suddenly
raises its tail and spreads its wings as wide as it can. This exposes
large spots on the wings, resembling eyes. This sudden movement
frightens predators and causes them to run away.
The pearl-spotted owlet, which has eye-shaped spots on the back of its
head, is another species that mimics large eyes. This imitation face
givento the owl deters predators seeking to sneak up from behind.
The ptarmigan that lives in the Arctic tundra is almost invisible in
winter thanks to its white plumage. Only its black eyes, resembling
pieces of rock, and its black beak can be seen against the snow. When
the snow starts to melt, these birds need to change color right
away.Changing color by molting generally takes a long time, and the
birds collect together on patches of melting snow for greater safety.
For that reason, the females shed their plumage first. As soon as the
females have molted they fly toward the scrub bushesand start building
their nests. This time is lost forthe males, who have become an easy
target with their white plumage. Molting takes 3to4 weeks. That length
of time could prove fatalfor the males. However, the males have
discovered a way of turning from white to brown in just a few minutes.
They turn their feathers from white to brown by diving into a puddle
of mud and thus match their new environment. There is nodoubt that
this changingof color to match the environment takes placethanks to
highly complexmechanisms created in the birds' bodies, and this gives
rise to a great protective mechanism asthese feathers, which are white
on snowy daysand earth colored in other seasons, provide a great
advantage in terms of camouflage.
The bird known as the patoo supports its mimicry with actions. It
lands on a log and is indistinguishable from that log, which is the
same color as its feathers. But when approached, it begins moving in
such a way as to perfect that mimicry even further. It graduallylowers
its tail and insertsit into a hole in the log. In this way it becomes
unclear where the log stops and the bird begins. It then, equally
slowly, raises its head until its beak is perpendicular, and it closes
its eyes. The bird remain frozen and immobile even at just 90
centimeters away. One distinguishing feature ofthe bird is that it can
seewith its eyes closed. There are very small vertical slits in both
eyelids. These protect the bird's sensitive eyes against the sunlight
and thus enable it to see the environment around it.
Specially Secure Nests
Nutcracker birds open nest holes in the soft wood of dead trees. They
have developed an effective protection against nest thieves. After
opening a hole, a nutcracker collects mud from a nearby puddle and
plasters the entrance to the nest with it. It leaves just enough room
for a nutcracker to wriggle through. In this way, larger birds such as
starlings are unable to enter the nest through that hole.
Plovers build their nests on the ground and are therefore exposed to
any number of threats. Whenever a cat, dog or fox approaches, the
plover leaves one of its wings immobile and drags it along the ground,
giving the impression it is trying to flee with only one wing. Once it
has completely distracted the predator'sattention and drawn it away
from the nest it will then fly away itself. Not only the plover but
quite a few species of bird adapt a similar technique in dealing with
predators.
As its name suggests, theburrowing owl, lives in burrows it digs in
the ground itself or those abandoned by other animals. The burrowing
owl faces many predators, such as jackals, cats and stoats. Whenever a
burrowing owl feels itself in dangerit adopts a most interesting
strategy. For example, if a fox starts digging up a burrow belong to a
burrowing owl, the owl starts hissing like a snake and frightens the
predator off.
Allah has created the hoopoe with an unpleasant-smelling scent gland.
They rub the foul smelling fluid from these glands on their feathers
and thus keep predators at bay. This fluid also possesses
antibacterial properties and protects the hoopoeagainst many diseases.
The locust bird, or wattled starling, lives in Africa in spherical
nests. They generally build their nests among thorny branches in
orderto deter predators. It is not, of course, the bird itself that
comes up withthe idea of building its nest among thorns. As Hedoes
with all other life forms too, Allah inspires the locust bird to build
its nest in such a way as to protect itself.
Male ducks always have a much brighter plumage than that of
thefemales. This is an important source of protection for females
incubating their eggs in the nest because thanks to their muted
coloring they are in greater safety in their nests as predators cannot
see them as easily. The muted colors of the females that match thoseof
their surroundings and their forms of camouflage make it hardto see
them even from quite close up. Male ducks use their brightly colored
feathers to protect the nest-buildingfemales by attracting
theattention of predators. When a predator approaches the nest,
themale immediately takes off, making a lot of noiseand doing all it
can to turn the predator away from the nest.
When a predator approaches, goldfinches and blackbirds send a warning
by emitting powerful calls. This loud noise and mass movement
neutralizes birds of prey and causes them to move away from the flock.
Small birds generally livetogether in flocks; this communal life has a
verypowerful effect. For example, when starlings sense the presence of
anapproaching hawk they immediately press together and assume theform
of a black cloud. There is nothing the predator bird can do in the
face of this large mass.
Secretary birds only live in Africa. They furnish the nests they build
in trees and high places with leaves, grasses and feathers and renew
these materials every year. Secretary birds mainly feed on snakes,
which they hunt using a most interesting technique. When a secretary
bird encounters a snake, it attacks the snake and tries to kill it
with its claws, without using its beak. If the snake is poisonous, the
secretary bird will use its wings to keep it at a distance and try to
get the snake to swallow a few feathers in order to empty its poison
sac. If it succeeds,the venom is expended harmlessly and it cannot
harm the bird. The secretary bird then attacks the snake, which has
used up most of its venom and therefore no longer represents a danger,
again using its claws. The surface of the secretary birds claws
hasvery few blood vessels, so even if the snake doesbite it, the bird
will not be harmed. It is Allah who inspires all the behavior of
secretary birds, which have a mostinteresting hunting technique and
are even able to cope with poisonous snakes.
These defensive and hunting techniques possessed by birds are just one
example showing that there is no "incompatibility or inconsistency" in
the universe created by Allah, as well as His infinite might and
omniscience. Allah reveals this flawless harmony in the universe as
follows in Surat al-Mulk :
"... You will not find any flaw in the creation of the All-Merciful.
Look again – do you see any gaps?
Then look again and again. Your sight will return to you dazzled and
exhausted!" (Surat al-Mulk, 3–4)
One of the techniques that living things have inorder to survive is
camouflage, the art of self-concealment. Living things need to conceal
themselves for two reasons. The first is when they are prey, and the
second when they are predators. The most important difference between
camouflage and other techniques is that it involves an enormous
intelligence, skill and harmony.
Living things that camouflage themselves have been placed under
special protection with their body structures, shapes, colors and
patterns that closely match their surroundings. Some of these have
bodies that so perfectly match their environments that it is almost
impossible to distinguish them from the plants around them.
Protection of women in the Qur'an
Providing maintenance for divorced women:
Allah states in the Qur'anthat providing maintenance for divorced
women is an obligation for all men of faith:
Divorced women should receive maintenance given with correctness and
courtesy: a duty for all who believe. (Surat al-Baqara: 241)
The amount of the maintenance is to be determined by mutual agreement
of the involved parties. While determining this amount, believers
assume a conscientious attitude and take into account the social
status and the needs of the woman. The appropriatebehaviour Allah
recommends believers is stated as follows:
… But give them a gift—he who is wealthy according to his means and he
who is less well off according to his means—a gift to be given with
correctness and courtesy: a duty for all good-doers. (Surat al-Baqara:
236)
He who has plenty should spend out from his plenty, but he whose
provision is restricted should spend from what Allah has given him.
Allah does not demand from any self more than He has given it. Allah
willappoint after difficulty, ease. (Surat at-Talaq: 7)
Whether well-off or poor, Allah commands believers to support women in
a manner commensurate with their own means. In societies which do not
live by the values of religion, generously supporting an ex-wife, from
whom one can no longer derive any benefits, is regarded as vain
spending. This being so, the people in question try to give the
minimum alimony possible and to this end even resort to fraudulence.
However, guided by his conscienceand his compassion, a believer never
reneges on such an obligation. After all, he performs this duty as a
good deed which will earn him the approval of Allah. That he has no
further expectations from her orthat she has fallen in his estimation,
never influences his attitude. Besides, his humane feelings and
compassionincline him to support a person who is in need. For that
reason, those who are well-off make adequate provision for divorced
women to havea good standard of living. Similarly, a poor person does
not shirk this responsibility, by saying, "I have insufficient means";
he fulfils this responsibility in the best way he can.
Not taking back the properties given to women after divorce:
If you desire to exchange one wife for another and have given your
original wife a large amount, do not take any of it. Would youtake it
by means of slander and outright crime? How could you take it when you
have been intimate with one another and they have made a binding
contractwith you? (Surat an-Nisa': 20-21)
In compliance with the command implicit in the above verses, upon the
decision to divorce, a man of faith makes no request whatsoever to
take back the properties he formerly gave to his wife. That is because
these properties were meant to be a safeguard for the woman and
theirloss may put her in difficulty. To prevent such an undesirable
situation, Allah imposes this condition upon malebelievers, thereby
securing the social well-being of women.
Besides, the extent of this property does not lessen the obligation
thisverse imposes upon a man. Even if a believing man has given all
his possessions to his spouse, he does not request the return of
anything after separation.
As is evident, these commands of the Qur'an make manifest the
superiority of the understanding of mercy the Qur'an offers to
believers. At the cost of placing themselves in difficulties,
believers never depart from the Qur'anic notion of mercyconveyed in
these verses, and fully comply with it.
Lodging divorced women:
Thanks to the merciful attitude the Qur'an enjoins upon man, believers
do not leave the women they divorce in a desperate situation without
providing them with adequate means to live. Women may not have a
family that can take care of them or even a house in which tostay.
Considering these and similar conditions, believers, although
divorced, ensure the welfare of women, until they find a way to
support themselves.
Upon their mutual decision, believers allow the women they divorce to
live in their own houses or in some other place under their control.
Their main intention here is to earn the approval of Allah and to
display a compassionate attitude to another believer. Other than this,
they have no other expectation. During this period, Allah recommends
that believing men should not engage in any deed which would do any
harm to women they divorced or put them in a difficult situation. This
affectionate approach displayed towards women is explained in the
verse below:
Let them live where you live, according to your means. Do not put
pressure on them, so as to harass them. If they are pregnant, maintain
them until they give birth. If they are sucklingfor you, give them
their wages and consult together with correctness and courtesy. But if
you make things difficult for one another, another woman should do the
suckling for you. (Surat at-Talaq: 6)
The second part of the verse recommends that believers display moral
perfection while settlingany problems that may arise after divorce,
and that they resolve all disputes in compliance with Islamic rules.
The values that ensure such asettlement no doubt stem from the fear of
Allah a person harbours in his heart, and conscience. Believers, who
value a person primarily because of his or her faith, can in no way
allow anything harmful to happen to him or her, nor can they put that
person in a difficult situation. To come up to this standardof moral
perfection, menof faith provide lodging to and otherwise meet the
needs of their divorced wives, as long as they ask for such support.
Not inheriting women against their will:
You who believe! It is not lawful for you to inherit women by force.
Nor may you treat them harshly so that you can make off with part of
what you have given them, unless they commit an act of flagrant
indecency. Live together with them correctly and courteously… (Surat
an-Nisa': 19)
Allah warns believers against inheriting women against their will,
except in situations in which women commitan explicit indecency. Never
exerting any pressure on women, believing men allow women to make use
of their possessions in any way they please after divorce.
However, we must bear in mind that, being so scrupulous comes from
observing Qur'anic morality. Due to believers' adherence to Qur'anic
principles firmlybased on the fear of Allah, there is no diminution of
the mercy shown by them to women, no matter what the circumstances.
Indeed, even in an environment where there is no one to bear witness
to their conduct,their compassionate attitude never alters. Aware that
Allah witnesses every deed they do, believers commit themselves to
never swerving from moral perfection.
In the Qur'an, there are numerous other verses about the measures that
secure the protection of women with compassionand the prevention of
their suffering. All these explicitly reveal how Qur'anic morality
encourages the showingof mercy to women and how believers commit
themselves to displaying this noble attitude. (For further reading,
see Harun Yahya "The mercy of believers" )
Allah states in the Qur'anthat providing maintenance for divorced
women is an obligation for all men of faith:
Divorced women should receive maintenance given with correctness and
courtesy: a duty for all who believe. (Surat al-Baqara: 241)
The amount of the maintenance is to be determined by mutual agreement
of the involved parties. While determining this amount, believers
assume a conscientious attitude and take into account the social
status and the needs of the woman. The appropriatebehaviour Allah
recommends believers is stated as follows:
… But give them a gift—he who is wealthy according to his means and he
who is less well off according to his means—a gift to be given with
correctness and courtesy: a duty for all good-doers. (Surat al-Baqara:
236)
He who has plenty should spend out from his plenty, but he whose
provision is restricted should spend from what Allah has given him.
Allah does not demand from any self more than He has given it. Allah
willappoint after difficulty, ease. (Surat at-Talaq: 7)
Whether well-off or poor, Allah commands believers to support women in
a manner commensurate with their own means. In societies which do not
live by the values of religion, generously supporting an ex-wife, from
whom one can no longer derive any benefits, is regarded as vain
spending. This being so, the people in question try to give the
minimum alimony possible and to this end even resort to fraudulence.
However, guided by his conscienceand his compassion, a believer never
reneges on such an obligation. After all, he performs this duty as a
good deed which will earn him the approval of Allah. That he has no
further expectations from her orthat she has fallen in his estimation,
never influences his attitude. Besides, his humane feelings and
compassionincline him to support a person who is in need. For that
reason, those who are well-off make adequate provision for divorced
women to havea good standard of living. Similarly, a poor person does
not shirk this responsibility, by saying, "I have insufficient means";
he fulfils this responsibility in the best way he can.
Not taking back the properties given to women after divorce:
If you desire to exchange one wife for another and have given your
original wife a large amount, do not take any of it. Would youtake it
by means of slander and outright crime? How could you take it when you
have been intimate with one another and they have made a binding
contractwith you? (Surat an-Nisa': 20-21)
In compliance with the command implicit in the above verses, upon the
decision to divorce, a man of faith makes no request whatsoever to
take back the properties he formerly gave to his wife. That is because
these properties were meant to be a safeguard for the woman and
theirloss may put her in difficulty. To prevent such an undesirable
situation, Allah imposes this condition upon malebelievers, thereby
securing the social well-being of women.
Besides, the extent of this property does not lessen the obligation
thisverse imposes upon a man. Even if a believing man has given all
his possessions to his spouse, he does not request the return of
anything after separation.
As is evident, these commands of the Qur'an make manifest the
superiority of the understanding of mercy the Qur'an offers to
believers. At the cost of placing themselves in difficulties,
believers never depart from the Qur'anic notion of mercyconveyed in
these verses, and fully comply with it.
Lodging divorced women:
Thanks to the merciful attitude the Qur'an enjoins upon man, believers
do not leave the women they divorce in a desperate situation without
providing them with adequate means to live. Women may not have a
family that can take care of them or even a house in which tostay.
Considering these and similar conditions, believers, although
divorced, ensure the welfare of women, until they find a way to
support themselves.
Upon their mutual decision, believers allow the women they divorce to
live in their own houses or in some other place under their control.
Their main intention here is to earn the approval of Allah and to
display a compassionate attitude to another believer. Other than this,
they have no other expectation. During this period, Allah recommends
that believing men should not engage in any deed which would do any
harm to women they divorced or put them in a difficult situation. This
affectionate approach displayed towards women is explained in the
verse below:
Let them live where you live, according to your means. Do not put
pressure on them, so as to harass them. If they are pregnant, maintain
them until they give birth. If they are sucklingfor you, give them
their wages and consult together with correctness and courtesy. But if
you make things difficult for one another, another woman should do the
suckling for you. (Surat at-Talaq: 6)
The second part of the verse recommends that believers display moral
perfection while settlingany problems that may arise after divorce,
and that they resolve all disputes in compliance with Islamic rules.
The values that ensure such asettlement no doubt stem from the fear of
Allah a person harbours in his heart, and conscience. Believers, who
value a person primarily because of his or her faith, can in no way
allow anything harmful to happen to him or her, nor can they put that
person in a difficult situation. To come up to this standardof moral
perfection, menof faith provide lodging to and otherwise meet the
needs of their divorced wives, as long as they ask for such support.
Not inheriting women against their will:
You who believe! It is not lawful for you to inherit women by force.
Nor may you treat them harshly so that you can make off with part of
what you have given them, unless they commit an act of flagrant
indecency. Live together with them correctly and courteously… (Surat
an-Nisa': 19)
Allah warns believers against inheriting women against their will,
except in situations in which women commitan explicit indecency. Never
exerting any pressure on women, believing men allow women to make use
of their possessions in any way they please after divorce.
However, we must bear in mind that, being so scrupulous comes from
observing Qur'anic morality. Due to believers' adherence to Qur'anic
principles firmlybased on the fear of Allah, there is no diminution of
the mercy shown by them to women, no matter what the circumstances.
Indeed, even in an environment where there is no one to bear witness
to their conduct,their compassionate attitude never alters. Aware that
Allah witnesses every deed they do, believers commit themselves to
never swerving from moral perfection.
In the Qur'an, there are numerous other verses about the measures that
secure the protection of women with compassionand the prevention of
their suffering. All these explicitly reveal how Qur'anic morality
encourages the showingof mercy to women and how believers commit
themselves to displaying this noble attitude. (For further reading,
see Harun Yahya "The mercy of believers" )
Story,- The Boats of the Glen Carrig: Chapter 9
IX
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE DUSK
NOW WITH the coming of the dawn, a lasting silence stole across the
island and into the valley, and, conceiving that we had nothing more
to fear, the bo'sun bade us get some rest, whilst he kept watch. And
so I got at last a verysubstantial little spell of sleep, which made
me fitenough for the day's work.
Presently, after some hours had passed, the bo'sun roused us to go
with him to the further side of the island to gather fuel, and soon
wewere back with each a load, so that in a little wehad the fire going
right merrily.
Now for breakfast, we had a hash of broken biscuit, salt meat and some
shell-fish which thebo'sun had picked up from the beach at the foot of
the further hill; the whole being right liberally flavoured with some
of the vinegar, which the bo'sun said would help keep down any scurvy
that might be threatening us. And at the end of the meal he served out
to us each a little of the molasses, which we mixed with hot water,
and drank. The meal being ended, he went into the tent to take a look
at Job, the which he had done already in the early morning; for the
condition of the lad preyed somewhat upon him; he being, for all his
size and top-roughness, a man of surprisingly tender heart. Yet the
boyremained much as on the previous evening, so that we knew not what
to do with him to bring him into better health. One thing we tried,
knowing that no food had passed his lips since the previous morning,
and that was to get somelittle quantity of hot water, rum and
molassesdown his throat; for it seemed to us he might die from very
lack of food; but though we worked with him for more than the half of
an hour, we could not get him to come-to sufficiently to take
anything, and without that we had fear of suffocating him. And so,
presently, we had perforce to leave him within the tent, and go about
our business; for there was very much to be done.
Yet, before we did aughtelse, the bo'sun led us all into the valley,
being determined to make a very thorough exploration of it, perchance
there might be any lurking beast or devil-thing waiting to rush out
and destroy us as we worked, and more, he would make search that he
might discover what manner ofcreatures had disturbed our night.
Now in the early morning, when we had gone for the fuel, we had kept
to the upper skirt of the valley where the rock of the nearer hill
came down into the spongy ground, but nowwe struck right down into the
middle part of the vale, making a way amid the mighty fungi tothe
pit-like opening that filled the bottom of the valley. Now though the
ground was very soft, there was in it so much of springiness that it
left no trace of our steps after we had gone on a little way, none,
that is, save that in odd places, awet patch followed uponour
treading. Then, when we got ourselves near to the pit, the ground
became softer, so that our feet sank intoit, and left very real
impressions; and here we found tracks most curious and bewildering;for
amid the slush that edged the pit--which I would mention here hadless
the look of a pit nowthat I had come near to it--were multitudes of
markings which I can liken to nothing so muchas the tracks of mighty
slugs amid the mud, onlythat they were not altogether like to that of
slugs'; for there were other markings such as might have been made by
bunches of eels cast down and picked up continually, at least, this is
what they suggested to me, and I do but put itdown as such.
Apart from the markings which I have mentioned,there was everywhere a
deal of slime, and this we traced all over the valley among the great
toadstool plants; but, beyond that which I have already remarked, we
found nothing. Nay, but I was near to forgetting, we found a quantity
of this thin slime upon those fungi which filled the end of the little
valley nearest toour encampment, and here also we discovered many of
them fresh broken or uprooted, andthere was the same markof the beast
upon them all, and now I remember the dull thuds that I had heard in
the night, and made little doubt but that the creatures had climbed
the great toadstools so that they might spy us out; and it may be that
many climbed upon one, so that their weight broke the fungi, or
uprooted them. At least, so the thought came to me.
And so we made an end of our search, and after that, the bo'sun set
each one of us to work. But first he had us all back tothe beach to
give a handto turn over the boat, so that he might get to the damaged
part. Now, having the bottom of theboat full to his view, he made
discovery that there was other damage beside that of the burst plank;
for the bottom plank of all had come away from the keel, which seemed
to us a very serious matter; though it did not show when the boat was
uponher bilges. Yet the bo'sunassured us that he had no doubts but
that she could be made seaworthy; though it would take a greater while
than hitherto he had thought needful.
Having concluded his examination of the boat,the bo'sun sent one of
the men to bring the bottom-boards out of the tent; for he needed some
planking for the repair of the damage. Yet when the boards hadbeen
brought, he needed still something which they could not supply, and
this was a length of very sound wood of some three inches in breadth
each way, which he intended to bolt against the starboard side of the
keel, after he had gottenthe planking replaced so far as was possible.
He had hopes that by meansof this device he would be able to nail the
bottom plank to this, andthen caulk it with oakum, so making the boat
almost so sound as ever.
Now hearing him express his need for sucha piece of timber, we were
all adrift to know from whence such a thing could be gotten, until
there came suddenly to me a memory of the mast and topmast upon the
other side of the island, and at once I made mention of them. At that,
the bo'sun nodded, saying that we might get the timber outof it,
though it would be a work requiring some considerable labour, in that
we had only a hand-saw and a small hatchet. Then he sent us across to
be getting it clear of the weed, promising to follow when he had made
an end of trying to get the two displaced planks back into position.
Having reached the spars, we set-to with a very good will to shift
away the weed and wrack that was piled over them, and very much
entangled with therigging. Presently we had laid them bare, and so we
discovered them to be in remarkably sound condition, the lower-mast
especially being a fine piece of timber. All the lower and topmast
standing rigging was still attached, though in places the lower
rigging was stranded so far as half-way up the shrouds;yet there
remained muchthat was good and all of it quite free from rot, and of
the very finest quality of white hemp, such as is to be seen onlyin
the best found vessels.
About the time that we had finished clearing theweed, the bo'sun came
over to us, bringing withhim the saw and the hatchet. Under his
directions, we cut the lanyards of the topmast rigging, and after that
sawed through the topmast just above the cap. Now this was, a
verytough piece of work, and employed us a great part of the morning,
even though we took turn and turn at the saw,and when it was done we
were mightily glad that the bo'sun bade oneof the men go over with
some weed and make upthe fire for dinner, after which he was to put on
apiece of the salt meat to boil.
In the meanwhile, the bo'sun had started to cutthrough the topmast,
about fifteen feet beyond the first cut, for that was the length of
the batten he required; yet so wearisome was the work, that we had not
gotten more than half through with it before the man whom the bo'sun
had sent, returned to say that the dinner was ready. When this was
dispatched, and we had rested a little over our pipes, the bo'sun rose
and led us back; for he was determined to get through with the topmast
before dark.
Presently, relieving each other frequently, we completed the second
cut, and after that the bo'sun set us to saw a block about twelve
inches deep from the remaining portion of thetopmast. From this,
whenwe had cut it, he proceeded to hew wedges with the hatchet. Then
he notched the end of the fifteen-foot log, and intothe notch he drove
the wedges, and so, towardsevening, as much, maybe, by good luck as
good management, he had divided the log into two halves--the split
running very fairly downthe centre.
Now, perceiving how that it drew near to sundown, he bade the men
haste and gather weed and carry it across to our camp; but one he sent
along the shore to make a search for shell-fish among the weed; yet he
himself ceased notto work at the divided log, and kept me with him as
helper. Thus, within the next hour, wehad a length, maybe some four
inches in diameter, split off the whole length of one of the halves,
and with this he was very well content; though it seemed but a very
little result for so much labour.
By this time the dusk wasupon us, and the men, having made an end of
weed carrying, were returned to us, and stood about, waiting for the
bo'sun to go into camp. At this moment, the man the bo'sun had sent to
gather shell-fish, returned, and he had a great crab upon his spear,
which he had spitted through the belly. This creature couldnot have
been less than a foot across the back, and had a very formidable
appearance; yet it proved to be a most tasty matter for oursupper,
when it had been placed for a while in boiling water.
Now so soon as this man was returned, we made at once for the camp,
carrying with us the piece of timber which we had hewn from the
topmast. By this time it was quite dusk, and verystrange amid the
great fungi as we struck acrossthe upper edge of the valley to the
opposite beach. Particularly, I noticed that the hateful, mouldy odour
of these monstrous vegetables was more offensive than I had found it
to be in the daytime; though this may be because I used my nose the
more, in that I could not use my eyes to any great extent.
We had gotten half way across the top of the valley, and the gloom was
deepening steadily, when there stole to me upon the calmness of
theevening air, a faint smell;something quite different from that of
the surrounding fungi. A moment later I got a great whiff of it, and
was near sickened with the abomination of it; but the memory of that
foul thing which had come to the side of the boat in the
dawn-gloom,before we discovered the island, roused me to a terror
beyond that of the sickness of my stomach; for, suddenly, I knew what
manner of thing it was that had beslimed my face and throat upon the
previousnight, and left its hideous stench lingeringin my nostrils.
And with the knowledge, I cried out to the bo'sun to make haste, for
there were demons with us in the valley. And at that, some of the men
made to run; but he bade them, in a very grim voice, stay where they
were, and keep well together, else would they be attacked and
overcome, straggled all among the fungi in the dark. And this, being,
I doubt not, as much in fear of the rounding dark as of the bo'sun,
they did, and so we came safely out of the valley; though there seemed
to follow us a little lower down the slope an uncanny slithering.
Now so soon as we reached the camp, the bo'sun ordered four firesto be
lit--one on each side of the tent, and this we did, lighting them at
the embers of our old fire, which we had most foolishly allowed to die
down. When the fires had been got going, we put on the boiler, and
treated the great crab as I have already mentioned, and so fell-toupon
a very hearty supper; but, as we ate, each man had his weapon stuck in
the sand beside him; for we had knowledge that the valley held some
devilish thing, or maybe many; though the knowing did not spoil our
appetites.
And so, presently, we came to an end of eating, whereat each man
pulled out his pipe, intending to smoke; but the bo'sun told one of
the men to get him uponhis feet and keep watch, else might we be in
danger of surprise, with every man lolling upon the sand; and this
seemed to me very good sense; for it was easy to see that the men, too
readily, deemed themselves secure, by reason of the brightness of the
fires about them.
Now, whilst the men were taking their ease within the circle of the
fires, the bo'sun lit one of the dips which we had out of the ship in
the creek, and went in tosee how Job was, after the day's rest. At
that, I rose up, reproaching myself for having forgotten the poor lad,
and followed the bo'sun into the tent. Yet, I had but reached the
opening, when he gave out a loud cry, and held the candle low down to
the sand. At that, I saw the reason for his agitation, for, in the
place where we had left Job, there was nothing. I stepped into the
tent, and, in the same instant, there came to my nostrilsthe faint
odour of the horrible stench which had come to me in the valley, and
before then from the thing that cameto the side of the boat. And,
suddenly, I knew that Job had fallen prey of those foul things,
and,knowing this, I called outto the bo'sun that they had taken the
boy, and then my eyes caught the smear of slime upon the sand, and I
had proof that I was not mistaken.
Now, so soon as the bo'sun knew all that wasin my mind; though indeed
it did but corroborate that which had come to his own, he came swiftly
out from the tent, bidding the men to stand back; for they had come
all about the entrance, being very much discomposed at that which the
bo'sun had discovered. Then thebo'sun took from a bundle of the reeds,
which they had cut at the time when he had bidden them gather
fuel,several of the thickest, and to one of these he bound a great
mass of the dry weed; whereupon the men, divining his intention, did
likewise with the others, and so we had each of us the wherewithal for
a mighty torch.
So soon as we had completed our preparations, we took each man his
weapon and, plunging our torches into the fires, set off along the
track whichhad been made by the devil-things and the body of poor Job;
for now that we had suspicion that harm had come to him, the marks in
the sand, and the slime, were very plain to be seen, so that it was a
wonder that we had not discovered them earlier.
Now the bo'sun led the way, and, finding the marks led direct to the
valley, he broke into a run, holding his torch well above his head. At
that, each of us did likewise; for we had a great desire to be
together, and further than this, I think with truth I may say, we were
all fierce to avenge Job, so that we had less of fear in our hearts
than otherwise had been the case.
In less than the half of a minute we had reached the end of the
valley; buthere, the ground being of a nature not happy in the
revealing of tracks, we were at fault to know in which direction to
continue. At that, the bo'sun set up a loud shout to Job, perchance he
might be yet alive; but there came no answer to us, save a low and
uncomfortable echo.Then the bo'sun, desiring to waste no more time,
ran straight down towards the centre of the valley, and we followed,
and kept our eyes very open about us. We had gotten perhaps half way,
when one of the men shouted that he saw something ahead; but the
bo'sun had seen it earlier; for hewas running straight down upon it,
holding his torch high and swinging his great cutlass. Then, instead
of smiting, he fell upon his knees beside it, and the following
instant we were up with him, and in that same moment it seemed to me
that I saw a number of white shapes melt swiftly into the shadows
further ahead: but I had no thought for these when Iperceived that by
which the bo'sun knelt; for it was the stark body of Job, and no inch
of it butwas covered with the little ringed marks that I had
discovered upon my throat, and from every place there ran a trickle of
blood, so that he was a most horrid and fearsome sight.
At the sight of Job so mangled and be-bled, there came over us the
sudden quiet of a mortal terror, and in that space of silence, the
bo'sun placed his hand over the poor lad's heart; but there was no
movement,though the body was stillwarm. Immediately uponthat, he rose
to his feet, a look of vast wrath upon his great face. He plucked his
torch from the ground, into which he had plunged the haft,and stared
round into the silence of the valley; but there was no living thing in
sight, nothing save the giant fungi and the strange shadows castby our
great torches, andthe loneliness.
At this moment, one of the men's torches, having burnt near out, fell
all to pieces, so that he held nothing but the charred support, and
immediately two more came to a like end. Upon this, we became afraid
that they would not last us back to the camp, andwe looked to the
bo'sun to know his wish; but the man was very silent, and peering
everywhereinto the shadows. Then afourth torch fell to the ground in a
shower of embers, and I turned to look. In the same instant there came
a great flare of light behind me, accompanied by the dull thud of a
dry matter set suddenly alight. I glanced swiftly back to the bo'sun,
and he was staring up at one of the giant toadstools which was in
flames all along its nearer edge, and burning with an incredible fury,
sending out spirits of flame, and anon giving out sharp reports, and
at each report, a fine powder was belched in thin streams; which,
getting into our throats and nostrils, set us sneezing and coughing
most lamentably; so that I am convinced, had any enemy come upon us at
that moment, we had been undone by reason of our uncouth helplessness.
Now whether it had come to the bo'sun to setalight this first of the
fungi, I know not; for it may be that his torch coming by chance
against it, set it afire. However it chanced, the bo'sun took it as a
veritable hint from Providence, and was already setting his torch to
one a little further off,whilst the rest of us werenear to choking
with ourcoughings and sneezings. Yet, that we were so suddenly
overcome by the potencyof the powder, I doubt if a full minute passed
before we were each one busied after the manner of the bo'sun; and
those whose torcheshad burned out, knocked flaming pieces from the
burning fungus, and with these impaled upon their torch-sticks, did so
much execution as any.
And thus it happened that within five minutes of this discovery of
Job's body, the whole of that hideous valley sent up toheaven the reek
of its burning; whilst we, filledwith murderous desires, ran hither
and thither with our weapons, seeking to destroy the vile creatures
that had brought the poor lad to so unholy a death. Yet nowhere could
we discover any brute or creature upon which to ease our vengeance,
andso, presently, the valley becoming impassable by reason of the
heat, the flying sparks and the abundance of the acrid dust, we made
back to the body of the boy, and bore him thence to the shore.
And during all that night no man of us slept, and the burning of the
fungi sent up a mighty pillar offlame out of the valley, as out of the
mouth of a monstrous pit and when the morning came it still burned.
Then when it was daylight, some of us slept, being greatly awearied;
but some keptwatch.
And when we waked there was a great wind and rain upon the island.
[ tobe continued....]
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE DUSK
NOW WITH the coming of the dawn, a lasting silence stole across the
island and into the valley, and, conceiving that we had nothing more
to fear, the bo'sun bade us get some rest, whilst he kept watch. And
so I got at last a verysubstantial little spell of sleep, which made
me fitenough for the day's work.
Presently, after some hours had passed, the bo'sun roused us to go
with him to the further side of the island to gather fuel, and soon
wewere back with each a load, so that in a little wehad the fire going
right merrily.
Now for breakfast, we had a hash of broken biscuit, salt meat and some
shell-fish which thebo'sun had picked up from the beach at the foot of
the further hill; the whole being right liberally flavoured with some
of the vinegar, which the bo'sun said would help keep down any scurvy
that might be threatening us. And at the end of the meal he served out
to us each a little of the molasses, which we mixed with hot water,
and drank. The meal being ended, he went into the tent to take a look
at Job, the which he had done already in the early morning; for the
condition of the lad preyed somewhat upon him; he being, for all his
size and top-roughness, a man of surprisingly tender heart. Yet the
boyremained much as on the previous evening, so that we knew not what
to do with him to bring him into better health. One thing we tried,
knowing that no food had passed his lips since the previous morning,
and that was to get somelittle quantity of hot water, rum and
molassesdown his throat; for it seemed to us he might die from very
lack of food; but though we worked with him for more than the half of
an hour, we could not get him to come-to sufficiently to take
anything, and without that we had fear of suffocating him. And so,
presently, we had perforce to leave him within the tent, and go about
our business; for there was very much to be done.
Yet, before we did aughtelse, the bo'sun led us all into the valley,
being determined to make a very thorough exploration of it, perchance
there might be any lurking beast or devil-thing waiting to rush out
and destroy us as we worked, and more, he would make search that he
might discover what manner ofcreatures had disturbed our night.
Now in the early morning, when we had gone for the fuel, we had kept
to the upper skirt of the valley where the rock of the nearer hill
came down into the spongy ground, but nowwe struck right down into the
middle part of the vale, making a way amid the mighty fungi tothe
pit-like opening that filled the bottom of the valley. Now though the
ground was very soft, there was in it so much of springiness that it
left no trace of our steps after we had gone on a little way, none,
that is, save that in odd places, awet patch followed uponour
treading. Then, when we got ourselves near to the pit, the ground
became softer, so that our feet sank intoit, and left very real
impressions; and here we found tracks most curious and bewildering;for
amid the slush that edged the pit--which I would mention here hadless
the look of a pit nowthat I had come near to it--were multitudes of
markings which I can liken to nothing so muchas the tracks of mighty
slugs amid the mud, onlythat they were not altogether like to that of
slugs'; for there were other markings such as might have been made by
bunches of eels cast down and picked up continually, at least, this is
what they suggested to me, and I do but put itdown as such.
Apart from the markings which I have mentioned,there was everywhere a
deal of slime, and this we traced all over the valley among the great
toadstool plants; but, beyond that which I have already remarked, we
found nothing. Nay, but I was near to forgetting, we found a quantity
of this thin slime upon those fungi which filled the end of the little
valley nearest toour encampment, and here also we discovered many of
them fresh broken or uprooted, andthere was the same markof the beast
upon them all, and now I remember the dull thuds that I had heard in
the night, and made little doubt but that the creatures had climbed
the great toadstools so that they might spy us out; and it may be that
many climbed upon one, so that their weight broke the fungi, or
uprooted them. At least, so the thought came to me.
And so we made an end of our search, and after that, the bo'sun set
each one of us to work. But first he had us all back tothe beach to
give a handto turn over the boat, so that he might get to the damaged
part. Now, having the bottom of theboat full to his view, he made
discovery that there was other damage beside that of the burst plank;
for the bottom plank of all had come away from the keel, which seemed
to us a very serious matter; though it did not show when the boat was
uponher bilges. Yet the bo'sunassured us that he had no doubts but
that she could be made seaworthy; though it would take a greater while
than hitherto he had thought needful.
Having concluded his examination of the boat,the bo'sun sent one of
the men to bring the bottom-boards out of the tent; for he needed some
planking for the repair of the damage. Yet when the boards hadbeen
brought, he needed still something which they could not supply, and
this was a length of very sound wood of some three inches in breadth
each way, which he intended to bolt against the starboard side of the
keel, after he had gottenthe planking replaced so far as was possible.
He had hopes that by meansof this device he would be able to nail the
bottom plank to this, andthen caulk it with oakum, so making the boat
almost so sound as ever.
Now hearing him express his need for sucha piece of timber, we were
all adrift to know from whence such a thing could be gotten, until
there came suddenly to me a memory of the mast and topmast upon the
other side of the island, and at once I made mention of them. At that,
the bo'sun nodded, saying that we might get the timber outof it,
though it would be a work requiring some considerable labour, in that
we had only a hand-saw and a small hatchet. Then he sent us across to
be getting it clear of the weed, promising to follow when he had made
an end of trying to get the two displaced planks back into position.
Having reached the spars, we set-to with a very good will to shift
away the weed and wrack that was piled over them, and very much
entangled with therigging. Presently we had laid them bare, and so we
discovered them to be in remarkably sound condition, the lower-mast
especially being a fine piece of timber. All the lower and topmast
standing rigging was still attached, though in places the lower
rigging was stranded so far as half-way up the shrouds;yet there
remained muchthat was good and all of it quite free from rot, and of
the very finest quality of white hemp, such as is to be seen onlyin
the best found vessels.
About the time that we had finished clearing theweed, the bo'sun came
over to us, bringing withhim the saw and the hatchet. Under his
directions, we cut the lanyards of the topmast rigging, and after that
sawed through the topmast just above the cap. Now this was, a
verytough piece of work, and employed us a great part of the morning,
even though we took turn and turn at the saw,and when it was done we
were mightily glad that the bo'sun bade oneof the men go over with
some weed and make upthe fire for dinner, after which he was to put on
apiece of the salt meat to boil.
In the meanwhile, the bo'sun had started to cutthrough the topmast,
about fifteen feet beyond the first cut, for that was the length of
the batten he required; yet so wearisome was the work, that we had not
gotten more than half through with it before the man whom the bo'sun
had sent, returned to say that the dinner was ready. When this was
dispatched, and we had rested a little over our pipes, the bo'sun rose
and led us back; for he was determined to get through with the topmast
before dark.
Presently, relieving each other frequently, we completed the second
cut, and after that the bo'sun set us to saw a block about twelve
inches deep from the remaining portion of thetopmast. From this,
whenwe had cut it, he proceeded to hew wedges with the hatchet. Then
he notched the end of the fifteen-foot log, and intothe notch he drove
the wedges, and so, towardsevening, as much, maybe, by good luck as
good management, he had divided the log into two halves--the split
running very fairly downthe centre.
Now, perceiving how that it drew near to sundown, he bade the men
haste and gather weed and carry it across to our camp; but one he sent
along the shore to make a search for shell-fish among the weed; yet he
himself ceased notto work at the divided log, and kept me with him as
helper. Thus, within the next hour, wehad a length, maybe some four
inches in diameter, split off the whole length of one of the halves,
and with this he was very well content; though it seemed but a very
little result for so much labour.
By this time the dusk wasupon us, and the men, having made an end of
weed carrying, were returned to us, and stood about, waiting for the
bo'sun to go into camp. At this moment, the man the bo'sun had sent to
gather shell-fish, returned, and he had a great crab upon his spear,
which he had spitted through the belly. This creature couldnot have
been less than a foot across the back, and had a very formidable
appearance; yet it proved to be a most tasty matter for oursupper,
when it had been placed for a while in boiling water.
Now so soon as this man was returned, we made at once for the camp,
carrying with us the piece of timber which we had hewn from the
topmast. By this time it was quite dusk, and verystrange amid the
great fungi as we struck acrossthe upper edge of the valley to the
opposite beach. Particularly, I noticed that the hateful, mouldy odour
of these monstrous vegetables was more offensive than I had found it
to be in the daytime; though this may be because I used my nose the
more, in that I could not use my eyes to any great extent.
We had gotten half way across the top of the valley, and the gloom was
deepening steadily, when there stole to me upon the calmness of
theevening air, a faint smell;something quite different from that of
the surrounding fungi. A moment later I got a great whiff of it, and
was near sickened with the abomination of it; but the memory of that
foul thing which had come to the side of the boat in the
dawn-gloom,before we discovered the island, roused me to a terror
beyond that of the sickness of my stomach; for, suddenly, I knew what
manner of thing it was that had beslimed my face and throat upon the
previousnight, and left its hideous stench lingeringin my nostrils.
And with the knowledge, I cried out to the bo'sun to make haste, for
there were demons with us in the valley. And at that, some of the men
made to run; but he bade them, in a very grim voice, stay where they
were, and keep well together, else would they be attacked and
overcome, straggled all among the fungi in the dark. And this, being,
I doubt not, as much in fear of the rounding dark as of the bo'sun,
they did, and so we came safely out of the valley; though there seemed
to follow us a little lower down the slope an uncanny slithering.
Now so soon as we reached the camp, the bo'sun ordered four firesto be
lit--one on each side of the tent, and this we did, lighting them at
the embers of our old fire, which we had most foolishly allowed to die
down. When the fires had been got going, we put on the boiler, and
treated the great crab as I have already mentioned, and so fell-toupon
a very hearty supper; but, as we ate, each man had his weapon stuck in
the sand beside him; for we had knowledge that the valley held some
devilish thing, or maybe many; though the knowing did not spoil our
appetites.
And so, presently, we came to an end of eating, whereat each man
pulled out his pipe, intending to smoke; but the bo'sun told one of
the men to get him uponhis feet and keep watch, else might we be in
danger of surprise, with every man lolling upon the sand; and this
seemed to me very good sense; for it was easy to see that the men, too
readily, deemed themselves secure, by reason of the brightness of the
fires about them.
Now, whilst the men were taking their ease within the circle of the
fires, the bo'sun lit one of the dips which we had out of the ship in
the creek, and went in tosee how Job was, after the day's rest. At
that, I rose up, reproaching myself for having forgotten the poor lad,
and followed the bo'sun into the tent. Yet, I had but reached the
opening, when he gave out a loud cry, and held the candle low down to
the sand. At that, I saw the reason for his agitation, for, in the
place where we had left Job, there was nothing. I stepped into the
tent, and, in the same instant, there came to my nostrilsthe faint
odour of the horrible stench which had come to me in the valley, and
before then from the thing that cameto the side of the boat. And,
suddenly, I knew that Job had fallen prey of those foul things,
and,knowing this, I called outto the bo'sun that they had taken the
boy, and then my eyes caught the smear of slime upon the sand, and I
had proof that I was not mistaken.
Now, so soon as the bo'sun knew all that wasin my mind; though indeed
it did but corroborate that which had come to his own, he came swiftly
out from the tent, bidding the men to stand back; for they had come
all about the entrance, being very much discomposed at that which the
bo'sun had discovered. Then thebo'sun took from a bundle of the reeds,
which they had cut at the time when he had bidden them gather
fuel,several of the thickest, and to one of these he bound a great
mass of the dry weed; whereupon the men, divining his intention, did
likewise with the others, and so we had each of us the wherewithal for
a mighty torch.
So soon as we had completed our preparations, we took each man his
weapon and, plunging our torches into the fires, set off along the
track whichhad been made by the devil-things and the body of poor Job;
for now that we had suspicion that harm had come to him, the marks in
the sand, and the slime, were very plain to be seen, so that it was a
wonder that we had not discovered them earlier.
Now the bo'sun led the way, and, finding the marks led direct to the
valley, he broke into a run, holding his torch well above his head. At
that, each of us did likewise; for we had a great desire to be
together, and further than this, I think with truth I may say, we were
all fierce to avenge Job, so that we had less of fear in our hearts
than otherwise had been the case.
In less than the half of a minute we had reached the end of the
valley; buthere, the ground being of a nature not happy in the
revealing of tracks, we were at fault to know in which direction to
continue. At that, the bo'sun set up a loud shout to Job, perchance he
might be yet alive; but there came no answer to us, save a low and
uncomfortable echo.Then the bo'sun, desiring to waste no more time,
ran straight down towards the centre of the valley, and we followed,
and kept our eyes very open about us. We had gotten perhaps half way,
when one of the men shouted that he saw something ahead; but the
bo'sun had seen it earlier; for hewas running straight down upon it,
holding his torch high and swinging his great cutlass. Then, instead
of smiting, he fell upon his knees beside it, and the following
instant we were up with him, and in that same moment it seemed to me
that I saw a number of white shapes melt swiftly into the shadows
further ahead: but I had no thought for these when Iperceived that by
which the bo'sun knelt; for it was the stark body of Job, and no inch
of it butwas covered with the little ringed marks that I had
discovered upon my throat, and from every place there ran a trickle of
blood, so that he was a most horrid and fearsome sight.
At the sight of Job so mangled and be-bled, there came over us the
sudden quiet of a mortal terror, and in that space of silence, the
bo'sun placed his hand over the poor lad's heart; but there was no
movement,though the body was stillwarm. Immediately uponthat, he rose
to his feet, a look of vast wrath upon his great face. He plucked his
torch from the ground, into which he had plunged the haft,and stared
round into the silence of the valley; but there was no living thing in
sight, nothing save the giant fungi and the strange shadows castby our
great torches, andthe loneliness.
At this moment, one of the men's torches, having burnt near out, fell
all to pieces, so that he held nothing but the charred support, and
immediately two more came to a like end. Upon this, we became afraid
that they would not last us back to the camp, andwe looked to the
bo'sun to know his wish; but the man was very silent, and peering
everywhereinto the shadows. Then afourth torch fell to the ground in a
shower of embers, and I turned to look. In the same instant there came
a great flare of light behind me, accompanied by the dull thud of a
dry matter set suddenly alight. I glanced swiftly back to the bo'sun,
and he was staring up at one of the giant toadstools which was in
flames all along its nearer edge, and burning with an incredible fury,
sending out spirits of flame, and anon giving out sharp reports, and
at each report, a fine powder was belched in thin streams; which,
getting into our throats and nostrils, set us sneezing and coughing
most lamentably; so that I am convinced, had any enemy come upon us at
that moment, we had been undone by reason of our uncouth helplessness.
Now whether it had come to the bo'sun to setalight this first of the
fungi, I know not; for it may be that his torch coming by chance
against it, set it afire. However it chanced, the bo'sun took it as a
veritable hint from Providence, and was already setting his torch to
one a little further off,whilst the rest of us werenear to choking
with ourcoughings and sneezings. Yet, that we were so suddenly
overcome by the potencyof the powder, I doubt if a full minute passed
before we were each one busied after the manner of the bo'sun; and
those whose torcheshad burned out, knocked flaming pieces from the
burning fungus, and with these impaled upon their torch-sticks, did so
much execution as any.
And thus it happened that within five minutes of this discovery of
Job's body, the whole of that hideous valley sent up toheaven the reek
of its burning; whilst we, filledwith murderous desires, ran hither
and thither with our weapons, seeking to destroy the vile creatures
that had brought the poor lad to so unholy a death. Yet nowhere could
we discover any brute or creature upon which to ease our vengeance,
andso, presently, the valley becoming impassable by reason of the
heat, the flying sparks and the abundance of the acrid dust, we made
back to the body of the boy, and bore him thence to the shore.
And during all that night no man of us slept, and the burning of the
fungi sent up a mighty pillar offlame out of the valley, as out of the
mouth of a monstrous pit and when the morning came it still burned.
Then when it was daylight, some of us slept, being greatly awearied;
but some keptwatch.
And when we waked there was a great wind and rain upon the island.
[ tobe continued....]
Jinn,witchcraft , the evil ,Dought & clear,- Is there any connection between tracking skills and marriage to the jinn?.
There are well-known sayings among the people about some tribes who
have powers of observation and the ability to follow tracks and know
who or what made them. It is said that some of their forefathers
married some of the jinn, and this is how they gained this power. How
true is this?
Praise be to Allaah.
This is not true, and I do not think that any half-human, half-jinn
person could be born, because the jinn do not have bodies. They are
spirits, even though theymay appear in different forms. These people
whoare known for their tracking skills are peoplewho are possess
powers of observation, intelligence, knowledge,experience and skill.
Allaah has created differences in tracks andfootprints, just has He
has created differences between people who may be tall or short, white
or black, small or big – so that among one hundred thousand people you
will not find two who are the same inall respects. This is the reason
why these peoplecan distinguish betweenthings, and they recognize
tracks and cantell apart things that look similar. And Allaah knows
best.
have powers of observation and the ability to follow tracks and know
who or what made them. It is said that some of their forefathers
married some of the jinn, and this is how they gained this power. How
true is this?
Praise be to Allaah.
This is not true, and I do not think that any half-human, half-jinn
person could be born, because the jinn do not have bodies. They are
spirits, even though theymay appear in different forms. These people
whoare known for their tracking skills are peoplewho are possess
powers of observation, intelligence, knowledge,experience and skill.
Allaah has created differences in tracks andfootprints, just has He
has created differences between people who may be tall or short, white
or black, small or big – so that among one hundred thousand people you
will not find two who are the same inall respects. This is the reason
why these peoplecan distinguish betweenthings, and they recognize
tracks and cantell apart things that look similar. And Allaah knows
best.
Jinn,witchcraft , the evil - Black Magic and Satanic Possession.
My brother after returning from a trip starting acting very strange.
He would say weird things and now doesn't talk to anyone atall. He has
been sitting outside for 2 months now. He has even spit onour mother.
At first we thought there was something psychologically wrong with
him. However when we took him to a mental doctor he talks asif he is
fine. We think he is either possessed by a Jinn or some magic was done
to him.
How can you tell if someone is possessed or if magic was done to them?
How do you remove it? My mother is getting very sick over this.
Praise be to Allaah
People who have had experience with such situations have related that
the following are among the signs of a person who is possessed by jinn
(or Satan):
Strong repulsion when hearing Qur'aan or Aathaan (call for prayers).
Episodes of losing consciousness and/or epileptic attacks, especially
when Qur'aan is recited for the possessed person.
Frequent nightmares during sleep.
Tendency to avoid people accompanied by out-of-the-norm behavior.
The jinn who possesses him might speak when Qur'aan is recited for
thepossessed person.
Madness, as stated in theQur'aan (interpretation of the meaning):
"Those who devour usury will not stand except as stands one whom Satan
by his touch hath driven to [epileptic] madness…"2:275
As for a person struck by magic he might experience the following:
Dislike of one's spouse, as indicated in the Qur'aan by the
followingverse (interpretation of the meaning): "And fromthese
(angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between a
man and his wife..." (Al-Baqarah, 2:102).
Different attitude in the house from that which isoutside the house.
For example, a person will feel that he is missing hisfamily when is
outside the house but when he goes home, love changesquickly to
extreme hatred.
Inability to have sexual intercourse with one's spouse.
Frequent miscarriage forpregnant women.
Sudden change in behavior without obvious reason.
Complete loss of appetitefor food.
Thinking or imagining one has done somethingwhen in reality one has not.
Sudden obedience and/or love for a particular person.
It should be noted that ifa person experiences some of the above
symptoms this does not necessarily mean that heis either possessed by
a jinn or struck by black magic. It might be due to physiological or
psychological reasons.
As for curing this condition the following steps are recommended:
Putting one's trust in Allah with sincere belief that He is the only
cure for everything.
Reading Qur'aan and known supplications expressing seeking refuge, the
most important and effective of which is sura 113 and 114, Al-Falaq
and Al-Naas, which were used to cure the Prophethimself. Surah 112,
Al-Ikhlaas, is recommended along with them, as well as theopening
chapter of the Qur'aan, Al-Fatihah. To cure black magic some have
successfully used seven lotus-tree leaves. The leaves should be
crushed, then mixed them with water enough for taking a bath. The
following verses from the Qur'aan are then recited: verse Al-Kursi
(2:255), surah Al-Kafiroon (109), surah 112, 113, 114; the verses
which mention magic, which are: in surah Al-Baqarah (2:102), Al-A'raaf
(3:117-119), Yunus (10:79-82), and Taha (20:65-69). The possessed
person drinks some of the water, and the rest is used to give him a
bath.
Removing the elements of magic as was done by the Prophet when he was
struck by black magic by a Jewish man called Lubaid Ben Al-'Aasim.
Eating seven Aa'liya Al-Barniy dates (among the dates of Al-Madinah)
first thing in the morning; if not possible, any dates will suffice,
by the will of Allaah.
Cupping--removing excess blood.
Supplications.
And we ask Allaah to cure your brother and ease your hardship and his,
as He is the One who cures and there is no one else who can cure.
He would say weird things and now doesn't talk to anyone atall. He has
been sitting outside for 2 months now. He has even spit onour mother.
At first we thought there was something psychologically wrong with
him. However when we took him to a mental doctor he talks asif he is
fine. We think he is either possessed by a Jinn or some magic was done
to him.
How can you tell if someone is possessed or if magic was done to them?
How do you remove it? My mother is getting very sick over this.
Praise be to Allaah
People who have had experience with such situations have related that
the following are among the signs of a person who is possessed by jinn
(or Satan):
Strong repulsion when hearing Qur'aan or Aathaan (call for prayers).
Episodes of losing consciousness and/or epileptic attacks, especially
when Qur'aan is recited for the possessed person.
Frequent nightmares during sleep.
Tendency to avoid people accompanied by out-of-the-norm behavior.
The jinn who possesses him might speak when Qur'aan is recited for
thepossessed person.
Madness, as stated in theQur'aan (interpretation of the meaning):
"Those who devour usury will not stand except as stands one whom Satan
by his touch hath driven to [epileptic] madness…"2:275
As for a person struck by magic he might experience the following:
Dislike of one's spouse, as indicated in the Qur'aan by the
followingverse (interpretation of the meaning): "And fromthese
(angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between a
man and his wife..." (Al-Baqarah, 2:102).
Different attitude in the house from that which isoutside the house.
For example, a person will feel that he is missing hisfamily when is
outside the house but when he goes home, love changesquickly to
extreme hatred.
Inability to have sexual intercourse with one's spouse.
Frequent miscarriage forpregnant women.
Sudden change in behavior without obvious reason.
Complete loss of appetitefor food.
Thinking or imagining one has done somethingwhen in reality one has not.
Sudden obedience and/or love for a particular person.
It should be noted that ifa person experiences some of the above
symptoms this does not necessarily mean that heis either possessed by
a jinn or struck by black magic. It might be due to physiological or
psychological reasons.
As for curing this condition the following steps are recommended:
Putting one's trust in Allah with sincere belief that He is the only
cure for everything.
Reading Qur'aan and known supplications expressing seeking refuge, the
most important and effective of which is sura 113 and 114, Al-Falaq
and Al-Naas, which were used to cure the Prophethimself. Surah 112,
Al-Ikhlaas, is recommended along with them, as well as theopening
chapter of the Qur'aan, Al-Fatihah. To cure black magic some have
successfully used seven lotus-tree leaves. The leaves should be
crushed, then mixed them with water enough for taking a bath. The
following verses from the Qur'aan are then recited: verse Al-Kursi
(2:255), surah Al-Kafiroon (109), surah 112, 113, 114; the verses
which mention magic, which are: in surah Al-Baqarah (2:102), Al-A'raaf
(3:117-119), Yunus (10:79-82), and Taha (20:65-69). The possessed
person drinks some of the water, and the rest is used to give him a
bath.
Removing the elements of magic as was done by the Prophet when he was
struck by black magic by a Jewish man called Lubaid Ben Al-'Aasim.
Eating seven Aa'liya Al-Barniy dates (among the dates of Al-Madinah)
first thing in the morning; if not possible, any dates will suffice,
by the will of Allaah.
Cupping--removing excess blood.
Supplications.
And we ask Allaah to cure your brother and ease your hardship and his,
as He is the One who cures and there is no one else who can cure.
Dought & clear,- jinn, witchcraft,the evil, - Possession and the illusions and facts that are connected to it .
I have been suffering from jinn possession for nearly two years, and
am not cured. What is strange is that I can feel them in my body and
can control them to some degree, such as when I hear Qur'aan, I feel
pain from them starting in my stomach but I am able, by Allaah'sleave,
to make them stopmoving.
I believe that they will never leave unless Allaahwills it. So I pray
to Allaah and I do not go and look for someone toperform ruqyah by
reciting Qur'aan.
Praise be to Allaah, I am righteous by the grace of Allaah, but
sometimes I commit some sins. What is the reason for that? What advice
can you give?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There are some facts andsome illusions connectedto the issue of jinn
possession, and among most people nowadays the illusions outweigh the
facts. The Sunnis are unanimously agreed that the jinn can dwell inthe
bodies of humans, but that does not mean that everyone who has
epilepsy is possessed by the jinn, because epilepsy may have physical
causes. The pains etc. that many people feel in their bodies cannot be
ascribed for certain to the actions of the jinn, rather they may be
illusions or something imaginary.
So you should not pay any attention to the whispers of the Shaytaan
that make you think that he has done this and that you can control it.
This is one of the ways in which the Shaytaan deceives the Muslim and
makes him think that he can controlhim, and that he has powers that in
fact he does not possess. This may lead to bad consequences as has
happened to many people.
You have to keep on treating yourself with ruqyah, for the Book of
your Lord is available to you. Recite from it and treat yourself with
ruqyah. Whether you arepossessed or not, you will undoubtedly
benefitfrom this reading and ruqyah.
For more information please see question no. 3476 .
If you go to someone who is known for using ruqyah as prescribed in
sharee'ah and is also righteous and keeps away from deviance andmyths,
there is nothing wrong with that and it may be a means of your being
healed from this problem.
You have to seek the help of Allaah and pray to Him and beseech Him to
prevent the plots of the devils among mankind and the jinn from
harming you. Man is always in need of his Lord, and Allaah is Able to
rid you of these thoughts, illusions and facts that are harming you.
am not cured. What is strange is that I can feel them in my body and
can control them to some degree, such as when I hear Qur'aan, I feel
pain from them starting in my stomach but I am able, by Allaah'sleave,
to make them stopmoving.
I believe that they will never leave unless Allaahwills it. So I pray
to Allaah and I do not go and look for someone toperform ruqyah by
reciting Qur'aan.
Praise be to Allaah, I am righteous by the grace of Allaah, but
sometimes I commit some sins. What is the reason for that? What advice
can you give?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There are some facts andsome illusions connectedto the issue of jinn
possession, and among most people nowadays the illusions outweigh the
facts. The Sunnis are unanimously agreed that the jinn can dwell inthe
bodies of humans, but that does not mean that everyone who has
epilepsy is possessed by the jinn, because epilepsy may have physical
causes. The pains etc. that many people feel in their bodies cannot be
ascribed for certain to the actions of the jinn, rather they may be
illusions or something imaginary.
So you should not pay any attention to the whispers of the Shaytaan
that make you think that he has done this and that you can control it.
This is one of the ways in which the Shaytaan deceives the Muslim and
makes him think that he can controlhim, and that he has powers that in
fact he does not possess. This may lead to bad consequences as has
happened to many people.
You have to keep on treating yourself with ruqyah, for the Book of
your Lord is available to you. Recite from it and treat yourself with
ruqyah. Whether you arepossessed or not, you will undoubtedly
benefitfrom this reading and ruqyah.
For more information please see question no. 3476 .
If you go to someone who is known for using ruqyah as prescribed in
sharee'ah and is also righteous and keeps away from deviance andmyths,
there is nothing wrong with that and it may be a means of your being
healed from this problem.
You have to seek the help of Allaah and pray to Him and beseech Him to
prevent the plots of the devils among mankind and the jinn from
harming you. Man is always in need of his Lord, and Allaah is Able to
rid you of these thoughts, illusions and facts that are harming you.
The Hijrah of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam., Islamic Articles,-
The Hijrah – emigration of the Prophet, , to Madeenah – constitutes a
wonderful memory honored by many annually. But, itis only the wise who
recognize itsfull magnanimity: as a victory for the believers and
their escape from a life of injustice and subjugation to a free and
respectable one. It marked a newphase in the struggle between Islam
and disbelief, and between truth and falsehood, hence only fit to
signify the start of the Muslim calendar.
And for us to appreciate it so, we must go back in history more than
ten centuries, to the thirteenth year after Muhammad, , was given the
mission of Prophethood. It was a time whenMuslims were permitted to
leave Makkah and escape persecution; many succeeded, managing to
overcome the obstacles put in their way by Quraysh, to hinder them
from reaching Yathrib (the former name of Madeenah). When they
arrived, they found their brothers from the Ansaar (their supporters
among the locals) welcoming them warmly, opening up their hearts and
homes to them. That greatly boosted their morale, so much sothat only
a few believers remained in Makkah, and only because they were
oppressed or captured.
Sensing their vulnerability, the Quraysh believed the situation could
only be restored if they managed to prevent the emigration of the
Prophet, , by any means possible.
As a result, conspirators secretly agreed to eliminate him, , before
he was able to leave for refuge in Madeenah. On a Thursday of the
month of Safar , the disbelievers assembled at Daar -un-Nadwah to
decide on the best course of action. One suggestion expressed the
necessity of killing the Prophet, , while others advocated either
imprisonment or exile.
However, the consensus was to murder him in a manner that the tribe of
the Prophet, , Banu Haashim, could not retaliate. Their strategy was
to handpick the best young man from all the tribes of Quraysh and
order them to strike the Prophet, , simultaneously with their swords,
so that every clan would be culpable for the crime. Clearly, Banu
Haashim could not engage them all in battle and would be obliged to
only accept blood money as settlement. Allaah The Almighty mentions
this, Saying (what means): {And [remember, OMuhammad], when those who
disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict
you [from Makkah]. But they plan,and Allaah plans. And Allaah is the
best of planners.} [Quran 8:30]
The Quraysh, however, were unaware that Allaah The Almighty had
already given permission for the Prophet, , to emigrate; so, while
they were still weaving their plots, he was preparing to travel to
Madeenah. While disguised as a necessary precaution, he, , went to the
house of Abu Bakr unusually at the noon, to inform him of theorder to
depart Makkah imminently.
Fearing that he would not be blessed to accompany the Prophet, , Abu
Bakr sought permission to travel with him and was granted it. He shed
tears of joy; he hired a non-Muslim man from Banu Ad-Dayl, called
'Abdullaah ibn Urayqit, to take care of two camels he had preemptively
readied for the journey and bring them to him three nights later at
the Thawr cave. His daughters, 'Aa'ishah and Asmaa̓ prepared all the
necessary gear and supplies, and put food in a container. Asmaa̔ would
later be known as "the one with two waistbands", as she would tear her
waistband in half, tying abundle of food on one end and a water skin
container on the another, to take to the two travelers.
Then, the awaited moment arrived and the Prophet, , andAbu Bakr set
out to leave through the backdoor of the house. Before that, he, ,
ordered 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib to stay behind in order to return to
people possessions they had entrusted to him. He, , also told the
young man to lie down in his bed, wearing his clothes, inorder to
stymie Quraysh.
Hence, the Prophet, , and Abu Bakr succeeded in evading the
disbelievers, who did not even notice they had left until thefollowing
morning, when 'Ali ibn Taalib emerged from the house. Enraged, they
surrounded him, asking him about the Prophet, , but he pretended to be
astonished and unaware of his whereabouts.
Knowing that Abu Bakr was the confidante of the Prophet, , they rushed
to his house to extract information, only to find he had left, too.
They questioned Asmaa̓ about her father, butshe feigned ignorance. So,
Abu Jahl, one of the chiefs of Quraysh, became enraged and slapped her
face, cutting her ear with her earring in the process.
Having been stonewalled, the Quraysh exerted all their efforts to hunt
down the two men, placing everyone in Makkah underclose surveillance
and announcing a valuable prize for anyone who caught the Prophet, ,
dead or alive. They commissioned experts in tracking and rushed north
in the hope of finding any trail of the Prophet, .
However, the Prophet, , had already outdone them, by having cleverly
taken an unfamiliar and indirect route to Madeenah. He, , headed
south, threading through rugged mountains till hereached an
inaccessible cave called Thawr , where he stayed with Abu Bakr until
the hunt simmered down.
However, a massive manhunt led the Quraysh to that very cave and they
drew quite near to its entrance, so much so that Abu Bakr could hear
their footsteps; so, he whispered to the Prophet, : "What if they were
to look through the crevice and spot us?" Filled with trust and
confidence in the promise of Allaah The Almighty (to protect him and
His Message), the Prophet, , calmly replied: "AbuBakr! What do you
think [can happen to] two with whom the Third is Allaah?"
Needless to say, the firm belief of the Prophet, , in Allaah The
Almighty was verified; the Quraysh ruled out the possibility of them
being anywhere near that place and left without having achieved any
success.
On to Madeenah
The Prophet, , stayed three nights in the cave of Thawr , during which
he received daily reports of the non-believers in Makkah, from
'Abdullaah ibn Abi Bakr . Another man, 'Aamir ibn Fuhayrah, would hide
his trailwhen he would bring sheep, so the Prophet, and Abu Bakr could
drink some milk. Then, at the appointed time, 'Abdullaahibn ̓Urayqit
brought the camels, as per the agreement.
On a Monday night in the month of Rabee'ul-Awwal , the Prophet, , and
Abu Bakr headed to Madeenah, taking the coastal route. They rode all
day long, andAbu Bakr rode with the Prophet, , beside, in front
andbehind him, shielding him continuously, fearing the Qurayshwould
attack. At noon, they stopped to rest, taking shelter behind a huge
rock. Abu Bakr evened the place out for the Prophet, , to lie down. In
the meantime, a shepherd, driving his herd, seemed to be heading their
way; when he came closer, Abu Bakr asked: "Who is your master?" The
slave boy replied: "I am a slave of a master from Makkah." He
inquired: "Do your sheep have milk? " The boy answered in the
affirmative, so Abu Bakr milked some for theProphet, , who was able to
quench his thirst.
However, danger lurked, as a disbeliever had caught a glimpse of the
Prophet, , from afar. Hehastened to Makkah and told people of two
figures he spotted riding on their camels, along the coast. One man,
Suraaqah ibn Maalik, realized he was right to assume they must have
been Muhammad, , and his Companion, but convinced the informant
otherwise, so he couldclaim the prize money for himself. He stayed for
an hour, then sneaked away, so he would not call the attention of
anyone. He took his spear and rushed on his horse to where he thought
the Prophet and his Companion were.
But, when he drew close, his horse stumbled and he fell to theground.
He briefly considered it an ill omen, before mounting his ride again
and rushing forward, only for his horse to trip once more. Suraaqah
became apprehensive, but his desire for the prize money made him
overlook his reservations. But, when he came closer to the Prophet, ,
his horse's hooves sank into the sand until it came to its knees and
smoke rose frombetween them; that is when he realized that the men he
was pursuing were being protected by Allaah The Almighty. Therefore,
he asked them for security (fearing Muslims would take revenge for his
action), promising not to divulge their whereabouts. The Prophet, ,
wrote him a note, granting him that and Suraaqah, on his part,
fulfilled his promise and diverted any other person in pursuit of
theProphet, , to look elsewhere, concealing his location, until he
safely approached Madeenah.
On their way, the Prophet, , and his Companion also stopped at the
tent of Umm Ma'bad and asked her for some food. She, however, had
nothing to offer, but a dry boney goat. So,the Prophet, , took it,
touched its udders, invoked the blessings of Allaah The Almighty and
miraculously milked it. And, as they all drank from the milk, this
remarkable incident led Umm Ma'bad and her husband to embrace Islam.
For all its difficulties, the journey finally came to a good end, with
the Prophet, , reaching Madeenah safely, where he was received by the
many Companions who had previously emigrated from Makkah and by his
Muslim brothers who were hosting him in their city.
wonderful memory honored by many annually. But, itis only the wise who
recognize itsfull magnanimity: as a victory for the believers and
their escape from a life of injustice and subjugation to a free and
respectable one. It marked a newphase in the struggle between Islam
and disbelief, and between truth and falsehood, hence only fit to
signify the start of the Muslim calendar.
And for us to appreciate it so, we must go back in history more than
ten centuries, to the thirteenth year after Muhammad, , was given the
mission of Prophethood. It was a time whenMuslims were permitted to
leave Makkah and escape persecution; many succeeded, managing to
overcome the obstacles put in their way by Quraysh, to hinder them
from reaching Yathrib (the former name of Madeenah). When they
arrived, they found their brothers from the Ansaar (their supporters
among the locals) welcoming them warmly, opening up their hearts and
homes to them. That greatly boosted their morale, so much sothat only
a few believers remained in Makkah, and only because they were
oppressed or captured.
Sensing their vulnerability, the Quraysh believed the situation could
only be restored if they managed to prevent the emigration of the
Prophet, , by any means possible.
As a result, conspirators secretly agreed to eliminate him, , before
he was able to leave for refuge in Madeenah. On a Thursday of the
month of Safar , the disbelievers assembled at Daar -un-Nadwah to
decide on the best course of action. One suggestion expressed the
necessity of killing the Prophet, , while others advocated either
imprisonment or exile.
However, the consensus was to murder him in a manner that the tribe of
the Prophet, , Banu Haashim, could not retaliate. Their strategy was
to handpick the best young man from all the tribes of Quraysh and
order them to strike the Prophet, , simultaneously with their swords,
so that every clan would be culpable for the crime. Clearly, Banu
Haashim could not engage them all in battle and would be obliged to
only accept blood money as settlement. Allaah The Almighty mentions
this, Saying (what means): {And [remember, OMuhammad], when those who
disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict
you [from Makkah]. But they plan,and Allaah plans. And Allaah is the
best of planners.} [Quran 8:30]
The Quraysh, however, were unaware that Allaah The Almighty had
already given permission for the Prophet, , to emigrate; so, while
they were still weaving their plots, he was preparing to travel to
Madeenah. While disguised as a necessary precaution, he, , went to the
house of Abu Bakr unusually at the noon, to inform him of theorder to
depart Makkah imminently.
Fearing that he would not be blessed to accompany the Prophet, , Abu
Bakr sought permission to travel with him and was granted it. He shed
tears of joy; he hired a non-Muslim man from Banu Ad-Dayl, called
'Abdullaah ibn Urayqit, to take care of two camels he had preemptively
readied for the journey and bring them to him three nights later at
the Thawr cave. His daughters, 'Aa'ishah and Asmaa̓ prepared all the
necessary gear and supplies, and put food in a container. Asmaa̔ would
later be known as "the one with two waistbands", as she would tear her
waistband in half, tying abundle of food on one end and a water skin
container on the another, to take to the two travelers.
Then, the awaited moment arrived and the Prophet, , andAbu Bakr set
out to leave through the backdoor of the house. Before that, he, ,
ordered 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib to stay behind in order to return to
people possessions they had entrusted to him. He, , also told the
young man to lie down in his bed, wearing his clothes, inorder to
stymie Quraysh.
Hence, the Prophet, , and Abu Bakr succeeded in evading the
disbelievers, who did not even notice they had left until thefollowing
morning, when 'Ali ibn Taalib emerged from the house. Enraged, they
surrounded him, asking him about the Prophet, , but he pretended to be
astonished and unaware of his whereabouts.
Knowing that Abu Bakr was the confidante of the Prophet, , they rushed
to his house to extract information, only to find he had left, too.
They questioned Asmaa̓ about her father, butshe feigned ignorance. So,
Abu Jahl, one of the chiefs of Quraysh, became enraged and slapped her
face, cutting her ear with her earring in the process.
Having been stonewalled, the Quraysh exerted all their efforts to hunt
down the two men, placing everyone in Makkah underclose surveillance
and announcing a valuable prize for anyone who caught the Prophet, ,
dead or alive. They commissioned experts in tracking and rushed north
in the hope of finding any trail of the Prophet, .
However, the Prophet, , had already outdone them, by having cleverly
taken an unfamiliar and indirect route to Madeenah. He, , headed
south, threading through rugged mountains till hereached an
inaccessible cave called Thawr , where he stayed with Abu Bakr until
the hunt simmered down.
However, a massive manhunt led the Quraysh to that very cave and they
drew quite near to its entrance, so much so that Abu Bakr could hear
their footsteps; so, he whispered to the Prophet, : "What if they were
to look through the crevice and spot us?" Filled with trust and
confidence in the promise of Allaah The Almighty (to protect him and
His Message), the Prophet, , calmly replied: "AbuBakr! What do you
think [can happen to] two with whom the Third is Allaah?"
Needless to say, the firm belief of the Prophet, , in Allaah The
Almighty was verified; the Quraysh ruled out the possibility of them
being anywhere near that place and left without having achieved any
success.
On to Madeenah
The Prophet, , stayed three nights in the cave of Thawr , during which
he received daily reports of the non-believers in Makkah, from
'Abdullaah ibn Abi Bakr . Another man, 'Aamir ibn Fuhayrah, would hide
his trailwhen he would bring sheep, so the Prophet, and Abu Bakr could
drink some milk. Then, at the appointed time, 'Abdullaahibn ̓Urayqit
brought the camels, as per the agreement.
On a Monday night in the month of Rabee'ul-Awwal , the Prophet, , and
Abu Bakr headed to Madeenah, taking the coastal route. They rode all
day long, andAbu Bakr rode with the Prophet, , beside, in front
andbehind him, shielding him continuously, fearing the Qurayshwould
attack. At noon, they stopped to rest, taking shelter behind a huge
rock. Abu Bakr evened the place out for the Prophet, , to lie down. In
the meantime, a shepherd, driving his herd, seemed to be heading their
way; when he came closer, Abu Bakr asked: "Who is your master?" The
slave boy replied: "I am a slave of a master from Makkah." He
inquired: "Do your sheep have milk? " The boy answered in the
affirmative, so Abu Bakr milked some for theProphet, , who was able to
quench his thirst.
However, danger lurked, as a disbeliever had caught a glimpse of the
Prophet, , from afar. Hehastened to Makkah and told people of two
figures he spotted riding on their camels, along the coast. One man,
Suraaqah ibn Maalik, realized he was right to assume they must have
been Muhammad, , and his Companion, but convinced the informant
otherwise, so he couldclaim the prize money for himself. He stayed for
an hour, then sneaked away, so he would not call the attention of
anyone. He took his spear and rushed on his horse to where he thought
the Prophet and his Companion were.
But, when he drew close, his horse stumbled and he fell to theground.
He briefly considered it an ill omen, before mounting his ride again
and rushing forward, only for his horse to trip once more. Suraaqah
became apprehensive, but his desire for the prize money made him
overlook his reservations. But, when he came closer to the Prophet, ,
his horse's hooves sank into the sand until it came to its knees and
smoke rose frombetween them; that is when he realized that the men he
was pursuing were being protected by Allaah The Almighty. Therefore,
he asked them for security (fearing Muslims would take revenge for his
action), promising not to divulge their whereabouts. The Prophet, ,
wrote him a note, granting him that and Suraaqah, on his part,
fulfilled his promise and diverted any other person in pursuit of
theProphet, , to look elsewhere, concealing his location, until he
safely approached Madeenah.
On their way, the Prophet, , and his Companion also stopped at the
tent of Umm Ma'bad and asked her for some food. She, however, had
nothing to offer, but a dry boney goat. So,the Prophet, , took it,
touched its udders, invoked the blessings of Allaah The Almighty and
miraculously milked it. And, as they all drank from the milk, this
remarkable incident led Umm Ma'bad and her husband to embrace Islam.
For all its difficulties, the journey finally came to a good end, with
the Prophet, , reaching Madeenah safely, where he was received by the
many Companions who had previously emigrated from Makkah and by his
Muslim brothers who were hosting him in their city.
Examples for good ends, Islamic Articles,-
All perfect praise is due to Allaah; I testify that there is none
worthyof worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His Slave and
Messenger; as well as his family and all his companions.
Fear of an evil end had broken the hearts of our righteous Salaf
(predecessors) . Sufyaan Ath-Thawri cried one night until the morning,
and when he was asked whether he cried due to his fear of his sins, he
replied: "No, I am more scared of having an evil end"
Ibn Katheer, said: "People who are righteous inwardly and outwardly
and whose actions coincide with their words, Allaah willing, will not
have an evil way to end their lives; and never was this reported about
anyone before. It is only those who are evil inwardly and outwardly;
those who are daring and indulge in major great sins and who are
frequent in committing minor sins. This type of people, who are used
to this practice willcontinue to do so until they die without
repenting."
The Prophet said: "Verily, deeds are but by the way they end."
[Al-Bukhaari]. This is why our right predecessors feared their ends
because no one knows how he will end his life and in which state he
will depart.
For this reason, Huthayfah, was happy to die before the trialsabout
which the Prophet, , informed them and said: "All perfect praise be to
Allaah who has hastened my death before these trials".
One of the signs indicating that the person died whilst having a good
end is dying whilst performing a righteous deed. Anas, narrated that
he heard the Prophet saying: "Do not be impressed with someone's
actions (thinking they are righteous) until you see how his end is,
because one would be performing a (righteous) deed fora long period of
his life, and should he die upon such a deed he would enter Paradise,
but he switches to performing evil deeds (before his death). The slave
would be performing a (bad) deed for a long period of his life, and
should he die upon such a deed he would enter Hell, but he switches to
performing good deeds (before his death) and when Allaah Wills good
for a slave He uses him before his death" The companions asked: "O
messenger of Allaah! How does Allaah use him?" He, , responded: "He
enables him to perform a good deed, then ends his life upon it." ]
Ahmad [
Huthayfah, narrated that the Messenger of Allaah, said: "He who says;
'Laa ilaaha illallaah' (i.e., 'None is worthy of worship except
Allaah') seeking the pleasure of Allaah, and it being his final
statement, will enter Paradise; he who fasts sincerely, seeking the
pleasure of Allaah, and died whilst in this state, will enter
Paradise; he who spends in charity, sincerely seeking the pleasure of
Allaah, and it being the last thing he did before dieing, will enter
Paradise."
Jaabir, reported: "I heard the Prophet saying: "Every slave will be
resurrected in the state upon which he died" ] Muslim ]. Imaam
As-Suyooti said: "Thisnarration refers to the state of obedience or
disobedience" . Maalik Ibn Deenaar used to say: "If I can afford
(physically) not to ever sleep I would not sleep" he was asked about
the reason, to which he said: "I fear that the angel of death would
come to me whilst I am sleeping and I would like that he comes whilst
I am engaged in a righteous deed" .
An example highlighting one of the best ways to die is for a
disbeliever to embrace Islaam then immediately die. Anas reported: "A
young Jewish boy who was in the service of the Prophet fell ill. The
Prophet went to visit him. He sat down by his head and said to him:
"Embrace Islam." The little boy looked at his father who wassitting
beside him. He said: 'Obey Abul-Qaasim (i.e., the Messenger of Allaah
).' So he embraced Islam and the Prophet stepped out saying: "Praise
be to Allaah Who has saved him from Hell-fire." [Al-Bukhaari].
Allaah guided a man from the Philippines to the light of Islaam on
Wednesday in the city of Taa'if in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he
was taught some of the merits of Islaam and on Thursdayhe started
reciting some chaptersof the Qur'aan and on Friday morning he passed
away, after only two days of him becoming a Muslim.
Uttering the testimonies of faith prior to death is a good deed
andanother example for one's good end. Mu'aath ibn Jabal, narrated
that the Prophet said: "He whose final words are: 'Laa Ilaaha
Illallaah' (i.e., 'None is worthy of worship except Allaah')will enter
Paradise." [Al-Haakim].
'Abdullaah Ibn 'Amr Ibn Al-'Aas, reported that when his father was on
his death bed he said: "O Allaah! You commanded me with many commands
and I fell short in many of them. O Allaah! You forbade me from many
matters, but I transgressed. O Allaah! Nonehas the right to be
worshipped but You" then he continued repeating this until he died .
Many of the Salaf died whilst praying, which is another example for a
good way to end life. 'Abdullaah Ibn Abi As-Sarh supplicated one night
after having performed Qiyaam saying: "O Allaah! Make my last deed in
this life the performance of Fajr prayer" Then he performed ablution
and prayed Fajr and died whilst concluding his prayer.
Abu Tha'labah used to say: "I hope that Allaah will not make me suffer
upon death like I see some people do" Then he started performing
Qiyaam and died whilst in the position of prostration. That night his
daughter saw in her dream that her father died, so she woke up
terrified and went to her mother asking about her father, so she told
her that he was praying Qiyaam. They went to check on him and found
him in the position of prostration and whenthey moved him he fell to
his side.
A young man prayed the Fajr prayer with the congregation andsat in the
mosque reciting the Qur'aan and waiting for the sun to rise so that he
may pray two Rak'ahs and he did not know thatit was the last hour of
his life, and died whilst in that state.
A fifty five year old lady was admitted into ER (the emergency room)
as a result of getting a heart attack which made her heart stop
beating completely. When the physicians were trying to make a heart
massage with special equipment a very astonishing thing happened,
which doctors had never seen before that day … the woman suddenly
opened her eyes and spoke calmly saying a few words… she did not
complain of any pain … she did not scream asking for their assistance
… she did not ask for her husband or children …she simply uttered the
two testimonies of faith … then the heart stopped again. She repeated
this three times … then she died … and her face illuminated. When her
husband was asked about the type of woman she was, he said: "I married
her more than thirty five years ago, and since then I have never seen
her abandon the Witr prayer (i.e. the odd-numbered Rak'ahs after the
optional night prayer) unless she was sick or during her monthly
period".
Dying whilst fasting is yet another example exemplifying a good end,
like in the case of Asmaa' Bint Abu Bakr and her son 'Urwah, .
Some people die whilst in the state of Ihraam which entitles theperson
to a great reward, as in the narration about the Companion who died as
a result of his animal kicking him whilst in the state of Ihraam (for
either Hajj or 'Umrah ), he said: "Wash him with water and lote-tree
(leaves), shroud him in his own garments and do not cover his head,
because he will beresurrected on the Day of Resurrection uttering the
Talbiyah.".
There are some people who die whilst reciting the Qur'aan, like inthe
case of 'Uthmaan Ibn 'Affaan¸ who was known to be a person who
continuously recited the Qur'aan day and night. He was martyred whilst
reciting the Qur'aan in his house. Once Ibn 'Abbaas, recited the
saying ofAllaah which means: "Is one who is devoutly obedient during
periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing
the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does
not]?" [Quran 39: 9] then he said: "I swear by Allaah! This applies to
'Uthmaan Ibn 'Affaan".
One of the best examples indicating a good end is being martyred.
Al-Miqdaam Ibn Ma'di Karib, narrated that the Prophet said: "A martyr
has six bounties: He will be forgiven with the first drop of his blood
that is spilt; He will see his place in Paradise (at the time of
death);He will be saved from the 'Great Horror' (on the Day of
Judgment):A Crown of Dignity will be placed on his head, which
contains many corundum, each one being more precious than this life
and all that it contains; He will have seventy two Women of Paradise;
And, he will be allowed to intercede for seventy of his familymembers
(who would have otherwise gone to hell)." [At-Tirmithi].
Shaddaad Ibn Al-Haad, narrated: "A Bedouin came to theProphet accepted
Islaam and said: 'I wish to migrate (to Madeenah)'. So the Prophet
asked some of his companions totake care of him. Then after a battle,
the Muslims had gained some booty so the Prophet divided it and gave
the Bedouin's share to some of his companions to look after, as the
Bedouin was still at the rearguard. When the Bedouin returned, they
gave him his share, so he asked them: 'What is this?' they replied:
'It is your share from the booty which the Prophet gave us to hold on
to for you.' So the Bedouin took the booty and went to the Prophet and
asked: 'What is this?' The Prophet replied: "Your share of the booty."
The Bedouin said: 'This is not why I believe in you and follow you;
rather, I follow you so that I can get shot by an arrow right here,
(and then he pointed to his throat) then die and enter Paradise.' The
Prophet said: "If you are sincere then Allaah will grant you your
wish." After a short while, fighting resumed and the Bedouin's body
was brought to the Prophet with an arrow in his throat at exactly the
spot where he had pointed tothe Prophet . Thereupon The Prophet said :
"He was sincereso Allaah granted him his wish." Then using his own
garment, the Prophet shrouded the Bedouin, prayed the funeral prayer
over him and was heard by his companions to say during the prayer: "O
Allaah! This is Your slave who migrated for Your sakeand was killed as
a martyr – and Itestify to this". Which testimony could ever be more
honorable, sincere and truthful than this great one given by the
Prophet ?
A truck driver by the name of AbuDujaanah , was known in his town to
be an evil person who consumed intoxicants. One day, he got in a
deadly car accident, but Allaah rescued him from death. Allaah decreed
that two righteous young men see the accident and rush to him whilst
he was unconscious and took him with them and when he woke up they
told him to perform Ghusl (ritual bath) which he did, then they
instructed him to pray, and after he prayed they said to him: "Allaah
Has rescued you from death and had you died upon the state you were
in, it would have been the worse way to die and be resurrected. You
should repent to Allaah and shun all sins" their words affected him
deeply, and he shunned his evil company with whom he used to hang
around, and started practicing. A few months later, he traveled to
Bosnia for Jihaad , and Allaah granted him martyrdom there. His body
remained with the enemies thrown in an open field for two and a half
months after he was killed, and then a swap of dead bodies happened
between the Mujaahideen and the Serbs, and when the brothers opened
the plastic bag in which he was kept for this long period, they saw
his face smiling and an extremely pleasant scent emanating from his
body.
These were but some examples of how a good end may be, and we ask
Allaah to bless us and grant us a good way to end our lives.
worthyof worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His Slave and
Messenger; as well as his family and all his companions.
Fear of an evil end had broken the hearts of our righteous Salaf
(predecessors) . Sufyaan Ath-Thawri cried one night until the morning,
and when he was asked whether he cried due to his fear of his sins, he
replied: "No, I am more scared of having an evil end"
Ibn Katheer, said: "People who are righteous inwardly and outwardly
and whose actions coincide with their words, Allaah willing, will not
have an evil way to end their lives; and never was this reported about
anyone before. It is only those who are evil inwardly and outwardly;
those who are daring and indulge in major great sins and who are
frequent in committing minor sins. This type of people, who are used
to this practice willcontinue to do so until they die without
repenting."
The Prophet said: "Verily, deeds are but by the way they end."
[Al-Bukhaari]. This is why our right predecessors feared their ends
because no one knows how he will end his life and in which state he
will depart.
For this reason, Huthayfah, was happy to die before the trialsabout
which the Prophet, , informed them and said: "All perfect praise be to
Allaah who has hastened my death before these trials".
One of the signs indicating that the person died whilst having a good
end is dying whilst performing a righteous deed. Anas, narrated that
he heard the Prophet saying: "Do not be impressed with someone's
actions (thinking they are righteous) until you see how his end is,
because one would be performing a (righteous) deed fora long period of
his life, and should he die upon such a deed he would enter Paradise,
but he switches to performing evil deeds (before his death). The slave
would be performing a (bad) deed for a long period of his life, and
should he die upon such a deed he would enter Hell, but he switches to
performing good deeds (before his death) and when Allaah Wills good
for a slave He uses him before his death" The companions asked: "O
messenger of Allaah! How does Allaah use him?" He, , responded: "He
enables him to perform a good deed, then ends his life upon it." ]
Ahmad [
Huthayfah, narrated that the Messenger of Allaah, said: "He who says;
'Laa ilaaha illallaah' (i.e., 'None is worthy of worship except
Allaah') seeking the pleasure of Allaah, and it being his final
statement, will enter Paradise; he who fasts sincerely, seeking the
pleasure of Allaah, and died whilst in this state, will enter
Paradise; he who spends in charity, sincerely seeking the pleasure of
Allaah, and it being the last thing he did before dieing, will enter
Paradise."
Jaabir, reported: "I heard the Prophet saying: "Every slave will be
resurrected in the state upon which he died" ] Muslim ]. Imaam
As-Suyooti said: "Thisnarration refers to the state of obedience or
disobedience" . Maalik Ibn Deenaar used to say: "If I can afford
(physically) not to ever sleep I would not sleep" he was asked about
the reason, to which he said: "I fear that the angel of death would
come to me whilst I am sleeping and I would like that he comes whilst
I am engaged in a righteous deed" .
An example highlighting one of the best ways to die is for a
disbeliever to embrace Islaam then immediately die. Anas reported: "A
young Jewish boy who was in the service of the Prophet fell ill. The
Prophet went to visit him. He sat down by his head and said to him:
"Embrace Islam." The little boy looked at his father who wassitting
beside him. He said: 'Obey Abul-Qaasim (i.e., the Messenger of Allaah
).' So he embraced Islam and the Prophet stepped out saying: "Praise
be to Allaah Who has saved him from Hell-fire." [Al-Bukhaari].
Allaah guided a man from the Philippines to the light of Islaam on
Wednesday in the city of Taa'if in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he
was taught some of the merits of Islaam and on Thursdayhe started
reciting some chaptersof the Qur'aan and on Friday morning he passed
away, after only two days of him becoming a Muslim.
Uttering the testimonies of faith prior to death is a good deed
andanother example for one's good end. Mu'aath ibn Jabal, narrated
that the Prophet said: "He whose final words are: 'Laa Ilaaha
Illallaah' (i.e., 'None is worthy of worship except Allaah')will enter
Paradise." [Al-Haakim].
'Abdullaah Ibn 'Amr Ibn Al-'Aas, reported that when his father was on
his death bed he said: "O Allaah! You commanded me with many commands
and I fell short in many of them. O Allaah! You forbade me from many
matters, but I transgressed. O Allaah! Nonehas the right to be
worshipped but You" then he continued repeating this until he died .
Many of the Salaf died whilst praying, which is another example for a
good way to end life. 'Abdullaah Ibn Abi As-Sarh supplicated one night
after having performed Qiyaam saying: "O Allaah! Make my last deed in
this life the performance of Fajr prayer" Then he performed ablution
and prayed Fajr and died whilst concluding his prayer.
Abu Tha'labah used to say: "I hope that Allaah will not make me suffer
upon death like I see some people do" Then he started performing
Qiyaam and died whilst in the position of prostration. That night his
daughter saw in her dream that her father died, so she woke up
terrified and went to her mother asking about her father, so she told
her that he was praying Qiyaam. They went to check on him and found
him in the position of prostration and whenthey moved him he fell to
his side.
A young man prayed the Fajr prayer with the congregation andsat in the
mosque reciting the Qur'aan and waiting for the sun to rise so that he
may pray two Rak'ahs and he did not know thatit was the last hour of
his life, and died whilst in that state.
A fifty five year old lady was admitted into ER (the emergency room)
as a result of getting a heart attack which made her heart stop
beating completely. When the physicians were trying to make a heart
massage with special equipment a very astonishing thing happened,
which doctors had never seen before that day … the woman suddenly
opened her eyes and spoke calmly saying a few words… she did not
complain of any pain … she did not scream asking for their assistance
… she did not ask for her husband or children …she simply uttered the
two testimonies of faith … then the heart stopped again. She repeated
this three times … then she died … and her face illuminated. When her
husband was asked about the type of woman she was, he said: "I married
her more than thirty five years ago, and since then I have never seen
her abandon the Witr prayer (i.e. the odd-numbered Rak'ahs after the
optional night prayer) unless she was sick or during her monthly
period".
Dying whilst fasting is yet another example exemplifying a good end,
like in the case of Asmaa' Bint Abu Bakr and her son 'Urwah, .
Some people die whilst in the state of Ihraam which entitles theperson
to a great reward, as in the narration about the Companion who died as
a result of his animal kicking him whilst in the state of Ihraam (for
either Hajj or 'Umrah ), he said: "Wash him with water and lote-tree
(leaves), shroud him in his own garments and do not cover his head,
because he will beresurrected on the Day of Resurrection uttering the
Talbiyah.".
There are some people who die whilst reciting the Qur'aan, like inthe
case of 'Uthmaan Ibn 'Affaan¸ who was known to be a person who
continuously recited the Qur'aan day and night. He was martyred whilst
reciting the Qur'aan in his house. Once Ibn 'Abbaas, recited the
saying ofAllaah which means: "Is one who is devoutly obedient during
periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing
the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does
not]?" [Quran 39: 9] then he said: "I swear by Allaah! This applies to
'Uthmaan Ibn 'Affaan".
One of the best examples indicating a good end is being martyred.
Al-Miqdaam Ibn Ma'di Karib, narrated that the Prophet said: "A martyr
has six bounties: He will be forgiven with the first drop of his blood
that is spilt; He will see his place in Paradise (at the time of
death);He will be saved from the 'Great Horror' (on the Day of
Judgment):A Crown of Dignity will be placed on his head, which
contains many corundum, each one being more precious than this life
and all that it contains; He will have seventy two Women of Paradise;
And, he will be allowed to intercede for seventy of his familymembers
(who would have otherwise gone to hell)." [At-Tirmithi].
Shaddaad Ibn Al-Haad, narrated: "A Bedouin came to theProphet accepted
Islaam and said: 'I wish to migrate (to Madeenah)'. So the Prophet
asked some of his companions totake care of him. Then after a battle,
the Muslims had gained some booty so the Prophet divided it and gave
the Bedouin's share to some of his companions to look after, as the
Bedouin was still at the rearguard. When the Bedouin returned, they
gave him his share, so he asked them: 'What is this?' they replied:
'It is your share from the booty which the Prophet gave us to hold on
to for you.' So the Bedouin took the booty and went to the Prophet and
asked: 'What is this?' The Prophet replied: "Your share of the booty."
The Bedouin said: 'This is not why I believe in you and follow you;
rather, I follow you so that I can get shot by an arrow right here,
(and then he pointed to his throat) then die and enter Paradise.' The
Prophet said: "If you are sincere then Allaah will grant you your
wish." After a short while, fighting resumed and the Bedouin's body
was brought to the Prophet with an arrow in his throat at exactly the
spot where he had pointed tothe Prophet . Thereupon The Prophet said :
"He was sincereso Allaah granted him his wish." Then using his own
garment, the Prophet shrouded the Bedouin, prayed the funeral prayer
over him and was heard by his companions to say during the prayer: "O
Allaah! This is Your slave who migrated for Your sakeand was killed as
a martyr – and Itestify to this". Which testimony could ever be more
honorable, sincere and truthful than this great one given by the
Prophet ?
A truck driver by the name of AbuDujaanah , was known in his town to
be an evil person who consumed intoxicants. One day, he got in a
deadly car accident, but Allaah rescued him from death. Allaah decreed
that two righteous young men see the accident and rush to him whilst
he was unconscious and took him with them and when he woke up they
told him to perform Ghusl (ritual bath) which he did, then they
instructed him to pray, and after he prayed they said to him: "Allaah
Has rescued you from death and had you died upon the state you were
in, it would have been the worse way to die and be resurrected. You
should repent to Allaah and shun all sins" their words affected him
deeply, and he shunned his evil company with whom he used to hang
around, and started practicing. A few months later, he traveled to
Bosnia for Jihaad , and Allaah granted him martyrdom there. His body
remained with the enemies thrown in an open field for two and a half
months after he was killed, and then a swap of dead bodies happened
between the Mujaahideen and the Serbs, and when the brothers opened
the plastic bag in which he was kept for this long period, they saw
his face smiling and an extremely pleasant scent emanating from his
body.
These were but some examples of how a good end may be, and we ask
Allaah to bless us and grant us a good way to end our lives.
Dought & clear,- Is there any riba involved in selling pure gold for mixed gold?.
Is it permissible for me to exchange a diamond ring for gold directly
with the trader? Please note that the ring is made of white gold set
with a diamond. If that is not permissible, I hopethat you can explain
the correct way to exchangethis ring for gold.
Praise be to Allah.
It is not permissible to sell gold for gold unless two conditions are
met: the exchange should take place in the same meeting in which the
agreement was reached,i.e., hand to hand; and they should be equal in
weight, because of the report narrated by Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may
Allah be pleased with him) who said: "Gold for gold, silver for
silver, likefor like, hand to hand. Whoever gives more or asks for
more has engaged in riba, and thetaker and the giver are the same."
Narrated by Muslim, 2971.
So it is not permissible tosell gold for gold of different amounts or
deferred payment; no differentiation is made between white gold or
other kinds of gold, because what is meant by white gold is nothing
more than gold to whichsome platinum has been added to make it white.
In fact it is still gold, but it is mixed with something else that did
not change it from beinggold. This has been explained previously in
the answer to question no. 68039
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said concerning the words
ofthe Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), "Do not sell
gold for gold or silver for silver unless it is same for same":
The scholars said: This includes all kinds of goldand silver, both
high andlow quality, sound and broken, jewellery and ingots, and so
on, whether it is pure or mixed with something else. There is
scholarly consensus on all of that.
End quote from Sharh Muslim.
Secondly:
The correct way to do this transaction is to sell the ring for cash,
then buy whatever you want of gold and other things with the cash.
And Allah knows best.
with the trader? Please note that the ring is made of white gold set
with a diamond. If that is not permissible, I hopethat you can explain
the correct way to exchangethis ring for gold.
Praise be to Allah.
It is not permissible to sell gold for gold unless two conditions are
met: the exchange should take place in the same meeting in which the
agreement was reached,i.e., hand to hand; and they should be equal in
weight, because of the report narrated by Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may
Allah be pleased with him) who said: "Gold for gold, silver for
silver, likefor like, hand to hand. Whoever gives more or asks for
more has engaged in riba, and thetaker and the giver are the same."
Narrated by Muslim, 2971.
So it is not permissible tosell gold for gold of different amounts or
deferred payment; no differentiation is made between white gold or
other kinds of gold, because what is meant by white gold is nothing
more than gold to whichsome platinum has been added to make it white.
In fact it is still gold, but it is mixed with something else that did
not change it from beinggold. This has been explained previously in
the answer to question no. 68039
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said concerning the words
ofthe Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), "Do not sell
gold for gold or silver for silver unless it is same for same":
The scholars said: This includes all kinds of goldand silver, both
high andlow quality, sound and broken, jewellery and ingots, and so
on, whether it is pure or mixed with something else. There is
scholarly consensus on all of that.
End quote from Sharh Muslim.
Secondly:
The correct way to do this transaction is to sell the ring for cash,
then buy whatever you want of gold and other things with the cash.
And Allah knows best.
Dought & clear,- Ruling on dealing with mortgages in a non-Muslim country.
Perhaps my question hasbeen asked many times before. It is about
mortgages in non-Muslim countries. We live in a western society and we
live in rented accommodation so as to avoid riba. Recently we found
out that there are no houses for rent, and 96% of the market is based
on mortgages. All houses are offered for sale only.Some of them told
me that in this situation it is permissible for me to buy a house by
means ofa mortgage and, moreover, it is possible to get the mortgage
in the name of family insurance, so that the individual does not pay
riba or a mortgage; rather it is paid by the insurance. Is it
permissible to get a mortgage in the name ofthe family insurance, in
such a way that you and other trustees or borrowers are not dealing
directly with thebank and the lawyer takes care of dealing with the
mortgage on your behalf?
I hope that you can advise me as to whether that is permissible or not.
Praise be to Allaah.
A mortgage is a haraam riba-based transaction that is based on a loan
with interest in which the owner of the money takes as collateral the
property for the purchase of which the borrower is taking out the
loan, until the debt has been paid off along with the interest (riba).
If the debtor is late in making payments, then the owner of the money
is entitled to sell the property and take back his money.
This transaction is offered by riba-based banks or real estate
mortgage companies, and this transaction is done when the one whowants
to buy a house chooses a house, then hegoes to the mortgage company –
or to the riba-based bank – to ask them to buy that house and he
agrees to pay themoney in instalments, plus the interest that hasbeen
agreed upon. A representative of the company or bank meets with the
owner of the house and the third party, namely the borrower, and the
price of the house is paid in full to the owner. In some cases the
borrowerpays part of the price (down payment). And the contract is
signed with the borrower for the money paid to the owner of the house
plus the interest. The house ismortgaged to the mortgage company or
bank that pays the money to the owner of the house. If the borrower
fails to pay any instalment on his loan, the mortgage company has the
right tosell the house in order toget back the rest of the money that
it is owed bythe borrower.
This transaction clearly comes under the heading of blatant riba.
Allah, may He be exalted,has forbidden riba and has issued a warning
to those who consume it ofa severe punishment as He, may He be
exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Those who eat Riba (usury) will not stand (on the Day of
Resurrection) except likethe standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan
(Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: "Trading is
onlylike Riba (usury)," whereas Allah has permitted trading and
forbidden Riba (usury). So whosoever receives an admonition from his
Lord and stops eating Riba (usury) shall not be punished for the past;
his case is for Allah (to judge); but whoever returns (to Riba
(usury)), such are the dwellers of the Fire - they will abide therein"
[al-Baqarah 2:275].
This riba-based transaction is not permissible either in Muslim
countries or non-Muslim countries; it is not permissible in order to
acquire houses or stores.
Some contemporary scholars have permitted this riba-based transaction
if it is in a non-Muslim country and it is done in order to acquire a
house in which to live. This permission is attributed to the Hanafi
madhhab, and some evidence is quoted for it. But many scholars have
challengedthis fatwa, including Shaykh Salaah as-Saawi (may Allah
preserve him)in his book Waqafaat Haadi'ah ma'a Fatwa Ibaahat
al-Qurood al-Ribawiyyah li Tamweel Shira' al-Masaakin fi'l-Mujtama'aat
al-Gharbiyyah.
mortgages in non-Muslim countries. We live in a western society and we
live in rented accommodation so as to avoid riba. Recently we found
out that there are no houses for rent, and 96% of the market is based
on mortgages. All houses are offered for sale only.Some of them told
me that in this situation it is permissible for me to buy a house by
means ofa mortgage and, moreover, it is possible to get the mortgage
in the name of family insurance, so that the individual does not pay
riba or a mortgage; rather it is paid by the insurance. Is it
permissible to get a mortgage in the name ofthe family insurance, in
such a way that you and other trustees or borrowers are not dealing
directly with thebank and the lawyer takes care of dealing with the
mortgage on your behalf?
I hope that you can advise me as to whether that is permissible or not.
Praise be to Allaah.
A mortgage is a haraam riba-based transaction that is based on a loan
with interest in which the owner of the money takes as collateral the
property for the purchase of which the borrower is taking out the
loan, until the debt has been paid off along with the interest (riba).
If the debtor is late in making payments, then the owner of the money
is entitled to sell the property and take back his money.
This transaction is offered by riba-based banks or real estate
mortgage companies, and this transaction is done when the one whowants
to buy a house chooses a house, then hegoes to the mortgage company –
or to the riba-based bank – to ask them to buy that house and he
agrees to pay themoney in instalments, plus the interest that hasbeen
agreed upon. A representative of the company or bank meets with the
owner of the house and the third party, namely the borrower, and the
price of the house is paid in full to the owner. In some cases the
borrowerpays part of the price (down payment). And the contract is
signed with the borrower for the money paid to the owner of the house
plus the interest. The house ismortgaged to the mortgage company or
bank that pays the money to the owner of the house. If the borrower
fails to pay any instalment on his loan, the mortgage company has the
right tosell the house in order toget back the rest of the money that
it is owed bythe borrower.
This transaction clearly comes under the heading of blatant riba.
Allah, may He be exalted,has forbidden riba and has issued a warning
to those who consume it ofa severe punishment as He, may He be
exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Those who eat Riba (usury) will not stand (on the Day of
Resurrection) except likethe standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan
(Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: "Trading is
onlylike Riba (usury)," whereas Allah has permitted trading and
forbidden Riba (usury). So whosoever receives an admonition from his
Lord and stops eating Riba (usury) shall not be punished for the past;
his case is for Allah (to judge); but whoever returns (to Riba
(usury)), such are the dwellers of the Fire - they will abide therein"
[al-Baqarah 2:275].
This riba-based transaction is not permissible either in Muslim
countries or non-Muslim countries; it is not permissible in order to
acquire houses or stores.
Some contemporary scholars have permitted this riba-based transaction
if it is in a non-Muslim country and it is done in order to acquire a
house in which to live. This permission is attributed to the Hanafi
madhhab, and some evidence is quoted for it. But many scholars have
challengedthis fatwa, including Shaykh Salaah as-Saawi (may Allah
preserve him)in his book Waqafaat Haadi'ah ma'a Fatwa Ibaahat
al-Qurood al-Ribawiyyah li Tamweel Shira' al-Masaakin fi'l-Mujtama'aat
al-Gharbiyyah.
Paradise-Jannah,- Those who Ardently Hope for Paradise: The Party of Allah
Allah has inscribed faith upon such people's hearts, will reinforce
them with a spirit from Him, and admit them into Gardens with rivers
flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, forever. Allah is
pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. Such people are the
party of Allah. Truly it is the party of Allah who are
successful.(Surat al-Mujadala, 22)
Those believers to whomAllah has announced His promise of good news
have important qualities, as revealed in the Qur'an:
-They believe and do right actions. (Surat al-Baqara, 25)
- They fear Allah. (Surah Al 'Imran, 15)
- They spend for the cause of Islam in times both ease and hardship.
(Surah Al 'Imran, 134)
- They control their rage.( Surah Al 'Imran, 134)
- They pardon other people.( Surah Al 'Imran, 134)
- After they act indecently or wrong themselves, they remember Allah
and ask forgiveness for their wrong actions. (Surah Al 'Imran, 135)
- They do not knowingly persist in doing wrong actions. (Surah Al 'Imran,135)
- The obey Allah and his Messenger. (Surat an-Nisa', 13)
- They keep up prayer, spend in charity, believe in and support
Allah's messengers. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 12)
- They are truthful. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 119)
- They leave their homes for the cause of Allah and strive in Allah's
way with their souls and possessions. (Surat at-Tawba: 20)
- They do good. (Surah Yunus, 26)
- They humble themselves before their Lord. (Surah Hud, 23)
-They repent of their sins. (Surah Maryam, 60)
- They honor their trusts and contracts. (Surat al-Mu'minun: 8)
- They safeguard their prayers. (Surat al-Mu'minun: 9)
- They compete with oneanother in the doing of good deeds. (Surah Fatir,32)
- They are Allah's chosen servants. (Surat as-Saffat, 40)
- They believe in the Qur'an. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 69)
- They say "our Lord is Allah" and thereafter stand firm in their
faith. (Surat al-Ahqaf, 13)
- They are heedful. ( Surah Muhammad, 15)
- They turn toward Allah with their whole heart. (Surah Qaf, 32)
- They stand in awe of the Most Gracious, although He is beyond the
reach of human perception, and come unto Him with a heart returning in
repentance.(Surah Qaf, 33)
- They are the doers of good. (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 16)
- They ask for Allah's forgiveness before the dawn. (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 18)
- They are the forerunners. (Surat al-Waqi'a, 10)
- They always keep their word and fear a day whose evil will spread
far and wide. (Surat al-Insan, 7)
- They give food, despitetheir love for it, to the poor and orphans
and captives. (Surat al-Insan, 8)
- They give the appropriate respect to the Messenger of Allah. (Surat
al-Hujurat, 3)
them with a spirit from Him, and admit them into Gardens with rivers
flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, forever. Allah is
pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. Such people are the
party of Allah. Truly it is the party of Allah who are
successful.(Surat al-Mujadala, 22)
Those believers to whomAllah has announced His promise of good news
have important qualities, as revealed in the Qur'an:
-They believe and do right actions. (Surat al-Baqara, 25)
- They fear Allah. (Surah Al 'Imran, 15)
- They spend for the cause of Islam in times both ease and hardship.
(Surah Al 'Imran, 134)
- They control their rage.( Surah Al 'Imran, 134)
- They pardon other people.( Surah Al 'Imran, 134)
- After they act indecently or wrong themselves, they remember Allah
and ask forgiveness for their wrong actions. (Surah Al 'Imran, 135)
- They do not knowingly persist in doing wrong actions. (Surah Al 'Imran,135)
- The obey Allah and his Messenger. (Surat an-Nisa', 13)
- They keep up prayer, spend in charity, believe in and support
Allah's messengers. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 12)
- They are truthful. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 119)
- They leave their homes for the cause of Allah and strive in Allah's
way with their souls and possessions. (Surat at-Tawba: 20)
- They do good. (Surah Yunus, 26)
- They humble themselves before their Lord. (Surah Hud, 23)
-They repent of their sins. (Surah Maryam, 60)
- They honor their trusts and contracts. (Surat al-Mu'minun: 8)
- They safeguard their prayers. (Surat al-Mu'minun: 9)
- They compete with oneanother in the doing of good deeds. (Surah Fatir,32)
- They are Allah's chosen servants. (Surat as-Saffat, 40)
- They believe in the Qur'an. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 69)
- They say "our Lord is Allah" and thereafter stand firm in their
faith. (Surat al-Ahqaf, 13)
- They are heedful. ( Surah Muhammad, 15)
- They turn toward Allah with their whole heart. (Surah Qaf, 32)
- They stand in awe of the Most Gracious, although He is beyond the
reach of human perception, and come unto Him with a heart returning in
repentance.(Surah Qaf, 33)
- They are the doers of good. (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 16)
- They ask for Allah's forgiveness before the dawn. (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 18)
- They are the forerunners. (Surat al-Waqi'a, 10)
- They always keep their word and fear a day whose evil will spread
far and wide. (Surat al-Insan, 7)
- They give food, despitetheir love for it, to the poor and orphans
and captives. (Surat al-Insan, 8)
- They give the appropriate respect to the Messenger of Allah. (Surat
al-Hujurat, 3)
Paradise-Jannah,- Allah's Promise
To those who will come into His Presence as believers, Allah gives the
promise of Paradise, wherein they will remain forever. As there is no
doubt that this promise will be fulfilled, those who believe with
certainty will never doubt its truth. Moreover, if they have
surrendered their souls to Him as believers, they know that their sins
will be forgiven and that they will be accepted into Paradise. The
following verse makes this clear:
Gardens of Eden which the All-Merciful has promised to His servants in
the Unseen. His promise is always kept. (Surah Maryam, 61)
The fact that Allah has promised Paradise to believers brings them
anindescribable joy and enthusiasm. They know that Allah wills
Paradise for His faithful servants, and that He has made them its
heirs. Here is another verse that mentions this promise:
Is someone to whom We have promised good andwho then obtains it like
someone to whom We have given enjoyment inthe life of the world and
then, on the Day of Rising, is one of those brought to punishment?
(Surat al-Qasas, 61)
If Allah has promised Paradise to any individuals, they will attain
eternal blessings with Allah's permission. And when believers enter
Paradise, they will certainly express their thanks to Allah in this
way:
They will say: "Praise be to Allah Who has fulfilledHis promise to us
and made us the inheritors of this land, letting us settle in Paradise
wherever we want. Howexcellent is the wage of those who work." (Surat
az-Zumar, 74)
Believers who have beengiven the good news several times during their
earthly lives, and towhom Allah has promised Paradise, will receive at
the end of their lives that for whichthey hoped. Finally, that
long-awaited moment will come. The place thatthey have contemplated
throughout their lives, prayed to attain, and striven to be worthy of
isParadise - "the best place to be," and "the most beauteous of all
goals." This perfect placewas prepared for believers, and its doors
are opened to them.
The following verse gives a unique view about their entrance into Paradise:
Gardens of Eden that they will enter, and all oftheir parents, wives,
andchildren who have actedhonorably. Angels will enter in to welcome
them from every gate:"Peace be upon you because of your steadfastness!
How wonderful is the Ultimate Abode!" (Surat ar-Ra'd, 23-24)
They will be welcomed into Paradise "with greetings and [words
of]peace" (Surat al-Furqan, 75), and enter there "in peace, in
complete security!" (Surat al-Hijr, 46). There is only one thing left
to do: to discover the beauties of this eternal land prepared for
believers and endowed with every kind of blessing.
promise of Paradise, wherein they will remain forever. As there is no
doubt that this promise will be fulfilled, those who believe with
certainty will never doubt its truth. Moreover, if they have
surrendered their souls to Him as believers, they know that their sins
will be forgiven and that they will be accepted into Paradise. The
following verse makes this clear:
Gardens of Eden which the All-Merciful has promised to His servants in
the Unseen. His promise is always kept. (Surah Maryam, 61)
The fact that Allah has promised Paradise to believers brings them
anindescribable joy and enthusiasm. They know that Allah wills
Paradise for His faithful servants, and that He has made them its
heirs. Here is another verse that mentions this promise:
Is someone to whom We have promised good andwho then obtains it like
someone to whom We have given enjoyment inthe life of the world and
then, on the Day of Rising, is one of those brought to punishment?
(Surat al-Qasas, 61)
If Allah has promised Paradise to any individuals, they will attain
eternal blessings with Allah's permission. And when believers enter
Paradise, they will certainly express their thanks to Allah in this
way:
They will say: "Praise be to Allah Who has fulfilledHis promise to us
and made us the inheritors of this land, letting us settle in Paradise
wherever we want. Howexcellent is the wage of those who work." (Surat
az-Zumar, 74)
Believers who have beengiven the good news several times during their
earthly lives, and towhom Allah has promised Paradise, will receive at
the end of their lives that for whichthey hoped. Finally, that
long-awaited moment will come. The place thatthey have contemplated
throughout their lives, prayed to attain, and striven to be worthy of
isParadise - "the best place to be," and "the most beauteous of all
goals." This perfect placewas prepared for believers, and its doors
are opened to them.
The following verse gives a unique view about their entrance into Paradise:
Gardens of Eden that they will enter, and all oftheir parents, wives,
andchildren who have actedhonorably. Angels will enter in to welcome
them from every gate:"Peace be upon you because of your steadfastness!
How wonderful is the Ultimate Abode!" (Surat ar-Ra'd, 23-24)
They will be welcomed into Paradise "with greetings and [words
of]peace" (Surat al-Furqan, 75), and enter there "in peace, in
complete security!" (Surat al-Hijr, 46). There is only one thing left
to do: to discover the beauties of this eternal land prepared for
believers and endowed with every kind of blessing.
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