Was Islam Spread by the Sword?

It is a common misconception with some non-Muslims that Islam would
not have millions of adherents all over the world, if it had not been
spread by the use of force.
The following points willmake it clear, that far from being spread by
the sword, it was the inherent force of truth, reason and logic that
was responsible for the rapid spread of Islam.
Islam has always given respect and freedom of religion to all faiths.
Freedom of religion is ordained in the Quran itself:
"There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The
right course has become clear from the wrong." (Quran2:256)
The noted historian De Lacy O'Leary wrote:[1]"History makes it clear
however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the
world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races
is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have
ever repeated."
The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book Heroes and Hero
worship, refers to this misconception about thespread of Islam: "The
sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at
its starting is precisely in a minority ofone; in one man's head
alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world
believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword
and tries to propagate with that will do little for him. You must get
your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can."
If Islam was spread by the sword, it was the sword of intellect and
convincing arguments. Itis this sword that conquers the hearts and
minds of people. The Quran says in this connection:
"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and
argue with them in a way that is best." (Quran 16:125)
The facts speak for themselves
Indonesia is the country that has the largest number of Muslims in the
world, and the majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. But, no
Muslim army ever went to Indonesia or Malaysia. It is an established
historical fact that Indonesia entered Islam not due towar, but
because of its moral message. Despite the disappearance of Islamic
government frommany regions once ruledby it, their original
inhabitants have remained Muslims. Moreover, they carried the message
of truth, inviting others to it as well, and in so doing endured harm,
affliction and oppression. The same can be said for those in the
regions of Syria and Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, North Africa, Asia, the
Balkans and in Spain. This shows that the effect of Islam on
thepopulation was one of moral conviction, in contrast to occupation
by western colonialists, finally compelled to leave lands whose
peoples held only memories of affliction, sorrow, subjugation
andoppression.
Muslims ruled Spain (Andalusia) for about 800 years. During this
period the Christians andJews enjoyed freedom to practice their
respective religions, and this is a documented historical fact.
Christian and Jewish minorities have survivedin the Muslim lands of
the Middle East for centuries. Countries suchas Egypt, Morocco,
Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan all have significant Christian
and Jewish populations.
Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years, and therefore had the
power to force each andevery non-Muslim of India to convert to
Islam,but they did not, and thus more than 80% of the Indian
population remains non-Muslim.
Similarly, Islam spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. And
likewise no Muslim army was ever dispatched to the East Coast of
Africa.
An article in Reader's Digest 'Almanac', yearbook 1986, gives
thestatistics of the increase of the percentage of the major religions
of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article also
appeared in The Plain Truth magazine. At the top was Islam, which
increased by 235%, while Christianity had increased by 47%. During
this fifty-year period, there was no"Islamic conquest" yet Islam
spread at an extraordinary rate.
Today the fastest growing religion in America and Europe is Islam. The
Muslims in these lands are a minority. The only swordthey have in
their possession is the sword of truth. It is this sword that is
converting thousands to Islam.
Islamic law protects the privileged status of minorities, and that is
why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic
world. Islamic law also allows non-Muslim minorities toset up their
own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities
themselves. The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state
are considered sacred whether they are Muslims or not.
Conclusion
It is clear, therefore, thatIslam did not spread by the sword. The
"sword of Islam" did not convertall the non-Muslim minorities in
Muslim countries. In India, where Muslims ruled for 800 years, they
are still a minority. In the U.S.A., Islam is the fastest growing
religion and has over six million followers.
In his book The World's Religions, Huston Smith discusses how the
prophet Muhammad granted freedom of religion to the Jews and
Christians under Muslim rule:
The Prophet had a document drawn up in which he stipulated that Jews
and Christians"shall be protected from all insults and harm; theyshall
have an equal rightwith our own people to our assistance and good
offices," and further,"they shall practice their religion as freely as
the Muslims."[2]
Smith points out that Muslims regard that document as the first
charter of freedom of conscience in human history and the
authoritative model for those of every subsequent Muslim state.
Footnotes:
[1] In his book Islam at the Crossroads, p.8.
[2] Quoted in The World's Religions by Huston Smith, Harper Collins,
1991, p. 256

What Does Islam Say about Terrorism?

Islam, a religion of mercy, does not permit terrorism. In the Quran,
God has said:
"God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with
those who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you
out of your homes. God loves just dealers." (Quran 60:8)
The Prophet Muhammad,may the mercy and blessings of God be uponhim,
used to prohibit soldiers from killing women and children,[1] and he
would advise them: "...Do not betray, do not be excessive, do not kill
a newborn child."[2] And he also said: "Whoever has killed a person
having a treaty with the Muslims shall not smell the fragrance of
Paradise, though its fragrance is found for a span of fortyyears."[3]
Also, the Prophet Muhammad has forbidden punishment with fire.[4]
He once listed murder as the second of the major sins,[5] and he even
warned that on the Day of Judgment, "The first cases to be adjudicated
between people on the Day of Judgment will be those of
bloodshed.[6]"[7]
Muslims are even encouraged to be kind to animals and are forbidden to
hurt them. Once the Prophet Muhammad said: "A woman was punished
because she imprisoned a cat until it died. On account of this, she
was doomed to Hell. While she imprisoned it, she did not give the cat
foodor drink, nor did she free it to eat the insects of the earth."[8]
He also said that a man gave a very thirsty dog adrink, so God forgave
hissins for this action. The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of
God be upon him, was asked,"Messenger of God, are we rewarded for
kindness towards animals?" He said:"There is a reward for kindness to
every living animal or human."[9]
Additionally, while taking the life of an animal for food, Muslims are
commanded to do soin a manner that causes the least amount of fright
and suffering possible. The Prophet Muhammad said: "When you slaughter
an animal,do so in the best way. One should sharpen his knife to
reduce the suffering of the animal."[10]
In light of these and other Islamic texts, the act of inciting terror
in the hearts of defenselesscivilians, the wholesale destruction of
buildings and properties, the bombing and maiming of innocent men,
women, and children are all forbidden and detestable acts according to
Islam and the Muslims. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and
forgiveness, and the vastmajority have nothing todo with the violent
events some have associated with Muslims. If an individual Muslim were
to commit an act ofterrorism, this person would be guilty of violating
the laws of Islam.
Footnotes:
[1] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #1744, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari,#3015.
[2] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #1731, and Al-Tirmizi, #1408.
[3] Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3166, and Ibn Majah, #2686.
[4] Narrated in Abu-Dawood, #2675.
[5] Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #6871, and Saheeh Muslim, #88.
[6] This means killing and injuring.
[7] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #1678, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari,#6533.
[8] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2422, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari,#2365.
[9] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2244, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari,#2466.
[10] Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #1955, and Al-Tirmizi, #1409.

Jihad and Islam - True Meaning of Jihad

The word Jihad represents a concept which is much misunderstood in the
West. The concept is explained nicely by the Christian scholar Ira 6.
Zepp, Jr. in his book entitled A Muslim Primer on pages 133-135. We
adapt from his answer the following:
The essential meaning ofJihad is the spiritual, psychological, and
physical effort we exert to be close to God and thus achieve a just
and harmonious society. Jihad literally means"striving" or "struggle"
and is shorthand for Jihad fi Sabeel Allah (struggle for God's cause).
In a sense, every Muslim is a Mujahid, one who strives for God and
justice.
Al-Ghazali captured the essence of Jihad when he said: "The real Jihad
is the warfare against (one's own) passions. Dr.Ibrahim Abu-Rabi calls
Jihad "the execution of effort against evil in the self and every
manifestation of evil in society." In a way, Jihad is the Muslim's
purest sacrifice: a struggle to live a perfect life and completely
submit to God.
Another form of Jihad is the striving to translate the Word of God
into action. If one has experienced God and received guidance from the
Qur'an, one strugglesto apply that guidance in daily life. So the
larger, more prevalent meaning of Jihad is the spiritual struggle of
the soul. In this case, Jihad isalways present for the believer
whether there is an external enemy or not. We should never reduce
Jihad to violence.
A third level of Jihad is popularly known as"holy war." The classic
passage is found in the Qur'an:
Fight in the way of Allah those who fight against you, but transgress
not the limits. Truly Allah likes not the transgressors (Qur'an
2:190).
It is crucial to note here that what is condoned isdefensive warfare;
Islam cannot justify aggressivewar. Muhammad and theTradition are also
against killing non-combatants, torturing of prisoners, the
destruction of crops, animals and homes. Adapted from Ira 6. Zepp,
Jr., A Muslim Primer (1992, Wakefield Editions, US) pp.133-135.
Robert Ellwood of the University of Southern California has the
following to say about the Muslim concept of Jihad:
Out of the community ideal of Islam comes the concept of jihad, or
holy war, which is designed to defend Islam and allow its social
practice, though not to force individual conversions, which is
forbidden. Since Islam in principle isa community as well as
areligion, presumably only an absolute pacifist would be able to
reject the theory of jihad out of hand, since other communities also
fight to defend or expand their ways of life.

Jokes:-

My Girlfriend Suggested A Book For Me To Read To Enhance Our
Relationship Its Entitled: Women Are From Venus,Men Are Wrong
Boy: Did you know that the most intelligent kid in our class is deaf?
Girl: That is unfortunate. Boy:What did you say?
Pappu: Excuse me,but I dont think I deserve a mark of '0' for dis Exam
Paper. Teacher: Neither do I,but it is lowest markI can give ??
Teacher: In this exam,you will be allowed 10 mins for eachquestion.
Pappu: And how long for each Answer?
Appu: What is the best way to see flying saucers? Pappu: Pinch the waitress.
'Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs'. This is only sentence tat
has all 26 alphabets of English. Be proud 2 b a Drinker.
Wife: I hav read in newspaper dat widows mak d best wives. Husband:
May b! Bt u cant xpect me 2 kil myself dat u can b gud wife 2 sum1.
A widow wrote on the tombstone of her husband. . . . . . . . Rest in
peace - Till We Meet Again.
Appu : I am the 4th husband of my Wife. Pappu : You are not a husband
but a habit.
Crack: It is sickening way, my wife keeps talking abt her Ex-Husband.
Jack: Tats nothng. Mine keeps talking abt her next husband.

Paying through installments

Definition: It is a postponed payment executed in a fixed number of
instalments at determined times, with a price higher than the cash
price.
Is such a sale allowed? Scholars have two opinions:
1-The first opinion: Many scholars of the Hanafi, Maaliki, Hanbali,
and Shafi'ee schools of jurisprudence rule that it is allowed. They
present the following proofs:
A- This form of sale is an exampleof the sales that are allowed in the
Quran where Allaah Says (what means): "…Allaah has permitted trade and
has forbidden interest…" [Quran: 2:275] And also: "…Except when itis
an immediate transaction which you conduct among yourselves…" [Quran
2:282]
B- Some prophetic narrations show the permissibility of the increase
above the cash price. Forexample, the Prophet ordered'Amr bin Al-'Aas
to equip an army, so 'Amr would buy a camel for the price of two due
to the payment being in instalments. [Al-Haakim & Bayhaqi]
C- In Islam, trades and transactions are generally allowed, provided
they are conducted with a mutual consentof the contractors, unless the
particular type of transaction is specifically forbidden by the
Sharee'ah (Islamic Law). Since there is no convincing proof that this
type of sale is prohibited, it remains allowed. Whoever
claimsotherwise has to provide proof.
2-The second opinion: This is thatof Imaams Zayn Al-'Aabideen 'Ali bin
Al-Husayn and Al-Jassaas from the Hanafi School of Jurisprudence, as
well as others who stated that increasing the price in exchange for
postponing a payment is similar to increasingthe debt in exchange for
postponing its fulfilment. Their proofs are:
A- The verse where Allaah Says (what means): "…Allaah has permitted
trade and has forbidden interest…" [Quran 2:275] means that sales that
include an increase of price in exchange for deferring payments are
forbidden, because they are examples of Riba (interest).
B- The Prophet has forbidden the addition of extraneous conditions to
a sale, or to have two sales in one.
C- There is an analogy of this type of sale with the case where someof
the debt is forgiven when the debtor pays before the due date. This
would mean that time has compensation, and this is plainly Riba.
D- The increase of price because of the deferred payment is an
increase in exchange for nothing in return, therefore it is a case of
Riba, which, by definition, means to hike up the price in exchange for
nothing.
The majority of the scholars have refuted the above proofs, presented
by those who prohibit this sale, as follows:
A- To say that this type of sale is like Riba because of the increase
of price is refuted. The Prophet, has determined the cases of Riba,
and some scholars have limited themselves to these caseswhile others
have added other cases they thought were considered Riba because they
fulfil the same causes. These cases are, however, the object of
disagreement between the scholars. But the matter that is disagreed
about in this particularcase is beyond what was mentioned by the
Prophet and related cases, for it is about asale in which the kind of
merchandise and the evaluation of the price have differed.
B- To say that Riba means an increase in price is also refuted because
almost every sale includes an increase in the price. The
abovementioned verse [Quran: 2:275] mentions the unlawfulness of Riba
in general, but the types of Riba were enumerated by the Prophet and
they were six types. Sale by instalments is not included in these six
types of Riba, nor is it included in the types added to them by some
scholars.
C- Taking as proof the Hadeeth (prophetic narration) that forbidstwo
sales in one, or extraneous conditions in a sale, is refuted because
the forbidden sales in that Hadeeth are in fact sales where either the
price or the merchandise is not specified, which is not the case of
the instalment sale.
In conclusion, the most acceptable opinion is the one adopted by the
majority of the scholars, which allows this type of sale, because of
their strong proofs and because they convincingly addressed the proofs
presented by the other side. Also, the common interest of all the
Muslims requires that it be accepted due to the benefit for both the
buyer and the seller.
Two Fatwas (Legal Rulings) Concerning Instalments:
Question 1: What is the Islamic Ruling concerning the increase in the
price when there is a deferred payment executed in instalments?
Answer: Payment by instalments in sales contracts is allowed if it
includes legitimate conditions and permissible if the monetary amount
of the instalments is defined and the times of payment are fixed; as
Allaah Says (what means): "O you who believe! When you contract a debt
for a specified term, write it down…" [Quran 2:282] And also, due to
the Hadeeth: "Whoever loaned something, let him lend itin a known
measure, or a known weight, and for a fixed term." In addition, we
have the authentic story of Bareerah who emancipated herself from her
masters in exchange for nine Ooqiyyaat (the plural of Ooqiyyah,one of
which is equivalent to three hundred and sixty Dirhams), paying one
Ooqyyah a year, and this was a payment in instalments, and the Prophet
did not condemn it; rather, he approved of it. [Shaykh Ibn Baaz]
This narration indicates that it is permissible to pay in instalments.
Even though the texts state that it is permissible to delay payment,
there is no text that explicitly states that it is permissible to
increase the price in return for the delay.
Hence, the scholars differed concerning the ruling on this issue. Some
scholars said that it is prohibited, on the grounds that it is the
same as Riba. They stated that this was due to the increase in price
in return for the deferment, which is Riba. On the other hand, the
majority of scholars, including the four Imaams, were of the view that
it is permissible. The comments of the scholars of the four Schools of
Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) concerning this include the following:
· The Hanafi School : "The price may be raised in return for delaying
payment," [Badaa'i' Al-Sanaa'i', 5/187]
· The Maaliki School : "For more time some amount may be addedto the
price." [Bidaayat Al-Mujtahid, 2/108]
· The Shaafi'ee School: "Five in cash is equivalent to six in deferred
payment." [Al-Wajeez byAl-Ghazzaali, 1/85]
· The Hanbali School : "Delay adds something to the price." [Fataawa
Ibn Taymiyyah, 29/499]
Question 2: A man living in the United Sates asks if instalments used
in car sales that include a fee for deferring payment is allowed. This
fee increases when the buyer fails to pay on the agreed due dates.
Answer: If someone sells cars or other merchandise for a known fixed
price that is payable by instalments that are fixed both intime and
amount, in such a way that the price does not change when the fixed
time of payment changes (i.e., payment is delayed), then this sale is
allowed, for Allaah Says (what means): " O you who believe! When you
contract a debt for a specified term, write it down…" [Quran 2:282]
But if the price of the merchandise increases if an instalment is paid
after the due date, as it is understood in this question, then this is
forbidden by consensus of the scholars, because this is a case of
Riba, which is mentioned (and explicitly forbidden) in the Quran.[The
General Committee for Religious Research, Fatawa, Da'wah, and
Guidance]

Millions of Muslims prepare for Hajj

Millions of Muslims from around the world have gathered in the Saudi
city of Mecca in anticipationof the start of Hajj - the annual Muslim
pilgrimage.
Taking part in the pilgrimage at least once in one's lifetime is a
major obligation for all able-bodied Muslims of financial means, and
between two and three million people participate in the six-day ritual
every year.
Hajj occurs in the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar, called
Thul-Hijjah, between the eighth and the 13th days of the month.
Hajj is, put simply, complex. There are several different ways of performing it.
The explanations that follow are, thus, a simplification of the
pilgrimage, meant to lay things out clearly, rather than
comprehensively.
Start of Hajj, 8th of Thul-Hijjah
The very first rite of Hajj is entering ihram - a pilgrim's sacred
state - when crossing the outer boundaries of Mecca, calledMiqat.
Pilgrims have been arriving in Saudi Arabia for weeks in anticipation
of this day. On the eighth of Thul-Hijjah, pilgrims enter ihram, which
entails wearing plain garments - two unstitched clothes for men, or
any loose-fitting clothing for women - as well as following certain
rules, including not hunting or engaging in sexual activity.
They then set out from Mecca en masse to Mina, whether by foot along
pilgrim paths, or by buses and cars. It is an 8km journey.
The pilgrims will spend the day inMina, only setting out the next
morning at dawn.
Day of Arafat, 9th of Thul-Hijjah
The Day of Arafat is considered one of the most important days, not
just of Hajj, but of the Islamiccalendar. Mount Arafat was the scene
of the Prophet Muhammad's final sermon, and after making the 14.4km
journey from Mina, pilgrims spend the day here in reverent prayer.
Elsewhere in the world, many Muslims choose to fast on this day.
After sunset, its time to move again, this time to Muzdalifah - a 9km
trip - where they spend the night under the stars. Many will also
begin collecting pebbles here for tomorrow's rites, departing again
just before sunrise.
'Eid day,10th of Thul-Hijjah
The 10th of Thul-Hijjah is 'Eid al-Adh'haa, a day celebrated by
Muslims around the world as the greater of the two Muslim holidays.
For those performing Hajj, the day is know as Yawm al-Hajj al-Akbar
(The big Hajj day) and is probably the longest day of the pilgrimage.
Pilgrims start the day in Muzdalifah and begin heading back to Mina
before dawn. Once in Mina, they perform the first Ramy, throwing
pebbles at columns known as Jamarat.
Millions of pilgrims converge at the Jamarat bridge, which housesthe
three columns representing the devil.
The bridge has been the sight of deadly stampedes in the past, with
around 350 people being crushed to death in 2006.
But in recent years, the event has taken place without major incident,
and this year, Saudi Arabia has unveiled an expanded five-storey
structure to accommodate the crowds.
After casting their stones, pilgrims perform the sacrifice.
Pilgrims thus slaughter a sheep, goat, cow or camel - or more likely,
pay for it to be done in their names.
At this point, pilgrims trim or shave (men only) their hair and remove
their ihram clothes. Manywill then proceed to Mecca to perform Tawaf
and Sa'y, first circling the Kaaba seven times, then walking seven
times between the hills of Safa and Marwa.
When all is finally done, they return to their campsite in Mina.
Final days,11th-13th of Thul-Hijjah
With the hardest part behind them, pilgrims will now spend the next
two or three days in Mina.
On each day, they will again perform throwing at each of the three pillars.
When their time in Mina is finished, pilgrims return to Meccato
perform the final circulation ofthe Kaaba, a "farewell" tawaf.
Before heading home, many also go to Medina, the second holiest city
in Islam, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried along with his closest
companions . Visiting Medina, however, is not a part of Hajj.

Al-Ahbaash (the Habashis)–II

5- They deny that Allaah is above His creation. Thebelief of the
Muslims, as indicated by the verses ofthe Quran, the narrationsof the
Prophet sound human nature and clear common sense is that Allaah is
above His creation, over His Throne,and nothing at all of His
creatures' affairs is hidden from Him. Allaah Says (what means): "and
then He rose over (Istawaa) the Throne (really in a manner that suits
His Majesty)". [Quran 7:54] – this phrase appears seven times in the
Quran.
Allaah also Says (what means): "To Him ascend (all) the goodly words,
and the righteous deeds exalt it (i.e. the goodly words are not
accepted by Allaah unless and until they are followed by good deeds)"
[Quran 35:10]
Allaah also Says (what means): "And He is the Most High, the Most
Great" [Quran 2:255]
And also (what means): "And to Allaah prostrate all that is in the
heavens and all that is in the earth, of the moving (living) creatures
and the angels, and they are not proud [i.e. they worship their Lord
(Allaah) with humility]. They fear their Lord above them, and they do
what they are commanded" [Quran 16:49-50].
Many authentic narrations have been narrated from the Prophet on this
topic, for example: the story of the Mi'raaj (ascent into the
heavens), which is authentic, when the Prophet passed through the
heavens oneby one, until he reached his Lord, Who brought him close or
called to him, and enjoined fifty prayers upon him, then he kept going
back and forth between Moosaa and his Lord. He camedown from the
presence of his Lord to Moosaa and Moosaa asked him, "How many
(prayers) have been enjoined upon you?" When he told him, Moosaa said,
"Go backto your Lord and ask Him to reduce them." So he went back up
to his Lord and asked Him to reduce them.
Abu Hurayrah said: theMessenger of Allaah said: "When Allaah created
His creation, He wrote in a Book which is with Him, above the Throne:
'My Mercy prevails over My wrath.'" [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri that the Prophet said: "Do you not trust me, when
I am the trustee of the One Who is in the heaven?" [Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim]
The Prophet said: "The Throne is above water, and Allaahis above the
Throne, and Allaah knows what you are doing." [Ibn Khuzaymah and Abu
Daawood]
The Prophet said to the slave-girl, "Where is Allaah?" She said: "In
heaven." He said: "Who am I?" She said, "You are the Messenger of
Allaah." He said: "Set her free, for she is a believer." [Muslim]
This is the pure belief which was adhered to bythe Muslims: the
companions and thosewho have followed them in truth until the present
day, praise be to Allaah. Because of the great importance of this
topic and the fact that so muchevidence more than one thousand verses
and prophetic narrations– points to it, the scholars have devoted
books to it,e.g., Abu 'Abdullaah Ath-Thahabi in al-'Alu li'l-'Aliy
al-Ghaffaar, and Ibn Al-Qayyim in Ijtimaa' al-Juyoosh al-Islaamiyyah.
6. They speak of some of the Companions of the Prophet in a manner
that is not appropriate.
An example of that is their statement that Mu'aawiyah was a faasiq
(rebellious evildoer). The Muslims should not discuss what happened
among the Sahaabah all; they should refrain from speaking whilst
believingthat all of them were good and had the virtue of having been
companions of the Messenger of Allaah . Itwas reported that the
Prophet said: "Do not slander my Companions, for even if any of you
were to spend (in charity) gold equivalent to the size of Mount Uhud ,
he would never reach their level, not even half way." [Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim]. And Allaah says (what means): "And those who came after them
say: Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethrenwho have preceded us in
Faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have
believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness, Most Merciful."
[Quran 59:10]
This is the sound belief concerning the Companions of the Prophet .
This is the belief of Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jamaa'ah throughout the
centuries. Imaam Abu Ja'faar Ath-Tahhaawi may Allaah have mercy on him
said explaining the beliefs of Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jamaa'ah: "We love the
companionsof the Messenger of Allaah but we do not go to extremes in
our love for any of them, and we do not disown any of them. We hate
those whohate them, and we do not say anything but good about them
(the companions). Love for them is true religion, faith and goodness;
hatred for them is disbeliefe, hypocrisy and transgression."
Their Jurisprudence Rulings:
This group follows weird jurisprudence rulings, and their rulings go
against the texts of the Quran and Sunnah. Examples of that include
the following:
They permit gambling with the disbelievers in order to take away their
money; they permit stealing their crops and animals, on the
conditionthat this stealing will not cause tribulation; they permit
dealing in Ribaa when dealing with the disbelievers; they permit those
who are in need to buy lottery tickets, which is prohibited.
Other ways in which they obviously go against the sharee'ah include :
They permit looking at non-mahram (marriageable women) woman in a
mirror or on a screen, even with desire; they say that persisting in
looking at a non-mahram woman is not prohibited; they say that for a
man to look at any part of a woman who is not permissible for him is
not prohibited;they say that if a woman goes out wearing make-up and
perfume but she does not have the intention of attracting men, this is
notprohibited; they permit free mixing of men and women; and they have
other odd and outrageous rulings whichgo against Islam and
theyconsider things which are major sins to be permissible. We ask
Allaah to keep us safe from that which will provoke His wrath and earn
His punishment.
Their position towards scholars:
Some of the outrageous means they use to turn people away from the
scholars who have deep knowledge, and put people off from reading
their books or referring to the reports transmitted from them,
include: slandering them,belittling them and undermining them, and
even denouncing them as kaafirs. Chief among the scholars whom they
defame in this manner is the Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah . 'Abdullaah
Al-Habashi even wrote a book specifically about this reforming Imaam ,
inwhich he accused him of being misguided and misled; he attributed to
him words that he did not say, and fabricated other lies about him.
Allaah will deal with him, and it is before Allaah that all disputing
parties will ultimately meet.
They also slander the reforming Shaykh Muhammad Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhaab
and his call for reform which he undertook in the heart ofthe Arabian
Peninsula, where he called people to follow Tawheed and cast aside
Shirk, to honorthe texts of the Quran and Sunnah and to act upon them,
and to uphold the Sunnah and do away with bid'ah.

Jinn,witchcraft, evil ,- She betrayed her husband and put a spell on him, and he turned against his family .

My son married a bad woman who put a spell on him, as a result of
which he turned against his whole family, and he would not refuse any
demand she made, no matter what it was.
The Society for Enjoiningthe Good caught her with her lover, and it
was proven that she hadcommitted this crime. Yet despite that my son
refused to divorce her and he always defends her.
We entered her house and found some weird things. We found a shoe
placed on top of the Book of Allaah on top of the wardrobe (we seek
refuge with Allaah), and we found other things. She has female
servants from a land where they are known for witchcraft.
This made us certain thatshe had bewitched my son, so we went to one
of the shaykhs to recite Qur'aan over him, and the signs of having
beenbewitched were found on him.
Now he is refusing any treatment and he does not believe us when we
tell him that he has beenbewitched. What should we do? Should we go to
a practitioner of witchcraft to undo the spell?
His father has died and he is now demanding that we give him his share
of his father's estate. Should we give him the money when he is
bewitched and will waste the money? This woman took all his money and
spent it on witchcraft and trickery. And he has children whoare in
need of this money.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
No doubt what has happened to your son is a trial for you, and we ask
Allaah to grant you patience and make you steadfast in adhering to His
religion; and we ask Him to heal your son. It is obvious that he has
fallen prey to the effects of witchcraft so you should not blame him
for the way in which he treats you. No rational person would be
content to learn of any of the things that his wife has done and
remain silent about them. But it seems that the witchcraft has
affected him greatly, to such as extent that he agrees with her and
has turned against you.
In the answer to question no. 11290 we have already explained that it
is haraam to treat witchcraft by means of witchcraft. In that answer
and in the answer to question no. 12918 we have explained the shar'i
method of treating witchcraft.
You can treat your son by reciting Qur'aan over water and giving it to
him to drink without his knowledge. And you have to constantly make
du'aa' whilst using this remedy, that Allaah may relieve him of this
distress and harm.
Secondly:
Whether your son should be given his share of the inheritance depends
on whether he will dispose of the money properly. If the money will
fall into his hands or his wife's hands and they will never dispose of
it properly, then it is not permissible for you to lethim have the
money; you should keep it with you and spend on him and his children
from it. This is a trust which has been given to you, and you should
not be careless about it.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And give not unto the foolish your property which Allaah has made
ameans of support for you, but feed and clothe them therewith, and
speak to them words of kindness and justice.
6. And try orphans (as regards their intelligence) until they reach
the age of marriage; if then you find sound judgement inthem, release
their property to them, but consume it not wastefully and hastily
fearing that they should grow up, and whoever (amongst guardians) is
rich, he should take no wages, but if he is poor, let him have for
himself what is just and reasonable (according tohis labour). And when
you release their property to them, take witness in their presence;
and Allaah is All-Sufficient in taking account"
[al-Nisa' 4:5, 6]
Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaanal-Sa'di said:
Sufaha' [translated here as "the foolish"] is the plural of safeeh,
which refers to one who is unable to dispose of money properly, either
because he has no powers of reasoning, such as one who is insane or
feeble-minded, etc, or because he is lacking in wisdom, such as a
child and one who is immature. Allaah has forbidden guardiansto give
such people theirwealth, for fear that they will destroy it and waste
it, and because Allaah has made wealth means of support for His
slaves, in their religious and worldly interests. These people will
not look after it properly and guard it, so Allaah has commanded their
guardians not to give it to them, rather they should provide for them
from it, clothing them and spending on them from it, and taking care
of their religious and worldly needs. And they should speak to them
words of kindness and justice, by promising them, when they ask for
it, that they will give it to them after they become mature and so on.
They should speak tothem kindly to soften their hearts. The fact that
Allaah gives control of the wealth to the guardians indicates that
they are obliged to take care of the wealth of thefoolish just as well
as they would take care of their own wealth, guarding it, disposing
ofit properly and not exposing it to danger.
This verse indicates that the cost of spending on the insane, the
young and the foolish should come from their own wealth, if they have
wealth, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "but feed
and clothe them therewith" (v. 5).
Tafseer al-Sa'di.
This matter should be referred to the shar'i court and proof should be
established that this son cannot handle his money properly, so that
the court will prevent him from accessing it and will appoint a
guardian to look after his money.

Jinn,witchcraft, evil ,- What is meant by the devils being chained up in Ramadaan? .

What do you say about the devils being chained up in Ramadaan?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Bukhaari (1899) and Muslim (1079) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When Ramadaan comes, the gates
of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hellare closed, and the devils
are chained up."
The scholars differed as to the meaning of the devils being chained up
in Ramadaan.
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said, quoting al-Haleemi: It may be interpreted at
meaning that the devils are not able to tempt theMuslims as they are
at other times because theyare busy with the fast which controls their
desires, and with reading Qur'aan and dhikr (remembrance of Allaah).
Another scholar – someone other than al-Haleemi – said that what is
meant by the devils is some of them, namely the maarids (strong
devils), who are chained up.
'Iyaad said: it may be interpreted in a literal sense, and that is as
a sign to the angels that the month has begun, and in veneration of
its sanctity, and so as to prevent the devils from harming the
Muslims. And it may be interpreted as referring to the great amount of
reward and forgiveness, and that the devils temptpeople less, so it is
as if they are chained up. Thissecond interpretation is supported by
the fact that according to a report narrated by Yoonus from Ibn
Shihaab which is recorded by Muslim it says "the gates of mercy are
opened". The chaining up of the devilsmay also be understood as a
metaphor for them being unable to tempt people and make their whims
and desires attractive to them. Al-Zayn ibn al-Muneer said: The first
view is most likely to be correct, and there is no need to try to
understand it in anything other than the literal sense.
Fath al-Baari, 4/114.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about
the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
"and the devils are chained up," – yet we still see people suffering
from epilepsy during the day in Ramadaan, so how can the devils be
chained up when some people are suffering epileptic fits?
He replied: In some versions of the hadeeth it says "and the strong
devils (maarids) are chained up" – this is narrated by al-Nasaa'i.
This hadeeth is speakingof matters of the unseen,so we have to accept
it and not discuss it any further. This is safer for aperson's
religious commitment. Hence when 'Abd-Allaah, the son of Imam Ahmad
ibn Hanbal said to his father,"Some people suffer epileptics fits
during the day in Ramadaan," the Imam said: "This is what the hadeeth
says and wedo not discuss this."
Moreover it seems that what is meant by their being chained up is that
they are prevented from tempting people, based on the fact that there
is a great deal of goodnessand many people turn toAllaah during
Ramadaan.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 20.
Based on this, the chaining up of the devilsis something that happens
in a real sense, about which Allaah knows best. This does not mean
that evil thingsdo not happen or that people do not commit sin. And
Allaah knows best.

Jinn,witchcraft, evil ,- I want my relationship with my husband to go back to the way it was.

I have a problem and only my Lord knows howbad it is. My problem is
that my husband treats me badly and betrays meand does not acknowledge
his Lord. This complete change happened three years ago and I have
been putting up with it for so long for the sake of my children and in
the hopethat he would change. I used to think that his mother was
influencing him, because his mother used to criticize me all the time
behind my backeven though I treated her well and respected her and
took care of her.But she used to feel jealous of my husband's love for
me, and I felt that, even though in front of me she pretended to show
love because I used to treat her well. This happened three years ago
when she stayed with us in ourhouse for five months after her husband
passed away, and she left us after we traveled abroad for work. Since
that time I have been suffering terribly.
My husband is no longer the husband that I know. I hope that you can
help me, because I do not know what to do any more to bring him back
to the way he was before. My sister is certain that he has been
bewitched and is not in his right mind. Is this possible? And if it is
thenwhat can I do? I hope that you can advise me, because I do not
want toget divorced or to turn to charlatans. My sister told me that
there is a man of religion who treats people by means of Qur'aan, and
she asked me to give her my picture and a picture of my husband. But I
was afraid that this might incur the wrath of Allaah. Is that
permissible? What should I do in this situation? I hope that you will
help me, because I am in a difficult situation. I hopethat you will
answer me quickly. I am turning to you – after Allaah – in the hope
that my Lord will show me a way out. May Allaah relieve you ofall
difficulty and may Allaah reward you with all good.
Praise be to Allaah.
You should note that by His wisdom, Allaah tests His slaves with good
andevil, to show who among them will obey Him in all circumstances and
who will only obey Him in some circumstances. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is
best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving"
[al-Mulk 67:2]
"and We shall make a trial of you with evil andwith good. And to Us
youwill be returned"
[al-Anbiya' 21:35]
One of the kinds of tests is that Allaah may test one spouse with bad
treatment on the part of the other, for whatever reason. Based on
this, if what you have mentioned is correct andyour husband has been
bewitched or affected by strong hasad (envy) – for witchcraft and the
evil eye do have an effect, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said, "The evil eye is real" (narrated by
al-Bukhaari, no. 5408; Muslim, 2187) – then youhave to do the
following:
1 – Remember Allaah a great deal (dhikr) and pray for forgiveness. Ask
Allaah to heal your husband and to make him be as he used to be.
Nothing can alter the divine decree except du'aa'.
2 – Think about yourself and the way you treat your husband. It may be
that you have changed in the way you treat him, without realizing. Be
the best wife you can to him, and the best help, after Allaah. Stand
be his side during this trial and be his support, after Allaah.
3 – Do not go to that so-called man of religion, for he is asking for
your picture in order to practice trickery. See question no. 21124 .
4 – There is nothing wrong with you going with your husband to a
trustworthy shaykh, whotreats people by means of the Qur'aan and
du'aa's prescribed by theProphet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him). You could also recite Qur'aan over some water and you
andyour husband drink from it, and you could recite ruqyah over him
every day, and recite Soorat al-Baqarah in the house. For more
information on the waysof undoing the effects ofwitchcraft please see
thefollowing questions: 11290 , 4010 , 21124 , 12198 , 8291 , 20954 .
For information on protection against witchcraft, please see questions
no. 2662 and 22816 . For information on various kinds of witchcraft
please see questions no. 12578 , 9432 , 240 .
5 – Assuming that what has happened to your husband is not witchcraft
or hasad (envy), then sit with him and discuss things frankly. Tell
him what you feel, and agree to go back to the way things were.
6 – You can ask some people – especially trustworthy relatives -
tointervene and seek a solution to this problem, and to look into its
causes and try to find a way of resolving it.
Finally, we advise you to weigh up your husband's good points and bad
points, and do not forget his good qualities and his kind treatment of
you, because that will motivate you to try to bring him back to the
right path in his religion and in his relationship with his Lord,
first of all, then in his relationship with you.
May Allaah make things easy for you, and make your husband happy with
your obedience and make you happy with his good treatment.And Allaah
knows best.

Struggles benefit - The man who wanted to help the butterfly

A man found a cocoon ofa butterfly. One day a small opening
appeared.He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it
struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed
to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as
it could, and it could go no further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors
and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and
small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at
any moment, thewings would enlarge and expand to be able tosupport the
body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life
crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was
able to fly.
What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was
thatthe restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly
to get through the tiny opening were Allah's way of forcing fluid from
the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for
flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If Allah
allowedus to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would
cripple us.
We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never "fly"!
I asked for Strength.........
And Allah gave me Difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for Wisdom.........
And Allah gave me Problems to solve.
I asked for Prosperity.........
And Allah gave me Brain and Brawn to work.
I asked for Courage.........
And Allah gave me Danger to overcome.
I asked for Love..........
And Allah gave me Troubled people to help.
I asked for Favours.........
And Allah gave me Opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted ........
I received everything I needed!
"So blessed be Allah, the best of creators!"
Sura The Believer (23) verse 14

Ibrahim ibn Adham and the man who didn't disobey Allah again

A man came to Ibrahim ibn Adham, may Allah be pleased with him, and
said, "Abu Ishaq, I am unable to control myself.Please give me
something to help me with it"
"If you accept five conditions," said Ibrahim, "and are able to put
them into practice, your disobedience will not cause you any problem."
"Just tell me what they are, Abu Ishaq!" the mansaid. "The first is
that when you want to disobey Allah you do noteat anything He
provides." "Then how will I get anything to eat? Everything on the
earth is from Him!" "So isit right to eat His provision and disobey
Him at the same time?" replied Ibrahim.
"No, it is not. What is thesecond condition?""When you want to disobey
him, move off His land."
"That is even more difficult! Exclaimed the man. "In that case
wherewill I live?"
"Is it right to eat his provision and live on His land and then to
disobeyHim?" asked Ibrahim."No, it is not."
"What is the third condition?" "When you want to disobey Him in spite
of eating His provision and living on His land, find a place where He
will not see you and disobey Him there."
"What do you mean, Ibrahim? He knows everything that happenseven in
the most hidden places!" "So is it right to disobey Him when you eat
His provision and liveon His land and when you know that He can see
everything you do?""It certainly is not!" the man replied.
"Tell me the fourth condition." "That when the Angel of Death arrives
to take your soul,you say to him, 'Give me a reprieve so that I can
repent and act righteously for Allah.'"
"But he won't listen to me!" "Then if you cannotward off death long
enough to give yourself time to repent, and you know that when it
comes there will be no reprieve, how can you hope to be saved?"
"What is the fifth?" "Thatwhen the angels of the Fire come to you to
take you to the Fire, you do not go with them.""They will take me
whether I like it or not!" exclaimed the man.
"So how can you hope to be saved?"
"Enough, enough, Ibrahim! I ask Allah's forgiveness and I turn toHim!"
The man's repentance was sincere and from that time on he was
assiduous in his worship and avoided acts of disobedience until the
day he died.