The world of micro-organisms describes the creation of the universe -1

The keys of the Unseen are in His possession. No one knows them but
Him. He knows everything in the land and sea. No leaf falls without
His knowing it. There is no seed in the darkness of the earth, and
nothing moist or drywhich is not in a Clear Book. (Surat al-An'am, 59)
The seas contain very different marine organisms, all with their own
unique structures. With their common lifestyles, defence mechanisms,
magnificent creation, and fascinating characteristics, these animals
that number in the millions, reveal the invalidity of the theory of
evolution and the incomparable creative artistry of Almighty Allah.
Just as in the seas, the micro-organisms on land, whose numbers
westill do not know for certain, also represent an example of Almighty
Allah's creative artistry.
1- The Sponge-Algae Relationship
A most interesting species of sponge, (Rosella racovitzea or Rosella),
lives at a depth of 120 metres, in the Ross Sea, near Antarctica. In
biomimeticterms, this sponge has the features of an optic cable,
because it possesses thread-like extensions 10 cm long and varying
between 200 and 600 µm in diameter, that protrude upwards from its
body, the tips of which in particular contain silica (glass), that are
able to collect light from all directions. These thread-like
extensions are strong and flexible, like optic cables, and although
they contain glass their structure is not brittle but rather strong
enough not to break.
So why does this organism have such strong extensions?
The reason is because blue-green algae are capable of using sunlight
to manufacture nutrients live inside the organism. However, in the
darkness that prevails at a depth of 120 metres, it is impossible for
the algae to manufacture nutrients. At this point, the
light-collecting threadlike extensions of the sponge come to the
assistance of the algae living in it. With its optic cables, the
sponge collects light from all around and transmits this to the algae
inside it. With this collected light, the algae manufacture nutrients
that enable both them and the sponge to survive.
It cannot be expected that these two organisms could come together by
chance, as evolutionists maintain; Neither the sponge nor the algae
could have survived for millions of years on their own until the one
found the other.In addition, they have no intelligence or powers of
speech to permit them to engage in such a division of labour when they
did come together. These two life forms were brought together by
Almighty Allah and established a common life together.
In the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the
night and day, and the ships which sail the seas to people's benefit,
and the water which Allah sends down from the sky– by which He brings
theearth to life when it was dead and scatters about in it creatures
of every kind – and the varying direction of the winds, and the clouds
subservient between heaven and earth, there are Signs for people who
use their intellect. (Surat al-Baqara, 164)
2- Mother-of-Pearl, a Marvel of Technology
Mother-of-pearl is foundin the shells of many marine creatures.
Haliotis refescans, a gastropod species, is oneof these. The
mother-of-pearl in this creature's shell is a complete marvel of
technology because this mother-of-pearl has been created with such
fine calculation as to amaze engineers. It consists of hexagonal
aragonite bricks just 300nanometres thick, surrounded by an organic
membrane that is 10 nanometres in thickness between them.The bricks
within the membranes are both free enough to move butstable enough not
to separate from one another. The structure resulting from the way
these bricks are arranged in such a way as to constitute a wall is far
stronger than ceramic or metal structures capable of being
manufactured with any technology. The way that a minute creature
covers the inside of its protective shell by performing the very
finest calculations, just like an engineer, that the
mother-of-pearlthat forms assumes the shape of the shell, and that
this mother-of-pearlis stronger than ceramic or metal materials
produced using technology are some of the proofs of Almighty Allah's
creation.
3- Magnetic Bacteria
Aquaspirillum magnetotacticum, a species of bacteria that lives in
water, needs oxygen and uses a most fascinating method in order to
obtain it. It first collects up the iron ions around and oxidises
them, turning them into particles with a regular shape and a magnetic
property. These particles, known as magnetite, determine the direction
the bacterium needs to face in to find oxygen. How? By lining
themselves up in a row inside the bacterium, like pearls ona necklace,
these particles lean towards the direction of the oxygen with damaging
the sequence they are in, and thus permit the bacterium to go in that
direction.
The way that a tiny creature too small to be seen with the naked eye
collects iron ions, oxidises them in a manner astonishing to any
chemist, and endows them with a magnetic property with detailed
knowledge thatwould amaze a physicist once again reveals our Almighty
Lord's creative artistry.
4- A Light-Emitting Jellyfish
The transparent bodied jellyfish, Clytia languidum, lives at depths of
800 m off the coast of the Bahamas and has a round body 2 cm in
diameter. Whenever a fish or turtletouches the jellyfish, its body
assumes a square shape. After assuming that shape, it starts emitting
a green light, thus warning the approaching predator inthe darkness of
the ocean that if it comes any closer, it will hurt it. The jellyfish
itself does not possess the intelligence and consciousness with which
to calculate that. When touched by another living thing, there is no
way for the jellyfish to know that that organism is a predator nor to
know the precautions it needs to take to avoid falling prey to it.
Yet, even if weassume, despite that impossibility, that the jellyfish
itself did actually establish such a system, it would still be
impossible for it to hand it on to subsequent generations. The
jellyfishis another one the countless examples of Almighty Allah's
creative artistry.
5- The Brittlestar with ItsFibre Optic Technology
Brittlestars (Ophiocoma wendtii), marine creatures belonging to the
group Echinodermata, appear to have no eyes. Yet, divers realised that
when they approached these creatures they somehow felt them and fled.
In addition, they assume a dark colour in the daytime and a lighter
colour at night. Research has shown thatthis species is covered bysome
50,000-100,000 minute lenses that collect light just like eyes. With
this feature, the animal literally puts sunglasses on during
thedaytime because the pigments it releases giveit a dark colour by
covering the lenses and cutting off the light. At night, however, the
surface of the calcite crystal lens is uncovered again, resulting in a
light colour. This feature of brittlestars is assistingthe development
of fibreoptic technology. It is Almighty Allah who creates this
astonishing animal together with its miraculous properties.

The scientific collapse of materialism

How did the endless universe we live in comeinto being?
How did the equilibrium,harmony, and order of this universe develop?
How is it that this Earth is such a fit and sheltering place for us tolive in?
Questions such as these have attracted attention since the dawn of the
human race. The conclusion reached by scientists and philosophers
searching for answers with their intellects and common sense is that
the design and order of this universe are evidence ofthe existence of
a supreme Creator ruling over the whole universe.
This is an indisputable truth that we may reach by using our
intelligence. God declares this reality in His holy book, the Qur'an,
which He inspired as a guide for humanity fourteen centuries ago. He
states that He has created the universe when it was not, for a
particular purpose, and with all its systems and balances specifically
designed for human life.
God invites people to consider this truth in thefollowing verse:
Are you stronger in structure or is heaven? He built it. He raised its
vault high and made it level. He darkened its night and brought forth
its morning light. After that He smoothed out the earth… (Surat an
Naziat: 27-30)
Elsewhere it is declared in the Qur'an that a person should see and
consider all the systems and balances in the universe that have been
created for him by God and derive a lesson fromhis observations:
He has made night and day subservient to you, and the sun and moon and
stars, all subject to His command. There is certainly Signs in that
for people who pay heed. (Surat an-Nahl: 12)
In yet another verse of the Qur'an, it is pointed out:
He makes night merge into day and day merge into night, and He has
made the sun and moon subservient, each one running until a
specifiedtime. That is God, your Lord. The Kingdom is His.Those you
call on besides Him have no power over even the smallest speck. (Surah
Fatir: 13)
This plain truth declared by the Qur'an is also confirmed by a number
of the important founders of the modern science of astronomy. Galileo,
Kepler, and Newton all recognized that the structure of universe, the
design of the solar system, the laws of physics and theirstates of
equilibrium were all created by God and they arrived at that
conclusion as a result of their own research and observations.
Materialism: A 19th-Century Fallacy
The reality of the creation of which we speak has been ignored or
denied since the earliest times by a particular philosophical point of
view. It is called"materialism". This philosophy, which was originally
formulated among the ancient Greeks, has also made anappearance from
time totime in other cultures and has been advanced by individuals as
well. It holds that matter alone exists and that it has done so for an
infinity oftime. From these tenets, it claims that the universe has
also"always" existed and was not created.
In addition to their claimthat the universe exists in an infinity of
time, materialists also assert that there is no purpose or aim in the
universe. They claim that all the equilibrium, harmony and order that
we see around us are merely the product of coincidence.
This"coincidence assertion" is also put forward whenthe question of
how human beings came intobeing comes up. The theory of evolution,
widely referred to as Darwinism, is another application of materialism
to the natural world.
We just mentioned that some of the founders of modern science were
faithful people who were in agreement that the universe was createdand
organized by God. In the 19th century, an important change took place
in the attitudes of the scientific world with respect to this matter.
Materialism was deliberately introduced to the agenda of modern
science by various groups. Because the 19th century's political and
social conditions formed a good basis for materialism, the philosophy
gained wide acceptance and spread throughout the scientificworld.
The findings of modern science however undeniably demonstratehow false
the claims of materialism really are.
The Findings of 20th-Century Science
Let us recall the two assertions of materialismabout the universe:
The universe exists in infinite time and, because it has no beginning
or end, it wasnot created.
Everything in this universe is merely the result of chance and not the
product of any intentional design, plan, or vision.
Those two notions were boldly advanced and ardently defended by
19th-century materialists, who of course had no recourse other than to
depend upon the limited and unsophisticated scientific knowledge of
their day. Both have been utterly refuted by the discoveries of
20th-century science.
The first to be laid in the grave was the notion of the universe
existing in infinite time. Since the 1920s, there has been mounting
evidence this cannot be true. Scientistsare now certain that the
universe came into being from nothingness as the result of an
unimaginably huge explosion, known as the" Big Bang ". In other words,
the universe came into being-or rather, it was created by God.
The 20th century has also witnessed the demolition of the secondclaim
of materialism: that everything in the universe is the result of
chance and not design. Research conducted since the 1960s consistently
demonstrates that all thephysical equilibriums of the universe in
general and of our world in particularly are intricately designed to
make life possible. As this research deepened, it was discovered each
and every one of the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology, of the
fundamental forces such as gravity and electromagnetism, and of the
details of the structure of atoms and the elements of the universe has
been precisely tailored so thathuman beings may live. Scientists today
call this extraordinary design the"anthropic principle". This is the
principle that every detail in the universe has been carefully
arranged to make human life possible.
To sum up, the philosophy called materialism has been utterly refuted
by modern science. From itsposition as the dominantscientific view of
the 19th century, materialism collapsed into fiction in the 20th.
How could it have been otherwise? As God indicates "We did not create
heaven and earth and everything betweenthem to no purpose. That is the
opinion of those who are disbelievers." (Surah Sad:27) it is wrong to
suppose that the universe was created in vain. A philosophy so utterly
flawed as materialism and systems based on it were doomed to failure
from the very beginning.

Hypocrites say that family ties are what matter, but Allah reveals in the Qur'an that it is the ties of faith that matter

Allah reveals in the Qur'an that believers should be respectful,
affectionate and loving toward their parents, and commands them to be
protective toward and watch over their relatives. A pure believeris
kind, affectionate and full of love in respect of his family and
everyone, expecting no reward for being so. However, in the event that
any one of his family or his relatives tries to prevent him having
faith in Allah,following the Prophet (saas) or living by religious
moral values, then of course he will obey Allah's command and turn his
back on the person seeking to divert him from Allah's path. It is
revealed in one verse that:
Say: "If your fathers or your sons or your brothers or your wives or
your tribe, or any wealth you have acquired, or any business you fear
may slump, or any house which pleases you, are dearer to you than
Allah and His Messenger and striving in His Way, then wait until Allah
brings about His command. Allah does not guide people who are
deviators." (Surat at-Tawba, 24)
As revealed in the verse, nothing is finer and more valuable for a
pure believer than Allah, His Messenger (saas) andstriving on Allah's
path.
But hypocrites' criteria and values are based on self-interest, rather
than the Qur'an. This comes out in their familial relations, as in
their relations with everyone else. The family is not a holy and
sacred concept for the hypocrite, but somewhere that will help him
survive, provide him with opportunities and make material means
available. To put it another way, it is a gateway to income.
Therefore, the reason why hypocrites regard family ties as important,
in their own eyes, is self-interest. They imagine that their brothers,
spouses, parents or other relatives among believers will regard
thisbond as important. The fact is, however, that Allah has revealed
that the important bond for believers and His approval is that of
faith.
In concentrating on family ties, hypocrites dothis not because they
really love their families, would be prepared to make sacrifices for
them or would watch over and protect them, but out of self-interest.
When there is no hope of personal gain, they never think of their
familial ties, brothers or parents. Indeed, it is revealed in the
Qur'an that when faced with the torment of the Hereafter they will
willingly give up their children, parents and all they love in order
to save themselves.
The bonds between believers and their families are honestly based on
love of Allah and His approval. The believer is warm, full of love,
protective, loyal and altruistic toward his family, as he is toward
all those who have faith.A devout believer will never even say "ugh"
to his parents. In addition, as required by Allah's command, if one of
the members of his family tries to turn him from Allah's path or
pressurizes him to engage in idolatry, he will never heed that person,
even if it is his mother or father.
Indeed, by citing examples from the lives of the prophets, it is
revealed in the Qur'an that throughout the course of history true
believers have always left their spouses, children or parents for not
believing in Allah, for not living by the moral values of the deen,
for engaging in denial or for being hypocrites. For example;
The Prophet Abraham (as) Who Fell out with His Father:
Abraham would not have asked forgiveness for his father but for a
promise he made to him,and WHEN IT BECAME CLEAR TO HIM THAT HE WAS AN
ENEMY OF ALLAH, HE RENOUNCED HIM . Abraham was tender-hearted and
forbearing. (Surat at-Tawba, 114)
He said, "Do you forsake my gods, Abraham? If you do not stop, I will
stone you. Keep away from me for a good longtime." He said, "Peace
beupon you. I will ask my Lord to forgive you. He has always honored
me. I WILL SEPARATE MYSELF FROM YOU AND ALL YOU CALL UPON BEDISES
ALLAH and I will call upon my Lord. It may well be that,in calling on
my Lord, I will not be disappointed.' (Surah Maryam, 46-48)
The Prophet Noah (as) Falls out With His Son:
Noah called out to his Lord and said, "My Lord, my son is one of my
family and Your promise is surely the truth and You are the Justest of
Judges." (Surah Hud, 45)
He said, " NOAH, HE IS DEFINITELY NOT OF YOUR FAMILY. He is someone
whose action was not righteous. Do not, therefore, ask Me for
something about which you have no knowledge.I admonish you lest you
should be among the ignorant." (Surah Hud, 46)
The Prophets Noah (as) and Lot (as) Fall out withTheir Wives:
ALLAH HAS MADE AN EXAMPLE FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNBELIEVERS: THE WIFE OF
NOAH AND THE WIFE OF LOT. They were married to two of Our servants who
were righteous but they betrayed them and werenot helped at all
against Allah.They were told, "Enter the Fire along with all who enter
it." (Surat at-Tahrim, 10)
Allah Commands People in the Qur'an Not to TakeThose Who Seek to Turn
Them from Allah's Path As Guides and to Turn away from Them, Even If
They Are Their Parents, Brothers of Children:
We have instructed man to honor his parents, BUTIF THEY ENDEAVOR TO
MAKE YOU ASSOCIATE WITH ME SOMETHING ABOUT WHICH YOU HAVE NO
KNOWLEDGE, DO NOT OBEY THEM. It is to Me youwill return and I will
inform you about the things you did. (Surat al-'Ankabut, 8)
You who believe, DO NOT BEFRIEND YOUR FATHERS AND BROTHERS IF THEY
PREFER DISBELIEF TO FAITH. Those among you who do befriend them are
wrongdoers. (Surat at-Tawba, 23)
You who believe! SOME OF YOUR WIVES AND CHILDREN ARE AN ENEMY TO YOU ,
so be wary of them. (Surat at-Taghabun, 14)
You will not find people who believe in Allah andthe Last Day having
love for anyone who opposesAllah and His Messenger, THOUGH THEY BE
THEIR FATHERS, THEIR SONS, THEIR BROTHERS OR THEIR CLAN. (Surat
al-Mujadala, 22)

Using Food for Cosmetic Purposes

Allaah The Almighty has created man in the best shape and form; He
says (what means):
· } He Created the heavens and earth in truth and Formed you and
perfected your forms; and to Him is the [final] destination. { [Quran
64:3]
· } Who Created you, Proportionedyou, and Balanced you? { [Quran 82:7]
Allaah The Exalted created everything in the universe to suit the
nature of man as well as to be in harmony with the way Allaah
assembled him. Allaah The Almighty made everything on earth able to
meet the needs of man that vary and differ according to time and
place.
Hence, man lives in an environment and climate suitablefor him. Allaah
The Almighty Says (what means): } Do you not see that Allaah Has Made
subject to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth
and amply Bestowed upon you His favors, [both] apparent and
unapparent? { [Quran 31:20]
One of the most important aspects of this life is food, which helps
man survive and obtain various benefits. It is the source of energy
and growth for the body and it resists diseases that weaken it. It was
proven throughmedicine and experimentation conducted throughout the
course of time that some kinds offood increase beauty and adornment
and help to remove defects that may afflict the body and affect its
beauty, or hide it.
There are two aspects of types of food that are involved in beauty:
The basic purpose for using themis treatment, and then other
beneficial uses evolved from this.
Examples of this are the following:
· Using honey to remove freckles that appear on the face.
· Using black seed to treat Alopecia and leprosy.
· Using lemon juice to remove thespots that surround the eyes, or any
spots on the face.
There is no doubt that this kind of treatment is lawful as long as it
is within the limits of Sharee'ah as these types of food are used as a
kind of treatment. The Prophet, , said: "Allaah has sent down both
disease and cure and appointed a cure for every disease. So treat
yourselves medically, but use nothing that isprohibited." [Abu
Daawood]
The second aspect is to use thesetypes of food for the sake of
beautification. Examples of these uses are the following:
· Using cucumbers to remove rough skin and wrinkles.
· Using parsley to help in purifyingthe skin and the face.
· Activating the skin by using strawberry.
This category is included in the general benefits that Allaah The
Almighty made lawful. This is according to the Fatwa that was issued
by the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Issuing of Fatwas,
as proven by the following:
First: Allaah The Almighty created everything on earth and made them
subject to us in all forms, whether for a necessary or a complementary
benefit, or a benefit that man uses to relax and renew his activity
and power for the best of this worldly life and the Hereafter.
There is no doubt that using these permissible types of food inseeking
beauty and adornment isone of the benefits that Allaah The Almighty
has created for us; He Says (what means):
· } It is He who Created for you all of that which is on the earth.
Then He Directed Himself to the heaven, [His being above all
creation], and Made them seven heavens, and He Is Knowing of
allthings. { [Quran 2:29]
· } Do you not see that Allaah has Subjected to you whatever is on the
earth and the ships which run through the sea by His command? And He
Restrains the sky from falling upon the earth, unless by His
permission. Indeed Allaah, to the people, is Kind and Merciful. {
[Quran 22:65]
Whoever contemplates upon these verses will find that this creation
and subjugation are not restricted to a certain aspect or one creature
alone, but they are general as they include everything that is of
benefit, as is indicated in the phrase which means } to you { .
Second: Beautification and adornment are among man's basic instincts
and are innate in the sons of Aadam. Thus, it is oneof the needs that
man seeks to fulfill. The Prophet, said: "The one who has in his heart
the weight of a mustard seed of pride will not enter Paradise." A man
said, "O Messenger of Allaah,everyone of us likes that his dressshould
be fine, and that his shoesshould be fine." The Prophet, , responded:
"Indeed, Allaah is Beautiful and He loves beauty." [Muslim]
The Prophet, , liked wearing perfume and had a bottle of perfume that
he would use. He would say: "Three things are rendered beloved to me
in the present life: women and perfume- and the coolness of my eyes
lies in performing prayer." [Ahmad]
The Prophet, , also had a Kohl (antimony) container for his eyes. He
used to oil his head and beard and comb them. He also used to have
certain clothes for meeting prominent persons and the chiefs of the
tribes. This is also required under Sharee'ah within the limits that
Allaah has set. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): } And it is He
who Subjected the sea for you to eat from it tender meat and to
extract from it ornaments which you wear. And you see the ships
plowing through it, and [He Subjected it] that you may seek ofHis
bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful. { [Quran 16:14]
Moreover, Allaah The Almighty has disapproved of prohibiting anything
of this without evidence; He says (what means): } Say, 'Who has
forbidden the adornment of Allaah which He has Produced for His
servants andthe good [lawful] things of provision?' Say, 'They are for
those who believe during the worldly life [but] exclusively for them
on the Day of Resurrection.'Thus do We Detail the verses for apeople
who know. { [Quran 7:32]
At the same time, however, the following should be borne in mind:
· Using these things should be according to the need that achieves
what is needed. A person should not be extravagant while using them as
Allaah The Almighty has forbidden this.
· It is better to use other means that are, by default, used for
cosmetic purposes, as these types of food were not originally created
for cosmetic purposes. This is so as to not indulge in wastefulness.
Beautification and Adornment
The Sharee'ah has approved of this as indicated by the following:
· Advising man to look after his body and cleanliness, which is
considered one of the aspects of adornment. The Prophet, , said: "Five
acts are from Fitrah[natural disposition]: circumcision, shaving the
pubic hair, clipping the nails, plucking the hair under the armpits
and cutting the moustache short." [Muslim]
· The Prophet, , forbade the traveler who returns at night from
surprising his wife, so as not to see her in a bad condition. The
Prophet, , said in this regard: "[Do not return] until the woman
removes the pubic hair and combs her hair." [Muslim]
· The Prophet, , urged us to purify ourselves and made this
purification a reason for being forgiven by Allaah The Almighty in
some cases. For instance, the Prophet, , said: "Whoever takes a bath
on Friday, purifies himself as much as he can, then uses his [hair]
oil or perfumes himself, then proceeds [for the Friday prayer] and
does not separate two persons who are sitting together [in the
mosque], then prays as much as he can according to what was
predetermined by Allaah and remains silent while the Imam is
delivering the Khutbah, his sins between the present and the past
Friday would be forgiven." [Al-Bukhaari]
Third: The basic rule for adornment and beautification is
permissibility unless something that is prohibited under Sharee'ah is
used like impurities and alcohol that is part of the perfume industry
with a high percentage. Also, gold and silk for men and the use of
perfume for women at a time that she willpass by non- Mahram men.

The significance of Hijaab

It often occurs to me that many of our sisters in Islam are not
correctly enlightened or encouraged once they begin to observe the
requirements of Hijaab (Islamic women's dress). It may be that a
sister hasbeen obliged to wear theHijaab without truly pondering over
its superiority and uniqueness .
Perhaps she has reached the age of puberty and her parents have
instructed her to wear it. Perhaps she has recently accepted Islam and
her close companions have told her of its obligation, or perhaps her
husband has commanded her to wear it .
A sister who does not truly know the superiority of Hijaab will always
remain envious ofdisbelieving women. Why? Because they observe these
misguided disbelievers attempting to look beautiful for all tosee.
Hence, the Muslim woman then compares herself to that woman, which
causes her to feel ashamed of her own Hijaab.
Therefore, what follows is a reminder for my sisters in Islam. It is a
reminder of the true status of these so-called beautiful women. It is
a reminder of the excellence of the women who wear Hijaab.
Excellent Qualities of Those who Wear Hijaab :
It is well known that the Muslim woman is a creature of modesty.
Allaah loves for our Muslim women to be shielded by their Hijaab. It
is their outer protection from the decadence of this life. Allaah's
Messenger said: "Allaah is modest and covering. He loves modesty and
privacy." [Ahmad and Others]
Thus, as modesty is a quality that is loved by Allaah, our sisters
must take comfort in knowing that they are modest and not like those
women who show themselves offto the world. Such women will not be
shielded from Allaah's wrath. Allaah's Messenger said: "Any woman
whotakes off her clothes in other than her husband'shome, has broken
Allaah's shield upon her." [Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi ]
Therefore, we see that the Hijaab of the Muslim woman is indeed part
of modesty. Modesty accompanies Eemaan (faith); this is why the
Messenger of Allaah said: "Modesty is part of Eemaan and Eemaan is in
Paradise." [At-Tirmithi] Also: "Modesty and Eemaan are (intimate)
companions: when one departs, so does the other." [Al-Haakim and
Others]
The Muslim woman must know that the disbelieving women whobeautify
themselves for the whole world to see possess no modesty; thus,they
are void of any Eemaan. Instead of looking to the latest fashion
models for guidance, she should look to the wives of the Prophet .
Look at the regard for modesty that our mother,'Aa'ishah possessed,
even in the presence of the deceased; she said : "Iused to enter the
room where the Messenger of Allaah and my father, Abu Bakr, were
buried without wearing my (outer) garment, saying that it was only my
husband and my father. But when 'Umar bin Al-Khattaab was later buried
(in the same place), I did not enter theroom except that I had my
outer garment on, due to being shy of 'Umar ."
It could be quite difficult for the Muslim woman to go out wearing
Hijaab in a society that mocks and torments her. She would certainly
feel strange andincongruous. However, if she realises the status of
those who are mocked by the disbelievers, then she would continue to
wear her Hijaab with dignity.
Allaah Says in His Book (what means): "Indeed, those who committed
crimes used to laugh at those who believed. And when they passed by
them, they would exchange derisive glances. And when they returned to
their people, they would return jesting. And when they saw them, they
would say: 'Indeed, those are truly lost.' But they have not been sent
as guardians over them. So Today [i.e., the Day of Judgement] those
who believed are laughing at the disbelievers, on adorned couches,
observing. Have the disbelievers [not] been rewarded [this Day] for
what they used to do?" [Quran: 83:29-36]
These words of Allaah should serve as a supportfor you, my dear
sister. Also, take comfort in being a stranger among these lewd and
sinful women. Allaah's Messenger said: "Islam began as something
strange, and it will revertto (its old position of) being strange, so
good news is for the strangers." [Muslim]
The Characteristic of the Exposed :
Instead of wearing the Hijaab (covering), the disbelieving women
expose themselves, making a dazzling display of themselves for others.
Such a display is an attribute of ignorance. Allaah Says in His Book
(what means): "And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves
as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance…" [Quran 33:33]
Allaah's Messenger said: "The best of your women are the affectionate,
the fertile, the comforting, and the agreeable – if they fear Allaah.
The most evil of your women are those who expose and display
themselves, and those who strut (to show off), and they are the
hypocrites. Those who enter Paradise are like the red beaked crow."
[Al-Bayhaqi] The mentioning of this kind of crow is to highlight that
those who enter Paradise will be as rare as this kind of crow .
We see from the above verse and Hadeeth (prophetic statement) that it
is certainly unlawful for a Muslim woman to make a displayof herself.
Further, it is a quality of the most evil ofwomen. Therefore, do not
be envious of the disbelieving women. They only have this life
toenjoy, while the believing women will have Paradise. There is
nothing in your Hijaab tobe ashamed of as it is thegarment of the
righteousand pious female worshippers of Allaah .
In order to truly show how evil those women who expose themselves are,
let us ponder over the following statement of Allaah's Messenger : "Of
the people of Hell, there are two types that Ihave never seen; the
first are those holding whips like the tail of an ox with which they
flog people. The second are women who would be naked despite being
dressed (i.e. either partly dressed or wearing translucent clothes),
who are seduced and who seduce others. Their hair is high like the
humps of a camel. These women will not enter Paradise, nor will they
smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be smelled from such
and such a (very far) distance." [Muslim]
These women who expose themselves are common among us today. These are
women that even the Prophet did not see! Look aroundyou and you will
see those women who are clothed but naked! Look at the hair styles of
the women who expose themselves – are they nothigh like a camel's hump
?
Perhaps we are the first generation since the timeof Aadam to witness
such women. If one ponders over photographs taken thirtyto fifty years
ago, he will see that the disbelieving women did not expose themselves
in the mannerthat their offspring do today! These women are among the
people of the Fire! Thus, how can you envy them ?
Therefore, the Muslim men should not let the people of the Fire affect
the modesty of their wives, daughters and sisters. Such lewd womenwill
not even smell the fragrance of Paradise, so our women must avoid
their path .
Another lesson from the above Hadeeth is that it confirms that what
the Prophet came with is indeed the truth! This is aprophecy that has
come to pass in front of our very eyes. Hence, will we continue to
envy these evil women, or should we be grateful to our Lord for the
Hijaab, which brings modesty which leads to Paradise ?
On the whole, the Muslim woman should abandon all of the ways of the
exposed, and adopt the ways of those who are modest through their love
and practice of the proper Islamic Hijaab .

Improper dress for women and intermingling between sexes

The greatest and most important of all the favors and blessings
bestowed by Allaah is Islaam and the honorableIslamic law, which is
derived from the Book ofAllaah and the Prophetic Sunnah. This Law has
outlined all that which is beneficial for mankind inthis life and the
Hereafter.
One of the virtues of this Law is that its rules and regulations have
clearly laid out preventions of allevil and immorality, and all the
roads that lead to it which is a protection ofthe truth and morality.
There are many issues forwhich this Law has laid out preventative
measures so that people will not fall into evil, for example on some
of the issues of faith, acts of worship and transactions.
However, the most obvious of all of these preventative measures are
those related to women and the limits that Allaah has defined for them
not to exceed. Islaam has clearly laid theguidelines for the
Muslimwoman to adhere to so that her personality remains distinct and
her safety, purity, and good conduct are assured.
The correct dress and covering for women and the prohibition of them
intermixing with men arethe two most important interconnected
preventative measures that Islaam has laid out. Muslims must submit to
the rulings which oblige women to properly coverin order to protect
their chastity and purity, maintain shyness and protect them from
being harassed or bothered, as Allaah Says (what means): "O Prophet!
Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to
bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is
more suitable that they will be known [as chaste believing women] and
not be abused. And ever is AllaahForgiving and Merciful" [Quran 33:
59].
In this verse, Allaah addressed the wives of the Prophet , who were
the furthest from immorality and evil actions; they were purestand
most pious women ever and were honored by the virtue of being married
to the Prophet .
Muslims must also adhereand submit to the rulings which prohibit
intermixing mixing between men and women. There are many Islamic texts
in this regard, such as the Hadeeth which is narrated by 'Uqbah Ibn
'Aamir that the Prophet , said: "Do not enter into the presence of
women." A man from the Ansaar then retorted: 'What about our in-laws'
- referring to the relatives of a woman's husband such as his
brothers, cousins, and their children, so the Prophet , replied: "The
in-laws are death" [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim] which means that they are
more harmful to women than death is to the soul. The previous evidence
came from the Prophet , whose words were nothing but revelation. So
how could anybody ever accept anyone else's opinion over this?
Why is it that the Prophet lined up the rows of men for prayers in the
mosque separate from the women, and described the rows, as narrated by
Abu Hurayrah by saying: "The best rows [in the mosque] are the first
rows, and the worst are the last, and the best rows [inthe mosque] for
women are last the rows, and the worst are the first." [Muslim]. This
affirmsthe obligation of separating men from women, and keeping them
far apart. If this is the way believing men and women should be during
an act of worship inside the mosque, then how much more so is it
necessary in places outside the mosques, where gatherings might
include evil and sinful people along with the good people?
The Muslim nation must not slight these texts because the evil
consequences which these texts are aiming to prevent society from
still very much exist, and there is nothing that would prevent such
evils from occurring in our time which did not exist at the time of
the Prophet
Moreover, the people whom the Prophet addressed in these narrations
were the best generation of the Muslim nation according to his own
testimony, as was mentioned in many narrations. So, has the need for
such texts and their warnings vanished in our time? Is it not a clear
fact that in fact we need these texts and warnings even more than that
generation did? This is especially so because of the dangers of evil
in our time becoming more widespread and its means being more diverse.
It is usually the case that people honor any set of laws which they
perceiveas being beneficial to them, especially when these laws
prevent evil orharm from befalling them when applied; moreover, people
do not mind if these laws include certain restrictions on their
freedom and impose penalties for those who disobey or transgress the
defined limits. Why is it the case that some of those who believe in
Allaah and His Messenger deal with Islamic Law with suspicion and
uncertainty. Some of these people even go as far as to demand that it
should be abolished, despite the fact that this Law includes all that
which is beneficial to mankind and prevents, or at least reduces, all
that which brings harm?
It is not permitted for anyone to discuss and pass judgment
regardingthis issue without having the proper Islamic knowledge to be
able to do so. Nor should they base their discussion and opinion on
unfounded claims with no evidence, or simply argue on the basis of
their base desires. Rather, one should be sincere and free themselves
from their base desires which will divert them far away from the
truth. In addition, one must have a broad knowledge of Islam and
possess the ability to differentiate between authentic and weak
evidences, possess a clear understanding of the relevant evidences as
well as the ability to properly extract Islamic rulings from these
evidences; only then can a person become eligible to discuss this
issue.
The outcome of what we say or write is the matter which we must fear
the most, and are extremely wary of its consequence, as the Prophet ,
clarified to Mu'aath Ibn Jabal after he had asked with
astonishment:"Will we be held responsible for all that we say?" The
Prophet , replied: "What do you think makes people land on their faces
or noses into the Hellfire more than the product of their tongues?"
[Ahmad, Abu Daawood & At-Tirmithi].

His wife is accusing himof harassing her sister and he said to her: If I touch your sister then our marriage is invalid. Then he touched her again with desire.

Dought & clear, - My wife and I where having an argument. She was
telling me that she does not like the way I talk to her sister and
going on about it etc. I told her "you knowif I even touch suraya (my
wifes sister) nikah breaks". I am certain that i had no intention of
any talaq. When I made that statement"you know if I even touch suraya
(my wifes sister) nikah breaks" I was like just lying/making up for it
toseem that that is the islamic ruling. I just told her that to give
her like assurance that I wont dowrong actions with her sister. After
some time about couple of months afterwards I touched my wifes sister
with lust. Then after some months I may have touched her with lust
again. Now I get waswasa that when Imade that statement I had
intention of talaq. I am 99.9% sure that I hadno intention of talaq
butthis waswasa is making me feel as though I had intention. The only
intention I may have hadwas not to touch my sister in law and only to
give my wife assurance that Im not allowed to do wrong with her
sisterand that I won't do wrong with her sister . I am certain I had
NO intention of talaq. Is there any talaq in this situation? If there
is talaq how many talaqs take place?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
You should realise that what has happened of you touching your
wife'ssister with desire is something that is undoubtedly haraam. It
comes under the heading of zina (adultery) of the hand, of which the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke.
Zina is not only zina of the private part; rather there is also zina
of the hand, which is haraam touching, and zina of the eye, which is
haraam looking, even though it is zina of the private part that incurs
the hadd punishment. After this, how can you claim that there is no
reason for suspicion andthat your wife has no right to be suspicious
about you. What you aredoing is very suspicious and is indicative of
bad intentions and a bad attitude.
It says in the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that he said: "Allah has
decreed for the son of Adam his share of zina, which he will
inevitably get. The zina of the eyes is looking and the zina of the
tongue is speaking. The heart wishes and hopes, and the private part
confirms that or denies it."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,5889; Muslim, 2657.
According to a version narrated by Muslim: "Thezina of the eyes is
looking, the zina of the ears is listening, the zinaof the tongue is
speaking, the zina of thehands is touching, and the zina of the foot
is walking. The heart longsand wishes, and the private part confirms
that or denies it."
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
warned against touching a non-mahram woman and said: "If one of you
were to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle, thatwould be
better for him than touching a woman who is not permissible for him."
Narrated by at-Tabaraani from the hadeeth of Ma'qil ibn Yasaar;
classed as saheehby al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', no. 5045.
If this is a sin and crime in the case of any woman, and means that
you cannot be trusted, then how about if it involves your wife's
sister, who is haraam to you so long as her sister is your wife?
What you must do is ask Allah, may He be exalted,to forgive you for
this sin and repent to Him; you must also resolve not to do that again
and to block all ways that may lead to fitnah or temptation with this
woman. So do not be alone with her, and do not be with her in any
place or in any situation that could lead you to goback to what you
had been doing.
Moreover, there is no need for you to speak to her, with or without
desire; if there is any reason for you to speak, her sister – namely
your wife – can take care of it.
Secondly:
With regard to your saying to your wife, "If I touch your sister then
our marriage is invalid ('nikah breaks')," this is a metaphor for
divorce. In the case of metaphors, divorce doesnot take place unless
there was the intention of divorce, as we have explained in fatwa no.
120947
So long as you did not intend divorce thereby –as you say in your
question, trusting what you said – then divorce has not taken place.
And Allah knows best.

Ruling on making models of the Ka‘bah to explain the rituals of Hajj.

Dought & clear, - Is it haraam to make models of kaba and explain the
children the rituals of haj?
Praise be to Allah.
It should be noted that the basic principle concerning acts of worship
is that there should be taqwa in the heart and veneration of the
symbols and sacred things of Allah, may He be exalted; anything that
undermines that veneration of His symbols or turns them into something
commonplace, as peopledo and have become used to doing, should not be
allowed.
For that reason, more than one of the scholars have stated that it is
not allowed to make models of the Ka'bah, because that undermines the
veneration of the symbolin the heart.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a
school that teaches the students about Hajj and 'umrah but the
students do not understand properly; it is permissible to make a model
of the Ka'bah and holy places in the school so that they can learn in
practical terms and not just theoretically.
He replied:
This is not permissible and it is not appropriate at all. The teacher
can draw a picture of the Ka'bah on the blackboard and say, We
circumambulate it like this… But as for making a model, this to my
mindis turning acts of worship into mere movements with no impact on
the heart.
End quote from Majmoo'Fataawa wa Rasaa'il al-'Uthaymeen, 24/91
It says in a fatwa of the Standing Committee: It isnot permissible to
make models of the Ka'bah and the (green) dome that is over the grave
of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 2(1/324)
And Allah knows best.

What he paid for the shade he enjoyed, Islamic Stories

Ibnul Muqaffa (may Allahhave mercy on him) usedto sit frequently in
the shadow of his neighbour's wall. He came to know that the neighbour
was in heavy debt and was about to sell his house to pay the debt. He
said that he always enjoyed the shadow of the neighbour's wall and
didnot pay anything for that; so, he presented to the neighbour the
price of his house and told him that, since he had received the price,
he should not sell it. Source:"Fadhail-e-Sadaqaa Part I" translated by
Prof. Abdul Karim.
Let us be good to our neighbours. The best way to treat them wouldbe
to bring them closer to Allah in a humble manner.