The Other Doors

The Other Doors
Our 4 year old son has some fairly serious health problems, so we are
"frequent fliers" at the local children's hospital. Two weeks ago, our
son was there for several days having surgery.
As stressful as that was for us, my visits to that hospital almost
always leave me feeling grateful. Why? Because of " the other doors ."
As I walk the corridors ofthat hospital, I pass doors leading to many
different departments. I pass the department where surgeons
reconstruct children's faces. I pass the department where specialists
treat children who have been tragically burned. I pass the department
where children with cancer spend their childhoods battling a disease
that terrifies most adults. Every day, people walk through those
doors. I keep walking.
Occasionally, I walk through a ward, past theroom of a dying child. I
look in at the child, unconscious amid a massof tubes and machines. I
see the family, staring blankly into space, grieving for what is to
come. I keep walking.
On the fourth floor, I pass the "catacombs" where parents with
children in ICU watch their days and nights stretch into weeks and
months, hoping against hope for good news. I keep walking.
It's late one evening, and I walk to the waiting room. Only one family
remains, and theirdoctor arrives from surgery. He begins to tellthem
about the patient'sinjuries....a shotgun blast,
self-inflicted....massive facial damage.... a dozen moreoperations to
come....a lifetime of disfigurement...a lifetime of asking"why?" I
sit, half-listening, considering the doors, this family will face in
the years ahead.
I stood up. I walk back tothe preschool ward, to the one door I seek.
Behind this door, our son is slowly recovering from surgery. And in a
strange way, I am grateful for the"situation" that we live with.
Because there are a hundred other doors in this place that are far
worse. And we could justas easily be in one of those rooms.
As you pray for strength to open the doors you face, be sure to thank
Allah Ta'ala for the doorshe has spared you.

Amazed By Muslim Women's Dress

Amazed By Muslim Women's Dress
An American Female Finds Islam
I am an American who grew up in a strict religious Christian family.
By the time I was 16 I became very devout and religious myself. The
church waslike a home away from home. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
I had read and studied the Bible on a regular basis. All the while
Iwas noticing many errors in the Bible. Many conflicting stories. So I
would ask my grandmother or the pastor of the church about it, but
would never get a solid answer.
I was told to just brush it off and not worry about these little
details that weren't adding up. So for a time I did.
Later on in my early 20s I was appointed as Youth Pastor at mylocal
church. It was during this time that my biblical studies hadbecome
intense. The more I studied, the more questions I had.
Due to the lack of answers I was not getting from the church, I
decided to enroll into Bible College. "For sure I would find my
answers there," I often thought to myself. Again, no such luck.
Nothing could ease my mind andso I decided to step down from"Youth
Pastor". I felt I could no longer lead the youth since I was confused
and doubting things myself. I was the one in need of a leader. My
heart was crying out to find some peace in all this confusion.
One night I turned on the TV andhappened to flip straight to CNN.They
were reporting straight from Iraq. Then, there in the background I saw
the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
She was adorned only in black from head to toe. She was so modest, and
to me that made her so beautiful. I knew that shewas a Muslim but I
didn't know what the religious beliefs of Muslims were.
I was more caught up in her clothing attire. It sparked my interest
more than anything. My heart immediately desired to be like her. Pious
and modest. So this is where my search began.
I immediately got online and searched "Muslim Woman Dress"& "Muslim
Woman Face Veil". This is when I came across the words " Hijab " and "
Niqab ". Wikipedia also referred to the women who wore it as Hijabis
or Niqabis.
These hijabis and niqabis were my newly-found role models. So I
immediately changed all my online nicknames to "hijabi" or"niqabi". It
had not occurred to me to investigate the beliefs of Islam yet. But it
was soon to come….
One afternoon my neighborhoodwas having a community cookout. I was
setting next to my closest neighbor and we somehow got on the subject
of religion.
He said "You know us Christians will probably be in trouble whenwe
stand before God?"
I just nodded in agreement but not really sure where he was going with this.
He said, "Yeah, you know those Muslims pray 5 times a day faithfully
and we Christians can barely make time to pray once a day."
More curiosity sparked!
I immediately excused myself and ran back to my home. I opened the
Computer and begansearching the Internet about Muslim beliefs. I was
amazed at their beliefs as it seemed to fit inline with mine.
But I wanted to be sure there were no surprises hidden in their
beliefs; you know nothing that was going to throw me for a loop if I
choose to convert.
The following weeks I drove to the closest mosque, which happened to
be 50 miles away, requesting information. I searched the Internet
into the wee hours of the morning reading all about Islam.
After a couple of months of researching and reading, I decided that I
want to convert. I drove back to the mosque and took the Shahadah! A
peace entered my heart and soul like never before. Subhanallah !

Blond with Blue eyes

Blond with Blue eyes
A True Story Of A Niqabi Sister In France
This is a story for us to reflect on...
After picking groceries in the supermarket, the Niqabi sister stood in
theline to pay. After few minutes, her turn came up at the checkout
counter. The checkout girl who was non Hijabi Arab Muslim girl started
to scan the items of the Niqabi sister one buy one and then she
lookedat her with arrogance and said :
" We have in France many problems, your Niqab is one of them!! We,
immigrants, are here for trade and not toshow our Deen or history! If
you want to practice your Deen and wear Niqab then go back to your
Arab country and do whatever you want!! "
The Niqabi sister stopped putting her grocery in the bag and took off
her Niqab from her face… The checkout girl was in total shock! The
Niqabi girl who was blond with blue eyes told her:
" I am a French girl, not an Arab immigrant! This is my country and
THIS ISMY ISLAM!! You born Muslims sold your Deen and we bought it
from you! "
End of story
This is a fact! Many revert Muslims have stronger faith than born
Muslims! SuhanAllah!
"Islam began as something strange, and it will return to being
something strange, so give glad tidings to the strangers." (Muslim)

Contentment is a Sign of Wealth

If people become content with the little they have, then there will be
no poor or deprived persons among them. If the slaveis content with
what Allaah The Almighty has given him, he will be powerful and in no
need of others, even if he does not possess a lot in this life.
Ash-Shaafi'i said, "I knew that contentment is the core of richness,
and I adhered to it, so I never stood at anybody's door, orbegged
anyone. Consequently, I became rich without a dirham, passing by
people as if I were a king."
The Prophet advised his Ummah (nation) to have contentment when he
said: "Be content with what Allaah has given you, and you will be the
richest person." He would supplicate to Allaah the Almighty,saying:
"Allaahuma qanni'ni bima razaqtani wa baarik li feeh wakhluf 'ala
kulli ghaa'ibatin li bikhayr [O Allaah, make me content with what You
have provided me, bless it for me and grant me good thing in
compensation for whatever I miss]."
A person who is content with what Allaah The Almighty provides him
enjoys tranquility, satisfaction and peace of mind ashe does not long
for what others have or desire what he does not possess. Accordingly,
Allaah The Almighty, as well as people, will love him, and the
following Hadeeth of the Prophet would apply to him: "Do not incline
to the worldly life and Allaah will love you. Have no desire for what
people possess, and people will love you."
Moreover, a slave cannot reach the degree of the thankful unless he
becomes content with the provision that he receives. This meaning is
indicated by the saying of the Prophet to Abu Hurayrah : "O Abu
Hurayrah! Be pious, and you will be the most worshipping person. Be
content, and you will be the mostthankful person. Love for people what
you love for yourself, and you will be a [true] believer." A content
slave, therefore, has a virtuous self as he does not hurt his pride
for the sake of a worldlygain that will soon vanish. Such people are
the ones whom AllaahThe Almighty praised in His Saying (which means):
{[Charity is]for the poor who have been restricted for the cause of
Allaah, unable to move about in the land. An ignorant [person] would
think them self-sufficient becauseof their restraint, but you will
know them by their [characteristic] sign. They do not ask people
persistently [or at all]. And whatever you spend of good - indeed,
Allaah is Knowing of it.} [Quran 2:273] Also, the Prophet gave us glad
tidings when he said: "Successful is the person who adopted Islam, has
been provided with what is just sufficient for his needs, and been
made content by Allaah with what He has given him." 'Umar ibn
Al-Khattaab said, "Greed is [in essence] poverty and despair [of what
others have] is richness. Anyone who despairs of[i.e., does not long
for] what is possessed by others, becomes in no need of that."
An amazing story in this regard ismentioned in the book of Al-Ihyaa',
Al-Khaleel ibn Ahmad Al-Faraaheedi refused to be the private tutor of
the son of theruler of Al-Ahwaaz. He brought out dry bread to show the
messenger of the ruler, and said, "As long as I find this, I am in no
need of Sulaymaan [the ruler]. Then, he said some poetic verses which
mean,
"Inform Sulaymaan that I enjoy ease and richness, although I have no wealth.
I keep my pride as I see no one die of hunger, or remain in the same
state all his life.
We realize that poverty lies in souls not in properties, as does richness."
Indeed, the Prophet was truthful when he said: "Richness is not the
abundance of wealth; rather it is self-contentment." O Allaah, make us
content with what You have given us and make us the most contented
people of what You have decreed to us of provisions!

Good nutrition: No need for medicine

Nutrition is one of the most influential factors in growth. The kinds
of nutrients that one consumes during childhood affect the physical
structure for the rest of one's life, either positively or negatively.
Malnutrition does not only mean lack of food, but it also means
consuming poor nutrients.
In other words, malnutrition means imbalance between the quantity and
quality of food the body needs, the growth stage and one's physical
activities. Moderation must be observed in nutrition, because eating
many foods -- especially foods that are rich in sugar, carbohydrates
and fats -- irrespective of the quality and the actual requirements of
the body needs, causes obesity and several serious diseases including
heart disease, diabetes,high blood pressure, high cholesterol and
stomach diseases.
Food is necessary for the body, but food consumption should remain
within reasonable limits. It is equally harmful to consume food that
does not satisfy the body's needs or exceed them. Several diseases are
caused by quantitative or qualitative malnutrition (excess or
shortage). There is a strong relationship between good health and good
nutrition.
In the following paragraphs, we will speak about the nutrients that
are necessary for a healthy body:
1- Proteins:
Proteins are indispensable materials for the structure of the cells,
and the need for them increases over time according to the growth
phase. Proteins are divided into two types:
A- Animal proteins : This type of protein can be found in meat, fish,
milk, cheese, egg, and so on.
This type should represent one third of the proteins that one
consumes. However, there shouldbe moderation in consuming these
proteins because excessive consumption may harm the bodyand cause
serious diseases such as kidney diseases, joint diseases,increase in
blood cholesterol, andso on.
B- Plant proteins : This type of proteins can be found in chickpeas,
beans, lentils, green peas, walnut, hazelnut and other plants. This
type is very important in building the body and maintaining health.
2- Carbohydrates and fats: These can be found in the foods that
contain sugar and starch such as wheat, barley, rice, macaroni,
potatoes, sugar, honey, dry fruits,and so on.
They are next to the proteins in importance, because they are
necessary for energy production and warmth. Likewise, these nutrients
should be consumed moderately so as not to exhaust the digestive
system including the liver and the stomach.
Obese people should consume small amounts of foods that contain fats
and sugar because the body transforms any excess sugar to fats and
stores them. Such persons should also do physical activities to burn
the stored fats.
3- Mineral salts and vitamins:
They can be found in plant foods such as vegetables and fresh fruits
and they help in activating the intestines and facilitating the
excretion process and the indigestible cellulosic materials
itcontains.
Salts contain important materialsfor bone structure such as calcium
and phosphorus and for blood structure too such as iron.
These salts and minerals can be found in abundance in vegetablesand
animal products. Similarly, vitamins are very important and their
deficiency causes feebleness, weakness, gum bleeding (due to lack of
vitamin C), rickets (due to lack of vitamin D), neuritis and weakness
of the heart as well as inappetence (due to lack of vitamin B);
immunodeficiency and weak resistance of infection (due to lack of
vitamin A).
Good nutrition requires a balanced and integrated weekly food menu
that contains all the mentioned materials (proteins, fats, mineral
salts and vitamins).
One of the blessings that Allaah The Almighty bestowed upon humanity
is that He made it possible for all people, whether poor or rich, to
have a sufficient and balanced diet if we only observe integration in
nutrition.
Dear educator, the first step towards raising an athletic child is to
provide him with a healthy nutritious diet, because playing sports
without good food is like a tree without water.
The Prophet, , urged parents in several Hadeeths (narrations) to take
care of the nutrition of their children and to spend on them.
The Prophet, , said:
- "The best Dinar that a man spends is the Dinar which he spends on
his family, the Dinar which he spends on his companions in the cause
of Allaah and the Dinar which he spends on his riding animal in the
cause of Allaah ." [At-Tirmithi on the authority of Thawbaan [
- "A Dinar that you spend in the cause of Allaah, or to free a slave,
or as a charity you give to a needyperson, or to support your
family,the one yielding the greatest reward is that which you spend on
your family." [Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be
pleased with him]
Allaah The Exalted 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." { [Quran 7:32]
· } Eat from the Provisions of your Lord and be grateful to Him. { [Quran 34:15]
Abu Hurayrah said, "The Messenger of Allaah never found fault with
food. If he had inclination to eating it, he would eat; and if he
disliked it, he wouldleave it." [Al-Bukhaari]
If we consider the foods that the Prophet, , used to eat, we willfind
important educational hints that direct us to choose the specifically
beneficial foods as supported by modern scientific research.
These hints include directing us to eat protein-rich foods, as the
Prophet, , ate chicken and atethe shoulder of a sheep and as well as
grilled meat from a sheep.
The Prophet, , used to eat soft and easily digestible meat. That is
why he chose the soft parts of the sheep (shoulder and side) to eat
from. He also ate cooked and grilled meat.
The Prophet, also used to drink milk for its great health benefits.
'Aa'ishah narrated that the Prophet, , used to like sweet edible
things (syrup and so on) and honey. [Al-Bukhaari]
According to Al-Bukhaari, the Prophet, also used to eat barley, which
is starchy.
He also ate dates, which are sugary and contain other important elements.
It was also narrated that the Prophet, , used to eat ripe dates
(fruit) and cucumbers (vegetable). [Al-Bukhaari]
The Prophet, , directed us to be moderate in food consumption saying:
"The believer eats in one intestine (is satisfied with a little food),
and the disbeliever eats in seven intestines (eats too much)."
Modern medical and scientific experiments proved that these prophetic
instructions and recommendations are very beneficial. These
experiments confirm that eating excessively disturbs the digestive
system, prevents it from extracting energy that the body needs from
food, and causes obesity.
We should follow the instructions of the Prophet, , and the
conclusions of modern researchers by taking care of the food our
children eat.
This is the first step towards having an active and healthy childthat
all of us want to have.

Etiquette related to dressing

A Muslim acknowledges that Allaah has ordered him to wear clothing in
the verse (which means): "O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by
wearing your clean clothes) whilepraying and going round the Ka'bah,
and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance. Certainly, He
(Allaah) likes not the extravagant." [Quran 7:31]
Clothing is also a bounty from Allaah, as He Says (what means): "O
Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover
yourselves (screen your private parts) and as an adornment. And the
raiment of righteousness is best..." [Quran 7:26]
Allaah also Says (what means): "And We taught him the making of metal
coats of mail (for battles), to protect you in fighting. Will you then
not be grateful?" [Quran 21:80]
Allaah's Messenger also ordered such in his statement: "Eat, drink,
dress and give in charity without extravagance or arrogance."
[Al-Bukhaari]
Therefore, Allaah's Messenger made clear what type of clothingis
permissible and what is impermissible. He also showed what is
preferred for a Muslim to wear and what is disliked. Therefore, a
Muslim should adhere to the following etiquettewith respect to dress:
1. A Muslim (man) should not wear silk on his clothing, head covering
or anything else except what has been legislated in extreme cases like
skin diseases etc. This is because Allaah's Messenger stated: "Do not
wear silk, for the one who wears it in this world will not wear it in
the Hereafter." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
2. A man's garment, pants, head covering or cloak should not be so
long as to go below the ankles. This prohibition is based on the
statement of Allaah's Messenger that: "What goes below the ankles of
the waist-cloth will be punished in the Hell fire." [Al-Bukhaari]
Allaah's Messenger also said: "The one who lengthens the cloak, shirt
and turban out of pride will not be looked at with approval on the Day
of Resurrection." [An-Nasaa'i]
Allaah's Messenger also said: "Allaah does not look at the one who
lowers his garment out of arrogance." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
3. Though all colors are permissible to wear, a Muslim should give
preference to white clothing over other colors. Allaah's Messenger
said: "Wear white clothing for it is purer and better. And shroud your
deceased in (white)." [An-Nasaa'i]
4. A Muslim woman should lower her garment until it fully covers her
feet. She should also draw down her head covering so that it covers
her neck and chest. Allaah has Said (what means): "O Prophet! Tell
your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw
their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies." [Quran 33:59]
Allaah also Says (what means): "(And tell the believing women to) draw
their veils all over their faces, necks and bosoms and not to reveal
their adornment except'to their husbands, their fathers..." [Quran
24:31]
'Aa'ishah stated regarding the above-mentioned verse: "May Allaah have
mercy on the women who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madeenah. When
Allaah revealed this verse: 'And tell the believing women to draw
their veils all over their faces, necks and bosoms', they tore apart
their thick woolen garments and wore them as head coverings."
A Muslim male should not wear gold. Allaah's Messenger said about gold
and silk: "These are forbidden for the males of my Nation." [Abu
Daawood]
Allaah's Messenger also said: "Wearing silk and gold has been
forbidden for the males of my Nation and is permissible for its
females." [At-Tirmithi]
Allaah's Messenger saw a man wearing a gold ring and he took it off
his finger and threw it aside, saying: "One of you takes a burning
coal of fire and puts it onhis hand." After Allaah's Messenger left,
it was said to the man: 'Take your ring and benefit from it. (i.e.
sell it and useits price).' He replied: 'No, by Allaah, I will never
take it after Allaah's Messenger threw it away.'" [Muslim]
5. There is no harm in a Muslim male having a silver ring or engraving
his name on it to use itas adornment or as a type of engraving stamp
for his letters orbooks, or as a kind of signature. Allaah's Messenger
used to have a silver ring that had engraved on it, "Muhammad, the
Messenger of Allaah" and he usedto wear it on the little finger of his
left hand. Anas stated: "The ring of Allaah's Messenger was on this"
and he pointed to the little finger of his left hand. [Muslim]
6. A person should not wrap himself completely with a large garment in
such a way that he cannot get his hands out of it. Allaah's Messenger
has prohibited such a manner of dress.
Similarly, a person should not walk wearing only one shoe. Allaah's
Messenger said: "You should not walk wearing one shoe only. Either
walk barefoot orwear both of them together." [Al-Bukhaari]
7. A Muslim man is not allowed towear the dress of a woman and aMuslim
woman is not allowed to wear the dress of a man.
Allaah's Messenger stated: "Allaah curses the effeminate men and the
masculine women." [Al-Bukhaari]
He also said: "Allaah curses the man who wears women's clothing and
the woman who wears men's clothing. He also curses the men who imitate
women and the women who imitate men." [Al-Bukhaari]
8. When a person puts on his shoes, it is recommended to begin with
the right foot. And when he takes them off, it is recommended to take
off the leftshoe first. This is based on the Prophet's statement: "If
one of you puts on his shoes, let him begin with the right. And when
he takes them off, he should begin with the left." [Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim]
9. When a person puts on any clothing, he should begin from the right
side. Aa'ishah stated: " Allaah's Messenger loved to begin with the
right in all his matters, in putting on his shoes, in combing his hair
and in purifying himself." [Muslim]
10. Upon wearing a new garmentor any new clothing, the person should
say: "O Allaah, to You is the Praise. You are the One Who clothed me
by it. I ask You for its good and the good of what it was made for.
And I seek refuge in You from its evil and the evil ofwhat it was made
for." [Abu Daawood]
11. A Muslim should pray for his Muslim brother when he sees him
wearing new clothes by saying: "May you wear it until it disintegrates
and falls apart (thatis, for a long, blessed time)." [Al-Bukhaari]
Allaah's Messenger made thatsupplication when he saw, Umm Khaalid
wearing new clothing. [Al-Bukhaari]

He built an apartment over his father’s house with his own money; do the heirs have any right to it?.

My father died in 1991 and left behind a house composed of three
floorsand a tailor's shop. I have a brother, three sisters and my
mother. My father promised the third floor to my brotherand he
promised the shop to me, but these words were not written down. I came
out of the Army in 1992 and I had some money, approximately 10,000
pounds, with which I built an apartment on the fourth floor, and I
helped my sisters to finish their education and get married. My mother
and one of my sisters help me in the shop by making buttonholes,
sewing on buttons and so on. My question is: how should the estate be
divided, based on the above information
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Fathers are obliged to treat their children fairlyin terms of giving
gifts; it is haraam for a father to show preference to one of his
children in any way. Based on that, it would not be permissible to
fulfil the promise that he made toyou and your brother if he were
alive. As he has died, what is required is to divide the estate
according to the shares stipulated in sharee'ah. The scholars of the
Standing Committee were asked:
Is it permissible for a father to register a pieceof farmland in the
name of one of his sons and ignore the rest of his children? My father
registered a piece of farmland in my name and ignored my sister and
little brother. Should I sponsor these children or ignore them?
They replied:
The father is obliged to treat his children equallyin terms of giving
gifts, in accordance with the shar'i guidelines on inheritance. It is
not permissible for him to single out some of them and not others,
because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade
that. It was narrated from an-Nu'maan ibn Basheer(may Allah be pleased
with him) that his father brought him to the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: I have given this
son of mine a slave I owned. He said: "Have you given a similar gift
to all your children?" He said: No. He said: "Then take it back."
Agreed upon.
Based on that: your father must be fair in thegifts that he has given
tosome of his children by giving each of his children something like
that which he gave to the one mentioned, or else he should take back
the gift from him. As your father has died, you should divide the
estate between you and the rest of the heirs in accordance with the
shar'i ruling.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh 'Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan. Shaykh
Saalih al-Fawzaan, Shaykh 'Abdal-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh,Shaykh Bakr Abu
Zayd
End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 16/216
For more information, please see question no. 114659
Secondly:
With regard to the apartment that you builtwith your own money,
itbelongs to you and the heirs have no right to it. When the estate is
divided, this apartment should be evaluated on the basis that it is a
separate apartment, with no share of the value of the land, and is
your property. In other words, experts should work out the value of
this structure without including any part of thevalue of the land on
which it is built.

He stole money from the company and he is asking about the ruling on his prayer and other acts of worship.

(O Allaah, You are All-Forgiving and You love forgiveness so forgive me)."
Selamun Aleykim,
I am 33 years old.
When I was approximately 26 years old, I was working for a company
owned by 3 people. I was the manager at that time and in charge of the
business.
I had been working withthis group since the age of 18 and they are
(and still are) close friends and family.
Whilst working with them, at the ages of 26-27 I stole money fromthem.
I lost my ways, and began to make friends with the wrong people. Iknew
the mistake I was making but because of the life I was leading, the
people I was involved with substancesinvolved, I could not bring
myself out of it. But I kept a record of themoney that I took and it
is approximately$24,000.
I lose sleep over this and ask Allah in my dua's to help me with this,
it's the biggest burden I have on my life and I don't know what to do.
No body knows about this but myself, my wife and Allah (swt). – and now you.
Elhamudulillah, Allah hastaken me away and has shown his mercy upon me
and I am now married, focused on my deen and doing the best I can
Inshallah.
I have researched your site regarding fatwas you have given on this
subject, but if you could please answer the point form I have left
below, itwould help me;
Please answer the rulingof my questions below;
- I am not in a position to pay this money back, what happens if I die
tomorrow will the gates to Jannah be closed for me?
- Am I to attempt to pay this money back somehow?
- I still have some things I used that money to buy(clothes, items
etc) what do I do with them? Throw them away, give them to the poor?
- If I can never pay this money back, will my prayers, fasts and
zakkats be accepted by Allah (swt)?
- Can I go to Hajj for pilgrimage?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Praise be to Allah Who has guided you to the path of truth and saved
you from the company of bad friends.
It is well-known that sinsare of two types:
1.
Sins that have to do withthe rights of Allah. Allah may forgive these,
if a person repents sincerely,as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And He it is Who acceptsrepentance from His slaves, and forgives sins"
[ash-Shoora 42:25].
2.
Sins that have to do withthe rights of other people. In order for
repentance from these sins to be accepted, it is stipulated that the
individual should restorethose rights to them or ask them to let him
off, by asking them to forgive him and forget the dues he owes to
them. Al-Bukhaari (6534)narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said: "Whoever has wronged his brother, let him ask him to
forgive him, for there (i.e., on the Day of Resurrection) there will
be no dinars and no dirhams, before some of his good deeds are taken
and given to his brother, and if he has nogood deeds to his
credit,some of his brother's bad deeds will be taken and thrown onto
him."
See also the answer to question no. 43017
Secondly:
If you cannot return the money at present, then it remains something
that you owe and you must return it when you are able to do so.
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:If the sin involved
wronging people, then repentance from it is notvalid unless the
propertyis returned to its rightfulowner – whether it is the exact
property itself or otherwise – if he is able to do that. If he is not
able to do that, then he must resolve to return it whenever he is able
to do so, at the earliest possible opportunity.
End quote from Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 18/200
If it so happens that a person is not able to return property to its
rightful owners before he dies, but he intended to return it, then it
is up to Allah, and perhaps Allah will pay it back for him on the Day
of Resurrection.
Thirdly:
Acceptance of righteous deeds, such as prayer, zakaah, Hajj and other
acts of worship, is up to Allah, but there is the hope that if a
person does an act of worship in the manner required Islamically, that
Allah willaccept it from him.
In the answer to question no. 107241 we stated that the fact that a
person does acts of disobedience and major sins does not mean that
other, righteous deeds will not be accepted from him. This applies
tothe one who has not repented from those sins, so how about the one
who has repented and has decided to return property to its rightful
owners.
Based on that, your previous sins do not mean that your righteous
deeds, such as prayer, zakaah and so on, will not be accepted from
you.
With regard to Hajj, it is well-known that Hajj requires financial
resources; if you have money that is surplus to your needs, then what
you have to do is use it to pay off what you oweof dues to others, and
what you took from people's wealth, even if it is less than what is
owed. So what you haveto do is reduce these dues as much as you
can."On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear"
[al-Baqarah 2:286].
We ask Allah to help you to pay off your debt and to forgive us and
you, for He is able to do that.
And Allah knows best.

The prayer of Hadrat Umar (ra)

He used to stand up in prayer the whole night and used to weep so much
that there had grown two permanently dark tear-lines on his face.
Abdullah bin Shaddad (RA) narrated that one day Hadrat 'Umar (RA) led
the prayer and as he came to the Verse:
"Verily, I only complain of my sorrow and my grief to Allah" (Yosuf:86)
he wept so much that the people were greatly perturbed.
Hadrat Imam Hasan (RA) narrated that once Hadrat 'Umar (RA) was
leading the prayer. When he reached the Verse:
"The punishment of thy Lord shall certainly cometo pass. There is none
who can avert it." (At-Tur:7,8)
he wept so much that hiseyes were swollen. At times he wept so much
that people got despaired of his life.

10 Things about Uthman (RA)

Before the martyrdom ofUthman (RA.), he spoke to Abu Thaur al-Fahmi (RA.) thus:
I entertain great hopes in my Lord with Whom I have placed ten things as trust:
1. I am the fourth personto accept Islam.
2. The Holy Prophet (SAW) gave his daughter in marriage to me.
3. On her death, he gave me his second daughter in marriage.
4. I have never sung a song.
5. I have never even thought of wickedness.
6. Ever since I took the oath of allegiance to the Holy Prophet (SAW)
with my right hand, I have never touched the genitals therewith.
7. Ever since I became a Muslim, I have set free a slave on every Friday.
8. I have never committed adultery during the Days of Ignorance or
after embracing Islam.
9. I have never stolen anything during the Days of Ignorance or after
embracing Islam.
10. I committed the Holy Quran to memory duringthe life time of the
Holy Prophet (SAW).