Sonar Inside a Dolphin’s Skull

A dolphin can distinguish between two different metal coins under
water in complete darkness and up to 3 kilometers away. Does it see
that far? No, it does this without seeing. It can make such accurate
determinations by means of the perfect design of an echolocation
system inside its skull. It gathers very detailed information on
shape, size, speed and structure of near objects.
It takes some time for a dolphin to master the skills needed to use
such a complicated system. While an experienced adult dolphin can
detect most objects through a few signals, a juvenile has to
experiment for years.
Dolphins do not use their echolocation just to detect their
surroundings. Sometimes they group during feeding and emit
high-pitched sounds so powerful that they dazzle their prey, which are
then ready to be picked up. An adult dolphin produces sounds inaudible
to humans (20,000 Hz. and above). The focusing of soundwaves is done
in several areas of the dolphin's head. The melon, which is a fatty
structure in the dolphin's forehead, serves as an accaustical lens and
focuses the clicks of the dolphin into a narrow beam.
Therefore, the dolphin can directthe clicks at will by moving its
head. It can direct these waves at will by moving its head.
The clicks immediately echo back when they hit any obstacle.The lower
jaw acts as a receptor,which transmits the signals backto the ear. On
each side of the lower jaw is a thin bony area, which is in contact
with a lipid material. Sound is conducted through this lipid material
to the auditory bullae, a large vesicle. Then the ear forwards the
data to the brain, which analyses and interprets the meanings. A
similar lipid material also exists in the sonar of whales.
Different lipids (fatty compounds) bend the ultrasonic(sound waves
above our range of hearing) sound waves traveling through them in
different ways. The different lipids have to be arranged in the right
shape and sequence in order to focus the returning sound waves. Each
separate lipidis unique and different from normal blubber lipids and
is made by a complicated chemicalprocess that requires a number of
different enzymes. This sonar system in dolphins could not possibly
have developed gradually, as claimed by the theory of evolution. That
is because only by the time the lipids would have evolved to their
final place and shape, couldthe creature have made use of this crucial
system. In addition, support systems like the lower jaw, the inner ear
system and the analysis centre in the brain would all have to be fully
developed. Echolocation clearly is an "irreducibly complex" system,
which for it to have evolved in phases is simply impossible. Hence, it
is obvious that the system is another flawless creation of God.

THE HEREAFTER: PAIN FOR UNBELIEVERS, HAPPINESS FOR BELIEVERS

Everything which the human being desires lies waiting for him in the
Afterlife, providing hespends his life in this world pursuing the
pleasure of Allah. In the life of Paradise, there will be the
blessings of infinite abundance and beauty. At the same time,
believers will also experience enormous spiritual joy in Paradise and
will feel such emotions as happiness, love, joy,peace and security in
a far more powerful manner than in their earthly lives. Unbelievers,
on the other hand, will experience pain and unimaginable torment in
Hell, described in the Qu'ran as a fire "fueled by men and stones."
Allah has revealed in the Qur'an that the Hereafter will be full of
severe torment for unbelievers but full of blessings for the
believers:
When Our signs are recited to such a person, he turns away arrogantly
as if he had not heard, as if there was a great weight in his ears. So
give him news of a painful punishment. (Surah Luqman, 7)
Their Lord gives them the good news of His mercy and good pleasure and
Gardens where they will enjoy everlasting delight. (Surat at-Tawba,
21)
The sufferings the unbelievers will experience in the Hereafter will
be incomparably greater than those in this world. Unbelievers will be
punished with a torment they have never imagined and the like of which
they have not previously experienced. The expression "blazing fire" is
used in several verses of the Qur'an in order to describe the
fierceness of the flames of Hell. In other verses, that fierceness is
described as follows:
But no! It is a Raging Blaze. Stripping away the limbs and scalp.
(Surat al-Ma'arij, 15-16)
Unlike this fierce torment in Hell,a very happy and peaceful
environment has been prepared for the people of Paradise. Allah, in
His mercy, has created Paradise for His faithful servants in the best
and most perfect manner. Allah is pleased with them and will reward
them witheternal joy. In the Qur'an, the following is stated:
Allah has promised the men andwomen of the believers Gardenswith
rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, for ever, and
fine dwellings in the Gardens of Eden. And Allah's good pleasure is
even greater. That is the great victory. (Surat at-Tawba, 72)
Allah has revealed the difference between Paradise and Hell in another verse:
An image of the Garden which ispromised to those who guard against
evil: in it there are rivers of water which will never spoil and
rivers of milk whose taste will never change and rivers of wine,
delightful to all who drinkit, and rivers of honey of undiluted
purity; in it they will have fruit of every kind and forgiveness from
their Lord. Is that like those who will be in the Fire timelessly, for
ever, withboiling water to drink which lacerates their bowels? (Surah
Muhammad, 15)
Imam Ghazali has invited people to think rationally on this matterby
considering in his commentaries the sharp differences, as regards to
pains and blessings, between Paradiseand Hell:
Know that there is another home (And that is Paradise) in contrast to
sorrow and sadness (i.e. flame), the abode of Hell youknow. Consider
the blessings and joys it will impart. That is because he who is far
removed from one of these will definitely find a decision in the
other. Think long and hard about the terrors of Hell and fix them in
your heart. Also think long and hard about the eternal
blessingspromised to the people of Paradise and fix a hope in your
heart. Drive earthly desires with the whip of fear and bring them to
the true path by means of hope. In this way you will attain a great
existence and be saved from a painful torment. Considerthe people of
Paradise, on whose faces is the beauty of the blessings of Paradise.
Souls are permanent, thereby finding what they desire. In Paradise
they neither fear nor are downcast. They are free of the fear of
death.
Then consider the chambers of Paradise and the height and variety of
the degrees of Paradise. That is because the Hereafter is the greatest
in terms of degree and in terms of virtue. In the same way that in
this world people are different in terms of external religious
observances and esoteric pleasing moral values, so there will be
differences in the rewards and punishments people will receive for
their deeds in this world. If you wish to attain the highest degrees
in Paradise then try to ensure noneexceed you in worship of and
obedience to Allah." (Imam Ghazali, Kalplerin Kesfi [The Discovery of
Hearts], pp. 534, 535, 539)
As we have seen, a person has two alternatives for the Afterlife:He or
she will choose either Hell, with nothing but eternal and
indescribable suffering, or Paradise, with the greatest happiness and
beauty. All rational people will of course choose Paradise, "a place
full of happiness and infinite blessings." That is because nobody
wishes to spend all eternity without the possibility of salvation
except by the will of Allah, in a place devoid of all physical and
spiritual beauty, in a state of constant suffering, sorrow and regret.
Any normal individual will prefer to live in happiness for all
eternity with those he or she loves, in a place consisting solely of
blessings and happiness, and where no difficulty, trouble, evil or
imperfection is created.
The Hereafter is an absolute reality revealed by our Lord. In order to
be saved from terrible suffering in the Hereafter and to attain a
happy and prosperous end, people need to apprehend this truth. They
must spend the time allotted to them in the life of this world in
doing good deeds to gain the approval of Allah and trying to attain
the moral values beloved of Him.
Let us also note that nobody must rest content with what he or she has
already performed. Nobody can be certain that his or her past deeds
will be sufficient for salvation. From that point of view, a person
must both be joyful out of a hope of entering Paradise and also
increase the level of godly deeds performed out of a fear ofHell. As
revealed by Allah in the verse:"Wealth and sons are the embellishment
of the life of this world. But, in your Lord's sight, right actions
which are lasting bring a better reward and are a better basis for
hope." (Surat al-Kahf, 46)
In the knowledge that a constant effort is nearer to gaining the
approval of Allah, a person must continue to engagein godly works. As
in the words of the prayer of Prophet Ibrahim(as) revealed in the
Qur'an,"And make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Delight,"
(Surat ash-Shu'ara', 85), a person must pray to be rewarded with
Paradise by Allah.

THE TRUE SPHERE OF LIFE: THE HEREAFTER

We have so far concentrated on the way that the world is a temporary
and deceptive place, full of seductive delusion and false baubles. It
has also been explained that it is the eternal life in the Hereafter
that will be the true abode. In this chapter, we shall be seeing how
the Hereafter, the true sphere of life which every human being will
come to after death and live for all eternity, will be a very
different thing for believers and unbelievers.
THE ORIGINALS OF ALL THINGS ARE IN THE HEREAFTER
The definition in the Qur'an of the Afterlife as the "true life" is
amatter which all people should consider, which all people should
reflect upon. This expression in the Qur'an reveals that everything we
imagine to be real in the life of this world is in fact very
different. This life welive, the values which people spend a lifetime
following, and all the beautiful things they seekto acquire are all
"false" in comparison to the Hereafter. In other words, this world is
full of false passions, false emotions, false successes, false loves
and false friendships for those who do not seek the approval of Allah.
Believers, on the other hand, willexperience in this world the
happiness of hoping for Paradise, joy in the Afterlife and the "true"
and "complete" versions of such emotions as joy and happiness. That
being the case, a person needs to ask him or herself this: "If
everything I experience in this world is false and I can only
encounter the originals of them in the Hereafter, why should I make
dowith what is transitory and deceptive and lose, because of them,
their eternal and original counterparts? Why should I not strive to
attain beauties which will never fade and which will exist for ever?"
If a person asks him or herself that question with all due sincerity
and answers it with thesame sincerity, then he or she will strive for
the truth and live ahappy life in this world and also in the next. The
answer to these questions that every rational person will give is, of
course, "My most important aim in this world is to abide by the
approvalof Allah and to strive for my truelife, which will last for
all eternity in the Hereafter." Another question which every person
capable of seeing this must ask him or herself with thesame logic is
that addressed by the person to his people, as revealed in the Qur'an:
"Why indeed should I not worship Him Who brought me into being, Him to
Whom you will be returned?" (Surah Ya Sin, 22)
Human beings will eventually be directed to Allah and will encounter
the original counterparts of all worldly things in the Hereafter. For
that reason, they must sincerely consider the Hereafter, revealed as
the "true life" in the Qur'an, and to live by the moral values of the
Qur'an by giving thanks toour Lord, Who gave human beings such a great
blessing with His infinite mercy and kindness.

Fathwa - Wages and duration of labor contract must be specified

Question
Dear Shaykh, Assalaamhu Alaikum My question is about working for my
mother who has a house and wishes to rent roomsin it. She agreed, and
as I need to earn a proper salary/wage, she agreed to pay me every
month from the rental profits, provided I look after the running of
the property. Mother has said that she doesn't want any of the profit
and would allow me to have all of it as a wage in return to fulfilling
certain work conditions i.e. deal with estate agents or advertise for
tenants. Deal with any repairs such as calling out electricians,
plumbers etcand paying them out of the rental profits. Deal with
paying bills out of the rental profits. And dealing with tenants'
complaints and ensuring that they have what they need. The amount of
rental income she could receive could vary in the year according to
how many rooms we fill in or how long the tenants stay. Some months
she may get £600 and other months it could be £1200 and then other
months it could be £2400 or even more etc. The problem here is how
should a work contract in Islam bemade between my mother and I? Should
there be a defined fixed period of a beginning and an end stipulated
(and renewed if necessary), and should she pay me a fixed wage/salary
as opposed to me accepting any odd amount that we are left with at the
end of the month for the same conditions required of me? And also
there may be times where nothing is required of me i.e. a month or two
may pass and the tenants have no need of me or there are no repairs to
be made or no bill to pay etc. Am I still entitled to my wage/salary
for this period within the contract? Is it permissiblefor me to except
whatever amount we receive in total profit at the end of the month,
every month i.e. £600 one month, £1800 the next month etc. for my
services on the basis that my mother has agreed to not wanting any of
the profit and has said that I can take all of it? Please advise me as
to how I should go about all of this insha'Allah.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad,
is His Slave and Messenger.
There is nothing wrong with working with your mother in running the
house for her, however, there should be a fixed fee and it is not
appropriate for it to be unknown, i.e. to be what remains after paying
billsand the like from the rental income from the rooms. In addition,
this income is not stable for itmay be little or much.
Anyway, you can agree with your mother to get a fixed salary and if
whatremains from the rent money exceeds it, she can give it to you as
a giftif she wills. Also, you haveto agree with her on a fixed period
of the contract and it may be onan annual or monthly basis, i.e. that
a specific sum of money for each month or so.
Allaah Knows best.

Fathwa - An item that involves Riba in PayPal and Alipay user agreement

Question
Assalamo alikom When I read PayPal and Alipay user aggrement I found
thoes items are not clear to me: PayPal 4.1 Balances. If you hold a
balance, PayPal will hold your funds in pooled accounts separate from
its corporate funds, and it will not use your funds for its operating
expenses or for any othercorporate purposes. PayPal will not
voluntarily make your funds available to its creditors in the event of
bankruptcy. You will not receive interest or other earnings on the
amounts in your balance. PayPal may receive interest on amounts that
PayPal holds on your behalf. Youagree to assign your rights to PayPal
for any interest derived from your funds. Alipay (Escrow) 9. General
Provisions 9.6 Alipay shallhave the right to assign this Agreement
(including all of our rights, titles, benefits, interests, and
obligationsand duties in this Agreement) to any of ouraffiliates and
to any successor in interest. Alipay may delegate certain of Alipay
rights and responsibilities under this Agreement to independent
contractors or other third parties. User may not assign, in whole or
part, this Agreement to any personor entity. So is this deal are Riba
(interest) ? kind regards
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
MuhammadisHis slave and Messenger.
This condition is considered a forbidden Riba (usury and/or interest)
condition if the company deposits the balance of its customers in
Riba-based banks, and this is what appears fromthe question.
This company explicitly states that it receives interests from the
amounts deposited on behalf of the client. Under this agreement, the
client agrees to allocate to the company his rights in those interests
resulting from his balance (money deposited in the bank). Of course
these interests are not resulting from an Islamic Mudhaarabah or a
legitimate transaction whereas it is saved in a Riba-based bank as we
have mentioned. For more benefit on Mudhaarabah, please refer to Fatwa
148103.
The fact that the owner of the money does not take the interests
resulting from that for himself does not exempt him from sin, whether
hetakes the interest himself or that he leaves it to the company under
that condition.
Allaah Knows best.

Fathwa - Criteria of currency exchange online

Question
Assalam-u-Alaikum! I am doing Online E-currency Money Exchange
Businessand Brokery. Online E-currency exchange including these online
accounts or payment processor: Liberty Reserve, Payza & Paypal etc.
Liberty Reserve is an online e-currency account or payment processor
where we can send and receive money only but cannot deposit money
directly to our Liberty Reserve Account &cannot cashout directly from
Liberty Reserve Account to our bank account or credit or debitcard
instead we can contact any online international exchanger for cashout
money recommended by Liberty Reserve or a local exchanger living in
our country. Its mean, in bothcases, cashout and deposit money, we
must have to contact any exchanger whether it is international
exchanger or local exchanger of our country or any individual, and
both international and national exchanger will take some fees in order
to cashout or deposit your money to your BankAccount, Card or Western
Union etc as per request. This is Liberty Reserve Terms of Service.
Now, this is what I do: 1) For example: Dollar ($) rate inPakistan,
today is 100RS. Someone want to deposit$100 in his liberty
reserveaccount or want to purchase $100 of liberty reserve, he contact
me to buy and I have a local exchanger of liberty reserve, which sell
me 1 Dollar($) per 103RS ($ today is 100RS but he selling in 103RS by
making 3RS his profit, by considering all of his feesand taxes as he
deposit by some exchanger to hisliberty reserve account). Now, I
purchase $100 in 103 RS rate and sell to another party $100 in 106RS
rate, by making 3RS profit per Dollar($). Now, tell me is it profit
permissible for me? Can I continue my this exchange business? And
Ihave party, which can sellme daily $100 in 95RS and I can sell to
another party in 100RS by makingmy profit. So, Can I continue this?
Both parties seller and buyer know the current rates oftoday of
Dollar($). I am hardly waiting for my answer... Jazakallah
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad,
is His Slave and Messenger.
If the transaction of exchanging currencies and selling them for
eachother whether between you and the company or individuals adhered
to the Islamic guidelines, then there is no blame onyou regarding that
transaction and the profits you get from it. The most important of
such guidelines is that the exchange should takeplace in the same
meeting of concluding the contract hand-to-hand, physically or in a
non-physical way, and amongst its non-physical forms is what was
stated in the statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council:
"Among the non-physical forms of receiving the value that are
permissible are the following:
1- Transferring money into the agent's account in the following ways:
a. When it is deposited into the agent's account, directly or via wire transfer.
b. When the agent makesan immediate currency exchange contract with
the bank in case of buying one currency for another on behalf of the
agent.
c. When the bank – on the instructions of the agent – deducts a sum
ofmoney from another account in a different currency, whether it is in
the same bank or another bank, to the benefit of the agent or another
beneficiary. The banks should pay attention to ensuring that they act
in accordance with the principles of Islamic exchange. The delay in
transferring the money before the beneficiary is actually able to take
possession of it may be overlooked for the usual amount of time that
such transfers take in the banking system, but it is not permissible
for the beneficiary to dispose of the currency during this grace
period, until the bank transaction takes effect in the sense that it
becomes possible to actually receive that sum of money. [End quote]
Also, it is stipulated whenselling currency for the same currency to
be of equal amounts along with what we have stated that the exchange
must take place in the same meeting (i.e. being hand to hand).
However, if the currencies are different such as selling aDollar for
Rupee, then it is only stipulated that theexchange must take place in
the same meeting, and not be of equal amounts. Accordingly, there is
no blame on the company if it sells 1 Dollar for 103 Rupees rate, and
there is no blame on you if you sell 1 Dollar for 106 Rupees rate or
more, even if that is greater than its value in the market because the
most important thing is that the exchange takes place in the same
meeting if currencies are different. We have pointed out the
guidelines of dealing in currency exchange online in Fatwa 88034,
soplease refer to it.
Allaah Knows best.

Evolutionary claims aboutantibiotic resistance and immunity

Evolutionists propose that the resistance that bacteria develop
against antibiotics, and the immunity that some insects develop
against DDT are evidence for evolution. They claim that these are
examples of acquired resistance and immunity, brought about by
mutations thattook place in the living things exposed to these
substances.
In both bacteria and insects, these characteristics are not properties
that were subsequently acquired against DDT or antibiotics as a result
of mutations. Some of these living things possessed these
characteristics beforethe population as a whole was subjected to
antibiotics or DDT. Although considered a pro-evolutionistperiodical,
Scientific American, makes the following confession in its March 1998
issue: "Many bacteria possessed resistance genes even before
commercial antibiotics came into use. Scientists do not know exactly
why these genes evolved and were maintained."
As may be seen, genetic information that procures resistance had
existed prior to exposure to antibiotics and cannot be explained by
evolutionists; this proves the falsity of their claim.
The fact that resistant bacteria were present years before the
discovery of antibiotics is expressed inMedical Tribune, itself a
remarkable scientific publication, in its December 29, 1998 issue. The
article is concerned with an interesting event: In a study carried out
in 1986, the corpses of some sailors who fell sick and died during a
polar expedition in 1845 were found preserved in ice. Some common
19thcentury bacteria types were found in the corpses and when they
were tested, researchers were surprised to find that they were
resistant to many modern antibiotics that were not developed until the
20thcentury Ce.
It is a well-known fact in medical circles that this sort of
resistance was present in many bacteria populations prior to the
discovery of penicillin. Therefore, it is absolutely deceptive to
postulate the resistance of bacteria as an evolutionary development.
How, then, does the so-called process of "bacterialacquisition of
immunity" take place?
Resistance of Bacteria to Antibiotics
Bacteria have numerous variations within their types. Some of these
variations harbour the genetic information to be resistant to
different drugs, chemicals or other substances. When the bacteria as a
whole group are exposed to a certain type of drug, those that are not
resistant to that drug are destroyed whereas those that areresistant
survive and get the chance to reproduce more. The non-resistant
bacteria soon disappear from the population and are replaced by those
that are resistant, which then rapidly reproduce. Eventually we end up
with a bacterial colony made up only of individuals that are resistant
to that particular antibiotic and from then on, that particular
antibiotic becomes ineffective against this bacteria type. The crucial
point is that the bacteria are still the same bacteria and the species
is still the same species.
It is important to note here that, contrary to the claims of
evolutionists, there is no evolutionary process taking placein which
non-resistant bacteria mutate and convert into resistantbacteria
strains by being exposedto antibiotics and thus acquire new genetic
information. What istaking place is only a weeding-out of particular
bacteria variations from a population of resistant and non-resistant
variations that co-existed from the very beginning. This does not mark
the emergence of a new bacteria species: it is not "evolution". On the
contrary, one or more of the existing variationsdisappear, which is
quite the reverse process since genetic information is being lost.
Immunity of Insects to DDT
Another issue that evolutionists seek to distort and offer as evidence
for evolution is the seemingly "acquired" immunity of insects of DDT
that we mentioned earlier. This immunitydevelops in the same manner as
bacterial resistance does to antibiotics. Immunity to DDT can by no
means be said to have been"acquired" by individual members of the
insect population. Some of the insects were already immune to DDT.
After the discovery of DDT, insectsthat were exposed to this chemical
but did not have this inherent immunity were eliminated from the
population, which is to say, they became extinct. Those that were
immune-- and originally these were relatively few in the population --
increased in time. Eventually, the entire insect species became a
population whose members were all immune. When that happened, DDT
ceased to be effective against this species of insect. This phenomenon
is commonly, but misleadingly, referred to as "insects' acquisition of
immunity to DDT".
Evolutionist biologist Francisco Ayala admits this fact by saying:
"The genetic variants required forresistance to the most diverse kinds
of pesticides were apparently present in every one of the populations
exposed to these man-made compounds."
Being well aware that the majority of people do not have anopportunity
to learn about microbiology nor do researches in it, evolutionists
employ plain deceit where the issues of resistance and immunity are
concerned. They frequently bring up these examples as very important
evidence for evolution.It should be clear by now, that neither the
resistance of bacteria to antibiotics nor the immunity of insects to
DDT provides evidence for evolution. What theydo provide, are good
examples ofthe distortion and hoodwinking methods that evolutionists
have recoursed to in order to justify their theory.
To conclude, one clearly sees the falsehood the evolutionists are upon
and this leads to the fact that Allaah is the Creator of all things
and not evolution.

How children receive Ramadhaan

Laying down the book I looked up at Tessniem. "OK, so what are we
going to do this Ramadhaan?" Her cheerful face lit up. "Paint the
windows." Looking at my pretty white sheers I forced my head to nod.
"OK, what else do we do during Ramadhaan?" Omar jumped off the couch…
"Not eat, ah, I mean fast." "That's right, we fast for a whole month,"
said Tessniem, gently wrapping her arms around her chest and hugging
her self. "I love Ramadhaan, it's fun." Omar said, "Yea, it's great,
we get to choose whatever we want to break our fast with."
I could tell by his eyes that he was remembering steaming corn dogs
out of the oven dipped in ketchup with a glass of chocolate milk. "And
what makes that food taste so especially good?" I asked sitting upon
the couch. Omar raised his hand high into the air like he was in
class. "I know, I know," he screamed." Omar you can put your hand
down, we aren't in class now." Omar lowered his arm and smiled
"because we are doing it for Allaah and when we eat we remember
Allaah."
Tessniem jumped in, "and the poor people who don't have any food like
the ones in Somailia and Ba…" Omar turned toher, "you meanBosnia."
Tessniem looked up at Omar "yea Bas, that placeOmar said." Omar's head
lowered and his mouth's edges dipped down. Taking his hand. "What's
wrong Omar?" "I just remembered the stories about the Bosnians eating
grass because there was nothing to eat during the war." Breathing
deep, "yea, there is a lot to be thankful for." Tessniem walked up to
me with her shoulder raised close to her ears. "Remember that picture
of the Somalibaby on the ground and the vulture waiting for him to
die?" I did not even have to think back, the picture is forever seared
in my memory.
Placing my arms around Tessniem, I brought her close to me on the
couch.Omar scooted over to me and hugged my other arm. Looking at the
floor,he leaned his cheek against my arm. "Mama?"he whispered. I made
a soft hmm to let him knowI was listening. "Can we send them some
money so they can buy food?" Sitting up I smiled, "Yes, every year we
give them Zakaat."
Rubbing his eyes I could see his wheels spinning in his brain, got up
and ran to his bedroom. I thought for a minute he was going off to
cry. I could hear the closet door open and the soundof jingling down
the hallway. He quickly turned the corner and stopped abruptly in
frontof me holding out a plastic spice container filled with paper
riyals and change. With his facesolemn he moved it closer to me so I
could take it from him. "Omar, what do you want me to do with it?"
With puzzledexpression he looked at me like I was seriously confused.
"Mom… It's for the poor people, who don't have any food."
Taking the plastic container, I started slowly unscrewing the red lid.
"And how much do you want to give to them?" Omar scrunched up his face
and held out his right hand upward as if to say 'you still don't get
it?' He sighed heavily and took the container and dumped it onto my
lap. "All of it Mom!" I thought I should get into the concept of
percentages for Zakaat, but it just didn't seem appropriate.
Looking down on my lap,I knew he had been saving his money for a
Spiderman at Wonder World. I was getting ready to tell him about the
reward from Allaah when Tessniem appearedin the living room with her
spice container bank.Smiling she untwisted the red lid and dumped the
money on my lap too.Too touched for words, I hugged them. Looking
atthe money, Tessniem laid her hand on her cheek thinking. Softly she
whispered, "maybe it willbuy enough food for thatlittle boy so he can
get upand the vulture won't eathim."
Of course the most logicalthing to tell her is that the picture was
taken over two years ago and most probably the child never got up and
was never buried. But only Allaah knows what happened, and this little
girl needed to know that by the mercy she receivesfrom Allaah there
was still hope.

Keep the spirit of Ramadhaan alive all year

As we enter upon the month of Shawaal, let us not leave off the many
acts of worship we performed during the blessed month of Ramadhaan.
Ramadhaan, for most of us, was a time of renewal and reestablishment
of our commitment to Allaah and His religion.
We fasted, gave charity, read the Quran and performed the night
prayer. We avoided gossip, slander and every evil that would
invalidate our fasting. But now that Ramadhaan is over, the majority
of us, unfortunately, willput the Quran back on the shelves, will
suspend fasting untilnext year and will abandon the night prayer. This
is not the way it should be, because all of these acts of worship
carry rewards and are of benefit to us throughout the year, in
addition to the fact that there is no divine prescription limiting
them to Ramadhaan.
The Quran
It's sad, but true, that many of ushave fallen into the bad habit of
only reciting the Quran during the month of Ramadhaan. By doing this,
we cheat ourselves out of the abundant blessings that come from
reading the words of Allaah. Reading the Quran is the best way to
remember Allaah, it is a protection from the Satan and in it are cures
for what ails us. For Allaah says (what means):"O mankind, there has
come to you a protection from your Lord and a healing for what is in
your hearts and for those who believe,a guidance and a mercy."[Quran;
10:57]
The Messenger of Allaahsaid:"Whoever reads a letter of the Book of
Allaah (Quran) shall have a good deed (recorded for him orher) and
every good deed is increased a ten-fold (reward). I do not say that
Alif Laam Meem isone letter, but rather Alif is a letter, Laam is a
letter and Meem is a letter."[At-Tirmithi]
The Quran is also the best way fora servant to draw closer to his or
her Lord. Khabbaab Ibn Al-Aratsaid to a man: "Draw closer to Allaah as
much asyou can, andremember that you can do so by no means more
pleasing to Him than by His own Words (i.e. the Quran)."
The Night Prayer
Many of us passed the nights of the month of Ramadhaan, especially the
last ten, standing in prayer before Allaah. Just because Ramadhaan is
over, doesnot mean that Allaah does not see us now if we stand in the
night prayer. Allaah Says (what means):"Surely your Lord knows (O
Muhammad) that you stand (inprayer) two thirds of the night, or half
of it, or a third of it..."[Quran; 73:20]
The Messenger of Allaahsaid:"The best prayer, after the obligatory
prayer, is the night prayer."[Muslim]
The night prayer carries with it many blessings. For example,
Al-Hassanwas asked: "How is it that those who stay up at night have
the most attractive faces?" Hereplied, "Because they are on intimate
terms with The Merciful, and He adorns themwith some of His light."
And for those of us who feel that standing in the night prayer will
leave us tired and unable to go about our daily tasks in the morning,
we should consider the following words of Allaah's Prophet.
Hesaid:"When any of you sleeps, Satan ties three knots at the back of
his head. On each knot he repeats and exhalesthe following words, 'The
night islong, so stay asleep.' If you wake up and remember Allaah, one
knot is undone and if you perform ablution the second knot is undone
and if you pray, the third knot is undone, and youget up in the
morning full of energy and with a clear heart. Otherwise, you will get
up feelinglazy and with a muddled heart."[Al-Bukhaari]
Fasting
The Prophetsaid: "Whoever fasts a day in the way of Allaah, Allaah
will place between him and the Fire a trench like that between the
heavens and the earth." [At-Tirmithi]
Likewise, fasting wipes away the evils that arise out of person's
wealth, family or neighbor. Huthayfah Ibn Al-Yamaannarrated that the
Messenger of Allaahsaid:"The evils caused for a man through his
family, wealth and neighbor are expiated by prayer, fasting and
charity."[Al-Bukhaari]
The Prophetexplained to us that fasting protects us from our unlawful
desires, shields us from the hell fire and draws us closer to Allaah
and His Paradise. Healso encouraged us to fast at least three days
each month. The best days for this optional fastingare Mondays and
Thursdays, or the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth days of the
lunar month.
Charity
Allaah has blessed most of us to live relatively comfortable lives.
But there are Muslims all over theworld that find great difficulty in
attaining the most basic necessities of life. During Ramadhaan most of
us give in charity, but we forget to do so for the rest of the year.
Giving charity is of greater benefit to theone who gives it, than to
the one who receives it. It is a means of purifying our wealth,
increasing our faith and attaining righteousness. Allaah Says (what
means):"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the
East or West, but it is righteousness to believe in Allaah, and the
Last Day, and the angels, and the Books, and the prophets and gives
wealth, in spite of love for it,to the kinsfolk,the orphans, the
needy, and to the wayfarer..."[Quran; 2:177]
Giving in charity also allows us to express our faith. To truly taste
the sweetness of faith, we must want for our brothers and sisterswhat
we want for ourselves. For the Prophetsaid:"None of you will have
faith until he likes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for
himself."[Al-Bukhaari]
Clearly, fasting, praying during the night, reading the Book of Allaah
and giving charity should not be relegated to Ramadhaan alone. These
good deeds, and others like staying away from gossip and slander, are
all things we should do all the time. By keeping the spirit of
Ramadhaan alive throughout the year, we cansafeguard our religion and
will beable to seize many opportunities to earn the mercy and
blessings of Allaah.

Dought & clear - There is no stipulation that Jumu‘ah prayer should be offered ina masjid or jaami‘.

One of my acquaintence comented that, Juma is only valid in a place
where all five daily prayers are being offered in congregation.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no stipulation that Jumu'ah prayer should be offered in a
masjid or jaami' according to the majority of fuqaha' of the Hanafi,
Shaafa'i and Hanbali madhhabs, unlike the Maalikis.
It says in al-Bahr al-Raa'iq (2/162), which is a Hanafi book: The
words "and general permission" mean: The condition of it being valid
is that it should be done in the usual manner. So, for example,if a
ruler were to close the gates of the fortress and lead his family and
troops in offering Jumu'ah prayer, that is not valid. This is what it
says in al-Khulaasah. In al-Muheet it says that if he opens the gate
of his palace and gives the people permission to enter, it is valid
althoughit is makrooh, because he did not fulfil the rightof the
Jaami' mosque. End quote.
It says in Tarh al-Tathreeb (3/190): Our view (i.e., the Shaafa'i
madhhab) is that establishing Jumu'ah is not only to be done in the
mosque; rather it may be performed in an ordinary building. If they do
it in a place other than a mosque, the one who enters that place
should not pray during the khutbah, because there is no "greeting"
(2-rak'ah prayer upon entering) for it. End quote.
It says in al-Insaaf (2/378), which is a Hanbali book: With regard to
the words "it is permissible to performit in various buildings or
buildings that are on theedge of the wilderness", this is the view of
our madhhab and it is the view of most of the scholars of the madhhab,
many of whom stated it definitively. And it was said that it is not
permissible to perform itanywhere except in the jaami'. End quote.
With regard to the Maalikis, they stipulated that it must be performed
in the jaami', as stated above.
Khaleel al-Maaliki said concerning the conditions of Jumu'ah: [It
should be] in a jaami' that is built separately.
In al-Taaj wa'l-Ikleel (2/520) it says: "In the jaami'." Ibn Basheer
said: The jaami ' is one of the conditions of offering this prayer.
Ibn Rushd said: It is not validto establish Jumu'ah except in a
designated mosque. Al-Baaji said: One of the conditions is a mosque
that is built specifically for that purpose in the usual style of
mosques. End quote.
To sum up:
Jumu'ah prayer in the place mentioned is valid according to the
majority of scholars, if it is not possible to allocate a specific
place for the Muslims to pray and if they cannot go to the nearest
mosque or Islamic centre in which Jumu'ah prayer is offered.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear - Is it prescribed not to do the prostration of forgetfulness in Jumu‘ah and Eid prayer?.

Dear brother i came to know from my father that prostration of
forgetfulness should notb done during friday salah and eid, how far is
it true i was going on searching it on ur website but i couldnt find
it please provide meif any evidence.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
We have previously discussed the ruling on Eid prayer in the answers
to questions no. 48983and 49014.
In the answer to question no. 45456we stated that it is prescribed to
do the prostration of forgetfulness (sujood as-sahw) in naafil prayers
just as it is prescribed in obligatory prayers; it is exactly the
same. This is the view of the majority of scholars.
That is because the basicprinciple is that it is prescribed to do the
prostration of forgetfulness in prayer when there is the reasonfor
doing it, and the Lawgiver made no differentiation between obligatory
and naafil prayers in that regard.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The prostration of forgetfulness is prescribed in all prayers,both
naafil and obligatory, because of the general meaning of the hadeeths.
End quote from Majmoo'Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 30;13.
There is no disagreement that Jumu'ah prayer is obligatory, so the
requirement to compensate for mistakesby doing the prostrationof
forgetfulness in this prayer is more certain.
With regard to Eid prayer, whether we say it is obligatory or naafil,
it is like all other prayers; if a person makes a mistake he should
compensate for itby doing the prostrationof forgetfulness.
We have not found any one among the scholars, either the imams of the
four madhhabs or other leading fuqaha', who differentiate between the
prayers and Jumu'ahand Eid prayer, with regard to the prostration of
forgetfulness.
However, the well-known view amongst the later Hanafis is that it is
betternot to do the prostrationof forgetfulness in Jumu'ah and Eid
prayer if a large number of people are present, lest that confuse the
worshippers, although in principle they also do not differentiate in
the ruling on prostration of forgetfulness between obligatory and
naafil prayers; rather they thought it was better not to do it with a
large congregation for the reasons mentioned.
Burhaani ad-Deen al-Bukhaari al-Hanafi said in al-Muheet, 2/229:
It says in al-Asl: Making mistakes (or forgetting) in the Eid prayer,
Jumu'ah, obligatory and voluntary prayers is the same, because Jumu'ah
and Eid prayers are the same as other prayers with regard to what
mayspoil them, and they are the same with regard to what is required
as compensation, except that our shaykhs said: They should not do the
prostration of forgetfulness in Jumu'ahand Eid prayers, lest that
cause people to fall into confusion. End quote.
Abu Bakr al-Haddaadi said in al-Jawharah an-Nayyirah, 1/95:
Prostration of forgetfulness in Jumu'ah, Eid and obligatory prayers is
all the same; what is meant is that one should do theprostration of
forgetfulness in all prayers (if required). Butsome of the shaykhs
saidthat the imam should not do the prostration offorgetfulness in
Jumu'ahor Eid prayer lest he cause confusion to thosewho are far away
from the imam. End quote.
Ibn 'Aabideen said in al-Haashiyah, 2/157:
The favoured view among the later scholarsis that he should not do the
prostration of forgetfulness in Jumu'ahand Eid prayer, lest the
ignorant think that something has been added. This is what it says in
as-Siraaj and elsewhere. But that doesnot mean that it is not
permissible; rather it is better not to do it so that the people will
not become confused. End quote.
It is clear from the wordsof Ibn 'Aabideen and others that this
opinion is only well-known among the later Hanafis. As for the imams
of the madhhabs and the earlier scholars, this is not known from them;
rather what is well known from them is the opposite, as is clear
fromthe above. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ash-Shaybaani, the companion of
Imam Abu Haneefah, the propagator of his madhhab and the faqeeh of
Iraq, said that the prostration of forgetfulness should be done (if
required) in the Eid prayer, Jumu ah and all other prayers.
Abu Sulaymaan al-Jawzjaani said: I said –i.e., to Muhammad ibn
al-Hasan – Do you think that the prostration of forgetfulness is the
samein the Eid prayer, Jumu'ah, and in the obligatory and
voluntaryprayers? He said: Yes.
Al-Mabsoot, 1/383
This is the correct view, which is in accordance with the opinion of
the majority of scholars. What was quoted above from the later Hanafis
is an opinion and juristic preference, but it is an opinion that is
superseded.
The correct view is what is stated above, that the prostration of
forgetfulness is prescribed in all prayers,whether obligatory or
naafil, if the reason for doing it is present. Thereis no
differentiation between Eid prayer, Jumu'ah prayer, or any other
prayer, whether obligatory or naafil.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear - Why is Friday singled out for greatimportance?.

I want to know why Friday Prayer is important and Different then other ?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, chose Friday to be the best of
days before Him, and He singled it out for major events and great
qualities, which are the reason why Muslims are obliged to venerate
this day and take it as one oftheir Eids or festivals in which Allah
has prescribed rituals that He has not prescribed for other days.
On our website we have previously quoted a great deal of evidence
tosupport this view, whichyou can see in the answers to the
followingquestions: 9211, 12309and 13692
Secondly:
Moreover, Jumu'ah prayer has a particular virtue and great qualities
through the barakah (blessing) of this great day.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Jumu'ah prayer is singled out from among all the other obligatory
prayers for having particular characteristicsthat are not found in
other prayers, including the fact that it is offered in congregation,
has a minimum number of worshippers required in order for it to be
valid, the iqaamah is a condition of its being valid, one must not be
travelling in order for it to be obligatory, and therecitation is done
out loud.
There is an emphasis on its imortance the like of which is not
mentioned for other prayers except 'Asr prayer. In the four Sunans it
is narrated in the hadeeth of Abu'l-Ja'dad-Dumari – who was a
Companion – that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said: "Whoever misses three Jumu'ahs out of heedlessness,
Allah will place a seal on his heart."
End quote from Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/384-385.
The Prophet's Sunnah also singles out Jumu'ah prayer by encouraging
believers to do ghusl for it and to wear perfume (for men only). It is
also strongly encouraged to come early for the prayer and there is a
great deal of reward for walking to the prayer. Concerning these
specialcharacteristics, Sa'eed ibn Mansoor narrated from Na'eem ibn
'Abdullah al-Mujammir that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased
with him) issuedinstructions that the mosque of Madinah be perfumed
with incense every Friday at midday, as was narrated by Ibn al-Qayyim
in Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/370.
Thirdly:
The main reason for venerating Friday prayeris because of the divine
decree that singled out this prayer and this day for special virtues.
This isone of the manifestations of Allah's Lordship (ruboobiyyah), as
He alone singles out for veneration whateverHe Wills of His creation
and whatever times and places He chooses. He is the One Who does
whatever He wills for reasons that He, may He be glorified, knows.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is the only One Who has the
power to create and to choose from among His creation. Allah, may He
be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): "And your Lord
creates whatsoever He wills and chooses" [al-Qasas 28:68]. If you
ponder this creation, you will realize that this choosing and singling
out are proof of His Lordship and Oneness, and of the perfection of
His wisdom, knowledge and might; that He is Allah, besides Whom there
is no other god, and He has no partner who can create as He creates,
or choose as He chooses, or control as Hecontrols. This choice,
control and singling out,the effects of which are evident in this
world, are among the greatest signs of His Lordship andthe greatest
testimony to His Oneness, the perfection of His attributes and the
truthfulness of His Messengers.
End quote from Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/40-43
Al-'Allaamah Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) also stated
that this singling out and choice are indicative of the inherent
virtue of the thing chosen, for which Allah blessed this time. By His
knowledge and wisdom, Allah may grantto a certain place, time or
person that which qualifies it to be chosen by Allah and favoured
above others.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This concept may not be understood by the one who regards all
individuals, deeds, times and places as equal, and claims that there
is nothing inherent that makes one thing better than another, and that
precedence is given to some things over others for no reason. This
view is invalid for more than forty reasons that I have listed
elsewhere. It is sufficient, in order to understand the falsenessof
this view and how corrupt it is, to note that Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, refuted this false view when He said
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And when there comes to them a sign (from Allah) they say: 'We shall
not believe until we receive the like of that which the Messengers
ofAllah had received.' Allahknows best with whom to place His Message"
[al-An'aam 6:124].
"Allah knows best with whom to place His Message" means: not everyone
is qualified or fit to convey His Message; rather the Message has
those who are suited to conveying it and it cannot befit anybut these
people; Allah knows better than you who these people are. If all
individuals were equal -- as these people claim -- there could
havebeen no argument against them in this verse.
Similarly, Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Thus We have tried some of them with others, that they might say: 'Is
it these (poor believers) that Allah has favoured from amongst us?'
Does not Allah knowbest those who are grateful?"
[al-An'aam 6:53].
What is meant is: Allah knows best who will give thanks for His
blessings, so He singles them out for His bounty from among those who
will not be grateful to Him. Not everyone is fit to thank Him or to
receive His blessings andbe singled out for this honour. Those
individuals and places and so on that Allah chooses have some inherent
qualities that are not found in other people and places, and itis for
that reason that Allah chose them, gave them precedence because of
those virtues and selected them. This is His creation and His choice.
"And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses" [al-Qasas
28:68]. Allah does not choose anything and give it precedence except
for a reason that led to it being singled out and given precedence.
Yes, He is the One Who created this reason, as He is the One Who
created it then chose it after creating it.
End quote from Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/53-54
To sum up, all the characteristics of this great prayer are by the
grace of Allah, may He beglorified and exalted, to His slaves. He
chose it by His decree and singled it out for His bounty and
blessings, thus it attained this great importance in this worldand in
the Hereafter.
And Allah knows best.

Story of Strong Faith: I want to buy a Miracle

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a 'Glass Jelly Jar' from
its hiding place in the closet.
Little girl poured the change out on the floor and counted it
carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No
chance here for mistakes.
Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap,
she slipped out the back doorand made her way to 6 blocks to Rashid's
Drug Store with the big Red Indian Chief sign above the door. Little
girl waited patiently for the Pharmacist to give her some attention
but he was too busy at this moment. Little girl (Tasneem) twisted her
feet to make a scuffing noise; Nothing. She cleared her throat with
the most disgusting sound she could muster; No good. Finally she took
a coin from her Jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!
"And what do you want?"the Pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of
voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Lahore whom I haven't seen in
ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question.
"Well, I want to buy an mmm..."
The Pharmacist stared back in the same annoyed tone.
"He's really; really sick.... and I want to buy a miracle."
"I beg your pardon?" saidthe Pharmacist.
"My brother name is Aslam and he has something bad growing inside his
head and my Daddy says only a miraclecan save my brother now. So how
much does a miracle cost?"
"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help
you," the Pharmacist said, softening a little.
"Listen, I have the money to pay for miracle. If it isn't enough, I
will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs?"
The Pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man from Lahore. He
stooped down and asked the littlegirl, "What kind of a miracle does
your brother need?"
"I don't know," Tasneem replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know
he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy
can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."
"How much do you have?" asked the man from Lahore.
"Ten and half rupees. Andit's all the money I have, but I can get some
more if I need to."
"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "Ten and half rupees - the
exact price of a miracle for your littlebrother."
He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her
hand and said: "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother
and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need."
That well dressed man from Lahore was Dr. Ashraf Beg, a surgeon
specializing in Neuro-Surgery. The operation was completed free of
charge and it wasn't longuntil Aslam was home again and doing well.
Mom and Dad were happily talking about thechain of events that had led
them to this place.
"That Surgery," her Mom whispered. "Was a real miracle. I wonder how
much it would have cost?"
Tasneem smiled. She knew exactly how much a miraclecost ... Ten and
half rupees ...plus the faith of a little girl.
Noble Qur'an says:"And when I am ill, it is He Whocures me."(26:80)
And mom also knew exactly how much a miracle cost ... selfless
devotion to their profession by doctors likeAshraf Beg ...
Noble Qur'an says: "Thosewho before them, had homes (in Medina) and
had adopted the Faith; they show their selfless love and affection to
those (Muslims) who came to them for refuge, and they entertain no
desire in their hearts for things they give out (to the needy), but
give them preference over themselves, even though poverty was their
(own lot). And those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, -
they are the ones that achieveprosperity." (59:9)

Islam and Self-Judgment and Self-Control

Ayatulla Agha Haji Mirza Mahdi Pooya says this state of cautiousness
and precaution is Taqwa, the highest form of God mindedness.
Self-Judgment is to call oneself to account every day regarding the
good deeds and wrongdoings. If the scale of acts of obedience
overweighs that of acts of disobedience, we must thank Allah (SWT),
lest wemust discipline ourselves.
Self-Control stands for protecting oneself against breach of the
obligatory religious rites and the commitment of the forbidden.
It is necessary for the rational to train himself on self-judgment and
self-control, since all human souls are susceptible to evil. If
theyare neglected, they go away from the right, but if they are
controlled by means of guidance, they shine with virtues:
"... And (I swear) by the soul and that (Power) which designed it and
inspired it with knowledge of evil and piety, those who purify their
souls will certainly have everlasting happiness and those whocorrupt
their souls will certainly be deprived of happiness." Noble Qur'an
(91:7-10)
Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw) said: "Before you do a matter that you
intend, you should investigate its end result; if it is good, you then
should keep on. If not, you should not do it."
Imam Ali (as) related: When he received the warriors that he had
appointed for a campaign, Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw) said to them:
"Welcome to the people who performed successfully the minor Jihad.
Their mission now is to perform completely the major Jihad. The major
Jihad is self-control. The best form of Jihad isto strive one's
desires and whims."
Self-Confidence that gavehim the power:
A business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out.
Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He
sat on the Park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save
his company from bankruptcy.
Suddenly an old man appeared before him. "I can see that something
istroubling you," he said. After listening to the executive's woes,
the old man said, "I believe I can help you." He asked the man his
name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying, "Take
this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay
me back at that time." Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he
had come.
The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000, signed by
John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world! "I can
erase my money worries in an instant!" he realized. But instead, the
executive decided to put the un-cashed check in his safe. Just knowing
it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his
business, he thought.
With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended termsof
payment. He closed several big sales. Within afew months, he was out
of debt and making money once again. Exactly one year later, he
returned to the park withthe un-cashed check. At the agreed-upon time,
the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back
the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and
grabbed the old man.
"I'm so glad I caught him!" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been
botheringyou. He's always escapingfrom the rest home and telling
people he's John D. Rockefeller." And she led the old man away by the
arm. The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long
he had been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had
half a million dollars behind him.
Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't the money, real or imagined, that
had turned his life around. It was his newfound self-confidence that
gavehim the power to achieveanything he went after.