The Region that Manages the Emotional Responses: “AMYGDALA”

Our Almighty Lord created the human soul in various ways. Every
person has different tastes, different social relationships. Allah,
the sole owner of knowledge, created a special region 'amygdala'
in the brain, as a means to manage the emotions the human soul
feels.
The 'amygdala' region in our brains is responsible for the feelings
of fear, safety and building social relationships. It is an almond
shaped nuclei underneath the limbic circuit on the brain stem and
consists of interlinked structures. It has two lobes; right and
left. This region helps us catch the sensory signals around us and
help determine how to react to what and when.
The Amygdala in our Brain is the Source of Emotional Responses
Our Almighty Lord created us in such a way that 80% of the
information our brains get from the outside world comes through the
eyes. The lens focuses the image on the retina, and after it is
converted to electric impulses, it is sent to the brain through
optic nerves in a split second, which is one thousandth of a second
to be exact. The impulses coming from both eyes carry data as to
the features of the object one looks at. The brain then joins
together the two impulses from two eyes to make a single image. It
determines the shape, color and distance of the object. In other
words, it is not the eye that sees the objects but the brain itself.
The electric impulses sent by the eyes go to the primary visual
cortex at the back of the brain. This center is 2.5 mm thick and a
couple of centimeters wide. It has six layers of neurons which is
around one hundred million neurons (nerve cells). The impulses
first go to the fourth layer and after they are analyzed there,
they are sent to other layers. In this center, each neuron receives
impulses from thousands of neurons and sends back impulses to
thousands of other neurons.
The retina sends the electric impulses to the thalamus region of our
brain, while the brain determines the reaction to be given the
image. If the reaction is an emotional one, the amgydala, the
source of the emotion repertoire, will be consulted. If the data
coming from the retina has a high potential (shocking situations),
then some of the impulses sent to the thalamus will be channeled
directly to the amygdala and this triggers an emotional response.
The visual cortex no longer has any opportunity to figure out
what's going on and the only thing the cortex can do after that is
build the reactions dictated by the amygdala.
Man, with the soul he possesses, enjoys feelings like honor, love,
respect, friendship and honesty. Just like a cell on the tip of our
finger cannot have any feelings such as happiness or grief, the
neurons in the brain do not have such metaphysical talents either.
This is an obvious truth anyone could easily see even without any
scientific evidence. Our Almighty Lord said the following about the
soul in a Qur'anic verse:
"They will ask you about the Soul. Say: 'The Soul is my Lord's
concern. You have only been given a little knowledge.'." (Al-Isra',
85)
Can the source of individual behavior be the amgydala region in the
brain? Scientific research shows that the amygdala region in the
brain is responsible for individual behavior. When we are exposed to
a danger, the brain is bombarded with questions like, " Is this
something I hate? Will it hurt me? Is it something I'm scared of?'
and if the answer is yes, the amygdala reacts in the form of an
alarm which alerts the rest of the brain that there is a crisis.
The amgydala has a rich communication network with the rest of the
brain. In emergencies, it controls and guides a big part of the
brain. The elements in the limbic system are the experts of the
learning and remembering processes, while the amygdala is the
expert of emotional states.
It is a known fact that our emotional responses are managed by the
amygdala, but its functions are yet to be fully discovered.
Scientists are still trying to find answers to the following
questions:
- How does the brain differentiate between emotional situations and
know that it needs to send those impulses to the amgydala?
- Although the amygdala is mostly the same in all human beings, why
do people differ in the risks they take, in the things they fear or
in terms of their social preferences?
The scientists think that these differences have got to with a gene
called "Neurod2". Experiments with guinea pigs showed that when the
presence of this gene in the amygdala region is reduced, the
subjects experienced reduced feelings of fear and started taking
bigger risks. Humans also have this gene, but there are still some
questions that need to be answered.
Could the genes be the ones deciding if we will take risks or not,
or how many friends we will have or the hobbies we enjoy? In other
words, could it be that a small lump of flesh in our brains
determines our character and emotional choices? Surely, the answer
is no.
Then what really determines our emotions?
What would happen if we didn't have an Amygdala?
A young person who had his amygdala removed saw a big change in his
life because he is almost now emotionally blind.
Previously, he was an extroverted person, a very social type that
had many friends; now he is indifferent to his friends and
doesn't even recognize his own parents and chooses to live alone.
All his emotions were replaced by silence and indifference.
The source of our Individual Behavior is not the Amygdala, but the Soul
Our senses are built through electric impulses. Then is it the
brain and the amygdala that interprets all these impulses and turns
them into a friend, a beautiful flower, a breathtaking scenery, our
parents, or kids playing in the street?
Technically, it is true that the impulses are interpreted in the
brain. Materialists claim that we are nothing but the neurons in a
brain and that the world we live in is the result of the interaction
of the neurons. They claim that the entity that can think, laugh, be
happy, recognize others, is nothing more than a bundle of neurons,
in the words of the materialist, evolutionist physicist Francis
Crick, who discovered DNA. ( http://www.bbc.co.uk /radio4/reith2003
/lecture1.shtml) It's not important for a materialist how a person
thinks and how he makes something out of perceptions. Finding
answers to those questions is not important for the materialists,
because they have no explanation for them. For example, they want
to think of everything in terms of materialistic concepts. However,
that's a lie to keep people away from faith in Allah. It's not the
brain that creates the consciousness, it is the soul. The thing
that says ' I see the image inside the brain, or I hear the sounds
inside the brain' is the soul that Allah gives us. The materialist
state of mind, however, does not want this truth to come out. This
is the main reason behind the lie of the materialists: ' The mystery
of consciousness cannot be solved '. The existence of the soul, the
fact that Allah gives the soul to humans, destroys their
materialistic views and lies. No matter how much they try to avoid
the subject by using the word 'inexplicable', it is an open and
clear truth, that the reality of man - in other words, the thing
that can say 'I am me' - is the soul. Allah says in the Qur'an that
He first created the body of man and then ' breathed His Soul into
him' .
" When your Lord said to the angels, 'I am creating a human being
out of dried clay formed from fetid black mud. When I have formed
him and breathed My Spirit into him, fall down in prostration in
front of him!'" (Surat-Al-Hijr, 28 - 29)
One of the causes of autism is that there are less nerve cells in
the amygdala
The almond-shaped amygdala in the depths of the brain is an area
that helps us understand other people's feelings. The latest research
suggests that this region plays an important role in the feelings of
fear prevalent in autism. However, researchers also think that
this region is connected to various mental states.
For example, autistic people tend to shy away from social
relationships and fail to understand others' feelings. Research
has shown that people suffering from autism had less nerve cells
in their amygdala than normal people have. However, it is surely not
possible that a structure made up of fat, water and protein builds
the consciousness of a person, and makes him a thinking, loving,
reacting, fearing, rejoicing being. It is only the soul that can see
without an eye, that can hear without an ear, that can think without
a brain.

Strong plants that can withstand difficult conditions

Which plant can meet its water needs through its leaves in addition
to its roots?
How does the canary flower protect itself from the cold?
How do the plants survive draught?
Monteverde Cloud Forest
Our Lord created a perfect system to meet the water needs of the
plants. We all know that the plants absorb water from the soil
through its roots and sends this to its stem and leaves through its
xylem tubes. However, some plants are in higher altitudes,
practically living in the clouds, and therefore they have to use
their leaves to meet their water needs.
The rain forests in lower altitudes obtain their water needs from
daily rainfall. However, the trees living in the tropical climates,
the so-called clouds or the mist forests, use the moisture in the
air; in other words, the clouds, to meet their needs. This is
another perfect example of the sublime art of Creation by our Lord.
One of the most beautiful examples of such cloud forests are the
cloud forests of the Costa Rica mountains. In this forest, it is
usually foggy and humid, but despite that the soil itself is dry.
Therefore, the trees cannot get enough water from the soil.
However, the leaves in the clouds, which are always wet, easily get
the water they need. It is because our Lord created the leaves here
in such a special way so that they can easily absorb the moisture in
the air and take it to the branches and to the trunk. This special
system created by our Lord helps many other living things survive as
well. In this forest, at an altitude of 600 to 1800 meters, there
are more than 100 species of mammals, 400 bird species, 120
reptilian and amphibian species, and thousands of species of
insects. Almighty Allah, the Lord of the worlds, with all these
details, showcases the evidence of His existence and His sublime art
of creation. Allah creates whenever He wills, and in a unique way.
He has no partners in creation. This is explained as follows in the
Qur'an:
That is Allah, your Lord. There is no god but Him, the Creator of
everything. So worship Him. He is responsible for everything.
Eyesight cannot perceive Him but He perceives eyesight. He is the
All-Penetrating, the All-Aware. (Al-An'am 102-103)
Yareta
Yareta is a native plant of South America , occurring in the Puna
grasslands of the Andes in Peru , Bolivia , the north of Chile and
the west of Argentina at altitudes between 3,200 and 4,500 metres .
The most important thing about this flower, which is pollinated by
insects, is that they live for a very long time; there are some
specimens which are about 3,000 years old. They look like algea, but
when looked at more closely, one can see thousands of small flower
buds that stick together to look like one big pillow. It is also
known as the 'Andes pillow' and has flowers in different colors from
pink to lilac.
Pink Banana Plant
This banana species growing in North and East India, reaches a
height of 120 centimeters, and displays an amazing example of
Allah's beautiful color artistry. It has pink to orange flowers,
pinkish stalks and small, pink fruits. This plant can grow in
permeable, organically rich soils, in half shade. An interesting
thing about this plant is that it is highly resistant to cold. Even
if its body dries up due to excessive cold weather, its roots can
withstand up to -10 degrees celcius. Allah creates everything
flawlessly down to tiniest detail, and created this plant in such a
way that its every need is met. Allah has control over everything.
Allah knows about everything going on in the universe. Allah makes
that truth clear in the following verse:
"He directs the whole affair from heaven to earth...." (Surat As-Sajdah, 5)
There are some plants which manage to survive in very harsh
conditions, where human beings would never be able to do the same
in the absence of specialized tools. These plants not only
survive, they also have incredible measures to defend themselves
amazing the scientists and researchers alike. These miraculous
plants can survive despite the lack of warmth, water and minerals,
displaying yet another example of Almighty Allah's infinite wisdom
and creation art.
The drought-tolerant plants
Many plants in arid areas can store water. Each plant has different
techniques and places to store the water. These plants were created
in such a way that they can easily tolerate a lack of water. For
instance, The Pygmy cedar ( peucephyllum ) and the caper bush,
which can stay green even in the driest of conditions after
obtaining sufficient moisture during the night , are some of these
plants.
Many such trees and bushes have special leaves that can withstand
drought. For instance, some of them have needle or bouqet shaped
small leaves. This ensures that they have fewer surfaces that are
exposed to sunlight. Others have pores on only one part of their
leaves, mostly on the upper side. These pores ensure that water
loss is minimized due to evaporation when it is windy. Some leaves
have such pores on both sides; especially when it is foggy these
pores obtain moisture from the air.
The leaves of some plants such as Manzanita, are created so that they
stand upright. By the means of this special creation, the surface
is subjected to less sunlight and thus loses less water.
Paloverde , which has no leaves, photosynthesize with its body.
Having lots of leaves in a desert means more evaporation of water.
Therefore, Allah created all these plants with special features
that will make them resistant to harsh desert conditions. All
desert plants have special measures protecting them from high
temperatures. It is Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, that gave all
these plants the abilities they have to survive in their
enviornments.
Canary plant
Canary plants ( senecio vulgaris ) live on the heights of the Kenya
Mountains in Equador and are striking plants with flamboyant
flowers. In this region, where there is usually a thin layer of
frost on the soil at night, the slopes can often be seen covered
with this plant.
The leaves of this plant have a special substance that prevents the
tissues from being hurt from frost; thanks to this protective
substance, the thin layer of frost melts under sunlight and then the
body gets back its old shape.
With the sunlight the frost covering the plant starts to melt and
water starts evaporating through the pores. However, the canary
plant has to pump water back to the now empty pores to prevent its
leaves from drying out. There is another danger looming; with the
weather getting colder, the water channels begin to slowly freeze .
However, the lowest circle of leaves surrounding the stalk of the
canary flower begins to dry out during a certain period of the year.
However, unlike other plants, the dry leaves do not fall off;
instead, they hold on. Thus, these dry leaves act like a thick
shield for the plant guarding it from the cold weather. With this
wise method, the canary plant prevents the channels inside from
freezing and manages to send the water to the rest of the plant.
It is impossible for a soil-bound plant to build such a protective
measure on its own and insert the relevant data in its genes so that
its offspring can have the same trait, too. Allah created these
plants with His infinite beauty and art of creation.
All these examples show that it is Almighty Allah, the lord of the
worlds, Who gives the plants the information they need, Who shapes
them, and gives them the traits they need to survive despite the
difficult conditions. This truth is explained in a verse as
follows:
"Your god is Allah alone, there is no god but Him. He encompasses
all things in His knowledge.' (Surah Ta Ha 98)

The selective nature of the nerve cells

• What is the resting potential of the neurons and how is it preserved?
• What is action potential and how are the signals transmitted?
The nerve cells, which are called the neurons, unlike other cells,
have axons and dendrites. The dendrites consist of many short
extensions and look like the roots of the cell. These extensions
receive signals from other neurons and the recipient cells and
convey it to the body of the cell. Axons, on the other hand, are
thin structures that arise from the cell body. One axon arises from
the cell body and they help carry the messages to the brain. These
neurons make a huge network of communication, all together.
Every cell membrane has an electrical charge and every neuron is
like a tiny biologic battery ready to discharge itself. And each
neuron is like a mini, biological battery ready to discharge its
energy. The ions are electric-charged molecules inside and outside
the nerve cells. This creates a difference in the voltage
throughout the cell membrane. In order for the the neurons to send
signals, minus 50 milivolt (one millivolt is one in one thousandth of
a volt) is needed at an average. 1 The signal is transmitted
through the axon. After every signal, potassium ions are exchanged
through the cell membrane. The neuron has to be recharged after
every signal. To do that, the neuron gets back the ions to reach
its potential value.
One neuron takes onethousandth of a second to send a signal. This
makes it possible to send a maximum of 1000 signals a second,
however generally only 300-400 signals are sent in one second. The
nerve cells have varying lengths in people 2 and the speed of
transmission is around 100-300 meters a second. 3
Prof. Peter Suckling, a neuroscientist at the Downstate Medicine
Center, explains his awe at the cell membrane:
"This thin cell memberane preserves the electric voltage more
efficiently than any other insulating material. This is a very high
insulating power. It has to be strong and at the same time, it is
very thin." 4
The fact that the nerve cells can signal each other through the
electricity produced in the cell membrane, the fact that they can
send messages and ensure that the body functions continue, is
something to be pondered upon. Furthermore, these electrical
signals find the right address and make sense to the recipient cell.
Every cell knows what the signal means and acts accordingly. This
is a miraculous incident that has to be thought about very
comprehensively. If it wasn't for this flawless system between the
cells, no living thing could survive. Then how did this system that
displays an amazing intelligence and engineering come about?
Surely, it is impossible to say that unconscious piles of atoms and
molecules came together to build the cells and led to this
amazingly engineered system between the cells. The existence of
such a conscious system proves us the existence of creation in the
living things. This incredible micro structure that left scientists
amazed, belongs to our Lord, the Creator of Everything:
"Is He who creates like him who does not create? So will you not
pay heed?" (An-Nahl, 17)
Neurons at rest
A nerve cell is at rest, when it is not communicating a signal.
However, this doesn't mean that the neuron is completely immobile.
It has to be ready to transmit signals that could be received from
the neighbors at any moment. A neuron that is at rest has to
polarized. This means that the liquid inside has to be negatively
charged compared to one outside. One nerve cell has an electric
potential of around 70 milivolts across the cell membrane. This is
called the membrane potential or the resting potential. Although
this might seem like a small amount, it means that it produces a
voltage that is equal to 1/20 of the energy in the battery of a
small flashlight and creates a potential for the electricity
production throughout the axon membrane.
Outside the axon, there are sodium and (Na+) chloride (Cl-) ions,
while inside, there are charged proteins and potassium (K+) ions.
The electrical imbalance between outside and inside of the cell,
creates the resting potential throughout the membrane. This
imbalance created by the charged ions, is obtained through the cell
membrane being semipermeable for different ions. Even if the
sodium, potassium and chlorine ions pass through the cell membrane,
the entrance of big molecules creating an electric potential, is
restricted.
However, semipermeability is not the only solution, as the
potassium ions inside the cell (K+) are always higher in number than
the sodium ions (Na+), while the sodium ions outside the cell
membrane (Na+) are always more than the potassium ions (K+). In
order to ensure the necessary ion balance, the intensity levels in
the nerve cell, has to be reverted.
The cell does this using a kind of ion pump. The sodium-potassium
pump is a big protein molecule that builds a channel in the cell
membrane. This pump gets its energy from the ATP (Adenosine-
5'-triphosphate: the cellular energy molecule that living things
directly use) and after sending the sodium (Na+) ions out, accepts
the potassium (K+) ions inside. Thus, it preserves the right ion
ratio inside and outside the cell. In every square micrometer of the
cell membrane, there are some 100–200 sodium-potassium pumps and
each of them sends out 200 sodium ions while accepting 130 potassium
ions inside.
Action potential and transmission of the signal
When a neuron is prompted by another neuron or the conditions, the
signal starts and right after this, the signal moves along the axon
and makes the cell membrane potential to be reverted. As there are
thousands of protein channels or gates on the neuron membrane
allowing the passage of the ions. These gates are usually closed.
When there is a signal, the sodium channels are opened and the
positive-charged sodium ions flow inside. This way, the inside of the
cell membrane has more positive charge and the resting potential is
reverted, which increases the cell membrane potential up to +50
milivolt. The reverting of these charges is called the 'action
potential'. During the action potential, the potassium gates are
opened and the positive charged potassium ions flow outside. This
re-balances the resting potential and the inside of the neuron
becomes negative charged while outside becomes positive charged.
A single electric signal triggers all this process. Therefore, we
can say that the transmission of the signals triggers a domino
effect. As each domino falls, the next one falls. After the signal
is sent, the dominos stand back and get ready for the next action
potential.
The molecular traffic between the nerve cells continues on a
constant basis. It is the ions and some proteins that tell this
traffic to move or to stop. It is surely impossible for unconscious
moelecules to build this amazing nervous system in our bodies and
then organize it perfectly. They have come together to serve a
single purpose within a system. This fascinating system in our
bodies is one of the manifestations of Allah's beautiful creation
and infinite control over everything.

jesuswillreturn -

Prophet Jesus (pbuh) Will Not Bring a New Religion
He will lead as you for 40 years according to the Book of your Lord
and the sunnah of your Apostle, and then die. (Sahih Muslim)
Jesus [pbuh] will not come to the people of Mohammed as a Prophet,but
to practice the religion of Mohammed… (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl
al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 68)
Jesus (pbuh) will descendand will practice our Prophet's (may God
bless him and grant him peace) law. (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani,
vol. 2, p. 1309)
He will judge by the law of Mohammed, will adhere to a Prophet
eventhough he is one himself,and will belong to the people of
Mohammed… He will be the people of the Prophet, and he will be the
most devoted among them… (Muhammad ibn `Abd ar-Rasul Barzanji,
Al-Isha`ah li- -Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 243)
No Prophet shall come during the period between me [Mohammed] and
Jesus (pbuh). And Jesus [pbuh] shall descend. Recognize him when you
see him: A man of medium height and of a ruddy, fair complexion. He
will be dressed in two pieces of a yellow garment. The hair of his
head will appear as if water is trickling out of it, although his hair
will notbe wet. He will struggle for the cause of Islam... And Jesus
(pbuh) will make the Antichrist [Dajjal] ineffective. He will live on
this Earth for a period of 40 years and, at the end of this period,
will pass away. The Muslims will offer the funeral prayers of Jesus
[pbuh]. (Ibn Ahmad Hanbal, Musnad)

jesuswillreturn -

The World Will Be at Peace
Like the cup fills with water, so will Earth fill with peace. There
will beno enmity left between any people. All hostility, fighting, and
envy will disappear. (Sahih Muslim)
The warriors will abandon their weight [weapons and kits]. (Sunan Ibn
Majah, vol. 10,p. 334)
The soldiers put down their weighs [their weapons, etc.].
(Olum-Kiyamet-Ahiret ve Ahirzaman Alametleri [Death-Doomsday-Hereafter
and The Signs of the End Times], p. 496)
Spite, mutual hatred, andjealousy against one another will certainly
disappear. (Sunan Abu Dawud)
No other [religion] will be accepted…, religion will be united.
Nothing and nobody but God will be worshipped. Since there will be no
one left to accept charity, it will be abandoned. Treasuresand
discoveries will be discovered. People, knowing the proximity of
Judgment Day, will no longer crave material wealth. And since there
will be no reasons for enmity and crossness, they will be no more...
Poisonous creatures will do away with their poison, and children will
play with scorpions and snakes. They will not harm the children. The
wolf will graze with the sheep and not harm them. The world will fill
with peace and contentment, and combat and fighting, warfare and
attacks, will disappear. The world's vegetation will be returned to
its state at Adam's [pbuh] time. One branch of grapes will satiate a
group of people, horses will be freed, and there will be no need for
oxen, because the fields will plant themselves... (Muhammad ibn `Abd
ar-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha`ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, pp. 242-43)
Jesus [pbuh] will live as a just judge, a fair imam, and leader among
my people. He will destroy the cross [of the Christians], kill the
pig, lift the jizyah tax, and abandon charity when no one desires more
sheep or camels. All enmity and hostility will cease, Earth's face
will belike a silver plate, and vegetation will be plentiful again,
just like at Adam's [pbuh] time. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p.
496)
After that, he will rule with justice, break the cross, kill swine,
abolish the jizya, and abandon charity. No tax collector will be after
sheep or camels. Enmity and hatred between people will cease.
Scorpions and snakes will not be poisonous, and even children will
play snakes without being bitten. The girl will try to chase away the
lion, but it will not harm the child. Wolves will be among sheep like
sheepdogs. The world will fill with religious unity like the cup fills
with water. Nobody but God will be worshipped. Nothing willbe left of
warfare and conflict. The rule of the Quraysh tribe will end, and
Earth's face will be like a silver plate. Vegetation will be plentiful
again like at Adam's [pbuh] time. One branch of grapes will satiate a
group of people. A pomegranate will satiate a group of people, the
price of an oxwill be small, and a few coins will buy a horse. Someone
asked: "Oh God's Messenger (may God bless him and grant him peace),
why will horses be cheap?" [He replied:] "As there will beno war,
there will be no demand." [It was asked:]"Why will oxen be so
expensive?" [He replied:]"Because all of the land will be arable and
oxen will be needed." (Sunan Ibn Majah)
Then he will live for 40 years. No one will die during his time.
People will say [go and graze] totheir sheep and animals, and they
will go. Even though they will pass through crops, they will not feed
off one ear of grain. Snakes and scorpions will not harm anyone, and
predators will stand by the doors and not hurt people... (Jalal ad-Din
as-Suyuti)
Jesus [pbuh] will kill the Dajjal. Then the Earth willbecome safe so
that lionsmay graze with camels; tigers with cows, wolves with sheep;
and so that children may play with snakes without being harmed. (Ibn
Ahmad Hanbal)

jesuswillreturn -

The Good News of the Golden Age
In many of his sayings, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him
peace) draws attention to a period when Islam's morality will prevail,
when Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and the Mahdi will be on Earth, and the
Qur'an's moral values willprevail: The Golden Age. This period will be
very similar to the time of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant
him peace) and, since he usedthe characteristics of Paradise to depict
this period, it is called the Golden Age.
In the previous sections, we dealt with the suffering and hardship
that people will experience during the first phase of the End Times.
Just after these events, which are also the signs of Prophet Jesus'
(pbuh) coming, theGolden Age will come. This is great news for
everyone, for this period will be characterized by the abundance of
every type of goods and crops; the establishment of security, justice,
peace, and happiness; and the use of advanced technology for
humanity's comfort, ease,joy, and peace. No one will be in need, for
all goods and services will be available to meet their needs. Many
hadiths say that"weapons will be silenced," and thus herald a world
filled withpeace. In the Golden Age,enemy nations will become brothers
and sisters and re-establish peace, friendship, and love among their
leaders and peoples.
Technology will reach its peak, and people will receive its fullest
benefits. Medicine, agriculture, communication, transportation, and
industry will undergo remarkable development, and peoplewill
continuously witnessnew discoveries leading to further advances.
Overall, the pace of discovery will accelerate.
The arts will flourish, andthe broad horizons and deep thinking
granted by faith in God will advance all branches of art. Such a
spirit will enable people to produce glamorous works of music,
theater, and painting. According to one hadith, people will be so
content that they will spend their dayswith no idea as to how time
passes and how oneday turns into the next. They will pray to God to
prolong their lives in order to receive more benefits from these
graces. Another Prophetic hadith states:
… the younger ones wish they were grown-ups, while the adults wish
they were younger… The good become even more good, and the wicked ones
are treated well. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi
Akhir az-Zaman,p. 17)
Our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) also gives the
following good news:
Unprecedented Abundance in the GoldenAge
There will be at the end of my people a khalifa who will apportion out
wealth, and he will not count it. (Olum-Kiyamet-Ahiret ve Ahirzaman
Alametleri [Death-Doomsday-Hereafter and the Signs of the End Times],
p. 433)
In the End Times there will be a khalifa [successor] who will
distribute wealth without even counting it.(Sahih Muslim)
The land will reveal the treasures within. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami,
Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 45)
The land will turn like thesilver tray growing vegetation... (Sunan Ibn Majah)
The son of Mary [Jesus (pbuh)] will return and make the Antichrist
ineffective. Then you willlive for 40 years in prosperity. (Al-Muttaqi
al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 90)
Everywhere food will cook in pots, unseen prosperity will dominate,and
material wealth will be disregarded. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl
al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 66)
The reason for Jesus [pbuh] to abandon charity is: There are no needy
poor people in want of charity left. (Sunan Ibn Majah, vol. 10,p. 339)
Even without the plough,the produce of wheat would multiply seven
hundred times, one mudd [a measure of wheat] becoming 700 mudd. (Jalal
ad-Din as-Suyuti)
Then the land will be toldto bring forth its fruit and restore its
blessing and, as a result thereof, there will grow [such a big]
pomegranate that a group of people [between 10 and 40 people] will be
able to eat it and seek shelter under its skin. Milk cows will give so
much milk that a whole party will be able to drink. And the milk given
by camels will be such [a large quantity]milk that the whole tribe
will be able to drink of it.And the sheep will give so much milk that
the whole family will be able to drink of that… (Sahih Muslim)
The High Cost of Living and Poverty Will End
... And wealth will be so abundant that no one will accept it. (Sahih Bukhari)
The Hour will not be established until wealth will be in abudance - so
abundant that a wealthy person will worry lest nobody accept his
Zakat, and whenever he will present it to someone, that person will
say, "I am not in need of it." (Sahih Bukhari)
Then will my Ummah be blessed, the number of animals will increase,
and the land will bear its fruits. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl
al-Mukhtasar, p. 26)
Definitely possessions will be in abundance then, flowing like water.
Yet no one will [condescend] to take any(Mukhtasar Tazkirah
al-Qurtubi, p. 464.)

Story, - I, the Liar

Hello to everyone here!!!
After some frequent visitson this website and after reading some
stories, I decided to finally share mine as well. It's about cheating,
but on my part.
I am 34 years old, married and have a beautiful girl.
My story began when I had decided to go abroad, because I wanted to
make some money and also because Iwas curious to why everyone wants to
travel around the world. So, I left for Italy with my sister and we
were relying on a friend of ours to help us find a job there.
We arranged to meet the above-mentioned friend named T. And at first,
I didn't pay too much attention when I saw him. Although, his height
made him impossible not to notice. So, after a few times meeting him I
realized how kind, smiling and easy going he was.
He had some problems with his wife, who he had left in Canada and kept
begging to come to Italy. Gradually, we reached a point in which I
began to like this man and started wanting him a 100 %.
I wasn't expecting anything besides sex. I was confused, in a foreign
country with a foreign language, with some people that I didn't
understand and with him; kind, caring and in love with me.
However, he quickly started dreaming about how we were going to create
our own life, how I was going to get a divorce, how much he loved me.
I wasn't feelingthe same way. I wanted to go back to Canada andback to
what I had left there; he was also acting weird after living without a
woman for so long.
And so, I couldn't handle this anymore, I kept thinking about my child
and I left for Canada. Then my pain started. I immediately felt the
lack of attention, affection, the spark in my sex life and we began
maintaining an endless phone relationship by writing secret text
messages in the middle of the night. "My love, amore, sweetheart."
The distance was making us want each other even more. This is when I
made all the mistakes than I did and I told him a bunch of lies. I was
telling him how I hated my husband and that I wanted a divorce. It
wasn't easy to live like this at all.
I was lying to the both of us. I changed, became frustrated and my
husband reacting to this didn't take long. There were constant
scandals that were making my child suffer when she heard them.
Everything was a complete mess.
T. was pushing me to leave and go to him and Icouldn't leave my child
and my husband. There was also something else that was more important
than everything.
I was not in love with T., even though I used to sayit back to him all
the timewhen he told me that he loved me. I didn't want a future with
a man that I didn't have strong feelings for. THIS KEPT GOING ON FOR 3
YEARS.
During this period we spent very little time physically together,
because this was only possible when he came back to Canada and I could
come up with an excuse. I did know that I had to put a stop to this
living hell that I had created myself.
Every night, I was full with regrets. I kept thinking how I did't
deserve neither one of them. I couldn't find the words to express my
desire to break it off withT. So, I left it to him to figure it out.
I didn't get a divorce. I continue living with this huge burden on my
shoulders which remained unshared. I made an attempt to meetwith T.
and to tell him how I felt, but it was another mistake, becausehe saw
it as a willingness to continue our relationship and to try to have a
life together one day.
I gave up and I stopped contacting him and so did he. I hope that he
hasfound his true love. Regardless, I still feel awful about it.
I messed up T.'s life with my lies and I ruined my family's balance
and trust. Nothing is the sameanymore.
So there it is, I shared my lie with you and I hope that someone might
understand how I feel, even though I am not a very good writer. I
don't know if I'll get a reply from any of you, but at least my story
can serve as an example.

Story, - I'm in love with my boss

Hi!
I've been plucking up courage to write to you for a long time but
today I decided to tell my story and probably to find somebody who can
give me a piece of advice or just listen to what I have to say.
The problem is that I'm inlove with my boss and I can't admit my
feelings to him. Everybody will think that this is just a pretext for
getting a promotion or for keeping my job. They can't understand that
thisis love actually. And what if he refuses me flatly? I will look
like an absolute fool. How will I look him in the eyes? I'll have to
quit my job although I really like it and need it.
I can feel that his attitudetowards me is different but sometimes he
acts in the same way with the others....
I don't know…. it's really hard for me to hide my love but it's even
harder to admit it.

Fathwa, - Different Types of Discharges

Question:
Different types of discharges
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum
In the name of Allah, the Inspirer of truth.
There is a difference of opinion among the scholars concerning
cervical mucus or vaginaldischarge. Since it comes from the cervix
which is thefarj dakhilin Arabic, According to Imam Abu Hanifa, it is
not impure and does not break the wudu' [if it is not discolored].
According to his two students, Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad, it is
impure and will break the wudu'. Hence, there is a difference of
opinion.
Some of the later scholars based the rulings on the first view and
others based it on the second view.
If a women experiences excessive discharge, she could avail of the
first opinion which does not consider the discharge tobe impure, hence
she need not renew her wudu' each time it happens. However, if the
discharge is not that frequent, it would be preferred to wash up and
renew the wudu' due to the other more precautionary opinion.
Likewise, if a women is able to conveniently wash up, then it would be
preferable to do so, but in situations where itis difficult then she
can avail herself of the more lenient opinion.
This is all concerning the discharge which is not discolored. As for
the discharge which is discolored due to thrush or any other ailment,
or the discharge is due to excitement, they it will be considered
impure by all and nullify the wudu'. Hence, washing and renewing the
wudu' would be necessary.
As for ejaculatory fluid, 'Allama Ibn 'Abidin describes it as follows:
"Ifit is watery yellow then itis the ejaculatory fluid of women" (Radd
al-Muhtar1:111). It has also been reported to be milky in color and
ranging in its thickness and odor basedon a woman�s diet, overall
health and the phase she is experiencing within her menstrual cycle.
However, to conclude, any liquid released whenfeeling sexual pleasure
(and more conclusively upon orgasm), regardlessof its color or whether
ornot it runs down the leg, will be impure.
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa, - Is one allowed to write Qur'anic calligraphy writing whileon menstruation? &nbs

Question:
Is one allowed to writeQur'anic calligraphy writing while on menstruation?
Answer:
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
Yes, it is allowed to write Qur'anic verses when on one's period.
However, one cannot touch the Qur'anic verses themselves without a
barrier (such as a cloth). [Ibn Abidin,Radd al-Muhtar]
The rulings of menstruation are a test of our slavehood to Allah,as
many of the other rulings of the Shariah, and are an honoring from
Allah for those who say, O Lord, "We hear andwe obey!" [Qur'an, 2.285]
And Allah alone gives success.
Wassalam,

Fathwa, - How do we deal with depression during awomans menstrual cycle?

Question:
As salamaulaykum,
I am going through a difficult time in my life. Allah is testing me,
and I am patiently waiting for my du'as to be answered. At times of
purity, I am at peace because I can come to Allah. But during my
menstrual cycle, I am reduced to a state of drepression, self-pity,
tears... I don't know how to soothe myself. I can't pray, I can't read
the Qur'an, I can't enter a masjid.
It's a week of hell. What can I do to end my grief? It comes back
every month, and I can't deal with these feelings.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Dear Sister,
I pray this message finds you in good health and spirits.
First off, if you are suffering from serious depression during your
menstrual cycle, it may be advisable to see an OB-GYN. Some women
experience mood swingsright before and during their menstrual cycles.
However, serious depression is not typical and should not be
overlooked.
The beauty of our way oflife is that the believer is never cut off
from her Lord, no matter what herstate. Even if a woman is
menstruating or experiencing postnatal bleeding, there are still ways
for her to strengthen her iman anddraw nearer to Allah Most High.
While you are menstruating, there are specific acts of worship, which
are prohibited. The reason for the prohibition is the lack of ritual
purity, and not a deficiency in you. There is no reason to be
depressed. It is not a punishment that you can't pray. Rather, it is a
mercy from Allah Most High that He has lifted these obligations from
women experiencing menstrual or postnatal bleeding, while at the same
time not taking anything away from them in terms of reward or good
deeds.
According to the Hanafi School, the acts of worship which you cannnot
do during your period (or postnatal bleeding) are as follows:
1. Prayer, whether obligatory or voluntary
2. Fasting, whether obligatory or voluntary
3. Sexual intercourse, although it is permitted for the husband and
wife to kiss, cuddle, and lay together, as long as the husband avoids
direct contact with the area between her navel and knee
4. Making tawaf (circumambulation of the Kaaba)
5. Entering a masjid
6. Touching the Qur'an
7. Reciting the Qur'an with the intention of recitation
These are the things you can't do. However, there are things you can
do to keep your connection to Allah Most High:
1. Listen to the Qur'an. Either have someone recite it to you, or
listen to a tape or cd.
2. The Hanafi School recommends that menstruating women make ablution
at the time of prayer, sit in a quiet place, and supplicate Allah.
Although the ablution does not lift the state of ritual impurity, it
still puts one in a good frameof mind.
3. Constant remembranceof Allah. Remember that the Prophet, Allah
bless him and give him peace, remembered Allah in all his states.
There is nothing preventing you from supplicating Allah and making
remembrance of Him (dhikr). Furthermore, even if the supplications
contain verses from the Qur'an, as many do, it is permitted to say
these supplications, provided that you do so with the intention of
remembrance, and not recitation.
4. Study Sacred Knowledge. It is permissible to handle books of tafsir
(Qur'an commentary), fiqh (Sacred Law), and hadith, provided that they
do not contain more Qur'anic text than commentary.
5. Listen to uplifting tapes and cds. There are many nice productions
to listen to, for example, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf's Purification of the
Heart. Since you're not praying,why not take the extra time to listen
to some of these?
6. Get a sisters' gatheringtogether. Even if you're not praying,
chances are someone else is. Have this sister recite Qur'an for you.
Being in good company lifts one's spirits.

Muslims' position towards the Danish insulting cartoons

Question:
What is the solution to the Danish cartoon that was done in Europe?
How should a Sunni Muslim from the USA think about these heathens!
Fatwa:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
Muhammadis His slave and Messenger.
Every Muslim should know that the defamation about the religion and
mocking the Prophetwhich happened along the centuries and which is
happeningnow is an affliction through which a Muslim should be
patient. The Prophetsaid:"How strange is the matter of a believer,
there is good in all his affairs, and this is only for the believer.
If something good happens to him and he is grateful, then this is good
for him, and if a calamity befalls him and he is patient, then this is
alsogood for him." ]Muslim[ The fact that people ridicule the
Prophetis not a new matter. Rather itis a very ancient matter that is
being renewed. The non-Muslims from the tribe of Quraysh insulted the
Prophetand theysaid that he was a poet, a magician and a mad man, and
they defamed him with other insults, but this did not harm the
Prophetand did not decrease his status. This ]what happened[ only
increases our firm belief in the Prophetand that he was truly a
Prophet, and it increases our love for him, and makes us abide by his
orders.
Our advice to our Muslim brothers during these grave events and
similar incidents in addition to what we already mentioned is the
following:
1- To control oneself and take it easy, and not
hasten and do any act which maybe of a negative effect for the
Muslims. Rather, one should exploit these events in a way to serve
this religion, as these bitterincidents could yield sweet fruits.Ibn
Al-Qayyimsaid: 'Calamities and problems are afflictions and )in
reality are( blessings.' Indeed these incidentsdraw the attention of
the neglectful Muslims and result in their return to Allaah, and it is
a way of renovating the religion in the hearts of the Muslims, in
addition to other benefits that could be achieved.
2- It is an obligation to repent to Allaah and avoid sins and acts
of disobedience. Allaah Says)what means(: }And whatever strikes you of
disaster, it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons
much.{]Quran 42:30[. Moreover, the Prophetsaid: "If you trade with
Ribaa)usury and interest(, and stick to the tails of cows and are
pleased with the plantations ]are busy with this worldly life[, and
abandoned Jihaad )fighting in theCause of Allaah(, Allaah will put you
through a humiliation which He will not remove from you untilyou
return to your religion." ]AbuDaawood[
3- To ask the scholars about what to do and act according to their
advice, as a sign of acting according to the Saying of Allaah)which
means(: }And when there comes to them something ]i.e. information[
about ]public[ security or fear, they spread it around. But if they
had referred itback to the Messenger or to those of authority among
them, then the ones who ]can[ draw correct conclusions from it
wouldhave known about it.{ ]Quran 4:83[. Therefore, one should not act
]say or do anything[ except according to the advice of these scholars.
We would like to stress on the importance of boycotting the products
of the countries which published these cartoons, and undertaking other
means which could achieve religious benefits. In doing so, we have to
focus on the country which caused the spread of this evil, and we
should completely and totally boycott its
products, services and medicines until they taste the outcome of their
evil acts.
4- To unite: By uniting, the nation will become powerful, andwe
should be careful of divisions, as this weakens the nation. Allaah
Says )what means(: }And hold firmly to the rope of Allaah all together
and do not become divided.{]Quran 3:103[. Allaah Says)what means(:
}And obey Allaah and His Messenger, and do not dispute and ]thus[ lose
courage and ]then[ your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed,
Allaah is with the patient.{]Quran 8:46[.
Finally, it should be noted that the above advice and directives are
required from the Muslims at all times, and that they]directives[ are
more confirmed when such events and incidents happen.
Allaah Knows best.

Evidence that Muhammadwas a Prophet

Question:
Prove that Muhammad is a true Prophet. What powers did God give him?
Please e-mail it as soonas possible.
Fatwa:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
Muhammadis His slave and Messenger.
The signs that prove the prophecy of Muhammadare numerous. Many books
have beenwritten to enumerate them and thoroughly discuss them. We
would like to mention some of these signs as reported by Muslim
scholars and which prove that Muhammadwas a real Prophet including:
- First, his good biography and high morals as well as the noble
qualities that distinguished him. He was known before becoming a
Prophet as a truthful and honest person, although the community where
he lived was a society of ignorance. This was, perhaps, the most
important sign of his prophecy. He was not known to have ever lied on
people. So, why should he lie on be half of the Lord by claiming that
he was a Prophet, if he was not a real Prophet?
- Second, the powers and triumphs Allaah gave him and thespread of the
religion he preached, as well as the triumph of this religion over all
existing religions in a short period of time. Had he been a liar,
Allaah would have humiliated and destroyed him as He did with those
before him who falsely claimed Prophethood.
- Third, the miracles Allaah gave him as supporting evidence were
beyond the ability of human beings andwere beyond range ofnatural
phenomena. The moon split for him, water gushed from his fingers, food
became more abundant in his hands, and similar phenomena were
authentically reported and happened in a way that could notbe denied.
- Fourth, the Prophetwas backed by the greatest miracle which is
theQuran. In fact,Quranwas a challenge and remains a challenge for
Arabs who were known to be good poets and eloquent speakers. Allaah
challenged them to write a singleSurah )chapter( that would be similar
to that ofQuran, but the Arabs were unable to do so. Indeed, the
challenge still endures, none of the Arabs throughout history - since
the revelation of theQuran- was ableto make anything that was even
similar to it. No doubt that theQuranhas been preserved intact until
it came to us. Groups of people memorized it including children,
adults, males and females. So generations brought theQuranto
generations until it reached us as it was revealed 14 centuries ago.
Hence, theQuranremains intact protected from distortion or alteration.
Nothing has been added to it, nor taken from it.Quranis full of
scientific facts that were verified only in these times of scientific
investigation. No doubt that Muhammad who was illiterate would not
have possessed this knowledge 14 centuries ago. Doesn't this prove the
authenticity of theQuranand thatit is the Word of the Creator of the
Universe who knows all its secrets?
- Fifth, the things from the unseen that he )the Prophet( informed us
about. Some of themoccurred during his life time. Others happened
later. Some of these things happened to the Prophets, may Allaah exalt
their mention, who preceded him and some are still to occur. He also
informed about the signs of The Day of Judgment, some of which had
already been seen such as widespread killings and genocide, adultery
and fornication and the consumption of the alcohol, outnumbering of
males by females and the increased number of earthquakes, and
afflictions,… etc.
- Sixth, the testimony of some of the people of the Book that he was a
true Prophet. Some of them believed in him like 'Abdullaah Ibn
Salaamwho was a Jew as well as Negus )king ofAbyssinia( who was a
Christian. Some of the people of the Book certified that he was a
Prophet from Allaah but refused to follow him like Huyayy Ibn Akhtab.
The above are some of the signs that prove his Prophethood and the
authenticity of his revelations. We would like the questioner to visit
some of the Islamic centers in her area, and hopefully, they will
guide her to some useful references in the matter.
Allaah Knows best.

Questions that the Jews posed to the Prophet

Question:
I heard that when Prophet Muhammadstarted preaching Islam, the Jews
were very upset and they wanted to test him to find out whether he was
a true Prophet, so they prepared 40 difficult questions and asked him.
Is this true, if yes,please, explain what are the 40 questions and
what were the answers given by the Prophet Muhammad?
Fatwa:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
Muhammadis His slave and Messenger.
No doubt that the Jews disbelieved in what Allaah revealed to our
Prophet Muhammadand hated it. They were envious of him - except a few
of them - because he was not one of them, i.e. did not descend from
the children ofIsrael.
Allaah Says )which means(:}And when there came to them a Book]i.e. the
Quran[ from Allaah confirming that which was with them - although
before they usedto pray for victory against those who disbelieved -
but ]then[ when there came to them that which they recognized, they
disbelieved in it; so the curse of Allaah will be upon the
disbelievers. How wretched is that for which they sold themselves -
that they would disbelieve in what Allaah has revealed through ]their[
outrage that Allaah would send down His favor upon whom He wills from
among His servants. So they returned having ]earned[ wrath upon wrath.
And for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment.{]Quran 2:89-90[.
However, we do not know of any authentic Hadeethstating that they
prepared forty questions for the Prophetand asked him about them.
What is proved in the books of Imaans Al-Bukhaari and Ahmadas well as
otherauthentic sources is that they asked him seven questions.
Al-Bukhaarireported that Anasnarrated that when'Abdullaah Ibn
Salaamheard about the arrival of the Prophetto Madeenah, he came to
himand asked him about some things saying: "I will ask about three
things that none except a messenger knows: what is the first sign of
the Hour? What is the first meal that the dwellers ofParadiseeat?
Why is it that the child sometimes resembles his father and other
times his mother?" The Prophetsaid:"Jibreel )Gabriel( informed about
this earlier. Ibn Salaamsaid:"That is the Jews' enemy from theangels."
The Prophetsaid:"As for the first sign of the Hour, it is a fire that
gathers the peoplefrom the East and the West. As for the first meal
that the dwellers ofParadiseeat, it is a portion of the fish liver.
As for the child, if the water )i.e. sperm( of the man comes before
that of the woman, the child resembles his father and if the mother's
water comes first then the child resembles her. Thereupon, Ibn
Salaamsaid:"I bear witness that none has theright of being worshipped
but Allaah and that you are His messenger." Then Ibn Salaamsaid: "O
Prophet of Allaah, the Jews are people of falsehood.So ask them about
me before they realize that I have become Muslim. The Jews came and
the Prophetasked them: "How doyou grade 'Abdullaah Ibn Salaam within
your community." They said: "Our best and the son of ourbest."
Thereupon, the Prophetsaid: "What if 'Abdullaah Ibn Salaam becomes
Muslim?" They said: "May Allaah protect
him from that!" The Prophetthen repeated the same questions and the
Jews repeated the same answers. At that time, 'Abdullaah Ibn
Salaamcame out to them and said: 'I bear witness that none has the
right to be worshipped but Allaah and that Muhammad is His messenger.'
Thereupon, they )theJews( said: "He is our worst and the son of our
worst," and demeaned him. Ibn Salaamsaid: 'This is what I feared, O
Prophet of Allaah."
Ahmadreported that Ibn Abbaassaid:"A group of Jewscame one day to the
Prophetand said: 'O Abu Al-Qaasim, tell us some things that only true
messengers of Allaah know.' The Prophetsaid: "Ask me about whatever
you wish, but promise me by the Name of Allaah and by the covenant
Prophet Ya'qoobtook from his sons, that if I tell something that you
know, then you will follow me and become Muslims." They said:"That's
for you." Thereupon they said: "Tell us about the following four
things: tell us about the meal that Israel forbade himself before the
revelation of the Torahand tell us about the water)sperm( of the woman
and the water of the man how is the male child formed from that? And
tell us this illiterate Prophet during his sleep and who is his
guardian from the angels." The Prophetsaid: "Do you accept by the
covenant of Allaah that you will follow me if I inform you?" They
gave him as much covenant and promise as he wished. Then the
Prophetsaid: "I ask you by the One Who revealed the Torah to Moosaado
you know that Israel)Ya'qoob( fell badly sick and his sickness took a
long time, then he made a vow to Allaah that he would forbid on
himself the food he liked most if Allaah cures him, and the food he
liked most was camel meat and the drink was camel milk. They
said:"Yes." He said:
"O Allaah testify against them." Then hesaid: "I ask you by Allaah,
the One Who has no partners Who revealed the Torah to Moosaado you
know that the man's water is white and thick and that the woman's
water is yellow and thin. Any of the two waters gets above the other
gets the resemblance of the child in his sex and charactersby the will
of Allaah. If the water of the man gets over the woman it is a male
by the Will of Allaah and if the water of the woman gets above that of
the man then it is a female by the Will of Allaah.They said: 'By
Allaah what you said is true.' The Prophetsaid: "O Allaah testify
against them."
Then he said: "I ask you by the One Who revealed Torah to Moosaado you
know that the eyes of this illiterate Prophet sleep but his heart does
not." They said: 'By Allaah that is true.' He said: "O Allaah,
testify against them." They said: 'You, now tell us about your
guardian from the angels, we will stay with you or leave you according
to that.' Hesaid: "My guardian is Jibreel)Gabriel( and Allaah never
sent anyProphet but he was his guardian." The Jews said: 'So, wewill
separate from you. Had your guardian been another angel not Jibreel,
we would have followed you and believed in what you brought.'
The Prophetsaid: "But what prevents you from believing in him?" They
said: 'He is our enemy.' Then Allaah revealed thefollowing verses
)which means(:}Say, "Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel - it is ]none but[
he who has brought it ]i.e. the Quran[ down upon your heart, ]O
Muhammad[, by permission of Allaah,…{]Quran 2:97[. Allaah Says )which
means(:}And when aMessenger from Allaah came to them confirming that
which was with them, a party of those who had been given the Scripture
threw away the Book of Allaah behind their backs as if they did not
know.{]Quran 2:101[. Allaah Says )which means(:}So they returned
having ]earned[ wrath upon wrath{]Quran 2:90[.
Allaah Knows best.

Dought & clear - Ruling on zakaat al-fitr and how much is to be paid

Is the hadeeth "The fast of Ramadaan will not betaken up [to Allaah]
until zakaat al-fitr is paid" saheeh?
If the fasting Muslim is in need and does not possess the threshold
(nisaab) of zakaah, is he obliged to pay zakaat al-fitr because of the
soundness of this hadeeth or other saheehshar'i evidence that is
proven in the Sunnah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Sadaqat al-fitr is obligatory upon every Muslim who is
self-supporting, if he hasone saa' or more than heneeds of food for
himself and his family onthe day and night of Eid.
The basis for that is the report narrated from Ibn'Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with him) who said: "The Messenger of Allaah(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined zakaat al-fitr, a saa' of
dates, or a saa' of barley,upon all the Muslims, slave and free, male
and female, young and old, and he commanded that it be paid before the
people went out to pray." Agreed upon; this version was narrated by
al-Bukhaari.
And Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri narrated: "We used to pay zakaat al-fitrwhen
the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
alive, a saa' of food or a saa' of dates or a saa' of barley or a saa'
of raisins or a saa' of dried yoghurt." Agreed upon.
It is acceptable to give a saa' of the local staple food such as rice etc.
What is meant by a saa' here is the saa' of the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), which is four times
the amount that may be held in the two hands of a man of average
build. If a person does not pay zakaat al-fitr, he is sinning, and he
has to make it up.
With regard to the hadeeth mentioned, we do not know whether it is
saheeh or not.
We ask Allaah to give you strength and to make our words and deeds and
yours righteous.
And Allaah is the Source if strength.

Dought & clear - On which day is i’tikaaf?

Is it permissible to observe i'tikaaf at any time other than the last
ten days of Ramadaan?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it is permissible to observe i'tikaaf at any time, but the best
is to do so during the last ten days of Ramadaan, following the
example of the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) and his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them). Itwas
narrated that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
also observedi'tikaaf during Shawwaal in some years.
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and
peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions.

Dought & clear - Should zakaat al-fitr be given to one person, or distributed among several?

Is zakaat al-fitr for one person and cannot be distributed among several?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is permissible to give zakaat al-fitr on behalf of one person to
one person, and it is also permissible to distribute it among a number
of people.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Islam and Teamwork: Working Together Is Success

A team is a collection of people where each individual is a powerhouse
of talent, knowledge, expertise, skill and above all the right
attitude. The team is effective and powerful when it delivers the
quality and results. For this all individuals shouldmerge into the
team and add value. To add that value to the team, he / she should be
a team player.
A team player is one who has the right attitude andright direction to
work ina team. On the contrary, anon-team player is one who does not
share information, not being honest, not participative and above all
are those who do not extend cooperation. They do notbecome one with
the team. When team members do not come together with the team, the
focus of the team is lost and the results are not achieved.
A team player is one who takes up responsibilities that are outside
their role too. They do not feel that they have to perform tasks of
other team members during contingencies. The best part of being a team
player is, he / she never blames others and accepts their mistakes.
Apart from this a team player would also act as aguide to the juniors
who join the team.
However, being a good employee does not necessarily mean being a good
team player. Working in a team is the real challenge an individual
faces in the organisation. A team comprises of members from different
backgrounds who are together for a purpose.
When different individuals come together different values also come in
and there is enough scope for conflictto take place. The reasons for
conflict could be any one of the following reasons like not following
the instructions of the team leader, the team's efforts or
achievements not being recognised by the boss, blame game for the
mistakes that take place, individual achievements are not recognised
and being neglected, roles and responsibilities of the individuals not
defined clearly and difference of opinion or contradicting values of
any team member.
Strategic alliance
It is an art to exhibit the qualities of a good team player. A team
player is one who performs effectively and efficiently. Getting along
with everyone at work is considered as a skill. Being a team member or
a team leader per se is for the purpose of working together and
getting along till the objectives are achieved. It also means
friendship at work. Teams are made up of individuals that will, now
and then, differwith one another.
What makes a team aggressive in achieving the goals is the attitude to
take those differences and turn them into opportunities for
development rather than turn the teammates in opposition to one
another. We can call it as strategic alliance at the workplace for a
common objective.
Remember, to get help from someone we must have helped them before. It
is a give and take situation at work. Solet us put that as a forward
thinking action and lend the helping hand in our work place. Learning
to be nice to people around us does not cost at all. In particular, we
should not hesitate to ask for help from people who have rich
experience. Most of the time, we hesitate dueto being addressed as
ignorant or lacking knowledge.
We need to give and takefrom one another at workplace and be open and
receptive to new ideas. An employee can achieve his /her her best when
working in a team.Those of us who have worked in different teams
realise that working together closely as a team is difficult in
reality. All of us have had our share of difficult colleagues and
teams.
The guidelines
Team is above the individual in situations. As a team player we
mustremember to follow these guidelines.
*.Adapting to change
*.Not taking credit for the colleague's work
*.Learning to appreciate and recognising other members presence
*.Treating everyone with respect and dignity
*.Not involving the issuesthat are not significant to team's values
*.Meeting the targets or keeping the deadlines
*.Being a good communicator (special reference to listening skills)
*.Cooperating with others in the team
*.Sharing the information and knowledge that benefits all in a team
A team member enhanceshis / her value in the organisation by
demonstrating characteristics of committed players. Every individual
should understand that his / her work is an integral part of a larger
organisation and is binding on the company's overall performance.
Remember,if an employee is an unruly team player we cannot expect any
productivity from him / her in the team.
Conscience decision
Kevin Eikenberry has listed the traits that would help the individual
and team to have greater success. According to him effective team
members are: committed, focused on the team's objectives, supportive,
competent, collaborative, provide feedback, they are good
communicators, they value and build trust, they are proactive and
learners. It is only a conscience decision that brings in the team
player factor in every individual.
Even for a team to win a cricket match or a football match, we as
audience or spectators look at the strength of each player and the
coordination of activities in the game. It is the leadership and team
spirit which contributed for the success of the team. Let's recall the
old phrase "united we win, divided we fall" suites every team that has
to progress. Each and every team constitutes an organisation.
The end result of organisation depends on the performance of each employee.
"Coming together is a beginning; Staying together is progress; Working
together is success" said Henry Ford

Islam and Leadership, Islam and Teamwork, Islam and Consultation, Islam and Joint Planning

Islam encourages its followers to practice and develop the qualities
of leadership, Teamwork, Partnership, Consultation and Joint Planning.
Islamic Leadership meansa person or a group that will lead humanity
from the brink of destruction to the way of Allah (SWT) the Almighty.
Leadership in Islam is a trust (Amanah). It represents a psychological
contract between a leader and hisfollowers that he will try his best
to guide them, toprotect them and to treatthem fairly and with
justice. Hence, the focus of leadership in Islam is on doing good.
Every movement has a need for leadership and the importance of
leadership is like the engine of a train. The train doesn't move
anywhere without the engine moving. Only Islamic leadership can solve
the problems of humanity.
A successful leader is one who attains his ends in the best possible
manner,with the least inconvenience to the team, at the minimum cost,
in record time and with a high quality performance.
Whoever wants to be a leader should educate himself before educating
others. Before preaching to others he should first practice himself.
Whoever educates himself and improves his own morals is superior tothe
man who tries to teach and train others.