28 Bible and Quran - THE END TIMES AND THE BIBLE

A great deal of information regarding the end times and Jesus' return
to earth appears in Islamic sources. That being the case, the
following question arises: Could the subject of the end times also be
discussed in the texts of the pre-Islamic divine religions? Could God
have given information about the events of the end times to the
messengers who came before the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him)?
That is of course possible. It is very likely that the Torah and the
Bible will contain references to the end times.
There is a strong likelihood that those references compatible with the
hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the verses of the
Qur'an are original. In fact, when the references in the Bible are
examined it is indeedstriking that there are indications regarding
theend times, and that thereare many parallels between these and
thosein Islamic sources. Some of these references are asfollows:
Portents of the End Timesin the Bible
The most distinctive characteristic of the end times is Jesus' return
to earth. A number of signs are provided on the subject of the events
thatwill herald the coming ofJesus. Some of these signs may have
occurred at various times. Yet for all these signs, in other words
what we are told about the end times, to come together at the same
time is to be regarded as a portent that the coming of the Prophet
Jesus (peace be upon him) is approaching.
As it will be seen in the other sections of this website, according to
Islamic sources, the Mahdi must already have started his work aimed
atbringing the moral values of Islam to prevail in the world. Since
the Mahdi will prepare the ground for the Prophet Jesus and will act
with him when he returns, theappearance of Jesus mustbe close at hand.
The Bible and Islamic sources have many similarities in a number of
respects. Heading the list are the portents concerning the coming of
the Prophet Jesus. These portents before the return of Jesus are
described in the Bible in the following terms:
Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you
may believe that I am He. (John, 13:19)
Now as He [Jesus] sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to
Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what
will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus
answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you.For
many will come in Myname, saying, "I am the Christ," and will deceive
many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are
not troubled; for all thesethings must come to pass,but the end is not
yet. Fornation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various
places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."Then they will deliver
you up to tribulation andkill you, and you will be hated by all
nations for My name's sake. And thenmany will be offended, will betray
one another, and will hate one another. Then many falseprophets will
rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the
love of manywill grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be
saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the
world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will
come.(Matthew, 24: 3-14)
- The Spread of War:
In the Bible we can see a similar reference to the Prophet's hadith
concerning the appearance of the Mahdi in which he says, "The world
will be in utter confusion."
But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for
these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come
immediately." Then He said to them, "Nation willrise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom." (Luke, 21: 9-10)
And you will hear of warsand rumors of wars. See that you are not
troubled; for all these things must come to pass,but the end is not
yet. Fornation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom... (Matthew, 24: 6-7)
- The Drying up of the Waters of the Euphrates, The Fire and Smoke That Burns
Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river
Euphrates,and its water was dried up, so that the way of thekings from
the east mightbe prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs
coming out of the mouth of the dragon, outof the mouth of the beast,
and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of
demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of theearth and of
the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God
Almighty... And they gathered them together to the place called in
Hebrew, Armageddon. (Revelation, 16: 12-16)
Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million...
A third of mankind was killed--by the fire and the smoke and the
brimstone which came out of their mouths. (Revelation, 9: 16-18)
We are told in the above verses that the waters of the Euphrates will
dry up,that a great war will erupt in the place called Armageddon, and
that most people will die fromfire and smoke. These portents are also
to be found in the hadiths of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon
him). Thedrying up of the waters of the Euphrates, the fire and smoke
coming from the east and burning people; all of these are examples of
portents regarding the end times spoken by the Prophet.
- Natural Events (Famines,Earthquakes)
In the other sections of this website we have seen in some detail how
extraordinary natural events will take place. Similar indications can
be found in the gospels of saints Matthew and Luke. Two examples read:
...And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various
places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew, 24: 7-8)
Men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those
things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens
will be shaken. (Luke, 21: 26)
In addition to the extraordinary natural phenomena on earth, other
portents are indicated in the sky. Indeed, we have already looked at
some signs concerning heavenly bodies.
The Bible makes reference to extraordinary natural events taking place
in the skies. One of these takes the following form:
And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and
pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from
heaven. (Luke, 21:11)
- There Will Be Signs in the Sun, the Moon and the Stars
We have already stated that there will be an eclipse of the Sun and
Moon during the month of Ramadan, that Halley'sComet and Hale Bob
Comet will pass by the earth, and have looked at the interesting
connections between these and the hadiths. The Bible also says that
these phenomena in the sky will herald the end times:
And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, andin the stars; and
on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the
waves roaring; men's hearts failing themfrom fear and the expectation
of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the
heavens will be shaken. (Luke, 21: 25-26)
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be
darkened,and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall
from heaven, andthe powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Matthew,
24: 29)
- An Increase of Evil
Moral degeneration among people and the resulting loss of love and
respect between them is shown as another of the signs of the end
times. These also appear in the Bible:
And then many will be offended, will betray oneanother, and will hate
one another... And because lawlessness will abound, the love of
manywill grow cold. (Matthew,24: 10-12)
- Non-religious Life Will Spread
Religion's ceasing to play a defining role in peoples' lives is also
shown as another sign ofthe end times:
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but
according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they
will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears
away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.(2Timothy, 4: 3-4)
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart
from the faith.... (1Timothy, 4: 1)
But know this, that in thelast days perilous times will come: For men
will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedientto parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving,
unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of
good,traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than
lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And
from such people turn away! (2Timothy, 3: 1-5)
But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of
Manbe. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah
entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them
all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Manbe. (Matthew, 24:
37-39)
- Oppression
In many regions of the world people are regarded as a danger for
saying "God is our Lord," and are thus subjected tooppression. This
danger awaiting believers is referred to in these termsin the Bible:
Then they will deliver you up to tribulation andkill you, and you will
be hated by all nations for My name's sake. (Matthew, 24: 9)
Another reference in the Gospel of Saint Luke describes the oppression
and torture awaiting believers thus:
But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and
persecute you, deliveringyou up to the synagogues and prisons. You
will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake... You will
be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends;
andthey will put some of youto death... By your patience possess your
souls. (Luke, 21: 12, 16,19)
- The Wealthy Will Become Wealthier
As poverty and famine prevail on the one hand in the end times, the
goods and fortunes of the wealthy will increase still further on the
other. In other words, the few wealthy people will groweven wealthier,
and a huge chasm will emerge between people.
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming
upon you! Your riches arecorrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.
Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a
witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped
up treasure in the last days. (James, 5: 1-3)
- False Prophets Will Appear Most Will Claim to Be the Messiah
In the end times many people will emerge claiming to be Jesus and some
will openly declare themselves to be prophets. The appearance of false
Messiahs, described as a portent of the coming of the Mahdi in the
hadiths of our Prophet, is also to be found in the Bible:
For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ," and will
deceive many. (Matthew, 24: 5)
Then if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ!" or "There!" do
not believe it. For false christs and false prophetswill rise and show
great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See,
I have told you beforehand. (Matthew, 24: 23-25)
Then many false prophetswill rise up and deceive many. (Matthew, 24: 11)
And He said: "Take heed that you not be deceived.For many will come in
My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.' Therefore
do not go after them." (Luke, 21: 8)
- There Will Be Great Tribulations and Confusion in the End Days
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since
the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And
unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the
elect's sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew, 24: 21-22)
"Therefore when you seethe 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of
byDaniel the prophet, standing in the holy place"... For then there
will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of
the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew, 24: 15,21)
- Jesus' Return to Earth
As we have already mentioned, Jesus' returnto earth is one of
fundamental subjects in the Bible, which seeks to teach people by
giving examples from his life. In addition, there are frequent
references to the return of Jesus and all believers are called upon to
be prepared for such a great event. Some of the references in the
Bible to the coming of Jesus read as follows:
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all
the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew,
24: 30)
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken
up, and a cloud received Him out oftheir sight. And while they looked
steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them
in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, whydo you stand
gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into
heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
(Acts, 1: 9-11)
Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God
and Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus, 2: 13)
And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is
revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, inflaming fire taking
vengeance on those who do not know God, and onthose who do not obey
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians, 1: 7-8)
So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who
eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for
salvation. (Hebrews, 9: 28)
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him...
(Revelation, 1: 7)
Therefore if they say to you, "Look, He is in the desert!" do not go
out; or"Look, He is in the inner rooms!" do not believe it.For as the
lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will
the coming of the Son of Man be. (Matthew, 24: 26-27)
Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you,
hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the
Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matthew, 26: 64)

27 Bible and Quran - WAITING FOR JESUS The Good Tiding Awaited by Christians and Muslims

It is very important for a Muslim that Jesus is going to come back to
the earth again. He is a Prophet born by a miracle of God without a
father; he invited the Children of Israel to follow the true path and
showed them many miracles. He is the Messiah and, as the Qur'an says,
he is the"word of God" (Qur'an, 4:171). Together with his return to
earth, the lack of understanding between Christians and Muslims who
believe in the same God, share the same moral values and, as the
Qur'an says, are closer to one another in love than all other people
(Qur'an, 5:82) will be repaired, and these two greatest of the world's
religious communities will be united. The members of the world's third
monotheistic religion, the Jews, will also accept Jesus as their true
Messiah and find their way to the true religion (Qur'an, 4:159). So
the three monotheistic religions will unite, therewill be one single
religion on earth based on faith in God and obedience to Jesus, His
Prophet. This religion will defeat the atheistic philosophies and
pagan beliefs with intellectual means; thus, the world will be saved
from wars, conflicts, racial and ethnic hostility, cruelty and
injustice. Humanity will enter a "Golden Age"of peace, happiness and
well-being.
Certainly, this will be the greatest event in the history of the
world. In this situation in which the three monotheistic religions
will unite, the whole American continent, Europe, the Islamic world,
Russia and Israel will be allied on the basis of a shared faith, and
no such unity has ever occurred before.The peace, well-being,
stability and happiness tobe established in the world by this union
has never been known in anyprevious period; its likeness has never
been seen.
And, when Jesus returns to earth, it will beone of the greatest
wonders in the history of the world.
Those prophets whom Allah has chosen performvarious miracles by His
will. The miracles performed by Jesus in Palestine 2000 years ago were
such marvels as raising the dead, healing the blind and lepers, and
giving life to inanimate substances. (Qur'an, 5: 11)
The return of Jesus to theearth after 2000 years and the beginning of
his new life in his mature years without a mother and father will be a
greatwonder. And he will show people new miracles. As a result,
materialist philosophy, which has already collapsed on the levels of
science and philosophy, will suffer irrevocable ruin for all the world
to see, and people will witness the clear proofs for the existence and
power of God.
So, in the light of the signs in the Qur'an, the sayings of our
Prophet and the interpretations of leading scholars in Islam, we
believe that this blessed period is very near. As Muslims, weare very
excited about the imminent return of Jesus and are doing all we can to
prepare ourselves and the world to receive this blessed guest.
We call on Christians to be as sensitive, aware and eager as possible
about this.
Is the Christian World Ready for Jesus?
The love of Jesus has given to Christians throughout history a proper
morality. In the Qur'an, God describes Christians as"most affectionate
to those who believe"and says that"That is because some of them are
priests and monks and because they are not arrogant." (Qur'an, 5:82)
In another verse, Christians' positive morality is mentioned:
Then We sent Our Messengers following in their footsteps and sent
Jesus son of Mary after them, giving him the Gospel. We put compassion
and mercy inthe hearts of those who followed him. (Qur'an, 57:27)
Because of their faith in God, Christians throughout history have
endured all kinds of cruelty, chosen to forgo the pleasures of life
and live with suffering and performed deeds of great self-sacrifice.
Theseare indications of a deep sincerity. But in this age when the
return of Jesus is near, this sincerity must be stronger, and service
to Jesus' religion must be performed more effectively.
- According to Christian scriptures Jesus will return to earth.
It is stated several times in the New Testament that Jesus will return
to earth."So Christ . . . will appear a second time . . . to bring
salvation to those who are waiting for him." (Heb. 9: 28)In many other
passages in the New Testament it is announced that Jesus will return.
Seeing that this promise will most certainly come true, all Christians
must make thisthe basis of their worldview, constantly expect this
Second Coming and to influence the world accordingly.
- According to Christian scriptures, the return of Jesus is near.
Many Christians believe that the Second Coming is near. This is
because almost all the announcements in both the New and Old
Testaments regarding the return of the Messiah have been fulfilled.
The spread of religious morality all over the world, the beginning of
the collapse of atheist philosophies and the return to faith in God
areimportant signs and under these circumstances, Christian should not
remain indifferent about the Second Coming.
- According to Christian scriptures, the return of Jesus will be the
greatest event in history.
Since Christian scriptures say that the Second Coming is definitely
near,this ought to be the mostimportant item on the agenda of the
Christian world. Since Jesus, a blessed Prophet whom Allah chose, will
come soon again to the world, preparations for his arrival should be
kept continually in view.
- Seeing that Jesus will bring all people togetherwhen he comes,
Christians should leave aside their differences, arguments and
hostilitiesthat will soon have no significance anyway.
- Since Christians and Muslims who believe in Jesus will be united in
a common faith when he comes, both communitiesmust try from this
moment to overcome theprejudice and distrust between them.
In the "Book of Revelation," the last bookin the New Testament, it
says:"The kingdom of theworld has become the kingdom of our Lord andof
his Messiah and he willreign for ever and ever." (Rev. 11:15)
All Christians should be eager, excited, aware and filled with love as
they await this blessed event. And we, as Muslims who have this
eagerness, excitement, awareness and love, say to Christians:
Come, let us prepare together for the coming return of Jesus.Let us
have respect for one another's differences in belief knowing that
Jesuswill teach us the truth anyway. Let us strive to fill the world
with peace, brotherhood, mercy and love as he wants to see it.Let us
struggle together in word and deed against philosophies and ideologies
that are hostile to him and reject God.
Let us wait together for one of the greatest glad tidings and the
miracles in the world history.

Story, - I love them both!

I've been married for ten years. My marriage is a happy one and we
have a 7-year-old child.
You wander what more could I want?
I've been maintaining a love-affair for 2 years with someone else. At
first we didn't say a wordto each other; then, we got closer; we
talked for hours; we laughed. He started sharing his familyproblems
with me and this was the way we became friends.
I changed the place I worked and two days after that we started our
relationship. I've never thought that I will be faithful to my
husband, but I've also never imagined that I could have such deep
feelings for some other man.
My love is for both of them! I'd never divorce and I don't want the
other person to do it. I think highly of his family.But put together,
both of my men represent the perfect MAN. But it is the same when they
are separated!
When I'm with the one, my thoughts are occupied with the other, and
visa versa. My husband found out but he was not so upset until the
moment he discovered that I had feelings for this person. Now we hide
and we keep seeing each other. I'm afraid!
I can't imagine bringing to an end my extramarital affair. Where will
this lead us to and what price will I pay?

Story, - Love tetragon

Hi,
Here is my story – I started an affair with my husband's best friend.
Gradually, things got serious and we started falling in love with each
other.
I wanted all this to stop because I love my husband. We have two
wonderful children and I felt awful knowing what I'm doing to them.
But despite that I needed to continue my secret love affair.
One day I found out that my husband had a relationship with my lover's
wife. It was true, as funny as it might sound. We both admittedour
fault and decided that all this has to stop. I found it harder because
of my deep feelings, but Imade an enormous effort.
We gathered our best friends to talk and confessed our mistakes. We
decided that we had to keep our friendship, no matter what. We are
still doing our best to get over this and, step by step, we will
manage it.
My husband and I are happier than ever. Now, we have the love we had
in the beginning of our relationship.

Fathwa, - Responsibilities regarding womenfolk

Question:
As salaam alaikum,
Shaykh, my question isregarding sisters. If one's sister is not
married and, due to her fussy nature, seems unlikely to marry in the
near future, does the responsibility of her welfare lie upon the
father's shoulders? Taking into consideration the fact that she is in
her mid 30's and her father is in his mid 60's. She works and
socializes as she wishes, but she is punctual regarding Salaah etc.
And I know for certain she only socialises with fellow Muslimahs. The
fact that she has refused allproposals given, does this make my father
sinful and will the sin in-turn fall upon me her younger brother (but
the eldest of two brothers). Also, I intend to study abroad, would the
responsibility of my sister fall upon my head if my father was to pass
away, taking into consideration the independent nature of women (my
sister most definitely included) in the West. For example I am almost
certain she would not travel abroad with me, and I probably wouldn't
be able to afford it (myself being married).
Shaykh, sorry for the awkward way I have written my question, it's
more a query needing advice than a formal question. Anyhow, thanks for
taking the time to consider and hopefullyprovide a solution to my
situation.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Dear Brother,
1. Refusing marriage:
Your sister's refusal to get married is not a sin. Your father is also
not responsible if his daughter refuses to get married. You also do
not incur any sin if your sister keeps refusing marriage. That is her
prerogative.
2. According to a previous answer by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Adam
al-Kawthari, your father is generally required to support his grown
daughter, provided he is able and she is in need of support.However,
he may ask his daughter to assist in her maintenance, although he may
not ask her to work outside the home. Please visit Fiqh of
financially supporting one's parents and other relatives.
3. If your father passes away, you will be required to support
yoursister only if you are ableand she is poor and unmarried. Your
first priority is supporting your wife and children. After that, if
you are able, then you should provide for your sister if she is
unmarried. Once again, you may ask her to help out, but you cannot
demand that she work outside the home.
Last but not least, it's best to come to some sort of arrangement that
is beneficial to everyone.If your sister has no problem with working,
then it may be advisable for her to contribute to her upkeep,
especially if your father is getting along in years. In fact, if your
father is himself in need of support, then both you and your sister
must support him, regardless of her marital status.
I pray this helps.
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa, - My husband doesnt understand my feelings regards to living with hisfamily

Question:
I've been married for 11 months now and and me and my husband are
expectingour first child in April. In general I am very happy with my
husband and i love him very much, the only problem is living with his
family. he has loads of brothers and sisters some are married but they
are always around with their children and their husbands there isn't
much privacy. His mum is constantlymoaning about something or the
other and it is really getting me down and I feel like any day now I'm
goingto have a mental breakdown. the problem is my husband knows how i
feel about living with his family, but his refusing to to do anything
about it. I can't take this anymore. please help me with this problem
and what can i do to make my husband see how im feeling. Im notasking
him to disown his family or anything like that just that i need my own
space.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Dear Sister,
I pray this message finds you well. Congratulationson your pregnancy!
A woman has the right toseparate lodging from her in-laws. At the very
least, your husband is obliged to provide you with a separate living
space, bedroom, bath, and kitchen.
Please communicate your concerns to your husband emphasizing:
1. the importance of fulfilling one's responsibilities towards one's spouse
2. the importance of privacy in building a strong and lasting marriage
3. the importance of having your own space (and some peace and quiet)
when the baby arrives
I pray that you can work out a solution that is to the benefit of all involved.

Fathwa, - Are men wiser than women according to Islam?

Question:
Assalam o alaikum
Alhamdulillah, I feel extremely strong in my faith and do not question
the Qur'an, Hadith, Sunnah or the orthodox scholars. But I am taking a
class called Women in Islam, which is taught in a subtly feminist
approach and I find myself knowing that the readings or issues I am
reading are beingmisinterpreted but I lack enough knowledge to wisely
argue my points out. Therefore, I am forwarding the questions here in
hopeof a logical answer that can be presented to a non-Muslim Western
classroom.
The following ahadith which I found while researching and whichare
also mentioned in my book:
The meaning of this verse is: I have made men overseers of women
because I havegranted the former superiority over the latter. This is
due to three reasons viz.
a. perfect understanding
b. perfection of deen and obedience in jihadand commanding the good
and forbidding the evil etc. This has been explained by Nabi
sallallahu alaihi wasallam in an authentic Hadith.
"I have not seen any one of deficient intellect and deen whois more
destructive to the intelligence of a cautious man than youwomen."
The women asked:"Why is that, O messenger of Allh?" Hereplied: "Do you
not spend a few nights without performing salh and without keeping
fast? This is the deficiency of her deen and the testimony of one of
you equals half the testimony of a single man - this is the deficiency
of her intellect. "... so that if one of the two womenerrs, the second
wouldremind her". (Al Baqarah, verse 281)
Questions that can be raised here are:
points (a) and (b) are not women's fault then. Then why did God make
them like that. For extremely atheistic or secular people this could
showa deficiency in God nauzubillah or it demonstrates that Godis
perhaps a masculinefigure or if not, then I mean I cannot reason with
why God would want to make women weaker like that. That shows an
inherent lackof equality then. And no matter how much one tries to
please oneself with the idea that oh how lucky you don't have to pray
for aweek or whatever...it still boils down to whycould not women be
made equally intelligent. And also orientalist scholars could say that
Prophet (saw) was chauvinistic. Why did he speak so patronizingly
(in"progressive" perspective) about women?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Dear Sister,
Thank you for your question. It is certainly an important one.
I have not been able to find a satisfactory explanation for this
hadith. I pray that one ofour esteemed scholars will offer us a new
perspective on this hadith, especially since many non-Muslims like
tocite this hadith as evidence that Islam discriminates against women.
I would caution against interpreting this hadith at face value for the
simple reason that the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace,
was famous for his kind and equitable treatment of women. Therefore,
for him to make a blanket statement about women's supposed inferiority
requires someamount of interpretive flexibility on our part. For those
who would accuse us of being apologists for the hadith,I would respond
that every religious tradition has texts which appear to privilege men
over women. The challenge for believers in modern times is to discover
new interpretive possibilities for these texts.
What I find especially fascinating about this hadith is what emerges
when you read between the lines. Was the Prophet, Allah bless him and
give him peace, alluding to a certain group of women? Could this have
been a wake-up call for women who were slacking in their deen?
I don't believe that we can take one hadith and jump to the conclusion
that the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, was saying that
women are created inferior.
In fact, when you examine the overall framework governing gender
issues in both theQur'an and Hadith, the core idea that emerges isthat
males and females share the same essence.
The Qur'an says,
"O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your LordWho created you from a
single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath
spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty
toward Allah in Whom ye claim (your rights) of one another, and toward
the wombs (that bare you). Lo! Allah hath been a watcher over you."
(An-Nisa, 4:1)
And
"And their Lord hath accepted of them, and answered them: "Never will
I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female: Ye
aremembers, one of another..." (Aal Imran, 3:195)
However, the Qur'an clearly indicates that men and women are distinct
and unique:
"...and the male is not as the female..." (Aal Imran, 3:36)
When I read hadiths that seem to imply some intrinsic distinction
between men and women, I marvel at the Prophet's profound
understanding of humannature. Scientific research is discovering more
and more that women and men are really not the same. There are
inherent biological and emotionaldifferences which shouldbe accounted
for. In the field of medicine, for example, experts are discovering
the need for gender-specific medicinethat addresses women's unique
health concerns. As one scientist said, women are not little men!
Back to the issue of hadith, it's important to weigh "problematic"
hadith against others which speak more favorably of women. In many
hadith, including the above, which is rigorously authenticated,the
Prophet, peace be upon him, expressed deep concern for the women of
his community.
For example, the Prophet, peace be upon him, was reported to have said,
"Fear Allah regarding women. Verily you have married them with the
trust of Allah, and made their bodies lawful with the word of Allah.
You have got (rights) over them, and they have got (rights) over you
in respect of their food andclothing according to your means."
Last but not least.

Etiquettes related to debt and loaning – II

Repaying in the best manner:
The debtor should repay in the best manner. Abu Hurayrahreported: "A
harsh Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allaahasking him to repay a
young camel hehad borrowed from this Bedouin. The Bedouin used harsh
words when he was demanding his money, so the companions were about to
strike him for doing so, but the Messenger of Allaahsaid:'Leave him!
Indeed a creditor has the right todemand it )i.e. his loan(.'The
companions could not find a young camel among the brought ones)from
Zakaah( to match the level of that which was borrowed, and informed
the Messenger of Allaahthat all the camels were of the best type. The
Prophetsaid:'Give it to him, for it is the best of all people who pays
back in the best manner.']Muslim[ In another narration narrated by Abu
Sa'eedthe Prophettold the companionswho were enraged with the
Bedouin:"Youshould side with the one who is demandinghis right."
Unfortunately, nowadays people hardly side with the one demanding his
right, and in some cases even judges deprive people from their rights,
and receive bribes to sidewith the debtor instead of siding with the
creditor … woe to them and what a severe punishment awaits them in
Hell on the Day of Judgment.
When the Bedouin saw the good manner in which the Prophetrepaid him,
he thanked him, and thereupon the Prophetsaid:"These are the best type
of people )i.e. who repay in the best manner(. There is no good in a
nation whose poor cannot take their rights from their rich without
being harassed."The Prophetsaid this because sometimes the poor might
get his right back but only after he suffers and is delayed and is put
in embarrassing situations.
Additionally, the debtor must rely on Allaah in his attempt to repay
the creditor. Abu Hurayrahreported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"A
man from the children of Israeli asked another to lend him one
thousand Deenaars. The second said, `I want a surety witness' the
former replied, `Allaah is sufficient as a surety witness' The second
said, you areright, and he lent him the money for an appointed time.
The debtor went across the sea, and when he finished his job, he
searched for a conveyance so thathe might reach in time for the
repayment of the debt, but he could not find any. So, he took a piece
of wood, made a hole in it, inserted in it one thousand Deenaars and a
letter to the lender and then closed )i.e. sealed( the hole tightly.
He took the piece of wood to the sea and said: "O Allaah! You know
very well that I took a loan of one thousand Deenaars from so-and-so.
He demanded a surety from me but I told him that Allaah's Guarantee
was sufficient, and he accepted Your Guarantee. He thenasked for a
witness and I told him that Allaah was sufficient as a witness, and he
accepted You as a witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance
so that I could pay his money but I could not find any, so I hand over
this money to You" Saying that, he threw the piece of wood into the
sea till it went out far into it, and then he went away. Meanwhile he
started searching for a conveyance in order to reach the creditor's
country.
"One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had
arrived bringing his money, and all of a sudden he saw the piece of
wood )i.e. the one in which his money had been deposited(. He took it
home to use for fire. When he sawed it, hefound his money and the
letter inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came bringing one
thousand Deenaars to him and said, By Allaah, I had been trying hard
to get a boat so that I could bring you your money, but failed to get
one before the one I have come by. The lender asked, have you sent
something to me? The debtor replied, `I have told you I could not get
a boat other than the one I have come by. The lender said, `Allaah has
delivered on your behalf the money you sent in the piece of wood. So,
youmay keep your one thousand Deenaars so depart guided on theright
path."]Al-Bukhaari[
This is the consequence of relying on Allaah, and when one's intention
is sincere in repayment, then Allaah will assist himin his attempt.
The problem that faces many indebted people is that they are not truly
sincere in their intention to repay the debt to the creditor and thus
they become deprived of the assistance of Allaah.
Late salaries:
This is one type of debt which the employer owes the employee. Some
people might workfor a certain period and their contract is terminated
and they leave the country whilst the employer owes them part of their
salaries that he did not pay them. Undoubtedly, this is a debt on the
part of the employer and he must look for them if they leave before he
fulfilled their payments or salaries, even if he has to travel to
their countries in order to pay them off.
The following narration indicates the greatness ofthe right of the
employee; `Abdullaah bin`Umarnarrated that he heard Messenger of
Allaahas saying:"Three men, amongst those who came before you, set out
until night came and they reached a cave, so they entered it. A rock
fell down from the mountain and blocked the entrance of the cave. They
said: `Nothing will save you from this unless you supplicate to Allaah
by virtue of a righteous deed you have done.`"The Messenger of
Allaahmentioned what each of them said and one of them said:"`O
Allaah! I hired some laborers and paid them their wages except one of
them departed without taking his due. I invested his money in business
and the business prospered greatly. After a long time, he came to me
and said: O slave of Allaah! Pay me my dues. I said: Allthat you see
is yours - camels, cattle, goats and slaves. He said: O slave of
Allaah! Do not mock at me. I assured him that I was not joking. So he
took all the things and went awayhe spared nothing. O Allaah! If I did
so seeking Your Pleasure, then relieve us of our distress.` The rock
slipped aside and they got out walking freely."]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[
Nowadays, employers oppress their employees and eat up their rights
and salaries … but the right of these employees will not be wasted
with Allaah, and their oppression will not be left unattended even if
they die before getting their rights, because there will come a Day
when everything will be accounted for and then repayment will be in a
different form … it will bein rewards from their records. Therefore,
employers are advised to rush and fulfill the payment for their
employees before that Day comes.
Procrastinating payment:
Some debtors delay and procrastinate for no needeven when they have
themoney to repay, but he acts so mean and low and pays back in
installments to the creditor. One might have a debt of fifty thousand
for example, and starts repaying five hundred every month, other
months he might pay only two hundred, and a third month he would pay a
thousand and so on, despite him having the entire amount, but he just
wants the creditorto give up on him and hisdebt, and this is extreme
stinginess.
Such people make the creditor appear like the poor person who is
chasing after money, whilst it is his right. He forces him in some
cases to beg him to repay, so that he )i.e. the creditor( can fulfill
his own obligations which he might have arranged their payment based
on the agreed upon promiseof repayment from the debtor.
Finally, it is recommended that the debtor says nice words ofgratitude
to the creditor upon repaying him as this softens the heart
andencourages the creditor to loan others in the future.

Etiquettes related to debtand loaning – I

Many social problems result from loans becausemany people overlook the
etiquettes which Islaam legislated for the debtor and the creditor,
and should the debtors and the creditors adhere to such etiquettes,
then many problems would besolved.
Some of these etiquettes regarding the creditor are to delay the
debtor who is unable to pay on due time and to drop the debt from the
needy. On the other hand, the debtor should rush and repay the loan as
soon as he is able to and not to procrastinate repayment.
Giving respite to the debtor:
When the time of repayment is due, then the one who was kind to his
brother and loaned him some money should remember the saying of Allaah
)which means(:"And if someone is in hardship, then ]let there be[
postponementuntil ]a time of[ ease. But if you give ]from your right
as[ charity, then it is better for you, if you only knew."]Quran 2:
280[ In this verse, Allaah enjoins patience and tolerance for the one
who is poor and cannot repay on time and that the creditor should
postpone the deadline. This command came to change the old practice
during pre-Islaamic era were the creditor used tosay to the debtor:
"Either you pay or I start calculating interest on the loan". Also,
the verse comes directly after the verses addressing the issue of
Ribaa )i.e. interest and usury( in which Allaah Says )what means(:"O
you who have believed, fear Allaah and give up what remains ]due to
you[ of Ribaa )i.e. interest and interest(, if you should be
believers. And if you do not, then be informed of awar ]against you[
from Allaah and His Messenger. But if you repent, you may have your
principal-]thus[ you do no wrong,nor are you wronged."]Quran 2:
278-279[
It is a known fact that theworld's main economical problems resulted
from Ribaa )usury and interest( and dealing with it. This caused
hunger and poverty amongst people in countries which were )at a given
time( rich countries and its people were rich, but the promise of
Allaah came true in which he threatens those who dealwith Ribaa )which
means(:"And if you do not, then be informed of a war]against you[ from
Allaah and His Messenger."]Quran 2: 279[
Allaah did not specify the type of war He would wage against those who
deal with Ribaa; whetherit is in the form of afflicting them with
diseases, making them suffer famine and poverty or a military war.
Jaabirreported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"May Allaah show mercy
to a man who adopts a kind attitude when he sells, buys and demands
for the repayment of loans."]Al-Bukhaari[ Thisperson deserved the
mercy of Allaah because he dealt with people kindly and postponed
theone who could not repay him and whenever askedfor his money, he
demanded it gently with kind words as not to heart the feelings of the
debtor.
These prophetic narrations deeply affected the companionsand they
acted upon them. 'Abdullaah the son of Abu Qataadahreported: "My
father )i.e. Abu Qataadah( went to a man who was indebted to him, so
the debtor hid from Abu Qataadah. LaterAbu Qataadah saw the debtor and
requested hismoney but the later informed him that he could not repay
him because he did not possess the money and that his financial
situation was very tight. Upon hearing this, Abu Qataadah, asked the
mansaying; `Are you really in a tight situation?` the man responded
with the affirmative. Thereupon my father said: I heard the Messenger
of Allaahsaying:"He who likes Allaahto deliver him from the calamities
of the Day of Resurrection, let him either give respite to a debtor or
grant him remission )of loans( in straitened circumstances."Then he
cried."]Muslim[
In another narration hesaid:"He who gives respite to someone who is in
straitened circumstances, or grants him remission, Allaah will shelter
him in the shade of His Throne, on theDay of Resurrection, when there
will be no shade except its shade."]At-Tirmithi[
Abu Qataadahwas notthe only one who behaved in such a manner. Rather,
this was the way the entire community of the companionsdealt with each
other.
Many of the Companionsdelayed the debtors who could not pay on time
for long periods, and in many cases they even dropped and waived the
entire debt altogether.
This was so because they lived the prophetic narrations practically in
their lives. Some of them used to lend others just to get the reward
mentioned in some narrations like the sayingof the Messenger of
Allaah:"Any Muslim who lends another Muslim twice will get a reward as
if he has spent this money in charity."Anothernarration that was an
encouraging factor is thesaying of the Messenger of Allaah:"He who
gives respite to someone who is in straitened circumstances, will geta
reward as if he has spent this amount in charity for every day he
delays him until its due date, and after it becomes due he will get
double such reward."
Giving respite and delaying those in tough situations can be the
reason of rescuing oneself from Hell. Abu Hurayrahreported that the
Messenger of Allaahsaid:"There was a person who used to loan money to
the people and he used to say to his servant: `When an insolvent
person comes to you, show him leniency so that Allaah may forbear our
faults.' So when he met Allaah )i.e., when he died(, Allaah forgave
him."]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[
Abu Mas`ood Al-Badrireported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"A
person from amongst the people who lived before you was called to
account by Allaah on the Day of Resurrection. No good deeds were found
in his credit except that he being a rich man had )financial( dealings
withpeople and had commanded his servants to show leniency to those
who were in straitened circumstances. Upon this Allaah, the Exalted,
and Majestic said: `I am more entitled to this attribute, so waive
)his faults(.`"]Muslim[
The abovementioned narrations and verses area great encouragement for
the creditor to postpone and give respite to the debtors who can not
repay on time due to their strenuous situations. They are messages to
the rich who lend others and embarrass them and humiliate them, and
may even be the cause for their imprisonment. Indeed, the creditor has
the right to do so, but Allaah Says )what means(:"… But whoever
pardons and makes reconciliation his reward is ]due[ from Allaah
…"]Quran 26: 40[ Undoubtedly, the reward from Allaah is far better
than money whichis an interim pleasure.
Repaying the creditor on time:
The debtor should take initiative to repay the creditor as soon as the
loan is due. If the debtor is financially unable to repay it all, then
at least he should start paying in installments if he possesses the
money to do so. One should rush in repayment, because loans will be a
hard thingon him in his gave.

Praising Allaah – I

Many texts in the Quran and the Sunnah indicate the virtue of praising
Allaah and that it is whatthe dwellers of Paradise will say upon
enteringParadise.
The Prophetused to praise Allaah during all times. Furthermore,
supplications - which included the praise of Allaah - before and after
many actions have been reported on his behalf. Heused to praise Allaah
after eating, drinking, wearing a new garmentand returning from a
journey. He also would praise Allaah during pilgrimage and upon
receiving good news or sad news. Thus weMuslims must praise Allaah
during all situations in order to attain the great reward of praising
Him.
The virtue of praising Allaah as mentioned in the Quran:
There are many acts of worship which people fail to perform despite
the great reward they yield and despite them being veryeasy to
perform. Allaah rewards for some simple acts abundantly, because He is
The Most Generous and The Beneficent, and regardless how much Allaah
gives, what He possesses will never decrease.
We must perform as many deeds as possible in order to be rescuedon the
Day of Judgment and reach our destination safely. One of the greatest
deeds to perform is mentioning Allaah, and it has many types, the best
of which is that done with the tongue and is connected to the heart.
This is when a person mentions Allaah and ponders upon what he is
saying, and praising Allaah is one such form of mention. Allaah is to
be praised in all situations as He is the only One worthy of praise.
Allaah praised Himself in many places in the Quran and He commanded us
to praise Him. The dwellers ofParadisewill praise Allaah as Allaah
informs ussaying )what means(:"…And the last of their call will be,
`Praise to Allaah, Lord of the worlds!`"]Quran 10: 10[
And also )what means(:"…Praise to Allaah, Who has fulfilled for us His
promise."]Quran 39: 74[
And also )what means(:"…Praise to Allaah, Who has removed fromus ]all[
sorrow."]Quran 35: 34[
Praising Allaah is a great act of worship that reflects the slave's
contentment and submission to the Decrees of Allaah.
Praising Allaah is a phrase which will fill the slave's scale on the
Day of Judgment. The Prophetsaid:"The best type of supplication is
)saying(: `Al-Hamdulillaah` )All Perfect praise be to Allaah(".
'Aa'ishahsaid: "The Messenger of Allaahrecited frequently in bowing
and prostration:"Subhaanaka Rabbanaa wa bihamdika, Allaahumaghfir
lee.)Far removedYou are from every imperfection, our Lord, and all
praise is for You,forgive me, O Allaah(".Heelucidated that it has been
commanded in the Noble Quran to recite )what means(:"So glorify the
Praises of your Lord, and ask for His forgiveness. Verily,He is the
One Who accepts the repentance and Who forgives."]Quran 110: 3[ And he
)i.e. the Messenger of Allaah( acted upon it." ]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[
Allaah commanded us not to forget this mention, namely praising Him.
The greatest chapter in the entireQuran is Al-Faatihah, and it starts
with the praise of Allaah. The Messenger of Allaahsaid to Abu Sa`eed
Ibn Al-Mu`allaa:"Shall I teach you the greatest Chapter in the Quran
before you leave the mosque? … It is `Alhamdulillaahi Rabbil-`Aalameen
)i.e., Chapter Al-Faatihah(."]Al-Bukhaari[
The virtue of praising Allaah as mentioned in the Sunnah:
Many texts mentioned this issue to highlight its importance. The
Messenger of Allaahsaid:"Protect yourselves from Hellfire; say:
`Subhaanallaah, Al-Hamdulillaah, Laa Ilaaha Ilallaah, Allaahu Akbar
)Allaah is free from imperfection; praise be to Allaah; None is worthy
of being worshipped except Allaah; and Allaah is The Greatest(.` These
)words( will come on the Day of Judgment preceding the person )who
uttered them in life( and will be behind him, and to his
sides."Meaning they will surround him from all directions as a way of
honoring the person who used to utter them in the worldly life.
Ibn Mas`oodreported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"I met
Ibraaheemon the Night of Ascension )Al-Israa'(, andhe said to me: `O
Muhammad, convey my greetings to your nation, and tell them that
Paradise has a vast plain of pure soil and sweet water. It is a plain
leveled land. The plants grow there by uttering: Subhaanallaah,
Al-Hamdulillaah, Laa Ilaaha Illallaah and Allaahu Akbar )Allaahis free
from imperfection; praise be to Allaah; there is no true god except
Allaah; and Allaah is The Greatest(."]At-Tirmithi[
The Messenger of Allaahonce said to the companions:"Allaah chose four
phrases for you to utter: `Subhaanallaah, Al-Hamdulillaah, Laa Ilaaha
Ilallaah, Allaahu Akbar )Allaah is free from imperfection; praise be
to Allaah; none is worthy of beingworshipped except Allaah; and Allaah
is The Greatest(` Whoever says 'Subhaanallaah )Allaah is freefrom
imperfection(' will receive twenty rewards and twenty sins will be
expiated from his record. Whoever says 'Allaahu Akbar)Allaah is The
Greatest(' will receive twenty rewards and twenty sins will be
expiated fromhis record. Whoever says 'Laa ilaaha illallaah )None is
worthy of being worshipped except Allaah('will receive twenty rewards
and twenty sins will be expiated fromhis record. Whoever says
'Al-Hamdulillaah )praise be to Allaah(' will receive thirty rewards
and thirty sins will be expiated from his record."]Ahmad[
We must utilize our time in the mention of Allaah as much as we can,
because it is the easiest thing to do while its outcome is great, it
is the plants ofParadise. It is a very easy profit and an effortless
gain ... but where are those who strive to get it?
Whenever a new bounty is bestowed upon the slave from Allaah, he
should utter the praise of Allaah. The Messenger of Allaahsaid:"Allaah
never bestows a bounty upon a slave and he praises Allaah, but the
utterance of praise was better for the slavethan the bounty itself."
Allaah Says )what means(:"And if you should count the favor ]i.e.
blessings[ of Allaah, you could not enumerate them."]Quran 14: 34[
Praising Allaah leads to His pleasures, as in the narration of Anaswho
reported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"Allaah will be pleased with
His slave who praises Him )i.e., says Al-Hamdulillaah( when he eats
and praises Him when he drinks."]Muslim[
A true believer praises Allaah in all situations even as his soul is
departing, as the Messenger of Allaahsaid to Umm Ayman. Why would a
believer praiseAllaah upon his death? This is because he is being
freed from the prison of this worldly life and heading towards the
hoped eternal joyful life inParadise. One's death is a decree of
Allaah, so a true believer praises Allaah for any Decree that befalls
him. Additionally, a true believer praises Allaah for having enabled
him to utilize this life in His pleasure.
There are many times during which the praise of Allaah is recommended,
and the followingare some examples:
Upon waking up, whilst rising from bowing, during prayer and upon sneezing:
One is amazed when he ponders on the cases were the praise is
recommended. The Prophettaught us that when a person wakes up, he is
encouraged to utter:"Al-Hamdulillaahi Al-Lathee 'Aafaanee Fee Jasadee
Waradda 'Aalayya Roohee )All praise is for Allaah who restored to me
my health and returned my soul(."The Prophetalso taught us that when
an Imaam rises from the position of bowing, he should say:"Sami`a
Allaahu limanhamidah )Allaah listened to the one who praised Him("and
that people should say:"Rabbanaa Walakal-hamdu )Our Lord, for Youis
all praise("When the Prophetheard a man saying upon rising from
bowing in prayer: "Rabbanaa Walakal-hamdu Hamdan Katheeran Tayyiban
Mubarakan Feeh )Our Lord, for You is all praise, an abundant beautiful
blessed praise(" hesaid:"The angels were amazed upon hearing this
phrase".Furthermore, when one sneezes, he should praise Allaah saying:
"Al-Hamdulillaah )All praise is for Allaah(."
In the opening of lectures and sermons and after concluding prayers:
Whenever the Prophetused address the people with any issue, hewould
open his speech with the praise of Allaah and His glorification.
Likewise, after concluding his prayers, hewould praise Allaah thirty
three times.

Praising Allaah – II

When wearing a new garment:
Whenever the Prophetused wear a new garment, hewould say:"Allaahumma
lakal-hamdu Anta kasawtaneeh, as'aluka min khayrihi wa khayri maa
suni'a lah, wa a'oothu bika min sharrihi wa sharri maa suni'alah )O
Allaah, for You is all praise, You have clothed me with it )i.e. the
garment(, I ask You for the good of it and the good for which it was
made, and I seek refuge with You from the evil of it and the evil for
which it was made.("This is said because each garment could be worn
for something good or something evil. For example, one could wearit to
show off, and a woman could wear a garment to expose her beauty, both
of which cases are evil. On the other hand, one could wear it to adorn
himself before going to the mosque as a Muslim is commanded to do, in
such case one's garment is a source of goodness for him.
After eating or drinking:
The Prophetused different wordings and phrases to praise Allaah after
eating or drinking, asin the following narrations: Mu`aath ibn
Anasreported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"He who has taken food
andsays at the end: `Alhamdu lillaahi al-lathi at`amani haathaa, wa
razaqaneehi min ghayri hawlin minni wa laa quwwah )All praise is due
to Allaah Who has given me food to eat and provided it without any
endeavor on my partor any power(, all his past sins will be
forgiven."]At-Tirmithi[. Abu Umaamahreported:"Whenever the
Prophetfinished a meal, hewould say:"Al-hamdulillaah hamdan katheeran
taiyyiban mubaarakan feehi, ghayra makffiyyin wa laa muwadda`in, wa
laa mustaghnan`anhu, rabbuna. )All praise is due to Allaah, praise
which is abundant, pure, and full of blessings, which is indispensable
and to which one cannot be indifferent(."]Al-Bukhaari[
Upon going to bed:
Whenever the Prophetwould go to bed, he used to remember the bounties
of Allaah upon him)which is something that most people are heedless of
nowadays( and then praise Allaah. Anasreported: "Whenever the
Prophetwent to his bed, he would say:"Al-hamdulillaah al-lathi
at`amanaa wa saqaanaa, wa kafaanaa wa aawaanaa, fakam mimman laa
kaafiya lahu wa laa mu'wiya )Praise is due to Allaah Who has fed us,
provided us drink, satisfied us and gave us protection. Many are those
who have no one to provide for them, or give them shelter(."]Muslim[.
Upon returning from Hajj or 'Umrah:
During his journeys henever forgot to praise Allaah. Ibn
`Umarreported: "During the return journey of the Prophetfrom Hajj or
`Umrah whenever heascended a height or hill, he would recite thrice:
"Allaahu Akbar )Allaah is The Greatest(" Then hewould say:"Laa ilaaha
illallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku, wa lahul-hamdu, wa
Huwa `alaa kulli shay'in Qadeer. Aayiboona taa'iboona `aabidoona li
rabbinaahaamidoon. Sadaq-Allaahu wa`dahu, wa nasara `abdahu, wa
hazamal-ahzaaba wahdahu )Nonehas the right to be worshipped except
Allaah, Who has no partner, to Whom the sovereignty belongs, to Whom
allpraise is due, and Who is Able to do all things. We are those who
return )in safety(, feel penitence, worship Allaah, prostrate before
our Lord and praise Him. Allaah has fulfilled His Promise, helped His
slave )i.e., Muhammad( and He Alone vanquished the
Clans(."]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[.
During the Talbiyah for Hajj:
It is the Sunnah that one utters Talbiyah whilst in the state of
Ihraam for Hajj, saying: "Labbaykallaahumma labbayk, labbayka laa
shareeka laka labbayk, innal-hamda wanni'mata laka wal-mulk, laa
shareeka lak. )Here I am O Allaah,)in response to Your call(, here I
am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Verily all praise,
grace and sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner.("
During the imploration for rain:
One of the great prayers to perform is when imploring for rain.
'Aai'shahreported: "Thepeople complained to the Messenger of Allaahof
the lack of rain, so hegave an order for a pulpit. It was then setup
for him in the place of prayer. Hefixed a day for the people on which
they should come out. When the rim of the sun appeared, the Messenger
of Allaahsat down on the pulpit, and having pronounced the greatness
of Allaah and expressed His praise, hesaid:"You have complained of
drought in your homes, and of the delay in receiving rain at the
beginning of its season. Allaah has ordered you to supplicate Him and
promised that He will answer your prayer."Then hesaid:"Praise be to
Allaah, the Lord of the Universe, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the
Master of the Day of Judgment. There is none worthy of worship but
Allaah Who does what He wishes. O Allaah! You are Allaah, there is no
deity but You, the Rich, while we are the poor. Senddown the rain upon
us and make what You send down a strength and satisfaction for a
time."He, then raised his hands, and kept raising them till the
whiteness under his armpits was visible. Hethen turned his back to the
people and inverted or turned round his cloak while keeping his hands
aloft. He then faced the people, descended and prayed two Rak'ahs.
Allaah then produced a cloud, and the storm of thunder and lightning
came on. Then the rain fell by Allaah's permission, and before
hereached his mosque, streams were flowing. When hesaw the speed with
which the people were seeking shelter, helaughed till his back teeth
were visible. Then hesaid:"I testify that Allaah is Omnipotent and
that I am Allaah's servant and apostle."]Abu Daawood[.
Encouraging the Praise of Allaah and thanking Him during all times:
Do not be heedless of the praise of Allaah and mention Him frequently,
and remember that one should praise Allaah and thank Him during all
situations. Abu Hurayrahnarrated that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"A
man )from amongst the people before you( said: `Indeed! I will give in
charity.' So he took his charity out and placed it in a thief's hand.
In the morning the people were talking )about this incident( and
saying: `Charity wasgiven to a thief last night.' The man said: `O
Allaah! Praise be to You. I have given charity to a thief. Indeed, I
will give in charity!` So he took his charity out and he placed it in
a prostitute's hand. In the morningthe people were talking )about this
incident( and saying: `Charity was given to a prostitute last night.'
On hearing this, the man said: `Praise be to You, O Allaah! I gave
charity to a prostitute. Indeed, I will give in charity!` So he took
his charity out and placed it in a rich man's hand. In the morning the
people were talking )about this incident( and saying: `Charity was
given to a rich man last night.' The man said: `O Allaah! Praise be to
You)for helping me( give charity to a thief, a prostitute and a rich
man.` Then he had a dream in which he was told that his charity to the
thief might result in his refraining from his theft, his charity to
the prostitute might help her abstain from her immorality, and his
charity to therich man might help him pay heed and spend from what
Allaahhad bestowed upon him."]Al-Bukhaari[
When this man from the children ofIsraelaccepted the decree of Allaah
and was content with it and praised Allaah in all situations and
thanked Him, Allaah rewarded him abundantly for these three charities
he spent out. This is because we should deal with people according to
what appears from their conditions and leave their intentions to
Allaah for judgment.
Furthermore, Allaah rewards the one who is content with great rewards.
Abu Moosaa Al-Ash`arireported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"When a
man's child dies, Allaah, the Exalted, asks His angels: `Have you
taken out the life of the child of My slave?` and they reply in the
affirmative. He )Exalted be He( then asks: `Have you taken the fruit
of his heart?` and they reply in the affirmative. Thereupon He asks:
`What did my slave say?` They say: `He praised You and said: Innaa
Lillaahi Wa Innaa Ilayhi Raaji'oon )We belong to Allaah and to Him we
shall return(.` Allaah says: `Build a house for my slave inParadiseand
name it Baytul-Hamd )the House of Praise(.`"]At-Tirmithi[.

Dought & clear, - What is meant by amaanah in the verse “Truly, We did offer al-amaanah (the trust) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains”?

What is the amaanah (trust) that Allah, may Hebe glorified and
exalted,"offered to the heavens and the earth but they declined to
bear it and were afraid of it, but man bore it; verily he was unjust
(to himself) and ignorant (of its results)"?
Praise be to Allah.
Allah, may He be exalted,offered obedience to Him and His obligations
and limits to the heavensand the earth and the mountains in such a
waythat if they did well they would be rewarded, but if they neglected
their duties they would be punished. They refused to bear it out of
fear thatthey might not do what was enjoined upon them, but man took
it on, and verily he was unjust (to himself) and ignorant (of its
results).
This is the explanation ofthe verse in which Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, says:"Truly, We did offer al-amaanah (the trust
or moral responsibility or honestyand all the duties which Allah has
ordained) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they
declined to bear it and were afraid of it (i.e. afraid of Allah's
torment). But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust (to himself) and
ignorant (of its results) [al-Ahzaab 33:72]".
The interpretation of theamaanah (trust) as referring to shar'i duties
is the view of Ibn 'Abbaas, al-Hasan al-Basri, Mujaahid, Sa'eed ibn
Jubayr, ad-Dahhaak ibn Muzaahim, Ibn Zayd and most of the
commentators.
See:Tafseer at-Tabari, 20/336-340;Tafseer Ibn Katheer,
6/488-489;al-Jaami' li Ahkaam al-Qur'an, 14/252-253;Fath al-Qadeer,
4/437.
Qataadah said: The amaanah (trust) is the religion, obligatory duties
and limits set by Allah.
It was also said that what is meant by the amaanah here is whatever
people entrustone with.
Some of them said that itrefers to ghusl in the case of janaabah.
Zayd ibn Aslam said: The amaanah is three things:prayer, fasting and
ghuslin the case of janaabah.
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
There is no contradictionbetween these opinions;rather they are all in
harmony and refer to responsibility and accepting the commandsand
prohibitions on the basis of their condition, which is that if they do
well they will be rewarded and if they neglect them they will be
punished. Man accepted this amaanah despite his weakness, ignorance
and injustice (to himself), except those who Allah guides. End quote.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 6/489
At-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The most correct of these opinions is that of those who said that what
is meant by the amaanah (trust) here is everything with which one is
entrusted with regard to religious commitment and things entrusted to
one by people. That is because Allah did not specify any particular
type of trust when He said, "Truly, Wedid offer al-amaanah (the
trust)". End quote.
Tafseer at-Tabari, 20/342
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The word amaanah is general in meaning and encompasses all the duties
of Islam, according to the correct opinion. This is the view of the
majority. End quote.
Al-Jaami' li Ahkaam al-Qur'an, 14/252
As-Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Everything that Allah hasenjoined upon His slave is an amaanah
(trust), and the slave must carry them out in the fullest sense. That
also includes things that are entrustedto one by people, such as
wealth, secrets and the like. The individual must pay attention to
both matters and fulfil both trusts."Verily! Allah commands that you
should render back the trusts to those, to whom they are due"
[an-Nisa'4:58]. End quote.
Tafseer as-Sa'di, p. 547
Ash-Shanqeeti (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
In this verse Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, tells us that He
offered the amaanah, which is the taking on ofduties and the
consequences of reward or punishment, to the heavens and the earth and
the mountains, but they refused to bear it and were afraid of it. In
other words, they were scared of the consequences of taking on this
trust, lest that lead to the punishment and wrath of Allah. This
offer, refusal and fear happened in a true sense. Allah created the
heavens and the earth and the mountains with a sense of understanding,
the nature of which only Allah knows and we do not know. Thus they
understood when this trust was offered to them, and they refused and
were afraid. End quote.
Adwa' al-Bayaan, 36/139
To sum up:
The amaanah (trust) mentioned in this verse, that Allah offered to the
heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to bear it
and were afraid of it, but man took it on, is the Islamic duties,
whether that has to do with duties towards Allah, may He be exalted,or
duties towards His slaves. The one who fulfils his duty towards Allah
and towards His slaves will be rewarded, but the one who neglects his
duty towards Allah and towards His slaves deserves punishment.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Advice after Ramadaan

What advice can you give after Ramadaan?
Praise be to Allaah
I wonder whether the fasting person continued after Ramadaan to be as
he was during Ramadaan, or is he "like her who undoes the thread which
she has spun, after it has become strong" [cf. al-Nahl 16:92]? I
wonder whether the one who during Ramadaan was fasting, reciting and
reading Qur'aan, giving and spending in charity, praying at night,
makingdu'aa', will he be like that after Ramadaan, or will he follow
another path, I mean the path of the Shaytaan, so that he commits sin
and does things that anger the Most Gracious, Most Merciful?
If a Muslim continues to have the patience to do righteous deeds after
Ramadaan, this is a sign that his (fasting) has been accepted by his
Lord, the Most Generous,the Bestower of blessings. If he fails to
dorighteous deeds after Ramadaan, and follows the ways of the
Shaytaan, this is a sign of humiliation, meanness, lowly status and
being deprived of the help of Allaah, as al-Hasan al-Basri said: "They
were no longer of any significance to Allaah, so they committed sin.
If they had mattered to Him, He would have protected them." When a
person becomes insignificant to Allaah, Allaah will no longer honour
him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whomsoever Allaahdisgraces, none can honour him" [al-Hajj 22:18]
What is amazing is that during Ramadaan, you see some people who fast
and pray at night, who spend in charity and worship the Lord of the
Worlds, then no sooner has the month come to an end, but their nature
changes completely, and they begin to have a bad attitude towards
their Lord. So you see them neglecting prayer and avoiding righteous
deeds, committing sins and disobeying Allaah inmany different ways,
keeping away from obedience towards Allaah, the Sovereign, the Holy,
the One Free from all defects.
How terrible it is, by Allaah, when people only acknowledge Allaahin Ramadaan.
The Muslim should makeRamadaan an opportunity to turn overa new leaf
by repenting, turning to Allaah, persisting in worshipping Allaah,
always being aware thatAllaah is watching at every minute of every
hour. So after Ramadaanthe Muslim should continue to obey Allaah and
should avoid sin andevil actions, as a continuation of the way he was
during Ramadaan and the things that he did then to draw closer to the
Lord of creation.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as- Salaah), at the two ends of the
day and in some hours of thenight [i.e. the five compulsory Salaah
(prayers)]. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small
sins). That is a reminder (an advice) for the mindful (those who
accept advice)"[Hood 11:114]
The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Follow a
bad deed with a good deed, for it will wipe it out; and have a good
attitude and good manners towards people."
Undoubtedly the purpose for which Allaahcreated everyone was toworship
Him Alone, with no partner or associate. This is the ultimate purpose
and the highest aim, which is to attain 'uboodiyyah (being a slave of
Allaah in the truest and fullest sense). This was achieved in the most
beautiful manner during Ramadaan, whenwe saw people going to the
houses of Allaah in groups and individually, and we saw them striving
to perform the obligatory prayers on time and to give in charity,
competing with one another in doing good deeds. And for this let (all)
those strive who want to strive (cf. al-Mutaffifeen 83:26), forthey
will be rewarded insha Allaah. But there remains the case of those
whom Allaah keeps firm with the word that stands firm in this world
and in the Hereafter (cf. Ibraaheem 14:27). Whomever Allaahhelps to be
steadfast in doing righteous deeds after Ramadaan, Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the righteous deeds exalt
it (i.e. the goodly words are not accepted by Allaah unless and until
they are followed by good deeds), but those who plot evils, theirs
willbe severe torment. And the plotting of such will perish"[Faatir
35:10]
Undoubtedly righteous deeds are among the acts which bring a person
closer to Allaah atall times, and the Lord ofRamadaan is also the Lord
of Jumaada and Sha'baan and Dhu'l-Hijjah and Muharram and Safar and
all the other months. That is because the worship that Allaah has
enjoined upon us includes five pillars, one of which is fasting, which
is for a setperiod which has come to an end. But there remain other
pillars, Hajj, prayer and zakaah, for which we are answerable to
Allaah. We must perform these duties in the manner which is pleasing
to Allaah, and we must strive thereby to fulfil the purpose for which
we were created. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they
should worship Me (Alone)"[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]
The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught his
Companions to compete in doing good, and he said, "One dirham may
weigh more with Allaah than a dinar, and the best of charity is that a
man gives when he is rich." He(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) explained that if the person gives charity when he is disinclined
to do so and is in good health, but fears poverty, that charity will
weigh heavily with Allaah in the balance of good deeds; whereas the
one who delays it, then when he gets sick he starts to spend in
charityhere and there, fearing that his good deeds will be rejected,
there is the danger that his (charity) will not be accepted - we seek
refuge with Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Allaah accepts only the repentance of those who do evil in
ignoranceand foolishness and repent soon afterwards; it is they whom
Allaah will forgive and Allaah is Ever All Knower, All-Wise.
And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil
deeds until death faces one of them and he says:"Now I repent;" nor of
those who die while they are disbelievers. Forthem We have prepared a
painful torment"[al-Nisaa' 4:17-18]
The pious and sincere believer should fear Allaah and strive to
obeyAllaah at all times, persisting in his taqwa and always striving
to do good, call others to Allaah, enjoin what is good and forbid what
is evil. For the believer, his days and nights in this world are
storehouses, so let him see what he can deposit in them. If he
deposits good things in them, it will testify in his favour before his
Lord on the Day of Resurrection; if it is the opposite, then it will
be a disaster for him. We ask Allaah to save us andyou from that loss.
The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) said:
Among the signs of acceptance (of good deeds) is that Allaah causes
one hasanah (good deed) to be followed by another, for the hasanah
says, "My sister, my sister!" And thesayi'ah (evil deed) also says,
"My sister, my sister!" -we seek refuge with Allaah. If Allaah has
accepted a person's Ramadaan, and he has benefited from this period of
(spiritual) training and has remained steadfast in obeying Allaah,
then he has joined the caravan of those who have remained steadfast
and responded to Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, those who say: 'Our Lord is Allaah (Alone),' and then they
stand firm, on them the angels will descend (at the time of their
death) (saying): 'Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings
of Paradise which you have been promised!
We have been your friends in the life of this world and are (so) in
theHereafter. Therein you shall have (all) that your inner selves
desire, and therein you shall have (all) for which you ask"[Fussilat
41:30-31]
"And whosoever takes Allaah, His Messenger, and those who have
believed, as Protectors, then the party of Allaah will be the
victorious" [al-Maa'idah 5:56]
"Verily, those who say: "Our Lord is (only) Allaah," and thereafter
stand firm (on the Islamic Faith of Monotheism), on them shall be no
fear, nor shallthey grieve" [al-Ahqaaf 46:13]
This standing firm should continue from one Ramadaan to the next,
because the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"From one prayer to the next, from one Ramadaan to the next, from one
Hajj to the next, this expiates for whatever (sins) werecommitted from
one to the next, so long as you avoid major sins." And Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall
expiate from you your (small) sins, and admit you to a Noble Entrance
(i.e. Paradise)" [al-Nisaa' 4:31]
The believer should join the caravan of those who stand firm and
should board the ship of salvation from the time when he reaches the
earliest age of discretionuntil he draws his last breath. He should
remain in the shade of "Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah", enjoying the blessings
ofAllaah. This religion is the truth and the way in which we
steadfastly adhere to it in Ramadaan is that with which Allaah honours
us by the bounty of His giving, His gracious blessing and His great
favour, so that we mightcontinue to pray qiyaam and to worship Him
afterthe month of Ramadaan.Do not forget, my brother, that Allaah has
blessed you with i'tikaaf,and Allaah has blessed you with giving
charity, and Allaah has blessed you with fasting, and Allaah has
blessed you with du'aa' which has been accepted. Do not forget, my
brother, to take care of these good deeds and this support from
Allaah, and do not let them be wiped out by bad deeds. So strive to
cultivate goodness and happiness on your way, and to keep company with
those who remain steadfast (inIslam), and to seek Allaah and His
Messengerand the Home of the Hereafter, where it will be said to you,
Receive glad tidings of Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth,
prepared for the pious, for you responded to the call of Allaah; O
seeker of good,continue, for Allaah has some people who will befreed
from Hell, and O seeker of evil, desist. Andyou responded to the words
of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "Whoever
prays at night during Ramadaan out of faith and hoping for reward, his
previous sinswill be forgiven. And whoever prays at night during
Laylat al-Qadr outof faith and hoping for reward, his previous
sinswill be forgiven."
I ask Allaah Who has blessed us and you with fasting, i'tikaaf, 'umrah
and charity to bless us with guidance, piety, and acceptance of our
good deeds; may He helpus to persist in doing good deeds and to remain
steadfast, for persistence in doing good deeds is one of thegreatest
means of drawing closer to Allaah.Hence when a man cameto the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, "Advise
me," he said, "Say, 'I believe in Allaah,'and remain steadfast."
(Agreed upon).
According to a report narrated by Ahmad, he said, "Say, I believe in
Allaah,' then remain steadfast." [The man] said, "O Messenger of
Allaah, all the people say that." He said, "Some people who came
beforeyou said that, but they did not remain steadfast." So the
believers must continue to be steadfast in obeying Allaah:
"Allaah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands
firm in this world (i.e. they will keep on worshipping Allaah Alone
and none else), and in the Hereafter. And Allaah will cause to go
astray those who are Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers), and
Allaah does what He wills"[Ibraaheem 14:27 -interpretation of the
meaning]
The one who is steadfastin obeying Allaah is the one whose du'aa' will
beanswered, the du'aa' which he repeats more than twenty-five times
each day, "Guide us to the Straight Way" [al-Faatihah 1:6 -
interpretation of the meaning], which we say in al-Faatihah. Why is it
that we say and believe strongly that if we remain steadfast Allaah
will forgive us, but we are too lazy to apply thatin practical terms?
We should fear Allaah and apply this in deed and thought and word. We
should strive in the way of "ihdinaa al-siraat al-mustaqeem (Guide us
to the Straight Way)", and we should travel theroute of "iyaaka
na'budu wa iyyaaka nasta'een (You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone)
we ask for help (for each and everything))" [al-Faatihah 1:5 -
interpretation of the meaning], in the shade of "ihdinaa al-siraat
al-mustaqeem (Guide us to the Straight Way)", following the route that
will lead us to Paradise the width of the heavensand the earth, whose
key is Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah. I ask Allaah to grant us and you a good
end.
After the end of Ramadaan, the people are divided into various types,
two of the most prominent of which I will describe here. The first
type are those whom you see in Ramadaan striving hard in worship. You
never see them but they are prostrating or standing in prayer, or
reading Qur'aan, or weeping, so much that they remind you of some of
the worshippers among the salaf, and you even feel compassion for them
because of the intensity of their efforts and striving. Yet hardly has
the month ended, before they go back to negligence and committing sin,
as if theywere prisoners of that worship, so they turn their attention
to their desires and become negligent and commit sins which they think
will take away their distress and grief. But these poor people
forgetthat sin is the cause of doom, because sins are like war wounds,
one of which may turn out to be fatal. How often has sin prevented a
person from saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah when in the throes of death.
After spending this entire month with faith, (reading) Qur'aan and
other acts of worship, these people then backslide, Laa hawla wa laa
quwwata illa Billaah (there is no power and no strength except with
Allaah). These are the occasional worshippers who only acknowledge
Allaah on certain occasions or at times of calamity and distress, then
after that there is no more obedience or worship. What a bad habit
that is.
"The worshipper prayed for something that he wanted, and when the
matter was done, he neither prayed nor fasted." [Arabic poetry]
I wonder what is the point of worshipping fora whole month, if that is
going to be followed by a return to dishonourable ways?
The second type are those who feel distressed at the departure of
Ramadaan, because they have tasted the sweetness of being safe from
sin, and the bitterness of patience became insignificant to them,
because they came to realize the true nature of their weakness and
need for their Master (Allaah) and their need to obey Him. They fasted
in a true sense and stoodin prayer at night out of love, so when they
bade farewell to Ramadaan, their tears flowed and their hearts were
broken. Those among them who were burdened with sin hoped to be freed
from sin and ransomed from Hell, and to join the caravan of those who
are accepted. Ask yourself, my brother, which of the two groupsdo you
belong to?
By Allaah, are they the same? Praise be to Allaah, but most of them do
not know. The mufassireen said, commenting on the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad to mankind): 'Each one does according to Shakilatihi
(i.e. his way or his religion or his intentions)..."
[al-Israa' 17:84] - every person acts according to his way or the
character that he is used to. This is condemnation for the kaafir and
praise for the believer.
You should know that the dearest of deeds to Allaah are those that are
continuous, even if they are little. The Messenger(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "O people, you must do whatever you can
of good deeds, for Allaah does not get tired until you get tired. The
most beloved of deeds to Allaah are those which are continuous, even
if they are little. The family of Muhammad(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), when they did something, they would persist in
doing it." Narrated by Muslim.
When the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wasasked
about which deeds are most beloved to Allaah, he said, "Thosewhich are
continuous, even if they are little."
'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) was asked about what the
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did and
whether he used to do certain things on particular days. She said,"No,
his good deeds were continuous. Who among you could do what the
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
do?" The acts of worship prescribed in Islam are based on certain
conditions which must be fulfilled, like remembrance of Allaah, Hajj
and 'Umrah and their naafil actions, enjoining what is good and
forbidding what is evil, seeking knowledge,jihaad, and other good
deeds. So strive to worship continuously according to your capability.
May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad andhis family and companions,
and grant them peace.

Dought & clear, - Will there be pregnancy and childbirth in Paradise?

We know that there willbe wives in Paradise; will there be any
pregnancy and childbirth?
Praise be to Allah.
Some of the scholars are of the view that if a person wishes to have a
child in Paradise, Allah will fulfil that wish for him. They quoted as
evidence for that the report narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2563) in
hisSunanfrom Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) who
said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "If the believer wishes for a child in Paradise, the
pregnancy, birth and growth will occur withinan hour, as he wishes."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Jaami', 6649
What is meant is that thepregnancy will occur and the child will be
born and will grow to the age of perfection, which is thirty years, as
the person wishes, i.e., the child will be male or female and so on,
in accordance with the person's wishes.
This is the view of many of the scholars.
Some of the scholars said that in Paradise there will be
intercoursebut there will be no children. This view was narrated from
Tawoos, Muhaajid and Ibraaheem an-Nakha'i.
Imam al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It was narrated
from Abu Razeen al-'Uqayli that the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "The people of Paradise will not have
children there."
The hadeeth referred to by al-Bukhaari was narrated by Imam Ahmad
(15773) from AbuRazeen al-'Uqayli (may Allah be pleased with him) in a
lengthy hadeeth in which it says "The righteous women will be for the
righteous man, you will enjoy them as you enjoyed them in this world,
and they will enjoy you, but you will not produce children."
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:It has the dignity
and light of Prophethood which suggests that it is saheeh. However it
was classed as da'eef by al-Albaani inZalaal al-Jannah, and Shu'ayb
al-Arna'oot said: Its isnaad is da'eef and is a series of unknown
narrators.
The hadeeth clearly states that there will be no childbirth, but there
is a difference of opinion as to its soundness.
With regard to the hadeeth of Abu Sa'eed (may Allah be pleased with
him), "If the believer wishes for a child in Paradise, the pregnancy,
birth and growth will occur withinan hour, as he wishes", itwas noted
that its soundness is subject to further discussion. HenceIbn
al-Qayyim said concerning it: Its isnaad meets the conditions of
soundness, but it is ghareeb jiddan.Haadi al-Arwaah, p. 213
And he said: With regardto this hadeeth of Abu Saeed al-Khudri, the
bestof its isnaads is the isnaad of at-Tirmidhi, who determined that
it is ghareeb and that it is only known from the hadeeth of
Abu's-Siddeeq an-Naaji, and the wording of the hadeeth is not sound.
End quote.
Imam Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh (may Allah have mercy on him) said
concerning the hadeeth of the Prophet (blessingsand peace of Allah be
upon him), "If the believer wishes for a child in Paradise, the
pregnancy, birth and growth will occur withinan hour, as he wishes":
But he will not wish. What is meant by the words of Ishaaq is that the
words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), "If
the believer wishes …" are hypothetical )i.e., if the believer were to
wish, but in fact he will not wish).
Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned a number of reasons why it is most likely that
there will be no childbirth in Paradise, such as the following:
1.The hadeeth of Ibn Razeen
2.The words of Allah, may He be exalted (interpretation of the
meaning):"Therein they shall have Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates
or wives)" [an-Nisa'4:57]. They are the ones who have beenpurified
from menses, nifaas (postpartum bleeding) and so on.
It was narrated that Mujaahid said: Purified from menses, stools,
urine, sputum, spitting, maniy and childbirth.
3.Allah, may He be glorified, made pregnancy and childbirth along with
menses and maniy; if women were to become pregnant inParadise, menses
and other discharges would not cease for them.
4.It is proven inas-Saheehthat the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "There will remain inParadise surplus space,
and Allah will create a creation forit and cause them to inhabit it
(the surplus space)." Narrated by Muslim, 5085. If there were to be
childbirth in Paradise, then this surplus space would be for those who
would be born there, and they would be more entitled to it than
others.
5.Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):"And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in
Faith, to them shall We join their offspring" [at-Toor 52:21]. Here He
tells us that He will honour themby joining to them their offspring
that they had in this world. If they were to have offspring in
Paradise, Allah would have referred to them asHe referred to their
worldly offspring, because they would be delighted with them (the
hypothetical offspring in Paradise) as they were delighted with their
children in this world (i.e., the fact that He mentioned only the
worldly offspring indicates that there will be no offspring in
Paradise).
6.Either we say that there will ongoing procreation inParadise or that
it will continue until some point, then cease. But both ideas
areimpossible, because the former implies endless birth of new
individuals,whilst the latter implies the end of one of the pleasures
of the people of Paradise, and that is impossible. And we cannot say
that there will be procreation and people will die to be succeeded by
others, because there is no death there.
7.People will not grow inParadise as they did inthis world, so the
children of its people will not grow and become bigger, and the men
will not grow. Rather these children will remain small and will not
change, and the adults will be thirty-three years old and will not
change either. If there were any childbirth in Paradise, then the
child would have to grow until it became an adult. It is well known
that children who die will reach the age of thirty-three without
growing.
Then he said: Paradise is not the realm of procreation; rather it is
the place of eternal abode and those who are in it will never die and
be replaced by their offspring. End quote.
Haadi al-Arwaah, 1/173
And Allah knows best.