The way to escape selfishness and egotism is through the moral values of Islam

·What damage does selfishness and egotism do to society?
· How can selfish and egotistical societies escape this spiritual sickness?
Omniscient Allah has created the human soul with a predisposition to
selfishness as a test. Unless he lives by the moral values of the
Qur'an and tames his earthly desires, this feeling will come to
dominate his whole moral framework. Such a person generally thinks
of himself alone, rather than everyone else. He always wants the
best, finest and most perfect of everything for himself. He wants to
have possessions and children and for his own family merely to be
comfortable. Whenever he encounters any difficulties he will expect
the people around him to undergo all kinds of risks and troubles for
him and to support him, even at the cost of their own interests. He
seeks to protect his own whims and interests and to ensure his own
ease and comfort. When the situation is different he can forgo many
things he values, for the sake of protecting his own interests and
preventing any harm coming to him. Allah has revealed this passionate
selfish feeling in human earthly desires as follows in the Qur'an:
" Truly man was created headstrong –
desperate when bad things happen,
begrudging when good things come –."(Surat al-Ma'arij, 19–21)
Selfishness and Egotism Are a Major Threat to Modern Societies
The materialist, Darwinist thinking that is widespread in modern
societies that do not live by religious moral values reinforces the
selfish and egotistical spirit in human nature and disseminates a
"me-first" philosophy. Indeed, the idea of " So long as I'm all
right, who cares what happens to anyone else?" or "Looking out for
number one" generally dominates such societies. But selfishness and
egotism are a major threat to society because ideas like truth,
justice and law vanish in such a society . Feelings such as beauty,
love, affection, compassion and respect become regarded as
unnecessary. Thus, people who are oppressed and slaughtered,
innocent babies, people who lack the money for proper hospital
treatment, or who have to wait for hours or even days in hospital
queues, despite being old or weak, people who are forced out of
their homes or lands because of their faiths and tiny, defenseless
children thrown out onto the streets to survive as best they can
are of no interest to such people. This structure generally leads
to a troubled and unhappy air in society.
This structure among people and societies who are selfish, loveless,
aggressive, who protect their own interests and violate everyone
else's, who wear a harsh mask and who have no love or fear of Allah,
can only be eliminated through people living by the moral values of
the Qur'an, as Islam and cultivating love of Allah is the only way
to acquire such instances of good conscience as compassion and
helpfulness, features at the root of Qur'anic moral values, and to
escape selfishness and egotism. Our Lord reveals how the Qur'an
leads people from the darkness to the light as follows:
"… A Light has come to you from Allah and a Clear Book.
By it, Allah guides those who follow what pleases Him to the ways of
Peace. He will bring them from the darkness to the light by His
permission, and guide them to a straight path." (Surat al-Ma'ida,
15-16)
People Can Only Protect and Watch over One Another with Love and Fear of Allah
Fear and love of Allah enables people to submit themselves to Him,
to see the best in everything and to have compassion. In the verses
Allah reveals how the only interest of concern to believers is His
approval:
" They fulfill their vows and fear a Day whose evil will spread far and wide.
They give food, despite their love for it,to the poor and orphans
and captives:
'We feed you only out of desire for the Face of Allah. We do not
want any repayment from you or any thanks.
Truly We fear from our Lord a glowering, calamitous Day.'
So Allah has safeguarded them from the evil of that Day and has made
them meet with radiance and pure joy."(Surat al-Insan, 7-11)
Our Prophet's (saas) words that " He who goes to bed full when his
neighbor is hungry is not one of us" is an important warning that
believers desire to earn Allah's approval. Therefore, anyone aiming
to earn Allah's approval will not just settle for a solution to his
own problems; he will also assume responsibility for resolving the
problems of others around him in need. This may of course require
people to give up things they love or to sacrifice their own
comfort. The way that Muslims look to protect and watch over the
poor by giving alms, help people in need by canceling their debts
and spend their possessions on Allah's path, rather than
accumulating and hoarding them, are moral virtues bestowed by the
ethical values of the Qur'an.
Responding to people's needs and treating them kindly are forms of
behavior that prevent atrophocation of the conscience. Empathizing
with others, treating the needy with affection and showing respect
and love make it possible to eliminate cruelty and selfishness.
Verses reveal that the reward for good behavior comes in the
Presence of Allah:
" Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him. Be good to
your parents and relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to
neighbors who are related to you and neighbors who are not related
to you, and to companions and travelers and your slaves. Allah does
not love anyone vain or boastful." (Surat an-Nisa', 36)
In modern, Darwinist societies one frequently encounters people who
look gloomy, keep their eyes fixed on the ground, walking around
never greeting or speaking to anyone. But because of the climate of
peace and security that Islam provides in those model societies in
which Islamic moral values prevail, everyone will trust and love
everyone else, greet people, and be their friends.
Faith perfects people's behavior, as it does so many other traits. A
believer who constantly heeds his conscience as required by
religious moral values will always behave in the best, most
considerate, trust- inspiring and tolerant manner. Someone possessed
of these moral attributes has earned merit for his own life in the
hereafter. At the same time, he is instrumental in freeing the
world from its self-interested and selfish nature, and making it a
place of the delights of Islam.
The Moral Values of the Qur'an Bestow Altruism, Love and Kindness on People
Someone aware that his purpose in this world is to earn the
approval, mercy and ultimately the paradise of Allah can never
remain unmoved by and insensitive to what goes on around him. He
knows that everything is an opportunity to gain the approval of
Allah and always acts out of that awareness. The flaws or
oppression he sees around him will trouble his conscience. For
example, he will feel himself responsible for a child with no
family forced to live out on the streets. As Allah reveals in the
verses,"So as for orphans, do not oppress them, and as for beggars, do
not berate them." (Surat ad-Duha, 9-10), andhe will treat them well.
He will strive to help them out of their predicament. However, he
knows that the child in question cannot be saved solely through him
and those around him behaving well. He will therefore strive to
ensure that everyone lives by the moral values of the Qur'an. This
is a major responsibility incumbent on all Muslims. Allah promises
a fine outcome for those who assume a great and honorable
responsibility:
"Allah has promised those of you who have faith and do right actions
that He will makethem successors in the land as He made those before
them successors, and will firmly establish for them their religion
with which He is pleasedand give them, in place of their fear,
security. 'They worship Me, not associating anything with Me.' Any who
are unbeliever after that, such people are deviators."(Surat an-Nur,
55)
"[There are men who are] not distracted by trade or commerce from
the remembrance of Allah and the establishment of prayer and the
payment of alms ; fearing a day when all hearts and eyes will be in
turmoil –" (Surat an-Nur, 37)

A Muslim is Passionately Devoted, Not to Possessions and Wealth, But to Allah

Why is the devotion to wealth and property of people who do not live
by the moral values of the Qur'an in fact great heedlessness that
believers scrupulously avoid?
How do believers use their wealth and possessions on Allah's path?
What secret does our Lord reveal in the Qur'an for believers who
spend all their wealth and assets on Allah's path?
People who do not live by the moral values of the Qur'an suffer
various pains; these people even make the desire to "possess wealth
and property" their greatest aim in life. Allah describes such
people as "trying to outdo one another in wealth" in the Qur'an
(Surat al-Hadid, 20). But this desire is literally a delusion
because it is Allah Who owns everything in the world. People
deceive themselves when they imagine they "own possessions." They
did not personally create the things they imagine they possess, and
they have no power whatsoever to maintain them. Neither can they
prevent them ceasing to exist. Moreover, there is no question of
them "owning" anything; because they themselves are under the
control of Allah, "the king of Mankind" (Surat an-Nas, 2). In the
Qur'an it is revealed that all objects and entities belong to
Allah, our Creator:
"Everything in the heavens and everything on the earth and
everything in between them and everything under the ground belongs
to Him." (Surah Ta Ha, 6)
Believers, who have faith in Allah and attach no undue importance to
the transitory baubles of this world, who know that all things come
from Allah alone and who therefore spend what they have on His path,
may hope for Almighty Allah's mercy and paradise. Since they
prefer the life of the hereafter, which Allah says will last for all
eternity, over the life of this world, it is actually they who are
the wealthy ones.
Believers Fervently Spend Their Assets on Allah's Path
As revealed in the verse "[There are men who are] not distracted by
trade or commerce from the remembrance of Allah and the
establishment of prayer and the payment of alms; fearing a day when
all hearts and eyes will be in turmoil –" (Surat an-Nur, 37) , one
of the things that people today most give themselves over to is
making money and possessing goods and property. Yet in that verse,
Allah reveals that believers must be filled with passion for Him
alone, and that their hearts can only be contented by repeating His
name, and that they fear losing His approval by behaving in any
other way. Believers have a strong desire to give their possessions
to others in need, for the purpose of gaining the approval of
Allah, to whom they are so passionately devoted. Another verse
reveals how all wealth belongs to Allah alone:
"Spend in the Way of Allah. Do not cast yourselves into
destruction. And do good: Allah loves good-doers." (Surat
al-Baqara, 195)
Someone who thinks by the light of his own criteria thinks that he
will become wealthier by not sharing his possessions with anyone and
hiding and hoarding them, and that this is the only way he can
guarantee his own future. He believes that anything he gives away –
even if he has no need of it – will make him poorer, and that
anything he loses now will endanger his future comfort. But things
are not at all as he imagines. Allah reveals in the Qur'an, as a
miracle, that a person who spends on His path and who gives alms
will acquire greater possessions and abundance.
But someone who analyzes events only by external criteria may
easily be deceived by this deception of satan's. For example, he may
be about to give his shirt to someone in need when satan whispers
that if he does so, he will have to go without it, that he may need
it one day, and that it would be better to hold onto it. And
indeed, it would appear on the surface that he would be deprived of
a shirt, but if he forgets that Allah bestows many times over on
whom He wishes, on who has much purity, then he has fallen into
heedlessness. Indeed, Allah tells us in one verse that:
"The metaphor of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah is
that of a grain which produces seven ears; in every ear there are a
hundred grains." (Surat al-Baqara, 261)
The example in the verse is a secret revealed by Almighty Allah to
believers in the Qur'an. For that reason, believers spend solely in
order to win Allah's good pleasure, mercy, paradise and abundance.
So long as they expend their goods and possessions on Allah's path
and are careful about what is lawful and unlawful, Almighty Allah
will increase their wealth, smooth their way and create many more
opportunities for them to spend on His path. Every believer
experiences this secret in his own life, by having no fears for the
future, fearing Allah and keeping to His bounds. In this way, he
receives the reward for spending on Allah's path, and also further
abundance.
Therefore, someone who turns a deaf ear to the deceptions of satan's
and gives to those in need is actually behaving in the best way for
himself. He receives the reward for spending on Allah's path, and
also further abundance.
On the other hand, the believer's aim in giving is not to obtain
more for himself, because what counts is the pure intention behind
that giving. Therefore, it is the fact that this obligation is
performed with a love of Allah, with sincerity , expecting no reward
and with pure intentions that validates it in the Sight of Allah.
Another example Allah gives in the Qur'an on this subject is:
" The metaphor of those who spend their wealth, desiring the
pleasure of Allah and firmness for themselves, is that of a garden
on a hillside. When heavy rain falls on it, it doubles its produce;
and if heavy rain does not fall, there is dew. Allah sees what you
do. (Surat al-Baqara, 265)
Believers Regard Assets As a Means by Which to Give Thanks and Draw
Closer to Allah
A believer's interest in having possessions stems from his regarding
this blessing as an instrument for giving thanks to and drawing
closer to Allah. This is a natural state of mind stemming from a
passionate love of Allah and is acquired through fervent faith,
reason, depth, altruism and lofty moral virtues. The Qur'an cites
this example of this superior morality possessed by believers:
"We gave David Solomon. What an excellent servant! He truly turned
to his Lord.
When swift horses, champing at the bit, were displayed before him
in the afternoon,
he said, 'I have put the love of good things above the remembrance
of my Lord until the sun disappeared behind its veil.
Return them to me!' And he set about slashing through their shanks
and necks." (Surah Sad, 30-33)
As can be seen from these verses, it is love of Allah and the
intention of remembering Him that lie at the root of believers'
love of possessions. As in the example of the Prophet Solomon
(pbuh), only believers who love Allah with a passion can understand
the deep joy that His servants who regard possessions as simply a
means of giving thanks to Allah for His blessings, experience from
fulfilling this obligation.
Why Does Accumulating Possessions Benefit One Nothing?
As manifested in the name, Ganiy, Almighty Allah is He Who needs
nothing. It is therefore a grave error to be parsimonious and
accumulate possessions out of a fear of the future inspired by
satan. As is said in the verse "Every self will taste death…" (Surat
al'Ankabut, 57) Allah says, everyone must one day die and be unable
to take anything with them, not even their own bodies. It is
therefore of no use to accumulate and hoard possessions in order to
satisfy earthly greed. On the Day of Reckoning, everyone will have
to give account alone, in the Sight of Allah. Everyone will be
asked about his faith, and wealth and possessions in this world
will be of no use to him at all. This fact is revealed as follows
in another verse from the Qur'an:
"As for those who do not believe, their wealth and children will not
help them against Allah in any way. They are the Companions of the
Fire, remaining in it timelessly, for ever." (Surah Al-'Imran, 116)

Our Prophet’s (Saas) Modernity and Cleanliness, an Example to All Muslims

The life of our Prophet (saas) is the finest model for Muslims of how
to live by the moral values of the Qur'an. Our Prophet (saas)
advised believers to avoid all behavior that is incompatible with
the moral values of the Qur'an, and advised them to be clean, in
mind and body, and set an example for them on this.
What is our Prophet's (saas) conception of cleanliness that
represents a model for believers?
How did our Prophet (saas) dress and wear his hair?
What does Mr. Adnan Oktar say about our Prophet's (saas) modernity
and cleanliness, a model for all Muslims?
The grooming of the Prophet's (saas) hair and beard
The Prophet (saas) attached the greatest importance to cleanliness,
and therefore, to his hair and beard, too. It is reported in some
sources that he always carried with him a comb, mirror, miswak (a
small natural toothbrush), tooth-pick, scissors and a kuhl bottle.
(Islam and Christianity, the Superior Morality and Habits of Hadrat
Muhammad; www.hizmetbooks.org/I slam-andChristianity /10.htm)
The Prophet (saas) advised his companions to do the same, and said:
"He who has hair should honor it." (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 33,
Number 4151)
The Prophet (saas) set an example for the believers with the
importance he attached to his appearance and cleanliness. One
account describes the Prophet's (saas) attitude to such matters:
"The Prophet (saas) once intended to go to his companions and so he
put on his turban and dressed his hair…He said: 'Yes, Allah loves the
actions of His servant who refines his body in order to meet his
friends and brothers'." (Imam Ghazzali's Ihya Ulum-Id-Din (The Book
of Religious Learnings), Islamic Book Service, New Delhi, 2001,
Volume III, p.268)
Ummu Hani (pbuh), daughter of Abu Talib, relates:
"Rasulullah honored our home when he came to Mecca. At that time his
blessed head was plaited in four strands." (Et-Tirmidhi Imam Abu İ'sa
Muhammed, Şemail-i Şerife, Vol. 1, Hilal Press, Ankara, 1976, p. 51)
As revealed in the verse, "… Allah loves those who turn back from
wrongdoing and He loves those who purify themselves " (Surat
al-Baqara, 222) cleanliness is a form of behavior much beloved of
our Almighty Lord and compatible with believers' creation.
Cleanliness, a behavior regarded as most superior by Allah, also
bestows very great delight and ease on believers. Sincere
believers, who feel great determination and effort when it comes to
implementing Allah's commands at every moment of their lives, also
display the same punctiliousness with regard to cleanliness.
The Prophet's (saas) manner of dress
His companions handed down a great many details about the
Prophet's (saas) manner of dress. In addition to these, the
Prophet's (saas) advice to the believers about how they should
dress reveals the importance he attached to this subject. One hadith
reports him as saying:
The Prophet (saas) said: "Allah is beautiful and loves beauty.
Putting on beautiful clothes does not mean putting on pride. Pride
means denying the truth and looking down on other people." (Sahih
Muslim Hadith)
Hazrat Hasan (pbuh), the grandson of our Prophet (saas), said this
about his opinions on dress:
"Our Prophet (saas) used to instruct us to dress as well as we could
and to use the most fragrant perfumes we could find." (Bukhari,
et-Tarih'ul-Kebir, I, 382, no:1222)
Some of the information that was conveyed through the inner circle
of the Prophet (saas) about his clothing are below:
Ibnu Abbas (pbuh) relates:
"I saw the finest possible clothing on Rasulullah (saas)." (Abu
Davud., Libas 8, (4037); Kütüb-i Sitte, Translation and Commentary,
Prof. Dr. İbrahim Canan, Vol. 15, Akçağ Press, Ankara, p. 69)
Umm Salama (ra) reports that:
"The Holy Prophet (saas) liked the kurta (long shirt) most."
(Tirmidhi, Shamail- e-Tirmizi, Kitab Bhavan Publication, New Delhi,
1997, p.47)
Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib (ra) states:
"I have never seen someone with long hair and red clothing look
more handsome than Rasullullah (saas). His hair reached his
shoulders." (Shamaa-il Tirmidhi, Islamic Book Service Publications,
New Delhi, 2000, p. 11)
Another report comes from Fazl ibn Abbas (ra):
"The Holy Prophet (saas) said: 'Adopt white clothes; it is the best
attire.'" ( Tirmidhi, Shamail-e-Tirmizi, Kitab Bhavan Publication,
New Delhi, 1997, p.55)
The Prophet's (saas) outdoor clothes
Ubayd bin Khaalid (ra) reports that:
"I was once going to Madina. I heard a person from behind me say:
'Wear your lungi (loose dress) higher because it avoids physical and
spiritual impurities.' (The lungi will remain cleaner and will not
become dirty because of being dragged on the ground.) When I turned
to see who was talking I saw that it was Rasulullah (saas)."
(Shamaa-il Tirmidhi, Islamic Book Service Publications, New Delhi,
2000, p. 115)
The cleanliness of their bodies, clothes, homes and the food they
eat is as much a distinguishing feature of Muslims as the cleanliness
of their thoughts and hearts. Muslims' hair, hands, face, in short
their whole bodies, are always spotless. Their clothes are always
clean, smart and well-maintained. The places they live or work in
are always neat, clean, pleasant-smelling, airy and relaxing, as
befits Muslims. There is no doubt that the finest example of this is
our Prophet (saas), sent by our Lord as the last prophet for all
mankind. Allah addresses our prophet (saas) as follows in the
Qur'an:
"You who are enveloped in your cloak!
Arise and warn.
Magnify your Lord.
Purify your clothes.
Shun all filth." (Surat Al-Muddaththir, 1-5)
The Prophet's (saas) pleasing scent
The Prophet (saas) attached great importance to cleanliness. He
always smelled very fresh, clean and pleasant, and recommended that
Muslims do the same. Accounts that have reached us from his
companions give further details of this aspect of the Prophet (saas):
Jaabir bin Samura (ra) states:
"Whenever the Holy Prophet (saas) tread on any path, when someone
passed by later, that they could recognize that the prophet had
passed by there because they could smell the fragrance of his body."
(Fazlul Maulana, Al Hadis, Vol. 4, p. 340)
From Anas bin Malik (ra):
"I never felt a silk cloth, nor pure silk, nor any other thing
softer than the palm of Rasulullah (saas). Nor did I smell any musk
or any other fragrance, more sweet smelling than the fragrance of
Rasullullah (saas)." (Shamaa-il Tirmidhi, Islamic Book Service
Publications, New Delhi, 2000, p. 362)
In Qisas al-Anbiya, the Prophet (saas) was described in this way:
"His body was clean and his scent beautiful. Whether or not he had
used scent, his skin always had a lovely scent to it. If someone
shook hands or conversed with him, or showed his friendship or
affection, he would smell that clean scent all day, and if he laid
that sacred hand on a child's head, that child could be
distinguished from other children by that clean scent." (Ahmed Cevdet
Pasa, Qisas al-Anbiya, (Stories of the Prophets) Volume 4, Kanaat
Press, Istanbul 1331, pp. 364-365)
Our Prophet's (saas) Cleanliness Is a Model for All Muslims
Our Prophet (saas) frequently recommended cleanliness to believers.
By paying great attention to cleanliness himself, he represents
the finest model for believers. In one hadith the Prophet Muhammad
(saas) says:
"ALLAH IS PURE AND LIKES PURITY, HE IS CLEAN AND LIKES CLEANLINESS,
HE IS GENEROUS AND LIKES GENEROSITY, HE IS HOSPITABLE AND LOVES
HOSPITALITY, SO CLEAN YOUR COURTYARDS" (Tirmidhi)
Our Lord, whose knowledge pervades all things, has made our Prophet
(saas) a model for Muslims on the subjects of cleanliness and
spiritual purity, as in all other matters. Believers who spend their
whole lives in sincere devotion to Allah must turn to Allah in all
things and adopt the cleanliness, modern sense of dress and
grooming as models for themselves and make preparations for the
hereafter in the physical as well as the spiritual sense.
Cleanliness Is a Feature of the People of Paradise
Our Prophet (saas) reveals in the hadiths that cleanliness is one
feature of the people of paradise:
"Surely, Islam is pure, therefore be pure, because he can never
enter Paradise who is not pure." (Ahmad Diya'al-Din
al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, vol.1, 96/2)
Almighty Allah has also revealed in the Qur'an that filth is a
characteristic of polytheists (Surat at-Tawba, 28) and hypocrites
(Surat at-Tawba, 95). We must not forget that in order to be able
to enjoy the delight and excitement of living in paradise, a
spotless place full of enchantments, the soul must be trained and
earthly desires controlled in this world in such a way as to
delight in cleanliness and beauty in this world.
It is revealed that by our Almighty Lord's leave, believers will
enter paradise as spotless as they are in this world:
"And those who believe in their Lord will be driven to the Garden in
companies and when they arrive there, finding its gates open,its
custodians will say to them, 'Peace be upon you! You have done well
so enter it timelessly, for ever'." (Surat az-Zumar, 73)

Fathwa, - Fresh Wudu for Vaginal Discharge?

Question:
I was told this by the alima in my town. She told me that only when a
woman's vaginal discharge comes out onto the undergarments does
itinvalidate wudu. So she told me I could insert a piece of cottonor
something of the like inside to prevent the discharge from coming out
so that I could hold my wudu for longer. I wanted to confirm that this
is thecase because I have a problem with almost constant vaginal
discharge and it is sometimes hard to renew wudu for every prayer. I
was also wondering if this applies to bleeding as well if a women is
having abnormal bleeding (istahaza) then I know we have to make a
fresh wudu for every prayer. If I insert a piece of cottonup there to
keep the blood from coming outthen do I still have to make a fresh
wudu or does this suffice so that I can keep my wudu for two prayers
at least.
Answer:
Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
From a previous questionanswered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani:
The discharge that does not nullify ritual ablutions (wudu) and is
considered ritually clean (tahir) is the �chronic vaginal discharge�
(rutubat al-farj) that comes out normally and regularly, and is clear
and not discolored. Somescholars explain it to be akin to the
�sweating of the vaginal walls.� When reasonably possible, one should
renew one�s ritual ablutions in such cases. However, when it is
difficult to do so, such as at work or school, there is nothing wrong
with following this ruling. It is what is indicated by the words of
Ibn Abidin, as confirmed by the fuqaha.
It should be noted, again, though that all other discharge, even if
slightly discolored, nullifies ritual ablutions and is ritually
impure.

Fathwa, - Confusion about the days of purity/impurity due to disruption in menstrual cycle

Question:
I have been using a chemical form of contraception for the past 6
months. It has changed my menstrualcycle, but for the first couple
months, it was easy to track. However for the past 2 months, Ihave
been bleeding slightly most of the time. I have considered this
istihaadah. However, I am confused now as towhen I should calculate my
haidh. My haidh usually lasts for 10 days, and the purityperiod in
between varies from 16 to 25 days. How do I calculate this?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum
If one sees constant spotting less than fifteen days apart then it is
treated as if one has constant blood flow. In cases of constant
bleeding one has to rely on the length of one�s previous menstruation
and one�s previous purity period. One need not worry about one�s
�average� purity period, just the length of one�s most recent one. One
willthen assume that the length of one�s last menstrual cycle is one�s
menstruation and the length of one�s last purity period is one�s
purity and any bleeding seen in that period is to be considered
abnormal uterine bleeding (istihada). One will commence this
calculation of one�s menstruation from the end of one�s last normal
purity. (Radd al-Muhtar)
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa, - Menstruation: missed prayers relying on one’s habit

Question:
I normally have my period for four days. On the fourth day I normally
bleed at night but I am clean in the day. If I refrained from prayers
of isha and taraweeh thinkingthat previously this is how my cycle
works but the next day I find that I was wrong should I make up those
prayers I missed?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum
If one�s menstrual bleeding stops before the end of a particular
prayer time leaving one with enough time to perform the ritual bath
and commence that prayer then one is responsible for that particular
prayer. (Radd al-Muhtar) Should one not perform that prayer then one
must make it up. One must therefore make up the isha prayer that was
missed as well as the witr prayer. Sunnaprayers are not made up after
their time has elapsed so one need not worry about making up for the
missed taraweeh prayers.
It is a major sin to miss an obligatory prayer intentionally. One must
learn the fiqh of menstruation so as to avoid falling into this sin.
May Allah increase us in knowledge of that whichbenefits us.

Muslims in the Caribbean

There are 31 countries in the Caribbean, which are classified
linguistically into four regions, such asEnglish speaking, French
speaking, Spanish speaking and Dutch speakingIslands. There are 19
English speaking countries; five French speaking countries;
threeSpanish speaking countries and four Dutch speakingIslands.
Muslims from different parts of the globe have settled in these
regions. Immigrants vary from medical students to traders, from
Indo-Pakistan to Indonesian and African countries. Some are very
active they even reach the media inBahamas, whereas in other places,
they are still in economical weakness.
Most of them have a common problem of getting permanent work permit
for their imaams and Islamic workers. Some of the countries aregetting
a lot of pressure from the government, which is characterized as the
most hostile to Islam in the whole ofCaribbeanas in Dominico. Most of
these countries have no mosques with the exception of some mosques
built in few of them. They have just a prayers place or prayer house.
Let us first describe in brief the socio-demographic backgrounds of
the different islands of theCaribbean:
SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND
Country Total Population Muslim Population
English- speaking 5,836,601 172,250
French- speaking 7,178,572 2,600
Spanish- speaking 20,537,000 3,500
Dutch- speaking 635,415 121,000
There are 19 countries of theCaribbeanwhere people speak the English
language. These are, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize,
Bermuda, Monsterrat, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad, Tobago, Virgin
Islands – US.
Among the English-speaking countries,Jamaicahas the largest population
in theCaribbeanwhere more than 2,450,000 people live, among whom 5,000
are Muslims. They constitute 3.75 percent ofthe total population of
the English-speaking countries of theCaribbean, but this variesfrom 5
to 15 percent. The largest Muslims concentration of those speaking
English is foundinGuyana,Trinidad and Tobago)i.e. 100,000(, where they
constitute 13.33 and 8.10 percent ofthe total population respectively.
Muslims fromIndiaandIndonesiacame here first as indentured servants
and farm labourers respectively. They have preserved their Islamic
Identify and culture but have developed not many community
institutions such as schools or Awqaaf.
Christian missionary activity has, on the whole, failed to convert
Muslims to Christianity. But some youths have been neutralized: low
commitment to Islam while remaining nominally Muslims. Over the past
30 years, Afro-Caribbeans have been converting to Islam.Many Islamic
organization have been formed since the 1970s, which are active in
various endeavours.
The most well-organized Muslim community in the Caribbean region is
the one in theCaribbean. TheIndian community is well-established and
has been here for over 150 years. There are many mosques and Islamic
schools. The Afro-Caribbean community of new converts is still very
small and weak. The main organizations are :)Caribbean Islamic
Organization of Guyana Islamic Trust respectively(, the Guyana Muslim
Mission , and the Guyana Islamic Institute.
Trinidad is the most important island in theCaribbean, politically,
economically and in terms of propagation of Islam. Local Islamic work
is well developed, and local organizations are handing it well.
International Islamic Federation of Student Organizations )IIFSO(
whose coordination is inPort of Spain, the capital of Trinidad
earmarked some resources forTrinidad. Its work consists mainly of
supporting education, managing revolving credit fund for new Muslims,
and providing support to an Islamic book and video center.
In theFrench-speakingIslands, such
asGuadeloupe,GuyanaFrancaise,Haitiand Martinique, the Muslims
community is mainly made up of African Muslims immigrants fromWest
Africa,SenegalandMali. The total population of these five countries is
7,178,572 outof which 2,600 are Muslims. The Muslim figures for Guyana
Francaise andHaitiare not known.
InMartinique, there is a wealthy immigrant Palestinian community with
an Islamic center and full time Imam. Native converts are struggling
to preserve their Islamic identify. IIFSO has been helping with
material that propagates Islam.
In the Spanish-speaking island, such asCuba,Dominican
RepublicandPuerto Rico, a fact finding mission was sent and contact
was established with Muslim community. Total population of these
countries are 20,573,000 out of which 3,500 are Muslims. The Muslims
figure forDominican Republicis not known though the total population
of the country is around 7,000,000. It is expected that the Cuban
intellectuals would listen to Islam sympathetically. The Communist era
has weakened the Catholic Church.
InDominican Republic, Pakistani Muslims have well established efforts
for the propagation of Islam. There is a 2,000-strong Palestinian
community inPuerto Ricowith two mosques. They are economically strong
and are thus able to pay for a full time Imaam. Islamic books were
sent and visited these islands. With the expected fall of Communist
regime IIFSO expects to do a lot of work in propagation of Islam.
In the Dutch-speaking countries, such as Curacao,St. Martin,Surinamand
Nethfral, Antilles, the population figures for Curacao andSt.
Martinare not available. But we have the figure for the other two
countries of the Dutch-speaking islands which are as follows:
Countries Total Population Muslim Population
Surinam425,000 120,000
Nethfral andAntilles210,415 1,000
There are Arab and Indo-Pakistani immigrantcommunities. Arabs have a
mosque and a full time Imaam and are better organized.
They can self-finance many of their projects. InSurinam, there is a
large number of Muslims where they constitute 28.23 percent of the
totalpopulation of 425,000 of the country. Three distinct Muslim
communities are living inSurirnam. The Javanese from the Indonesian
Archipelago have been living in the island for more than 50 years;
Indo-Pakistanis came as indentured labour for more than 100 years
ago.Besides, there is a growing Afro-Surinamese community here.
There is a Caribbean Islamic Secretariat which was set up in 1988 with
an Executive Director anda Board of Directors to carry out the efforts
of propagating Islam, Islamic literature distribution, provision of
Islamic education and catering to economic development.

Bulgaria: the sufferings of one million Muslims

For the past century, Muslims in the Balkans are the victims of many
episodes of ethnic cleansing by the crusaders and later by the
Communists inMacedonia,Albania,Bosnia,Kosovo,Serbia,Montenegro,BulgariaandGreece.
As Communism collapsed, the Muslims inEastern Europeare still facing
suppression, discrimination, harassment and intolerance.
In this context, we will highlight the sufferings of one million
Muslim Bulgarians who are uprooted and forced to flee from their
country before giving up their property. Despite all this, Islam's
presence inEuropeis likely to grow and to bring about social,economic
and political changes.
Historical Dimension:
The Balkan Peninsula has strategic geographic position, controlling
the access to the Silk Road, the ancient trade route linkingChinaand
imperialRome. Therefore, it was a battlefield for the competing
superpowers since medieval times. Theregion that is nowBulgariawas at
one time included in theRoman Empire.
Muslims managed to gainfootholds throughout theBalkans since the
Abbasidera in the 9th century. By 1396, the armies of the Ottoman
Empire controlled all ofBulgaria. During the next five centuries the
Islamic culture dominated inBulgaria. The presence ofMuslims in the
Balkan Peninsula at that time was so great when thousands of Turkish
Muslims had immigrated and settled inWestern Anatolia.
The Christian kingdoms in Western Europe launched many crusades to
take overJerusalempassing through theBalkan Peninsula. On their way
they had exterminated the Muslimsliving there. In 1878, coinciding
with the expansion of Great Serbia, Muslims inBulgariawere the
expelled and a killing spree took place with Russian backing.
After the dissolution of theOttoman Empire, Muslims in the Balkans
have been severely persecuted. By the end ofthe First World War, the
Bulgarian nationalists continued the hostile policies of the Serbs by
destroying schools and mosques in the Muslim areas. Muslims are told:
'Become Christians if you wish to remain inEurope.'
Who Are the Bulgarian Muslims?
Muslims inBulgariabelong to various ethnic groups, such as the
Turks,Pomaks, Gypsies and Tatars. The Pomaks are the main Muslim
ethnic group inBulgaria. There are many contradicting views, regarding
the origin of Pomaks. According to some historians, they are the
descendants of the ancient Slavic or Slavized inhabitants of the
Balkans. Some of them converted to Islam at the time of the conquest
and during the years that followed. Other groups converted to Islam
during the period of the Ottoman Caliphate.
The number of Pomak population changed several times due to the
suppression policy by theChristian and communist governments. During
andafter the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, the biggest waves of Pomak
migrated toTurkey.
Bulgaria's population is approximately 7.9 millionaccording to a 2001
census. Approximately 13 percent of the Bulgariansare Muslims.
Bulgarization of the Muslims:
Since the Bulgarian independence in 1908, the nationalist regimes
marginalized the Muslimsand traditionally considered them as
foreigners, even if they were ethnically Bulgarian. The Orthodox
Church is very influential and with the help of the Bulgarian
nationalists they forced the Muslims to convert to Christianity. All
the resisting Muslims were wounded, imprisoned, killed or deported.
Thousands of them fled toTurkeyandGreece. In the summer of1989 more
than 300,000 Muslims were deported fromBulgaria.
Mosques were converted into churches. Out of the 44 mosques
inSofiaonly one remained as a historical monument. Thelargest mosque
inBulgariawas the Tumbul Mosque inShumen, built in 1744. Muslims were
coerced to go to church every Sunday. Circumcision was prohibited, and
the people who circumcised their sons were severely punished.
There are pressures on Muslims to change their names, vestment and
language. Since 1942 a new law was passed which commanded Muslims to
change their names to Bulgarian ones.About 2000 Turkish and Pomak
village names were also changed to Bulgarian. Pomaks were banned from
attending Turkish schools or use theTurkish language and they were
forbidden to open private schools. Then Muslim school boards were
abolished and unified with Bulgarian school boards. Thus all their
non-Bulgarian daily life was subjected to censure.
In 1944, the Communist regime came into power and launched the
assimilation campaigns against the Muslims. Pomak villages from the
Rhodopes region were forced to resettle inNorthern
Bulgariaduring1948-1952. In 1949, the agricultural lands were
expropriated affecting many Bulgarian Muslims. For more than 40 years
the Bulgarian government promoted atheism. Muslims were treated as
second-class citizens with no rights to become members of the
government or officers.
In April 1956, the Bulgarian Communist Party decided to create a
unified socialist Bulgarian republic. Further they proceeded in
changing the names ofMuslims to Bulgarians by terror. Pomaks have
developed a strategy to `compromise name and behaviour'. A Pomak, who
was born before 1912 and lived until after 1990, has been forced to
change his Muslim name nine times for instance.
During most of the Communist period, underthe leadership of Todor
Zhivkov-secretary of the Communist Party from 1954, the country's
premier from 1964 to 1971 and head of state from 1971 to late 1989-the
policy of forceful assimilation continued under the so-called `Process
of Rebirth'. After their 'success' with the Pomaks, the Bulgarian
authorities started to work in the same way onthe other ethnic
Muslims. Therefore, in practice Communism is equivalentto Bulgarian
extreme nationalism which aims to Bulgarize the significant Muslim
minorities.
Post Communist Era:
With the fall of the racist regime of Todor Zhivkov in November 1989,
the religious restrictions inBulgariawere loosened somewhat. But still
there is discrimination, harassment, and general public intolerance of
non-Christian Orthodox religious groups.
In each Bulgarian village there are still some former Communist Party
members or local securityforces that had persecuted the Muslim in the
past. Therefore, Muslims are still afraid to speak about their harsh
experiences. They still feel threatened by the Socialist Party )former
Communist Party( members, fearing that one day Communists will be in
power again and then they will be persecuted again.
It is still impossible to find a single Muslim in the Bulgarian army
as a regular soldier. Most of the Muslim Bulgars are uneducated and
work as laborers, shepherds, haymakers and the like. Muslims are
discriminated against in jobs and education. While the Pomaks want
their children to learn Turkish, which is now theoretically possible,
in practice local education directors don't allow them to do so.
Inequalities still exist in practice and those who are dissatisfied
with theirpoor conditions continueto migrate toTurkey. Rumors and
aggressive propaganda against Muslims as terrorists continue to
receive large-scale media coverage. The Government still restricts the
religious freedom of non-Christian Orthodox religious groups. These
restrictions are manifested primarily in a registration process that
is selective, slow, and nontransparent. The Government prohibits the
public practice of religion by groups that are not registered.
However, after 1987, Bulgarian Muslims are allowed to reconstruct
their mosques and new mosques are built in many cities and villages.
Now there are about 1,267 mosques. The Muslim hierarchy was headed by
one chief mufti and eight regional muftis who interpret Muslim law.
The study of the Quran had been completely forbidden under Zhivkov and
now Quran classes are organized. Muslims also began publishing their
own newspaper, Miusiulmani, in both Bulgarian and Turkish.

Muslim women in New Zealand

Brief Introduction
New Zealand is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, located
south of the equator in the Southern Hemisphere, and marking the
eastern boundary of the Tasman Sea, a portion of the Pacific Ocean
that separates New Zealand and the nearest large landmass, Australia,
by a distance of about 1,600 km )1,000 mi(.New Zealandincludes two
large islands that constitute most of its landmass, as well as
numerous small islands.New Zealandadministers two overseas
territories, Tokelau and Ross Dependency )inAntarctica(. The
self-governing entities ofNiue and the Cook Islandsare in free
association withNew Zealand, whichhandles their foreign affairs and
defense as requested.
New Zealandis known for its scenic landscapes of snowcapped mountains
and rolling green pastures. Its image as a farming outpost stems from
the traditional importance ofagriculture to the economy as well as the
low population density inmost areas. However, the majority of New
Zealanders live in urban areas, and many now earn a living in service
industries such as tourism. The capital ofNew ZealandisWellington. The
largest and most cosmopolitan city isAuckland.
New Zealandis part of thePacificIslands, or Oceania, a grouping of
thousands of islands in thePacific Ocean. The South Island and the
North Island of New Zealand areOceania's second and third largest
islands, respectively.New Zealandis considered part of Polynesia, one
of three major divisions of thePacificIslands.
The total land area ofNew Zealandis 267,990 sq km )103,470 sq mi(,
about the same size asJapanor theBritish Isles. The North and South
islands make up almost the entire area of the country. Separating
theseislands is Cook Strait, a channel between the South Pacific Ocean
on the east and theTasman Seaon the west. The islands stretch along a
predominantly northeast by southwest axis. Their length from north to
south is about 1,600 km)1,000 mi(, and their maximum width from east
to west is 450 km)280 mi(
Land is one of the country's most valuable resources. Much of the soil
is not naturally fertile, however, and has to be supplemented with
fertilizers for crop cultivation. More than half of the land area is
either cropland or pastureland. Most of the arable land is found on
the east coasts of both islands, in particular the Canterbury Plains.
Pastures for livestock grazing dominate in north-central and
westernNorthIslandand southernSouth Island.
About 30 percent of the land area is forested. The country has 6.4
million hectares )15.8 million acres( of old-growth forest, much of
which is designated for preservation. In addition,some forests are
plantations of imported species such as the radiata pine. The
westernSouthern Alps of theSouth Islandconstitute the largest forested
area of the country and include extensive areas of native forest.
TheNorthIslandhas native forest mainly in more remote areas, notably
aroundMountTaranakiand in isolated pockets ofNorthland.
In 1840,New Zealandwasde-linked fromAustralia, but in 1907 it became a
separate, independent country, under the BritishCrown, and when the
British Commonwealth ofNations was set up in 1931 it became one of the
founding members and is still a member.
The majority of the population )74 percent( is Anglo-Saxon, with the
indigenous Maoris making up only 10 percent of the population, others
who neither Maoris nor Anglo-Saxons make up four percent, an ethnic
group that is made up of ethnic Indians and Chinese.
Seventy percent of the population is Christians, and the rest belong
to different religious denominations.
Muslims inNew Zealand
Muslim migration toNew Zealandstarted in 1910, when the first waves of
immigrants from the Indian subcontinent started to arrive, as workers
in search of livelihood.
Since they were not allowed then to bring their wives and other family
members with them, they remitted theirearning to their families back
home, visitng them from time to time.
However, in the mid-1940s, the Muslims living inNew Zealand, for the
first time, began to bring their wives from the subcontinent.
These womenfolk were mostly housewives, though some of them took up
employment as menial workers or domestic helpers, when their husbands
were at work.
But while the first generation of Muslim women inNew Zealandhad to
contend with loneliness and confinement to the home, the second
generation is faced with a different set of problems, namely
maintaining a balance between Islamic tenets and precepts, and the
secular education that is imparted on them at schools, with all its
concomitant moral and religious implications.
One result of the latter is the loss of respect for parents, who, the
youth consider as backward and unschooled.
Other problems faced by the Muslim woman inNew Zealandinclude the
preservation of the Islamic identity, racial discrimination, absence
of Islamically lawful food,inability to be married to the right
person, and even in wearing the proper school uniform.
None the less things are beginning to improve forthe Muslim women
ofNew Zealand, in that they have started to organize themselves,
andare, in fact, holding an annual assemblies, during which they are
able to project some of the problems facing themin the society.
They also hold regular seminars and camps, at which they are able to
learn more about their Muslim faith, and debate some of the issues
affecting them.
Though some of the Muslim women have made worthwhile academic
accomplishments, and some of them have established themselves
invarious fields, generally there is a tendency toward trying to
achieve more in the field of religion, so that they could preserve
their Islamic identity.

Dought & clear, - She stipulated that in order to marry her he has to memorize Soorat al-Baqarah or Aal ‘Imraan or take her for Hajj.

I want to know can memorization of Holy Quran or part of it be made
into a condition for marriage as one sister(she is a Hafiz) has put
this condition out tome to either memorize Surah al-Baqarah or Surah
ale-Imraan and her third option was Hajj after nikah. I can pick
either of the three. If I pick one of the first two what bothers me
then is I wouldn't be doing it for Allah swt it would be exclusively
to gain her hand. Please explain if this is allowedor not.
Praise be to Allaah.
If you want to marry her because she is religiously committed and you
agree to the condition, seeking thereby the pleasure of Allah and to
achieve this aim, and to marry someone who will help you to obey Allah
and you can help her, then there is nothing wrong with that and this
is partof striving for the Hereafter. Allah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And whoever desires the Hereafter and strivesfor it, with the
necessaryeffort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allaah's
obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of AllaahIslâmic
Monotheism) — then such are the ones whose striving shall be
appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allaah)"
[al-Isra' 17:19].
Al-Nasaa'i (3340) narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)
said: Abu Talhah married Umm Sulaym and the dowry between them was
Islam; Umm Sulaym became Muslim before Abu Talhah. He proposed to her
and she said: I have become Muslim; if you become Muslim I will marry
you. So he became Muslim, and that was the dowry between them. Classed
as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Nasaa'i.
So strive to memorise the Holy Qur'aan as an act of worship and
obedience towards Allah, and seeking His reward and His pleasure.There
is no reason not tolet the request of this sister be what motivates
you to do this act of worship, because it is not contrary to
sincerity.This is like those who enter some religious competitions and
let that a motive to memorise the Holy Qur'aan. So there is nothing
wrong with thatand it is not contrary to sincerity.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked:
Taking part in religious competitions that offer cash prizes: are
these prizes halaal orharaam?
They replied: There is nothing wrong with accepting the prizes thatare
donated by people in authority or other doers of good, because that is
encouragement to acquire knowledge and memorise the Book of Allah, may
He be glorified and exalted. In these and similar matters, the
believer should be sincere towards Allah and be happy to have
something that helps him in that, and his motivation should not be
only to get the money. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 15/188
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Does a good intention intercede for one?.

Does a good intention intercede for one? Or are there other
considerations with regard that?.
Praise be to Allaah.
No act of worship will be accepted from a Muslim unless it meets two
basic conditions:
1 – Sincerity of intentiontowards Allaah, may He be exalted. This
means that the aims of the person in his words and deeds, both outward
and inward, should be to seek the Countenance of Allaah alone.
2 – It should be in accordance with the ways in which Allaah
hasordained that He be worshipped only. That is achieved by following
the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and what he
taught, and shunning anything that goes against that, and not
introducing any new acts or forms of worship that have not been
narrated in proven reports from him(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him).
The evidence for these two conditions is the verse in which Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
" So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work
righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his
Lord"
[al-Kahf 18:110]
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord" – means His reward
"let him work righteousness" – means, that is in accordance with the
laws of Allaah.
"and associate none as apartner in the worship of his Lord" – means
the deed by which is sought the Countenance of Allaah alone, with no
partner or associate. These are the two features of the deed thatis
acceptable: it must be sincerely for the sake of Allaah alone, and it
must be in accordance with the sharee'ah of the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Endquote.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/108
Hence Allaah says in the greatest soorah in the Qur'aan (interpretation):
" You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each
and everything)"
[al-Faatihah 1:5], to indicate that Tawheed and sincerity are
essential in order for a deed to be valid.
The second condition comes immediately afterthat:
"Guide us to the StraightWay"
[al-Faatihah 1:6]
No act of worship is valid unless it is in accordance with the right
way, the straight path, which Allaah has enjoined, by following His
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Inal-Saheehit is
narrated from 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever does anyaction that is not in accordance with this matter of
ours will have it rejected." Narrated by Muslim, 1718. i.e., his deed
will be thrown back at him and not accepted from him. If anyone goes
against these two conditions (sincerity towards Allaahalone and
following His laws) in any action, then he will not benefit from it.
The one who seeks goodness and wants to please his Lord, let him
worship Him and draw near to Him by the means that He has ordained.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad to mankind): If you (really) love Allaah, then follow
me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism,follow the Qur'aan and the Sunnah),
Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allaah is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:31]
So it is not sufficient to have a good intention, and it will not
intercede for him if he goes against sharee'ah and worships Allaah by
means of any kind of bid'ah (innovation). Many of those who invent
innovations – because of their ignorance – invent theseinnovations in
order to draw closer to Allaah.
Hence when Ibn Mas'ood(may Allaah be pleased with him) denounced those
who gathered to remember Allaah (dhikr),they gave the excuse that
their intention was good and that they did not mean anything but good,
and he said to them: "How many of those who intend good do not attain
it!" Narrated by al-Daarimi, 204. So it is not sufficientto have a
good intentionin order to do good and attain the reward and draw
closer to Allaah. Rather it is essential to also act in accordance
with sharee'ah and avoid bid'ah.
A good intention may intercede for a person intwo cases:
1 – Turning habits into acts of worship
A good intention may turn a habit into an act of worship for which a
person will be rewarded. So by eating and drinking he may intend to
strengthen himself to obey Allaah, and by getting married he may
intend to keep himself and his wife chaste, and so on.
2 – Earning reward without doing any deed,if the Muslim is definite in
his intention.
A Muslim may form a definite intention to do acts that are prescribed
in sharee'ah, then something prevents him from doing that – but hewill
still be rewarded forit. There are a number ofahaadeeth concerning
that, such as the following:
1 – It was narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
We were with the Propheton a campaign and he said: "You did not travel
any distance or cross any valley but inMadeenah there are men who were
with you, but they were kept behind by sickness." According to another
version: "… but they shared the reward with you." Narrated by Muslim,
1911.
2 – It was narrated from Abu'l-Darda' (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Prophetsaid:"Whoever goes to his bedintending to get up and
pray at night, then his eyes overwhelm him and(he sleeps) until
morning, the (reward for) that which he intended will be written for
him, and his sleep is a charity for him given by his Lord, may He be
glorified and exalted." Narrated by al-Nasaa'i, 1787; Ibn Maajah,
1344; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Targheeb,
601.
3 – It was narrated from Sahl ibn Haneef that the Prophetsaid:
"Whoever sincerely asks Allaah for martyrdom will attain the status of
the martyrs even if he dies in his bed." Narrated by Muslim, 1909.
And there are many other such reports, all of which indicate that
whoever forms a sincere, definite intention to do good or obey Allaah,
then is prevented from doing that deed, Allaah will decree the reward
for him.
So this is the case where a sincere intention will intercede for a
person until he is rewarded for it.
And Allaah knows best..

Dought & clear, - Is it permissible to pray for forgiveness for all theMuslims even though we know that some of them will be punished?.

I am asking about some du'aa's, such as "O Allah, forgive the Muslims,
men and women" and "O Allah, forgive us all." Is it permissible to say
such du'aa's when the fulfilment thereof is contrary to the will of
Allah? How can we respond to the one whodoubts such du'aa's when they
are said at the times when du'aa's are answered?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
There is nothing wrong with praying for forgiveness for the Muslims,
men and women, in general terms. There is evidence to the effect that
it is permissible, such as the following:
1.
The verse in which Allah,may He be exalted, says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"So know (O MuhammadSAW) that La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right
to be worshipped but Allah), and ask forgiveness for your sin, and
also for (the sin of) believing men and believing women"
[Muhammad 47:19].
It was narrated from 'Aasim al-Ahwal that 'Abdullah ibn Sarjis said: I
saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and I ate
bread and meat withhim – or he said:thareed. He (the narrator) said: I
said to him: Did the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) pray for forgiveness for you? He said: Yes, and for you. Then he
recited this verse:"and ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for
(the sin of) believing men and believing women" [Muhammad 47:19].
Narrated by Muslim, 2346.
There are several opinions concerning the tasfeer of the phrase "and
ask forgiveness for your sin". One of these opinions is that this
shows that it is obligatory to pay for forgiveness for all the
Muslims.
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It was said that this is addressed to him (the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him)), but is meant for the ummah. According to
this opinion, this verse obliges the individual to pray for
forgiveness for all of the Muslims.
Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 16/242
It was narrated that Ibn Jurayj said: I said to 'Ata':Should I pray
for forgiveness for the believing men and women? He said: Yes. The
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was commanded to do
that, so that is obligatory on all the people. Allah said to His
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him):"and ask
forgiveness for your sin, and also for (the sin of) believing men and
believing women" [Muhammad 47:19]. I said: Do you say that
supplication in the obligatory prayer? He said: No. I said: With whom
do you start, withyourself or with the believers? He said: With
myself, as Allah says:"and ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for
(the sin of) believing men and believing women" [Muhammad 47:19].
2.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered the funeral prayer
and said: "O Allah,forgive our living and our dead, our young ones and
our old ones, our males and our females, those of us whoare present
and those who are absent. O Allah, whomever You keep alive, keep him
alive with faith and whomever you cause to die, cause him to die in
Islam. Do not deprive us of the reward and do not cause us to go
astrayafter this."
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 1024; Abu Dawood, 3201; an-Nasaa'i, 1986.
Ibn 'Allaan as-Siddeeqi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"O Allah, forgive our living and our dead" means all of our living
ones and dead ones, all the Muslims.
Daleel al-Faaliheen li Turuq Riyadh as-Saaliheen, 6/240
3.
This is the action of the angels (peace be upon them), as Allah says
concerning them (interpretation of the meaning):
"and the angels glorify the praises of their Lord, and ask for
forgiveness for those on the earth"
[ash-Shoora 42:5].
4.
It is the action of the Prophets, the Sahaabah, the Taabi'een and all
thescholars of the earlier and later times.
(a)
Nooh (peace be upon him) said (interpretationof the meaning):"My Lord!
Forgive me, and my parents, and him who enters my home as a believer,
and all the believing men and women" [Nooh 71:28].
(b)
Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) said (interpretation of the
meaning):"Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents, and (all) the believers
on the Day when the reckoning will be established" [Ibraaheem 14:41].
(c)
It is what 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) did:
'Abd ar-Razzaaq narrated inal-Musannaf(3/111) that Ibn Jurayj said:
'Ata' told me that he heard 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr narrate from 'Umar ibn
al-Khattaab concerning Qunoot that he used to say: "O Allah, forgive
the believing men and women and the Muslim men and women, reconcile
between their hearts and set their affairs straight between them…"
Narrated by al-Bayhaqi inas-Sunan al-Kubra(2/210); he said: (It is)
saheeh mawsool.
Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj ila adillat al-Minhaaj, 1/410
(d)
It was the last instructions of Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him):
InFadl as-Salaah 'ala an-Nabiyby Ismaa'eel al-Qaadi (p. 63) it says in
a report that was classedas saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani:
It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas that he said: Do not send blessings
upon anyone except upon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him); however, one should offer supplication(du'aa') for
forgiveness for the Muslims, male and female.
(e)
It is what is said by all the believers, as Allah tells us about them
in the verse (interpretationof the meaning):
"And those who came after them say: 'Our Lord! Forgive us and our
brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any
hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full
of kindness, Most Merciful'"
[al-Hashr 59:10].
In the answer to question no. 104460there is a statement that this
du'aa' is permissible – in fact it is encouraged. This was stated by
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and his student Ibn al-Qayyim. In the
same answer several da'eef marfoo' hadeeths on thistopic have been
quoted.
Secondly:
With regard to the opinion of those who object to this supplication on
the grounds that Allah, may He be exalted, has decreed that there will
not be forgiveness for allof the Muslims and that there is no doubt
that some of them will enter the Fire, this is an objection that is
not valid, because it is confusing the divine willand decree (qadr))
withthe laws prescribed by Allah (shar'). According to the divinely
prescribed laws, we are commanded – or encouraged– to pray for
forgiveness for all of the Muslims. That does not contradict that
which has nothing to do with us of what Allah, may He be exalted, has
decreed for some of the Muslims. One indication of that is found in
the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
taught us du'aa's (supplications) toask for forgiveness and he
instructed the Muslims to recite them and say them. We know that it
will not be accepted from some of those who say it. What we have
mentioned above of evidence also confirms that those who say that this
du'aa' is notright are mistaken, and it confirms that praying for
forgiveness for all the Muslims, male and female, is something valid.
The earliest we have come across of those who objected to this du'aa'
was Abu'l-'Abbaas al-Qarraafi(d. 684), who regarded offering
supplication forthat as something haraam! He said inal-Furooq ma'a
Hawaashihi(4/463):
"The fifth category of haraam things that do not constitute kufr is
when the one who is offering supplication asks Allah for something
contrary to what aahaadreports state going to happen. Why I mention
"aahaad reports", as opposed to mutawaatir reports, is because asking
Allah for something not to happen in that case (i.e., when there are
mutawaatir reports that state it will happen) is akin to kufr, as
stated above. There follow some examples of that:
(i)
When he says "O Allah, forgive the Muslims all their sins," although
the saheeh hadeeths indicate that a group of the Muslims will
inevitably enter Hell and be brought forth from it,with or without
intercession. Their entering Hell will only bebecause of their sins.
If all of the Muslims were forgiven all of their sins, no one would
enter Hell.So this supplication implies rejection of those saheeh
hadeeths! So it (this du'aa') is an act of disobedience, but it is not
kufr (disbelief) because you are rejecting aahaad reports, and
labelling something an act of kufronly applies to denying something
that is well established in Islam or known from mutawaatirreports.
With regard to the angels praying for forgiveness for the believer by
saying"so forgive those who repent" [Ghaafir 40:7]and "and [they] ask
for forgiveness for those on the earth"[ash-Shoora 42:5], these words
are not general in meaning, and do not apply to all people. Even if we
were to assume that they are general in meaning, then we should
understand them as meaning that what they meant was that it was
exclusively for some people (and not for all).
Al-Furooq ma'a Hawaamishihi, 4/463-465
Abu'l-Qaasim ibn al-Shaat al-Maaliki (may Allah have mercy on him – d.
723 AH) refuted this argument by saying, as itsays inHaamish al-Furooq
al-Musamma Idraar ash-Shurooq(4/488):
What he said about these and similar du'aa'sconstituting sin is a
mereclaim. Why should it be that one should only offer supplication
for that which is possible to happen? I do not know of any proof or
evidencefor that.
Why is it not possible that Allah should enjoin people to ask for
forgiveness for the sins of every believer, even though He has decreed
that some of them will not be forgiven?
Moreover, what he said about these two verses –"so forgive those who
repent" [Ghaafir 40:7]and "and [they] ask for forgiveness for those on
the earth"[ash-Shoora 42:5]– not being generalin meaning is a grievous
mistake.
To sum up, the argumentof this man (al-Qarraafi) is far-fetched, his
claim has no proof and there is no need for it; he was confused and
mistaken.
End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr (may Allah preserve him) was asked:
What do you think of theview that du'aa' against the kaafirs is a kind
of transgression because Allah knew that they would exist until the
Dayof Resurrection?
He replied:
The Muslim is required to adhere to the teachings of Islam. With
regard to the divine will and decree, it has nothing to do with him.
One may say: Why do you pray for all of the Muslims when Allah knows
that some of them will die whilst committing major sin? Yes, there are
some scholars who say that this is not allowed and that it is not
permissible to pray for all of the Muslims. There are some who
disallow praying for all of the Muslims because according to Allah's
knowledge, thereare some who will die whilst persisting in major sin,
and this supplication is contrary to the divine will and decree. So
based on that(flawed argument), you should not pray for yourself,
because you donot know how your life will end! And you shouldnot pray
for your child, because Allah knows best how he will be! Rather we
say: you are commanded to offer supplication, and this what Allah has
prescribed; as for the divine will and decree, itbelongs to Allah and
has nothing to do with you.
Sharh al-Muwatta', Kitaab al-Janaa'iz, Baab an-Nahy 'an al-Buka' 'alaal-Mayyit.
And Allah knows best.

Quran Stories for Children: Who will take the Noble Qur'an?

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had
everything in their collection, from Picasso (Spanish artist who lived
in France) to Raphael (Italian painter). They would often sit together
and admire the great works of art.
When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very
courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The
father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Eid ul-Fitr, there was a knock at the
door. A young man stood at thedoor with a large package in his hands.
He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your
son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying
me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died
instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art."
The young man held out this package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not
really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to
havethis."
The father opened the package. It was a portraitof his son, painted by
theyoung man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the
personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the
eyesthat his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man
and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never
repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came
to his home he took themto see the portrait of his son before he
showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of
his paintings Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing
the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for
their collection.
On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded
his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son.
Who will bid for this picture?"
There was silence. Then avoice in the back of the room shouted, "We
want to see the famous paintings! Skip this one."
But the auctioneer persisted. "Will somebody bid for this painting.
Who will start the bidding? $100,$200?"
Another voice angrily,"We didn't come to see this painting. We came
tosee the Van Goghs (Dutch painter), the Rembrandts (Dutch artist).
Get on withthe real bids!"
But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the
son?" Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the
longtime gardener of theman and his son. 'I'll give$10 for the
painting.' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
We have $10, who will bid $20? Give it to him for$10. "Let's see the
masters...." $10 is the bid,won't someone bid $20?
The crowd was becomingangry. They didn't want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"
A man sitting on the second row shouted,"Now let's get on with the collection!"
The auctioneer laid downhis gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."
"What about the great paintings?"
I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a
secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that
stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be
auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire
estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets
everything!
Allah (SWT) gave His Noble Qur'an hundreds ofyears ago to guide us.
Much like the auctioneer,His message today is:"The Noble Qur'an, the
Noble Qur'an, who'll take the Noble Qur'an? Because whoever takes the
Noble Qur'an gets everything."

Time in Islam: Time is very precious utilize reading Noble Quran

Since last night my youngson has been unwell. When I got back from
work this evening I decided to take him to hospital despite my
exhaustion. There were many waiting; perhaps we will be delayed by
more than an hour. I took my number and sat down in the waiting room.
There were many faces, young and old, but all silent.
Some brothers made use of the many booklets available in the waiting
room. Some of those waiting had their eyes closed, while others
werelooking around. Most were bored. Once in a while the long silence
was broken by a nurse calling out a number. Happiness appears on
theone whose turn it is, and he gets up quickly; then silence returns.
A young man grabbed myattention. He was reading a pocket-sized Noble
Qur'an continuously; not raising his head even once. At first I did
not think much about him. However, after one hour of waitingmy casual
glances turned into a deep reflection about his lifestyle and how he
utilizes his time. One hour of life wasted! Instead of making benefit
of that hour, it was just a boring wait. Then the call for prayer was
made. We went to prayer in the hospital's Masjid (Mosque). I tried to
pray close to the man who was reading the Noble Qur'an earlier in the
waiting room.
After the prayer I walked with him. I informed him of how impressed I
was of him and how he tries to benefit from his time.
He told me that most of our time is wasted without any benefit. These
are days that go from our lives without being conscious of them or
regretting their waste.He said that he started carrying the
pocket-sizedNoble Qur'an around when a friend encouraged him to make
full use of his time. He told me that in the time other people waste
he gets to read much more of the Noble Qur'an than he gets to read
either at home or in the mosque. Moreover, besides the reward of
reading the Noble Qur'an, this habit saves him from boredom and
stress.
He added that he has now been waiting for one and a half hours. Then
he asked, when willyou find one and a half hours to read the Noble
Qur'an? I reflected; how much time do we waste? How many moments of
our lives pass by, and yet we do not account for how they passed by?
Indeed, how many months pass by and we do not read the Noble Qur'an? I
came to respect my companion, and I discovered that I am to stand for
account and that time is not in my hand; so what am I waiting for? My
thoughts were interrupted by the nurse calling out my number; I went
to the doctor.
But I want to achieve something now. After I left the hospital I
quickly went to the bookshop and bought a pocket-sized Noble Qur'an. I
decided to be mindful of how I spend the time.