The Truth about Some of the Superstitions Wrongly Ascribed To Islam

There is a significant group of people around the world claiming to
act in the name of Islam. However, most of them are completely
oblivious to the Qur'an. They are living by a pretend religion, one
devised largely of superstitions. They claim that there their
actions are ordered by the Qur'an, when it is not, and they declare
what is legal according to the Qur'an to be illegal, they come up
with new rules and try to turn Islam, the religion of peace and
love, into a religion of hatred and war. Their most pernicious
attribute is that they call this new religion 'Islam' and inflict
grave damage to Islam with the atrocities they commit using Islam's
name.
Everything is banned according to their religion. They are not
allowed to laugh, be happy, look good, or learn according to this
new religion they have created. Their religion bans all the good
things and blessings that Allah gave to us as gifts. Their religion
is composed of hatred, rage and unhappiness. Their religion is
complete darkness, because they don't follow the true Qur'an. They
have replaced the truth with falsehoods. They slander our Prophet
Mohammed (pbuh) ascribing to him some words that are in
contradiction with the Qur'an, calling them hadiths. [Prophet
Mohammed (pbuh) is beyond that]. They are trying to change the
Qur'an and replace it with a new religion. Yet remarkably, they
don't actually follow this pretend religion that they produced.
Even though the masterminds of this dark religion are only a handful
of people, they have managed to exert an influence that is
disproportionate to their actual numbers. Many people think that
this model is the real Islam. And many others think that these
superstitions are to be followed in order to practice Islam. These
lovers of superstition think that they should stay away from the
Qur'an, and they remain completely oblivious to the real Qur'an. The
only thing they do is learn these superstitions and follow them as
religion.
Allah describes in the Qur'an such people who ban what Allah has
permitted (legal):
Say: 'Who has forbidden the fine clothing Allah has produced for His
slaves and the good kinds of provision?' Say: 'On the Day of Rising
such things will be exclusively for those who had belief during
their life in the world.' In this way We make the Signs clear for
people who know . (Surat Al-Ar'af, 32)
Almighty Allah informs us of a very important fact in this verse:
"...that there are people who say that legal things are illegal."
Surely, there are people who don't pay attention to what is right
and wrong and act indifferently. However, in this verse Allah
specifically mentions some people who are making what Allah
declared as 'legal', 'illegal' and doing that 'in the name of
religion'. In other words, these people are in effect changing the
religion and imposing a different religion using the name of Allah.
This becomes clearer when we compare the true commands of our
religion with the practices introduced by those who are trying to
spread their religion of superstitions:
1-Allah created happiness as a blessing, but they ban laughing
A Muslim is the happiest person on Earth. A Muslim should be the
happiest person, because he understands Allah, he believes in Him
and he knows how to trust Allah, how to be patient and how to give
thanks. He doesn't have any fears for the future, as he knows that
no matter what happens to him, no matter how it looks, it's always
a blessing in disguise, and that he is living his destiny and that
death is not an end for him, but the time he finally gets to go to
his Lord and begin his eternal life. How could such a person ever be
upset? In addition to that, being happy is a command from our
Almighty Lord. Allah explains that grief and sadness is the quality
of the unbelievers:
Let them laugh little and weep much, in repayment for what they have
earned . (Surat At-Tawba, 82)
They will say, 'Our Lord, our miserable destiny overpowered us. We
were misguided people ." (Surat Al-Muminun, 106)
The lovers of superstition attempt to nullify Allah's above command
using fake hadiths. They think that Muslims are better off being
sad, which Allah says only the unbelievers deserve to be. They want
to destroy the joy and happiness, the biggest need of the soul and
the body. They wish to deprive Muslims of the joy of heaven,
although Muslims are the ones that will 'rejoice' in heaven.
They are unaware of the real meaning of their actions when they
approve of sadness. Getting upset when something doesn't go their
way is the same thing as saying 'I wish it hadn't happened', which
is basically the same thing as rebelling against destiny, whether
one likes to admit it or not. They are unaware of the fact that by
thinking that being sad is okay, they are defying the command of
Allah, and rebelling against the destiny created by Him.
Faith is one of the biggest gifts from Allah. A believer, even if he
has none of the blessings in the life of this world, even if he has
the greatest difficulties, even if things seem to take a turn for
the worse for him, the happiness and peace the faith gives to him is
beyond all those seemingly negative situations. Allah puts peace,
tranquility, happiness and serenity in the hearts of those who turn
to Him. However, a person who doesn't turn to Allah, who doesn't
lead a life for the purpose of gaining Allah's pleasure, cannot
possibly feel happy, no matter how much he claims he can.
Allah may give such people worldly gifts as a part of the test, and
such a person might seem to be enjoying all sorts of beauties and
wealth. However, he cannot find the happiness his soul is constantly
longing for. Allah explains in the 28 th verse Surat Ar-Rad, that
"... those who have belief and whose hearts find peace in the
remembrance of Allah. Only in the remembrance of Allah can the
heart find peace. "
This description of Allah for 'the hearts finding peace' can be
possible only with the remembrance of Allah and with a deep and
passionate love for Allah. There is no way for happiness other than
sincere faith, which is following the Qur'an unconditionally.
Allah gives glad tidings to His righteous and sincere servants with
the news of a good life both in this world and in the hereafter:
"... There is good in the world for those who do good, and the abode
of the hereafter is even better. How wonderful is the abode of those
who have fear of Allah. ( Surat An-Nahl, 30 )
Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will
give them a good life and We will recompense them according to the
best of what they did . (Surat an-Nahl, 97)
There is good news for them in the life of the world and in the
hereafter. There is no changing the words of Allah. That is the
great victory! . (Surat Yunus, 64)
Their Lord gives them the good news of His mercy and good pleasure
and Gardens where they will enjoy everlasting delight . (Surat
At-Tawba, 21)
The angels descend on those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and then
go straight: 'Do not fear and do not grieve but rejoice in the Garden
you have been promised " (Surat Fussilat, 30)
2. Allah exalts and praises women while the radicals try to insult women
Insulting women is the most important attribute of the lovers of
superstition . To them, women are worthless, mere second-class
citizens. They should be compared to dogs and pigs. They should be
locked down, made ugly as much as possible, and prevented from
receiving an education. They also ban women from touching the
Qur'an; they certainly don't want women to learn religion. They
think that women are to be locked down, serve their husbands and
know their place.
Because of this mad state of mind, the radicals and the
superstitious react violently when they see a woman in the social
world, outside the borders they see proper for women. And
especially if that woman is well-groomed and well-educated and more
importantly, if she praises Allah, reads the words of Allah, they
get even angrier. They feel rage. First they say 'They should not
touch the Qur'an'. They try to prevent such ladies from reading the
verses of Allah. Then they start criticizing them for their
clothes, makeup, and other physical qualities. The truth is, they
are so full of hatred and rage, a woman fully covered will make them
as angry as a women wearing modern clothes as they always try to
find a point that they can criticize and use to insult women. They
are full of hatred and they always look for things that they can
hate. For this reason, they usually fabricate fake reasons and use it
as an excuse for their hatred.
To them, a woman cannot possibly be 'religious' no matter what she
does. According to this twisted frame of mind, a woman is not
supposed to be a part of society, laugh, talk, be educated,
well-groomed or modern.
And yet when they are asked if they have any Qur'anic basis for
their radical approach to women, they keep quiet, as the Qur'an has
no basis for their superstitions. On the contrary, the Qur'an
explains that women and men are equal in terms of responsibility.
The Qur'an addresses to believing women and believing men.
According to the Qur'an, a duty of a woman is not staying at home and
living a life unaware of her religion and the world and being a
slave to her husband: According to the Qur'an, a woman is supposed
to do her part in the intellectual struggle Allah wants to be done
for Allah's pleasure and make an effort to spread the moral values of
the Qur'an. The description of women in the Qur'an is completely
different from the view the radicals have of women.
In the Qur'an, women are rulers of their countries. Allah gives the
Queen of Sheba, Balkis, as an example of a ruler who is trusted and
consulted for her opinions. The other examples in the verses and
hadiths make it abundantly clear the importance Allah wants people
to attach to women:
- There is nothing in the Qur'an that bans sitting down together
with women. On the contrary, many accounts of the lives of the
Prophets make it clear that they always spent time with women and
talked to them.
- There are many hadiths explaining how Prophet Mohammed (pbuh)
spent time together with ladies. In addition, Prophet Mohammed
(pbuh) preached to many different women from different backgrounds
and groups during the Festival of Ukaz.
- The Qur'an speaks about righteous women who stayed away from the
shepherds but asked for the help of Prophet Moses (as), and spent
time with him.
- Prophet Soloman (as) invited the Queen of Sheba, Balkiz, to his
palace to preach to her and even made a joke as she entered the
palace. That led Balkiz to think that the floor of the palace was a
shallow pool so she pulled her skirt up, trying to pass without
getting wet although it was actually a glass floor with the
appearance of a pool. At that moment, Balkiz was in the company of
Prophet Soloman (as).
- Prophet Joseph (as), lived in the same house for years with the
wife of the Egyptian officer that he stayed in the house of. The
verse even makes it clear that they were even alone in a room
together. Also, the lady friends of the wife of the officer paid
frequent visits there as well and the Qur'an makes it clear that
Prophet Joses (as) spent time with them.
Prophet Mohammed (saas) Saw Ladies as the Ornaments of the World
and Attached Them Great Importance
Prophet Mohammed (saas), through his life and by explaining the
Qur'anic verses, taught all of humanity the measures that should be
taken so that women are protected, respected and loved as commanded by
Allah in the Qur'an. Everything Prophet Mohammed (saas) did in his
life was practicing the Qur'an and therefore he always favored women
and took measures to make sure they were protected and guarded from
harm and pain. Indeed, the way our Prophet Mohammed (saas) treated
his wives is a great example to all Muslims in how they should
approach women. For instance, Khadija (ra), one of his first wives,
as well as Sauda, Aisha, Hafsah, Umm Habiba, Umm Salama, Safia,
Moyomuna, Zainab bint Jahsh, Juwairya (ra) gave many accounts of
beautiful and exemplary treatment of women by Prophet Mohammed
(saas).
It is reported that the Prophet (saas) would play with his wives and
run races with them. His companions described the Prophet's (saas)
great interest in his wives in the words, " The Prophet (saas) used
to joke with his wives.. . ( Imam Ghazzali's Ihya Ulum-Id-Din,
Volume 2, p. 32) showing to the whole world how loving and
protective Prophet Mohammed (saas) was of his wives.
Aisha (ra) said: "I have never seen a man who was more
compassionate to his family members than Muhammad (saas)." (Sahih
Muslim, Kitab al-Fada'il,63 ). These words explain how Muslim men
are supposed to treat their wives and all ladies in general.
Prophet Mohammed (saas), described on many occasions how valuable
the believing women were. For example one time, he said: ' This
world is nothing but temporary conveniences, and the greatest joy
in this world is a righteous woman ." ( Muslim, Rada 64, (1467);
Nesai, Nikah 15, (6,69); Al-Qutub-al Sittah, Translation and
Interpretation, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Canan, vol.15, Akçağ Publishing,
Ankara, p. 514) .
The hypocrisy of those who are trying to ascribe the superstitions
they have about women to our religion
Those who are trying to insult women using the name of Islam are
actually being very hypocritical. These people who criticize women
for being on TV, for dancing or for sitting together with men are
actually the very same people who are living side by side with women
all the time. At school, at home, on buses, in malls, in the
elevators, in short everywhere in their daily lives, they are side
by side with women and it should be noted that most of those women
are not wearing headscarves, and wear makeup. They work with them,
chat with them, dine with them, take part together in social
activities and they even go on vacation together with them. That's
how it should be : It is impossible even to think about a system
where it is not like this.
This is the part where they are most hypocritical because in
reality, they want to shut away and cover up and even get rid of
women, owing to their sick state of mind. Yet they have no
reservations in looking at women on TV or in newspapers. Even on
the TV channels or newspapers which represent a similar world view,
there are constant images of ladies which are wearing revealing
clothes and full makeup. They hypocritically ignore those TV
channels, and criticize others to show themselves as the most pious
ones.

Islam Goes Hand In Hand With Art And Beauty

One of the main indicators of a society's level of development and
well-being is without doubt its level of art, beauty and quality.
Islam attaches great importance to art. The exceedingly fine
examples of Islamic art that have left many traces in such fields as
architecture and literature are one of the clearest indicators of
this.
Although the first things that come to mind when art is mentioned are
branches such as painting and music, believers are not limited to
these and apply art and beauty in all areas of their lives, to the
very greatest extent possible. High quality manifests itself in the
lives of believers when cleanliness, one of the most important
characteristics of Qur'anic morality, is combined with art and
beauty.
Beauty and Art in Clothing and External Appearance
Believers are people who strive to represent God's faith at every
moment and in all respects. They therefore pay great attention to
external appearance.
Some people make the mistake of interpreting taking care of one's
clothes and external appearance as tending toward the life of this
world or seeking the approval of other people. Yet through the
quality, cleanliness and attention they take over their external
appearance, as with their behavior, believers actually invite people
to the beauty and nobility of Islamic moral values. Our Prophet
(saas) also says in hadiths that there is no pride involved in
dressing well:
"God is beautiful and loves beauty; dressing well is not pride,
pride lies in rejecting the truth and in despising people." (Kütüb-i
Sitte, [The Six Books] Translation and Commentary by Dr. Ibrahim
Canan, vol. 7, Akçağ Press, Ankara, p. 208)
Our Prophet Muhammed (saas) always wore the best and most elegant
clothes possible under all circumstances, and always recommended
this to the Companions. Hazrat Hassan (pbuh), the grandson of the
Prophet (saas), described the Messenger of God's (saas) view
regarding dress as follows:
"Our Prophet (saas) commanded us to wear the best clothes we had
and to use the finest scents we could find." (Bukhari, at-Tarih
al-Kabir, I, 382, no:1222)
Taking care over one's clothing is an explicit command of God's in
the Qur'an. Surat al-Muddaththir says:
Purify your clothes. Shun all filth. (Surat al-Muddaththir, 4-5)
The faith requires that clothing be clean and well-maintained. Since
our Prophet (saas) attached great importance to cleanliness, he
also regarded maintaining the hair and beard, one's external
appearance, as very important. Some sources report that he used to
carry combs, mirrors, a mishwak, toothpicks, scissors and kohl. (Ali
al-Qari, Jam'ul-Wasail fi Sharh ash- Shamail, Istanbul, p. 96-97)
Art and Beauty in Living Quarters
Believers seek the maximum of God's approval at all times. They
strive with all their might to raise their moral values to those of
paradise, of people beloved of God. They also try to keep their
living quarters as close as possible to the descriptions of
paradise. Believers make their homes attractive by keeping them
clean and light and not overfilled with unnecessary objects. They
try to choose harmonious accessories, to decorate their homes with
flowers or pictures, and even if they cannot renew their household
possessions, they at least move them around from time to time to give
an impression of variety.
It is a grave error to imagine that there is no need to bother with
home maintenance, or that it is a waste of time. The fact that the
Qur'an discusses the beauty of the Prophet Solomon's (pbuh) palace
is a sign of the importance of the subject. The beauty of the palace
and the effective nature of the message it conveyed to the queen of
Sheba are described as follows in Surat al-Naml:
She was told: 'Enter the courtyard,' but when she saw it she supposed
it to be a pool and bared her legs. He said, 'It is a courtyard
paved with glass.' She said, 'My Lord, I have wronged myself but I
have submitted with Solomon to the Lord of all the worlds.' (Surat
an-Naml, 44)
The Atrophication in Societies Devoid of Art
Societies devoid of art and beauty, with lives deprived of quality,
have great deficiencies. The members of such societies lack wide
horizons and are always backward in all areas. Some examples of the
atrophication caused by living without art are as follows:
They lose the ability to be considerate
Living devoid of art and beauty kills all the delicacy of the human
soul. The lack of care such a person takes in his daily life and
personal grooming can also be seen in his speech and behavior. The
crude and inappropriate language that such people use toward their
families, friends and even while shopping, etc. immediately
attracts notice.
This behavior, the exact opposite of the conception of quality in
Islam, may also have a damaging effect on people's hearts warming to
Islam. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that shaytan seeks to divide
believers and commands them to take great care over their speech.
Surat al-Isra' says:
Say to My slaves that they should only say the best. Satan wants to
stir up trouble between them. Shaytan is an outright enemy to man.
(Surat al-Isra', 53)
As a result of the pains they take over their external appearance
and their living spaces, believers acquire the ability to think very
considerately. Paying attention to details and being careful over
such matters makes it easier for believers to see the details in
all subjects and to think considerately. In this way, they do not
choose their words carelessly when they speak, but take great pains
with the language they use. As cited in the verse above, this is a
very important matter that strengthens the bonds of brotherhood
between believers.
They are unable to witness the art and beauty in nature
The sensitivity toward artistic structures around them to a large
extent atrophies in people who do not strive to ensure that art
predominates in their lives. One negative consequence of this is
that a child, a lovely flower or a cute kitten produces no pleasant
effect in the souls of such people. They are unable to feel in their
souls the excitement of seeing the artistry of God manifested in
such entities.
Yet someone who takes care over his clothing, who notes that a
flower is created to be elegant, who notes the beauty of hair, who
sees that a cat's fur is always shiny and who decorates his own
home well, will doubtlessly better appreciate the harmony of color
in a sunset he witnesses, because he is more sensitive to the
sensations caused by such delights. Believers know that every
beautiful thing they see is a manifestation of the beauty of God and
that beauty gives them a sense of ease in their hearts. Better
appreciation of beauty leads them to remember God and give thanks to
Him more.
They do not take proper care over religious observances
Art and beauty are of great importance in services made for the
faith. The main aim of a Muslim is to struggle against atheism. As
everyone knows, atheism assumed a supposed scientific guise with the
theory of evolution; it is therefore very important for Muslims to
be punctilious and take pains over all details in their struggles
against atheism because the basic aim in such activities is to show
the fact of creation to people who have been misled by the
scientific- seeming lies of Darwinism. The attractive and esthetic
appearance of and careful labor in any work (be it a web site, a
book or a documentary), will increase people's desire to examine it
closer and thus, by God's leave, enhance its impact.
In contrast, it is immediately apparent that a piece of work done
in a careless, slapdash manner could lead to undesired
consequences, such as destroying the potential impact of the work in
question.
It is obvious that people who have lived far removed from art and
beauty in their daily lives will also be weak when it comes to doing
affective work on behalf of the faith. These people, who are
careless even over their own personal appearance, will inevitably
miss many important details in those activities they undertake.
Some people even fail to see how the real danger against which
Muslims need to direct their attentions is the Darwinist-materialist
system. While aware of the danger of atheism, they may fall into the
error of merely criticizing other Muslims rather than working
effectively against that threat themselves.
Muslims, however, are people who strive to render as much service
as possible - and at all times - to God's religion and who seek to
earn the greatest extent of His approval. They are careful to avoid
being the kind of people described in the words "Among the people
there is one who worships God right on the edge" (Surat al-Hajj,
11) from Surat al-Hajj. The Qur'an reveals how Muslims compete with
one another on the path of God:
They have faith in God and the Last Day, and enjoin the right and
forbid the wrong, and compete in doing good. They are among the
righteous. (Surat al-'Imran, 114)
They cause a dislike in hearts of those people who are unacquainted
with Islam
Islam is a faith that harbors all that is beautiful, noble and high
quality. A Muslim is the most honest, virtuous and high quality
person you can imagine. The true Islam revealed in the Qur'an is
something to be envied by everyone.
However, a lifestyle devoid of art and beauty, an arid lifestyle
supposedly representing Islam leads to a false prejudice as to the
nature of Islam in the hearts of those who are unacquainted with it.
This is one of the main reasons why many people today tend toward
atheism. This will no doubt rebound on the heads of those who do not
strive to achieve the quality required by Islam, and who live in an
ill-kempt fashion and devoid of cleanliness, misinterpreting the
faith in a shallow manner. (Allah knows the truth.)
As described in the story of the Prophet Solomon (pbuh) in the
Qur'an, Muslims must adopt art and beauty as an effective means of
preaching the word. Fully complying with the Qur'an on this matter
will be instrumental in Islam spreading rapidly across the world.
In preaching the word to the queen of Sheba, the Prophet Solomon
(pbuh) had her own throne brought in and he welcomed her in his
palace. The artwork and decoration in the palace had a huge impact
on the queen of Sheba and was instrumental in her coming to have
faith. The considerate behavior and the use he made of art can be
seen at every stage while he communicated the word. This method of
preaching revealed in the Qur'an is one that all Muslims should
apply.
Conclusion
Everything said here shows what damage an arid lifestyle devoid of
art does to Muslims. All Muslims must strive to achieve a high level
of art, beauty and quality, things which occupy such an important
place in Islam.
Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) whose coming in the End Times - the final age
before the Day of Judgment - is foretold in the hadiths, will
rejuvenate Islam with his conception of art and quality and, by God's
will, will cause it to reign across the world. Every Muslim who
sincerely and passionately loves Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) and sincerely
wishes to be his follower must work to improve himself in this
important sphere.

29 A Person who Wants a Child Can Have One: - (Jannah: The Garden from the Qur'an and Hadith) -

If people want to have a child, they can have one with the perfect
ease characteristic of the Garden:
When a believer desires a child in the Garden, its gestation and birth
will be in one hour, as he desires. (Sunan Ibn Majah; at- Tirmidhi)
Such people are the Companions of the Garden, remaining in it
timelessly, for ever, as repayment for what they did. (Surat al-Ahqaf:
14)

28 The Ability to Change One’s Form as Desired: - (Jannah: The Garden from the Qur'an and Hadith) -

If people were offered the opportunity to choose their facial features
and physical characteristics, there is no doubt that most would choose
to look flawlessly beautiful. This is because human beings take
delight in beauty and always look for perfection. We notice the
slightest flaw, but the beauty we seek cannot be found in this world.
Even if a person were the most beautiful individual in the world,
distress, illness and, most importantly, mortality casts a shadow over
this beauty. It is a part of our test that every thing in this world
has been created with defects and imperfections. There is a good
reason for these: to direct us towards the afterlife and make us yearn
for the Garden, the real place to find the beauty and perfection that
delights us. In the Garden, Allah will recreate people with perfect
beauty and give them the most pleasing forms. And this beauty will not
be limited to one form. Allah will give His slaves in the Garden the
choice of whatever form they desire at any time so that the people of
the Garden can have a variety of beautiful forms whenever they want.
The Prophet tells us that believers can select a form they like from
markets in the Garden and assume it:
There is in the Garden a market wherein there will be no buying and
selling, but forms of men and women. So when a man wishes a form, he
will enter into it. (Narrated by Ali, at-Tirmidhi)
You will see the wrongdoers afraid of what they have earned, when it
is about to land right on top of them, whereas those who believe and
do right actions will be in the lush Meadows of the Gardens. They will
have whatever they wish for with their Lord. That is the great favor.
(Surat ash-Shura: 22)

27 Desires in the Garden Will Be Fulfilled Instantly: - (Jannah: The Garden from the Qur'an and Hadith) -

Ordinarily someone who wants to have a fine meal in this world must do
some work for it. The most delightful thing would be to have a meal
set before us as soon as it came into our minds and not to have to
prepare it ourselves. However, such a thing is impossible within the
limitations of this world. However, in the Garden, the most pleasing
blessings are offered to human beings without their having to make a
purchase, or spend time and effort in the process of preparing them.
We have an example of this in the hadith:
If on seeing a bird, one desires to eat its meat, it will immediately
be brought, tastily fried. (Buyuk Hadis Kulliyati (Great Ahadith
Collection), Cem'ul-Fevaid min Cami'il-usul and Mecma'iz-zevaid,
Imam Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Sulayman ar-Rudani, vol. 5, p. 414/10123)
The following hadith of our Prophet is reported in one account:
… eating the flesh of the bird comes to the mind of that person, at
which various meats arrive before him. The people of the Garden eat as
much of that as they wish. When they are replete, the bones of the
birds are gathered up. It then flies, and begins to feed in the Garden
as it wishes. (Mukhtasar Tadhkirah, al-Qurtubi, p. 58)
Again, because a person can do many things he wants in the Garden, the
Prophet told us that he can engage in agriculture not out of necessity
but for the sake of pleasure:
Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, recounted: "While the
Prophet was preaching one day, a Bedouin was present when he said:
'There was a man in the Garden who sought permission from Allah to
engage in cultivation, so Allah asked him, 'Do you not have what you
wish?' The man answered: 'Yes, but I like to cultivate.' Allah granted
him leave, so he rushed to plant the seed; then, he watched to see
what happens and within the blink of an eye, the seed grew into a huge
tree with fruits as big as a mountain…" (Sahih al- Bukhari)
Allah will say, "This is the Day when the sincerity of the sincere
will benefit them. They will have Gardens with rivers flowing under
them, remaining in them rimelessly, for ever and ever. Allah is
pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. That is the Great
Victory." (Surat al-Ma'ida: 119)

Story, - Unseen love...

Hi everyone well u all must be thinking y the title of the story is
unseen love. u will be surprised to know tht i m in love with the guy
to whom i had never seen so the story starts like..
It was a snowy day when the guy called me up i was so happy becoz of
snowy night tht i talked to him he started conversation with giving
his intro and mine too ... he told me that he followed me since last
few days and got to know me a lot more then i kw myself i was
flatered... lots of fighting lots of possesiveness but still we our
commited its more then 1 year nw .. more surprising thing is he has
seen me my pics too.. but not me.. he came oce to meet me but it was
my hard uck that i was nt able to meet him and nw m jjst waiting to
meet him ..well my frnds says u r mad he is fraud or jst enjoying and
playing with ur heart .. i dont believe then not jst becoz i trust him
but becoz i love him .. ''love is not to see some1 and then fall for
them love is to jst love some1's heart''..

Story, - Unconditional love

I have always believed in love...I waited it to happen naturally. I
met aman in my graduation 1st year. We both used to notice each other
in class and smile...soon we became friends and within five months he
said he loves me...I found out that he had a reputation of flirt and
my friends warned me to stay away from him...I tried to do that but my
heart Wudnt stop thinking about him....one luk of his and I melted...I
wanted to just forget about his past flirts nd girlfriends all the
rumors and just love him....he was smart humorous handsome caring
realistic focused and hardworking guy. I finally confessed to him that
I love him irrespective of his reputation.... Soon it was d talk of
the town....within a month I was scared to lose my gud reputation I
broke up.....and I broke into tears as well...I thought he would come
and ask me why did I broke up.....he didn't and that reassured that he
wasn't serious....soon I got myself busy wid studies and career and
met an ideal good boy for marriage and within two years we got married
to Amit ....a focused hardworking guy....but I couldn't love him the
way I have always wanted to....coz he is different...he is loyal to me
loves me but only until I live according to his standards....career
kids home family friends etc....after a year of marriage I met aman
again at a friends place ....one luk into his eyes and I was gone
flat....there has always bin a strange love in his eyes I felt
whenever he Luk at me....again we started seeing each other this time
we couldn't stop ourself from making love but we did not have
sex.....suddenly within four months I started feeling guilty nd
decided to stop everything....I broke up again! After two years he got
married....I came to know....I called up nd congratulated and v spoke
very formerly though he was very happy to talk to me.....I realized
that I should stop bothering him....after next 3 years I got his
contact on Facebook.....just Luke at his 6m old daughter and I cud see
the same eyes and smile which aman had....I was preg wid my second
child then....yet I called aman and we spoke like v had never
parted,....we spoke like very close friends sharing the lovely life v
both had as parents....our jobs...our kids....everything....a year
went by....almost after 8years of my marriage ..2 kids...I still felt
I love aman....how much ever friends talk about his reputation yet I
couldn't stop thinking about him the moment I hear a love song......he
came in my dreams and I used to run after him but before I cud hug
him....I used to wake up startled and panting ....I used to wonder y I
dream so much about him.....never thought about sex....never thought
about kissing him.....we were jus very gud friends yet those dreams
wud make me mad....
One day he called up and told me about his dreams.....I was shocked
how he had similar dreams about me.....that day we spoke for hours
together and realised that inspire of time distance ...coz v live in
different countries now ....inspire of being happy wid our own ill
family career spouse etc we both miss each other....and he told me
ships.....I still love you....like I always did....and to my surprise
I couldn't stop myself from saying the same....
Our spouse obviously know that v r jus close friends....v make sure
that v don't hurt them coz v don't want trouble in each others married
ly....v chat daily talk occasionally....met once 10 years after
college ....we were soo emotional that our hug soon turned into smooch
followed by love making....but again we didn't have sex....we jus
couldn't ...
Both of us believed that our relation doesn't need sex to xpress
love.....and that was such a bful moment.....
We hv loved each other since a decade wideout having to have each
others body....
I realised how wrong I was wen in college I doubted his intentions,,,,
Even today he is very nervous wen I sit close to him.....even if we r
at his home....
This speaks of his unconditional love....
I respect him ....his love for me and I respect myself too....coz I
know that even though its an emotional extra marital affair....we both
fulfill our duties....love our family....discharge our
responsibilities happily wid our spouses.....
Today I don't feel guilty...i don't doubt him.....I jus simply love
him.....want him to be happy always....so does he
We talk on phone share our crazes thoughts very frankly....talk bat
anything....yet v r totally in blissful love.....
Miles apart....yet in love....
Love you aman!!

Fathwa, - She gets mini periods after hysterectomy

Question
Aoa, my name is Sadia Erfan and Im from UK. I had A surgery called "
Subtotal abdominal hysterectomy ) of uterus (". I had a prolapsed
uterus since my first daughter was born 13 years ago. So uterus was
taken out and the neck of the uterus was repaired via
"Sacrocolpopexy". At the time of the surgery doctors told me my
periods would stop. But after 2 months I got very weak periods like
bleedings every month. I went back to the doctor and he said that
because the neck of the uterus is still there and that has some
tissues, light bleeding can occur monthly. It is called mini period.
Im concerned about my salah and fasting. Technically I dont have a
uterus, but still the ovaries. What shall I do? Continue praying while
bleedeing or treating this as normal periods and not pray? Please help
me! Jazak-illah
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
Muhammadis His slave and Messenger.
According to the view of most scholars, the minimum period of menses
is one day and one night. So, if this bleeding which you see is less
than one day and one night, then it is not considered as menses
according to the view of most scholars and this is the view we adopt
here in Islamweb.
However, some scholars are of the view that there is no minimum period
for menses, so according to this view, you should consider the
bleeding that you see as menses even if it is little. Based on this,
to be on the safe side, it is better to perform Ghusl after this
bleeding stops even if its period is less than one day and one night
in order to avoid the difference of opinion.
Allaah Knows best.

Fathwa, - Ruling on the Muslim who apostates then repents several times

Question
WHAT ISLAM SUGGESTS ABOUT A PERSON WHO BECOMES APOSTATE ,THEN REPENTS
AND AFTER REPENTING ONCE AGAIN COMMITS APOSTASY.DOES HE CAN ESCAPE
AGAIN FROM SEVERE PUNISHMENT BY REPENTING OR BE PUNISHED AS AN
APOSTATE ?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
Muhammadis His slave and Messenger.
If a person apostated more than once, then his repentance is accepted
if he had sincerely repented. But as regards its acceptance in the
Hereafter, then there is no difference of opinion among the scholars
about its being accepted.
As regards its being accepted in this world, some scholars are of the
view that if one has apostated more than once, he is to be killed in
all cases and if he repents, his repentance is beneficial for him
between him and Allaah The Almighty.
However, the most preponderant opinion is that his repentance is
accepted in this worldly life and in the Hereafter, and that he is not
to be killed and the penalty is waived off him if he repents, even if
he apostated more than once.Ibn Qudaamahsaid inAl-Muqni': "Is the
repentance of the Zindeeq )a person who proclaims himself to be Muslim
while at the same time prescribing to kufr beliefs(and the apostate
who apostated more than once, or the one who insults Allaah or insults
His Messenger, or the magician accepted? There are two narrations
)from Imaam Ahmad( on this: One narration says that his repentance is
not accepted and that he is to be killed in all cases, and the second
narration says that his repentance is accepted like any other person."
Al-Mirdaawisaid in Al-Insaaf while clarifying that the difference of
opinion is only in regard to the ruling in this worldly life: "The
difference of opinion that has already been stated regarding their
repentance being accepted or not accepted is related to the rulings in
this world, like not killing them, and applying the rulings of Islam
to them. As regads the Hereafter, if he has sincerely repented, then
his repentance is accepted without any difference of opinion. This is
what Ibn 'Aqeel had stated." ]End of quote[
Allaah Knows best.

Fathwa, - Marrying a woman whom one's father or sontouched with desire

Question
assalamualaikum,brother...my question is a bit confusing i guess..i
want to ask that if a person touches a girl with emotion,does the girl
become haram for the person's son to marry that girl?...and if the
father in law touched that daughter in law with no emotion before the
marriage of the son and the girl..can the son marry the girl?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad,
is His Slave and Messenger.
If a man touches a woman with or without sexual desire, this does not
make her prohibited to his son or father for marriage. The woman only
becomes prohibited to a man )for marriage( if his son or father
married her. Prohibition takes effect upon concluding the marriage
contract, even if the marriage is not consummated.
Allaah Knows best.

Examples for good ends

All perfect praise is due to Allaah; I testify that there is none
worthy of worship except Allaah and thatMuhammadis His Slave and
Messenger;as well as his family and all his companions.
Fear of an evil end had broken the hearts of our
righteousSalaf)predecessors(.Sufyaan Ath-Thawricried one night until
the morning, and when he was asked whether he cried due to his fear of
his sins, he replied:"No, I am more scared of having an evil end"
Ibn Katheer,said:"People who are righteous inwardly and outwardly and
whose actions coincide with their words, Allaah willing, will not have
an evil way to end their lives; and never was this reported about
anyone before. It is only those who are evil inwardly and outwardly;
those who are daring and indulge in major great sins and who are
frequent in committing minor sins. This type of people, who are used
to this practice will continue to do so until they die without
repenting."
The Prophetsaid:"Verily, deeds are but by the way they
end."]Al-Bukhaari[. This is why our right predecessorsfeared their
ends because no one knows how he will end his life and in which state
he will depart.
For this reason,Huthayfah,was happy to die before the trials about
which the Prophet,, informed them and said:"All perfect praise be to
Allaah who has hastened my death before these trials".
One of the signs indicating that the person died whilst having a good
end is dying whilst performing a righteous deed.Anas,narrated that he
heard the Prophetsaying:"Do not be impressed with someone's actions
)thinking they are righteous( until you see how his end is, because
one would be performing a )righteous( deed for a long period of his
life, and should he die upon such a deed he would enter Paradise, but
he switches to performing evil deeds )before his death(. The slave
would be performing a )bad( deed for a long period of his life, and
should he die upon such a deed he would enter Hell, but he switches to
performing good deeds )before his death( and when Allaah Wills good
for a slave He uses him before his death"The companionsasked:"O
messenger of Allaah! How does Allaah use him?"He,, responded:"He
enables him to perform a good deed, then ends his life upon
it."]Ahmad[
Huthayfah,narrated that the Messenger of Allaah,said:"He who says;
'Laa ilaaha illallaah' )i.e., 'None is worthy of worship except
Allaah'( seeking the pleasure of Allaah, and it being his final
statement, will enter Paradise; he who fasts sincerely, seeking the
pleasure of Allaah, and died whilst in this state, will enter
Paradise; he who spends in charity, sincerely seeking the pleasure of
Allaah, and it being the last thing he did before dieing, will enter
Paradise."
Jaabir,reported:"I heard the Prophetsaying:"Every slave will be
resurrected in the state upon which he died"]Muslim[. Imaam
As-Suyootisaid:"This narration refers to the state of obedience or
disobedience".Maalik Ibn Deenaarused to say:"If I can afford
)physically( not to ever sleep I would not sleep"he was asked about
the reason, to which he said:"I fear that the angel of death would
come to me whilst I am sleeping and I would like that he comes whilst
I am engaged in a righteous deed".
An example highlighting one of the best ways to die is for a
disbeliever to embrace Islaam then immediately die.Anasreported:"A
young Jewish boy who was in the service of the Prophetfell ill. The
Prophetwent to visit him. He sat down by his head and said to
him:"Embrace Islam."The little boy looked at his father who was
sitting beside him. He said: 'Obey Abul-Qaasim )i.e., the Messenger of
Allaah(.' So he embraced Islam and the Prophetstepped out
saying:"Praise be to Allaah Who has saved him from
Hell-fire."]Al-Bukhaari[.
Allaah guided a man from the Philippines to the light of Islaam on
Wednesday in the city ofTaa'ifin the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and he
was taught some of the merits of Islaam and on Thursday he started
reciting some chapters of the Qur'aan and on Friday morning he passed
away, after only two days of him becoming a Muslim.
Uttering the testimonies of faith prior to death is a good deed and
another example for one's good end.Mu'aath ibn Jabal,narrated that the
Prophetsaid:"He whose final words are: 'Laa Ilaaha Illallaah' )i.e.,
'None is worthy of worship except Allaah'( will enter
Paradise."]Al-Haakim[.
'Abdullaah Ibn 'Amr Ibn Al-'Aas,reported that when his fatherwas on
his death bed he said:"O Allaah! You commanded me with many commands
and I fell short in many of them. O Allaah! You forbade me from many
matters, but I transgressed. O Allaah! None has the right to be
worshipped but You"then he continued repeating this until he died.
Many of theSalafdied whilst praying, which is another example for a
good way to end life.'Abdullaah Ibn Abi As-Sarhsupplicated one night
after having performedQiyaamsaying:"O Allaah! Make my last deed in
this life the performance of Fajr prayer"Then he performed ablution
and prayedFajrand died whilst concluding his prayer.
Abu Tha'labahused to say:"I hope that Allaah will not make me suffer
upon death like I see some people do"Then he started
performingQiyaamand died whilst in the position of prostration. That
night his daughter saw in her dream that her father died, so she woke
up terrified and went to her mother asking about her father, so she
told her that he was prayingQiyaam.They went to check on him and found
him in the position of prostration and when they moved him he fell to
his side.
A young man prayed theFajrprayer with the congregation and sat in the
mosque reciting the Qur'aan and waiting for the sun to rise so that he
may pray twoRak'ahsand he did not know that it was the last hour of
his life, and died whilst in that state.
A fifty five year old lady was admitted into ER )the emergency room(
as a result of getting a heart attack which made her heart stop
beating completely. When the physicians were trying to make a heart
massage with special equipment a very astonishing thing happened,
which doctors had never seen before that day … the woman suddenly
opened her eyes and spoke calmly saying a few words … she did not
complain of any pain … she did not scream asking for their assistance
… she did not ask for her husband or children … she simply uttered the
two testimonies of faith … then the heart stopped again. She repeated
this three times … then she died … and her face illuminated. When her
husband was asked about the type of woman she was, he said:"I married
her more than thirty five years ago, and since then I have never seen
her abandon the Witr prayer )i.e. the odd-numbered Rak'ahs after the
optional night prayer( unless she was sick or during her monthly
period".
Dying whilst fasting is yet another example exemplifying a good end,
like in the case ofAsmaa' Bint Abu Bakrand her son'Urwah,.
Some people die whilst in the state ofIhraamwhich entitles the person
to a great reward, as in the narration about the Companion who died as
a result of his animal kicking him whilst in the state ofIhraam)for
eitherHajjor'Umrah(, hesaid:"Wash him with water and lote-tree
)leaves(, shroud him in his own garments and do not cover his head,
because he will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection uttering the
Talbiyah.".
There are some people who die whilst reciting the Qur'aan, like in the
case of'Uthmaan Ibn 'Affaan¸who was known to be a person who
continuously recited the Qur'aan day and night. Hewas martyred whilst
reciting the Qur'aan in his house. OnceIbn 'Abbaas,recited the saying
of Allaah which means:"Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods
of the night, prostrating and standing ]in prayer[, fearing the
Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, ]like one who does
not[?"]Quran 39: 9[ then he said:"I swear by Allaah! This applies to
'Uthmaan Ibn 'Affaan".
One of the best examples indicating a good end is being
martyred.Al-MiqdaamIbn Ma'di Karib,narrated that the Prophetsaid:"A
martyr has six bounties: He will be forgiven with the first drop of
his blood that is spilt; He will see his place in Paradise )at the
time of death(; He will be saved from the 'Great Horror' )on the Day
of Judgment(: A Crown of Dignity will be placed on his head, which
contains many corundum, each one being more precious than this life
and all that it contains; He will have seventy two Women of Paradise;
And, he will be allowed to intercede for seventy of his family members
)who would have otherwise gone to hell(."]At-Tirmithi[.
Shaddaad Ibn Al-Haad,narrated:"A Bedouin came to the Prophetaccepted
Islaam and said: 'I wish to migrate )to Madeenah('. So the
Prophetasked some of his companions to take care of him. Then after a
battle, the Muslims had gained some booty so the Prophetdivided it and
gave the Bedouin's share to some of his companions to look after, as
the Bedouin was still at the rearguard. When the Bedouin returned,
they gave him his share, so he asked them: 'What is this?' they
replied: 'It is your share from the booty which the Prophetgave us to
hold on to for you.' So the Bedouin took the booty and went to the
Prophetand asked: 'What is this?' The Prophetreplied:"Your share of
the booty."The Bedouin said:'This is not why I believe in you and
follow you; rather, I follow you so that I can get shot by an arrow
right here, )and then he pointed to his throat( then die and enter
Paradise.' The Prophetsaid:"If you are sincere then Allaah will grant
you your wish."After a short while, fighting resumed and the Bedouin's
body was brought to the Prophetwith an arrow in his throat at exactly
the spot where he had pointed to the Prophet. ThereuponThe
Prophetsaid:"He was sincere so Allaah granted him his wish."Then using
his own garment, the Prophetshrouded the Bedouin, prayed the funeral
prayer over him and was heard by his companions to say during the
prayer:"O Allaah! This is Your slave who migrated for Your sake and
was killed as a martyr – and I testify to this".Which testimony could
ever be more honorable, sincere and truthful than this great one given
by the Prophet?
A truck driver by the name ofAbu Dujaanah, was known in his town to be
an evil person who consumed intoxicants. One day, he got in a deadly
car accident, but Allaah rescued him from death. Allaah decreed that
two righteous young men see the accident and rush to him whilst he was
unconscious and took him with them and when he woke up they told him
to performGhusl)ritual bath( which he did, then they instructed him to
pray, and after he prayed they said to him:"Allaah Has rescued you
from death and had you died upon the state you were in, it would have
been the worse way to die and be resurrected. You should repent to
Allaah and shun all sins"their words affected him deeply, and he
shunned his evil company with whom he used to hang around, and started
practicing. A few months later, he traveled to Bosnia forJihaad, and
Allaah granted him martyrdom there. His body remained with the enemies
thrown in an open field for two and a half months after he was killed,
and then a swap of dead bodies happened between theMujaahideenand the
Serbs, and when the brothers opened the plastic bag in which he was
kept for this long period, they saw his face smiling and an extremely
pleasant scent emanating from his body.
These were but some examples of how a good end may be, and we ask
Allaah to bless us and grant us a good way to end our lives.

The dangers of envy

Envy refers to the desire that a person feels for the destruction or
removal of a blessing that another person has – a destruction which
the bearer of this feeling would himself carry out if he had the power
to. This is quite different to wanting such blessings for oneself
while not wishing for them to be removed from others, for that is,
indeed, a positive and commendable desire that leads to competition.
Competition is not considered blameworthy in general, rather it is
considered to be praiseworthy if it is in pursuit of righteousness;
Allaah Says )what means(:"Indeed, the righteous will be in pleasure.
On adorned couches, observing…You will recognise in their faces the
radiance of pleasure. They will be given to drink ]pure[ wine ]which
was[ sealed. The last of it is musk. So for this let the competitors
compete."]Quran 83:22-26[
Allaah mentions in the Quran the envy of the disbelievers, the
hypocrites and people in general. Speaking about the disbelievers,
Allaah Says )what means(:"Many of the People of the Scripture wish
they could turn you back to disbelief after you have believed, out of
envy from themselves ]even[ after the truth has become clear to
them…"]Quran 2:109[
Allaah also Says )what means(:"Or do they envy people for what Allaah
has given them of His bounty?"]Quran 4:54[
Envy is an evil disease of the heart that leads to foul conduct and
bad behaviour. It leads to animosity, thinking evil of the intentions
of others, backbiting, tale-bearing, lying, and the abandonment of
other Muslims. It may lead its possessor to inflict physical harm on
the person whom he envies and can even lead to murder. It is
considered to be among the most dangerous and destructive of internal
diseases and is the most destructive to a person's religion and
worldly life.
The Messenger of Allaahsaid:"Do not envy one another; do not hate one
another; do not turn your back on one another )in discontent(; )but(
be slaves of Allaah as brothers."]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[
Allaah orders the believers to seek refuge from the evil of the
envious person and envy in general when He says )what means(:"And from
the evil of the envier when he envies."]Quran 113:5[
The Messenger of Allaahalso said:"Indeed envy eats up good deeds just
as fire consumes firewood."]Ahmad[
There are many stories in the Quran that highlight the dangers and
evils of envy. When we read the story of Prophet Yoosuf )Joseph(and
his brothers, we realise the danger of envy, how it blinds, how it
snatches mercy away from the heart, and how it drives its possessor to
inflict terrible physical pain on the envied person. Allaah Says )what
means(:"When they ]i.e., the brothers of Yoosuf[ said: 'Yoosuf and his
brother are more beloved to our father than we, while we are a clan.
Indeed, our father is in clear error. Kill Yoosuf or cast him out to
]another[ land; the countenance ]i.e., attention[ of your father will
]then[ be accessible to you, and you will be, after that, righteous
people.'"]Quran 12:8-9[
Another story that shows the danger of envy is the story of Haabeel
and Qaabeel: The Quran tells us about the first son of Aadamwho
murdered his brother out of envy, which constituted the first crime
ever in which blood was spilt. He envied him because Allaah accepted
his brother's sacrifice but not his; Allaah says what means:"And
recite to them the story of Aadam's two sons, in truth, when they both
offered a sacrifice ]to Allaah[, and it was accepted from one of them
but was not accepted from the other. Said ]the latter[: 'I will surely
kill you.' Said ]the former[: 'Indeed, Allaah only accepts from the
righteous ]who fear him[. If you should raise your hand against me to
kill me - I shall not raise my hand against you to kill you. Indeed, I
fear Allaah, Lord of the worlds.'… And his soul permitted to him the
murder of his brother, so he killed him and became among the
losers."]Quran: 5:27-28 & 30[
The blameworthy type of envy is an unrestricted dislike of the
blessings bestowed upon the envied. Therefore, when one despises
something, he is hurt and grieved by its very existence, and this
becomes a sickness in his heart, to the extent that he derives
pleasure from the removal of the blessings from the envied - even if
this does not result in any benefit to him except having the pain that
was in his soul removed.
This pain is not removed except as a result of the envier continuously
monitoring the envied so that he would find relief when the blessing
is removed, but it can become more severe, as is the case of the one
who is suffering from a physical sickness, in that the blessing, or
one similar to it, may return to the envied.
The Prophetsaid:"I swear by the One in whose Hands is my soul! none of
you will believe until he loves for his brother what he loves for
himself."]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[
Healso said:"There is to be no envy except in two cases: )towards( a
person to whom Allaah has granted wisdom, and who rules by this and
teaches it to the people, and )towards( a person to whom Allaah has
granted wealth and property along with the power to spend it in the
cause of the Truth."]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[
Ibn `Umaradded to this from his own narration: ")And( a person to whom
Allaah has given the Quran and who recites it night and day, and a
person to whom Allaah has granted wealth and property from which he
gives in charity by night and day."
Envy may occur as a result of enmity, pride, self-admiration, love of
leadership or impurity of the soul. Of these, enmity is the most
serious cause, as it leads to malevolence and this, in turn, causes
man to thirst for revenge and drives him to gloat over any calamity
that may afflict his enemy.
Imaam Al-Ghazzaalisaid in his book Al-Ihyaa': "Be aware that envy is
one of the deadliest diseases of the hearts, and there is no medicine
for the diseases of the heart except through knowledge and deeds. The
knowledge that will treat the disease of envy is to know, without any
doubt, that envy is lethal for a person's worldly life as well as his
religion, and that there is no danger from it to the envied person
regarding his life or his religion; on the contrary, the envied person
will actually benefit from it. The fact is that envy is actually
dangerous for the envier's religion because it is through this envy
that he hated Allaah's predestination and the blessings that He
divided among his slaves; he also hated His justice that He
established in His world due to His Wisdom; therefore, the envier
contested that and objected to it. This is contrary to belief in the
Oneness of Allaah. Additionally, the envier would share with Satan and
the rest of the disbelievers a love for crises to befall the believers
and for blessings to leave them. These are evils in the heart that
devour good deeds and erase them like the night erases the day. The
person who suffers from envy in his life is tortured by it, and will
always be in sorrow every time he sees the blessings of Allaah upon
the envied person."

Countering Evil with a Better Deed

Interacting with others in life is necessary, as a person is
surrounded by neighbors, relatives and colleagues in institutions of
study and workplaces. Due to this dealing with different types of
people, it is natural to be made susceptible to harm from some of
them. Suppose that every such act one is subjected to, is met by an
evil one in its like, in return; regardless of whether this harm is
slight or great, or intentional or not, the communities would turn
into a jungle. People will abandon good traits and live without
regulations or rules. To prevent the Muslim community from this
detestable scenario, Allaah The Almighty commanded His believing
slaves to resist evil with something good, when He Says )what
means(:}And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel ]evil[ by
that ]deed[ which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you
and him is enmity ]will become[ as though he was a devoted
friend.{]Quran 41:34[
Undoubtedly, the ultimate act that is superior to countering evil with
its like, is to pardon and be compassionate, or at the least, to turn
away and avoid further embroiling oneself. Dear brother and sister! By
adopting this noble moral, you are safeguarding your own self-respect
and rationality. Therefore, you have to keep yourself away from the
provocation of foul people in order to be one of the true servants of
Allaah The Almighty. He describes them Saying )what means(:
·}And they who turn away from laghw )anything from falsehood, and that
includes association, other minor sins and all useless speech, actions
and concerns; furthermore, busying oneself with that which does not
concern him is included(.{ ]Quran 23:3[
·}And when they hear ill speech, they turn away from it and say: "For
us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. Peace will be upon you;
we seek not the ignorant."{ ]Quran 28:55[
·}And when the ignorant address them ]harshly[, they say ]words of[
peace.{ ]Quran 25:63[
When one treats an abuser in a wholesome manner, he or she would
suppress his or her anger, thereby becoming one of those whom the
Prophet,, referred to when he said:"He who stifles his rage while he
is able to give vent to it, Allaah will summon him in front of all
people on the Day of Resurrection and let him choose from the Hoor
)maidens of Paradise( as he pleases."
Furthermore, one of the greatest benefits of repelling evil with a
better deed is that the enemy who wants to inflict harm and evil,
often converts into a defending supporter and a devoted friend. There
is a wondrous magic in good manners that it can be more influential
than physical force and vengeful will. Thus, antagonism changes into a
different sentiment, as Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Repel
]evil[ by that ]deed[ which is better; and thereupon the one whom
between you and him is enmity ]will become[ as though he was a devoted
friend.{]Quran 41:34[ That is why Ibn 'Abbaasadvised:"Use your
forbearance to ward off the ignorance of those who harm you with ]that
trait of theirs[."
We have observed the best of all creatures, Muhammad,, not only
tolerating the maltreatment of the violent, but also overlooking that
and pardoning them. 'Aa'ishahdescribed him, saying:"He does not
counter evil with evil, rather he absolves and forgives."This was also
the example of the righteous peoplewho followed the methodology of the
Prophet,. One of them was insulted by someone once, so he said to
him:"If you are mistaken, I ask Allaah to pardon you; and if you are
correct, I ask Him to forgive me."
Although we are all required to adopt this trait, a person in a
position of power is worthier of doing so more than others. That is
why among the final instructions of the Prophet,, before his death,
was:"Whoever is given authority over something in the Ummah of
Muhammad and has the power to harm or bring benefit to anyone, then he
should reward those who do good and pardon those who commit evil."In
his,, life, a man once came to him complaining about his servant,
saying:"I have a servant who is a wrongdoer and an oppressor. Should I
beat him?"The Prophet,, said:"Forgive him as much as seventy times per
day."
Also, a person whose relatives treat him unjustly is particularly in
need of this quality. He or she should not meet their ill behavior
with evil in return; rather, he or she has to pardon, forgive and
increase in compassion. It was narrated that a man came to the
Prophet,, and said:"O Messenger of Allaah, I have some relatives with
whom I maintain ties of kinship and they sever them; I pardon them and
they oppress me; I treat them kindly and they harm me. Should I then
treat them in the same way?"The Messenger of Allaah,, replied:"No,
then you would all be sinners; rather, you should be better and
maintain the ties of kinship and as long as you are in that state, you
will have a protector and supporter appointed from Allaah with you.'"
Repelling vice with a better deed is the remedy that restores damaged
social relations. It reforms what has been corrupted and renews that
which is effaced. With this treatment, the manifestations of goodness
are revived, people race each other in virtuous acts, the gates of
iniquity are blocked to Satan and evil does not find any means to
spread. Instead, beneficence will prevail and the motives and
consequences of vice will be eradicated.

Dought & clear - - (Forgetfulness During Prayer) - He forgot and said Allaahu akbar instead of Sami’aAllaahu liman hamidah.

A man said Allaahu akbar instead of Sami'a Allaahu liman hamidah when
standing up after bowing. What should he do?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Saying Sami'a Allaahu liman hamidah, for both the imam and the one who
is praying alone, is one of the obligatory parts of prayer, according
to the correct opinion, as was stated in the answer to question no.
43574.
The one who forgets to say that and does not say anything, or says
Allaahu akbar instead of that, and remembers whilst he is still
praying, should do the two prostrations of forgetfulness before saying
the salaam.
The basic principle is that the one who forgets an obligatory part of
prayer or says a prescribed phrase – such as Allaahu akbar – in the
wrong place, should do the prostration of forgetfulness.
It says inDaleel al-Taalib: The prostration of forgetfulness is
required if one adds a bow or prostration or standing or sitting, even
if it is as long as the sitting between the two prostrations, or he
says the salaam before completing the prayer, or he makes a mistake in
recitation that alters the meaning, or he omits an obligatory part.
End quote.
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear - - (Forgetfulness During Prayer) - Reasons for doing the prostration of forgetfulness.

When is it prescribed for a worshipper to do the prostration of forgetfulness?.
Praise be to Allaah.
By the mercy of Allaah to His slaves, as one of the beauties of this
perfect religion, Allaah has prescribed that His slaves may make up
for shortcomings and mistakes that they make in their worship and
cannot avoid completely, by performing supererogatory (naafil) acts of
worship, praying for forgiveness and so on.
One of the things that Allaah has prescribed for His slaves to make up
for shortcomings that may occur in their prayer is the prostration of
forgetfulness, but it is only prescribed to make up for certain
things; it does not make up for everything nor is it prescribed for
everything.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about
the reasons for doing the prostration of forgetfulness, and he replied
as follows:
The prostration of forgetfulness in prayer is generally prescribed for
three reasons:
1-Doing something extra
2-Omitting something
3-Being uncertain
Doing something extra: for example, doing an extra bow (rukoo'),
prostration (sujood), standing or sitting.
Omitting something: such as omitting an essential part of the prayer,
or omitting one of the obligatory parts of the prayer.
Being uncertain: such as when a person is not sure how many rak'ahs he
has prayed, whether it was three or four, for example.
In the case of doing something extra, if a person adds something to
his prayer – bowing, prostrating, standing or sitting – deliberately,
then his prayer becomes invalid, because when he added it, that means
that he did not do the prayer in the manner ordained by Allaah and His
Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever does
an action that is not part of this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will
have it rejected." Narrated by Muslim, 1718.
But if he did that extra thing by mistake, then his prayer is not
invalidated, but he should do the prostration of forgetfulness after
saying the salaam. The evidence for that is the hadeeth of Abu
Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said that when the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said the salaam
after two rak'ahs in one of the two afternoon prayers, either Zuhr or
'Asr, and they told him about that, he(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) did the rest of the prayer, then he said the salaam, then
he prostrated twice (the prostration of forgetfulness) after saying
the salaam. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 482; Muslim, 573.
And Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led them in praying
Zuhr and he prayed five rak'ahs. When he had finished it was said to
him: "Has something been added to the prayer?"
He said: "Why are you asking that?"
They said: "You prayed five (rak'ahs)."
So he turned towards the qiblah and prostrated twice. Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 4040; Muslim, 572.
In the case of omitting something, if a person omits one of the
essential parts of the prayer, one of the following two scenarios must
apply:
Either he remembers it before he reaches the same point in the
following rak'ah, so he has to go back and do that essential part of
the prayer and whatever came after it,
Or he does not remember it until he reaches the same point in the
following rak'ah, in which case the following rak'ah takes the place
of the one in which he omitted that essential part, and he should make
up the invalid rak'ah.
In either of these two cases, he should do the prostration of
forgetfulness after saying the salaam.
For example: a man stood up after doing the first prostration of the
first rak'ah and did not sit or do the second prostration. When he
started to recite Qur'aan he remembers that he had not done the second
prostration or sat between the two prostrations. In that case he
should go back and sit as between the two prostrations, then
prostrate, then stand up and do whatever is left of his prayer, and do
the prostration of forgetfulness after saying the salaam.
An example of one who did not remember until after he reached the same
point in the following rak'ah is a man who stood up following the
first prostration in the first rak'ah and did not do the second
prostration or sit between the two prostrations, but he did not
remember that until he sat between the two prostrations in the second
rak'ah. In this case he should make the second rak'ah the first
rak'ah, and add another rak'ah to his prayer, then say the salaam then
do the prostration of forgetfulness.
Omitting an obligatory part of the prayer – such as if he omits an
obligatory part and moves on to the next part of the prayer. For
example, he forgets to say Subhaan Rabbiy al-A'la (Glory be to my Lord
Most High) and he does not remember until he has got up from
prostrating. In this case he has omitted an obligatory part of the
prayer by mistake, so he should carry on with his prayer then do the
prostration of forgetfulness before saying the salaam, because when
the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) omitted the
first tashahhud he carried on with his prayer and did not go back and
repeat anything, then he did the prostration of forgetfulness before
saying the salaam.
In the case of being uncertain, such as if a person is not sure if he
has done something extra or omitted something, e.g., he is not sure
whether he has prayed three rak'ahs or four, one of the following two
scenarios must apply:
Either he thinks that one or the other is more likely to be case,
whether it is doing more or omitting something, in which case he
should proceed on the basis of what he thinks is more likely to be the
case, complete his prayer accordingly, then do the prostration of
forgetfulness after saying the salaam;
Or neither appears more likely to be the case, so he should proceed on
the basis of what is certain, namely the lesser amount, and complete
his prayer accordingly, then do the prostration of forgetfulness
before saying the salaam.
For example: a man prays Zuhr then he is not sure whether he is
praying the third or fourth rak'ah, but he thinks it more likely that
it is the third. So he should pray another rak'ah, then say the
salaam, then do the prostration of forgetfulness.
An example of when neither seems to him more likely to be the case is
when a man is praying Zuhr and is not sure whether he is in the third
rak'ah or the fourth, and neither seems to him more likely to be the
case. In that case he should proceed on the basis of what is certain,
which is the lesser amount. So he should regard it as the third
rak'ah, then do another rak'ah and do the prostration of forgetfulness
before saying the salaam. Thus it becomes clear that this should be
done before the salaam if you have omitted one of the obligatory parts
of the prayer or if you are not sure how many rak'ahs you have done,
and neither of the two choices seems more likely to be the case. And
it should be done after the salaam if you have added something extra
to the prayer or you are not certain but one of the two choices seems
more likely to be the case.
SeeMajmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh, 14/14-16
And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Dought & clear - - (Forgetfulness During Prayer) - If he does the prostration of forgetfulness after the salaam, should he recite the tashahhud and say salaam again?.

If I do the prostration of forgetfulness after saying the salaam at
the end of the prayer, do I have to recite the tashahhud and say
salaam again?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If a person does the prostration of forgetfulness after the salaam,
then he has to say the salaam again, but he does not have to recite
the tashahhud again.
al-Bukhaari (482) and Muslim (573) narrated that Muhammad ibn Sireen
said: Abu Hurayrah (May Allaah be pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led us
in one of the afternoon prayers, either Zuhr or 'Asr, and he said the
tasleem after two rak'ahs. Then he went to a plank in the qiblah of
the mosque and leaned against it, looking angry. Among the people were
Abu Bakr and 'Umar, but they were too afraid to speak. The people left
quickly, saying that the prayer had been shortened. Then Dhu'l-Yadayn
stood up and said: O Messenger of Allaah, has the prayer been
shortened or did you forget? The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) looked to his right and his left, then he said: "What did
Dhu'l-Yadayn say?" They said: He is right, you only prayed two
rak'ahs. So he prayed two more rak'ahs and said the tasleem, then he
said takbeer and prostrated, then he said takbeer and sat up, then he
said takbeer and prostrated, then he said takbeer and sat up. It was
narrated that 'Imraan ibn Husayn said: Then he said the tasleem.
Muslim (574) narrated from 'Imraan ibn Husayn (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) prayed 'Asr and said the tasleem after three rak'ahs,
then he went into his house. A man called al-Khirbaaq, who had long
arms, stood up and said: O Messenger of Allaah! And he told him what
he had done. He came out looking angry, dragging his cloak, and when
he reached the people he said: "Is this one telling the truth?" They
said: Yes. So he prayed one rak'ah, then he said the tasleem, then he
prostrated twice, then he said the tasleem.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
If the prostration comes after the salaam, then he has to say the
salaam, then prostrate twice, then say the salaam.
But does he have to recite the tashahhud?
There is a difference of opinion among the scholars concerning this,
but the correct view is that he does not have to say the tashahhud.
End quote.
Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen(14/74).
The Standing Committee was asked: Should tashahhud be recited after
the prostration of forgetfulness or not, whether one does the
prostration of forgetfulness before the salaam or after?
They replied:
It is not prescribed to recite the tashahhud after the prostration of
forgetfulness if it is done before the salaam, without a doubt. If it
is done after the salaam then there is a difference of opinion among
the scholars, but the more correct view is that it is not prescribed
because it is not mentioned in the saheeh ahaadeeth. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah(7/148).

Islam and Teamwork (Team Work): Islam and Leadership, Islam and Consultation

Almighty Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Qur'an: "And hold fast all
together by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you) and be not
divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favor on
you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love so that by
His grace ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of
fire and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make his signs clear to
you: that ye may be guided." Noble Qur'an (3:103)
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: Faithful believers are to each other as
the bricks of a wall, supporting and reinforcing each other. So
saying, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) clasped his hands by interlocking
his fingers. [Sahih al-Bukhari]
In Islam, Allah (SWT) gives us the gift of brotherhood and sisterhood
and encourages us to do things in a group setting or Team Work.
Examples where Islam encourages team spirit are Juma prayers and Hajj
Pilgrimage. In fact, if we fail to work effectively as a member of
team, we fail to understand the true meaning of "Ummah (collectively
united Community)" in Islam.
Teamwork is defined in Webster's New World Dictionary as "a joint
action by a group of people, in which each person subordinates his or
her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of
the group." This does not mean that the individual is no longer
important; however, it does mean that effective and efficient teamwork
goes beyond individual accomplishments. The most effective teamwork is
produced when all the individuals involved harmonize their
contributions and work towards a common goal.
Lessons from Geese provide a perfect example of the importance of
teamwork and how it can have a profound and powerful effect on our
life. When we use these five principles in our personal life it will
help us to foster and encourage a level of passion and energy in
ourselves, as well as those who are our friends, associates or team
members.
It is essential to remember that teamwork happens when it is
continually nurtured and encouraged.
Once a wise man said - Two people can accomplish more than twice as
much as one; they get a better return for their labor. As the old
saying goes, two heads are better than one.
Scientists have found that Geese flying in V formation can travel
around 71% further in a session than Geese flying solo (alone).
Working together on the task of flying is beneficial in a number of
ways:
Lesson 1 - The Importance of Achieving Common Goals
Aerodynamic Formation - The V formation of Geese is a way that
maximizes the energy expended by those flying as part of it. The bird
at the front of the flock breaks the air for those flying behind it
and creates a slipstream for them to be dragged along in. The birds
behind also help those in front as the upward motion of their wing
also create an upward draft that propels them forward. This push/pull
relationship ensures all birds in the formation benefit from the work
of others.
Outcome: When we have a sense of "Ummah (collectively united
Community)" and focus, we create trust and can help each other to
achieve our common goals.
Lesson 2 - The Importance of Team Work (Teamwork)
When a goose leaves the formation, he feels the resistance of the air
and the difficulties of flying alone. Then, he quickly comes back to
the formation to take advantage of the flock's power in front of him.
Outcome: If we had as much sense as Geese we would stay in formation
with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their
help and give our help to others. Sharing the same direction and
working as a team, get us to the destination quicker and easier. By
helping ourselves, the accomplishments are greater.
Lesson 3 - The Importance of Sharing (Sharing Leadership)
Rotating Leadership - Even with the pushing effect of those behind it
- the front bird uses the most energy and becomes tired more quickly
than others. The Geese know that and instinctively rotate leadership
of the flock - allowing tired birds who have used a lot of energy for
the sake of the flock to take a rest and be dragged a long for a while
until it is there next turn up front.
Outcome: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks. We should respect
and protect each other's unique arrangement of skills, capabilities,
talents and resources.
Lesson 4 - The Importance of Empathy and Understanding
Dropping out of the Flock - as a result of sickness or injury a bird
will occasionally begin to fall away from the flock - unable to keep
up. Instead of allowing this bird to fly on alone - at least two
others will always drop out of the flock with it. This ensures that
the injured bird will be defended and cared for until it is ready to
resume flying and that it will fly on with the benefit of flying in
formation.
Outcome: If we have as much sense as Geese we will stand by each
other. Let's stay beside each other no matter what the differences,
especially in times of difficulty and great challenges. If we bond
together and support each other, if we make true the spirit of
teamwork, regardless of our differences, we can rise to meet our
challenge.
Lesson 5 - The Importance of Encouragement
Power of the Honk - From the ground the V formation of the Geese is a
beautiful thing to watch - serenely gliding across the sky these birds
look quite majestic and peaceful. However get up into the flock and
you find it's quite a noisy affair with the Geese constantly honking
at one another. There are numerous theories about this honking and it
could be partly about letting each other know where they are so there
is no midair collision. But many believe that this honking is actually
about creating an environment of success and mutual encouragement.
Geese flying in formation 'Honk' to encourage those up front to keep
up with their speed.
Outcome: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups
and teams where there is encouragement, production is much greater.
'Individual empowerment results from quality honking'.
As a result of some of these principles the Geese can fly amazing
distances without stopping for rest - so much further than if they
tried to do it alone. Humans, like Geese, were created to work
together and to support one another. When we encourage each other and
support our leaders we can accomplish amazing things, much more than
trying to work alone.

Islam and Consultation: Mutual Consultation(Islamic Leadership, Islam and Teamwork)

A Lion who held all the beasts of the surrounding in subjection, and
was always in the habit of making raids upon them to snap and kill any
of them as he required for his daily food. It lasted very long until
the beasts took counsel together and all agreed to deliver him one of
their company each day. They thought that it would satisfy the Lion's
hunger, and as a result, he would cease to harm them by his continual
attacks.
The Lion was at first unwilling to trust them and seemed not to
believe such words, thus he went on by remarking that he would prefer
to rely on his effort. But, by being serious on their decision, the
beasts succeeded in persuading Lion that he would do well to trust
them and accept the free offerings.
Having carried the suggestion, the beasts continued for sometime to
perform their engagement sending each day a certain friend of theirs
to the Lion to devour.
Once it happened to be the turn of a Hare to be delivered up as a
victim to the Lion; but before long he requested the others to let him
practice device. The friends mocked him, asking how such a silly beast
as he could pretend to outwit the Lion. The Hare assured them that the
wisdom only belonged to Allah (SWT), and that was He who might choose
weak things to confound the strong. In the end they consented to let
him try his luck.
The Hare took slowly his way to the Lion, and found him roaring in
anger. In excuse for his being late Hare invented that he along with
another Hare had set out together to appear before the Lion, but a
strange strong Lion had seized the next Hare and carried him off into
his resting place in a ditch. On hearing the pitiful remarks of the
Hare the Lion was exceeding wroth, and commanded the Hare to show him
the foe who had trespassed on his area. Pretending to be afraid of the
second Lion, the Hare got on the present Lion to ride to the destiny
upon his back, and directed him to a well. On looking down the well,
the Lion saw in the water the reflection of himself and of the Hare on
his back. Quite in rage, he thought that it was the strong enemy of
his with the stolen Hare; he plunged down into the well to attack him.
From that moment, not only the Hare, but all his beast friends were
released by their wise consolation - which is based on Surah Shura, of
the Noble Qur'an: "And those who respond to their Lord and keep up
prayer, and their rule is to take counsel among themselves, and who
spend out of what We have given them." Noble Qur'an (42:38)
Since the principle of mutual consultation ("Shura") is mandatory, it
is a Muslim's fundamental right, as well as responsibility, to
participate in as many aspects of the community's life as possible.