Allah's Scientific Miracles in the Qur'an

THE QUIVERING AND SWELLING OF THE EARTH
And you see the earth dead and barren. Then, when We send down water
onto it, it quivers and swells and sprouts with luxuriant plants of
every kind. (Surat al-Hajj:5)
The Arabic word for "quivers" is "ihtazzat," meaning "to set in
motion, come alive, quiver, move, stir; the movement and stretching of
a plant." The word "rabat," translated as "swells," bears the meanings
"to increase, grow in number, swell, grow, develop, rise (of a plant),
provision, fill with air." These words describe in the most
appropriate manner the changes that occur in the molecular structure
of soil during rain.
The motion described in the verse is different from the movement of
Earth's crust, such as when a portion of it moves to produce an
earthquake, for it is only the soil particles that are moving. These
particles are composed of layers, each of which is on top of the
other. When water penetrates the layers, it causes the swelling of mud
particles. The stages referred to in the verse can be scientifically
explained as follows:
1. Quivering of the soil: The electrostatic charge on the particle
surface that appears after the water falls on the soil in sufficient
amount would cause its instability and quivering movements. This
movement is stabilized only after this charge has been neutralized
with an opposing one. The soil particle's moving and quivering is also
due to its collision with water particles. Since the water particles
move in no specific direction, the soil particles move as they are
struck from all sides. Robert Brown, a Scottish botanist, discovered
in 1827 that when raindrops fall on the soil, they cause a kind of
shaking and vibration in the soil molecules. He described this
movement of microscopic particles, which today is known as the
"Brownian motion."
2. Swelling of the soil: When it rains, those raindrops hitting the
soil cause its particles to swell and increase in volume. This is
because when there is abundant water, the space between soil
particles, which allows water particles and dissolved ions to enter,
increases. When water and the nourishing elements dissolved in it
diffuse between the layers, the size of the soil particles increases.
Consequently, these particles serve as water deposits that bring the
soil to life. It is due to Allah's infinite grace upon humanity that
this water is stored in this manner without seeping downward due to
the action of gravity. If the soil could not hold water and these
mineral deposits could not be laid down in the soil, the water would
soak into Earth's deepest parts and, because of its resulting absence,
all plants would soon die. However, our Lord has created the soil in
such a way that various products can emerge from it.
3. Sprouting of the earth: When there is enough water in the soil, the
seeds become active and absorb simple nutritious material. Growing
plants meet their water requirements for 2 to 3 months from these
deposits.
The above verse describes, in three stages, what happens when rain
falls onto dry ground: the soil particles quiver, and the soil swells
and then brings forth various products. These stages, which the Qur'an
revealed 1,400 years ago, are strikingly parallel to the scientific
descriptions. Another verse reveals this about plants:
A sign for them is the dead land that We bring to life and from which
We bring forth grain, of which they eat. (Surah Ya Sin:33)
Wonders of Creation:
"THE FOUR ANIMALS EMPHASIZED IN THE QUR'AN" - I
THE MOSQUITO
While all living beings bear these signs, there are some to which
Allah specifically refers in the Qur'an. The mosquito is one of these
animals. In the 26th verse of Surat al-Baqara, the mosquito is
mentioned:
Allah is not ashamed to make the example of a mosquito or of an even
smaller thing. As for those who believe, they know it is the truth
from their Lord. But as for those who reject, they say, "What does
Allah mean by this example?" He misguides many by it and guides many
by it. But He only misguides the degenerate. (Surat al-Baqara: 26)
Considered as an ordinary living being, even the mosquito is worthy of
being examined and pondered since it bears the signs of Allah. This is
why "Allah is not ashamed to make the example of a mosquito or of an
even smaller thing".
The Extraordinary Adventure of the Mosquito
What is generally known about mosquitoes is that they are bloodsuckers
and feed on blood. This, however, is not quite correct, because not
all mosquitoes suck blood but only females. Besides, the females suck
blood not because of their need for food. Both male and female
mosquitoes feed on the nectar from flowers. The only reason female
mosquitoes, unlike the males, suck blood is their need for the
proteins found in blood which help their eggs to develop.
The developmental process is one of the most amazing and admirable
sides of the mosquito. The short story of the transformation of a
living being from a tiny larva through many different phases into a
mosquito is as follows:
Mosquito eggs, which are fed by blood to develop, are deposited on
damp leaves or dried ponds by the female mosquito during summer or
autumn. Prior to this, the mother initially inspects the ground
thoroughly by using the delicate receptors under her abdomen. Upon
finding a convenient place, she starts to deposit her eggs. The eggs,
which are less than 1 mm in length, are arranged in a row either in
groups or one by one. Some species deposit their eggs in a form, which
is joined together like a raft. Some of these egg groups contain about
300 eggs.
The neatly placed white eggs soon start to darken, and they turn
completely black in a couple of hours. This dark color provides
protection for the larvae by preventing them from being noticed by
other insects and birds. Apart from the eggs, the skin colors of some
other larvae also change according to their surroundings, and this
helps to protect them.
The larvae change colors by making use of certain factors after quite
complicated chemical processes. No doubt, neither the eggs, nor the
larvae, nor the mother mosquito is aware of the processes behind the
color changes during the mosquito's different developmental stages. It
is out of the question for these living beings themselves to make this
system or for this system to form by coincidence. Mosquitoes have been
created with these systems from the moment they first appeared.
Amazing Technique of Blood Sucking
The mosquito's technique of "blood-sucking" depends on a complex
system in which unbelievably detailed structures work together.
After the mosquito lands on its target, it first detects a spot by
means of the lips in its proboscis. The syringe-like "sting" of the
mosquito is protected by a special sheath, which is stripped back
during the blood-sucking process.
The mosquito does not pierce the skin, as assumed, by thrusting its
proboscis into it with pressure. Here, the main task falls to the
upper jaw, which is as sharp as a knife, and the mandible on which
there are teeth bent backwards. The mosquito moves its mandible
forwards and backwards like a saw and cuts the skin with the help of
the upper jaws. When the sting, inserted through this cut in the skin,
reaches to the blood vessel, the drilling ends. Now it is time for the
mosquito to suck blood.
However, as we know, the slightest harm to the vessels causes the
human body to secrete an enzyme that makes the blood clot and stops
its leakage. But the problem is eliminated for the mosquito. Before
the mosquito starts sucking blood, it injects a special liquid
secreted in its body into the cleavage opened in the living being it
has stung. This liquid neutralizes the enzyme that causes the clotting
of blood. Thus, the mosquito sucks the blood it needs without the
problem of clotting. The itching and swelling formed on the spot
bitten by the mosquito is caused by this liquid that prevents
clotting.
This is surely an extraordinary process and it brings the following
questions to mind:
1) How does the mosquito know that there is a clotting enzyme in the human body?
2) In order to produce a neutralizing secretion in its own body
against that enzyme, it needs to know the chemical structure of the
enzyme. How could this be possible?
3) Even if it somehow attained such knowledge (!), how could it
produce the secretion in its own body and make the "technical rigging"
needed to transfer it to its proboscis?
The answer to all these questions is obvious: it is not possible for
the mosquito to perform any of the above. It neither has the required
wisdom, knowledge of chemistry, or the "laboratory" environment to
produce the secretion. What we talk about here is only a mosquito of a
few millimeters in length, without consciousness or wisdom, that is
all!
It is quite clear that Allah, "Lord of the heavens and of the Earth,
and of all that is between them", has created both the mosquito and
man, and donated such extraordinary and marvelous features to the
mosquito.
Lives of the Prophets:
Prophet Abraham's (as) Religion - I
Who could have a better religion than someone who submits himself
completely to Allah, is a good-doer, and follows the religion of
Abraham, a man of pure natural belief?... (Surat an-Nisa':125)
People continue to argue over which religion Prophet Abraham (as)
followed. Jews regard him as a Jewish prophet and claim to follow his
path. Christians also consider him a Jewish prophet, but claim that he
followed Prophet Jesus (as), who came after him.
In the Qur'an, however, Allah reveals the truth of this matter by
providing certain information:
Or do they say that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the
descendents were Jews or Christians? Say: "Do you know better, or does
Allah?" Who could do greater wrong than someone who hides the evidence
he has been given by Allah? Allah is not unaware of what you do.
(Surat al-Baqara: 140)
Moreover, other verses expose just how irrational this debate really is:
O People of the Book. Why do you argue about Abraham when the Torah
and Gospel were only sent down after him? Why don't you use your
intellect? You are the ones who argued about that of which you had
knowledge. But why do you argue about something of which you have no
knowledge? Allah knows; you do not know. (Surah Al 'Imran: 65-66)
The Qur'an provides the most accurate information about Prophet
Abraham (as), for it is the only uncorrupted book of Allah. If people
take other sources as guides, they fall into great error and interpret
matters in the light of their own ideas and beliefs. As in all
matters, however, believers take the Qur'an and the Sunnah of our
Prophet (saas) as the only true sources of information about the
prophets and their lines, for teaching falsehoods and engaging in
speculation and guesswork, particularly about the prophets, displeases
Allah.
Only the Qur'an states the whole truth about Prophet Abraham (as):
Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but a man of pure natural
belief—Muslim. He was not one of the idolaters. (Surah Al 'Imran: 67)
The Qur'an calls Prophet Abraham (as) a hanif, instead of a Jew or a
Christian. Hanif means a devout, upright, and righteous person who
submits to Allah's command and never moves away from His religion. The
most hanif characteristics of Prophet Abraham (as) were his belief in
the One and Only Allah and his submission to Him.
In another verse, our Lord commands Prophet Muhammad (saas) to abide
by Prophet Abraham's (as) religion:
Then We revealed to you: "Follow the religion of Abraham, a man of
pure+natural belief. He was not one of the idolaters." (Surat an-Nahl:
123)
Allah wills people to turn to religion in a hanif manner, as pure
believers. Allah clearly emphasizes that hanif people do not ascribe
partners to Him:
So set your face firmly towards the Religion, as a pure natural
believer, Allah's natural pattern on which He made humanity. There is
no changing in Allah's creation. That is the true religion—but most
people do not know it. (Surat ar-Rum: 30)
As can be understood from several verses, Prophet Abraham's (as)
religion was essentially the same as Islam. In any case, all divinely
revealed religions are, in their original and uncorrupted forms,
essentially built on earning Allah's good pleasure, compassion, and
Paradise. Prophet Abraham's (as) children and grandchildren, as well
as other devout individuals from his line, adhered to this religion
after his death. For example, the Qur'an emphasizes Prophet Joseph's
(as) address to his fellow prisoners:
I hold fast to the creed of my forebears Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We
don't associate anything with Allah. And that is how Allah has favored
us and all humanity, but most do not give thanks. (Surah Yusuf: 38)

The ignored sickness: An unpredictable state of mind

• What is the underlying cause of the way that some people suddenly
become infuriated or emotional and start weeping or behave in some
unexpected way in the face of day-to-day events?
• Why is it essential to avoid falling prey to this disorder, which
mainly damages the victim himself and is generally described as
someone "having a hair trigger?"
• What must be done to free oneself from the condition?
Some people live their lives according to rules they themselves have
invented. These people can easily make concessions regarding these
rules when it comes to their own worldly desires. Because they have no
guide who will direct the course of their lives, ensure they maintain
a stable character, and whom they have a total belief. For that
reason, their characters are prone to sudden variations. Among the
distinguishing features of such people are, for instance, their
suddenly slamming doors and acting aggressively towards people around
them or shouting in a loud voice although they had been sitting
perfectly calmly just five minutes ago, or suddenly bursting into
tears having just said how happy they were.
The fundamental reason for this behavioural defect that all believers
must scrupulously avoid, is that such people fail to frame their
behaviour, speech, actions, thoughts and reactions to events in the
light of the moral values of the Qur'an.
The Obstacles to a Balanced Nature
I. Following One's Worldly Desires
In the Qur'an, Almighty God reveals that people have been created with
a tendency towards selfish passions. If someone permits his worldly
concerns to rule him, then all his behaviour will be shaped by selfish
wishes. These selfish desires will prevent him displaying a stable,
consisted and balanced nature. As a result of the prompting of worldly
concerns he may suddenly become enraged, or emotional, or sulky, or
jealous and start taking sudden decisions in the light of these
emotions. His character will always come as a surprise, therefore, to
those around him. There will be no consistency between one moment and
another. His state of mind, thoughts, feeling, decisions and
perspectives can change at any moment. Because of his unbalanced and
inconsistent behaviour, such a person will always inspire feeling of
unease and distrust in those around him.
One often comes across such characters in societies that are far from
religious moral values. People with such a character are far removed
from the mindset bestowed by Qur'anic moral virtues and therefore
permit themselves to be ruled by their own desires. This, in turn,
distances them from reason and encourages unbalanced behaviour. In
such situations, Muslims' guide is the Qur'an. In the Qur'an, God
warns us that worldly passions will always encourage one to evil and
that Shaytan will oblige people to behave inconsistently, irrationally
and emotionally, as dictated by their desires. He also imparts the
glad tidings that people who adopt the Qur'an as their guide in the
face of this, however, and who act according to the stirring of their
consciences, will achieve the ideal character and enjoy superiority in
both this world and the hereafter.
A believer achieves this strong and superior character by following
the path shown by God. Since the Qur'an is his guide, his behaviour
and reactions in the face of events are always shaped according to
Qur'anic moral values. How he will behave, his perspective on events
and the logic he adopts will never come as a surprise to those around
him. His mind, conscience, behaviour and speech always reflect the
stability required by Qur'anic virtue, and his nature is therefore
always to be trusted.
II. Acting Emotionally
Emotionality is not regarded as undesirable in societies oblivious to
religious moral values. Indeed, it is generally believed that a
certain amount of emotionality in a person's make-up is an important
attribute. According to that way of thinking, the behaviour caused by
emotionality is human feelings that need to be let out. For that
reason, character defects stemming from emotionality, such as
"touchiness, dissatisfaction, sulking, weeping, an introverted state
of mind, apathy, jealousy or anger," are encouraged by suggesting they
are "emotions representing human nature." Nothing could be more wrong,
however.
Emotionality that is widespread in societies oblivious to the moral
values of the Qur'an lead to people having weak characters. Since
people react to events in the light of their own emotions, they tend
to act irrationally. They become unable to think logically and
accurately or to make sound deductions. And this leads to people being
unpredictable and inflicting material and psychological damage on
themselves and those around them.
However, since the Qur'an rules the whole of a believer's life and
character, he possesses the most accurate knowledge regarding the
promptings of one's passions and how to combat it. He knows that
emotionality clouds one's reason, prevents one thinking straight and
seeing the truth, and also makes one weak and lacking in resistance.
He is also aware that the sentimentality also equated with this weak
character, grieving, weeping, ranting and raving, anger, jealousy and
self-centredness, are all traits that will ill-befit him. That is
because all such behaviour must be avoided as it is displeasing to
God.
The Solution to an Unpredictable Character is Love of God
Sincere devotion to God, genuine submission, and knowing that
everything transpires under His control and that everything is for the
best prevent one falling prey to one's emotions and behaving badly.
Because of his powerful love and fear of God, the believer
scrupulously avoids all forms of behaviour that might result from
emotionality. He aims, with all his behaviour, character and lofty
virtues to be a role model for others, as revealed by God in the
Qur'an (Surah Furqan, 74). And by God's leave, this endows him with a
strong character that never collapses under any circumstances.
Believers regulate their whole lives according to Qur'anic moral
virtues. They know that avoiding the defects of personality prevalent
in societies devoid of faith and exhibiting a strong character will
serve as a role model for others and behave in complete awareness of
that responsibility. As God reveals in the Qur'an in the words"It is
the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves
who are successful"(Surat al-Hashr, 9), they strive to cleanse their
desires of evil. God has revealed that in return for that effort
believers will enjoy peace, blessings and happiness in this world and
the hereafter:"What is with you runs out but what is with Allah goes
on for ever. Those who were steadfast will be recompensed according to
the best of what they did. 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, 96-97)
All the negative behaviour manifesting an unpredictable state of mind
stem from defects of faith and a failure to fully comprehend certain
realities.
People who are prone to enormous distress, who fall prey to weeping or
rage or jealousy, or who sulk in silence and become totally
introverted are unaware of God's might, that He has created all things
with goodness, wisdom and justice, that He can perform whatever He
wishes whenever He wishes, and that He will heed people's prayers.
All sorrow, anger and jealousy stem from weakness of faith and errors
originating from that perspective.

Looking at events from the future

A believer's awareness that he is being tested leads him to look at
events from the future. But what does "looking at events from the
future" actually mean?
However great the troubles and difficulties confronting a person may
be, the situation is definitely only temporary. Someone may be falsely
accused of a crime and subjected to injustice, for example. Yet there
will definitely come a time when the truth emerges. Even if the
suffering of a person does not come to an end in this world, those
responsible for that injustice will receive due retribution on the Day
of Judgement. In the same way, the person who suffered injustice can
hope for a splendid reward for his patience on that day. Time passes
very quickly and, like everything else, this state of affairs will
come to an end in the mere blink of an eye. In addition, the Qur'an
reveals that hardship comes with ease for Muslims:
For truly with hardship comes ease; truly with hardship comes ease.
(Surat Al-Inshirah, 5-6)
A believer trusts in our Lord's infinite justice, expects the ease
that will follow hardship, and never falls into despair in the face of
any situation. He remembers that the difficulties he experiences will
re-appear before him as delights in this world and in the next.
A Muslim knows that he is watching the destiny. One delightful
aspect of this secret is that he watches everything in spirit of
trusting Allah, submission and resignation.
We must not forget that this is a state of mind unique to true
believers in God, one that only those who are completely submitted to
destiny can fully experience. People who are heedless of religion, on
the other hand, fall prey to despair, fear and stress because of their
failure to submit to destiny, and imagine that there is no way out for
them. Since they have no hopes or expectation for the Hereafter, they
are always restless and troubled. The state of mind of such people is
described as follows in another verse:
When Allah desires to guide someone, He expands his breast to Islam.
When He desires to misguide someone, He makes his breast narrow and
constricted as if he were climbing up into the sky. That is how Allah
defiles those who do not believe. (Surat al-An'am, 125)
This troubled state of mind described in the verse is a self-inflicted
wound that stems from these people's failure to submit to the destiny
created by God. The fact that God, the Omniscient and Almighty,
directs a person's destiny and rules all things is a great blessing
for a believer. However, people whose faith is weak or who have no
faith at all are unable to comprehend the value of that blessing. They
are therefore unable to resign themselves to destiny and are troubled
at every moment of their lives. This condition is actually a spiritual
reward for lack of trust in Allah imposed in the life of this world.
These people merely wrong themselves.
Allah does not wrong people in any way; rather it is people who wrong
themselves. (Surah Yunus, 44)

Fathwa, - It is safer to clean urine drops with water than with a dry tissue

Question
asslam u alikum sometimes while using bathroom ,small urine drops get
on the edge of the commode which i clean with dry tissue.after istinja
my wet thigh touches the same spot which i have cleaned with dry
tissue. plz tell me if my thigh is pure.this thing is causing me to
worry.thanks
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.
Muslim scholars hold different opinions regarding the purity of the
smooth surfaces with wiping. Some of them view that it will be pure
and that opinion was adopted byShaykh Ibn Taymiyyah. According to that
opinion, when you wipe the commode with dry tissue, this is enough to
purify it.
Other scholars view that it cannot be purified with that and this is
the opinion of the majority of scholars. According to them, the
commode will not be purified by just wiping it with a dry tissue,
rather water should be poured on the place affected by urine drops.
So, if that impure place touches a wet or moist thing, that thing
becomes impure according to many scholars. But, if you wish to follow
those who adopt the first opinion which states that the purification
has been done, then there is no blame on you.
However, what you should do is to pour water on the place you know
that urine drops affected or wash the parts of your body that touched
it while it is wet to be on the safe side and be certain of
purification. That is if you are certain that urine has already
affected that place and that your body has already touched it while it
was wet. But if you only have doubt about that, then do not pay any
attention to that doubt because caring about such doubts may cause
Waswasah )obsessive whispers(. Moreover, the basic principle is that
things are pure until they are certainty proven otherwise.
Allaah Knows best.

Fathwa, - His wife's bleeding resumed after he had intercourse with her

Question
Assalamu Alaikkum, My wife had bleeding)its like menustration( very
earlier than )14 days( her period time and after two days its stopped
and she did bath same day evening we had intercourse night but
unfortunately bleeding started next day now we are worrying is it sin
we did sex with out waiting more days ? if its sin what is the
compensation for this in islam.
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.
Since you had sexual intercourse with your wife after the bleeding had
totally stopped, and after she had performed Ghusl, then you are both
not sinful even if she had bleeding again because when you had
intercourse with her she was pure, and you both were not obligated to
wait for more days. Rather, whenever a woman sees purity and performs
Ghusl, it becomes permissible for her husband to have intercourse with
her.
Besides, this bleeding that your wife saw is ruled to be menstruation
if it is within the time-period that can be considered as
menstruation, like if 13 days or more have expired between seeing it
and the interruption of bleeding prior to it, then it would be
considered as a second menstruation. But if less than 13 days have
expired between this bleeding and the interruption of the bleeding
before it, then if this bleeding is added to the previous bleeding
along with the period of purity between them and their totality do not
exceed 15 days, then it is also menstruation, otherwise, it is
bleeding outside the monthly period.Allaah Knows best.

Fathwa, - Wife is sinful for using contraceptives without husband's permission

Question
if the woman using birth control without husband permitting, one year
age she used plaster on her arm to, when I see it she lied and say is
just head pain, then after had argument with her she stopped using
that method and was sorry then since last year to date I was trying to
have baby and last week told me she is used pregnant pills I was very
upset for lie after lie, could you tell me how big is sins for using
pills not once twice and lying to me and what should she do for doing
thing against your husband
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.
Having children is the right of both husband and wife, and it is not
permissible for one of them to prevent the other from this right
without his/her permission as we clarified in Fatwa 87376.
Therefore, if your wife had used contraceptive pills without your
permission then she has made a mistake, and if she did so while
knowing its ruling, then she is sinful. Moreover, lying to her husband
in order to prevent him from his right is another sin. So, she must
repent to Allaah and seek the pardon of her husband.For more benefit
about the conditions of sincere repentance, she must obey her husband
and not take these pills without his permission.
Allaah Knows best.

Seeking Forgiveness: Tradition of the Prophets and the Righteous

The Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, and the virtuous and
righteous people were the quickest of all to comply with the call of
Allaah The Almighty.
Our father Aadam )Adam( and our mother Hawwaa' )Eve(, may Allaah exalt
their mention:
They responded to the call of Allaah The Almighty immediately after
they disobeyed Him when Shaytaan )Satan( caused them to slip and drove
them to commit a sin. They hastened to show remorse and to repent.
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}They said, "Our Lord, we have
wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon
us, we will surely be among the losers.{]Quran 7:23[
Nooh )Noah(:
When hefelt sympathy for his disbelieving son, he said )what
means(:}…"My Lord, indeed my son is of my family; and indeed, Your
promise is true; and You Are the most just of judges!{]Quran 11:45[
Then Allaah The Almighty Said to him )what means(:}…"O Nooh, indeed he
is not of your family; indeed, he is ]one whose[ work was other than
righteous, so ask Me not for that about which you have no knowledge.
Indeed, I advise you, lest you be among the ignorant.{]Quran 11:46[
Then, Noohasked for the forgiveness of Allaah The Almighty, repenting
of what he said. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}… "My Lord, I
seek refuge in You from asking that of which I have no knowledge. And
unless You forgive me and have mercy upon me, I will be among the
losers.{]Quran 11:47[
Besides, after Allaah The Exalted had punished the disbelieving people
of Noohwith drowning and saved the believing people with Noohhe
said)which means(:}My Lord, forgive me and my parents and whoever
enters my house a believer and the believing men and believing women.
And do not increase the wrongdoers except in destruction.{]Quran
71:28[
Ibraaheem )Abraham(:
Ibraaheemwho was the intimate friend of Allaah The Exalted, said in
the verse )which means(:}And who I aspire that He will forgive me my
sin on the Day of Recompense.{]Quran 26:82[
Moosa )Moses(:
Moosasays in the verse )which means(:}He said, "My Lord, indeed I have
wronged myself, so forgive me," and He forgave him. Indeed, He is the
Forgiving, the Merciful.{]Quran 28:16[ Healso says )what
means(:}]Moosa[ said, "My Lord, forgive me and my brother and admit us
into Your mercy, for You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.{]Quran
7:151[
Muhammad:
The Companions of the Prophetnarrated that the Prophetused to seek the
forgiveness of Allaah The Almighty at least one hundred times in each
gathering, saying:"O Lord, forgive my sins and grant me )accept my(
repentance; for You are the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful."In
another version:"… You are the Forgiving, the Merciful."]Abu Daawood[
The Prophetsaid:"By Allaah! I ask for forgiveness from Allaah The
Exalted and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a
day."]Al-Bukhaari[
Furthermore, Allaah The Almighty urges the Prophetto seek His
forgiveness. He, the Exalted, Says )what means(:}… ask forgiveness for
your sin and for the believing men and believing women…{]Quran 47:19[
Yoonus )Jonah(:
Prophet Yoonuscalled out in the darkness of the whale's belly )what
means(:}There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have
been of the wrongdoers.{]Quran 21:87[
Daawood )David(:
Daawoodsupplicated Allaah The Exalted as Allaah The Exalted Says )what
means(:}And Daawood became certain that We had tried him, and he asked
forgiveness of his Lord and fell down bowing ]in prostration[ and
turned in repentance ]to Allaah[.{]Quran 38: 24[
Abu Bakr:
Abu Bakrthe best of this nation after the Prophetasked the Prophet"O
Messenger of Allaah, teach me an invocation with which I may invoke
Allaah in my prayers." The Prophetsaid:"Say, 'Allaahumma inni thalamtu
nafsi thulman katheeran wa la yaghfir ath-thunoob illa ant; ighfir li
maghfiratan min 'indik wa irhamni, innaka anta Al-Ghafoor Ar-Raheem )O
Allaah, I have wronged my soul very much and none forgives the sins
but You; so please bestow Your forgiveness and mercy upon me. No
doubt, You are the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful(.'"]Al-Bukhaari[
'Umar:
'Umarsaid to the Prophet"O Messenger of Allaah, ask forgiveness for me."
There are numerous righteous and devout people other than these, who
used to seek the forgiveness of Allaah The Almighty frequently;
repentance was their banner, their request for forgiveness was their
slogan, and they repeatedly turned to Allaah The Almighty.

Justification is the Excuse of the Weak

Who among us does not make mistakes? Who among us can dare claim that
he is infallible? Every human is expected to make mistakes, and this
is not in itself a defect, for the Prophetsaid:"All the sons of Aadam
constantly commit sins, but the best of those who constantly commit
sins are those who are constantly repentant."]Ibn Maajah[ The real
defect lies in insisting on making the mistake and adhering to
falsehood. The mistake becomes even graver when its doer endeavors to
justify it in order to make himself and those around him believe that
he did not make a mistake at all.
The Definition of Justification
Justification, in the false sense, is the process of fabricating
excuses for one's behavior, thoughts or views, in order to replace the
real motives and reasons. It is the process of concealing the reality
and truth with a justification that one would accept and approve of,
without any reaction or feeling any guilt.
The Evil End of Justification
Justification is an incurable disease that leads to a tragic end,
which results in bitter consequences for the doer, as his continuous
justification distracts him from correcting himself and reflecting on
his defects. Accordingly, he always thinks that he is doing well. If a
slave of Allaah The Almighty reaches this state, it becomes difficult
to reform him and he loses his self-harmony because he is living in a
state of internal psychological warfare in which he is both the
executioner and the victim. The one who suffers from this disease is a
curse on himself and others, as he is extreme in enmity and frequently
argues with others. At this point, he is the most detested of
creatures in the sight of Allaah The Almighty. In this respect the
Prophetsaid:"The most hated person in the sight of Allaah is the
extremely quarrelsome person."]Al-Bukhaari[
The Quran Vilifies such People
Such people have existed throughout history. The Quran relates to us
the stories of some of them; for instance, Allaah The Almighty Says
)what means(;}And among them is he who says: "Permit me ]to remain at
home[ and do not put me to Fitnah." Unquestionably, into Fitnah they
have fallen. And indeed, Hell will encompass the disbelievers.{]Quran
9:49[ Commenting on this verse, Al-Qurtubisaid,
Muhammad ibn Is'haaqsaid: "The Messenger of Allaahsaid to Al-Jadd ibn
Qays, when he wanted to set out for the Battle of Tabook:"O Jadd,
would you like to fight the yellow people ]the Romans[, so that you
could take female captives and servants from them?" Al-Jadd replied,
"My people know that I am besotted by women, and I fear that if I see
the women of the yellow people, I would fall into Fitnah. So, do not
put me in Fitnah but permit me to remain behind, and I will support
you with my money."Thereupon, the Messenger of Allaah turned away from
him, and said:"I permit you."Just look at this man, who, when knowing
the hardship of traveling to Tabook and the difficulty of confronting
and fighting the Romans, wanted to justify his situation and protect
himself! He therefore invented a fabricated excuse which was his
infatuation by women and his fear that he may be tempted upon seeing
them and would then be forced to leave the Muslim army because he
would not have the self-restraint to keep himself from them.
Shaykh-ul-Islam Ahmad ibn Taymiyyahcommented on this incident, saying,
"Since enjoining good, forbidding evil, and Jihaad are some of the
tests and trials that subject a person to Fitnah, some people began
justifying their abandonment of these obligations by seeking safety
from Fitnah. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means( with regard to the
hypocrites:}And among them is he who says: "Permit me ]to remain at
home[ and do not put me to Fitnah." Unquestionably, into Fitnah they
have fallen. And indeed, Hell will encompass the disbelievers.{]Quran
9:49["
Similarly, another group of people justified their abandonment of
Jihaad by saying that they could not set out for Jihaad in the heat.
Therefore, Allaah The Almighty Says about them )what means(:}And
]they[ said: "Do not go forth in the heat." Say: "The fire of Hell is
more intensive in heat" - if they would but understand.{]Quran 9:81[
Sayyid Qutbsaid in this regard, "It is therefore either fighting in
the cause of Allaah in the heat for a limited period, or being cast
into Hell for a duration that no one knows the length of but Allaah."
Does a Believer Justify Himself?
In the previous examples there were some cases which might not be
stated by those who form the cream of Muslim society. However, reality
proves that even some truthful believers might be afflicted by
justification, as Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And We have
certainly diversified in this Quran for the people from every ]kind
of[ example; but man has ever been, most of anything, ]prone to[
dispute.{]Quran 18:54[ Some scholars of Tafseer )Quranic exegesis(
commented on this verse by mentioning what was narrated in Saheeh
Muslim, that 'Ali ibn Abi Taalibnarrated that the Messenger of
Allaahcame one night to him and his wife Faatimah and said:"Do you not
observe ]late-night Tahajjud[ prayer?"'Alireplied, "O Messenger of
Allaah, indeed our souls are in the Hands of Allaah and when He wants
to awaken us, He does so." The Messenger of Allaahset off when he said
this to him. He was slapping his hand on his thigh while going while
saying )what means(:}but man has ever been, most of anything, ]prone
to[ dispute{.Ibn 'Aashoorsaid,
What the Prophetmeant here was that it would have been more
appropriate for 'Alito praise Allaah The Almighty and thank the
Messenger of Allaahfor waking him up to pray Tahajjud, be keen on
repeating this act, be pleased with the rebuke of the Prophetand not
counter these words with others in order to justify his sleeping! This
is the cause of the Prophet's astonishment at the words of 'Ali.
Some Causes of Justification
The main obstacle in justification is the absence of frankness with
one's self, as we fail to talk to ourselves about our own reality.
This is because, from a very early age, we were taught to elevate
ourselves to high moral levels and sublime traits that are often
difficult to attain. Therefore, we try to conceal our reality in a
framework of lies about oneself that were set by the methods of our
early upbringing. ]Qiraa'ah fi mushkilaat at-tufoolah[
Justification might also be due to arrogance that has affected the
heart, and this results in making it difficult to apologize or
appearing to be in a state of weakness according to the thoughts of
such an arrogant person. Love and inclination to this worldly life is
another cause of justification, and perhaps this reason specifically
is what leads many people to do what Allaah The Almighty has
prohibited, and people then justify their actions with false excuses.
For instance, the person who consumes Riba )interest(, claims that he
is compelled to do so; however, if one looks at his case, he would not
find him compelled at all. He might not even be in any kind of a need.
There are many similar violations of the Sharee'ah nowadays, and those
who commit such violations try to justify them.
Is There Treatment?
Undoubtedly, truthfulness with one's self is the clear and easy way in
order not to indulge in the confusion that comes about due to
justification. Reckoning one's self for negligence and acknowledging
its mistakes protects it from a foul final stage of life and leads us
to not accumulate our mistakes. In fact, being truthful with one's
self is one of the highest and hardest degrees of truthfulness.
Let us contemplate the story of the great Companion, Ka'b ibn
Maalikwhen Allaah The Almighty saved him by virtue of his
truthfulness. He sat before the Prophetand said, "O Messenger of
Allaah, if I had been in front of anyone other than you of the people
of the worldly life, I would have thought of an excuse to avoid his
dissatisfaction. But by Allaah, I had no excuse." Consequently, Allaah
The Almighty accepted his repentance, excused him and turned to him.
On the other hand, those who lie and invent weak and false excuses,
are exposed by Allaah The Almighty.
One of the most important means of treatment is the reading of the
biographies of the people who fell into this malady. When
justification dominated the Children of Israa'eel, they used trickery
and various methods to violate the ruling of Allaah The Almighty and
caught fish on the Sabbath. Consequently, Allaah The Almighty
transformed them into apes and pigs. Allaah The Almighty Says )what
means(:}And you had already known about those who transgressed among
you concerning the Sabbath, and We said to them: "Be apes,
despised."{]Quran 2:65[ When one contemplates this punishment for the
one who dares to violate the limits that Allaah The Almighty has set,
undoubtedly, he will think many times before doing such an act when
knowing its evil end.
We supplicate to Allaah The Almighty to guide us to the best manners
and to ward off from us the worst of manners, as He is the most
Gracious and Noble.

The 'art' of deception: A new phenomenon

Allaah Almighty Says )what means(:"Oyou who have believed, if there
comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you
harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done,
regretful."]Quran 49: 6[
Deception is a necessary tool for the success of wickedness.
Fortunately, most of us are not so corrupted that we could support
naked injustice and brutality, but must be, to one extent or another,
fooled into supporting it once it is camouflaged in an illusion of
justice and benevolence.
While it is certainly true that the art of deception has become
tremendously sophisticated and indeed, pervasive, in modern society;
it is equally true that the fundamental nature of deception, that is,
the types of tricks generally used, the methods, the aims, and the
qualities that make people susceptible to deception, have not really
changed in millennia.
The various forms of deceit and manipulation that provide the basis
for modern propaganda and public relations ruses are pointed out by
Allaah Almighty in the Quran in numerous passages, providing the
believers of all eras with the means by which to inoculate themselves
against being fooled, misled, and deceived into accepting a distorted
version of reality.
Let us examine only a few select examples of the tactics of deceit
exposed in the various stories Allaah narrates in the Quran to warn
and instruct the believers, and hence concentrate on only two
particularly relevant and informative cases.
The treachery of Yousuf )Joseph( brothers
Two of the most audacious and sinister, and in many respects, modern,
instances of lying occur in the story of Prophet Yousufand these will
be the focus of our analysis.
Yousuf's brothers, envious of their father Yaqoob's )Jacob(great love
for Yousufplotted to kill or expel him. Allaah narrates to us that
they said )what means(:"Kill Yousuf or cast him out to ]another[ land;
the countenance of your father will ]then[ be only for you..."]Quran
12: 9[
Yaqoobapparently was wary of his other sons' intentions toward Yousuf;
earlier warning the young boy not to relate to them the prophetic
dream he had for fear that they would become jealous; and they
themselves refer to Yaqoob'sdestruct of them, and this provides our
first example of deceit:
Allaah Says )what means(:"They said, 'O our father, why do you not
entrust us with Yousuf while indeed, we are to him sincere
counselors?'"]Quran 12: 11[
This statement alone demonstrates two of the cleverest and most
frequently employed techniques of manipulation, now apparent in
persuasive media from governmental propaganda to product advertising,
and is worth looking at closely.
The brothers begin by insinuating that there is something wrong with
their father; not only suggesting that he does not trust them, but
that this distrust indicates a flaw in his judgment and not in their
trustworthiness. They then declare the purity of their intentions, as
Yousuf's"sincere counselors," thereby, not only self-defining and
defending their own characters, but also making the idea of their
untrustworthiness all the more apparently offensive; intensifying the
underlying rebuke of their fatherwho, it should be mentioned, has
actually said nothing until now about distrusting them. They have
begun with an accusation, immediately seeking to create a defensive
posture in their fathera feeling perhaps of guilt, that will incline
him to grant them their request if only to prove their accusation
untrue.
This technique is so widely applied in modern society that it can
scarcely be catalogued. Whether it can be observed on the scale on the
national politics where, for instance, a population is perhaps
persuaded that they are unsafe or threatened, and should acquiesce to
certain restrictive policy measures of the state, which after all, is
only tying to protect them; or whether it is applied in so mundane a
matter as product advertising where consumers are convinced that they
have bad breath, body odor, or insufficiently white teeth, all of
which 'faults' can only be corrected by purchasing merchandise; the
tactic is the same.
Having declared themselves to be good-intentioned and trustworthy, the
brothers then suggest that Yaqooballow them to take Yousuf,away with
them, to allow him to 'play' and 'enjoy' himself; more subtly
affirming their status as 'well-wisher's', even as they are seeking to
create the circumstances that will allow them to harm Yousuf. They
reiterate to their fathera more specific assurance that they are to
their prophet brother"good guardians." They have so framed their
request to take Yousufaway that for Yaqoobto refuse would be a direct,
and apparently unjustified, condemnation of their character.
The wolf
The reason given by Yaqoobfor not allowing Yousuf's brothers to take
him with them was that hefeared they would neglect him and hewould be
left alone and attacked by a wolf. We will see that Yousuf's brothers
subsequently use this pre-existing fear to diver suspicion from
themselves and what they have done to Yousuf; unknowingly, Yaqoobhas
provided them with not only the means to carry out their plot against
Yousufbut also the means by which to conceal it. After they have
dropped their brother in the well, as we know, they return to
Yaqooband validate for him what hehad feared; that Yousufhad been
attacked by a wolf; thereby making even less likely the chances of
being exposed. They tell him what hewas ready to believe, activating
the pre-existing fear, thus preemptively canceling out any inquiry
into what happened.
Once again, this tactic of manipulation is an almost ever-present
facet of modern social engineering and the propaganda system. An
important difference, of course, is that the fear of the proverbial
'wolf' in modern societies is more often than not a manufactured fear,
not one that is present naturally, but one that has been created,
promoted in the public, unlike the quite realistic and rational fear
of Yaqoob. Nevertheless, the exploitation of this fear is identical.
We can look for instance, at the entire Cold War period to find
numerous examples of the manipulation of fears, the utility of
pre-existing fears as unquestioned explanations for subsequent events.
We can also, of course, look at more recent history. Once a particular
fear has been established in the public, whether it has been implanted
in them or is in fact a rational anxiety, its existence can serve to
mobilize necessarily irrational blame for nearly any unpleasant
circumstance or happening.

*Ruling on a womanperforming the adhaan.

*What is the ruling on a woman performing the adhaan for men?.
Praise be to Allaah.
For fourteen hundred years the custom among the Muslims has been that
the adhaan has not been performed by anyone except men. This alone
should be sufficient evidence that women are not allowed to perform
the adhaan for men. Going against this is going against the way of the
believers. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after
the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than
the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and
burn him in Hell — what an evil destination!"
[al-Nisa' 4:115]
The matter would be too clear to need any evidence or argument, were
it not for the fact that there are people whose eyes have been sealed
by Allaah and who are arguing about matters that should be regarded as
firmly-established aspects of this religion.
The evidence for that from the Sunnah is as follows:
1 – al-Bukhaari (604) and Muslim (377) narrated that Ibn 'Umar (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: When the Muslims came to Madeenah,
they used to gather and wait for the prayer, and there was no call for
the prayer. One day they spoke about that and some of them said, "Let
us use a bell like the bell of the Christians." Others said, "No, let
us use a horn like the horn of the Jews." 'Umar said, "Why don't you
send a man to give the call to prayer?" The Messenger of Allaah(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "O Bilaal, get up and call
the people to prayer."
This hadeeth indicates that the decision of the Sahaabah was that no
one should give the call to prayer except men, and there is no room
for women to do that, because 'Umar said, "Why don't you send a man to
give the call to prayer?"
2 – al-Bukhaari (684) and Muslim (421) narrated from Sahl ibn Sa'd
al-Saa'idi (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
notices anything amiss during the prayer, let him say tasbeeh, for if
he does so it will be noticed; and clapping is only for women."
al-Haafiz said:
It is as if women are not allowed to say tasbeeh because they are
enjoined to keep their voices low in prayer at all times, because of
the fear of fitnah. End quote.
If women are forbidden to alert the imam by speaking if he makes a
mistake, and should clap instead, so that they will not raise their
voices in the presence of men, then how can it be allowed for a woman
to give the adhaan?
The scholars are agreed that it is not prescribed for women to give
the adhaan for men. There follow some of their comments on this topic:
It says inBadaa'i' al-Sanaa'i'(1/411) (Hanafi):
It is not allowed for a woman to give the adhaan, according to all the reports.
It says inMawaahib al-Jaleel(2/87) (Maaliki):
The adhaan of a woman is not valid. End quote.
Al-Shaafa'i said inal-Umm(1/84):
A woman should not give the call to prayer, and if she gives the
adhaan for men, her adhaan is not valid (and they should repeat it).
End quote.
It says inal-Insaaf(1/395) (Hanbali):
The adhaan of a woman is not valid. End quote.

*Dought & clear, - Why is the Prophet’s grave in his mosque even though it is forbidden to take graves as places of worship?.

The hadeeth says, "May Allaah curse the Jews, for they have taken the
graves of their Prophets as places of worship". So how come the grave
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is inside
his mosque in Madeenah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars have discussed this issue, in the past and more recently,
and they refuted those who quote the fact that the grave of the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is inside his
mosque as evidence that it is permissible to take graves as places of
worship, or to include graves in mosques. We will quote the fatwas of
some of our prominent scholars, which discuss in detail the matter
raised in the question.
1 – Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
There is a specious argument put forward by those who worship graves,
namely the fact that the grave of the Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) is in his mosque. The answer to that is that the
Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) did not bury him in his
mosque, rather they buried him in the house of 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah
be pleased with her). When al-Waleed ibn 'Abd al-Malik expanded the
Mosque of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) at
the end of the first century, he incorporated the room into the
mosque, but he did wrong thereby, and some of the scholars denounced
him for that, but he believed that there was nothing wrong with it for
the sake of expanding the mosque.
It is not permissible for a Muslim to take that as evidence that
mosques may be built over graves, or that people may be buried inside
mosques, because that goes against the saheeh ahaadeeth, and because
it is a means that may lead to shirk by associating the occupants of
the graves in worship with Allaah. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 5/388, 389.
2 – Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) was asked about the ruling on praying in a mosque in which there
is a grave.
He replied:
Praying in a mosque in which there is a grave falls into two categories:
(i)Either the grave was there before the mosque, and the mosque was
built over the grave. It is essential to shun this mosque and not pray
therein, and the one who built it must knock it down; if he does not
do so, then the Muslim authorities must knock it down.
(ii)Or the mosque was there before the grave, and the deceased was
buried after the mosque was built. In the case the grave must be dug
up, and the remains taken out and buried with the people (in the
graveyard).
As for praying in such a mosque, it is permissible so long as the
grave is not in front of the worshipper, because the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade praying in the direction of
graves.
With regard to the grave of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) which is incorporated into his mosque, it is well known
that the Mosque of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) was built before his death, and was not built over his grave. It
is also well known that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) was not buried in the mosque, rather he was buried in his
house which was separate from the mosque. At the time of al-Waleed ibn
'Abd al-Malik he wrote to his governor in Madeenah, who was 'Umar ibn
'Abd al-'Azeez, in 88 AH, ordering him to dismantle the Prophet's
Mosque and add to it the rooms of the wives of the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). 'Umar gathered the prominent people
and fuqaha', and read the letter of the caliph al-Waleed to them. That
caused them distress, and they said: "Leave it as it is, that is
better." And it was narrated that Sa'eed ibn al-Musayyib denounced the
incorporation of 'Aa'ishah's room into the mosque, as if he feared
that the grave would be taken as a place of worship.
Umar wrote a letter to that effect to al-Waleed, and al-Waleed sent
word to him ordering him to carry out his instructions, so 'Umar had
no other choice. So you see that the grave of the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) was not placed in the mosque, and the
mosque was not built over it, so there are no grounds for those who
try to quote this as evidence that people may be buried inside mosques
or that mosques may be built over graves.
It is proven that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "May the curse of Allaah be upon the Jews and the
Christians; they have taken the graves of their Prophets as places of
worship." He said that as he was dying, as a warning to his ummah
against doing what they did. When Umm Salamah told him of a church
that she had seen in Ethiopia and the images therein, he said: "Those
people, if a righteous man among them died, they would build a place
of worship over his grave. They are the most evil of people before
Allaah." And it was narrated from Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Among the most evil of people upon whom the Hour will come when
they are still alive are those who take graves as places of worship."
Narrated by Imam Ahmad with a jayyid isnaad.
The believer should not accept to follow the ways of the Jews and the
Christians, or to be among the most evil of people.
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 12/question no. 292
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear, - The difference between a Jewish or Christian wife and a wife who does not pray.

I read a fatwa which you issued to a Muslim man whose Muslim wife does
not pray, and you told him that he had to divorce her. I know that it
is permissible for a Muslim man to have a Jewish or Christian wife,
and Jewish and Christian women do not pray. Is there some mistake?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no mistake in the fatwa referred to. Rather the mistake comes
from the questioner wanting to regard as equal a woman who is
supposedly Muslim but does not pray and a woman who is Jewish or
Christian, on the basis that neither of them prays.
This regarding them as equal is not valid, because there is a
difference between them, which is that not praying is major kufr and
apostasy that puts a person beyond the pale of Islam. This has been
explained in many answers on this site, such as the answers to
questions no. 9400and 5208.
Based on this, the woman who does not pray is a kaafir and an apostate
from Islam.
The ruling on one who has apostatized from Islam is more severe than
the ruling on a Jew or Christian.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
The apostate is worse than a kaafir in many ways. End quote.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 2/193
Hence meat slaughtered by an apostate cannot be eaten, whereas meat
slaughtered by a Jew or Christian may be eaten. It is not permissible
for a Muslim to marry an apostate woman, and if his wife apostatizes,
the marriage contract becomes null and void, but it is permissible for
a Muslim to marry a Jewish or Christian woman.
The crux of the matter is the ruling that one who does not pray is a
kaafir. Those who are of this view forbade marriage to a woman who
does not pray, and said that it is obligatory to leave a woman if she
stops praying. This is the view of Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy
on him) and was stated in fatwas by a number of scholars, such as
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen
(may Allaah have mercy on him) and Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may
Allaah preserve him). Our fatwa on this issue and similar issues is
based on their fatwas.
Similarly, if a woman does something that implies kufr, such as
vilifying Allaah, may He be exalted, or vilifying His Messenger(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and she persists in her kufr and
does not repent, then it is not permissible for her to remain the wife
of a Muslim. The same applies if a husband is ruled to be an apostate,
then he and his wife must be separated.
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Is there a difference between subh prayer and fajr prayer?.

Is there a difference between subh prayer and fajr prayer?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Fajr prayer is subh prayer - there is no difference between them. It
consists of two rak'ahs. The time for this prayer starts when the true
dawn begins, and lasts until the sun rises. There is a prayer that
comes before it, consisting of two rak'ahs, which is known as the
Sunnah of subh or the two rak'ahs of Fajr.
The phrasessalaat al-subhandsalaat al-fajrare both used in the Sunnah
to refer to this prayer, such as the report narrated by Muslim (656)
from 'Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abi 'Amrah who said: 'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan
entered the mosque after Maghrib prayer and sat by himself. I sat
beside him and he said: O son of my brother, I heard the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: "Whoever prays
'Isha' in congregation, it is as if he spent half the night in prayer,
and whoever prays Subh (Fajr) in congregation, it is as if he spent
the entire night in prayer."
Al-Bukhaari (556) and Muslim (608) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If one of you catches up with
a rak'ah of 'Asr prayer before the sun sets, let him complete his
prayer, and if he catches up with a rak'ah of Subh (Fajr) prayer
before the sun rises, let him complete his prayer."
As for calling it Fajr prayer, Muslim (670) narrated from Jaabir ibn
Samurah that when the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) prayed Fajr he would sit in the place where he had prayed until
the sun was well risen.
And al-Bukhaari (891) and Muslim (880) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) used to recite in Jumu'ah and in Fajr
prayer,"Alif-Laam-Meem. The revelation of the Book... " [Soorat
al-Sajdah, no. 32]and"Has there not been over man a period of time"
[Soorat al-Dahr, no. 76].
And al-Bukhaari (555) and Muslim (632) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Angels come to you in
succession by night and by day, and they meet at Fajr prayer and at
'Asr prayer, then those who stayed among you ascend and He (Allaah)
asks them, although He knows best, 'How did you leave My slaves?' They
say: 'We left them when they were praying and we came to them when
they were praying.'"And Allaah knows best.

Right Speech: Key to happiness and success

There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that 'a speech
will either prosper or ruin a nation.' Many relationships break off
because of wrong speech. When a couple is too close with each other,
we always forget mutual respect and courtesy. We may say anything
without considering if it would hurt the other party.
A women and her millionaire husband visited their construction site. A
worker who wore a helmet saw her and shouted, 'Hi, Emily! Remember me?
We were friends in the secondary school.' On the way home, her
millionaire husband teased her, 'Luckily you married me. Otherwise you
will be the wife of a construction worker.' She answered, 'You should
appreciate that you married me. Other wise, he will be the millionaire
and not you.'
A little girl asked her father, 'How did the human race appear?' The
father answered, 'Allah (SWT) made Adam and Eve and they had children
and so was all mankind made.' Two days later the girl asked her mother
the same question. The mother answered, 'Many years ago there were
monkeys from which the human race evolved.' The confused girl returned
to her father and said, 'Daddy how is it possible that you told me the
human race was created by Allah (SWT), and mother said they developed
from monkeys?' The father answered, 'Well, dear, it is very simple. I
told you about my side of the family and your mother told you about
hers.'
Frequently exchanging these remarks plants the seed for a bad
relationship. It's like a broken egg - cannot be reversed.

No Overpowering: Key to happiness and success

Many relationships fail because one party tries to overpower another,
or demands too much. People in love tend to think that love will
conquer all and their spouses will change the bad habits after
marriage. Actually, this is not the case. There is a Chinese saying
which carries the meaning that "It is easier to reshape a mountain or
a river than a person's character."
It is not easy to change. Thus, having high expectation on changing
the spouse character will cause disappointment and unpleasantness.
It would be less painful to change ourselves and lower our expectations.
Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One
day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he
was back to his palace, he complained that his feet were very painful,
because it was the first time that he went for such a long trip, and
the road that he went through was very rough and stony. He then
ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with
leather.
Definitely, this would need thousands of cows' skin, and would cost a
huge amount of money.
Then one of his wise servants dared himself to tell the king, "Why do
you have to spend that unnecessary amount of money? Why don't you just
cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet?"
The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his suggestion, to make
a "shoe" for himself.
There is actually a valuable lesson of life in this story: to make
this world a happy place to live, you better change yourself - your
heart; and not the world.