According to the Qur'an, women have a very esteemed place in the society

The years of debate surrounding the role of women are the result of
the distorted view of radicals in regard to women. This nonsensical
approach to women is the reason why there are so many women in many
countries who are being subjected to the most appalling
mistreatment and violence, who are unemployed, abandoned, needy or
left alone in a nursing home. The only real solution to that problem
is people living by the morals of the Qur'an. Allah, through many
verses in the Qur'an, protects women and their rights and put an
end to the perverted view of women by those mistaken societies and
gave women the esteemed place they deserve .
Our Lord explains in the Qur'an that what makes one valuable in His
sight is not gender, but fear of Allah, faith, good moral values,
sincerity and love of Allah.
" Mankind! We created you from a male and female,and made you into
peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other.The
noblest among you in Allah's sight is the one with the most piety.
Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware ." (Surat Al-Hujurat, 13)

The Truth about Someof 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.

Waging a Struggle Consistent with the Qur'an's Ethics

All Muslims should live according to the ethics Allah revealed in
the Qur'an. However fair and just Muslims are in their everyday
life, their business affairs, or in their personal relationships,
they must demonstrate the same values during times of war, while
defending themselves, or even while being driven from their lands.
They must still put themselves in Allah's hands, obey Allah's laws,
and adhere strictly to His instructions.
The word "Islam" has the same meaning as the word "peace" in Arabic.
The Qur'an calls people to the ethics of Islam, through which the
world can be made a haven for peace and love. Allah commands us to
rule justly and without discriminating among people, to preserve
people's rights, oppose cruelty, and help those in need. This
justice requires each Muslim to protect the rights of both parties,
evaluate events objectively, and think without bias. It requires
justice, honesty, love, mercy, and compassion.
As Allah reveals in the Qur'an: "O you who believe! Show integrity
for the sake of Allah, bearing witness with justice. Do not let
hatred for a people incite you into not being just. Be just, for
that is closer to heedfulness. Fear Allah. Allah is aware of what
you do." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 8), true Muslims must not let their
decisions or practices be tainted by such feelings as resentment,
hatred, and rage. Muslims must always conduct themselves according
to the Qur'an, behave with patience and restraint, and avoid
exaggerated responses. As Allah reminds: " We will test you with a
certain amount of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and life and
fruits. But give good news to the steadfast ." (Surat al-Baqara,
155). Thus, given that this life on Earth is merely a trial, we must
never forget that Allah tests His believers with war, attack,
oppression, and all manner of difficulties. The most important thing
is for Muslims to respond to such trials in a manner that pleases
Allah and always to behave in accord with Islamic teachings and
principles.
Thus the Palestinians must remember, as they respond to Israel, that
every difficulty they endure is really a test of their faith. In
addition, they must strictly adhere to Allah's ethics, justice, and
commands not to overstep their bounds. They must follow only those
opposition methods revealed in the Qur'an. The result of such an
intellectual struggle is most certainly salvation, for "Allah only
did this for it to be good news for you and so that your hearts might
be set at rest by it. And victory is not except from Allah, the
Exalted in Might, the Wise." (Surah Al 'Imran, 126)
Attacks against Defenseless Jews Are Incompatible with the Qur'an
The verse: "Allah does not forbid you from being good to those who
have not fought you in the religion or driven you from your homes,
or from being just toward them. Allah loves those who are just."
(Surat al-Mumtahana, 8) describes how the Palestinians must behave
toward civilians as they oppose the Israeli government. In the
Qur'an, Allah forbids killing innocent people, unarmed women,
children, and the elderly. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) gave specific orders to his commanders going to war,
and warned them not to harm civilians.
In the last few years, however, some Palestinians have carried out
bombings against civilian settlements occupied by unarmed
civilians, children, women, and the elderly. These attacks have made
targets of a cafeteria, a school bus, and places where teenagers
hang out, and have resulted in dozens of civilian deaths. According
to Israeli reports from various news agencies, suicide bombings
since September 2000 have killed 30 Israeli children and injured
272 more. Out of 177 Israelis killed, 128 were civilians; out of
1,743 Israelis injured, 1,216 were civilians. ("Palestinian
Terrorism - The Israel Side," Bridges for Peace Website,
http://www.bridgesforp eace.com/public ations /dispatch/signsoftimes
/Article- 2.html .) These attacks provoked a strong reaction
throughout the world and did more harm than good to the Palestinian
cause. Even those in the West who had opposed Israel's pro-violence
policy were forced to condemn the Palestinians and withdraw their
support.
Obviously, such attacks cannot be excused. As explained above, such
a method is absolutely inconsistent with Islam. When we examine the
Qur'an and the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
actions, we find that Islam does not support attacks against
civilians. Whether during the conquest of Mecca or during other
wars, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
carefully protected the rights of innocent and unarmed people and
prevented them from being harmed. He reminded Muslims of this on
various occasions by telling them: "Set out for war in the name of
Allah and for the sake of Allah. Do not lay hands on the old verging
on death, on women, children and babies. Do good, for Allah loves
the virtuous and the pious." ( Sahih Muslim Hadiths ) Another
reminder is:
"Do not kill any old person, any child or any woman." ( Abu Dawud Hadiths )
"Do not kill the monks in monasteries" ( Musnad of Ibn Hanbal
Hadiths) or "Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of
worship." ( Musnad of Ibn Hanbal Hadiths)
As shown in the hadiths, Muslims must struggle in conformity with
the Qur'an. In other words, their struggle must be just,
compassionate, and free of extremism. Muslims should oppose both
tyranny and barbarism, and all forms of injustice. Another verse
reports that they must always be on the side of peace and
compromise:
If they incline to peace, you too incline to it and put your trust
in Allah. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. (Surat al-Anfal,
61)
Muslim's stand on the subject of Israel and the Jews must also be in
line with these basic principles. Muslims who live in accordance
with the Qur'an must have an unbiased view of the Jews.
Jews believe in Allah's Oneness and follow a religion Allah revealed
through His messengers. Moreover, the Qur'an refers to them as
People of the Book. They embrace many values, based on Allah's
revelation, as well as the concepts of sin, haram (prohibited) and
halal (allowed). In the Qur'an, one can see that there was a
friendly relationship between Muslims and the People of the Book.
For this reason, if one of the People of the Book cooks some food,
Muslims can eat it and vice-versa, and Muslim men can marry their
women. These commands show that warm neighborly and even family
ties can be established among Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and
that they can accept each other's invitations. Another verse calls
for the two groups to unite, based upon a common word for belief
(Surah Al 'Imran, 64).
For these reasons, Muslim communities historically have behaved
moderately and compassionately toward the People of the Book. This
situation is especially evident in the Ottoman Empire, which
accepted the Jews exiled by Catholic Spain at the end of the
fifteenth century and allowed them to live peacefully in the
empire.
Allah does not forbid you from being good to those who have not
fought you in the religion or driven you from your homes, or from
being just toward them. Allah loves those who are just. Allah
merely forbids you from taking as friends those who have fought you
in the religion and driven you from your homes and who supported
your expulsion. Any who take them as friends are wrongdoers. (Surat
al-Mumtahana, 8-9)
Justice and moderation also should be shown toward followers of
non-monotheistic faiths and toward those with no faith at all, both
of which are far more distant to Muslims. According to the Qur'an,
Muslims have an obligation to protect all, even idolaters, and to
ensure they reach their destination safely when they so request.
If any of the idolaters ask you for protection, give them protection
until they have heard the words of Allah. Then convey them to a
place where they are safe. … (Surat at-Tawba, 6)
Muslims with a responsibility to ensure the safety of all, even
idolaters, must obviously be affectionate and understanding toward
the People of the Book, who believe in the One Allah, are loyal to
the prophets and have the concept of lawful and forbidden. Simply
put, Muslims who are sincere in their religion, obey Allah, and
respect the Qur'an can neither nurture animosity toward Jews just
because of their religion and beliefs, nor treat them with hostility
just because they are Jews.
Islam Forbids Suicide
When discussing attacks on Israeli citizens, the Islamic view of
suicide also must be examined. Some people are gravely misinformed
about Islam, believing that this religion of peace permits suicide
bombings; nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, Islam
forbids a Muslim from taking his or her life, just as it forbids
taking somebody else's life. Allah explicitly condemns suicide: " do
not kill yourselves " (Surat an-Nisa', 29), regardless of the
reason. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) also
told his Companions that suicide leads one to eternal damnation:
Whoever purposely throws himself from a mountain and kills himself
will be in the (Hell) Fire falling down into it and abiding therein
perpetually forever. Whoever drinks poison and kills himself with
it, he will be carrying his poison in his hand and drinking it in
the (Hell) Fire, wherein he will abide eternally forever. Whoever
kills himself with an iron weapon will be carrying that weapon in
his hand and stabbing his abdomen with it in the (Hell) Fire,
wherein he will abide eternally forever. ( Sahih Bukhari Hadiths)
As explained in the hadith, committing suicide and engaging in
suicide bombings – not to mention killing innocent people thereby –
violates the Qur'an's ethics. Every Muslim should condemn these
incidents, which cast a pall upon the Palestinians' rights.
It must not be forgotten that those who compel Palestinian youths to
engage in such unjust and irrational behavior are also pulling
Israeli and Palestinian youths into an endless cycle of bloodshed
and retribution. These ongoing suicide bombings destroy these
young people's futures and that of the land itself. The young people
who strap on explosives and detonate them among civilians are
being destroyed on a road that will never lead to success. And it is
essential for this method, which is incompatible with the Qur'an,
to be condemned by all Muslims.
The Solution Is the Implementation of Qur'anic Ethics
Any mode of struggle outside of the Qur'anic value system – for
example, the guerilla tactics envisaged by communist ideology – is
not correct and cannot succeed. For this reason, the current
situation must be evaluated sensibly and realistically, and a method
consistent with Qur'anic values must be devised.
The Palestinians can only attain the rights and peaceful lives they
demand through a campaign waged on the level of ideas and supported
by a very powerful educational project. For this, the Palestinians
need a strong team of educated and cultured individuals who are
aware of legal, diplomatic, and international policies, and who
conduct themselves according to the ethics of the Qur'an.
Of course there are a great many highly cultured, open-minded
intellectuals among the Palestinian people. The important thing is
the work these intellectuals will engage in to raise the
consciousness of the young, turn them in the right direction and
defend the Palestinian cause before the people of the world. This
work could play an important role in raising the Palestinians'
awareness of true Islamic ethics, raising the level of education,
and helping them to explain their rights to the world.
At present a very different picture of the Palestinian people is
being presented to the world, a picture totally at variance with the
truth. The Palestinian cause is suffering serious damage on account
of the irrational attacks, incompatible with Islamic values, being
carried out by a few fanatics or subversive groups who oppose peace
with violence. In the same way that this harm is expressed by many
intellectuals, it is also described by commentators in various
countries, including Turkey. The daily Zaman writer Kerim Balci, who
lives in Palestine, drew attention to this in one of his articles:
Not only are the suicide attacks a violation of fundamental Islamic
values, they also damage the Palestinian cause. Not just me, but
rational thinking Palestinians say the same thing … The Palestinian
cause is a problem of the whole Islamic world. Those at the head of
this movement cannot act in the light of their own personal
interests, out of a desire for revenge and a concern over honor and
pride. The militants who kill innocent Jewish children in Palestine
may well believe they are serving Islam. Yet all of their actions do
is to make things much more difficult for those people who are
trying to repair the damage done to the Muslim image all over the
world … It is blatantly evident that attacks of this kind benefit
Israel much more than Palestine. ( Zaman Turkish Daily, 15 September
2002.)
There are even those Palestinians who, ignorant of the true
Qur'anic morality, may participate in these provocations without
realizing the nature of what they are doing.
Given this, a great education force must be mobilized and spread
among all Palestinians, particularly the young ones, to stamp out
this ignorance and fanaticism and to teach them the true values of
the Qur'an. Schools, universities, and mass education campaigns can
help to raise their awareness and will be the greatest possible
contribution. We say this because when these people recognize the
true Islam revealed in the Qur'an, when they learn that Islam is a
religion of peace and reconciliation, when they comprehend world
politics with the consciousness brought by the Qur'an, they will
understand that suicide bombings and killing innocent people in
cafeterias or on buses are not only wrong, but are not a solution.
It is far easier to reach a solution through compassion and
reconciliation, rational policies, a worldwide diplomatic
initiative, and an intellectual struggle that is consistent with
the Qur'an's moral values.
The many wars of the twentieth century, as well as the numerous
incidents that have inaugurated the twenty- first century, clearly
show that violence cannot undo violence, and that brutality cannot
undo brutality. The only way to stop violence is for the virtues of
the Qur'an's ethics – humility, compassion, reconciliation, and
rationality – to prevail upon people's thoughts and actions, and on
the entire world.

Story, - Painful story

A guy had cancer and had only 30 days left. He liked a girl working in
a CD shop. BUT never told her about his love. Everyday he use to buy a
CD Just to spend sometime with her. After a month he died. When the
girl went in search his mom told he died out of cancer and took her to
his room, were she saw all the CD'S unopened and the girl started
crying. U knw y... She had love letters for him inside the CD'S BOTH
loved but never expressed... So express ur love if u have... !!!

Story, - My Bff Aka My Bf

Hi guys , well this story is about this guy that i realy like , he's
my boyfriend at the momment . But i just felt like writing my story
... okay , well im 15 years old . Im in 9th grade . He's 15 also going
on 16 , but he's a 10th grader . but we go to different schools. well
i was 13 years old , in 7th grade. when we met . I met him at the mall
.. one of my guy friends , Jason, intruduced me to him . He told me
that he thought i was cute and stuff .. but i didnt like him like that
. He was waaay shorter than me and chubby (x he would message me on fb
, and i would ignore him . sometimes i would reply cus i felt bad
though . time past and we never talked again , i never seen em at the
mall anymore ... he didnt try talkin to me on fb . nothing .
About 6 months later . i was at the mall and i seen my cousin Jose i
went up to him . He was with a guy .. the guy smiled . "Im taller than
u now" he said. I asked myself who he was .. I went to ma friend laura
and asked her . "isnt dat Angel martinez ????" "Yeah it is !" she told
me .. he changed ALOT . he got taller , skinnier , he was wearing
hollister , skinnies, and a snapback .. [swag fag LOL cx] He looked
WAAAY different . i never noticed his eyes .. he had blueish greenish
eyes . i never even noticed . i felt dumb for not even noticing him .
for ignoring him .. later he started going out with my friend joselyn
.. and i started going out with his friend Diego . We would all talk
on fb i would get on diego's and joselyn would get on angel's and we
would talk and stuff we were all just good friends . me and joselyn
would be like "u guys cute" "u guys cuterr" and stuff . then time
passed and me and diego broke up because he was bogus a'f to me .
Angel told me that i didnt diserve dat . and dat he was bogus . So we
broke up .. after he made a status for no reason saying "i wish i was
single ;" but i realy didntt care cus he would flirt wit other girls .
and he wouldnt even delete his msgs . he would let me see it . and i
would tell em to stop calling girls "babe" "Beautiful" "sexy" ect ..
but he wouldnt listen.
we only lated for like 2 weeks, so then angel and joselyn broke up too
becus joselyn broke up wit him for no reason . right after he gave her
a beanie for christmas ._. i thought that was bogus af doe . they
almost made it to a month .. Me and Angel became like bestfriends doe
.. (: like 3 months later we started flirting and stuff then he told
me he had a crush on me and i told him i did too . He said he had a
crush on me for a while and i told em i liked em before dat .. nobody
knew we were "talking" . except for my friend laura .. and his friends
Jason and Armando... We were scared to tell my cousin Jose since they
were good friends and he was realy protective over me.. but we finally
told em . he got mad and stopped talking to me for like 2 weeks.
in those 2 weeks me and Angel started going out . he asked me out in
person c: we had our first kiss a week before we started going out doe
. but then my cousin jose started talkin to me again and he wasnt mad
nomore . When everyone already found out me and angel were dating they
were all like "aww Angel and Angela , thats cute!" Angel and my ex ,
diego never talked again ;o and neither did me and joselyn but we koo
doe . we just werent dat close anymore .. On valentines day Angel gave
me flowers and a BIG teddy bear ^.^ i got him a hollister shirt and a
teddy bear too with a long letter telling him how much he ment to me
c: we also got matching bracelets .. cx my mom knows about him already
and so does my dad and my 2 older brothers ;o sometimes he comes over
cx and we cuddle ^.^ sometimes we argue but we can never stay mad at
eachother .. we broke up at one point for like 5 mins . he was realy
mad at me but we worked it out . he gets jelous alot but is all good
lol . Well we've been going out for like .. 6 months .. and theres
more years to go , i realy like him alot . i love being with him . but
i hate that i only get to see him every weekend ; but we work it out
C: my parents love him lol . well yeah dats my story guys cx thanx for
reading (: -Angela

Fathwa, - Concerning the standard explanation of the verse of hijab

Question:
Assalamu alaikum,
I wanted to get clarification on the explanation Sh. Nuh gave on the
evidence for hijab. This has been a topic of debate since the hijab
ban discussion in France and I'm unclear now on where the requirement
comes from.
Sh. Nuh writes:
'There is no other lexical sense in which the word khimar may be
construed. The wording of the command, however, and let them drape
their headcoverings over their bosoms, sometimes confuses
nonspecialists in the sciences of the Qur'an, and in truth,
interpreting the Qur'an does sometimes require in-depth knowledge of
the historical circumstances in which the various verses were
revealed. In this instance, the elliptical form of the divine command
is because women at the time of the revelation wore their headcovers
tied back behind their necks, as some village women still do in Muslim
countries, leaving the front of the neck bare, as well as the opening
(Ar. singular jayb, plural juyub, translated as "bosoms" in the above
verse) at the top of the dress. The Islamic revelation confirmed the
practice of covering the head, understood from the use of the word
khimar in the verse, but also explained that the custom of the time
was not sufficient and that women were henceforth to tie the headcover
in front and let it drape down to conceal the throat and the dress's
opening at the top.'
I'm a bit confused about how the wording used in these particular
verses are considered to be a command. My earlier understanding of the
evidence for hijab was that the specificity of the command came from
the hadith in Abu Dawood about the Prophet (AS) pointing out to Asma
that only the face and hands should be revealed. Can you please
clarify what it is about the wording/grammar in the verses reference
above that makes them the evidence for the fard status for hijab? I'm
not clear how the word "khimar" in and of itself is used as evidence
to say that hijab is required.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Praise be to Allah. May Allah's peace and blessings shower upon our
beloved Messenger.
Dear Sister,
The obligation of hijab is evident when we examine the grammatical
structure of this verse.
The verse reads:
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ
وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ
وَلاَ يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلاَّ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا
وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ
The translation:
"And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and
guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and
ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they
should draw their veils over their bosoms..." [Abdullah Yusuf Ali]
The style of the language employed in the verse is very important.
Allah Most High begins with the imperative form of the verb "qalla,"
which means to say or tell. Thus, Allah Most High is commanding the
Prophet, peace be upon him, to tell the believing women to take a
series of steps:
1. To guard their gaze, which is an important factor in modest interaction;
2. To guard their chastity or sexuality;
3. To conceal their adornment and natural beauty, which scholars have
interpreted to mean the whole body except for the face, hands, and
(for Hanafis) the feet.
4. And, finally, to emphasize the above point, Allah Ta'ala uses the
phrase, "wa-lyadhribna bikhumurihinna ala juyubihinna." The verb
"yadhribna" which means "to draw or pull over" appears as a feminine
plural, thus going back to the original subject of the verse, the
believing women. Most importantly, it starts off with the letter
"lam," which is called "lam al-amr." Lam al-amr, when prefixed to a
present tense verb, such as "yadhribna," makes the verb an imperative,
that is, a command. It is not understood as a recommendation, but a
specific command directly from Allah Most High to His slaves among the
believing women.
Lam al-amr is used in other imperative contexts in the Qur'an. For
example, Allah Ta'ala says, "Let the man of means spend according to
his means: and the man whose resources are restricted, let him spend
according to what God has given him..." [Al-Talaq, 65:7]
The Arabic reads:
لِيُنفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِّن سَعَتِهِ
وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ فَلْيُنفِقْ مِمَّآ ءَاتَاهُ اللَّهُ لاَ
يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْساً إِلاَّ مَآ ءَاتَاهَا
Here, Allah Most High is commanding men to spend according to their
means in the context of child support for divorced wives.
This is understood to be a command, not a recommendation, since men
are required to support their children. The lam of command, or lam
al-amr, once again appears prefixed to the present verb, "yunfiq,"
meaning "to spend." [Qatr al-Nada, Dar al-Asmaa, 96]
To return to the verse in question, the phrase "wa-lyadhribna
bikhumurihinna ala juyubihinna," is a command for women to draw their
veils over their bosoms. Allah Most High did not say, "And tell the
believing women to put on their veils," because implicit in the verse
is the understanding that women were already expected to veil.
However, unlike the practice at the time of leaving the scarf hanging
down the back with the neck and cleavage exposed, Muslim women were to
take it one step further and draw the "khimar" or veil over the neck
and cleavage area. Those who argue that the Qur'an says nothing about
veiling are completely misreading this verse. Not only does the
Qur'anic text make it clear that women are expected to veil, it also
dictates the extent of the veiling, i.e., covering the neck and
cleavage.
This point is elucidated by reports from Aisha, may Allah be pleased
with her, and other women of the Sahaba, who immediately implemented
this verse by tearing up pieces of cloth and covering their hair and
bodies. Al-Bukhari recorded that Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her,
said: "May Allah have mercy on the women of the early emigrants. When
Allah revealed the verse:[وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى
جُيُوبِهِنَّ]
(and to draw their veils over their bosoms), they tore their aprons
and veiled themselves [made khimars] with them.'' [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
The actions of the Sahaba, may Allah be pleased with them all, did not
indicate that hijab was optional. I find it interesting that hijab was
not legislated in stages, as opposed to the ban on intoxicants. When
the verses in Surat al-Nur were revealed, the female Sahaba
immediately covered themselves. Would that we had a fraction of their
iman!
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa, - Can I pray with makeup on

Question:
Can women wear makeup after wudu and then pray?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
You can pray with make-up on if you are sure that it is pure. Since
some make-up products contain impurities, you need to make sure that
the one you put on does not contain any impure ingredients.
And Allah Most High knows best.

Fathwa, - Is it permissible to use the nail whitener pencil?

Question:
Is it permissible to use a nail whitener pencil on the inside bit of
the nail to make the tips of the nails look whiter?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
It seems as if most pencil whiteners leave a barrier such that one''s
ablution is not valid if made after using it.
Note that it is reprehensible to let the nails grow long (Al-Durr
al-Mukhtar 5:260) even if it is done for one''s husband.
And Allah Most High knows best.

Living the Quran

Allaah The Exalted Says )what means(:}It was the month of Ramadan in
which the Quran was ]first[ sent down as guidance for all people,
having ]in it[ clear proofs of ]Divine[ guidance and the
criterion.{]Quran 2:185[
Since that first Ramadan revelation, believers the world over and
across history have drawn nearer to Allaah Almighty, rejuvenated their
faith, found their purpose in life, saved their souls from hellfire,
and found the key to eternal happiness in Paradise with their Beloved
Lord through the Quran.
Almost exactly 1,433 years ago, the Beloved Messenger of
Allaahcommenced his journey form Makkah to Madeenah and laid the
foundations of the greatest community of believers ever to have lived.
Among the foundations of that Community of men and women was a radiant
and vibrant faith in Allaah Almighty, unflinching love for His
Prophetand brotherhood and sacrifice for each other. These virtues
were implanted in their souls by the Prophetthrough the guidance of
the Quran. The foundation of that Community was the Quran. The Word of
God was what that blessed Community stood for.
Allaah's speeches, delivered and explained to them by His impeccable
Messengerhad created and nurtured that community in Makkah for the
previous 13 years. In the second year of Hijrah or shortly afterward,
the verses about fasting were revealed that eventually made the
fasting of the month of Ramadan an obligation. Just like all other
foundational markers and rituals of that blessed Community, the month
of fasting was connected to the Quran.
The pillar of Islam prior to fasting, that of Prayer, was also built
around the Quran. The Prophetand his followers prayed from the very
beginning of his blessed call, and read Quran in it. The five regular
prayers had been revealed toward the end of Makkan life )in the year
10 or 12 of prophethood( at the occasion of the Prophet's Ascension
)Mi`raaj( to Heaven. The Quran had already alluded to the number of
obligatory prayers, their times, and content, and the Prophethad given
them their final form by way of instruction from the Archangel
Gabriel.
The month of fasting was designed, in the wisdom of Allaah, to
celebrate the Quran in a different way, but one which complemented the
prayer. While the regular prayers set the tone and the rhythm of the
daily life of the believers, Ramadan would challenge them and all
their spiritual descendants to soar even higher in their worship and
remembrance of their Creator, and specifically to rejuvenate that
daily routine of prayer.
Allaah, Most High, is, of course, all aware of His servants, whose
habitual practices inevitably become monotonous. Thus the heart rusts.
Feelings mellow. Intellectual acuity in the form of spiritual
understanding clouds over. Hence, perspectives blur. The journey of
faith begins to seem long and uneventful from day to day. Impulsive
and short-sighted—"Man has been created from haste"]Quran 21:37[—the
human being is nonetheless capable of rising to great heights,
provided he is prompted with proper reminders that hold his attention
to his task and path. For no matter how great the reward, how high the
stakes, when the human heart loses sight of its purpose and road, it
gives up the struggle. It needs peaks from where to see the end
clearly, oases wherefrom to fill up on hope in order to gain the
stamina required to cross the many difficult vales along the way.
The Month of Ramadan provides that climax, that summit, that
viewpoint. It comes with intense physical training. But its soul is
the Quran. It is only as good as the closeness to the Quran—both
spiritual and intellectual—that one attains in it.
Without exemplifying the meanings of the Quran, without pondering its
signs, and rethinking the whole life in a coherent way through it,
Ramadan becomes empty. That is why the Prophethas tied fasting and the
Quran together as the two intercessors on the Day of Judgment: The
Prophetsaid:"Fasting and the Quran will intercede on behalf of the
servant on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say: `O Lord! I
prevented him from food and satisfying his desires during the day.
Therefore, do Thou make mean intercessor for him.' The Quran will say:
`I prohibited him from sleeping at night, therefore, do Thou make me
an intercessor for him.' Thus shall they intercede'"]Ahmad[
An intervening plea, then: Let us both strive, then, you and I, to
make this Ramadan truly the month of the Quran, a month in which we
transcend the monotony of life and reach a new level of faith and
bliss. For we know not how many Ramadan peaks we have left before our
way ends.

The Chronological Analysis of the Quran

The Quran was revealed in Arabic to the Prophet Mohammadin 610 CE over
22 years. In the first twelve years of the revelation, the Prophetwas
living in Makkah )Mecca(. Persecution, at the hands of the tribe of
Quraysh then forced him, allallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and his
companionsto leave to Al-Madeenah, in what is known as the Hijrah
)immigration(, where he lived the last ten years.
The 114 chapters of the Holy Quran are not listed in the chronological
order of their revelation. This special order, however, was inspired
to the Prophetby Allaah, the Most Exalted, so it is a genuine quality
of the Quran. Each chapter is described as either Makkan or Madeenan,
depending on whether the majority of its verses were revealed before
or after the Hijrah.
Knowing the chronological order in which the different Soorahs
)Quranic chapters( or verses were revealed can be of importance in
some cases. And even though this may not be possible for all of the
6234 verses, because the sequence was recorded at anytime, through
sound Ijtihaad )research( and analysis, scholars were capable of
putting together the cases where authentic reports confirmed such
order and the cases where that order was made clear.
These efforts resulted in the development of a method in which the
revelation of the Quran was looked at in chronological terms as well
as dividing revelation into Makki )Makkan( and Madani )Madeenah( types
or periods.
We will first look at some of the benefits of this chronological
analysis, then proceed to discuss the Makki and Madani criteria and
their use in the Tafseer )interpretation of the Quran( and the
deduction of Fiqh )Islamic jurisprudence( rulings.
In the following we will present a very brief look at three main
benefits of the chronological analysis of the Quran, other benefits
and many more examples can be found in Al-Itgaan, by Imaam As-Suyooti:
Assessment of Rulings' Abrogation
Abrogation is a term that refers to the cases in which a ruling gets
abrogated by another. Simply put, abrogation means the replacement of
one verse by another thus reversing or repealing the ruling that was
revealed in it. Therefore, if we have a case in which we have two
verses that carry in them two rulings which oppose one another and we
could reconcile them in a way that is acceptable under the Principles
of Fiqh )Jurisprudence(, then we look at the chronological order of
their revelation to assess which verse carries the abrogated ruling.
Obviously, the verse revealed first carries the abrogated ruling, and
we should uphold the ruling carried in the late-revealed one.
Examples of that: If we knew that:
1. The verses making Salaah )prayer( obligatory were revealed in
Makkah before the Hijrah ]migration of Prophet Muhammadand his
companionsfrom Makkah to Madeenah[.
2. The verses making Zakaah )the Poor Due( and Sawm )fasting(
obligatory were revealed during the second year of Hijrah, and
3. The verses that established the obligation of Hajj )pilgrimage to
Makkah( were revealed in the sixth year of Hijrah,
We would know the sequence in which these pillars of Islam were established.
Appreciation of the Gradual Process in Legislation
This is an important part of the general message of Islam, especially
the aspect related to making prohibitions and having people go through
major changes of lifestyle. Knowledge of the chronology of how these
aspects were made in the early period of Islam leads one to appreciate
the wisdom behind the gradual process of legislation. A good example
of this is the prohibition of inebriants. First, people were told they
are bad but may have some benefit, as in the verse )which means(:"They
ask you )O Muhammad( about wine and gambling. Say, 'In them is great
sin and ]yet, some[ benefit for people.'"]Quran 2:219[
Then they were told not to drink before Salaah, through the verse
)which means(:"O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while
you are intoxicated ..."]Quran 4:43[
And later inebriants were prohibited altogether, through the verse
)which means(:"O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling,
]sacrificing on[ stone alters ]to other than Allaah[, and divining
arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you
may be successful. "]Quran 5:90[
In this example we notice the way the legislation considered the fact
that drinking was a major solid part of the Arabs' social life. But
the gradual approach used in indicating its harms and making it
prohibited on them made it easy for them to accept, a realistic
approach which we can all learn from.

Preservation of the QuranAgainst Distortion

The Noble Quran is unlike the other divinely revealed Books for Allaah
The Almighty has undertaken to preserve it against distortion and
change. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Indeed, it is We who
sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its guardian.{]Quran 15: 9[
Scholars said that Allaah The Almighty has protected it from the least
additions or deletion of words. Had not Allaah The Almighty promised
to preserve it with Himself, it would have met the same fate of the
other divinly revealed books in the way they were distorted and
altered. That is because Allaah The Almighty entrusted the
preservation of these Books to those to whom such books were revealed.
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Indeed, We sent down the Torah,
in which was guidance and light. The prophets who submitted ]to
Allaah[ judged by it for the Jews, as did the rabbis and scholars by
that with which they were entrusted of the Scripture of Allaah, and
they were witnesses thereto.{]Quran 5: 44[
The wisdom behind preferring the Quran to the other divinely revealed
Books with this great privilege is that it is the last of them.
Allaah The Almighty has prepared for it the favorable factors of its
preservation unlike the other divinely revealed Books. Amongst such
factors is what the rightly guided Caliph Abu Bakrdid concerning
collecting the Quran in a single Mus-haf. This happened when many of
the Companions who had memorized the Quran were killed in the Battle
of Al-Yamaamah. Abu Bakrwas afraid that the Quran would be lost by the
demise of its memorizers, as authentically proved in Saheeh
Al-Bukhaari.
Then the rightly guided Caliph 'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaanafter obtaining the
agreement of all the Companions of the Prophetcompiled it in one
unified version in which he combined the authentic recitations of the
Quran. He then distributed it to the various regions so as to put an
end to the emerging discrepancies, and burnt any copy other than that
one.
Furthermore, one of the greatest factors that Allaah The Almighty made
for the preservation of the Noble Quran is that Allaah The Almighty
has made it easy to remember and be memorized so that all people;
young, old, illiterate, literate, Arab, and non-Arab may learn it by
heart. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And We have certainly
made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will
remember?{]Quran 54: 32[
Moreover, there is an amazing story which acts as clear-cut evidence
proving that Allaah The Almighty has protected and preserved the Quran
from the distortions of the hands of humans: "Once a Jewish man
entered upon Caliph Al-Ma'moon while he had people gathered in his
court and he spoke with much eloquence. When the gathering disbanded,
Al-Ma'moon called him and asked if he was Jewish. The man answered
that he was. Al-Ma'moon invited him to Islam and encouraged him with
gifts. The Jewish man said: It is my religion and the religion of my
forefathers then he left. A year later, the same man came again and
spoke about Islamic Fiqh with much eloquence. So Al-Ma'moon said: Are
you that man who came to us last year? He answered in the affirmative.
Al-Ma'moon said: What made you embrace Islam? He said: When I left you
a year ago, I decided to examine those religions, and you know that I
am clever in calligraphy. I started with the Tawraah )Torah(. I wrote
three copies of it. I introduced additions and deletions in it. Then I
presented them to the synagogue and they were bought from me. Then I
did the same with the Injeel )Gospel( and introduced three copies to
the church and they were bought from me. Then I did the same with the
Quran. I wrote three copies and introduced some additions and
deletions to it and presented them to the booksellers. When they read
them, they found additions and deletions in them. They immediately
threw them away and did not buy them from me. Thus I became sure that
the Quran is a preserved book. This was the reason I embraced Islam.
Consequently, the issue of the preservation of the Noble Quran is
decisively settled in the minds of Muslims and taken for granted by
every believer. Scholars stated that whoever claims that there is the
least addition or deletion in the Noble Quran, would be denying what
Allaah The Almighty Stated, and whoever does so would put himself
beyond the pale of Islam.

**Dought & clear, - Why do we pray five times each day?.

**I read in the Qur'aan that a man should pray three times: before
sunrise, after sunset and in the middle of the day. So why do we pray
five times? I hope that you will not give me the story that 50,000
prayers were enjoined then it was reduced to five. I want a convincing
answer.
Praise be to Allaah.
1 - What is mentioned in the question about the number of prayers is
mistaken. It was 50 then it was altered to 5 prayers, a favour from
the Lord of the Worlds to the Muslims.
2 - The rules of sharee'ah may be divided into two categories: those
which may be understood on a rational basis; and those which are
purely worship, the wisdom behind which is concealed from us and is
not mentioned in either the Qur'aan or the Sunnah.
Examples of the first include: the prohibition on alcohol and
gambling. Allaah has told us the reason why they are forbidden, which
is:
"Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you
with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from
the remembrance of Allaah and from As-Salaah (the prayer). So, will
you not then abstain?"
[al-Maa'idah 5:91]
And there are other similar rulings.
Examples of the second kind include offering Zuhr prayer when the sun
has passed its zenith, circumambulating the Ka'bah with it on one's
left (i.e., anticlockwise), the nisaab of gold being a quarter of ten
percent; Maghrib prayer being three rak'ahs, and many other such
rulings.
What is mentioned in the question falls into this second category,
which is things for which we do not know the reason from the Qur'aan
or Sunnah, so we have to submit to the command of Allaah. This applies
to all such rulings.
The Muslim has to accept the things for which Allaah has not explained
the reason, and say as the believers say: "We hear and we obey." He
should not be like the Children of Israel who said: "We hear but we
disobey."
Accepting what Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):"He
[Allaah] cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be
questioned" [al-Anbiya' 21:23]is better for the believer in his
religious and worldly affairs, for he is a slave who has a Lord, and
the slave has no right to ask his Lord why He enjoined something.
Rather he has to submit to His command. If he tells us why, we should
do it, and if He does not tell us why, we should still do it.
3 - Inal-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah(1/49-51) there is a
useful discussion which we will quote here:
With regard to understanding the reasons why things have been
prescribed, we may divide the issues of fiqh into two categories:
1 - Rulings whose wisdom may be understood on a rational basis, either
because the reason is stated in the texts, or because it is easy to
work out.
Such rulings are the majority of those that Allaah has prescribed,
such as enjoining prayer, zakaah, fasting and Hajj in general, and
such as enjoining the mahr (dowry) in marriage, 'iddah (waiting
period) following divorce or widowhood, spending on one's wife,
children and relatives, divorce when married life becomes unbearable,
and many other such issues of fiqh.
2 - Ruling which are enjoined on us as a kind of pure worship. These
are rulings in which the connection between the ruling and the action
is not clear, such as the number of prayers, the number of rak'ahs and
most of the actions of Hajj. By the mercy of Allaah, such rulings are
few in relation to the rulings the wisdom behind which may be
rationally understood. These rulings are prescribed as a test to
demonstrate whether a person is a true believer. It should also be
noted that sharee'ah - both general principles and minor details -
does not prescribe anything that contradict common sense, but it may
prescribe something the reason for which cannot be understood. There
is a big difference between the two. If a person is rationally
convinced that Allaah exists and that He is wise, and that He alone
deserves to be acknowledged as Lord, and he is rationally convinced
that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is a true
Prophet, then he affirms that Allaah is the Sovereign and the Lord,
and that he is His slave. Then if he is commanded to do something or
is forbidden to do something, and he then says, "I will not follow
this ruling until I know the reason behind this command or
prohibition," then he has proven himself to be false in his claim to
be a believer in Allaah and His Messenger. The human mind has a limit
beyond which it cannot go.
The one who rebels against the rulings of Allaah that have to do with
rituals is like a sick person who goes to a trustworthy doctor who
prescribes various kinds of medicine for him, some to be taken before
eating, some to be taken during the meal and some to be taken
afterwards, in various amounts, and he says to the doctor: I will not
take your medicine until you explain to me the reason why this one
should be taken before eating and this one afterwards, and this one
during the meal, and why are they are varying amounts, some small and
some big? Does this patient really trust his doctor? The same may be
said of a person who claims to believe in Allaah and His Messenger,
then he rebels against the rulings the wisdom behind which he does not
understand. The true believer, if he is commanded to something or
forbidden to do something, says, "I hear and I obey," especially when
we have explained that there are no rulings that can be rejected on
the basis of reason. Not knowing something does not indicate that it
is not true. How many rulings are there, the reason for which has been
concealed from us in the past, then we discovered that there is great
wisdom behind them? The reason why pork is forbidden was unknown to
many people, then we found out that it carries germs and disease and
other bad things, and Allaah wanted to protect the Muslim society
against them. The same may be said concerning the command to wash
vessels that have been licked by a dog seven times, one of which
should be with earth... and other rulings the wisdom behind which may be
discovered one day even though it is hidden from us now.
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Saying a du’aa ‘from the Qur’aan when prostrating.

I am new to Islam and I have learned that it is not allowed to recite
the quran while in prostration. But that is that best time to make
du'a as one is nearest to his Creator. My question is what about the
du'a's that we have that are from the Quraan. Are we allowed to make
du'a with them in prostration? Or is that considered reciting?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade
reciting Qur'aan when bowing and prostrating.
Muslim (479) narrated that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "I have been forbidden to recite the Qur'aan when
bowing or prostrating. As for bowing, glorify your Lord therein, and
as for prostrating, strive in du'aa', for it is deserving of a
response (from your Lord)."
Muslim (480) narrated that 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) forbade me to recite Qur'aan when bowing and prostrating.
The scholars are agreed that it is makrooh to recite Qur'aan when
bowing or prostrating.
Seeal-Majmoo', 3/411;al-Mughni, 2/181
The wisdom behind that is:
It was said that the best pillar of prayer is standing and the best of
dhikr is reciting Qur'aan, so the best has been put with the best, and
it is not allowed to put it with anything else, lest anyone think that
it is equal to other kinds of dhikr.'Awn al-Ma'bood.
It was said that it is because the Qur'aan is the noblest of speech,
because it is the Word of Allaah, and the position of bowing and
prostration is one of humility and submission on the part of the
worshipper, so it is more appropriate not to recite the Word of Allaah
in these two positions.Majmoo'al-Fataawa, 5/338
Secondly:
If a person recites a du'aa' that is mentioned in the Qur'aan when
prostrating, such as the words (interpretation of the meaning):"Our
Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter
that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire"
[al-Baqarah 2:201], there is nothing wrong with that, if the intention
is to say du'aa' and not to recite Qur'aan, because the Prophet(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Actions are but by
intentions, and each person will have but that which he intended."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1; Muslim, 1907.
Al-Zarkashi said: It is makrooh when it is intended as recitation of
Qur'aan, but if it is intended as du'aa' and praise, then it is like
someone who did Qunoot by reciting a verse. End quote.
Doing Qunoot by reciting a verse from the Qur'aan is permissible and
is not makrooh.
Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj, 2/61
Al-Nawawi said inal-Adhkaar(p. 59)
If a person does Qunoot by reciting a verse which includes a du'aa',
then he has done Qunoot, but it is better to say the du'aa' as
narrated in the Sunnah. End quote.
This applies if he intends to say du'aa' when he recites the verse.
Seeal-Futoohaat al-Rabbaaniyyah Sharh al-Adhkaar al-Nawawiyyahby Ibn
'Allaan, 2/308
The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked: We know that it is
not permissible to recite Qur'aan when prostrating, but there are some
verses which include du'aa's, such as the words,"Our Lord! Let not our
hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us" [Aal 'Imraan
3:8]. What is the ruling on saying such du'aa's that are mentioned in
the Qur'aan, when prostrating?
They replied: There is nothing wrong with that if it is done as a
du'aa' and not as recitation of Qur'aan.

Dought & clear, - A New Muslim Wants to Learn the Religion.

My questions involves many things. I am a very new convert and at
first I was praying all prayers as best I could (I dont know Arabic)
Someone told me I should only speak in Arabic, so in the end I have
stopped praying. I think of Allah many times in the day and follow the
teachings but some things I know are wrong i cannot stop. Since Allah
called me, I have improved my life immensely and am happier than i
have been in a very long time. I used to be drunk every day but now I
almost don't drink at all. I used to gamble all my money but now I
almost don't gamble at all when I do these wrong things I can feel it
is wrong and don't want to go back to my old ways. I can feel Allah is
guiding me in ways I don't understand. I dont feel guilty I just feel
why am I doing this. I have asked a few Muslim people I work with and
even a person I met online to teach me to pray properly and help me in
other ways but because I am Australian they don't feel I am being
serious about being Muslim so they have been reluctant I am not a good
person I think but I am much better than I have been and with His help
an guidance I know I will succeed. There are many things for me to
learn.Please give me your advise; should I keep trying by myself,or
continue to seek help from other Muslims even though they seem not to
want to.
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah first and last, and thanks be to Him always. He
blesses whomsoever He will with guidance, and deprives whomsoever He
will of happiness. He saves His slave from misguidance and supports
His close friends until the Hour begins.
My dear Muslim brother, congratulations on your being blessed with
guidance. We ask Allaah to make you steadfast until death.
It was a great achievement when you decided to embrace Islam and give
up the misguidance in which you had grown up and the shirk
[association of others with Allaah] which is forbidden. We welcome you
as a new brother in Islam and we welcome you as a visitor to this
site.
First of all, we would remind you that in this world man passes
through great tests and trials, which require him to be patient and
steadfast, and to stand firm until death.
"O man! Verily, you are returning towards your Lord with your deeds
and actions (good or bad), a sure returning, and you will meet (the
results of your deeds which you did)"
[al-Inshiqaaq 84:6 – interpretation of the meaning]
One of the trials with which Allaah tests His slaves is the enjoining
of obligations and duties such as prayer, fasting, zakaah (poor due),
Hajj (pilgrimage) and other acts of worship, and the things that He
forbids them to do such as lying, cheating, adultery, homosexuality
and all other forbidden things, so as to see the sincere believer who
obeys the commands of Allaah, so that He may admit him to Paradise,
and the liar and hypocrite who does not obey Allaah, so that He may
send him to Hell.
Try to do your best to learn what Allaah commands, and do it, and what
He forbids, and avoid it.
There are many commands, and many prohibitions, and it is impossible
to list them or explain them all in one place. But we refer you to
what is mentioned in this site of ours of questions that deal with the
teachings of Islam, so you can look at it and read what it says, and
may Allaah benefit you thereby.
With regard to what you mention in your question about having to learn
Arabic, this is true, but you do not have to learn the whole language,
rather just what you need for religious purposes. See question no.
6524. The fact that you do not know Arabic does not justify your not
praying, because you can learn what you need for prayer in a short
period of time, and until you learn it you should still continue to
pray regularly on time, and pray according to what you are able to
do."Allaah burdens not a person beyond his scope" [al-Baqarah 2:286].
With regard to how to pray, you will find the answer to that on this
site, under Question no. 13340. See also 8580, 2427, 11040.
Finally we advise you to look for an Islamic Centre in your city, and
to keep company with Muslims who practice their religion. Do not
forget to read trustworthy websites, and try to benefit from them as
much as you can. We will also be happy to help you and others like you
who are looking for things that will benefit them, and we will offer
whatever advice we can, so keep in touch with us. May Allaah protect
you and take care of you.

Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) and Prison Guards:

In the time of our 7th Imam, Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) the ruler was
Abbasid Caliph called Haroon Rasheed, who hated Imam Musa Al-Kadhim
(as).
Haroon Rasheed came to Madina where Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) lived and
had Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) arrested and sent to a prison in Basra,
Iraq.
Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) stayed in this prison under the guard of a
man called Yahyah.
Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) was a kind man who always talked nicely to
everyone, even Yahyah who kept him in prison. Soon Yahyah felt bad for
keeping such a nice person in prison.
Haroon Rasheed found out and took Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) to another
prison. Again Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) through his kindness and
politeness made the other person also feel bad.
The cruel Abbasid Caliph, Haroon Rasheed, poisoned the food of Imam
Musa Al-Kadhim (as) in the prison of Baghdad. The dose proved fatal
and the 7th Imam, Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) kissed martyrdom.
Moral:No matter how horrible someone is to you, you should always be
nice to them and soon they will feel bad about how horrible they are
being to you.

Imam Musa Kazim (as) and Imam Abu Hanifa:

One day when our 7th Imam, Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) was only 5 years
old, Imam Abu Hanifaasked him who is responsible for our deeds. Does
man do them of his own free will or does Allah (SWT) make him do them.
Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) replied that were are three possibilities:
1. Allah (SWT) makes man do them.
2. Both Allah (SWT) and man are responsible.
3. Man does them alone.
If the first is true than Allah (SWT) should be judged on the day of
Qiyamah and sent to heaven or hell.
If the second is true that both Allah (SWT) and man should be judged
on the day of Qiyamah and sent to heaven or hell.
The only one that is true is the third one because only man will be
judged on the day of Qiyamah and sent to heaven or hell, as only man
alone is responsible for his actions and deeds.
Moral:Although Allah (SWT) has power over everything he allows us to
do as we please so that we may be held accountable for our deedson
the day of Qiyamah (Day of Resurrection).
Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) and Bishr Haafi:
Once, Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) was passing by the house of Bishr
Haafi, when he heard the sound of dance and music coming from inside.
At that very moment a slave-girl came out of the house to throw some
garbage.
"Is the owner of this house a free person or a slave?" Imam Musa
Al-Kadhim (as) asked her.
The slave-girl replied, "He is a free man."
Hearing this, Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) remarked, "You speak the truth,
for had he been a slave, he would have feared his Master."
When the slave-girl came back inside the house, Bishr Haafi, who had
been consuming alcohol, asked her what took her so long? As soon as
the slave-girl related what had happened, Bishr Haafi immediately got
up and ran bare-footed after the Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as). Once he had
caught up with the Imam, he expressed shame and repentance over his
acts, sought forgivenessand amended his wrongful ways.