The false idea that useful mutations exist is a classic Darwinist
claim. Although the whole scientific world knows, with absolute
scientific evidence, that mutations have a destructive or fatal
effect, this claim is still persistently made, out of a fear of
humiliation. Because Darwinism is a theory that depends totally on
mutations. All Darwinists know that if the destructive effect were
to be mentioned just once, that would spell the end of Darwinism. It
is for that reason they try to give the impression, citing invalid
and utterly pitiful examples, that mutations can be beneficial. But
this is a complete deception.
· As we have set out many times before,
mutations have a net harmful effect, with only 1% being neutral,
though the latest scientific research has shown that even these can
produce long-term damage in the organism. [1] The net harmful effect
of mutations is not a psychological defense mechanism, but an
explicit truth revealed by science.
· If Darwinists object to this, then they are
directly flying in the face of science. Because this is not a matter
of opinion, but an absolute scientific fact.
· It is impossible for mutations to bestow any
useful characteristic. Under normal conditions, everything in a
living body exhibits complete regularity, order and symmetry. In
addition, these systems co-exist with the most delicate balances
and exhibit a glorious complexity right down to the finest detail.
Mutations are random interventions, such as with radiation, and
mean breakages, impairments and dislocations. They INEVITABLY
DAMAGE these extraordinarily complex systems, with their regularity,
symmetry and order. It is illogical and a violation of science to
maintain anything else.
· The results at Chernobyl, Nagasaki and
Hiroshima were all the results of mutations. Under the effect of
mutations, organisms with regular structures either died or suffered
severe damage, and this harmful effect even manifested itself in
subsequent generations.
· Darwinists generally cite various examples of
immunity in order to try to corroborate their claims that
"beneficial mutations do exist." But these examples all consist of
a variation or impairment in bacteria or immune cells.
· Sometimes, a dislocation in a single DNA
nucleotide, or base, can bestow immunity to an antibiotic on a
micro- organism. But although this may be useful to the
micro-organism, IT IS NOT A BENEFICIAL MUTATION. Because the
mutation in question has actually harmed the micro-organism. The
ribosome sequence belonging to the micro- organism has been
impaired, and it prevents the antibiotic binding to the organism by
damaging the lock and key harmony. In other words, rather than there
being any novelty in the micro-organism, we are looking at a loss
of information.
· Mutations are literally like firing at a
regular structure with a machine gun. Opening fire on a healthy
structure will entirely do away with that structure. The fact that
one bullet has no effect or destroys an existing infection in the
body changes nothing. The organism will already have been killed by
the other 99 bullets hitting it.
· The example that Darwinists cite with such
examples is like a bullet healing the body by destroying a single
infection. The organism is devastated by mutations, but Darwinists
concentrate on the one that heals this infection.
· Since the subject of mutations constitutes one
of the most damaging points for Darwinists they engage in
demagoguery by depicting minor instances of variation or the effects
examined above as major evidence. The fact is, however, that the
adherents of evolution, who maintain that all living things acquired
their present symmetrical and complex structures by way of
evolution, have to be able to cite examples of mutations that take
place one after the other and are all beneficial, and that also
bestow new information on the organism.
· What is more, Darwinists also have to provide
evidence for the scenario of one living thing's physiology turning
into that of another life form through mutation at the macro level.
BUT THEY CANNOT EVEN CONTEMPLATE PRODUCING SUCH EVIDENCE. Because
as they know full well, mutations destroy and ruin and occasionally
entirely destroy the organism concerned.
· It addition, we need to make the following
point very clear: mutations can never bestow any new data on an
organism that is not already in its genome. That is impossible. The
examples alleged to have "added new information" are all
misleading. No new genetic information is ever added. All that
happens is that information already existing in a living thing's
genes starts to be used by becoming more visible as a result of
variations.
· Breaks and dislocations in the bases that make
up DNA CAN NEVER PRODUCE NEW INFORMATION. They do not equate to
information that did not already exist being bestowed on a living
thing. Darwinists are without doubt well aware of this. But they
insist on depicting dislocations in genetic bases as new data. This
is an example of Darwinist demagoguery.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
The Easiness Of Islam Is A Blessing From Allah
Believers constantly live their lives according to what the
All-Merciful and Most Merciful has revealed in the Qur'an. No matter
where they are, they display a moral character that pleases Allah
and avoid any behavior that displeases Him. In His mercy, Allah
gave Islam to humanity, a religion that is easy to follow and
results in a good and contented way of life. From the Qur'an, we
can see that Islam's requirements are extremely easy, because "Allah
desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you" (Surat
al-Baqara, 185).
Due to His compassion and mercy, all true religions contain rules
that are very easy to obey. The various attempts made throughout
history to deviate from the essence of religion and to prevent
people from living according to it have added several enforced
practices and myths to it. When such distortions become firmly
established and self-generating traditions, people, either with or
without their knowledge, become far removed from the religious
morality. One of the most dangerous of these distorted beliefs is
that it is hard to live according to the religious morality.
However, both Allah and our Prophet (saas) state that it is very
easy for believers to follow this morality.
As with everything else that exists, Allah has created human beings
from nothing. With full knowledge of them, as well as being closer
to them than their jugular veins, He created religion in such a way
that it fully corresponds with each person's inherent human nature:
So set your face firmly toward the Religion, as a pure natural
believer, Allah's natural pattern on which He made humanity. There is
no changing Allah's creation. That is the true Religion – but most
people do not know it. (Surat ar-Rum, 30)
The Qur'an is a clear teaching that anyone, regardless of age and
culture, can understand. The oft-heard assertion that this is not
true is based mainly on people's ignorance of Islam's essence.
Today, many people are unaware of the truths revealed in the
Qur'an, the existence of the Afterlife, the pangs of Hell, the
incomparable blessings of Paradise, and of what He has revealed
concerning various matters. However, the Qur'an was sent down so
that people could read it, know its wisdom, and learn the purpose
of life.
A Muslim's greatest responsibility is to read the Qur'an and live
according to It. But only those whom Allah guides to the straight
path can apply Its morality to their lives. Allah promises to guide
everyone who turns to Him in complete sincerity. Those who assert
that the Qur'an is hard to understand seek to prevent others from
reading it, turning toward Allah, and living according to its moral
teachings. However, Allah says in many verses that the Qur'an is
clear and understandable:
We have sent down Clear Signs to you, and no one rejects them except
the deviators. (Surat al-Baqara, 99)
Allah has been pleased to choose the religion of Islam for humanity;
moreover, the rules and practice of the Qur'an are very simple. In
its verses, Allah says of the Qur'an:
We did not send down the Qur'an to you to make you miserable, but only
as a reminder for those who fear [and respect Allah]. (Surah Ta Ha,
2-3)
In His endless mercy and compassion, Allah has detailed in the
Qur'an the kind of life that will ensure our happiness and
contentment. Allah states this in the Qur'an as follows:
But as for him [or her] who believes and acts rightly, he [or she]
will receive the best of rewards, and We will issue a command, making
things easy for him [or her]. (Surat al-Kahf, 88)
It is important for every Muslim to show that religion, in its
essence, is easy in order to kindle the people's hearts with the
Qur'an and Islamic morality, teach them the Qur'an and our Prophet's
(saas) Sunnah as the only guides for their lives. Many people are
unaware of this truth and think that their lives will be more
comfortable if they disregard the Qur'an's morality out of concern
that it will restrict their enjoyment of life's pleasures. However,
such great errors and deceptions obscure the fact that such morality
is easy to follow, for Allah, Who created humanity, is fully aware
of what system of morality is best for His creation. Actually, what
is difficult is to live in a society composed of individuals who do
not know the boundaries that Allah has set.
All-Merciful and Most Merciful has revealed in the Qur'an. No matter
where they are, they display a moral character that pleases Allah
and avoid any behavior that displeases Him. In His mercy, Allah
gave Islam to humanity, a religion that is easy to follow and
results in a good and contented way of life. From the Qur'an, we
can see that Islam's requirements are extremely easy, because "Allah
desires ease for you; He does not desire difficulty for you" (Surat
al-Baqara, 185).
Due to His compassion and mercy, all true religions contain rules
that are very easy to obey. The various attempts made throughout
history to deviate from the essence of religion and to prevent
people from living according to it have added several enforced
practices and myths to it. When such distortions become firmly
established and self-generating traditions, people, either with or
without their knowledge, become far removed from the religious
morality. One of the most dangerous of these distorted beliefs is
that it is hard to live according to the religious morality.
However, both Allah and our Prophet (saas) state that it is very
easy for believers to follow this morality.
As with everything else that exists, Allah has created human beings
from nothing. With full knowledge of them, as well as being closer
to them than their jugular veins, He created religion in such a way
that it fully corresponds with each person's inherent human nature:
So set your face firmly toward the Religion, as a pure natural
believer, Allah's natural pattern on which He made humanity. There is
no changing Allah's creation. That is the true Religion – but most
people do not know it. (Surat ar-Rum, 30)
The Qur'an is a clear teaching that anyone, regardless of age and
culture, can understand. The oft-heard assertion that this is not
true is based mainly on people's ignorance of Islam's essence.
Today, many people are unaware of the truths revealed in the
Qur'an, the existence of the Afterlife, the pangs of Hell, the
incomparable blessings of Paradise, and of what He has revealed
concerning various matters. However, the Qur'an was sent down so
that people could read it, know its wisdom, and learn the purpose
of life.
A Muslim's greatest responsibility is to read the Qur'an and live
according to It. But only those whom Allah guides to the straight
path can apply Its morality to their lives. Allah promises to guide
everyone who turns to Him in complete sincerity. Those who assert
that the Qur'an is hard to understand seek to prevent others from
reading it, turning toward Allah, and living according to its moral
teachings. However, Allah says in many verses that the Qur'an is
clear and understandable:
We have sent down Clear Signs to you, and no one rejects them except
the deviators. (Surat al-Baqara, 99)
Allah has been pleased to choose the religion of Islam for humanity;
moreover, the rules and practice of the Qur'an are very simple. In
its verses, Allah says of the Qur'an:
We did not send down the Qur'an to you to make you miserable, but only
as a reminder for those who fear [and respect Allah]. (Surah Ta Ha,
2-3)
In His endless mercy and compassion, Allah has detailed in the
Qur'an the kind of life that will ensure our happiness and
contentment. Allah states this in the Qur'an as follows:
But as for him [or her] who believes and acts rightly, he [or she]
will receive the best of rewards, and We will issue a command, making
things easy for him [or her]. (Surat al-Kahf, 88)
It is important for every Muslim to show that religion, in its
essence, is easy in order to kindle the people's hearts with the
Qur'an and Islamic morality, teach them the Qur'an and our Prophet's
(saas) Sunnah as the only guides for their lives. Many people are
unaware of this truth and think that their lives will be more
comfortable if they disregard the Qur'an's morality out of concern
that it will restrict their enjoyment of life's pleasures. However,
such great errors and deceptions obscure the fact that such morality
is easy to follow, for Allah, Who created humanity, is fully aware
of what system of morality is best for His creation. Actually, what
is difficult is to live in a society composed of individuals who do
not know the boundaries that Allah has set.
The İnvalidity Of The Claim That ''Rna İs The Forebear Of Life''
The RNA world thesis is a supposed savior launched by Darwinists out
of a sense of despair at the failure of all experiments regarding
the beginning of life. But everyone who understands science and the
complexity of the cell will inevitably find it illogical for
Darwinists, who have never manufactured even a single protein, to
make such a claim. In the absence of a single protein of the first
imaginary cell they claim for the beginning of life, Darwinists claim
that RNA is responsible for the whole thing, in all its wondrous
complexity. But when it comes to how RNA itself first appeared,
they are again, as always, silent.
· According to the RNA world thesis, a
hypothetical RNA molecule that came into being by chance
manufactured proteins in some way, after which DNA appeared by
chance out of a need for a second molecule to store all this protein
information. Darwinists, with their powerful imaginations, are
still trying to produce a single peptide bond in the laboratory,
but seek to mislead people by shamelessly propagating this
impossible and unbelievable scenario.
· Extraordinary complexity is a huge and
insoluble dilemma for Darwinists who are unable to account for how
even a single RNA nucleotide might have come into being.
· Even if we assume that the impossible happened
and came about by chance, proteins are still essential in order for
this entire mechanism to function. In other words, RNA cannot perform
its function of producing a protein without proteins already being
in existence. Just like other proteins, in order for DNA and RNA to
exist and function, it is essential for the cell to exist
beforehand, fully equipped and with all its proteins and other
organelles.
· A second major deception on this subject is
the claims made regarding the function of RNA. RNA only contains
information about the structure of protein alone. RNA has no
mechanism to manufacture protein.
· A protein is manufactured in an organelle
called the ribosome with the assistance of many enzymes as the
result of highly complex processes. The ribosome is a complex cell
organelle again made up of proteins. This therefore leads to the
impossible assumption that the ribosome, the proteins serving within
it, DNA and RNA all came about spontaneously at exactly the same
time.
· The RNA world thesis, spoken of with
embarrassment by many scientists, is one of the most illogical
theories yet espoused by Darwinists, who are in a despairing state
when it comes to explaining the origin of life. Casually bringing
up such an illogical claim and depicting it as major scientific
evidence is another element of Darwinist demagoguery.
The eminent University of San Diego California evolutionist Dr.
Leslie Orgel, a colleague of Stanley Miller and Francis Crick,
refers to the possibility of "life beginning with the RNA world" as
a "scenario." Orgel sets out the characteristics that RNA would
have to possess and the impossibility of its doing so in an article
titled "The Origin of Life on the Earth" in the October 1994 issue
of American Scientist:
This scenario could have occurred, we noted, if prebiotic RNA had two
properties not evident today: A capacity to replicate without the help
of proteins and an ability to catalyze every step of protein
synthesis.(Leslie E. Orgel, "The Origin of Life on the Earth",
Scientific American, October 1994, Vol. 271, p. 78)
It is of course impossible for such a RNA to exist.
of a sense of despair at the failure of all experiments regarding
the beginning of life. But everyone who understands science and the
complexity of the cell will inevitably find it illogical for
Darwinists, who have never manufactured even a single protein, to
make such a claim. In the absence of a single protein of the first
imaginary cell they claim for the beginning of life, Darwinists claim
that RNA is responsible for the whole thing, in all its wondrous
complexity. But when it comes to how RNA itself first appeared,
they are again, as always, silent.
· According to the RNA world thesis, a
hypothetical RNA molecule that came into being by chance
manufactured proteins in some way, after which DNA appeared by
chance out of a need for a second molecule to store all this protein
information. Darwinists, with their powerful imaginations, are
still trying to produce a single peptide bond in the laboratory,
but seek to mislead people by shamelessly propagating this
impossible and unbelievable scenario.
· Extraordinary complexity is a huge and
insoluble dilemma for Darwinists who are unable to account for how
even a single RNA nucleotide might have come into being.
· Even if we assume that the impossible happened
and came about by chance, proteins are still essential in order for
this entire mechanism to function. In other words, RNA cannot perform
its function of producing a protein without proteins already being
in existence. Just like other proteins, in order for DNA and RNA to
exist and function, it is essential for the cell to exist
beforehand, fully equipped and with all its proteins and other
organelles.
· A second major deception on this subject is
the claims made regarding the function of RNA. RNA only contains
information about the structure of protein alone. RNA has no
mechanism to manufacture protein.
· A protein is manufactured in an organelle
called the ribosome with the assistance of many enzymes as the
result of highly complex processes. The ribosome is a complex cell
organelle again made up of proteins. This therefore leads to the
impossible assumption that the ribosome, the proteins serving within
it, DNA and RNA all came about spontaneously at exactly the same
time.
· The RNA world thesis, spoken of with
embarrassment by many scientists, is one of the most illogical
theories yet espoused by Darwinists, who are in a despairing state
when it comes to explaining the origin of life. Casually bringing
up such an illogical claim and depicting it as major scientific
evidence is another element of Darwinist demagoguery.
The eminent University of San Diego California evolutionist Dr.
Leslie Orgel, a colleague of Stanley Miller and Francis Crick,
refers to the possibility of "life beginning with the RNA world" as
a "scenario." Orgel sets out the characteristics that RNA would
have to possess and the impossibility of its doing so in an article
titled "The Origin of Life on the Earth" in the October 1994 issue
of American Scientist:
This scenario could have occurred, we noted, if prebiotic RNA had two
properties not evident today: A capacity to replicate without the help
of proteins and an ability to catalyze every step of protein
synthesis.(Leslie E. Orgel, "The Origin of Life on the Earth",
Scientific American, October 1994, Vol. 271, p. 78)
It is of course impossible for such a RNA to exist.
Fwd: Google Alert - Diabetic foot syndrome
From: Google Alerts <googlealerts-noreply@google.com>
Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 05:00:16 +0000
Subject: Google Alert - Diabetic foot syndrome
To: aydnajimudeen@gmail.com
=== News - 1 new result for [Diabetic foot syndrome] ===
New Non-Surgical Pain Relief Solution for Diabetic Foot Syndrome
PR-BG.com (прессъобщения) (press release)
New Non-Surgical Pain Relief Solution for Diabetic Foot Syndrome. In the
modern day world of strict schedules, work life and stress individuals are
suffering with ...
<https://www.google.com/url?q=http://pr-bg.com/content/view/68087/79/&ct=ga&cd=MTE0NzM0MzA5NzMzODE3MTAwODA&cad=CAEYAA&usg=AFQjCNElYSMjE20JlNVqBAgKD81zZk9CiA>
See all stories on this topic:
<https://www.google.com/url?q=http://news.google.com/news/story%3Fncl%3Dhttp://pr-bg.com/content/view/68087/79/%26hl%3Den%26geo%3DUS&ct=ga&cd=MTE0NzM0MzA5NzMzODE3MTAwODA&cad=CAEYAA&usg=AFQjCNEBACmjaTCCG7pMFUATP2y4wPxmkQ>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Delete this Google Alert:
<http://www.google.com/alerts/remove?cd=MTE0NzM0MzA5NzMzODE3MTAwODA&cad=CAE&source=alertsmail&hl=en&gl=US&s=AB2Xq4jMMVGUlyvz61bdj4NuidRdadie7gKxVUc>
Create another Google Alert:
<http://www.google.com/alerts?cd=MTE0NzM0MzA5NzMzODE3MTAwODA&cad=CAE&source=alertsmail&hl=en&gl=US&s=AB2Xq4jMMVGUlyvz61bdj4NuidRdadie7gKxVUc>
Sign in to manage your alerts:
<http://www.google.com/alerts/manage?cd=MTE0NzM0MzA5NzMzODE3MTAwODA&cad=CAE&source=alertsmail&hl=en&gl=US&s=AB2Xq4jMMVGUlyvz61bdj4NuidRdadie7gKxVUc>
--
- - - - - - - - -
- - ▓███▓ TRANSLATOR 1:->
http://translate.google.com.my/m?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en ▓███▓ - -
- TRANSLATOR 2 -
http://andrew-lviv.net/en/services/translator/?url=site.ua/ -
- - - -Tamil Translator
[http://translate.google.com.my/m?sl=auto&tl=ta&hl=en ] -
''''''''''"''"' '''''''''''''''''''' ''''''''''"''"' +
'''''''''''''''''''' ''''''''''"''"' '''''''''''''''''''' -
Fathwa, - Her male teacher holds her hands during dental training
Aoa, i am a 20 yr old female dental student and sometimes the male
teachers hold our hands to control our shaking in the pateint's mouth
while giving anesthesia and to teach us the exact direction n pressure
v need to apply. Apart from dat the male teachers also hold our hand
to make us do palpation of the patient properly.wat is the ruling for
this? are we allowed to atttend these classes since without them we
cannot pass our professional exams or even be good dentists since
fiddling with the intruments would make the anesthesia ineffective and
also a chance that we prick our ownselves.how ever this teaching by
holding is only transient till we learn the proper tchnique.wat is the
ruling on this what should we do in such cases?plz excuse the lenght
of my question.JAZAAKALLAH.
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.
It is not permissible for a man to touch a non-Mahram woman's hands or
any other parts of her body. It is confirmed that the Prophetsaid: "If
one of you were to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle, it
would be better for him than touching a woman whom he is not permitted
to touch." ]At-Tabaraani and Al-Bayhaqi[
Therefore, we advise you to discuss the matter with the people in
charge in the college and clarify to them the religious rulings about
it. You should ask them to provide a female teacher to teach female
girls. If this is achieved, then praise be to Allaah, otherwise if you
are in real need of this training, like being in a case of necessity
or close to it, then you may continue these studies, and if you can
wear gloves and the like, then you are obliged to do so, as this is
the least of two evils. Touching a non-Mahram man with a barrier in
between is a lesser evil than direct touching even though both of them
are evil.
Allaah Knows best.
Fathwa, - Muslim woman asks about traveling to study
assalamu alaikum wa rahmathullahi wa barakathuhu, i am doing second
year bachelor of islamic studies alhamdulillah i have very good madani
teachers and its through this studies allah gave me guidance so, i
never want to leave this college but.. i have to go to college through
a publis transport bus in that bus i have totally mingle with gants
and totally i am sorrunded by gents in that situation subhanallah how
i feel allah alone knows its really horrible to me to travelm in the
bus. ias a girl it does not suit my nature i can define its the hell.
but this is the only way i can go to college but really its horrible.
so i thoiught to discontinuing of discontinuing college and join in
online islamic studies. people are taking aqeedha class and telling
how much struggle sahabas made to learn. really i feel very bad i love
my studies so much but at this situation what i have to do. not even
one is understanding what is my problem.subhanallah. i dont know what
to do itself so, please council me. hope i am not wrong may allah give
you all jannathul firduas. please reply me soon. didnt allah say us
don't kill your selves beyond your limits. really going to college is
beyond my capacity. please guide me to the truth. may allah accept all
your works. islamically what i have to do please tell me..
jazakhallahu khairan katheera.
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.
First of all, may Allaah The Almighty reward you for being keen on
acquiring Islamic knowledge and we ask Him to help you achieve your
objective, as Allaah The Almighty is near and He answers
supplications.
If the situation is as you have mentioned in the question that there
is mixing between the genders in the mode of transport, and you cannot
find another means to commute to the place of study without committing
such a prohibition, then you are obliged to abandon this study. This
is especially the case as an alternative exists, which is distance
education over the internet.
Allaah Knows best.
Fathwa, - Studying must not prevent you from your religious obligations
Assalam aleikum, I am a single lady currently working and attending
evening classes for Accounts. Alhamdulillahi I have completed 4
sections out of the 6 sections. There is one thing that is bothering
me at the moment, the issue of coming home late at night because of
attending the classes. I dont feel comfortable at all. I dont have
enough time to be with my family and I am thinking of not continuing
with the remaining sections. With the sections I have completed, I can
retain my job and even stand a chance to get another low or middle
level job to support my livelihood. Is it okay if i quit studying and
have time with my family and concentrate with studying my deen? Thank
you.
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.
Your studying is not something obligatory upon you and thus there is
nothing wrong with stopping it. Hence, if your studying prevents you
from learning what you have to learn of the matters of your religion
or prevents you from doing your obligations such as being dutiful to
your parents, then it is obligatory upon you to quit it and it is not
permissible for you to continue it.
Please refer to Fatwa 83607on the pre-conditions for a Muslim woman to work.
Allaah Knows best.
Treatment of Slaves And Servants
Slavery was a common practice in Arabia, and almost all over the
world, before the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Victorious nations
of the time considered the people captured by them, in battle, as a
"commodity" - not as human beings - and used them mercilessly for
their own advantage.
The beloved Prophet of Islam (PBUH)urged and encouragedthe people
tofree the slaves, by declaring the freeing of slaves an act of
highest virtue and an act by which sins are forgiven. On the other
hand he enjoined on allnot to drive them like animals. He explained
that their basic needs, like food and clothing should be taken care of
in a deserving manner.
He, in fact, constantly warned the Muslims that they will becalled to
account, in thehereafter, if they failed in their duty to be just and
merciful to the slaves and servants. He emphasized this to such an
extent that it is reported by Ali (R.A.) that the last words, spoken
by the Holy Prophet (PBUH), (at the time of his death) were,
"Observe Salaah (the prayers), Observe Salaah And fear Allah with
regards to your slaves and servants."
This shows theimportancethat the Holy Prophet (PBUH) attached to
theirrights- that he even stressed its significance upon his followers
at the time of his departure from this world.
History tells that the entire course of the lives of slaves and
servants was transformed, as a result of these teachings, and their
human dignity was restored to them. Many of them rose to begreat
scholars and leadersholding high posts of office. Eventually the whole
world was influenced by this guidance and slaverybecame a thing of the
past.
Kind and Merciful treatment
It is related by Abu Hurairah (R.A.) that Rasulullah (PBUH) said,
"Food and dress are the right of the slave and he should not be
assigned to task which may be beyond his capacity."
These points constitute thefundamental rightsof slaves and servants -
that one should fulfill their basic need for food and clothing in
kindness and should be merciful in assigning any work to them.
In another Hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said,
"They are your brothers (the slaves and servants). Allah has placed
them under your authority. So he who has a brother under him should
feed him and clothe him as he himself does, and should not take from
him any work that is beyond his power. If he does tell him to do such
work then he should also join in it - (and help him)."
Here the slaves and servants have been declared to be thebrothers of
their masters, and therefore deserve treatment like brothers - are not
both of them, servant and master, the children of Adam, after all!
In yet anotherstrikingHadith, Prophet (PBUH) said,
"When your slave or servant prepares food for you and lays it for you
- while he has suffered the inconvenience of heat and smoke when
cooking - you should ask him to sit down and share the meal. If the
food is in a small quantity (and cannot suffice) at least give him a
morsel or two there from (at least a little)."
Policy of Forgiveness
Furthermore, Rasulullah (PBUH) constantly emphasized the need to adopt
apolicy of forgivenesswith servants - This is very clear from the
Hadith narrated by Abdullah Ibn Umar (R.A.) that once a person came to
the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) and asked "O Prophet of Allah! To what
extent should we forgive the mistakes and faults of our slaves and
servants?"
The Prophet (PBUH) remained silent whereupon the man repeated this
question. The Prophet (PBUH) again, remained silent and when the man
asked for a third time, he replied "Seventy times a day."
Evidently the figure, seventy, does not denote the exact number here
but a servant should be forgiven even if he makes a mistakes often.
"Forgiving" in this Hadith means that thepunishment should not be
inflictedon servants in a spirit of vengeance. But there is no harm,
however, if they are taken to task with politeness in view of their
correction - which would actually be for their own good.
Revenge and Account for Bad Treatment
Abu Hurairah (R.A.) relates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say
"Whoever beats the slave or Servant unjustly, revenge will be taken
from him on the Day of Judgment."
Abu Mas'ood (R.A.) narrates that "Once I was beating my slave when I
heard a voice behind -(saying)" Oh Abu Mas'ood! Remember that Allah
has a greater power and authority over you than you have over the poor
slave."
I turned around and saw that it was the Prophet of Allah (PBUH)
whereupon I said "Oh Prophet of Allah - he is now free for the sake of
Allah (I have set him free)." The Prophet (PBUH) observed that "Be
informed that had you not done so (i.e. set him free) you would be
consumed in the fire of Hell!"
Loyalty of Slaves and Servants to their Masters
Whilst enjoining the masters to be fair and generous in their
treatment of the slaves and servants, The Holy Prophet (PBUH) also
emphasized upon the slaves and servants their duty toremain faithful
to their masters.
The Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said,
"It is a matter of great success and good fortune for a slave or
servant that Allah raises him from this world (gives him death) in a
state that he is a worshipper of the Creator and he is loyal to his
master."
In another Hadith related by Abdullah ibn Umar (R.A.), the Holy
Prophet (PBUH) said, "When a slave or servant isfaithfulto his master
and alsoworships his Creator,he is deserving of adouble reward(in the
hereafter).
Theprincipal featureof The Holy Prophet's teachings is that he urges
each class and individual tofulfill the rights of otherswith a full
sense of responsibility and consider it a source of good fortune in
both the worlds. He, thus, enjoins upon the masters tofear Allah in
respect of their slaves and servants, (by treating them fairly and
kindly) and he enjoins upon the slaves and servants to beloyal and
sincere to their masters.
Seeing the Woman before Marriage
to propose marriage before taking further steps so that he can enter
into the marriage knowing what is ahead for him. Otherwise, if he has
not seen her before marriage, he may not find her looks to his liking
and may have regrets after he is married to her. The eye is the
messenger of the heart; when the eyes meet, the hearts and the souls
of man and woman may meet as well.
Muslim reported Abu Hurairah as saying that a man came to the Prophet
(peace be on him) and told him that he had contracted to marry a woman
of the Ansar.
"Did you look at her?" the Prophet (peace be on him) asked.
"No," he said,
"Then go and look at her," said the Prophet (peace be on him),
"For there is something in the eyes of the Ansar,' meaning that some
of them have a defect of their eyes Al-Mughira ibn Shu'bah said, I
asked for a woman in marriage and Allah's Messenger (peace be on him)
asked me whether I had looked at her. When I replied that I had not,
he said'Then look at her, for it may produce love between you.'
I went to her parents and informed them of the Prophet's advice. They
seemed to disapprove of the idea. Their daughter heard the
conversation from her room and said, 'If the Prophet (peace be on him)
has told you to look at me, then look.' I looked at her, and
subsequently I married her. (Reported by Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah,
Ibn Hibban, and Darimi).
The Prophet (peace be on him) did not specify either to Mughirah or to
the other manhow muchof the woman they were permitted to see. Some
scholars are of the opinion that looking is limited to seeing theface
and hands. However, it is permissible for anyone to see the face and
hands as long asno desire is involved; therefore, if asking for woman
in marriage is an exemption, obviously the man making the proposal
should be able to see much more of the woman than that.
The Prophet (peace be on him) said, "When one of you asks for woman in
marriage, if he is able to look at what will induce him to marry her,
he should do so." (Reported by Abu Daoud).
Some scholars have gone to one extreme or another in relation to this
permission, but thebest course seems to be the middle one. One
researcher considers it quite appropriate in our time that the man who
is proposing be allowed to see the woman asshe normally appears before
her father, brother, and other muharramah.
He says: In the context of the above hadith, he may even accompany
her, together with her father or some other mahrem as chaperone, on
her usual visits to relatives or to public places, while clad in full
hijab. (Hijab denotes the proper Islamic dress. (Trans.))
In this way he will have the opportunity to get an insight into her
reasoning, behavior, and personality. This is a part of the meaning of
the hadith, "...to look at what will induce him to marry her."
(Al-Bahee al-Khooly, Al-Mar'ah Bain al-bayn al-bait wal-Mujtamah').
If the man's intention of marriage is sincere, he is permitted to see
the woman with or without her and her family's knowledge. Jarir ibn
'Abdullah said concerning his wife, "(Before marriage) I used to hide
under a tree to see her."
From the hadith concerning al-Mughira we understand that thefather of
a girl cannot, out of deference to custom and tradition,prevent a
suitorwho is in earnest from seeing her, forcustoms and traditions
must be governed by the Shari'ah. How is it possible that the Divine
Law should subjected to the whims of human beings?
On the other hand, however,neither the father, the suitor, or the
fiancee can stretchthis permission to such an extent that the young
man and woman, under the pretext of betrothal or engagement, go to
movie theaters, clubs, and shopping places together without being
accompanied by a mahrem of hers, apractice which has become common
today among Muslimswho are fond of imitating Western civilization and
its customs.
Rights of Relatives
of other relatives. In Islamic terms, 'Silah-Rahimi' is used to denote
good treatment towards the relatives'.
In the Qur'an, where the Muslims are enjoined to showkindness to
parents,they are also required to treat the other relatives with love
and sympathy and to pay due regard to their rights as well.
Allah has declared, "I am Allah, I am Ar-Rahman (The Merciful), I have
created the bond of kinship and named it Rahim,-which I have derived
from the root of my name of Rahman. Thus, whoever, shall join it tie.
Rahim, I shall join him, and whoever will break it, I shall break
him."
The Almighty has designed the system of birth in such a way, that
whoever is born, is tied to the bonds of kinship-and these bonds carry
certain claims and rights. Thus, whoever fulfils these claims, by
being kind to his relatives and treating them well, Allah will "join
him" i.e. He will make him His own and bestow His favor and mercy on
him. And whosoever will violate these claims, Allah will "break him"
i.e. He will have nothing to do with him.
Fulfilling The Rights Of Relatives
It is related by Anas (R.A.) that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said
"Whoever wants an increase in his sustenance and that the marks of his
feet remain for a long time in the world (i.e. to live long) - he
should be kind and helpful to his relatives."
Basically, there aretwo ways of being kindand considerate to
relatives. One is by giving themmonetary assistance, when needed, and
the other is bydevoting a part of one's time and energyat their
service.
Family quarrels, which generally arise from the disregard of the
relatives' rights, affect a man's health and make it difficult for him
to concentrate in his work. Those who treat their relatives well and
are helpful to them, arefree from tensionsof this kind and they are
happier and more peaceful.
Violation Of Relatives Rights
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said "Whoever violates the rights of
relatives, shall not go to Paradise.
This Hadith, alone, should be enough to make us realize the importance
of Silah-Rahimi'. It shows that the violation of the relatives' rights
is so detested by Allah, that with its filthiness, no one can enter
Paradise. It is only when a person (believer) has received his
punishment or has been forgiven, that the gates of Paradise will be
opened for him.
Showing Kindness To Those Who So Ever Relations
Often, there are people who care little for the bonds of relationship
and are ruin and unjust in this respect. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has
enjoined to continue to treat them well and fulfill the obligations,
irrespective of what they do and how they behave.
Abdullah ibn Umar (R.A.) relates from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), "He
does not fulfill the claim of Silah-Rahimi who shows no kindness in
return for the kindness shown to him.. The person who really fulfils
the claim is he who treats his relatives well even when they are mean
and unjust to him.
When the violation of the rights of relatives is returned in a similar
manner, the evil will spread in the society -- while if it is returned
with kindness, it may lead to their correction and it will assist in
the promotion of Silah-Rahimi, in the life of the community.
In Allah’s Hands alone - I
In an ultimate way, the answer to these and other similar questions is
simple: Allah Almighty has willed it. This is so because nothing can
happen in this world except by the permission of its mighty Creator
and wise Lord, Allah, The Most High.
All of this happens because Allah Almighty, in His infinite wisdom,
created laws and means )including evil( which allow certain outcomes,
regardless of whether He loves it or not. This does not absolve people
from their intentions and deeds, but quite the opposite. It forms the
crucible and volitional test of human faith. This is known as Allah's
Creative Will or Al-Iraadah Al-Kawniyah.
Allah Almighty also has what is known as the Prescriptive Will,
Al-Iraadah Ash-Shar'iyah—or the Sharee`ah—which prescribes for us what
Allah Almighty requires us to avoid and loves for us to do. Here Allah
Almighty sets forth unambiguously what He detests as evil and what He
loves and aides; namely, good, the righteous, and the good deeds they
do.
Consequently, everything, good or bad, occurs under Allah's knowledge
and happens only by His permission and creation. Making wars,
conquests and the defeat of the weak by the physically strong, all
take place by His permission because that is His Creative Will but at
the intention and choice of man. Thus Allah Almighty Says in the Quran
)what means(:"In the victory of Allah. He gives victory to whom He
wills, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful. ]It is[ the
promise of Allah. Allah does not fail in His promise, but most of the
people do not know .They know what is apparent of the worldly life,
but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware."]Quran 30:5-7[
Reflecting upon history and reality shows us that Allah Almighty has
made us into various competing communities and nations, who vie with
one another for glory. Allah Almighty gives and takes from whom He
pleases, even according strength to those He despises. Yet, as the
preceding verses indicate, material displays of strength are
deceiving. Allah Almighty has created them as an illusion for the
disbelievers and those who have disregarded His signs. Strength in
this world is meaningless in the next, because it cannot be truly
substantial unless it occurs under God's favor.
So it might be a fair question to ask ourselves what do might and
power mean for the Muslim—a person who declares: La hawla wa la
quwwata illa billah, or "There is neither might nor power save with
Allah?"
In the course of our answer to this, we will see that the root of the
oppression that Allah Almighty mentions time and again in the Quran
originates from a crucial misunderstanding of power, the illusion we
mentioned previously. All the oppressors in the world perceive
themselves as strong and the makers of their own destiny as well as
the destiny of others. But the Quran makes clear that everything is as
God wills, and that "indeed, Allah is powerful over all things" ]Quran
2:20[.
So our question develops. What is the nature of power and does Allah
wish us to view it? Then what sort of concepts about power may we have
to correct in ourselves when we answer our question?
Power and Devine knowledge
Consider Ibrahim, Father of Prophets, Friend of God. He approached
King Nimrod, calling him to submit to Allah Almighty. But Nimrod
doubted and disputed him, simply because Allah Almighty had granted
him kingship )2:258(. In arrogance, Nimrod saw his kingdom and control
over other people as a sign that his power made him responsible to no
one. But Ibrahim, peace be upon him, insisted: "My Lord is He Who
gives life and gives death." And Nimrod said: "I give life and give
death."And it was true in a sense. Nimrod could decree the execution
of whomever he wished in his kingdom.
But Ibrahim, peace be upon him, saw that Nimrod's argument was sheer
falsehood. "Then, indeed, it is Allah who brings the sun from the
East. So you bring from the West." Nimrod could not answer. Ibrahim,
peace be upon him, knew the flimsiness of Nimrod's arguments, how weak
a web of self-deception he had spun for himself. He recognized the
difference between the violent might and meaningless power of Nimrod,
and the wise and ultimate nature of true power from Allah. Prophet
Ibrahim, peace be upon him, knew true power comes only from complete
submission to God, not from physical outbursts and the compulsion of
others.
The same is evident from the Prophet Muhammadwho said:"A strong person
is not the one who throws his adversaries to the ground. A strong
person is the one who contains himself when he is angry."]Al-Bukhari[
The believer does not wish to extend his human limitations onto other
people through needless violence, harsh words, and spiteful thoughts.
Allah Almighty Says )what means(:"And do not turn your cheek ]in
contempt[ toward people and do not walk through the earth exultantly.
Indeed, Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful."]Quran
31:18[
This Quranic verse shows attributes, not of the strong, but the
spiritually weak. Instead, the strong man of God is in selfless
devotion to his Creator. The Prophet Muhammaddid not take his revenge
on the people of Makkah when he conquered it. He did not raise his
voice at those who disrespected him. Instead, he went against most of
the expectations of what the Arabs considered to be actions of the
strong and powerful at that time. In this was a sign of his real
strength.
When we desire to oppose oppression, we must remember that we serve
only the One who has created all things, and not the created things
themselves. We have all heard the expression: "Do not fall in love
with the things of this world." But it is equally true to say: "Do not
fall into hatred of the things of this world."
To succumb to either condition is to abandon our submission to Allah
for surrender to the world and its illusions, which become controlling
over us. It is to lose sight of ultimate purposes and ends, and out of
love or hate, to focus on the temporary and miss the eternal. We lose
ourselves to our own emotions instead of locating ourselves in the
refuge of the All-Merciful.
It is always better to seek to live by Allah's commands than to follow
our false desires. An example of this is the celebrated anecdote of
Ali ibn abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, on the battlefield.
His enemy fell beneath him, open to the deathblow. At that moment, he
spat in Ali's face. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, held his
stroke and turned away, to the astonishment of his opponent, who asked
him why. His action would have emerged not from obedience to Allah,
but from personal anger, making it insincere.
Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, recognized that to strike at that
moment would be to transfer his submission from the Divine to the
dunya )world(, controlled by the actions of his enemy or his physical
emotions. If this story is true, it goes a long way to show the solid
character of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, who wanted his heart
to be moved only by Allah Almighty and for His sake alone, not the
deception of this world.
He sacrificed a display of physical strength )at that moment(, so he
might observe the limits Allah had established )not to kill for one's
own whims or motives(. He knew that all power in this world comes from
Allah alone, and this power loses its meaning if it is not used in His
way. Through this type of action, Allah made him and many other
Companions of Prophet Muhammadof the strongest and wisest of His
servants.
In Allah’s Hands alone- II
The prophets of Allah, peace be upon them, and those who possess
religious knowledge keep away from things which cloud their judgment
in any situation. First and foremost, they know that there are no
Asbab )means or ways( to anything except by the expressed Will of
Allah. It is following the commands and prohibitions that Allah
Almighty has prescribed for us that enables us recognize and see the
truth for truth and adhere to it, and to see falsehood as such and
avert it. Deception is the only other alternative. There is a striking
example of this in the Quran. When Talout, or Saul, set out to defeat
Goliath, he tested his men by prohibiting them during their force
march from drinking in a nearby river, saying: "He who drinks of it is
not of me" ]2:249[. Nearly all the men, perhaps thinking of the long
march ahead, and how they were going to need water for physical
strength, drank from the river—disobeying him! They calculated
strength and ability by physical means, instead of understanding that
God has power over all things and gives success to whom He wills.
By the time Saul crossed the river, those who had drunk from the water
said: "No strength have we today against Goliath and his forces," '
and they gave up! By disobeying God's messenger, they lost the true
power of faith in Allah!
But those who realized they would certainly meet Allah Almighty said:
How many a small company has prevailed over a more numerous company by
Allah's permission. And Allah is with those who are patient!" Those of
Saul's men who obeyed him, and knew that all might and power is with
Allah, were given deeper understanding and ability from Allah to
defeat the enemy."And when they went forth to ]face[ Goliath and his
soldiers, they said, 'Our Lord, pour upon us patience and plant firmly
our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people.' So they
defeated them by permission of Allah, and David killed Goliath, and
Allah gave him the kingship and prophethood and taught him from that
which He willed. And if it were not for Allah checking ]some[ people
by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allah is
full of bounty to the worlds."]Quran 2:250-51[
The choice is ours
The believers know that Allah's supreme power is obvious in every
single thing that they see in this world, and that their own
capabilities are given to them only by Allah—and may be taken away
from them By Him Almighty at anytime. Sometimes the Companions of
Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, would shake out of
fear of not living from one moment to the next. Living with such
awareness is living with full knowledge of Allah's absolute Lordship
over His creation.
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, referred to Allah Almighty
as "the One in Whose Hands is my soul." This underscores the
incredible sense of awe he felt toward his Creator, the Giver of Life,
and the Bringer of Death. Allah Almighty gave the Prophet Muhammad,
sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and his Companions, may Allah be pleased
with them, ultimate strength and victory in this life. But why do most
of our peers have such a drastically different sense?
It contrasts so markedly with our own because the state of the
Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, came from a conscious
effort and deliberate choice. Believers constantly remind themselves
of Allah's absolute power over existence. Disbelievers, on the other
hand, do not see signs of Allah Almighty at all—anywhere. The reason
for this is quite simple: The Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa
sallam, said Allah Says:"I am at the contemplation of My servants: I
am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I
too, remember him in Myself."
Imagine that. The intimacy between Allah Almighty and the individual
human is dependant in the sense of spiritual favor on how often we
ourselves actually choose to open our hearts and turn to our Creator
in gratefulness and repentance, and for signs of guidance. If we do
not turn to Allah Almighty, we have no guarantee that He Almighty will
turn to us. But if we turn to Him, then Allah Almighty is the
Ever-Returning. He will turn to us, give us knowledge of Him,
strengthen our hearts, and open up doors for our advancement in the
real life to come.
He Almighty is the one who purifies His servants' intellect and gives
them a criterion for understanding the values of things in the life of
this world, till they meet Him in the next. Allah Almighty gives His
obedient servants a criterion for recognizing the true nature of power
and might, and the ultimate value of the things around them and the
actions they choose to do. There is a connection between these three
things—the Divine criterion, the true nature of power, and the
ultimate value of things and actions—which the human being
instinctively relies upon even in his daily interactions with others.
We must look to utilize this part of our human nature in our daily
interactions with Allah Almighty.
For there is no power nor might nor value to anything except through Him.
A time for strengthening the family..
ties of kinship will enter Paradise."]At-Tirmithi[
The religion of Islam places great importance on maintaining the ties
of kinship between family members. All Muslims are to show kindness,
generosity, and respect toward both their nearest and most distant
relatives, whether they are Muslims or not. Allah Almighty places such
importance on maintaining the ties of kinship that whoever cuts off
the ties of their family, Allah Almighty cuts them off from Him. And
the Quran goes as far to say that the one who cuts off the ties of
kinship will be cursed.
Allah Almighty says in the Noble Quran )what means(:"But those who
break the covenant of Allah after contracting it and sever that which
Allah has ordered to be joined and spread corruption on earth – for
them is the curse, and they will have the worst home."]Quran 13:25[
These days are an excellent time to mend burnt bridges and reach out
to family members that you may have not seen in a long time or that
you are at odds with.
These blessed days serve to open our hearts and minds as we humble
ourselves before our Creator in sincere worship. Take the first step
in reconnecting with your kin for the sake of Allah Almighty and to
strengthen your family unit.
Take the First Step
Regardless of how much time has passed since you have seen a family
member or whatever transgression has made you keep your distance, use
this time to reach out to a relative that you have been estranged
from.
It's as easy as picking up the phone and inviting him or her to your
home for a meal or meeting in a neutral place, such as a cafe, for a
cup of coffee. The worst that can happen is that they turn you down or
hang up the phone on you. At least Allah Almighty will know that you
tried to fulfill your obligation of maintaining family ties.
But the best that can happen is that your desires for renewing the
relationship will be reciprocated.
Forgiveness is Key
There is no need to rehash the past once your estranged family member
is in your presence. Forgiveness is the key to reestablishing your
bond. So let bygones be bygones, even if in the innermost recesses of
your heart you still feel that your kinsman wronged you.
A perfect exemplar can be found in Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with
him. Word came to him that his very own cousin, whom he had been
giving much financial support, had publicly slandered his beloved
daughter 'Aa'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her. Abu Bakr, may Allah
be pleased with him, immediately stopped giving him charity. Allah
Almighty then revealed the celebrated verse )which means(:
"And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give
]aid[ to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause
of Allah, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that
Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." ]Quran
24:22[
No sooner did Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, hear this than
he resumed his cousin's financial assistance, and, indeed, increased
it over what he used to regularly give him.
United We Stand
A family that stands together is far stronger than one splintered into
factions. So even if you are not at odds with one of your kin, you
might know of family members who are not preserving their ties of
kinship. You can do your part as a Muslim by acting as a mediator to
reunite them under the same flag of Islam.
It might be difficult at first, especially since human emotions like
pride and anger get in the way. But remind your family members that it
is really Satan stoking the flames of discontent and that they must
make peace against all odds to maintain the family bond. Should you
find the situation too volatile to handle on your own, con-tact your
local imam or someone in your community known to offer good help in
counseling to assist you in your endeavor.
Watch the Garden Grow
A family that is content with its members is like a garden that bears
the most beautiful fruit and flowers that the human eye has ever
beheld. As the discontent and anger melts away between kin, you will
start to see the flowers in your family's garden blossom to reveal the
beauty that Allah Almighty intended.
To keep that garden flourishing, weed out problems before they take
root and nip familial discord in the bud. Most importantly, water your
garden with lots of blessings from Allah, the All-Powerful, to keep
your family together.
Trust in Allah Almighty and supplicate Him for assistance to keep your
family thriving for many years to come.
Dought & clear, - - Saheeh (sound) hadeeths, - Are there any saheeh ahaadeeth which speak of the ransoming of the living and the deadduring Ramadaan?.
every night, and that He does not ransom any of the living except on
the last night of Ramadaan, when He ransoms the same number as the
number of dead whom He ransomed during the month. Is this true?.
Praise be to Allaah.
After researching the matter, we did not find any ahaadeeth which say
such a thing.
There are ahaadeeth which say that Allaah ransoms people from the Fire
during Ramadaan, and that happens every night.
Some of these ahaadeeth are saheeh (sound), some are da'eef (weak),
and some are mawdoo' (fabricated).
Among the saheeh ahaadeeth which speak of that are the following:
1 – It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "When the first night of Ramadaan comes, the devils and
mischievous jinn are chained up, and the gates of Hell are closed, and
none of its gates are opened. The gates of Paradise are opened and
none of its gates are closed. And a caller cries out: 'O seeker of
good, proceed; O seeker of evil, desist.' And Allaah has people whom
He frees (from the Fire), and that happens every day."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 682; Ibn Maajah, 1642; classed as hasan by
Shaykh al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Jaami', 759.
2 – It was narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "At every breaking of the fast Allaah has people whom He redeems
from the Fire, and that happens every night."
Narrated by Ahmad, 21698; Ibn Maajah, 1643; classed as saheeh by
Shaykh al-Albaani inSaheeh Ibn Maajah.
The da'eef (weak) and mawdoo' (fabricated) ahaadeeth that have been
narrated on this topic include the following:
1 – The report narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with
him), according to which the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "When the first night of Ramadaan comes,
Allaah looks at His creation, and if Allaah looks at a person He will
never punish him. And every day Allaah has one thousand thousand whom
He ransoms from the Fire. On the twenty-ninth night Allaah ransoms a
number equivalent to the number whom He has already ransomed during
the entire month."
This is a mawdoo' hadeeth. SeeDa'eef al-Targheeb, 591 andal-Silsilah
al-Da'eefah, 5468.
2 – It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that he heard the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) say: "Paradise is scented with incense and adorned
throughout the year, in preparation for the beginning of the month of
Ramadaan. On the first night of the month of Ramadaan, a wind called
al-matheerah comes from beneath the Throne… And on each day of the
month of Ramadaan at the time of breaking the fast, Allaah has one
thousand thousand whom He ransoms from the Fire, all of whom deserved
to go to Hell. And on the last day of the month of Ramadaan, Allaah
ransoms on that day a number equivalent to all those whom He ransomed
from the beginning of the month to the end.
This is a mawdoo' hadeeth. SeeDa'eef al-Targheeb, 594.
3 – It was narrated that al-Hasan said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Every night of Ramadaan
Allaah has six hundred thousand whom He ransoms from the Fire. And on
the last night Allaah ransoms a number equivalent to those whom He has
already ransomed."
This is a da'eef hadeeth. SeeDa'eef al-Targheeb, 598.
Dought & clear, - - Saheeh (sound) hadeeths, - Ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace andblessings of Allaah be upon him) which criticize extravagance with regard to food.
Narrated by A'esha, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said: "the
first calamity for this nation after the prophet's death is fullness
of their stomachs; when their stomachs became full, they became obese
and their hearts weakened and their desires became wild" Bukhari.
The prophet advised us not to eat everything we desire to eat.
Narrated by Anas ben Malik, may Allah be pleased with him that the
prophet said: "it is extravagance that one eats whatever he desire"
Ibn majah.
Is there anything that forbids one to eat a lot, or not to be able to
control how much he eats? Any hadeeth, verse, or a book about
prohibiting extravagance in foods, or about the prophet's way
regarding foods and eating.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Gluttony is one of the greatest sins that lead to doom and it causes
many diseases and sicknesses, both spiritual and physical, because it
leads to sexual desire, then the desire for status and wealth in order
to fulfil the first two desires. Then that generates spiritual
diseases such as showing off, destructive envy (hasad), boastfulness
and arrogance because of being focused on worldly matters. In most
cases that leads to evil and immorality, all of it because of this
desire. The Arabs of old said: The stomach is the home of disease and
restraint is the basis of the remedy.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He
(Allaah) likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance)"
[al-A'raaf 7:31]
The Sunnah encourages moderation in eating, and strongly criticizes
extravagance.
The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The son
of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is
sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls, to keep him
going. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one
third with food, one third with drink and one third with air."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2380); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
inal-Silsilah al-Saheehah(2265).
It was narrated that Naafi' said: Ibn 'Umar used not to eat until a
poor man was brought to eat with him. I brought a man in to eat with
him and he ate a great deal. He said: O Naafi', do not let this man
enter upon me, for I heard the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) say: "The kaafir eats in seven intestines."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5393) and Muslim (2060).
Al-Nawawi said, commenting on this hadeeth (14/25):
The scholars said: What the hadeeth means is to be content wit little
in this world and encouraging asceticism and contentment, in addition
to the fact that eating little is a good characteristic, and eating a
great deal is the opposite. As for the words of Ibn 'Umar concerning
the poor man who ate a great deal in his presence, "Do not let him
enter upon me," he only said that because he was behaving like a
kaafir, and if a person is behaves like a kaafir it is makrooh to mix
with him unnecessarily; moreover, the amount that this man ate could
had fed a number of people. End quote.
We have quoted other ahaadeeth on this topic elsewhere on our site;
please see question no. 71173.
Secondly:
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) has summed up for us the
teaching of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
with regard to food and drink, which he derived from the saheeh
ahaadeeth. He says inZaad al-Ma'aad(1/147):
Similarly the practice of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) was not to reject what was available, and not to go out of
his way to seek that which was not available. No good food was brought
to him but he ate it, unless he had no appetite for it, in which case
he left it but did not forbid it. He never criticized any food. If he
wanted it he ate it, otherwise he would leave it, as he refrained from
eating lizard meat because he was not used to it, but he did not
forbid it to the ummah. He ate sweets and honey, which he liked. He
ate camel meat, mutton, chicken, bustard, onager, rabbit and seafood.
He ate grilled meat and both fresh and dry dates. ... He did not refuse
good food, and he did not go out of his way to seek it, rather he
would eat what was available, but if it was not available he would be
patient, and he would tie a stone to his stomach because of hunger.
Three new moons in a row would be sighted, and no cooking fire would
be lit in his house. End quote.
Thirdly:
The scholars have mentioned the benefits of moderation in food and not
being extravagant. These include:
1 - Purity of heart, mental alertness and deep insight. Satiety
generates stupidity and blinds the heart. Hence the proverb says "The
one whose stomach is hungry will become able to think deeply and his
intelligence will honed."
2 - Humility and the loss of pride, joy and insolence, which are the
foundation of tyranny and neglect of Allaah.
3 - One does not forget the wrath and punishment of Allaah, or the
people who are afflicted by calamity. For the one who has his fill
forgets the one who is hungry and he forgets hunger, but the one who
is smart does not see someone else afflicted by a calamity but he is
reminded of calamity in the Hereafter.
4 - One of the greatest benefits is that it puts an end to all sinful
desires, and brings control over the self that is inclined towards
evil, because the source of all sins is desires and energy, and the
fuel for energy and desires is food. Dhu'l-Noon said: I never ate my
fill but I sinned or thought of sinning.
5 - Warding off sleep and being able to stay up. For the one who eats
a lot will drink a lot, and the one who drinks a lot will sleep a lot.
Sleeping a lot wastes one's time and causes one to miss out on
tahajjud; it makes one slow and hardens the heart. Time is the most
precious gift and it is the person's capital, but sleep is death and
sleeping too much shortens one's life.
6 - Physical health and warding off disease, which is caused by eating
too much and mixing foods in the stomach. The doctors say that
gluttony is the cause of disease and restraint leads to a cure.
Summarized fromIhya' 'Uloom al-Deen(3/103-104).
Fourthly:
With regard to the ahaadeeth mentioned in the question, none of them are saheeh.
The first hadeeth:
'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: "The first calamity
for this ummah after the death of its Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) will be satiety, for when people's stomachs are
full, their bodies will grow fat, and their hearts will become
weakened and their desires will grow wild." Narrated by al-Bukhaari
inal-Du'afa'- as attributed to him by al-Dhahabi in Meezaan
al-I'tidaal (3/335). Also narrated by Ibn Abi'l-Dunya inal-Joo'(no.
22).
Narrated via Ghassaan ibn 'Ubayd al-Azdi al-Mawsili, who said: Hamzah
al-Basri told us, from Hishaam ibn 'Urwah, from his father, from
'Aa'ishah.
I say: This isnaad is da'eef jiddan (very weak) because of Ghassaan
ibn 'Ubayd, in whose biography inLisaan al-Mizaan(4/418) it says:
Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: We wrote from him, then he came to us here then
I burned what I wrote from him. Ibn 'Adiyy said: The weakness in his
hadeeth is obvious. According to a report from Yahya ibn Ma'een, it is
da'eef. ... Then he counted the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah that we have as
being munkar. End quote.
Hence Shaykh al-Albaani said inDa'eef al-Targheeb(1239): It is munkar
mawqoof. End quote.
Note: In the question this hadeeth is attributed to al-Bukhaari, and
this is a serious mistake, because saying that a report "was narrated
by al-Bukhaari" usually means that it is from his Saheeh, but
al-Bukhaari wrote many other books, in which he narrated ahaadeeth
with their isnaads, but they are not necessarily saheeh, such as his
book al-Du'afa' al-Sagheer, which has been printed, andal-Du'afa'
al-Kabeer, which was mentioned by Ibn al-Nadeem and Brockelmann
inTareekh al-Adab(p. 65), and which still exists in the library of
Patna in India. If it so happened that al-Bukhaari narrated a hadeeth
in any of his books apart fromal-Saheeh, which is the greatest book
written by a scholar in Islam, then it should be stated when quoting
the hadeeth: "narrated by al-Bukhaari inal-Taareekh" or "inal-Du'afa'"
or "inal-Adab al-Mufrad" for example, then one should research the
isnaad of the hadeeth: is it saheeh or not, as is done in other books.
This hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah may be inal-Du'afa' al-Kabeer. We have
looked for it inal-Sagheerbut I could not find it. al-Du'afa'
al-Sagheerrarely mentions ahaadeeth and isnaads. And Allaah knows
best.
The second hadeeth: It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah
be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "It is extravagance to eat everything you
want." Narrated by Ibn Majaah (3352); Abu Ya'laa inal-Musnad(5/154);
Abu Nu'aym inal-Hilyah(10/213); al-Bayhaqi inShu'ab al-Eemaan(5/46)
and others, via Baqiyah ibn al-Waleed, Yoosuf ibn Abi Katheer told us,
from Nooh ibn Dhakwaan from al-Hasan from Anas in a marfoo' report
(i.e., attributed to the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him)).
This isnaad is da'eef jiddan (very weak) and has a number of faults, such as:
1 - Yoosuf ibn Abi Katheer, of whom Ibn Hajar said inTahdheeb
al-Tahdheeb(11/421): One of the Shaykhs of Baqiyah who are not known.
End quote.
2 - Nooh ibn Dhakwaan, whose hadeeth is munkar. It says in his
biography inTahdheeb al-Tahdheeb:
Ibn 'Adiyy said: His ahaadeeth are not sound. Ibn Hibbaan said: His
hadeeth is munkar jiddan and his hadeeth should not be narrated. Abu
Nu'aym said: he narrated problematic reports from al-Hasan, and he has
a document from al-Hasan from Anas. End quote.
Hence the hadeeth was classed as da'eef (weak) by more than one of the
scholars: Ibn Hibbaan inal-Majrooheen(3/47); Ibn 'Adiyy
inal-Kaamil(8/299); Ibn al-Jawzi inal-Mawdoo'aat(3/182); al-Busayri
inMisbaah al-Zujaajah(2/188); al-Sakhkhaawi inal-Maqaasid
al-Hasanah(515).Shaykh al-Albaani said inal-Silsilat al-Da'eefah(no.
241): It is mawdoo' (fabricated).
The saheeh ahaadeeth quoted above are sufficient and we have no need
of these two weak ahaadeeth. The one who wants to know more about this
topic may refer toal-Joo'by Ibn Abi'l-Dunya;Mukhtasar Minhaaj
al-Qaasideenby Ibn Qudaamah;Zaad al-Ma'aadby Ibn al-Qayyim andSharh
Riyaadh al-Saaliheenby Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen.
And Allaah knows best.
Dought & clear, - - Saheeh (sound) hadeeths, - Good deeds appear in the form of a man in the grave
"When a person dies, whilst his relatives are busy with his funeral
rites, a very handsome man stands at the head of the deceased and when
the body is shrouded, that man comes in between the shroud and chest
of the deceased, and after the burial, the people go back to their
homes and the two angels Munkar and Nakeer come to the grave and they
try to separate this handsome man from the deceased so that they will
be able to question the deceased about his faith. But the good-looking
man says: 'He is my friend, he is my friend, and I will never leave
him without intervening under any circumstances. If you are appointed
to question him, then do as you are commanded, but as for me, I can
never leave him until I admit him to Paradise.' Then the handsome man
turns to the deceased and says to him: 'I am the Qur'aan that you used
to recite in a loud voice sometimes and in a low voice sometimes. Do
not worry. After the questioning of Munkar and Nakeer, there will be
no sorrow after this day.' When the questioning ends, the handsome man
and the angels prepare a bed of silk filled with musk for the deceased
in Paradise.".
Praise be to Allaah.
What is narrated in the saheeh Sunnah about one's good deeds taking a
physical form and appearing in the form of a handsome man in the
grave, including the deed of reciting the Holy Qur'aan, is as follows:
1-
It was narrated from al-Bara' ibn 'Aazib (may Allaah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"When the believing slave is about to depart this world and enter the
Hereafter, there come down to him from heaven angels with white faces
like the sun, and they sit around him as far as the eye can see. They
bring with them shrouds from Paradise and perfumes from Paradise…"
until he said, describing the state of the believer in the grave:
"Then a voice calls out from heaven, 'My slave has spoken the truth,
so prepare for him a bed from Paradise and clothe him from Paradise,
and open for him a gate to Paradise.' Then there comes to him some of
its fragrance, and his grave is made wide, as far as he can see.Then
there comes to him a man with a handsome face and handsome clothes,
and a good fragrance, who says, 'Receive the glad tidings that will
bring you joy this day.' He says, 'Who are you? Your face is a face
which brings glad tidings.' He says, 'I am your righteous deeds.'He
says, 'O Lord, hasten the Hour so that I may return to my family and
my wealth.'"
Narrated by Ahmad (4/362); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inAhkaam
al-Janaa'iz(156).
2-
It was narrated that Buraydah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I
heard the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say:
"The Qur'aan will meet its companion on the Day of Resurrection when
his grave is opened for him, in the form of a pale man. It will say to
him, 'Do you recognize me?' He will say: 'I do not recognize you.' It
will say: 'I am your companion the Qur'aan, who kept you thirsty on
hot days and kept you awake at night. Every merchant benefits from his
business and today you will benefit from your good deeds.' He will be
given dominion in his right hand and eternity in his left, and there
will be placed on his head a crown of dignity, and his parents will be
clothed with priceless garments the like of which have never been seen
in this world. They will say: 'Why have we been clothed with this?' It
will be said: 'Because your son used to recite Qur'aan.' Then it will
be said to him: 'Recite and ascend in the degrees of Paradise,' and he
will continue to ascend so long as he recites, either at a fast pace
or a slow pace ."
Narrated by Ahmad inal-Musnad(394) and Ibn Maajah inal-Sunan(3781);
classed as hasan by al-Busayri inal-Zawaa'idand by al-Albaani
inal-Silsilah al-Saheehah(2829).
Al-Suyooti said in his commentary on the hadeeth (2/1242):
"In the form of a pale man". Al-Suyooti said: This is the one whose
colour has changed. It is as if he comes in this form so as to
resemble his companion in this world, or to draw attention to the fact
that just as his colour changed in this world because of staying up at
night to read Qur'aan, the Qur'aan will appear in a similar form
because of its striving on the Day of Resurrection until its companion
attains the ultimate goal in the Hereafter. End quote.
I have not found anything in the saheeh Sunnah to suggest that a man's
righteous deeds will appear in the form of a man in the grave except
in these two hadeeths.
As for the hadeeth which you quoted, it is not narrated in any of the
reliable books of Sunnah, and we have not found it with any isnaad,
saheeh (sound) or da'eef (weak). Rather it is something that appears
in some chat rooms or on some sites with no proof. Perhaps some
ignorant person wrote it himself then attributed it to the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), to encourage the
people to respect the Qur'aan and pay attention to it, but these
people do not know that telling lies about the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) is one of the worst of sins that doom
a person to the Fire of Hell, and the good intention does not remove
the burden of sin for those who tell lies and fabricate ahaadeeth as
if the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said them.
The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Telling
lies about me is not like telling lies about anyone else. Whoever
tells a lie about me deliberately, let him take his place in Hell."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1291) and Muslim (4).
And Allaah knows best.
For children, - God in Islam: Does God Exist? God and Logic, God and Commonsense, Proof of God
a non-believer in God. He had no proof of his belief nor was he
willing to listen to any argument regarding the existence of God. He
said that the universe came into existence by itself and continues to
exist. Any argument based on Noble Qur'an and Hadith too wouldn't
convince him. People went to the extent of telling him that there must
be someone who created the universe and runs it. He boasted saying
that the entire city was unable to convince him about the existence of
Allah (SWT).
The Vizier of Baghdad asked Sheikh Mufeed to handle the situation. The
vizier said that the person was visiting the court everyday and he
posed his question to the gathering in the presence of the ambassadors
from the non-Muslim countries. The inability to give him a convincing
reply was causing a lot of embarrassment.
Sheikh Mufeed thus agreed to attend the court for a debate with the
non-believing person. The person was very cunning that he wouldn't
utter any word when arguments about the existence of Allah (SWT) were
advanced to him.
Sheikh Mufeed attended the court and told to the person, "You have
claimed that you have contested the claim of all the courtiers about
the existence of Allah (SWT) and that they were unable to convince
you. Allah (SWT) willing, I shall come tomorrow and give a convincing
reply to your question! But you must report at the court promptly at
the appointed time. I am wondering if you will absent yourself fearing
to face my debate on the subject!"
The non-believing man replied with lot of confidence, "There is no
chance of my running away from the debate. In fact, I have the fear
that you might try to escape since none of your compatriots has been
able to convince me and you may meet the same fate!"
The appointed time arrived the next day but there wasn't any sign of
Sheikh Mufeed in the court. Since Sheikh Mufeed had ridiculed the
person by saying that he might try to elude the debate by absconding
from the court, the man looked around the court and smiled
sarcastically. All the courtiers felt belittled that the Sheikh Mufeed
had made tall claims but had absented himself from the proceedings.
The Sheikh Mufeed purposely arrived at the court very late. When he
arrived in front of the non-believing man, he asked, "Where were you
hiding yourself?!"
The Sheikh Mufeed replied, "I would have reached the court on
schedule, but as I reached the riverside, I saw a peculiar scene
there. It was so astonishing that my feet wouldn't advance towards my
destination! I saw a boat in the river that was floating on the water
without any sailor. It was coming ashore on one side, picking up
passengers and disembarking them on the other side. From that side it
picked up passengers and dropped them on this side! When I saw the
boat had no sailor I was very astonished!"
The non-believing man had a hearty laugh and said, "How is it that the
boat was making the up and down trips without any sailor?"
The Sheikh Mufeed now said, "When you think that a small boat cannot
fend for itself without someone to row it, then how do you imaging
that such a big universe will function without the One who controls
it!"
The non-believing man said that none else had debated with him in this
manner! I now bear witness that there is no god but Allah (SWT)!
For children, - Allah: Arabic name for God, Allah the most Merciful, Allah the Creator and Lord of the Universe
the west for its use by Muslims as a reference to God. Arabic-speakers
of all faiths, including Christians and Jews, use the word Allah to
mean "God". The Muslim and Christian Arabs of today have no other word
for "God" than Allah.
In Islam, Allah is the only deity, transcendent creator of the
universe, and the judge of humankind. Some Islamic scholars feel that
"Allah" should not be translated, because they perceive the Arabic
word to express the uniqueness of "Allah" more accurately than the
word "god" for two reasons:
1. The word "god" can take a plural form "gods", whereas the word
"Allah" has no plural form.
2. The word "god" can have gender as male god or female god (called
goddess) whereas the word "Allah" does not have gender.
Tawhid (Tawheed, Tauheed)is the Islamic concept of monotheism
(Oneness of God). In Islam, Tawhid means to assert the unity of Allah.
The opposite of Tawhid is Shirk, which means "division" in Arabic,
referring to idolatry.
Shaykh Saduq, one of the most distinguished of Shi'a
scholarsexpressed: "Verily, God is One, Unique, nothing is like Him,
He is Eternal; Hearing, Seeing, Omniscient, Living, Omnipotent, above
every need. He cannot be described in terms of substance, nor body,
nor form, nor accident, nor line, nor surface, nor heaviness, nor
lightness, nor color, nor movement, nor rest, nor time, nor space. He
is above all the descriptions which can be applied to His creatures.
He is away from both extremes: Neither He is just a non-entity (as
atheists and in a lesser degree Mutazilites implied), nor He is just
like other things. He is Existent, not like other existing things."
Shi'a do not believe that God can or will ever be seen, and also
reject the notion of Him having body parts, or any parts whatsoever.
In a new study, Vander Hoven, a psychologist from Netherlands,
discovered the effect of reading the Noble Qur'an and repeating the
word ALLAH both on patients and on normal persons.
The Dutch professor confirms his discovery with studies and research
applied on many patients over a period of three years. Some of his
patients were non-Muslims, others don't speak Arabic and were trained
to pronounce the word "Allah" clearly; their result was great,
especially on those who suffer from dejection and tension.
Al-Watan, a Saudi daily has reported that the psychologist was quoted
to say that Muslims who can read Arabic and who read the Noble
Qur'anregularly are enjoying a great chance of protecting themselves
from psychological diseases. The psychologist explained how each
letter in the word "Allah" affects healing of psychological diseases.
Vander Hoven pointed out in his research that pronouncing the first
letter in the word "Allah" which is the letter (A), released from the
respiratory system, controls breathing. He added that pronouncing the
velar consonant (L) in the Arabic way, with the tongue touching
slightly the upper part of the jaw producing a short pause and then
repeating the same pause constantly, relaxes the aspiration. Also,
pronouncing the last letter which is the letter (H) makes a contact
between the lungs and the heart and so this contact controls the
heartbeat.
What is exciting about this study is that this psychologist is a
non-Muslim, but interested in Islamic sciences and searching for the
secrets of the Noble Qur'an.
Allah (SWT), The Great and Glorious, says in the Noble Qur'an: "We
will soon show them Our signs in the Universe and in their own souls,
until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth. Is it
not sufficient as regards your Lord that He is a witness over all
things?" (41:53)
"ALLAHU AKBAR [Allah (SWT) is great], Allah (SWT) keeps me going day
and night. Without Allah (SWT), I am no one. But with Allah (SWT), I
can do everything. Allah (SWT) is my strength."