The secret of the beauty and impressiveness ofthe human eye is hidden in the depths of the human soul

Allah created the human face with a flawless symmetry and beauty. No
doubt, one of the most beautiful parts Allah creates on the human
face is the "eye". Allah describes the beauty of maidens in
paradise in the Surat al-Waqia, verse 23, with the words, "...
dark-eyed maidens ", attracting attention to the role of the eye in
the beauty of the face. However, what reveals a person's beauty and
enhances the meaning on their face is not solely the color and
shape of an eye. What leaves an impression on the soul of other
people is the meaning and depth in the eyes.
Allah creates the shape and color of eyes of many living beings in
nature in a very beautiful fashion. For instance, deer and gazelles
attract attention with the beautiful shape of their eyes while cats
become distinctive with their eye colors and living beings like
lions and tigers with the sharpness of their eyes. However, the
effect of the eye of no other living being is comparable to the
look in the human eye, because eyes are the windows of the human
soul. For this reason, the aspect that adds beauty and meaning to
the eye is the way it reflects the depth of the human soul rather
than its shape and color. This profoundness facilitates defining
the character traits peculiar to that person. It is also a very
important spiritual power that enhances the beauty and impact of
that person.
The Effectiveness of the Human Eye is one of the Greatest Secrets of Allah
Allah creates the eye from the materials commonly available in
nature. Just as in the case of all living beings, the human eye is
merely a piece of flesh made up of nerves, some bodily fluids and
muscles. Some people who fail to think deeply and consider man as a
mere pile of flesh and bones attach more importance to this aspect
of an eye, and consider eye color or its shape as more important.
They consider a blank stare that is void of any expression as
"purity and naivety" and think that the person looks very beautifully
and with meaning. Because these people have a shallow outlook,
they can not comprehend that profundity in looks adds beauty and
meaning to a face and can never figure out the profound impact a
meaningful look makes on the soul. That is why they see one another
as living beings that have no consciousness and wisdom.
The fact is however, looking at an eye with a beautiful and
meaningful look gives tremendous pleasure to a believer because the
meaning in one's eye develops in relation with his wisdom and depth
of his faith. If a person has a fervent love of Allah and is
passionately attached to Him, if he has fully submitted himself to
Allah, has a flawless respect for Him and His manifestations, if he
respects Allah and everything He creates, then the impact of this
person's eye and his looks become one of the greatest spiritual
powers in the world. The pleasure that is taken from such a
meaningful eye that reflects the profundity of the soul becomes
greater and more intense. However, as a miracle of Allah, this is
an attribute peculiar to only genuine Muslims. The looks of people
who are unaware of sincerity and display affected attitudes are
artificial, for they are for purposes of showmanship only. These
people, now and again, wish to reveal the peace and ease of heart
believers naturally have in their eyes and long for having beautiful
looks like them but they can never achieve it, because Allah never
grants such a blessing to a soul that can not love and appreciate
Him as is due, and does not know to attach himself profoundly to
Him. An examination into the general character traits of these
people reveals that these people are egoistic, selfish, insecure,
loveless, inconsiderate people who do not attach any importance to
anything. In order for these people to attain the beauty and
aesthetics they have been longing for, they, first of all, need to
live by the moral perfection Allah demands from them and consider
that it is Allah Who creates his eyes, as well as the eyes that
look at him. Apart from that, they need to have the wisdom and
profound kind of faith that will create that impact in the eyes. A
person who has a fervent love of Allah considers everything he sees
as a beautiful manifestation of Allah's names, and loves them. That
is because a person who is vehemently in love with Allah knows to
appreciate and respect beautiful things and to take pleasure from
them and see the best aspects of everything he encounters. The
profundity and maturity that comes into being in the soul of a
person who is aware of it and grasps it can be immediately
recognized.
If a person acts in the acknowledgment that the beauty he witnesses
all around him is a manifestation of Allah, he takes deep pleasure
from it. A light and love flows from his eyes towards that beauty.
The light and purity in the looks of a person has a special impact
upon people. If the other party
is also a smart person with genuine faith, he gives thanks to Allah
because of the pleasure he takes from deep, meaningful looks full of
love. Such gratitude is reflected in his eyes. This is the basis of
the beauty and the effectiveness of a sincere believer's looks. A
person, on the other hand, who pretends to be sincere is
immediately recognized. Our Lord reminds this fact in the following
verse:
"If We wished, We would show them to you and you would know them by
their mark and know them by their ambivalent speech. Allah knows
your actions..." (Surah Muhammed, 30)
Light and love flows from beautiful looks. It is the looks that make
a human face beautiful and impressive.
From the eyes of a believer that looks with love, that love flows to
other believers. With such looks, the hearts of believers open, they
find relief. However the looks of jealous people are often
unsettling. A person avoids looking at such people, since their
looks convey lovelessness and hatred. The kind of evil attitude of
these people manifests itself in their looks and on their faces. In
one verse of the Qur'an, Allah reveals this thus:
He knows the eyes' deceit and what people's breasts conceal. (Surah
Ghafir, 19)
Even if these people have very beautiful eyes and very nice facial
features, they seem repulsive, ugly and dirty to others. People
generally avoid looking at the eyes of such people. That is because
souls are prone to love, compassion, affection and they long for
friendly looks. In this sense, a beautiful look becomes the food of
the soul. That is why the compassionate look of a mother to her
baby reminds one of purity to everyone. However the real light and
beauty is the positive feeling that flows from the eyes of devout
Muslims to the hearts of other Muslims. This gives vitality and
spiritedness to people. They render Muslims strong in the spiritual
sense, and become instrumental in making them feel closer to Allah.
Indeed, even a single look of our Prophet (saas) brought people to
life in the spiritual sense. Indeed, catching our Prophet's (saas)
eye for a moment became, by Allah's leave, instrumental in people
around him coming to faith. The works written on the life of our
Prophet (saas) devote special space to the description of looking
beautifully:
"HIS LOOKS WERE EXTREMELY MEANINGFUL...He used to speak in a very
concise manner. There was neither a deficiency nor any redundancy
in his words." ( Imam Muhammad Bin Muhammad bin Sulayman
ar-Rudani, The Great Hadith Collection, Jam'ul-fawaid min
Jam'il-usul and Majma'idh, Volume 5, Iz Publishing, p. 32 )
Just like the looks of our Prophet (saas), the eyes of all prophets
are beautiful. There is also light and beauty in the eyes of
Islamic scholars and genuine believers. Their eyes convey
compassion.
That is why a believer must never say, "My looks are not so
important ; what is important is not to make any faults in my words
and attitudes. Those who would like to know me must do it through
my words." Surely every believer must conduct himself nicely and
speak good words. However, a believer must also consider looking in
a beautiful manner as an important act of worship, for our
Almighty Allah informs us that looks are an important measure of
getting to know people, respecting them, believing in them and of
establishing friendship with them.
Every Muslim who is conscious of this fact must make effort to have
smarter, wiser, confidential glances that are full of love. Such an
attribute will be instrumental in him attaining much goodness both
in this world and beyond, and open the doors of many secret
blessings for him. In one verse it is related that our Lord is aware
of all eyes:
"Eyesight cannot perceive Him but He perceives eyesight. He is the
All-Penetrating, the All-Aware." (Surat al-Anam, 103)

Our mother Hazrat Aisha's (ra) knowledge

Although Hazrat Aisha (ra) was still very young when our beloved
Prophet (saas) died, she was one of those who best knew, understood
and committed to memory the Holy Qur'an and the Sunna of our
Prophet (saas). Hazrat Aisha (ra) began memorizing the Qur'an from
an early age and made enthusiastic use of our Prophet's (saas)
learning.
Leading members of the community in both the time of the Prophet's
(saas) Companions, and of those who had spoken to and learned from
them, sought Hazrat Aisha's (ra) advice on a great many matters. Many
jurists consulted with our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra) in order to
benefit from her legal knowledge.
Hazrat Aisha (ra) used Arabic very well, and due to her clear and
accessible way of speaking and the way she preached in the manner
most suited to the person concerned, she had a great impact on
those to whom she spoke.
In addition to being our Prophet's (saas) wife, Hazrat Aisha (ra)
was also a worthy student of his, and occupies a special place in
the field of learning. She corrected errors made by many scholars
in the field of canonical jurisprudence and issued perfect
interpretations of a number of hadiths. Hazrat Umar (ra) always
sought the opinions of Hazrat Aisha (ra) on legal issues regarding
women. This learning on the part of our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra) is
related as followes in Islamic reference sources:
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari says: "When we had difficulty understanding a
hadith from Rasulullah (saas), we would ask Hazrat Aisha (ra) what
it meant and we always received an answer from her ". (
www.beyan.com.tr)
Hazrat Urve says of Hazrat Aisha (ra) that, "I never saw a woman
more learned than Hazrat Aisha (ra) in the fields of canonical
jurisprudence, medicine and poetry."
Ata bin Abî Rebâh said, "Hazrat Aisha (ra) was one of the members of
the Ummah with the best knowledge of religious law and who held the
very soundest opinions."
Because of her remarkable memory and her close attention to every
move made by our Prophet (saas), the information provided by our
mother Hazrat Aisha (ra) is of the greatest value. Hazrat Aisha
(ra), one of the Companions who related most hadiths, handed down
a total of 2,210 hadiths from our Prophet (saas).
Hazrat Aisha's (ra) Contribution to the Spread of Islam
Following the death of the Prophet Muhammad (saas), our mother
Hazrat Aisha's (ra) house in Medina became a center of learning
where many people, great and small, would come to listen to her. In
this way, she had the opportunity to spread and transmit Islamic
moral values in the most effective way.
Hazrat Aisha's (ra) wise speech and her deep love of and devotion to
our Lord and our Prophet (saas) were instrumental in her having a
considerable impact on the people she spoke to.
Our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra) took a close interest in women's
education and schooling right from the time when our Prophet (saas)
was still alive. Thus she herself and the students she taught
became clear models showing that women needed to be actively
involved in learning.
Our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra) died in Medina on Tuesday, the 17th day
of Ramadan, in the year 676.
Hadiths handed down from our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra)
"The Messenger of Allah (saas) preferred others' desires over his
own." (Muhammed Yusuf Kandehlevi, The Islamic Life of the Prophet
Muhammad and His People, Vol. 1, Sentez Press, Essential Works
Series: 2/1, p. 297 (Targib, V/148; Bayhaqi from Hazrat Aisha (as))
"He did not speak his words fast and one after the other; his words
were few and to the point." (al-Fawaid, Hujjat al-Islam, Imam Gazali,
Ihya' Ulum al-Din, Vol. 2, Trans. Dr. Sittki Gulle, Huzur Press,
Istanbul 1998, p. 800)
"The blessed one's words were carefully chosen. Everyone who heard
them understood." (G. Ahmed Ziyauddin, Ramuz al-Ahadith, Vol. 2,
Gonca Press, Istanbul, 1997, 521/4)
"When Rasulullah (saas) saw a thing he liked, he said, "Thanks be to
Allah that pure things come from His blessing alone." ( The Six
Books/7095 )
"He was the gentlest, the most generous and the most smiling of faces
toward women."

Our mother Hazrat Aisha (as), a superiormuslim woman

Hazrat Aisha (ra) was the wife of our beloved Prophet Muhammad
(saas) and the daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), the first caliph of
Islam. As the wife of our Prophet (saas), Hazrat Aisha (ra) is
known as "ummul-muminun," meaning "the mother of the believers" and
as the daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), she is known by the title
of "as-Siddiqa" meaning "the devoted". She was born in Mecca in 614.
With her superior qualities, such as intelligence, her powerful
faith, wise speech and profound understanding of the Qur'an and our
Prophet (saas), all bestowed on her by Allah, she is an exemplary
Muslim for all believers.
ADNAN OKTAR: Our mother Hazrat Aisha ( ra ) was beautiful and highly
intelligent. She was very courageous, as was our mother Hazrat Hafsa
( ra ). They were the most splendid people. Many hadiths and other
accounts have come down to us through them. They are our mothers
and had a perfect understanding of Islam. Our Prophet (saas) loved
them, and they loved our Prophet (saas). Both are manifestations of
Allah. May Allah lavish goodness upon them. Masha'Allah. (Adnan
Oktar's live interview on HarunYahya.TV (11 August 2010))
The Moral Values of Hazrat Aisha (ra)
Hazrat Aisha (ra) was educated in early childhood by her father,
Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), the first caliph of Islam. Her marriage to our
Prophet (saas) led to further moral and intellectual growth,
maturity and depth. Our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra) became a Muslim at
an early age, and with her modesty, determination, generosity and a
character devoid of arrogance and refusal to speak badly of anyone
she was a wise role model for all Muslims. Because of her sincere
faith and purity, she was able to act in line with Allah's approval,
that which is really essential.
Hadiths Addressed to our Mother Hazrat Aisha ( ra)
Some of the hadiths addressed to our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra) and
quoted in the Ramuz al-Ahadith read as follows:
"O Aisha, Allah is He Who treats His servants with blessings. He
loves gentle behavior in all matters."
"O Aisha, gentleness and patience beautify and adorn wherever they
are found and reduce the beauty of whatever they are lifted from."
"O Aisha, backbiting is relating a Muslim's defect behind his back.
But if the flaw in question does not exist in him, then you have
slandered our Muslim brother. And slander is a worse sin than
backbiting."
ADNAN OKTAR: The cleanliness, purity and blessed nature of our
mother Hazrat Aisha ( ra ) are praised in the Qur'an. And that is
that. Do not say anything to me after that. Or I will refuse to
listen and will answer you harshly. Let me tell you. My criterion
is the Qur'an. Since she is praised in the Qur'an, that is the end of
it. I have no interest in this person hearing something from there
or that person from someone else. Anyone can say what they like,
insha'Allah. If she is praised in the Qur'an, that is that. Why
should I believe anyone else? Look, Almighty Allah says, " Why, when
you heard it, did you not, as men and women of the believers,
instinctively think good thoughts and say, 'This is obviously a
lie'? ." This is a full clarification of the immaculate nature of
our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra). It shows her whole life was immaculate
and any statements against her can thus be seen to have no truth to
them. They can all be seen to be false. Let me also explicitly set
that out. Our other blessed mothers, our mothers who related
hadiths, these are blessed people...(12 September 2010 Kanal
Avrupa)
Our Mother Hazrat Aisha ( ra) says…
Young people from the time of the devout Muslims who had spoken with
the Prophet Muhammad's (saas) Companions and learned from them, came
to our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra) and asked her about the moral
values of Rasulullah (saas). She said: "His moral values were those
of the Qur'an. He approved of that which the Holy Qur'an approves
of. And he disapproved of and avoided what the Qur'an disapproves
of."
"When Rasulullah (saas) had to choose between two things, he would
take the easier, so long as it was not sinful. But when it was
sinful, he avoided it more than anyone else. Rasulullah (saas)
never sought revenge for his own personal desire."

Fathwa, - Equality of the sexes

Question
I am currently a Masters student and all I am being taught is the
superiority of men over women in Islam. I whole heartedly agree. Yet I
have some questions which generally arise in our class.
1( Are men superior to women?
2( Men and women are mentioned )individually( how many times in Qur'an?
3( What should I say and what should be my response to such comments?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and
peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and
Companions.
1( Know, as stated clearly in the Noble Qur'an, that men have a degree
of responsibility over women since they pay the Mahr )bridal money(,
spend on behalf of women, protect them and satisfy their needs in
general. Men also are required to wage Jihad; they have stronger
bodies and behave better than women.
Men, according to their Fitra role in life that Allah has granted
them, use their intellectual powers more than women, who are more
influenced with emotions. The man's brain, according to scientific
research, is heavier than that of women. In general, men are more
rational. But, at the individual level, you may find women who are
better reasoners than men.
2( Know that the word men )and its derivatives( is mentioned 32 times
in the Qur'an, while the word women )and its derivatives( is mentioned
42 times.
3( If you want to understand our stated notes and points you have to
study verses that are related to the subject such as:
Allah Says )interpretation of meaning(:}Men are the protectors and
maintainers of women, because Allâh has made one of them to excel the
other, …{]4:34[. He Says:}And they )women( have rights )over their
husbands as regards living expenses, etc.( similar )to those of their
husbands( over them )as regards obedience and respect, etc.( to what
is reasonable, but men have a degree )of responsibility( over them.
…{]2:228[. He also Says:}And get two witnesses out of your own men.
And if there are not two men )available(, then a man and two women,
such as you agree for witnesses, so that if one of them )two women(
errs, …{]2:282[. And He Says:}Allâh commands you as regards your
children's )inheritance(; to the male, a portion equal to that of two
females; …{]4:11[
So, you can satisfy your need and find explanations supported with
Hadith and opinions of scholars.
Allah knows best.

Fathwa, - The place of women in Muslim societies today

Question
Is it to be considered that women are given their rightful place in
Muslim societies now? What are the reasons that prove this?
Why may it be argued that the Prophet )Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam(
"triumphed over death"?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and
peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and
Companions.
Dear Brother!
1( As you know, present Muslim societies experience a state of
weakness, disunion and abandonment of practising Islamic teachings and
noble traditions. A woman is part and parcel of these societies, which
in most cases are not living according to Islam nor to the noble
traditions )Sufficient unto us is Allah(.
In fact, the Muslim woman enjoys a good status in the society that
honors Islam and establishes noble habits. Thus, she is a good wife,
dutiful daughter, kind mother and merciful sister.
On the other hand, if a woman oversteps all bounds and exceeds the
proper limits of Sharia and of her nature, she loses her honor,
dignity and rights. This, for sure, is clear and demonstrated in all
walks of daily life.
2( In reality, we have not heard of such an expression 'The Prophet
)Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam( triumphed over death'. It is not a
Hadith, nor a saying of a companion of the Prophet )Sallallahu Alaihi
wa Sallam(, nor a wise saying. However, know that no one can triumph
over death.
Allah Says )interpretation of meaning(:}Whatsoever is on it )the
earth( will perish. And the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and
Honour will abide forever.{]55: 26-27[. He also Says:}Everyone is
going to taste death, …{]21: 35[.
Allah knows best.

Fathwa, - Lack of Qur'anic recitations by women

Question
Why are there no recordings of women reciting Qur'an? And why do no
women lead prayer in mosques, even in the U.S., where there may be a
significant number of women? I am new to Islam, like many Americans,
and am fascinated by the beauty and universality of its message.
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and
peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and
Companions. We ask Allah to bless you by steadfastness on this
religion and grant you the good insight and knowledge of this Deen
)religion(. As for your question why Qur'anic cassettes with women
voice are not available and why women do not lead in prayers in
mosques, the answer is that in Islam the woman is respected and
glorified, she is granted the high status that she deserves while
being protected from any cause of temptation. For this reason in Islam
the woman is forbidden to lead men in prayer while she is permitted to
lead women. This is to prevent any temptation and ward off any
depravity or perversion. In addition, Imamah )leading in prayer( is
among the characteristics of guardianship protection and care-taking
that are peculiar to the man. Allah Says )interpretation of meaning(:
}Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has
made one of them to excel the other, …{]4: 34[. So, the woman should
not try to take over any of the man's rights and vice versa. Allah
Says )interpretation of meaning(: }And wish not for the things in
which Allah has made some of you to excel others.…{ ]4: 32[. As for
the woman's recitation of the Qur'an and her recording of it in a
tape, there is no objection to that if it is for women and also for
men provided these men are not tempted by her voice. In order to close
the door to any possible temptation, Muslims have chosen not to record
Qur'an cassettes with female voices and this is part of this
protection of the woman which is required by Shariah. Allah knows
best.

The Ten Commandments and Confirmation in Quran

1.Thou shall not take any God except one God.
2.Thou shall make no image of God.
3.Thou shall not use God's name in vain.
4.Thou shall honor thy mother and father.
5.Thou shall not steal.
6.Thou shall not lie or give false testimony.
7.Thou shall not kill.
8.Thou shall not commit adultery.
9.Thou shall not covet thy neighbors wife or
possessions.
10.Thou shall keep the Sabbath holy.
1.There is no God except one God (47:19)
2.There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him (42:11)
3.Make not God's name an excuse to your oaths (2:224)
4.Be kind to your parents if one or both of them attain old age in thy
life, say not
a word of contempt nor repel them but address them in terms of honor. (17:23)
5.As for the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands, but
those who repent
After a crime and reform shall be forgiven by God for God is forgiving
and kind. (5:38 - 39)
6.They invoke a curse of God if they lie. (24:7) Hide not the testimony (2:283)
7.If anyone has killed one person it is as if he had killed the whole
mankind (5:32)
8.Do not come near adultery. It is an indecent deed and a way for
other evils. (17:32)
9.Do good to your parents, relatives and neighbors. (4:36) Saying of the Prophet
Muhammad (P) "One of the greatest sins is to have illicit sex with
your neighbors wife".
10.When the call for the Friday Prayer is made, hasten to the remembrance of God
and leave off your business. (62:9)

The Endocrine and Metabolic Effects of Alcoholism

Alcohol
addiction is a major health and social problem in the United States.
Close to 18 million Americans are habitual drinkers. Medical
conditions, accidents, and loss of work account for $26 billion in
health core costs. The effect of alcohol on major organs is well
known. Practically, alcoholism damages all organs, the important ones
being the liver, gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system,
pancreas, and heart. However, the effect of alcohol on endocrine and
metabolic systems(1-2)is neither well described nor appreciated by the
general public.
The endocrine effects of alcohol are acute or chronic, and can be
contributed indirectly to be existing malnutritiontion and liver
disease. At the pituitary level, one of the actions of alcohol is to
decrease the release of vasopressin. Vasopressin is secreted from the
hypothalamus, is stored in the posterior pituitary, and it is the
hormone that controls urinary output. In chronic alcoholism, as a
result of a lack of vasopressin, there is a diuretic state leading to
further dehydration.(3-4)
Alcoholics(1)serum calcium and magnesium levels are low because of
malnutrition, malabsorption, diarrhea, and pancreatitis with increased
urinary loss. Serum albumin is also low; therefore, the total calcium
is falsely reduced further. Magnesium and calcium contribute to
alcoholic tetany and cardiac arrhythmia.(5-6)Alcohol can increase
serum triglycerides and VLDL associated with chronic fatty liver and
acute pancreatitis, can cause exacerbation of the primary liver and
acute pancreatitis, and can cause exacerbation of primary
hypertriglyceridemia and diabetic hypertriglyceridemia. There is also
a question of whether it will increase HDL.(7)
There is sodium retention in alcoholics because of increased
aldosterone and estrogen and abnormality of the prostaglandin and
kallikrein/kinin system. There is also a decrease in the naturetic
factor. The cortisol output from the adrenal cortex increases due to
dual action of alcohol on the hypothalamus and pituitary. At the level
of the hypothalamus, it causes an increase in CRF; at the level of the
pituitary, it causes an increase in CRF; and at the level of the
pituitary, it causes an increase in ACTH production.
As a result, pseudo-Cushing's syndrome is not uncommon in alcoholics.
The physical features are very similar to classical Cushing's
syndrome, and it is confirmed with excess corticosteroids both in
serum and urine. However, it suppresses normally on Dexamethasone, and
there is a spontaneous resolution with abstinence.(8)
Alcohol has many effects on carbohydrate metabolism, including glucose
intolerance, alcoholic hypoglycemia, alcoholic ketoacidosis, and
lactic acidosis. The mechanism of alcoholic hypoglycemia includes a
decrease in glycogen storage and decreased production of glucose of
decrease gluconeogenesis. One of the features of alcoholic
hypoglycemia is that it is prolonged and does not respond to glucagon
injections. Therefore, 50% or 10% Dextrose must be used to correct it
until the effect of the alcohol has passed.
Alcohol depresses LH and FSH secretion at the pituitary level, and
there is also a possibility that it might affect LH-RH releasing
hormone at the hypothalamus. The combination of this affects both
testicular and ovarian functions.(9)As a result, the serum
testosterone is decreased, not only because of a lack of gonadotropin
acting on the testes, but also there is an increased clearance of
testosterone and metabolites in the liver. Alcohol may also block LH
receptors at the testes.
Another factor in both decreased testosterone section and decreased
spermatogenesis is malnutrition, which lowers FSH and LH hormones. As
a result of decreased testosterone formation, there is a decreased
libido, gynecomastia, atrophied testes, and impotence. Therefore, the
myth of alcohol being an aphrodisiac is broken by actually causing
more permanent damage on the gonadal system. Not only is there a
decrease in testosterone level, but there is also an increased
estradiol-testosterone ratio, increased LH and FSH due to decreased
feedback and a decreased sperm count.
In women, alcohol can cause oligomenorrhea, amenorrhea, and decreased
fertility by acting directly on the ovaries or decreasing LH and FSH
to the pituitary. Also, malnutrition in alcoholics affects LH-RH
secretion in the hypothalamus, and LH-FSH section from the
pituitary.(10)
Some of the features of hypermetabolism are seen in alcoholics with
proptosis of both eyes, plethora, tachycardia, warm and sweaty palms,
and tremors. Thus, the question is, is there any thyroid dysfunction
in alcoholism? Indeed, serum T4 is decreased in cirrhosis with a
decrease in thyroid-binding globulin. However, there is an increase in
the reverse T3 level in liver decreases and acute illness as a
compensatory phenomenon. The firee T3 level actually may also
increase, explaining some of these hypermetabolic features of
alcoholism.(11)
In summary, alcohol, in both acute form and in chronic cirrhosis,
affects the endocrine and metabolic systems by acting directly or
through malnutrition, affecting hormone releasing secretions. We hope
that the above information will be understood and passed on to
patients by the physicians so that they will practice abstinence or
enter into a treatment program and not wait for end-stage liver
disease, pancreatitis, or GI bleeding.

Information for Health Care Providers when dealing with a Muslim Patient

I. Your Muslim PatientWith the growing Muslim population in the USA,
the encounter between a Muslim patient and American hospitals and
physicians is likely to increase. Knowing the religion of your
patients will improve the communication and health care.
Islam meanspeace and submission to the will of God (Allah).Muslims
believe in one God (Allah) and the last Messenger, Mohammed. They also
believe in all the other prophets from Adam to Jesus, all the revealed
books, the angels and the last day.
TheFive Pillars of Islamare Faith, Prayer, Fasting, Charity and
Hajj(Pilgrimage to Mecca).
II. How Muslims View IllnessMuslims receive illness and death with
patience and prayers. They consider an illness as atonement for their
sins. They consider death as apart of a journey to meet their Lord.
However,they are strongly encouraged to seek treatment and care.
III. Some Islamic Health PracticesCleanliness is considered "half of
the faith." Qur'an, the holy book, prohibits eating pork or pork
products, meat of dead animals, blood and all intoxicants. Fasting
from dawn to dusk daily for one month a year brings rest to the body
and has many medical values. Meditation and prayers bring
psychological tranquility.
IV. Additional Islamic Health Practices* Regard for the sanctity of
life is an injunction.
* Circumcision of the male infants is recommended.
* Blood transfusions are allowed after proper screening.
* Assisted suicide and euthanasia are not permitted.
* Autopsy is not permitted unless required by law.
* Maintaining a terminal patient on artificial life support for a
prolonged period in a vegetative state is not encouraged.
* Abortion is not allowed except to save the mother's life.
* Transplantation in general is allowed with some restrictions.
* Artificial reproductive technology is permitted between husband and
wife only during the span of intact marriage.
* While Islam opposes homosexuality, it does not prohibit Muslim
physicians from caring for AIDS patients.
* Muslims can have a livingwill or a case manager.
* Genetic engineering to cure a disease is acceptable but not cloning.
What the Health Care Providers Can Do For Their Muslim Patient
* Respect their modesty and privacy. Some examinations can be done over a gown.
* Provide Muslim or Kosher meals.
* Allow them to pray if they can and read the Qur'an.
* Inform them of their rights as patients and encourage a living will.
* Take time to explain tests, procedures and treatment. Many Muslims
are new immigrants and may have a language problem.
* Allow their Imam to visit them.
* Allow the family to bring food if there are no restrictions.
* Do not insist on autopsy or organ donation.
* Always examine a female patient in the presence of another female.
* Allow the family and Imam to follow Islamic guidelines for preparing
the dead body for an Islamic funeral. The female body should be given
the same respect and privacy as she was living.
* Identify Muslim patients with word Muslim in the chart, name tag or bracelet.
* Provide same sex health care person (MD or RN) if possible.
* Preferable no male in the delivery room except the husband.

Fwd: Scholar Alert - [ Hipertention, Diabetic foot syndrome ]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Google Scholar Alerts <scholaralerts-noreply@google.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 22:16:16 +0000
Subject: Scholar Alert - [ Hipertention, Diabetic foot syndrome ]
To: aydnajimudeen@gmail.com

Scholar Alert: [ Hipertention, Diabetic foot syndrome ]

[HTML] Hyperuricemia as an Independent Predictor of Vascular
Complications and Mortality in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A
Meta-Analysis
Y Xu, J Zhu, L Gao, Y Liu, J Shen, C Shen, G Matfin… - PLOS ONE, 2013
... 1.12-2.86), age, sex, smoking status, waist circumference, TC,
HDL-C, GFR, duration of diabetes,
HbA1c, hypertension, use of ... 2009) Elevated serum uric acid
concentrations independently predict
cardiovascular mortality in type 2 diabetic patients. Diabetes Care
32: 1716-1720 ...

The impact of concordant and discordant comorbidities on
patient‐assessed quality of diabetes care
E Aung, M Donald, J Coll, J Dower, GM Williams - Health Expectations, 2013
... Our results suggest that discordant comorbidities do not compete
with diabetes care, whether
it is measured by patient ... al.[14] concluded that discordant
comorbidities, even when incident,
did not affect the management of hyperglycaemia and hypertension in
diabetic patients. ...

Metabolic Alkalosis
AS Reddi - Fluid, Electrolyte and Acid-Base Disorders, 2014
... to eating baking soda (a palm full with water) and covering the
foot ulcer with ... She has no history
of hypertension, migraine, or diabetes. ... 7. Hyperreninism and
hyperaldosteronism (malignant
and renovascular hypertension, renin-secreting tumors). 8. Liddle
syndrome. Question 4. ...

[HTML] G-CSF Prevents Progression of Diabetic Nephropathy in Rat
BI So, YS Song, CH Fang, JY Park, Y Lee, JH Shin… - PLOS ONE, 2013
... have demonstrated that administration of pioglitazone for 6 months
ameliorates renal injury, and
Ko et al. showed that treatment with enalapril for 32 weeks had
beneficial effects on renal damage
due to diabetes [15], [42]. ... diabetic nephropathy: role of hypertension. ...

Endothelial-Podocyte Crosstalk: The Missing Link Between Endothelial
Dysfunction and Albuminuria in Diabetes
FS Siddiqi, A Advani - Diabetes, 2013
... Accelerating factors, such as comorbid hypertension, may further
compound vascular damage
induced by high ... PODOCYTE INJURY AT THE CENTER OF DIABETIC
ALBUMINURIA. ... implicating
injury to glomerular podocytes as the major cause of albuminuria in
diabetes. ...

What is the value of growth hormone therapy in Prader Willi syndrome?
N Bridges - Archives of Disease in Childhood, 2013
... completely normalised with treatment and some features, like small
hands and feet are not ... treated
group, but there was no difference in the prevalence of diabetes,
sleep apnoea or ... of GH treatment
reported in other conditions (such as benign intracranial hypertension
and local ...

[PDF] MULTIPARAMETRIC MRI OF THE PROSTATE
T Dean - 2013
... or superior to bypass for patients with diabetes and ischaemic
foot ulcers. ... Below knee vessels
in a diabetic patient with critical limb ischaemia without open ... d.
Conditions that mimic carpal tunnel
syndrome – peripheral neuropathy (diabetes, chemotherapy, vitamin
deficiency etc ...

[PDF] Association of Genetic polymorphism of PPARgamma-2, ACE, MTHFR,
FABP-2 and FTO genes in risk prediction of type 2 diabetes mellitus
S Abbas, ST Raza, F Ahmed, A Ahmad, S Rizvi… - Journal of Biomedical …, 2013
... Dominant negative mutations in human PPARgamma associated with
severe insulin resistance,
diabetes mellitus and hypertension. ... MTHFR C677T and A1298C gene
polymorphism and
hyperholnocysteinemia as risk factor of diabetic nephropathy in type 2
diabetes patients ...

Assessment of arterial stiffness among schizophrenia-spectrum
disorders using aortic pulse wave velocity and arterial compliance: A
pilot study
AA Phillips, DER Warburton, SW Flynn, D Fredrikson… - Psychiatry Research, 2013
... Ward physicians confirmed the absence of diabetes in all patients
enrolled in this study ... compliance,
we used applanation tonometry through the HDI CR-2000 (Hypertension
Diagnostics, Eagan ...
data (ie, smoking history, alcohol history, nutritional history and
diabetic status) were ...

Disorders of ECF Volume: Congestive Heart Failure
AS Reddi - Fluid, Electrolyte and Acid-Base Disorders, 2014
... Foot and leg discomfort due to edema, and abdominal discomfort due
to ascites are also frequently
presented complaints. ... Case 2. A 72-year-old man with history of
hypertension, type 2 diabetes,
coronary artery disease with stent placement, and CHF is admitted for ...

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Transmission of Sciences

The Muslims were thepioneers of sciencesandartsduring mediaeval times
and formed the necessary link between the ancients and the moderns.
Their light of learning dispelled the gloom that had enveloped Europe.
Spain
Moorish Spainwas the main source from which the scientific knowledge
of the Muslims and their great achievements were transmitted to
France, Germany and England. The Spanish universities
ofCordova,SevilleandGranadawere thronged with Christian and Jewish
students who learnt science from the Muslim scientists and who then
popularized them in their native lands.
Sicily
Another source for the transmission of Muslim scientific knowledge
wasSicily, where during the reign of Muslim kings and even afterwards
a large number of scientific works were translated from Arabic into
Latin. The most prominent translators who translated Muslims works
from Arabic into European languages wereGerard of Cremona,Adelard of
Bath,Roger Bacon and Robert Chester.
Writing in his celebrated workMoors in Spain, Stanley Lane Poole says,
"For nearly eight centuries under the Mohammadans rulers, Spain set
out to all Europe a shining example of a civilized and enlightened
State--Arts, literature and science prospered as they prospered
nowhere in Europe".
Muslim Spain
Students flocked from France, Germany and England to drink from the
fountain of learning which flowed down in the cities of Moors. The
surgeons and doctors ofAndalusiawere in the van of science; women
wereencouragedto serious study and thelady doctorwas not always
unknown among the people of Cordova.
Mathematics, astronomy and botany, history, philosophy and
jurisprudence, were to be mastered in Spain, and Spain alone. The
practical work of the field, the scientific methods ofirrigation,
thearts of fortificationandshipbuilding, of the highest and most
elaborate products of theloom, thegraveland thehammer, thepotter's
wheelandmason's trowel, were brought to perfection by the Spanish
Moors. Whatever makes a kingdom great and prosperous, whatever tends
to refinement and civilization was found inMuslim Spain.
The students flocked to Spanish cities from all parts of Europe to be
infused with the light of learning which lit up Moorish Spain. Another
western historian writes, "The light of these universities shone far
beyond the Muslim world, and drew students to them from east and
west".
At Cordova in particular there were a number of Christian students,
and the influence of Arab philosophy coming by way of Spain upon
universities ofParis,Oxfordand North Italy and upon western Europe
thought generally, was very considerable indeed. The book copying
industry flourished atAlexandria,Damascus,CairoandBaghdadand about the
year970, there were 27 free schools open in Cordova for the education
of the poor.
Such were the great achievements of Muslims in the field of science
which paved the way for the growth of modern sciences.

Experimental Methods by Muslims

Observation and experiment are the two sources of scientific
knowledge.Aristotlewas the father of the Greek sciences, and has made
a lasting contribution to physics, astronomy, biology, meteorology and
other sciences. The Greek method of acquiring scientific knowledge was
mainly speculative, hence science as such could make little headway
during the time of the Greeks.
The Arabs who were more realistic and practical in their
approachadopted the experimental methodto harness scientific
knowledge. Observation and experiment formed the vehicle of their
scientific pursuits, hence they gave a new outlook to science of which
the world had been totally unaware. Their achievements in the field of
experimental science added agolden chapterto the annals of scientific
knowledge and opened a new vista for the growth of modern sciences.
Al-Ghazaliwas the follower of Aristotle in logic, but among
Muslims,Ishraqi and Ibn-iTaimiyyawere first to undertake the
systematic refutation of Greek logic.Abu Bakr Razicriticized
Aristotle's first figure and followed the inductive spirit which was
reformulated by John Stuart Mill.Ibn-i-Hazmin his well known work
Scope of Logic lays stress on sense perception as a source of
knowledge andIbn-i-Taimiyyain his Refutation of Logic proves beyond
doubt that induction is the only sure form of argument, which
ultimately gave birth to the method of observation and experiment.
It isabsolutely wrongto assume that experimental method wasformulated
in Europe. Roger Bacon, who, in the west is known as the originator of
experimental method in Europe, had himself received his training from
the pupils of Spanish Moors, and hadlearnt everything from
Muslimsources.
The influence ofIbn Haithamon Roger Bacon is clearly visible in his
works.Europe was very slowto recognize the Islamic origin of her much
advertised scientific (experimental) method. Writing in the Making of
Humanity, Briffault admits,
"It was under their successors at the Oxford School that Roger Bacon
learned Arabic and Arabic science. Neither Roger Bacon nor his later
namesake has any title to be credited with having introduced the
experimental method. Roger Bacon was no more than one of the apostles
of Muslim science and method to Christian Europe; and he never wearied
of declaring that the knowledge of Arabic and Arabic science was for
his contemporaries the only way to true knowledge. Discussions as to
who was the originator of the experimental method......are part of the
colossal misrepresentation of the origins of European civilization.
Theexperimental method of Arabswas by Bacon's time widespread and
eagerly cultivated throughout Europe. Science is the most momentous
contribution of Arab civilization to the modern world, but its fruits
were slow in ripening. Not until long after Moorish culture had sunk
back into darkness did the giant to which it had given birth, rise in
his might. It was not science only which brought Europe back to life.
Other and manifoldinfluences from the civilization of
Islamcommunicated its first glow to European life.
For although there is not a single aspect of European growth in which
the decisive influence of Islamic culture is not traceable, nowhere is
it so clear and momentous as in the genesis of that power which
constitutes the permanent distinctive force of the modern world, and
the supreme source of its victory-natural science and the scientific
spirit, The debt of our science to that of the Arabs does not consist
in startling discoveries or revolutionary theories; science owes a
great deal more to Arab culture, it owes its existence.
The ancient world was, as we saw, pre-scientific. The astronomy and
mathematics of Greeks were a foreign importation never thoroughly
acclimatized in Greek culture. The Greeks systematized, generalized
and theorized, but the patient ways of investigations, the
accumulation of positive knowledge, the minute methods of science,
detailed and prolonged observation and experimental enquiry were
altogether alien to the Greek temperament.
Only inHellenistic Alexandriawas any approach to scientific work
conducted in the ancient classical world. That spirit and those
methods were introduced into the European world by the Arabs."
In his outstanding workThe Reconstruction of Religious Thought in
Islam,Dr. M. Iqbal, the poet of Islam writes, "The first important
point to note about the spirit of Muslim culture then is that for
purposes of knowledge, it fixes its gaze on the concrete, the finite.
It is further clear that thebirth of the method of observationand
experiment in Islam was due not to a compromise with Greek thought but
to prolonged intellectual warfare with it. In fact the influence of
Greeks who, as Briffault says, were interested chiefly in theory, not
in fact, tended rather to obscure the Muslim's vision of the Quran,
and for at least two centuries kept the practical Arab temperament
from asserting itself and coming to its own."
Thus the experimental method introduced by the Arabs was responsible
for the rapid advancement of science during the mediaeval times.

Chemistry by Muslims

Chemistry as a science is unquestionably theinvention of the Muslims.
It is one of the sciences in which Muslims have made the greatest
contribution and developed it to such a high degree of perfection that
they were considered authorities in this science until the end of the
17th century A. D.
Jabir and Zakariya Razihave the distinction of being thegreatest
chemists the mediaeval timesproduced. Writing in his illuminating
History of the Arabs, Philip K. Hitti acknowledges the greatness of
Arabs in this branch of science when he says, "After materia medica,
astronomy and mathematics, the Arabs made their greatest scientific
contribution in chemistry. In the study of chemistry and other
physical sciences, the Arabs introduced the objective experiment, a
decided improvement over the hazy speculation of Greeks. Accurate in
the observation of phenomena and diligent in the accumulation of
facts, the Arabs nevertheless found it difficult to project proper
hypotheses."
Jabir Ibn Hayyan (Geber)
Jabir Ibn Hayyan (Geber)who flourished in Kufa about776 A.D.is known
as thefather of modern chemistryand along with Zakariya Razi, stands
as the greatest name in the annals of chemical science during
mediaeval times. He got his education fromUmayyad Prince Khalid Ibn
Yazid Ibn Muawiyahand the celebrated Imam Jafar al-Sadiq.
He worked on the assumption that metals like lead, tin and iron could
be transformed into gold by mixing certain chemical substances. It is
said that he manufactured a large quantity of gold with the help of
that mysterious substance and two centuries later, when a street was
rebuilt in Kufa a large piece of gold was unearthed from his
laboratory.
He laid great emphasis on the importance of experimentation in his
research and hence he made great headway in chemical science, Western
writers credit him with thediscovery of several chemicalcompounds,
which are not mentioned in his twenty-two extant Arabic works.
According to Max Meyerhof "His influence may be traced throughout the
whole historic course of European alchemy and chemistry." He is
credited, with the writing of100 chemical works. "Nevertheless, the
works to which his name was attached" says Hitti, "were after the 14th
century, the most influential chemical treatises in both Europe and
Asia."
He explained scientifically thetwo principal operationsof
chemistry,calcinationandreduction, and registered a marked improvement
in the methods ofevaporation,sublimation
filtration,distillationandcrystallization. Jabir modified and
corrected the Aristotelian theory of theconstituents of metal, which
remained unchanged until the beginning of modern chemistry in the 18th
century.
He has explained in his works thepreparation of many chemical
substancesincluding "Cinnabar" (sulphide of mercury) and arsenic
oxide. It has been established through historical research that he
knew how to obtain nearly pure vitrilos, alums, alkalis and how to
produce 'the so-called liver' and milk of sulphur byheating sulphur
with alkali.
He preparedmercury oxideand was fully conversant with the preparation
of crude sulphuric and nitric acids. He knew the method of thesolution
of gold and silverwith this acid. His chemical treatises on such
subjects have beentranslated into several Europeanlanguages including
Latin and several technical scientific terms invented by Jabir have
been adopted in modern chemistry.
A real estimate of his achievements is only possible when his enormous
chemical work including theBook of Seventyare published. Richard
Russell (1678, A.D.) an English translator ascribes a book entitledSun
of Perfection to Jabir. A number of his chemical works have been
published by Berthelot. His books translated into English are theBook
of Kingdom,Book of BalancesandBook of Easternmercury.
Jabir also advanced a theory on thegeologic formation of metalsand
dealt with many useful practical applications of chemistry such as
refinement of metals, preparation of steel and dyeing of cloth and
leather, varnishing of waterproof cloth and use of manganese dioxide
to color glass.
Jabir was recognized as themasterby the later chemists
includingAl-Tughrai and Abu al-Qasim al-Iraqiwho flourished in the
12th and 13th centuries respectively. These Muslim chemists made
little improvement on the methods of Jabir. They confined themselves
to the quest of the legendary elixir which they could never find.
Zakariya Razi
Zakariya Raziknown asRhazasin Latin is thesecond great namein
mediaeval chemical science. Born in 850 A.D. at Rayy, he is known as
one of the greatest physicians of all times. He wroteKitab al Asrarin
chemistry dealing with the preparation of chemical substances and
their application. His great work of the art of alchemy was recently
found in the library of an Indian prince.
Razi has proved himself to be a greater expert than all his
predecessors, including Jabir, in the exactclassification of
substances. His description of chemical experiments as well as their
apparatus are distinguished for their clarity which were not visible
in the writings of his predecessors. Jabir and other Arabian chemists
divided mineral substances into bodies (gold, silver etc.), souls
(sulphur, arsenic, etc.) and spirits (mercury and sal-ammoniac) while
Razi classified hismineral substances as vegetable, animal and
mineral.
Other Notable Chemists
The mineral substances were also classified byAl-Jabiz.Abu Mansur
Muwaffaqhas contributed to the method of the preparation and
properties of mineral substances.Abul Qasimwho was a renowned chemist
prepared drugs by sublimation and distillation. High class sugar and
glass were manufactured in Islamic countries. The Arabs were also
expert in themanufacture of ink, lacquers,solders, cements and
imitationpearls.

The Prophet's Hajj

In the tenth year of the Hijrah, or 632 AD, the Prophet Muhammadset
out for Makkah to perform Hajj. This time about 100,000 believers
accompanied him. This pilgrimage is commonly known as the Farewell
Hajj. It was during this time that he explained the rules of Hajj and
gave his famous speech, known as the Final Sermon.
Upon reaching Makkah, the Prophetand his followers put on the white
sheets that showed their equality before Allah Almighty. This is
called Ihram. Then the pilgrims went directly to the Ka'bah and walked
round it seven times in a counter-clockwise direction. This is called
the Tawaf. As the Muslim pilgrims arrived, they called out: Here I am,
O Allah, here I am! Here I am, O You without equal, Here I am! Yours
is the kingdom, the praise and the glory, O You without equal, God
Alone!
This is the prayer called the Talbiyah, which is the answer to the
Divine call to come and give one's life wholly to Allah.
Next, they ran back and forth seven times between the small hills of
Safa and Marwah in memory of the time when Allah Almighty tested the
Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and his family. This is called the
Sa'i, and it shows the soul's determined search for that which gives
true life.
Allah had told Ibrahim, peace be upon him, to leave his wife, Hajar,
and their son, Isma'il ]Ishmael, peace be upon him[, in His care in
the uninhabited valley of Makkah. In the barren desert the two soon
began to die of thirst. Frantic, Hajar ran back and forth between the
hilltops trying to spot a passing caravan in the distance. But there
was none. Finally, when all seemed lost, a spring gushed forth at the
feet of the suffering child, Isma'il, peace be upon him. This spring
is now known as the well of Zamzam. It reminds pilgrims of the truth,
that when all hope has vanished, God remains to give healing, strength
and life to the soul.
Now the pilgrims had completed the rites in the Sacred Mosque in
Makkah. On the eighth day of the Hajj, the pilgrims went to the valley
of Mina, about ten kilometers from the Ka'bah, where Allah Almighty
tested Ibrahim, peace be upon him, by ordering him to sacrifice his
son, Isma'il. At the last moment, Allah Almighty stopped Ibrahim,
peace be upon him, and allowed him to sacrifice a ram instead.
The Farewell Sermon
On the ninth day of the Prophet's Hajj, the pilgrims proceeded to the
Plain of Arafat to stand on the Mount of Mercy. There they stood in
the sweltering heat, bareheaded, thinking about Allah Almighty and
praying for His mercy. This is called the Woqouf. Here, on that day
during the sermon, an important passage of the Quran was revealed to
the Prophet Muhammad:"…This day I have perfected for you your religion
and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as
religion…"]Quran 5:3[
The Prophetspoke to his followers. He told the Muslims to let the
Quran and his own example be their source of guidance in life. He
ordered them to stop living as they had done before Islam. The age-old
practice of revenge ended. Property was to be respected. And, he
said,"Know that Muslims are brothers to one another."This was a new
idea amongst the quarreling tribes."Have I made myself very
clear?"asked the Prophetafter every point.
After the sermon, the Prophetlooked up and cried:"My Lord! Have I
delivered aright the Message I was charged with and fulfilled my
calling?"Then he told the gathering:"You will be asked about me, so
what will you say?"
They answered with one voice: "We bear witness that you have conveyed
Allah's message, performed your duty and that you have meant goodness
for us." Pointing his index finger toward heaven and then to the
people, he said:"O Allah, be witness; O Allah, be witness; O Allah, be
witness."The Prophetended his speech by saying,"Let those present
convey the message to those who are absent."
By sunset, they headed back toward Mina, gathering pebbles along the
way. On the next day, they performed the ritual of casting their
pebbles, symbolized by three pillars set up in memory of how Ibrahim,
peace be upon him, and his family resisted the temptation of Satan. In
doing this, the pilgrims pledged themselves once more to Allah
Almighty and promised to do their best to drive any devils out of
themselves.
Finally, animals were sacrificed, and the pilgrims returned to perform
the Farewell Tawaf of the Ka'bah. The meat from the sacrifices was
sent to the poor and needy.
Three months after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage to Madinah,
the Prophetfell ill. The Messenger of Allahdied on 8th June 632 A.D.
He was 63 years old.

Lessons Drawn from the Obligation of Hajj - I

The days of Hajj passed, its rituals are over and most of the pilgrims
returned home, carrying the memories of their journey to the House of
Allah Almighty. However, if the rituals of Hajj are over, its benefits
and objectives are not and will never come to an end.
A Christian missionary once said:
Islam will remain the strong rock that will destroy the ships of
Christian missionary activities as long as it has such strong pillars:
the Quran, Friday gathering and the conference of Hajj.
If this is how the enemies of the Muslims understand the objectives of
Hajj and the great role that it can play in the nation of Islam, then
how do Muslims themselves find Hajj? What are the benefits that one
can have during the anniversary of Hajj? What are the lessons that the
Ummah can draw from Hajj? Is Hajj composed of just rituals that are to
be fulfilled, rites, supplications and invocations that are to be
performed, or is it something greater than that?
Allah Almighty, Whose wisdom is great and sublime, can never Prescribe
nor Impose something unless it has numerous benefits and wisdom that
no one's knowledge can comprehend except Him, The Exalted, regardless
of who comprehends or does not comprehend this.
The nation of Islam in its times of difficulty and weakness needs – or
rather, it is in dire need of it – to thoughtfully contemplate, learn
and analyze every objective of the rituals of Islam, and Hajj is one
of them. In this way, it will draw lessons, renew determination, and
correct the direction and intention so that it may adhere firmly to
this religion and strive hard for its superiority, fighting whoever
averts from its way and stands against it.
The obligation of Hajj is great in its rituals, sublime in its
characteristics, noble in its fruits, magnificent in its benefits and
wonderful in its effects. It has uncountable benefits and interests.
Rather, Hajj includes the noblest objectives, the greatest wisdom and
extraordinary benefits. Allah Almighty Has Pointed out such benefits
and objectives in simple words, Saying )what means(:}And proclaim to
the people the Hajj ]pilgrimage[; they will come to you on foot and on
every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass. That they
may witness benefits for themselves.{]Quran 22: 27-28[ Ibn 'Abbaas,
May Allah Be Pleased with him, said, "The benefits of the worldly life
and the Hereafter."
Raising the banner of Tawheed )Islamic monotheism( high:
One of the greatest and foremost objectives of Hajj is raising the
banner of Tawheed high and reviving its characteristics that have
perished. This is the most important and clear objective of the
journey of Hajj. It accompanies it from the very beginning through
dedicating one's intention to Allah Almighty, Alone, and raising the
voice with Talbiyah to the very end with the last time of throwing the
pebbles during the last Days of At-Tashreeq, which is the last of the
rituals of Hajj that the pilgrim does before performing Tawaaf
Al-Wadaa', leaving Makkah to go home.
The people of the pre-Islamic era and Quraysh used to say Talbiyah and
associate partners with Allah Almighty in Talbiyah, saying:
Labbayka Allahumma labbayk. Labbayka la shareeka laka Illa Shareek
Huwa Lak, Tamlikuhu wama Malak )I respond to Your call, I respond to
Your call, You Have no partner except the partner that You Have, You
Own Him and whatever he owns(.
However, when the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, came, he
taught his Ummah pure Tawheed through the great beautiful Talbiyah:
Labbayka Allahumma labbayk, Labbayka la shareeka laka labbayk, Innal
hamda wan-ni'amata laka wal mulk, la shareeka lak )I respond to Your
call, O Allah here I come, In response to Your call, You Have no
partner, I respond to Your call. All the praises and blessings are for
You, All the sovereignty is for You, And You Have no partners with
You(.
This Talbiyah indicates sincere devotion and repentance, Tawheed
without associating partners and sincerity that is free of showing
off. Actually, every act that does not have sincerity lacks blessings
and will not be accepted. The Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
said that Allah Almighty Says:
He who does something for someone else's sake as well as Mine will
have that action renounced by Me to him whom he associated with Me and
I Will Disassociate Myself from him.
Therefore, the first lesson that the pilgrim and the Ummah as a whole
should learn perfectly from the lessons of Hajj is that of Tawheed and
repenting to Allah Almighty again at a time when people have started
to worship many different gods and deities and sound faith has
disappeared in the hearts of its people exactly as the embroideries of
a garment do. People have given up worshiping Allah Almighty to
worship others than Him such as supplicating the dead, believing in
the Awliyaa', ascribing worship, presents and vows to the graves,
seeking a child for a barren woman from them, seeking a husband for a
young woman that stayed a long time in the house of her father
unmarried, seeking a cure for the ill or the return of the absent.
Still there is another category of people who worship others than
Allah Almighty, seek support, help and provision from them, making
them their refuge and safety, believing that they are more powerful
than Allah Almighty. When any harm afflicts them, their hearts call
upon and turn to their deities other than Allah Almighty, unlike what
the polytheists used to do. Allah Almighty Says )what means(:
•}And when adversity touches man, he calls upon his Lord, turning to
Him ]alone[{]Quran 39: 8[
•}And when waves come over them like canopies, they supplicate Allah,
sincere to Him in religion. But when He Delivers them to the land,
there are ]some[ of them who are moderate ]in faith[.{]Quran 31: 32[
As for people nowadays, if adversity touches them, they turn to the
gods of the earth. They depend upon them; call upon them; supplicate
them; seek help and support from them; and present sacrifices for
them, even if the sacrifice is to slaughter Tawheed and sound faith.
Not to mention worshiping desires, property, wives, children and the
like. Hajj comes to change all such things. It comes to destroy the
throne of Shirk and establish the tower of Tawheed on its ruins:
Labbayka Allahumma labbayk, Labbayka la shareeka laka labbayk, Innal
hamda wan-ni'amata laka wal mulk, la shareeka lak. You the Almighty
Are The True God and True Deity. There is no Lord except You. There is
no god other than You. Here I come in response to Your call, truly in
devotion and slav¬ery.
Adhering firmly to the footsteps of the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam:
Amongst the lessons of Hajj is that the Ummah has to learn, remember
and comprehend – rather, it has to have firm conviction – that there
is no sublimity, success, prosperity nor guidance except through
adhering to and following the way of the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi
wa sallam. To adhere firmly to the footsteps of the Prophet,
sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, means that one should adhere to his
guidance regarding belief, actions, conduct, manners, rulings and
accepting his judgments.
Hajj is a wonderful lesson in this regard. It is practical practice
that the pilgrim will do and the whole Ummah will witness. It has
specific rituals and magnificent order that all pilgrims do at the
same time and place. The Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, has
explained this issue while saying when performing every ritual of
Hajj:"Learn from me your rituals )of Hajj and 'Umrah(."
Therefore, Ibn 'Abbaas, May Allah Be Pleased with him, said, "Perform
Hajj in the same way the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, did
and never say this is a Sunnah and this is obligatory."
This matter is not confined to Hajj only, but rather it is to be done
in all the different walks of life. Everyone has to obey the Prophet,
sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and follow his guidance, otherwise, doom
and abyss will be his fate. Allah Almighty Says )what means(:}But no,
by your Lord, they will not ]truly[ believe until they make you, ]O
Muhammad[, judge concerning that over which they dispute among
themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you
have judged and submit in ]full, willing[ submission. {]Quran 4: 65[

Lessons Drawn from the Obligation of Hajj - II

The Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, also said:
•"All of my Ummah will enter Paradise except those who refuse."It was
said, "O Messenger of Allah, who are those who refuse?" He
said,"Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise and whoever disobeys me has
refused."
•"Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter
of ours )i.e. Islam(, will have it rejected."
Allah Almighty also Says )what means(:}So let those beware who dissent
from the Prophet's order, lest Fitnah strike them or a painful
punishment.{]Quran 24: 63[
Complete submission and surrender to the Command of Allah Almighty:
Whoever is enslaved by his customs, taken over by his traditions, or
owned by habits and desires, will not be liberated nor freed;
especially if he weighs all things with his mind and does not take any
action. Rather, he does not adhere to any matter except after
conducting an accurate materialistic evaluation. This is the way of
the slaves of mind and matter. However, Hajj, with its mysterious and
unfamiliar description, is a challenge to the slaves of systems and
arrangements. It is an invitation to achieve complete submission,
belief in the unseen, absolute surrender to the Command of the
Beloved; Allah Almighty, without seeking any proofs or depending on
logic or mental proof. Such absolute submission to the command and
complete surrender to its requirements without knowing the wisdom
behind it is the absolute kind of servitude and slavery to the
Greatest God; Allah Almighty.
Allah Almighty Has Assigned the pilgrims – as Imaam Abu Haamid
Al-Ghazaali, May Allah Have mercy upon him, said – with:
Some acts which involve no fraternizing among people and whose meaning
no intel¬lect can comprehend, such as throwing pebbles and running to
and from repeatedly between Safa and Marwah for example. It is through
such acts that perfect bondage and slavery is manifest. Zakaah is
kindness; its meaning is understood and intellect inclines to it.
Fast¬ing is a break with bestial passion, which is the tool of the
enemy of Allah Almighty, and involves concentration on worship by
abstaining from ]normal[ occupations. Rukoo' )bowing( and )Sujood(
)prostration( in prayer ]express[ submission to Allah Almighty through
acts which represent the ]outward[ forms of submission, But the
running to and fro ]between Safa and Marwah[, and the casting of
stones and similar acts afford no obvious benefit to the soul nor any
natural sociability; nor is the intellect able to discover their
meaning. For whatever the intellect understands, to that is nature
inclined; inclination thus cooperates with the command and together
with it incites to action. Thus, perfect bondage and slavery are
hardly manifest. For this reason, the Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, said, with special reference to Hajj:"Here I am in Hajj, truly
in devotion and slavery."He did not say this in prayer or anything
else.
If the Wisdom of Allah Almighty has decreed that the salva¬tion of
people shall require that their acts be in accordance with the
requirements of submission and ser-vitude – for that whose meanings
cannot be discovered is the most consummate of all the kinds of
worship in cleansing souls and turning them away from the requirements
of nature and ethics to the require¬ments of servitude.
A lesson regarding the unity of the Islamic Ummah:
Amongst the greatest benefits of Hajj is that it affirms the unity of
the Islamic Ummah that is established by the Noble Quran and the
honorable Sunnah as Allah Almighty Says )what means(:}Indeed this,
your religion, is one religion.{]Quran 21: 92[
In Hajj, we find that all Muslims are united in performing the same
specific rituals, away from any differences or distinctions. All
pilgrims perform Tawaaf around the same House, make Sa'y in the same
place, stand at the same destination, turn to only one direction,
recite the same Book, worship the same Lord beside Whom there is no
other god and follow the same Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
All such things enhance the Islamic brotherhood and religious
relationship among all Muslims. Different colors, different shapes and
different countries raise the sublimity of the religion and combine
the power of religion in their hearts and the acts of Hajj among their
bodies and conduct. They, through actions, reject the differences of
nationalities, races and parties. This proves that this Ummah can only
be united by the call of belief and faith, as Allah Almighty Says
)what means(:
•}Indeed this, your religion, is one religion, and I Am your Lord, so
worship Me.{]Quran 21: 92[
•}The believers are but brothers.{]Quran 49: 10[
Also, the Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"The
relationship between one believer and another is like a structure,
parts of which support other parts."
If Muslims realize this noble meaning, act upon it and apply it,
differences and causes of dissension will vanish. Rather, they will be
like a single body, submitting to the Saying of Allah Almighty )which
means(:}And hold firmly to the Rope of Allah all together and do not
become divided.{]Quran 3: 103[
Adopting a moderate and balanced approach in all matters:
One has to avoid all types of exaggeration, going to extremes or being
careless. Imaam Ahmad reported from Ibn 'Abbaas, May Allah Be Pleased
with him, who said: "The Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, said to me on the morning of Al-'Aqabah: "Come and pick up
pebbles for me." So I picked up pebbles for him that were a little
larger than a chickpea. He put them in his hand and said:"With pebbles
like these stone )the Jamaraat(."Then he added:"O people, beware of
going to extremes, for those who came before you were destroyed
because of going to extremes in religion."
Really, the Ummah is in pressing need to adopt a moderate and balanced
approach in all matters, without being negligent or careless, and
without exaggerating or going to extremes, but rather being moderate
as Allah Almighty Says )what means(:}And thus We Have Made you a just
community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger
will be a witness over you.{]Quran 2: 143[
Unity of history and objectives:
When the Muslim individual lives the memory of Hajj or performs it in
its real sense, he records his name as one of a great caravan that
responded to the call of the Messengers, May Allah Exalt their
mention, and obeyed the Lord of the worlds. This caravan has been led
by the Prophets and Messengers from Ibraaheem )Abraham( and those who
came before and after him: Nooh )Noah(, Ismaa'eel )Ishmael(, Is-haaq
)Isac(, Moosa )Moses( 'Eesa )Jesus( and Muhammad, May Allah Exalt
their mention.
Every Muslim should know that he is not the first to experience such
matters, but rather there were many before him such as the prophets,
messengers, guided leaders and believing followers who underwent the
same difficulties and experienced the same situations and obstacles.
However, they endured and showed patience towards them. Therefore,
they were rewarded greatly in the worldly life and the Hereafter. They
came to have the upper hand over their enemies and their voices
recited the Talbiyah of Hajj loudly, although many of them lived at a
time in which they could not approach the House or even pray in it,
not to mention performing Hajj or 'Umrah.
When one remembers this, his heart will feel reassured and his feet
will stand firm on this way. Actually, we are in dire need of this
form of standing firm in the time of strangeness and alienation, and
of knowing that the prosperous end will be for you as what happened
with the believers who were before you. Allah Almighty Says )what
means(:}And those who disbelieved said to their messengers, "We will
surely drive you out of our land, or you must return to our religion."
So their Lord Inspired to them, "We Will surely Destroy the
wrongdoers. And We will surely cause you to dwell in the land after
them. That is for he who fears My position and fears My
threat."{]Ibraaheem 14: 13-14[
Hajj still has greater wisdom than that, such as learning humility,
remembering the Hereafter, renewing faith through seeing the places of
worship and destinations of invitation. What we have mentioned is just
a drop in the ocean. Whoever contemplates the matter thoughtfully will
surely learn many other lessons. That is because Allah Almighty Says
)what means(:}That they may witness benefits for themselves.{]Quran
22: 28[

Dought & clear, - Insinuating Whispers About Apostacy.

Many years ago (15 years) I read that apostatizing from Islam is one
of the things that invalidates wudoo'(ablution) and that stuck in my
mind. Every time I want to do wudoo' I feel that I am a non-Muslim,
and I repeat wudoo' more than once. It may be a kind of waswaas
(whispering from the shaytaan) but I really felt as if I was a
non-Muslim. I would repeat the Shahaadatayn (testimony of faith) but
there was a feeling inside that I didn't believe it. But I would think
about the meaning and I found that I believed in it, but the feeling
that I am a non-Muslim will not go away. I weep and I pray to Allah to
heal me from what has befallen me.
I used to refuse to get married for fear of disbelief, lest it
invalidate the marriage.
Despite all that, I still pray regularly, read Quran and listen to
lectures. I know that the way to treat this waswaas is not to pay any
attention to it, but I was weak and I paid attention to it. I know
that I am wrong. What should I do?
Praise be to Allah.
We ask Allah to heal you and make you well, and to replace your
waswaas with peace of mind and certain faith.
You should realize that what has befallen you is a great test, and if
you bear it with patience and seek reward with Allah for it, you will
attain a great deal of good, by Allah's leave. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Calamity will continue to
befall the believing man and the believing woman with regard to
themselves, their children and their wealth, until they meet Allah
with no sins on them." al-Tirmidhi (2399).
Al-Tirmidhi (2396) and Ibn Maajah (4031) narrated from Anas (may Allah
be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said: "The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial.
When Allah loves a people He tests them. Whoever accepts that wins His
pleasure but whoever is discontent with that earns His wrath." So
receive the glad tidings of a great reward, in sha Allah, and remember
that what you feel in yourself will not harm you, so long as you love
Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and
His religion, and you hate disbelief and its people.
There follows some advice with which we ask Allah to benefit you:
1 – You should be certain that this waswaas comes from the shaytaan
and is not real. How can you be a non-Muslim when you pray regularly,
read Quran and listen to useful lectures?
2 – You should remember Allah a great deal (dhikr), so that the
shaytaan, who is the source of this waswaas, will go away from you.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "… and He
(Allah) has commanded you to remember Allah, and the likeness of that
is a man who was being pursued swiftly by the enemy, until he reached
a strong fortress in which he found protection; similarly a man cannot
find protection from the Shaytaan except by remembering Allah."
3 – You know that the way to treat this waswaas is to ignore it, so
continue to do that.
4 – You should fill your spare time with things that will benefit you,
so that you will not have time to think about this waswaas.
5 – You should pray to Allah a great deal and turn to Him, and seek
refuge with Him. Look for the times when du'as are answered, such as
the last third of the night and when prostrating.
We ask Allah to heal you and take away this evil from you.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Remedy for Insinuating Whispers that has to do with Purification and Prayer.

I am suffering from strong waswaas in all my acts of worship
especially istinjaa' (cleansing after relieving myself). When I use
the toilet I just spend too long a time. It became a very hateful
place to me for whatever reason. Every time I enter the toilet I cry
because of how strong this waswaas is. I do not feel sure of my tuhr
(purification) at all. Many things put doubt in my heart like when my
hand touches a tahir (clean) place after I washed a najis (unclean)
place, so I have to wash that position as well. Also when water of
istinjaa' sprinkles on my feet and body I doubt my tuhr so I have to
wash them after finishing.
What is the solution? Many have said to me to just ignore this
waswaas. But I do not really know how to make sure I am on tuhr. If
the urine touches any other place do I have to wash it or not? If I
ignore washing it I doubt and wonder that if I am not pure then my
salaah (prayer) will not be accepted. On the other hand if I wash I
feel it is really heavy and beyond my ability.
Another question:
What is the ruling on prematurely ending my salaah or wudu' (ablution)
or ghusl (bath) as this comes to my mind a lot? Sometimes I think that
it is not a problem to cut my intention during the act of worship and
I just complete it. Other times I think that deciding to cut an act of
worship spoils it as I cut my intention as well so I stop it then
start over. This matter became also out of my control, what should I
do? Shall I continue my salaah, wudu' or ghusl even if I decide during
it to cut it? Or I should start it over then?
These doubts do not leave me since I start my salaah until the end of
it. Something whispers to me to stop it or repeat it or start it over
again after you complete it. I am tired and this is beyond my ability.
Will my salaah be acceptable despite having all these doubts along the
salaah? What is the solution? Please help me, may Allah bless you!
Praise be to Allaah.
What the questioner mentions has to do with a kind of waswaas
(whispers from the shaytaan), because purification and prayer are
simple matters that do not need such concern. The religion of Allaah
is easy and there is no hardship in it, as Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"and [Allaah] has not laid upon you in religion any hardship"
[al-Hajj 22:78]
"Allaah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things
difficult for you"
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
And the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion
will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be
extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the glad
tidings that you will be rewarded." Narrated by al-Bukhaari (39).
The remedy for what you are suffering involves three things:
1-Constantly persisting in remembering Allaah, may He be exalted.
2-Turning to Him and asking Him for healing and recovery from this problem.
3-Turning away completely from that which the waswaas is calling you
to do. So when you have relieved yourself and washed yourself
(istinja'), get up and do not pay any attention to whether your hand
touched a taahir (pure) place after touching the najaasah (impurity),
or that drops of the istinja' water landed on your feet or body,
because the basic principle is that things remain taahir (pure), and
uncertainty as to whether your body or clothes have become impure does
not have any effect. You should understand that your body and clothes,
the place where you pray, and other things are pure and continue to be
regarded as pure unless we are certain that they have become impure.
As for doubts, imagination and waswaas, no attention should be paid to
them. See the answers to questions no. 62839and 25778.
Purification and removal of impurity is done by washing the private
part; it is not essential to wash the area around it, so do not pay
any attention to the water that drops elsewhere, as stated above. Be
confident that you are taahir (pure), praise be to Allaah, and that
your prayer offered with this purification is valid and accepted, if
Allaah wills, for Allaah is Most Merciful and Kind, and He shows mercy
to His sinful slaves, so how about those who are obedient and love
Him?
With regard to deciding to stop wudoo' or prayer, that does not matter
either, rather you should ignore these thoughts and carry on with your
wudoo' or prayer, because there is no reason to interrupt an act of
worship, rather this is waswaas and it does not affect your act of
worship, praise be to Allaah. No matter what thoughts of interrupting
your act of worship or repeating it come to you, do not pay any
attention to that, and carry on with it, and ask Allaah to accept it,
because you have done as much as you could, and you have done what was
required of you, and Allaah does not burden any person beyond his
scope.
Remember this advice, and carry on, and ignore the waswaas, for it is
a trick of the shaytaan, but his tricks are weak as our Lord has told
us. Be confident that if you ignore the waswaas it will disappear, by
the power of Allaah.
We ask Allaah to help you to obey Him and to make you happy by
worshipping Him, and to take away the problem that you are facing.
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Suffering From Psychological Problem: Fear of Marriage.

I want to marry. I wish I have a good wife to live with in happiness
and satisfaction, to have a loving relationship with, to pray at night
with, her to be my source of comfort and I be her shelter. I am a man
who lives with a big fear of marriage and women. I live in shyness and
timidity. I feel I need to marry for some time now, my parents are
persisting but I am too shy to say I want to marry. Although I feel
like I want to scream and say I want to marry.
I feel that I have made my shyness and doubts about my sexual
abilities a barrier between me and marriage. Yes, I would love to get
married. I do not know why I run away from marriage, is it because I
fear failing a lot or because I am not confident? I am a hesitant
person as for the matters of buying and selling. I grew up in a
conservative family; I rarely hear any talk about sex or even
references to it. Although I hear a lot how our relatives talk to
their sons about sex and make jokes, and the sons feel free to express
themselves about sex and marriage.
I fear a lot I fail sexually in my marital life; I even went to have a
fertility test, blood tests and other similar things. I do not know if
it is my fear of marriage or my desire to stay away from it. Some of
the investigations made me doubt myself even more, yet, I still feel
it is not the investigations that make me hesitant to marry, it is my
fear of it more than anything else. Every time I intend to talk to my
family about my marriage I feel terrified.
Since my childhood, to be honest, I have convinced myself that it is
impossible for me to marry, and that I will stay lonely until I die.
If anyone asks me about when I intend to marry, I immediately answer
saying: "in paradise". I feel that this has been imprinted onto my
subconscious.
I want to marry, by Allah I want to marry. My fear of women and
failing stays as a barrier between me and marriage. Also I cannot
imagine that I am having intercourse with a woman, I cannot imagine
that I am sleeping and travelling with a woman, all these matters stay
as barriers between me and marriage.
I encouraged myself some time ago and talked to my family, and they
engaged a girl to me and her family approved. But when the time to
meet her came, I felt big fear from the whole matter, and then said to
my family that I do not want to marry this girl.
I am over thirty years old now. I feel helpless although the hope is
there. I feel hesitant although I have a great desire to marry. I am
badly affected by my problem; I saw many psychiatrists complaining
from my great worry and depression. They all said to me I have to take
tablets, while they do not feel my suffering.
Except the last psychiatrist, he really put his hand on the root of
the problem, which is my great fear of women, marriage, failing, and
sex.
Please guide me. I need your advice and guidance. I want to destroy
these barriers between me and marriage. Any word, negative or
positive, will affect me a lot. I need who takes my hand to rest,
comfort and marital happiness.
Praise be to Allaah.
You may be certain that we understand your problem and feel your pain,
and that any Muslim in this world is our brother and what befalls him
affects us too. We feel his joy if he rejoices and we feel his sorrow
if he grieves. We will try to offer you a solution because we share
your pain, so that you may be rid of this problem quickly, in sha
Allaah.
You should realize that you are not the only one in this world who has
problems and suffers worries, anxiety and depression. Right now you
are facing a test from Allaah, and this test requires you to do some
things so that you may learn from it and emerge from this calamity
with many great benefits. These things include the following:
1 - Think positively of Allaah, for He has only decreed this thing for
you for a reason that is known to Him. He wants good for you so long
as you adhere to His commands and guidance, and obey His commands and
avoid overstepping His limits and falling into that which He has
forbidden. You do not know, perhaps this calamity has befallen you so
that Allaah might ward off thereby something that is even worse;
perhaps Allaah has warded off thereby some major sins and some
destructive calamity without you realizing. So think positively of
your Lord and believe that He will bring you forth from this calamity
as a hair is pulled out of dough.
2 - Trials require patience and seeking reward. Allaah has praised
those who are patient in His Book and has prepared for them a reward
like no other, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full,
without reckoning"
[39:10]
The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also praised
patience and those who have the characteristic of patience. He said -
in a hadeeth (prophetic narration) whose authenticity is agreed upon -
as was narrated by Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with
him): "...whoever is patient Allaah will bestow patience upon him, and
no one is ever given anything better and more generous than patience."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim .
So you have to be patient, for it is your provision at times of
calamity and times of ease.
3 - Medical doctors say that diagnosis is two-thirds of the cure. From
examining what you say about your situation in your question, it is
clear that your problem is neither physical nor psychological,
something that can be treated by a psychologist; rather it is
persistent waswaas (satanic whispers) that is affecting you in an
important aspect of your life. Waswaas is a serious disease, which if
it takes hold of a person may lead to his doom and may put some people
beyond the pale of Islam - we ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.
But, praise be to Allaah, your waswaas does not have to do with
'aqeedah (creed) or basic matters of Islam, or with acts of worship or
the pillars of Islam, rather it has to do with your hesitation to get
married and in buying and selling, as you say. Although this seems to
you to be a big issue, it is in fact minor, if you compare it to the
waswaas experienced by other people about tahaarah (purification). For
some people may do ghusl (bath) several times, after which they are
not certain that they are now in a state of purity, or they may do
wudoo' (ablution) more than ten times and still not be certain that
they have wudoo'. Perhaps a person catches up with the opening takbeer
(of prayer) with the imam but he misses the first rak'ah (unit of
prayer)because he is trying to do the opening takbeer (Allahu Akbar),
then he completes his prayer and does not know whether he has done it
or not. Praise be to Allaah, no such thing is happening with you.
Hence your cure will be achieved in the following steps, in sha Allaah.
1 - You should understand that waswaas comes from the Shaytaan, and in
fact Allaah calls the shaytaan the waswaas (the whisperer) in Soorat
al-Naas, as is well known. This means that you have to declare war on
the shaytaan and remember that he is the one who started it with you
and that he is the one who transgressed against you and tricked you
and wanted to deny you your rights, so do not turn your back to him or
show him your weakness, for he is weak and defeated, and withdraw
easily. So be of good cheer, and be certain that you can overcome him
so long as you are with Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"... hold fast to Allaah [i.e. have confidence in Allaah, and depend
upon Him in all your affairs]. He is your Mawla (Patron, Lord), what
an Excellent Mawla (Patron, Lord) and what an Excellent Helper!"
[22:78]
2 - You should read Soorat al-Baqarah a great deal, and complete it
every three nights, and if you do that while praying qiyaam al-layl
that is better. It is proven that our Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Read the Qur'aan, for it will come on the
Day of Resurrection interceding for its companions. Read the two
bright ones, al-Baqarah and Soorat Aal 'Imraan, for they will come on
the Day of Resurrection like two clouds or shadows, or like two flocks
of birds in ranks, pleading on behalf of their companions. Read Soorat
al-Baqarah for reciting it regularly is a blessing and forsaking it is
a loss, and the magicians cannot withstand it." Narrated by Muslim.
The devils cannot bear to hear Soorat al-Baqarah; they flee from it
and weaken before the one who recites it, and they are afraid of it.
It is proven in a hadeeth that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Do not make your houses into graves, for the
Shaytaan flees from a house in which Soorat al-Baqarah is recited."
Narrated by Muslim (780).
3 - Always recite the dhikrs for various occasions, such as the dhikrs
for morning and evening, the dhikrs for going to sleep, entering the
mosque or the home, entering and leaving the wash-room, dhikrs for
eating, drinking and putting on clothes, and so on, for in all of them
there is a great benefit for you and they will prevent the shaytaan
from reaching you.
4 - Say a lot of du'aa'. Turning to your Lord with du'aa' will bring
you relief and deliver you from this trial. You should seek out for
that the times when du'aa's are likely to be answered, and allocate a
time for du'aa' every night during the last third of the night, in the
last part of the day on Friday, and following the prescribed prayers.
Pray for everyone who is afflicted with calamity for the angels say
ameen to your du'aa' and say "May you have likewise." Pray a great
deal for forgiveness and repent to Allaah, for Allaah has promised a
great deal of good to the one who prays for forgiveness. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"I said (to them): 'Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving;
'He will send rain to you in abundance,
'And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you
gardens and bestow on you rivers.'"
[71:10-12]
5 - In all of that it is essential for you to do your utmost to ward
off the waswaas and treat yourself by convincing yourself that you are
normal and that you do not have a problem; you should ward off all
thought that may weaken you. You should remember that all of this
stems from one source, which is the waswaas, and overcoming it is
easy, by Allaah's Leave.
6 - Seek the help of Allaah and go ahead and get married. Seek the
help of your family and sincere friends to do that. We know -
personally - someone who had the same problem, whose situation was
exactly the same as yours, or worse. Then some of his brothers and
sincere friends forced him to get married, after they had made sure
that he was not suffering from a physical problem. Then Allaah helped
him and relieved his distress, and his marriage became normal like
anyone else's.
7 - There is nothing wrong with consulting a psychologist and using
some psychological treatments that may help in this case, because
waswaas is also a kind of mental illness that is well known to the
specialists. So there is nothing wrong with combining the remedies
that we have referred to above with psychological treatment.
I ask Allaah the Almighty, Lord of the Mighty Throne, to heal you, and
to hasten your relief and bring you happiness, for He is All-Hearing
and Ever Near.
And Allaah knows best.