Youth, - Help your loved ones stopsmoking

A fifth of the world's population is Muslim, and most Muslims live in
areas where the prevalence of smoking is high and increasing by the
day. According to statistics, it is estimated that out of the five
million people who die due to smoking related causes every year, one
million are Muslims. Yet, thanks to media influences and advertising,
which erroneously portray smoking as part of a glamorous lifestyle,
many Muslims -- both men and women -- are prompted to take to the
habit themselves.
In response to the growing trend, health and religious authorities
across the world have launched anti-smoking drives, to deter people
and raise awareness of the harmful effects of smoking. Besides the
mandatory health warning on cigarette packets, it has been proposed
that the pack should carry graphic images of the diseases that can be
contracted by smoking, to drive the point home to smokers.
In another official initiative, many cities and public places around
the world have designated areas as 'non-smoking', to make it difficult
for people to light up. Recently the holy cities of Makkah and
Madeenah have been declared no-smoking zones, and smoking or even
selling cigarettes has been made a punishable offence there.
Similarly, mosques and religious leaders across the world have taken
it upon themselves to educate people about the harmful effects of
smoking, which is considered a prohibited act in Islam. The Quran
says )what means(:
}...make not your own hands contribute to your destruction{]Quran 2: 195[
}...nor kill or destroy yourselves{]Quran 4:29[.
Every Ramadan, there are wide-ranging campaigns run in Muslim
communities in the West and the Middle East, in order to highlight the
problem and its consequences. Anti-smoking messages are the subject of
many religious discourses and Friday khutbahs. Yet, according to the
World Health Organization, which has been studying smoking trends and
statistical patterns across the globe, the trend to take up smoking
shows no signs of abating. Most smokers begin early in life, before
they are 25 years old and the majority of smokers in affluent
countries begin in their teens, with a decline in the age of starting
smoking observed worldwide.
Where all these initiatives come from external sources, which may not
have much of an immediate impact on a person, there is something
closer home that is often overlooked in the campaign against smoking
that can have a positive influence on a smoker. A Muslim woman can do
a lot in her capacity as a wife, mother, sister and daughter to
discourage smoking in her loved ones, or help them quit the habit.

Youth, - An Urgent Call from Europe for Separation of the Sexes in Schools

It seems that the ethos that has prevailed in the West for decades
which considered that all-girl schools are old-fashioned has recently
begun to change. This is especially so after some people have become
more convinced that the idea of the separation of the sexes in schools
is not only good in and of itself, but that it also leads to better
student performance.
In a review of a French book entitled "LesPièges de la Mixité
Scolaire")Traps of Mixed Schools(, published byL'express magazine, the
French sociologist Michel Fize, a researcher at the National Center
for Scientific Studies in France, mentioned that intermixing between
the sexes in European schools neither supports equality between the
sexes nor supports equal opportunities.
The study was issued after forty-five years of experience in mixed
education in France. It revealed the evils of intermixing between the
sexes in the West, and especially in France where an increase in the
rate of sexual assaults against teenagers inside educational
establishments has been witnessed. It also witnessed an increase in
the rate of boys' academic failure, even though they were preferred to
girls in schools in a manner that exposed the bias of the teachers.
Intermixing and Educational Rights
Therefore, the context and development of events in France and in the
West prove the opposite of what is said - that as long as the society
is mixed and democratic. This same pattern must be represented in
schools.
Michel Fizeremarks that intermixing is not an educational right. It
was applied as an expression of the principles of equality and respect
for the rights of citizenship. If that principle was truly a right,
then why do we not force our girls to work as car-mechanics?
The author declares that he is calling for a separation policy that
changes society for the better, especially in light of the information
that he obtained about the decline of the quality of education and
girls' inability to achieve self-fulfillment in coeducational
settings, as well as the problems experienced by boys in linguistic
achievement.
Fize adds that the separation process does not entail students'
expression of their religious affiliation or ideological inclination.
In this context, separation does not mean that we will resort to
opening schools that are exclusive to veiled girls.
This issue, which the Western world used to consider a taboo, is
highly controversial. It has opened the door for heated discussions
about the dangers of intermixing between the sexes, especially in
preparatory and secondary schools in Western Europe and America.
School Youth Problems
L'express magazine, which reviewed the book, also shed light on a
number of problems faced by youth inside schools. Out of 110,000
messages received on the Youth Hotline in the year 2000, there were
4000 messages whose senders reported that they were subjected to
sexual pressure at school. Sexual violence constituted 31.1% of all
violence during the school year 2001-2002, which was, of course, apart
from other forms of violence. In addition, girls were exposed to abuse
and obscene language, especially in districts that suffered from the
problems of poverty, deprivation and emigrant inhabitants.
'Girls Only' Schools
In an interview with the author, the magazine referred to the issue of
an Islamic attack on the West. It wondered if this separation
coincided with the Islamic point of view on this issue and therefore
would they, as a secular country, wait long before Islam advances
towards them with the intention of conquest.
The author answered by saying that since the year 2000 and during the
reign of the "religious" US President George W Bush, the idea of
establishing separate schools in America became acceptable, as well as
in England, Sweden, Finland and Germany. It was known that separation
was already being applied during science classes. In France, Catholic
education was the first to call for separation, although this was with
regard to private schools that are far removed from formal secular
education.
A number of experts commented on the study and the subject it raised
at a time when Western attacks were intense against Islam and Muslims
in the Western world, particularly America.
The British magazine,The Economist, featured an article
entitledAll-Girl schools...the latest educational fad in Britain. The
article mentioned that after boys were separated from girls in a
number of private British schools, examination results for the year
1997 showed that 68% of the students obtained higher marks than
previously. In the 2004 examination results, 81% of boys and 82% of
girls achieved the same high scores after separation was applied.
The magazine also mentioned that the United States began as of the
school year 2004 to relax and facilitate the rules that had previously
forbidden education based on single-sex public schools.
The Notion of Equality
The French Minister of Education stated the necessity to respect the
two sexes during the different stages of education. At the same time,
he noted a contradiction between his secular state and the book in
question, as well as the results that followed.
Isabelle Dehaie of Mix-Cite Education, said that the issue that should
be discussed was the idea of equality and the women's right to vote,
which was legislated in the year 1848, but never practiced by women
until the year 1945.
André Blandin, General Secretary of the Catholic Education
Association, said that it was necessary to decisively confront the
issue of intermixing between the sexes in schools in order to avoid
sexual harassment.
Marie Duru, an educational researcher, mentioned that fear does not
arise from the process of separation, but rather from changes of
syllabi to cope with the problems of society - and that is the real
problem.
In her comment on the process of separation, Dominique Schnapper, a
headmistress in a higher education school for social sciences, said
that it was advocated that girls should attend school with boys as
something natural since women work with men side by side in society.
Hence, it would be illogical not to refer to the oppression that women
suffer in society. She thus views that school must be a place where
girls are secure against the oppression that is perpetrated against
them. She added that teachers should choose the system that benefits
all students.
However, she referred to the impact of Islamic thought and its ability
to penetrate Western society and settle the problem, which represented
a further problem that requires added consideration.
On the whole, the study did not hide its fear of Islamic interference,
for it called for principles to which Islam called before their
civilization was built. They then searched for a way out of their
problems through futile confrontations. Sadly, they neglected the fact
that Islam has adopted an ingenious approach to education, some of the
details of which are applied these days by non-Muslims.

Youth, - With determination and faith, midlife becomes a gift, not an affliction

Anxiety, fatigue, weight gain, hot flashes and decreased libido are
signs of menopause. While this "third age" of a woman is generally
dreaded, Muslims consider it "the age of maturity" that must not
induce despair. Indeed, with her will and faith, a woman can overcome
the possible physical and psychological changes perimenopause brings
about
There is no doubt that menopause is a difficult stage of life, in
psychological terms, as it signifies the fading of youth and the end
of the ability to bear children. Marie Claude, a professor at
Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, determined that the factors
which affect the onset of menopause are hereditary. A woman should be
able to estimate when she will have her final period if she knows at
which age her mother reached menopause. There are also non-hereditary
factors to consider, such as an imbalanced diet, poor social and
economic conditions, tension and smoking, because tobacco can
intensify the decrease of estrogen production.
The professor also states that the period of physical and
psychological problems is an interim transition. Afterwards, the
organs will become accustomed to the decreased hormone levels and
create a new balance for the body to function normally. Some of those
changes are:
1-Hot flashes
This afflicts about three out of every four women. It is a feeling of
intense heat, accompanied by a visible redness in the face in about
10% of women. Hot flashes are stressful; a person suffering from them
may also have night sweats. During this period, one should avoid
caffeine, smoking and spicy food. If the flashes are severe, one
should take some analgesic medication in addition to hormonal
treatments. It is also advised to eat foods rich in vitamins C and E,
such as fresh fruit and vegetables.
2-Weight gain
Women often crave sugary goods, which is linked to hormonal changes
and an increase in age. So, to avoid obesity, one should follow a
healthy nutritional system, especially from the age of forty. Also:
Avoid the habit of eating a bite here and there throughout the day,
apart from regular meals.
Avoid sweets because the sugar in it soon turns in to fats.
Reduce the consumption of animal fats, instead preferring fish, fresh
vegetables and fruit.
Drink water frequently because it helps in secretion and moistening the skin.
Practice a regular sport, such as walking, for a minimum quarter of an
hour a day.
3-Decreased libido
During menopause, vaginal atrophy and a healthy shrinking of outer and
inner genital areas takes place due to the absence of estrogen.
Regular sexual activity is almost sufficient to preserve the
moistening of the cells. Water soluble vaginal lubricants and vaginal
estrogen which counters dryness are also helpful.
4-Dryness of the skin
A decrease in estrogen levels leads to a decrease in soft tissue
moisture; consequently, the skin becomes very thin, dry and rough, and
vulnerable to developing wrinkles. Further, the disturbance in the
workings of the cells allows the appearance of pale spots on the skin.
The solution is to:
Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun.
Drink water frequently and eat fresh fruit.
Use an ointment for the skin that has estrogen.
This is a scientific opinion, regarding utilizing available remedial
means. However, the most important thing is to seek the help of Allaah
The Almighty against the trials of middle age. One must also busy
herself with acts of obedience, worship and remembrance of Allaah The
Almighty, seeking His reward.
If women try this out, in conjunction with the above recommendations,
by the permission of Allaah The Almighty, this stage of life will turn
into a blessing, not an affliction.

Dought&clear, - Ruling on the crime of rape

What is the ruling on the crime of rape in Islam?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Arabic wordightisaabrefers to taking something wrongfully by
force. It is now used exclusively to refer to transgression against
the honour of women by force (rape).
This is an abhorrent crime that is forbidden in all religions and in
the minds of all wise people and those who are possessed of sound
human nature. All earthly systems and laws regard this action as
abhorrent and impose the strictest penalties on it, except a few
states which waive the punishment if the rapist marries his victim!
This is indicative of a distorted mind let alone a lack of religious
commitment on the part of those who challenge Allaah in making laws.
We do not know of any love or compassion that could exist between the
aggressor and his victim, especially since the pain of rape cannot be
erased with the passage of time - as it is said. Hence many victims of
rape have attempted to commit suicide and many of them have succeeded,
The failure of these marriages is proven and they are accompanied by
nothing but humiliation and suffering for the woman.
Islam has a clear stance which states that this repugnant action is
haraam and imposes a deterrent punishment on the one who commits it.
Islam closes the door to the criminal who wants to commit this crime.
Western studies have shown that most rapists are already criminals who
commit their crimes under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and they
take advantage of the fact that their victims are walking alone in
isolated places, or staying in the house alone. These studies also
show that what the criminals watch on the media and the semi-naked
styles of dress in which women go out, also lead to the commission of
this reprehensible crime.
The laws of Islam came to protect women's honour and modesty. Islam
forbids women to wear clothes that are not modest and to travel
without a mahram; it forbids a woman to shake hands with a non-mahram
man. Islam encourages young men and women to marry early, and many
other rulings which close the door to rape. Hence it comes as no
surprise when we hear or read that most of these crimes occur in
permissive societies which are looked up to by some Muslims as
examples of civilization and refinement! In America - for example -
International Amnesty stated in a 2004 report entitled "Stop Violence
Against Women" that every 90 seconds a woman was raped during that
year. What kind of life are these people living? What refinement and
civilization do they want the Muslim women to take part in?
The punishment for rape in Islam is same as the punishment for zina,
which is stoning if the perpetrator is married, and one hundred lashes
and banishment for one year if he is not married.
Some scholars also say that he is required to pay a mahr to the woman.
Imam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
In our view the man who rapes a woman, whether she is a virgin or not,
if she is a free woman he must pay a "dowry" like that of her peers,
and if she is a slave he must pay whatever has been detracted from her
value. The punishment is to be carried out on the rapist and there is
no punishment for the woman who has been raped, whatever the case. End
quote.
Al-Muwatta', 2/734
Shaykh Salmaan al-Baaji (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
In the case of a woman who is forced (raped): if she is a free woman,
the one who forced her must pay her a "dowry" like that of her peers,
and the hadd punishment is to be carried out on him. This is the view
of al-Shaafa'i, and it is the view of al-Layth, and it was also
narrated from 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him).
Abu Haneefah and al-Thawri said: the hadd punishment is to be carried
out on him but he is not obliged to pay the "dowry".
The evidence for what we say is that the hadd punishment and the
"dowry" are two rights, one of which is the right of Allaah and the
other is the right of the other person. So they may be combined, as in
the case of a thief whose hand is cut off and he is required to return
the stolen goods. End quote.
Al-Muntaha Sharh al-Muwatta', 5/268, 269
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The scholars are unanimously agreed that the rapist is to be subjected
to the hadd punishment if there is clear evidence against him that he
deserves the hadd punishment, or if he admits to that. Otherwise, he
is to be punished (i.e., if there is no proof that the hadd punishment
for zina may be carried out against him because he does not confess,
and there are not four witnesses, then the judge may punish him and
stipulate a punishment that will deter him and others like him). There
is no punishment for the woman if it is true that he forced her and
overpowered her, which may be proven by her screaming and shouting for
help. End quote.
Al-Istidhkaar, 7/146
Secondly:
The rapist is subject to the hadd punishment for zina, even if the
rape was not carried out at knife-point or gun-point. If the use of a
weapon was threatened, then he is a muhaarib, and is to be subjected
to the hadd punishment described in the verse in which Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"The recompense of those who wage war against Allaah and His Messenger
and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or
crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off from opposite
sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this
world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter"
[al-Maaidah 5:33]
So the judge has the choice of the four punishments mentioned in this
verse, and may choose whichever he thinks is most suitable to attain
the objective, which is to spread peace and security in society, and
ward off evildoers and aggressors.
And Allaah knows best.

Dought&clear, - The ruling on one who steals robs or rapes at knife-point or gun-point

What is the ruling on gangs or individuals who steal from people, or
kidnap women and violate their honour, all at knife-point or
gun-point?.
Praise be to Allaah.
These crimes, which are committed by some people who have no religious
commitment, are given a severe punishment in sharee'ah, which is known
to the scholars as the hadd for haraabah (waging war against Allaah
and His Messenger) orquta' al-tareeq(banditry). This is mentioned in
the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"The recompense of those who wage war against Allaah and His Messenger
and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or
crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off from opposite
sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this
world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter"
[al-Maa'idah 5:33]
The Council of Senior Scholars in the Land of the Two Holy
Sanctuaries, under the leadership of Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz
(may Allaah have mercy on him) issued a statement concerning these
crimes, in which it says:
The Council has studied what the scholars have mentioned about the
shar'i rulings which in general dictate the obligation to protect the
five essentials of life and ensure that they remain safe. They are:
religion, life, honour, mental health and wealth. Islam acknowledges
the great danger that can result from crimes of aggression against the
sanctity of the Muslims' lives, honour and wealth, and the threat to
public security that this can pose in the land.
Allaah has guaranteed protection for the people's religion, physical
well-being, lives, honour and mental health by means of the
punishments which He has prescribed to attain security on both the
public and private levels. Implementing the verse concerning the hadd
punishment for haraabah in accordance with the rulings of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning muhaaribeen
guarantees security and peace of mind, and deters those who would
think of committing such crimes and transgressing against the Muslims.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"The recompense of those who wage war against Allaah and His Messenger
and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or
crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off from opposite
sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this
world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter"
[al-Maa'idah 5:33]
Inal-Saheehaynit is narrated that Anas (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: Some people from 'Ukl came to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and were in al-Suffah. The climate of
Madeenah made them sick, so they said: O Messenger of Allaah, get us
some milk. He said: "I think the best thing for you is to go to the
camels of the Messenger of Allaah." So they went there and drank some
of their milk and urine, then when they had recovered and gained
weight, they killed the herdsman and drove away the camels. Someone
came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) shouting for help, and he sent a party out in pursuit of them.
Not much of the day had passed before they were caught and brought to
him. He ordered that branding irons be heated and their eyes were put
out, and their hands and feet were cut off, and not cauterized, then
they were thrown into the harrah where they asked for water but they
were not given any, until they died.
Abu Qilaabah said: They stole, killed and waged war against Allaah and
His Messenger.
Based on the above, the Council has determined the following:
(a)
The crimes of kidnapping, robbery and transgression of the Muslims'
sanctity by way of open and audacious hostility is a type of
muhaarabah (waging war against Allaah and His Messenger) and doing
mischief in the land, which deserves the punishment mentioned by
Allaah in the verse in al-Maa'idah, whether that aggression is against
people's lives, wealth or honour, or it is scaring wayfarers and
cutting off routes (banditry). It makes no difference whether that
happens in cities, villages, the desert or the wilderness, as is the
correct view of the scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them).
Ibn al-'Arabi said, telling of the time when he was a judge: Some
bandits were brought before me who had gone out to attack a group of
travellers. They took a woman by force from her husband and the group
of Muslims who were with him, and carried her off. Then they were
hunted down, caught and brought to me. I asked one of the muftis with
whom Allaah tested me about them and he said that they were not
muhaaribeen, because haraabah (the crime of waging war against Allaah
and His Messenger) applies only with regard to wealth, not rape! I
said to them: To Allaah we belong and unto Him is our return (said by
Muslims at times of calamity). Do you not know that haraabah
(aggression) against honour is worse than aggression against wealth?
All people would agree to lose their wealth and have it confiscated
from them rather than to see aggression committed against their wives
or daughters. If there were any punishment more severe than that which
Allaah has mentioned, it would be for those who kidnap women. end
quote.
(b)
The Council believes that in the verse in which Allaah says "The
recompense of those who wage war against Allaah and His Messenger and
do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or crucified
or their hands and their feet be cut off from opposite sides, or be
exiled from the land" the wordaw(or) means that there is a choice, as
is the apparent meaning of the verse. This is the view of the majority
of scholars, may Allaah have mercy on them.
(c)
The majority of the Council believes that the deputies of the ruler -
the judges - have the obligation to prove the type of crime and to
pass judgement accordingly. If it is proven that it is a crime that
constitutes war against Allaah and His Messenger (muhaarabah) and
spreading mischief in the land, then they have the choice of issuing a
sentence of execution, crucifixion, cutting off a hand and foot on
opposite sides, or exile from the land, based on their ijtihaad and
paying attention to the situation of the criminal and the
circumstances of the crime, as well as its impact on society and what
may best achieve the interests of Islam and the Muslims, unless the
muhaarib has killed, in which case he should definitely be executed,
as Ibn al-'Arabi al-Maaliki narrated that there was consensus among
the scholars on this point. Among the Hanbalis, the author
ofal-Insaafsaid: There is no dispute on this point. End quote from a
paper published by the Council of Senior Scholars under the
titleal-Hukm fi'l-Satw wa'l-Ikhtitaaf wa Muskiraat, p. 192-104.

Dought&clear, - Can a thief have his hand surgically reattached?

In the event that the punishment of amputation is carried out, is the
criminal entitled to have the amputated hand reattached by means of a
surgical procedure?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The thief has no right to have the amputated hand reattached, because
that means that the signs of the punishment for his crime disappear,
and the effectiveness of the rebuke and lesson is lost. It is contrary
to the idea of punishment and example as mentioned in the verse in
which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (as for) the male thief and the female thief, cut off (from the
wrist joint) their (right) hands as a recompense for that which they
committed, a punishment by way of example from Allaah. And Allaah is
All-Powerful, All-Wise"
[al-Maa'idah 5:38]

For children, - Islam and Greed

<img src="http://aydnajimudeen.mywapblog.com/files/usagoldcoins.jpeg" />

Once upon a time, there was a selfish man. He liked everything to be
his own. He could not share his belongings with anyone, not even his
friends or the poor.
One day, the man lost thirty gold coins. He went to his friend's house
and told him how he lost his gold coins. His friend was a kind man.
As his friend's daughter was coming from an errand she found thirty
gold coins, when she arrived home, she told her father what she had
found. The girl's father told her that the gold coins belong to his
friend and he sent for him. When the selfish man arrived, he told him
how his daughter had found his thirty gold coins and handed then to
him. After counting the gold coins the man said that ten of them was
missing and had been taken by the girl as he had forty gold coins. He
further commented that he will recover the remaining amount from him
(the girl's father). But the father refused.
The selfish man left the gold coins and went to the court and informed
the judge there about what had taken place between him and the girl's
father.
The judge sent for the girl and her father, and when they arrived
asked the girl how many gold coins did she find. She replied thirty
gold coins. The Judge that asked the selfish man how many gold coins
did he lose and he answered forty gold coins.
The judge then told the selfish man that the gold coins did not belong
to him because the girl found thirty and not forty as he claimed to
have lost and then told the girl to take the gold coins and that if
anybody is looking for them he will send for the girl.
The judge told the selfish man that if anybody reports that they have
found forty gold coins he will send for him. It was then that the
selfish man confessed that he lied and that he lost thirty gold coins
but the judge did not listen to him.
Moral:This story of honesty teaches us to be always honest as
dishonest never pays.