For children, - Power and Worth of Bismillah: I can walk on water

Syed Murtadha was a great aalim (scholar) who lived many years ago. He had many students who attended his classes.
At one of his classes he noticed that one of the students always came late. One day Syed Murtadha asked the student "Why are you always late?"
The student replied that he lived across the river and always took the first ferry across but the ferry service did not start any earlier.
Syed Murtadha wrote something on a piece of paper, folded it and gave it to the student. "Keep this with you" he said "and you will be able to walk across the river from tomorrow - but do not open the paper."
The next day the student got to the river and put his foot tentatively on the water. He could not believe that he could actually walk on the water.
For the next few days, he got to the classes on time.
One day, he could not hold back his curiosity. He looked inside the folded piece of paper. On it was written Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful).
For a moment he thought - "Is this all that helps me walk on water!" He put the paper in his pocket as usual and went to the river to go to his classes. This time he could not walk on the water and had to wait for the ferry. This meant that he was late for his class.
When the class was over, Syed Murtadha called him over and said "You looked into the paper when I had told you not to!"
With Bismillahirrahmanirrahim (In the name of Allah, the beneficent the merciful) you can move mountains provided you have trust and faith in Allah.

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Fathwa, - {Conflictsamong family members}, - The children believe theirparents are in a bad marriage

Question
My parents have throughout their marriage always argued and never liked each other and they have made us really miserable. They have reached divorce many times. Lately, things have gotten worse and although I have tried to keep them together and calm them down so many times they just hate each other. My brothers are now thinking that the best thing is to do is take my mum to live with them i.e. separate them. If they did this I am sure my dad will divorce her for real. I don't know what to do, I tell them its wrong but they think they are 'saving' her from him because he treats her really bad and they say they are doing it out of mercy for her. I do not want this to happen because I feel its Haraam to come between a man and his wife, and I do not approve of what my brothers will do but at the same time I too feel really bad that my mum is suffering with him. What do I do in a situation like this? What does Islam have to say about 'saving' someone from a bad marriage even if it is one of your parents?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammadis His slave and Messenger.
Allaah legislated marriage in order to achieve high objectives, the most important of which is stability within the family, so that it can instill the correct and real meaning of worship to Allaah Alone, and lead to population the Earth. The most important way to achieve this is for the husband and wife to observe their obligations towards each other and fulfil the rights that Allaah has ordered them to fulfil. Allaah says )which means(: }And women shall have rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable.{]2:228[. There is no doubt that the arguments that your parents are having is a great affliction, so we advise you to be patient and fear Allaah in their regard and advise them. You can also seek the help of righteous and pious people of your family and others in order to reconcile them. If they succeed to do so then all perfect praise be to Allaah, otherwise even if your father is mistreating your mother, you still have to be kind and dutiful to him. Moreover, it is not permissible for your brothers to take your mother away from the house of your father without his permission because that could worsen the problem. However, it is permissible for your mother, if she fears any harm, to consult an Islamic centre or organization to look into the matter and remove the harm from her.
Allaah knows best.
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Fathwa, - {Conflictsamong family members}, - Distressed over poor parental relations

Question
I would like to start off by saying how wonderful it is to have a site like this to turn to in times of distress. May Allaah bestow his blessing upon whom has created it.
I am 25-years and have recently become well acquainted with my religion. I love it. Who could ever deny such purity? However, for years I have been living in the depths of a broken home due to alcohol and neglect by my father. My mother has been abused verbally and physically left to right and so has my brother and I. We grew up seeing nothing but fighting, the police and having to bail my father out of jail )Islam has never been a real factor in our lives(. Ever since I could remember it's been this way. In the past I have broken down weeping asking my father "where have we gone wrong, can we please fix this so we can live happily. My fathers always brakes down in front of me vowing to change his life around. Recently I approached him differently, this time armed with some Islamic books I had been reading quoting some verses from the Qur'aan. He yet again broke down in tears vowing to change. This Ramadhaan he swore he would fast and keep his covenant to Allaah. I should have known it would be an empty promise like all the rest. My father is neglectful to his wife and children. He is a liar, a coward and a trader. I pray that Allaah would change him from the ignorant person that he is to a humble, understanding person. But I have come to read that the ones Allaah chooses to guide cannot be misguided and the ones he misguides cannot be guided and I am content with that. But, he is my father and I love him and I am so hurt for him and I know that it is so wrong to speak ill about my father in this way, it is against Islam. "Cherish thy mother and thy father" it says, but how can I cherish him if cares nothing for me? I have started my quest to find who I am. I know now that I am a Muslim. And no matter what, I have to keep my composure which I tent to lose easily when fights brake out, only because I am so tired of the same issue rotating year after year. It seems so played out. My mother wants to leave him. I asked her why she stayed all these years, she replied "because of you and your brother". My brother and I are now old enough to see what's been happening and we are disgusted by it. I mean I don't want to be married and living with my husband and then hearing that there has been a disaster between the two, having to drop everything in my life like I always had in the past. They are 50 and 47 years old. They fight like children using the worse language. It's just not right. I am fed up! I pray and ask Allaah to guide me in what to say. And it seems as though my words are getting to be much wiser and more profound but his heart remains still and untouched. He brings me down to my last nerves testing my tolerance with his taunting ways questioning my faith in Islam. He brings his friends over and parties in the backyard and in the house with beer and music, disrespecting any one who performs Salat in this house. How do I pray in a home where there is alcohol and filthy magazines and DVD's? My mother and I make a fuse but our arguments remain babble to him. Yet, when he sees me practising Islam he thinks he is so knowledgeable about the matter and tries to teach me a thing or two. Ya-Allaah! Won't somebody help me? I feel trapped, I feel like running away, and many times I could have but only one thing keeps me, my loving mother who has fulfilled her Deen as a mother and as a wife. I know Allaah says to have patience and Perseverance but this is just unbearable. My worse fear has eventually come true, my brother is turning into him. My brother drinks everyday to sleep and has turned into someone I don't even know anymore. My mother is always in distress and i am always crying for her. I feel so alone. When ever my mother would but up a fuse about these issues my father would empty bank accounts a take off with all the funds, leaving us high and dry. I am tired of all of this. This is just but the tip of the iceberg. I wish I could continue, but it would take days to tell it all. Please tell me what to do. I feel like there is no hope. Allaah has given us everything, a big house to live in, comfortable beds to sleep in, food and clothing, jobs, money so that we could buy whatever we desire. What else could we need? Can he not see? Even the money he uses to buy his beer. Everything is from Allaah. Can he not see? Surely there are signs for those who are wise.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammadis His slave and Messenger.
You have to know that this life is a test for us, but a Muslim should be patient about the problems that he encounters as this is the best remedy. Among the things that will help you to be patient is to remember the good outcome of patience. The Prophetsaid: "The case of a believer is wonderful; there is good for him in everything and every affair of his, and this characteristic is exclusively for a Muslim. If he comes across something pleasant, he is grateful to Allaah and that is good for him, and if he experiences some troubles and adversity, he is patient and submissive, that is also good for him."]Muslim[ Therefore, we advise you to be patient and continue to advise your father and use all permissible means in order to turn him into a righteous man. First and foremost you have to seek the Help of Allaah then the help of whomever you think could influence him especially the righteous people. If he repents, then all perfect praise be to Allaah, otherwise his sons and daughters have still to be kind to him. It is also incumbent on your mother to obey him in what is permissible. The fact that he is committing those sins is not an excuse to be undutiful to him, and you have to be polite in the way you talk about him.
It is permissible, however, for your mother to ask for a divorce if he insists on committing those sins that you have mentioned but she has to balance between the benefit of staying with him and benefit of divorcing him, as divorce could lead to a greater harm like the breaking up of the family and the like.
We advise you not to take into consideration the thoughts that come to your mind like running away from home or being unwilling to get married as this is of a greater danger for you. It could be that getting married is one of the best ways to get away from these problems.
Finally, we would like to draw your attention to two matters:
Firstly, the existence of alcohol or other prohibitions in the house does not affect the validity of your acts of worship. It is more appropriate, however, to perform your prayer in a room that is free from these prohibitions.
Secondly, it is an obligation on you and your mother to wear the Hijaab in front of the friends of your father who are marriageable men to you.
Allaah knows best.
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Fathwa, - {Conflictsamong family members}, - How to deal with one's mother

Question
I currently live in theUnited Statesand I m a Arab American Muslim who is devoted totally to Islam spiritually and politically. I am the few who desires the political and “struggles” that the Muslims face today. My anger fuels off the occupation and torture of Muslims around the world especially the mistreatment of Muslim women. With today’s current issues of Americas so called “war on terror” and the confusion events in the Middle East, there is a big gap within my family that has distinguish "who supports what and who". My brother who in the high ranks in theU.S.military and who proudly and knowingly continues to participate in the war against Islam has made me to cause separation amongst the family. I have a cousin on my mother’s side of the family who has proudly participated in theIraqwar, but he is not Muslim. With the two actively in the military the family supports their causes. As a young college student I have my views and I try actively in spreading the concept of Muslims needing protection and the need for security in this Ummah. I fight and defend not only for Muslims rights throughout the whole would but anyone who is being oppressed or who is weak. And as for this, I'm rejected from the family and tag as a "terrorist". But my worry is my mother who has openly chosen to side with my brother and my cousin only because of ignorance and afraid of being disowned and left out by her side family. Plus also her pride in being a American. I also have an older sister who openly converted to Christianity and has married to a Christian man with the help of my mother's sister )the gay between my sister and brother is 19 years(. As for my father, I have successfully changed his view about Islam and the way it should be and Al-Hamdu Lillaah, he is my closes companion. I always gave Da'wa to my brother and especially to my mother. But none seem to accept the principles of Islam. They are the types who are only Muslims during the two Muslims holidays and the rest of the days it seems as if they are Christians. The weird thing is that they know Islam but they just don’t want to adopt it. Currently my father and I don’t speak to my brother and as for my mother, I only make some effort in talking to her but I don’t disregard her, only because she is my mother. As for my father and mother, they are separated. My question is with this situation as a Muslim how should I approach my mother and my brother?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammadis His slave and Messenger.
Dear brother, We supplicate Allaah to pour His blessings upon you, us and all Muslims and make us steadfast on His true religion. We advise you to be in the company of religious scholars to get more knowledge and to increase your adherence to Islam.
Parents have great rights on their children, especially the mother. So, you have to be obedient and compliant with them asking Allaah to show you the right path and bless you to follow it.
Allaah knows best.

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Hajj & Umrah, - Towards the Ancient House

Shaykh ‘Uthmaan Daabucomes from the Republic of Gambia in the far west of Africa. He lived to be over eighty years of age. I visited him before his death in his modest house in his small village near the city of Banjol. He spoke to me about his long journey fifty years ago to the Ancient House )i.e., the Ka'bah( walking with four of his friends from Banjol all the way to Makkah, crossing the continent of Africa from its west to its east. They did not ride on this journey except for very short periods on some riding animals till they reached the Red Sea, and then they boarded the ship to Jeddah harbor.
It was a journey full of wonders and strange occurrences which, if written, would be one of the most exciting and beneficial journey books ever. The journey lasted more than two years. They would settle every now and then in some cities to earn money, have a break and gain the expenses of their journey. Then they would proceed.
I asked him, "Is not performingHajjto the Sacred House enjoined upon the one who can afford it and you at that time could not afford it?
Hesaid,"Yes. But one day, we discussed the story of Ibraaheem )Abraham(, the intimate friend of Allaahwhen he went with his family to an uncultivated valley near the Sacred House of Allaah. One of us then said, 'We are now strong and healthy youth. Thus, what would be our excuse before Allaah The Almighty if we were to neglect proceeding towards His Sacred House, especially when we know that the passage of days will only make us weaker. So why should we delay?' Therefore, he encouraged and urged us to travel while seeking the help of Allaah The Exalted."
The five left their houses without having provisions except that which was sufficient for no more than a week. Their main purpose was to fulfill the order ofAllaahThe Almighty of performingHajjto the Ancient House. They suffered serious hardships, difficulties and calamities which onlyAllaahThe Exalted knows. On many nights, they slept so hungry that they were about to perish. On many nights, they were chased by wild animals which destroyed the sweetness of their sleep. On many nights, they were surrounded by fear from all sides as footpads blocked all the ways of the travelers.
Shaykh ‘Uthmaannarrated, "One night, I was stung during our journey. I was struck by extreme fever and great pain that prevented me from moving and sleeping and I smelt the stench of death running through my veins.
My friends would go to work while I would stay under the shade of a tree till they would return at the end of the day. Satan started to whisper in my heart, 'Would it not have been better for you to have stayed in your country? Why have you charged yourself with what is beyond your capacities? Has notAllaahenjoinedHajjonly upon those have the capacity' My soul became weaker and I was about to surrender. However, when my friends came, one of them looked at my face and asked me about how I felt. I turned my face and wiped a tear that had overwhelmed me. It is as if he had felt what was going on in my mind! He said, 'Go and perform ablution and then pray. You will not find except that which is good,Allaahwilling.AllaahThe Almighty Says )what means(:}And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive ]to Allaah[ who are certain that they will meet their Lord and that they will return to Him.{]Quran 2:45-46[
Thus, I felt comfortable andAllaahremoved my grief. All perfect praise be toAllaah."
Longing to reach the two Holy Mosques was their guide in all their states. It alleviated for them the pain of travelling and the hardship and dangers of the road. Three of them died on the way. The last one died in the middle of the sea. The wonderful thing is that his bequest to his friends was, "If you reach the Sacred Mosque, tell Allaah The Almighty about my longing to meet Him and ask Him to gather me and my mother in Paradise with the Prophet."
Shaykh ‘Uthmaansaid,"When our third friend died, I was struck by extreme sorrow and deep grief. This was the most difficult trial I faced in my journey. He was the strongest and most patient of us. I began to fear that I would die before being blessed with reaching the Sacred Mosque. I would count the days and hours on pins and needles!
When we reached Jeddah, I fell extremely ill and again feared dying before reaching Makkah. Thus, I asked my friend to shroud me in my Ihraam )clothing of ritual consecration( clothes and take me near Makkah or as close to it as possible if I died, in the hope that, perhaps, Allaah would multiply my reward and accept me among the righteous.
We stayed in Jeddah for some days and then proceeded to Makkah. My breaths were quick, cheerfulness filled my face and longing overwhelmed and shook my soul when we reached the Sacred Mosque."
TheShaykhkept silent for a while.
Hewiped his tears and swore byAllaahThe Almighty that he never experienced a pleasure like the pleasure of seeing the Honorable Ka‘bah! Then he said,"When I saw the Ka‘bah, I prostrated to Allaah to thank Him and kept weeping from fear and awe. I wept as children weep. What an honorable House and what a great place! Then, I remembered my friends who could not reach the Sacred Mosque and so I thanked Allaah The Exalted for His blessing and favor to me and then asked Allaah to record their steps and not to deprive them of the reward and to gather us with them in a seat of honor near a Sovereign who is Perfect in Ability."
I left the house of theShaykhwhile repeating the verse in whichAllaahThe Almighty Says )what means(:}And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous.{]Quran 3:133[
This is serious endeavor to obedience that is not prone to laziness or procrastination; an endeavor where pain and grief have little value and where all obstacles and impediments tumble. It is an endeavor with sincere determination and high mettle springing from a heart that is attached toAllaahand complying with His orders.
I left the Shaykh's house while repeating the verse in whichAllaahThe Almighty Says )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.{]Quran 22:27[
Then I reflected upon the state of many Muslims nowadays who meet all the Sharee‘ah-related pre-requisites for performingHajjto the Sacred House ofAllaahand yet procrastinate. Let them remember the Hadeeth in which the Prophetsaid:“Whoever wants to go for Hajj, let him hasten to do it, because he may fall ill, lose his riding animal or an excuse may arise to prevent him.”]Ahmad, Ibn Maajah[ ]Al-Albaani: Hasan )Sound([

Hajj & Umrah, - ‘Arafaat

Allaah The Almighty Says )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 and mention the Name of Allaah on known days over what He has provided for them of ]sacrificial[ animals. So eat of them and feed the miserable and poor. Then let them end their untidiness and fulfill their vows and perform Tawaaf ]circumambulation[ around the ancient House."{]Quran 22: 27-29[
It is there that the cover is removed and the gates to the heavens are opened. Thus, pilgrims head towards Allaah with hearts free from the darkness of desires and lusts and shining with light so that they are elevated; so they see the earth and those who are on it like a small atom carried by the power of Allaah. They are then elevated till they hear the angels glorifying Allaah with the tongues of obedience. Then, they are elevated till they reflect upon the Quran gently, as if it were revealed by inspiration just yesterday and heard the call from the near Al-Quds )Jerusalem( )which means(:}O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allaah is the most righteous of you.{]Quran 49:13[ So, they replied, “Labbayk, Allaahumma labbayk! )O Allaah, I hasten to You(.” Then, the valleys of ‘Arafaat, the corners of the Sacred House, the seven heavens and the seven earths all repeated, “Labbayk, Allaahumma labbayk!”
It is there that humanity breathes after having being throttled by smoke, borders and the notion of master and slave. It is revived in ‘Arafaat where there is no old or young, great or mean, servant or prince or rich or poor.
It is there that the supreme values which were not known by the West, except in the heads of philosophers and in books, are achieved. Thus, evil and grudges are removed, equality spreads, peace prevails and people gather in spite of the difference in their languages and colors in the same place wearing the same clothes, addressing the same Lord, believing in the same Prophet, embracing the same religion and shouting with the same tongue, “Labbayk, Allaahumma labbayk!”
There appears this everlasting miracle. The earth is folded from its sides to be put as a whole into ‘Arafaat. Then, the two shores of Africa meet with the coast of Asia, the cities of Europe with the huts of Sudan, the River Nile with the River King and the Mountains of Taurus with the Blue Mountains. Therefore, the Muslim knows that his homeland is broader than being limited on earth by mountains or rivers, divided by colors on maps or separated politically by some pieces of cloth or flags that differ from other flags.
This is because the homeland of the Muslim is in the Quran, not in dust or stone, lakes or rivers, or mountains or seas. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}The believers are but brothers{}Quran 49:10[ not “the Egyptians”, “the people of Shaam” nor “the Iraqis”, but the believers.
It is there that brothers visit each other. The strong helps the weak, the rich gives to the poor; and the honorable supports the humiliated so that they do not leave Hajj until they too are strong, rich and honorable.
It is there that the Muslim remembers how the Master of Humanity, passed through these valleys emigrating to Allaah, leaving the country where he was raised and his people among whom he grew up, till he stood on the limit, looked at Makkah and said:"You are the most beloved land to Allaah and the most beloved land to me. Had your people not caused me to leave, I would have not left you."He proceeded in this vast desert having nothing but a faithful friend with him. He looked backwards every now and then to have a look at Makkah till it disappeared from their sight, and then they headed towards the cave.
Did these valleys know that this single man would stand alone to face the whole world and defeat its falsehood with the strength of truth, face it with the light of Islam and guide it with the guidance of the Quran? He left Makkah secretly, and he would return with ten thousand heroes, and thus Makkah would open for him its doors and its masters would fall at his feet. The Peninsula was insolent to him; later, half the world adopted his religion.
Did these valleys know that those people who escaped from the authority and oppression of the Quraysh would rise until the Quraysh adopted their religion, and rise until they succeeded Chosroes and Caesar in their lands, and then rise until they inherited the earth and what is upon it, and that they would increase till they numbered four-hundred million and spread on the earth calling to Allaah, fighting in His cause and conquering lands, and then gather in ‘Arafaat performing Hajj, returning to Allaah and reciting the Talbiyah, "O Allaah, I hasten to You!"
There stood the master of the worldin the Farewell Hajj declaring human rights, establishing the principles of peace and spreading brotherhood, justice and equality among people a thousand years before France published its own:
"O people, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again.
O people, just as you regard this month, this day, and this city as sacred, then regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust.
Be my witness, O Allaah, that I have conveyed Your message!
O people, learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.
Nothing shall be lawful to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it is given freely and willingly.
Be my witness, O Allaah, that I have conveyed Your message!
O people, your Lord is one and your father is one. Your father is Aadam and Aadam was created from dust. The most noble of you in the sight of Allaah is the most pious of you. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab except by piety.
Be my witness, O Allaah, that I have conveyed Your message!"
There, hestood declaring the end of the great message by which Allaah sent him to all people and reciting the verse in which Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}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[ He sent his Companions to bear this message all over the earth and till the end of time. They bore it and therefore they established with it this civilization which shaded the whole east and the west.
In ‘Arafaat, the greatness of Islam appears; it is the religion of freedom, equality, knowledge and civilization. From ‘Arafaat, Muslims hear the caller to Allaah calling, "Hayya ‘ala as-Salaah )come to prayer( Hayya ‘ala al-Falaah )come to success(." Therefore, they answer, "Labbayk, Allaahumma labbayk!" They work for the Hereafter as if they will die tomorrow and work for this life as if they will live forever.
Let the earth be corrupt, evil spread, iron and gunpowder explode and the world sink in a sea of vice. There is no fear for virtue, truth or peace as long as ‘Arafaat is on the earth and as long as this sacred voice exists repeating, "Labbayk, Allaahumma labbayk!"

Hajj & Umrah, - thoughts

O ‘Arafah! O symbol of the Muslim nation, many are the crowds that stood on your grounds; many are the tears that were shed on your sands; many are the people that got acquainted on your lands; many are the races that blended within your borders; many are the humble whose supplications were answered; and many are the tyrants who were rejected. How many hearts have embraced here, how many grievances were relieved here, and how many sins were forgiven? The tears of sinners mixed with your sand, and the voices seeking forgiveness embraced in your space. Wishes and intentions are sincere for the sake of Allaah, and the dwellers of the earth surrendered to the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
O Muslims, your enemies’ hearts are boiling with hatred! They bite their fingertips at you in rage and envy! Allaah Almighty Says )what means(:}Neither those who disbelieve from the People of the Scripture nor the polytheists wish that any good should be sent down to you from your Lord. But Allaah selects for His mercy whom He wills, and Allaah is the possessor of great bounty.{]Quran 2:105[ They wish to eliminate religion so that people would follow their passion, ruin would spread everywhere and no religion would be honored, no certitude would be strong and no succession in the land would be established.
How did our violence among ourselves become so severe, and our hope to return to the pure source of goodness become so weak?
Dear loved ones! The One who Has Commanded you to recite Talbiyah so you did, to perform Hajj so you did, and to stand here )on ‘Arafah( so you did, is the same One who Says )what means(:}And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war…{]Quran 8:60[, and arm yourselves with piety, for whoever wishes to attain wealth without money and honor without a high status and veneration without sovereignty, should fear Allaah.
Allaah Almighty inevitably humiliates those who disobey Him.
Remember well the advice of your Prophet one thousand four hundred years ago on the Day of Sacrifice in Mina, declaring, advising and warning:
Verily! Your blood, property and honor are sacred to one another )i.e. Muslims( like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours and in this city of yours. It is incumbent upon those who are present to inform those who are absent because those who are absent might comprehend )what I have said( better than the present audience. Do not return to disbelief after me, striking each other’s necks."]Al-Bukhaari[
Remember this advice well, and note that the nation which indulges in disobedience and deviates from the path of Allaah will surely collapse. Contemplate the advice of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah Be Pleased with him, to Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqaas – the champion of the Battle of Al-Qaadisiyyah and the one who received glad tidings of Paradise – when Sa‘d was going to the battle:
O Sa‘d! Do not deceive yourself into thinking that you hold a sublime position with Allaah because it is said that you are the maternal uncle of the Messenger of Allaah and his companion; for Allaah Almighty Does not erase the bad deed with its parallel, but He Erases the bad deed with the good one. O Sa‘d! There is no lineage between Allaah and His servants except obedience to Him. All the people, whether noble or humble, are equal in the sight of Allaah. They are His slaves and He is their Lord. They take precedence according to piety, and they attain His favors through obedience to Him.
So, let your hearts be thoughtful in dealing with the believers, and be wild beasts in dealing with the enemies of your religion.
Dear loved ones! Have you forgotten the anger of your Prophet when he vowed that the Jews would not spend one more night in Al-Madeenah, and he fulfilled his vow? Have you forgotten the anger of the calm and gentle Abu Bakr, may Allaah Be Pleased with him, when he roared, saying: “I swear by Allaah, if they withhold from me a rope which they used to pay to the Messenger of Allaah, I would surely fight them for it.”
Have you forgotten the anger of Noor Ad-Deen when Al-Aqsa fell into the hands of the Crusaders. He remained sad, and when he was asked: “Why do you not smile?” He replied: “I am ashamed in front of Allaah to smile whilst Al-Aqsa is captured by the enemy!”
Now, O loved ones, when are we going to be moved by the burned copies of the Quran, the destroyed mosques, the violated honor, innocent children trampled on, and tears flowing in Jerusalem, Kashmir, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eritrea, Somalia and other places?
We need a serious nation in word and deed; a nation which speaks, keeps peace, fights, and takes decisions according to sound knowledge; a nation which is neither frivolous nor heedless. Yahya ibn Mu‘aath, may the Mercy of Allaah be upon him, said:
The hearts are like pots boiling with what exists in the chests, and the tongues are their scoops. Wait till a man speaks, then his tongue will inform you about what is in his heart, whether it is sweet, sour, fresh or salty, his tongue will tell you about the taste of his heart.
‘Adi ibn Haatim At-Taa’isaid:
We came to ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah Be Pleased with him, in a delegation )during his caliphate(. He started calling the men one by one, calling each by his name. )As he did not call me early( I said to him. "Do you not know me, O Commander of the Believers?" He said, "Yes, you embraced Islam when they )i.e. your people( disbelieved; you have come )to the Truth( when they ran away; you fulfilled your promises when they broke theirs; and you recognized it )i.e. the Truth of Islam( when they denied it."
On that, ‘Adi said, "Then I do not care )meaning if Allaah has blessed me with these virtues, then I do not care no matter what happens afterwards(.” ]Al-Bukhaari[ This is his source of pride, his capital and the basis of his personality.
Such perception is not perceivable to those who are heavily attached to the earth where all their ambitions exist, fearing only for their money, desires, comfort and interests.

Welcome to Islam, - The world of Islam

A fifth of humankind follows Islam, the fastest growing and perhaps most misunderstood religion on earth. Faced with a secular modern world, Muslims are turning anew to the roots of their faith.
Borne aloft five times a day, fromShanghaitoChicago,JakartatoTimbuktu, Islam's call to prayer stirs the soul of devout Muslims everywhere. Whether cast from metal loudspeakers over teeming city streets or lifted as the murmured song of camel drivers kneeling in the sand, it begins with the same Arabic phrase Muslims have used for nearly 1400 years, Islam's melodic paean to the Creator: "Allaahu Akbar -- God is Great."
Some 1.3 billion human beings -- one person in five -- heed Islam's call in the modern world, embracing the religion at a rate that makes it the fastest growing on Earth, with 80 percent of believers now outside the Arab world.
The term Islam, is an Arabic word meaning "submission to God," with its etymological roots firmly planted in "salaam", or peace.
Muslims revere all Prophets of God, including Moses and Jesus, may Allaah exalt their mention, and regard the books revealed to these prophets – Torah and Injeel -- as an integral part of their tradition. They disagree with Christians about the divinity of Jesus, may Allaah exalt his mention, but honor him as an especially esteemed Messenger from God. The ultimate Messenger for Muslims is the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam )may Allaah exalt his mention(.
Born about 570 CE at Makkah, Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was an orphan raised by his grandfather and uncle. He grew up to be a modest and respected businessman who rejected the widespread polytheism of his day and turned to the One God.
At about age 40, Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, retreated to a cave in the mountains outside Makkah to meditate. There, he was visited by the archangel Gabriel, who began reciting to him the Word of God. Until his death 23 years later, Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, passed along these revelations to a growing band of followers, including many who wrote down the words or committed them to memory.
These verses became the Quran, or "recitation," the literal Word of God and confirmation of the real Jewish and Christian Scriptures.
The Quran consists of 114 chapters, and covers everything from the nature of God )Compassionate and Merciful( to laws governing the mundane affairs of men. Among its commands are )what mean(:"Do not usurp one another's property by unjust means"and"Do not kill anyone which God has forbidden."
The Quran is also a source of the pure Arabic language memorized by Muslim school children and recited by Muslim adults on every important occasion.
One of the five pillars of Islam, along with the two testimonies of faith )Shahaadah(, prayer )Salaah(, fasting the month of Ramadan )Sawm(, charity )Zakaah(, the pilgrimage )Hajj( is required of all who can manage it at least once in a lifetime.
By the time the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, passed away in 632 CE, Islam was established throughout the Arabian Peninsula, bringing peace and unity to the tribes for the first time in memory. Within a century of his death the armies of Islam, empowered by faith, had conquered a vast swathe of territory -- stretching fromIndiato the Atlantic coasts ofSpainandPortugal, including North Africa and theMiddle East.
This Islamic world built on the intellectual achievements of other civilizations, sponsoring an explosion of learning unparalleled until the Renaissance.
At a time when Europe was languishing in the early Middle Ages, Muslim scholars and thinkers were giving the world a great center of Islamic learning )Al-Azhar inCairo( and refining everything -- from architecture to the use of numbers. At the same time, seagoing Muslim traders were spreading the faith to southern Asia,Chinaand the east coast ofAfrica.
Flourishing by the end of the first millennium, the realm of Islam was tested as western Europe, spurred by its contact with the Islamic near East, awoke and lashed out, launching a series of armed Crusades to wrest Jerusalem from Muslim control.
Though fragmented and initially overcome, Muslims rallied to ultimately defeat the invading Christian armies, whose blood-soaked legacy -- the indiscriminate killing of thousands of innocent Muslim and Christian Arabs, and the Jews of Jerusalem -- lives on in the minds of people to this day.
As Europe rose to glory during the Renaissance and beyond, the Islamic world continued to thrive after the creation of theOttoman Empirein the late 1200s CE. This powerful state fell at the end of World War I, resulting in the subdivision of its mostly Muslim lands into the Middle Eastern countries we know today.
Although a few Muslim nations are wealthy from oil resources, most are poor and increasingly demoralized by their position in the world. Disaffected and disenfranchised, many people in these societies are turning to Islam to assert their identity and reclaim power over their own lives.
In addition many Muslims, especially in the Arab world, are angry at theUnited States’ continued support ofIsrael, the war and the economic sanctions against ‘Iraq, which are widely perceived to have hit the people of ‘Iraq-- who are fellow Muslims -- right between the eyes.
For most of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims, Islam is a way of life, a discipline based on looking at the world through the eyes of faith.
"Islam gave me something that was lacking in my life," says Jennifer Calvo of Washington, DC.
Calvo is 28 and looks as if she just stepped out of a painting by Botticelli, with aquiline features and striking blue eyes, set off by a white head scarf tucked neatly into her full-length robe. Calvo was raised Catholic and works as a registered nurse.
Two years ago, as people have done for 1,400 years, Jennifer became a Muslim by simply declaring the words: "Laa ilaaha illallaah, Muhammad Rasoolullaah” )There is none worthy of being worshipped except Allaah )God(, and Muhammad is His Messenger(."
"Everything is so much simpler now," she said. "It's just me and God. For the first time in my life I'm at peace."
For Calvo and most Muslims on Earth, that is what Islam's call to prayer represents. Kneeling to God five times a day, in unison, facing Makkah from wherever they happen to be, they find peace in an act of surrender.

Welcome to Islam, - Islam at a glance

Islam and Muslims:
The Arabic word "Islam" means peace, submission and obedience. The religion of Islam is the complete acceptance of the teachings and guidance of God as revealed to His Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam )may Allaah exalt his mention(.
A Muslim is one who believes in God and strives for the complete reorganization of his life according to (God’s revealed guidance and the sayings of His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam . He also works towards building human society on the same basis. "Muhammadanism" is a misnomer for Islam and offends its very spirit.
The word 'Allaah' is the proper name of God in Arabic. It is a unique term because it has no plural form or feminine gender.
Continuity of Message:
Islam is not a new religion. It is, in essence, the same message and guidance which Allaah revealed to all Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention. The Quran says )what means(: "Say: we believe in Allaah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael; Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in )the Books( given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord. We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allaah do we bow our will )in Islam(" ]Quran 3:84[.
The message, which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is Islam in its comprehensive, complete and final form.
The Five Pillars of Islam
There are five pillars of Islam:
1. The declaration of faith: To bear witness that: “There is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger ” to all human beings till the Day of Judgment. The Prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, obliges the Muslims to follow his exemplary life as a model.
2. Prayers: Daily prayers are offered five times a day as a duty towards Allaah. They strengthen and enliven the belief in Allaah and inspire man to a higher morality. They purify the heart and prevent temptation towards wrong doings and evils.
3. Fasting the month of Ramadan: The Muslims during the month of Ramadan not only abstain from food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset, but also from evil intentions and desires. It teaches love, sincerity, devotion and develops a sound social conscience, patience, unselfishness and willpower.
4. Zakaah: To pay annually 2.5 percent of one's net saving on which a year has passed, as a religious duty and purifying sum, to be spent on poorer sections of the community.
5. Pilgrimage to Makkah: It is to be performed once in a lifetime, if one can afford it financially and physically.
Besides these pillars, every action, which is done with the awareness that it fulfills the Will of Allaah, is also considered an act of worship.
Islam enjoins faith in the Oneness and Sovereignty of Allaah, which makes man aware of the purpose of the Universe and of his place in it. This belief frees him from all fears and superstitions, by making him conscious of the presence of Almighty Allaah and of his obligation towards Him. Faith alone is not enough. It must be expressed and tested in action, i.e., the "five pillars of Islam", which are the manifestations of faith. Belief in one God requires that we look upon all humanity as one family under the universal Omnipotence of God, the Creator and Nourisher of all. Islam rejects the idea of a chosen people, making faith in God and good actions as the only way to Heaven. Thus, a direct relationship is established with God, without any intercessor.
Man: The Free Agent:
Man is the highest creation of God. He is equipped with the highest of potentialities. He is left relatively free in his will, action and choice. God has shown him the right path, and the life of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, provides a perfect example. Man's success and salvation lies in following both. Islam teaches the sanctity of the human personality and confers equal rights upon all without any distinction of race, gender or color.
The law of God, enunciated in the Quran and exemplified in the life of the Prophet, is supreme in all cases. It applies equally to the highest and the lowest, the prince and the peasant, the ruler and the ruled.
Quran and Hadeeth:
The Quran is the last revealed word of God and the basic source of Islamic teachings and law. The Quran deals with the bases of creeds, morality, history of humanity, worship, knowledge, wisdom, the relationship between God and man, and human relationships in all aspects. The Holy Quran contains comprehensive teachings, which can be built into sound systems of social justice, economics, politics, legislation, jurisprudence, law and international relations.
Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, himself was unlettered, he could not read or write. Yet, the Holy Quran was committed to memory and writing by his followers under his supervision during his lifetime. The original and complete text of the Quran is available to everybody in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed. Translations of the meaning into many languages are widely used. The teachings, sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, )Ahadeeth( were meticulously reported and collected by his devoted companions, they explain and elaborate the Quranic verses.
Concept of Worship:
Islam does not teach or accept mere ritualism. It emphasizes intention and action. To worship God is to know Him and love Him, to act upon His law in every aspect of life, to enjoin goodness and forbid wrongdoing and oppression, to practice charity and justice and to serve Him by serving mankind.
The Quran presents this concept in the following sublime manner )which means(:"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West, but it is righteousness to believe in Allaah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; and to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and give Zakaah, to fulfill the contracts which you have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain )or suffering( and adversity, and throughout all period of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing."]Quran 2:177[
Islamic Way of Life:
Islam provides definite guidelines for all peoples to follow in all walks of life. The guidance it gives is comprehensive and includes the social, economic, political, moral and spiritual aspects of life. The Quran reminds man of the purpose of his life on earth, of his duties and obligations towards himself, his kith and kin, his community, his fellow human beings and his Creator. Man is given fundamental guidelines about a purposeful life and then he is left with the challenge of human existence before him, so that he might put these high ideals into practice. In Islam, human life is a wholesome integrated unit and not a collection of fragmented competitive parts. The sacred and secular are not separate parts of man: they are united in the nature of being human.
Historical Perspective:
Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was born in the year 570 CE in the city ofMakkahinArabia. He came from a noble family; he received the first revelation at the age of forty. As soon as he started preaching Islam, he and his followers were persecuted and had to face severe hardships. Therefore, he was commanded by God to migrate to Al-Madeenah, another city inArabia. During a short span of 23 years, he completed his mission of prophethood and died at the age of 63. He led a perfect life and set an example for all human beings, as his life was the embodiment of the Quranic teachings.
Islam's Rational Appeal:
Islam in its clear and direct way of expressing truth has a tremendous amount of appeal for any seeker of knowledge. It is a solution for all the problems of life. It is a guide towards a better and complete life, glorifying in all its phases, God, the Almighty Creator and the Merciful Nourisher.
Islam - The Solution of Modern Problems:
The Brotherhood of Man: It is really a major irony that advanced nations can send men to the moon, but cannot stop them from hating and fighting their fellow man. Over the last 1400 years, Islam has shown in practice how racism can be ended. Every year, during Hajj, the Islamic miracle of real brotherhood of all races and nations can be seen in action.
The Family: The family, which is the basic unit of civilization, is disintegrating in all Western countries. Islam's family system brings into a fine equilibrium the rights of man, wife, children and relatives. Islam nourishes human unselfishness, generosity and love in a well-organized family system.
Unfragmented View of Life:
Human beings live according to their view of life. The tragedy of secular societies is that they fail to connect the different aspects of life. The secular and religious, the scientific and the spiritual seem to be in conflict. Islam puts an end to this conflict and brings harmony to man's vision of life.

Welcome to Islam, - Who is Allaah?

Allaah is the proper name of the One True God. Nothing else can be called Allaah. This term has no plural or gendfer, which shows its uniqueness when compared with the word ‘god’, that can be made plural, gods; or feminine, goddess. It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allaah.
Some of the biggest misconceptions that many non-Muslims have about Islam have to do with the word "Allaah". For various reasons, many people have come to believe that Muslims worship a different God than Christians and Jews. This is totally false, since "Allaah" is simply the Arabic word for "God" -- and there is only One God. However, it is certainly true that Jews, Christians and Muslims all have different concepts of Almighty God. For example, Muslims, like Jews, reject the Christian beliefs of Trinity and Divine Incarnation. However, this does not mean that each of these three religions worships a different God – because there is only One True God. Judaism, Christianity and Islam are classified as ‘Monotheistic’, however, Islam teaches that other religions have, in one way or another, distorted and nullified a pure and proper belief in Almighty God by neglecting His true teachings and mixing them with man-made ideas.
The One True God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allaah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, )may Allaah exalt his mention( was asked by his contemporaries about Allaah; the answer came directly from Allaah Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Quran, which is considered the essence or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112 which reads )what means(:“Say: ‘He is Allaah, )who is( One, Allaah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.’”]Quran 112:1[
Some non-Muslims allege that God in Islam is a stern and cruel God who demands to be obeyed fully. He is not loving and kind. Nothing can be farther from the truth than this allegation. It is enough to know that with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Quran begins with the verse: "In the name of Allaah, the Merciful, the Compassionate." In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, we are told that:"Allaah is more loving and kinder than a mother to her dear child."
However, Allaah is also Just. Hence, wrongdoers and sinners must have their share of punishment, and the pious will receive His bounties and favors. People suffering throughout their lives while seeking Allaah’s bounty and people oppressing and exploiting other people all their lives should not receive similar treatment from their Lord. Expecting similar treatment for them is contrary to the very belief in the accountability of man in the Hereafter, which removes all the incentives for striving to attain a moral and virtuous life in this world.
Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or depicting Him as favoring certain individuals or nations on the basis of wealth, power or race. He created human beings as equals. They may distinguish themselves and get His favor only through virtue and piety.
The concepts that God rested in the seventh day of creation, that God wrestled with one of His soldiers, that God is an envious plotter against mankind, or that God is incarnate in any human being are considered blasphemy from the Islamic point of view.
The Creator must have a different nature from the things He created, because if He were of the same nature as them, He would be temporal and would therefore need a maker. Therefore, nothing is like Him. If the Maker is not temporal, then He must be Eternal. The Eternal cannot be bound by limitations. He is the Self-Sufficient because nothing outside Him can cause him to continue to exist, and if nothing outside Him causes Him to continue to exist, this means that He is Self-Sufficient. And if He does not depend on anything for the continuance of His own existence, then His existence can have no end. The Creator is therefore Eternal and Everlasting.
Linguistically, it is interesting to note that the Aramaic word "El", which is the word for God in the language that ‘Eesaa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt his mention, spoke, is certainly more similar in sound to the word "Allaah" than the English word "God". This also holds true for the various Hebrew words for God, which is "El" and "Elah", and the plural form "Elohim". The reason for these similarities is that Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic are all Semitic languages with common origins. It should also be noted that in translating the Bible into English, the Hebrew word "El" is translated variously as "God", "god" and "angel"! This imprecise language allows different translators, based on their preconceived notions, to translate the word to fit their own views. The Arabic word "Allaah" presents no such difficulty or ambiguity, since it is only used for Almighty God alone. Additionally, in English, the only difference between "god", meaning a false god, and "God", meaning the One True God, is the capital "G" which is commonly used in written works.

Dought & clear, - Following the imam with regard to doing or omitting recommended actions in the prayer

What should the one who is praying in congregation do, if the imam himself does not do some of the proven Sunnahs of the prayer, such as raising the hands before and after bowing? Is it obligatory for him to follow the imam or to follow the Sunnah? I am very confused, so I hope that you will answer my question.
Praise be to Allah
The one who is praying behind an imam should do what he thinks is Sunnah, whether the imam does it or not, unless what the individual does will lead to problems in following the imam, such as doing something too late after him or doing it before him. In that case, he should refrain from doing what he thinks is Sunnah, for the sake of following the imam properly.
What the questioner asked about – raising the hands before and after bowing – will not lead to any problems in following the imam, so he should still do it.
An example of something that will lead to problems in following the imam is if the one who is praying behind him thinks that it is mustahabb to sit and rest briefly (after the second prostration, in the first or third rak‘ah, when it is not followed by tashahhud) and the imam does not. In that case the one who is praying behind the imam should refrain from doing it.
This has been explained in the answer to question no. 34458
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to matters that will not lead to doing something too late after the imam or doing it before him, the one who is praying behind the imam may do what he believes is correct. For example, if the imam does not think that the hands should be raised when saying the takbeer before bowing, when rising from bowing and when standing up after the first tashahhud, but the one who is praying behind him thinks that this is mustahabb, then he may do that, because it will not lead to him doing something too late after the imam or doing it before him. Hence the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When he says takbeer, then say takbeer, when he bows, then bow, and when he prostrates, then prostrate.” Thefa(translated here as “then”) indicates that one thing is done immediately after the other. Similarly, if the imam sitsmutawarrikan( i.e., sitting with the left foot forward and holding the other foot upright, sitting on one’s behind) in every tashahhud that is followed by the salaam, even in the two rak‘ah prayers and the one who is praying behind him does not think that he should sit mutawarrikan except in a second tashahhud of prayer in which two tashahhuds are prescribed, then in this case he may refrain from sitting mutawarrikan with his imam in a two-rak‘ah prayer, because this will not lead to him doing something too late after the imam or doing it before him. End quote.
Ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘, 2/319-320
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - The divine attributes are to be affirmed in aliteral sense, not metaphorical

I am a teacher of Arabic language, and based on my literary perceptivity and my study of metaphor, I think that some of the verses which speak of the divine attributes are more metaphorical than literal. For example, when Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), “The Hand of Allah is over their hands” [al-Fath 48:10], what is meant is might and power; I do not think that it is a hand in the real sense of the word. Similarly, when He, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), “for verily, you are under Our Eyes” [at-Toor 52:48], what is meant is under Our care and protection. My sense of the language refuses to accept that it is referring to an eye in a real sense. Can you explain this matter to me?
Praise be to Allah.
Correct belief should be based on what is proven in the Qur’an and Sunnah, as understood by the early generations (salaf) of this ummah, namely the Sahaabah, Taabi‘een and leading scholars. They were unanimously agreed that the divine attributes mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah are to be affirmed without discussing how or likening Him to His creation, and without denying any of His attributes or interpreting them in a way different from the apparent meaning. We do not differentiate between any of the divine attributes, no matter what category they come under. Every divine attribute that is mentioned in a saheeh text must be affirmed.
The Qur’an and Sunnah came to teach people about the attributes of their God, and this can only be done by understanding the words in a real sense; this is the basic principle with regard to statements. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) conveyed the Holy Qur’an in both wording and meaning; not a single letter was narrated from him to suggest that any of the divine attributes should be interpreted in a way different from its apparent meaning, or that its apparent meaning is not intended, or that it means likening Him to His creation, or other phrases used by those who deny the divine attributes or interpret them in a way other than their apparent meaning. This is casting aspersions upon the Qur’an or upon the Messenger who was enjoined to convey and explain it. If anything of what they had mentioned was essential, then the Qur’an and the Prophet would have explained it and not concealed it. How could it be otherwise when it is proven in a number of saheeh hadeeths, the authenticity of which is agreed upon, that these attributes are to be affirmed, and there are other attributes mentioned in other hadeeths, such as His descending, His foot, His smiling, and His rejoicing, without any word to suggest that they should be understood in a way different from the apparent meaning, and without any Sahaabi having found it problematic to take them as they appear to be and according to what may be understood from them. If there was anything in the apparent meaning that could be regarded as not befitting to the divine or as likening the divine to any created being – and it is not possible for there to be any such thing in the Qur’an or Sunnah – then the infallible Prophet would have pointed it out and highlighted it to people, and the people of reason at that time would have questioned it, for they were more eager to attain good and adhere to it.
When innovations appeared, and people emerged who said that these attributes were to be understood in a metaphorical, rather than a real, sense – as was the view of the Jahamis and Mu‘tazilah and those who agreed with them – the early generations and leading scholars responded by stating that these attributes are to be understood in a real sense, not in a metaphorical sense. Their comments on this matter are abundant and well-known. We will quote some of their comments here:
-1-
‘Uthmaan ibn Sa‘eed ad-Daarimi (d. 280 – may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Praise be to Allah, may He be exalted, we know about the concept of metaphors from the language of the Arabs, which you have taken and used to confuse and mislead the ignorant. By means of this concept you denied the reality of the divine attributes, on the basis of the metaphor argument. But we say: It is wrong to judge the most common style in the Arabic language on the basis of its rarest style; rather we should understand the statements of the Arabs on the basis of the most common style, unless you can produce proof that what is meant here is the rarer style (namely metaphor). This is the approach that is most fair, and it is not right to approach the divine attributes that are well known and understood as they appear to be by people of common sense, and twist the meaning on the grounds that these are metaphors.
End quote fromNaqd ad-Raadirmi ‘ala Bishr al-Mireesi, 2/755
-2-
Imam Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Jareer at-Tabari (d. 310 – may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If someone were to say: What is the proper approach with regard to the meaning of these attributes that you have mentioned, some of which are mentioned in the Book and revelation of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and some were mentioned by the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)? Our response is: The correct approach in our view is to affirm the meaning in a real sense, without likening Him to His creation, as Allah said of Himself in the Qur’an (interpretation of the meaning):“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer” [ash-Shoora 42:11]. … So we affirm all of the meanings that we said are mentioned in the reports and the Qur’an and the revelation according to their apparent meaning, and we reject any likening of Him to His creation. Hence we say: He, may He be glorified and exalted, hears all sounds, but not through a hole in an ear or through any physical faculty like those of the sons of Adam. Similarly, He sees all people with vision that is not like the vision of the sons of Adam, which is a physical faculty of theirs. He has two hands, a right hand, and fingers, but not in a physical sense; rather His two hands are outstretched, bestowing blessings upon creation, not withholding good. And He has a countenance or face, but it is not like the physical faces of the sons of Adam that are made of flesh and blood. We say that He smiles upon whomever He will of His creation, but we do not say that this is showing teeth (like a human smile); and He descends every night to the lowest heaven.
End quote fromTabseer fi Ma‘aalim ad-Deen, p. 141-145
-3-
Imam Abu Ahmad Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Karji who is known as al-Qassaab (d. 360 AH) said concerning the Qaadari belief in a letter that he wrote for the caliph al-Qaadir bi Amr-Allah in 433 AH, which was signed by the scholars of that time to confirm its content, which was sent to the various regions:
Allah is not to be described except as He has described Himself or as His Prophet has described Him. Any attribute that He has ascribed to Himself or that His Prophet has ascribed to Him, is an attribute in a real sense, and is not metaphorical. If it was metaphorical, then it would have been necessary to explain it in a manner different from the apparent meaning, so it would have been said: What is meant by vision is such and such, what is meant by hearing is such and such, and so on; it would have been explained in a way different from what one would understand from the apparent meaning. As the approach of the salaf is to affirm the attributes without interpreting them in a way different from the apparent meaning, this proves that they are not to be understood in a metaphorical sense; rather they are plain facts.
End quote fromal-Muntazamby Ibn al-Jawzi, speaking of the events of 433 AH;Siyar A‘laam an-Nubala’, 16/213
-4-
Imam al-Haafiz Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ishaaq ibn Mandah (d. 395) said, affirming the divine attribute of the two hands:
Chapter on the verse in which Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“(Allah) said: ‘O Iblees (Satan)! What prevents you from prostrating yourself to one whom I have created with Both My Hands’” [Saad 38:75]. And he quoted words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that could prove that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, created Adam (peace be upon him) with His two hands in a real sense.
And he said, affirming the divine attribute of the countenance or face:
Chapter on the verse in which Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Everything will perish save His Face” [al-Qasas 28:88]. And Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“And the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honour will abide forever” [ar-Rahmaan 55:27]. And he quoted proven reports from the Prophet which indicate that this is to be understood in a real sense.
End quote fromar-Radd ‘ala al-Jahamiyyah, p. 68, 94
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Imam Haafiz al-Maghrib Abu ‘Umar Yoosuf ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Barr al-Andalusi al-Qurtubi al-Maaliki (d. 463) said:
In principle, words are to be understood in a real sense, unless the ummah is unanimously agreed that something is not to be understood in a real sense, and is rather a metaphor, because there is no way to follow what has been revealed to us from our Lord except on that basis. Rather we should understand the words of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, on the basis of the most apparent and clearest meaning, unless there is a strong reason to do otherwise. If it were justifiable for anyone to claim that something is a metaphor, then no statement would mean anything. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is far above saying anything in the Qur’an except that which is said in a manner that may be understood by the Arabs on the basis of their style of speech.Istiwa’(rising above (the Throne)) is well known and understood in Arabic; it means rising above something and becoming settled and established.
He said, narrating that there was consensus among Ahl as-Sunnah concerning this matter: Ahl as-Sunnah are unanimously agreed that all the divine attributes mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah are to be affirmed, and we are to believe in them and understand them in a real sense, not as metaphorical. But they do not discuss the nature of any of them. As for the followers of innovation, the Jahamis, all the Mu‘tazilah and the Khaarijis, all of them deny the divine attributes and do not understand them in a true sense; they claimed that the one who affirms them is likening Him to His creation. According to those who do affirm the divine attributes, these people are denying God. The truth is on the side of those who base their understanding on the wording of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messengers, and they are the leaders of al-jamaa‘ah, praise be to Allah.
End quote fromat-Tamheed, 7/131, 145
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Imam al-Haafiz adh-Dhahabi said, after quoting the words of al-Qassaab referred to above:
As Allah exists in a real sense, not metaphorically, His attributes cannot be taken as metaphorical, because in that case they could not be divine attributes, because the attributes are connected to the one who possesses those attributes. As He exists in a real sense, not in a metaphorical sense, His attributes cannot be metaphorical. As there is nothing equal or similar to Him, there can be nothing like His attributes.
He said, commenting on the words of Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr mentioned above:
He spoke the truth, by Allah. Whoever interprets all the divine attributes in a manner other than their apparent meaning, and regards the words as metaphorical, that will inevitably lead him to denying the Lord and likening Him to something non-existent. It was narrated from Hammaad ibn Zayd that he said: The likeness of the Jahamis is that of people who said: On our land there is a palm tree. It was said: Does it have leaves? They said: No. It was said: Does it have branches? They said: No. It was said: Does it have bunches of dates? They said: No. It was said: Does it have a trunk? They said: No. It was said: Then you do not have a palm tree on your land!
End quote fromal-‘Uluw, p. 239, 250
There are many similar reports. See:al-Ashaa‘irah fi Mizaan Ahl as-Sunnahby Shaykh Faisal ibn Qazzaaz al-Jaasim, in which there are many more such quotations from the early generations and the leading scholars.
This is the basic principle with regard to the texts that speak of the divine attributes, including the two verses mentioned (in the question). The leading imams of the earlier and later generations quoted them to affirm the divine attributes of the hand and eye, among other evidence, yet they interpreted the verses in a manner that is appropriate to the context, as we shall see below.
Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said, explaining this concept:
The words of Allah (interpretation of the meaning),“The Hand of Allah is over their hands” [al-Fath 48:10], are to be understood according to their apparent meaning. The hand of Allah, may He be exalted, is over the hands of those who are swearing allegiance, because His hand is one of His attributes, yet He is above them, above His Throne. So His hand is above their hands. This is the apparent meaning of the words and is the real meaning, which is to affirm that allegiance to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is as if it were allegiance to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. It does not mean that the hand of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is directly on top of their hands. Do you not see that we say that the sky is above us, even though it is distant from us? So the hand of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is above the hands of those who swore allegiance to His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), even though He is far above His creation.
End quote fromal-Qawaa‘id al-Muthla, inMajmoo‘ Fataawa ash-Shaykh, 3/331
The words of Allah (interpretation of the meaning),“for verily, you are under Our Eyes” [at-Toor 52:48], were interpreted by some of the early generations as meaning “within Our vision or sight”; this is an explanation as dictated by the context, hence this verse confirms two things, the vision and eye of Allah.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said inSharh al-Waasitiyyah: If it is asked: how do you explain the prepositionbiin the phrasebi a‘yunina(translated above as “under Our eyes”, lit. “in our eyes”)? Our response is: we explain it as meaning that the eye is with or accompanying them. If you say “you are under my eye” it means my eye is accompanying you or, in other words, I am watching you and my gaze never shifts away from you. Hence what is meant is that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is saying to His Prophet: Be patient with the decree of Allah, for you are surrounded with Our care and We are watching you so that no one can harm you.
It does not refer to location (being “in” or “inside”), because that would imply that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was inside the eye of Allah! – which is impossible.
Moreover, this was addressed to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was on earth, so if you were to say that he was in the eye of Allah, this interpretation of this verse of the Qur’an is not correct.
Prior to that he said: If it were to be said that among the salaf there were those who interpreted the words of Allah “under Our eyes” as meaning in Our vision; it was interpreted thus by well-known, leading scholars among the early generations, but you say that interpreting it in a manner other than the apparent meaning is haraam, so what is the answer? Our response is that they interpreted it according to the context, whilst still affirming the basic meaning, which is the attribute of the divine eye. Those who distort the meanings say that it means “in Our vision” without affirming the divine eye, whereas Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah say that “under Our eyes” means in Our vision, whilst affirming the divine eye.
End quote fromMajmoo‘ Fataawa ash-Shaykh, 8/264
Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh (may Allah preserve him) said:“for verily, you are under Our Eyes” [at-Toor 52:48]means you are in Our vision and sight, and under Our care and protection.
This interpretation is the interpretation of the salaf for this phrase, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was not in the eye of Allah (in the singular) which is His attribute; rather he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was “under the eyes” of Allah (in the plural); that is because Allah has the attribute of two eyes. Hence Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah interpreted this as coming under the heading of what is implied by the verse, and implication is one of the ways in which the phrase may be interpreted. A phrase may be interpreted according to its exact meaning, or according to what it implies, or according to what is indicated by the context.
Hence they said: What it means is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was in (or under) the vision and sight of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and under His care and protection. This is what is implied by the words“under Our Eyes” [at-Toor 52:48].
Therefore this does not come under the heading of interpretation in a manner other than the apparent meaning, as was claimed by those who did not understand. Rather it comes under the heading of what is implied, and implication – i.e., understanding the implications of a word – is a clear part of the Arabic language.
Even though the early generations affirmed the divine attribute of the two eyes, they could interpret something- as in the case of this verse – on the basis of what it implies, or they could interpret it on the basis of what the context indicates, and some may think that this comes under the heading of interpretation in a manner other than the apparent meaning, but that is wrong.
Implication is one thing and context is something else; these are two ways of understanding the wording of a phrase.
As for interpreting something in a manner other than the apparent meaning, this is ignoring what the wording indicates.
End quote fromSharh al-Waasitiyyah
From the above it is clear that these two verses are to be understood in a real sense, and that in them is an affirmation of the divine attributes of the hand and eye, and there is nothing wrong with interpreting the verse as dictated by its context or what it implies, without denying the divine attributes mentioned in it. Perhaps this is what you sensed by your linguistic perceptivity, i.e., the general meaning that is implied or dictated by the context, but it is wrong to think that this comes under the heading of metaphor, which would lead to denying one of the divine attributes or to denying the apparent meaning of the text.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Praying for the newborn to be righteous in various ways

I prayed for a newborn and said: “May Allah make her righteous, and make her grow in a good manner, and make her kind to her parents.” Is there anything wrong with this supplication?
Praise be to Allah.
There is nothing wrong with your offering supplication for the newborn by saying, “May Allah make her righteous, and make her grow in a good manner, and make her kind to her parents.” Use of the present tense [in the Arabic original] in these phrases refers to the future, in the sense that when she grows up and reaches the age of maturity, she may be settled in the path of righteousness, lead others in the path of righteousness and be kind to her parents, as Ibn al-Warraaq (d. 381 AH) said in his book‘Ilal an-Nahw(1/563): the present tense may refer to two times (i.e., the present and the future). And az-Zamakhshari (d. 538 AH – may Allah have mercy on him) said: it may refer to the present and the future.
End quote fromal-Mufassal fi San‘at al-I‘raab, p. 321
Moreover, no particular format for offering congratulations on the birth of the newborn is proven in the Prophet’s Sunnah. Rather there is a report was narrated by ‘Ali ibn al-Ja‘d inal-Musnad, p. 488, where he said: al-Haytham ibn Jimaaz told me: A man said in the presence of al-Hasan: Congratulations to the horseman. Al-Hasan said: What does congratulations to the horseman mean? Perhaps he will own cows and donkeys (not horses)! Rather say: May you give thanks to the Bestower, may what He gave you be blessed, may (the newborn) reach maturity and may he be kind to you.
Its isnaad is da‘eef (weak) because of al-Haytham ibn Jimaaz. It was classed as da‘eef by Yahya ibn Ma‘een. Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: He was rejected by the scholars. An-Nasaa’i said: He is matrook (rejected).
See:Lisaan al-Mizaan, 8/352
But there is a corroborating report – which is somewhat weak – that was narrated by Ibn ‘Asaakir inTareekh Dimashq(59/276) via Mu‘aawiyah ibn Muhammad al-Adhri, according to which Ahmad ibn Ibraaheem ibn Bakaar al-Qurashi told them: Sa‘eed ibn Naseer told us: Katheer ibn Hishaam told us: Kalthoom ibn Jawshan told us: A man came to al-Hasan… And he narrated the report.
However the basic principle concerning the wording of du‘aa’ (supplication) outside prescribed acts of worship is that there are no restrictions, and the one who is offering supplication may choose whatever supplication he likes and whatever best suits his aim. The scholars regarded it as mustahabb to offer supplication in the words narrated from al-Hasan al-Basri, as mentioned by Imam an-Nawawi inal-Majmoo‘(8/443) and inal-Adhkaar(p. 289), and by Ibn Qudaamah inal-Mughni(9/464).
They also regarded it as mustahabb to offer supplication in the words narrated from Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaani (may Allah have mercy on him); when he offered congratulations on the birth of a baby, he would say, “May Allah make him a blessing to you and to the ummah of Muhammad.” Narrated by Ibn Abi’d-Dunya inal-‘Iyaal(no. 202). He said: Khaalid ibn Khaddaash told us: Hammaad ibn Zayd told us: Ayyoob used to … And he narrated the report. It was also narrated by at-Tabaraani inad-Du‘aa’(1/294).
This format was also narrated from al-Hasan al-Basri with a hasan isnaad. That was narrated by at-Tabaraani inad-Du‘aa’(p. 1243); its isnaad was classed as hasan by the commentator on the book, Dr Muhammad al-Bukhaari.
At-Tabaraani said: Yahya ibn ‘Uthmaan ibn Saalih told us: ‘Amr ibn ar-Rabee‘ ibn Taariq told us; as-Sirri ibn Yahya told us: A son was born to a man who used to sit with al-Hasan, and another man congratulated him by saying: Congratulations to the horseman. al-Hasan said: How do you know that he will be a horseman? Perhaps he will be a carpenter, perhaps he will be a tailor. He said: What should I say then? He said: “May Allah make him a blessing to you and to the ummah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).”
We ask Allah, may He be exalted, to make all the children of the Muslims a blessing to their parents and to the ummah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
And Allah knows best.