For children, - Quran Stories, Quran Stories for Children

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Nine great benefits of reciting Holy Qur'an
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1.Reading and reflecting over the Noble Qur'an fulfils an Islamic duty.
2.The Noble Qur'an will be a proof for us on the Day of Judgment.
3.The Noble Qur'an will intercede for us on the Day of Judgment.
4.Your status in this life will be raised.
5.You will be from the best of the people.
6.There are ten rewards for each letter you recite from the Noble Qur'an.
7.The reciters of the Noble Qur'an will be in the company of the noble and obedient angels.
8.Your position in Paradise is determined by the amount of Noble Qur'an you memorize in this life!
9.The Noble Qur'an will lead you to Paradise!

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Fathwa, - {Conflictsamong family members}, - Wants to marry cousin from disputing relatives

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Question
My mother and uncle had a quarrel 8 years ago. They have severed their ties thereafter. Now I want to be reunited with my uncle, I'm also in love with my uncle's daughter and I want to marry her. But my auntie's behavior is very rude. She is also the main cause of conflict. I don't think that she would agree to marry her daughter to me. I often use to go to my uncle's home to see him and his daughter. But my auntie always greets me with anger. I'm very upset about this situation. I don't want to marry any one except my cousin. Would you please help me in the light of Qur'an and Sunnah?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
First, try to reconcile your mother and her brother as soon as possible. You will get great reward for that if your aim is to please Allah by such an act. Allah Says )interpretation of meaning(:}There is no good in most of their secret talks save )in( him who orders Sadaqah )charity in Allâh's Cause(, or Ma'rûf )Islâmic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allâh has ordained(, or conciliation between mankind, and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allâh, We shall give him a great reward.{]4: 114[.
You should use the wisdom and the appropriate means for this reconciliation. Remind them of Allah and tell them that whoever keeps good ties with his kinship )visiting them and doing good to them( Allah will bestow blessings upon him and whoever severs his ties with his kinship Allah will cut off ties with him; no doubt this will result in his destruction.
Allah Says )interpretation of meaning(:}Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land, and sever your ties of kinship? Such are they whom Allâh has cursed, so that He has made them deaf and blinded their sight.{]47: 22-23[.
Abu Hurairahreported from the Prophet )Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam( that he said:"The gates of Paradise are not opened but on two days, Monday and Thursday, and then every servant )of Allah( is granted pardon who does not associate anything with Allah except the person in whose )heart( there is rancour against his brother. And it would be said: Look towards both of them until there is reconciliation; look toward both of them until there is reconciliation; look towards both of them until there is reconciliation".
This is about Muslims in general. The rule will have greater impact if this is between very close relatives people who are linked by very close family ties like a brother and a sister.
On the other hand, if your uncle's daughter is pious and good, do not hesitate to ask her for marriage. But this should be in an appropriate way so that your uncle who is the Wali )guardian( of the girl accepts your offer. If he accepts, that is what you desire. If he refuses because of the pressure from his wife try to get somebody who has an influence on them to mediate. This might have the results you want. Anyway, know that nothing will happen except that which Allah has predestined.
We ask Allah to guide you and us to do what pleases Him.
Allah knows best.

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Fathwa, - {Conflictsamong family members}, - Wants to reconcile relatives so he can marry his cousin

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Question
As soon as got the answer I went to my uncle and asked him to reconcile with my mother. I also quoted the some Hadith )s(. But, he refused and said that my mother and auntie would once again quarrel if we reconcile, therefore, it is better to be separate.
Please, give me an answer in detail so that I can convince my uncle. My uncle also told me that he would go for a Hajj next time.
I would also like to tell you that my uncle's daughter is 14 years old and I'm 23.
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
May Allah reward you for your good efforts to reconcile your uncle and mother. Do not be impatient to achieve the results; instead you should continue visiting your uncle at appropriate times. Show your respect and love for him and do what pleases him. Offering gifts at times may be useful to further your cause. Continue offering him good advice with good manners; probably Allah will guide him to the right path and open his heart to the truth. Know that the hearts are between two fingers out of the fingers of al-Rahman who turns them where He wants. If your uncle does not listen to your advice this time, probably he will listen to it another time. Also, try to convince your mother to visit your uncle or communicate with him. You may tell some lies to achieve this important matter; as some scholars permitted doing so based on the Hadith that the Prophet )Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam( said:"He who makes peace between the people by inventing good information or saying good things, is not a liar"]Reported by Imamsal-BukhariandMuslim[.
They take the Hadith according to its apparent meaning while other scholars say that it means using illusive words and expressions not clear lies.
Moreover, tell to your uncle in a good way that severing relations with your mother fearing there will be dispute with his wife is not a sound reason. Instead, he should rebuke the one who creates the problems and should set limits for her.
Also he should know that he could maintain good kin relations with your mother in spite of her dispute with your aunt. So, he should not make it a reason to cut off relations and expose himself to the anger of Allah.
Finally, we advise you again to be patient and continue to make efforts to reconcile them. Also you should resort to Allah, make Du'a to reunite them, help solve their problems and grant you goodness regardless of where it is.
Allah knows best.

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Fathwa, - {Conflictsamong family members}, - Her parents have poor relations with her spouse

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Question
I am a American Muslim convert and have been married to a Muslim husband for 2 years. I became Muslim before marriage and although my parents were not unhappy about my conversion, they were confused with the changes it brought me. Despite this, I remained close to my family, and even talk to my Mother everyday day until a few months ago.
Since my parents met my husband, they have never had a very good relationship with him. I have always felt that they do not trust him. They think my husband changed me a lot and they don't understand why he doesn't open up to them and talk to them and feel as close to them as I am.
Recently my father got very angry with my husband because he felt that my husband was rude to my mother )he actually just didn't agree with her on something(. The problem is that he started physically and verbally attacking my husband. I was very scared because he did this in front of me and could have severely hurt my husband. I knew my father has a bad temper but this was extreme. He pushed and shoved and tried to nearly choke him. My husband told me I should not contact my family anymore. We are afraid that with contact the relationship will just get worse.
I haven't talked to my family for several months and although I am upset with their actions, I miss them. I'm not sure what to do. I miss my family, naturally because they are my family, and because I know that even if our parents mistreat us we must respect them. I am not sure what to do, Islamicly I need to listen to my husband, but I am afraid that by severing ties with my parents, who are getting older in age, that I will punished by Allah. What should I do?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
There is no doubt there are filial obligations upon children even if their parents are not Muslims. This, in fact, demonstrates the parents' right over their children. So, we advise the inquiring sister to reach an agreement with her husband concerning her obligation to visit her family, since failing to them may violate their rights for which she is accountable in Islam.
If your visit to your family will not produce harm in your religion and there is no legal justification to prevent you, then you have to do your best to convince your husband to allow you to visit your parents and treat them kindly, since this is your duty. If your husband refuses and persists that you have to obey him in such illegal action, then you are not obliged to obey him, since there should be no obedience to someone if such obedience constitutes disobedience to The Creator.
After all, we urge you to be kind and gentle with your parents, to return their offence in kind' to treat them mildly, and then, to overlook their wrong. This, Insha Allah, might constitute a good motive to make them embrace Islam.
Allah knows best.

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Discover Islam, - The message of the messengers

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Allaah, the All Wise, All Knowing, All Merciful and Just, created this Universe in order to test and examine His obedient slaves and reward them, and to punish the disobedient. He Says )what means(:"We did not create the heavens and the earth and that between them in play. We did not create them except in truth, but most of them do not know."]Quran 44: 38-39[
Allaah also made clear the main goal for the creation of mankind, Saying )what means(:"I did not create the Jinn and Mankind except for My worship"]Quran 51: 56[
Allaah, the Exalted, did not leave His slaves to rely upon their intellect and inclination to guide them to the correct way; rather He sent them Messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners. He sent the revealed Books with them to be a reference in those matters wherein they disagreed, so that no excuse would remain for the people and the proof would be established against them. Thus, after sending the Messengers, there would be no further excuse for people before Allaah.
Indeed, their mission covered every good and banished every evil. They brought to humankind everything needed for their well being and happiness in this world and the Hereafter. There is nothing good, which they did not inform the people about and nothing evil that they did not warn the people against.
‘Abdullaah bin `Amr bin Al-`Aas, may Allaah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:"There was never a Prophet before me except that it was a duty upon him that he should guide his nation to every good that he knew and warn them against every evil that he knew…"]Muslim[
Indeed, calling to Allaah was the mission of the Messengers in order to bring the people out from darkness into light. There are many basic principles upon which their calls were based, which were the starting point for calling to Allaah. These fundamental principles are:
1. Tawheed )Monotheism(
2. Prophethood
3. The Hereafter
Every book revealed by Allaah gave great importance to these points. The most important and sublime of these three principles and the most fundamental of them all is Tawheed )Oneness( of Allaah.
Allaah Says )which means(:"And We certainly sent into every nation a Messenger, )saying(: 'Worship Allaah and avoid Taaghoot )false objects of worship(.' "]Quran 16: 36[
Allaah has informed us about some of the Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, and how they faced their people. We see that all of them proceeded upon the universal way laid down by Allaah and followed the methodology Allaah established for all of them. Not a single one of them is at variance with it, Allaah Says )which means(:"And We had certainly sent Nooh to his people, )saying(: 'Indeed, I am to you a clear warner, that you not worship except Allaah. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a painful Day.'"]Quran 11: 25-26[
The noblest of all Prophets and the last of them, Muhammad bin ‘Abdullaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, )who was sent with the greatest, most complete and comprehensive message(, began with what all the Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, started their Da’wah )call( -- calling to the 'Aqeedah )creed( of Tawheed )Oneness of Allaah(, and calling for all worship to be made purely and sincerely for Allaah alone. Allaah's Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, started with the principle: 'Witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah.'
Allaah Says )what means(:"Say, )O Muhammad(: 'O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allaah to you all, )from him( to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death.' So believe in Allaah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allaah and His words, and follow him that you may be guided."]Quran 7: 158[
The verses in this regard are many, what we quote here is just one example. With regard to the Sunnah )traditions and approved actions of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam(, there are many clear indications that Allaah's Messenger began his call to Islam with Tawheed.
1.`Amr bin Abasah As-Sulami, may Allaah be pleased with him, said:"During the times of ignorance … I heard of a man in Makkah who received revelation. So I set upon my riding beast and came to him. At that time he was in hiding, due to the oppression of his people. So I behaved in a way that enabled me to gain access to him in Makkah. I said to him: "Who are you?" He replied: "I am a Prophet.' So I said: "And what is a Prophet?' He said: 'Allaah has sent me as a Messenger.' So I said: 'And what is it that He has sent you with?' He said: 'I have been sent to order the joining of ties of relationship, to break the idols, so that Allaah is worshipped Alone and nothing at all is associated in worship along with Him."]Muslim[
2.At the time of the peace of Hudaibiyyah, Hiraql )Heraclius( asked Abu Sufyaan some questions about Allaah's Messenger, among which he asked:"What does he )Muhammad( command you?" Abu Sufyaan replied: "He says, 'Worship Allaah Alone and do not worship anything else along with Him, and abandon what your fathers say. He also orders prayers, charity, and the joining of the ties of relationship.'"]Al-Bukhaari[
Consequently, the Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, did not come to bring about the downfall of one State to replace it with another. They did not seek sovereignty, nor did they organize political parties for this reason. Rather, they came for the guidance of humankind, to save it from misguidance and Shirk )polytheism(, and to take them out of darkness into light.
In this regard Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, gave an example about himself. He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:"The similitude of me and the message with which Allaah has sent me, is like a man who came to some people and said: ‘I have seen the enemy forces with my own eyes and I am a mere warner )to you(. So, save yourselves, save yourselves!’ A group of his people obeyed him and went out at night, slowly and steadily and was safe; while another group belied him and stayed in their place until the morning when the army destroyed them. Such is the similitude of those who obey me and follow what I have brought )i.e., Message( and of those who disobey me and belie the Truth which I have brought."]Al-Bukhaari, Muslim and others[
The Message of the Messengers, by the Mercy of Allaah, revives and enlightens the believer’s soul. This enlightenment is the revelation of Allaah, which leads mankind from the darkness of Shirk )polytheism( and ignorance to the Light of Truth and Islam:"Allaah is the ally of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into the light."]Quran 2: 257[
The Messenger and the Message are evidence against the disbelievers
Allaah sent His Messengers and His Books so that there can be no excuse for mankind on the Day of Judgment. The Quran says )what means(:")we sent( Messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners so that mankind will have no argument against Allaah after Messengers."]Quran 4: 165[
The Message of Allaah deals with the rights of Allaah on His bondsmen, the rights of man on His Creator, The Oneness of Allaah and its influence on the creation, knowledge, admonition, the wisdom behind the creation, righteousness, mutual interactions, refutation of incorrect beliefs and deviations, lawful and unlawful, migration and Jihaad. In totality, it is the complete code for righteous living, which results in delight, pleasure and harmony in this life and the Hereafter.
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Discover Islam, - The Oneness of Divinity

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Is there any convincing explanation for the secret of existence? The theory currently in vogue says that all existence is accidental and haphazard. In my opinion, only two ideologies remain in the realm of the probable. We can attribute life and universe to chance, and therefore, existence is meaningless. Alternatively, there is meaning of such magnitude to life, that, largely, it escapes us.
When we observe the orderly movements of the stars and planets, the regularity of the seasons, the uniformity and control of the law of nature over matter, energy and life, we realize that everything in the universe is knit into a single harmonious system.
Any one who looks at this great phenomenon and comes to the conclusion that it evolved on its own or by accident, must question his reasoning. Even an old watch, which has a simple mechanism of pulleys implies that there must be a watchmaker.
Albert Einstein, the most famous scientist of modern times, tells us: "Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of Science becomes convinced that a Spirit is manifest in the Law of the Universe, without concluding that there must be Divine intent behind it all. Speaking for myself, I can only say that the grandeur of the Cosmos serves to confirm my belief in the certainty of the Creator." In the most quotable quote, he said about the emergence of the universe by chance: "God does not play dice."
In fact, throughout history, humankind as a whole has never denied the existence of a Creator. However, cultures have misunderstood His Nature and associated a mass of mythology with Him.
There is a Force in action to keep everything in order. In nature, there is a Creator who has created the most charming scenery. Believers recognize this Creator and call Him Allaah or God. He is not a man, because no man can create another man. He is not an animal, or a plant. He is not an idol or a statue because these things cannot create themselves or anything else. Neither is He the Sun or the Moon or a machine or a star, but the Maker and Keeper of all. The Maker of anything is greater than the thing He has created. The more complex a thing is, the more complex it’s Creator.
The Holy Quran says )what means(:“Ask of them: 'Who is the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth?' If they hesitate, say: 'Allaah'. Then ask: 'Then why do you take for protectors, instead of Him, other deities who have no power to benefit or avert harm from themselves?' Say: 'Are the blind equal to those who see?' Or do they assign to Allaah partners who have created anything as He has created, so that the creation seemed to them similar? Say: 'Allaah is the Creator of all things. He is the One, the Almighty".]Quran 13: 16[
What is the true nature of the Creator? He certainly cannot be like the created things, for then He would be limited and corruptible like them. Only a Being possessing Absolute Knowledge, Power and Authority and the ability to keep Himself eternally alive, can give life and sustain life and be the Creator of the Universe and its creatures.
The question that now arises is: "Could there be more than one Absolute Creator?" If, for instance, there were two creators and they disagreed over the creation of something, then, either one would have to overcome the other, in which case the defeated one would not have been absolutely powerful. Or they would neutralize each other, in which case both would have been limited in power. Even if we assume they both agreed on everything, still they could not both be absolutely powerful, because the action of one would then depend on the condition that the other does not interfere.
Once again, the Quran tells us )what means(:"He to Whom the Dominion over the heavens and the earth belongs, has begotten no son and has no partner in his kingdom, for it is He who creates everything and determines its nature in accordance with His own design. And yet some choose to worship, instead of Him, imaginary deities that cannot create anything but are themselves created, which can neither avert harm nor help even themselves, and which have no power over life or death nor power to resurrect.”]Quran 25: 2-3[
The Oneness of Allaah is the foundation of belief. Islam rests upon Tawheed: "Laa ilaaha illallaah" -- there is None worthy of worship except Allaah, none worthy of praise, there is no god except Him, no one. Throughout the Quran, the refrain runs on and on: laa ilaaha illaa Allaah, laa ilaaha illaa huwa, Allaahu laa ilaaha illa huwa, Allaahu ahad…which means that Allaah is One, the only One.
Islam is the religion in which the first deadly sin is fabricating partners unto God. It is the only sin that will not be forgiven. The Quran reiterates, not once but twice in the same chapter )what means(:“Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgives anything else to whom he pleases; to set up partners with Allaah is to devise a sin most heinous indeed."]Quran 4: 48, 116[
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Discover Islam, - The fossil record refutes evolution

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Contrary to evolutionists' expectations, fossil records provide proof of Creation, not evolution of species
According to the theory of evolution, every living species has sprung from a predecessor. A previously-existing species turned into 'something else' with time and all species have come into being in this way. According the theory, this transformation proceeds gradually over millions of years. If this was the case, then numerous intermediary species should have existed and lived within this long transformation period.
For instance, some half-fish/half-reptiles should have lived in the past, which had acquired some reptilian traits in addition to the fish traits they already had. Or there should have existed some reptile-birds, which acquired some bird traits in addition to the reptilian traits they are believed to have had in the past, as “transitional forms.”
If such animals had really existed, there should be millions and even billions of them in number and variety. More importantly, the remains of these strange creatures should be present in fossil records. The number of these transitional forms should have been even greater than the present animal species and their remains should be found all over the world. InThe Origin of Species,Darwinexplained:
"If my theory be true, numberless intermediate varieties, linking most closely all of the species of the same group together must assuredly have existed.. Consequently evidence of their former existence could be found only amongst fossil remains."
Even Darwin himself was aware of the absence of such transitional forms. It was his hope that they would be found in the future. Despite his hopefulness, he realised that the biggest stumbling-block in his theory was the missing transitional forms. Therefore in his bookThe Origin of Specieshe wrote the following in the chapter “Difficulties of the Theory”:
" …Why, if species have descended from other species by fine gradations, do we everywhere see innumerable transitional forms? Why is not all nature in confusion, instead of the species being, as we see them, well defined?… But, as by this theory innumerable transitional form must have existed, why do we not find them embedded in countless numbers in the crust to the earth?… But in the intermediate region, having intermediate conditions of life, why do we not now find closely-linking intermediate varieties? This difficulty for a long time quite confounded me.”
The single explanationDarwincould come up with to counter this objection was the argument that the fossil record uncovered so far was inadequate. He asserted that when the fossil record had been studied in detail, the missing links would be found.
Believing inDarwin’s prophecy, evolutionists have been searching for fossils and digging for missing links since the middle of the 19thcentury CE, all over the world. Despite their best efforts, no transitional forms have yet been uncovered. All the fossils unearthed in excavations showed that contrary to the beliefs of evolutionists, life appeared on earth all of a sudden and fully-formed. In their enthusiastic efforts to prove their theory, evolutionists have instead unwittingly caused it to collapse.
A famous British paleontologist, Derek V. Ager, admits this fact even though he is an evolutionist:
"The point emerges that if we examine the fossil record in detail, whether at the level of orders or of species, we find – over and over again – not gradual evolution, but the sudden explosion of one group at the expense of another."
Another evolutionist paleontologist Mark Czarnecki comments as follows:
"A major problem in providing the theory has been the fossil record; the imprints of vanished species preserved in the Earth’s geological formations. This record has never revealed traces ofDarwin’s hypothetical intermediate variants – instead species appear and disappear abruptly, and this anomaly has fueled the creationist argument that each species was created by God."
They have also had to deal with the futility of waiting for “missing” transitional forms to appear in the future, as explained by a professor of paleontology fromGlasgowUniversity, T. Neville George:
"There is no need to apologise any longer for the poverty of the fossil record. In some ways, it has become almost unmanageably rich and discovery is outpacing integration…The fossil record nevertheless continues to be composed mainly of gaps. "
Life emerged on earth suddenly and in complex forms
When terrestrial strata and fossil records are examined, it is seen that all living organisms appeared simultaneously. The oldest stratum of the earth in which fossils of living creatures have been found is that of the Cambrian, which has an estimated age of 500-550 million years.
Living creatures found in the strata belonging to the Cambrian period emerged all of a sudden in the fossil record -- there are no pre-existing ancestors. The fossils found in the Cambrian rocks belonged to snails, trilobites, sponges, earthworms, jellyfish, sea hedgehogs and other complex invertebrates. This wide mosaic of living organisms made up of such a great number of complex creatures emerged so suddenly, that this miraculous event is referred to as the “Cambrian Explosion” in geological literature.
Most of the life forms found in these strata have complex systems like eyes, gills, circulatory system and advanced physiological structures no different from their modern counterparts. For instance, the double-lensed, combined eye structure of trilobites is a wonder of design. David Raup, a professor of geology at Harvard, Rochester andChicagoUniversities says: “The trilobites used an optimal design which would require a well trained and imaginative optical engineer to develop today”.
These complex invertebrates emerged suddenly and completely without having any link or any transitional form between them and the unicellular organisms, which were the only life forms on earth prior to them.
Richard Monastersky, the editor ofEarth Sciences, one of the popular publications of evolutionist literature, states the following about the “Cambrian Explosion” which came as a total surprise to evolutionists:
"A half-billion years ago, the remarkably complex forms of animals we see today suddenly appeared. This moment, right at the start of Earth’s Cambrian Period, some 550 million years ago, marks the evolutionary explosion that filled the seas with the world’s first complex creatures. The large animal phyla of today were present already in the early Cambrian and they were as distinct from each other as they are today."
How did the earth come to overflow with such a great number of animal species all of a sudden? How could these distinct types of species with no common ancestors emerge? These are questions that remain unanswered by evolutionists. TheOxfordzoologist Richard Dawkins, one of the foremost advocates of evolutionist thought in the world, comments on this reality that invalidates the very roots of all the arguments he has been defending:
"For example the Cambrian strata of rocks, vintage about 600 million years, are the oldest ones in which we find most of the major invertebrate groups. And we find many of them already in an advanced state of evolution, the very first time they appear. It is as though they were just planted there, without any evolutionary history. Needless to say, this appearance of sudden planting has delighted creationists."
As Dawkins is forced to acknowledge, the Cambrian Explosion is strong evidence for creation, because creation is the only way to explain the fully-formed emergence of life on earth. Douglas Futuyma, a prominent evolutionist biologist admits this fact and states: “Organisms either appeared on the earth fully developed or they did not. If they did not, they must have developed from pre-existing species by some process of modification. If they did appear in a fully developed state, they must indeed have been created by some omnipotent intelligence.”
Darwin himself recognized the possibility of this when he wrote: “If numerous species, belonging to the same genera of families, have really started into life all at once, the fact would be fatal to the theory of descent with slow modification.”
The Cambrian Period is nothing more or less thanDarwin’s “fatal stroke”. This is why the Swiss evolutionist and paleoanthropologist Stefan Bengston confesses to the lack of transitional links while he describes the Cambrian Period and says: “Baffling )and embarrassing( to Darwin, this event still dazzles us.''
As may be seen, the fossil record indicates that living things did not evolve from primitive to advanced forms, but instead emerged all of a sudden and in a perfect state. In short, living beings did not come into existence by evolution, they were created.
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Dought & clear, - (Knowledge ), - What is themeaning of “the text of ‘aqeedah”?

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What does “the text of the ‘aqeedah (matn al-‘aqeedah)” mean?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-matn (text) in Arabic means the back. In Islamic terminology it refers to the contents of a book, such as the text ofSaheeh al-Bukhaarior the text ofZaad al-Mustaqni’.
The scholars usually use this word to refer to brief books that are in circulation among the scholars and seekers of knowledge in a particular field of knowledge. For example, in the case of ‘aqeedah (tenets of faith), they may sayMatn al-Waasitiyyah, referring to the brief book on ‘aqeedah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, which is calledal-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah. Similarly,Matn al-Tahhaawiyyahrefers to a brief book on ‘aqeedah by Imam al-Tahhaawi.
Usually what is meant by the word matn (text) is to distinguish the book from its commentary. For example they may sayMatn al-Tahhaawiyyahto distinguish it fromSharh al-Tahhaawiyyah(the commentary onal-Tahhaawiyyah), which is another book in which Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz al-Hanafi commented on the original short book,al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah.
Mutoon (pl. of matn) or texts are usually short but contain many meanings and important principles of knowledge which are written about in brief terms to make it easy to memorize them and focus on issues of knowledge. Imam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: al-Khaleel ibn Ahmad said: Words may be made brief in order to memorize them and made long in order to understand.Khalq Af’aal al-‘Ibaad, no. 244.
And Allaah knows best.

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Dought & clear, - (Knowledge ), - Hadeeth on Encouragement to Read

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How sound is the following hadeeth: "A man reading is handsome in the sight of God; so learn to read and when you have learnt, teach".
Praise be to Allah.
Perhaps the hadeeth referred to in the question is that which was narrated by ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), and says that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The best of you is the one who learns the Quran and teaches it.” Narrated by al-Bukhari (5027).
There is a great deal of encouragement to learn to read the Quran, both in the Quran and the Sunnah. There is also encouragement to learn how to read. The Holy Quran is the only book that the Muslims read at the beginning of Islam, so learning to read and write started with learning the Holy Quran. Indeed the command to learn to read came with the first word of the Revelation that came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), when Allah said (interpretation of the meaning):
“Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists).
He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood).
Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous.
Who has taught (the writing) by the pen.
He has taught man that which he knew not.”
[al-‘Alaq 96:1-5]
Knowledge spread and ignorance decreased as the result of learning to read and write the Quran and understand its meanings.
But if what is meant is another hadeeth in which it says that Allah loves those who learn to read in general, then we could not find this wording in any of the books of Sunnah.
And Allah knows best.

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Dought & clear, - (Knowledge ), - Istikhaarahasking to be guided to the more correct of two scholarly opinions

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Can a person pray istikhaarah to be guided towards doing something the CORRECT way regarding a matter over which there is a scholarly dispute, because both opinions are convincing yet opposing, and the person wants to know which one is right and which one s/he should follow.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is narrated that some of the salaf prayed istikhaarah concerning matters of knowledge concerning which there was a difference of opinion, and it is proven that some of them prayed istikhaarah asking to be guided concerning the status of narrators (of hadeeth) concerning whom there was a difference of opinion. For example:
1.
‘Abd al-Razzaaq narrated inal-Musannaf(10/301) from Ibn al-Musayyab that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab wrote a document about the grandfather and kalaalah (issues of inheritance when a grandfather of the deceased was still living, or if the deceased left behind no children), and he continued to pray istikhaarah, saying, “O Allaah, if You know that there is some good in it then let it be.” Then when he was stabbed he called for the document, and erased it, and no one knew what was in it. He said: “I wrote something about the grandfather and kalaalah, and I prayed istikhaarah asking Allaah for guidance, then I decided to leave you as you are now.”
2.
Imam al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) was one of the scholars who prayed istikhaarah the most with regard to matters of knowledge. He stated in his bookal-Ummalmost fourteen issues concerning which he prayed istikhaarah asking for guidance. For example, he said inal-Umm(2/44):
It was said that zakaah is due on jewellery for personal use, and this is what I pray istikhaarah about, asking Allaah for guidance. Al-Rabee’ said: He prayed istikhaarah, asking Allaah for guidance concerning it, and al-Shaafa’i said: There is no zakaah on jewellery for personal use. End quote.
3.
Among the muhadditheen, Ibn Hibbaan used to pray istikhaarah, asking Allaah for guidance concerning narrators whose status was uncertain or unclear. He mentions this often in his books, especially inal-Majrooheen, for example when he says (1/194): Bahz ibn Mu’aawiyah ibn Heedah al-Qushayri, one of the people of Basrah, who narrated from his father, from his grandfather; al-Thawri and Hammaad ibn Salamah narrated from him. He made many mistakes. As for Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem (may Allaah have mercy on him), they quoted him as evidence and narrated from him, but a number of our imams ignored him. Were it not for the hadeeth, “We will take them [the camels that are due as zakaah] and half of his camels as the due of our Lord”, I would have included him among the thiqaat (trustworthy). He is one of those concerning whom I pray istikhaarah, asking Allaah for guidance. End quote.
There are many examples of scholars who turned to praying istikhaarah when they were uncertain about issues. I have only quoted a few of them in order to make the point.
But what is meant by their words “This is one of the matters concerning which I pray istikhaarah, asking Allaah for guidance” and “He is one of those concerning whom I pray istikhaarah, asking Allaah for guidance”?
The apparent meaning is that they said du’aa’, asking Allaah to guide them to the correct opinion concerning an issue or a narrator. It does not mean that they used to pray istikhaarah in the sense of the naafil salaah and du’aa’. That is because the du’aa’ is not applicable to what they sought. In du’aa’ al-istikhaarah it says “then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me.” How can this be applicable to a matter of fiqh or the status of a narrator of hadeeth?
It seems that these imams were asking Allaah to help them to reach the right conclusion with regard to matters of knowledge, not that they were saying the du’aa’ of istikhaarah with the salaah offered beforehand.
The aim of istikhaarah is to ask for guidance from Allaah to the better of two matters concerning which one is hesitating, because guidance and help come from Allaah; He knows and we do not know; He is the Knower of the unseen. The one who relies on himself will go astray, and the one who trusts in his reason and does not seek the help of his Lord will be doomed. The most important thing concerning which a person should seek the help of Allaah is correct understanding of Allaah’s religion and choosing the most correct and best opinion, and istikhaarah or seeking Allaah’s guidance in choosing is the best means of achieving that; it may be the best way of choosing between two opinions when the evidence is very confusing.
There is no reason why the du’aa’ of the imam or faqeeh, asking his Lord to guide him to the correct opinion regarding issues of knowledge should not be preceded by salaah (prayer), and this action may loosely be called istikhaarah, or that name can be applied to the du’aa’ and not the prayer. As for the salaah and du’aa’ mentioned in the famous hadeeth of Jaabir, this cannot be what they were referring to when they spoke of praying istikhaarah, asking Allaah for guidance concerning such and such.
And finally:
It should not be thought that asking for guidance with regard to matters of knowledge is contrary to what Allaah has enjoined of seeking evidence and proof. Resorting to istikhaarah or praying for guidance is to be resorted to when there is no evidence or it is not clear, or there is a contradiction with equally strong evidence, or when the issues is confused in the scholar’s mind and he cannot understand it. None of that means ignoring evidence and proof, rather it is seeking the help of Allaah to understand, and turning to Him and asking Him for guidance to the truth. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to ask Allaah to guide him to the truth.
It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah the Mother of the Believers (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) got up to pray at night, he would start his prayer with the words: “O Allaah, Lord of Jibra’eel, Mika’eel and Israfeel, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your slaves concerning that wherein they differ. Guide me concerning that wherein they differ of the truth by Your leave, for You guide whomsoever You will to a straight path.”
Narrated by Muslim (770).
For information on Salaat al-Istikhaarah and some of the rulings concerning it.
And Allaah knows best.

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