"10 TIPS ON HOW TO CONCETRATE DURING SALAT (PRAYERS)"

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1. Before standing up for Prayer, try to deal with all the minor urgent matters which demand your attention. If you are pressed by hunger, eat first; if you are pressed to attend to the... call of nature, relieve yourself; if you are the parent of an infant, feed him or her, or keep him or her busy.
2. Perform your wudu’ (ablution) well, paying due care and attention.
3. Approach the Prayer with zest and passion as if it is the last prayer in your life before dying. Actually the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us that we could do nothing in this world that could ever surpass Prayer in merit and excellence.
4. Visualize that in your Prayer you are going to have a special audience with Allah, Lord of the worlds, and that you are enjoying a direct communion with Him—which, in fact, is true.
5. Think of the Prayer you are performing as if it were the last Prayer of your life. In fact, it could very well be the last one, since no one is given a guarantee that he would live to perform another Prayer.
6. Picture the scene of the Last Day when people will be lined up into two groups, one destined for Heaven, and another for Hell, and ask yourself where you would be placed.
7. Focus your mind on what you are reading in your Prayer and recite simple suurats that you understand it's meaning and ponder on the meaning whiles u recite.
8. If, in spite of your best efforts, your mind is still wandering, seek refuge in Allah and bring your mind back to Prayer.
9. Pray to Allah and beg Him to grant you true the joy of concentrating in your Prayer and protection against the wanderings of your mind.
10. Place your eyesight to the one spot where you will be making your sujuud while you recite and avoid taking your eyes from that spot.
May Allah protect us from the tricks of shaitan during prayers and forgive us our mistakes.

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For children, - Fish and Fisherman Story: Life After Death and Hereafter in Islam

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Many people have been on this planet and many arrogant have gone under this earth. Those Kings, Pharaohs, Nimrods and many more... arrogantly claimed to be the God but they have died! Not just this, they could not even know when they would die! All of us might know our date-of-birth or place-of-birth, but who knows one's date-of-death or place-of-death! However, as long as we don't know when we will die, doors of repentance are open for us, Insha Allah.
A little fish considers her ocean to be the only universe; after all, how big is an ocean for a little fish! Once a big fish advised the little fish about fishermen outside the water but she could not be convinced to believe that there could be anything 'beyond' this under water world. The big fish gave descriptions of the fishermen and their tools (ship, baits, net, sinker... etc) and warned her to stay away from those things.
One day, the little fish came across something strange and suddenly remembered what the elder big fish had said about fishermen and their tools. The little fish moved ahead saying, "There is no such thing as fishermen" and started to eat the bait until the hook got stuck into her mouth. Sadly, she was dragged out of the water and this was it! She could now see the world beyond water and became certain about what the elder big fish had said before but unfortunately, she had no chance to return back.
Some of us we might consider that this world is the only world. Some fish cannot perceive life outside of water, however, there are also some fish who can see things outside the water, it might also happen that a small fish comes out of water for a short time then goes back without being hurt (thus witnessing things outside the water). There are Angels as well as Jinns outside our sights, we don't see them. Devils can be imagined as the fishermen with baits trying to lure us. We have been warned to stay away from evil, even if we like its bait.
Imagine that the Angel of death (Izrael) suddenly appears before us and demands our Soul/Spirit (it can happen any instant anyway), if we don't happily surrender ourselves, that Angel could painfully snatch our Soul from us. Then we will realize and become certain about that unseen world, quite like that fish in the above example. Our death is certain, but are we prepared to stand in front of our Lord?
Say: The angel of death who is given charge of you shall cause you to die, then to your Lord you shall be brought back. (Noble Qur'an, 32:11)
Imam Mohammad Bagher (as)said: There is no other sin higher than eagerness in living and staying in this world!
Imam Musa Kazem (as)said: The story of the world is as a snake that appears to be soft, but inwardly has a deadly poison.

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Quran Related, - Why are Darwinist journals ceasing publication one after the other?

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Darwinist publications in Turkey have started ceasing publication one after the other. The journals in question, which began publication with great fanfare, are now silently leaving the stage. This is taking place in the same way across the whole world. Even if all the financial resources of the Darwinist dictatorship were diverted their way and all kinds of material infrastructure made available they still could not remain in circulation. Because the problem is not a material one. It is that they have lost all their strength and belief.
The scientific evidence demonstrating the invalidity of Darwinism has at once undermined all the efforts of Darwinist propagandists. Fossils were first shown to the whole world through Atlas of Creation. These consisted of some of the more than 300 million fossils proving that Creation is a fact and evolution a fraud. But even that small number was enough to set the whole world in a state of alarm, to put countries that had been bastions of Darwinism into a state of shock and to pull the rug from under evolutionists’ feet. In the wake of these proofs, people were then told a very important fact about the beginning of life:
A PROTEIN CANNOT COME ABOUT WITHOUT THE EXISTENCE OF OTHER PROTEINS.
Thıs fact put an immediate end to all Darwinist speculation, past and present. This stunning fact for Darwinists, led to the complete abandonment of the theory of evolution.
In addition to these two major pieces of evidence, there are of course many other crushing scientific facts that can be mustered against evolution: for example, one can go on at length about how mutations can never benefit living things, the glories of DNA, the extraordinary complexity in living things, the Cambrian period, how natural selection has no evolutionary effect, the scientific impossibility of the scenario of one life form turning into another and Darwinist hoaxes. These all represent severe blows to evolution. But the inability to account for a single protein and the way that fossils prove the fact of Creation put the matter beyond any doubt, both for Darwinists and for anyone eager to learn the truth.
Because of the fact that proteins cannot form by chance, those bodies that used to devote funds to Darwinist journals NOW BELIEVE THAT MONEY WILL BE WASTED . Because they realize that no matter how many journals they produce, and no matter how much they produce fake materials to serve Darwinist propaganda purposes, they are still defeated. And they know that people see they have been defeated and do not believe a word they write. They have realized that propaganda techniques no longer work. When it was easy to deceive people using propaganda techniques, they believed that Darwinist journals would also work. BUT THEY HAVE NOW REALIZED THAT THEIR PUBLICATIONS ARE WORTHLESS. AND THAT IS THE SOLE REASON WHY THEY ARE CEASING PUBLICATION ONE BY ONE, PRODUCING NOT A SINGLE STORY ABOUT EVOLUTION AND NO LONGER ABLE TO ENGAGE IN PROVOCATION . Darwinists no longer have a shred of belief that they will be able to deceive people, that their frauds will do any good and that they will be able to spread the lie that is Darwinism.
All this will now continue and gain pace. All sources of Darwinist propaganda will one by one cease. Time will bring no victory or benefits to Darwinists. They will never be able to return to the halcyon days when it was easy to deceive people. By Allah’s leave, we are living in the time of the way of the Mahdi. And Allah’s promise will definitely come true, the moral values of the Qur’an will prevail across the world and everyone will rid themselves of Darwinist nonsense and turn to Allah. As our Lord says in these verses:
When Allah’s help and victory have arrived
and you have seen people entering Allah’s religion in droves,
then glorify your Lord’s praise and ask His forgiveness. He is the Ever-Returning. (Surat an-Nasr, 1-3)

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Quran Related, - Moderation in joyand grief

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Muslims’ commitment to Allah and His religion entails an unconditional loyalty.
For this reason, fluctuating conditions and circumstances never change believers’ zeal, enthusiasm and determination to live by the Qur’an.
Allah mentions two basic reactions shown by a believer.
First, hardship or severe conditions never daunt him.
Second, he never exults or feels pride because of what he obtains in this world. Allah reveals this in the Qur’an as:
That is so that you will not be grieved about the things that pass you by or exult about the things that come to you. Allah does not love any vain or boastful man. (Surat al-Hadid; 23)
Man is always vulnerable, since he has no idea about what awaits him in life.
A young person may suddenly be seized by a serious disease or become bedridden because of an accident. Anyone may lose all his wealth in a day or encounter events he never anticipated.
In such a situation, those of weak faith will despair or feel rebellious. Forgetting all the blessings of Allah in an instant, they may even lose their love for and trust in Him.
Aware that there is a divine purpose and good in every event that Allah creates, believers merely persevere in the face of unexpected events and trust firmly in Allah's wisdom, compassion and justice.
Meanwhile, believers may sometimes experience loss of material wealth, have to risk their lives or abandon their homes. Yet all such seemingly adverse occasions will bring great reward, joy and glory in the Hereafter.
As well as unexpected losses, people may also experience unexpected gains. Allah opens His infinite dominion to whom He wills and grants success, authority and power.
But He warns Muslims against exulting in pride since any person receiving a great possession, authority or benefit becomes only a trustee, while it is Allah Who is the real possessor of everything.
In the Qur’an Allah reveals this fact.
Mankind! you are the poor in need of Allah whereas Allah is the Rich Beyond Need, the Praiseworthy. (Surah Fatir: 15)
Aware of this fact, believers never forget their own weakness and do not become arrogant even when they enjoy great blessings and wealth. They feel only a deep gratitude to Allah, and they strive to use their blessings for His cause in the best way possible.

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Quran Related, - Remaining patient in the face of difficulties

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“Therefore be patient with a patience which is beautiful..” (Surat al-Ma’arij, 5)
Patience is one of the most important attributes of a believer. What renders patience so valuable is “to be patient with a patience which is beautiful”. All Mighty Allah creates many incidents for a Muslim for which he should display patience.
Weaknesses and diseases peculiar to this world, unbelievers’ oppression and insults, people that Allah makes us encounter to test our lower selves are some of these.
It is a great blessing to live in the hope of and willingness to attain Paradise, which is a manifestation of infinite beauties Allah relates us in the Qur’an and the hadith. While hoping to attain Paradise, a believer has to show a beautiful patience towards the weaknesses of the life of this world.
One of the most important attributes of a beautiful patience is remaining patient with a serene heart. It is being assured that all incidents Allah shows us are created in the best way, in the most wise form. A convinced heart reveals itself from the expression of one’s face, the serenity in his soul and speech. In his face there appears peace in his face that patience gives. His statements reveal maturity and trust in Allah.
A person who shows patience with a beautiful patience does this with the consciousness of the worship he performs and awareness that he is patient for Allah. Therefore he takes pleasure from showing this patience. Just as how a person gives thanks to Allah with his words and deeds when he receives a lot of blessings, and uses those blessings in the best form, he should likewise meet those situations towards which he should be patient and act in the consciousness that they are also blessings from Allah. He must act with the awareness that those incidents are created with many wisdom so as to lay the basis for beauties and experience its beauty while displaying patience.
Another purpose of showing patience is this morality’s rendering one draw closer to Allah and increase a sincere Muslim’s love of Allah. A person who shows patience towards hardship, trouble or a sickness for Allah’s good pleasure knows that every moment, every second of this patience is very precious in Allah’s Sight. In the Hereafter, the rewards of a deed done by showing a beautiful patience and the one done under very comfortable conditions or with no effort at all may not be the same. If a person engages in a deed while at the same time showing patience, his morality may render his deed more worthy. For instance showing self-sacrifice while one is sick and while he is perfectly healthy may not be the same. If a person makes sacrifice for Allah’s good pleasure while he is sick, he, by Allah’s leave, experiences the profound and candid beauty of showing patience. For this reason, until death comes upon them, Muslims always show the kind of beautiful patience Allah describes in the Qur’an when they encounter an incident, whether big or small. In return for their moral perfection and beautiful patience he shows, he lives in the hope of earning Allah’s good pleasure.

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Welcome to Islam, - The greatness of Islamic justice

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Allaah created man to be His servant and to implement His way on earth. If humans distance themselves from this message, then they distance themselves from God’s injunctions. That is why Islam has prepared its followers to follow this righteous instinct, it is a joy to our spirit to stand and think of the greatness of Islamic justice, how fair Islamic law is to individuals and groups, rulers and the ruled!
Let us visit one of Islam’s greatest and brightest symbols of justice, Shurayh Al-Qaadhi )the judge(, who narrates: The Caliph `Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, bought a horse from a bedouin, paid its price and rode off with it. However, after traveling a little distance, the Caliph noticed some kind of defect in the horse so he returned to the seller, requesting him to take it back since it was defective. The man refused, telling the Caliph that the horse was perfectly healthy when it was sold to him. `Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, told the man to choose a judge and the man suggested Shurayh bin Al-Haarith Al-Kindi whom `Umar accepted.
After the judge listened to the bedouin’s testimony, he turned to `Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, asking: “Was the horse normal and healthy when you bought it?” `Umar replied: “Yes, it was.” Shurayh then said: “Then keep what you bought or return it as you took.” ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, looked at Shurayh in admiration saying: “Thus justice should be -- statement, distinguishing words and fair justice… I give you the position of Chief Justice of Koofah in ‘Iraq.”
This is Islamic justice, an ordinary bedouin taking the Caliph to court, deciding which judge to go to and the Caliph accepting the judge’s decision voluntarily. However, this leader was not an ordinary man, but the one about whom the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, )may Allaah exalt his mention( said:“O Allaah! Make Islam victorious by one of the two `Umars )becoming Muslim(.”
`Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, did not threaten the bedouin or misuse his power, neither did he tell the bedouin that he had exceeded his authority nor that he would get back to him. No, `Umar accepted the judge’s decision with all modesty.
`Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, admitted that the horse was healthy when he took it and he accepted the judgment, making the case an everlasting example of Islamic justice. The judge’s fairness made ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, appoint him as a judge of Koofah. He rewarded the judge for his justice and fairness and did not jail him for ruling against him, as some leaders may have done in present so-called ‘democracies’.
Another example of Shurayh’s justice
‘Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allaah be pleased with him, lost a shield that was dear to him and later found it in the hands of a non-Muslim citizen who was selling it in one of Koofah’s markets. When he saw it, ‘Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “This is my shield that fell off my camel on so and so night at such and such time.” The man answered: “No, this is my shield in my hand.” ‘Ali replied: “No, it is mine since I never sold or gave it to any one.”
The man agreed to let a judge decide, which ‘Ali accepted. They went to Shurayh who asked ‘Ali for his side of the story. ‘Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him, said that the shield was his and that he had found it with that man, it had fallen off his camel and he had never sold it or given it to anyone. The judge turned to the other man asking his story. The man said that he did not accuse ‘Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him, of lying, but the shield was his, as it was in his hands.
Shurayh turned to ‘Ali saying: “I believe you, but we need the statement of two witnesses to back your story.” ‘Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him, said that there was his aide Qanbar and his son Al-Hassan, may Allaah be pleased with him, to which the man replied that a son could not testify for the benefit of his father. Ali said: “O God, a man who is promised paradise cannot act as a witness! Have you not heard what the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that Al-Hassan and Al-Hussayn, may Allaah be pleased with them, were the masters of the youths of paradise? Shurayh said: “Yes I have, but a son cannot bear witness for his father.”
Then ‘Ali turned to the man and said: “Take the shield, as I have no other witnesses.”
The man, who was a non-Muslim, then said: “O ‘Ali, the shield is yours. What a great religion! I can sue ‘Ali and get a judge to pass a decision for my benefit! I declare myself a Muslim.” He told the judge that he was following the army and had seen the shield fall down and picked it up. ‘Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him, then told him to keep the shield and gave him a horse, besides. Soon after, the man was seen under Ali’s leadership fighting Al-Kharajites )dissenters(. Are these two examples not sufficient for us to follow those great men?

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Welcome to Islam, - Human rights in an Islamic state

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Islam, as represented in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam )may Allaah exalt his mention(, laid down human rights centuries before they were known to the modern world. The following are some of these rights:
1. The security of Life and Property:
In the address which the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam delivered on the occasion of the Farewell Hajj, he said:“Your lives and properties are forbidden to one another till you meet your Lord on the Day of Resurrection.”The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam has also said about the Thimmis )the non-Muslim citizens of the Muslim state(:“One who kills a man under covenant )i.e., Thimmi( will not even smell the fragrance ofParadise.”
2. The Protection of Honour:
The Holy Quran lays down this right, stating:“O you who have believed! Let not a people ridicule ]another[ people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule ]other[ women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by ]offensive[ nicknames. Wretched is the name ]i.e. mention[ of disobedience after ]one’s[ faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who are the wrongdoers. O you who have believed! Avoid much ]negative[ assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.”]Quran: 49:11-12[
3. Sanctity and Security of Private Life:
The Quran has laid down the injunction stating:“…And do not spy or backbite each other…” ]Quran: 49:12[ “O you who have believed! Do not enter houses other than your own houses until you ascertain welcome and greet their inhabitants…”]Quran: 24:27[
4. The Security of Personal Freedom:
Islam has laid down the principle that no citizen can be imprisoned unless his guilt has been proven in an open court. To arrest a man only on the basis of suspicion and to throw him into a prison without proper court proceedings and without providing him a reasonable opportunity to produce his defence is not permissible in Islam.
5. The Right to Protest against Tyranny:
Amongst the rights that Islam has conferred on human beings is the right to protest against a government's tyranny. Referring to it Allaah, He says:“Allaah does not like the public mention of evil except by one who has been wronged...”]Quran: 4:148[
In Islam, all power and authority belongs to Allaah Alone; man is only delegated a part of that power which becomes a trust. Everyone who becomes the recipient of such a power has to be accountable before his people, for whose sake he will be called upon to use these powers. This was acknowledged by Abu Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said in his very first address: “Cooperate with me when I am right but correct me when I commit error. Obey me so long as I follow the commandments of Allaah and His Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, but turn away from me when I deviate.”
6. Freedom of Expression:
Islam gives the right of freedom of thought and expression to all citizens of the Islamic state on the condition that it should be used for the propagation of virtue and truth, and not for spreading evil and wickedness. The Islamic concept of freedom of expression is much superior to the one prevalent in the West. Under no circumstances would Islam allow the propagation of evil and wickedness. It also does not give anybody the right to use abusive or offensive language in the name of criticism. It was the practice of the Muslims to enquire from the noble Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam whether a certain matter or a divine injunction had been revealed to him. If he said that he had received no divine injunction, the Muslims freely expressed their opinion on the matter.
7. Freedom of Association:
Islam has also given people the right to freedom of association and formation of parties or organisations. This right is also subject to certain general rules.
8. Freedom of Conscience and Conviction:
Islam has laid down the injunction; Allaah says:“There shall be no compulsion in ]acceptance of[ the religion...”]Quran: 2:256[ On the contrary, totalitarian societies absolutely deprive the individuals of their freedom. Indeed this undue exaltation of the State authority postulates a sort of slave-like servitude on the part of man. At one time slavery meant total control of man over man - now that type of slavery has been legally abolished, but in its place totalitarian societies impose a similar sort of control over individuals.
9. Protection of Religious Sentiments:
Along with the freedoms of conviction and conscience, Islam has given the right to the individual that his religious sentiments will be given due respect, and nothing will be said or done which may encroach upon his right.
10. Protection from Arbitrary Imprisonment:
Islam also recognises the right of the individual that he will not be arrested or imprisoned for the offences of others. The Quran has laid down this principle clearly as in the saying of Allaah:“…And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another...”]Quran: 6:164[
11. The Right to Basic Necessities of Life:
Islam recognised the right of the needy people, that help and assistance be provided to them. Allaah says:“And in their wealth there is acknowledged right for the needy and the destitute.”]Quran: 70:24-25[
12. Equality Before Law:
Islam gives its citizens the right to absolute and complete equality in the eyes of the law.
13. Rulers are not Above the Law:
A woman belonging to a noble family was arrested in connection with theft. The case was brought to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and it was recommended that she might be spared the punishment for theft. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam replied:“The nations that lived before you were destroyed by Allaah because they punished the common man for his offences and let their dignitaries go unpunished for their crimes; I swear by Him Who holds my life in His hand that even if Faatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, had committed this crime, I would have amputated her hand.”
14. The Right to Participate in Affairs of the State:
Allaah says:“…And their affair is ]conducted[ through consultation among themselves…”]Quran: 42:38[ The chapter or the legislative assembly has no other meaning, except that the executive head of the government and the members of the assembly should be elected by free and independent choice of the people.
Lastly, it is to be made clear that Islam tries to achieve the above-mentioned human rights and many others, not only by providing certain legal safeguards, but also by inviting humankind to transcend the lower level of animal-like existence to be able to go beyond the ties fostered by the kinship of blood, racial superiority, linguistic arrogance and economic privileges. It invites humankind to move on to a plane of existence where, because of his inner excellence, man can realise the ideal of the universal brotherhood.









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Welcome to Islam, - Islam: a religion of peace and justice

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Islam is a religion of peace in the fullest sense of the word. The Quran calls its way"…The ways of peace…"]Quran: 5:16[ It describes reconciliation as the best policy ]Quran: 4:128[, and states that God abhors any disturbance of peace ]Quran: 2:205[
The root word of Islam is 'Silm', which means peace. So the spirit of Islam is the spirit of peace. The first verse of the Quran breathes the spirit of peace; it reads:"In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate."
This verse is repeated in the Quran no less than 114 times. It shows the great importance Islam attaches to such values as Mercy and Compassion. One of God's names, according to the Quran, is As-Salaam, which means Peace. Moreover, the Quran states that the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam )may Allaah exalt his mention( was sent to the world as a mercy to mankind. ]Quran: 21:107[
A perusal of the Quran shows that most verses of the Quran )and also the Hadeeth( are based on peace and kindness, either directly or indirectly. The ideal society, according to the Quran is Dar As-Salaam, that is, the house of peace ]Quran: 10:25[
The Quran presents the universe as a model, which is characterised by harmony and peace ]Quran: 36:40[ When God created heaven and earth, He so ordered things that each part might perform its function peacefully without clashing with any other. The Quran tells us that"It is not allowable ]i.e., possible[ for the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an orbit, is swimming."]Quran: 36:40[ For billions of years, therefore, the entire universe has been fulfilling its function in total harmony with His divine plan.
According to Islam, peace is not simply an absence of war. Peace opens doors to all kinds of opportunities which are present in any given situation. It is only in a peaceful situation that planned activities are possible. It is for this reason that the Quran says:"…And settlement is best…"]Quran: 4:128[ Similarly, Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam has observed: "God grants to gentleness )Rifq( what He does not grant to violence )'Unf(.]Abu Daawood[
According to Islam, peace is the rule and war is only an exception. Even in defensive war we have to analyse its result; if the result is doubtful, Muslims should avoid war. Stray acts of aggression are not enough for Muslims to rush into war. They have to assess the whole situation and adopt a policy of avoidance when war is not certain to achieve a positive result.
In actual fact, the mission of all the Prophets from Aadam )Adam( to 'Eesaa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt their mention, was one and the same - of establishing the ideology of monotheism in the world, so that man might worship the One God alone. As we know, there came a large number of Prophets in ancient times but the message of monotheism remained at the initial stage; it could not culminate in revolution.
In ancient times, the system of monarchy was entrenched throughout the world. The kings, in order to secure their political interests, adopted the course of religious persecution. These kings suppressed all religious movements that were different from the state religion. They would nip all 'apostasy' in the bud since they saw religion as a matter of affirming one's loyalty to the state. If a person adhered to a religion other than the state religion, he was regarded as a rebel.
That is why in ancient times, prophetic movements could go no further than the state of Da'wah, or invitation to Islam. No sooner would a movement based on monotheism arise than the coercive political system would be activated to pull it out by its roots. The reason for the absence of any historical record of Prophets )besides the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam( in antiquity is traceable to the intense opposition of these coercive political systems.
All the Prophets of ancient times, historically speaking, were like mythical beings, rather than real human beings accepted as historical figures. Prophet 'Eesaa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt his mention, was the last link in the chain of these persecutions faced by the preachers of monotheism. Then God decreed the abolition of this coercive political system, even if it entailed the use of force in order that the age of religious persecution might be brought to an end forever, and replaced by the age of religious freedom. This Divine plan was brought to completion through the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and his companions, may Allaah be pleased with them all. This is the command given in the Quran:"Fight them until there be no fitnah ]i.e., persecution[ and ]until[ the religion ]i.e., worship[, all of it, is for Allaah…"]Quran: 8:39[
Therefore, Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam received special divine succour in the form of a powerful team consisting of one hundred thousand individuals. Equipped with this team, the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam waged war to end this coercive system of religious persecution, and it was inArabiathat it was first of all overthrown. Then within a very short span of time, they advanced to abolish the coercive system established by the Sassanid and Byzantine empires.
In the wake of this Islamic action, the coercive system was abolished forever in the major part of the inhabited world of the time. This war waged by Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and his companions was not a war as is commonly understood, but rather a divine operation, which was carried out by people who possessed a high standard of moral character.
However, this operation was certainly only temporary in nature. Its goal was to put an end to the age of religious persecution and usher in the age of religious freedom. This end was fully achieved during the early period of Islam, the age of the pious Caliphs. Afterwards the time came to keep the sword in its sheath and engage in Da'wah work, that is, the call to God, which was the real and permanent goal of Islam.
It is no exaggeration to say that Islam and violence are contradictory to each other. The concept of Islamic violence is so obviously unfounded that, prima facie it stands rejected. The fact that violence is not sustainable in the present world is enough to convince one that violence, as a principle, is quite alien to the scheme of things in Islam. Islam claims to be an eternal religion and such a religion cannot afford a principle in its scheme which will not be sustainable in later periods of human history. An attempt to bracket violence with Islam amounts to casting doubts upon the very eternity of the Islamic religion.
No wonder then that the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam so earnestly used to entreat his Lord in his daily prayer:"O God, you are the original source of Peace; from You is all Peace, and to You returns all Peace. So, make us live with Peace; and let us enter paradise: the House of Peace. Blessed be You, our Lord, to whom belongs all Majesty and Honour!"

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Dought & clear, - (Manners of Seeking Knowledge), - Brief overview of the madhhab of Imam Abu Haneefah

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We hope that you could give us a brief overview of Imam Abu Haneefah and his madhhab, because I hear some people criticizing this madhhab because he relies too much on qiyaas (analogy) and ra’y (opinion).
Praise be to Allaah.
Imam Abu Haneefah is the great faqeeh and scholar of Iraq, Abu Haneefah al-Nu’maan ibn Thaabit al-Taymi al-Kufi. He was born in the year 80 AH, during the lifetime of some of the younger Sahaabah and saw Anas ibn Maalik when he came to them in Kufa. He narrated from ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabaah, who was his greatest Shaykh, and from al-Shu’bi and many others.
He was concerned with seeking reports and he traveled for that purpose. With regard to fiqh and examining and analyzing reports, he was the ultimate and people depended on him in that, as Imam al-Dhahabi said: “It would take two volumes to tell the story of his life, may Allaah be pleased with him and have mercy on him.”
He was an imam who was eloquent and well spoken. His student Abu Yoosuf described him as follows: “He was the most well-spoken of the people and the most clear in expressing himself. He was pious and very protective with regard to transgression of the sacred limits of Allaah. He was offered worldly gains and a great deal of wealth, but he turned his back on it. He was whipped to force him to accept the position of judge or controller of the bayt al-maal (treasury of the Islamic state) but he refused.
Many people narrated reports from him, and he died as a martyr of dropsy in 150 AH at the age of seventy. (Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’, 6/390-403;Usool al-Deen ‘inda al-Imam Abu Haneefah, p. 63).
The Hanafi madhhab is one of the four well-known madhhabs, and it was the first of the fiqhi madhhabs. It was said that “The people are dependent on Abu Haneefah with regard to fiqh.” The origin of the Hanafi madhhab and all the other madhhabs is that these four imams – I mean Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad – made the effort to understand the evidence of the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and they issued fatwas to people based on the evidence that had reached them. Then the followers of these imams took their fatwas and conveyed them and issued other fatwas based on them, and derived principles from them, and they set out guidelines for understanding the texts and reaching conclusions. Thus the fiqhi madhhab was formed, and the Hanafi, Shaafa’i, Maaliki and Hanbali madhhabs, and other madhhabs such as those of al-Awzaa’i and Sufyaan, but these latter madhhabs were not destined to continue.
As you can see, what these schools of fiqh are based on is following the Qur’aan and Sunnah.
With regard to the ra’y and qiyaas adopted by Imam Abu Haneefah, what this means is not opinion based on whims and desires, rather it is an opinion based on the evidence, or analogies, or following the general principles of sharee’ah. The salaf used to describe ijtihaad in difficult issues as ra’y (lit. opinion). Many of them used to say when commenting on a verse of the Book of Allaah, “This is my opinion (my ijtihaad) concerning it,” but that does not refer to opinion based on whims and desires, as stated above.
Imam Abu Haneefah followed ra’y and qiyaas a great deal in matters other than hudood punishments, expiations and other shar’i issues, and the reason for that is that he had fewer ahaadeeth at his disposal than other imams, because he came before the other imams and was very strict about accepting ahaadeeth, as false reports were so widespread in Iraq at that time and there was a great deal of tribulation.
It should be noted that not all the opinions and views of the Hanafi madhhab that is named after Imam Abu Haneefah are the words of Abu Haneefah himself, or can be correctly attributed to him. Many of those views go against what Imam Abu Haneefah himself said, but they were regarded as part of his madhhab because they were worked out according to the guidelines of the madhhab which is derived from the other texts of the imam. Similarly the Hanafi madhhab may adopt the view of a student of the imam such as Abu Yoosuf and Muhammad, and it also includes the ijtihaad of students of the imam, which subsequently became part of the madhhab. This does not apply only to the madhhab of Abu Haneefah, rather the same may be said of all the well-known madhhabs.
If it is said: If the four madhhabs are based on the Qur’aan and Sunnah, why do we find differences of opinion between them on matters of fiqh?
The answer is: Each imam issued fatwas on the basis of the evidence that reached him. A hadeeth may have reached Imam Maalik on the basis of which he issued fatwas, that did not reach Abu Haneefah, so he issued fatwas stating something different, and vice versa. Similarly a hadeeth may have reached Abu Haneefah with a saheeh isnaad so he issued fatwas on that basis, and the same hadeeth may have reached Imam al-Shaafa’i with a different isnaad that was da’eef (weak), so he did not issue fatwas based on it, or he may have issued a fatwa saying something that went against the hadeeth based on the conclusion he reached. This is why differences arose among the scholars, but ultimately the point of reference is the Qur’aan and Sunnah.
In fact, Imam Abu Haneefah and other imams followed the texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah, even if some of their fatwas were not based on that, the reason being that all four imams stated that if a hadeeth was saheeh, then that was their madhhab, that is what they followed, on what they based their fatwas and from what they derived their evidence.
Imam Abu Haneefah said: “If the hadeeth is saheeh then that is my madhhab.” And he said: “It is not permissible for anyone to follow what we say if they do not know where we got it from.” According to another report he said: “It is haraam for the one who does not know my evidence to issue a fatwa based on my words.” And according to another report he added: “We are human, we may say something today and retract it tomorrow.” And he said: “If I say something that goes against the Book of Allaah or the report of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then ignore what I say.”
Imam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “I am only human, sometimes I make mistakes and sometimes I get things right. Look at my opinion and whatever is in accordance with the Qur’aan and Sunnah, take it, and whatever is not in accordance with the Qur’aan and Sunnah, ignore it.” And he said: “There is no one after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) whose words cannot be taken or left, apart from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).”
Imam al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “There is no one who will not be unaware of some of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Whatever I say or whatever guidelines I establish, if there is a report from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which is different to what I said, then what matters is what the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, and that is my opinion.”
Imam Ahmad said: “Do not follow me blindly and do not follow Maalik or al-Shaafa’i or al-Awzaa’i or al-Thawri blindly. Learn from where they learned.” And he said: “The opinion of al-Awzaa’i and the opinion of Maalik and the opinion of Abu Haneefah are all mere conjecture and it is all the same to me. Rather evidence is to be found in the reports – i.e., in the shar’i evidence.”
This is a brief look at Imam Abu Haneefah (may Allaah have mercy on him) and his madhhab. In conclusion, the Muslim cannot but acknowledge the status and position of these imams, but that should not lead us to give precedence to their views over the Book of Allaah and the saheeh reports from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because in principle we should follow the Qur’aan and Sunnah and not the opinions of men; any man’s opinion may be taken or left, except the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),as Imam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him) said.

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