For children, - Easier to criticize rather than improve

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upon a time there was a young painter who had just completed his course under disciplehood of a great painter (Master). This young artist decided to assess his skills. He decided to give his best strokes on the canvass. He took 3 days and painted beautiful scenery.
He wanted people's opinion about his caliber and painting skills.
He put his creation at a busy street-crossing. And just down below a board which read, "Gentlemen, I have painted this piece. Since I am new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes etc. Please put a cross wherever you see a mistake."
While he came back in the evening to collect his painting he was completely shattered to see that whole canvass was filled with Xs (crosses) and some people had even written their comments on the painting.
Disheartened and broken completely he ran to his master's place and burst into tears. Sobbing and crying he told his master about what happened and showed the pathetic state of his creation which was filled with crosses and correction remarks.
This young artist was breathing heavily and master heard him saying, "I am useless and if this is what I have learnt to paint I am not worth becoming a painter. People have rejected me completely. I feel like dying."
Master smiled and suggested, "My Student, I will prove that you are a great artist and have learnt a flawless painting." Young disciple couldn't believe it and said, "I have lost faith in me and I don't think I am good enough. Don't make false hopes."
"Do as I say without questioning it. It will work." Master interrupted him.
Young artist reluctantly agreed and two days later early morning he presented a replica of his earlier painting to his master. Master took that gracefully and smiled.
"Come with me." master said.
They reached the same street-crossing early morning and displayed the same painting exactly at the same place. Now master took out another board which read, "Gentlemen, I have painted this piece. Since I am new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes etc. I have put a box with colors and brushes just below. Please do a favor. If you see a mistake, kindly pick up the brush and correct it." Master and disciple walked back home.
They both visited the place same evening. Young painter was surprised to see that actually there was not a single correction done so far. Next day again they visited and found painting remained untouched. They say the painting was kept there for a month for no correction came in!
It is easier to criticize, but difficult to improve. If you want to help people improve their behavior it is worth investing your effort in learning how to help people change their behaviors, attitudes and skills. Also, always remember not to get carried away or judge yourself by someone else's criticism and feel depressed. Take criticism in your stride; consider that which are genuine and implement those which you think is the best to improve you as a person!

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Discover Islam, - * The 'sword' of Islam

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The first few people who embraced Islam at the hands of the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, )may Allaah exalt his mention( were his wife Khadeejah, may Allaah be pleased with her, his adopted son Zayd, may Allaah be pleased with him, and his eleven-year-old cousin ‘Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him.
Among the ones who later joined this faith in Makkah were the honest merchant, Abu Bakr; the iron man ofArabia, ’Umar; the shy businessman, ‘Uthmaan; the Prophet's brave uncle Hamzah; and the slave of a pagan family, Bilaal, may Allaah be pleased with them. They simply could not resist the alleged ‘magic sword’ of a humble and lonely prophet! The negligible minority of the believers in the new faith were soon driven away from Makkah.
In the city of their migration, Al-Madeenah, people not only welcomed the Muslims, but the ‘sword’ with which it is alleged that people converted to Islam, as well. It did not cease to work even there and its magnetic force continued to "pull" people towards it until the whole ofArabiajoined the faith. Compared to the population of the rest of the world, at that time, the Arabs constituted a tiny minority. A fraction of this minority decided to take the sword beyond the boundaries of the Arabian desert to the mighty empires of Rome and Persia, the shores of the Mediterranean, the coast of Malabar and the far away East Indies Islands. All these people ostensibly went on surrendering to this ‘sword’ and joining the faith.
So sharp was the edge of the ‘sword’! It simply conquered the hearts, the bodies yielded automatically.
What is this ‘sword’ by which Islam spread?
It is the sword of truth, whose shine eliminates falsehood just like light wipes away darkness.
Has the sword gone blunt?
No, far from it.
It continues to pierce the heart of countless men and women even today -- in spite of the relentless efforts by people with vested interests, who would like darkness to prevail, instead of the light of Islam.
Given below are the impressions of some people who were recently conquered by the same sword. They are from different countries, speak different languages and have different backgrounds. Their present addresses are also given. Perhaps you may like to ask them how it feels to be struck by the sword of truth.
1- Leopold Weiss )Mohammed Asad(:
Austrian statesman, journalist and author; former foreign correspondent for the Frankfurter Zeitung; author of Islam at Cross Roads and Road to Makkah and translator of the Quran. )Embraced Islam in 1926(.
"Islam appears to me like a perfect work of architecture. All its parts are harmoniously conceived to complement and support each other. Nothing is superfluous and nothing lacking, with the result of an absolute balance and solid composure."
Present address: Dar Al-Andalus, 3 Library Ramp,Gibraltar,Morocco.
2- Ahmad Holt: British civil contractor
Traveled extensively in search of the Divine truth. Spent much time in search and comparative study of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
)Embraced Islam in 1975(.
"The sword of Islam is not the sword of steel. I know this by experience, because the sword of Islam struck deep into my own heart. It didn't bring death, but it brought a new life; it brought an awareness and it brought an awakening as to who am I and what am I and for what am I here?"
Present address: 23, Welland Garden Perivale, Middlesex UB6 8SZ, UK.
3- Bogdan Kopanksi )now Bogdan Ataullah Kopanski(:
Originally Polish, now American. Ph.D. in History and Politics. Had a very interesting journey to Islam and faced severe hardship; was imprisoned twice by the Polish Communist regime )1968, 1981-82(.
)Embraced Islam in 1974(
"When I was 12 years old I rejected the illogical and contradictory faith of the Church. Two years later in 1962, I was fascinated by the victorious struggle of the Algerian Muslim Mujaahideen against French colonialism. It was the first ' arrow' of Islam... in high school and the earliest days of my education in the university, I was a typical example of the 'rebel generation' of reds...My way to the truth of al-Quran was slow and unpaved...in 1974 I visited Turkey, I wrote my M.A. dissertation about Sultan and Caliph Suleiman Kanuni’s policy towards Polish Kingdom. There, I was hit by the most beautiful voice of mankind: Athaan, the call to prayer. My hair stood up. An unknown powerful force led me to an old masjid inIstanbul. There, old smiling Turkish, bearded men taught me wudhoo, )ablution(, I confessed to tears the shahaadah )testimonies of faith( and I prayed my first salaah )prayer( at Maghrib...I swept out the rubbish ideologies ...for the first time in my life, my mind was relaxed and I felt the pleasure of Allaah's love in my heart, I was a Muslim...”.
Present address : 3013, Harrel, Drive 203 Grand Prairie Tx 75051 USA
4- Vengatachalam Adiyar )Now ‘Abdullaah Adiyar( :
Indian, noted Tamil writer and journalist; worked as a News Editor in Dr. M. Karunanidhi's daily Murasoli for 17 years. Worked with three former Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu. Received Kalimamani Award from T.N Government in 1982.
)Embraced Islam in 1987(.
"In Islam I found suitable replies to nagging queries arising in my mind with regard to the theory of creation, status of women, creation of the universe etc. The life history of the Holy Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, attracted me very much and made easy for me to compare with other world leaders and their philosophies."
Present address:1 Ashok Avenue, Rangarajapuram, Kodambakkam,Madras,India.
5- Herbert Hobohm: ) Now Aman Hobohm(
German diplomat, missionary and social worker. An intellectual, who has been serving the German Diplomatic Mission in various parts of the world. Presently working as Cultural attache in German Embassy inRiyadh.
)Embraced Islam in 1941(.
"I have lived under different systems of life and have had the opportunity of studying various ideologies, but have come to the conclusion that none is as perfect as Islam. None of the systems has got a complete code of a noble life. Only Islam has it; and that is why good men embrace it. Islam is not theoretical; it is practical. It means complete submission to the will of God.'
Present address: Cultural Attaché, German Embassy,PO Box 74,Riyadh-11492,Saudi Arabia.
6- Cat Stevens: )Now Yousuf Islam(.
British, formerly Christian, world famous pop singer.
)Embraced Islam in 1973(.
"It will be wrong to judge Islam in the light of the behavior of some bad Muslims who are always shown on the media. It is like judging a car as a bad one if the driver of the car is drunk.”
Present address: Chairman, Muslim Aid,3 Furiong Road,London, N7.UK
7- Ms. Margaret Marcus )Now Maryam Jamilah(:
American, formerly Jewish. Essayist and journalist. Author of many books.
)Embraced Islam in 1962(.
"The authority of Islamic morals and laws proceeds from Almighty God. Pleasure and happiness in Islam are but the natural by products of emotional satisfaction in one's duties conscientiously performed for the pleasure of God to achieve salvation. In Islam duties are always stressed above rights. Only in Islam was my quest for absolute values satisfied. Only in Islam did I at last find all that was true, good, beautiful and which gives meaning and directions to human life and death."
Present address: c/o Mr. Mohammed Yusuf Khan, Sant Nagar,Lahore,Pakistan.
8- Wilfried Hofman: )Now Murad Hofman(.
Ph.D )law( Harvard, German social scientist and diplomat. Presently German ambassador in Algiers.
)Embraced in Islam in 1980(
"For some time now, striving for more and more precision and brevity, I have tried to put on paper, in a systemic way, all philosophical truths, which, in my view, can be ascertained beyond reasonable doubt. In the course of this effort it dawned on me that the typical attitude of an agnostic is not an intelligent one; that man simply cannot escape a decision to believe; that the createdness of what exists around us is obvious; that Islam undoubtedly finds itself in the greatest harmony with overall reality. Thus I realize, not without shock, that step by step, in spite of myself and almost unconsciously, in feelings and thinking I have grown into a Muslim. Only one last step remained to be taken; to formalize my conversation. As of today I am a Muslim. I have arrived."
Present address: Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, BP 664,Alger-gare,Algeria.
9- Cassius Clay )Now Mohamed Ali Clay(:
American boxer )three times world heavyweight champion(. Formerly Christian.
)Embraced Islam in 1965(.
"I have had nice moments in my life. But the feeling I had while standing on Mount ‘Arafaat on the day of 'Hajj' )pilgrimage(, was the most unique. I felt exalted by the indescribable spiritual atmosphere there, as over a million and a half pilgrims invoked God to forgive them of their sins and bestow on them His choicest blessings. It was an exhilarating experience to see people belonging to different colors, races and nationalities, kings, heads of states and ordinary men from very poor countries all clad in two simple white sheets praying to God without any sense of either pride or inferiority. It was a practical manifestation of the concept of equality in Islam."
)Speaking to the daily "Al-Madinah" Jeddah, 15, July 1989(.
Present address: 1200 E, 49 St.,Chicago,Ill60615.
These were the impressions of a few persons who had been struck by the sword of truth themselves.
As for the propaganda that it was the sword of steel )i.e. the force ( which was instrumental in the universal expansion of Islam, we give below remarks of some prominent non-Muslims refuting this baseless claim:
1- M K Gandhi:
".......I become more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and his own mission. These, and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every trouble."
YoungIndia, 1924.
2- Edward Gibbon:
"The greatest success of Mohammed's life was effected by sheer moral force without the stroke of a sword."
History of the Saracen Empire,London, 1870.
3- A S Tritton:
"The picture of the Muslim soldier advancing with a sword in one hand and the Quran in the other quite false."
Islam, London, 1951-page 21.
4- De Lacy O'Leary:
" History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims, sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated."
Islam at Crossroads,London. 1923-page 8.
5- KS Ramakrishna Rao:
"My problem to write this monograph is easier because we are not generally fed now on that )distorted( kind of history and much time need not to be spent on pointing out our misrepresentations of Islam. The theory of Islam and sword, for instance, is not heard now in any quarter worth its name. The principle of Islam that: ' there is no compulsion in religion' is well known".
Mohammed the Prophet of Islam,Riyadh1989-page 4.
6- James A. Michener:
"No other religion in history spread so rapidly as Islam...The West has widely believed that this surge of religion was made possible by the sword. But no modern scholar accepts that idea, and the Quran is explicit in support of the freedom of conscience".
Islam- The Misunderstood Religion, Readers' Digest )American Edition ( May 1955.
7-LawrenceE Browne:
"Incidentally these well-established facts dispose off the ideas so widely fostered in Christian writings that wherever the Muslims went, they forced people to accept Islam at the point of the sword."

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Discover Islam, - * The Universality of Islam

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In this century, where means of communication and transportation have gone beyond all expectations, cross-cultural awareness has become widespread. And with the collapse of communism and consequently the Soviet Union and many other communist countries, many proposals are presented urging the adoption of universal laws, values and morals to govern relationships among the peoples of the world.
Recently, the idea of a so-called “New World Order” was proposed through the United Nations in order to prescribe values and impose laws on people of various cultures. The question that will immediately emerge is ‘Whose values, laws and ways of life are they going to adopt?” Of course, the American way of life will become the only choice presented, because the United States is presently the only superpower among all the nations of the world, as well as the largest financial contributor to the United Nations. Given the natural richness and military power of the U.S., why have its values not provided happiness and peace of mind to the millions of Americans whose lives have been wrecked by alcoholism, violence, drug use and other family and social dilemmas? Can such a way of life that has failed to uproot discrimination against Afro-Americans and other minorities bring justice among the social castes of India? Can the American way of life that has resulted in grave failure when attempting to solve the problems of the homeless in America, provide solutions to the problems of poverty in South America or Africa?
Some sources might say the New World Order does not have to be that of the Americans; it could be that of the British, the French, the Russians or the Chinese. Are they not permanent members of the Security Council )the actual decision making body of the UN(? Nevertheless, these governments have brought neither happiness nor security to their own nations. No sensible person in the whole world would choose or suggest a way of life that is going to contradict with his won interests; countries are not an exception. So, any system of life that could be selected as the basis for a New World Order is prone to serve the interests of only the people who propose and sponsor it. Therefore, they have got to be unfair towards other nations.
To accept these New Order premises as a way of life means full submission to the teachings and the rules that such a system puts forward. What would result from such acceptance could be a materialistic and secular view of life. So, it would be neither fair nor complete, because of the incompleteness of man. The probability for the application and the acceptability of such a New World Order is extremely remote and the unproductive, exactly as it was with Old World Orders as Colonialism, Communism, Dark Ages Theology, and Capitalism.
Indeed there is a dire need among the majority of the world population that for a way of life that can solve their existence and destiny. With the escalating rate of immorality and violence in the world, people are restlessly searching for a way out. Many have found that suicide is the easiest and probably the fastest solution. No wonder, our world is living in a state of chaos. It has tried all forms of ideologies and applied so many socioeconomic theories, but none of them has proven to be right. That which has been tried has failed, and that which has failed has been tried again...and again, is there not another way? Is there an alternative system that would work as a guide for the universe? These two questions make the theme of this research.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * The baby started tochoke whilst her mother was praying

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While I was praying my daughter 3 months of age started choking there was no one at home except for me so I had to stop my prayer to come to her aid is this haram what I had done or in emergency cases like this is it okay to stop your prayer.
Praise be to Allaah.
What you did was not haraam and was not a sin; in fact it was obligatory (waajib) upon you, because this comes under the heading of saving lives which is encouraged in Islam. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“… and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind …” (al-Maa’idah 5:32)
It was reported from Ibn ‘Abbaas, from Murrah al-Hamadaani, from ‘Abd-Allaah and from a number of the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah concerning the Tafseer of this aayah: “…and if anyone saved a life means, saved someone from death, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind in the eyes of the person whose life was saved.” (Tafseer al-Tabari, 6/199)
Saving the life of a person whose life is protected in sharee’ah is obligatory (waajib) on whoever is able to do so. Saving a life is one of the five essentials which Islam came to protect (they are, life, sanity, wealth, religion and lineage). With regard to the prayer, you have to repeat it after you have helped the child. And Allaah knows best.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * What about the mark on a person’s forehead caused by sujood?

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When a person prays salah,usaually his forehead gets darker because of sajda and people know that he prays.
Because of this,this person can feel proud and may be some times he likes people to talk positive about him and say good remarks about him because of his prayers.
Is it O.K. or better in this case for this person to do sajda very lightly and softly or what do you suggest.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to do rukoo’ and sujood perfectly and completely.
It was reported from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do your rukoo’ and sujood perfectly and completely, for by the One in Whose Hand is my soul, I can see you behind me when you do rukoo’ and sujood.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6268; Muslim, 425)
Part of doing rukoo’ and sujood properly and correctly is to be at ease in both.
It was reported from Abu Hurayrah that a man entered the mosque and prayed. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sitting in a corner of the mosque, and the man came and greeted him with salaam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) answered “Wa ‘alayk (and also upon you). Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.” So he went back and prayed, then he came and greeted the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with salaam, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) answered “Wa ‘alayk (and also upon you). Go back and pray, for you have not prayed yet.” The third time this happened, the man said, “Teach me, O Messenger of Allaah.” He said: “When you stand up to pray, do wudoo’ properly, then face the qiblah and say ‘Allaahu akbar.’ Then recite whatever you can of Qur’aan. Then do rukoo’ until you are at ease in rukoo’. Then stand up until you are at ease in standing, then do sujood until you are at ease in sujood. Then sit up until you are sitting up straight. Do that throughout your prayer.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 724; Muslim, 397).
Not doing rukoo’ and sujood properly and completely is something which invalidates one's prayer.
It was reported that Abu Mas’ood al-Ansaari al-Badri said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘A prayer in which a person does not straighten his spine in his rukoo’ and sujood does not count.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 265; he said it is hasan saheeh. Also narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 1027; Abu Dawood, 855; Ibn Maajah, 870)
Imaam al-Tirmidhi said:
“Prayer should be done in accordance with this, according to the scholars among the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and later scholars, who said that a man should straighten his spine when he does rukoo’ and sujood.”
Al-Shaafa'i, Ahmad and Ishaaq said: “A prayer in which a person does not straighten his spine in his rukoo’ and sujood does not count, because of the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): ‘A prayer in which a person does not straighten his spine in his rukoo’ and sujood does not count.’” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2/52)
It was reported from Abu Waa’il that Hudhayfah saw a man who was not doing rukoo’ and sujood perfectly and completely. When he finished praying, Hudhayfah said to him, “You have not prayed.” He (the narrator) said: “I think he said, ‘If you were to die now, you would die on something other than the Sunnah of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 382).
According to another report (758): it was reported that Zayd ibn Wahb said: “Hudhayfah saw a man who was not doing rukoo’ and sujood perfectly and completely. He said, ‘You have not prayed. If you were to die now, you would die on something other than the fitrah to which Allaah guided Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).’”
It is essential to place the forehead and nose firmly on the ground when making sujood.
It was reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘I was commanded to prostrate on seven bones: the forehead’ – and he pointed to his nose – ‘the two hands, the two knees and the toes. And do not tie up your clothes or hair.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 779; Muslim, 490).
There is nothing wrong with making the sujood long, especially when praying alone, or in Salaat al-Kusoof (eclipse prayer) or in qiyaam al-layl (naafil prayers at night).
It was reported from Asmaa’ bint Abi Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed Salaat al-Kusoof (eclipse prayer). He stood and made his standing lengthy; then he did rukoo’ and made his rukoo’ lengthy; then he stood up and made his standing lengthy; then he did rukoo’ and made his rukoo’ lengthy; then he stood up and did sujood, then he sat up and did sujood again, and made his sujood lengthy. Then he stood up and made his standing lengthy; then he did rukoo’ and made his rukoo’ lengthy; then he stood up and made his standing lengthy; then he did rukoo’ and made his rukoo’ lengthy; then he stood up and did sujood, and made his sujood lengthy; then he sat up and did sujood again, and made his sujood lengthy, then he finished.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 812).
It was reported that Hudhayfah said: “I prayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) one night. He started to recite al-Baqarah, and I thought that he would do rukoo’ after one hundred aayaat, but he carried on. I thought that he would finish it and then do rukoo’, but he carried on. Then he started to recite al-Nisaa’ and he recited it all, then he started to recite Aal ‘Imraan, and he recited it all, at a steady and moderate pace. If he recited an aayah which mentioned tasbeeh (glorifying Allaah), he would glorify Allaah; if he recited an aayah which mentioned asking, he would ask Allaah; if he recited an aayah which mentioned seeking refuge with Allaah, he would seek refuge with Him. Then he did rukoo’ and started saying ‘Subhaan Rabbi al-al’Azeem,’ and his rukoo’ was almost as long as his standing. Then he said, ‘Sami’a Allaahu li man hamidah’and stood up, and his standing was almost as long as his rukoo’. Then he prostrated and said, ‘Subhaana Rabbi al-A’laa’, and his sujood was almost as long as his standing.” (Narrated by Muslim, 772)
The Sunnah in sujood is to be level in sujood, as it was narrated from Anas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “be level in sujood, and none of you should spread his forearms as a dog spreads them.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 788; Muslim, 493).
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah preserve him) said:
This means that you should do sujood in a level way, not bunched up tight so that the stomach rests on the thighs and the thighs on the calves, and not stretched out as some people do when they prostrate, so that they are almost lying on their fronts. Undoubtedly this is a kind of bid’ah and is not Sunnah. It was not narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or from any of the Sahaabah, as far as we know, that a person should stretch out his back in sujood. He should stretch his back in rukoo’, but in sujood he should raise his stomach and not stretch it out.” (al-Sharhal-Mumti’, 3/168).
If a person does as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded, and he is prostrating on soil or a rough surface, then he may get a mark on his forehead. This may generate some pride in his heart, as mentioned in the question, but if a person’s heart is filled with sincere faith and he does what he does only for the purpose of seeking that which is with Allaah, then he will not care what people say about him. But if he deliberately tries to make a mark on his forehead that looks like the sign of sujood, then this is a kind of showing off and lying, so woe to him of the punishment of a painful Day!
With regard to the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“… You see them bowing and falling down prostrate (in prayer), seeking Bounty from Allaah and (His) Good Pleasure. The mark of them (i.e. of their Faith) is on their faces (foreheads) from the traces of prostration (during prayers)….” [al-Fath 48:29]
-- the correct meaning of the phrase “the mark of them is on their faces” is that this refers to the light of obedience and worship, and it does not necessarily mean that there is a physical mark on the skin in the place of prostration.
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in hisTafseerof this aayah:
“… ‘ the mark of them is on their faces from the traces of prostration’- ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah said, narrating from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them): ‘the mark of them is on their faces’means their outward appearance. Mujaahid and others said that it means khushoo’ and humility. Ibn Abi Haatim said: my father told us, ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Tanaafusi told us, Husayn al-Ja’fi told us, from Zaa’idah from Mansoor from Mujaahid: ‘the mark of them is on their faces from the traces of prostration’– he said: (this means) khushoo’ (humility). I said, I always thought that it meant this mark on the face. He said, That may appear between the eyes of one whose heart is harder than Pharaoh’s. Al-Saddi said: Prayer makes their faces beautiful. One of the Salaf said; Whoever prays more at night, his face becomes more handsome by day… Some of them said that a hasanah (good deeds) brings light (noor) to the heart and a glow to the face, an increased provision and the love of the people.”
The point is, the fact that this mark is present on the skin and there is a change in the colour of the forehead, does not mean that a person is righteous and sincere. By the same token, if this mark is absent, that does not mean that a person is failing in his prayers. In many cases it has to do with the nature and sensitivity of an individual’s skin.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah preserve him) was asked: is there any report to indicate that the mark on the forehead caused by sujood is a sign of the righteous?
He replied:
This is not one of the signs of the righteous; the sign is the light (noor ) which appears on the face, and being content and at peace, a good attitude, and the like.
As for the mark made by sujood on the face, it may appear on the faces of people who do not even pray the obligatory prayers, if their skin is very soft and sensitive, and it may not appear of the faces of people who pray a lot and make lengthy sujood.
(Fataawaa Islamiyyah, 1/484)
In conclusion, then, if you are sincere towards Allaah and seek to earn His pleasure when you pray, then what people say will not affect you; in fact, their praise of you may be a kind of hastening of glad tidings for you in this world. So follow the Sunnah and do sujood properly, and then do not worry about whether people praise you or condemn you. We ask Allaah to make you sincere and to accept your prayers.
And Allaah knows best.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Praying in a place under which there is a sewage pipe

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A man has an apartment in which there is a bookstore containing copies of the Holy Qur’aan. But there is a sewage pipe which passes beneath this apartment. Is it permissible to pray and recite Qur’aan there or not? Please advise us, may Allaah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with this so long as (the apartment) is separate (from the pipe). Al-Imaam al-Muwaffaq, the author ofal-Mughniand ofal-Sharh al-Kabeer, said: It is permissible to use the area above the roof of the pipe and similar places, because the pipe is beneath and there is a roof over it. It is not allowed to pray in toilets and similar places, but according to the correct view, it is permissible to pray and read Qur’aan on the roof over them, as we have stated above. Some scholars said that it is not permissible to do that, but the correct view, in sha Allaah, is that it is OK. And Allaah knows best.

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