Lizard that Walks on Water: Basilisk

If someone talks about "walking on water", you would think that he
has a great imagination or that it could only be possible via
illusions. This ability, which is so impossible for us, is a very
common way of living for some living creatures.
There are living creatures that walk on water or stroll on the
water surface safely without even realizing concepts such as
buoyancy of water, laws of surface tension, weight, length and
density.
This lizard called "basilik" which lives in Central America is one
of the miraculous creatures that walks on water.
It jumps into water when it senses a danger,
It stands on its back feet on the water and begins to run on the
surface of the water.
Its physics of running on water is very perfect.
And the secret of this miracle is in the cavities filled with air
that forms underneath its feet as it runs.
Its feet have scaled whisks that momentarily captures air and
prevents the animal from sinking.
Therefore, the basiliks walk on air instead of walking on water. The
only thing it needs to do is to be as fast as it can to avoid the
air package being ruptured until it takes the next step.
However, the basilik reaches a speed of 12 kilometer per hour while
running on water as if it knows this. And it can pass over a 40
meter long pool without sinking.
If the lizard does not withdraw its foot from the hole formed when
it compresses its foot on water, its foot can sink. In order to
pull the foot out of the water, the animal needs to overcome the
bonding between the water and its foot. Just as the animal pushes
down, the toes on its foot are pulled up together with the foot.
This means that when the animal pulls its foot from the hole with
speed, only air is formed around it. For a human being to accomplish
what is done by the basiliks lizard, he would need to run 104 km per
hour and consume 15 times more energy than he normally does, which
is quite impossible with current circumstances.
As it is seen, the basiliks can only stand with the help of detailed
calculations. However, the basiliks lack the consciousness and
intelligence to make such a calculation.
For example, it is a clear fact that it cannot calculate the grams
of weight required so it can stand on water, the speed at which it
can benefit from surface tension or the structure of its feet to
ensure not getting wet, and that it cannot take the precautions
related to these and make the required changes in its body.
However, if you ask the opinion of an evolutionist on this matter,
they would tell you that blind coincidences might have given the
basiliks such an ability. Of course, it is impossible that these
illogical approaches explain the complex systems that require an
order to work perfectly.
There is a clear plan and calculation here and this calculation
belongs to Allah. And Allah reveals as follows in one verse:
... Every single thing is before His Sight. (Surat ar-Ra'd, 8)

Fathwa, - Why Hijab?

Question:
Why Hijab?
Answer:

The Qur�anic verse, �Say to believing women, that they cast down their
eyes and guard their private parts, and reveal not their adornment
save such as is outward; and let them drape their headcoverings over
their bosoms, and not reveal their adornment . . .� (Qur�an 24:31) is
a specific requirement for Muslim women to cover their hair.
The word �headcoverings� (Ar. singular khimar, plural khumur), more
familiar in our times as the hijab, is a word of well-known
signification among scholars of Arabic, at their forefront the authors
of the classical lexical reference dictionaries like Zabidi�s
encyclopedic Taj al-�arus or Mutarrizi�s al-Mughrib, both of which
define khimar as �a woman�s headcovering�; or Fayumi�s al-Misbah or
Fayruzabadi�s al-Qamus, which both define it as �a cloth with which a
woman covers her head.� The Taj al-�arus also notes that a man's
turban is sometimes referred to as a khimar �because a man covers his
head with it in like manner as a woman covers her head with her khimar
when he disposes it in the Arab manner, turning part of it under the
jaws nearly in the same manner in which a woman disposes her khimar.�
These authorities are cited in the eight-volume Arabic-English Lexicon
of Edward William Lane, who describes the khimar as �a woman�s muffler
or veil with which she covers her head and the lower part of her
face.�
There is no other lexical sense in which the word khimar may be
construed. The wording of the command, however, �and let them drape
their headcoverings over their bosoms,� sometimes confuses
nonspecialists in the sciences of the Qur�an, and in truth,
interpreting the Qur�an does sometimes require in-depth knowledge of
the historical circumstances in which the various verses were
revealed. In this instance, the elliptical form of the divine command
is because women at the time of the revelation wore their headcovers
tied back behind their necks, as some village women still do in Muslim
countries, leaving the front of the neck bare, as well as the opening
(Ar. singular jayb, plural juyub, translated as �bosoms� in the above
verse) at the top of the dress. The Islamic revelation confirmed the
practice of covering the head, understood from the use of the word
khimar in the verse, but also explained that the custom of the time
was not sufficient and that women were henceforth to tie the headcover
in front and let it drape down to conceal the throat and the dress�s
opening at the top.
This is why Muslim women cover their heads: because the Qur�an
unambiguously orders them to, and there is no qualifying text or
hadith or even other lexical possibility to show that the Qur�anic
order might mean anything besides obligation. Rather, the hadiths all
bear this meaning out, Muslim scholars are in unanimous agreement
about it and have been from the time of the Prophet (Allah bless him
and give him peace) down to our own day, and it is even known by all
non-Muslim peoples about them.
There was thus nothing new or surprising in the Islamic legal opinion
promulgated in December 2003 by the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Sheikh �Ali
Jumu�a of the Egyptian Fatwa Authority (Dar al-Ifta� al-Misriyya) that
�the hijab is an obligation on all Muslim female adults, as firmly
established in the Holy Qur�an and the Prophet Muhammad�s hadiths, as
well as unanimously agreed upon by Muslim scholars.� He pointed out
that unlike the cross sometimes worn by Christians, or the skullcap
worn by Jews, the hijab is not a �symbol� of Islam but rather that
�Islam orders female adults to wear hijab as obligatory religious
clothing.� It is part of every Muslim woman�s religious practice.
Some ink and words have been spent by some contemporary ethnic Muslim
women writers (and an occasional convert) trying to do away with the
covering of hair mandated by the Qur�an and the unanimous consensus of
Muslims. They say�accurately enough, for a Muslim does not leave Islam
merely by committing a sin�that one can take off the hijab and still
remain a Muslim. But such a person remains a bad Muslim, who deems
aping non-Muslims better than practicing Islam. For what? The Supreme
Being knows our benefit better than we do; and if one believes in
Allah, Master of every atom in the universe, it is only plain sense to
follow Him. When all else fails, read the directions. Those who refuse
to wear the hijab are acting out of ignorance or bad faith, and when
one meets them, one seldom finds they manage to practice the other
aspects of their religion. In the end, it is a matter of hearts. The
heart that is alive has a sense of eternity, and knows that the
infinite is greater than the finite. The heart that is dead follows
the trends of the trend makers because it has turned its back on the
Divine and forgotten endless time.

Fathwa, - When must a Muslim girl wear the hijab?

Question:
When is it really permissible for a Muslim girl to wear the hijab?
Does it matter when she herself is ready to wear it or is there an age
where you would have to?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Praise be to Allah. May the peace and blessings of Allah shower upon
our Beloved Messenger, his family, companions, and those who follow
them.
Dear Sister,
It is permissible for a Muslim girl to wear hijab any time she
pleases, even if she is not old enough to have to wear it. As to when
she has to wear it, a Muslim female is required to observe hijab as
soon as she reaches the age of puberty, that is, when she sees her
first menstruation. However, it is highly desirable that she be
introduced to hijab before puberty. Sometimes, if a girl waits until
she reaches puberty, then puts on hijab all at once, she can find it
difficult. Hijab is best introduced in stages, say, first a scarf,
then the long sleeves, long skirts, etc. If it is done this way, along
with strengthening one's iman and love for Allah, then insha'Allah
when puberty comes, there should be no difficulty.
As to when you feel ready, readiness can vary with the individual.
Some people feel ready right away, and some take a lifetime, and some
never feel ready. So don't base your decision to wear hijab completely
on readiness. If you do, you may miss out on the immediate benefits of
wearing it.
Strengthen your iman, establish your prayers, and constantly remember
Allah. Make small but significant changes to your wardrobe, like
making your clothes longer and looser. When you cover for prayer, keep
your scarf on longer, instead of taking it off. These are steps that
can increase your himma or enthusiasm for hijab. And keep in mind that
the Prophet, peace be upon him, said in a Hadith Qudsi, "God Most High
says I am as my Servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes
mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me by himself, I make mention of
him to Myself. If he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make
mention of him in an assembly better than his. If he comes closer to
Me a hand span, I come closer to him arms-length, if he comes to Me
walking, I come to him running."
And Allah alone gives success. And Allah knows best.

Fathwa, - Good Hijab, Bad Hijab?

Question:
Is it haram or not preferable to wear colorful ornately decorated
hijabs? Should one stick to solid colors? I have oftentimes heard
different views. I was told that wearing solid, colored, undecorated
scarves is "good hijab" because it is more modest. On the other hand,
I have heard others argue that wearing beautiful scarves is being
modest enough, and that although the ornate scarves are obviously more
pleasing to the eye than the solid colored scarves, that is acceptable
because women should not look horrible either. I am confused. What
then really constitutes good hijab?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful Praise be to Allah.
May the peace and blessings of Allah shower upon our Beloved
Messenger, his family, companions, and those who follow them.
Our understanding of hijab comes from two verses of the Qur'an. The
first, in Surat al-Nur, reads, �And say to the believing women that
they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should
not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily
appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms
and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers,
their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their
brothers, or their brothers' sons or their sisters' sons, or their
women or the servants whom their right hands possess, or male servants
free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the
shame of sex, and that they should not strike their feet in order to
draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O you Believers, turn
you all together towards Allah, that you may attain Bliss.� (Quran
24:31).
The other verse in Surat al-Ahzab says, �O Prophet, tell your wives
and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks
close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that
they may be recognized and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving,
Merciful.� (Quran 33:59)
One of the most famous hadith proofs for hijab is the following,
"A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that Asma�, the
daughter of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the
Messenger of Allah (may peace and blessings be upon him) while wearing
thin clothing. He approached her and said: 'O Asma�! When a girl
reaches the menstrual age, it is not proper that anything should
remain exposed except this and this. He pointed to the face and
hands." [Abu Dawud]
These are the evidences for hijab. As to what form the hijab takes,
that can vary depending upon local custom. Scholars are unanimous that
the hijab must cover every part of the woman's body, except for the
face and hands. Some Hanafi scholars say that the face, hands, and
feet are all exempted. The clothing used to cover the body should be
opaque and loose-fitting. In other words, the color of the skin and
the contours of the body should not show through the clothing. The
head should be covered with some form of a khimar or head veil. The
head veil should cover the hair, neck, ears, and bosom. Furthermore,
women should not make themselves up or use perfume when they go out.
Using makeup and perfume would defeat the whole purpose of hijab. It
is easy to see how the West has built a whole industry revolving
around making the female as seductive as possible with makeup,
perfume, revealing clothing, and constantly changing hair styles. This
is not an image that we Muslim women want.
As to what fabrics, colors, or styles of clothing you use, that is up
to you, as long as you have satisfied these basic requirements. It is
recommended to wear a jilbab, or over-garment. However, a long,
loose-fitting tunic with a long skirt also satisfies the requirement
for covering the body modestly. If you look at styles in the Muslim
world, you will see everything from an Arab abaya to an Iranian
chador, from Afghani burqas to Malaysian skirt and tunic sets, from
smart business suits to Indo-Pak shalvar qamiz. You will see a
diversity of fabrics, colors, and designs. All of these can fulfill
the basic requirement of hijab, which is the modest covering of the
hair and body. As far as color is concerned, a lot of that is
cultural. While wearing black in Iran or the Arab world is customary,
in Africa and Southeast Asia it is customary to be colorful and this
is not inappropriate. Diversity is one of the strengths of the Umma. I
don't think it's appropriate for people to tell you that if you wear a
black hijab, your hijab is good, but if you wear a hijab with flowers
on it, your hijab is bad. As long as you are modest and have not
dressed in a way that will attract attention to yourself, you are
fine. You can tell if you are wearing something that is showy or
flashy. What colors you wear are entirely up to you. Just use
discretion.
And Allah knows best. And Allah alone gives success.