The way to escape selfishness and egotism is through the moral values of Islam

·What damage does selfishness and egotism do to society?
· How can selfish and egotistical societies escape this spiritual sickness?
Omniscient Allah has created the human soul with a predisposition to
selfishness as a test. Unless he lives by the moral values of the
Qur'an and tames his earthly desires, this feeling will come to
dominate his whole moral framework. Such a person generally thinks
of himself alone, rather than everyone else. He always wants the
best, finest and most perfect of everything for himself. He wants to
have possessions and children and for his own family merely to be
comfortable. Whenever he encounters any difficulties he will expect
the people around him to undergo all kinds of risks and troubles for
him and to support him, even at the cost of their own interests. He
seeks to protect his own whims and interests and to ensure his own
ease and comfort. When the situation is different he can forgo many
things he values, for the sake of protecting his own interests and
preventing any harm coming to him. Allah has revealed this passionate
selfish feeling in human earthly desires as follows in the Qur'an:
" Truly man was created headstrong –
desperate when bad things happen,
begrudging when good things come –."(Surat al-Ma'arij, 19–21)
Selfishness and Egotism Are a Major Threat to Modern Societies
The materialist, Darwinist thinking that is widespread in modern
societies that do not live by religious moral values reinforces the
selfish and egotistical spirit in human nature and disseminates a
"me-first" philosophy. Indeed, the idea of " So long as I'm all
right, who cares what happens to anyone else?" or "Looking out for
number one" generally dominates such societies. But selfishness and
egotism are a major threat to society because ideas like truth,
justice and law vanish in such a society . Feelings such as beauty,
love, affection, compassion and respect become regarded as
unnecessary. Thus, people who are oppressed and slaughtered,
innocent babies, people who lack the money for proper hospital
treatment, or who have to wait for hours or even days in hospital
queues, despite being old or weak, people who are forced out of
their homes or lands because of their faiths and tiny, defenseless
children thrown out onto the streets to survive as best they can
are of no interest to such people. This structure generally leads
to a troubled and unhappy air in society.
This structure among people and societies who are selfish, loveless,
aggressive, who protect their own interests and violate everyone
else's, who wear a harsh mask and who have no love or fear of Allah,
can only be eliminated through people living by the moral values of
the Qur'an, as Islam and cultivating love of Allah is the only way
to acquire such instances of good conscience as compassion and
helpfulness, features at the root of Qur'anic moral values, and to
escape selfishness and egotism. Our Lord reveals how the Qur'an
leads people from the darkness to the light as follows:
"… A Light has come to you from Allah and a Clear Book.
By it, Allah guides those who follow what pleases Him to the ways of
Peace. He will bring them from the darkness to the light by His
permission, and guide them to a straight path." (Surat al-Ma'ida,
15-16)
People Can Only Protect and Watch over One Another with Love and Fear of Allah
Fear and love of Allah enables people to submit themselves to Him,
to see the best in everything and to have compassion. In the verses
Allah reveals how the only interest of concern to believers is His
approval:
" They fulfill their vows and fear a Day whose evil will spread far and wide.
They give food, despite their love for it,to the poor and orphans
and captives:
'We feed you only out of desire for the Face of Allah. We do not
want any repayment from you or any thanks.
Truly We fear from our Lord a glowering, calamitous Day.'
So Allah has safeguarded them from the evil of that Day and has made
them meet with radiance and pure joy."(Surat al-Insan, 7-11)
Our Prophet's (saas) words that " He who goes to bed full when his
neighbor is hungry is not one of us" is an important warning that
believers desire to earn Allah's approval. Therefore, anyone aiming
to earn Allah's approval will not just settle for a solution to his
own problems; he will also assume responsibility for resolving the
problems of others around him in need. This may of course require
people to give up things they love or to sacrifice their own
comfort. The way that Muslims look to protect and watch over the
poor by giving alms, help people in need by canceling their debts
and spend their possessions on Allah's path, rather than
accumulating and hoarding them, are moral virtues bestowed by the
ethical values of the Qur'an.
Responding to people's needs and treating them kindly are forms of
behavior that prevent atrophocation of the conscience. Empathizing
with others, treating the needy with affection and showing respect
and love make it possible to eliminate cruelty and selfishness.
Verses reveal that the reward for good behavior comes in the
Presence of Allah:
" Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him. Be good to
your parents and relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to
neighbors who are related to you and neighbors who are not related
to you, and to companions and travelers and your slaves. Allah does
not love anyone vain or boastful." (Surat an-Nisa', 36)
In modern, Darwinist societies one frequently encounters people who
look gloomy, keep their eyes fixed on the ground, walking around
never greeting or speaking to anyone. But because of the climate of
peace and security that Islam provides in those model societies in
which Islamic moral values prevail, everyone will trust and love
everyone else, greet people, and be their friends.
Faith perfects people's behavior, as it does so many other traits. A
believer who constantly heeds his conscience as required by
religious moral values will always behave in the best, most
considerate, trust- inspiring and tolerant manner. Someone possessed
of these moral attributes has earned merit for his own life in the
hereafter. At the same time, he is instrumental in freeing the
world from its self-interested and selfish nature, and making it a
place of the delights of Islam.
The Moral Values of the Qur'an Bestow Altruism, Love and Kindness on People
Someone aware that his purpose in this world is to earn the
approval, mercy and ultimately the paradise of Allah can never
remain unmoved by and insensitive to what goes on around him. He
knows that everything is an opportunity to gain the approval of
Allah and always acts out of that awareness. The flaws or
oppression he sees around him will trouble his conscience. For
example, he will feel himself responsible for a child with no
family forced to live out on the streets. As Allah reveals in the
verses,"So as for orphans, do not oppress them, and as for beggars, do
not berate them." (Surat ad-Duha, 9-10), andhe will treat them well.
He will strive to help them out of their predicament. However, he
knows that the child in question cannot be saved solely through him
and those around him behaving well. He will therefore strive to
ensure that everyone lives by the moral values of the Qur'an. This
is a major responsibility incumbent on all Muslims. Allah promises
a fine outcome for those who assume a great and honorable
responsibility:
"Allah has promised those of you who have faith and do right actions
that He will makethem successors in the land as He made those before
them successors, and will firmly establish for them their religion
with which He is pleasedand give them, in place of their fear,
security. 'They worship Me, not associating anything with Me.' Any who
are unbeliever after that, such people are deviators."(Surat an-Nur,
55)
"[There are men who are] not distracted by trade or commerce from
the remembrance of Allah and the establishment of prayer and the
payment of alms ; fearing a day when all hearts and eyes will be in
turmoil –" (Surat an-Nur, 37)

A Muslim is Passionately Devoted, Not to Possessions and Wealth, But to Allah

Why is the devotion to wealth and property of people who do not live
by the moral values of the Qur'an in fact great heedlessness that
believers scrupulously avoid?
How do believers use their wealth and possessions on Allah's path?
What secret does our Lord reveal in the Qur'an for believers who
spend all their wealth and assets on Allah's path?
People who do not live by the moral values of the Qur'an suffer
various pains; these people even make the desire to "possess wealth
and property" their greatest aim in life. Allah describes such
people as "trying to outdo one another in wealth" in the Qur'an
(Surat al-Hadid, 20). But this desire is literally a delusion
because it is Allah Who owns everything in the world. People
deceive themselves when they imagine they "own possessions." They
did not personally create the things they imagine they possess, and
they have no power whatsoever to maintain them. Neither can they
prevent them ceasing to exist. Moreover, there is no question of
them "owning" anything; because they themselves are under the
control of Allah, "the king of Mankind" (Surat an-Nas, 2). In the
Qur'an it is revealed that all objects and entities belong to
Allah, our Creator:
"Everything in the heavens and everything on the earth and
everything in between them and everything under the ground belongs
to Him." (Surah Ta Ha, 6)
Believers, who have faith in Allah and attach no undue importance to
the transitory baubles of this world, who know that all things come
from Allah alone and who therefore spend what they have on His path,
may hope for Almighty Allah's mercy and paradise. Since they
prefer the life of the hereafter, which Allah says will last for all
eternity, over the life of this world, it is actually they who are
the wealthy ones.
Believers Fervently Spend Their Assets on Allah's Path
As revealed in the verse "[There are men who are] not distracted by
trade or commerce from the remembrance of Allah and the
establishment of prayer and the payment of alms; fearing a day when
all hearts and eyes will be in turmoil –" (Surat an-Nur, 37) , one
of the things that people today most give themselves over to is
making money and possessing goods and property. Yet in that verse,
Allah reveals that believers must be filled with passion for Him
alone, and that their hearts can only be contented by repeating His
name, and that they fear losing His approval by behaving in any
other way. Believers have a strong desire to give their possessions
to others in need, for the purpose of gaining the approval of
Allah, to whom they are so passionately devoted. Another verse
reveals how all wealth belongs to Allah alone:
"Spend in the Way of Allah. Do not cast yourselves into
destruction. And do good: Allah loves good-doers." (Surat
al-Baqara, 195)
Someone who thinks by the light of his own criteria thinks that he
will become wealthier by not sharing his possessions with anyone and
hiding and hoarding them, and that this is the only way he can
guarantee his own future. He believes that anything he gives away –
even if he has no need of it – will make him poorer, and that
anything he loses now will endanger his future comfort. But things
are not at all as he imagines. Allah reveals in the Qur'an, as a
miracle, that a person who spends on His path and who gives alms
will acquire greater possessions and abundance.
But someone who analyzes events only by external criteria may
easily be deceived by this deception of satan's. For example, he may
be about to give his shirt to someone in need when satan whispers
that if he does so, he will have to go without it, that he may need
it one day, and that it would be better to hold onto it. And
indeed, it would appear on the surface that he would be deprived of
a shirt, but if he forgets that Allah bestows many times over on
whom He wishes, on who has much purity, then he has fallen into
heedlessness. Indeed, Allah tells us in one verse that:
"The metaphor of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah is
that of a grain which produces seven ears; in every ear there are a
hundred grains." (Surat al-Baqara, 261)
The example in the verse is a secret revealed by Almighty Allah to
believers in the Qur'an. For that reason, believers spend solely in
order to win Allah's good pleasure, mercy, paradise and abundance.
So long as they expend their goods and possessions on Allah's path
and are careful about what is lawful and unlawful, Almighty Allah
will increase their wealth, smooth their way and create many more
opportunities for them to spend on His path. Every believer
experiences this secret in his own life, by having no fears for the
future, fearing Allah and keeping to His bounds. In this way, he
receives the reward for spending on Allah's path, and also further
abundance.
Therefore, someone who turns a deaf ear to the deceptions of satan's
and gives to those in need is actually behaving in the best way for
himself. He receives the reward for spending on Allah's path, and
also further abundance.
On the other hand, the believer's aim in giving is not to obtain
more for himself, because what counts is the pure intention behind
that giving. Therefore, it is the fact that this obligation is
performed with a love of Allah, with sincerity , expecting no reward
and with pure intentions that validates it in the Sight of Allah.
Another example Allah gives in the Qur'an on this subject is:
" The metaphor of those who spend their wealth, desiring the
pleasure of Allah and firmness for themselves, is that of a garden
on a hillside. When heavy rain falls on it, it doubles its produce;
and if heavy rain does not fall, there is dew. Allah sees what you
do. (Surat al-Baqara, 265)
Believers Regard Assets As a Means by Which to Give Thanks and Draw
Closer to Allah
A believer's interest in having possessions stems from his regarding
this blessing as an instrument for giving thanks to and drawing
closer to Allah. This is a natural state of mind stemming from a
passionate love of Allah and is acquired through fervent faith,
reason, depth, altruism and lofty moral virtues. The Qur'an cites
this example of this superior morality possessed by believers:
"We gave David Solomon. What an excellent servant! He truly turned
to his Lord.
When swift horses, champing at the bit, were displayed before him
in the afternoon,
he said, 'I have put the love of good things above the remembrance
of my Lord until the sun disappeared behind its veil.
Return them to me!' And he set about slashing through their shanks
and necks." (Surah Sad, 30-33)
As can be seen from these verses, it is love of Allah and the
intention of remembering Him that lie at the root of believers'
love of possessions. As in the example of the Prophet Solomon
(pbuh), only believers who love Allah with a passion can understand
the deep joy that His servants who regard possessions as simply a
means of giving thanks to Allah for His blessings, experience from
fulfilling this obligation.
Why Does Accumulating Possessions Benefit One Nothing?
As manifested in the name, Ganiy, Almighty Allah is He Who needs
nothing. It is therefore a grave error to be parsimonious and
accumulate possessions out of a fear of the future inspired by
satan. As is said in the verse "Every self will taste death…" (Surat
al'Ankabut, 57) Allah says, everyone must one day die and be unable
to take anything with them, not even their own bodies. It is
therefore of no use to accumulate and hoard possessions in order to
satisfy earthly greed. On the Day of Reckoning, everyone will have
to give account alone, in the Sight of Allah. Everyone will be
asked about his faith, and wealth and possessions in this world
will be of no use to him at all. This fact is revealed as follows
in another verse from the Qur'an:
"As for those who do not believe, their wealth and children will not
help them against Allah in any way. They are the Companions of the
Fire, remaining in it timelessly, for ever." (Surah Al-'Imran, 116)

Our Prophet’s (Saas) Modernity and Cleanliness, an Example to All Muslims

The life of our Prophet (saas) is the finest model for Muslims of how
to live by the moral values of the Qur'an. Our Prophet (saas)
advised believers to avoid all behavior that is incompatible with
the moral values of the Qur'an, and advised them to be clean, in
mind and body, and set an example for them on this.
What is our Prophet's (saas) conception of cleanliness that
represents a model for believers?
How did our Prophet (saas) dress and wear his hair?
What does Mr. Adnan Oktar say about our Prophet's (saas) modernity
and cleanliness, a model for all Muslims?
The grooming of the Prophet's (saas) hair and beard
The Prophet (saas) attached the greatest importance to cleanliness,
and therefore, to his hair and beard, too. It is reported in some
sources that he always carried with him a comb, mirror, miswak (a
small natural toothbrush), tooth-pick, scissors and a kuhl bottle.
(Islam and Christianity, the Superior Morality and Habits of Hadrat
Muhammad; www.hizmetbooks.org/I slam-andChristianity /10.htm)
The Prophet (saas) advised his companions to do the same, and said:
"He who has hair should honor it." (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 33,
Number 4151)
The Prophet (saas) set an example for the believers with the
importance he attached to his appearance and cleanliness. One
account describes the Prophet's (saas) attitude to such matters:
"The Prophet (saas) once intended to go to his companions and so he
put on his turban and dressed his hair…He said: 'Yes, Allah loves the
actions of His servant who refines his body in order to meet his
friends and brothers'." (Imam Ghazzali's Ihya Ulum-Id-Din (The Book
of Religious Learnings), Islamic Book Service, New Delhi, 2001,
Volume III, p.268)
Ummu Hani (pbuh), daughter of Abu Talib, relates:
"Rasulullah honored our home when he came to Mecca. At that time his
blessed head was plaited in four strands." (Et-Tirmidhi Imam Abu İ'sa
Muhammed, Şemail-i Şerife, Vol. 1, Hilal Press, Ankara, 1976, p. 51)
As revealed in the verse, "… Allah loves those who turn back from
wrongdoing and He loves those who purify themselves " (Surat
al-Baqara, 222) cleanliness is a form of behavior much beloved of
our Almighty Lord and compatible with believers' creation.
Cleanliness, a behavior regarded as most superior by Allah, also
bestows very great delight and ease on believers. Sincere
believers, who feel great determination and effort when it comes to
implementing Allah's commands at every moment of their lives, also
display the same punctiliousness with regard to cleanliness.
The Prophet's (saas) manner of dress
His companions handed down a great many details about the
Prophet's (saas) manner of dress. In addition to these, the
Prophet's (saas) advice to the believers about how they should
dress reveals the importance he attached to this subject. One hadith
reports him as saying:
The Prophet (saas) said: "Allah is beautiful and loves beauty.
Putting on beautiful clothes does not mean putting on pride. Pride
means denying the truth and looking down on other people." (Sahih
Muslim Hadith)
Hazrat Hasan (pbuh), the grandson of our Prophet (saas), said this
about his opinions on dress:
"Our Prophet (saas) used to instruct us to dress as well as we could
and to use the most fragrant perfumes we could find." (Bukhari,
et-Tarih'ul-Kebir, I, 382, no:1222)
Some of the information that was conveyed through the inner circle
of the Prophet (saas) about his clothing are below:
Ibnu Abbas (pbuh) relates:
"I saw the finest possible clothing on Rasulullah (saas)." (Abu
Davud., Libas 8, (4037); Kütüb-i Sitte, Translation and Commentary,
Prof. Dr. İbrahim Canan, Vol. 15, Akçağ Press, Ankara, p. 69)
Umm Salama (ra) reports that:
"The Holy Prophet (saas) liked the kurta (long shirt) most."
(Tirmidhi, Shamail- e-Tirmizi, Kitab Bhavan Publication, New Delhi,
1997, p.47)
Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib (ra) states:
"I have never seen someone with long hair and red clothing look
more handsome than Rasullullah (saas). His hair reached his
shoulders." (Shamaa-il Tirmidhi, Islamic Book Service Publications,
New Delhi, 2000, p. 11)
Another report comes from Fazl ibn Abbas (ra):
"The Holy Prophet (saas) said: 'Adopt white clothes; it is the best
attire.'" ( Tirmidhi, Shamail-e-Tirmizi, Kitab Bhavan Publication,
New Delhi, 1997, p.55)
The Prophet's (saas) outdoor clothes
Ubayd bin Khaalid (ra) reports that:
"I was once going to Madina. I heard a person from behind me say:
'Wear your lungi (loose dress) higher because it avoids physical and
spiritual impurities.' (The lungi will remain cleaner and will not
become dirty because of being dragged on the ground.) When I turned
to see who was talking I saw that it was Rasulullah (saas)."
(Shamaa-il Tirmidhi, Islamic Book Service Publications, New Delhi,
2000, p. 115)
The cleanliness of their bodies, clothes, homes and the food they
eat is as much a distinguishing feature of Muslims as the cleanliness
of their thoughts and hearts. Muslims' hair, hands, face, in short
their whole bodies, are always spotless. Their clothes are always
clean, smart and well-maintained. The places they live or work in
are always neat, clean, pleasant-smelling, airy and relaxing, as
befits Muslims. There is no doubt that the finest example of this is
our Prophet (saas), sent by our Lord as the last prophet for all
mankind. Allah addresses our prophet (saas) as follows in the
Qur'an:
"You who are enveloped in your cloak!
Arise and warn.
Magnify your Lord.
Purify your clothes.
Shun all filth." (Surat Al-Muddaththir, 1-5)
The Prophet's (saas) pleasing scent
The Prophet (saas) attached great importance to cleanliness. He
always smelled very fresh, clean and pleasant, and recommended that
Muslims do the same. Accounts that have reached us from his
companions give further details of this aspect of the Prophet (saas):
Jaabir bin Samura (ra) states:
"Whenever the Holy Prophet (saas) tread on any path, when someone
passed by later, that they could recognize that the prophet had
passed by there because they could smell the fragrance of his body."
(Fazlul Maulana, Al Hadis, Vol. 4, p. 340)
From Anas bin Malik (ra):
"I never felt a silk cloth, nor pure silk, nor any other thing
softer than the palm of Rasulullah (saas). Nor did I smell any musk
or any other fragrance, more sweet smelling than the fragrance of
Rasullullah (saas)." (Shamaa-il Tirmidhi, Islamic Book Service
Publications, New Delhi, 2000, p. 362)
In Qisas al-Anbiya, the Prophet (saas) was described in this way:
"His body was clean and his scent beautiful. Whether or not he had
used scent, his skin always had a lovely scent to it. If someone
shook hands or conversed with him, or showed his friendship or
affection, he would smell that clean scent all day, and if he laid
that sacred hand on a child's head, that child could be
distinguished from other children by that clean scent." (Ahmed Cevdet
Pasa, Qisas al-Anbiya, (Stories of the Prophets) Volume 4, Kanaat
Press, Istanbul 1331, pp. 364-365)
Our Prophet's (saas) Cleanliness Is a Model for All Muslims
Our Prophet (saas) frequently recommended cleanliness to believers.
By paying great attention to cleanliness himself, he represents
the finest model for believers. In one hadith the Prophet Muhammad
(saas) says:
"ALLAH IS PURE AND LIKES PURITY, HE IS CLEAN AND LIKES CLEANLINESS,
HE IS GENEROUS AND LIKES GENEROSITY, HE IS HOSPITABLE AND LOVES
HOSPITALITY, SO CLEAN YOUR COURTYARDS" (Tirmidhi)
Our Lord, whose knowledge pervades all things, has made our Prophet
(saas) a model for Muslims on the subjects of cleanliness and
spiritual purity, as in all other matters. Believers who spend their
whole lives in sincere devotion to Allah must turn to Allah in all
things and adopt the cleanliness, modern sense of dress and
grooming as models for themselves and make preparations for the
hereafter in the physical as well as the spiritual sense.
Cleanliness Is a Feature of the People of Paradise
Our Prophet (saas) reveals in the hadiths that cleanliness is one
feature of the people of paradise:
"Surely, Islam is pure, therefore be pure, because he can never
enter Paradise who is not pure." (Ahmad Diya'al-Din
al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, vol.1, 96/2)
Almighty Allah has also revealed in the Qur'an that filth is a
characteristic of polytheists (Surat at-Tawba, 28) and hypocrites
(Surat at-Tawba, 95). We must not forget that in order to be able
to enjoy the delight and excitement of living in paradise, a
spotless place full of enchantments, the soul must be trained and
earthly desires controlled in this world in such a way as to
delight in cleanliness and beauty in this world.
It is revealed that by our Almighty Lord's leave, believers will
enter paradise as spotless as they are in this world:
"And those who believe in their Lord will be driven to the Garden in
companies and when they arrive there, finding its gates open,its
custodians will say to them, 'Peace be upon you! You have done well
so enter it timelessly, for ever'." (Surat az-Zumar, 73)

Fathwa, - Fresh Wudu for Vaginal Discharge?

Question:
I was told this by the alima in my town. She told me that only when a
woman's vaginal discharge comes out onto the undergarments does
itinvalidate wudu. So she told me I could insert a piece of cottonor
something of the like inside to prevent the discharge from coming out
so that I could hold my wudu for longer. I wanted to confirm that this
is thecase because I have a problem with almost constant vaginal
discharge and it is sometimes hard to renew wudu for every prayer. I
was also wondering if this applies to bleeding as well if a women is
having abnormal bleeding (istahaza) then I know we have to make a
fresh wudu for every prayer. If I insert a piece of cottonup there to
keep the blood from coming outthen do I still have to make a fresh
wudu or does this suffice so that I can keep my wudu for two prayers
at least.
Answer:
Wa Alaykum Assalam wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu,
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
From a previous questionanswered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani:
The discharge that does not nullify ritual ablutions (wudu) and is
considered ritually clean (tahir) is the �chronic vaginal discharge�
(rutubat al-farj) that comes out normally and regularly, and is clear
and not discolored. Somescholars explain it to be akin to the
�sweating of the vaginal walls.� When reasonably possible, one should
renew one�s ritual ablutions in such cases. However, when it is
difficult to do so, such as at work or school, there is nothing wrong
with following this ruling. It is what is indicated by the words of
Ibn Abidin, as confirmed by the fuqaha.
It should be noted, again, though that all other discharge, even if
slightly discolored, nullifies ritual ablutions and is ritually
impure.