For children, - Rewarding Responsibility: An Insignificant Task

Share

The day when the jobs were handed out was one of the most exciting for all the children in the class. It took place during the first week of the term. On that day, every boy and girl was given a job for which they would be responsible for the rest of that school year.
As with everything, some jobs were more interesting than others, and the children were eager to be given one of the best ones. While handing the jobs out, the teacher took into account like which children had been most responsible during the previous year, and those children were the ones who most looked forward for this day. Among them Rita stood out. She was a kind and quiet girl; and during the previous year she had carried out the teacher's instructions perfectly. All the children knew Rita was the favourite to be given the best job of all: to look after the class Dog.
But this year there was a big surprise. Each child received one of the normal jobs, like preparing the books or like preparing models for the lessons, telling the time, cleaning the blackboard, or looking after one of the pets. But Rita's job was very different. She was given a little box containing some sand and one little Ant. And even though the teacher insisted that this Ant was a very special Ant, Rita could not help feeling disappointed. Most of her classmates felt sorry for her. They sympathised with her, and remarked at how unfair it was that she had been given that job. Even her father became very angry with the teacher, and, as an act of protest, he encouraged Rita to pay no attention to this insignificant pet. However, Rita, who liked her teacher very much, preferred to show the teacher her error by doing something special with that job of such little interest.
"I will turn this little task into something great," Rita said to herself.
So it was that Rita started investigating all about her little Ant. She learned about the different species, and studied everything about their habitats and behaviour. She modified the little box to make it perfect for the Ant. Rita gave the Ant the very best food, and it ended up growing quite a bit bigger than anyone had expected.
One day in spring, when they were in the classroom, the door opened, revealing a man who looked rather important. The teacher interrupted the class with great joy, and said,
"This is Doctor Martinez. He has come to tell us a wonderful piece of news, isn't that right?"
"Exactly", said the Doctor Martinez. "Today they have published the results of the competition, and this class has been chosen to accompany me, this summer, on a journey to the tropical rainforest, where we will be investigating all kinds of insects. Among all the schools of this region, without doubt it is this one which has best cared for the delicate little Ant given to you. Congratulations! You will be wonderful assistants!"
That day the school was filled with joy and celebration. Everyone congratulated the teacher for thinking of entering them in the competition, and they thanked Rita for having been so patient and responsible. And so it was that many children learnt that to be given the most important tasks you have to know how to be responsible even in what are apparently insignificant tasks. And without doubt, it was Rita who was most pleased at this, having said to herself so many times "I will turn this little task into something really great".
So what have learned from this insignificant task story? Responsibility is to be measured by how we approach the seemingly less important tasks in life.
Life consists of each and every day. Not just the big events sometime in the future. So don't forget to take responsibility for the little things today too. Don't postpone it. Taking responsibility for your life can be hard on you. It's not something you master over the weekend. So you might as well get started with it right now.
I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. - Helen Keller
A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences. You are responsible for your life and your ultimate success depends on the choices you make. - Denis Waitley
Peak performance begins with your taking complete responsibility for your life and everything that happens to you.

Share

Never Forget, - Dought & clear, - * Is it permissible to work as a butcher in a non-Muslim country where they do not slaughter the meat in the manner prescribedin Islam?

Share

I work as a butcher in France. Please note that they do not slaughter the meat in the manner prescribed in Islam. What is the ruling on this work?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
What is required is to denounce evil and combat it, and not approve of it, and to prevent people from getting involved in it or falling into it, because of the general meaning of the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment”
[al-Maa’idah 5:2].
And because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you sees an evil action, then let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then with his heart – and that is the weakest of faith.” Narrated by Muslim (49).
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “… let him change it”, form a command which indicates that it is obligatory according to the consensus of the ummah; the proof for the obligation to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil is based on the Qur’an, Sunnah and scholarly consensus. End quote.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a man helps others in disobeying Allah, he is sinning, because he is helping in sin and transgression. Hence the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) cursed alcohol, the one who presses (the grapes, etc), the one for whom it is pressed, the one who carries it, the one to whom it is carried, the one who sells it, the one who buys it, the one who pours it, the one who drinks it and the one who consumes its price. Most of these people, such as the one who presses it, the one who carries it, and the one who pours it, are helping in drinking it. Hence it is forbidden to sell weapons to one who will use them in a forbidden fight, such as fighting the Muslims or fighting in the event of fitnah (turmoil, civil war). (22/141-142)
Once this is understood, then slaughter in a manner other than that which is prescribed in Islam is haraam, so it is not permissible for the Muslim to do this himself, and it is not permissible for him to help others in it, whether that is by doing the slaughtering or disposing of the meat after it has been slaughtered by selling or buying and so on.
Al-Bukhaari (2236) and Muslim (1581) narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) , during the year of the Conquest when he was in Makkah: “Allah and His Messenger have forbidden the sale of alcohol, dead meat, pork and idols.”.
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Ibn al-Mundhir and others narrated that there was consensus on the prohibition on selling dead meat (that which died without being slaughtered in the manner prescribed in Islam), but they made an exception from that in the case of fish and locusts.
End quote fromFath al-Baari(4/424).
Anything that has not been slaughtered in the manner prescribed in Islam comes under the heading of “dead meat”, such as that which died of natural causes and was not slaughtered properly.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the prohibition on selling dead meat, that includes everything that may be called dead meat, whether it died of natural causes or was slaughtered in a manner that does not make it permissible..
And Allah knows best.

Share

Never Forget, - Dought & clear, - * Ruling on shaking hands with and kissing mahrams

Share

What is the ruling on greeting mahrams by kissing and shaking hands? If that is permissible, then who are the relatives who are mahrams? Does the ruling on shaking hands and kissing include mahrams through breastfeeding?
Praise be to Allah.
There is nothing wrong with a man greeting his mahrams, or with a woman greeting her mahrams, by shaking hands or by kissing. There is nothing wrong with that. The mahrams are the ones who are mentioned in the verse in which Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“…and not to reveal their adornment 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 (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess...”
[an-Noor 24:31].
So mahrams include maternal uncles, paternal uncles and others.
The following are the mahrams: her father, her grandfathers, her mother’s father and grandfathers on the mother’s side, her sons, the sons of her daughters and the sons of her sons. The woman’s brothers and the sons of her brothers are also her mahrams, as are her maternal uncles and paternal uncles; all of them are her mahrams. The same applies to her husband’s father, her husband’s grandfather, her husband’s son, his son’s sons and the son of her husband’s daughters; all of them are mahrams to her.
There is nothing wrong with a man kissing his mahram - his paternal aunt, his maternal aunt, his mother, his grandmother and his sister. There is nothing wrong with him kissing them, but it is preferable for him to kiss her on the head, especially if she is an adult, or on the nose or on the cheek. The majority of scholars regard it as makrooh to kiss on the mouth except the husband; it is better for that to be with the husband, not with mahrams. In the case of mahrams, kissing should be done on the head, the nose or the cheek. This is what is preferred and is appropriate.
It is all the same whether the mahrams are mahram by blood or through breastfeeding.
The mahrams through breastfeeding are the woman’s father through breastfeeding, her paternal uncle through breastfeeding, her maternal uncle through breastfeeding, her husband’s son through breastfeeding, her husband’s father through breastfeeding. They are like blood relatives because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “What becomes mahram (forbidden for marriage) through breastfeeding is that which becomes mahram through blood ties.” This is what he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said. So blood ties are like ties through breastfeeding. The same also applies to ties through marriage (in-laws), as mentioned above. The husband’s father is a mahram by virtue of ties through marriage. The husband’s grandfather and the husband’s son are also mahrams by virtue of ties through marriage. Whether (the mahram relationship) is through ties of blood or through breastfeeding, shaking hands is more appropriate.
End quote.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him).

Share

Never Forget, - Dought & clear, - * Should she refuse to go to Hajj because shewill go back to sin after Hajj?

Share

I am a young woman, twenty-four years old. I want to go for Hajj, but my relatives told me: You will inevitably fall into sin, such as going to wedding parties, where of course there is music and mixing between men and women.
Therefore, after coming back from Hajj, can I go to places where there is mixing between men and women? Is it permissible for me to go with my paternal uncle for Hajj?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
We would like to congratulate you for your intention and decision to do Hajj, for at this young age, and in that country that is far away, it is very rare to find anyone who thinks of performing this great obligatory duty. Perhaps that is because they are distracted by worldly concerns and eagerness to acquire wealth, and to follow in the footsteps of the people of that disbelieving land. It is for these reasons that Islam advises us not to live among them, and repeatedly warns us against doing that. We ask Allah, may He be exalted, to enable you and your family to live in a Muslim country.
Secondly:
You should understand that sins incur the wrath of Allah, may He be exalted, and the one who does them is deserving of punishment. It makes no difference whether those sins occur before or after Hajj. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim wrote in his bookal-Jawaab al-Kaafi li man su’ila ‘an ad-Dawa’ ash-Shaafiabout a number of the effects that sin has on the one who does it. We have quoted that at length in the answer to question no. 23425. Among the things he (may Allah have mercy on him) said was that sin creates alienation between a person and his Lord, and it is the cause of loss ofbarakah(blessing), a bad end, things becoming difficult, and scarcity of provision.
By Allah’s grace towards this ummah, He has ordained for it occasions of good, of which the Muslim may avail himself to expiate his sins and increase his reward. So fasting the day of ‘Arafah bring expiation for two years, fasting the day of ‘Ashoora’ brings expiation for one year, and so on.
One of the greatest occasions of good and opportunities for doing acts of worship and obedience is Hajj. It is narrated in the saheeh Sunnah that “Whoever does Hajj and does not utter any obscene speech or do any evil deed, will go back as his mother bore him.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1683) and Muslim (1349).
The wise Muslim takes advantage of such opportunities, not in order to go back to committing sin again after that, but in order to turn over a new leaf and reconcile with his Lord, may He be blessed and exalted. If the Muslim understands that he no longer has any sins on his record, he will give thanks to his Lord, may He be exalted, and part of giving thanks is that he does not go back to doing that which incurs His wrath. This does not mean that the one who does Hajj will never sin again; rather what it means is that it is a characteristic of acts of worship in general that they form a barrier to sin, by the grace of Allah. Another of their characteristics, especially Hajj, is that they take away from a person the consequences and shame of sin.
For that reason, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Make the Hajj and ‘Umrah follow each other closely, for they remove poverty and sins as the bellows removes the dross of iron, gold and silver, and an accepted Hajj brings no less a reward than Paradise.”
Narrated and classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi (810); al-Nasaa’i (2631). Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani inal-Silsilah al-Saheehah(2901).
This indicates that the Muslim may commit sins before and after Hajj, for no one is infallible and immune from falling into sin. But if he does Hajj and ‘umrah a great deal, his sins will be expiated by these repeated actions.
We do not mean to say that a person has a concession allowing him to sin after Hajj or before it – Allah forbid – not at all. There is no concession whatsoever allowing anyone to disobey Allah. Rather what we mean to say is that if every person who committed a sin refused to go on pilgrimage to the House of Allah, no one would ever go on pilgrimage to the House of Allah, and no one would ever perform the rituals ordained by Allah.
The same would be true if everyone who was afraid of sin refused to go on Hajj. Pilgrimage to the sacred House of Allah would cease, for there is no believing slave who can guarantee that he will never fall into sin at some point. The most that we can say is:
Allah has instructed His slaves to repent, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):“And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” [an-Noor 24:31].
Part of repenting properly is training oneself not to go back to any of that sin, minor or major. If one is overcome by one’s nafs and goes back to any of that sin, then he must hasten to repent once more, and to do a lot of good deeds.
Falling into sin requires us to hasten to do acts of worship and obedience, and to do a great deal of such acts at all times and on all occasions, not to neglect a significant act of worship, such as pilgrimage to the sacred House of Allah, for fear of falling into sin once more. This is contrary to the nature of things.
Thirdly:
With regard to going with your paternal uncle, yes it is permissible for you to go with your paternal uncle, because he is one of your mahrams. If this is the obligatory Hajj, then going with him is obligatory for you, not merely permissible.
So seek the help of Allah and hasten to do Hajj, and strive hard to repent to Allah and express your need for Him to protect you from sin and error.
And Allah knows best.

Share