For children, - Ramadan (Ramadhan) Story

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Iram, and her brother, Ahmed, were excited about the upcoming days. It was Ramadan, a time to learn appreciation for the things they had, and to think of others who didn't have as much.
They had both been saving their money all year long. Iram, who was seven years old, sat on her bed and dumped out her money Jar. Coins ran all over the blanket. "This is a lot of money. Momma says we are supposed to help someone. She wants us to think about how much we have and then think of someone who doesn't have very much, and do something nice for them," Iram said, gathering the money into a pile. "Dump out your Jar, Ahmed," she told her brother.
The coins came spilling out of his Jar onto the bed. "Wow! We can do a lot for someone with all this money," Ahmed said, smiling. "This is such a special time of year. I'm glad we can help others."
"But we have to do it secretly, Ahmed, remember. We have to pick someone and do something very nice without them knowing it is from us. Who should we pick?" Iram asked.
"Let's pick our neighbors, Rashid, and Fatima. I noticed that they had holes in their shoes," Ahmed said.
"That's a good idea. We could buy some new shoes for them. They aren't as blessed as we are. We have a lot of shoes, don't we?" Iram asked with appreciation.
"I have three pair. You have more. Let's buy some new shoes for them this Ramadan," Ahmed said, smiling.
Iram and Ahmed found their momma. She was busy washing some dates. She saw her children come into the kitchen. "I'm going to make some baklawa for tonight," she said, knowing her family loved to eat that during Ramadan.
"Pappa is at the mosque, in prayer. When he comes home, after the sun sets, we'll have some. In the meantime, you two look like you've got something on your minds."
"We want to help the poor. Ahmed and I have been saving our money all year long and we want to help Rashid and Fatima, our neighbors," Iram began.
Ahmed, with excitement, interrupted, "We want to buy them some shoes."
Momma smiled at her beautiful children. She was so proud of them.
"Aren't you hungry, Momma?" Ahmed asked. He knew she had not had anything to eat or drink since dawn that morning due to Ramadan fasting.
"I'm a little bit, but that is good for me. Don't worry about me. When you're older, you will understand more and be able to fast too," she explained. "Would you like me to take you to the store to buy the shoes?" she asked.
"Would you, Momma? Is that all right?" Iram begged.
"Why of course. Let's go," she said.
They walked to the shoe store and went inside. Iram picked out a pair of shoes for Fatima. Ahmed picked out a pair for Rashid. They were both so proud that they'd saved their money so they could do this to help. Later, they went home and wrapped the shoe boxes in plain brown paper. They waited anxiously for night to come. It would be dark and they could deliver their gifts.
The sun began to drop behind the horizon. A little while later, Pappa came home. He and Momma had some lentil soup, then tomato and cucumber sandwiches. Momma called to her children, "Iram. Ahmed. Come and have some baklawa, and some fresh dates." The children came running into the kitchen. Momma cut them a big piece.
They gobbled it down quickly as they were anxious to do their good deed. "Slow down, children," Pappa urged, laughing.
It was soon dark outside. Momma had the children go and get the boxes they'd wrapped so carefully. They put their coats on and walked quietly over to Rashid and Fatima's house. Momma whispered, "All right, children. We must be very quiet and very fast. Ahmed, you knock on the door and then run over here, to this bush, where Iram and I will be hiding. We'll watch as they come and find their gifts."
Iram and Ahmed giggled with delight. Iram and Momma hid, and Ahmed tiptoed up to the door. He put both of the boxes down on the porch, and knocked hard. Then he ran, and ran, and ran, as fast as he could, to where Iram and Momma were. "Shhh," Momma whispered. "Someone opened the door."
They watched as Rashid and Fatima came out onto the porch. "Look! There are presents for us. Someone left them here," Rashid cried out with excitement. He and Fatima looked around. It was very dark and they couldn't see anyone. They picked up the boxes and took them inside.
After a minute or two, waiting to make sure they wouldn't be seen, Momma, Ahmed, and Iram, snuck quietly back to their house. Ahmed started laughing. "Pappa! Pappa! We did it! We snuck up and left the presents!"
Iram added, "They didn't see us, Pappa. They don't know it was us." She was laughing too.
Momma and Pappa stood back and looked at their children. They were so proud of them. They knew their children knew the real meaning of giving and of sacrifice. The next morning, as Momma, Pappa, Iram, and Ahmed went to their car to drive into town, they saw Rashid and Fatima outside playing. They were both wearing their brand new shoes. Nobody said a thing. Iram and Ahmed just smiled, because it is one of the best Ramadan for them.

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * When can a menstruating woman fast?

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My monthly period usually lasts between seven and eight days. Sometimes on the seventh day I do not see any blood, nor any sign that the period is over. What is the ruling on praying, fasting and having intercourse in this case?
Praise be to Allaah.
Do not hasten until you see the white discharge which women recognize and which is the sign that the period is over. The fact that the bleeding has stopped does not mean that the period is over. When you see the sign that the period is over, and the usual number of days has passed, then the period is over.

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * Complete vs. acceptable ghusl

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I do ghusl following menses as follows:
1- I form the intention to purify myself in my heart, without uttering it out loud.
2- I start by standing beneath the shower and letting the water flow all over my body.
3- I wash my entire body using a loofah and soap, including the private parts.
4- I wash my head using shampoo
5- After that I rinse all traces of soap and shampoo from my body and I let the water flow three times over the right side of my body and three times over the left side
6- Then I do wudoo’.
Recently I found out that I am not following the correct steps of ghusl. I hope that you can advise me whether the ghusl I have been doing all these years as described above is wrong or correct… If it is wrong then I hope you can tell me what I should do to correct this mistake which I have done repeatedly for years. Are my prayers and fasts during this time invalid and not accepted? If that is the case, what can I do to set things straight? I also hope that you can tell me the correct way of doing ghusl in the case of menses and janaabah.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Your ghusl in the manner described is valid and acceptable, praise be to Allaah. But you have missed out some of the sunnahs, which does not affect the validity of your ghusl.
The reason for that is that ghusl is of two types: acceptable and complete. In the case of acceptable ghusl, it is sufficient to do the obligatory parts of ghusl only, without doing any of the mustahabb or Sunnah actions. He should intend to purify himself, then make water reach every part of his body, using any means whether that is standing beneath a shower or immersing oneself in the sea or in a swimming pool and the like, as well as rinsing the mouth and nose.
Complete ghusl means doing what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did it, with all the sunnahs of ghusl.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about how ghusl is done.
He replied: Ghusl may be done in two ways:
1 – By doing the obligatory parts of ghusl only, which is making water reach all parts of the body, and includes rinsing the mouth and nose. If a person makes the water reach all parts of his body, by whatever means, then he has removed the major impurity and purified himself properly, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“If you are in a state of Janaaba (i.e. after a sexual discharge), purify yourselves (bathe your whole body)”
[al-Maa'idah 5:6]
2 – The complete way, which is doing ghusl as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did it. When he wanted to do ghusl in the case of janaabah, he would wash his hands, then wash his private part and anywhere else that the impurity had reached, then he would do complete wudoo’, then he would wash his head three times with water, then he would wash the rest of his body. This is how complete ghusl is done.
End quote fromFataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p. 248.
Secondly:
There is no difference between ghusl in the case of janaabah and ghusl following menses except that it is more mustahabb to rub the hair in the case of ghusl following menses than in the case of ghusl following janaabah. It is also mustahabb for the woman to apply perfume to the site of bleeding, to remove any unpleasant smell.
Muslim (332) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that Asma’ asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about ghusl following menses. He said: “Let one of you take her water and lotus leaves and clean herself well, then let her pour water over her head and rub it vigorously so that it will reach the roots of her hair. Then let her pour the water over herself, then take a piece of cloth scented with musk and purify herself.” Asma’ said: How should she purify herself? He said: “Subhaan-Allaah! Purify yourself with it.” ‘Aa’ishah said – as if she whispered it to her – Follow the traces of blood. And she asked him about ghusl in the case of janaabah. He said: “Let her take water and clean herself well – or clean herself thoroughly – then let her pour water over her head and rub it so that it reaches the roots of the hair, then let her pour water over herself.” ‘Aa’ishah said: How good the woman of the Ansaar were! They did not let shyness prevent them from understanding their religion properly.
So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) differentiated between ghusl following menses and ghusl following janaabah, with regard to rubbing the hair and applying perfume.
Thirdly:
Saying Bismillah when doing ghusl and wudoo’ is mustahabb according to the majority of fuqaha’, and the Hanbalis said that it is obligatory.
Shaykh ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Saying Bismillaah is obligatory according to our madhhab, as in the case of wudoo’. There is no text concerning that but they said: It is obligatory in the case of wudoo’ so it is more so in the case of ghusl, because that is a greater purification.
But the correct view is that it is not obligatory in the case of either wudoo’ or ghusl. End quote fromal-Sharh al-Mumti’.
Fourthly:
Rinsing the mouth and nose is essential in ghusl, as is the view of the Hanafis and Hanbalis.
Al-Nawawi said, discussing the difference of opinion on this point: the views of the scholars on rinsing the mouth and nose are four:
1- That these actions are two of the sunnahs of wudoo’ and ghusl. This is our view (Shaafa’i).
2- That they are obligatory in both wudoo’ and ghusl and are conditions of them being valid. This is the well known view of Ahmad.
3- That they are obligatory in ghusl but not in wudoo’. This is the view of Abu Haneefah and his companions.
4- That rinsing the nose, but not the mouth, is obligatory in wudoo’ and ghusl. This was narrated from Ahmad, and Ibn al-Mundhir said: This is my view.
End quote fromal-Majmoo’(1/400).
The correct view is the second one, which is that rinsing the mouth and nose is obligatory in ghusl, and that is a condition of it being valid.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Among the scholars are some who say that ghusl is not valid without them (i.e., rinsing the mouth and nose), as is the case with wudoo’.
And it was said that it is valid without them.
The correct view is the former, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):“purify yourselves (bathe your whole body)” [al-Maa'idah 5:6],and this includes the entire body. The inside of the nose and mouth are part of the body which must be purified. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined that in wudoo’ because they are included in the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):“wash your faces” [al-Maa’idah 5:6]. As they are included in washing the face and are included in that which must be purified in wudoo’, they are also included in ghusl, because purification in that case is even more important. End quote from al-Sharh al-Mumti’.
Fifthly:
If in the past you did not rinse your mouth and nose when doing ghusl because you did not know the ruling on that or because you were following the opinion of someone who does not regard that as obligatory, then your ghusl is valid and your prayers offered following that ghusl are also valid, and you do not have to repeat them, because of the strong difference of opinion among the scholars concerning the ruling on rinsing the mouth and nose, as stated above.
May Allaah help us all to do that which He loves and which pleases him.
And Allaah knows best.

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Womens Work, - Dought & clear, - * She works in a seniors’ home, cooks pork andserves wine

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I live in the west. I study during the day; this is why I searched for a job to do during the night out of need; as my father does not have the ability to pay for my study. I am the only muslim working in the kitchen of this elderly home. I have to cook pork and pour wine into cups. What is the ruling on my work, bearing in mind that I looked for work in other places but they refused to hire me because I wear hejab?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Allaah has prescribed rulings in Islam that are based on wisdom. The rulings are aimed at setting individuals and societies straight. The one who goes against these rulings exposes himself to punishment in the Hereafter and he may be punished in this world before that.
We are not going to discuss the greatness of Allaah’s wisdom in His laws, rather we have to introduce our answer in this way because of the sister’s question, asking for the ruling on her studies or her work. She is living among the kuffaar, in their country, and they are causing trouble for her because of her religious commitment. How much pressure is this Muslim woman and many others like her living with? When will fathers and mothers pay attention and wake up from their heedlessness, and leave those lands which have caused many to lose their religion and identity? You will find that there are many wise people who regret paying too much attention to accumulating money at the expense of their religion and honour.
Secondly:
Staying in kaafir countries is haraam for the one who is unable to practice his religion openly or who is afraid that he may be led astray from his religion. See the answers to questions no. 27211, 14235and 3225.
Thirdly:
Your studying in that country is undoubtedly in a mixed environment, and there is no doubt that you are seeing sins and immorality in those places, which pains the heart of the chaste Muslim. If studying in a Muslim country is in a mixed environment it is not permissible, so how can it be permissible in a kaafir country?
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas said:
For a woman to study shar’i knowledge and other fields which a woman needs to know or which will help her to know matters of her religion is something that is prescribed, so long as it will not result in anything that is not allowed in sharee’ah. But if it will result in something that is forbidden in sharee’ah, such as mixing with non-mahram men or not observing hijab, then it is not permissible, because these are haraam things, and because that will lead to corruption. End quote.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez Aal al-Shaykh, Shaykh Saalih al-fawzan, Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah(12/170, 171).
They also said:
Mixing between men and women in schools and elsewhere is a great evil and leads to great corruption in religious and worldly terms. It is not permissible for a woman to study or work in a place where men and women mix, and it is not permissible for her guardian to allow her to do so. End quote.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez Aal al-Shaykh, Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah(12/156)
Fourthly:
Your working in the seniors’ home is also haraam, because it involves mixing with men; and because it involves making food using pork, which Allaah has stated is haraam, and it is also haraam according to the Sunnah and scholarly consensus; and because it involves serving wine which is also haraam according to the Qur’aan, Sunnah and scholarly consensus.
The scholars of the Standing Committee said:
It is not permissible for a woman to work with men who are not her mahrams, because of the evils that result from her presence with them. She has to seek provision through ways that do not involve anything haraam. If a person fears Allaah, He will make things easy for him. The Committee has issued a fatwa concerning that, the text of which is as follows:
As for the mixing of women with men in factories and offices, in non-Muslim countries, it is not permissible. But they have something that is worse than that, which is disbelief in Allaah, so it is no surprise that such evils occur among them. As for women mixing with men in Muslim countries, at the time when they are Muslim, that is also haraam. The authorities in the places where this mixing occurs must take steps to put the women in one place and the men in another, because of the moral corruption that results from mixing, as is obvious to anyone who has the slightest insight.

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