The Sacred Relics

When the caliphate passed to the Ottoman Empire, the sacred
relics,consisting of items belonging to the Prophet Muhammad (saas)
and his followers were brought to Istanbul. Since 1517, the relics
have been kept with the great care in the "Hırka-i Saadet" section of
Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.
These sacred objects are preserved in a special chamber constructed
within Topkapı Palace by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror. With its finely
worked inlaid door, four windows and three recessed cases, thischamber
is one of the finest examples of Ottoman art.
Some of the sacred relics, which have been preserved with the utmost
care, are as follows:
The Blessed Mantle
The mantle given by the Prophet Muhammad (saas) to Veysel Karani is
regarded as the most important of the sacred relics. Some of the
Ottoman caliphs were accompanied by the Blessed Mantle on their
travels.
The Blessed Mantle has recently been restored with the very greatest care.
The Holy Tooth of the Prophet Muhammad (saas)
Part of a tooth belonging to the Prophet Muhammad (saas) that was
broken during the Battle of Uhud. It is kept in a cylindrical box,
framed in gold and covered in rubies and emeralds.
The Holy Banner
The banner of the Prophet Muhammad (saas), made from almostentirely
black woolen cloth. Due to its fragile state, it was placed on top of
a green fabric. It has never been opened in any battle since the time
of our Prophet (saas).
The Holy Hair from the Beard of the Prophet Muhammad (saas)
Several hairs from the beard of our Prophet (saas) are kept in the
Hırka-i Saadet section. These are preserved in gold-framed glass boxes
and jewel cases.
The Holy Footprints
Four footprints belonging to the Prophet Muhammad (saas) are preserved
in a recessed case in the Hırka-i Saadet section.
The Holy Seal
The seal of the Prophet Muhammad (saas), which was also was used by
the early caliphs.
The Holy Letters
The letters belonging to the Prophet Muhammad (saas). A Frenchman
discovered them in 1850 inside the cover of a Gospel in the library of
a monastery in Egypt. Onceit was established that it had belonged to
our Prophet (saas), it was given to Sultan Abdulmajid.
The Holy Swords
The swords of the Prophet Muhammad (saas). Only two of the swords in
the Hırka-i Saadet section belongedto the Prophet Muhammad (saas). One
of these belonged to theProphet David (pbuh) and the other to the
people of the Prophet Muhammad (saas).
The Keys of the Kaaba
The replaced keys of the Kaaba are also among the sacred relics. Made
of iron and covered in silver and gold inlay, they were for a long
time preserved in Davutpaşa during the time of the Ottoman Empire.
The Holy Qur'an of Hazrat Uthman (ra)
Pages of the Qur'an collected during the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra),
were sent to provinces in book form during the time of Hazrat Uthman
(ra). The Qur'an that was being read when Hazrat Uthman (ra) was
martyred is now among the sacred relics in Topkapı Palace.
These sacred relics have been protected and preserved with the utmost
care since Ottoman times.
One example of the importance the Ottoman sultans attached to the
sacred relics is the ceremony performed by the sultan for them on the
15th day of every month of Ramadan. As the day approached, the chest
containing the long wide sleeved mantle of the Prophet Muhammad
(saas) was carried to the Revan section, every part of which was
cleansed, the walls washed with rose water and perfumed with musk.
The Qur'an has been recited in the Hırka-i Saadet chamber in
veneration of the relics of the Prophet Muhammad (saas) for hundreds
of years. This fine tradition was initiated by Sultan Selim the Stern.
Forty scholars who had memorized theQur'an, including Sultan Selim,
recited the Qur'an beside the sacred relics, "for the victory of good
and the expulsion of affliction." This tradition was restored in
October 1996.
One of the reasons for the great care shown by the Ottoman sultans is
that they knew they were merely guardians of these sacred relics, and
that they really belong to Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), who will emergefrom
Istanbul.
Our Prophet (saas) describes in great detail in the hadiths how Hazrat
Mahdi (pbuh) willappear together with the sacred relics. For example,
one hadith tellsus that:
Nuaym bin Hammad related from Abu Jaferi that; "Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)
will appear in theevening together with the banner, mantle, sword,
signs, radiance and beauty of our Prophet (saas)."
Another hadith describeshow Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will appear with the
sacred relics as follows:
As for the signs, he (Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)) will have the mantle, sword
and banner of theMessenger of Allah. That banner that has never been
unfurled since the death of the Prophet (saas), and will never be
opened until the comingof Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh).
Out of respect for our Prophet (saas), no state, including the Ottoman
Empire, has ever unfurled the banner although it was carried in
battles and ceremonies. The banner,and other blessed relics that have
thus been preserved for 1,400 years, will be unfurled when the moral
values of Islam rule the world with the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh),
insha'Allah

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Dought & clear - Visiting the Prophet’s Mosque .

If the pilgrim performing Hajj or 'Umrah wants to visit theProphet's
Mosque, should he form the intention of visiting the mosque or of
visiting thegrave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him)? And what is the etiquette of visiting the Prophet's
Mosque?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"If the pilgrim wants to visit the Prophet's Mosque before or after
Hajj, he should have the intention of visiting the mosque, not the
grave, because travelling to a place for the purpose of worship does
not include visiting graves, rather it includes only the three
mosques: al-Masjid al-Haraam (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah), al-Masjid
al-Nabawi (the Prophet'sMosque in Madeenah) and al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in
Jerusalem), as it says in the hadeeth which was narrated from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who said:
"Nojourney should be undertaken to any mosque except three: al-Masjid
al-Haraam, this mosque of mine and al-Masjid al-Aqsa." Narrated by
al-Bukhaari,1189: Muslim, 1397.
When he reaches the Prophet's Mosque, he should enter with his right
foot first and say, "Bismillaah wa'l-salaatu wa'l-salaam 'ala
Rasoolillaah. Allaahumma ighfir li dhunoobi waftah li abwaab
rahmatika. A'oodhu Billaah il-'azeem wa bi wajhihi'l-kareem wa bi
sultaanihi'l-qadeem min al-shaytaan il-rajeem (In the name of Allaah,
and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allaah. O Allaah,
forgive my sins and open to me the gates of Your mercy. I seek refuge
in Allaah the Almighty and in His noble Face and in His eternal Power,
from the accursed Shaytaan)." Then he should pray as he likes.
It is better for him to pray in al-Rawdah whichis the area between the
minbar of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and
the room in which is his grave, because this area is one of the
gardens (riyaadh, sing. rawdah) of Paradise. When he has prayed and
wants tovisit the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), he should stand in front of it in a dignified manner and
say, "Assalaamu 'alayka ayyuha'l-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-Allaahi wa
barakaatuhu. Allaahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhammad kama
salayta 'ala Ibraaheem wa 'ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed;
Allaahumma baarik 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhammad kama baarakta
'ala Ibraaheem wa 'ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed. Ashhadu
annaka Rasool-Allaah haqqan wa annaka qad balaghta al-risaalah wa
adayta al-amaanah wa nasahta al-ummah wa jaahadta fillaahi haqqa
jihaadihi. Fa jazaka Allaahu 'an ummatika afdal ma jaza nabiyyan 'an
ummatihi (Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allaah, and
His blessings. O Allaah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the
family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibraaheemand the family
of Ibraaheem, verily You are Worthy of Praise, Fullof Glory. O Allaah,
send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You
sent blessings upon Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem, verily You
are Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory. I bear witness that you are
indeed the Messenger of Allaah, thatyou conveyed the message and
fulfilled thetrust, and advised the ummah and strove truly for the
sake of Allaah. May Allaah reward you on behalf of your ummah better
than any Prophet is rewarded on behalf of his nation)."
Then he should move a little to his right and send salaams upon Abu
Bakr al-Siddeeq and pray that Allaah be pleased with him.
Then he should move a little further to his right and send salaams
upon 'Umar ibn al-Khattab andpray that Allaah be pleased with him. If
he makes du'aa' for Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with
them) in an appropriate manner, that is good.
It is not permissible for anyone to seek to draw closer to Allaah by
touching the hujrah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) or by circumambulating it, or by facing it whilst making
du'aa'. Rather heshould turn to face the qiblah, because drawingcloser
to Allaah can only be done by means of that which Allaah and His
Messenger have prescribed. Acts of worship are based on following not
on innovation.
Women should not visit the grave of the Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) or any other grave, because the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed women who visit graves.
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and classed as hasan by al-Albaani inSaheeh
al-Tirmidhi, 843. Rather a woman should pray and send blessings upon
the Prophet (peaceand blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the place
where she is, and that will reach the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) no matter where she is. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Send blessings upon me, for
your blessings will reach me no matter where youare." And he said,
"Allaahhas angels who travel about throughout the land, conveying to
me the salaams of my ummah." Narrated by al-Nasaa'i, 1282; classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa'i, 1215.
Only men should visit al-Baqee', which is the graveyard of Madeenah.
They should say: "Al-salaamu 'alaykum ahlal-diyaar min al-mu'mineen
wa'l-muslimeen, wa innaa in sha Allaah bikum laahiqoon. Yarham Allaah
al-mustaqdimeena mina wa minkum wa'l-musta'khireen. Nas'al Allaah lana
wa lakum al-'aafiyah. Allaahumma la tahrimna ajrahum wa la taftinna
ba'dahum waghfir lana wa lahum (Peace be upon you, O dwellers of these
abodes, believers and Muslims. We will, when Allaah wills, join you.
May Allaah have mercy on those who were first (to die) and those who
were last. We ask Allaah to grant salvation to us and you. O Allaah,
deprive us not of reward (similar to theirs) and lead us not astray
after they are gone; forgive us and them)."
If he then wants to go toMount Uhud and remember what happened there
to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his
companions in that battle of jihad, trials andmartyrdom, and send
salaams upon the shuhada' (martyrs) there, such as Hamzah ibn 'Abd
al-Muttalib, the paternal uncle of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), there is nothing wrong with that, because that is
a kind of travelling through the land as enjoined (in Islam) [cf.
al-Nahl 16:36]. And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear - She left instructions to deprive her oldest son ofhis inheritance because she had helped him to get married with her money.

A woman died and left behind some money andsome gold. Before she died,
she left instructions that her oldest son should not be given any of
her wealth, because she had helped him get married with her money, and
she said:It is enough that I helped him get married; divide the money
and gold among yourselves and do not give anything to my oldest son,
because he has taken his share. Should we execute her will or give her
oldest son his share? Should we divide the wealth now or wait until
the younger sons grow up? Because currently they are still minors.
Also, the grown up sons and daughters are asking for it to be divided
now. What is thesolution?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
This will that gives instructions to deprive the oldest son of
inheritance is not permissible and is not valid, because it is
transgressing the limits set by Allah and is harming one of the heirs.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): "…
after payment of any bequestsor debts, so that no harm is done to
anyone." [an-Nisa' 4:12].
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Tafseer: i.e.,
so that his bequest will be based on justice and not on harming,
unfairness or wrongdoing by depriving one of the heirs or detracting
from his share, or giving morethan Allah has decreed should be his
share. Whoever tries to do that is like one who has opposed Allah and
His wisdom and division of the estate. End quote.
Hence Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Causing harm
in bequests is a major sin.
Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath: This was narrated by Sa'eed ibn Mansoor in
a mawqoof report with a saheeh isnaad. It was also narrated by
an-Nasaa'i and its men are thiqaat (trustworthy).
The mother's getting herson married is a righteous deed and she is not
obliged to give to the rest of his siblings the equivalent of what she
gave to him; rather if any of them need to get married during her
lifetime, she should get him married. What somepeople do, if they get
one of their sons married off, is to bequeath money to the rest of
them, thinking that this is fair, and something like this is what has
happened in the case of the woman asked about here; she wanted to
deprive her son of his share of the estate, thinking that this was
fair.
But Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:It is not
permissible for aperson to favour some of his children over others
except between male and female; he can give the male double what he
gives to the female, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said: "Fear Allah and treat your children fairly." So if
someone gives one of his sons onehundred dirhams, he should give the
others one hundred dirhams each, and he should givethe daughters fifty
dirhams, or take back the money that he gave to the first son. What we
have mentioned here does not apply to obligatory maintenance;when it
comes to obligatory maintenance he should give each of them what he
needs. If itso happens that one of his sons needs to get married, he
should get him married and give him the mahr if the son cannot pay the
mahr, and in this case he does not have to give the others the same as
he gave to this one who needed to get married and he paid for the
mahr, because getting sons married is part of maintenance. I would
also like to point out something that some people do out of ignorance:
when a man has sons who have reached the age of marriage, he gets them
married, and if he has other sons who are still young, he leaves a
bequest in his will givingthem something like what he spent to get
theadult sons married. This is haraam and is not permissible, because
thisis a bequest to an heir, and making a bequest toan heir is haraam.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Allah
has given each one who has rights his rights, and there is no bequest
to anheir." So if he says: I am bequeathing this money to them because
I got their brothers married with a similar amount, we say: if the
younger ones reach the age of marriage before you die,then get them
married as you got their brothersmarried, but if they do not reach
that age (before you die), you arenot obliged to get them married.
End quote from Fataawa Islamiyyah, 3/30
To sum up: it is not permissible for a person to bequeath to the rest
of his sons money for them to get married, or to deprive those whom he
previously got married of all or part of their inheritance, because
that is transgressing the limits set by Allah, may He be exalted, and
is causing harm by means of one's bequest.
What must be done is to divide the estate among all the heirs, each
one taking the share allocated to him by sharee'ah.
Secondly:
With regard to the request of some of the heirs for the estate to
bedivided, this is their right and you should respond to that. As for
those who are still minors, their share should be kept for them and
what they need for their maintenance should be taken from it. Then
when they grow up and become mature, they may be given what remains of
their wealth, because Allah, may He beexalted, says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And try orphans (as regards their intelligence) until they reach the
age of marriage; if then you find sound judgement inthem, release
their property to them, but consume it not wastefully, and hastily
fearing that they should grow up, and whoever amongst guardians is
rich, he should take no wages, but if he is poor, let him have for
himself what is just and reasonable (according tohis work). And when
yourelease their property to them, take witness in their presence; and
Allahis All-Sufficient in taking account"
[an-Nisa' 4:6].
And Allah knows best.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Islamic Stories - The Shaikh who brought back a pigeonto life

A friend of mine told me this story: When I was young I had a shaikh,
one of the greatest human beings I have ever known. I had met him
quite by accident. He lived in a small shack in a poor neighborhood.I
had to deliver some medicine for my father's pharmacy. Once inside
this man's quarters I realized I was in the presence of someone quite
unusual. For one thing, he possessed the relics of several great
shaikhs of different orders. The day I met him he was having a
conversation with two other young men about my own age. Their names
were Metin and Refik. After hearing theirconversation I began to lose
interest in the things that had occupiedme. I wanted only to attend
these conversations. The three of us were learning so much that we
wished that more and more people could also hear these conversations.
We begged our sheikh to allow the size of our circle to increase. One
day we were attending the prayers at a great mosque. It was the feast
of Ashura, the twelfth of Muharram. We were just leaving the mosque
when our teacher paused on the steps because he noticed that a pigeon
had just dropped dead from the sky. He picked up the poor bird, which
was totally lifeless, held it tenderly in his hands, breated a long
Huuuuuuu...and the birdcame back to life and flew off into the sky.
Well, this act did not go unnoticed and before long there were many
people intersted in our shaikh. Many of them asked to attend his
conversations and our circle grew.
It was not long before we found that we had very little time with our
beloved shaikh. He was too busy to see us, attending to the needs of
so many people. Then one day, while doing thenight prayer after our
zhikr, our shaikh let out a loud and smelly fart. People were
astounded that this holy man could do such a thing. In a short period
of time most of them had lost their faith in him and our circle
returned to nearly the size it had been originally. One night when
just the three of us were sitting together, our shaikh remarked: "You
see my sons, those who come because of a pigeon, leave because of a
fart!"

Islamic Stories - Imam Abu Hanifa and the drunk man

It is well known that AbuHanifa (radi Allahu 'anhu), did tahajjut
every night. He would spend his night reciting the Quran. He had a
neighbor who was an alcoholic, and he used todrink a lot and sing love
poems. This used to bother the imam.
But one day, the imam did not hear this man's revelry, so he went and
asked about him. They said, "Oh, so-and-so. They took him to jail."
So, the very well respected imam went to the jail. He was the most
respected imam and qaadi at the time in that place. When the ruler
found out the imam went to the jail, he asked for the reason andwas
told that the imam was concerned about hisneighbor who had been
arrested. So, the ruler said to release the man, and he was released.
The neighbor then askedAbu Hanifa why he did that, and he
replied,"Because you have a right upon me as a neighbor, and I have
notbeen neglectful of that." That was the reason thatthe neighbor made
tauba to Allah subh�na wa ta'�la [that is: embraced islam].

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Story Part 5 - Under the Willow Tree

I LOOKED IN THE direction where Satchel went but he was no where in
sight. I furrowed my eyebrows.
That was weird, he was just here a minute ago. I jumped when the back
door slammed open by the wind. By now the sunwas nearing its end,
setting over the hills painting the sky a mesmerizing hue.
A light brush of wind swept my hair as I stepped outside into the
yard. I squinted when I could make out a red flagfluttering in the
distance.
I followed it as my navigation point.
My high heels stuck into the grass making me grunt and moan. I had to
remind myself that I'd have to buy some more as the gritty mud would
devalue them to zero.
I shivered a little. I really should have put a jacket on. I was still
in my blousse.
The tiny hutt was visible now as well as Point Lakeand I marveled at
how a few pieces of wood had turned into such an architectural
structure.
It started out with a few tiny pieces of wood that sat crookedly on the ground.
Satchel and I made it partof our pact that we'd transform it into an
enormous hide out. Now it was a tree hutt sitting high in the willow
tree.
The thick trunk knotted around loosely, while theleaves draped to the
ground. The weeping willow tree.
My name sake so my grams used to say. My real mom loved coming here,
sitting under it to read. I'd looked alot like her, but she died a few
hours after having me. She died of a fever. Not so much I knew about
that, my father refused tospeak of her. If it weren'tfor my Grams, I'd
probably know next to nothing about her.
I ached to know her and what it would be like to meet her. I guess I
got myfix by visiting this tree. My dad married a year later like he'd
banished her memory and moved on.
I let my finger skim over the scratched letters that were carved in the trunk.
S.M & H.G was hea Jun 16 1978
I smiled. My parents, Sherri Micheals, my mom and my dad Henry
Garrison ingraved their names in here when theyfirst moved here. They
promised to marry as soon as I was born, but I guess, life had a
differentplan for the two of them.
I moved my eyes further down the trunk and caught myself laughing at
the messy kid writing Ihad done when I was five.
W.G & S.H was hea Feb 1996
Satchel and I had markedour spot here too. I sat down and over-looked
the horizon. Orange and pink brushed over the sky. It was beautiful.
"You really shouldn't sit there, not unless you want to ruin your
pretty clothes. I hear it can get alittle dirty around here." Ialmost
jumped out of my skin. I turned to the voice. It was Satchel.
His hair was hanging freeagain, shirt rolled up to his elbows, and his
piercing gaze reflected nicely with the sunset, he'd gotten himself
dirty...again. I shrugged.
"Figured they'll get dirty from the wind. So I didn'treally see the
point in trying." I said avoiding his eyes. He scoffed.
"That bad?" I grimaced.
No it was worst, but sitting here was nice. Peaceful. I almost missed
this feeling. Having dreams beyond the horizon, Wanting to be somebody
you wanted tobe instead of what other people expected you to be. I
sighed.
New York had shaped meinto a lot of things, but I never thought I'd be
someone I didn't like. Too many people wanting me to be somebody and
I'd been so overwhelmed with pressure I'd changed my whole lifestyle
to fit in.
I had a boyfriend that was more into himself than he was with me. A
BFF that I was sure was sleeping with him, and a life that existed of
cheerleading and mindless parties.
Sitting here made me think of what I'd dreamed of being when Iwas
little. A writer. But that dream was lost and gone with the wind. It
was all about status nowadays. Looks and fashion only went so far. If
you had wealth? You had the world at the tip of your fingers. Or so I
thought.
He pointed to the groundbeside me. "May I?" I shrugged.
"Free country." I muttered.
I skimmed my hands overmy arms and shivered slightly. It was getting cold.
"Here. I promise it's not dirty." he said handing me his jacket. I
eyed him warily and almost smiled.
Here I was being a rude little brat and this boy sitting next to me
was worried I'd get a cold. I took it and he helped me with it,
draping it over my shoulders. The heat instantly warming me.
"I never picked you for the gentleman type." I said a moment later. He shrugged.
"I never picked you for the spoilt type either." Heteased and a smirk
twitched at his lips. I sighed.
"Yeah well, people change." He nodded and looked out over at the sun
that was dipping lower.
"That they do." he agreed. We sat in silence for a while just drinking
in the sunset. I'd almost thought it was romantic, if my head wasn't
so caught up in my life.
"Can I ask you something?" I turned to him in earnest. He furrowed his eyebrows.
"Shoot." I pursed my lips.
"Do you think...that maybe if my mom was still alive, I'd be a
different person? I'd be easier to be around?"
"Ah..." I shook my head.
"You know what? Don't answer that. I already know what I'm like. I'm
reminded of it everyday in New York." I said finally.
"What are they saying?"
"That I'm a self centered bitch with lots of money. Sometimes I think
if anyone really likes me forme you know? Instead of some girl with
gold."
"Well, they obviously don't know the real Willy.The one I remember
didn't care what other people thought about her. She was the same girl
I used to chase around this tree." I giggled and blushed at the same
time.
God that was one of my favorite memories. Satchel singing to me. He
carried a tune even back then.
"I remember that. Even that silly song you used to sing, how does it
go? Under the willow tree..." Istarted humming the restbecause I had
forgotten the words. I almost gasped as he finished it. He sang.
"-my Willow is waiting for me...eyes that sparkle tenderly, sleepy
hollow mystery...my heart goes wild when she looks at me...because...I
finally found my Willow, sitting under the willow tree..."
His sweet voice gave me butterflies.
My ears could listen to him singing forever. It was sensual and
soothingat the same time. A lot deeper and huskier than the boy who
used to singit to me wriggling his fingers at me as he chased me
around the tree.
"God, how'd you remember the words?" I marveled. It had been so long
ago I'd only remembered one line.
He cleared his throat as ifhe were embarrassed. Then he lifted his
head and looked at me with those light green eyes of his. Hair falling
in his long eyelashes. He smiled.
"Because I wrote them."

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
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Muslim Women

Children are a great gift from Almighty Allah to all parents. Parents
must think of their children as such treasures that the allthe wealth
and material resources are worthless as when compared to one�s
children. We, as parents, should thank Almighty Allah for blessing us
with children whether they are boys orgirls. Today, it is quite
disheartening to see that some parents rejoice when the newborn child
is a male and show their dissatisfaction when the child is a female.
But, thisshould not be the attitude. Islam does not condone this type
of behaviour, as such was the manner of the parents in the time of
ignorance.
Daughters are without doubt a great blessing from Almighty Allah.
Theyare a means of salvation and a path to Jannah for their parents.
The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has stated that when a
boy is born, then he brings one Noor (light) and when a girl is born,
then she brings two Noors. It has been narrated in a Hadith that the
Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has stated that if parents
are kind and generous towards their daughters, then they will be so
close to the Holy Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) in Jannah,
like one finger is to the next. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) has also stated that the person who is faced with hardship
due to his daughters, and makes Sabr (is patient), then his daughters
will be a Purdah (curtain) between him and Hell.
The crux of one narrationstates that one who loveshis daughters and
withstands the hardship of grooming and getting them married, then
Almighty Allah makes Jannah Waajib (compulsory) on him and keeps him
protected from the Fire of Hell.
Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Haaroni (radi Allahu anhu), the Peer-o-Murshid of
Khwaja-e-Khwajegaan, Hazrat Sheikh Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaaz (radi Allahu
anhu), states: "Daughters are a gift from Almighty Allah. Those
parents who are kind towards them, then Almighty Allah is generous
towards such parents. Those who are merciful to their daughters,
Almighty Allahis Merciful towards them." The great Saint also said,
"When a girl is born to a family, then between the parents andHell,
there shall be a distance of five hundred years."
It has been stated that when parents rejoice at the birth of a
daughter, this is greater than making Tawaaf of the Kaaba seventy
times. Muslims should also remember that the familyof the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is from his beloved daughter
Sayyidah Fatima Zahra (radi Allahu anha).
Dear brothers and sisters,rejoice on the birth of your daughters, love
and guide them and give them that which is due tothem from your
belongings. Do not deprive them of their inheritance as they also have
say in this. Remember! Daughters are a blessing and not a burden.
ISLAMIC HIJAB - ARE MUSLIM WOMEN OPPRESSED?
The feeling still persists insociety that Muslim women wear Hijab or
the outer covering because they are slaves to tradition, so much so
thatit is seen as a symbol of oppression. Western society says that
women'sliberation and independence is impossible unless they first
remove the Hijab . This view is not correct. Why do Muslim women wear
the outer covering that sometimes covers their face and hides the rest
of their body?
Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran, Chapter 33, Verse 59: "O
Prophet! Tell your wives and daughters, and the believing women, that
they should cast their outer garments over their persons; that is
better, that they should be known (as such) and not be molested." And
in Chapter 24, Verse 31: "And say to the believing women that they
should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; thatthey should not
display their beauty and ornaments except what appear thereof; that
theyshould draw their scarvesover their bosoms - "
Muslim women all over the world are wearing Hijab as a religious
requirement and a sign of respect, not out of a misdirected sense
of"tradition." It is both a sign of a women's obedience to Allah and a
manifestation of her faith. The Hijab is part of a Muslim's religious
identity. It gives women dignity and self-respect.
Islam commands women to cover their bodies so as not to trouble men
who are weak and unable to resist temptation. In Islam, menand women
are commanded to dress modestly and not appear"naked" in public, even
in all male and female situations.
Just as a short skirt or a see-through dress can send the signal that
the wearer is available to men, so the Hijab signals, loud and clear:
"I am forbidden to you." Wearing the Hijab protects the female from
harassment and men. It isthe western women who are to be pitied for
displaying their private self for all to see.
An American, Ruth Anderson, has said: "Hijabis not a sign of
backwardness, ignoranceor mental incompetence, but a woman's duty and
her right."
A women in Hijab is like a jewel that is of high exceptional value and
that which must be kept hidden. Wearing the Hijab is a choice that
Muslim women make. To discard the Hijab or expose that part of her
body ordered covered bythe Divine Law is to disobey Islamic
principlesand a women's basic Islamic belief.
RE-INTRODUCTION OF HIJAAB IN INDONESIA
Growing popularity of Islamic dress code in Indonesia has started a
new trend. Women from the middle-income grouphave explicitly shown
escalating preference to Islamic clothes resulting in a multi-million
fashion industry as admitted by Aami Waamsu, Editor of the fashion
magazine"Femina."
According to Taufiq Abdullah Nigar of Indonesian Science Institute,
this shocking trend has developed in the short span of the last 2 - 3
years. This has been in the wake of the recognition that Indonesian
men are more respectful towards women in Islamic attire. Previously,
modern Indonesian women wore tops, pants and ordinary scarves.
Nowadays, preference is given to dignified loose clothing with scarves
completely covering the head.
The fever has caught on to such an extent that even non-Muslim
designers have resorted to designing Islamic clothes. Muslim women are
active in social, religious and political fields dressed according to
Islamic dressing code. A really interesting angle of this "fashion
revival" isthat so impressed are thenon-Muslim women by this trend
that they too have begun to imitate it!
BEIJING WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN CONSPIRE TO "LIBERATE" MUSLIM WOMEN
FROM ISLAM
At the Beijing World ("anti-Islam & anti-religion") Conference,
"experts" talked about the need to liberate Muslim women from Islam,
and in general all women from religion. It was easy to see that there
were openattacks against Islam and religion in general. Therewere also
open talks about rights for prostitutes, lesbians and homosexuals. The
Conference also discussedabout the rights of children over their
sexuallives.
Betty Freidan, an American feminist leader and author, talked about
the dangers Islamic conservatism poses to women. In a panel session
entitled "Muslim Women in North America", led by a Muslimdelegate
chosen by the Clinton administration to represent the US as a liaison
between the US and the Muslim and Arab worlds, a panel member
vehemently attacked the Imams of North Americanmosques for fanaticism
against Muslim women inthe "land of freedom".
In another session that was chaired by a feministHindu, she described
how the Vatican had come together with Islamfor the purpose of denying
women's rights. Another speaker in this session, who was a liberal
Catholic, encouraged women to become more "open" and to acquire power.
She also said that "the biggest mistake in the universe" is to
envision an "omnipotent or perfect God." Dr Riffat Hassan, a professor
in Islamic studies from the University of Louisville, explained how
she had been engaged in the last 20 years in developing a"feminist
theology in the context of Islam".
It was also clear from the Conference that the powers who were running
the UN have an agenda to impose their own "Shariah" on the entire
world. Just by attending the Conferenceat government level, the Muslim
countries accepted the principle that they could negotiateabout this
imposed Shariah. Muslim delegates did not realise that they were
actually"dignifying" a gathering that could not be dignified.
The Conference failed to encourage the individuals need in altering
their life styles inorder to combat sexually transmitted diseases; did
not encourage family life and morality; for women (and men) to abstain
from early sex; etc. The UN also encourages that for women to work in
a factory or an office is a right; to stay at home is an oppression. A
woman should not be dependentof her husband; she should be dependent
on her boss.
Muslims throughout the world, including all SouthAfrican Muslims, must
condemn and reject this Conference. What about the women in Kashmir
who jumped into the Jhelum River in Kashmir to protect their honour
from the Indian forces? Why did the World Conference on Women not
speak about that! What about the 70, 000 Muslim women raped, abused
and beaten in Bosnia? What about the millions in Iraq, Kashmir and
Bosnia who are without food and medicine? The "women's right" which
the Conference speaks about is far from the women's rights which Islam
grants.This is nothing but an attempt by the UN and the world in
condemningIslam, Islamic values and creating a world and society
completely devoid of all sensibility and shame. (Facts extracted from
"Impact International" - Vol.25 No.10)
DUTY TOWARDS OUR MOTHERS
A Saint relates that once, having made intention ofperforming Haj, he
left for Baghdad from where he was to proceed to Hijaz. In Baghdad, he
arrived at the house of Hazrat Abu Hazim Makki (rahmatullahi alai)
wherehe found Hazrat Abu Hazim Makki (rahmatullahi alai) fast asleep.
When he awoke from his asleep, he came over to the Saint and toldhim,
"I had the good fortune of seeing Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) in my dream just now, and he asked me to convey a message to
you."
"What is the message?" asked the Saint.
"He asked me to inform you that it would be better for you if you
called off your journey toHijaz for purpose of making Haj, and spent
time looking after your ageing mother and keeping her happy at all
times. This would enable you to perform your Haj in the future with
Allah's Pleasure."
The Saint, upon hearing this, returned home without performing Haj.
ESCALATION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN MUSLIM COMMUNITY
This almost taboo issue is being brought out to the open. Violence
against women has reached suchhigh levels in the Muslim community that
almost 1 in 5 families is adversely affected. Whether it is physical,
emotional or sexual abuse, it threatensthe very existence of healthy
communities. If women are abused how does a mother then fulfillher
major roles as a wife and a mother? Yet Muslims in South Africa have
not yet acknowledged this as one of the major social problems them all
the time. Research clearly shows that children from abusive homes,
themselves become abusive parents. The highrate of divorce,
separation, extra-marital relationships is a daily occurance in our
society. The disruption and breakdown of families leads to a variety
of social problems. (Courtesy: JIMASA - Dec. 1996)
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE
It is Haraam for women to touch the hand, feet orbody of any strange
man and it is also Haraam for the man to give her the permission to do
so. The Mashaa'ikh and Peers of today should take a lesson from this.
The evil practice of Mureedas (female Mureeds) kissing the hands and
feet of their Peer-o-Murshid must stop. It is totally Haraam for both
to kiss and to be kissed. It is FARD on the Sheikh to strongly forbid
their female Mureeds from doing such un-Islamic acts. Sayyidah Ayesha
Siddiqa (radi Allahu anha) states that there was never an instance
when a woman touched the hands of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu
alaihi wasallam) at the time of Bai'at. Likewise, those persons who
visit massage parlours, etc. and have their bodies massaged or rubbed
by strange women is strictly Haraam and a great sin (Kabeera). It is
Fard on them to abstain from such immoral acts and fear Allah, the All
Knowing and All Powerful.
A FEW REASONS FOR POVERTY
Wealth and poverty comes from Almighty Allah. However, the
piousservants and learned scholars have given a fewreasons as to why
poverty comes and what to abstain from to avoid poverty:-
1. By not reading Namaaz and Quran.
2. By reading Quran without Wudhu.
3. By calling parents by their names or disrespecting them.
4. To be annoyed with receiving visitors.
5. By being unkind to relatives.
6. To hit and scold your children without reason.
7. To eat without saying Bismillah.
8. To eat without washingthe hands.
9. To eat without a hat or with the left hand.
10. To eat near a deceased or in the dark.
11. To leave food opened.
12. To delay food that has been already served.
13. To leave dishes unwashed after eating.
14. To wash your hands ineating utensils.
15. To take a false oath.
16. To talk of worldly things in the Musjid orduring Wudhu.
17. To sleep until the sun rises.
18. To sleep between Maghrib and Esha.
19. To sleep naked.
20. To urinate in the bathroom.
21. To go to the toilet without a hat.
22. To talk in the toilet.
23. To pass urine or stool on a pathway or under a tree.
24. To laugh in a cemetery.
25. To use broken utensils.
26. To use a broken comb.
27. For ladies to remain with the head uncovered.
28. To stand and comb or tie the hair.
29. To sweep at night.
30. To sweep the house and keep the dirt in the house.
31. To keep long nails, of bite one's nails.
32. To sew torn clothes onthe body.
33. To have a haircut while Na-Paak.
34. To keep the pubic hairs more than forty days.
35. To put off a flame by blowing it.
36. To sit on the stoop of the house.
37. To leave shoes upside down and not straighten it.
38. To leave spider cob-webs in the house.
39. To burn the peel of garlic or onions.
40. Not to help a person in trouble at night.
41. It has been mentionedby some pious personsthat to be intimate with
the wife on Saturday after sunset till Sunday morning and on Tuesday
after sunset till Wednesday morning is not regarded as a good time.
They said that if the wife becomes pregnant in this time they there is
a risk of sickness and bad habits in the child.

Advice to Muslim Sisters

In this Western world and environment that welive in, we sadly see
that Muslim females (teenagers) are the target of the Kufaar. Their
aim is to cause Muslim females to lose their respect and integrity,
taking them away from a pious and truly fruitful Islamic life. Many
Muslims females throughout the world today are caught in the trap of
drugs, alcohol, club going, adultery and various other
detrimentalactivities.
My respected Muslim Sisters! Look at what you are doing and see for
yourself whether you arecausing benefit or harm to your selves?
Think of what you are doing and, then Remember! That AlmightyAllah is
watching your every action. My dear Muslims sisters! Dress
Islamically, Do not try to copy the West. Do not strive to look and
dress like the Kufaar. After you leave this world, you being a
duplicate of any film or pop-star will not be of any assistance to you
in your grave or in the hereafter. Forget anddivorce yourself from
thetraps of the West. Instill in yourself true beauty, true respect
and true integrity. Rather than trying to portray a pop-star or any
other Kaafir. Portray Sayyida Faatima Zahra (radi Allahu anha), the
Blessed daughter of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). She
who will be the Queen of the Maidens of Jannat.
Do you wish to enter Jannah? Do you wish to be in the companionship?

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Umm Salamah - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

Umm Salamah! What an eventfullife she had! Her real name was Hind. She
was the daughter of one of the notables in the Makhzum clan nicknamed
"Zad ar-Rakib" because he was well known for his generosity
particularly to travelers. Umm Salamah's husband was Abdullah ibn
Abdulasad and theyboth were among the first persons to accept Islam.
Only Abu Bakr and a few others, who could be counted on the fingers of
one hand, became Muslims before them.
As soon as the news of their becoming Muslims spread, the Quraysh
reacted with frenzied anger. They began hounding andpersecuting Umm
Salamah and her husband. But the couple did not waver or despair and
remained steadfast in their new faith.
The persecution became more and more intense. Life in Makkahbecame
unbearable for many of the new Muslims. The Prophet, peace be upon
him, then gave permission for them to emigrateto Abyssinia. Umm
Salamah and her husband were in the forefront of these muhajirun,
seekers of refuge in a strange land. For Umm Salamah it
meantabandoning her spacious home and giving up the traditional tiesof
lineage and honor for something new, hope in the pleasure and reward
of Allah.
Despite the protection Umm Salamah and her companions received from
the Abyssinian ruler, the desire to return to Makkah, to be near the
Prophet and the source of revelation and guidance persisted.
News eventually reached the muhajirun that the number of Muslims in
Makkah had increased. Among them were Hamzah ibn Abdulmuttalib and
Umar ibn al-Khattab. Their faith had greatly strengthened the
community and the Quraysh they heard, had eased the persecution
somewhat. Thus a group of the muhajirun, urged on by a deep longing in
their hearts, decided to return to Makkah.
The easing of the persecution was but brief as the returnees soon
found out. The dramatic increase in the number of Muslims following
the acceptance of Islam by Hamzah and Umar only infuriated the Quraysh
even more. They intensified their persecution andtorture to a pitch
and intensity not known before. So the Prophet gave permission to his
companions to emigrate to Madinah. Umm Salamah and her husband were
among the first to leave.
The hijrah of Umm Salamah and her husband though was not as easy as
they had imagined. In fact, it was a bitter and painful experience and
a particularly harrowing one for her.
Let us leave the story now for Umm Salamah herself to tell...
When Abu Salamah (my husband) decided to leave for Madinah, he
prepared a camel from me, hoisted me on it and placed our son Salamah
on my lap. My husband then took the lead end went on without stopping
or waiting for anything. Before we were out of Makkah however some men
from my clan stopped us and said to my husband:
"Though you are free to do whatyou like with yourself, you have no
power over your wife. She is our daughter. Do you expect us to allow
you to take her away from us?"
They then pounced on him end snatched me away from him. My husbands
clan, Banu Abdulasad, saw them taking both me and my child. They
became hot with rage.
"No! By Allah," they shouted,"we shall not abandon the boy. He is our
son and we have a first claim over him." They took him by the hand and
pulled him away from me. Suddenly in the space of a few moments, I
foundmyself alone and lonely. My husband headed for Madinah by himself
and his clan had snatched my son away from me.My own clan, Banu
Makhzum, overpowered me and forced me to stay with them.
From the day when my husband and my son were separated from me, I went
out at noon every day to that valley and sat in the spot where this
tragedy occurred. I would recall those terrible moments and weep until
night fell on me.
I continued like this for a year orso until one day a man from the
Banu Umayyah passed by and saw my condition. He went back to my clan
and said: "Why don't you free this poor woman? You have caused her
husband and her son to be taken away from her." He went on trying to
soften their hearts and play on their emotions. At last they said to
me. 'Go and join your husband if you wish."
But how could I join my husband in Madinah and leave my son, a piece
of my own flesh and blood, in Makkah among theBanu Abdulasad? How
could I befree from anguish and my eyes be free from tears were I to
reach the place of hijrah not knowing anything of my little son left
behind in Makkah?
Some realized what I was going through and their hearts went out to
me. They petitioned the Banu Abdulasad on my behalf and moved them to
return my son. I did not now even want to linger in Makkah till I
found someone to travel with me and Iwas afraid that something might
happen that would delay or prevent me from reaching myhusband. So I
promptly got my camel ready, placed my son on my lap and left in the
direction of Madinah .
I had just about reached Tanim (about three miles from Makkah)when I
met Uthman ibn Talhah. (He was a keeper of the Kabah inpre-lslamic
times and was not yet a Muslim.)
"Where are you going, Bint Zad ar-Rakib?" he asked.
"I am going to my husband in Madinah."
"And there isn't anyone with you?"
"No, by Allah. Except Allah and my little boy here."
"By Allah. I shall never abandon you until you reach Madinah," hevowed.
He then took the reins of my camel and led us on. I have, by Allah,
never met an Arab more generous and noble than he. When we reached a
resting place, he would make my camel kneel down, wait until I
dismounted, lead the camel to a tree and tether it. He would thengo to
the shade of another tree. When we had rested he would get the camel
ready and lead us on.
This he did every day until we reached Madinah. When we got to the
village near Quba (about two miles from Madinah) belonging to Banu Amr
ibn Awf, he said, "Your husband is in this village. Enter it with the
blessings of God. "
He turned back and headed for Makkah. Their roads finally met after
the long separation. Umm Salamah was overjoyed to see her husband and
he was delighted to see his wife and son.
Great and momentous events followed one after the other. There was the
battle of Badr in which Abu Salamah fought. The Muslims returned
victorious and strengthened. Then there was the battle of Uhud in
which the Muslims were sorely tested. Abu Salamah came out of this
wounded very badly. He appeared at first to respond wellto treatment,
but his wounds never healed completely and he remained bedridden.
Once while Umm Salamah was nursing him, he said to her: "I heard the
Messenger of God saying. Whenever a calamity afflicts anyone he should
say,"Surely from Allah we are and to Him we shall certainly return."
And he would pray, 'O Lord, give me in return something good from it
which only You Exalted and Mighty, can give."
Abu Salamah remained sick in bed for several days. One morning the
Prophet came to see him. The visit was longer than usual. While the
Prophet was still at his bedside Abu Salamah passed away. With his
blessed hands, the Prophet closed the eyes of his dead companion. He
then raised thesehands to the heavens and prayed:
"O Lord, grant forgiveness to Abu Salamah. Elevate him among those who
are near to You. Take charge of his family at all times. Forgive us
and him, O Lord of the Worlds. Widen his grave and make it light for
him."
Umm Salamah remembered the prayer her husband had quoted on his
deathbed from the Prophet and began repeating it,"O Lord, with you I
leave this my plight for consideration . . ." But she could not bring
herself to continue . . . "O Lord give me something good from it",
because she kept asking herself,"Who could be better than Abu
Salamah?" But it did not take long before she completed the
supplication.
The Muslims were greatly saddened by the plight of Umm Salamah. She
became known as"Ayyin al-Arab"-- the one who had lost her husband. She
had no one in Madinah of her own except her small children, like a hen
without feathers.
Both the Muhajirun and Ansar felt they had a duty to Umm Salamah. When
she had completed the Iddah (three months and ten days), Abu Bakr
proposed marriage to her but she refused. Then Umar asked tomarry her
but she also declined the proposal. The Prophet then approached her
and she replied:
"O Messenger of Allah, I have three characteristics. I am a woman who
is extremely jealous and I am afraid that you will see in me something
that will anger you and cause Allah topunish me. I am a woman who is
already advanced in age and I am a woman who has a young family."
The Prophet replied: "Regarding the jealousy you mentioned, I pray to
Allah the Almighty to let it go away from you. Regarding the question
of age you have mentioned. I am afflicted with the same problem as
you. Regarding the dependent family you have mentioned, your familyis
my family."
They were married and so it wasthat Allah answered the prayer of Umm
Salamah and gave her better than Abu Salamah. From that day on Hind al
Makhzumiyahwas no longer the mother of Salamah alone but became the
mother of all believers, Umm al-Mumineen.

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Dought & clear - evil eye - Correct ruling on one who practices magic or witchcraft .

What is the correct ruling on one who practices magic or witchcraft?
Praise be to Allaah.
Magic in all its forms in haraam according to all divinely-revealed
laws, and there is scholarly consensus that magic and learning magic
are haraam.
Magic goes against that which the Messengers brought and it opposes
the purpose for which the Books were revealed.
Most of the scholars were of the view that the one who practices magic
is a kaafir whom the authorities are obliged to execute.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Sulaymaan did not disbelieve, but the Shayaateen (devils)
disbelieved, teaching men magic…"
[al-Baqarah 2:102]
"but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till
they had said, 'We are for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this
magic from us)'"
[al-Baqarah 2:102]
This proves that that magic is kufr
Most of the Shaafa'i fuqahaa' were of the view that the one who
practices magic is not a kaafir unless he believes that magic is
permitted or he believes something like the people of Babylon
believed, that practicing magic would bring themcloser to the seven
stars [which they used to worship].
This is subject to further debate; there is no evidence to suggest
that (describing the one whopractices magic as a kaafir) is
conditional upon his believing that to be permissible.
The correct view is that the one who practices magic is a kaafir,
whether he believes it tobe haraam or not. Simply doing magic is kufr.
This is the apparentmeaning of the evidence, and there are no other
texts to contradict this.
Once it is proven that a person is guilty of practicing magic, then he
must be killed. This was proven from a group of the Sahaabah, but it
is not for individuals to carry out this hadd punishment without the
command ofthe ruler or his deputy, because carrying out thehadd
punishments without the authority of the ruler may lead to mischief,
and destroy any sense of security in the society, and undermine the
position of the ruler.

Dought & clear - evil eye - Jinn entering human bodies.

In the last few days a controversy has arisen concerning the matter
ofjinn entering human bodies. Some say that this is rationally
impossible, because of the difference in the essences from which they
were created, as man was created from clay and the jinn from fire. It
has also been saidthat the shayaateen (devils) have no power other
than waswaas (insinuating whispers) and that Allaah has not given them
any power over man. And it is said that the recorded tapes that are in
circulation (recordings of jinn supposedly speaking through people)
are no proof of anything. What is your response to all this?
Praise be to Allaah.
The fact that jinn can enter human bodies is proven in the Qur'aan and
Sunnah, and by the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, and by
real-life events. No one disputes this apart from the Mu'tazilah who
give priority to their own rational analysis over the evidence of the
Qur'aan and Sunnah. Wewill mention a little about this below:
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Those who eat Ribaa will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection)
except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan)
leadinghim to insanity. That is because they say: 'Trading is only
like Ribaa'…" [al-Baqarah 2:275]
Al-Qurtubi said in his Tafseer (part 3, p. 355): "This aayah is proof
that those people are wrong who deny that epilepsy is caused by the
jinn andclaim that its causes are only physical, and that the Shaytaan
does not enter people or cause madness."
Ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer (part 1, p. 32), after mentioning the
aayah quoted above: "They will not rise from their graves on the Day
of Resurrection except like the way in which the epileptic rises
duringhis seizure, when he is beaten by the Shaytaan. This is because
they will rise in a very bad state. Ibn 'Abbaas said: the onewho
consumes ribaa willrise on the Day of Resurrection crazy and choking."
According to a saheeh hadeeth narrated by al-Nasaa'i from Abu'l-Yusr,
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray:
"Allaahumma innee a'oodhu bika min al-taraddi wa'l-haram wa'l-gharaq
wa'l-harq, wa a'oodhu bika an yatakhabatani al-shaytaan 'ind al-mawt(
O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from being thrown from a high place,
old age, drowningand burning; and I seek refuge with You from being
beaten by the Shaytaan at the time of death)." Commenting on this
hadeeth in Al-Fayd (part 2, p.148), al-Manaawi said: "[The phrase]
'and I seek refuge with You from being beaten by the Shaytaan at the
time of death' means, lest he should wrestle with me and play with me,
and damage my religious commitment or mental state (at the time of
death) by means of his insinuating whispers which cause people to slip
or lose their minds. The Shaytaan could take control of a person when
he is about to depart this world, and misguide him or stop him from
repenting…"
Ibn Taymiyah (Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 42/276) said:"The fact that jinn can
enter human bodies is proven by the consensusof Ahl al-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 'Those who
eat Ribaa will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except likethe
standing of a person beaten by Shaytaan (Satan) leading him to
insanity. That is because they say: 'Trading is only like Ribaa'…'
[al-Baqarah2:275]. And in as-Saheeh it is narrated that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'The Shaytaan flows
through the son of Adam as the blood flows through his veins.'"
'Abd-Allaah ibn al-ImaamAhmad ibn Hanbal said; "I said to my father,
'There are some people who say that the jinn do not enter the body of
the epileptic.' He said: 'O my son, they are lying; the jinn could
speak through this person.'" Commenting on this, Ibn Qudaamah said:
"What he said is well known, because a person may suffer an epileptic
seizure and speak in a language that no one understands, and his body
may be beaten with blows that would fell a camel, but the epileptic
does not feel them at all, and he is also unaware of the words he is
saying. The epileptic and others maybe dragged about, or the carpet on
which he is sitting may be pulled, and utensils may be moved about
from place to place, and other things may happen. Anyone who witnesses
such a thing will know for sure that the one who is speaking
throughthe person and moving these things is not human." And he said,
may Allaah have mercy on him: "There is no one among the imaams of the
Muslims who denies that jinn may enter the body of the epileptic and
others. Anyone who denies that and claims that Islam denies it is
lying about Islam. There is nothing in the proofs of sharee'ah to show
that it does not happen."
So the fact that jinn may enter human bodies is proven in the Qur'aan
and Sunnah, and by the consensus of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, some
of whose comments we have quoted above.
As regards the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): "but they could
not thus harm anyone except by Allaah's Leave" [al-Baqarah 2:102],
this is undoubtedly a clear indication that the jinn cannot harm
anyone through witchcraft or epilepsy or through any other kind of
disturbance or misguidance, except with the permission of Allaah. As
al-Hasan al-Basri said: "WhomeverAllaah wills, He gives them power
over him, and whomever He does not will, He does not give them power
over him, and they cannot do anything to anyone except with the
permission of Allaah." The Shaytaan (who is the disbelieving jinn) may
gain power over the believers by making them sin and by making them
neglect the remembrance and Tawheed of Allaah and sincerity in
worshipping Him. But he has no power over the righteous slaves of
Allaah, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, My slaves (i.e. thetrue believers of Islamic Monotheism) —
you have no authority over them. And All-Sufficient is your Lord as a
Guardian" [al-Israa' 17:65]
During the Jaahiliyyah the Arabs were well aware of this and mentioned
it in their poetry. For example, the poet al-A'shaa likened his
she-camel's energy tothat of one who was touched by the jinn, and said
that it was the jinn who was giving her her energy.
As regards the causes of epilepsy, Ibn Taymiyah explained (in Majmoo'
al-Fataawa, 19/39) the causes. He said: "When the jinn touch a person
with epilepsy, it may be because of desire or love, just as happens
between one human and another… or it may – as is usually the case – be
because of hatred and punishment, such aswhen a person has harmed them
or they think that he has harmed them deliberately, either by
urinating on them or pouring hot water on them or killing them, even
if the person did that unknowingly. Thereare ignorant and wrongdoing
ones among the jinn who may punish a person more than he deserves, or
they may be playing with him and mistreating him, like foolish people
among mankind."
And I say: the way to save oneself from this is to remember Allaah and
speak His Name at the beginning of all things, as it was reported that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
mention Allaah in many cases, such as when eating, drinking, mounting
his riding-beast, taking off his clothes for any reason, having
intercourse and so on…
As regards treatment (of one whose body has been entered by the jinn),
Ibn Taymiyah said (Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 19/42): "When the jinn attack a
person, they should be told of the rulings of Allaah and His
Messenger, proof should be established against them, and they should
be commanded to do what is good and told not to do what is evil, just
as should be done inthe case of people, as Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning): 'And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger
(to give warning)' [al-Israa' 17:15]." Then he said: "If the jinn does
not leave after being addressed in this manner, then it is permissible
to rebuke him, tell him off, threaten him and curse him, as the
Messenger ofAllaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did
with the Shaytaan when he came with a falling star to throw it in his
face, and the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "I seek refuge with Allaah from you and I curse youwith the
curse of Allaah" – three times. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari).We may also
seek help against the jinn by rememberingAllaah (dhikr) and reciting
Qur'aan, especially Aayat al-Kursi. The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever recites it will remain under the
protection of Allaah and no shaytaan (devil) will be able to approach
him until the morning." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari). And al-Mi'wadhatayn
(the last two soorahs of the Qur'aan) may also be recited.
As for psychiatrists who do not treat the epilepticin the manner
described,they cannot do him any good at all.
This issue may be discussed in much more detail, but what we havesaid
here is sufficient forthose who want to know a little about this
matter, Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.

Dought & clear - evil eye - The effect of sihr on the marital relationship

Can sihr (magic, witchcraft) have an affect on the marital relationship?
The saahir (person who practises sihr) does things by which he affects
people with sihr. Sometimes this is by illusion or making thingsappear
to be something else, as Allaah said concerning the sorcerersof
Pharaoh (interpretation of the meaning):
"and their sticks, by theirmagic, appeared to him as though they moved
fast" [Ta-Ha 20:66]
They do actions that change how things look in people's eyes, so that
they see things other than they really are, as Allaah says in Soorat
al-A'raaf (interpretation of the meaning):
"So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and
struckterror into them, and they displayed a great magic" [al-A'raaf
7:116]
So they do things to bewitch people's eyes, so that they see a rope as
a snake or a stick as a moving snake, when it isnot a snake at all but
only a stick or a rope.
They may also bewitch people in other ways, so that a man becomes
hateful to his wife, or vice versa. They may do this by bewitching
their eyes, or by giving them evil potions which they get from the
shayaateen,or by tying knots on which they blow and pray to the
shayaateen instead of to Allaah, and seek their help in harming
people. So a man may imagine that his wife is not the wife he knows,
and she may appear ugly or hateful tohim, or a wife may imagine that
her husband is not the husband that she knows,and she sees him as
something ugly and terrifying, because of what these criminals have
done. So their sihr may be of two types, one of which involves
illusions and tricking theeyes, so that they do not see things as they
really are.
The other kind includes that which is called al-sarf and al-'atf
(spells aimed at creating hatredor love), which is done by tying knots
and blowing on them, and using potions which they make by
inspirationof the shayaateen. This second kind may make aman love or
hate his wife, or a woman love or hate her husband. It may also affect
a person's relationship with people other than his or her spouse.
Hence Allaah has commanded us to seek refuge with Him from the evil of
those who blow onto knots, and to seek refuge with Him from every
evil.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Morals in the Life and Da‘wah of the Prophets - II

Adhering to Tawheed (Islamic monotheism) does not only apply to deeds
but also to words. Some of the Companions asked the Prophet, , to make
a tree for them that was known as "ThaatAnwaat" so that they could
hang their weapons on it in order toseek its blessings as the
disbelievers used to do. The Prophet, , responded: "By Allaah, you
have said to me the same as the Children of Israel said to Moosa; they
said:{ O Moosa make for us a god just as they havegods { . " [Ahmad
and At-Tirmithi - Hasan Saheeh [
The Prophet, , was asked about soothsayers, and he said: " They know
nothing." [Muslim] Even ifsoothsayers tell the truth once, they add to
it a hundred lies.
The Prophet, , warned us many times about using graves as Masjids
(mosques). Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): } And [He Revealed]
that the masjids are for Allaah, so do not invoke with Allaahanyone. {
[Quran 72:18] Therefore, it is the duty of all people to return in
repentance to Allaah The Almighty, submit themselves to Him, abandon
any form of Shirk , Kufr (disbelief) or devoting any acts of worship
to anything other than Allaah and to believe in Him Alone. People must
also know that Tawheed comes first,as one must give precedence to what
is most important, whether in matters concerning seeking knowledge,
work or Da'wah .
The claims that the disbelievers, polytheists and philosophers have
set the measures and foundations for good morals and that they have
good manners is vain, as what is bred in the bone will come out inthe
flesh. Also, those disbelievers and polytheists will only benefit from
their good deeds in this worldly life, but in the Hereafter they would
embody the verse (what means):
· } And We will regard what they have done of deeds and make them as
dust dispersed. { [Quran 25:23]
· } But those who disbelieved - their deeds are like a mirage in a
lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to
it, he finds it is nothing but finds Allaah before Him, and He will
pay him in full his due; and Allaah is swift in account. { [Quran
24:39]
2- Adhering to Legislation: All ways are blocked except that of the
Prophet, , and it is not permissible, or indeed possible, to become
firmly established with good morals first, then try to interpret
Islamic texts in a way that would suit these morals. Allaah the
Almighty Says (what means): } O you who havebelieved, do not put
[yourselves] before Allaah and His Messenger,but fear Allaah. { [Quran
49:1] In fact, we are required to derive our methodology, principles,
and morals from the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet, , without
permitting ourselves or others to neglect any of the Sharee'ah texts.
In this regard, we have to follow the example of theProphet, , where
we have many proofs. The Prophet, , saw a man walking during
pilgrimage supported by two men, so he asked about him. The people
informed him that he had vowed to go on foot to perform pilgrimage. He
said: "Allaah is not in need of this old man's torturing himself."
Then he told the people: "Order him to ride." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Also, when the Prophet, , saw Abu Israel standing in the sun and not
speaking, he asked the people about him. They said, "He has vowed that
on this day he will keep standing, remain in the sun and keep
silent."' The Prophet, , said: "Let him end his fast, speak, come in
the shade and sit down." [Al-Bukhaari] Sitting in the sun is a burden
that does not bring the person closer to Allaah the Almighty, and
abstaining from speaking is how the previous nations used to fast,
which is not a part of our Sharee'ah . The proof of this is what the
Prophet, , said: "Theone who believes in Allaah and the Day of
Judgment should say something good or remain silent."
Further proof is that when the Prophet, , knew that 'Abdullaah ibn
'Amr was fasting during the daytime and performing voluntary prayers
throughout the night, which made him neglect the rights of his wife,
he said to him: "Fastlike my brother, Daawood, [Prophet David ], who
would fast every other day and never fled from his enemies." [Muslim]
It was also narrated that the Prophet, , said: "Your Lord has a right
over you,and your wife has a rightover you, so give each one his
right." [Al-Bukhaari]
Thus, a person must be just, moderate and careful regarding the
different benefits in life and should maintain a good balance between
them, without excessiveness or negligence. One must also take the
requirements of the bodyand soul into consideration, without aloofness
or committing excess, and should have acomprehensive view of giving
every person his due right.
Another example is when three men went to the houses of the Prophet, ,
asking about his acts of worship. When they were informed about it, it
seemed as if they thought it was insufficient. Therefore, they said,
"How can we compare ourselves to the Prophet when his past and future
sins have been forgiven." Thereupon, one of them said, "I will offer
voluntary prayers throughout the night and never sleep." Anothersaid,
"I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast." The
third said, "I will keep away from women and will never marry." When
the Prophet, , was told about them, he mounted the pulpit and gathered
the people, then he said: "Why are some people saying such and such? I
am the most knowledgeable and mostfearful of Allaah among you, yet I
fast and break my fast, I offer voluntary night prayers and I
sleep,and I marry women. Therefore, the one who does not follow my
Sunnah, is not of my Ummah." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
The path that leads to Allaah the Almighty and the Gardens of Pleasure
isthe way of the Prophet, , that should not be exceeded. This way
should be followed without innovations as the most perfect human is
the Prophet, , and his Sunnah is the praised way that was followed
byhis Companions . The Sunnah is every thing that the Prophet, ,
did,said or approved of. It also includes any characteristic that was
intended as a means of legislation for the Ummah . The one who turns
away from the Sunnah of the Prophet, , should be told as the Prophet,
, said: "The one who refrains from my Sunnah, is not of my Ummah." The
Prophet, , would say: "If someone innovates something that is not in
harmony with the principles ofour religion, that thing is rejected."
[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] It was narrated that the Prophet, , said:
"Every innovation is deviation, and everydeviation is in Hell."
According to Ash-Shaatibi an innovation is an invented way in the
religion that is falsely attributed to the Sharee'ah , even though it
is done with the intention of worshippingAllaah The Almighty.
Innovations are more preferable to Iblees (Satan) than sins, and
theone who does them is among those to whom the evil of their deeds
has been madeattractive, so he considers them good. 'Umar would say,
"Every innovation is a deviation, even if people consider it to be
good." Ibn Mas'ood would say, "Follow and do not innovate as you have
what suffices you. A dhere to the way of the early generations [the
Companions of the Prophet]."
The Companions followed this clear methodology and did notallow any
one to ruin Tawheed or Legislation. 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab for instance,
would kiss the Black Stone and say, "By Allaah, I know that you are
just a stone that can neither harm nor benefit, and I would have never
kissed you if I had not seen the Prophet kissing you." 'Ali dismissed
all the people from the mosque who would tell imaginary and unreal
stories under the pretext of reminding the people and softening their
hearts. Also, when Ibn 'Umar heard a man saying after sneezing,
"Praise be to Allaah andpeace and blessing be upon the Prophet " he
told him, "This isnot what the Prophet taught us. The Prophet said:
'When anyone of you sneezes, he shouldpraise Allaah' but he did not
mention that we should ask for blessings upon him."
When Ibn Mas'ood entered the mosque of Al-Koofah, he saw groupsof
people sitting in circlesand in the middle of eachcircle there was a
pile of stone s and a man standing by each group ordering them to
exalt Allaah The Almighty a hundred times, then to praise Him a
hundred times, and then to glorifyHim a hundred times, andthe people
responded. Ibn Mas'ood said to them, "O people! By Allaah you are
either more guided than the Prophet or you are approaching a
deviation!" They said, "O Abu 'Abdur-Rahmaan! Weonly meant to do good
deeds. " He said, "There are many who want to do good deeds but never
do [as they do not follow the Sunnah of the Prophet ]." [Ad-Daarimi]
Any addition or deletion in acts of worship or behavior that is done
with the intention of drawing closer to Allaah The Almighty, is a
rejected innovation even if the intention was goodas long as this act
does not coincide with the Sharee'ah of Allaah The Almighty.

Dawah in history

From an Islamic perspective, there is absolutely no compulsionon
people to embrace it. People have always entered Islam willingly. The
historical presence of non-Muslim minorities living among Muslims is
evidence of tolerance in Islaam.
Islam spread in the most populated Muslim countries: Indonesia,
Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and within Africa through contact
between the natives and Muslim travellers and merchants, who brought
with them not only goods, but also Islamic values such as straight
dealing, honesty and generosity.
The impact of Muslims upon these communities was tremendous. In
Singapore, near the port where the Arab traders used to land, the
residents say that the natives used to prefer to buy from Muslim
merchants because they expected good treatment and fair prices.
As was the case in most of the areas to which Islam spread, peaceful
and voluntary reversion was far more important than conquest and force
in spreading the faith in Southeast Asia. Almost everywhere in the
islands of the region, trading contacts paved the way for reversion.
Muslim merchants and sailors introduced local peoples to the ideas and
rituals of the new faith and impressed on them how much of the known
world had already been reverted. The first areas to be won to Islam in
the last decades of the 13th century were several small port centres
on the northern coast of Sumatra. From these ports, the religion
spread in the following centuries across the Strait of Malacca to
Malaya.
It is unfair to compare the spreadof Islaam in Asia and Africa with
the spread of Islaam in the West, and blame Muslims for not
effectively promoting their religion in the West. Unlike the modern
western world, the Asians' and Africans' history was free from
hostility and enmity against Muslims, and therefore, their reversion
to Islam was natural and easy.
Could Da'wah Fail?
Allaah will guide, through Da'wah(Islamic propagation), those whoare
worthy and qualified for His Mercy; those who have good hearts and are
sincerely searching for the truth. He will turn away from it those who
do not deserve His mercy; those whochose to divert from His way.
Thisis decreed according to His perfect Wisdom and Knowledge.
The success of Da'wah is guaranteed as a fulfilment of Allaah's
promises; He Says (what means): "… And who is more truthful than
Allaah…" [Quran: 4:87]
1. Allaah promised to make the way for Da'wah easy for Prophet
Muhammad salallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and his followers alike; He Says
(what means): "And We will ease you toward ease." [Quran: 87:8]
2. Allaah also promised to preserve the Quran, His last guidance to
mankind. It is foreverprotected from any sort of distortion, change,
or modification; He Says (what means): "Indeed, it is We who sent down
the message [i.e., the Quran], and indeed, We will be itsguardian."
[Quran: 15:9]
3. Allaah promised to make Da'wah prevail and reach every place on
earth, so that all mankind will be aware that Islaam is the truth from
their Lord; He Says (what means): "We will show them Our signs in the
horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it
is the truth..." [Quran: 41:53]
4.Prophet Muhammad assured us that Islam is the religion of the future
and will spread all over the world when he said: "Indeed, Islam will
reach every place that the day and night reach. There is no house (in
city or desert) on the Earth except that Islam will enter it." [Ahmad]
Due to all of these reasons, Da'wah can never fail; that is whyProphet
Muhammad expectedhis followers to outnumber the followers of other
prophets; He said: "All of the prophets before me were given
(tangible) miracles, due to which, people believed in them. But the
miracle that has been given to me is indeed a revelation that Allaah
revealed to me [i.e., Quran and Sunnah]. So I hope, on the Day
ofJudgement, my followers will outnumber the followers of other
prophets." [Al-Bukhaari]
In order for Da'wah to be effective, the caller must have sincere
intention and, above all, astrong sense of piety. In order toshare
Islam with people, we must develop strong relationships within our
Ummah (Muslim community) to support these efforts with Da'wah
centresand well-written material. Each of us has a gift from Allaah
and we should not ignore our obligation in fear of rejection or
failure, but join together to contribute our talents and resources to
share the gift of Islaam.