Fataawa - , Ruling on accepting New Years’ gifts

Question:
Is it permissible to accept the New Years' gifts such as calendars and
diaries etc. from companies that deal with the company where we work?
These companies give these gifts to all the personnel of the
department where I work.
Fatwa:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, theLord of the Worlds. I testify that
there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is
His Slave and Messenger.
It is permissible for these employees to accept the gifts that are
given to them by the services companies through the company where they
work as thepurpose of these presents is advertising. However, if these
presents are a bribe that is given so that the company giving them may
thereby get something that they do not deserve, it would be
impermissible to accept it.
Allaah Knows best.

Fataawa - , Gifts to an employee from contractors dealing with his company

Question:
According to the Sharee'ah, is it permitted for us to accept gifts
(like calendars, or dairies, or watches, etc.), at the beginning of
every year, from the Contractors who are working for our company (we
award them contracts)? Please advice.
Fatwa:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad
is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalthis mention as well
as that of his family and all his companions.
There is no harm in accepting thementioned gifts at the beginning of
the New Year, but taking the New Year as a festival and celebrating it
is an innovation, and it is imitating the non-Muslims if it is the new
A.D. year, as it is the practise nowadays. However, given that these
calendars and diaries are not associated with the meaning of the
celebration, then they are not included in the prohibition; and they
are considered in general as gifts given at a particular time to
benefit from them for a particular reason related to that time.
Allaah Knows best.

Fataawa - , The ruling on congratulating non-Muslims on their celebrations

Question:
What is the ruling regarding congratulating non-Muslims on their
holidays and celebrations?
Answer:
It is not permissible for the Muslims to congratulate the Christians
for their holidays and celebrations because this would be cooperation
on that which is sin and transgression. Allaah Says(what means): "
…And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin
and aggression… " [Quran 5: 2]. This also leads to repeated visitation
with them, and indicates solicitation of their love and the acceptance
of who they are and their rites. This is not permissible. It is an
obligation onthe Muslim to show them dislike for they oppose Allaah
and ascribe partners and sons to Him.Allaah Says (what means): "You
will not find a people who believein Allaah and the Last Day having
affection for those who oppose Allaah and His Messenger, even if they
were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred…"
[Quran 58:22] He Almight also Says: " There has already been for you
an excellent pattern in Abraham and those with him, when they said to
theirpeople, 'Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever
you worship other thanAllaah. We have denied you, and there has
appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you
believe in Allaah Alone'…" [Quran 60:4]
Allaah 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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Some of the processesthat take place within the body in a matter of seconds

Various extraordinarily complex and flawless processes take place at
the most amazing speeds in every square millimeter of the body injust
a few seconds.
These processes continue uninterrupted every second, with everybreath
we take, even as we sleep, until the end of our lives.
These events that take place, through our Lord's sublime might, do so
uninterruptedly EVERYSECOND IN EVERY ONE of the 100 trillion cells in
the bodies of ALL THE 7 billion people currently living on Earth.
PROTEIN
• Except for reproductive and blood cells, all the cells in the body
manufacture some 2000 proteins every second. This process takes place
in EACH ONE of the 100 TRILLION CELLSOF ALL THE 7 billion people on
Earth.
• The 100 trillion cells in every adult human body form protein chains
by flawlessly organizing some 150,000,000,000,000,000,000 (150
quintillion) amino acids.
• A ribosome can add 20 amino acids per second to a protein chain.
Protein synthesis takes place in an uninterrupted manner every second
in every cell of the 7 billion people on Earth.
• An average 50 million cells form in the body every second, while
another 50 million die. Two million of these are blood cells.
• Enough DNA to fill a library consisting of 100 volumes, containing a
million pages and 3 billion letters, is copied as every cell divides.
Thiswondrous process of division takes place withthe same perfection
in the cells of everyone in the world.
THE BRAIN
• 10 16 processes take place in the brain every second.
• A single nerve cell can carry more than 200,000 pieces of
information at the same time every second.
• There are around 10 billion nerve cells in the brain, communications
between which is established by 100 trillion connections.
• Every brain cell transmits 300 currents a second. And every nerve
cell discharges its responsibility in 1 millisecond (one thousandth of
a second).
• The brain processes 750 million signals, from inside and outside the
body, every second.
• Four billion pieces of information are exchanged between the two
halves of the brain every second.
• All these processes TAKEPLACE EVERY SECOND IN EVERY ONE OF THE 10
BILLION NERVE CELLS IN THE BRAINS OF ALL THE 7 BILLION PEOPLE ON
EARTH.
• The human eye is able to send 10 million bits ofinformation per
second. Everyone in the world possesses this extraordinary capacity.
ATP
• In lifting a glass, the muscle expends some 10 20 energy molecules
(ATP). They also manufacture even more than this.
• 10 million energy molecules (ATP) are constantly manufacturedevery
second in every one of the 100 trillion cells of 7 billion people in
the world.
• The white blood cells in the veins subject 10 billion cells to a
health check in 2 seconds. That health check is carried out in
everyone who hasever lived or is living now.
• The heart circulates all the blood in the body in 60 seconds. It
does this all the time, in all the 7 billion people alive today.
• Five hundred different chemical processes are carried out in a
single liver cell every second. Every liver cell IN ALL THE 7 BILLION
PEOPLE ON EARTH knows these 500 different tasks and carried them all
out flawlessly.
• Whenever food enters the body, microscopic hairs on the cells in the
small intestine reject those parts of the food that are not useful.
The hairs in question do this in a perfectly organized manner in
everyone on Earth every second.
BREATHING
• In order to breathe, planning is carried out in a region the size of
a lentil in the brain stem, every second:
- A first group of cells gives the command for air to be taken in.
- A second group of cells determines the speed and course of
respiration by halting the activity of the first group with a signal.
- A third group of cells goes into action when we need to breathe at a
high rate and acceleratesrespiration by sending a signal to the
abdomen muscles.
• Every time we breathe more than 300 million sacs in the lungs take
air in by opening and closing. These cells and sacs perform the same
function, without exception, every 3 seconds in all 7 BILLION HUMAN
BEINGS.
• Thousands of hormones in the body send reports to specific cells in
a single second. Each hormone makes decisions, communicateswith the
cells, produces the secretions the body needs, determines the right
level and timing of this, and arranges how long these secretions
should last. Millions of hormones in the bodies of all the 7 billion
peopleon Earth carry out the same processes in milliseconds.
• Some 100 billion processes will have taken place in your eyes in the
time it takes to read this sentence. Thesetake place in a little as a
tenth of a second, and are carried out in the eye cells of everyone in
the world.
• Harmful bacteria traveling from the intestines to the liver
aredigested and neutralizedby special cells in less than 0.01 (one one
hundredth) of a second. These are at work in all 7billion people in
the world.
• There are 10 billion capillary vessels in the human body. The
erythrocytes that travel along these vessels carry oxygen to the
cells. An erythrocyte only remainsin a capillary vessel for between 1
and 3 seconds, and then heads for the heart. During thattime it gives
oxygen to the tissues and takes away carbon dioxide. This distribution
process takes place within this flawless system in all the 7 billion
people in the world.
As you read these words,billions of cells in your brain are working to
understand what you read, and controlling theactions of your muscles
and how you breathe. The brain is aware of theprotein production in
your cells, the transportation of oxygen to the cells by erythrocytes,
the images that enter your eye, sounds that reach your ear, what is
happening in your stomach and liver, the watch strappedto your arm and
everything. It responds to and regulates all of these every second.
This magnificent system in the body has worked flawlessly and
immaculately in everyone who has ever lived, and is still workingso
today. There is no doubt that the Creator ofthis magnificent system in
the body is our Almighty Lord Allah and that Almighty Allah has
knowledge and control of this system at every stage and every moment.
Our Lord says in one verse that:
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan
The keys of the Unseen are in His possession. No one knows them but
Him. He knows everything in the land and sea. No leaf falls without
His knowing it. There is no seed in the darkness of the earth, and
nothing moist or drywhich is not in a Clear Book. (Surat al-An'am, 59)

Allah keeps the entire universe and the systems in it under hissimultaneous control

Almighty Allah created the universe from a single point with a huge explosion.
While all other explosions damage the existing order, the 300 billion
galaxies in the universe emerged from zero volume, nothing in other
words, with this explosion, known as the Big Bang.
The Milky Way we live in is just one of these 300 billion galaxies.
There are 250 billion stars in the Milky Way. The Sun is one of these
250 billion stars.
The number of stars, such as the Sun, in the visible universe is 10 24
, a stupendous number, more than a billion timesa billion times a
billion. Allah has created the Earth as a living space within the
boundless universe. We live on a world that occupies almost no place
at all within infinity. In fact, not just our Earth but even our
galaxy occupies a tiny place in the universe. So just imagine how
small a place you yourself occupy in this utterly vast universe.
Every single atom in each of these 10 24 stars is under the control of
Allah at every moment. Every movement, speed, speed of revolution, the
temperatures and distances of and between every planet, every one of
the 10 24 stars and 300 billion galaxies are all determined in the
Sight of Allah and are duly created at every moment. Allah
maintainscountless balances on Earth at every second, without our ever
being aware of them. While a flawless equilibrium is being maintained
in the vastness of space, an extraordinary range of extraordinarily
complex and perfect processes also takes place within a few seconds in
every square millimeters of our bodies. For example;
EVERY SECOND AS YOU WATCH THIS FILM...
About 100 billion processes have taken place in your eyes withina second.
50 million cells in your body have died every second.
50 million new cells havebeen created every second to replace those that die.
10 million bits of information has been sent from your eyes to your
brain every second.
10 million energy molecules, known as Adenosine triphospate, (ATP)
have been produced in all your 100 trillion cells, every single
second.
In addition, these processes have taken place every single second, not
just in your own body, BUT IN THE BODIES OF ALL THE 7 BILLION PEOPLE
LIVING ONEARTH AT THIS MOMENT because each of the 100 trillion cells
in the bodiesof all these 7 billion people is under the control of
Allah at every moment.
Are you at all aware of these events taking place inside and around
you at every single moment?
The balances maintainedat every moment are notonly limited to space
andthe human body;
At the same time, quadrillions of plants, from more than 500,000
species, all make photosynthesis, and oxygen levels are thus arranged
in such a way that organisms can remain alive.
WITHIN THE LAST SECOND THAT JUST PASSED BY…
Two million species of animals and plants on the land, under the
ground and in the depths of the seas continued their lives through
their perfect systems.
100 billion birds from 10,000 species and trillions of fish from
40,000 species have spent that second hunting, migrating or looking
after their young. The digestive and respiratory systems of every
single one have functioned in perfection.Their bones, muscles, eyes,
feet and fins have all performed their tasks just as they should.
For example, this fly has beaten its wings 500 times a second. While
it is impossible for a human being to flap his arms 500 times a
second,the trillions of flies on Earth have beaten their wings 500
times within the second that just passed by.
Insects whose numbers reach extraordinary figures of 10 quintillion
(10,000,000,000,000,000,000), from 1.5 million species, have remained
alive through their countless features such as their delicate insect
antennae, the chemicals they use to communicate, the poisons they
employ for offense and defense andtheir hunting and camouflage
tactics.
It is Almighty and Omniscient Allah, He Who is aware of all things,
Who keeps each one of these systems under His control simultaneously.
While many living thingsin the animal kingdom continue their lives in
a flawless manner, with their numbers more than the human mind could
conceive;
IN EVERY SECOND THAT PASSES BY...
Every photon coming from the Sun has traveled 300,000 kilometers; and
thus colors have formed.
Every second, 16 million tons of water have fallento Earth as rain.
The Sun, which is one of the 250 billion stars in the Milky Way, which
itself is one of the 300 billion galaxies in the universe, has
converted 564 tons of hydrogen into 560 million tons of helium and
thus provided light and heat for the Earth.
Are you at all aware of these events taking place inside and around
you at every moment?
Do you know how many leaves there are on all the trees on Earth?
Or how many atoms there are in every leaf?
Have you ever wonderedhow many grains of sand there are on and inthe world?
Or what the number of raindrops is?
Do you know how many billions of types of animals and plants thereare
in the world?
Or can you know how many people have lived ever since the time of the
Prophet Adam (pbuh), how many are living now, or how manywill live up
until the Day of Reckoning? Is it at all possible for you to knowthe
number of cells in their bodies, or how many proteins are produced in
those cells?
But our Almighty Lord knows all these things we've just counted, and
He knows how many planets and asteroids there are in the vastness of
outer space, how many stars there are, and how many electronsrevolve
around the nuclei of their atoms. Each one of these acts occur by the
leave of Allah, Lord of the worlds.Allah is Omniscient and He knows
all things.
THE GLORIOUS NUMBERS AND DETAILS IN THE HUMAN BODY
• Apart from blood and reproductive cells, all thecells in the body
manufacture some 2000 proteins a second. This process takes place in
EVERY SINGLE ONE of all the 100 trillion cells of ALL the 7 billion
people living today.
• The 100 trillion cells in an adult person's body produce protein
chains that flawlessly organize some 150,000,000,000,000,000,000 (150
quintillion) amino acids every hour. Note this; in order to produce
protein chains, every single one of the 100 trillion cells in the
bodies of 7 billion people organize 150 quintillion amino acids -a
number that the human mind would fail to grasp- every hour.
• During every cell division, DNA, a library that consists of 3
billion letters, 1 million pages and 1000 volumes, is copied. This
wondrous process of division takes place with the same perfection in
the 100 trillion cells of each and every single one of the 7billion
people living in the world.
• A ribosome can add 20 amino acids to a protein chain every second.
Wide-ranging protein synthesis thus takes place uninterruptedly every
second in every single one of the 100 trillion cells of all the people
in the world.
• There are some 10 billion nerve cells in the brain, and
communication betweenthem is established by means of 100 trillion
synapses.
• 4 billion information exchanges take place every second between the
two hemispheres of the brain. The brain deals with 750 million signals
coming from inside and outside the body.
• A single brain cell can transmit more than 200,000 pieces of
information at the same time.
• Do you realize that all these processes TAKE PLACE EVERY SECOND IN
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE 10 BILLION BRAIN CELLS INEVERY SINGLE ONE OF
THE 7 BILLION PEOPLE ON EARTH?
• The white blood cells in the veins subject 10 billion cells in the
body to health checks every 2 seconds. This check-up has taken place
in all thepeople who have ever lived, and is taking placein the 7
billion people currently living today.
• 500 different chemical processes are carried outin a single liver cell.
• With every breath taken, more than 300 million air sacs in the lungs
open and close to admit air into the body. These cells and sacs
carryout the same tasks, without exception, in the bodies of ALL THE 7
BILLION PEOPLE that breathe in, every three seconds.
THE MAGNIFICIENT NUMBERS AND DETAILS IN NATURE
• The heart of the hummingbird, a tiny bird which has far
betterhearing than human beings and can see ultraviolet rays, beats
300-1200 times a minute. And the hearts of all the hummingbirds on
earth beat 300-1200 times every single minute.
• 40,000 bees have to visit 6 million flowers to make 1 kilo of honey.
• The fastest computers in the world can perform 16 billion arithmetic
processes a second. Yet the honey bee can perform 10 trillion
processes in the same time while expending less energy.
• Bacteria provides the oxygen we breathe. Cyanobacteria, algae and
other micro-organisms in the sea give off some 150 billionkilograms of
oxygen intothe air every year.
• A tiny ant has some 500,000 nerve cells. Thanks to this
extraordinary system, ants are able to use very different forms of
communication. They are able to perform many activities, such as
hunting prey, following one another, building nests and fighting
enemies thanks to this special nervous system.
• More snowflakes than can ever be calculated fall from the skies
every year, and each one is different than all the others.
Allah has created systemsthat the human mind cannot fully comprehend,
the details of which have still not been discovered. Billionsof
details have been combined together and provided for people in the
finest and most beautiful way. Man can only live by means of his DNA
being copied every moment, the breath he takes in, the oxygen he
inhales with every breath he takes, his heart that beats every single
moment, the Earththat constantly revolves, the food cycle, the
watercycle, the nitrogen cycle, all the constantly movingatoms and
countless other details.
Thıs is without doubt a very simple matter for Almighty Allah, Who
creates from nothing, Who ordains all things asHe wishes and Who is
mighty enough to createthem as He wishes at anytime.
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
The keys of the Unseen are in His possession. No one knows them but
Him. He knows everything in the land and sea. No leaf falls without
His knowing it. There is no seed in the darkness of the earth, and
nothing moist or drywhich is not in a Clear Book. (Surat al-An'am, 59)
What people who realizethese miracles going on at every moment must do
is to reflect on the greatness of Allah, Lord of the worlds and give
thanks to Him for every blessing and every beauty. Because as we have
been informed in the Qur'an, every person will be called to account
for the blessings bestowed on him when the Day of Reckoning comes.
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
He has given you everything you have asked Him for. If you tried to
number Allah's blessings, you could never count them. Man isindeed
wrongdoing, ungrateful. (Surah Ibrahim, 34)

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Dought & clear - , She became Muslim in secret and feared that her family might harm her, so she broke the fast one day in Ramadan; does she have to make it up?

I embraced Islam recently without my parents' knowledge. If they knew
they would be very angry and wouldcut off my study allowance for
university.Hence I tried to keep thematter secret. But on thethird day
of Ramadan, I had no choice but to go to a meeting at the University,
and after I arrived I found out that they had prepared dinner that
happened tobe one and a half hours before Maghrib. The problem was not
my refusing to eat with them; rather the problem was that my parents
were also present at this meeting without me having any prior
knowledge of that.I thought about the matter very carefully andI was
afraid that they would find out about mebeing Muslim, especially since
they had noticed my recent interest in Islam and my refusal to eat
with them on the three previous days. If they noticed that I would not
eat with themon this night, then they would undoubtedly find out that
I had embraced Islam, and if that happened, the consequences would be
dire. Hence I decided to break the fast on that day. I broke the fast
and I asked Allah to forgive Me and pardon me.
My question is: do I have to make up this day or offer expiation?.
Praise be to Allaah.
We ask Allah, may He be exalted, to reward you immensely and to bestow
His blessings, both apparent and hidden, abundantly upon you and to
grant you beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds. We congratulate
you for the blessing of Islam that Allah has bestowed uponyou and for
your love forIslam and for following its teachings in the manner
prescribed by Allah.
So long as you are afraidof severe consequences for showing your Islam
openly, you are not obliged to show it openly in front of your
parents. Allah will accepta person's Islam even if he does not show it
openly when he is not able to do so. So long as a person has entered
Islam by uttering the twin declaration of faith (Shahaadatayn), he has
to adhere to its teachings as much as he is able to after that,
without causing any trouble for himself that may prevent him from
continuing to follow thisreligion. Allah tells us that the believer
from the family of Pharaoh concealed his faith from Pharaoh and his
people, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning): "And a believing man of Fira'un's (Pharaoh's) family, who
hid his faith said…" [Ghaafir 40:28]. Some of the Sahaabah (Prophet's
Companions) became Muslim in the early days, when the Muslims were in
a weak position in Makkah, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) encouraged them to conceal their Islam for fear of
trouble. One of these people was the great Sahaabi Abu Dharr
al-Ghifaari (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "O Abu Dharr, conceal this
matter and go back to your own land, then when you hear that we have
begun to prevail, come (and join us)."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,3328
As you broke the fast on that day because of yourparents' presence, as
you mention, and your fear of dire consequences if you did not break
the fast, then you are excused for breaking the fast. But you have to
make up that day whenever you are able to do so and areconfident that
no harm will befall you as a result. And you do not have to offer
expiation for that day.
We ask Allah to enable you to do that which pleases Him. - And
Allah Knows the best: -

Dought & clear - , Accepting a gift from a kaafir on the day of his festival

My neighbour is an American Christian, and she and her family brought
me a gift when it was Christmas. I could not refuse the gift, lest she
be offended.
Can I accept this gift, as the Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) accepted gifts from kaafirs?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The basic principle is that it is permissible to accept gifts from
kaafirs,so as to soften their hearts and make Islam attractive to
them, as theProphet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
accepted giftsfrom some of the kaafirs,such as the gift of al-Muqawqis
etc.
Al-Bukhaari gave a chapter in his Saheeh the title of: Accepting gifts
from the mushrikeen. He (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Abu
Hurayrah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, narrating from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "Ibraaheem (peace
be upon him) migrated with Saarah and entereda city in which there
wasa king or a tyrant, and he said: 'Give her Haajar (as a gift).'"
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was given
as a gift a (roast) sheep in which there was poison. Abu Humayd said:
The king of Aylah gave the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) a white mule and a cloak, and wrote to him. And he mentioned
the story of the Jewish woman and her gift of a poisoned sheep to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Secondly:
It is permissible for a Muslim to give gifts to kaafirs and mushriks,
with the aim of softening their hearts towards Islam, especiallyif
they are relatives or neighbours.
'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) gave a hullah (suit) to his
mushrik brother in Makkah, as was narratedby al-Bukhaari (2619).
But it is not permissible to give a kaafir a gift on the day of one of
his festivals, because that is regarded as approving of or
participating in celebration of the false festival.
If the gift is something that will help in celebrating the festival,
such as food, candles and the like, then it is even more haraam, and
some of the scholars are of the view that this is kufr.
Al-Zayla'i said in Tabyeenal-Haqaa'iq (6/228): Giving gifts on the
occasion of Nayrooz and Mahrjaan [two non-Islamic Persian festivals]
is not permissible, i.e., giving gifts on these two days is haraam,
and is in fact kufr. Abu Hafs and Kabeer (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: If a man were to worship Allaah for fifty years, then on
the day of Nayrooz he were to give an egg as a gift to one ofthe
mushrikeen, intending thereby to venerate that day, he would have
committed kufr and his good deeds would be cancelled out. The author
of al-Jaami' al-Asghar said: If he gives a gift to another Muslim on
the day of Nayrooz, not intending thereby to venerate that day, but it
is the habit of some people to give gifts on that day, then this is
not regarded as kufr. But he should not do it on that particular day;
he should do it before or after, so that he will not be imitating
those people. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Whoever imitates a people is one of them."It says
in al-Jaami' al-Asghar: A man bought something on the day of Nayrooz
which he did not buy before that. If he intended thereby to venerate
that day as the mushrikoon venerate it, then he has committed kufr,
but if he wanted toeat or drink or enjoy himself, then he has not
committed kufr. End quote.
It says in al-Taaj wa'l-Ikleel (a Maaliki book – 4/319): Ibn al-Qaasim
regarded it as makrooh to give a gift toa Christian on the occasion of
his festival, or to give palm leaves to a Jew on his festivals. End
quote.
It says in al-Iqnaa', which is a Hanbali book: It is haraam to attend
the festivals of the Jews and Christians and to sellthem things or
give them gifts on the occasion of their festivals.
Moreover it is not permissible for a Muslim to give a gift to another
Muslim because of this festival, as stated above when quoting the
Hanafi view. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: Whoever gives a gift to the Muslims during these festivals
unlike what he usually usually at other times, his gift should notbe
accepted, especially ifthe gift is something that helps in imitating
them, such as giving candles etc at Christmas, or giving eggs, milk
and lambs on Maundy Thursday which comes at the end of their fast
(i.e., the end of Lent). Similarly, no gift should be given to a
Muslim at the time of these festivals because of the festival,
especially if it is something that helps in imitating them, as we have
mentioned. End quote from Iqtida' al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem (1/227).
Thirdly:
With regard to acceptinga gift from a kaafir on the day of his
festival, there is nothing wrong with that, and that is notregarded as
participating in it or approving of it, rather it should be accepted
as anact of kindness, with the aim of softening his heart and calling
him to Islam. Allaah has permitted kindness and fair treatment towards
the kaafir who is not fighting the Muslims, as He says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Allaah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who
fought not against you on account of religion nor drove you out of
your homes. Verily, Allaah loves those who deal with equity"
[al-Mumtahanah 60:8]
But kindness and fair treatment does not mean friendship and love,
because it is not permitted to take a kaafir as a friend or love him.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"You (O Muhammad) willnot find any people whobelieve in Allaah and
theLast Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allaah and His
Messenger (Muhammad), even though they were their fathers or their
sons or their brothers or their kindred (people). For such He has
written Faithin their hearts, and strengthened them with Rooh (proofs,
light and true guidance) from Himself. And He will admit them to
Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow, to dwell therein
(forever). Allaah is pleased with them, and they with Him. They are
the party of Allaah. Verily, it is the party of Allaah that will be
the successful"
[al-Mujaadilah 58:22]
"O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies (i.e.
disbelievers and polytheists) as friends, showing affection towards
them, while they have disbelieved in what has come to you ofthe truth"
[al-Mumtahanah 60:1]
"O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitaanah (advisors,
consultants, protectors, helpers, friends) those outside your religion
(pagans, Jews, Christians,and hypocrites) since they will not fail to
do their best to corrupt you.They desire to harm you severely. Hatred
has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal
is far worse. Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayaat (proofs,
evidences, verses) if you understand"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:118]
"And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire should
touchyou, and you have no protectors other than Allaah, nor you would
then be helped"
[Hood 12:113]
"O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as
Awliyaa'(friends, protectors, helpers), they are but Awliyaa' of each
other. And if any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa'),then surely, he
is one of them. Verily, Allaah guides not those people who are the
Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers and unjust)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:51]
and there is other evidence which indicates that it is haraam to take
a kaafir as a friend or love him.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:As
for accepting a gift from them on the day of their festival, we have
quoted above that 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib was brought a gift on the
occasion of Nayrooz and he accepted it.
Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated that a woman asked 'Aa'ishah: We havesome wet
nurses from among the Magians, andthey have a festival on which they
bring us gifts. She said: As for what is slaughtered for that day, do
not eat it, but eat from their vegetables.
It was narrated from AbuBarzah that he had someMagian neighbours who
used to bring him gifts on the occasion of Nayrooz and Mahrjaan, and
he used to say to hisfamily: Whatever is of fruits, eat it, and
whatever is otherwise, reject it.
All of this indicates that the festival does not make it forbidden to
accept their gifts, rather the ruling is the same whether it is their
festival or not, because that does not involve helping them with the
symbols of their kufr.
Then he pointed out thatmeat slaughtered by a kitaabi (Jew or
Christian)is halaal except that which is slaughtered for their
festivals, which it isnot permissible to eat. He said (may Allaah
havemercy on him): It is only permissible to eat of the food of the
people of the Book, during their festivals that which has not been
slaughtered forthe festival, whether it isbought or received as a
gift. As for meat slaughtered by the Magians, the ruling on that is
well known, and it is haraam according toall. As for that which is
slaughtered by the people of the Book for their festivals and that
which they slaughter as an act of worship to draw close to anything
other than Allaah, as the Muslims offer sacrifices as an act of
worship to draw closer to Allaah, namely as that which they sacrifice
to the Messiah, two views have been narrated from Ahmad concerning
that, the most well known of which in his texts is that it is not
permissible to eat it even if the name of something other than Allaah
has not been mentioned over it. The prohibition on that was narrated
from 'Aa'ishah and 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Umar … End quote from Iqtida'
al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem (1/251).
Conclusion: It is permissible for you to accept the gift from
yourChristian neighbour on the day of their festival, subject to the
following conditions:
1 – This gift should not be meat that has been slaughtered for the festival.
2 – It should not be something that may be used to help in
imitatingthem on the day of their festival, such as candles, eggs,
palm leaves etc.
3 – You should explain toyour children the belief in al-wala'
wa'l-bara' (loyalty and friendship vs. disavowal and enmity), lest a
love of this festival or a fondness for the giver be instilled in
their hearts.
4 – The gift should be accepted with the aim ofsoftening her heart and
calling her to Islam, not with friendship and love.
If the gift is something that it is not permissible to accept, then
the refusal to accept it should be accompanied by an explanation of
why it is being refused, such as saying, "We only refused your gift
because it is meat that was slaughtered for the festival, and it is
not permissible for us to eat it, or these things are only accepted by
those who are taking part in the celebrations, and wedo not celebrate
this festival, because it is not part of our religion, and it involves
beliefs that we do not believe in" and so on, which is a starting
point for calling them to Islam and explaining the danger ofthe kufr
that they follow.
The Muslim should be proud of his religion andapply its rulings, and
he should not give them up out of shyness or to impress anyone, for
Allaah is more deserving of us feeling shy before Him.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

Islamic Stories - , The mother's hand

My mother was visiting, she asked me to go shopping with her because
she needed a new dress. I don't normally like to go shopping and I'm
not a patient person, but we set off for the mall together. We visited
nearly every store that carried ladies' dresses, and my mother tried
on dress after dress, rejecting them all. As theday wore on, I grew
weary.
Finally, at our last stop, my mother tried on a lovely blue
three-piece dress. The blouse had a bow at the neckline, andas I stood
in the dressingroom with her, I watched as she tried, with much
difficulty, to tie the bow. Her hands were so badly crippled from
arthritis that she couldn't do it. Immediately, my impatience gave way
to an overwhelming wave of compassion for her. I turned away to try
and hide the tears that welled up involuntarily. Regaining my
composure, I turned back to tie the bow for her.
Our shopping trip was over, but the event was etched indelibly in my
memory. For the rest of the day, my mind kept returning to that moment
in the dressing room and to the vision of my mother's hands trying to
tie that bow. Those loving hands that had fed me, bathed me, dressed
me, caressed and comforted me, and, most of all, prayed for me, were
now touching me in the most remarkable manner.
Later in the evening, I went to my mother's room, took her hands in
mine, kissed them and, much to her surprise, told her that to me they
were the most beautiful hands in the world.
I can only pray that someday my hands, and my heart, will have earned
such a beauty of their own.

Islamic Stories - , Kindness surely pays back

One day, a poor boy whowas selling goods from door to door to pay his
way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was
hungry.
He decided he would askfor a meal at the next house. However, he lost
his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal
he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought
him alarge glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and thenasked, "How much
do I owe you?"
"You don't owe me anything," she replied."Mother has taught us never
to accept pay for akindness." He said....."Then I thank you from my
heart."
Year's later that young woman became criticallyill. The local doctors
were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called
in a specialist to study her rare disease. After a long struggle,
thebattle was won. Finally business office pass the final bill to
specialist for approval. He looked at it,then wrote something on the
edge and the bill was sent back.
When she got the bill, she feared to open it, forshe was sure it would
take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and
something caught her attention on the side of the bill.
She read these words....."Paid in full with one glass of milk"
(Signed) Dr. Hasan Amin.
Tears of joy flooded her eyes.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

Dua - ,

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ‏‎ -
-To soothe ill children:
-
Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
To soothe ill children
أُعِيذُكَ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطَانٍ
وَهَامَّةٍ وَمِنْكُلِّ عَيْنٍ لَامَّةٍ
To soothe children during illness or at any harm recite:
"I seek refuge in Allah with His total words fromthe evil Satan, from
everypoisonous animal and from the evil eye". (Bukhari)
If any member of ProphetMohammad (SAW.)'s household fell ill, he
usedto recite the the four Qulsand blow on them.
******************************************Dua by an ill person
-
Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
Dua by an ill person
Prophet Mohammad (SAW.) said that if an ill person recites the
following dua forty timesand dies in that illness, he will be rewarded
as a martyr and if he regains his health, all his sins will be
forgiven:
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
"There is none worthy of worship besides You O Allah, You are pure, I
have oppressed my soul".
(Mustadrak)
In another hadith Prophet Mohammad (SAW.) said that if a person
recites the following dua during his illness and dies, then the fire
of Jahannam is forbidden for him.
(Hisnul Hasin from Trimidhi etc)
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ
وَحْدَهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَا
إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ لَا إِلَهَ
إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
"There in none worthy ofworship besides Allah, Heis the greatest.
There is none worthy of worship besides Allah, He is all by Himself.
There is none worthy of worship besides Allah. Hehas no partner with
Him. His is the Kingdom and allPraise. He is the one to grant us the
ability to save ourselves from sinning and to do
good".******************************************When death is eminent
-Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
When death is eminent
Recite:
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالرَّفِيقِ الْأَعْلَى
"O Allah, forgive me and have mercy on me and letme reach the
Companion on high".
(Hisnul Hasin)

MAN AND THE SECRETS OF NEARNESS- Chapter 2 Finding Glorious God's Greatness, Magnificence, and Perfection in Things

Chapter 2
Finding Glorious God's Greatness, Magnificence, and
Perfection in Things
While we struggle to unravel the truth of this secret (perceiving the
Essence of His Being), we lack the words to describe it. How, then,
can it be possible for us to achieve this goal? Namely, to perceive
the Perfection and Glory of His Great and Eternal Being, with all the
deficiencies of comprehension that we must endure.
It is obvious that we can appreciate the station of a Force, only if
at the veryleast, we have an equivalent capacity within ourselves, or
if weknow of its corresponding likeness. Whereas, if we merely ponder
the amount of intelligence and understanding bestowedby Glorious God
from the beginning of the universe up until our age, we shall
experience nothing but perplexity and astonishment.
For example: In order to comprehend, just consider the magnitude of
understanding and intelligence that the Almighty Great Omnipotent
Being has bestowed upon each human being, from the beginning to the
end of the creation of the world.If we were to collect and lump it all
together, it would come to hundreds of billions of tons,
metaphorically speaking. Today's world populationis upwards of four
billion. Suppose that Almighty God has bestowed about an average of
half a kilogram of intelligence and understanding upon each person.
That would make about two billion kilograms, which, when converted to
tons, would come to a rather staggering amount. At the end, we are
plunged into a world of perplexityand astonishment. According to this
standard, if one ponders on what quantity of intelligence and
understanding has been bestowed upon mankind in each century or
generation, from the beginning of the world up to today, it would be
an astonishing and imperceptible issue. One would clearly find out
that, Praise be to God, the Greatness, Perfection,Knowledge and
Understanding of Him Almighty, Whose favors are indiscriminately
abundant, is totally beyond our understanding and perception.
Moreover, if you add the amount of understanding and intelligence of
three other inhabited worlds on our side (i.e., of the Jinn, the
Angels, and the Devils) to that of our world, what would it addup to?
If one considered the five other sides alongwith this side
encompassing eighteen thousand worlds, what could be reached? If one
were to include the animals' instinct as well, what would then be the
outcome, other than perplexity upon perplexity? The case can be
compared to the situation where, for instance, one small ant had the
task, according to its own ability, to do the statistical and
organizing work of the president of a country. Could the ant ever
accomplish such a task? No, never.
Thus man, according to what we have said, is notat all able to
perceive and fathom the Perfection and Force, andeven to estimate the
Plans of His Almighty Being. Therefore, when Khidher was explaining to
Moses while they wereriding on a boat, peace be upon them, the limits
of man's knowledge when compared to Almighty God's, Khidher pointed to
a sparrow. The sparrow perched on the side of the boat, dipped its
beak into the ocean, and then left. Khidher asked Moses: "How much
water did this sparrow take from the ocean by plunging itsbeak into
it?" Moses answered, Compared to the ocean's greatness, consider it
nothing. Khidher replied: Similarly, you can imagine that the total of
all of humanity's knowledge and understanding, from the beginning of
the world until the end, does not amount to a drop from the ocean of
Almighty's Knowledge and Understanding.
Thus the unworthy position of some among the underdeveloped, tempted
by Devils, allows them to show off. Compared to more educated people
or the inhabitants of other globes, however, they are zero plus zero.
Furthermore, there are some people who might possess a limited
knowledge granted to them by the Power of His Glorious Great and
Unique Hand in the science of matter and technology. These
peopleintentionally, unintentionally, and egotistically give
themselves the permission of wishing to reach the Precious World
(Proximity to His Almighty's Presence), without having acquired the
proper means, or reached the proper path. This is illusion, absurdity,
and insanity.
Thus, primarily, we hereby draw your attention to a series of brief
discourses on topicsthat may enlighten as well as explain the
Perfection and Greatness of His Almighty.
Second, we shall try to explain why man does not try to acquire this
fortune, even though he is inclined by nature to acquire it.
Third, we will briefly explain the methods one can use in making that effort.

MAN AND THE SECRETS OF NEARNESS - Chapter 1 MAN AND THE SECRETS OF NEARNESS

Chapter 1
MAN AND THE SECRETS OF NEARNESSPreface
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Translation: "Praise be to God Who hath guided us to this (felicity):
never could we have found Guidance, had it not been for the Guidance
of God." (7:43 Quran)
We do hope that by reading this Epistle, the intellectual faithful ,
will uncover, within the proposed questions, truths which may not be
apparent to them from many readings of the books of the Interpretation
of the Quran and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad .
Hence, before explaining each topic under its own particular heading
within a few limited lines, we are trying, by God's willingness, to
draw the reader's attention to separate headings. One after the other
they will increasingly strengthen your ability to explore the eloquent
secrets of this treasury of Insight into Almighty God. They have been
prepared withthe purpose of fortifying the Light of Faith in the
reader and reaching and discovering the Forth Dimension (The World
invisible to us).

Christmas greating tips - ,

I know Jesus is with you... But I'll also be there for you... Whenever
you need me... Have a blessed Christmas
Thinking of you on Christmas and praying that the Lord keeps you in
his loving care always...
It`s Baby`s first Christmas, what a beautiful sight As he gurgles out
loud in spontaneous delight. As he gazes at the Tree
It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well,
ifany man alive possessed the knowledge.Happy Christmas
Christmas is all about wishing and greeting sparkling future and
alsoabout spreading happiness all over the world.Happy Christmas
Christmas is just around the corner with the beginning of December.
Christmas has its own magical powers to fill our lives with delight.
In the daytime if sun shine so shall Ur expectations come true At
night when moon comes out so shall U receive blesses.Happy Christmas
Somehow, not only 4 Christmas But throughout the days,months and years
The joy that you gave 2 some people Is the joy.Happy Christmas
live nativity, Santa Claus, large binges, great trips, fun movies,
fireworks.. Everything Christmas party.Happy Christmas
Moments will be gone soon and very soon. Add,adjust, modify and be the
best in what you likeand want to do.

Islam's History - , The Battle of Islam at Nahrawan:

After the unsatisfactory conclusion to the Battle of Siffin , Imam Ali
(A.S.) returned with his army back to Kufa on the 13th of Safar 37
A.H. During the march, a group of 12,000 men kept themselves at a
distance from the main part of thearmy.
The group was furious at the way things had ended at Siffin. These
were the Kharjites (Kharjite means one who rebels against religion).
They were the same people who had put down their weapons on the
battlefield. Now they said that Imam Ali (A.S.) had betrayed Islam by
agreeing to the truce andshould have referred judgment to the Holy
Qur'an alone or continued to fight. They demanded that he repentfor
this great sin.
When the army neared Kufa, the Kharjites camped at a village named
Harura. They started saying that all Muslims were equal and nobody
could rule over the other. In this way, they denounced both Imam Ali
(A.S.) and Muawiya and said that their belief was in "La Hukma Illa
Lillah", meaning, "No Ruler ship except by Allah alone."
Imam Ali (A.S.) sent Sasaa Bin Sauhan and Ziad Bin Nazr Harisi in the
company of Ibne Abbas towards them and afterwards himself went to the
place of their stay and tried to explain to them that they were
misunderstanding the words "La Hukma Illa Lillah" , and that in
accepting the arbitration (peace talks) at Siffin, he had not gone
against theteachings of the Holy Qur'an.
He pointed out that they themselves were at fault, because they should
never have laid down their arms and forced him to call back Malike
Ashtar , who was at the point of securing victory. He reminded them
that they had pressed for the arbitration and had forced him to
appoint Abu Musa Ash'ari as their representative. He told them that he
found their present behavior very strange, considering their
involvement in Siffin. To this they admitted that they had sinned but
now they had repented for it and he should do the same.
Imam Ali (A.S.) replied that he was a true believer and did not haveto
repent because he hadnot committed any sin and dispersed them after
discussion.
The Kharjites refused to accept the words of Imam Ali (A.S.) and
awaited the decision of Amr al-Aas and Abu Musa Ash'ari. When they
learnt of the decision they decided to revolt, and they set up their
headquarters at Nahrawan, twelve miles from Baghdad. Some people came
from Basra to join the rebels.
On the other side, after hearing the verdict of Arbitration Imam Ali
(A.S.)rose for fighting the army of Syria and wrote to the Kharijites
that the verdict passed by the twoarbitrators in pursuance of their
heart's wishes instead of the Qur'an andsunnah was not acceptable to
him, that he had therefore decidedto fight with them and they should
support him for crushing the enemy. But the Kharijites gave him this
reply, "When you had agreed to Arbitration in our view you had turned
heretic. Now if you admit your heresy and offer repentance we will
think over this matter and decide what we should do." Imam Ali (A.S.)
understood from their reply that their disobedience and misguidance
had becomevery serious. To entertainany kind of hope from them now was
futile. Consequently, ignoring them he encamped in thevalley of
an-Nukhaylah with a view to marching towards Syria to fight against
Muawiya.
Imam Ali (A.S.) had already started towards Muawiya when he received
the news that they had butchered the governor of Nahrawan namely
Abdullah Ibn Khabbab Ibn al-Aratt and his slave maid with the child in
her womb, and have killed three women of Banu Tayyi and Umm Sinan
as-Saydawiyyah. Imam Ali (A.S.) sent al-Harith Ibn Murrah al-Abdi for
investigation but he too was killed by them. When their rebellion
reached this stage it was necessary to deal with them. There was a
danger that the Kharjites might attack Kufa while Imam Ali (A.S.)and
his men were marching towards Muawiya, so Imam Ali (A.S.) decided to
stop them. He changed his course eastward, crossed the river Tigris
and approached Nahrawan.
On reaching there Imam Ali (A.S.) sent a messengerto the Kharjites
demanding that those people who had murdered innocent Muslims around
their camp should be surrendered. The Kharjites replied that they were
all equally responsible for killing these sinners.
There was some reluctance in the army of Imam Ali (A.S.) to fight the
Kharjites, because they had been their companions against Muawiya at
Siffin. Imam Ali (A.S.) himself did not desire the bloodshed of these
misguided fanatics,so he sent Abu Ayyub al-Ansari with a message of
peace. So he spoke to them aloud, "Whoever comes under this banner or
separates from that party and goes to Kufah or al-Mada'in would get
amnesty and he would not be questioned. As a result of this Farwah Ibn
Nawfal al-Ashja'i said that he did not know why they were at war with
Imam Ali (A.S.). Saying this he separated along with five hundred men.
Similarly group after group began to separate and some of them joined
Imam Ali (A.S.). In the end, only cores of 1,800 die-hards were left
under the command of Abdallah binWahab. These Kharjites swore that
they would fight Imam Ali (A.S.) at any cost.
Nahjul Balagha - Sermon 36/Warning the people of Nahrawan of their fate:
"I am warning you that you will be killed on the bend of this canal
and onthe level of this low area while you will have no clear excuse
before Allah nor any open authority with you. You have come out of
your houses and then divine decree entangled you. I had advised you
against this arbitration but you rejected my advice like adversaries
and opponents till I turned my ideas in the direction of your wishes.
You are a group whose heads are devoid of wit and intelligence. May
you have no father! (Allah's woe be to you!) I have not put you in any
calamity nor wished you harm."
The Kharjites attacked Imam Ali's (A.S.) army with desperate courage.
However, they did not stand a chance against the superior army that
faced them and they were all killed except nine men. These nine
managed to flee to Basra and elsewhere, where they spread the fire of
their hatred and recruited more followers.From Imam Ali's (A.S.) army
only eight persons fell as martyrs. The battle took place on the 9th
Safar, 38 A.H. Two years later, in 40 A.H., it was theKharjites who
sent out three assassins to kill Imam Ali (A.S.), Muawiya and Amr
al-Aas. The lattertwo survived but Imam Ali (A.S.) was martyred
following Ibne Muljam's cowardly attack in the mosque of Kufa.
Having disposed of the Kharjites at Nahrawan, Imam Ali (A.S.) resumed
his march to Syria. However, the chiefs of hisfollowers urged him to
stop at Kufa to let the men rest before the long journey and to enable
the army to repair their weapons and armours. Imam Ali (A.S.) agreed
to this request and camped at Nukhayla outside Kufa.The soldiers were
allowed to leave the camp for a day.
On the next day, hardly any men returned and at length, Imam Ali
(A.S.) entered Kufa and gave a stern sermon to the people. However,
nobodycame forward and finally,Imam Ali (A.S.) turned away from them
in disappointment. The Syrian expedition was abandoned, never to be
resumed.

Story - , Moons Peak [FINISHED]- She's Mine (chapter 16)

I WATCHED SATCHEL SHIFT the sheet - that held the dead wolf - from one
shoulder to the other, as he trudged up the hill leaving me far
behind.
I practically had to run to try to keep up with his long strides.
Despite the fact that he was carrying 200 pounds of dead weight on his
back.
I also noticed the amountof sweat gleaming on his body that he'd
conjured up from our mile hike through the two estates.
Just the way his shoulders rolled in his gait; made him look like he'd
just been from a swim. In any other circumstances, I would have gladly
enjoyed the view.
Especially the way the slick moisture caught the sun so brilliantly,
making his taut muscles gleam with every movement. However, that
wasn't the case at all, since the sight of the thing he was carrying
was a dead carcass of what once wasa live wolf.
A werewolf, or accordingto Satchel, a she-wolf.
We'd been walking for a while now, but I was relieved when I saw the
cemetery come into view a few meters up ahead. I exhaled, trying not
to pant so much.
"Finally, we're nearly there." I breathed dramatically, as if it were
me whom had been bearing the 200 pounds of dead weight on my back.
I heard Satchel chuckle infront of me.
"Come on, it wasn't even that far." He teased in that low sensual
voice I was growing to love. He shot me a backward glance as he said
it, and I noticed a faint smirk on his face. He turned back and kept
walking in frontof him. I rolled my eyes athis back.
"Tell that to my legs." I muttered to no one in particular. His laugh
confirmed he'd heard me, and I found myself smiling. I liked it. I
felt the need to keep talking, just so I could hear more of him.
"So…after we bury this…were-she wolf. Do you wanna maybe have dinner
with me?" He stopped abruptly and turned to me with his eyebrows
raised. He had a curious expression on his face.
"Did you just ask me out?" I bit my lip, and then finally nodded.
"Yeah, I guess I did." I blushed as his eyes scrutinized me. "Is that
a problem?" He shook his head.
"No…just…I've never been asked out from a girl before." I smiled.
"Well…I've never asked a guy out before too. So what do you say?" His
eyes roamed my body, then landed on my lips. I noticed he was closer
now, both of our chests nearly touching. I looked up at him in
earnest. Then his smile spread across his face.
"It's a date." He agreed, he kissed my nose then added, "but from now
onI think it should be a work of a boy to ask the girl out." He walked
ahead, leaving me there smiling like an idiot.
"Fine by me." I said following behind him. Just as we were coming up
to the cemetery, I nearly squealed when I rammed straight into
Satchels back, as he stopped up short. More so at the fact that I'd
just bumped into the dead weight on his back.
I grimaced and wiped the front of my shirt, as ifI'd just gotten it
dirty from merely touching it. Ifrowned, as I watched Satchel's eyes
scan the area. His eyes were on the pine trees to our right, frowning
as if he'd heard something, that I was clearly oblivious about.
I frowned too, following his stare.
"What is it?" His started sniffing and his nose flared a few times in
alarm. He was making menervous.
He settled the sheet down gently at his feet, never taking his eyes
off the pine trees, and I had that awful feeling in my gut dreading
what was about to take place.
I was about to say something until he pegged me with a stare, with his
index finger against his lips in a hushing gesture. I complied,
wondering what the hell was going on.
"Something's out there, I can smell it." He whispered.
I wasn't sure what that something was yet, but by the look on his
face, it was definitely somethingI should be worrying about. Better
yet, the silence was scaring me tono end. I watched Satchelsquare his
shoulders getting in some sort of fighting stance, I guessed.
"Satchel…what's wrong? You're scaring me." I matched his earlier
whispers, and my heart wouldn't slow down. He took my hand and
squeezed it reassuringly.
"Get behind me, and whatever you do, don't look in their eyes." He
hissed low in his throat, and a rumble from his chest purred like a
growling dog warning itsfellow mate not to dare eat from his bowl. His
eyes always stained the forest, using his nose as ifto sniff out the
threat.
The trees answered his call with a loud rumble, and the trees looked
like they shuddered in anticipation. Or was that me?
Satchel backed us away from the dead wolf we'd been carrying for the lasthour.
What I realized too late, was when a pack of dogsmaterialized out from
thepine trees, which kept me from saying a word even to breathe. I
gulped, vaguely aware that my heart rate had picked up rapidly.
There were six of them atthe most. All huddled together, as one big
pack. They wore various colored coats, the color gray was more
dominant.
At least four of them were different shades of grays. The only
distinct thing to tell them apart, were the different color of their
eyes.
The other two were at the far back, sporting thecolors brown. It was
the most terrifying and most beautiful thing I'd ever been alive to
witness.
The front wolf looked like the leader of the pack. I watched it stalk
toward the dead wolf on the ground, and it nudged its cold lifeless
body.
It nudged it twice before letting a whine out of its own. I wanted to
cry just from hearing the animal mourn as it licked the dead wolf's
wounds clean. The whinning voice coming from him was so sad.
His soft ashy fur was shiny, in fact he was the biggest one out of the
lot, but what caught me up short was his gunmetal gray eyes, they were
startling.
Almost as blinding as Satchel's green ones. I blinked, noticing the
wolf had caught me staring at it…and Satchel's words came stumbling
back to me.
Whatever you do, don't look in their eyes.
It all happened so fast. One minute, the wolves were on the ground in
front of us, the next.
They were pouncing in the air, heading for both Satchel and I. Satchel
wasable to dodge the attack, but I wasn't so lucky.
I screamed as one of the wolves took me to the ground, growling so
low,you couldn't mistake the venom in it. It was the wolf with
gun-metal grayeyes.
I squirmed under his weight, as it snarled down at me showing justhow
many sharp teeth it had, knowing with one bite, I'd be a goner.
Satchel, I noticed was surrounded by the rest ofthem, so it was
impossible for him to come to my aid without getting hurt. The way its
teeth were snapping at me made me think I wasn't going to come outof
this alive.
"Satchel!" I cried, as the animal nipped at my throat, but never
piercing my skin.
I was lying on the groundnow, with four hundred pounds of animal on
top of me. I could almost smell death just from the smell of its
breath.
My heart pounding, trying to escape out of my chest. I screamed when I
heard a howl in the distance and then saw Satchel at the corner of my
eyes tear at one of the wolves with his human teeth.
He was trying to fight four against one. Human against beast, he was
outnumbered and outweighed. It was an unfair fight, but Satchel stood
there fighting, while tears I was too shocked to let go held metrapped
between the teeth of an animal.
Satchel, now bloody and ragged crawled toward me trying to distract
the animal, then cursed when he pegged a level stare on it.
"Get away from her." He growled, as his eyes challenged the wolf, but
never once did the wolf flinch.
I don't know what the animal was doing, but I didn't move for fear of
itssharp teeth piercing my skin.
"Satchel…please…help me." I whispered. He gulped, giving me an
apologetic look on my face.
"Willy, listen carefully. Everything's going to be okay. He's not
gonna hurtyou. He's...marking you." I blinked up at the animal, then
back at Satchel. I wasn't quite sure what he meant by marking me as
his, but I knew it wouldn't be good.
I eyed the wolf's teeth and thought better of it, so I kept my gaze on Satchel.
"He's got his teeth hovering over my throat." I whispered. Howcould he
think everything would be okay? He shook his head.
"I know. It's not…he's justmarking you…marking you as his ." He
growled, but stayed where he was.
I realized the wolves had backed off. "She's mine, you hear me!" He
hissed at the animal. But nothing Satchel could saywas good enough.
I squeezed my eyes shut in desperation.
"Satchel…why is he doingthis?" Satchel was still surrounded by the
pack of wolves, so he couldn't crawl any closer.
"He thinks I took something from him. He thinks I killed his mate. The
gray wolf we brought here? He thinks Itook her life, so he's taking
something that belongs…he's taking you from me."
His voice was strained as he said that last statement. I opened my
eyes and pegged them on Satchel, letting my tears fall in submission.
"Do something. Please…" I felt myself getting dragged and Satchel's
figure was getting blurry.
"I can't …I never claimed you yet, you belong to him now…" Was the
last thing I heard him say, as the animal dragged me through the pine
trees.
I must of passed out, because the pine trees faded from my view, and I
could faintly hear my name being shouted in the distance.
"I'll come for you, I swearI'll come for you."