Lying: an Islamic perspective

What is Lying? Lying is the complete opposite of truth. So, anything that is untrue and deliberately intended to mislead another person is a lie. A lie, therefore, can be anything spoken or written that is totally or partially baseless, unreal, made-up, distorted or exaggerated; for example, if someone were to deliberately state that a five foot pole was a ten foot pole, then this would be a lie. Similarly praising someone out of proportion is a form of a lie. Lying: A Disease of the Heart Lying and falsehood are widespread problems and are roots of other problems that occur on an individual and public level. Lies are spoken and writtenin the media and in politics, in business and in personal dealings, by Muslims and non-Muslims alike, although the degree, magnitude and frequencymay vary. Lying is against human nature and physiology, and like any other disease, it has its own unique signs and symptoms. The act of lying produces inner conflicts between various controlcentres of the brain. The momentone begins to lie, his body sends out contradictory signals to cause facial muscle twitching, expansion and contraction of pupils, perspiration, flushing of cheeks, increased blinking of the eye, tremors of the hand, and an increased heart rate. These constitute the basis of lie detector instruments. In addition, certain unconsciously made movements are noticeable in those who lie, like the constant covering of the mouth, touching of the nose, rubbing of the eye, scratching the side of theneck, rubbing the ear, etc. One of the clearest signs is that the liar keeps his palms closed and his eyes in another direction to the person he is lying to, in an attempt to avoid eye to eye contact. A liar is aware of his body’s signals and finds lying easier when nobody can see him, such as when he is on the phone or writing. What are the Motives of a Liar? A liar tells a lie for the purpose of: a) Concealing the truth, as he may be afraid of the truth or its punitive consequences by the lawor certain individuals. b) Cheating and deceiving others and enjoying their misery, as Satan did with Aadam. c) Short-term worldly gains, such as gaining the favours of others or monetary gains. Forms of Lying The worst form of lying is to do so upon Allaah and His Messenger which is to falsely attribute things to them. Allaah Almighty Says in the Quran (what means): "And if he [i.e., Muhammad] had made up about Us some [false] sayings, We would have seized bythe right hand; then We would have cut from him the aorta " [Quran 69:44-46] And (what means): "…And do not conceal testimony, for whoever conceals it – his heart is indeed sinful…." [Quran 2:283] And (what means): "And do not mix the truth with falsehood or conceal the truth while you know[it]." [Quran 2:42] Hypocrites are liars too, because they lie to themselves. Allaah Saysabout them (what means): "In their hearts is disease, so Allaah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie." [Quran 2:10] Allaah also addressed His Messenger Muhammad Saying (what means): "…Allaah knows that you are His Messenger, and Allaah testifies that the hypocrites are liars." [Quran 63: 1] The Quran on Liars Allaah Says (what means): "…Indeed Allaah does not guide one who is a transgressor and a liar." [Quran 40:28] And (what means): "…Indeed, Allaah does not guide he who is aliar and [confirmed] disbeliever." [Quran 39:3] Almighty Allaah also Says (what means): "…The curse of Allaah be upon him if he should be among the liars." [Quran 24:7] The Messenger on Lying and Liars Prophet Muhammad said: “Indeed, truth leads to virtue andvirtue leads to Paradise, and a truthful person continues to speak the truth until he becomes the most truthful person. Lies lead to evil and evil leads to Hell, and a liar continues to lie until heis listed as a high ranking liar before Allaah." [Al-Bukhaari] Yoosuf Ibn 'Abdullaah said that he asked Prophet Muhammad : "O Messenger of Allaah! What do you think is the most dreadful thing for me?" Yoosuf continued: "The Messenger caught hold of his tongue and said: "This." [At-Tirmithi] Bahz Ibn Hakeem related that theMessenger said: "Destruction is for the man who tells lies for the amusement of other people. Destruction is for him." [At-Tirmithi] Sufyaan Ibn Usayd reported that the Messenger said: "The biggest breach of trust is that you tell a thing to your brother who believes it to be true, whereas you have lied to him." [Abu Daawood] Is Lying Ever Justified? There are very few justifications for lying in Islam. The Prophet directed us to tell the truth, even under the harshest circumstances of oppression. However, one may choose not to tell the truth when: * He is being oppressed and thereis a real danger to his life if he speaks the truth. Shaykh As-Sa'di narrated the following story:"A cruel king ordered an innocentvillager present in his court to be executed due to the villager's lack of manners. Hearing this, thevillager began cursing the king in his native language. The king asked his minister, who understood the man's language, to tell him what the man was saying. The wise minister, insteadof telling the truth, told the king that the man was sorry for his conduct and was praising his greatness and pleading for his mercy. The king was affected andtherefore spared the life of the innocent villager." Shaykh As-Sa'di called this: "A lie with wisdom." * To promote harmony between spouses. For example, if one's wife asks him if she is beautiful or if he loves her, there is no harm in answering in the affirmative, even if this is not the case. * While making peace between two quarrelling parties, so that the ordeal would not ignite into something worse. The mediator in such a case may falsely tell oneparty that the other is speaking highly of them. * To make the unbelievers realise the truth. When Prophet Ibraaheem broke all the idols except the largest of them, the unbelievers entered the temple and saw the smashed idols. Ibraaheem had placed the axe in the hand of the chief idol. The disbelievers asked:"Who broke our gods?" He said: "Ask the chief idol, he has the axe." They replied: "Do you not know that he cannot speak or act?" Ibraaheem replied:"This is what I have been telling you, so worship Allaah rather than these stones that cannot harm or profit you." Virtues of Telling the Truth Truthfulness is commanded by Allaah as a part of faith and is an indispensable quality of the believers. It is mentioned in over one hundred places in the Quran. Some examples are when Allaah Almighty Says (what means): "That Allaah may reward the truthful for their truth…" [Quran 33:24] "O you who have believed! Fear Allaah and be with those who aretrue." [Quran 9:119] "O you who have believed! Fear Allaah and speak words of appropriate justice." [Quran 33:70] "The patient, the true, the obedient, those who spend [in the way of Allaah], and those who seek forgiveness before dawn." [Quran 3:17] "The believers are only the ones who have believed in Allaah and His Messenger and then doubt not but strive with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allaah. It is those who are the truthful." [Quran 49:15] It is not necessary to relate any prophetic traditions about the truthfulness of Prophet Muhammad as his whole life was nothing but the epitome of truth. Prophet Muhammad was confirmed as a truthful person even before he became a Prophet. During his prophethood,even his enemies confirmed that he was truthful and trustworthy. Some of the disbelievers would deposit their belongings with him as an indication of their trustin him.

The rights of the husbandupon the wife

The rights of the husband upon his wife are greater than the rights of the wife upon her husband for the simple reason that Allaah, the Almighty, stated in the Glorious Quran what means: “…And due to the wives issimilar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable. But the men have a degree over them [in responsibility and authority]. AndAllaah is Exalted in Might and Wise." [Quran 2: 228] Man is the caretaker of his wife and household. He is responsible for all her affairs. He is responsible for training, directionand discipline if needed. Allaah Almighty Says what means: “Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allaah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth…” [Quran 4:34] It is an essential right of man over his wife to be obeyed so long as his commands do not conflict or contradict the commands of Allaah, the Almighty, Allaah’s Messenger and the general teachings and codes of ethics of Islam. Allaah Almighty Says in the same verse mentioned above (what means): "...But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allaah is ever Exalted and Grand.." [Quran 4:34] A Muslim wife must protect her husband’s secrets, privacies, honor and dignity. She also must protect his wealth, children, finance, belongings and other aspects of his household, as much as possible. Allaah Almighty Says in the same verse (what means): "...So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allaah would have them guard..." [Quran4:34] Allaah's Messenger said: "The wife is the guardian over the house of her husband and his children." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] And, “If I were to command a single person to bow in prostration to another person, I could have commanded a womanto bow down (in obedience and respect, not in worship) to her husband.” [Abu Daawood] Allaah’s Messenger also said: “If a husband calls his wife to his bed, but the latter refused to fulfill the call (for any reason other than a lawful one), which drives the man to become upset with his wife, then angels will curse such a wife until she gets up in the morning.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] He furthermore, said: "Their (husbands') rights over you (wives) is that you do not allow anyone whom they dislike onto your bedding and you do not allow anyone whom they dislike into your house." [At-Tirmithi] The wife must not leave the house except with her husband's permission and approval. She must also lower her gaze, keep her voice low, keep her hands from reaching out to anything evil and keep her tongue from any lewd or foul speech. She also must not harm his parents or near relatives. This is because Allaah Almighty has said (what means): "And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance...." [Quran 33:33] Allaah Almighty also has said (what means): "...Do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech." [Quran 33:32] In another verse, Allaah Sayas (what means): "And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof..." [Quran 24:31] Allaah's Messenger said: "The best woman is the one who when you look at her, you are pleased; when you order her, she obeys; if you are absent from her,she guards herself and your property." [At-Tabarani] An other right of the husband over his wife is that the husband may ask his wife not do something, including, but not limited to voluntary acts of worship, other than obligatory, which cause her to lessen the time that her husband may have to enjoy her. Allaah’s Messenger stated: “A wife is not allowed to observe fast (other than fasting in the month of Ramadhaan, the prescribed, unless she has his permission. She may not allow any one to come into his house, unless he permits.” [At-Tirmithi] Moreover, Allaah’s Messenger placed the satisfaction and pleasure of a husband to be one of the reasons to enable the wife to enter Paradise. At-Tirmithi reported from Umm Salamah, the mother of the believers that Allaah’s Messenger said: “Any woman whose husband dies while he is pleased, happy and satisfied withher (acts, attitudes and behavior) will enter Jannah (Paradise).” These are but few items of the many rights that Islam, the religion of truth, imposes upon those who commit themselves tofollow and practice it as a way of life. We vividly see that such rights, if maintained properly, will lead a society to peace, happiness and tranquility. A husband becomes caring, affectionate, loving and responsible, yet directing and capable of discipline when needed to improve a troublesome situation, regardless of his tender care and love for his wife, so that vise and wickedness will not spread in thesociety. A wife becomes more respected, adored, cared for, highly needed and appreciated if she respects the rights of her husband, and equally given the rights she is entitled for by Islam. In such a coherent way, the religion of truth, goodness, justice, equity, and all fairness coincide with basic requirements of life including harmony between all the members of the society, especially between the husband and the wife .

The rights of the husbandupon the wife

The rights of the husband upon his wife are greater than the rights of the wife upon her husband for the simple reason that Allaah, the Almighty, stated in the Glorious Quran what means: “…And due to the wives issimilar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable. But the men have a degree over them [in responsibility and authority]. AndAllaah is Exalted in Might and Wise." [Quran 2: 228] Man is the caretaker of his wife and household. He is responsible for all her affairs. He is responsible for training, directionand discipline if needed. Allaah Almighty Says what means: “Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allaah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth…” [Quran 4:34] It is an essential right of man over his wife to be obeyed so long as his commands do not conflict or contradict the commands of Allaah, the Almighty, Allaah’s Messenger and the general teachings and codes of ethics of Islam. Allaah Almighty Says in the same verse mentioned above (what means): "...But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allaah is ever Exalted and Grand.." [Quran 4:34] A Muslim wife must protect her husband’s secrets, privacies, honor and dignity. She also must protect his wealth, children, finance, belongings and other aspects of his household, as much as possible. Allaah Almighty Says in the same verse (what means): "...So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allaah would have them guard..." [Quran4:34] Allaah's Messenger said: "The wife is the guardian over the house of her husband and his children." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] And, “If I were to command a single person to bow in prostration to another person, I could have commanded a womanto bow down (in obedience and respect, not in worship) to her husband.” [Abu Daawood] Allaah’s Messenger also said: “If a husband calls his wife to his bed, but the latter refused to fulfill the call (for any reason other than a lawful one), which drives the man to become upset with his wife, then angels will curse such a wife until she gets up in the morning.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] He furthermore, said: "Their (husbands') rights over you (wives) is that you do not allow anyone whom they dislike onto your bedding and you do not allow anyone whom they dislike into your house." [At-Tirmithi] The wife must not leave the house except with her husband's permission and approval. She must also lower her gaze, keep her voice low, keep her hands from reaching out to anything evil and keep her tongue from any lewd or foul speech. She also must not harm his parents or near relatives. This is because Allaah Almighty has said (what means): "And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance...." [Quran 33:33] Allaah Almighty also has said (what means): "...Do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech." [Quran 33:32] In another verse, Allaah Sayas (what means): "And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof..." [Quran 24:31] Allaah's Messenger said: "The best woman is the one who when you look at her, you are pleased; when you order her, she obeys; if you are absent from her,she guards herself and your property." [At-Tabarani] An other right of the husband over his wife is that the husband may ask his wife not do something, including, but not limited to voluntary acts of worship, other than obligatory, which cause her to lessen the time that her husband may have to enjoy her. Allaah’s Messenger stated: “A wife is not allowed to observe fast (other than fasting in the month of Ramadhaan, the prescribed, unless she has his permission. She may not allow any one to come into his house, unless he permits.” [At-Tirmithi] Moreover, Allaah’s Messenger placed the satisfaction and pleasure of a husband to be one of the reasons to enable the wife to enter Paradise. At-Tirmithi reported from Umm Salamah, the mother of the believers that Allaah’s Messenger said: “Any woman whose husband dies while he is pleased, happy and satisfied withher (acts, attitudes and behavior) will enter Jannah (Paradise).” These are but few items of the many rights that Islam, the religion of truth, imposes upon those who commit themselves tofollow and practice it as a way of life. We vividly see that such rights, if maintained properly, will lead a society to peace, happiness and tranquility. A husband becomes caring, affectionate, loving and responsible, yet directing and capable of discipline when needed to improve a troublesome situation, regardless of his tender care and love for his wife, so that vise and wickedness will not spread in thesociety. A wife becomes more respected, adored, cared for, highly needed and appreciated if she respects the rights of her husband, and equally given the rights she is entitled for by Islam. In such a coherent way, the religion of truth, goodness, justice, equity, and all fairness coincide with basic requirements of life including harmony between all the members of the society, especially between the husband and the wife .

Dought & clear - , She makes cards for festivals and sells them – is that permissible

I make handcrafted eid cards as a hobby and a source of income. I would like to know whether it is Bidah to dothis? I have been told that everything is halal unless it has been specifically made haram.Please help as this is the time of year that people buy the cards from me and I really need to know whether I am doing something wrong. Praise be to Allaah. Yes, the basic principle isthat transactions are permitted and allowed, and it is not permissible to describe anything as haraam except with evidence. The ruling on the cards that you make for festivals varies according to the festivalsin question. If they are cards with greetings for the festivals of the kuffaar, such as Christmas, or for festivalsthat are bid’ah (innovation), such as thebirthday of the Prophet (al-Mawlid) or al-Isra’ and al-Mi’raaj, or festivals that involve imitating the kuffaar, such as national holidaysand birthdays, then it is not permissible for you to make them or sell them, and it is not permissible for anyone to buy them, because that implies approval of those festivals that go against Islam, and because it is cooperatingin sin and transgression. But if they are for Islamicfestivals – and there are no Islamic festivals except Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha – then it is permissible for you to make greetings cards forthem, and it is permissible for you to sell them, so long as you make sure to use phrases that are prescribed or permissible according tosharee’ah, such as “May Allaah accept from us and from you” and so on. In the answer to question no. 947 we stated that it is haraam to congratulate the kuffaar on their festivals.In the answer to question no. 782 we stated that it is haraam to sell cards for Christian festivals. In the answer to question no. 50074 wequoted the statement of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas about taking part in the millennium celebrations,in which it was noted that it is not permissible to help the kuffaar in their festivals, and among the ways of helping them that the scholars mentioned are: making clothes, mementoes and cards.” In the answers to questions no. 49014 , 49021 and 36442 you willfind that it is permissibleto offer greetings on theIslamic festivals. And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear - , Do the shayaateen (devils) enter the mosques?

Do the shayaateen (devils) enter the mosques? Praise be to Allaah. There are proven reportsin the Sunnah which indicate that the devils do enter the mosques, because they go into thegaps in the rows and whisper (waswaas) to the individual when he is praying so as to distract him and rob himof proper focus (khushoo‘). Abu Dawood (667)and Ahmad (27552) narrated,in a report that was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Mishkaat (1093), from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Consolidate your rows, make them close together and stand with your necks in line with one another, for by the One in Whose hand is mysoul, I see the devils going into the gaps in the rows as if they are little lambs.” Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (2203) from Abu’l-‘Alaa’ that ‘Uthmaan ibn Abi’l-‘Aas came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allaah, the shaytaan interferes between me and my prayer and my recitation, and he makesme confused. The Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “That is a devil called Khinzab. If you feel that, then seek refuge with Allaah from him and spit drily to your left three times.” He said: I did thatand Allaah took him away from me. Muslim also narrated (542) that Abu’d-Darda’ said: The Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stood up (to pray) and we heard him saying: “I seek refuge with Allaah from you.” Then he said: “I curse you with the curse of Allaah” three times, and he stretched out his hand as if to take something. When he hadfinished praying, we said: O Messenger of Allaah, we heard you saysomething during the prayer that we have not heard you say before, and we saw you stretch out your hand. He said: “The enemy of Allaah, Iblees, came with a brand of fire to throw it in my face… Al-Bukhaari, Muslim and others narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When the call to prayer is given, the Shaytaan runs away breaking wind loudly so that he will not hear the call. Then when the call has ended, he comes but when iqaamah for prayer is given he runs away, then when the iqaamah has ended, he comes back so that he can whisper to the individual, saying: Remember such and such, remember such and such -- about things that he was not thinkingabout, until he confuses the man and he does notknow how many (rak‘ahs) he prayed. These hadeeths and others clearly indicate that the devils do enter the mosques, but when they hear the adhaan they run away to somewhere where they cannot hear the call, then they come back after that and distract a person from his prayer and recitation. And Allah knows best.

Duas - ,

1. When entering the cemetery
-
Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
When entering the cemetry
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمُ يَا أَهْلَ الْقُبُورِ يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَنَا
وَلَكُمْ أَنْتُمُ سَلَفُنَا وَنَحْنُ بِالْأَثَرِ
"Oh inmates of the graves, salaam on you. Allah forgive us and you
all. You left first and we will be coming later".
Or
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمُ أَهْلَ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لَاحِقُونَ
نَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ لَنَا وَلَكُمُ الْعَافِيَةَ
"Oh Muslims residing here, salaams on you, by the will of Allah we
will also be coming to you. We seek safety for us andyou".
(Muslim)/
/
2. When consoling someone
-
Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
When consoling someone
When consoling someone, greet with salaam and say:
إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا أَخَذَ وَلَهُ مَا أَعْطَى وَكُلٌّ عِنْدَهُ بِأَجَلٍ
مُسَمَىً فَلَتَصْبِرْ وَلْتَحْتَسِبْ
"Definitely Allah has taken what belongs to Him. He has given us what
belongs to Him. He has stipulated a time for everyone (which He does
not chance by impatienceor plan). Have patience and hope for reward".
(Bukhari)
Prophet Mohammad's (SAW) action when bittenby a scorpion:
Once a scorpion bit Prophet Mohammad (SAW.) while he was in Salaat. On
completion of the Salaat he said: "Curse be on the scorpion as it does
not leave the person performing Salaatnor anyone else". He thenasked
for water and salt and dissolved that salt in the water. He rubbed the
solution on the wound and kept reciting Surah-al-Kaafiroon, Falaq and
Naas.
(Hisnul Hasin from Tabarani in Al-Sagheer)/
/
3. At the time of fire
-
Prophet (SAW)'s Prayers
At the time of fire
Extiunguish the fire by reciting:
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
The author of Hisnul Hasin says that this is proven.
(Abu Yala and Ibn Al-Sunni)/
:[26.12.2012 - wednesday]
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Story - , Moons Peak [FINISHED]- The Rescue (chapter 19)

A/N: I'm still going over this because I'm sure I left a few plot holes
here and there, but you can still read it. Oh and I split this into two
chapters because it was too long. Enjoy lovelies. :)
----------------------
MY PAWS POUNDED into the earth, kicking up gravel and dirt in my wake,
as I ran through the woods.
I was huffing and puffing, never knowing what direction the woods had
taken me, justas long as I put one paw in front of the other.
If I stopped, I knew my pursuers would gain on me. I couldn't hear them
but that didn't mean theyweren't coming for me. In wolf form, every one
of my senses heightened.I smelt everything before it came into sight:
The pine, the gravel, the stream, the bugs, even trails of humans that
had walked these very woods.
I could smell everything, and it's how I knew I wasgoing in the right
direction.
I'd covered at least forty miles in least than half hour, without
stopping. I didn't want to take my chances. Rest wasn't a given luxury
for me, and judging from the distant howls, I knew they were looking for
me. Panting, Icame to an abrupt halt infront of a stream. I looked left
and right to see if it had any signs of a makeshift bridge, or stones
that would make it easier to cross, but to no avail.
Giving up, I decided to enter the shallow part of the stream, letting
water splash my coat every timemy paws hit the water. Half way in, I had
to slow my pace a bit when I'd misjudged the level of the water on this
side, when it neared my torso.
In any other situation, I would have thought this was gross, but being
in wolf form, my human selfwas fast asleep. I took a swig of the water,
realizing I hadn't had something to drink in over an hour.
Luckily, it was fresh spring water, so I let my tongue lap at it for a
while to satisfy my thirst. I was nearly afraid of the water level
rising to my neck, and I'd be forced toswim, but then my paws hit the
slushy surface of the bank and I was safelyacross the stream.
I shook my fur letting water fling to the sides, and I resumed my
marathon. Running and panting letting pine treesfly by in a blur. I was
vaguely aware of my stomach growling, demanding sustenance.
However, I decided I'd ignore it for a little while longer, swallowing
it down as I'd done in the last hour or two. All I was worried about was
gaining a good head start from my captives, trying to put as much
distance between us as I can.
I must have been runningfor five hours now, and my inner wolf refused to
go any further, especiallywithout any sustenance to replace what I'd
just burned off. I needed to hunt.
My nostrils twitched when they picked up a scent. My superhuman hearing
was on alert now, as my ears swiveledand I could make out movement to my
nearest right.
Deer . I don't know how I knew that, but somehow I did. I stalked
silently toward my prey, hoping it would be big enough to devour. I
wanted to smile, though my wolf form settled for poking my tongue and
huffed when I spotted it in the clearing. It was indeed a deer.
Minding its own business in the woods, but so was I - and my business
was possibly devouring that juicy meat into bone in the next minute or
two.
I shuddered as I thought about it, but my inner wolf had taken over, and
my stomach couldn't holdout much longer until it had something to
satisfy the hunger pangs.
I stalked closer, and as I was about to approach, I froze when a loud
sound ricocheted the forest making birds flee from the treetops.
And…there goes dinner.
The deer shot right on target. A bull's eye if you will - as it flopped
to the ground. I almost snarled having to have my dinnersnatched away
from me. Ilet my wet muzzle sniff out the threat.
Humans.
They weren't too far from where I was. A twig cracked underneath me as I
heard the sounds of hooting and hollering, asthey collected their kill.
I was in a safe enough distance that they wouldn't spot me. I refrained
from snarling at the two idiots that sought out their kill like aprized
possession.
I tilted my head. I could do with dessert . I shook my head. No. Just
the deer.
It was my kill and my primary target. I eyed thetwo jocks that had their
backs face to me. So I started toward them, stalking them like prey, but
my eye was solely on the deer.
Just as I thought I was closer enough to zoom inon my targets, a second
shot ricocheted through the forest on the left side of me.
I failed to count a third person, and the sting in my side slowly
registeredas I let out a loud howl ofpain. The two jocks twisted their
heads around in my direction and bugged their eyes out of their sockets.
I flopped down to the right side, and hit the ground with one big thump.
I was vaguely aware there were more of them out there, but myeyes were
strictly on my target, and I needed to eat. I had been stupid enough to
let my guard down, and now wounded because of it.
"Shit! Where did that come from?" The jock that had turned around looked familiar.
Blonde hair spiked in every direction, broad shoulders, squared off chin
and sky blue eyes.
"Peter, I told you to watch your back when you're out here." It was
awoman I knew all too well.
It was Grams …who just so happen to be holding a shotgun and a
highlighter vest.
Her silvery hair was tied up in her accustom chignon, and a lavender
dress suit under her vest. Not your typical shootingrange outfit, but
Grams was anything but superficial, and she had to look elegant and
smartin any given situation.
She smiled down at me with her icy grey eyes, aiming the gun right on
me.
"Well, look at what we have here." She crooned, and knelt down to get a better look.
I howled, similar to the howl I'd caused Trench tocry, but mine was a
little pitchier.
My muzzle hit the gravel hard as I struggled to get up, but my wound
stung whenever I decided to move, and I fell limp to the ground, My
shallow breaths sounded eerie in comparison.
I huffed, tasting dirt and pine in my mouth as the wound stung like salt
rubbed in open flesh. I letmy honey colored eyes roam over my Grams and
a smile crept on her face, lighting up her blue-greyeyes.
"Wow, you took the sucker down like a pro." The other person was saying.
I didn't recognize his voice, but his hair was red, and his eyes hazel
brown eyes were still in shock. I blinked slowly, watching the blonde
guy approach with a twin gun on his shoulder.
He was dressed in army green shorts, and a whiteTee, with the same
highlighted vest as my Grams. I watched him turn around and let his dull
eyes survey my wounds. He whistled low.
"Damn, Grams you hit thisone good." I refrained from snarling at him, when I noticed it was Peter Maverick. My ex-boyfriend.
I remembered he always used to brag on about going hunting, and that
he'd wanted to do it for kicks and giggles. I always thought he was full
of it, but now seeing it in front of my eyes.
I couldn't decide who outof the two were the monsters. My ex-boyfriend
or my Grams. The red-head seemed a little sympathetic, so I excluded
him.
"She'll make a nice coat, what d'you think?" Peter smirked, with a perverse glare in his eyes looking my white fur over.
Grams looked me over in disgust.
"Put it in the trunk." She said finally, and flicked the gun to make Peter move. He pegged a level stare on his mate and urged him to help. Red-head shook his head.
"Come on, man! What's the deal? Get your ass over here and give me a
hand!" Red-head shook his head and glanced from me to Peter.
"I'm sorry man, but this is...I'm out of here." He dropped his shotgun
andretreated, disappearing in the brush. Peter growled.
"Damn pussy!" He muttered, and stalked toward me.
I growled, as he approached me, and it made his hair stand up on his
arms. Get away from me! I hissed. Of course, he couldn't hear what I was
saying, but my growl should have translated it for him.
"She's a feisty one too." He countered, as he took another step toward me. You have no idea. I growled again, and he froze.
Even I was astonished at the venom in my growl, and it was louder. More
animal than I've ever heard. Who's the pussy now. I thought. He stepped
back, grabbing for his weapon when a louder growl sounded…
Wait a minute. That wasn't me. I hadn't even opened my mouth this time.
Both Grams and Peter had moved back, eyes wide with shock as they cast a
glance far behind me.
The growl sounded again, and this time it sounded familiar, makingthe
rumble echo in the distance. Grams had her gun steady in her hand, and
she cocked it back and pulled the trigger.
When nothing happened except the click of a dud, both of their eyes were
wide with horror, even more so apparently whenPeter done the exact same
with his gun.
That was stupid of them. No back up bullets? What kind of hunters were
they? That's when I saw itas I watched a black figure leap in the air,
andglide over me in one swift move, landing inches in front of me.
I noticed his scent immediately and it had Satchel all over it.
His throat rumbled again,to warn them off, snapping his jaws
continuously in front of Grams and Peter's faces, to the point where
goulash was flicking out of his mouth.
Peter was a fool to have made a subtle move, if there was anything I had
learned in my short hoursof being a wolf, is that subtle movement will
trigger our instincts to attack, that and looking in our eyes.
In less than two seconds, Black wolf had Peter on the ground, beneath
his big paws.
I watched Peter squirm underneath the black wolf, and as my eyes blinked
slowly, black wolf glanced back at me. His green eyes glowing, relishing
me in his hypnotic gaze.
Willy…? His wolf eyes full with disdain.
I whined, as the pain wasgetting worst in my side, blood seeping out, I
could even smell it. Peter tried to struggle free, taking advantage of
the distraction, but Satchel growled as he pinned him back down, holding
him down with a huge black paw.
His eyes on my Grams who'd figured out that she no longer wanted to
stick around to find out her fate. He was growling viciously at her,and
he wanted her blood.
No! Not my grams. Satchelwhipped his head around to me, and huffed.
Despite my gramsshooting me, she was all Iever had that I could call
family.
I wasn't going to give herthe satisfaction of dying, no. And I didn't
want thaton Satchel's conscience either.
I watched Grams run toward the carriage they'd brought in - though I
wouldn't have aclue how they'd managed that – and cut off the tie that
linked the horse to the carriage. To my astonishment, he let her go, and
in one swift move, she jumped on thehorses back, letting the woods
swallow her up whole as the sound of galloping hooves disappeared.
I whined again, as more blood seeped from my wound, and Satchel had his
eyes back on me.
This time, Peter had gotten a hold of a knife and stabbed it into
Satchel's front leg, it didn't stick in for long, but it must have hurt
like hell.
Satchel howled, and somehow Peter thought it would be better if he kept
stabbing, but he'd tried to aim for Satchel's side but he didn't get
thechance to as Satchel's teeth instantly sunk into Peter's flesh, right
on his throat.
Peter screamed, and writhed under his weightbut to no avail. He was dead
before he could blink; it was fast, and gruesome. I don't think Satchel
himself knew what he'd just done.
As I said before our animal instincts kick in tooverdrive and we have no
control over it- in Satchel's case, he was defending himself.
But I knew he regretted it as soon he stared downat the lifeless body
that was once my ex-boyfriend. He let his tongue glide over his muzzle,
to clean off the blood, but he was still staring down at the body.
I whined again, for my wound, and for Peter having to die like
that...but then I thought about it, and I was glad that Satchel was
still standing.
Satchel had long forgotten the boy, and came to my aid.
He slowly approached me, letting out a whine of his own, as he nudged my
head with his muzzle a few times. I blinked up at his green eyes, slowly
giving out a huff of my own.
You came for me . I thought, pointedly staring at him with glee. He
nodded nudging my head, nestling further into my neck. Ruffling myfur.
His whine only got louderas he sought out my stomach and started licking
my wound. A stinging sensation crawled up my spine, as his tongue lapped
at my stomach. I breathed in shallow gasps, it hurt so badly.
Change back. Was all he said, I don't think I had the energy for it so I
shook my head. He nudged me again, lickingmy face this time trying to
get me up I assumed. His whine was constant.
It was the closest thing I've heard to him crying.
My breathing was ragged, and I let myself lay there in defeat. Blinking
slowly up into his eyes. His eyes pained, and lowered to the ground. I
could still hear his whining, so I licked his muzzle.
I'm okay. I just need to sleep it off. I let my eyes close, but he kept
pushing his head into mybody with his muzzle, refusing to let me sleep.
Willy, you can't leave… I only just got you back.
I licked him again, noticing my honey coloured eyes reflected off his
green ones.
I just need sleep. I reassured him. He sat on his haunches and let his
head fall back to let out ahowl. The sound of mourning came with every
tenor, and it called to me like no other.
The tremor in his howl was different to Trench's where his howl had
forced my begging's, Satchels' somehow made it seem like it was a
summoning. I felt compelled to his howl, at home with his voice, and it
numbed the pain of myshot wound. For a while. I whined again as his howl
faded, and looked down at me in sorrow.
Don't leave me again. He whined, as he rested his head on my neck.
---------------
A/N: Keep calm, the next chapter is up already :)

The meaning of the name of Allah “al-Jabbaar”.

What is the meaning of the name of Allah "al-Jabbaar"?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The name "al-Jabbaar (the Compeller, the Omnipotent)" has three
meanings:
1.
Might in the sense of power. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is
al-Jabbaar, the One Who compels the tyrants and overwhelms them by His
power and might. Every tyrant, no matter how powerful he is, is
subjectto the power of Allah, and his power is in His hand.
2.
Might in the sense of mercy. He, may He be glorified, helps the weakby
making him independent and giving him strength; He helps the one who is
fragile and scared by giving him safety; He helps the broken-hearted by
removing that which causes their grief, bringing relief and bestowing
peace of mind - as well as the reward and good consequences they will
attain if they bear that patiently for His sake.
3.
Might in the sense of sublime greatness. He, may He be glorified, is far
above His creation, yet despite His being exalted, He is close to them
and hears all that they say and sees all thatthey do, and He knows what
they are thinking.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him)
Fataawa al-'Aqeedah (p. 56).

Names and Attributes of Allah - , Ruling on giving thetitle Sayyiduna to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and calling people by the names of Allah.

What is the ruling on giving the title Sayyiduna to Prophet Muhammad
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and to the righteous close
friends of Allah (awliya')? What is the ruling on calling people by the
beautiful names of Allah such as al-Baseer, al-'Azeez and so on?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Giving the title Sayyiduna to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) is right and proper,because he is the master (sayyid) of
the sons of Adam, and it is proven that he (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said: "I am the master (sayyid) of the sons of Adam and no
boast." He is the master of mankind and the Messengers. So if a man says
Sayyiduna Muhammad, and: Allahumma salli 'ala Sayyiduna Muhammad (O
Allah, send blessings upon our master Muhammad), there is nothing wrong
with that. He is the master (Sayyid) of the sons of Adam and the master
of mankind.
He only disliked that from people during his lifetime because he feared
that they might exaggerate. So when they said, You are our master
(sayyid), he said: "Al-Sayyid is Allah, may He be blessed and exalted,"
so as to block the means (that might lead to exaggeration), ashe was
afraid that they might exaggerate about him (blessings and peaceof Allah
be upon him). But after he died (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him), and as he told us that he is the master (sayyid) of the sons of
Adam, there is nothing wrong with saying Sayyiduna (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him). So he is the best of us, and our master (sayyid),
and our leader (imam), and he is a close friend of theMost Merciful
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
With regard to other people, it is better not tosay Sayyiduna or to
address them as such, but if it is said that so and so is their sayyid,
meaning their leader or ruler or the head of the tribe, there is nothing
wrong with that. It is like what the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said to his grandson al-Hasan: "This son of mine is a
sayyid (master)" and he said: "Who is the sayyid of such and such a
tribe?" And he said to the Companions on the day Sa'd ibn Mu 'aadh came
to pass judgement on Banu Qurayzah: "Stand up to greet your sayyid."So
there is nothing wrong with it.
But one should not say "Ya Sayyiduna (O our master)"; it is better not
to say it because the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "Al-Sayyid is Allah, may He be blessed and exalted," and
because this may lead to arrogance or exaggeration if it is said to
another human being.
So it is better to address people as "our brother" or "Abu So and so",
and this is sufficient. But there is nothing wrong with saying it in
some contexts, such as the following: saying "Who is the sayyid of such
and such a tribe?"; or "This (person) is a sayyid" because he is
descendedfrom the family of the Prophet, or because he is a faqeeh or a
scholar or noble in and of himself and in his attitude and actions, or
because he is generous -- in such cases, there is nothing wrong with it.
But if there is the fear that calling him sayyid may make him become
big-headed or think too highly of himself, then it should not be done.
This word should not be used for a kaafir or hypocrite or sinner; rather
it should only be said to a senior Shaykh or a leading faqeeh or scholar
who is known to be righteous, good, forbearing, virtuous andgenerous.
If such people are called sayyid, there is nothing wrong with it, but
with regard to addressing them as "Ya Sayyiduna", it is better not to do
that. But if an immoral person or hypocrite is the leader of his people,
there is nothing wrong with addressing him by saying "Ya sayyid Bani
Fulaan (O leader of the tribe of So and so").
With regard to the second part of the question, the names of the Lord,
may He be exalted, are of two types:
Those which it is permitted to call people by and those which it is not
permitted to call people by. So one cannot be called Khallaaq (Creator)
or Razzaaq (Provider) or Rabb al-'Aalameen (Lord of the Worlds), but
thereis nothing wrong with names such as 'Azeez (strong) or Baseer
(seeing). Allah called some of His creation by such names, for
example(interpretation of the meanings):
"so We made him [man] hearer and seer"
[al-Insaan 76:2]
"The wife of Al‑'Azeez said…"
[Yoosuf 12:51].
These names may be given to created beings, e.g. 'azeez qawmihi (leader
of his people), baseer bi'l-umoor (having insight into things), baseer
(referring to one who can see, as opposed to one who is blind), and
hakeem meaning wise. There is nothing wrong with these names, because
they are common between Allah and created beings.
But Allah has the most perfect level of these attributes. But names that
can only belong to Allah should not be given to anyone other than Allah,
so a human being cannot be called Allah or al-Rahmaan (theMost Merciful)
or al-Khallaaq (the Creator) or al-Razzaaq (the Provider) or Khaaliq
al-Khalq (the creator of creation) or other similar names that can only
be given to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.

Names and Attributes of Allah - , What is meant by profaning the names of Allah and types of profanation

What is meant by profaning the names of Allah, may He be exalted?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars have mentioned different types of profaning the names of
Allah, may He be exalted, all of which involve distorting the meaning in
a way other than the way it should be understood. There are several
types:
1.
Denying any of His names or the attribute to which a name refers. For
example: those who deny that the name ar-Rahmaan (the Most Gracious) is
one of the names of Allah, may He be exalted, as the peopleof the
Jaahiliyyah did.
Or they may affirm the name but deny the attribute to which it refers,
as some of the innovators said that Allah, may He be exalted,is Merciful
without mercy, All-Hearing without hearing.
2.
Calling Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, by a name by which He
did not call Himself.
The reason why this is profanation is that the names of Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted,are limited to what is mentioned in the texts of
the Qur'an and Sunnah, and it is not permissible for anyone to call
Allah, may He be exalted, by a name by which He did not call Himself.
This comes under the heading of speaking about Allah without knowledge,
andtransgressing against the rights of Allah, may He be glorified and
exalted. This is what some of the philosophers did, when they called God
the primary cause, and as the Christians did when they called Allah, may
He be exalted, the Father, and so on.
3.
Believing that these names refer to attributesof created beings, and
hence thinking that this points to likening Allah to His creation.
The reason why this is profanation is that the one who believes that the
names of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, point to likening Allah
to His creation has misinterpreted them anddistorted them from the
correct meaning. He has understood the words ofAllah and the words of
His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) as pointing
tokufr (disbelief), because likening Allah to His creation is kufr, as
it is a rejection of the words (interpretation of the meaning): "There
is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer"
[ash-Shoora42:11] and "Do you know of any who is similar to Him?"
[Maryam19:65]. Na'eem ibn Hammaad al-Khuzaa'i, the shaykh of al-Bukhaari
(may Allah have mercy on them both) said: The one who likens Allah to
His creation has committed an act of kufr, and the one who denies any
attribute that Allah has ascribed to Himself has committed an act of
kufr; there is nothing in the attributes that Allah has ascribed to
himself that is similar to the attributes of His creation.
4.
Deriving names of idols from the names of Allah, may He be exalted, such
as deriving the name al-Laat from al-Ilaah (theGod), and al-'Uzza from
al-'Azeez (the Almighty) and Manaat from al-Mannaan (the Benefactor).
End quote.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him)
Fataawa al-'Aqeedah, p. 44

The signs in the heavens and on the earth

Assume that you set up a big cityby bringing millions of Legos together.
Let there be in this cityskyscrapers, twisting roads, railway stations,
airports, shopping malls, subways and also rivers, lakes, forests and a
beach. Let there also be living in it thousands of people wandering in
its streets, sitting in their homes and working in their offices. Take
every detail into account. Even the traffic lights, box offices, and the
signboards at the bus stations.
If someone came up to you and said that all the Legos of this city,
which you had founded by planning it right down to the smallest detail,
and each piece of which you had picked up withgreat pains, had been
brought together by coincidence to produce this city, what would you
think of the mental state of that person?
Now, go back to the city you have built and consider that the whole city
would be leveled to the ground if you had forgotten to put into place
even a single Lego, or changed its place. Can you imagine what great
balance and order you have had to establish?
Life in the world where we live isalso made possible by the accumulation
of such a great number of details incomprehensible to the human mind.
The absence of even one of these details might mean the end of life on
the earth.
Everything, every detail from the atom, the smallest unit of matter, to
the galaxies harboring billions of stars, from the moon, an inseparable
adjunct of the world, to the solar system, all work in a perfect harmony
. This well-organized system runs flawlessly, just like a watch. People
are so confident that thisbillions-of-years-old system will go on
functioning without leaving out even the smallest detail that they can
freely make plans about something they think will be realized in the
next 10 years. No one is worried about whether the sun will rise the
next day. A great majority of people do not think about 'whether the
world may ever chance to break free from the gravitation of the sun and
start to move towards the unknown in the pitch-dark space'; or ask 'What
keeps this from happening?'
In the same manner, when people are about to sleep, they are very
confident that their hearts or respiratory systems will not relax as
their brains do. However, even a few seconds' halt in any one of these
two vitalsystems may well cause results that will cost one's life.
When the 'glasses of familiarity' which surround the whole of lifeand
cause every event to be assessed as if 'it is taking place in its
natural course' are taken off, one is free to see that everything is
made up of such closely interdependent, meticulously planned systems
that it is as if we were hanging on to life by the skin of our teeth.
You notice an excellent order prevailing in every spot you turn your
eyes on. Certainly, there is a great power that creates such an order
and harmony. The possessor of this great power is God, Who
createdeverything out of nothing. In a verse of the Qur'an, it is said:
He Who has created seven heavens in full harmony with one another: no
incongruity will you see in the creation of the Most Gracious. And turn
your vision (upon it) once more: can you see any flaw? Yea, turn your
vision (upon it) again and yet again: (and every time) your vision will
fall back upon you, dazzled and truly defeated. (Surat al-Mulk, 3-4)
When we look at the living beings in the heavens, on the earth and in
all that lies between them, we see that theyall prove the existence of
their Creator in their own right. So I suggest we all take a moment to
reflect on the natural phenomena and living beings that every one sees,
yet never thinks about, and how they havecome into being and continue
their existence. If we were to write down all the signs of God in the
universe, they would fill many thousands of volumes of encyclopedias.
For God Exists.
To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth and He is
known through reason.

Good or evil?

Good and evil are concepts which people talk and think about the most
throughout their lives. Some people endeavor "to be a good person" and
"to protect himself and his loved ones from bad people and behavior."
This effort shown to avoid evil is, of course, very important. However,
many people who endeavor in this direction may not have actually thought
how close evil is to them because people who do not live according to
the moral values of the Qur'an determine good and evil in terms of
theirown beliefs, thoughts, worldview and sociocultural tendencies.On
the contrary, the source from which we can truly learn what good and
evil is, is the Qur'an and the sunna of the our Prophet (saas). Allah
sent the Qur'an to people to reveal right and wrong and to bring them
from the darkness to the light. What good and evil is, and the reasons
that lead a person to evil are revealed in the Qur'an. In one verse it
is revealed:
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
"Or do those who perpetrate evil deeds suppose that We will make them
like those who have faith and do right actions, so that their lives and
deaths will be the same? How bad their judgement is!" (Surat
al-Jathiyya, 21)
Good?
The Real Good Revealed in the Qur'an is the Attitudes of Those Who Fear
Allah and Abide by His Commands
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
"... Rather devoutness is possessed by those who have fear of Allah...."
(Surat al-Baqara, 189)
A person who fears Allahacts according the good pleasure of Allah and
themoral values of the Qur'an in every situationhe or she faces, and so
does good deeds throughout his or her life. Knowing that every incident
occurs by Allah'sleave and command, considering everything in terms of
goodness and wisdom, thinking that every deed, hidden or open, will be
faced in the Hereafter lead the individual to always think rightly and
do good deeds.
Good Deeds Erase Bad Deeds
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
"…Good actions eradicate bad actions. This is a reminder for people who
pay heed." (Surah Hud, 114)
For as long as they are determined about displaying good moral values,
Allah will take fear and sorrow out of the lives of His servants,
forgive their bad deeds and respond to them with the best of their
deeds:
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
"As for those who have faith and do right actions, We will erase their
bad actions from them, and recompense them for the best of what they
did." (Surat Al-'Ankabut, 7)
Those Who Follow Allah'sTrue Path Will Attain Salvation
People leading a good life, avoiding secret pains depend on their own
behavior. Allah showed people the way to be happy and to get rid of
troubles; and revealed that this is only possible to follow the true
path Allah showed:
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
"... But when guidance comes to you from Me, all those who follow My
guidance will not go astray and will not be miserable." (Surah Ta Ha
Suresi, 123)
Evil?
The Source of Evil; The Lower Self and Satan
There are two main sources of evil revealed to people in the Qur'an. One
of these is the lowerself, which every person has, and which constantly
commands a person to do evil. The inner self tries to direct people away
from the right path and drag them to disaster, by the suggestions it
whispers.
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
"I do not say my self was free from blame. The selfindeed commands to
evilacts – except for those my Lord has mercy on..." (Surah Yusuf, 53)
Another being who is assigned to command people to evil and ugly
behavior, and who is thesupporter of the inner self is "satan." In the
Qur'an it is revealed that satan only calls people toevil as such:
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
"He only commands you to do evil and indecent acts and to say about
Allah what you do not know." (Surat al-Baqara,169)
Satan Deceives People ByMaking Good Appear As Evil, and Evil As Good
Satan sets forth a varietyof false evidences to convince people that
they are on the right path, despite the fact that they are not abiding
by the morality of the Qur'an. Those whodo not consider these evidences
with a religious perspective would be easily convinced and shape their
behavior accordingly in terms of these false facts.
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
"If someone shuts his eyes to the remembrance of the All-Merciful,We
assign him a satan who becomes his bosom friend – they debar themfrom
the path,yet they still think they are guided." (Surat az-Zukhruf,
36-37)
The Return of Evil is the Fire
It is revealed in the Qur'an that those who prefer evil will be sent
tothe Fire, an eternal torture that cannot be compared to any pain in
this world, and will stay there eternally as follows:
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed satan-
"No indeed! Those who accumulate bad actions and are surrounded by their
mistakes, such people are the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it
timelessly, for ever;" (Surat al-Baqara, 81)

Quran: the way to salvation

The Book of Allaah is the rain thatbrings forth true life on Earth.
I bear witness that there is no deity besides Allaah—alone, who has no
partner, no equal; Lord of the Messengers, Creator of the heavens and
the earths. I bear witness that Muhammad is His devoted-servant and His
Messenger sent with a Clear Bookthat separates guidance from
misguidance, deception from righteousness, and conjectures from
certainty.
Allaah revealed the Book (Noble Quran) in order for us to read it, and
mull over it with care and vigilance; to enrich our souls from its
remembrance; to carry itand construe it in the best of manners; to
affirm it and strive to establish its commands and prohibitions; pick
the fruits of its precious knowledge that is our way to Allaah and to
glean the wisdom from its gardens and flowers.
For it is His Book, and nothing else, that can guide His seekers toHim.
It is the path that leads the traveler to Allaah. It is His
brilliantLight that illuminates the darkness of uncertainty and
disbelief. It is His mercy of guidance and source of happiness for all
creation. It is the bridge that connects His devotee to Him when all
else fails. It is the great door to Him that remains open, when all else
is closed. It is the straight path that is not tainted by the opinions
of mortals. It is the remembrance full of wisdom thatis not swayed by
desires. It is the noble revelation containing wisdom that sages can
never fathom. Its wonders never end, nor are its clouds barren, its
signs are never exhausted, its agreements never contradict.
The more a soul delves into its depths, the more it increases in insight
and guidance. It is the cure for mankind from diseases of the heart. It
is life to the hearts and pleasure and brillianceto the souls. It is the
harbinger that calls night and day: "O seekers of good, hurry to me"
It is the caller of faith at the headof the straight path, calling
(whatmeans): "O our people, respond to the caller of Allaah and have
faith in Him so He may forgive your sins for you and may save you from a
painful chastisement." [Referring to verse 31 of chapter 46]
The Quran is Allaah's greatest blessing on us. It is the fulfillment of
His promise to Aadam and his descendants, as Allaah Almighty Says (what
means): ''…There shall come to you guidance from Me, and whatsoever
follows My Guidance no fear shall be on them, nor shall they sorrow''
[Quran 2:38]
It is the only weapon for struggling against the forces of evil and
temptation in this world.It is the only means to overpowerour fear and
anxiety. It is the onlyLight as we grope in the darkness, with which to
find our way to success and salvation. It isthe only healing for our
inner sickness, as well as the social ills that may surround us. It is
the constant reminder of our true nature and destiny, of our stationand
our duties.
But alas! Desires have put out thelamps of the hearts, and opinionsof
the mortal humans have shut those doors of Divine guidance and lost the
keys. The hearts are laden with the rust of their own earning, so much
so that they do not find the realities of the Quranopening to them. The
burdens of ignorance have so settled upon itthat its knowledge does not
blossom into righteous actions.
Woe unto you, how have you made the nourishment of your heart those vain
opinions that contradict the Quran and Sunnah (Prophet's Tradtion) that
neither replenish it nor quench its thirst?So now your heart does not
accept nourishment of the Word of the Lord of the worlds, and thespeech
of His eminent Messenger!
For how will you ever find your way through the darkness of conjectures
and opinions of mortals to the clear distinction ofright and wrong when
you haveclosed your eyes to the light of the Book of Allaah and the
way ofthe Messenger?
Woe unto you, how have you adulterated the right opinions with the sick
ones, and the accepted ones with the rejected ones, and have managed to
incapacitate your souls from receiving the guidance and knowledge from
the Book that is immune to falsehood from all directions.
Nay, but it is, by Allaah, a trial that has blinded the hearts from the
sources of righteousness and has embezzled the minds from their goals.
The Book of Allaah is the coolnessof eyes for which the
competitorscompete, the finality to which the contenders contend.
How can you still be in the dark under a rising sun?
How can you lose your way undera bright constellation?
Glory be to Allaah, The Exalted!

What is Hajj (Pilgrimage)?

The word Hajj, linguistically, means heading to a place for the sake of
visiting; in Islamic terminology, it implies heading to Makkah to
observe the rituals of pilgrimage.
Hajj is obligated by Allaahupon every Muslim, male and female, who is
physically and financially capable. It is obligatory only once during
the lifetime of a Muslim. Allaah Almighty Says (what means): "…And [due]
to Allaah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House – for whoever is
able to find thereto a way…." [Quran 3:97]
The Prophet said: "Islam is built upon five (pillars): the testimony
that none has the right tobe worshipped except Allaah and Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allaah, the establishment of the prayer, paying Zakaat,
Hajj to the House (i.e. Ka'bah,) and fasting in Ramadhaan." [Al-Bukhaari
& Muslim]
The Prophet also said: "Hajj is mandated once, so whoever does it more
(than that), then it is supererogatory." [Abu Daawood and Ahmad]
Hajj was prescribed in the sixth year after Hijrah(migration) upon the
revelation of the following verse in which Allaah Says (what means):
"And complete the Hajj and 'Umrah for Allaah..." [Quran 2:196]
Hajj is not a new institution introduced by Islam, rather it is as old
asthe Ka'bah itself. Allaah Almighty Says (what means): "Indeed, the
first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah
[i.e., Makkah] – blessed and a guidance to the worlds." [Quran 3:96]
The whole origin of Hajj is rooted to the acts of devotion of Prophet
Ibraaheem . This demonstrates that Muhammad did not innovate this
institution, all he did was to clear it of all the evil practices that
had crept into it. After a few centuries of the death of Ibraaheem and
his son Ismaa'eel, may Allaah exalt their mention, people abandoned
their teachings and gradually went astray, like all otherpeople around
them. Hundreds of idols were installed in the Ka'bah, which was built by
Ibraaheem and Ismaa'eel,may Allaah exalt their mention, as a centre for
the worship of the One True God. Ironically enough, idols were madeafter
the image of Ibraaheem and Ismaa'eel too, whose whole lives had been
spent eradicating idol-worship.The descendants of Ibraaheem who had
himself repudiated all idols, began to worship idols. The Ka'bah was
turned into a type of temple for idol-worship and superstition. This
predicament lasted for about two thousand years, until the advent of
Prophet Muhammad .
Hajj is rightly said to be the perfection of faith, since it combines in
itself all the distinctive qualities of other obligatory acts of prayer,
patience, privation of amenities of life, devotion, Zakaat (alms),
slaughtering the sacrificeand supplication. In fact, the physical
pilgrimage isa prelude to the spiritual pilgrimage to Allaah when man
would bid goodbye to everything ofthe world and present himself before
Him as His humble servant saying: 'Here I am before You, myLord, as a
slave.'
There are three forms of Hajj:
1. Hajj At-Tamattu': This is where a pilgrim assumes Ihraam for 'Umrah
only, during the months of Hajj, which means that when he reaches
Makkah, he makes Tawaaf and Sa'i for 'Umrah. Then he shaves or clips his
hair. On the eighth day of Thul-Hijjah,the pilgrim assumes Ihraam again
for Hajj only and carries out all ofits requirements.
2. Hajj Al-Ifraad: This is where a pilgrim assumes Ihraam for Hajj only.
When he reaches Makkah, he performs Tawaaf for his arrival andSa'i for
Hajj. He does not shave or clip his hair as he does not disengage from
Ihraam. Instead, he remains in Ihraam until after he stones the
Jamratul–'Aqabah on 'Eedday. It is permissible for him to postpone his
Sa'i for Hajj until after his Tawaaf for Hajj (i.e. Tawaaf Al-Ifaadhah).
3. Hajj Al-Qiraan: This is where a pilgrim assumes Ihraam for both
'Umrah and Hajj, or he assumes Ihraam first for 'Umrah, then makes his
intention for Hajj before his Tawaaf for Hajj. The obligations on one
performing Ifraad are the same as those on oneperforming Qiraan, except
that the latter must slaughter whereas the former is not obligated to do
so.
The best of the three forms is Tamattu'. It is theform that the Prophet
encouraged his followersto perform.
Hajj is undertaken in company with all the other pilgrims. The months of
Hajj are: Shawwal, Thul-Qi'dah and Thul-Hijjah (the last three months of
the Hijri calendar). One can perform 'Umrah for Hajj At-Tamattu' at any
time within these three months (i.e. he may perform 'Umrah during the
Hajj season, and then subsequently making Hajjthe same year at the fixed
time, beginning on the eighth day of Thul-Hijjah).
The Makkan territory is sacred. The pilgrim enters this territory in a
state of Ihraam (a state inwhich one is forbidden to do certain things
that are otherwise permissible).
Ihraam, for men, entails wearing a special garment. A male pilgrim is
not allowed to wear form-fitting clothes or to cover his head or hands
with gloves, or his feet with socks or shoes. This is done in order to
foster a sense of humility and a feeling of brotherhood among the
Muslims.
The male pilgrim's garment consists of two sheets of white woollen or
cotton cloth, of which one is wrapped around the waist and reaches below
the knees and above the ankles, while the other is wrapped around the
upper part of the body. The head and the right shoulder are left
uncovered during Tawaaf. This attire is for males, whereas females have
to cover all of their body except the face and hands.
Before donning this dress, the pilgrim is recommended to take a bath
(Ghusl). A man in Ihraam is consecrated. Hecannot hunt, pick plants,
shed blood, or have sexual intercourse or partake in whatever leads to
it. The excellence of Hajj:
1. It is one of the best deeds:
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet was once asked: "What is the best
deed?" He replied: "To believe in Allaah and His Messenger." The
enquirerthen asked: "What next?"The Prophet replied: "To fight in the
cause of Allaah." He again asked: "What is the next best thing?" He
replied: "Hajj 'Mabroor' (i.e., the Hajj that is free of sin andall its
pillars and conditions are fulfilled)." [Al-Bukhaari]
2. It is a form of Jihaad:
Al-Hasan Ibn 'Ali and his father, said that a man came to the Prophet
and said: "I am a coward and a weak person. Is there anything I can do?"
The Prophet replied: "You may go for a Jihaad that involves no fighting,
that is, Hajj." ['Abdur-Razzaaq and At-Tabaraani]
The Prophet also said: "Hajj is the Jihaad for theold, the weak and the
women." [An-Nasaa'i]
3. It wipes away past sins:
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet said: "He who performs Hajj
seeking Allaah's pleasure and avoids all lewdness and sins (therein)
will return after Hajj free from all sins, just as he was on theday his
mother gave birth to him." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
4. Pilgrims are the Guests of Allaah:
The Prophet said: "Pilgrims and those performing 'Umrah are Allaah's
guests; their prayers are answered and their supplications for
forgiveness are granted." [An-Nasaa'i andIbn Maajah]
5. The Reward of Hajj is Paradise:
The Prophet said: "All sins committed in between the performance of one
'Umrah and the next are expiated and erased, andthe reward of Hajj
'Mabroor' is nothing saveParadise." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]