BLESSED OLIVE TREE

`Umar ibn al-Khattab narrated that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said:
"Eat olive oil and apply it (as lotion) for it comes from a blessed tree".
Moreover, the olive tree and its oil are mentioned inthe Glorious
Qur'an seven times. Allah, the Almighty swears by the figs and the
olives,
"By the fig, and the olive"
Surat At-Tin (The Fig): 1.
Allah, Glorified be He also referred to the olive tree insurat
Al-Mu'minun (the Believers):
"And a tree (olive) that springs forth from Mount Sinai, that
grows(produces) oil , and (it is a) relish for the eaters."
Surat Al-Mu'minun (The Believers): 20
The oil mentioned in the verse is olive oil. This same tree is praised
by Allah in a third verse:
"… lit from a blessed tree , an olive , neither of the east (i.e.
neither gets sun-rays only in the morning) nor of the west (i.e. nor
it gets sun-rays only in the afternoon, but it is exposed to the sun
all day long), whose oil wouldalmost glow forth (of itself), though no
fire touched it."
Surat An-Nur (The Light): 35
Explanation of the Hadith
The Olive Tree is an evergreen tree, which has ahigh tolerance of
dryness. It is a perennial plant that might live even for more than
1000 years. The cultivated olive (Olea europaea) is grown throughout
the eastern Mediterranean region and in other parts of the world that
have Mediterranean-t ype climates especially in Asia and Africa. The
olive tree has been known since the times of the most ancient
civilizations as one of the most important oil producing plants.
It has been proven lately that the amount of fatty acids in olive oil
is very lowand that it only contains unsaturated fats. That is why it
is considered very healthy, as it is free of the substances that lead
to arteriosclerosi s and even tothe occlusion of the arteries. Through
an accurate survey it has beenfound that eating olive oil regularly
helps protect the body from many diseases including the occlusion of
the coronary arteries, the increase in the ratio of harmful fats in
the blood, the increase in blood pressure, diabetes, some carcinogenic
diseases (e.g. cancer of the stomach, the colon, the breast, the
uterus and the skin), in addition to protection fromulcers of the
digestive system.
One of the main body fats is "Cholesterol", a white crystalline fat
which is present in high amounts in the brain, the spinal cord and the
liver. It is normally synthesized in the liver, theintestine and the
skin, and is important as a mediator in many vital processes. The most
important one of these processes is the synthesis of vitamin E and
many other hormones. Nevertheless, eating excessive amounts of fatty
animal meat, may lead to increasing the level of cholesterol in the
body. Part of this cholesterol will pass to the blood forming a fat
globule that may leadto the obstruction or occlusion of the blood
vessels, and may consequently lead to arteriosclerosi s.
It is well known that the oxidation of cholesterol is one of the
factors that helpaccelerate the hardening ofthe arteries and their
consequent narrowing. It has lately been discovered that olive oil
plays an important role in preventing this oxidation process from
occurring, as it contains vitamin E and other Polyphenolic Compounds,
which inhibit the auto-oxidation of the oil. It also prohibits the
oxidation of harmful cholesterol known as LDL (Low-density
lipoprotein), and purifies the body from the dangers of the Lipid
Peroxides as well as the dangers of other harmful substances.
Therefore, eating olive oil regularly helps lower the total ration of
cholesterol in the blood generally, and reduces the ratio of the
harmful types of cholesterol in particular. The low cancer rate, which
is detected in the Mediterranean region, is attributed to the fact
that the inhabitants of this region regularly have largeamounts of
olives and oliveoil (especially the raw one produced from the first
squeezing process and free from any chemical treatment).
Olive oil is a yellow liquid, rich in Oleic Acids, used in cooking and
as a salad dressing. It is also used in producing many
medicines,medical ointments, hair oilsand soaps. Moreover, because of
its ability, it produces a clear flame when ignited. Olive oil was
used in lighting lamps, especially in large mosquessuch as Aqsa
Mosque, we pray Allah, the Almighty, tohelp us set it free from the
debauchery of the Jews.
In addition to the above-mentioned healthy advantages of the olive
tree and its oil, olives constitute a relish for eaters, a nourishing
food, and an appetizer, and they could be stored through preservation
in salt, which increases their economic value.

Sufism or taṣawwuf

practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a ṣūfī (صُوفِيّ).
Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as "a science whose
objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all
else but God". [ 4 ] Alternatively, in the words of the Darqawi Sufi
teacher
Ahmad ibn Ajiba , "a science through which one can know how to travel
into the presence of the Divine , purify one's inner self from filth,
and beautify it with a variety of praiseworthy traits". [ 5 ]
Classical Sufis were characterised by their attachment to dhikr (a
practice of repeating the names of God) and asceticism . Sufism gained
adherents among a number of Muslims as a reaction against the
worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE [ 6 ] ). Sufis
have spanned several continents and cultures over a millennium, at
first expressed through Arabic, then through Persian, Turkish and a
dozen other languages. [ 7 ] "Orders" ( ṭuruq ), which are either
Sunnī or Shī'ī or mixed [ 8 ] in doctrine, trace many of theiroriginal
precepts from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad through his cousin 'Alī ,
with thenotable exception of the Naqshbandi who trace their origins
through the first Caliph , Abu Bakr . [ 9 ] Other exclusive schools of
Sufism describe themselves as distinctly Sufi. [ 10 ] Modern Sufis
often perform dhikr
after the conclusion of prayers. [ 11 ]
Some mainstream scholars of Islam define sufism as simply the name for
the inner or esoteric dimension of Islam. [ 1 ] René Guénon in
Insights into Islamic Esoterism and Taoism (Sophia Perennis 2003)
contended that Sufism was the esoteric aspect of Islam supported and
complemented by exoteric practices and Islamic law. However,
accordingto Idries Shah , the Sufi philosophy is universal in nature,
its roots predating the rise of Islam and the other modern-day
religions, save for perhaps
Buddhism and Jainism ; likewise,some Muslims consider Sufism outside
the sphere of Islam. [ 1 ] [ 12 ]

Ruling on eating fromthe husband's ill-gotten gains

Question
I have two sisters; the husband of one of them works as a driver at a
bank while the other works in the maintenance department at a hotel
that serves wine. My two sistersrefrain from eating from the money of
their husbands. Is the work of their husbands, and their gains,
unlawful? Do they (my sisters) have the right to do so? If yes, is it
permissible for me to give them some of my money from Zakaah
(obligatory charity) to eat from?
Answer
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 Slaveand Messenger.
First of all, we would like to thank your sisters for their keenness
to free their liability and eat from lawfully earned sustenance. The
earnings ofthese two husbands are ill-gotten gains. The one who works
as a driver at a bank is worse than the other one as Riba (usury)
isworse than intoxicants andthe driver carries the Riba-based
contracts and other things and takes his salary from the bank in
return for doing this. As for the other man who works at the
maintenance department of a hotel that serves intoxicants, his gain is
suspected and he will bear a sin as his work is part of preparing this
place.
To conclude, these two jobs are counted among the ill-gotten gains.
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
· {O you who have believed,eat from the good things which We have
provided for you} [Quran 2:172]
· {and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them
the evil} [Quran 7:157]
They are also cooperating in sin and aggression. Allaah The Almighty
Says (what means): {but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.}
[Quran 5:2]
We should all fear Allaah asmuch as we can. Allaah TheAlmighty Says
(what means): {And whoever fears Allaah - He will make for him a way
out} [Quran 65:2]
In fact, the one who sincerely seeks lawfully earned sustenance will
be guided by Allaah The Almighty to find it.
If they do not accept the advice and continue with their work, and
your sistersneed money to buy food and the like, you might paythem
what is sufficient for them from the Zakaah that is due on your
property.
Allaah Knows best/

Her husband forces her to live in the same house with his brother

Question
My question is my husbandis forcing me to stay with his married
brother ,I had told him about the hadiths mentioning that "brother in
law is death" living together may cause many problems,but he doesnt
seems to listen,he says thatI just have to maintain my Hijab thats
all.Wht can I do?since his wife is also a nonmehram to him that will
be a probs.As a muslimwomen I dont get my rights from my husband,he
doesnt agrees to the rights of women in Islam.Please advise.
Answer
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 slaveand Messenger.
It is your right as a wife to get a separate accommodation where
youwould be safe from any harm and where you would not be embarrassed.
Besides, it is not permissible for you to obeyyour husband in dwelling
with your brother-in-law inthe same house whose amenities are not
separate,where his brother could see you (without Hijaab) orbe in
seclusion with you, orwhere there is any other matter that might lead
to temptation.
Even if we presume that you can take the necessary measures to avoid
these prohibitions and always wear Hijaab, then this may cause much
hardship to you. So, your husband has no right to oblige you to live
in such a situation. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 84608 .
Based on this, it is permissible for the wife to ask for divorce as a
way of repelling harm off herself ifher husband does not provide her
with an accommodation that is Islamically acceptable.
There is no doubt that yourhusband is also obliged to abide by the
Islamic conditions in dealing with the wife of his brother as she is a
non-Mahram to him. Therefore, we warn against being lenient in such
kind of dealings within one family as this is one of the major reasons
ofcorruption. The Hadeeth that is mentioned in the question which
reads 'the male in-law is death itself' is the best evidence in this
regard. The text of the Hadeeth is as follows: Uqbah Ibn 'Aamer
narrated that the Prophet said: " Beware of entering upon women"; a
man from the Ansaar asked: 'O Messenger of Allaah, what do you say
about the male in-law (the woman's husband's male relative like his
brother, uncle, cousin, etc.)?' He replied: "He is death itself (i.e.
his seclusion with her is as serious and dangerousas death) . "
[Bukhaari and Muslim] For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 154373 .
As regards what you mentioned about your husband that he does not
agree with the women's rights in Islam, then this needs more
clarification [aswe do not know exactly what you mean] For general
information in this regard, please refer to Fataawa 81205 and 88304 .
Allaah Knows best./