Story of a Brilliant Student

The following story was narrated by Professor Anwar, who teaches in
theRyerson University locatedin Toronto, Canada. He said that during
his student life, he was studying at an university in Bangladesh.
There, he had a good friend who was very intelligent. This friend was
the only child of his family. Everyone used to look upto his great
future. And they were right, he graduated with the highest mark in his
field. Immediately, callscame for him from big companies. One day, Dr.
Anwar was requested by his friend to accompany him to one such
companies for an interview. They were going by riding on a motor
cycle. On the way, aspeeding truck couldn't manage itself and hit
theirmotor cycle from the back.At that collision, Dr. Anwarflew off
the motor cycle and fell on the side of the street. But his friend got
hit from another vehicle that was coming from the opposite side and
died instantly.
Here was a person who was at the peek of material success in this
world but little did he know that his death was just around the
corner. Wehave spent much of our time preparing for the life before
death, but how much time have we spent preparing for the everlasting
life after death?

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A True Muslim Leader

Once Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho Anho), during his caliphate, was going
on his usual rounds towards Harrah (a suburb of Madinah) with his
slave Aslam, when he saw a distant fire in the desert. He said, "There
seems to be a camp. Perhaps, it is a caravan that could not enter the
town due to night fall. Let's go and look after them and arrange for
their protection during the night."
When he reached there, hefound a woman and some children. The children
were crying. The woman had a pan of water over the fire. Hadhrat Umar
(Radhiyallaho Anho) greeted her with salaam and, with her permission,
went near her. (The woman didn't recognize that it was Umar).
Umar, "Why are these children crying?"
The Woman, "Because they are hungry."
Umar, "What is in the pan?"
The Woman, "Only water to soothe the children, so that they may go to
sleep in the belief that food is being prepared for them. Ah! Allah
will judge between Umar (Radhiyallaho Anho) and me, on the Day of
Judgment, for neglecting me in my distress."
Umar (weeping), "May Allah have mercy on you! How can Umar know of
your distress?"
The Woman, "When he is our Amir, he must keep himself informed about us."
Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho Anho) returned to the town and straight
away went to the Baitul Mal (House of Charity) to fill a sack with
flour, dates, fat, and clothes, and also drew some money. When the
sack was ready, he said to Aslam, "Now put this sack on my back,
Aslam."
Aslam, "No please, Amir-ul-Momineen! I shall carry this sack."
Umar refused to listen to Aslam, even on his persistent requests to
allow him to carry the sack, and remarked,"What! Will you carry my
load on the Day of Judgment? I must carry this bag, for it is I who
would be questioned (in the Hereafter) about this woman."
Aslam most reluctantly placed the bag on Umar's (Radhiyallaho Anho)
back, who carried it with a swiftpace right to the woman's tent. Aslam
followed at hisheels. He put a little flour and some dates and fat in
the pan and began to stir. He blew (with his mouth) into the fire to
kindle it.
Aslam says, "I saw the smoke passing through histhick beard."
After some time, the pottage was ready. He himself served it to the
family. When they had eaten to their fill, he madeover to them the
little thatwas left for their next meal. The children were very happy
after their meal and began to play about merrily.
The woman felt very grateful and remarked,"May Allah reward you for
your kindness! In fact you deserve to take the place of Khalifah
instead of Umar."
Umar consoled her and said, "When you come to see the Khalifah, you
will find me there."
He sat for a while at a place close by and kept onwatching the
children. He then returned to Madinah. On his way back, he said to
Aslam, "Do you know why I sat there, Aslam? I had seen them weeping
indistress. I liked to see them laughing and happy for some time."

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Should We Really Laugh?

Hasan al-Basri (rahimaullah) was an eminent scholar and
piousindividual of his time. He would rarely laugh due to his
remembrance of death and the punishment of hell. One day he was
goingsomewhere when he saw a young man indugled in laughter. Hasan
al-Basri asked the youth, "Young man, have you already crossed the
bridge of Sirath? Have you already found out whether you are going to
paradise or hell?" The young man replied, "No." Hasan al-Basri told
him, "Then why are you laughing so much?" After that, no one saw this
young man laughing again as he cameto know the reality of this life.
Source: Story extracted from the book "Tambihul Ghafileen" by Shaikh
Abul Laith Samarkandi.
Many hours or probably days have passed away from our lives in
laughter and jokes. It is a sign that we have forgotten the life of
the hereafter. The sahabah used to do good deeds all day but still cry
during the night to Allah. On the other hand, we do sins all day and
still have no concerns! It is permissible to laugh at amazing things
and smile while being in company ofothers.

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He divorced her five times on various occasions

I have been divorced by means of conditional talaaqs after twenty
years, but I hope that you can advise me so that I do not have to
wait. The first divorce was when he said, in a state of anger when
hewas aware of what he was saying: "You are divorced." The second
divorce was a conditional talaaq ("If you go out of the house you are
divorced"), and I went out, and I do not remember the intention. Atthe
time of the third divorce I was collapsing, because he betrayed me and
I spoke to him on the phone and said, "I will kill your children if
you do not divorce me." According to what my husband says, he said to
himself, "By Allah I do not intend divorce, by Allah I do not intend
divorce, by Allah I do not intend divorce," but he said"You are
divorced" to makeme calm down, because he feared for his children, as
I was not in my right mind. The fourth divorce was a conditional
talaaq ("If you complain to anyone about our problems again you will
be divorced"). I do not remember if I had complained to anyone.
Thefifth divorce was when I was asleep and he swore to my daughter:
"If your mother opens the door to you and takes you in, she will be
divorced." My daughter told me after I opened the door that his
intention was to threaten me. As for the last divorce, he swore to me,
"You should go today to your father in your city, and if you do not go
you will be divorced." And I did not travel, but his intention was
divorce.
Please advise me, because my husband is careless about the life of his
children and family, even though he has high academic qualifications;
he hates me and he changed towards me after he took another wife. I
have been patient for the sake of my children, despite the way he
treats me, which is with resentment and hatred. Butnow, after what has
happened, he does not come to the house and he does not ask about us,
except on rare occasions. Please advise me. Please note that he does
not wantto come back to me, and if I go back I will be living in limbo
as I was after he married the other wife.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We should point out with regard to the divorces mentioned that
whatever the shar'i court had ruled to be valid is valid, or if
youalready asked a scholar whatever he told you was valid is valid.
Secondly:
If there is no court ruling orscholarly verdict concerning these
divorces, then what appears to us tobe the case is the following:
The first divorce: if this divorce was issued in a state of extreme
anger thatdrove him to divorce, and without that anger he would not
have issued thatdivorce, then it does not count as such according to
the more correct opinion, even if the husband was aware of what he was
saying when he was in thatstate of anger. See the answer to question
no. 45174
The second divorce: this comes under the heading of a conditional
divorce in which reference should be made to the husband's intention.
If he intended it as a divorce then it counts as such, but if he
intended thereby to threaten and stop you doing something, then he has
to offer expiation for breaking an oath (kafaarat al-yameen). If he
cannot remember what his intention was, then it counts as a divorce.
The third divorce: if the husband was truly afraid that you would kill
the children or do them some obvious harm, then his divorce does not
count as such, because it was a divorce under compulsion.
The fourth divorce: this comes under the heading of conditional
divorce and does not count as such unless you did complain about your
problems to anyone, and the husband did intend divorce by what he
said.
The fifth divorce: also comes under the heading of conditional
divorce. If the husband intended it as a divorce then it counts as
such.
Based on that, if you find out the kind of anger that accompanied the
first divorce, then you will know the ruling on it.
By referring to the husbandand asking him about his intention, the
ruling on thesecond divorce will becomeclear.
He should also be asked about the third divorce, in order to find out
the ruling on it.
If your husband did not take you back after the final divorce and your
'iddah has ended, then this is an irrevocable divorce and you cannot
go back to him except with a new marriage contract, on condition that
the number of divorces that counted as such did not reach three.
And Allah knows best.

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