2a] Traps of Iblees ~{Details- http://bit.ly/ LxgK84}

2a]
It is not possible to encompass one of Iblees' evils, let alone all of
them. Since Iblees' evil is of six types, Iblees remains behind the
son of Adam until he gets him to do one or more of these six evils.
One THE FIRST EVIL IS THE EVIL OF KUFR AND SHIRK and enmity to Allaah
(SWT) and His Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam). If he gains
this from the son of Adam, his moaning is eased, and he rests from his
ordeal with this man. Further, this is the first thing Iblees
wantsfrom the worshipper (al-'Abd). If Iblees gains this, he makes
this person part of his army, one of hissoldiers, and he appoints him
as a deputy or agent against other human beings. Then, this person
becomes one of the deputies or callers of Iblees.
Two If he despairs of enticing him with the first evil, and if this
person is one of those for whom it was written that he would be
aMuslim in his mother's womb, Iblees tries:
the SECOND CLASS OF EVIL. THIS IS BID'AH (innovation). Iblees loves
Bid'ah more than debauchery and disobedience because the harm of
Bid'ah is in the essence of the religion. Moreover, it is an
unrepentable sin and is against the call of the messengers and is a
call toa message different from the one conveyed by Ar-Rasool. Bid'ah
is a gate to Kufr and Shirk. Therefore, if Iblees gains the
performance of Bid'ah from a person and makes him one of the people of
Bid'ah, he also becomes one of his agents and a caller of his.
Three If Iblees fails and is unable to trap Al-'Abd at this class,and
if he is one of those who were granted by Allaah (SWT) the gift of
As-Sunnah and hatred of the people of Bid'ah and error, he proceeds
to:
the THIRD CLASS OF EVIL, which is the class of MAJORSINS in their various forms.
Iblees is very covetous of letting a person fall into major sin,
especially if he isa scholar who is followed. Iblees is covetous of
that, so that he may repel people from him and spread his sins and
disobedience amongst the people. He uses some people as his agents to
spread this person's sins under the false pretence that this will help
them to get closer to Allaah. But in fact this person is the deputy of
Iblees without knowing it. For those who would like abomination tobe
spread amongst the believers there is a great torment in this life and
in the Hereafter especially if they take charge of spreading about
enormities, not out of advice, but by obeying Iblees and being his
agent.All this is to repel people from the Scholar and from his
benefit.
Furthermore, the sins of this person (scholar), even if they reach the
sky, are less to Allaah (SWT) than the sins of those who would like to
spread his sins about. The scholar's sins are wrongdoing to himself.
If he seeks forgiveness from Allaah (SWT) and repents, Allaah (SWT)
will accept his repentance, and He will change his bad deeds to good
deeds. However, the sin of those who spread about abominations are
doing wrong to the believers by looking for their mistakes and by
intending to expose them. Allaah (SWT) is in close observation, and He
knowsabout this ambuscade. Nothing hidden in the chest or soul is
hidden to Allaah (SWT).
Four If Iblees is unable to snare Al-'Abd at this degree he moves him to:
the FOURTH CLASS, or the MINOR SINS. These sins may ruin a person if
they accumulate. That is why Ar-Rasool (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam)
said, Be aware of the minor sins, because the simile of the minor sin
is like the peoplewho went to a desert. Then he (sallallaahu 'alaihi
wa sallam) mentioned a Hadeeth the meaning of which is that every one
of them brought a stick of wood until they had kindled a huge fire
(just as the minor sins add up littleby little until they become a
major sin). The person continues taking the matter of minor sins
easilyuntil he considers them inconsequential. Therefore,a person who
commits major sins but fears their effect is in a better condition
than he is.
Five If the Al-'Abd has prevented Iblees from trapping him at this
level, he moves him to the fifth level:
The FIFTH LEVEL IS TO OCCUPY HIM WITH PERMISSIBLE THINGS that do not
gain him reward or punishment. However, the punishment of this level
is caused by passing the reward missed by being occupied with these
deeds.
:->

If he bought some land then sold it because he needed money, does he have to pay zakaah? ~{Details- http://bit.ly/ LxgK84}

I read a fatwa which says that if a person buys land for the purpose
of buying and selling, he has to pay zakaah on it. But what if someone
bought some land and had no intentionof selling it, but someone
suddenly came along whowanted to buy it, so he sold it because he was
pressured to do so. Does he have to pay zakaah on it? If so, how much
is the zakaah? And is it based onthe price he bought it for or the
price he sold it for? For example, he bought it for two hundred
thousand and sold it for two hundred and fifty thousand. What is the
zakaah on it?
Praise be to Allah.
If a person buys land withthe intention of trading init, then he has
to pay zakaah when one (hijri) year has passed since he acquired the
wealth with which he bought it.
The way in which zakaah is worked out is: the valueof the land should
be worked out at the end of the year, and one quarter of one tenth
(2.5%) should be given as zakaah. What matters is its value at the
time of paying zakaah, not its value at the time of purchase.
But if he bought land and did not intend to trade in it, then he
needed to sell it, or someone offered a good price so he sold it,
inthis case he does not haveto pay the zakaah on trade goods. But if
he sellsit then one year passes since he acquired the money, then he
has to pay zakaah as on the rest of his wealth.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) said: If a person
has some properties that he does not want to trade, but if he is given
a good price he will sell them, then they are not regarded as trade
goods, because he did not acquire them with the intention of trading.
If a person is offered a good price for something that he owns, in
most cases hewill sell it, even his house or car, and so on.
And he said: If he has a car that he is using, then he decides to sell
it, it is not regarded as being for trade, because in this casehe is
not selling it for the purpose of trade but because he no longer wants
it. Another exampleis if he has a piece of land that he bought to
build on it, then he decided to sell it and buy another piece of land,
so he offered it for sale, that is not regarded as trade because the
intention behind selling it in this case is not to make a profit;
rather it is because he no longer wants it.
End quote from ash-Sharhal-Mumti', 6/142
If a person has some land and is not sure whether he wants to keep it
or sellit, he does not have to pay zakaah until he definitely intends
to tradein it.

And Allah knows best.

Challenges of Identity in the World of Islam ~{Details- http://bit.ly/ LxgK84}

In 20th century, four main factors have caused the individual and
social crisis in the Islamic societies. The considerable factors are;
1) The first is the system ofgovernments or the famous pattern of
"nation - state", which has divided the unified Islamic communities
into the separate estates.
For instance, Bangladesh has been separated from Pakistan as a new
Islamic nation and also Pakistan has been isolated from Islamic nation
of India.
In Europe during the last years, Islamic country of Bosnia -
Herzegovina has been divided into separateparts of three and Muslimsin
Albania and Kosovo, which have formed a unified Islamic Ummah, are
ruled by two different systems.
Bangladesh has been separated from Pakistan as a new Islamic nation
and also Pakistan has beenisolated from Islamic nation of India.
In Europe during the last years, Islamic country of Bosnia -
Herzegovina has been divided into separateparts of three and Muslimsin
Albania and Kosovo, which have formed a unified Islamic Ummah, are
ruled by two different systems.
2) The second factor, which had resulted from the political system
of"nation - state" or"national government", is the phenomenon of
nationalism among Muslims.
The concept of nationality,which always has been praised by Muslims,
has changed into the concept of European and American nationalism.
By the way, the identity ofindividuals and groups of the Islamic
nation will be transfer to the new national and governmental units.
Nationalism caused the divergence of the Islamic societies.
Islamic brotherhood, equality, freedom and justice have been replaced
by national and ethnic identity.
3) The third factor is the model of development or modernism.
After the establishment of national governments andtendency to
nationalism is the next step to weaken the Islamic identity, the plans
of economic, national, political and cultural development were
thoroughly based onthe pattern of modernity or development in Europe
and America.
So, during the recent century, the development patterns have
thoroughly changed the systems of education, bureaucracy, organizing
and organization, economic growth and expansion of press and media.
Islamic identity lost its value and was replaced bynew identities of
modernity, such as classic identities, Capitalism and Marxist.
4) The growth of the third factor in the Islamic societies, which
caused theweakness of Islamic identity, has not occurred in a natural
environment but has been grown as theWestern powers began their
relations with the Muslim Ummah through colonial interventions and the
policies of cultural and economic invasion.
In other words, unilateral approach to international relations and
diplomacy between Islamic countries and the European and American
powers caused spreading the non-Islamic identity.
At this time the systems ofMedia, universities, military, bureaucracy,
parliamentary and judiciary in Islamic countries, which were built by
the Europeans andAmericans, acted as the load speakers of non-Islamic
and even anti-Islam identity.
A survey on the press dealing with Islamic identity indicates the
outstanding clues for the factors mentioned above.
The national press in Islamic countries has been imported institutions
and ideological organs for national and governmental systems.
Except for some limited periods, the national press and media always
served and promoted modernism,nationalism and non-Islamic identity,
and the national tendency is an undeniable issue in the present media
of many Islamic countries.
Internationally, the press until the Islamic Revolution of Iran sought
to avoid the Islamic world concerns.
Over the past two decadesthat the Islamic movements caused the
extraordinary developments in the regional and international policies,
the main international media ruled by Europe and America intended to
blur the Islamic identity and primarily depicted a negative image for
developments in Islamic countries.
Islamic identity has been often mentioned"fundamentalists","religious
fanatics" and"insurgents and terrorists",in the international media.In
recent decades, cultural institutions and media companies have
launched a cultural aggression against Islamic countries through the
Western industries, which is completely along with their political and
economic plots.

The dying girl who wished to see Pixar's ‘Up' ~{Details- http://bit.ly/ LxgK84}

Colby Curtin got her final wish. The 10-year-old girl
desperatelywanted to see the new Disney-Pixar movie, "Up." But the
cancer-stricken girl was too sick to go to a theater. So a family
friend contacted someone at Pixar to see if they could help. The very
next day, Pixar flew in an employee with a bag of "Up" memorabilia and
a DVD version of the film. Together he and Colby's family all watched
the movie. The movie features a large plume ofballoons released to the
sky. Colby died 7 hours later.