Don’t Make Yourself a Prisoner

It's possible to make ourselves the prisoners ofothers. How? By caring
somuch what they think that we let if affect how we practice our
religion, how we dress, how we speak, even what names we call
ourselves.
Prisoners have their names taken away and are given numbers. We do it
voluntarily when we change Muhammad to Mo, Wael to Will (I've been
advised by some to do this but I have always refused), and Khadija to
Kim.
Prisoners are told how todress. We do it to ourselves by giving up our
hijabs and kufis in order to fit in. We enslave ourselves to the
cultural dictates of others. We humiliate ourselves by suppressing
everything that says, "I am Muslim."
Prisoners are sometimes refused the right to pray or to have a Quran.
We do it to ourselves by missing our prayers because we are afraid of
being seen in public; or putting away our Quran and letting it gather
dust.
Prisoners are given no choice in their diets. We do it to ourselves by
eating the non-halal meat that is put in front of us, because we are
ashamed to say, "I only eat halal."
Prisoners learn to remainsilent. We do it to ourselves when others
speak of faith and religion – sometimes even criticizing Islam in our
presence – and we remain silent because weare embarrassed to speakup.
"And believe in what I have sent down confirming that which is
[already] with you, and be not the first to disbelieve in it. And do
not exchange My signs for a small price, and fear[only] Me." – Quran,
Al-Baqarah, 2:41
Allah gave us a great gift,He gave us truth and guidance, and others
are hungering for it, so don'thide it! We must be ourselves, be proud
(not the pride of arrogance but of gratitude), let our faith show,
shine our light! A lamp in the darkness cannot be hidden!
Don't make yourself a prisoner! Wear your Islamic clothing without
embarrassment, eat halal without apology, speak your name with pride,
pray on time no matter where you are, read the Quran on the bus or the
subway if you wish, and when people ask you about your faith, tell
them with a smile, "I am Muslim." Speak your truth without fear. Be
proud of Islam. Be free, and hold your head up high, bowing only to
Allah.

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Getting Through Mini-Depressions

Many people periodically go through short depressions when they feel
negative about everything in their lives. There are ways we can
minimize these depressions, and steps we can take to ensure wedon't
sabotage our relationships when we'refeeling blue.
In my case, I go through regular periods of mini-depression every few
months. My mood will be utterly black, my mind filled with
self-critical thoughts: "I'ma failure, I'm a hypocrite, I have no real
friends, I've wasted my life…" But even in the depths of depression I
know that the mood will not last. One good night's sleep will restore
me to normal, Insha'Allah. So I keep my mouth shut and do not express
those negative thoughts to family or friends, becauseI know I will
regret it later if I do….
Does this happen to you? If so, then pay attention to your own
emotional cycles so that you know what to expect. Control yourself
when you're feeling down. Speak onlywhat is good, or stay silent.
Let's be very clear: You should not ignore genuine problems in your
life. If something is missing or making you unhappy, work on it
Insha'Allah. I'm also not saying that you should remain silent about
real issues that you face. If you've got problems in your family, it's
important to communicate to resolve them. It's also good to talk to a
therapist or counselor.
But when you are depressed, your viewpoint becomes skewed, and it's
not necessarily representative of reality. So when you have those dark
thoughts that say, "My life is worthless and Ihate everyone," don't
express those to anyone except your therapist or counselor. Don't call
up your best friend and say, "You're not a true friend, you don't care
about me." That's not productive and will only destroy your
relationship.
When you're depressed, hold on to your lifeline with God, eat well and
get plenty of rest, and be patient until the mood passes Insha'Allah.
Try to fill your life with good things: people you care about, work
that matters,hobbies you love, good books to read, exercise you enjoy…
these good things provide a safety net when you're feeling blue.
For example, photographer and human rights activist Asmaa-Deanna Dee
says, "When I am feeling low and downtrodden I just find a quiet place
and sit alone with my favorite book (the Quran)! When Iturn each of
its miraculous pages my heart begins to feel lighter and the world
around me brighter! The love, warmth and security of each word sets in
and it is in these very moments that I know for sure in my heart how
much Allah really loves me! Alhamdulillah! Subhanallah! Allahu Akbar!"
Also remind yourself of the good things in your life, and try to be
gratefulfor them. Do not look to those who have more than you, but
those who have less. Think of the times in your life when God has
helped you, guided you, and saved you. He will do so again.
By the way, I don't get those mini-depressions as often anymore. I'm
notsure why, but it could be that I exercise every day now. Also, I am
active in the Muslim community, I write passionately about subjects
that are important to me, and I have a daughter who I love… my life is
full of good things Alhamdulillah.
May your life also be full of good things.

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4a. Do the angels see Allah in this world?

4a.
Allah spoke to Moosa (peace be upon him) from behind a screen, and
that does not mean that he didnot believe. To sum up, there is no
contradiction between faith and seeing Him. This is borne out by the
fact that Moosa (peace be upon him) asked his Lord to let him see Him
so as to increase him in faith: "…he said: 'O my Lord! Show me
(Yourself), that I may look upon You'" [al-A'raaf 7:143]. Yes, after
seeing Allah, faith will no longer be regarded as belief in the
unseen, so it is possible that the bearersof the Throne and those who
are around it may have seen Allah and thus attained the highest level
of certainty. By the same token, when the believers see their Lord on
the Day of Resurrection, they will move from certainty based on
knowledge to certainty based on seeing, for when they see Allah they
will believe in Him with the faith of having seen and they will find
thedeepest joy in that; they will be blessed with seeing Him and
hearing His words. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Some faces that Day shall be Nâdirah (shining and radiant).
Looking at their Lord (Allâh)"
[al-Qiyaamah :22-23].
We ask Allah for the joy of looking upon His noble Countenance. And
Allah knows best.
End quote from Fataawa al-Islam al-Yawm.
To sum up: This is a matter of the unseen and it is not permissible to
affirm it or deny it except on the basis of evidence. The correct
approach is to refrain from asking about it.
And Allah knows best.

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4. Do the angels see Allah in this world?

4.
Angel Jibreel or any of the angels have they ever seen Allah (sabhanu wa tala)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing in the Qur'aan or Sunnah to indicate that Jibreel
(peacebe upon him) or any otherangel has seen Allah, may He be
exalted, and it is well known that this is one of the issues of the
unseen which cannot be proven except on the basisof evidence.
In the hadeeth of the Mi'raaj (Prophet's ascent toheaven) it says that
Jibreel(peace be upon him) ascended with our Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) to a level where the scratching of the
pens could be heard, but there is no proof that either of them saw
Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) in that place.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Then I
passed by Ibraaheem, and he said: 'Welcome to the righteous Prophet
and therighteous son.' I said: 'Whois this?' He said: 'This is
Ibraaheem (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).'" Ibn Shihaab
said: And Ibn Hazm told me that Ibn 'Abbaas and Abu Habbah al-Ansaari
used to say: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "Then I was taken up untilwe reached a level where Icould hear
the scratching of the pens." Ibn Hazm and Anas ibn Maalik said: The
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Allah
enjoined upon my ummahfifty prayers, and I went back with that until I
passed by Moosa…"
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 349; Muslim, 263
The scholars differed concerning this seeing: some of them affirmed it
and some of them denied it.
Ibn Hajar al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: ||Do
the angels see Allah, may He be exalted?
He replied:
Shaykh 'Izz al-Deen ibn 'Abd al-Salaam stated that they do not see
Him, and he quoted evidence at length to support that, and he was
followed in that by some scholars, but he was refuted by the statement
of the imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Shaykh Abu'l-Hasan al-Ash'ari (may Allah
be pleased with him) who said that they do see Him. This was mentioned
in his book al-Ibaanah fi Usool al-Diyaanah. He was followed by
al-Bayhaqi who narrated it with its isnaad from 'Abd-Allah ibn'Amr ibn
al-'Aas and another Sahaabi. This was also followed by Ibn al-Qayyim
and al-Jalaal al-Balqeeni. According to ahadeeth that was classed as
saheeh by al-Haakim, Jibreel never saw his Lord before the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prostrated before his Lord
on that occasion, but this does not necessarily meanthat he did not
see Him after that or that others ofthe angels do not see Him.The view
that only Jibreel could see Him is invalid.
End quote from al-Fataawa al-Hadeethiyyah, p. 153
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Do the angels
see their Lord in this worldor does He send revelationto them from
beyond a screen?
He replied: Allah knows best.
End quote from Fataawa Noor 'ala al-Darb.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak (may Allah preserve him) was asked:
There is evidence to suggest that they do not see Him. That is the
verse in Soorat Ghaafir in which Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning): "Those (angels) who bear the Throne
(of Allâh) and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and
believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (in the
Oneness of Allâh) (saying): 'Our Lord! You comprehend all things in
mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your Way,
and save them from the torment of the blazing Fire!'" [Ghaafir 40:7].
The word "believe" in this verse may point to that meaning -- is this correct?
He replied:
The fact that Allah, may Hebe glorified and exalted, says of the
angels who bear the Throne and who are around it that they believe in
Him does not necessarily mean that theydo not see Him, or that some of
them do not see Him, or that other angels do not see Him, just as
(aspiring to) see Him does not contradict faith. Similarly, the fact
that Allah spoke (to some of the Prophets) is not contrary to faith.
Ibraaheem (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw how Allah
brought the dead back to life and that increased himin faith, as Allah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (remember) when Ibrâhim (Abraham) said, 'My Lord! Show me how You
give life to the dead.' He (Allâh) said: 'Do you notbelieve?' He
[Ibrâhim (Abraham)] said: 'Yes (I believe), but to be stronger in
Faith'"
[al-Baqarah 2:260].
Allah spoke to Moosa (peace be upon him) from behind a screen, and
that does not mean that he didnot believe. :->

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