Good News

In an earlier section, we mentioned that those sincere believers who
give themselves to Allah will enjoy His blessings in this life before
they enter Paradise. One of the most important blessings is the
promise of good news to believers. Several verses"speak of Allah's
promise of Paradise and the announcement of this good news to
believers as follows:
Their Lord gives them the good news of His mercy and good pleasure,
and Gardens where they will enjoy everlasting delight. (Surat
at-Tawba, 21)
There is good news for them in the life of the world and in the
hereafter. There is no changing the words of Allah. That is the great
victory! (Surah Yunus, 64)
The hearts of those believers who have hope in this good news trust
that their good works will find favor in Allah's sight, that the
blessings they await are close at hand, and are filled with
contentment.
The Qur'an states that believers will receive thegood news also from
angels. Those faithful servants who sincerely believe in Allah and
associate nothing with Him, who carefully obey the Qur'an's commands
and counsel, and are eager to live according to its moral teaching,
may hope for this joyful news. Certainly, this news is an
indescribable joy for all believers who ardently desire Paradise.As we
read in the Qur'an:
The angels descend upon those who say:"Our Lord is Allah," and then go
straight: "Do notfear or grieve, but receive the glad tiding of
Paradise that you have been promised. Weare your protectors in the
life of the world and the hereafter. You will have there all that your
selves could wish for. You will have there everything that you demand.
Hospitality from the One Who is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Surah
Fussilat,30-32)
Allah has also entrusted the prophets with announcing this good news.
In Surat al-Ahzab, 47, Allah commands the Prophet (saas) to proclaim
that believers will receive an immense reward from Him; In Surah Ya
Sin, 11, He reveals him that"those who obey the Qur'an and stand in
awe of the Most Gracious will receive pardon and an excellent reward;
and Surat az-Zumar, 17 announces that those who shun the worship of
false gods and turn toward Allah will have good news. And in
SurahYunus, 2, Allah tells His Messenger to "give goodnews to those
who believe, that they are on a sure footing with theirLord."
When we look at the common characteristics of the believers, those
described in the above verses as those given thegood news of Paradise,
we see that they are sincere people who are extremely close to Allah,
acknowledge their weakness, obey the Qur'an and the Prophet, and fear
Allah.

Festival of Sacrifice

Every year at the time of Eidal-Adhaa and Hajj, we recount the story
of Ibraheem and Isma'el . Their lives were permeated with the Love of
Allah and with dedication to His service and obedience. They lovedand
obeyed Allah to such a level of perfection that Allah presented them
as model Muslims, the way every Muslim should be. Their lifestyle is
not only a perfect model of Submission to Allah but also a beautiful
example of an ideal parent-child understanding without any generation
gap.
There are many lessons we should learn from their story, butfor the
sake of brevity, we will concentrate only on the episode of sacrifice.
As you know, Ibraheem was bornin a society where many false gods such
as idols, stars, planets and moons were being worshipped and offerings
were made to them. Animals and even humans were sacrificed to keep
those false gods happy.
Ibraheem had dedicated his life to call people to abandon false gods
and only believe in Allah , the One and Only Creator. The sole mission
of his life was to bring the message of Islam (complete obedience to
Allah in every aspect of one's life) to all people around him. His
objective, like every other prophet and messenger, was to call people
to submit in obedience to Allah and to establish an Islamic society -
a political entity where majority of people were dedicated Muslims and
that society of Muslims was amodel of peace, love, caring, sharing,
fairness, justice, generosity, human equality, dignity, balance and
moderation.
His people rejected his call completely and decided to kill him by
throwing him into the burning fire from which Allah saved him. Now it
was evident that he could not live among those people and carry out
his mission. He did not know where to go, but he departed with faith
and trust in Allah He had grown old working tirelessly for that
purpose and felt a need for someone to carry on this missionof love -
inviting people to true Islam and establishing a Muslim-majority
Islamic state consisting of those who accept the invitation. This goal
gave him a strong desire for a son who couldcontinue his mission.
After a lot of Du`aa (supplications), Allah granted him a son when he
was extremely old (86 years accordingto the Bible).(1) He was named
Isma'el (which meant: Allah has heard) because Allah had listened to
the Du`aa of Ibraheem . This son, Isma'el, was Ibraheem's dearest and
most beloved asset in this world.
When Isma'el was about thirteen (Ibraheem being 99), Allah decided to
test their faithin and submission to Allah in public (2). Both father
and son were put through the most difficult test of their love for
Allah. Ibraheem saw in a dream that he was sacrificing Isma'el - an
unimaginable act - sacrificing the son he begot after so much Du`aa,
the only one he had and the one who had been the centre of his
affection and love for all these years. Ibraheem knew that the dreams
of the prophets were inspired by Allah. They were one of the ways
Allah communicated with his prophets. This must be what Allah wanted
him to do. When the intent of the dream became clear to him, Ibraheem
decided to offer his beloved son in sacrifice. Although it would be
easier for him to give his own liferather than take his son's, he
willingly surrendered to the perceived commandment. To him, as to any
Muslim, the love for Allah must always be supreme and strongest. Every
other love must be subservient tothe love of Allah , hence
sacrificeable for His sake.
Although Ibraheem was ready to sacrifice his dearest for Allah's sake,
he could not just go and drag his son to the place of sacrifice
without his consent. Isma'el had to be consulted as to whether he was
willing to die forAllah . This consultation would be a test of
Isma'el's maturity in faith, love for Allah, Islamic commitment,
willingness to sacrifice his life for the sake of Allah and parent's
obedience. It would also be a test of how well Ibraheem had been able
to train his son in Islam and how close orapart were the two Muslims
of different generations in their thinking, approach and attitude.
Ibraheem presented the matter to his son and asked for his opinion
about the dreams of slaughtering him. Isma'el's reaction was
absolutely astounding. He did not show any hesitation or reservation
even fora moment. He said, "Father, proceed ahead for what you
havebeen commanded. You will find me, Inshaa Allah, very patient." His
mature response, his insight into the nature of dad's dreams, his
willingness to sacrifice his life for the sake of Allah and commitment
to Allah's submission were all unparalleled.The most amazing and
noteworthy, however, was the perfect coherence and unity of thought,
attitude and outlook between the father and the son. We do not see any
generation gap between the two because both of them were looking at
life through an Islamic paradigm - that a Muslim must submit to Allah
in any circumstances and that love for Allah is over and above any
other love in the life of a Muslim.
When both father and son had shown their perfect obedience toAllah and
they had practically demonstrated their willingness to sacrifice their
most precious possessions for His sake - Ibraheem by laying down his
son for sacrifice and Isma'el by lying patiently under the knife -
Allah saved Isma'el and replaced him with a ram. Allah also told them
that they had passed the test with flying colors and that they had
fulfilled what Ibraheem was shown in the dream.
This is mentioned in the Holy Qurann as follows:
They said, "Build him a furnace, and throw him into the blazing fire!"
They sought a stratagem against him, but We made them the ones most
humiliated! And he said: Lo! I am going unto my Lord Who will guide
me. "O my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!" So We gave him the good
news of a boy, possessing forbearance. And when (his son) was old
enough to walk and work with him, (Abraham) said: Omy dear son, I see
in vision that I offer you in sacrifice: Now see what is your view!"
(The son) said: "O my father! Do what you are commanded; if Allah
wills, you will find me one practicing patience and steadfastness!" So
when they both submitted and he threw him down upon his forehead, We
called out to him saying: O Ibraheem! You have indeed fulfilled the
vision; surely thus do We reward those who dogood. Most surely this
was a manifest trial. And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice.
And We perpetuated (praise) to him among the later generations."Peace
and salutation to Abraham!" Thus indeed do We reward those who do
right. Surely he was one of Our believing servants. (As-Saafaat
37:97-111 )
It was as one of the reward for this sacrifice that Allah gave
Ibraheem good news of the second son, Is-haaq (Isaac):
وَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَقَ نَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
And We gave him the good news of Is-haaq, a prophet among the good
ones. (As-Saafaat 37:112 )
According to the Bible, the good news about Is-haaq was given when
Ibraheem was 99 years old and Is-haaq (Isaac) was born when Ibraheem
was 100 years old (3). However, the Bible omits the mention of the
sacrifice at that time and only mentions circumcision of Ibraheem and
Isma'el (4). The Holy Qurann clarifies the reality that it was a
tremendous demonstration of submission to Allah in the form of
sacrifice, not a small thing like circumcision that pleased Allah so
much that He miraculously bestowed Ibraheem another son despite the
fact that he and Sarah both had long passed their normal child
bearingage and Sarah was barren all her life (5).
This was the greatest of the testsIbraheem and Isma'el went through.
Its difficulty was compounded by the fact that Ibraheem had invested a
lot of love and affection during 12-13 years of Isma'el's life and
Isma'el had grown up to cherish his own life. The test would have been
easier for both the father and the son, if Isma'el were newborn where
bonding between father and son had not taken place and where the son
could not have grown up to enjoyhis life. But Allah selected the most
difficult time for this test todemonstrate their true level of
commitment to Allah's pleasure. This test demonstrated to the world
the following:
*. Ibraheem and Isma'el are not just theorizing about Allah as the One
and Only Creator, but He is a real entity in whom they truly and
sincerely believe and to whom they happily and willingly submit;
*. Unlike false gods who neither know that they are being worshipped
nor can react to the actions of their worshippers, the true God if
fully aware of what His slaves do and He interacts with them;
*. The One True God does not expect people to offer ritual human
sacrifices. People lose their life to ritual sacrifice only because of
the falsehood created by those who promote false gods.
Allah loved their example of total dedication and devotion to His
commandment so much that He made it incumbent on all Muslims until the
Day of Judgment to commemorate Ibraheem's and Isma'el's spirit of
complete submission to Allah through a yearly celebrationof their
sacrifice. The major purpose is that the Muslims can refresh,
understand and internalize the full implications ofclaiming to be
'Muslims' (i.e. obedience to Allah) by simulatingthe act of sacrifice
devotedly performed by Ibraheem and Isma'el .
Every year Eidal-Adhaa must remind us that:
*. A lifestyle of complete and total submission to Allah is the
essence of being a Muslim;
*. A Muslim willingly sacrifices his/her most cherished belongings
(things, ideas, habits, desires) in obedience toAllah ;
*. A properly practicing Muslim family does not encounter a generation
gap between different generations of Muslims. A gap between two
generations is caused only by the presence of un-Islamic behaviors or
attitudes in either of the generations or both.
Eidal-Adhaa is not merely an occasion of ritual celebrations, but an
annual tune-up of one's lifestyle so that it becomes a lifestyle that
is totally submergedin submission to Allah . It is a celebration of
simulating a Muslim's readiness to sacrifice everything for the sake
of Allah. May Allah grant us the strengthof spirit and will to
perfectly emulate the examples of Ibraheem and Isma'el in every facet
of our daily struggle to become better Muslims, Inshaa Allah.

We Get What We StriveFor

What we repeatedly think and say is what we get.
Our inner conversations, words, thoughts and feelings determine the
kind of life and reality we experience. If we occupy our mind with
negative thoughts and expect difficulties and problems, we will draw
them into our lives. If we constantly think of success we will achieve
success. If we find it difficult to think positively, affirmations can
help us change the way we think!
The greatness of our human mind is that we can think and imagine what
does not exist right now. We can envision situations and circumstances
that are different from our current reality, and in this way we can
create better situations and circumstances.
TRY SAYING SOME OF THESEPOSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS DAILY:
*. Insha Allah, I will see stressful situations as challenges.
*. Challenges bring opportunities.
*. Insha Allah, I will choose to focus on the good things and not the bad.
*. Insha Allah, I will deal with whatever Allah swt puts before me in
the best way (with patience and prayer).
*. Insha Allah I will strive to get and maintain balance in my life.
*. Insha Allah, I am loveable and open to giving and receiving love.
*. With Allah swt is my success.
*. I have good intentions (niyyah).
Repeat the affirmations faithfully ever day and you will find over
time that these concepts will re-program the way you think, turning
you into a more positive person Insha'Allah.
Allah swt tells us in the Holy Quran that man gets what he strives
for. We know that what we put our focus, energy and efforts on is what
we ultimately strive for.....wecan get there from here....just believe
in the power of faith and good deeds, surely Allah swt hears the
prayers of every supplicant!!
Explanation of this Ayat from Tafsir
"That no bearer of burdens can canbear the burden of another. That man
have nothing exceptwhat he strives for. That (the fruit) of his
striving will soon come to sight. Then will he be rewardedwith a
reward complete." (Quran 53:38-41)
Tafseer ibn Katheer
Then the Exalted clearly explains what He revealed in the Books of
Ibraheem and Moosa, so He said "That no bearer of burdens can bear the
burden of another" meaning that every soul wrongs itself with
rejection (kufr) and anything from among the sins. So upon it, is its
own burden, no one else will carry it, just as the Exalted has said
"If one heavily laden should call another to bear his load not the
least portion of it can be carried (by the other) even if he be
closely related."
"That man can have nothing except what he strives for." Meaning just
as he will not carry the burden of anybody else, likewise he will not
acquire any reward except what he has earned for himself; and from
this noble ayah Imaam ash-Shaafi`ee concluded that the recitation (of
the Quraan)and the presentation of its reward does not reachthe dead,
because it is not from among the actions or the earnings ofthe dead
and because of this the Messenger of Allah
(sallallahu-alaihi-wasallam) did not recommend it to his Ummah, nor
did he directthem towards it, either with a text or indirectly.
Furthermore, this has notbeen reported from anyone among the Sahaabah
(radiallahu-anhum) and if there was a good deed then they would have
been the foremost in doing it.
As for the matter of actions done for the sakeof Allah, they are
restricted to a text and are not dealt with with the types of Qiyaas
(Deduction by analogy) or Ra`iy (Opinion); but as for supplication and
charity then it is agreed upon that they reach the dead and there is a
text from the Sharee`ah for them both. As for the hadeeth which is
reported by Muslim in hisSaheeh, from Abu Hurairah, who said that the
Messenger of Allah (sallallahu-alaihi-wasallam) said:
"When a man dies his deeds are cut off except for three: recurring
charity, knowledge by which people benefit and a righteous son who
supplicates for him."
Then these three are in truth from his striving, his toil, his
struggle and his actions as is reported in the hadeeth:
"Verily the most wholesome of what a man eats is from his earnings."
The recurring charity such as endowments and the like, these are also
from the effects of his actions and his endowments as the Exalted has
said "Verily We shall give life to the dead and We record that which
they send before them and that which they leave behind..."
As for the Knowledge which he divulged among the people and the people
acted upon it, then that is also from his striving and his actions,
and it is confirmed in the Saheeh:
"Whoever calls to guidance there is for himreward with the like of it
and the reward of whoever follows him without any decrease form their
reward."
The speech of Allah {And that (the fruit of) his striving will soon
come tosight} meaning the Day of Judgement as He, the Exalted, says
{And say: Work (righteousness); soon will Allah observe your work, and
His Messenger, and the believers...} Then He recompenses you with a
completeness of reward (a reward complete); if it is good then with
good and if it is bad then with bad. Thus He said here {Then will he
be rewarded with a reward complete} meaning amply, in abundance.

The Evils of Gambling

INTRODUCTION
Gambling has unfortunately become anacceptable practise in Muslim
Society due to its wide scale promotion by the media. A large number
of good Muslims are also caught in the web, not realising that they
are gambling and that the earnings from the gambling are haraam.
The following is a translation of a scholarly article by the late
Mufti Muhammad Shafi rahmatullahi alaihe which is being published to
make Muslims aware of the different forms of transactions and other
items which are classifiedin Shar'iah as gambling.
THE DEFINITION OF GAMBLING
Every transaction in which gain and loss is obscure is known as
Qimaar' and 'Maisar' in the Shar'iah terminology,and as 'Juwa' in the
Urdu language. For instance, if two people compete in a race with the
following conditions, that if you surpass me, then I will give you a
thousand pounds and if I surpass you then you will have togive me a
thousand pounds. Or if someone says, 'If it rains today you will have
to give me a thousand pounds and if it does not rain then I will give
you a thousand pounds.'
Likewise if some packed boxes are being sold for a fixed price, for
examplefour pounds per box and some of the boxes have contents with a
value of five pounds with others containing a value of twopounds, then
the purchase of these boxes will be Qimaar. Because of the obscurity
of the gain and loss. There are numerous methods of gambling and in
every age and region, gambling has been played in different forms and
methods.
There was a certain procedure amongst the Arabs for gambling. There
would be ten arrows, each with a special name, all having different
shares allocatedto them, for example, one share, two shares, three
shares, etc. There would also be some without a share at all. They
would then jumble the arrows and ask someone to pick an arrow for each
person. Whichever arrow was picked out for a person, that would be his
allocated share and thereafter would be considered the owner of it. On
the other hand, whosoever happened to acquire a share-less arrow he
would receive nothing at all. The custom, which went hand in hand with
this, was that a camel would be slaughtered and distributed according
to the shares entitled to them by the arrows. A person who was unlucky
would not only be deprived of the camel meat but he would also have to
pay for that camel. This kind of gambling has been labelled Maisar and
Azlaam by the Qur'aan. Maisar is that particular camel which is
slaughtered and distributed because of gambling and Azlaam arethe
arrows that are used to define the amount of the shares in gambling.
Apart from this, gamblingwas prevalent in trade in different forms.
They were known as Mulamasa and Munabaza,etc., the prohibition of
which is present in the Ahaadith of the Prophet sallallahu alaihe
wasallam.
Before the advent of Islam, gambling was not only customary but also
taken to be a cause of pride, nobility and honour. For excessive show
of pride, these people would distribute their share of the winnings
amongst the poor.
(Tafseer-ul-Kabeer Lir-Razi vol 2 p231)
THE PROHIBITION OF GAMBLING
As Islam plays a moderaterole in worship, similarly it plays a role in
economics and social orders. How can Islam, the moderate way of
life,cope with a state where one can take possession of somebody
else's property without any valid reason, due to which, the latter
gets poorer and his state diminishes and the former, without
working,gathers the wealth equivalent to that of Qaroon (Korah, a
kaafir whom Allah bestowed with great wealth at the time of Musa
alaihis salaam)? Alternatively, without any religious excuse, a great
amount of wealth is taken from the poor people's pocket and a single
person is made to own it. Therefore, it was vital forIslam to prohibit
these unfair ways of taking possessions. For this reason the open
mindedness of the all-encompassing religion, Islam, took consideration
and concern of the human passions. When alcoholic drinks and gambling
were intended to be banned, their prohibitionwas not revealed
immediately, but firstly all the disadvantages concerning them were
made clear. Once these were totally engraved into their hearts, then
the laws of prohibition were revealed.
In the early days of Islam the Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam was
questioned regarding the permissibility of gambling and alcohol. The
first verse that was revealed regarding this, is in Surah Baqarah
which is as follows:
"They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say, 'In them isgreat sin
and some benefit for men; but the sin is greater than the benefit."
(Qur'aan 2:19)
In the above aayah, the permissibility and non-permissibility of wine
and gambling is notclarified. Soon after understanding the tone of
discountenance in the verse, the highly ranked companions of the Holy
Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam abstained from them. On the other
hand, Muslims in general were still involved in them and the Prophet
sallallahu alaihe wasallam had not said anything that indicated their
prohibition, until Allah revealed the following verse:
"O believers! Intoxicants and gambling, worshipping stones and
divination by arrows are impure, of shaytan's handiwork: refrain from
such abomination that yemay prosper. "
(Qur'aan 5:90)
In this verse, the total prohibition of alcoholic drinks and gambling
has been clearly revealed. Its prohibition has been mentioned with
such assurance that Imaam Razi rahmatullahi alaihe states as follows:
"Firstly, the Arabic word 'innama' has been placedin the beginning of
the verse. In Arabic, this creates emphasis on what is mentioned
afterwards. Secondly, these prohibited things have been classified as
being 'rijs' (impure), from which natural disposition abstains.
Thirdly, they have been branded as satanic acts. Fourthly, their
severity has been categorised in the same level as idol worshipping
(shirk) in the sense that they all arelinks of a single chain."
After mentioning that these all are 'rijs' (impure), Allah Ta'ala orders:
"Keep away from them."
Allah Ta'ala does not terminate the subject here, but He carries on
mentioning their religious and worldly harm in the following aayah.
Allah, the Almightystates conclusively that shaytaan wants to ruin our
worldly life and the life of the Hereafter. These forbidden things,
(alcohol and gambling), lay the seeds of hatred and hostility between
human beings. These evil outcomes are innumerable. Their habit
distracts a man from obligatory duties such as salaah and the
remembrance of Allah.
May Allah protect all the Muslims from their evil.
THE NOBLE SAHAABAH'S SPIRIT OF OBEDIENCE AFTERTHE ORDER OF PROHIBITION
Generally, habits and old customs that become part of a person's
temperament are almost second to human nature. This was a time of
great trial when, up to now, these sinful acts were part of their life
and nobility, but today, they became expressly prohibited. This period
is of a great importance forthe Muslim Ummah in Islamic history.
It is amazing that, on onehand, there was the concern of human
feelings and habits in theShari'ah, and on the other hand, there was a
great desire in the Ummah to obey the revealed commandments.
After the revelation of the above mentioned verse, Rasoolullah
sallallahu alaihe wasallam sent out a callerto proclaim:
"Behold, alcoholic drinks (intoxicants) have been made haraam."
It was the cry of the calleror perhaps a lightning which immediately
changed their habits and feelings.
Intoxicants were very popular among the Arabs. They were manufactured
and imbedded almost in every home and to drink had, so to speak,
become a mark of advancement in culture. As soon as the announcement
was made, the people who were greatly addicted to it and who regarded
it a virtue and sign of social and cultural eminence and who would
spend lavishly in the state of drunkenness from which the poor and
needy profited. These very samepeople now in a short span of time were
ready to forsake and sever any ties they may have had inregards to
alcohol which had, for years played a major role in their lives. Those
who held goblets in their hands immediately threw them on the ground.
Many others who were in the act of drinking, spat the contents out.
Sounds of pitchers and jars being smashed up were soon audible from
neighbouring houses. Wine was running to such an extent that the
streets of Madinah were overflowing.
Hazrat Anas radiyallahu anhu, an eminent companion of the Prophet
sallallahu alaihe wasallam narrates that some friends including Abu
Ubayda ibn Jarrah, Abu Dujahna, Mu'az ibn Jabal and Sahl ibn
Bayzahradiyallahu anhum had gathered at the house of Abu Talha.
Alcohol was flowing and I was acting as the cup-bearer when suddenly
the cry of the announcer reached our ears. None of us considered it
necessary to go out and investigatethe matter. Instead, the containers
and jars were smashed to the ground and the wine thrown onto the
streets of Madinah. After performing wudhu and ghusl we proceeded
towards the Masjid where upon our arrival we found the blessed Prophet
sallallahu alaihe wasallam reciting the aforesaid verse.
Hazrat Buraidah radiyallahu anhu also narrates a similar account
wherein a groupof Sahaabah were busy consuming liquor when the
announcement was made. The words no sooner reached their earsthat the
cups were thrown to the ground. Others who were about to swallow the
alcohol immediately spat it out, numerous barrels were also destroyed
in the process.
(Ibn Kathir vol2 p95)
This is not the occasion for a lengthy discussion regarding the
prohibition of alcohol, nonetheless, due to the fact that the
prohibition was revealed at the sametime to that of gambling, it was
necessary to give an example of the Sahaabah's habitual obedience,
courage and passion. From these incidents it can be imagined just how
difficult the situation hadbecome for the Sahaabah. Likewise it canbe
conceived as to how much hardship they musthave endured when the
prohibition of gambling was also revealed. Therefore, history itself
isa witness that after the revelation of the aayah, the Companions
refrained from associating with anything that was even minutely
related to gambling. In an authentic hadith of Bukhari the Prophet
sallallahu alaihe wasallam is reported to have said, "If one person
says to another, 'Come lets gamble.' (regardless of whether he acts
upon it or not) then he shall beliable of committing a sin; and the
compensation for that sinwill be to give Sadaqah."
It is a disgrace that today's Muslims, despite the fact that severe
and grave warnings have been given in the Qur'aan and Ahaadith
relating to gambling and alcohol, lead a life of complete ignorance
and unconcern. It seems that they no longer have faithin the Qur'aan
and Ahaadith, Allah save us! Itis not only the illiterate who are
involved, but the sad fact is that those who hold lofty positions in
society and who are regarded as religious, because they perform their
fasts and salaah, have also fallen prey to its evil clutches. Hence
forthe benefit of those who are unaware or not acquainted, a few forms
of gambling are being mentioned that are currently prevalent.
CROSSWORD PUZZLES
Nowadays, just like the epidemic of plague, the art of gambling too
has now become so common that it has become virtually a means of
tradeand commerce. Under such headlines as "Solve this Puzzle", or
"Win this Lottery" of innumerable newspapers and monthlyjournals that
are on an ever-increase. They offer prizes for solving puzzles subject
to the submitting of a fee. The participants are lured into false
belief that they can win substantial sums of money. Some organisers
fix huge prizes for the winners due to which thepoor public think that
the fees is only a small amount and will not bring no harm and
therefore enter trying to win a substantial amount.
Because people have fallen prey to this disease, thousands of
individuals are entering the lottery.
It is crystal clear that when a person enters into playing this game
hesubmits his fee on the understanding that he either loses a small
amount or wins a fortune; according to the divine law of Islam this
act is classified as 'gambling'.
In some monthly magazines this form of gambling has expanded very
widely and the income runs into millionsfrom which the businesspersons
gain overall benefit. Even if the company tries not to indulge in any
form of cheating, and distributes the prize money justly, a
substantial amount of money is left over which is the blood and sweat
ofthe poor people.
The outcome of all this, isthat it is the public who ends up in
poverty whilstthe organisers benefit from the expenses of the poor. In
confirmation of the prohibition of gambling, the above mentioned
evidence is sufficient; the democraticrules and curriculum of lslam
and its fundamentalprinciples forebears the public money to go in
thepossession of few individuals. Gambling in the form of crosswords
which are prevalent today, are to be reprimanded furthermore severely
since they are an aggregation of vices and sins.
The sole reason for this isthat the public is being urged and exhorted
to go against the commandments of Allah Ta'ala and His disobedience
and the Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wasallam'.
Each and every person that takes part in this vice is disobeying the
commandments which are stated by Allah Ta'ala very clearly in the Holy
Qur'aan. The participator becomes a doer of major sins, most of which
falls upon the organisers. The people who help them in any form also
become guilty of this particular major vice.
Likewise, thousands and millions of Muslim brethren openly go against
the clear order ofAllah Ta'ala and his Holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe
wasallam. In addition, thousands and millions ofMuslims become
involvedin this act of gambling with the result that it becomes an
unending and everlasting vice. May Allah Ta'ala bestow the entire
mankind with salvation and freedom from this disease, Aameen.
THE PRIZE WINNING TICKETS OF (CAR) SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS
It has been observed throughout the years in Karachi, Lahore and many
other places that various types of tickets are being sold to enter
exhibitions. The organisers issue tickets with lucky numbers and then
prizes are allocated to the lucky persons whose numbers appear.
This form is not regardedas open gambling because the ticket
ownerreceives the returns by entering the exhibition but now it is all
depending on the intention. The person who purchases this ticketon the
basis of winning aprize will be indulging in gambling. On the other
hand if his intention is solely to enter the exhibition with no
desireof winning a prize, and wins the prize then it willnot be
classified as gambling according to the rules pertaining to gambling.
HORSE RACING
The present day horse racing where one stakes a certain amount on a
particular horse is in fact gambling. It is exactly that form where
loss and gain is based on something indistinct, where one person loses
his initial amount and the other wins a substantial amount.
LOTTERY
In this present day each and every kind of lottery is included within
gambling and is prohibited. It is found in bazaars and factories
andout of which, a few well-known forms are mentioned.
The lottery business of this category has now reached an international
level. The purchaser of this ticket does not buy the ticket solely
with the intention of just buying itbut he buys it on the basis of it
being a possible winning dice by which he can win the amount of money
he has aimed for. That is the reason why this is not merely trade or
business venture but rather it is anact of sin to buy these or even to
sell them. Because he is not merely committing a sin and transgressing
but is also promoting it.
Islam gives peace to the mind, body and soul, keeping the human in
perfect harmony. Every iota balanced and scaled to perfection. A
serene picture of bliss and joy but when a shattering and destructive
vice strikes through the heart it leaves it in a weak and downtrodden
state. The National Lottery, a new religion, has hit Britain.
Amoneymaking, exciting, nail-biting game of chance, preying on the
human soul and wealth.
This modern lottery system of gambling camefrom the crusades. The
crusaders during a siege of the Islamic citadel of Azhar were forced
to pass their time by developing new pass-times. One of those was
called hazard and today this is the usual French word used for games
of chance.
Christians developed hazard into a state enterprise and since thenit
has been upgraded and reformed constantly, without any feeling of
guilt. Now it has, ultimately, hit Britain with a vengeance. It seems
it is here to stay for a long time to come.
The saddening thing however is that from the constant onslaught of
theWest on Islam, the National Lottery will contribute a great deal
towards their ultimate goal, the total assimilation of the Muslims
into the British society.
Coming towards the mainaspect of our argument that in no manner can it
be justified that it is permissible to play the lottery or to take
part in any form of gambling whatsoever will follow. The Christians,
developedit and turned it into a money-maker, all in the name of
charity. The Qur'aan has commanded the prohibition and total ban of
any form of gambling and in no way whatsoever can it be proven
permissible. Thus,any person who denies the prohibition of any form of
gambling such aslottery etc. will be committing an act of kufr.
Gambling is prohibited with absolute proof as the Allah Almighty says
in the Holy Qur'aan, "O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds
ofalcoholic drinks), gambling, Al-Ansab, and Al-Azlam (arrows for
seeking luck or decision) are an abomination ofsatan, handiwork. So
avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be
successful."
(Qur'aan 5:90)
When the Sahaabahs received the order to refrain from gambling they
did not hesitate to fulfil. This is because the Holy Prophet
sallallahu alaihe wasallam had said,"Whosoever invites a person
towards gambling should give some amount of charity to the poor."
(Bukhari)