Determined prayer is the key to destiny

There are various elements in life you come face to face with every
day and that you imagine you know and understand very well; so much so
that you imagine it would be impossible to understand the majority of
them any better than you do already. But that is not always true.
Sometimes you may heara different account or witness something that
leads to a brand new door, a new horizon youhad never contemplated
before, opening up on a subject you thought you knew so well. Your
whole perspective changes, not only momentarily but fundamentally. You
acquire a new perspective on that long familiar subject, as if youwere
encountering it forthe first time.
One of these subjects about which one constantly acquires a new and
more profoundconception during the various stages of one's life is
'prayer.' A believer knows that Allah will heed all prayers, and
trusts in that truth with all his heart. But the more a person's
closeness to Allah, depth of faith and understanding of destiny grow,
the more his perspective toward prayer deepens and is perfected.
Although he knows the verses of the Qur'an very well, the spiritual
power that Allah instills in his heart through those verses constantly
increases whenever he reads themagain. And for someone who is
determined in faith, this situation is repeated constantly untilthe
end of his life.
One piece of knowledge regarding prayer that will again be
instrumental in the opening of his heart when he hears it is that
prayer 'is the key to destiny.' This is part of the law of Allah. When
Muslims beseech Allah with love and passion, by His leave, what they
desire will come about.
This is a secret mystery of Allah that very few people are aware of.
When one prays, Allah's destiny goes into motion. Mass prayer
especially has a particular power; when Muslims request something
determinedlyand en masse , and whenthey embrace natural causes, then
by Allah's leave, something that people thought would never happen
does in fact come to pass. Allah has created the world bythat law.
Allah is He Who heeds every prayer
Allah has cited many examples in the Qur'an so that people can
understand this secret ofdestiny: the Prophet Jonah (pbuh) frequently
prayed to Allah from inside the stomach of the whale, and Allah
rescued him in an incomparable manner. When the Prophet Moses(pbuh)
and his people were trapped between Pharaoh's army and the sea, the
Prophet Moses (pbuh) prayed to Allah infull submission, and Allah
created a miraculous escape for him and his people. Rasulullah (saas)
placed all his trust in the infinite might of Allah when he and a
friend were in the cave, and Allah spared him from the traps of the
unbelievers and grantedhim victory. In the same way, when the Prophet
Joseph (pbuh) was thrown down the well, Allah in His infinite mercy
sent him help. Allah again manifested His infinite mercy when the
Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was about to be cast into the flames, and made
them cool for him. The Prophet Zechariah (pbuh) prayed to Allah, and
despite their advanced age, he and his wife were blessed by Allah with
the birth of the Prophet John (pbuh).
Some of the verses of the Qur'an that reveal how Allah heeds the
sincere calls of His prophets are as follows:
Jonah too was one of the messengers. When he ran away to the fully
laden shipand cast lots and lost. Then the fish devoured him and he
was to blame. Had it not been that he was a man who glorified Allah,
he would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are raised
again. So We cast him uponto the beach and he was sick; and We caused
a gourd tree to grow over him. We sent him toa hundred thousand or
even more. They believed and so We gavethem enjoyment for a time.
(Surat as-Saffat, 139-148)
And when the two hosts came into sight of one another Moses'
companions said, "We will surely be overtaken!" He said, "Never! My
Lord is with me and He will guide me." So We revealed to Moses,
"Strike the sea with your staff." And it split in two, each part like
a towering cliff. And We brought the others right up to it. We rescued
Moses and all those who were with him. Then We drowned the rest. There
is certainly a sign in that yet most of them are notbelievers. (Surat
ash-Shu'ara', 61-67)
If you do not help him, Allah did help him when the unbelievers drove
him out and there were two of them in the Cave. He said to his
companion, "Do not be despondent, Allah is with us." Then Allah sent
down His serenity upon him and reinforced him with troops you could
not see. He made the word of the unbelievers undermost. It is the
wordof Allah which is uppermost. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.
(Suratat-Tawba, 40)
When they declared, "Why! Joseph and his brother are dearer to our
father than we are although we constitute apowerful group. Our father
is clearly making a mistake. Kill Joseph or expel him to some land so
that your father will look to you alone and then you can be people who
do right." (Surah Yusuf, 8-9)
But when, in fact, they did go out with him and gathered all together
and agreed to put him atthe bottom of the well, We then revealed to
himthat: "You will inform them of this deed they perpetrate at a time
when they are totally unaware." (Surah Yusuf, 15)
Some travelers came that way and then dispatched their water-drawer
who let his bucket down. He said, "Good news for me, I've found a
boy!" They then hid him away among their goods. Allah knew very well
what they were doing. They sold him for a pittance, a fewsmall coins,
considering him to be of little worth. (Surah Yusuf, 19-20)
The Egyptian who had bought him told his wife, "Look after him with
honor and respect. It's possible he will be of use to us or perhaps we
might adopt him as a son." And thus We established Joseph in theland
to teach him the true meaning of events. Allah is in control of His
affair. However, most of mankind do not know. And then when he became
a full-grown man, We gave him knowledge and right judgement too. That
is how We reward all doers of good. (Surah Yusuf, 21-22)
They said, "Who has done this to our gods? He is definitely one of the
wrongdoers!" They said, "We heard a young man mentioning them. They
call him Abraham." They said, "Bring him before the people's eyes so
they can be witnesses." (Surat al- Anbiya', 59-61)
They said, "Burn him andsupport your gods if youare resolved to do
something." We said, "Fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham!" They
desired to trap him but We made them the losers. (Surat al- Anbiya',
68-70)
And Zechariah when he called out to his Lord, "My Lord, do not leave
me on my own, though You are the Best of Inheritors." We responded to
him and gave him John, restoringfor him his wife's fertility. They
outdid oneanother in good actions,calling out to Us in yearning and in
awe, and humbling themselves to Us. (Surat al- Anbiya', 89-90)
Then and there Zechariah called on his Lord and said, "O Lord, grant
me by Your favor an upright child. You arethe Hearer of Prayer." The
angels called out to him while he was standing in prayer in theUpper
Room: "Allah givesyou the good news of John, who will come to confirm
a Word from Allah, and will be a leader and a celibate, a Prophet and
one of the righteous." He said, "My Lord, how can I possibly have a
son when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?" He said, "It
will be so. Allah does whatever He wills." (Surah Al 'Imran, 38-40)
Some people who encounter similar situations to these cited in the
Qur'an in their own lives fall into the error of thinking that "it is
impossible" for their prevailing circumstancesto ever change. Since
their attitude is essentially one of despair and lack of faith,they
fail to properly appreciate the might of Allah and do not pray to Him
with a genuine and absolute submission to Him. And this stems from
these people being unaware of the secret ofdetermined prayer, and
being unaware that prayer is the key to destiny.
Yet if Allah so wishes He can immediately make those things that
people mistakenly think of as "impossible" a reality. In the same way
that Allah sent His help to messengers and true believers in the past,
andthat situations regarded as "impossible" were made a reality, so
this also applies to the lives of everyone today.
Praying with absolute faith
Everyone may face situations wherein they may truly want from Allah
but that look impossible to happen. But people must never be deceived
under thesecircumstances. It is very important not to forget that
prayer is the key to destiny and that when one prays, so Allah's
destiny goes into motion, and thus to beseech Allah with an absolute
faith. In the same way that our Lord smoothed the way for the Prophet
Moses (pbuh) and helped the prophets Jonah (pbuh), Abraham (pbuh) and
Zechariah (pbuh), so all sincere Muslims hope for Him to respond to
their prayers with mercy.
Of course, however, a believer who really wants something to happen
must frequently call on Allah, just like theProphet Jonah (pbuh) and
must, just like our Prophet Muhammad (saas) and the Prophet Moses
(pbuh), say "Of course, our Lord is with us," without losing
heartunder even the most difficult of conditions; he must trust in
Allah's might with a powerful faith, feeling no doubts at all. And
then the secret in prayer will come about and, by Allah's leave,
destiny willbegin to work in the desired direction.
The great Islamic scholarImam Rabbani reminds believers of this great
and certain truth in the following passage:
"To ask for something is to obtain it; because Almighty Allah will not
allow His servant to uttera prayer that He will not heed." (Imam
Rabbani)

Hujjat al-Islam al-Ghazali

Al-Ghazali, the great Islamic scholar who lived10 centuries ago, was a
great example to all believers with his good moral values and his
exemplary life. He trained many students and done great services to
the Islamic world. Al Ghazali was born in Tus, Iran in 1058 when there
were serious conflicts in the Islamic world and the Andalusian Empire
was in a period of decline . In such challenging times, through his
books and lectures, he was the means for the enlightening of the
Islamic world.
Because he had such deep and profound knowledge, he was also known as
'Hujjat al-Islam" and ' Zauniddin ' which means the 'evidence of
Islam, proofthat Islam is the true religion'. Hujjat al-Islam also
means the person who memorized three hundred thousand hadiths with the
names of the reporting people. When he was still young,he went to
Baghdad upon the invitation of the then Seljuk vizier Nizam al-Mulk.
The scholars in the court were amazed to see the depth of knowledge
andeloquence in explaining matters. Nizam al-Mulk appointed him to the
Nizamiye Madrassah to act as the master, a position equivalent to
today's university rectors. During his tenure , Al Ghazali trained
many students and selected three hundred of the best and taught them
allthe necessary knowledge. His students included prominent Islamic
scholars such as Muhammad ibn Asad al-Tusi, Abu Mansur Muhammad, Abu
Abd Allah Jumart al-Hussaini, and Abu al-Hasan al-Balansi.
Al Ghazali is recognized for his vast knowledge not only by the
Islamic world, but also by Westerners as well. The knowledge of Al
Ghazali was advanced in every aspect compared to the European
scholars of his time. For instance, at a time when the Europeans
commonly believed that the earth was flat, Al Ghazali asserted that
the earth was round, that liver cleansed the blood of toxins and
microbes and the ratio of substances in the blood were vital to keep
it healthy, the latter two being facts included in today's physiology
books.
Not only this;, Al Ghazali wrote about many othersubjects in his
books, which are around 1,000. His books deal with Islam, Islamic
moral values and science in a way that can be clearly understood by
people ofevery age and of every education level. Some of his most
famous books are as follows: Ihya Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the
Religious Sciences), Kimya al-Saadat (The Alchemy of the Happiness),
Jawahir al-Qur'an (The Jewels of the Qur'an), Mizan al-Amal (Balance
of Action), Durrat al- Fakhira (The Exquisite Pearl) , Ayyuh-al-Walad
(O my son!), Qistas al- Mustaqim(The Correct Balance) .
Europeans studied the books of Al Ghazali's in a very detailed
manner,. and in 1959, upon reading the books of Al Ghazali and being
fascinated by Islam religion, four Professors Ordinarius translated
thebooks of Al Ghazali into German and then converted to Islam.
AL GHAZALI CALLED ATTENTION TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSLIMS BEING
UNITED AND LIVING IN A BROTHERLY MANNER:
Another point Al Ghazali paid attention to was the brotherhood,
friendship and love between the Muslims. In his famous book, Ihya Ulum
al-Din , he explains in the light of the verses of the Qur'an and the
hadith, why the brotherhood of Muslims is very important as follows:
The Prophet Mohammed (saas) explains: "Muslims are siblings, they do
not hurt, wrong or afflict one another." (Bukhari and Muslim)
Don't get jealous of eachother, don't hold a grudge against each
other, don't say bad things to each other, don't turn your backs to
each other, don't gossip about each other. Servants of Allah, be
brothers. (Bukhari and Muslim; Hujjat al-Islam Al Ghazali, Ihya
al-Ulum al-Din, vol. 3, p. 315)
The great scholar Al Ghazali explains how thebelievers should approach
each other in these wise words:
... You should always approach them with the compassion that they
expect from you. You should see their good sides and ignore the
badones. When they come to you and talk to you, you should not turn
youreyes away from them. (Ihya al-Ulum al-Din, p. 431)
Some of the sage advice of Al Ghazali …
"Don't forget that Almighty Allah knows everything you think and say.
People see only the outside of each other, but Almighty Allahsees both
the inside and the outside of all. Those who know that will be careful
with their thoughts and actions. "
"O my lower self, if you are saying 'I'll repent and do good things
later', remember that death can come before that and you can only
regret. If you think repenting tomorrow is easier than it is today,
you are mistaken".
Al Ghazali gave the goodnews of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as)
In his works Hujjat al-Islam Al Ghazali explained in detail the
qualities of Hazrat Mahdi(as) who is to come in the End Times based on
the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (saas) and heralded Muslims with
the comingof Hazrat Mahdi (as).

--

- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

Accusing chaste women of adultery

Allaah Almighty Says in the Noble Quran (what means):
"The [Unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual
intercourse— lash each one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not
be taken by pity for them in the religion [i.e. law] of Allaah, if you
should believe in Allaah and the Last Day.And let a group of the
believers witness their punishment. The fornicator does not marry
except a [female] fornicator or polytheist, and none marries her
except a fornicator or a polytheist, and that [i.e. marriageto such
persons] has been made unlawful to the believers. And those who accuse
chaste women (of adultery) and then do not produce four witnesses —
lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony
ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient. Except for those
who repent thereafter and reform, for indeed Allaah is Forgiving and
Merciful." [Quran 24: 2-5]
Islamic law (Sharee'ah) prescribes a very heavy penalty for adultery.
However, Islam does not legislate such a penalty without first putting
in place sufficient legislation that protects people against falling
in sin. It also ensures that the punishment is not enforced except in
cases where there is certainty about the offence and its perpetrators.
Islam is a complete code of living that is not based on punishment.
Its basis is toprovide all that promotesa clean and morally pure life.
If some individuals then abandon such a clean and easy life in order
to deliberately submerge themselves into filth, they incur such heavy
penalty.
In the case of adultery, Islam requires four witnesses to testify that
they have seen the offence, or else, a clear and confirmed confession
by the perpetrators.
It may be suggested, then, that the punishment is unreal
andunenforceable, which renders it ineffective as adeterrent.
Punishment is not the basis of the Islamic approach; its basis is
prevention, education and cultivatingpeople's finer feelings and
consciences so that they refrain from even contemplating this offence.
Imaam Maalik narrated that a man confessed to fornication in the time
of the Messenger of Allaah . The Messenger of Allaah called for a
whip, and he was brought a brokenwhip. He said: "Above this," and he
was broughta new whip whose knots had not been cut yet. He said:
"Below this," and he was brought a whip which had been used and made
flexible. The Messenger of Allaah gave the order and hewas flogged.
Then he said: "O people! Observe the limits of Allaah. Whoever has
committed any of these ugly things (adultery or fornication) should
cover them up with the veil of Allaah. Whoever reveals to us hiswrong
action, we shall perform what is in the Book of Allaah against him
(i.e. the prescribed penalty)." [Maalik]
Prescribing a very harsh punishment for adultery is not sufficient, on
its own, to protect the Muslim community and ensure the purity of its
atmosphere. Therefore, asupplementary order is given to isolate the
adulterers from the rest of the Muslim community.It goes further to
remove the air of the offence from the Muslim community, prescribing
aheavy punishment for those who accuse chaste women of adultery
without providing firm evidence in support of their accusation. Allaah
Almighty Says in the Quran (what means):
"And those who accuse chaste women of adultery and then do not produce
four witnesses — lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from
them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient.
Except for those who repent thereafter and reform, for indeedAllaah is
Forgiving and Merciful"." [Quran 24: 2-5]
Allowing people to accuse chaste women, whether married or not,
without a clear proof means that people could always make up such
accusation, fearing no repercussion. This means that the Muslim
community finds itself with a stained reputation. Every individual is
threatened with false accusation. Every man suspects his wife, and
every wife suspects her husband, and people doubt their legitimacy. In
such an intolerable state of doubtand suspicion, every family is
undermined. Moreover, when such accusations are frequently made, those
who steer themselves away from adultery will begin to think that the
crime is common in society. Thus, people begin to think about adultery
in a different spirit, with its ghastly nature sounding less ghastly
as a result of its frequent mention. Those who would not have
contemplated it at all may begin to think of doing so, feeling that
many others are doing it.
Thus, in order to protect people's honor and their suffering from
suspicion as a result of uncorroborated accusations, the Quran
prescribes for false accusation a punishment that comes close to that
of adultery. The punishment is flogging with 80 stripes, rejecting
their testimony in any case or situation, and giving them the label of
transgressors. The first part of the punishment isphysical, while the
second is moral. It is sufficient that the accuser is deprived of
theright to testify, and considered deceitful. The third part of the
punishment is a religious one. The one guilty of false accusation is
following a line that deviates from that of faith. The only way to
protect himself from suchpunishments is that the accuser should
provide four witnesses who have seen the offence being committed, or
three alongside him if he himself has seen it.
It is agreed upon by Muslim scholars that for adultery (or
fornication) case to be authentically proven, four witnesses must
simultaneously see, by their own eyes, the man's sexual organ inserted
in the woman's sexual organ. Only when these four witnesses givesuch
testimony is the accusation proved and the punishment of adultery (or
fornication) is enforced on the perpetrators.
Such restrictions are set forth by Sharee'ah in order to limit to the
least minimum the possibility of falsely accusing chaste women of
adultery (or fornication), which leads to social and psychological
troubles for the accused women. Even when such a sin –adultery (or
fornication)- is committed, such restrictions laid by Sharee'ah will
guarantee the suppression of the crime and prevents its spread among
the people, which contaminates the morallypure Muslim community.

Backbiting & Slander - AnIslamic perspective

Allaah Says in the Quran what means: "And why, when you heard it, did
you not say: 'It is notfor us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O
Allaah]; this is a great slander?'" [Quran 24:16]
Backbiting & Slander Defined
Prophet Muhammad once asked: "Do you know what backbiting is?" His
companions replied: "Allaah and His Messenger know best." He then
said: "It is to say something about your brother that he would
dislike." Someone asked:"But what if what is said is true?"The
Messenger of Allaah replied: "If what you say about him is true, then
you have backbitten him, but if it is not true then you have slandered
him." [Muslim]
Islam is a religion of peace, love and compassion. Lies, suspicion,
backbiting, slander and gossip are totally alien to Islam. In fact,
they are considered amongst the most destructive of major sins. This
is so because these sins sow enmity and discord among the Muslim Ummah
(nation) and lead to its destruction. They cause hostilities between
people of the same household, and between neighbours, friends and
relatives.
Islam demands that our relationship with mankind be one of sincerity
and responsibility. It should be one where we have respect for the
honour, reputation and privacy ofothers. Islam teaches us that we are
not only held accountable for our attitudes and actions, but also for
anything over which we have control or influence in our society or the
world around us.
Allaah has Forbidden the Believers from Backbiting
Allaah states in the Quran (what means): "O you who have believed!
Avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And
do not spyor backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the
flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allaah;
indeed, Allaah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful." [Quran 49:12]
If we were to reflect deeply over this example, it would be enoughto
keep us away from backbiting!
Backbiting and Slander are Great Sins and Cannot be Treated with Indifference
The Quran Says (what means): "When you received it with your tongues
and said with your mouths that of which you had noknowledge and
thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allaah,
tremendous." [Quran 24:15]
Many of us backbite and gossip without thinking. We think it is a
minor matter, however, Allaah reminds us to be careful, for eventhough
we think we are doing something small, it is in fact very large in the
sight of Allaah!
Allaah Teaches Us to Speak Out Against Slander and Try to Put a Stop to It
Allaah Says (what means): "And why, when you heard it, did you not
say: 'It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allaah];
this is a great slander?'" [Quran 24:16]
Many people are so busy spreading the slander they hear that they do
not even stop to consider whether it is true or not.
Satan Wishes that We Use Our Tongues to Create Conflict and Hatred
Allaah Says (what means): "And tell My servants to say that which is
best. Indeed, Satan induces [dissension] among them. Indeed, Satan is
ever, to mankind,a clear enemy." [Quran 17:53]
Are we falling into Satan's trap? We can all analyse ourselves to see
if this is the case. Let's now compare that to what Prophet Muhammad
said about backbiting:
Allaah states in the Quran (what means): "There has certainly beenfor
you in the Messenger of Allaahan excellent pattern…" [Quran 33:21]
We Should Guard Our Tongue from Sins and Use Our Limbs in Acts of Obedience
Prophet Muhammad said: "Hewho protects his tongue from unlawful
utterances and his private parts from illegal sexual intercourse, I
shall guarantee himentrance into Paradise." [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]
The Best Muslim Defined
Prophet Muhammad was once asked: "Who is the best Muslim?" He replied:
"He is the one from whom Muslims are safe from the evil of his tongue
and hands." [Muslim]
Deriding people in their presence by making negative facial
expressions or by hand gestures while they are unaware is also a form
of backbiting.
We Need to Beware of the Slipping of Our Tongues
Prophet Muhammad said: "When man wakes up in the morning each day, all
his body parts warn his tongue saying: 'Fear Allaah with regards to
us, for we are under your mercy; if you are upright, we will be
upright and if you are crooked, we will be crooked.'" [At-Tirmithi]
Summary
Backbiting and slander are so widespread that they have become the
topic of people's meetings and an avenue for expressing their anger,
misgivings and jealousy. Those who indulge in backbiting are oblivious
of the fact that they are only harming themselves. This is because on
the Day of Resurrection, both the wrongdoer and the wronged willstand
before Allaah, the Just Judge. Allaah will then give the wronged
person from the good deeds of the person who wronged him by backbiting
or other injustices.
Some situations allow us to inform others of what someone has done. We
are permitted to inform the authorities when someone does injustice to
us or others. We are permitted to inform someone who can prevent a
perpetrator from committing further vice. It is alsopermissible for us
to tell whoeverseeks our advice about a person for business dealings
or marriage. In this case we are allowed reveal only as much as
necessary about the person so that the enquirer will not feel
deceived. All these forms of speaking about others are lawful.
Islam teaches us that if people are being ridiculed or backbitten in
our presence, we should defend their honour. If we neglect doing so,
we risk depriving ourselves of the ever-needed help and mercy
fromAllaah.
Prophet Muhammad said: "If a man's Muslim brother is slandered in his
presence, and he is capable of defending him and does so, Allaah will
defend him inthis world and in the next. But if he fails to defend
him, Allaah will destroy him in this world and thenext." [Al-Baghawi]
What will we do the next time we are tempted to backbite, or if we
hear slander in our presence? The choice is ours.

--

- - - - -

And Allah Knows the Best!

- - - - -

Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤