Quran: the way to salvation

The Book of Allaah is the rain thatbrings forth true life on Earth.
I bear witness that there is no deity besides Allaah—alone, who has no
partner, no equal; Lord of the Messengers, Creator of the heavens and
the earths. I bear witness that Muhammad is His devoted-servant and His
Messenger sent with a Clear Bookthat separates guidance from
misguidance, deception from righteousness, and conjectures from
certainty.
Allaah revealed the Book (Noble Quran) in order for us to read it, and
mull over it with care and vigilance; to enrich our souls from its
remembrance; to carry itand construe it in the best of manners; to
affirm it and strive to establish its commands and prohibitions; pick
the fruits of its precious knowledge that is our way to Allaah and to
glean the wisdom from its gardens and flowers.
For it is His Book, and nothing else, that can guide His seekers toHim.
It is the path that leads the traveler to Allaah. It is His
brilliantLight that illuminates the darkness of uncertainty and
disbelief. It is His mercy of guidance and source of happiness for all
creation. It is the bridge that connects His devotee to Him when all
else fails. It is the great door to Him that remains open, when all else
is closed. It is the straight path that is not tainted by the opinions
of mortals. It is the remembrance full of wisdom thatis not swayed by
desires. It is the noble revelation containing wisdom that sages can
never fathom. Its wonders never end, nor are its clouds barren, its
signs are never exhausted, its agreements never contradict.
The more a soul delves into its depths, the more it increases in insight
and guidance. It is the cure for mankind from diseases of the heart. It
is life to the hearts and pleasure and brillianceto the souls. It is the
harbinger that calls night and day: "O seekers of good, hurry to me"
It is the caller of faith at the headof the straight path, calling
(whatmeans): "O our people, respond to the caller of Allaah and have
faith in Him so He may forgive your sins for you and may save you from a
painful chastisement." [Referring to verse 31 of chapter 46]
The Quran is Allaah's greatest blessing on us. It is the fulfillment of
His promise to Aadam and his descendants, as Allaah Almighty Says (what
means): ''…There shall come to you guidance from Me, and whatsoever
follows My Guidance no fear shall be on them, nor shall they sorrow''
[Quran 2:38]
It is the only weapon for struggling against the forces of evil and
temptation in this world.It is the only means to overpowerour fear and
anxiety. It is the onlyLight as we grope in the darkness, with which to
find our way to success and salvation. It isthe only healing for our
inner sickness, as well as the social ills that may surround us. It is
the constant reminder of our true nature and destiny, of our stationand
our duties.
But alas! Desires have put out thelamps of the hearts, and opinionsof
the mortal humans have shut those doors of Divine guidance and lost the
keys. The hearts are laden with the rust of their own earning, so much
so that they do not find the realities of the Quranopening to them. The
burdens of ignorance have so settled upon itthat its knowledge does not
blossom into righteous actions.
Woe unto you, how have you made the nourishment of your heart those vain
opinions that contradict the Quran and Sunnah (Prophet's Tradtion) that
neither replenish it nor quench its thirst?So now your heart does not
accept nourishment of the Word of the Lord of the worlds, and thespeech
of His eminent Messenger!
For how will you ever find your way through the darkness of conjectures
and opinions of mortals to the clear distinction ofright and wrong when
you haveclosed your eyes to the light of the Book of Allaah and the
way ofthe Messenger?
Woe unto you, how have you adulterated the right opinions with the sick
ones, and the accepted ones with the rejected ones, and have managed to
incapacitate your souls from receiving the guidance and knowledge from
the Book that is immune to falsehood from all directions.
Nay, but it is, by Allaah, a trial that has blinded the hearts from the
sources of righteousness and has embezzled the minds from their goals.
The Book of Allaah is the coolnessof eyes for which the
competitorscompete, the finality to which the contenders contend.
How can you still be in the dark under a rising sun?
How can you lose your way undera bright constellation?
Glory be to Allaah, The Exalted!

What is Hajj (Pilgrimage)?

The word Hajj, linguistically, means heading to a place for the sake of
visiting; in Islamic terminology, it implies heading to Makkah to
observe the rituals of pilgrimage.
Hajj is obligated by Allaahupon every Muslim, male and female, who is
physically and financially capable. It is obligatory only once during
the lifetime of a Muslim. Allaah Almighty Says (what means): "…And [due]
to Allaah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House – for whoever is
able to find thereto a way…." [Quran 3:97]
The Prophet said: "Islam is built upon five (pillars): the testimony
that none has the right tobe worshipped except Allaah and Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allaah, the establishment of the prayer, paying Zakaat,
Hajj to the House (i.e. Ka'bah,) and fasting in Ramadhaan." [Al-Bukhaari
& Muslim]
The Prophet also said: "Hajj is mandated once, so whoever does it more
(than that), then it is supererogatory." [Abu Daawood and Ahmad]
Hajj was prescribed in the sixth year after Hijrah(migration) upon the
revelation of the following verse in which Allaah Says (what means):
"And complete the Hajj and 'Umrah for Allaah..." [Quran 2:196]
Hajj is not a new institution introduced by Islam, rather it is as old
asthe Ka'bah itself. Allaah Almighty Says (what means): "Indeed, the
first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah
[i.e., Makkah] – blessed and a guidance to the worlds." [Quran 3:96]
The whole origin of Hajj is rooted to the acts of devotion of Prophet
Ibraaheem . This demonstrates that Muhammad did not innovate this
institution, all he did was to clear it of all the evil practices that
had crept into it. After a few centuries of the death of Ibraaheem and
his son Ismaa'eel, may Allaah exalt their mention, people abandoned
their teachings and gradually went astray, like all otherpeople around
them. Hundreds of idols were installed in the Ka'bah, which was built by
Ibraaheem and Ismaa'eel,may Allaah exalt their mention, as a centre for
the worship of the One True God. Ironically enough, idols were madeafter
the image of Ibraaheem and Ismaa'eel too, whose whole lives had been
spent eradicating idol-worship.The descendants of Ibraaheem who had
himself repudiated all idols, began to worship idols. The Ka'bah was
turned into a type of temple for idol-worship and superstition. This
predicament lasted for about two thousand years, until the advent of
Prophet Muhammad .
Hajj is rightly said to be the perfection of faith, since it combines in
itself all the distinctive qualities of other obligatory acts of prayer,
patience, privation of amenities of life, devotion, Zakaat (alms),
slaughtering the sacrificeand supplication. In fact, the physical
pilgrimage isa prelude to the spiritual pilgrimage to Allaah when man
would bid goodbye to everything ofthe world and present himself before
Him as His humble servant saying: 'Here I am before You, myLord, as a
slave.'
There are three forms of Hajj:
1. Hajj At-Tamattu': This is where a pilgrim assumes Ihraam for 'Umrah
only, during the months of Hajj, which means that when he reaches
Makkah, he makes Tawaaf and Sa'i for 'Umrah. Then he shaves or clips his
hair. On the eighth day of Thul-Hijjah,the pilgrim assumes Ihraam again
for Hajj only and carries out all ofits requirements.
2. Hajj Al-Ifraad: This is where a pilgrim assumes Ihraam for Hajj only.
When he reaches Makkah, he performs Tawaaf for his arrival andSa'i for
Hajj. He does not shave or clip his hair as he does not disengage from
Ihraam. Instead, he remains in Ihraam until after he stones the
Jamratul–'Aqabah on 'Eedday. It is permissible for him to postpone his
Sa'i for Hajj until after his Tawaaf for Hajj (i.e. Tawaaf Al-Ifaadhah).
3. Hajj Al-Qiraan: This is where a pilgrim assumes Ihraam for both
'Umrah and Hajj, or he assumes Ihraam first for 'Umrah, then makes his
intention for Hajj before his Tawaaf for Hajj. The obligations on one
performing Ifraad are the same as those on oneperforming Qiraan, except
that the latter must slaughter whereas the former is not obligated to do
so.
The best of the three forms is Tamattu'. It is theform that the Prophet
encouraged his followersto perform.
Hajj is undertaken in company with all the other pilgrims. The months of
Hajj are: Shawwal, Thul-Qi'dah and Thul-Hijjah (the last three months of
the Hijri calendar). One can perform 'Umrah for Hajj At-Tamattu' at any
time within these three months (i.e. he may perform 'Umrah during the
Hajj season, and then subsequently making Hajjthe same year at the fixed
time, beginning on the eighth day of Thul-Hijjah).
The Makkan territory is sacred. The pilgrim enters this territory in a
state of Ihraam (a state inwhich one is forbidden to do certain things
that are otherwise permissible).
Ihraam, for men, entails wearing a special garment. A male pilgrim is
not allowed to wear form-fitting clothes or to cover his head or hands
with gloves, or his feet with socks or shoes. This is done in order to
foster a sense of humility and a feeling of brotherhood among the
Muslims.
The male pilgrim's garment consists of two sheets of white woollen or
cotton cloth, of which one is wrapped around the waist and reaches below
the knees and above the ankles, while the other is wrapped around the
upper part of the body. The head and the right shoulder are left
uncovered during Tawaaf. This attire is for males, whereas females have
to cover all of their body except the face and hands.
Before donning this dress, the pilgrim is recommended to take a bath
(Ghusl). A man in Ihraam is consecrated. Hecannot hunt, pick plants,
shed blood, or have sexual intercourse or partake in whatever leads to
it. The excellence of Hajj:
1. It is one of the best deeds:
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet was once asked: "What is the best
deed?" He replied: "To believe in Allaah and His Messenger." The
enquirerthen asked: "What next?"The Prophet replied: "To fight in the
cause of Allaah." He again asked: "What is the next best thing?" He
replied: "Hajj 'Mabroor' (i.e., the Hajj that is free of sin andall its
pillars and conditions are fulfilled)." [Al-Bukhaari]
2. It is a form of Jihaad:
Al-Hasan Ibn 'Ali and his father, said that a man came to the Prophet
and said: "I am a coward and a weak person. Is there anything I can do?"
The Prophet replied: "You may go for a Jihaad that involves no fighting,
that is, Hajj." ['Abdur-Razzaaq and At-Tabaraani]
The Prophet also said: "Hajj is the Jihaad for theold, the weak and the
women." [An-Nasaa'i]
3. It wipes away past sins:
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet said: "He who performs Hajj
seeking Allaah's pleasure and avoids all lewdness and sins (therein)
will return after Hajj free from all sins, just as he was on theday his
mother gave birth to him." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
4. Pilgrims are the Guests of Allaah:
The Prophet said: "Pilgrims and those performing 'Umrah are Allaah's
guests; their prayers are answered and their supplications for
forgiveness are granted." [An-Nasaa'i andIbn Maajah]
5. The Reward of Hajj is Paradise:
The Prophet said: "All sins committed in between the performance of one
'Umrah and the next are expiated and erased, andthe reward of Hajj
'Mabroor' is nothing saveParadise." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

Muslim forbidding his non-Muslim wife to celebrate her religious festivals.

Why is it that a catholic girl married to a muslim man CANNOT celebrate
her religous festivals? even though she is married to a muslim she still
remains a catholic. shouldnt she be able to worship what she belives?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If a Christian girl agrees to marry a Muslim man, then she should be
aware of a number of things:
1 – The wife is commanded to obey her husband, so long as it does not
involve sin. No differentiation is made between a Muslim wife and a
non-Muslim wife with regard to that. If her husband tells her to do
something that is not a sin, then she is obligedto obey him. Allaah has
given this right to men, because they are in charge of the family and
are responsible for it, and family life cannot run smoothly unless one
of its members is in charge and is listened to and obeyed. But this does
not mean that the man is allowed to dominate or exploit this right in
order to mistreathis wife and children, rather he must strive hard to do
a good job, to offer sincere advice and consult with them.
But life is not free of matters that need to be settled in a decisive
manner. The Christian girl needs to understandthis principle before she
goes ahead and marries a Muslim.
2 – Islam allows marriage to a Christian or Jewish woman, i.e., it
permits a man to marry such a woman whilst shecontinues to follow her
religion. The husband does not have the right to force her to become
Muslim, or to stop her worshipping in her own way. But he does have the
right to forbid her togo out of the house, even if she is going to go
out to go to church, because she is commanded to obey him. He also has
the right to forbid her to commit evil openly in the house, such as
setting up statues or ringing bells.
That also includes celebrating innovated festivals, such as Easter,
because that is an evil action according to Islam, in two ways. It is an
innovation for which there is no basis, like celebrating the birthday of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and Mother's
Day, and it also includes false beliefs, namely the belief that the
Messiah was killed and crucified, then placed in the grave, thenrose
from it.
The truth is that 'Eesa (Jesus – peace be upon him) was not killed or
crucified, rather that he was taken up to heaven alive.
See questions no. 10277 and 43148 .
The husband does not have the right to force his Christian wife to
giveup these beliefs, but he may denounce her open profession of
falsehood. We have to differentiate between her right to continue
following her religion and her manifesting evil deeds openly in his
house. An example of that is if the wife is a Muslim but she believes
that something is permissible, whereas her husband believes it is
haraam. He has the right to stop her doing it, because he is in charge
of the family, andhe is obliged to denounce whatever he believes is
wrong.
3 – The view of the majority of scholars is that the minor issues of
sharee'ah are addressed to the kaafirs, as well as the command to
believe.This means that things that are forbidden to Muslims are also
forbidden to them, such as drinking alcohol, eating pork,
introducinginnovations or celebrating them. The husband should stop his
wife committing any of these actions, because ofthe general meaning of
the verse in which Allaahsays (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones"
[al-Tahreem 66:6]
Nothing is exempted from that except the beliefs and acts of worship
that are prescribed in her religion, such as obligatory prayers and
fasts. The husband should not raise any objections to that. Drinking
alcohol, eating pork, and celebrating innovated festivals that have been
invented by rabbis and priests, are not part of her religion.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The husband has the
right to stop her going out to the church. This was stated by Imam Ahmad
with regard to a man who had a Christianwife. He said: He should not
give her permission to go out to Christian festivals or churches.
And he said concerning a man who had a Christian slave woman who asked
him to let hergo out to attend their festivals and churches and
gatherings: He should not give her permission to do that.
Ibn al-Qayyim said: The reason for that is that heshould not help her
withregard to the means of kufr or give her permission to do that. And
he said: He does not have the right to forbid her to observe fasts which
she believes are obligatory, even if that means that he misses outon
intimacy with her at that time, or to forbid her to pray towards the
east in his house. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) allowed the Christians of Najraan to pray in his mosque, facing
towards their "qiblah" (direction of prayer). End quote from Ahkaam Ahl
al-Dhimmah,2/819-823.
The fact that the delegation of Christians from Najraan prayed in the
mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
also mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) in Zaad
al-Ma'aad, 3/629. The commentator said: its men are thiqaat
(trustworthy), but it is munqati' (interrupted) – i.e., its isnaad is
da'eef (weak).

Dought & clear - , Deciding on profit shares in a joint venture may be according to what the two partners agree on, not commensurate with each partner’s contribution to the capital.

What is the Islamically acceptable way to share the profits in a
business partnership involving two men who are doing business with
capital of 3 million liras, 2 million from one of them and 1 million
from the other?
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed concerning howthe
profit is to be shared: should it be commensurate with each partner's
contribution to the capital, as in the case of loss, or should it be
according to what is agreed upon between the partners, whether it is
great or small? There are two opinions:
1. The view of the Hanafis and Hanbalis: that the profit should be
shared according to what the partners stipulated and agreed upon, so
long as the profit is clearly defined.
2. The view of the Maalikis and Shaafa'is: that the profit should be
shared commensurate with each partner's contribution to the capital.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It is permissible to
share in profit according to the share contributed by each partner, and
it is permissible to share it equally, even if their contributions
differed, and one may take more than the other even if their
contributions wereequal. This was stated byAbu Haneefah.
Maalik and ash-Shaafa'i said: One of the conditions of it being valid is
that profits and loss must be commensurate with the proportion of
capital contributed, because profit in this partnershipis connected to
the capital.
In our view, work (done by one of the partners) deserves a portion of
theprofit, so it is permissiblefor them to have different levels of
profit if one of them is putting work into the business, as when
different people use the capital ofone man for business (mudaarabah).
That is because one of them may have more experience in business than
the other, and may be more able to achieve results. So it is permissible
for him to stipulate an additional share of the profits in return for
his work, as a proportion of the profit may be stipulated in return for
the work of the one who is running the business venture.
End quote from al-Mughni (5/19).
Based on that, the profit may be divided in the following manner:
The one who contributed 2 million is entitled to two thirds and the one
who contributed 1 million is entitled to one third. This is according to
the Maaliki and Shaafa'i madhhabs, and is a fair division that is valid
according to scholarly consensus.
If the two partners agreed not to divide the profit according to the
proportion of the capitalcontributed by each, andthey want - for example
- to divide it between them in two equal halves, so that the one who
contributed 2 million takes half of the profit and the one who
contributed 1 million takes the other half, and they both agree to that,
then this is also permissible according tothe Hanafi and Hanbali
madhhabs, because it is their right to decide, and the one who
contributed the greater part of the capital may yield a portion of his
profit to his partner, voluntarily.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) also stated that the
latter way of sharingthe profit between two partners is valid. See:
ash-Sharh al-Mumti', 9/403
And Allah knows best.