Novels,a Woman of Pleasure ,Part I Madam,

Part I
Madam,
I sit down to give you an undeniable proof of my considering your
desires as indispensable orders. Ungracious then as the task may be, I
shall recall to view those scandalousstages of my life, out of which I
emerg'd, at length, to the enjoymentof every blessing in the power of
love, health, and fortune to bestow; whilst yet in the flower of
youth, and not too late to employ the leisure afforded me by great
ease and affluence,to cultivate an understanding, naturallynot a
despicable one, and which had, even amidst the whirl of loosepleasures
I had been tostin, exerted more observation on the characters and
manners of the world than what is common to those of my unhappy
profession, who looking on all thought or reflection as their capital
enemy, keep it at as great a distance as they can, or destroy it
without mercy.
Hating, as I mortally do, all long unnecessary preface, I shall give
you good quarter in this, anduse no farther apology, than to prepare
you for seeing the loose part of my life, wrote with the same liberty
that I led it.
Truth! stark, naked truth,is the word; and I will not so much as take
the pains to bestow the stripof a gauze wrapper on it, but paint
situations such as they actually roseto me in nature, careless of
violating those laws ofdecency that were never made for such
unreserved intimacies as ours; and you have too much sense, too much
knowledge of the ORIGINALS themselves, to sniff prudishly and out
ofcharacter at the PICTURESof them. The greatest men, those of the
first and most leading taste, will not scruple adorningtheir private
closets withnudities, though, in compliance with vulgar prejudices,
they may not think them decent decorations of the staircase, or salon.
This, and enough, premised, I go souse intomy personal history. My
maiden name was Frances Hill. I was born ata small village near
Liverpool, in Lancashire, of parents extremely poor, and, I piously
believe, extremely honest.
My father, who had received a maim on his limbs that disabled him from
following the more laborious branches of country-drudgery, got, by
making of nets, a scanty subsistence, which was not much enlarg'd by
my mother's keeping a little day-school for the girls in her
neighbourhood. They had had several children; but none lived to any
age except myself,who had received from nature a constitution
perfectly healthy.
My education, till past fourteen, was no better than very vulgar;
reading, or rather spelling, an illegible scrawl, and a little
ordinary plain work composed the whole system of it; and then all my
foundation in virtue was no other than a totalignorance of vice, and
the shy timidity general to our sex, in the tender stage of life when
objects alarm or frightenmore by their novelty than anything else. But
then, this is a fear too often cured at the expence of innocence, when
Miss, by degrees, begins no longer to look on a man as a creature of
prey that will eat her.
My poor mother had divided her time so entirely between her scholars
and her little domestic cares, that she had spared very little of it
to my instruction, having, from her own innocence from all ill, no
hint or thought of guarding me against any.
I was now entering on my fifteenth year, when the worst of ills befell
mein the loss of my tender fond parents, who were both carried off by
the small-pox, within a few days of each other; my father dying first,
and thereby hastening the death of my mother; so that I was now left
an unhappy friendless orphan (for my father's coming to settle there
was accidental, he being originally a Kentishman).That cruel distemper
which had proved so fatal to them, had indeed seized me, but with such
mild and favourable symptoms, that I was presently out of danger, and,
what I then did not know the value of, was entirely unmark'd. I skip
over here an account of the natural grief and affliction which I felt
on this melancholy occasion. A little time, and the giddiness of
thatage dissipated, too soon,my reflections on that irreparable loss;
but nothing contributed more to reconcile me to it, than the notions
that were immediately put into my head, of going to London, and
looking out for a service, in which I was promised all assistance and
advice from one Esther Davis, a young woman that had been down to see
her friends, and who, after the stay of a few days, was to return to
her place.
As I had now nobody leftalive in the village who had concern enough
about what should become of me to start any objections to this scheme,
and the woman who took care of me after my parents; death rather
encouraged me topursue it, I soon came to a resolution of making this
launch into the wideworld, by repairing to London, in order to SEEK MY
FORTUNE, a phrase which, by the bye, has ruined more adventurersof
both sexes, from the country, than ever it made or advanced.
Nor did Esther Davis a little comfort and inspiritme to venture with
her, by piquing my childish curiosity with the fine sights that were
to be seen in London: the Tombs, the Lions, the King, the Royal
Family, the fine Plays and Operas, and, in short, all the diversions
which fell within her sphere of life to come at; the detail of all
which perfectly turn'dthe little head of me.
Nor can I remember, without laughing, the innocent admiration,
notwithout a spice of envy, with which we poor girls, whose
church-going clothes did not rise above dowlass shifts and stuff
gowns, beheld Esther's scowered satin gowns, caps border'd with an
inch of lace, taudry ribbons, and shoes belaced with silver: all which
we imagined grew in London, and entered for a great deal into my
determination of trying to come in for my share of them.
The idea however of having the company of atownswoman with her, was
the trivial, and all the motives that engaged Esther to take charge of
me during my journey to town, where she told me, after her manner and
style, 'as how several maids out ofthe country had made themselves and
all their kin for ever: that by preserving their VIRTUE, some had
taken so with their masters, that they had married them, and kept them
coaches, and lived vastly grand and happy; and some, may-hap, came to
be Duchesses; luck was all, and why not I, as well as another?'; with
other almanacs to this purpose, which set me a tip-toe to begin this
promising journey, and to leave a place which, though my native one,
contained no relations that I had reason to regret, and was grown
insupportable to me, from the change of the tenderest usage into a
cold air of charity, with which I was entertain'd even at the only
friend's house that I had the leastexpectation of care and protection
from. She was, however, so just to me, as to manage the turning into
money of the little matters that remained to me after thedebts and
burial charges were accounted for, and,at my departure, put my whole
fortune into my hands; which consisted of a very slender wardrobe,
pack'd up in avery portable box, and eight guineas, with seventeen
shillings in silver; stowed up in a spring-pouch, which wasa greater
treasure than ever I had yet seen together, and which I could not
conceive there was a possibility of running out; and indeed,I was so
entirely taken up with the joy of seeingmyself mistress of such an
immense sum, that I gave very little attention to a world of good
advice which was given me with it.
Places, then, being takenfor Esther and me in the London waggon, I
pass over a very immaterial scene of leavetaking, at which I dropt a
few tearsbetwixt grief and joy; and, for the same reasons of
insignificance, skip over all that happened to me on the road, such as
the waggoner's looking liquorish on me, the schemes laid for me by
some of the passengers, which were defeated by the vigilance of my
guardian Esther; who, to do her justice, took a motherly care of me,
at the same time that she taxed me for her protection by making mebear
all travelling charges, which I defrayed with the utmost cheerfulness,
andthought myself much obliged to her into the bargain.
She took indeed great care that we were not over-rated, or imposed on,
as well as of managing as frugally as possible; expensiveness was not
her vice.
It was pretty late in a summer evening when we reached London-town, in
our slow conveyance, though drawn by six at length. As we passed
through the greatest streets that led to our inn, the noise of the
coaches, the hurry, the crowds of footpassengers, in short, the new
scenery of the shopsand houses, at once pleased and amazed me.
But guess at my mortification and surprize when we came to the inn,
and our things were landed and deliver'd to us, when my fellow
traveller and protectress, Esther Davis, who had used me with the
utmost tenderness during the journey, and prepared me by no preceding
signs for the stunning blow I was to receive, when I say, my only
dependence and friend, in this strange place, all of a sudden assumed
a strange and cool air towards me, as ifshe dreaded my becoming a
burden to her.
Instead, then, of proffering me the continuance of her assistance and
good offices, which I relied upon, and never more wanted, she thought
herself, it seems, abundantly acquitted of her engagements to me, by
having brought me safe to my journey's end;and seeing nothing in her
procedure towards me but what was naturaland in order, began to
embrace me by way of taking leave, whilst I wasso confounded, so
struck, that I had not spirit or sense enough somuch as to mention my
hopes or expectations from her experience, and knowledge of the place
she had brought me to.
Whilst I stood thus stupidand mute, which she doubtless attributed to
nothing more than a concern at parting, this idea procured me perhaps
a slight alleviation of it, in the following harangue: That now we
were got safe to London, and that she was obliged to go to her place,
she advised me by all means to get into one as soon as possible; that
I need not fear getting one; there were more places than
parish-churches; that sheadvised me to go to an intelligence office;
that ifshe heard of any thing stirring, she would find me out and let
me know;that in the meantime, I should take a private lodging, and
acquaint her where to send to me;that she wish'd me good luck, and
hoped I should always have the grace tokeep myself honest, and not
bring a disgrace on my parentage. With this, she took her leave of
me,and left me, as it were, on my own hands, full as lightly as I had
been put into hers.
Left thus alone, absolutely destitute and friendless, I began then to
feel most bitterly the severity of this separation, the scene of which
had passed in a little room in the inn; and no sooner was her back
turned, but the affliction I felt at my helpless strange circumstances
burst out into a flood of tears, which infinitely relieved the
oppression of my heart; though I still remained stupefied, and most
perfectly perplex'd how to dispose of myself.
One of the waiters coming in, added yet more to my uncertainty by
asking me, in a short way, if I called for anything? to which I
replied innocently: 'No.' But I wished him to tell me where I might
get a lodging for that night. He said he would go and speak to his
mistress, who accordingly came, and told me drily, without entering in
the least into the distress shesaw me in, that I might have a bed for
a shilling, and that, as she supposed I had some friends in town (here
I fetched a deep sigh in vain!) I might provide formyself in the
morning.
'Tis incredible what trifling consolations the human mind will seize
inits greatest afflictions. The assurance of nothingmore than a bed to
lie on that night, calmed myagonies; and being asham'd to acquaint the
mistress of the inn that I had no friends to apply to in town, I
proposed tomyself to proceed, the very next morning, to an
intelligence office, to which I was furnish'd with written directions
on the back of a ballad Esther had given me. There I counted on
getting information of any place that such a country girl as I might
befit for, and where I couldget into any sort of being, before my
little stock should be consumed; and as to a character, Esther had
often repeated to me that I might depend on her managing me one; nor,
however affected I was at her leaving me thus, did I entirely cease to
rely on her, as I beganto think, good-naturedly,that her procedure was
all in course, and that it was only my ignorance of life that had made
me take it in the light I at first did.
Accordingly, the next morning I dress'd myself as clean and as neat as
my rustic wardrobe would permit me; and having left my box, with
special recommendation,with the landlady, I ventured out by myself,
and without any more difficulty than can be supposed of a young
country girl, barely fifteen, and to whom every sign or shop was a
gazing trap, I got to the wish'd-for intelligence office.
It was kept by an elderly woman, who sat at the receipt of custom,
with abook before her in greatform and order, and several scrolls,
ready made out, of directions for places.
I made up then to this important personage, without lifting up my eyes
or observing any of the people round me, who were attending there on
the same errand as myself, and dropping her curtsies nine-deep, just
made a shift to stammer out my business to her.
Madam having heard meout, with all the gravity and brow of a petty
minister of State, and seeing at one glance over my figure what I was,
made me no answer, but to ask me the preliminary shilling, on receipt
of which she told me places for women were exceedingly scarce,
especially as I seemed too slight built for hard work; but that she
wouldlook over her book, and see what was to be donefor me, desiring
me to stay a little till she had dispatched some other customers.
On this I drew back a little, most heartily mortified at a declaration
which carried with it a killing uncertainty that my circumstances
could not well endure.
Presently, assuming more courage, and seeking some diversion from my
uneasy thoughts, I ventured to lift up my head a little, and sent my
eyes on a course round the room, wherein they met full tiltwith those
of a lady (for such my extreme innocence pronounc'd her) sitting in a
corner ofthe room, dress'd in a velvet mantle (nota bene, in the midst
of summer), with her bonnet off; squab-fat, red-faced, and at least
fifty.
She look'd as if she would devour me with her eyes, staring at me from
head to foot, without the least regard to the confusion and blushes
her eyeing me sofixedly put me to, and which were to her, no doubt,
the strongest recommendation and marks of my being fit forher purpose.
After a littletime, in which my air, person and whole figurehad
undergone a strict examination, which I had, on my part, tried to
render favourable to me,by primming, drawing up my neck, and setting
my best looks, she advanced and spoke to me with the greatest
demureness:
'Sweet-heart, do you want a place?'
'Yes, and please you' (with a curtsy down to
[ to be continued.....]

How Does the Iman Increase and Decrease?

How Does the Iman Increase and Decrease?
Every child is born knowing that his or her Lord is Only One, Allah,
regardless of what faith his or her parents may practice. But just
because a child is born with this fitra, or natural belief, does not
necessarily mean that the child will grow up to be what truly makes a
person Muslim, which is ones iman. A Muslim must have belief and iman
in the following:
1) One must belief in Allah as One God without any partners and
without denying His Names and Attributes and withoutdirecting any form
of worship to any other than Allah.
2) One must believe in all of Allahs noble angels without doubt and
without associating any non-Islamic belief regarding them, such as
them being females or human-like.
3) To be considered a believer, one must have faith in all of Allahs
chosen messengers and prophets, named and unnamed without attributing
to them any falsehoods or flaws.
4) One must have faith in the Divine Scriptures, but taking only the
Quran as the one true guidance, preserved by Allah for all of eternity
and for all of mankind.
5) One of the most important beliefs, which illustrates the purpose of
life, is the belief in the Hereafter without denying any ofthe events
told in the Quran or by the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam).
6) Finally, one must believe in Divine Preordainment, more commonly
known as fate or destiny. One must believe that Allahhas knowledge of
the future and that everything has been preordained with its due
measure.
When a person acceptsthe above beliefs with his heart and affirms it
with his tongue, he is considered as one whohas iman. Iman requires
acknowledgement of these beliefs through action. The Quran constantly
connects ones iman with ones deeds in the phrase, Innalladhina amanu
wa amilussaalihaat, which translates to those who believe and do good
deeds. It is theactions a person chooses to do that both increase the
imanand act as evidence of ones iman or decreases it and proves the
weakness of the iman.
The Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said, Iman wears out
in ones heart just as the clothes (one wears) wears out. Therefore,
ask Allah to renew iman in your hearts. Unfortunately, iman will not
increase by only making dua and asking Allah to increase it, but it
also takes effort from the believer. Allah states:
Lo! Allah does not change the condition of a people until they (first)
change that which is in their hearts. (Surat ar-Rad 13:11)
There are three main causes for the decreasein ones iman. A persons
iman is sure totake a fall when he loses certainty in the above six
beliefs. These beliefs when properly settled into the heart play an
important role in a believers life. When a person says, performs, or
believes something, which is Islamically known as kufr (disbelief),
their iman will be effected in a very negative way. Andthe final
reason for the downfall of iman is performing any type ofshirk. These
three things all lead to sin, which is what preventsthe iman from
increasing.
It is a duty of every Muslim to keep his or her iman in check.
Thismeans one must constantly guard his orher iman and observe whether
it has increased or decreasedand for what causes. If it has decreased,
one must work to increase it before it falls low enough to destroy the
heart. There are many ways to increases onesiman and it involves
increasing in righteousdeeds and refraining from sins, as well as
staying away from sinful activities and people who encouragesuch
activities.
The first thing one should do is renew his or her faith by reciting La
ilaha illallah, the meaning of which is: There is no deity except
Allah, as the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) advised. A person
mustalso believe in all the aspects of La ilaha illallah and this is
donethrough gaining knowledge. Knowledge is one of the most essential
key factors in increasing ones iman. It leads to certainty in the
heart, assurance in the mind, and peace felt by the soul. Allah has
said in His Holy Revelation:
It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.
(Surat al-Malaaikah 35:28)
An increase in knowledge leads to acknowledging Allah in every moment
of ones life through taqwa, which leads to a firm iman. The type of
knowledge we are discussing is knowing that Allah is One and has no
partners, wives,children, or equals. It isknowing Allah throughHis
beautiful Names and Attributes; that Allah is the Creator of the
heavens and the earth and all that it contains. He is the Preserver,
as well as the One Who destroys. He gives life and takes it whenever
He wills. His knowledge encompasses all thingsand nothing can ever be
hidden from Him.
And with Him are the keys of the invisible. None but He knows them.
And He knows what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falls but He
knows it, not a grain amid the darkness of the earth, nor anything wet
or dry but (it is noted) in a Clear Record. (Surat al-Anaam 6:59)
He hears the cries of His servants all at once and is not confused by
the countless different number of voices and languages and He is Ever
Responding. He is the Compassionate, the Merciful, the Giver of
Bounties. He forgives whomever He wills and punishes whomever He
wills. He is the Just, the Merciful,and does no wrong to His creation.
He sees allthings. Not a black ant on a black stone on a black
moonless night is hidden from His sight. To Him belongs all praise and
glory! Heis the Most Great, the Incomparable!
A person who has knowledge of Allah is no way like a person who simply
states La ilaha illallah and knows nothing else about its meaning and
its impact in the life of a true believer.
Likewise, a person who has knowledge about Prophet Muhammad
(sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) and his life, noble characteristics,
truthfulteachings, and exemplary actions and has faith in what he
informed his Ummah concerning the torment and bliss in the grave, the
Last Day,the Reckoning, the questioning of ones deeds, the scale, the
bridge, the rewards of Paradise, and the torments of Hellfire is
unlike the person who has no such knowledge or belief. A person with
this knowledge will have a purpose and goal in life, which is to obey
Allah to the best of his ability and remind himself of the rewards and
punishments he may earn depending upon his iman and his deeds.
There is no doubt that knowledge plays a big role in increasing the
iman of a weak heart and Allah says it beautifully:
Are those who know, equal to those who know not? (Surat az-Zumar 39:9)
The second key factor, which affects the iman are ones deeds. They can
either decrease theiman and weaken the heart and soul or increase it,
as well as strengthening the heart and soul. Once a person gains
knowledge about something, he should accept it and put it
intopractice. If a person accepts the forbidden as forbidden and the
permissible as permissible, but refuses to act upon it, thereby
disobeying Allah and committing sin, not to mention hurting his own
soul, he has suppressed his iman. The basis of iman is to accept and
practice.
By increasing good deeds and obedience, one nears himself to Allah,
increases his iman, and purifies himself. He is less likely to fall
into his base desires and worldly pleasures, keeping himself safe from
the evils of society by strengthening his soul and weakening his nafs.
A person with low iman should begin by performing the obligatory
duties imposed on him, such as performing the five daily prayers at
their fixed times and fasting. He should stop committing major sinsand
eventually begin performing more voluntary and permissible acts of
worship and obedience and refrain from minor sins and disliked acts to
the best of his ability. When a person refrains from as many sins as
possible and does as many good deeds as he can, most importantly his
obligatory duties, he weakens Satan againsthim, which gives him
abigger chance of success. Allah says:
O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not make
your deeds vain. (Surah Muhammad 47:33)
One should make sure that everything he does will only benefit him
both in this world and in the hereafter. There is no point in doing
something that will cause hurt to ones soul and add more weight to
ones evil deeds. It is very important and beneficial to follow
theSunnah. The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) was the best
ofmankind and Allah chose him to show us our ways. If we follow him,
we are sure to succeed in both worlds, Insha Allah. But if we reject
his wayand follow our own lusts or the way of the kuffar, we will only
destroy ourselves. To be sure that ones deeds will increase theiman,
one should do only that which Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu
alaiyhi wa sallam) have taught and in that way, one can be safe from
bidah and misguidance.
The third key factor to increasing ones iman is remembrance and
contemplation. Remembrance refers to the remembrance ofAllah, His
Names and Attributes, His Greatness, Power, and Majesty, and the fact
that He is the Most High. He is the Only One Who deserves to be
worshipped, thanked, and depended upon. Allah is the Lord of Kindness
and the Most Generous.He should be praised and glorified constantly as
a part of remembrance. The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam)
saidthat the most beloved and weighty phrases of dhikr (remembrance)
are La ilaha illallah Subhannallah, Alhumdulillah, and Allahu Akbar.
There are many others like these, which should also be recited. The
Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said, The difference between a
person whoglorifies his Lord and the one who does not remember his
Lord is like that between the living and the dead. The remembrance of
Allah increases iman and brings peace into the heart. There is none
more truthful than Allah in speech and so Allah confirms:
Who have believed andwhose hearts have restin the remembrance ofAllah.
Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest! (Surat ar-Rad
13:28)
Along with praising and glorifying Allah, one should be regular in reciting His
Holy Speech, the Quran,and ponder upon their meanings and use them as
a guide and a healing in ones life.
And we reveal of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to
those who believe(Surat al-Isra 17:82)
The Quran contains theTruth about monotheism, Allahs promises of
success to the true believers and warnings of punishment to the
hypocrites and disbelievers. It contains commandments and
prohibitions, inspiring stories of the previous prophets and their
nations, and codes of the best conduct and behavior. The words ofthe
Quran bring hope into a persons life. They enlighten the heart and
open up a path of righteousness for those searching for the truth.
Will they not then ponder on the Qur'an? If it had been from other
than Allah they would have found therein much incongruity. (Surat
an-Nisaa 4:82)
The iman will increase when one connects with Allah through His Holy
Revelation and this should lead one to acting upon his Lords Word.
They only are the (true) believers whose hearts feel fear when Allah
is mentioned, and when the revelations of Allah arerecited unto them
theyincrease their faith, and who trust in their Lord. (Surat
Al-Anfaal 8:2)
Remembering the Hereafter is also a cure for weak iman. When one is
one hundred percent certain of the Last Day, Paradise, and Hellfire
and feels fear of the mere thought of standing before the All-Powerful
Creator and be questioned andjudged for each of his thoughts, sayings
and deeds, he is bound to think twice before committing an act of
disobedience. One should remember the Day of Judgement often, which is
repeatedly mentioned in the Quran to remind mankind that he will
surely be returned to his Lord.
When we look at the night, full of bright glittery stars, the shining
moon and the sunset, as well as the mountains standing firm and the
flowers blooming, we should feel Allahs Power and Majesty and
contemplate over His creation. It is absolutely amazing and
unimaginable as to how Allah created every single thing in existence
and how the universe runs so smoothly by the will and control of its
Creator. Contemplatingover the creation is another way a person can
increase his iman and grow closer to Allah.
Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting,and reclining, and consider
the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and say): Our Lord! You
created not this in vain. Glory be to You! Preserve us from the doom
of Fire. (Surah Ali Imran 3:191)
Abu Hurairah (radiyallahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallahu
alaiyhi wa sallam) said, Allah, the All-Mighty says, I treat my slave
according to his expectations from Me and I am with him when he
remembers Me. If he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in My
heart. If he remembersMe in a gathering, I remember him in a better
and more noble gathering (i.e. of the angels). If he comes close to Me
by one span, I go towards hima cubits length. If he comes toward Me a
cubits length, I go towards him an arms length. And if he walks toward
Me, I run toward him.
One of the most important things a person should be aware of when
trying to increase his iman and at all times, is the vastness of
Allahs mercy, compassion, and love. One should put hope and trust in
Him. Remembrance of Allah is a key factor in increasing the iman,
asare increasing ones Islamic knowledge andgood deeds. Allah says:
Then, as for those who have faith and do gooddeeds, He will pay them
fully their rewards and give themmore out of His grace and as for
those who disdain and are proud, He will punish them with a painful
doom. And they shall not find for themselves besidesAllah any guardian
or helper. (Surat an-Nisaa4:173)
In the following verse, Allah emphasizes the importance of iman and
doing good deeds along with ones belief:
There shall be no sin unto those who believe and do good deeds for
what they may have eaten (in the past); so be mindful of your duty (to
Allah) and do good deeds andagain be mindful of your duty and believe
and once again, be mindful of your duty and do good deeds. Allah loves
the good! (Surat al-Maidah 5:93)
The life of the dunya is only a test for the creation and one day this
test will end. It is the responsibility of each human and jinn to
prepare oneself for the final scoring of the test by being mindful of
ones duty towards Allah by following the guidance of the Quran and the
Sunnah and keeping ones iman high. A weak iman willlead one to the
Hellfire,while a strong one willlead one to the Gardens of Delight.
Thereason is because it is the iman that determines the actionsof a
person. A person with weak or even no iman will commit sin and cause
Allah to be displeased, causing him to be thrown into the Hellfire to
be punished. But a personwith a strong faith willrefrain from sins and
perform good deeds, which will be the cause of Allahs pleasure and his
entrance into Paradise.
In conclusion, Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-Munajjid wrote in his book,
Some of our righteous Salaf said, It is a sign of the slaves fiqh
(knowledge of the religion) that he concerns himself with enhancing
the status of his iman when it experiences a decrease. Also, it is a
sign of the slaves fiqh to know if his iman is on the increase or the
decrease. Furthermore,it is a sign of ones fiqh that he knows why
andwhere the evil whispers of Satan are coming from.

--
- *-Visit -http://aydnajimudeen.blogspot.com/- [ Usefull Islamic &
General Articles]
- - - - -
Presented by :->
" M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA "

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

The Impact of Fasting

I have a question regarding a drop in blood pressure: does it affect
fasting? Please give me some details on the issue, and what are the
cases of high blood pressure that could prevent a person from fasting?
Answer:
Assalaamu 'Alaykum ,
Perhaps you meant to ask about the impact fasting has on blood
pressure. Blood pressure should not prevent a person from fasting
unless it is high enough to require medication to maintain its level
and one cannot wait until he breaks his fast to take such medication.
Normally, such high blood pressure (diastolic 140) is accompanied by
the failure of vital organs, like thekidneys, the retina, the heart or
the lungs, and thus one cannot wait until she breaks his fast to
consume the medication. This is also the case when the blood pressure
is very low. However, normal blood pressure does not prevent one from
fasting.
Does being a person with an abnormal blood pressure necessarily mean
that he cannot fast? The answer to this is no, because he can schedule
his medicine to be consumed after she breaks the fast. She can take
all the needed doses from sunset to dawn, before she starts to fast.
However, she must only do so after consulting her physician, because
circumstances differ from one patient to another, and it also depends
on the type of medication one must take. All these matters are usually
stated

Islam QA

Question
Why in Islam women do not have their freedom?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and
peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and
Companions.
A woman was in a miserable state before Islam. She was subject to
humiliation, injustice andoppression. She was buried alive for fear of
poverty. Also, because women were used as a means for gaining moneyand
for prostitution, which is a source of disgrace.
By the advent of Islam Shari'a honors the woman, gives her
naturalposition in life and returns her freedom. In general, she is
like a man except in some rulings and regulations that befither
physiologically.
The woman in Islam ranks high as a daughter,sister, wife and mother.
Islam grants the woman her personal and financial freedom as well as
independence to behave within the Shari'a limits and good customs that
Islam sanctions, i.e. without committing what is Haram such as
displaying her charm, misdeeds and uncovering her body. At the same
time, man has freedom, but within Shari'a limitations and good and
useful customs that Islam sanctions.
So, it is not true to say that women do not rank high in Islam.
Whoever wants Muslim women to be free from her modesty, morals, honor
and religion wants misery for her, to overburden her and to ask her to
do what she naturally cannot.