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.

Women Site - , permission before went out.

Islam enjoins order in everything:in one's habits and transactions as
well as while traveling or taking up a place of residence. When three
people travel together, Islam commands that one of them should be the
leader. Given that reason, as well as the keenness to organize the
Muslim community, Islam gave the man the authority to lead thefamily
as he is more capable thanthe woman to fulfill this duty. On the other
hand, Islam entrusted the woman with a role which befits her
psychological nature and physical formation, which is providing the
Muslim community with the believing generations which are ready to
bear the message of Islam.
In Al-Fataawa by Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy on him, he said
, "When a woman gets married, her husband has authority over her more
than her parents and she is required to obey him more than anyone
else." In a Hadeeth (narration), the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam , said: "This worldly lifeis an enjoyment, and the best of its
enjoyment is a righteous woman who pleases you when you look at her,
obeys you when you command her and safeguards your honor and wealth
when you are absent." [Sahih Muslim]
It was narrated on the authority of Umm Salamah, may Allaah be pleased
with her, that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
, said: "Any woman who dies while her husband is satisfied with her,
shewill enter Paradise." [At-Tirmithi: Hasan]
It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Abi Awfa, may Allaah be
pleased with him, that he said,
Mu'aath came from Ash-Shaam and he prostrated before the Prophet,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, said: "O Mu'aath, what is this?" He replied,"I went to
Ash-Shaam (greater Syria) and found them prostrating before their
archbishops and their emperors. I liked it in my heart that we should
do so for you"' Upon this, the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, remarked: "Do not do so. If I were to command
anyone to prostrate before anyone besides Allaah, I would have
commanded the wife to prostrate before her husband. By Him in whose
hand is Muhammad's soul, a woman does not fulfill the right of her
Lord unless she fulfills the right of her husband, and if he wants to
have sexual intercourse with her even if she is on a camel's saddle,
she should not refuse." [Ahmad, Ibn Maajah and Ibn Hibbaan]
When the husband wants his wife to live with him in another place
while he fulfills her rights and observes the commands of Allaah The
Almighty regarding her, and her parents disagree, she is required to
obey her husband, not her parents.
Nevertheless, when the husband forbids her to fulfill the commands of
Allaah The Almighty or orders her to committhe forbiddances of Allaah,
she is not required to obey him in this. The Prophet, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam , said: "A creature mustnot be obeyed at the expense
of disobeying The Creator." [Ahmad]
It should be made clear that obeying the husband is not a form of
hegemony, violation or disdain of the woman's character; rather, it is
an aspect of obedience to Allaah The Almighty and one of the virtuous
acts that bring the wife closer to Allaah The Almighty and of whichshe
should be proud. This distinguishes the observant Muslim woman from
the non-observant one who has neither a father to discipline her nor a
husband to stop her. Rather, she goes out whenever she wants and goes
to whicheverplace she wants. Referring judgment to the Sharee'ah
(Islamic legislation) of Allaah in such matters is the only resort for
salvation. Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): } And due to the
wives is similar to what is expected of them, according to what is
reasonable. But the men have a degree over them .} [Quran2: 228] This
degree is the man's authority and responsibility for the family.
A wife is not permitted to leave her home without her husband's
permission, whether she is a wet-nurse, midwife or belongs toany other
profession. When she leaves her husband's home without his permission,
she is considered as being defiant to him, disobedient to Allaah The
Almighty and His Messenger, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam ,
anddeserving of punishment.
When she goes out to work without her husband's permission, this is
considered defiance to the husband and disobedience to Allaah and His
Messenger, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam . If this is the case for
going out to work, then what about going out for visits, regardless of
the reasons, even if it is to visit her sick parents?
The husband is entitled to prevent his wife from going out even for
necessary things, such asvisiting her parents, nursing them or
attending the funeral of anyone of them – if he has a sound reason for
doing so. Regarding a woman who has a husband and a sick mother, Imaam
Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy on him, judged that obedience to the
husband takes precedence over visiting her mother unless he allows
her.
Going out for worship also needs the husband's permission. It was
narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with
them, that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam , said: "When
your wives ask for your permission to go out to the Masjid at night,
you should allow them." [Ahmad, Abu Daawood]
It was narrated on the authority of Zayd ibn Khaalid, may Allaah
bepleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam ,
said: "Do not prevent the female slaves of Allaah from going to the
Masjids (Mosques) ofAllaah." [Ibn Hibbaan]
Commenting on this Hadeeth , Al-Qastallaani, may Allaah have mercy on
him, said, "When there is no expected temptation to come from them or
afflict them." Unlike our current era where corruption and corrupters
are many, safety and security were common during that time. It is
mentioned in some Hadeeths thatit is better for the woman to perform
the prayer at home than in the Masjid . According to the narration of
Habeeb ibn Abi Thaabit, may Allaah have mercy on him, on the authority
of Ibn 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with them, the Prophet,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam , said: "Do not prevent the female
slaves of Allaah from going to theMasjids and their homes are better
for them."
'Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, also narrated a Hadeeth in
which she said that if the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam ,
were alive to see how theconduct of women has changed, he would have
prevented them from going out for prayer and building on this, she was
of the opinion that women should not go out to pray in Masjids .
According to another narration on the authority of Ibn 'Umar, may
Allaah be pleased with them,the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
, said: "When one's wife asks permission (to go out to the Masjid or
for any other reason such as attending the 'Eedor visiting a sick
person), he should not prevent her." [Al-Bukhaari]
Commenting on the Hadeeth , Al-Qastallaani, may Allaah have mercy on
him, said, "The Hadeethdoes not restrict going out to theMasjid only.
Rather, it is general and includes both the places of worship and
others as well."
Thus, the Hadeeths indicate that the woman is not permitted to go out
without her husband's permirsion

Forgiveness accordingto the morals of Islam and its benefits on health

One of the moral traits recommended in the Qur'an is forgiveness:
Hold to forgiveness, command what is right, and turn away from the
ignorant. (Qur'an, 7: 199)
In another verse Allah commands: "… They should rather pardon and
overlook. Would you not love Allah to forgive you? Allah is
Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Qur'an, 24:22)
Those who do not abide by the moral values of the Qur'an find it very
difficult to forgive others. Because, they areeasily angered by any
error committed. However, Allah has advised the faithful that
forgiveness is more proper:
The repayment of a bad action is one equivalent to it. But if someone
pardons and puts things right, his reward is with Allah… (Qur'an,
42:40)
... But if you pardon and exonerate and forgive, Allah is
Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Qur'an, 64: 14)
It has also been revealedin the Qur'an that forgiveness is a superior
moral trait: "But if someone is steadfast and forgives, that is the
most resolute course to follow." (Qur'an, 42:43) For that reason,
believers are forgiving, compassionate and tolerant people who, as
revealed in the Qur'an, "control their rage and pardon other people."
(Qur'an, 3:134)
Believers' notion of forgiveness is very different to that of thosewho
do not live by the morals of the Qur'an. Even though many people may
say they have forgiven someone who has offended them, it nevertheless
takes a long time to free themselves of the hatredand anger in their
hearts. Their behaviour tends to betray that anger. On the other hand,
the forgiveness of believers is sincere. Because believers know that
human beings are tried in this world, and learn by their mistakes,
they are tolerant and compassionate. Moreover, believers are also
capable of forgiveness even when they are in the right, andthe other
in the wrong. When forgiving, they make no distinction between large
errors and small ones. Someone may cause severe losses to them by
mistake. However, believers know that everything takes place under the
command of Allah, and according to aspecific destiny, and therefore,
they surrender themselves to these developments, never acquiescing to
anger.
According to recent research, American scientists established that
those capable of forgiveness are healthierin both mind and body. Dr.
Frederic Luskin, who holds a Ph.D. in Counselling and Health
Psychology from Stanford University, and his team, studied 259 people
living in the city of San Francisco. The scientists invited the
subjects to attend six one-and-a-half-hour sessions, and aimed to
instruct the subjects in forgiveness during their conversations.
The subjects of the experiments stated that they suffered less after
forgiving people who had wronged them. The research showed that people
who learned to forgive feel much better,not only emotionally butalso
physically. For example, it was established that after the experiment
psychological and physical symptoms such as stress-related backache,
insomnia and stomachaches were significantly reduced in these
individuals.
In his book, Forgive for Good, Dr. Frederic Luskindescribes
forgiveness as a proven recipe for health and happiness. The book
describes how forgiveness promotes such positive states of mind as
hope, patience and self-confidence by reducing anger, suffering,
depression and stress. According to Dr. Luskin, harboured anger causes
observable physical effects in the individual. He goes on tosay that:
The thing about long-term or unresolved anger, is we've seen it resets
the internal thermostat. When you get used to a low level ofanger all
the time, you don't recognize what's normal. It creates a kind of
adrenaline rush that people get used to. It burns out the body and
makes it difficult to think clearly—making the situation worse . 1
In addition, Dr. Luskin says, when the body releases certain
enzymesduring anger and stress, cholesterol and blood pressure levels
go up—not a good long-term disposition to maintain the body in. 2
An article called "Forgiveness," publishedin the September-October
1996 edition of Healing Currents Magazine, stated that anger towards
an individual or an event led to negative emotionsin people, and
harmed their emotional balance and even their physical health. 3 The
article also states that people realiseafter a while that the anger is
a nuisance to them, and wish to repairthe damage to the relationship.
So, they take steps to forgive. It isalso stated that, despite all
they endure, people do not want to waste the precious moments oftheir
life in anger and anxiety, and prefer to forgive themselves and
others. 4
In another study involving 1,500 people depression, stress and mental
illness were observed to be less frequent in religious people. Dr.
Herbert Benson, who conducted the research, linked this to the way
religions encourage "forgiveness", and went on to say:
There's a physiology of forgiveness… When you do not forgive, it will
chew you up . 5
According to an article titled, "Anger is Hostile To Your Heart,"
published in the Harvard Gazette , anger is extremely harmful to
theheart. Ichiro Kawachi, anassistant professor of medicine, and his
team scientifically demonstrated this with various tests and
measurements. As a result of their research, they established that
grumpy old men had three times the risk of heart disease than their
more tempered peers."The tripling of risk," Kawachi says, "involves
high levels of anger, explosive anger that includes smashing thingsand
wanting to hurt someone in a fight." 6
Researchers believe that release of stress hormones, increased oxygen
demand by the heart's muscle cells, and added stickiness of blood
platelets, which leads to clots explain how anger increases thechance
of a heart attack. 7 Furthermore, at times of anger, the pulse rises
above its normal level, and leads to increased blood pressure in the
arteries, and thus to a greater risk of heart attack.
According to researchers, anger and hostility can also trigger the
production of proteins linked to inflammation in the blood. The
journal Psychosomatic Medicine suggested that the emotion triggers the
production of inflammatory proteins, which may in turn be causing the
hardening of the arteries, causing heart disease and stroke. 8
According to Associate Professor Edward Suarezof the Duke University
Medical Centre in North Carolina, the protein interleukin 6 (or IL-6)
is much higher in men who are angry and depressed. High blood levels
of IL-6 lead to atherosclerosis, the build-up of fatty deposits in the
lining of the walls of arteries. 9 According to Suarez, as well as
factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity and high
cholesterol, heart disease is also linked to psychological states
suchas depression, anger andhostility. 10
Another article, titled "Anger Raises Risk of Heart Attack," published
in The Times , stated that a short temper might be a short cut to a
heart attack, and that young men who reacted to stress by becoming
angry were three times more likely to develop premature heart
disease,and were five times more likely to have an early heart attack.
11 Scientists at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, found
that quick-tempered men are at risk of heart attack even if there is
no family history of heart disease. 12
All the available researchshows that anger is a state of mind that
seriously damages human health. Forgiveness, on the other hand, even
if it comes hard to people, is pleasing, an aspect of superior morals,
that eliminates all the harmful effects of anger,and helps the
individual to enjoy a healthy life, both psychologically
andphysically. Forgiveness, of course, is one of a form of behaviour
by which a person can stay healthy, and a positive virtue everyone
should live by. However, the true aim of forgiveness—as in all
else—must be to please Allah. The fact that the features of this sort
of morality, and thatthe benefits of which have been scientifically
identified, have been revealed in many verses of the Qur'an, is just
one of the many sources of wisdom it contains.