Contentment is a Sign of Wealth

If people become content with the little they have, then there will be
no poor or deprived persons among them. If the slaveis content with
what Allaah The Almighty has given him, he will be powerful and in no
need of others, even if he does not possess a lot in this life.
Ash-Shaafi'i said, "I knew that contentment is the core of richness,
and I adhered to it, so I never stood at anybody's door, orbegged
anyone. Consequently, I became rich without a dirham, passing by
people as if I were a king."
The Prophet advised his Ummah (nation) to have contentment when he
said: "Be content with what Allaah has given you, and you will be the
richest person." He would supplicate to Allaah the Almighty,saying:
"Allaahuma qanni'ni bima razaqtani wa baarik li feeh wakhluf 'ala
kulli ghaa'ibatin li bikhayr [O Allaah, make me content with what You
have provided me, bless it for me and grant me good thing in
compensation for whatever I miss]."
A person who is content with what Allaah The Almighty provides him
enjoys tranquility, satisfaction and peace of mind ashe does not long
for what others have or desire what he does not possess. Accordingly,
Allaah The Almighty, as well as people, will love him, and the
following Hadeeth of the Prophet would apply to him: "Do not incline
to the worldly life and Allaah will love you. Have no desire for what
people possess, and people will love you."
Moreover, a slave cannot reach the degree of the thankful unless he
becomes content with the provision that he receives. This meaning is
indicated by the saying of the Prophet to Abu Hurayrah : "O Abu
Hurayrah! Be pious, and you will be the most worshipping person. Be
content, and you will be the mostthankful person. Love for people what
you love for yourself, and you will be a [true] believer." A content
slave, therefore, has a virtuous self as he does not hurt his pride
for the sake of a worldlygain that will soon vanish. Such people are
the ones whom AllaahThe Almighty praised in His Saying (which means):
{[Charity is]for the poor who have been restricted for the cause of
Allaah, unable to move about in the land. An ignorant [person] would
think them self-sufficient becauseof their restraint, but you will
know them by their [characteristic] sign. They do not ask people
persistently [or at all]. And whatever you spend of good - indeed,
Allaah is Knowing of it.} [Quran 2:273] Also, the Prophet gave us glad
tidings when he said: "Successful is the person who adopted Islam, has
been provided with what is just sufficient for his needs, and been
made content by Allaah with what He has given him." 'Umar ibn
Al-Khattaab said, "Greed is [in essence] poverty and despair [of what
others have] is richness. Anyone who despairs of[i.e., does not long
for] what is possessed by others, becomes in no need of that."
An amazing story in this regard ismentioned in the book of Al-Ihyaa',
Al-Khaleel ibn Ahmad Al-Faraaheedi refused to be the private tutor of
the son of theruler of Al-Ahwaaz. He brought out dry bread to show the
messenger of the ruler, and said, "As long as I find this, I am in no
need of Sulaymaan [the ruler]. Then, he said some poetic verses which
mean,
"Inform Sulaymaan that I enjoy ease and richness, although I have no wealth.
I keep my pride as I see no one die of hunger, or remain in the same
state all his life.
We realize that poverty lies in souls not in properties, as does richness."
Indeed, the Prophet was truthful when he said: "Richness is not the
abundance of wealth; rather it is self-contentment." O Allaah, make us
content with what You have given us and make us the most contented
people of what You have decreed to us of provisions!

Good nutrition: No need for medicine

Nutrition is one of the most influential factors in growth. The kinds
of nutrients that one consumes during childhood affect the physical
structure for the rest of one's life, either positively or negatively.
Malnutrition does not only mean lack of food, but it also means
consuming poor nutrients.
In other words, malnutrition means imbalance between the quantity and
quality of food the body needs, the growth stage and one's physical
activities. Moderation must be observed in nutrition, because eating
many foods -- especially foods that are rich in sugar, carbohydrates
and fats -- irrespective of the quality and the actual requirements of
the body needs, causes obesity and several serious diseases including
heart disease, diabetes,high blood pressure, high cholesterol and
stomach diseases.
Food is necessary for the body, but food consumption should remain
within reasonable limits. It is equally harmful to consume food that
does not satisfy the body's needs or exceed them. Several diseases are
caused by quantitative or qualitative malnutrition (excess or
shortage). There is a strong relationship between good health and good
nutrition.
In the following paragraphs, we will speak about the nutrients that
are necessary for a healthy body:
1- Proteins:
Proteins are indispensable materials for the structure of the cells,
and the need for them increases over time according to the growth
phase. Proteins are divided into two types:
A- Animal proteins : This type of protein can be found in meat, fish,
milk, cheese, egg, and so on.
This type should represent one third of the proteins that one
consumes. However, there shouldbe moderation in consuming these
proteins because excessive consumption may harm the bodyand cause
serious diseases such as kidney diseases, joint diseases,increase in
blood cholesterol, andso on.
B- Plant proteins : This type of proteins can be found in chickpeas,
beans, lentils, green peas, walnut, hazelnut and other plants. This
type is very important in building the body and maintaining health.
2- Carbohydrates and fats: These can be found in the foods that
contain sugar and starch such as wheat, barley, rice, macaroni,
potatoes, sugar, honey, dry fruits,and so on.
They are next to the proteins in importance, because they are
necessary for energy production and warmth. Likewise, these nutrients
should be consumed moderately so as not to exhaust the digestive
system including the liver and the stomach.
Obese people should consume small amounts of foods that contain fats
and sugar because the body transforms any excess sugar to fats and
stores them. Such persons should also do physical activities to burn
the stored fats.
3- Mineral salts and vitamins:
They can be found in plant foods such as vegetables and fresh fruits
and they help in activating the intestines and facilitating the
excretion process and the indigestible cellulosic materials
itcontains.
Salts contain important materialsfor bone structure such as calcium
and phosphorus and for blood structure too such as iron.
These salts and minerals can be found in abundance in vegetablesand
animal products. Similarly, vitamins are very important and their
deficiency causes feebleness, weakness, gum bleeding (due to lack of
vitamin C), rickets (due to lack of vitamin D), neuritis and weakness
of the heart as well as inappetence (due to lack of vitamin B);
immunodeficiency and weak resistance of infection (due to lack of
vitamin A).
Good nutrition requires a balanced and integrated weekly food menu
that contains all the mentioned materials (proteins, fats, mineral
salts and vitamins).
One of the blessings that Allaah The Almighty bestowed upon humanity
is that He made it possible for all people, whether poor or rich, to
have a sufficient and balanced diet if we only observe integration in
nutrition.
Dear educator, the first step towards raising an athletic child is to
provide him with a healthy nutritious diet, because playing sports
without good food is like a tree without water.
The Prophet, , urged parents in several Hadeeths (narrations) to take
care of the nutrition of their children and to spend on them.
The Prophet, , said:
- "The best Dinar that a man spends is the Dinar which he spends on
his family, the Dinar which he spends on his companions in the cause
of Allaah and the Dinar which he spends on his riding animal in the
cause of Allaah ." [At-Tirmithi on the authority of Thawbaan [
- "A Dinar that you spend in the cause of Allaah, or to free a slave,
or as a charity you give to a needyperson, or to support your
family,the one yielding the greatest reward is that which you spend on
your family." [Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be
pleased with him]
Allaah The Exalted Says (what means):
· } Say, "Who has forbidden the adornment of Allaah which He has
produced for His servants andthe good [lawful] things of provision?"
Say, "They are for those who believe during the worldly life [but]
exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection." { [Quran 7:32]
· } Eat from the Provisions of your Lord and be grateful to Him. { [Quran 34:15]
Abu Hurayrah said, "The Messenger of Allaah never found fault with
food. If he had inclination to eating it, he would eat; and if he
disliked it, he wouldleave it." [Al-Bukhaari]
If we consider the foods that the Prophet, , used to eat, we willfind
important educational hints that direct us to choose the specifically
beneficial foods as supported by modern scientific research.
These hints include directing us to eat protein-rich foods, as the
Prophet, , ate chicken and atethe shoulder of a sheep and as well as
grilled meat from a sheep.
The Prophet, , used to eat soft and easily digestible meat. That is
why he chose the soft parts of the sheep (shoulder and side) to eat
from. He also ate cooked and grilled meat.
The Prophet, also used to drink milk for its great health benefits.
'Aa'ishah narrated that the Prophet, , used to like sweet edible
things (syrup and so on) and honey. [Al-Bukhaari]
According to Al-Bukhaari, the Prophet, also used to eat barley, which
is starchy.
He also ate dates, which are sugary and contain other important elements.
It was also narrated that the Prophet, , used to eat ripe dates
(fruit) and cucumbers (vegetable). [Al-Bukhaari]
The Prophet, , directed us to be moderate in food consumption saying:
"The believer eats in one intestine (is satisfied with a little food),
and the disbeliever eats in seven intestines (eats too much)."
Modern medical and scientific experiments proved that these prophetic
instructions and recommendations are very beneficial. These
experiments confirm that eating excessively disturbs the digestive
system, prevents it from extracting energy that the body needs from
food, and causes obesity.
We should follow the instructions of the Prophet, , and the
conclusions of modern researchers by taking care of the food our
children eat.
This is the first step towards having an active and healthy childthat
all of us want to have.

Etiquette related to dressing

A Muslim acknowledges that Allaah has ordered him to wear clothing in
the verse (which means): "O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by
wearing your clean clothes) whilepraying and going round the Ka'bah,
and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance. Certainly, He
(Allaah) likes not the extravagant." [Quran 7:31]
Clothing is also a bounty from Allaah, as He Says (what means): "O
Children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover
yourselves (screen your private parts) and as an adornment. And the
raiment of righteousness is best..." [Quran 7:26]
Allaah also Says (what means): "And We taught him the making of metal
coats of mail (for battles), to protect you in fighting. Will you then
not be grateful?" [Quran 21:80]
Allaah's Messenger also ordered such in his statement: "Eat, drink,
dress and give in charity without extravagance or arrogance."
[Al-Bukhaari]
Therefore, Allaah's Messenger made clear what type of clothingis
permissible and what is impermissible. He also showed what is
preferred for a Muslim to wear and what is disliked. Therefore, a
Muslim should adhere to the following etiquettewith respect to dress:
1. A Muslim (man) should not wear silk on his clothing, head covering
or anything else except what has been legislated in extreme cases like
skin diseases etc. This is because Allaah's Messenger stated: "Do not
wear silk, for the one who wears it in this world will not wear it in
the Hereafter." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
2. A man's garment, pants, head covering or cloak should not be so
long as to go below the ankles. This prohibition is based on the
statement of Allaah's Messenger that: "What goes below the ankles of
the waist-cloth will be punished in the Hell fire." [Al-Bukhaari]
Allaah's Messenger also said: "The one who lengthens the cloak, shirt
and turban out of pride will not be looked at with approval on the Day
of Resurrection." [An-Nasaa'i]
Allaah's Messenger also said: "Allaah does not look at the one who
lowers his garment out of arrogance." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
3. Though all colors are permissible to wear, a Muslim should give
preference to white clothing over other colors. Allaah's Messenger
said: "Wear white clothing for it is purer and better. And shroud your
deceased in (white)." [An-Nasaa'i]
4. A Muslim woman should lower her garment until it fully covers her
feet. She should also draw down her head covering so that it covers
her neck and chest. Allaah has Said (what means): "O Prophet! Tell
your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw
their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies." [Quran 33:59]
Allaah also Says (what means): "(And tell the believing women to) draw
their veils all over their faces, necks and bosoms and not to reveal
their adornment except'to their husbands, their fathers..." [Quran
24:31]
'Aa'ishah stated regarding the above-mentioned verse: "May Allaah have
mercy on the women who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madeenah. When
Allaah revealed this verse: 'And tell the believing women to draw
their veils all over their faces, necks and bosoms', they tore apart
their thick woolen garments and wore them as head coverings."
A Muslim male should not wear gold. Allaah's Messenger said about gold
and silk: "These are forbidden for the males of my Nation." [Abu
Daawood]
Allaah's Messenger also said: "Wearing silk and gold has been
forbidden for the males of my Nation and is permissible for its
females." [At-Tirmithi]
Allaah's Messenger saw a man wearing a gold ring and he took it off
his finger and threw it aside, saying: "One of you takes a burning
coal of fire and puts it onhis hand." After Allaah's Messenger left,
it was said to the man: 'Take your ring and benefit from it. (i.e.
sell it and useits price).' He replied: 'No, by Allaah, I will never
take it after Allaah's Messenger threw it away.'" [Muslim]
5. There is no harm in a Muslim male having a silver ring or engraving
his name on it to use itas adornment or as a type of engraving stamp
for his letters orbooks, or as a kind of signature. Allaah's Messenger
used to have a silver ring that had engraved on it, "Muhammad, the
Messenger of Allaah" and he usedto wear it on the little finger of his
left hand. Anas stated: "The ring of Allaah's Messenger was on this"
and he pointed to the little finger of his left hand. [Muslim]
6. A person should not wrap himself completely with a large garment in
such a way that he cannot get his hands out of it. Allaah's Messenger
has prohibited such a manner of dress.
Similarly, a person should not walk wearing only one shoe. Allaah's
Messenger said: "You should not walk wearing one shoe only. Either
walk barefoot orwear both of them together." [Al-Bukhaari]
7. A Muslim man is not allowed towear the dress of a woman and aMuslim
woman is not allowed to wear the dress of a man.
Allaah's Messenger stated: "Allaah curses the effeminate men and the
masculine women." [Al-Bukhaari]
He also said: "Allaah curses the man who wears women's clothing and
the woman who wears men's clothing. He also curses the men who imitate
women and the women who imitate men." [Al-Bukhaari]
8. When a person puts on his shoes, it is recommended to begin with
the right foot. And when he takes them off, it is recommended to take
off the leftshoe first. This is based on the Prophet's statement: "If
one of you puts on his shoes, let him begin with the right. And when
he takes them off, he should begin with the left." [Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim]
9. When a person puts on any clothing, he should begin from the right
side. Aa'ishah stated: " Allaah's Messenger loved to begin with the
right in all his matters, in putting on his shoes, in combing his hair
and in purifying himself." [Muslim]
10. Upon wearing a new garmentor any new clothing, the person should
say: "O Allaah, to You is the Praise. You are the One Who clothed me
by it. I ask You for its good and the good of what it was made for.
And I seek refuge in You from its evil and the evil ofwhat it was made
for." [Abu Daawood]
11. A Muslim should pray for his Muslim brother when he sees him
wearing new clothes by saying: "May you wear it until it disintegrates
and falls apart (thatis, for a long, blessed time)." [Al-Bukhaari]
Allaah's Messenger made thatsupplication when he saw, Umm Khaalid
wearing new clothing. [Al-Bukhaari]

He built an apartment over his father’s house with his own money; do the heirs have any right to it?.

My father died in 1991 and left behind a house composed of three
floorsand a tailor's shop. I have a brother, three sisters and my
mother. My father promised the third floor to my brotherand he
promised the shop to me, but these words were not written down. I came
out of the Army in 1992 and I had some money, approximately 10,000
pounds, with which I built an apartment on the fourth floor, and I
helped my sisters to finish their education and get married. My mother
and one of my sisters help me in the shop by making buttonholes,
sewing on buttons and so on. My question is: how should the estate be
divided, based on the above information
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Fathers are obliged to treat their children fairlyin terms of giving
gifts; it is haraam for a father to show preference to one of his
children in any way. Based on that, it would not be permissible to
fulfil the promise that he made toyou and your brother if he were
alive. As he has died, what is required is to divide the estate
according to the shares stipulated in sharee'ah. The scholars of the
Standing Committee were asked:
Is it permissible for a father to register a pieceof farmland in the
name of one of his sons and ignore the rest of his children? My father
registered a piece of farmland in my name and ignored my sister and
little brother. Should I sponsor these children or ignore them?
They replied:
The father is obliged to treat his children equallyin terms of giving
gifts, in accordance with the shar'i guidelines on inheritance. It is
not permissible for him to single out some of them and not others,
because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade
that. It was narrated from an-Nu'maan ibn Basheer(may Allah be pleased
with him) that his father brought him to the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: I have given this
son of mine a slave I owned. He said: "Have you given a similar gift
to all your children?" He said: No. He said: "Then take it back."
Agreed upon.
Based on that: your father must be fair in thegifts that he has given
tosome of his children by giving each of his children something like
that which he gave to the one mentioned, or else he should take back
the gift from him. As your father has died, you should divide the
estate between you and the rest of the heirs in accordance with the
shar'i ruling.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh 'Abdullah ibn Ghadyaan. Shaykh
Saalih al-Fawzaan, Shaykh 'Abdal-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh,Shaykh Bakr Abu
Zayd
End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 16/216
For more information, please see question no. 114659
Secondly:
With regard to the apartment that you builtwith your own money,
itbelongs to you and the heirs have no right to it. When the estate is
divided, this apartment should be evaluated on the basis that it is a
separate apartment, with no share of the value of the land, and is
your property. In other words, experts should work out the value of
this structure without including any part of thevalue of the land on
which it is built.