Toasted Bread

"When I was a little Boy, I remember one day in particular when she
had made breakfast. She musthave been very tired. My mom placed a
plate of eggs, and rather burned toast in front of my dad. Iremember
waiting to seeif anyone noticed. Yet all my dad did was reach forhis
toast, smile at my mom, and ask me how was I ready for school. I don't
remember what I replied, but I do remember watching him smear butter
and jam on that toast and eat every bite!
When I got up from the table, I remember hearing my mom apologize to
my dad for burning the toast. And I'llnever forget what he said:
'Baby, I love burned toast.'
Later that night, I went tokiss Daddy and I asked him if he really
liked his toast burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, 'Your
Momma works hard day after day and she's real tired. And besides a
little burnt toast never hurt anyone!'You know, life is full of
imperfect things…..and imperfect people. I'm notthe best football
player either.
What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each
other's faults – and choosing to celebrate each other's differences –
is the one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing,
and lasting relationship.
We should learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your
lifeand lay them at the feet of Allah . Because in the end, He's the
only One who will be able to give you a relationship where burnt toast
isn't a deal-breaker! We could extend this to any relationship in fact
– as understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a
husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!!" - - ▓███▓
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Fruits of Honesty

Sincere Muslims invariably act upon Qur'aanic injunctions likethe following:
"0 you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to
Allah, even as against yourselves, or (your) parents or (your) kin…"
(surah 4;verse 35)
"And let not the hatred ofany people make you swerve to wrong and
depart from justice; be just, that is next to piety; and fear Allah…"
(surah 5;verse 8 )
And when you judge between mankind (Allah does command), that youjudge
with justice. " (surah 4;verse 58)
"Whatever you say, speakjustly, even if near relative is concerned…"
(surah 6;verse 152)
Once, during the early days of the British administration, in India,
there arose in Kandhla, inthe Muzaffarnagar District (ie. in the State
ofUttar Pradesh), a dispute between the Hindus and the Muslims over a
plot ofland which both of them claimed as their place of worship. The
English Collector of the district privately inquired from the Muslims
if they could name a Hindu in whose honesty they had full confidence,
so that that the case might be decided on the basis of his evidence.
The Muslimssaid that they knew of nosuch Hindu.
The collector then asked the Hindus whether therewas a Muslim upon
whoseword they would be willing to let the decisionof the dispute be
made. The Hindus said that, grave as the matter was, there was a
Muslim divine who had never uttered a falsehood and it could be hoped
that hewould not compromise his integrity over the issue in hand. The
Divine came from the family of Mufti Ilahi Bakhsh, who was a pupil of
Shah Abdul Aziz and a Khalifah of Sayyid Ahmed Shahid.
The Collector, thereupon, summoned him to his court, but he declined,
saying that he had swornnever to look at the face of an Englishman.
The Collector said that he need not look at his face if he did not
want to, but come he must, because the matter in dispute wasserious
and its settlementhinged on whether he came or not. At last, the
Moulana agreed. He camewith his face covered with a mask and stood in
the court, his back turnedtowards the Collector so that there could be
no possibility of his vow being broken. The case was explained to him,
and he was asked to state whether he knew anything about the ownership
of the plot. The Moulana declared that the plot in dispute belonged to
the Hindus; the Muslims had nothing to do with it. The Collector
decided accordingly. The Muslims lost the case, but 'truth' scored a
magnificent victory. A number of Hindus embraced Islam on that very
day at the hand of the Moulana.
Learning and wisdom were held sacrosanct in those days. Those who
occupied a high place in the field of learning werenot disposed to
sell their intellectual wealth at any price, because it was regarded
by them as a precious gift and a sacred trust of Allah. To lend one's
ability or knowledge , directly or indirectly, to serve the cause of
injustice and unbelief was in their view tantamount to an open
betrayal of religion.

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Real Life Stories: Abbad ibn Bishr

It was the fourth year after the Hijrah. The city of the Prophet was
still under threat from within and without. Fromwithin the influential
Jewish tribe, the Banu an-Nadir, broke their agreement with the
Prophet and made plans to kill him. For this, they were banished
fromthe city. This was in the month of Safar.
Two months of uneasy quiet passed. Then the Prophet received news that
tribes from distant Najd were planning an attack. To pre-empt them,
the Prophet gathered a force of over four hundred men, and leaving one
of his companions Uthman ibn Affan in charge of the city, set out
eastward. Among this force was theyoung Madinan, Abbad ibn Bishr.
Arriving at Najd, the Prophet found the habitations of the hostile
tribes strangely deserted of men. Only women were about. The men
hadtaken to the hills. Some of them regrouped and prepared to fight.
The time of Salaah al-Asr (the afternoon prayer) came. The Prophet
feared that the hostile tribesmen would attack them during prayer. He
arranged the Muslims in ranks and divided them into two groups and
performed the prayer as the Salaah al-Khawf (the Prayer of Fear). With
one group he performed one rakah while the other group stood on guard.
For the second rakah the groups changed places. Each group completed
its prayer with one rakah after the Prophet had finished...
On beholding the disciplined ranks of the Muslims the hostile
tribesmen became uneasy and afraid. The Prophet had made his presence
felt and something of his mission was now known at first hand in the
central highlands of Arabia whence he departed peacefully.
On the way back, the Prophet pitched camp in a valley for a night. As
soon as the Muslims had settled their camel mounts, the Prophet ,
asked: "Who will be our guard tonight?" "We, O Messenger of Allah,"
said Abbad ibn Bishr and Ammar ibn Yasir both of whom had been paired
off as 'brothers' by the Prophet when he arrived in Madinah after the
Hijrah.
Abbad and Ammar left forthe mouth of the valley to take up duty. Abbad
saw that his "brother" was tired and asked him:"What part of the night
do you wish to sleep, the first or the second?" "I shall sleep during
the first part," said Ammar who was soon fast asleepquite close to
Abbad.
The night was clear, calm and peaceful. The stars, the trees, and the
rocks all appeared to celebrate in silence the praises of their lord.
Abbad felt serene. There was no movement, no threatening sign. Why not
spend the time in ibadah (worship) and reciting the Quraan?
Howdelightful it would be to combine the performance of Salaah with
the measured recitation of the Quraan which he so much enjoyed.
In fact Abbad was enthralled by the Ouraan from the moment he first
heard it being recited by the mellow and beautifulvoice of Musab ibn
Umayr. That was before the Hijrah when Abbad was just about fifteen
years old. The Quraan had found a special placein his heart and day
and night thereafter he would be heard repeating the glorious words of
Allah so much so that he became known among the Prophet 's
companionsas the "friend of the Quraan".
Late at night, the Prophet once stood up to perform the Tahajjud
Prayer in Aishah's house which adjoined the masjid. He heard a voice
reciting the Quraan, pureand sweet and as fresh aswhen the angel
Jibril revealed the words to him. He asked: "Aishah, is that the voice
of Abbad ibn Bishr?' "Yes, O Messenger of Allah," replied Aishah. "O
Lord, forgive him," prayed the Prophet out of love for him.
And so in the stillness of the night, at the mouth of the valley in
Najd, Abbad stood up and faced the Qiblah. Raising his hand in
surrender to Allah, he entered into thestate of Prayer. Finishing the
compulsory opening chapter of the Quraan, hebegan reciting Surah
al-Kahf in his sweet, captivating voice. Surah al-Kahf is a long Surah
of one hundred and ten verses which deals in part with the virtues of
faith, truth and patience and with the relativity of time.
While he was thus absorbed in reciting and reflecting upon the divine
words, eternal words of illumination and wisdom. ing and reflecting
upon the divine words, eternal words of illumination and wisdom, a
stranger stalked the outskirts of the valley in search of Muhammad and
his followers. He was one of those who had planned to attack the
Prophet but who had fled into the mountains on the approach of the
MusIims. His wife whom he had left in the village had been taken as a
captive by one of the Muslims. When he eventually found that his wife
was gone, he swore by al-Lat and al-Uzzah that he would pursue
Muhammad and his companions and that he would not return unless he had
drawn blood.
From a distance, the man saw the figure of Abbad silhouetted at the
mouth of the valley and he knew that the Prophet and his followers
mustbe inside the valley. Silently he drew his bow and let fly an
arrow. Unerringly it embedded itself in Abbad's flesh.
Calmly, Abbad pulled out the arrow from his body and went on with his
recitation, still absorbed in his Salaah. The attacker shot a second
and a third arrow both ofwhich also found their mark. Abbad pulled out
one and then the other. He finished his recitation,made ruku and then
sujud. Weak and in pain, he stretched out his righthand while still in
prostration and shook hissleeping companion. Ammar awoke. Silently,
Abbad continued the Salaah to its end and then said: "Get up and stand
guard in my place. Ihave been wounded."
Ammar jumped up and began to yell. Seeing them both the attacker fled
into the darkness. Ammar turned to Abbad as he lay on the ground,
blood flowing from his wounds.
"Ya Subhanallah (Glory be to Allah)! Why didn't you wake me when you
were hit by the first arrow?" "I was in the midst of reciting verses
of the Quraan which filled my soul with awe and I did not want to cut
short the recitation. The Prophet had commanded me to commit this
surah to memory. Death would have been dearer to me than that the
recitation of this surah should be interrupted."
Abbad's devotion to the Quraan was a sign of his intense devotion to
and love for Allah, His Prophet and His religion. The qualities he was
known for were his constant immersion in ibadah, his heroic courage
and his generosity in the path of Allah. At times of sacrificeand
death, he would always be in the front line. When it was time
forreceiving his share of rewards, he would only be found after much
effort and difficulty. He was always trustworthy in his dealings with
the wealth of Muslims. All thiswas recognized. Aishah, the wife of the
Prophet , once said: "There arethree persons among the Ansar whom no
one could excel in virtue: Sad ibn Muadh, Usayd ibn Khudayr and Abbad
ibn Bishr."
Abbad died the death of a shahid (martyr) at the battle of Yamamah.
Just before the battle he had a strong presentiment of death and
martyrdom. Henoticed that there was a lack of mutual confidence among
the Muhajirin and Ansar. He was grieved and upset. He realized that
there would be no success for the Muslims in these terrible battles
unless theMuhajirin and Ansar were grouped in separate regiments so
that it could be clearly seen who really bore their responsibility and
who were truly steadfast in combat.
At the break of day whenthe battle commenced, Abbad ibn Bishr stood on
a mound and shouted:
"O Ansar, distinguish yourselves among men. Destroy your scabbards.
And do not forsake Islam."
Abbad harangued the Ansar until about four hundred men gathered
around, him at the head of whom were Thabit ibnQays, al-Baraa ibn
Malik and Abu Dujanah, the keeper of the Prophet 's sword. With this
force, Abbad unleashed an offensive into the enemy's ranks which
blunted their thrust and drove them back to the"garden of death".
At the walls of this garden, Abbad ibn Bishr fell. So numerous were
his wounds, he was hardly recognizable. He had lived, I fought and
died as a believer. - - ▓███▓ Translator:->
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Attributes of the Believers as defined in Suraa Al Mu'minun

Part 2/2
(5) And those who guardtheir chastity (6) Except from their wives or
(the captives and slaves) that the right hand possess, for then, they
are free from blame; (7) But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are
the transgressors; (8) And those who are faithfully true to their
Amanat andto their covenants; (9) And those who strictly guard their
(five compulsory congregational) Salawat(prayers) (at their fixed
stated hours). (10) These are indeed the inheritors. (11) Who shall
inherit the Firdaus (Paradise). They shall dwell therein forever.
I n Part 1 of 2, a careful contemplation of the opening exalted verses
ofSurah Al-Mu'minun was introduced. This article will complete the
insight on the signs of Iman in the oneself.
The believer who attains noble attributes and upright conduct has
truely found the road to Paradise. The guide to these noble attributes
can only come from the last revelation, the Holy Qur'an. When the
opening verses of Surah Al-Mu'minun were revealed, the Prophet
(s.a.w.) remarked: ".. the one who measures up to them, will most
surely go to paradise" [Ahmad Tirmithy, Nasa'i, Hakem].
And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts)
They are modest in every sense of the word. They are free from sex
abuse and sex perversion. They are so modest that they even conceal
those parts of their bodies which theLaw forbids to expose before
others. This is the true purification of the household and the society
and the true prevention from corruption of lineage and genealogy.
Except from their wives or (the captives and slaves) that the right
hand possess, for then, they are free from blame;
This is a parenthesis which is meant to remove the common
misunderstanding that sexual desire is an evil thing in itself and
satisfying it even in lawful ways is not desirable, particularly
forthe righteous and godly people. The parenthesis has been added to
say that there is nothing wrong in satisfying the sexual desire in
lawful ways and that living unmarried lives, away from the world, like
monks and hermits is not the Islamic way of life. What is evil is that
one should transgress the prescribed limits for satisfying the sex
desire.
Marriage is strongly encouraged in Islam and is considered a sign that
reflects the Bounty of theCreator. "And among His Signs is this, that
He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find
repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily
in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect" [s30:v21]. The
wisdoms behind the institution of marriage are numerous and diverse;
Marriage establishes the best method for slaking one's innate sexual
drive and satisfying it in a lawful and rewarding way. Marriage
fashions the best format for having children, raising a family and
increasing one's progeny. The sense of responsibility in being married
and caring for children spurs one towards work and takingcare of
obligations. Marriage induces a certain order in life and promotes
cohesive relationships between distant families and sustain harmony in
the society.
But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors;
Here are briefly a few injunctions which are based on this parenthetical clause:
(1) Two categories of women have been excluded from the general
command of guarding the private parts: wives and women who are legally
in one's possession, i.e. slave girls.Thus, the verse clearly lays
down the law that one is allowed to have sexual relations with one's
slave-girl as with one's wife, the basis being possession and
notmarriage.
It should be noted that Islam came at a time where slavery was an
international system and when the prisoners of war were taken as
bondsmen according to the national law. It is clear that Islam during
the battles with his enemy, could not have forbidden this system from
his side, so that Muslim captives could be taken as slaves while Islam
frees the captives of his enemy. So, Islam prevented all the sources
of slavery, except the source of the prisoners ofwar.
Hence, when captives in war fall as bondswomen, it was permissible for
Muslims to have sexual relations with those who they possessed. This
sexual relation is to satisfy the natural need of the captured women,
so that they do not involve in filthy sexual relations like what is
happening today with the prisoners of war all over the world under
theNew World Order, even though policies have forbidden them. This
anarchy is discouraged by Islam and so Islam encourages the freedom of
such slaves by many methods, for example, when the bondswoman begets,
then her son is a free man; if her master freed her voluntarily or as
an atonement to hitting her on the face; by an agreement which the
bondswoman can pay a sum of money as her ransom, etc. In any case,
slavery was a necessity of war at that time, and it was the system of
dealing in reply. However, it was not a result of the Islamic social
system. 1
(2) The law prescribed in the parenthesis is only applicable to men as
is clear from the Text and the bondsman is unlawful for the woman
possessing him. The wisdom why the slave has been forbidden for the
woman is that he canonly satisfy her sexual desire but cannot become
guardian and governor of herself and her household, which leaves a
serious flaw in the family life.
(3) The sentence "But whoever seeks beyond that (in lust for sexual
desire) , then those are the transgressors" has made satisfaction in
other ways unlawful, whether it be through fornication, homosexuality,
sex gratification with animals, or some other means. The jurists only
differ slightly with regard to masturbation. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal
regards it as lawful if it aids in the absteinance from adultery, but
ImamsMalik and Shafi'i regard it as absolutely unlawful; and though
the Hanafies also regard it as unlawful, they give the opinion that if
a person indulges sometimes in masturbation under the fit of passion,
it is expected that he will be forgiven the error. Masturbation is
unhealthy and can lead to medical and psychological problems. The
jurists agree that anything that brings harm is unlawful especially if
it becomes a common habit.
(4) Although the absoluteprohibition of Mut'ah (temporary marriage)
was not until the year of the conquest of Makkah, some commentators
argue the prohibition of Mut'ah from this verse. The correct position
however, is that the prohibition of Mut'ah is based on the authentic
Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) and the consensus opinion of the
jurists. Therefore it is wrong to say that it was prohibited by Umar
(r.a.a.). Umar (r.a.a.) only enforced it as a law of Islam and
publicised it among the people. This had not been done earlier because
the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) had forbidden Mut'ah only during the latter
part of his worldly life.
The deviant Shi'ite view that Mut'ah is absolutely lawful and
permissible has no sanction and support in the Qur'an, Sunnah or sound
mind. The fact is that a few of the companions, their followers and
jurists whoregarded it permissible in the early days of Islam,did so
only in cases of extreme necessity and need. None of them held the
view that it was absolutely lawful like marriage and could be
practised in normal circumstances. 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas (r.a.a.) who
is generally cited as a prominent supporter of the view of
permissibilityhas himself explained his position, thus: "It is just
like carrion which is lawful for a person only in extreme necessity".
Even Ibn 'Abbas had to revise his opinion when he saw that people were
abusing permissibility and started practising Mut'ah freely regardless
of genuine need and necessity. Holding Mut'ahas absolutely
permissible,practising it without any real necessity or restoring to
it even whenone has a legally weddedwife or wives is a kind of license
which is abhorredby good taste, much less it be attributed to the
Shari'ah of Muhammad (s.a.w.) and imputed to the learned jurists of
his family. For if Mut'ah it would imply that there should exist in
society a low class of women, like the prostiwho shobe available for
the purpose as and when required, orif not that, Mut'ah be restricted
to the daughters and sisters to the poor stratum of society and the
well to dobe given the freedom to exploit them as and when they like.
Can such an injustice and discrimination be expected of the Divine
Law?
And those who are faithfully true to their Amanat (all the duties
which Allah has ordained, honesty, moral responsibility, and trust,
etc.) and to their covenants;
The believers fulfilled theterms of their trust whichare placed in
their charge. Amanat is a very comprehensive word andincludes all
those trusts which are placed in their charge by Allah, society or
individuals. Like wise"`ahd" includes all those covenants, pledges and
promises which are madebetween Allah and man, and between man and man.
According to a tradition reported by both Bukhari and Muslim,the
Prophet (s.a.w.) said:"Four characteristics are such that if a person
has all the four in him, he is beyond any doubt a hypocrite, and the
one who has one of these is ahypocrite to the extent till he gives it
up: when something is placed in his trust, he commits breach to the
trust, whenhe speaks he tells a lie, when he makes a promise he breaks
it, andwhen he has a quarrel with somebody he exceeds all limits (of
decency and morality).
And those who strictly guard their (five compulsory congregational)
Salawat (prayers) (at their fixed stated hours).
The believers strictly adhere to the prescribed times of the prayers.
Theyperform them with due regard for their pre-requisites,
conditionsand articles, with clean body and dress and necessary
ablutions. Theydo not recite mechanically but understand what they
recite and are conscious that they are supplicatingtheir Lord like
humble servants
These are indeed the inheritors.
Who shall inherit the Firdaus (Paradise). They shall dwell therein forever.
Firdaus or paradise is a vast garden adjoining the dwelling of a
person and enclosed by defence walls and containing all kinds of fruit
trees, especially vines. The inheritance of paradise by believers
should be their dwelling forever n
Footnotes:
1. A sincere person who wants tounderstand the Qur'anic Law in this
regard should study An-Nisa (4:3, 5), Al-Ahzab (33:50, 52) and
Al-Ma'arij (70:30) together with this verse in Al-Mu'minun. For
further explanation see
*. The Meaning of the Qur'an, E.N. 44 of An-Nisa
*. In the Shade of the Qur'an p169, 9th edition
References:
*. 1. The Meaning of the Qur'an, S.Abul A'la Al-Maududi
*. 2. In the Shade of the Qur'an, Sayyid Qutb - - ▓███▓
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