Islam the religion of mercy

The Prophetonce kissed Al-Hasan bin 'Aliwhile Al-Aqra' bin Haabis was
in his presence. So Al-Aqra'said to him: "You kiss your children. I
swear by Allaah, I have ten children and I never kissed any one of
them!" So the Prophetsaid:"He who does not show mercy )to others( will
not be shown mercy )by Allaah(."
Verily, in Islam, mercy encompasses this world and the Hereafter, as
well as humankind, animals, birds and the surrounding habitats. Allaah
Says)what means(:"And My mercy encompasses every thing."]Quran7:156[
Allaah has ascribed Mercy to Himself and He has also describedHis
Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, and righteous servants as
being endowed with it. Allaah Says )what means(:"Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allaah and those who are with him are severe against the
disbelievers and merciful to one another."]Quran 48:29[
Allaah has made his sending forth of the Prophetas a mercy to all of
creation, as He Says )what means(:"And We havenot sent you )O
Muhammad( except as a mercy to the worlds."]Quran 21:107[ The
word"worlds" )'Aalameen( is general and includes the world of the
humans, the world of the Jinn, the world of the animals, the world of
the birds, as well as the nations found on land and in the sea.
Allaah has commanded that mercy be applied to every thing and in every
action. Thus, even when you slaughter a sacrificial animal, you show
mercy to it by saying 'Bismillaah' )In the name of Allaah( and by
sharpening yourknife )so that it will be a quick and painless death(.
The Prophetsaid:"Verily Allaah has prescribed Ihsaan )goodness( for
everything. So when you slaughter, then slaughter in a good manner,
and when you kill)in war(, then kill in a good manner. And let each of
you sharpen his blade and let him spare the animal he slaughters from
suffering."
It is reported that Allaah forgave a prostitute from the children
ofIsraelwho showed mercy to a dog that was dying from thirst. She
filled her shoe with water and then taking hold of the dog'smouth, she
gave it the water to drink. Allaah appreciated what she did and
forgave her sins.
Once our Prophetsaw that one of his Companions, may Allaah be pleased
with him, grabbed the chick of a lark, and itbegan screeching over the
heads of the Companions. So hesaid:"Who bereaved this )lark( of her
child? Return her children back to her!"
The more weak and poor a human being is, the more we are required to
show mercy to him and be gentle with him. This is why our Lord has
forbidden us from oppressing the orphan. Allaah Says )what
means(:"Therefore, treat not the orphan with oppression. And do not
repel the beggar."]Quran 93: 9-10[
The Prophetsaid:"The personthat looks after and supports the widow and
the needy one is like the Mujaahid )one who makes Jihaad( in the Cause
of Allaah." Hewould rub the head of the orphans and say:"I and the
guardian of an orphan will be likethis inParadise- and he gestured
with his index and middle finger."
Indeed the Prophetcommanded us to take care of the children, women and
the elders. Thus, in his last words to his Companionsand his nation
hesaid:"The prayer and what your right hands possess." "Take good care
of the women )i.e. wives(."And he said:"The best of you is the best to
his wives. And I am the best amongst you with my wives."
Mercy is something innate, whichAllaah has placed into the hearts of
His creatures, even the lions -- the most ferocious of beasts -- are
merciful to their children. Yet Allaah is more merciful to His
creation than a mother is to her child. It is reported that on the day
that Allaah created mercy, He created one hundred parts to it. He left
ninety-nine parts with Him, by which He will show mercy to His
servants on the Day of Judgment and sent down one single part of mercy
to earth, which humans and animals shareamongst themselves.
The Messenger of Allaahhas condemned the person that is void of any
mercy, and he condemned the one who breaks family ties. Hesaid:
"Kinship is connected to the Throne)'Arsh(. It says:'Whoever severs
me, then Allaah will break )away from( him. And whoever maintains me,
then Allaah will keep connected to him."
In another narration hesaid:"Verily, the kinship will be connected to
the Throne of the Most Merciful on the Day of Judgment. It will say:
'This is the place for the one who sought refuge in You from the
severing)of family ties(.' So Allaah will say to it: 'Will it please
you that I connect those who maintained you and that I cut off those
who severed you?' And it will say: 'I will be pleased )with that(, my
Lord.'"
The Prophetcondemned the oppressive leaders who do not show mercy to
their people, by saying: "The worst leaders are al-Hutamah."
Allaah has named Himself Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem, so he is the Most
Merciful of this world and the Hereafter )i.e. Ar-Rahmaan( and The
Bestower and giver of mercy )i.e. Ar-Raheem(. This is why He has
commanded it in every place and in every situation. A Muslim begins
his action by saying 'Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem' )in the name of
Allaah, Most Merciful, the Giver of Mercy( so that Allaah can bless
him in his action. Every action that is void ofmercy has no blessing
in it, nor any good. If the servants of Allaah show mercy towards one
another, this is a cause for Allaah sending His mercy down on them.
The Prophetsaid:"The Most Merciful shows mercy to those who have mercy
on others. Show mercy to those on earth, and the One above the heaven
will show mercy to you."
O Allaah, have mercy on us above the earth and below the earth and on
the Day when our deeds will be presented to us. And cause us to be
merciful to one another just as the Companions of Your Prophetwere.
And have mercy on our dead ones andput those who have mercy from
amongst Your servants in charge over us, O Most Merciful!

Islam is your birthright -II

Muslims: The Moderate Nation:
The chief characteristic ofthe Islamic concept of lifeis that it does
not recognize a conflict or a separation between the spiritual and the
mundane. It does not recognize ritualism, secularism or materialism.
For a Muslim, all aspects of life, the spiritual and the material, the
State and the religion are interrelated, because everything belongs to
Allaah and Allaah alone. Islam provides definite guidelines for all
people to follow in all walks of life: individual, social, moral,
governmental, political, economic, spiritual and advocates moderation.
This is why the Quran calls the Muslims a "moderate nation."
Source of Islamic Teachings:
The Islamic way of life is based on the teachings of the Quran and the
Sunnah )traditions( of the Prophet Muhammad. The Quran is the basic
source of Islamic teaching and law. It is the word of Allaah revealed
to Prophet Muhammadby the angel Gabriel. The entire Quran was revealed
to Prophet Muhammadinparts over the 23-year period of his prophethood.
Whenever a portion of it was revealed, it was written by his faithful
scribesaccording to his instructions on palm leaves, parchments, bones
etc. Moreover, there were tens of thousands of the Prophet's
Companionswho committed the Quran to memory.
After the death of Prophet Muhammadthe first Caliph Abu Bakrordered
the collectionof the whole Quran in one volume. It was preserved until
the third Caliph 'Uthmaanprepared several copies and sent them to
different Muslim territories. From that time onwards )about 1400 years
ago(, the same version has been in use with identical words, order and
language, without a single additionor deletion. Briefly stated, the
Quran is the only remaining authenticDivine Revelation available to
humankind today that is distinguished by its clear historical
accounts, unquestionable accuracy,indisputable authenticity and
complete preservation in the exact language of its Revelation.
The Sunnah consists of the teachings, sayings and actions of Prophet
Muhammadmeticulously reported by his Companions. It explains and
elaborates the Quranic verses.
Islam Is The Religion of Equality:
There is no discrimination in Islam between people on the basis of
color, tribe, race, nationality, etc. since all humans descend from
one father and one mother: Aadamand Eve. Islam teaches that the
standard of distinction is righteousness. A verse of the Glorious
Quran reads)what means(:"Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of
Allaah is the most righteous."]Quran 49: 13[
Islam Is Your Birthright:
Everybody is born in a state of Fitrah )the inclination to worship One
God i.e. pure Monotheism(. To accept Islam is not to turn one's back
on all the previous Messengers and Prophets, may Allaah exalt their
mention. In fact, it is a reversion to the original Monotheism in
which we are all created. As such, Islam is your "birthright."
However, the parents or the community converts the child to other
faiths or to atheism.
Criteria for Truth:
Are you following the correct belief system? Thecriteria for true
faith are listed as follows:
1. Rational Teachings: Man is a rational being, hence, he should use
both reason and intellect to distinguish truth from falsehood.
2. Perfection: Since Allaahis perfect, His Revelation must be perfect
without flaw and completely free of any contradiction or error.
3. Scientific: Since Divine Revelation is the absolutetruth, it can
always withstand the challenge of any kind of knowledge, including
human discoveries in the field of science.
4. Inimitable: True Revelation from Allaah is an infallible living
miracle that cannot be imitated by any being.
5. Worship of One God: True Revelation should teach the worship of One
God who has no partner, sharer, associate or helper in His Divinity
)i.e.,Creatorship, Lordship, Sovereignty or in any of His Divine
Attributes(.
6. Simple, Clear and Just: True Revelation must be simple, clear and
just in order to be readily understood by any one, because all humans
are equal in the sight of Allaah. His blessings are open to anyone who
has the will to obey Him.
To conclude, Islam is not a new religion. It is, in essence, the same
message and guidance, which Allaah revealed to all His Messengers, may
Allaah exalt their mention, but only reiterated in its comprehensive,
completeand final form. It is a continuation and culmination of all
the preceding Revelation, because as we know, their origin is one and
the same; A verse of the Glorious Quran reads)what means(:"This day I
have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you,
and have approved for you Islam as religion."]Quran 5: 3[.
Since it is the final message from Allaah that culminates, supersedes
and seals all the previous religions, Islam makes it an obligation on
every person who clearly hears its Message to accept it and follow it.
Another verse of the Glorious Quran says )which means(:"And whoever
desiresother than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from
him, and he, in the Hereafter, willbe among the losers."]Quran 3: 86[
Now, Allaah has shown you the right path and at the same time
conferred upon you freedom of choice and will, whether you accept the
message of Islam or not is up to you. May the light of truth shine in
our hearts and minds. May it lead us to peace and certitude in this
life and eternal bliss in the Hereafter.

Islam is your birthright - I

The Creation of man and the entire Universe is not a mere accident or
the product of chance. The entire Universe manifestsand points to the
realization of an All-Powerful Creator. Therefore, it is man's duty to
know his Creator, Allaah.
Indeed, Allaah )The Only True God( has told us about Himself through
the Divine guidance He sent to human beings. Humanity received this
Divine guidance through the Messengers, may Allaah exalt their
mention, who were chosen by Allaah to convey His message and to be
living examples for their people. These Messengers, may Allaah exalt
their mention, told man who his Creator is, the purpose of existence,
and what will happen to him after death. They all brought the same
message of Monotheism: the worship of Allaah alone. However, they
differed only in the canonical teachings that were presented to their
peoples.
Over a period, the earlier messages were distorted or lost by later
generations. As a result, the pure message was polluted with myths,
superstitions, idolatry and philosophical ideologies. However, Allaah,
the Compassionate, did not leave man straying. He sent Prophets, may
Allaahexalt their mention, to re-instate the original message and to
remind man of the right path. The last of those Prophetswas Prophet
Muhammad,, who presented Allaah's guidance in its final form: Islam,
for all times and for all people.
Islam is an Arabic word that denotes submission and obedience; as a
religion, Islam stands for complete submission andobedience to Allaah.
The other literal meaning of the word Islam is"peace", this signifies
that one can only achievereal peace of heart and mind, and peace in
society through submission and obedience to Allaah.
The Five Pillars of Islam
Worship in Islam is an all-inclusive term for all that Allaah loves --
private and public words and actions performed in accordance with His
teachings. Islam considers every virtuous action which is performed to
carry out the commandments of Allaah and in order to seek His
pleasure, an act of worship. The Five Pillars of Islam, stand as the
framework of the spiritual life of Islam. They include the following:
1. The Declaration of Monotheism
Monotheism is the cornerstone of Islam. A man joins the fold of Islam
by believing and declaring his submission to Monotheism: "There is
none worthy of worship but Allaah and Muhammad is His Messenger". It
is the acceptance or denial of this belief that differentiates a
Muslim from a non-Muslim.
2. Prayers
Every Muslim whose net annual savings are abovea certain specified
minimum must pay an annual amount of 2.5 percent of his wealth to the
poor and needy.Zakaahpurifies a Muslim's accrued wealth, fosters the
quality of sacrifice and rids him of selfishness and greed.Zakaahalso
helps reduce to resentment and envy between poor and rich members of
the society.
4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan
Muslims observe fasting once every year during the month of
Ramadan.They abstain from food, drink and sexual contact from dawn to
sunset. Fasting teaches sincerity and implants devotion. It develops a
sound social consciousness, patience, self-restraint, will-power and
an awareness of how the needy members of the society lead their lives.
It has been medically proved that fasting also helps to maintain good
health.
5.Hajj)Pilgrimage to Makkah(
Hajjis an act of worship, which is to be performedat least once in a
lifetime,if one can afford it both financially and physically.During
this time, Muslims meet from all corners of the world in a
congregation respondingto the call of Allaah. It demonstrates and
refreshes the belief that all Muslims are equal, irrespective of their
geographical, cultural or racial origins.
The Six Articles of Faith in Islam
The Muslim believes in the following articles of faith:
1. He believes inthe Oneness of God, Allaah, Supreme and
Eternal, Merciful and Compassionate, Creator and Provider of everything.
2. He believes inall Messengers of Allaah, may Allaah exalt their
mention, with no discrimination between them. Every nation had a
messenger )or more( sentby Allaah to convey His message, and to
exemplify it for his people or nation. The Quran mentions the names of
only twenty five of them and indicates that there have been many
others. Those twenty-five include Nooh)Noah(, Ibraaheem)Abraham(,
Ismaa'eel)Ishmael(, Ishaaq )Issac(, Yaaqoob )Jacob(, Moosaa)Moses(,
Daawood)David(, Sulaymaan)Solomon(, Yahya )John(, 'Eesaa )Jesus( and
finally, Muhammad,, may Allaah exalt their mention. Every Messenger
was sent to a specific nation, but Prophet Muhammad,, was sent for
mankind. This special status of Prophet Muhammad,as the seal and last
of all the Messengers puts the Muslim in the position, whereby
honoring Prophet Muhammad,, implies honoring all those Messengers who
came before him. There are numerous evidences or proofs that Prophet
Muhammad,, is an apostle of Allaah, mentioned in his biography. The
greatest is the Quran )the Word ofAllaah(, which could only have been
conveyed by aMessenger. The Biblical versions, even in their present
forms, clearly mention the advent of Prophet Muhammad,.]See Deut.
18:18, 18:15, 33:2-3, Isaiah 29:12, Songs of Solomon 5:16, John
16:12-14 and John 14:15-16.[
3. A Muslim believesin all the scriptures of Allaah, in their original
form. These scriptures contain the Divine message which the
Messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, received to show their
respective peoples the right path of Allaah. In the Quran, a special
reference is madeto the books of Abraham)Suhuf(, to the Torah)Law( of
Moses, theZaboor)Psalms( of David and theInjeel)Gospel( of Jesus.
However, long before thebirth of Prophet Muhammad,, those revealed
books were corrupted or lost. Allaah revealed the Quran to Prophet
Muhammad,, as the final revelation and guidance for all humankind for
all times.
4. Muslims believe in theexistence of angelsas part of the unseen
world.Angels are purely spiritual beings whose nature requires no
food, drink or sleep; they perform specific duties assigned to them by
Allaah.
5. A Muslim believes inthe Day of Judgment. TheQuran teaches that life
is a test for man, to see whether he will follow the commands of
Allaah. Accordingly, one should prepare himself with good deeds for
the eternal life after death. People will be resurrected on the Day
ofJudgment to stand before Allaah for a just reckoning of their
worldly deeds and actions. People with good records will be generously
rewarded and warmly welcomed tothe Paradise of Allaah, while those
with bad records will be punished and cast into hell.
6. A Muslim believes thatwhatever happens in thisworld is ordered and
predestined by Allaah.Allaah is the Most Wise, sowhatever He does has
a meaningful purpose, although at times we may fail to understand it
fully.

Dought & clear, - (Times of Prayers) - The people in his mosque pray Fajr before the proper time; should he pray with them?.

We face a problem regarding Fajr prayer. People are confused here
about this matter what to do. We pray Fajrand leave the masjid while
it still is dark outside. Do we have to attend this congregation in
Fajr prayer? Or shall I pray athome when Fajr actual time comes?
Please answer my question because I am confused.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The time for Fajr starts with the second dawn (the true dawn) which
isthe horizontal whitenessthat spreads along the horizon right and
left, and the time lasts until the sun rises.
In the answer to question no. 26763we discussed the mistake that many
people make by relying on timetables to define the time for Fajr, and
that most of these timetables do not give the proper time for the true
dawn. This has been stated by more than one of the scholars.
Contemporary scholars differed concerning the extent of this error.
Some of them said that itis no more than five minutes, and some said
that it is approximately thirty minutes.
We do not know what the situation is in your city, but the people of
each city should appoint a group of trustworthy scholars to find out
the time for Fajr and inform the people of it, and warn them against
following timetables if itis proven that they are wrong.
No one should claim thatthe prayer is being donebefore the time begins
unless he has proof, especially since finding out the actual time of
dawn is very difficult in cities and inhabited areas, because the
light of dawn is mixed with the lights of the city.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about a
congregation who did not know the time of Fajr and they prayed it
based on information from someone whom they trusted, but some of them
had doubts.
He replied: So long as they trust him and knowthat this man has
knowledge about the beginning of the time (for prayer), there is no
sin on them, because they did not know that they were praying before
the time began. Ifthey did not know and they accepted the word of this
man whom they trust, then there is no blame on them. But one should
take precautions so long as there is some doubt, and not pray until he
thinks it most likely or is certain, and he should alert the
congregation to that, and suggest to them to wait five minutes or ten
minutes, and that will not harm them, because waiting five or ten or
fifteen minutes is better than praying even one minute too early. End
quote fromFataawa al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, vol. 12, question no. 146.
Secondly:
You should advise the people in this mosque todelay the prayer until
they think it most likely that the time has begun, and if they respond
thenpraise be to Allaah.
But if they insist on whatthey are doing – and youthink that they are
praying before the time for prayer begins – then look for another
mosquethat starts the prayer later, so that your not praying Fajr in
the mosque will not make people think badly of you, and think that you
are sleeping and missingthe prayer, and so that you will not be
depriving yourself of thereward for going to the mosque, and so that
you will not become lazy about praying later on. Then go back home and
repeat the prayer with your family in congregation after the time
begins. This is whatShaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him)
advised when he was asked: Do you advise me to offer the obligatory
prayer of Fajr in the mosque or at home? [Because the people in the
mosque offered the Fajr prayer before dawn].
He replied:
I advise him to do two things together: He should go to the mosqueand
if they offer the obligatory prayer beforethe proper time, it will be
naafil for him. Then he should go back home and offer the obligatory
prayer on time, and in particular he should pray with his family. But
there is something that is more obligatory, but not everyone can
fulfil this obligation, which is alerting the people of the mosque to
this serious matter… end quote.
Silsilat al-Huda wa'l-Noortape no. 767, minute 32.
And Allaah knows best.