Social evils that are destroying Muslim communities - I

The role of the individual in Islam is not limited to fulfilling the
five pillars. The Muslim in an Islamic community has a greater
responsibility than is usually understood. All of a Muslim's
activities in life are included as acts of worship depending upon the
intention underlying them. Nothing is required from a Muslim beyond
service to Allaah The Almighty, and nothing is accepted from him,
which is not a service. Every individual's responsibilities fall into
two parts: his responsibility to adhere to the teachings of Islam and
his responsibility to enjoin good and forbid evil – which is social
reform. There is a reason why enjoining good and forbidding wrong
comes first, even before faith. It emphasizes the Muslim's duty and
implies faith can only be realized by certain actions, which maintains
a relationship between the individual and society.
Neglecting these duties leads to widespread corruption and an increase
in evils that consume the core of the community, such as the
following:
Indifference:Muslims are commanded to play a positive role in their
community and assist in enjoining matters of virtue and preventing
evil by as much as they can. Many Muslims stray away from the right
path because they do not find anyone to assist them and rescue them
from straying in their communities, as those around them act
indifferently. One should not underestimate any input he can give in
such cases and consider the story of the imprisonment of Imaam Ahmadto
see how effective a person can be if he takes the initiative and does
not act indifferently. When Imaam Ahmadwas imprisoned, a thief was
with him in the same cell. The thief said to him, "O Ahmad! I
persevere and tolerate the punishment I receive while I am upon
falsehood and being punished for a sin. Would someone like you, who is
suffering as a result of being upon the truth, not persevere and
endure?" Thus, this thief played an important role in comforting and
consoling Imaam Ahmadin a difficult situation.
Underestimating the harms of intermixing and neglecting to lower the
gaze:If members of a particular community give free rein to their
sight, do not adhere to the Hijaab )Islamic attire for women( and
women wear perfume before leaving their homes, the most obvious
outcome is the spread of immorality in the community. Immoral films,
TV programs, obscene content on the internet and intermixing between
the two sexes are other causes that have led to people committing sins
and indulging in immorality. People nowadays mix with the opposite sex
in universities, schools and workplaces, while Yoonus bin 'Ubaydsaid:
"Never be in seclusion with a woman, even if you wish to teach her the
Quran, and even if only you would be the one reciting."
Being ill-mannered:Many people possess three very evil qualities,
namely: lying, cowardice and miserliness, and these are the worst
three qualities a person can possess. There are also many other evil
qualities that we must be mindful of and hold ourselves to account
regarding, such as backbiting, badmouthing others and tale-bearing,
while replacing them with praiseworthy qualities and morals.
The Salaf )righteous predecessors(would rebuke themselves for every
word they uttered, words which would be considered very normal to
people nowadays. Maalik bin Dhayghansaid,
"Rabaah bin Qays once came asking for my father after the 'Asr prayer,
but he happened to be sleeping, so we informed him of this, to which
he remarked: `Who would sleep at this time of the day?` Then he left.
We sent a man after him to see if he wanted us to wake my father up
for him, but this man did not return until it was time to pray
Maghrib. When we asked him why he returned so late, he said: `I
followed him to ask him, but found that he was headed to the graveyard
while rebuking himself, saying: `What business is it of yours to ask
this kind of question? Why do you ask what does not concern you? What
is it to you when people go to sleep? People are free to sleep any
time they desire, why did you indulge in what does not concern
you?...`'"
Note how lightly such a question would be taken in our time, and how
strongly he rebuked himself for asking it.

Social evils that are destroying Muslim communities - II

Severing ties with kinfolk: The most important of kinfolk are one's
parents, and yet we find many people dealing with them in an
inappropriate manner or even severing ties with them altogether. As
for those who do try to fulfil the needs of their parents, many of
them do it begrudgingly, while expressing discontent or complaining
that it is a burden upon them. This is in spite of the fact that
Allaah The Almighty commands us to not say even the least expression
of discontent in this regard, saying )what means(:}"…Say not to them
]so much as[ 'Uff,' and do not repel them but speak to them a noble
word."{]Quran, 17': 23[
The mother of Huthayl bin Hafsahsaid,
"He would collect wood during the summer and peel off the outer layer
of bark himself. Then, when winter would come, he would come to me
whilst I was praying, light a brazier )in my room( and place the
peeled wood in it, as this does not give harmful smoke. He would do so
just so that I would be warm during prayer. He would do so even though
we had a servant who could do the job. Whenever I thought of stopping
him and commanding him to return to his family, I would remember why
he was doing it, and thus I would allow him to continue."
Why was he doing this himself despite him having a servant who could
have done it for him? It was nothing but a reflection of his full
dutifulness towards his mother.
This type of nobility is not limited to ones parents; rather, one
should be kind to all his relatives and even his fellow Muslims.
Wasting time: The issue of wasting time is a very important one
indeed. We must be careful about it and hold ourselves to account
regarding it because we spend much of our time uselessly instead of
spending it in acts of obedience to Allaah, as it should be utilised.
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}"And it is He who has made the
night and the day in succession for whoever desires to remember or
desires gratitude."{]Quran, 25: 62[
Therefore, time was created so that we would fill it with acts of
obedience to Allaah, The Almighty but many people do the exact
opposite of this. The Salaf )righteous predecessors(were very keen to
make use of every second of their time. Al-Hasansaid, "I have met some
people who were stingier with their time than they were with their
wealth."
People nowadays waste their times in games, late nights, socializing,
watching television and in vain talk. They may even go as far as doing
so at the expense of their religious obligations, such as their daily
prayers, and so on.
Wasting wealth:Many men cave in under pressure from their wives and
children and therefore spend extravagantly, but when they are asked to
spend in charity, one would find that they are so stingy that if they
were to pull out two bills to give in charity, one would invariably
return to his pocket. However, if this same person were to go to a
restaurant, he would have no problem in spending multiples of this
amount.
Allaah The Almighty will ask us about our wealth because we were
informed as such by the Prophet. Abu Barzahreported, "The Messenger of
Allaahsaid:"Man's feet will not move on the Day of Resurrection before
he is asked about his life and how he consumed it, his knowledge and
what did he do with it, his wealth and how he earned it and how he
disposed of it, and about his body and how he wore it
out.""]At-Tirmithi[
This does not imply that people do not spend generously or that there
are no people who do any of the abovementioned matters correctly. The
purpose of highlighting these points is to serve as a reminder for
Muslims – at both the individual and community level – so that we
realize the importance of these matters and hold ourselves to account
with respect to them, as there are many of us who are failing to do
so.

Easy tips to a sound upbringing

Dear parent, how do you imagine the successful way of upbringing to be?
In other words, what is your view of the proper way to discipline the
behavior of your child?
I think that discipline in your point of view is the way which obliges
our children to submit to what we say without having the right to
express any objection.
Dear parent, I may agree with you on the definition of discipline, but
I differ with you in the way it is applied.
The best way to discipline your children is to teach and guide them,
more than obliging them to be disciplined. The process of improving a
child's behavior is an educational, not a punitive process. In this
case, you should prefer a smile to frowning, a calm voice to shouting
and a reward to punishment.
In this article, we offer you thirteen tips that will significantly
affect your methodology while you change your child's behavior. These
thirteen tips will form a new atmosphere for discipline making it an
easy matter. However, you should listen to, respond and consider every
tip.
First: Be a good example:
Your child is watching you continuously and he absorbs the way you
face frustration, your behavior while you are angry, the extent of
your truthfulness, honesty, generosity, morals, and so on. Hence, it
would be easier to change your child's behavior if you are his
role-model in doing what you order him to do. It should be known that
you cannot give what you do not have.
Second: Encourage efficiency:
According to experts,"Self-confidence is a good cornerstone for
self-control."When you praise your child's good behavior, you build
his self-confidence. Such self-confidence will help you a great deal
in improving his bad behavior.
Third: Teach your child social skills:
Getting the child accustomed to good social manners at a young age
will save a lot of effort when he gets older. So, from now teach him
to seek permission before entering others' rooms, to say"Jazaak
Allaahu Khayran)May Allaah reward you(" to anyone who does him a
favor, to kiss his parents' hands, to visit his relatives, and to help
his mother with the housework. Every effort that you exert with a
young child will be a great asset helping you to change his bad
behavior when he gets older.
Fourth: Give your child authority to an extent that is proportional to his age:
The more you find ways to encourage independence, the more you save a
lot of time in the future. You should teach your child to make his own
decisions, for example, to choose his own clothes and to buy his own
things. The child who has some kind of authority will control himself
more and will be more capable of changing his behavior.
Fifth: Charge with responsibilities:
Many parents do not entrust tasks to their children because they feel
that it is easier to do them themselves or they do not want to
overburden their children. However, this attitude should be changed
and the child should be encouraged to participate in the housework and
to help his father at work. This should take place after teaching and
training the child to do so in order not to feel a failure. The child
who shoulders responsibility at a young age will be more able to
change his own bad behavior.
Sixth: First attract their attention:
Your children may notice that you talk, but if they do not pay
attention to your words, they will not respond. Therefore, your first
step is to be keen on attracting their attention.
-Go to the room to speak directly to your child.
-Be keen on visual communication which requires flexibility to be on
the same level of the child.
-Your demands should be simple and your explanation should be easy and
clear to understand.
Seventh: Look for other means of rejection:
The child usually turns a deaf ear to everything that he does not like
to hear. This means that the more interesting your speech is, the
greater your chance is to gain their attention.
-Instead of telling the child,"Stop shouting",you should say,"Please,
speak in your normal voice."
-Instead of saying to the child,"Stop throwing the ball inside the
house", you should say,"Take the ball and play outside".
Guiding the child in a positive way will save you from direct
confrontation related to his behavior. It will also give the child a
space to choose. You should not say to him,"Do not play
football";rather, you should say,"Do not play football here."
Eighth: Set limits:
Some parents fear setting limits thinking doing so will weaken the
child's personality. However, when you spend some time with children
who have no limits, you will immediately realize the importance and
positive effect of this approach on the child.
Ninth: Anticipate the situation and deal with it before it takes place:
For instance, if your child insists on having everything he wants from
the toy store, then, you need to go there without accompanying him
until he gets older. It is wise to avoid the development of some bad
attitudes in our children.
Tenth: Setting punishments:
The best way to indicate your dissatisfaction with any bad behavior is
to set punishments. For example, you may say,"If you do not go on
time, you will not be able to go to the picnic","If you beat your
young sister, you will not get your pocket money",and so on.
Eleventh: Be flexible and ready to negotiate if necessary:
Flexibility in upbringing means having sufficient wisdom that does not
drive the parent to ask the child to immediately do his homework after
returning from a hard day at school. In this situation, the parent
should say,"I think you should have some rest now. I will wake you up
after you have rested."
Twelfth: Using the method of rewards:
Reward is different from bribes.
A bribe is to make a previous agreement with the child, for example,
to have a certain amount of money in order not to raise his voice in
the market.
A reward is to give the child a reward in return for his polite
behavior all the day.
Giving rewards enhances good morals and creates a new atmosphere. So,
you should not forget to use it as a successful means of upbringing.
Thirteenth: Be firm on principle:
You should mind what you say and adhere to it. In this way, the child
will understand that you are serious. This will save a lot of your
efforts. Firmness on principles is the basis according to which you
can bring up your child. If you can set some rules and behavior to be
followed inside the family, you will grant your child the starting
point according to which he can make his own decisions.

Dought & clear, - When should the takbeeraat of movementbe said during the prayer?.

When the imam is praying, when should he say takbeer for bowing, for
example? Should he say takbeer before he bows, whilst bowing or after
bowing?.
Praise be to Allaah.
What is prescribed for everyone who prays (the imam, the one who is
praying behind the imam and the one who is praying alone) is for the
takbeer for bowing to accompany the movement. So he should start
saying takbeer when he starts to bow, and end it before he reaches the
bowing position, so that his takbeer comes between the two postures of
standing and bowing.
The Sunnah indicates that the takbeer should accompany the intended
movement such as bowing, prostrating and standing up. It is narrated
inal-Saheehaynthat Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
When the Messenger of Allaah (S) stood up to pray, he would say
takbeer when he stood up, then he would say takbeer when he bowed,
then he would say "Sami'a Allaahu limanhamidah(Allaah hears those who
praise Him)" until he was standing up straight after bowing, and when
he was standing he would say, "Rabbana wa laka'l-hamd(our Lord, to You
be praise)." Then he would say takbeer when he went down in
prostration, then he would say takbeer when he raised his head, then
he would say takbeer when he prostrated, then he would say takbeer
when he raised his head, and he did that throughout the prayer until
he finished. And he would say takbeer when he stood up after two
rak'ahs, after sitting."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (789) and Muslim (392).
This hadeeth shows that the takbeer for bowing should be said whilst
bending down to bow, and the takbeer for prostration should be said
when going down for prostration, and the takbeer for standing up from
prostration should be said whilst rising, and so on. This was stated
by al-Nawawi inSharh Muslim, and he said that it is the view of the
majority of scholars.
Some of the fuqaha' were very strict on this point, and said that if
the worshipper starts to say the takbeer when he is standing, before
he bends down, or he completes it after he reaches the bowing posture,
that does not count and he has failed to say takbeer properly, because
he has not done it at the right time. According to the view that
takbeer is obligatory, he has invalidated his prayer if he did that
deliberately, and if he did it by mistake he must perform the
prostration of forgetfulness (sujood al-sahw). The correct view,
however, is that this is forgivable, so as to avoid undue hardship.
Al-Mardaawi said inal-Insaaf(2/59): Majd and others said: The takbeer
for going down and rising and standing up should start when the
movement begins and end when it ends. If he completes it partway
through, that is sufficient [i.e., if it happens between the two
postures without elongating it], because it has not been done at the
wrong time. There is no scholarly difference of opinion on this
matter.
But if he starts it before that or ends it after that, and some of it
happens outside the proper place, then this is like not doing it at
all, because he did not complete it at the right time. It is like one
who completes his recitation whilst bowing, or who starts to recite
the tashahhud before sitting.
But he may be forgiven for that, because avoiding it is difficult, and
mistakes are often made, and it is too harsh to suggest that this
invalidates the prayer or requires the prostration of forgetfulness.
End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The fuqaha'
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If he starts to say the takbeer
before he bends down, or he completes it after reaching the bowing
posture, then that is not valid, because they said that this takbeer
is for movement and its place is between the two postures. If it is
included in the first posture it is not valid and if he includes it in
the second posture it is not valid, because that is a place where this
dhikr is not prescribed. It is not prescribed to say takbeer whilst
standing or whilst bowing, rather the takbeer comes in between
standing and bowing.
Undoubtedly this view is valid to some extent, because the takbeer is
the sign of movement, so it should be done whilst moving.
But the view that his prayer is invalidated if he completes it after
he reaches the bowing position or he starts it before he starts to
bend down causes hardship for people, because if you think about how
people are nowadays, many people do not know this, and some of them
say takbeer before they start to bend down, and some of them reach the
bowing position before they finish saying it.
It is strange that some ignorant imams have come up with a mistaken
ijtihad and say "I will not say takbeer until I reach the bowing
position, because if I say takbeer before I reach the bowing position,
the people praying behind me will bow before I do, and they will bend
down before I reach the bowing position, and perhaps they will reach
it before I do." This is a strange kind of ijtihad, whereby you would
invalidate your own worship, according to the view of some scholars,
in order to ensure the validity of the worship of someone else who is
not enjoined to do things before you, rather he is enjoined to follow
you.
Hence we say: this ijtihad is inappropriate, and we call the one who
comes up with this kind of ijtihad ignorant … because he is ignorant
and he does not know that he is ignorant.
If, let's say, you say takbeer when you bend down, and you want to
finish it before you reach the bowing position, but you reach the
bowing position before you finish it, there is nothing wrong with
that.
The correct view is that if he starts the takbeer before bending down
to bow, and finishes it after that, there is nothing wrong with that.
If he starts it when he is bending down and ends it after he reaches
the bowing position, there is nothing wrong with that. But it is
better for it to be done between the two postures as much as possible.
The same applies during the saying of "Sami'a Allaahu liman hamidah"
and all the takbeeraat of movement. But if he does not start until
after he reaches the position that comes next, then this is not
valid. End quote fromal-Sharh al-Mumti'.
And Allaah knows best.