Kindness to Daughters

Even now daughters are considered an unwanted burden in some societies
and instead ofrejoicing, anatmosphere of grief and disappointmentis
produced in the family at their birth. This is the position, today,
but in the pre-Islamic times the daughters were positively considered
a shame and disgrace among the Arabs, so much so that even the right
to live was denied to them. Many a hard-hearted parent used to
strangle his daughter to death, with his own hands, when she was born,
or bury her alive.
The Qur'an says:
"When news is brought to one of them, of thebirth of a female, his
facedarkensand he is filled with inward grief. He hides himself with
shame, from the people, because of the bad news he has had. (Asking
himself): shall he keep it in contempt or bury in the dust.Ah: What an
evil choice they decide."
Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra) reports that the Prophet (saw) said
"Whoever becomes the father of a girl, he shouldneither hurt her nor
treat her with contemptnor show preference over her to his
sonsinkindnessandaffection. (Both boys and girls should be treated
alike.) Allah willgrant him Paradisein return forkind treatment
towards the daughter."
It is narrated that a very poor woman, with two daughters, came to
Ayesha's (ra) place to beg. By chance, Aisha (ra) had only one date
with her, at that time, which she gave to the woman. The woman broke
the date into two parts and gave one part each to the girls. She did
not eat anything of it herself. When after some time, the Prophet
(saw) came, Aisha (ra) related the incident to him, upon which he
remarked:
"The believing man or woman upon whom there is the responsibility of
daughters and he or she discharges it well andtreats them with
affection, the daughters will become a means offreedom, for him or
her, in thehereafter."
It is related by Anas (ra) that the Prophet (PBUH) said
"The believer who bears the responsibility of two daughters and
supports them till they attain puberty,he and Iwill beclose to one
anotherlike this on the Day of Judgment."
Anas (ra), adds that the Prophet (saw) showed, by joining the fingers
of his hand, that as the fingers were close to one another, in the
same way will the believer be close to him on the Day of Judgment.
Abu Saeed Khudri (ra) relates that the Prophet (saw) said "Whoever
bears the responsibility of three daughters or sisters or even of two
daughters or sisters, and bears it well, and looks after their
training and welfare properly, and then, gets them married, Allah will
reward him with Paradise."
In these Ahadith, the Prophet (saw) has not only stated thatkind
treatment was the natural rightorclaim of the daughters, but, also
that thebelievers who fulfilledthe obligation towards them in a good
and proper manner would berewarded with Paradisein the hereafter. He,
further, gives the joyful tidings that such a man will be close to
him, on the Day of Judgment, as the fingers of a hand are, when joined
together.

For Whom Fasting is Mandatory?

Mandatory
The obligation of fasting is mandatory on a person who has fulfilled
these requirements: He or she must be aMuslim,sane, must have
reachedpuberty, must behealthy, and not in astate of travel; and for
women, they must be in a state of purity (clean from menstruation and
post childbirth bleeding). If a person fulfills the above
prerequisites, fasting becomes valid and mandatory.
Inferring from this definition, if one of these conditions is missing,
the fast will be invalid. Indeed, it may be better to analyze each
category of the definition.
Not Mandatory
Non-Muslim (Kafir)
Fasting isnot obligatory on a non-Muslimbecause he is not commanded to
fast and even if he decides to fast and follows all the regulations,
it will not be accepted by Allah (SWT). If he or she wants to fast the
Islamic fast, he has to declare the Kalimahfirst, and only then will
the fast be accepted. Similarly, the non-Muslim (Kafir) is not
obligated to perform any Islamic duties. If he converts to Islam
during the month of Ramadan, for instance, in the middle of the month,
it becomes incumbent upon him to fast the remaining days. There will
be no making up the days he missed before becoming Muslim.Allah (SWT)
states:
"Say to the unbelievers, if they desist from unbelief, their past
would be forgiven of them..."( Al-Qur'an 8:38)
If one converts to Islam during the daytime in Ramadan, say 10:00 a.m.
in the morning, he or she should observe the rest of the day in
fasting. That is, from 10:00 a.m. until sunset, he should not break
his fast.
Insane (Majnun)
Theinsane or retarded person is not obligatedto keep his fast because
he is deprived of sanity, a key component on which religious duties
depend. In a hadith related by Ali Bin Abi Talib (raa), the Messenger
of Allah (PBUH) said:
"The Pen that records the deeds has been lifted from three people; the
insane person, until he recovers; the sleeping person, until he wakes
up; and the minor, until he dreams (i.e., has wet dreams.)" (Ahmed)
This hadith indicates the fast of the insane person, for instance, is
not valid because he cannot comprehend the worship, and he
cannotmeaningfully declare intention (niyyah), without which the acts
are invalid. If he has mental relapses whereby he is healthy, and then
on occasion is sick, the fast is mandatory upon him during the days
and times he is healthy but not when he is unhealthy.
If he intends to fast in the morning, and he falls ill during this
time, his fast is good as if he fainted as a result of illness,
because he knows that he may experience an attack at certain times. If
he gets well during the daytime in Ramadan, he should observe the fast
the rest of the day because he is obligated to fast. However, he does
not have to make up the day because his case is like that of
unbeliever who becomes Muslim time or a minor he reached puberty
during the day.
Minor (Sabiyy)
Similarly, theminor person is not obligated to observefast (Sawm),
because of the previous hadith related by Ali bin Abi Talib, "... And
the minor until he dreams." However, it is imperative that the parents
or the guardians of the juveniles or adolescents encourage and urge
them to fast so they will get used to it. It will be vital training
for them in their worship, because they will not have any chance for
training as soon as they reach puberty.
In a hadith reported by Rubayyiah Bint Mau'awwidh (raa), the Prophet
(saas) sent a messenger to the village of Ansar on the morning of
Ashura to inform them:
"Whoever wakes in fasting should continue his fasting, whoever wakes
up without fasting should complete his day in fasting. So we used to
fast, let our young children fast, and go to the Masjid with them.
When one of the children cried for food, we would make toys from wool
and give them to the children until it was time to break the fast."
(Bukhari and Muslim)
This hadith indicates thattraining minor boys and girls is highly
recommendedearly in life, from about seven years of age for the
spiritual, educational, and cultural upbringing of Muslim youth. It is
the most powerful symbol of our religion.
Puberty - Boys
Puberty is known in Islamic law asal-bulugh, orTamyeez, (coming of age
as a man and woman). There are three signs of puberty (bulugh):
1.Discharging semen as a result of wet dreams, known
asinzaalul-manyyi. Allah (SWT) states: "But when the children among
you come of age, let them also ask for permission, as do those senior
to them in age..."(Al-Qur'an, 24-59)
In a hadith, the Messenger of Allah (saas) said: "Friday bath
(ghuslul-Jum'ah) is mandatory upon anyone who has experienced a wet
dream." (Bukhari/Muslim) The point in this hadith is that Islamic
obligations are not incumbent on anyone until they reach the age
ofbulugh.
2.Appearance of hair around the pubic area is another sign of puberty.
If a person sees that even without wet dreams, he or she has attained
puberty. This may happen at the age of thirteen or fourteen, and
parents should inform girls and boys about these signs.
3.Reaching 15 years of age: When the person reaches 15, he or she is a
man or a woman, and anything that is obligatory on a man or woman is
obligatory on him or her from that time on.
In a hadith reported by Abdullah Bin Umar (raa), he said:
"My parents brought me to the Messenger of Allah on the eve of
theUhudCampaign and I was fourteen years old, so the Prophet (saas)
did not enlist me in fighting." But a year later in the Campaign of
Al-Khandaqq, I was fifteen, so this time the Prophet (saas) enlisted
me in combat." (Muslim)
This hadith indicates theage of 15 is the legal age for a Muslim boy
or girlto be responsible for his or her religion as well as worldly
responsibilities. Some of us who reside in the western world, seem to
think adulthood depends on State laws. In some states it is 18, while
in others it is 19, or 21, and so on. This is a very serious mistake,
as the juvenile will reach puberty (bulugh) and adulthood, but go on
without observing his or her Islamic duties, such as Salat, fasting,
or being restrained from that which is prohibited.
Puberty - Girls
Girls reach puberty and adulthood when they experience the above three
signs. However, they have a fourth sign, that is, menstruation (hayd).
Whenever a girl experiences it, she is a woman even if she is 12 years
old. At that time, theQalam, the pen of responsibilities, begins to
flow and to record the deeds of the servant, good or bad. It is
interesting that in the western world the case is the reverse. You
see, when ajuvenile reaches the age of puberty in Al-Islam he or she
should be careful about anything he or she does or says. On the
contrary, in the West when the person comes of age, he or she is
allowed to do things which are detrimental to his or her well being.
Indeed, if puberty is attained during the days of Ramadan, say at
midday, and the young person is fasting, he or she should continue his
or her fasting and there will be no obligation on him or her to make
up the fast. If he was not fasting, it is incumbent upon him to
observe the rest of the day in fasting, because he has become an adult
upon whom Islamic rites are obligatory. Girls in menstruation can't
observe half day, nor should they make that half day up.

Cleanliness and Beautification in Islam

Before directing its attention to the questions of adornment and good
appearance, Islam addressed itself in considerable depth to the
question of cleanliness, for cleanliness is the essence of good
appearance and the beauty of every adornment.
It is reported that the Prophet (peace be on him) said:
"Cleanse yourself, for Islam is cleanliness."(Reported by Ibn Hayyan.)
"Cleanliness invites toward faith, and faith leads its possessor to
the Garden.(Reported by al-Tabarani.)"
The Prophet (peace be on him) placed a great emphasis on keeping the
body, clothing, houses, and streets clean, and he laid special stress
on cleaning the teeth, hands, and hair.
This emphasis on cleanliness is not to be wondered at in a religion
which makes cleanliness the key to its principle form of
worship,salat,for the Muslim'ssalat isnot acceptable unless his body,
clothing, and the place where he performs hissalatare all clean. In
addition to this requirement' there are the obligatory types of
cleansing, either of the entire body in the form ofghusl(total
washing), or of those parts of the body which are exposed to dirt, in
the form ofwudu(ablution forsalat).
The desert environment of Arabia and the nomadic life of its people
were not very conducive to cleanliness and refinement, and most of
them neglected these aspects. The Prophet (peace be on him), with his
lively instruction and to-the-point admonition, gradually led them out
of their uncouth habits and taught them refinement and civil manners.
Once a man approached the Prophet (peace be on him) with his hair and
beard disheveled. The Prophet (peace be on him) made some gestures as
if asking the man to comb his hair. He did so, and when he returned
the Prophet (peace be on him) said to him,
"Is not this better than that one should come with disheveled hair,
looking like a devil?"(Reported by Malik inAl-Muwatta.)
On another occasion the Prophet (peace be on him) saw a man with
unkept hair and remarked,
"Does he have nothing with which to comb his hair?"(Reported by Abu Daoud.)
Upon seeing another man with dirty clothes he remarked,
"Cannot he find anything with which to wash his clothes?"(Reported by
Abu Daoud.)
A man came to the Prophet (peace be on him) wearing cheap-looking
garments. "Do you have property?" the Prophet (peace be on him) asked
him. "Yes," the man replied. "What kind of property?" asked the
Prophet (peace be on him). "Allah has given me all kinds of wealth,"
he said. The Prophet (peace be on him) then said to him, "Since Allah
has given you wealth, let Him see the effects of His favor and bounty
upon you.'' (Reported by al-Nisai.)
The Prophet insisted that people come to general gatherings, such as
the Friday and the 'Eid prayers, nicely dressed and well-groomed. He
said,If you can afford it, it is befitting that you wear garments
other than your working clothes to Friday prayer.(Reported by Abu
Daoud.)

The danger of changing the meaning of Allaah's Names and Attributes

When dealing with the issue of belief in Allah's Names and Attributes,
we have to bear in mind the following important points:
1( Placing Allah, The Most Exalted, above any likeness to human beings
and beyond any imperfections.
2( Belief in the Names and Attributes established in the Quran and
Sunnah )the sayings, actions and approvals of Prophet Muhammad(,
without ignoring them, expanding upon them, changing or overriding
them.
3( Abandoning any desire to discover the form of those attributes by
realizing the following:
A: The attributes of Allah Almighty bear no resemblance whatsoever to
any human attribute. Allah Says in the Quran )what means(:"There is
nothing like Him…"]Quran 42:11[
B: The only names and attributes to be ascribed to Allah Almighty are
those mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah.
C: We are required to believe in these names and attributes without
inquiring after their nature and manner or investigating their
essence.
This is so because attributes vary according to the self they
characterize; finding out how they manifest themselves depends upon
knowing the self and how it acts.
If someone were to ask: "How does Allah Almighty descend to the lower
heavens?" We would reply by asking: "What is His nature?" If the
questioner says, "I do not know Allah's nature", we say: "And we know
not how He descends!"
Tawheed of Names and Attributes is violated by the following:
1. Ta'teel )Negation(: This is done by negating Allaah's Names or
Attributes, and denying their existence in Allah. For instance,
negating the perfection of Allah by denying His Names and Attributes,
or negating the proper conduct towards Allaah by abandoning worship,
or barring the created from its Creator, such as those who deny the
fact that Allaah Almighty created the universe and claim that it
developed and evolved by itself.
The deviant Islamic sect who adopted this crooked creed is called
'Al-Jahmiyyah', the followers of Jahm Ibn Safwaan. They deny the
Attributes of Allah, the AlMighty and Exalted; in fact, their
extremists deny the Names and say: "It is not permissible to affirm a
Name or an Attribute of Allaah; for if you were to affirm a Name for
Him, you have likened Him with things with )similar( names, or an
Attribute, then you have likened Him with things of )similar(
attributes!! And whatever Allah assigns to Himself from the Names;
then it is just in a metaphorical sense; and not the case of actually
naming with these Names )literally(!!"
2.Tashbeeh )Resemblance(:This means to resemble the attributes of the
Creator to the attributes of the created as the Christians, Jews and
some deviant sects in Islam compare the face of Allah with the human
face, Allaah's Hand to the human hand and so on. ]Al-As'ilah
Wal-Ajwibah Al-Usooliyyah, p. 35[
The people who adopted this deviant creed affirm the attributes of
Allaah, and say: "It is a must to affirm the attributes of Allaah, as
He affirmed them for Himself", but they say: "Indeed they are like the
attributes of the creation."
So, these people went into extreme in affirmation, and the people of
At-Ta'teel went into extreme in elimination of seemingly
anthropomorphic Attributes.
So these people claimed: "It is a must for you to affirm the Face of
Allah, and this Face is like the Face of the most beautiful one from
the children of Aadam." They also claimed:"Because Allah addressed us
with what we understand and comprehend; )so Allah( said )what
means(:"...And remains the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and
Honour."]Quran 55:27[, so we do not understand or comprehend from the
Face except what we witness, and the best of what we see is the
human."
According to their claim - we seek refuge in Allah from such heresy -
)the Face of Allah( is like the best one of the human youth!! And they
claim that this is rationally logical!!
3.Tahreef )Distortion(:This is done through false interpretation or
change. For example, the change of the wordings of names and
attributes, by adding to them, subtracting from them or changing the
grammatical constructions, such as the verse )which means(:"And Allaah
spoke directly to Moosa )Moses(."]Quran 4:163( where the word Allaah
they claimed to be in the objective case, thus indicating that it was
Moosa may Allah exalt his mention who spoke to Allah and not vice
versa. Thus, they denied Allah's attribute of talking.
Al- Jahmiyyah also adopted this innovation through such claims as that
the Istiwaa' )Allah's Ascending above the Throne( means 'conquering
and having dominion over'; and like the saying of some of the
innovators that 'Anger' when referring to Allah means 'intending to
send blessings', all of which goes under Tahreef. The true saying,
however is that Istiwaa' means ascending and being above- as is clear
in the Arabic language. The Quran came to show that its meaning is
ascending and being above the Throne in a manner which befits Allaah's
Majesty and Greatness.
4.Takyeef)to try to describe "how" an Attribute is, e.g., to say: How
Allah's Hand is? It is like this and that, or: How His Descending is?
It is like this and that(: This is done by attempting to determine the
manner in which Allah's Attributes take form and also determining
their essence. The method of taking Names and Attributes mentioned in
the Quran and Sunnah at face value, without any comparison, change,
negation, nor give the "how of" is the method of the Companions may
Allah be pleased with them, their followers and those who followed
their followers, may Allah have mercy them.
Takyeef differs from Tamtheel and Tashbeeh in two ways:
1- Takyeef is to Relate How Something is, with restriction or not by
way of resembling. While Tamtheel and Tashbeeh indicate how something
is, in a restricted sense, by way of a likeness or resemblance
respectively. Takyeef is more general. All who do Tamtheel are doing
Takyeef. But vice versa is NOT the case.
2- Takyeef is Particular to Allaah's Attributes, while Tamtheel is
concerned with His Decree, Description and Self.
Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jamaa'ah )the mainstream moderate Muslims( affirm for
Allah -The Most Exalted -what He has affirmed for Himself in His Noble
Book, or what has been affirmed for Him by His Messenger Muhammadin
the authentic Sunnah, without Tamtheel. They free Allah - the Most
Exalted - from any resemblance to His creation, whilst also rejecting
and being free from Ta'teel.