Fathwa, - Highlighting the status ofwoman in Islam

Question
Assalamu Alaikum We are living in a time that the opponents of Islam
spreading wrong information about the freedom of women in Islam. But I
am amazed to notice that wherever in the world occures any communal
problems, the Muslim women are abused and molested by the opposite
community but the Muslims are rarely doing the same to the women of
other religion. Is it a result of the teachings of our beloved Prophet
Muhammad )s a s( to respect women? Can we use this matter to the Dawa
purpose? Jazak allah khairan
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
Muhammadis His slave and Messenger.
There is no doubt that there is no other civilization that respected
the status of the woman as did the Islamic civilization. This is
highlighted in the teachings of Islam in its two authentic sources:
the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet.
Similarly, Islam advises its followers to be kind to the non-Muslims
and to deal justly with them as long as they are not in war with the
Muslims; Allaah Says )what means(:}Allaah does not forbid you from
those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you
from your homes — from being righteous toward them and acting justly
toward them. Indeed, Allaah loves those who act justly.{]Quran 60:83[.
There is no difference in this respect between their males and
females, young and old.
Even at war, the Prophetforbade killing a woman unless she is a
fighter.Ibn 'Umarnarrated that a woman was found killed in one of the
battles of the Prophetso hedisapproved of the killing of women and
children. ]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Moreover,Imaam Maalikreported in "Al-Muwatta'a" thatAbu Bakrused to
advise the leaders of his army telling them:"Do not kill a woman or a
child or an old aged person, and do not cut down fruitful trees. Do
not destroy the inhabited places. Do not slaughter a sheep or a camel
except for food. Do not burn palm trees or drown them. Do not steal
from the booty, and do not be cowardly."
There is no doubt that this is from the good traits of Islam whose
followers abide by in most of their cases, and this is evident from
their conduct as well.
Indeed, such good traits should be highlighted by the Muslims and used
in calling non-Muslims to Islam and in their dealings with the
non-Muslims.
Allaah knows best.

Fathwa, - Children’s Islamic upbringing woman’s major role

Question
I am a woman who loves her family very much. Is my exaggerated love
for them considered a sin? If I enter Paradise, will my husband and
children be with me? I do not work for the sake of my children. Have I
committed a sin by not working?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad,
is His slave and Messenger.
Allaah The Almighty promised the people who die as believers, as well
as their families, to gather them together in Paradise. Allaah The
Almighty Says )what means(, }And those who believed and whose
descendants followed them in faith - We will join with them their
descendants, and We will not deprive them of anything of their deeds.
Every person, for what he earned, is retained.{]Quran 52: 21[ Allaah
The Almighty told us that by His Grace and Bounty He gathers them in
the perfect way by elevating those who are in lower ranks to those who
are in higher ranks, not vice versa.
Every Muslim, male or female, should be keen on achieving high levels
of faith. They should bring up their children according to the
guidance of faith and righteousness in order to attain this great
reward.
The questioner's love for her husband and children is an innate love
that does not result in any sin as long as she does not give it
priority over the love for Allaah The Almighty, His Messenger and His
religion.
A woman will have a great reward if she is mainly focused on
upbringing her children properly in an Islamic way, devoting herself
for this cause, and observing her husband's rights. These goals are
better for her than the transient earnings of this worldly life that
she could have if she were to work. May Allaah The Almighty guide
everyone to do what He loves and all that pleases Him.
Allaah Knows best.

Holy Days of Islam

Festivals
There are two Muslim festivals set down in Islamic law: Eid-ul-Fitr
and Eid-ul-Adha ("Eid" or "Id" is a word meaning festival).
There are also several other special days which Muslims celebrate.
Al-Hijra (1 Muharram) - The Islamic New Year's Day
This festival commemorates the Hijra (or Hegira) in 622 CE when the
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) moved from Mecca to Medina.
This was the beginning of the growth of Islam into a world faith.
The Muslim calendar counts dates from the Hijra, which is why Muslim
dates have the suffix A.H. (After Hijra). There is no specific
religious ritual required on this day, but Muslims will think about
the general meaning of Hijra, and regard this as a good time for "New
Year Resolutions".
The Qur'an uses the word Hijra to mean moving from a bad place or
state of affairs to a good one - and so Muslims may think about how
their faith helps them leave behind bad ways of living and achieve a
better life.
Ashura (10 Muharram)
This is a holiday for Shi'a Muslims in particular, and commemorates
the martyrdom of Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet (pbuh) in 680 CE.
In Shi'ite communities this is a solemn day: plays reenacting the
martyrdom are often staged, and many take part in mourning rituals.
For other Muslims, Ashura is an optional fasting day.
Mawlid an Nabi (12 Rabi') - The birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
At this time Muslims think about Muhammad (pbuh), and the events of
his life. Muslim parents will tell stories of the Prophet's (pbuh)
life to their children. Those Muslims who celebrate this festival do
so joyfully. Some Muslims disapprove of celebrating the birthday, on
the grounds that it is an innovation, and innovations in religious
matters are forbidden.
Why are innovations forbidden?
Because if changes were made in religious matters it would imply that
Islam was not complete when it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh), or that the Prophet (pbuh) did not tell Muslims everything
that was revealed to him.
This would be seen as highly sacrilegious by many Muslims.
Lailat al Miraj (27 Rajab)
The night journey and ascent of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and the
revelation of Salat.
The festival is celebrated by telling the beautiful story of how the
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was visited by two archangels while he was
asleep, who purified his heart and filled him with knowledge and
faith.
The Prophet (pbuh) travelled from Mecca to Jerusalem in a single night
on a strange winged creature called Burqa. From Jerusalem he ascended
into heaven, where he met the earlier prophets, and eventually God.
During his time in heaven Muhammad (pbuh) was told of the duty of
Muslims to recite Salat (ritual prayer) 5 times a day.
Lailat al Qadr (27 Ramadan)
The festival of The Night of Power marks the night in which the Qur'an
was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) by Allah. Muslims
regard this as the most important event in history, and the Qur'an
says that "this night is better than a thousand months" (97:3), and
that on this night the angels descend to earth.
This is a festival that Muslims spend in study and prayer. Some will
spend the whole night in prayer or in reciting the Qur'an.
Lailat al Qadr is a good time to ask for forgiveness. Allah's Apostle said,
"Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere
faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not to show off) then all
his past sins will be forgiven." (Bukhari Vol 1, Book 2: 34)
The date of27 Ramadanis a traditional date, as the Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) did not tell us when the Night of Power would be, although he
suggested it was in the last 10 days of the month. Because of this,
many Muslims will treat the last 10 days of the month of Ramadan as a
particularly good time for prayer and reading the Qur'an.
Eid ul Fitr (1 Shawwal)
This marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting, and is a festival
of great celebration. In Islamic countries it is a public holiday. The
first Eid was celebrated in 624 CE by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) with
his friends and relatives after the victory of the battle of
Jang-e-Badar.
Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting, but thanking
Allah for the help and strength that he gave them throughout the
previous month to help them practice self-control. The festival begins
when the first sight of the new moon is seen in the sky.
Muslims in most countries rely on news of an official sighting, rather
than looking at the sky themselves.
Eid ul Fitr is very much a community festival and people go out into
the streets to exchange greetings, and visit friends and relatives.
The celebratory atmosphere is increased by everyone wearing best or
new clothes, and decorating their homes. There are special services
out of doors and in Mosques, processions through the streets, and of
course, a special celebratory meal-eaten during daytime, the first
daytime meal Muslims will have had in a month. Eid is also a time of
forgiveness, and making amends.
Eid ul Adha (10 Dhul-Hijja)
The Festival of sacrifice which marks the end of the Hajj or holy
pilgrimage, which is one of the 5 pillars of Islam, however it is
celebrated by all Muslims, not just those who are on the pilgrimage.
This is a 4-day public holiday in Muslim countries.
The festival remembers the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice
his son when God ordered him to. God appeared in a dream to Ibrahim
and told him to sacrifice his son Isma'il. Ibrahim and Isma'il set off
to Mina for the sacrifice. As they went, the devil attempted to
persuade Ibrahim to disobey God and not to sacrifice his beloved son.
Ibrahim drove the devil away.
As Ibrahim prepared to kill his son God stopped him and gave him a
sheep to sacrifice instead. Ibrahim's complete submission to the will
of God is celebrated by Muslims each year. Each Muslim, as they
celebrate, reminds themselves of their own submission to God, and
their own willingness to sacrifice anything to God's wishes.
During the festival Muslims who can afford to, sacrifice domestic
animals, usually sheep, as a symbol of Ibraham's sacrifice. The meat
is distributed among family, friends and the poor, who each get a
third share. (British law insists that the animals must be killed in a
proper slaughterhouse.) As with all festivals there are prayers, and
also presents.

Days and Dates of Islamic significance

The Islamic religious year is known asHijri year. It began with the
Hijrah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from Makkah to Madinah in the
year 622 of the common era. Thetwelve-month year is based on a purely
lunar cycle of 354 days. Thus Islamic dates have no fixed relation to
the seasons of the 365 day solar year. Over the course of years all
Islamic events may occur in spring, summer, autumn or winter.
Twelve Islamic months are as follows:
1.Muharram ul Haram
2.Safar
3.Rabi-ul-Awwal
4.Rab-ul-Akhir
5.Jamadi-ul-Awwal
6.Jamadi-ul-Akhir
7.Rajab
8.Sha'aban
9.Ramadhan
10.Shawwal
11.Dhul Qadah
12.Dhul Hijjah
Important Days
Following are the most important religious days in Islam:
Friday:
This is the main day of weekly religious service in Islam. Mosques are
usually filled to capacity with worshippers on this day. Worship
service which consists of sermon and congregational prayer is held
around noon time. In most Muslim countries Friday is also a weekly
holiday. Government offices and schools are closed on this day.
Muslims respect Friday because, according to Islamic tradition, it was
thefirst day of creation when God created the heavens and earth. It is
also believed to be the day when theresurrection will take placeand so
it will be theDay of Judgment. Muslims believe that Friday has a
special cosmic significance and it is a veryblessed day of the week.
Ramadan (9th month):
Ramadan is theninth month of Islamic lunar calendar. Muslims consider
this whole month a blessed month. They fast during the days of this
month and make special prayers at night. People also give more charity
and do extra righteous deeds.
During the month of Ramadan, Prophet Muhammadreceived the first
revelation. The angel Gabriel came to him while he was in the cave of
Hira, near Makkah, and told him that God had appointed Muhammad as His
last Messenger and Prophet. Muhammad began his prophetic mission from
that time and started preaching the divine message that continued
coming to him at different intervals during the rest of his life for
23 years. Ramadan is thus the month of celebration as well as the
month of discipline and self control.
Laylat al Qadr:
This is aspecial night of the month of Ramadan. The Qur'an has spoken
about this night in Surah 97, al Qadr. It is mentioned that the Qur'an
was sent down in the Night of Qadr. The Night of Qadr is better than
one thousand months. The whole night is blessed, it is full of peace
and angelic presence. Although it is not told exactly which night of
the month of Ramadan is the Night of Qadr, Muslim make special prayers
in the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan, hoping that one of it
is the blessed Night of Qadr.
Popularly the night of the27th of Ramadanis celebrated with special
prayers and vigils. Mosques are full of worshippers and special
prayers services, readings from the Qur'an and religious chants are
performed in mosques or private gatherings.
Eid-ul-Fitr (1st of Shawwal, 10th month):
At the conclusion of the month of Ramadan, on thefirst day of the 10th
month of Islamic lunar calendar occurs Eid-ul-Fitr. This is one of two
main festivals of Islam and is celebrated by all Muslims throughout
the world
The ceremony of Eid-ul-Fitr starts early morning with aworship
service. This service is generally held in a large open place and is
attended by thousands of Muslims. After the prayer the leader of the
prayer (Imam) delivers a short sermon and then people greet each
other. The rest of the ceremonies are held generally privately with
families and friends.
The significance of Eid is that it is a day ofthanksgiving to
Allahthat He gave the opportunity to Muslims to benefit from and enjoy
the blessings of the month of Ramadan.
The Day of Hajj (9th of Dhul Hijjah, 12th month):
Pilgrimage (Hajj)is one of the five pillars of Islam. Every adult
Muslim who can afford it physically and financially must perform Hajj
at least once in his/her life. The Hajj takes aboutfive days,
beginning from the eighth day until the twelfth . The twelfth month of
Islamic year is named after Hajj and is called Dhul Hijjah.
Hajj ceremonies take a pilgrim from Makkah to its surrounding
historical places Mina, `Arafah and Muzdalifa. The main day of Hajj is
the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah. On this day all pilgrims must gather in
the valley of `Arafah from mid day until sunset. Muslims in other
places who are not on pilgrimage often observe this day of `Arafah
with fasting. It is an optional fasting and is considered very
meritorious.
Eid-ul-Adha (from 10 12 of Dhul Hijjah, 12th month):
Following the day of Hajj comes Eid-ul-Adha. It begins from the10th
day of the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. This is the
second main annual festival in Islam. On this day also exactly like
the previous celebration, festivities begin with a prayer service held
in an open place in the morning of the first day. This prayer is
attended by a large number of Muslims. Since this festival occurs
immediately after the Day of Pilgrimage those who go to make
pilgrimage celebrate it in Mina, near Makkah. Other Muslims around the
world also join with the pilgrims in their joy and thanksgiving.
Another significance of Idul Adha is that it is a time of sacrifice.
Muslims commemorate Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his
son, Ishmael. Since God gave Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) a
lamb to sacrifice instead of sacrificing his only son, Muslims also
offer the sacrifices of animals. The sacrifice can be done after the
prayer on the 10th until the 12th before sunset. The meat of the
animals is given to needy people and friends and a portion of it is
also kept for one's own consumption. Often people cook this meat
during the holidays, make feasts and enjoy the celebration.
Other important days:
The above days are universally recognized by all Muslims. There are
some other important days that are often celebrated by Muslims with
varying degrees of enthusiasm and devotion. Some Muslims do not
consider them as religious holidays at all.
New Year Day (First day of Muharram, 1st month):
The New Year Day of Hijrah reminds Muslims of theHijrah (migration) of
the Prophet Muhammadpeace be upon him - from Makkah to Madinah in the
year 622. It is well known that the Hijrah did not take place on the
first day of Muharram, it probably occurred in the month of Rabi'ul
Awwal (3rd month). Also the Hijri calendar was instituted some time in
the reign of Caliph 'Umar (634 644 C.E.). However, due to the
association of Islamic calendar with Hijrah, new year day becomes an
important day to remember the meaning and significance of Hijrah.
In modern times, some Muslims also began using it to send greeting
cards and celebrate new year. There are, however, no religious
services associated with this day.
Ashura (10th of Muharram, 1st month):
After his arrival in Madinah in the year 622, Prophet Muhammad - peace
be upon him institutedfasting on the 10th of Muharram. A year later
this fasting was replaced with the mandatory fasting in the month of
Ramadan. However, fasting on `Ashura' remained a voluntary fasting.
Many Muslims usually fast on this day also.
This day is also associated with themartyrdom of Prophet Muhammad's
grandson Hussain ibn Ali. He was killed in the battle of Karbala' on
the 10th of Muharram in 61 A.H. (October 10, 680 C.E.). It is a day of
sadness for all Muslims. Shi'ahs in particular attach a great
significance to this day and mark this day and the whole month of
Muharram with mourning. Special gatherings (majalis) are held to
remember the suffering of the Imam and his family and the events that
led to Karbala'.
Maulid al Nabi (12th of Rabi'ul Awwal, 3rd month):
This day is remembered as theBirthday of the Prophet peace be upon
him. It is a very popular day of celebration. It, probably, began
early in the Fatimid Egypt (beginning of tenth century C.E.) where
people began distributing sweets and making special chanting and
festivities on this day.
There are no special prayers or religious services associated with
this day, but many Muslims use this day to talk about the Prophet, his
life and example. They use it as a time to express their love and
devotion for Prophet Muhammad. It is now celebrated with varying
degrees of enthusiasm throughout the Muslim world and wherever Muslims
live. Some people, however, criticize it because it has no sanction in
the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet and the early community
(salaf) did not mark this day with any special festivities.
Night of Isra' and Mi'raj (27th of Rajab, 7th month):
Night journey of the Prophet Muhammadpeace be upon him from Makkah to
Jerusalem and then his ascension to Heavens occurred in the year 620
C.E. It is mentioned briefly in the Qurán (Surah 17 and 53). The
Hadith literature gives much more details of this experience of the
Prophet.
Muslims remember this day as a day of great miracle and honor of the
Prophet. On the eve of the 27th of Rajab, gatherings are held in the
mosques and homes to remember the event and the whole story is told in
poetry, chants or lectures. Sweets are distributed and great happiness
and joy is expressed.
There are also no special prayers associated with this night. Muslims
remember this day with varying degrees of enthusiasm and devotion.
Some people do not celebrate it at all.
Night of the Middle of Sha'ban (15th of Sha'ban, 8th month):
There are all kinds of legends associated with this night. In some
countries it is celebrated with firework.
People make special prayers at night and consider it a "night of
destiny". There are no authentic ahadith about this night. There are,
however, a number of weak (da`if) ahadith that mention that the
Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him - used to make special prayers on
this night. He used to visit the Cemetery of Muslims and pray for
those who passed away and used to fast the following day. The
cumulative effect of these ahadith make them acceptable to some. On
the basis of these reports some consider fasting on this day a blessed
act. Again, this night and its following day are not universally
accepted by all Muslims.