Our On Going Test

Nothing on earth is created in vain, but rather with wisdom.
Understanding this fact depends on the wisdom of people themselves.
One whose faith and consequently whose wisdom and prudence increase,
will happen to grasp this reasoning much better in time. One of the
most important precepts is that we are beingtested throughoutour whole
lives. Allah tests our sincerity and our faith on different occasions.
He may give favours to test whether we are grateful to Him or not. He
may create difficulties, for us, to reveal whether we behave with
patience or not:
"Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and
by good by way of trial. To Us you will be returned." ( Surat
al-Anbiya, 21:35)
Ways to Test
We are to be tested in various ways. This is explained in the Qur'an
in the verse below:
"Be sure we shall test you with fear and hunger, someloss in goods or
lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who
patiently persevere." ( Surat al-Baqara, 2:155)
Our lives have indeed been planned with the mystery of our being
tested. First of all, we are being tested in our physical beings. The
Qur'an states that
"Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try
him: So We gave him (the gifts of) hearing and sight." ( Surat
al-Insan, 76:2).
Consequently, everything we hear and see is actually apart of the
test. In all kinds of situations, we will be tested to see whether we
behave in accordance with the Qur'an or with our own vain desires.
Allah tests thesteadfastnessof the believers with variousdifficulties.
One of the most important of these is theoppression of the believersby
the unbelievers. All these misdeeds, like verbal attacks, mocking,
physical oppression and even torture and murder attempts, are only a
means of trial for the believers. In one of the verses; it is said:
"You shall certainly be tried and tested in your possessions and in
your personal selves; and you shall certainly hear much that will
grieve you, from those who received the Book before you and from those
who worship many gods. But if you persevere patiently, and guard
against evil, then that will be a determining factor in all affairs."
( Surat Aal-e- Imran, 3:186)
Special kind of Test
The most important point to comprehend is that all of these
deprivations and misadventures are created by Allah as aspecial kind
of test. One who does not understand this will become very
superficial. The Qur'an cites a pertinent tale of certain Jews.
"Ask them concerning the town standing close by the sea; when they
transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath. For on the day of their
Sabbath, their fish did come to them, openly holding up their heads,
but on the day they had no Sabbath, they came not: thus did We made a
trial for them, for they were given to transgression." ( Surat
al-A'raf, 7:163)
Only the individual who has wisdom can realize that he isbeing tested,
and can succeed in these tests by again using his wisdom. Therefore, a
believer should not forget that he is being tested throughout his
life. These tests cannot be passed or the heaven cannot be attained
simply by saying 'I believe'.
"Do men think that they will be left alone on saying 'We believe', and
that they will not be tested? We did test those before them, and Allah
will certainly know those who are true from those who are false." (
Surat al-Ankaboot, 29:2-3)
And in another verse Allah says:
"Did you think that you would enter Heaven without Allah testing those
of you who fought hard (in His Cause) and remained steadfast?" ( Surat
Aal-e-Imran, 3:142)

Women site, - The audacity of faith

The Prayer Has Never Been this Hard
Libraries are like studios. No sound goes unheard. No noise passes
without someone looking up or, in this case, a librarian hissing and
excitedly shushing the disturber of the peace, silencing the noise
polluter.
Nervously flitting and creeping about the bookshelves, I was
endeavoring to be as quiet as such can be.
Every footfall, every little brave breath was carefully measured to an
exact decibel level, no more, no less.
The only dynamics that I failed to control were the thumping of my
heart and a much more subtle tone that somehow made it past all my
enacted sound barriers, my mental matrix-built firewall, my muffled
mind. It was similar to a flute in that it was both soft and gentle.
Yet at the same time, it was piercing and bold, a constant anthem
striking out through my internal environment. It was my soul, my
little life-giving charge.
It was calling to me, chanting a sweet Athaan that only I could hear
in this muted world of books. And oh how I loved it, yet dreaded it!
I had to find a place to make prayer, somewhere in this college
library, in my first term ever of a higher education. But I was so
afraid to do so, so shy to bow my face in the presence of others, so
worried about the impression of expression. What if some malicious
person attacked me? What if I was held in contempt because I was
"fanatical," a loon? Newspaper headings flashed through my mind's eye:
Terrorist Plot in University Campus Exposed! Homicidal Ritual Offered
in Campus Library! Al Qaeda's Hand Reaches the Countryside! And
Librarian Tasers Student Fanatic.
Passing the atomic clock on the wall no less than 10 times, the minute
hand began to drive into my mind, each tick sounding like a deafening
beat on a kettledrum. The situation was getting desperate. I could not
miss my Prayer. But what about the people? What about all the possible
pain, the potential outcomes, internal and external?
I felt as though I had to breathe. I had to go make Prayer. It was a
bodily function. I silently battled on, pretending to read random
books on politics. If the librarians could hear my insides now, what
with all the furious debating and intense fracas going on, they would
probably eat me alive. How bad it was, this predicament of mine.
Dragging myself just in time, I found a relatively secluded,
undisturbed spot and began to perform my Prayer. Every noticeable
motion was a huge movement, a draining operation for me. I felt as
though my waist, that corporal hinge that enables us to bend and bow
down, was rusty. I really needed some spiritual WD-40.
This was a ground-shaking test, at least to me. I've been reflecting
on it all week. It took all my will to simply make Prayer, to express
my piety, my gratitude to God the Magnificent Being behind my organic
architecture, my magical physique, my creative expression, my artistic
passion—my nafs, that invisible soul that makes me who I am. And now,
fire-tested and gauged, I realize that my soul, the gift from its
Crafter, has not been thanked for properly, in the right fashion in
the wrong situation.
I look at the creation around me—the horses and the birds, the trees
and the falling snow, the little springs and hills —and know that I
have seen authentic, whole worship. Flapping, loping, growing,
falling, bubbling up, all these creatures worship their Creator in
their own unique, prescribed ways. The bird flies and fulfills its
Prayer, its bodily functions. Our equine companions thunder about the
plains around the world.
They fulfill their purpose, express their worship, and provide
momentum not only to their graceful forms, but also to their tender
souls. The trees reach into the heavens. The rills gurgle from the
earth. Everything worships Allaah Almighty.
One creature among all creations that live in the world, we are in no
way exempt from fulfilling our functions to completion. Being
creatures composed of minds, souls, and bodies, we must satisfy all
these individual aspects to remain healthy, to possess that spunk,
that bounce that keeps us in full blossom, at full tilt, if you'll
pardon the idiom.
We eat, drink, exercise, make love, and many more things to meet our
bodily needs. In order to quaff our intellect, we go to school, read
instruction manuals, take on mathematical concepts, and memorize.
But what do we do for our spirit, our internal core that inspires all
the other parts of our body? We make Prayer. A simplistic answer? I
think not.
Worship opens our entire being to a refreshing breeze from the
outside, cools our hot interiors, and inspires the mind, the body, and
the soul. Would you live in a house of stifled air? Would you swim in
a stagnate marsh, no spring or current to wash it clear? Would you
have your wings clipped?
The Prayer to us has become an outstanding act, a massive struggle,
five battles a day. Floating about the stratosphere of modern secular
life in our hot air balloons, it is tempting to just throw those
canvas sacks of Prayer, those weighty responsibilities, overboard.
For in the eyes of my rising generation, the Prayer has been demoted
to spiritual baggage, to an audacious act of faith. But without it,
how can we be healthy?
Now, if we have to fight ourselves on something as basic as the
Prayer, with what might must we strive simply to survive? Worship
should be a thing to be proud of not to boast, but to be full with.
The Prayer that we know—this Prayer of Islam—is the ultimate paradox,
the real irony, for it brings us literally down to earth and makes us
humble. Yet at the same time it elevates us just as unambiguously to
the heavens and, behold, we metamorphose into sublime beings, better
than the angels. And that is something worth not fighting for.
Surrender.

Women site, - The Status of Muslim Women in Communal Life

The status of the Muslim woman in Islam is very noble and lofty, and
she has a great influence on the life of every Muslim in her
community. Indeed, a Muslim woman is the initial teacher who
contributes towards building a righteous society, provided that she
follows the guidance of the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah )tradition(
of His Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, since adherence to the
Quran and the Sunnah keeps every Muslim -- male or female – away from
being misguided in any way.
The misguidance and deviation of nations are the result of being far
away from the path of Allaah The Almighty and from what His prophets
and messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, came with. The
Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"I am leaving behind two
things, you will not go astray as long as you cling to them, the Book
of Allaah and my Sunnah."
The Noble Quran mentions the great importance of the role of Muslim
women, whether she is a mother, wife, sister or daughter, her rights
and duties, and this has been explained in detail in the purified
Sunnah.
Her importance lies in the tremendous burden and responsibility that
is placed on her shoulders, and the difficulties that she has to
shoulder -- responsibilities and difficulties that are sometimes
greater than those which a man has to bear. Hence, one of the most
important duties is to show gratitude to the mother, be dutiful to her
and accompany her in kindness. In this matter, she is to be given
precedence over the father. Allaah The Almighty says )what means(:
پœ}And We have enjoined upon man ]care[ for his parents. His mother
carried him, ]increasing her[ in weakness upon weakness, and his
weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me
is the ]final[ destination.{]Quran 31:14[
پœ}And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His
mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship,
and his gestation and weaning ]period[ is thirty months.{]Quran 46:15[
A man came to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
and said, "'O Messenger of Allaah! Who among people is the worthiest
of my kind companionship?' He replied:'Your mother.'The man asked,
'Then who?' He replied:'Your mother.'The man then asked, 'Then who?'
So the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, replied again:'Your
mother.'The man then asked, 'Then who?' He replied:'Then your
father.'" This implies that the mother should be given three times the
dutifulness and good treatment that the father is given.
As regards to the wife, her status and her effect in making the soul
tranquil and serene has been clearly shown in the noble Quranic verse
where Allaah The Almighty says )what means(:}And of His signs is that
He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility
in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy.{]Quran 30:21[
Al-Haafith Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, commented on
this verse, saying, "It encourages love, affection, compassion and
piety since the man keeps his wife either because he loves her, or
because of compassion and pity for her if he has a child from her."
The unique stance that the Prophet's, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
wife Khadeejah, may Allaah be pleased with her, took in supporting him
and calming and reassuring the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, when the angel Jibreel )Gabriel(, may Allaah exalt
his mention, first came to him in the cave of Hiraa'.
The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, returned to Khadeejah, may
Allaah be pleased with him, with the first revelation and with his
heart trembling, he said to her:"Cover me! Cover me! I fear for
myself."Khadeejah, may Allaah be pleased with her, said, "Rejoice.
Never! By Allaah! Will Allaah fail you? You maintain kinship ties with
your relatives, you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your
guests generously and you assist those who have been afflicted with
calamities."
We should also not forget 'Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her,
and her great contribution as the great Companions used to acquire the
knowledge of Hadeeth )narration( from her, and many of the female
Companions learnt the various rulings pertaining to women's issues
from her.
In the recent past, during the era of Imaam Muhammad bin Su'ood, may
Allaah have mercy upon him, his wife advised him to accept the call of
the revivalist Imaam Muhammad bin 'Abdul-Wahhaab, may Allaah have
mercy upon him, when he offered his call to him. His wife's advice had
a great impact on him agreeing to renew and disseminate the Da'wah
)Islamic propagation(. Today we see the effect of that in the firm
belief of the citizens of the Arabian Peninsula.
There is also no doubt that a house in which there is kindness,
gentleness, love and care, along with the correct Islamic upbringing
will greatly affect a man. He becomes – Allaah willing – successful in
his affairs and in any matter, whether it is seeking knowledge,
trading, agriculture, or any other work.

Women site, - The Muslim Child and Reading

Reading is the basis for development in the field of modern sciences.
Ever since the printer was invented and books became attainable, the
world developed quickly.
Learning to read in our age has become one of the necessities of life.
To be sure, the unlettered among the lettered is like the blind among
the sighted.
Concerning the child, reading is a main source of knowledge and
learning. Reading, in its simple sense of browsing through the pages
of a book and seeing the pictures, is what concerns the child before
he learns to read and enters school. The children's book, in so many
instances, is like a toy made of paper containing a lot of drawings,
which encourage him to go through its pages and learn what it contains
with the help of his parents and teachers, in order to obtain
knowledge.
There are many levels of writing for children in terms of content,
according to the addressed age. The younger the child is, the more
drawings and the less words it has; and the older he is, the less
drawings and the more words it has. Furthermore, the child's reading
material develops to extend to the writing style and the quality of
content. It varies in terms of content, style, formulation and even
artistic presentation by the difference of age and environment in
which the child lives.
The child's need for reading is essential in order to satisfy his
desire for learning and to get acquainted with the things around him
and the world in which he lives.
By time, it develops within him love for reading. Whoever is brought
up on reading from his early childhood loves books when he grows up,
and reading becomes his favorite hobby.
The development of the child's reading faculties does not ensue from
filling the children's minds with information in so much as from
carefully choosing what suits them, on the one hand, and what they
need, on the other hand, without invalidating the foundations and
constants the child has acquired from the family and which are
supposed to spring from religion. In spite of the negative effect of
the TV in our present time, as it distracts the children from reading,
it is incumbent upon educators and instructors to take notice of their
passive sitting in front of it for long hours. It indeed habituates
them to laziness, as far as reading is concerned, and to many other
things. In this study, we shall present a brief comment on these other
negatives. It repels from them the innate inclination to read, and, so
many times, makes them feel it is a heavy undesired burden.
When considering the children's inclination concerning reading, two
points should be observed:
• The first is the child's own desires and inclinations
• The second is the objectives the educators seek to achieve, and the
child's needs he likes to fulfill.
It is more useful to observe those two points, i.e. not to neglect the
child's inclinations and desires. But at the same time, those
inclinations and desires should be implied in cultural and educational
materials, essential to him. But many times, the trace of this benefit
could hardly be visible in him. This is even more confirmed in our
present time, because a lot of foreign influences of information
overlap on the child, and deviate him from his natural inclinations;
rather, they direct him to things which may be, in so many times,
unsuitable for him, or irrelevant to his needs.
The stages of a child's interest in reading:
• In the second year, the child shows some interest in pictures
points at them, and tries to touch them if they are prominent.
• In the third year, he likes to listen to comments on those
pictures, and simple tales related to them, and gives special care to
the pictures and their meanings.
• In the fourth year, he memorizes the stories and tries to relate
them, and is pleased with imagination, and likes to comment on all the
pictures and their meanings, and why they appear in a certain position
apart from another.
• In the fifth year, he likes to read letters and recognize their connotations.
• In the sixth year, he starts to learn reading depending on
illustrative pictures and forms, and is happy to find somebody to read
long stories for him with their accompanying illustrative pictures,
and is pleased with their related details and events.
When developed, reading has a strong influence on the child. It opens
to him the horizons of knowledge and the world of this life, and with
it he learns the things and instruments surrounding him, and how he
can avoid risks and accidents.
The child who reads books other than those of the school indeed
develops his own experiences, refines his faculties, utilizes his free
time, and makes a balance between his need for play and his need for
learning.
What does the child read?
The child always loves to live in his daily environment. He likes the
stories that are close to his reality, family, and daily life events.
In his early years, the child likes the stories of animals, and is
fond of family affairs and the instruments he sees and lives with
everyday. When the children grow a bit and their mental faculties
develop, they incline to be interested in general knowledge, and
stories of history, heroism and inventions.
With the progress of their life towards the age of adolescence, they
start becoming interested in the stories about the reality of their
community, and their intellectual faculties develop and they sometimes
like to go through adult books.
The girls in their advanced years )before adolescence( have a desire
for the stories of the family and social and emotional relations, far
from heroism and detective adventures which the males incline to and
like.
Characteristics of reading material favored by children:
Children like to read the materials which have the following characteristics:
- Stimulate and develop imagination.
- Sometimes use dialogue.
- Remind of heroism, adventures and events which reveal courage.
- Bring about delight and pleasure.
- Provide answers to questions that engage their minds.
- Talk about the animal world.
- Inspirational stories )e.g. religious stories(.
- Present sciences and inventions in a simplified manner.
- Imply the values and concepts of the community in a simple and easy manner.
- Contain suspense and mystery
All of this, and more, should be put within a framework of delightful
drawings, pictures and colors that bring joy to the child.