Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Permissibility of praying in shoes

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Is it permissible to pray wearing shoes when necessary, or not?
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, that is permissible, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed wearing his shoes. Inal-Saheehit is narrated that Abu Sa’eed said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) lead us in prayer whilst he was wearing his shoes, then he took them off [whilst still praying], and the people took their shoes off too. When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said theTasleem[at the end of the prayer], they said: “O Messenger of Allaah, you took off your shoes, so we took off our shoes too.” He said: “Jibreel came to me and told me that there was some dirt on them, so I took them off. When any one of you comes to the mosque, let him look at his shoes, and if he sees any dirt on them, let him wipe them. And they can be purified with dust.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, no. 650). The point here is that praying in shoes is permissible. It says in the hadeeth: “Be different from the Jews, pray wearing your slippers or shoes.”(Narrated by Abu Dawood, no. 652). But the condition is that the shoes must be taahir (pure, clean). If there is any najaasah (impurity) or dirt on the shoes, then one should not pray wearing them or enter the mosque in shoes, unless he is sure that they are free of impurity or dirt. And Allaah knows best.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Praying in the dark

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What is the ruling on making salah in the dark, where you can't even see your own hands?
Praise be to Allaah.
If the conditions of prayer are fulfilled and the essential parts or pillars of the prayer are completed, then the prayer is valid. Light is not an essential condition of prayer or an obligatory part of the prayer. But if the darkness is a cause of fear which disturbs a person to the point that he cannot have the necessary presence of mind and humility (khushoo’) in prayer, then it is makrooh for him to pray in the dark.

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For children, - Personal Responsibility at your work place

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We stood in front of a black sign with white letters that read, "Please wait to be seated," and we waited. I was hungry and impatient, and not in any mood to wait.
Two couples who arrived ahead of us waited too, even though at least half of the tables in the restaurant were empty. I took that as a sign that the restaurant's staff was slow and incompetent. That made me more impatient.
When we were seated and our food arrived, I lost it.
"You call this a fresh fruit salad?" I scolded Lindsay, the nineteen-year-old waitress who delivered a bowl of faded honeydew and overripe cantaloupe that the kitchen had, for some reason, thought I would eat.
I expected Lindsay to tell me it wasn't her fault because she didn't make the salad. But she stunned me.
"No," she agreed, "it doesn't look fresh at all. The kitchen is just about out of fresh fruit. I am sorry."
It's not often that I am speechless, but at that moment, I didn't know what to say. I knew it was not her fault, yet she apologized.
As my mouth hung open, Lindsay directed my attention to the plump, red strawberries that garnished the sandwich platters my friends had ordered.
"How about a big bowl of those?" she offered. I closed my mouth as it started to water.
She returned in a hurry, eager to salvage my supper. But steps away from our table, she stumbled over a kink in the carpet and released the bowl, sending strawberries flying all over my dinner companions and me. They landed in our hair, on our shoulders, on our laps, and even in our purses.
I am speechless once again.
"Did everybody get some?" Lindsay asked, and she started to giggle.
It infected all of us. We laughed.
This teenage ray of sunshine helped us pick strawberries out of our hair and send back to the kitchen to slice up. This time, I got to eat them instead of wear them.
We left a huge tip for this young woman who spilled food all over us.
As we left, I pulled her aside and said. "You didn't get upset because I didn't like your salad. You didn't blame the kitchen or us for arrive so late. You just handled it. How do you do that?"
Her response was mature beyond her nineteen years.
"I am responsible for making sure you come back," Lindsay explained. "You will base your decisions on my actions."
She was responsible for every mess she made. She was responsible for serving me the wilted cantaloupe. She was responsible for tossing strawberries all over me and my friends.
I asked Lindsay one more question before I turned to leave: "Why were so many people waiting to be seated when we arrived, even though so many tables were empty?"
She replied, "They wanted to sit in my section, so they had to wait for tables to open up."
Moral of the personal responsibility story: This profound example shows that taking full responsibility or ownership for herself, her job, her relationships, and her behavior is the key to avoiding unpleasant outcomes.

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Acts of Worship, - Dought&clear, - The prostration of everything in the universe toAllaah

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It says in Soorat al-Hajj 22:18 that the dawaab (moving living creatures, beasts, etc.) prostrate to Allaah. What is the nature of this prostration?
Praise be to Allaah.
Note that this universe and all the created beings in it is in thrall to Allaah, whether by choice or by force. The believer worships Allaah by choice and is rewarded for his worship. Even though the kaafir may be alienated from his Lord and failing to worship Him, the atoms of his body and everything in him is worshipping Him and glorifying Him, but because our understanding and perception are limited, we are unaware of that tasbeeh (glorification of Allaah) and unable to understand its nature. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies His Praise. But you understand not their glorification. Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving”
[al-Isra’ 17:44]
What this means is that every created being is in a state of submission to Allaah and worships Him in a manner appropriate to its situation. The sun, moon, stars, trees and animals are all in a state of subjugation to Allaah and prostrate to Him, and all of them worship Him in an appropriate manner. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“See you not that whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and Ad-Dawaabb [moving (living) creatures, beasts], and many of mankind prostrate themselves to Allaah. But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is justified. And whomsoever Allaah disgraces, none can honour him. Verily, Allaah does what He wills”
[al-Hajj 22:18]
“Have they not observed things that Allaah has created: (how) their shadows incline to the right and to the left, making prostration unto Allaah, and they are lowly?
And to Allaah prostrate all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, of the moving (living) creatures and the angels, and they are not proud [i.e. they worship their Lord (Allaah) with humility]”
[al-Nahl 16:48-49]
Imaam Ibn Katheer said: Allaah is telling us of His Might, Majesty and Pride, for everything submits to Him and all things and creatures humble themselves before Him, inanimate objects and animals, and those which are accountable among mankind and the jinn, and the angels. Allaah tells us that everything that has a shadow that inclines towards the right and towards the left – i.e., morning and evening – prostrates to Allaah. Mujaahid said: When the sun passes its zenith everything prostrates to Allaah.
Allaah has confirmed that all beings prostrate to Him, and He has explained how some of them prostrate, which is by the inclining of its shadow towards the right and the left. It does not mean that everything prostrates on seven parts of the body; that applies only to the Muslims. The prostration of all other beings is in accordance with their nature. The fact that this prostration is prostration in the real sense is indicated by the apparent meaning of the text, because there is no valid reason for not interpreting the text as it appears to be, so we must accept it. That is also supported by the fact that the prostration of the sun, moon, stars, trees and animals is mentioned in conjunction with the prostration of the angels and humans, which indicates that this is prostration in a real sense for all the entities mentioned. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Prostration is a form of humility, so the prostration which includes all creatures implies the utmost submission and humility. For every created thing submits to His greatness and humbles itself before His might and power. This does not mean that everything prostrates like human beings do, on seven parts of the body, putting the forehead on the ground. This kind of prostration is only for human beings. Some other nations bow but do not prostrate, and that is their prostration. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘and enter the gate in prostration (or bowing with humility) and say: “Forgive us”’
[al-Baqarah 2:58]
It was said that this means enter it bowing, and some of them prostrate on their sides like the Jews. Sujood (prostration) is a generic term but because the way in which Muslims prostrate is so well known, many people think that this is how everything prostrates.
Jaami’ al-Rasaa’il, 1/27
And he said:
It is known that everything prostrates according to its nature, and the prostration of these created entities does not mean that they put their foreheads on the ground.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 21/284
This prostration includes the submission and humbling of these created entities to Allaah and their surrendering to His Lordship, Might and Sovereignty. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim said:
“It is the prostration of humility and submission, for everything submits to His Lordship, humbles itself before His Might and is subject to His Sovereignty.”
Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/107
The prostration of these created entities is a prostration in a real sense as befits each of these entities. So man prostrates in the manner that suits him, in the manner that is well known, on seven parts of the body. The sun prostrates in the manner that suits it, as mentioned in the saheeh hadeeth of Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Abu Dharr when the sun had set, ‘Do you know where it went?’ I said, ‘Allaah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘It has gone to prostrate beneath the Throne, then it asks for permission to rise, but soon it will prostrate and its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask for permission to rise and that will not be granted to it, and it will be said to it, “Go back from whence you came,” and it will rise from the west. This is what Allaah says:
“And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing”
[Yaa-Seen 36:38].’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3199)
So it prostrates in a real sense, as is suited to the sun, but how does it prostrate to Allaah beneath the Throne? Allaah knows best how this prostration happens. The apparent meaning of the hadeeth proves that what this prostration means is not simply submission to the command of Allaah and obedience to Him. Indeed, it is submission, humility and surrender by prostrating in a real sense, but we do not understand how it happens. Similarly it is said that the moon, the trees, the animals and all other entities prostrate in a manner that suits them. What the believer should do is not to let the fact that he does not know how some entities prostrate prevent him from believing in this prostration, rather he must believe in what Allaah has told him about other entities prostrating to Him.
And Allaah knows best.

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