Muslims say they do not believe in the Bible. Yet, when it is convenient for them, they quote verses out of context to prove their claims. Isn't this a dishonest wayof going about It?

It is wrong and dishonest to quote anything or any book out of
context, whether it be the Bible or the Qur'an. No Muslim should
resort to such an approach. God wants us to spread the truth by honest
means only. Having said that, it shouldalso be said that Muslims,
Christians and Jews do notbelieve in every single thing that the Bible
says. No reasonable person can do that.
I Samuel chapter 17, verses 23 & 50 says that David killed Goliath. II
Samuel 21:19 says that Elhanan killed Goliath. I Chronicles 20:5 says
that Elhanan killed not Goliath but the brother of Goliath whose name
is given as Lahmi. Obviously, no reasonable person should believe all
three reports.
Knowing this, the editors of the King James Bible decided to fix this
problem by making a slight correction to the Bible. They inserted
three words in II Samuel 21:19 to make it say there also that Elhanan
killed the brother of Goliath. You will notice that the three words
the brother of appear there in italics to distinguish them from
therest of the Bible.
The Interpreter's One Volume Commentary on the Bible calls this
a"conflict of tradition about Goliath" (p.179; seealso p. 212). It
says further that the author of Chronicles changed the story where it
said that Elhanan killed Goliath to make it say that Elhanan killed
Lahmi the brother of Goliath. The same commentary says further that
the statement in I Chronicles is "incorrect" (p.180). So here we have
a Bible commentary writtenby Christians, published by Christians, and
sold in Christian bookstores - yet it openly disagrees with a
statement in the Bible. This was done not because Christians wantedto
disbelieve in the Bible, but because they had to choose, among
different statements in the Bible, which statement is more believable.
Now, this approach to theBible does not mean that Christians cannot
refer to the Bible or quote from it or write commentaries onit.
Likewise for Muslims. Although Muslims, like their Christian and
Jewish neighbors, do not believe in every single thing the Bible says,
students of comparative religion should be allowed to study both the
Qur'an andthe Bible. Every honest student, however, will pay close
attention to the context of what he or she reads, and apply scrupulous
exactitude when quoting from eitherbook.
May God help us and guide us all to understandHis true message
regardless in which book that truth is contained.

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1a] Fasting lasts until the sun sets and is not as some of the Shi’ah say

1a]
Al-Bukhaari (1955) and Muslim (1101) narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn Abi
Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We were with the Messenger
of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on a journey and
he was fasting. When the sun set, he said to one of the people: O So
and so, get up and make saweeq for us (mix it with water so that we
can drink it). He said O Messenger of Allah, why not wait till the
evening? He said: Dismount and make saweeq for us. He said: O
Messenger of Allah, why not wait till the evening? He said: Dismount
and make saweeq for us. He said: It is still day. He said:Dismount and
make saweeq for us. So he dismounted and made saweeq for them, and the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) drank it, then he
said: When you see that night has come from here,then let the fasting
person break his fast.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This hadeeth indicates that it is mustahabb to hasten to break the
fast and that it is not permissible to refrain from eating and
drinking for any part of the night at all; rather as soon as it is
established that the sunhas set, it is permissible tobreak the fast.
End quote.
Fath al-Baari, 4/197.
Moreover, the fact that there is consensus among the Muslims regarding
breaking the fast and eating as soon as one hears the muezzin give the
call to Maghrib prayer when the sun disappears is evidence that this
is thetruth and the one who goes against that is following something
other than the way of the believers and has introduced something into
the religion for whichhe has no proof or reportsfrom the scholars.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Maghrib comes immediately after the sunhas set, and this is something
on which thereis consensus. Something concerning this was narrated
from the Shi'ah to which no attention should be paid and which has no
basis. End quote.
Sharh Muslim, 5/136
In fact, in many of the books of the Shi'ah it mentions that on which
there is consensus among the Muslims concerning this matter. Some of
themnarrated from Ja'far al-Saadiq (may Allah have mercy on him) that
he said: "When the sun sets, it becomes permissible to break the fast
and it becomes obligatory to offer the prayer." End quote.
Al-Baroojardi narrated from the author of al-Da'aa'im that he said: We
narrated from Ahl al-Bayt -- may the blessings of Allah be uponthem
all -- that there was consensus concerning thatwhich we learned from
the reports from them, that the onset of night which makes it
permissible for the fastingperson to break the fast isthe
disappearance of the sun beneath the western horizon without any
barrier which would prevent seeing it such as amountain or wall and
the like. When the disk disappears beneath the horizon, then the night
has begun and it is permissible to break the fast. End quote.
Jaami' Ahaadeeth al-Shi'ah, 9/165
To sum up: what are some of the Shi'ah do now, of delaying Maghrib
prayer and the breaking of the fast until sometimeafter the sun has
set is contrary to what is indicated by the Holy Qur'aan, the saheeh
Sunnah of the Prophet and the consensus of the Muslims.
Moreover it is contrary to what they themselves narrated from their Imams!
And Allah knows best.

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1] Fasting lasts until the sun sets and is not as some of the Shi’ah say

1]
I am asking about the topic of fasting and breaking the fast. I was
speaking to my neighbours who follow the Shi'i madhhab, and they
recited to me a verseof Qur'aan which says thatfasting is from the
time ofthe white thread until night, and it is not until sunset only.
This is what they said to me. I hope that you can advise me, may Allah
reward you with the best of rewards.
Praise be to Allaah.
The time of fasting on which the Muslims are unanimously agreed and
which they have followedfrom the time of the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) and his Companions until the present day
is from the break of the truedawn until when the disk of the sun
disappears completely beneath the horizon. This is indicated by the
Qur'aan and Sunnah and definitive consensus of the Muslims.
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "then complete your Sawm
(fast) till the nightfall [al-layl]" [al-Baqarah 2:187]. Al-layl
[translated here as nightfall] in the language of the Arabs starts
when the sun sets.
It says in al-Qamoos al-Muheet (1364): al-Layl: from the setting of
the sun until the break of the true dawn or sunrise. End quote.
It says in Lisaan al-'Arab (11/607): al-Layl: comes straight after the
end of al-Nahaar (day), and startswhen the sun sets. End quote.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy onhim) said in his
commentary on this verse:
The words of Allah "then complete your Sawm (fast) till the nightfall"
imply that breaking the fast at the moment of sunset is a shar'i rule.
End quote.
Tafseer al-Qur'aan al-'Azeem, 1/517
In fact some commentators have pointed out that the use of the
preposition ila (till) in this verse also implies hastening, because
that preposition indicates reaching the end and achieving the goal.
Al-'Allaamah al-Taahir ibn 'Ashoor (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Ila al-layl (till the nightfall) means until one achieves that goal
and reaches the night, and thepreposition ila is chosen to indicate
that one should hasten to break the fast when the sun sets, because
the preposition ila means thatthe purpose is achieved then, unlike the
preposition hatta (until). What is meant here is to indicate that the
fast is completed when the night begins. End quote.
Al-Tahreer wa'l-Tanweer, 1/181
All of that is supported by what is narrated in al-Saheehayn from
Ameeral-Mu'mineen 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with
him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peaceof Allah be
upon him) said: "When the night comes from here and the day departs
from here, and the sun sets, then it istime for the fasting person to
break his fast." Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1954) and Muslim (1100).
In this hadeeth the coming of night from the east and the
disappearance of the disk of the sun below the horizon are mentioned
together, which is something that is well known, because darkness
starts from the East as soon as the light of the sun disappears below
the horizon. Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The phrase "when night comes from here" means from the east, and what
ismeant is when darkness becomes discernible. In this hadeeth he
mentioned three things, because even though theyare interconnected in
fact,they may appear not to be connected, and it may be thought that
night is coming from the east when it has not yet come,because
something is covering the light of the sun; the same is also true of
the departure of day. Hence it is clarified by the words "and the sun
sets", as an indication that it is essential to confirm that night has
come and day has gone, and that these events occur because of the
setting of the sun and not for any other reason. End quote.
Fath al-Baari, 4/196
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The scholars said: each of these three things impliesthe other two and
is interconnected with them. Rather he mentioned them togetherbecause
a person may be in a valley and the like in such a way that he
cannotsee the setting of the sun, so he relies on the comingof
darkness and the disappearing of daylight. End quote.
Sharh Muslim, 7/209 ...

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1a] Ruling on taking the “Ramadan tablet”, which reduces the effectof hunger, at sahoor during the month of fasting

1a]
It is most likely that the blessing of sahoor comes from a number of
things: it is following the Sunnah,differing from the People of the
Book, it gives one strength for worship, increases energy, wards off
the bad attitude that may result from being hungry, makes one give
charity to the one who asks at that time or joins him to eat, it
reminds oneto remember Allah and call upon Him at times when a
response is most likely, and reminds one toform the intention of
fasting for the one who forgot to do so before he went to bed.
Fath al-Baari, 4/140
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim)
said, discussing the blessings of sahoor:
One of its blessings is thatit supplies nourishment tothe body
throughout the day and helps one to be patient in refraining from food
and drink, even during the long, hot days of summer, whereas when a
person is not fasting you will find him drinking five or six times a
day, and eating twice. But Allah has instilled blessing in sahoor, so
it makes the body able to cope with fasting. End quote.
Liqa' al-Baab al-Maftooh (Introduction to no. 223).
To sum up: there is nothing wrong with taking these tablets.
For more information on the permissibility of taking hormones for
sports at sahoor,

And Allah knows best.

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Ruling on taking the “Ramadan tablet”, which reduces the effectof hunger, at sahoor during the month of fasting

There is a lot of talk among the people about some medicine that
controls and reduces the feelings of hunger and thirst in the body.
Some people use this medicine during the month of Ramadan. What is the
ruling on taking thismedicine?
For more information on this medicine please see the following site:
http://fasting.ramadantablet.com.
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars have defined fasting as worshipping Allah by refraining
from things that break the fast such as food, drink and intercourse,
from the break of dawn until the sun sets. As Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "and eat and drink until the white
thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread
(darkness of night), then complete your Sawm (fast) till the
nightfall" [al-Baqarah 2:187]. And according to the hadeeth of Abu
Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peaceof Allah be upon him) said: "Fasting is a shield,
so there should be no obscene or ignorant talk, and if someone tries
to fight him or insult him, lethim say, I am fasting, twice. By the
One in Whose hand is my soul, the smell of the mouth of the fasting
person is better with Allah, may He be exalted, then the fragrance of
musk. 'He gives up his food and drink and desire for My sake. Fasting
is for Me andI shall reward for it, a tenfold reward for each good
deed.'" Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1795.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy onhim) said:
The things that spoil the fast are called by the scholars al-muftiraat
(things that break the fast). The basic principles concerning that are
three, which were mentioned byAllah, may He be glorified and exalted,
in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
"So now have sexual relations with them and seek that which Allaah has
ordained for you (offspring), and eat and drink until the white thread
(light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread
(darkness of night), then complete your Sawm (fast) till the
nightfall"
[al-Baqarah 2:187].
The scholars are unanimously agreed that these three things spoil the fast.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti', 6/235
With regard to the medicine referred to in the question, according
tothe website mentioned, it is a tablet that contains herbs and
substances thatit is permissible to use and consume, and it is called
the "Ramadan tablet." it contains different types of vitamins(B1, B2,
B6, B12) and other substances that are beneficial to the body andwhich
provide energy to the body during the day and reduce feelings of
hunger, because these substances are able to help the brain to issue
orders to the body to seeknutrition from excess fat in the body
instead of from the empty stomach.
There is no doubt that taking these tablets and medicine during the
day in Ramadan breaks the fast and no one would dispute that, because
it is the kind of food which reaches the stomach directly.
It seems that the questionis about the ruling on taking this tablet at
night,before dawn, because thismedicine has the ability to give the
body ongoing energy and it has the ability to prevent feelings of
hunger. So some may think that it is not permissible to take it at
night, because it has a lasting effect during the day. But this is
mistaken thinking. Rather it is permissible to use it, so long as it
is taken at a time when it is permissible to consume food and drink.
With regard to its ongoing effect during the day, that does not mean
that it cannot be taken. There is no difference between it and the
food eaten at sahoor. One of the important reasons for delaying eating
sahoor is that it gives the body more strength to be able to fast
during the day.
It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him)
said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"Eat sahoor, for in sahoor there is blessing." Narrated by al-Bukhaari
(1823) and Muslim (1095).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:
In the hadeeth of Anas, "Eat sahoor, for in sahoor there is blessing",
what is meant by blessing is reward, or it is blessed because it gives
one strength and energy to fast, and makes it less difficult.
And it was said that the blessing coming from waking up and offering
du'aa' at the end of the night, before dawn....

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Is it permissible for one who is observing i‘tikaafto leave the mosque in order to wake his familyup for sahoor, then come back?

If the person who is observing i'tikaaf comes out of his place of
i'tikaaf to wake his family up for sahoor, and that is because there
is no one athome, is this regarded as contrary to the conditionsof
i'tikaaf?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The one who enters i'tikaaf should not leave his place of i'tikaaf
during his i'tikaaf, except for necessary, unavoidable reasons and to
tend to hisneeds, such as bringing food and drink if there is no one
who can bring them for him, and relieving himself if there are no
washrooms in the mosque. There is nothing wrong with him going out at
the time of sahoor to wake his family up so that they can eat sahoor
at the proper time, and towake them up to pray Fajr if they cannot
wake up by themselves and there is no one else who can wake them up,
because that comes underthe heading of encouraging one another to do
good and enjoining them to do what is right. If an obligatory duty
cannot be done without athing, then that thing becomes obligatory. But
he should not sit at home after waking his family up; he should go
back to his place of i'tikaaf in the mosque.
And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah send blessings and
peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions. End
quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah/

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1a] How can he maintain his fast in the face of these sins?

1a]
This is the primary aim of fasting. The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) affirmed that when he said: "Whoever does not
give up false speech and acting upon it and ignorant behaviour, Allaah
has no need of his giving up his food and drink." So if a person
refrains from disobeying Allaah, this is true fasting. As for outward
fasting, this is abstaining from things that invalidate the fast and
refraining from things that break the fast from dawn until sunset asan
act of worship towardsAllaah, because of the verse in which Allaah
says(interpretation of the meaning):
"So now have sexual relations with them and seek that which Allaah has
ordained for you (offspring), and eat and drink until the white thread
(light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread
(darkness of night), then complete your Sawm (fast) till the
nightfall"
[al-Baqarah 2:187].
We call this kind of fastingoutward fasting, which is the fasting of
the body only. As for the fasting of the heart, which is the primary
aim of fasting, this means refraining from disobedience towards
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.
Based on this, if a person observes the fast outwardly, in the
physical sense, but he does not fast in his heart, then his fast is
severely deficient, but we do not say that it is invalid, rather we
say that it is lacking. Similarly,we say concerning prayer that the
aim of prayer is humility before Allaah, may He be glorified and
exalted, and prayer of the heart comes before prayerof the limbs, but
if a person prays physically but not with his heart, notfocusing at
all, then his prayer is very deficient, but it is still valid as it
appears to be, but is very deficient. Similarly the fastis very
deficient if a person does not refrain from disobeying Allaah, but it
is valid, because acts of worship in this world are to be judged as
they appear to be. End quote.
Liqaa'aat al-Baab il-Maftoohah (116, p. 1).
Secondly:
The scholars divided patience into three categories: patience in
obeying Allaah, patience in refraining from disobeying Him, and
patience in accepting the Divine decree. Fasting combines all these
kinds of patience.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The best kind of patience is fasting, for it combines all three types
of patience.It is patience in obeying Allaah, may He be glorified and
exalted, and it is patience in refraining from disobeying Him, because
a person gives uphis desires for the sake of Allaah even though his
self may be longing for them. Hence it says in the saheeh hadeeth that
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, says: "All the deeds of the
son of Adam are for him, except fasting. It is for Me and I shall
reward for it, because he gives up his desire and his food and drink
for My sake." Fastingalso involves patience in accepting the
consequences which may result in hunger and thirstfor the fasting
person. Endquote.
Jaami' al-'Uloom wa'l-Hikam (p. 219).
Whoever manages to fast as Allaah has prescribed will attain a great
reward from his Lord, may He be blessed and exalted. It is sufficient
for him to knowthat Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full,
without reckoning"
[al-Zumar 39:10]
Thirdly:
In order for the Muslim to protect his fasting from being deficient
due to committing sins, he must achieve patience in refraining from
sin. One ofthe scholars said that patience in refraining from sin is
greater than the other two types of patience.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaahhave mercy on him) said:
Here there is an issue which people debated about: which type of
patience is better – patience in refraining from sin or patience in
obeying Allaah? One group of people suggested that the formeris
better, and they said that patience in refrainingfrom sin is the
attitude of the siddeeqeen, as some of the salaf said: Good deeds are
done by righteous and immoral alike, but no one has the power to
refrain from sin except a Siddeeq, and because the motive to commit
sin is greater thanthe motive to stop being obedient, because the
motive to commit sin is pleasure, but the motive to stop being
obedient is laziness and sloth, and undoubtedly the motive to commit
sin is stronger. They said: Sin may be promoted by one's own self,
whims and desires, the shaytaan, worldly reasons, a man's companions,
a desire to imitate, and natural inclinations......

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How can he maintain his fast in the face of these sins?

1]
How can I maintain my fast in the face of these sins?.
Praise be to Allaah.
You have done very well to ask this question; it indicates that you
are keen to make sure that your acts of worship do not go to waste or
be reduced because of these widespread sins.
We should all remember that the real meaning of fasting is not only
giving up food and drink, rather Allaah, may He be exalted,has
enjoined fasting in order that we may attain piety (taqwa). Hence real
fasting means refraining from sin by refraining from it and giving it
up; this is the fasting of the heart, not just the fasting of the
body. The Sunnah points to what we have said, and it has been
discussed and explained by the scholars.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and actingupon it,
Allaah has no need of his giving up his food and drink." Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (1804). And it was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaahbe pleased with him) said:The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "It may be that all a fasting
person gets from his fast is hunger and thirst, and it may be that all
a person who prays at night gets from his prayeris sleeplessness."
Narratedby Ahmad (8693); classed as saheeh by Ibn Hibbaan (8/257) and
by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb (1/262).
The Sahaabah and the early generations of this ummah were keen for
their fasting to be a purification for their souls as well as their
bodies, free from disobedience and sin.
'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: Fasting
does not mean abstainingfrom food and drink only, rather it is also
abstainingfrom lying, falsehood and idle speech.
Jaabir ibn 'Abd-Allaah al-Ansaari said: When youfast, then let your
hearing,sight and tongue fast from lying and sin and stop abusing
servants. Be tranquil and dignified on the day of your fast, and do
not let the day you do not fast and the day you fast be the same.
It was narrated that Hafsah bint al-Sireen – who was a scholar of the
Taabi'een – said: Fasting isa shield, so long as one does not make
holes in it it, and making holes in it means gheebah (backbiting).
It was narrated from Maymoon ibn Mahraam that the least of fasting is
giving up food and drink.
These reports were quoted by Ibn Hazm in al-Muhalla (4/308).
So it is no wonder if we learn that some scholars regarded the fast as
invalid if a person falls into sin during his fast, even though the
correct view is that this does not invalidate the fast, but
undoubtedly it detracts from it and goes against the real meaning of
fasting.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Backbiting damages the fast. It was narrated from 'Aa'ishah, and
al-Awzaa'i also said this, that backbiting breaks the fast of the
fasting person and he has to make up that day. Ibn Hazm went further
and said: It is invalidated by every sin that a person commits
deliberately, when he is aware that he is fasting, whether it is an
action or a word, because of the general meaning of the words "he
should not utter obscene speech or behave in an ignorant manner" and
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoeverdoes not give up false speech and acting upon it,Allaah has no
need of his giving up his food and drink." End quote.
Fath al-Baari (4/104).
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
As for the thing from one which must abstain when fasting, perhaps you
will be surprised if I tell you that the thing from one which must
abstain when fasting is sin. A person must abstain from sin when
fasting because thisis the primary aim of fasting, because Allaah, may
He be blessed and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for
you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become
Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)"
[al-Baqarah 2:183].
It is not so that you may become hungry, or so thatyou may become
thirsty, or so that you may refrainfrom relations with your wife! No;
He says "that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)."This is the
primary aim of fasting.

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Uttering the intention to fast out loud is an innovation (bid’ah)

In India we make the niyah of Saum as "ALLAH HUMMA ASOOMO JADAN LAKA
FAGFIRLEE MA KADDAMTU WA MA AKHARTU", I am not sure of the meaning,
but is it the right niyah?if yes please explain the meaning or please
give me the right niyah provedby Qu`ran and Hadith.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Ramadaan fast and other acts of worship are not valid unless
accompanied by the proper intention, because the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Actions are but by intentions,
and everyone shall have but that which he intended…"(Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 1; Muslim, 1907)
The intention is subject tothe condition that it be made at night,
before the dawn comes, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoeverdoes not intend to fast before dawn,
there is no fast for him." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 730. According to
a version narrated by al-Nasaa'i (2334): "Whoever does not intend to
fast from the night before, there is no fast for him." Classed as
hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 573. What is meant is that
whoever does not intend to fast and resolve to do so from the night
before, his fast is not valid.
The intention (niyyah) is an action of the heart. TheMuslim should
resolve in his heart that he is going to fast tomorrow. It is
notprescribed for him to utter it out loud and say, "I intend to fast"
or "I will fast tomorrow" or other phrases that have been innovated by
some people. The correct intention is when a person resolves in his
heart that he is going to fast tomorrow.
Hence Shaykh al-Islam IbnTaymiyah said in al-Ikhtiyaaraat (p. 191):
If it crosses a person's mind that he is going to fast tomorrow, then
he has made the intention.
The Standing Committee was asked:
How should a person intend to fast Ramadaan?
They replied:
The intention is done by resolving to fast. It is essential that the
intention to fast Ramadaan be made everynight.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 10/246
And Allaah knows best.

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The Intensity of its Fire

Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) narrated: "When Allah's Messenger
(salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, 'Your ordinary fire is one of the 70
potions of the Hellfire,' someone commented, 'O Messenger of Allah,
wouldit (ordinary fire) not be sufficient (to burn the wrongdoers)?'
At that, Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, 'The Hellfire has 69 more
portions than ordinary (worldly) fire, and all of them are as hot as
this (worldly fire).'"
[Sahih al-Bukhari]
"Verily, Allah has cursed the disbelievers and prepared for them a
Blazing Fire. Dwelling therein forever, and they will find no
protector or helper."
[al-Ahzab, 33: 64-65]
"But he who is given his record behind his back will soon cry for
destruction, and he will enter a blazing Fire."
[al Inshiqaq, 84: 10-12]
"No, they deny the Hour (of the judgment to come), but We have
prepared a blazing fire forsuch as deny the Hour. When it sees them
from a far off place, they will hear its fury and its ragingsigh. And
when they are cast, bound, in chains, intoconstricted place therein,
they will plead therein fordestruction. Do not plead today for a
single destruction; plead for destruction oft-repeated."
[al-Furqan, 25: 11-14]
"The companions of the left hand - what are the companions of the left
hand? (They will be) in the midst of a fierce blast (of fire) and in
boiling water."
[al Waqi'ah, 56: 41-42]
"But, he whose scales are light his home will be a pit. And what will
make you understand what thatis? (It is ) a fire, blazing fiercely."
[al Qari'ah, 101: 8-11]
"Soon will I cast him into Saqar (the Hellfire). And what will explain
to you what Saqar is? It permits nothing to endure, and it leaves
nothing alone, darkening and changing the color of man."
[al Muddaththir, 74: 26-29]
"Their abode will be Hell. Every time it abates. We will increase for
them the blaze (the fierceness) of the fire."
[al Isra, 17: 97]
"Those are the ones, who have exchanged the Hereafter for the gains of
this worldly life. The punishment will not be lightened for them, and
they will not be aided."
[al Baqarah, 2: 86]
"So taste, (the result of your deeds), for We will not increase you
except inpunishment."
[an Naba, 78: 30]
Anas (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu
alayhi wasalam) said: "The most favored man among the dwellers of the
Earth will be brought from among the people of the Fire on the Day of
Resurrection. He will be dyed in the Firebut once, and then it will be
said to him, 'O son of Adam, have you ever seengood at all? Has any
pleasure ever come to you?' He will say, 'No, by Allah, O Lord.' Then
the most miserable people in the world will be brought from the people
of Paradise and will be dyed with the dye of Paradise. It will be said
to him, 'O son of Adam, have you ever seen any misery, andhas any
hardship ever come to you? ' He will say,'No, by Allah, O my Lord. No
misery ever came to me, nor did I see any hardship.'"
[Muslim]

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- - - - - - -

The Triple Filter test

During the golden Abbasid period, one of thescholars in Baghdad, the
capital of Muslim caliphate at that time, was reputed to hold
knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great
scholar and said,"Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
"Hold on a minute," the scholar replied. "Before telling me anything
I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter
Test."
"Triple filter?"
"That's right," the scholar continued. "Before you talk to me about my
friend it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're
going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first
filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about
to tell me istrue?"
"No," the man said,"actually I just heard about it and..."
"All right," said the scholar. "So you don't really know if it's true
or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is
what you areabout to tell me about myfriend something good?""No, on
the contrary......"
"So," the scholar continued, "you want to tell me something bad about
him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test
though, because there's one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is
what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded the scholar, "if what you wantto tell me is neither
true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"
"O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: It may
be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor let some women
laugh at others: Itmay be that the (latter are better than the
(former): Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each
other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting
wickedness, (tobe used of one) after he has believed: And those who do
not desist are (indeed) doing wrong." [Surah al-Hujurat 49.012]

--
- - - - - - -

Muhammad Ali's advice to his daughters

The following incident took place when Muhammad Ali's daughters
arrived at his home wearing clothes that were not modest. Here is the
story as told by one of his daughters:
When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted myyounger sister,
Laila, and me up to my father's suite. As usual, he was hiding behind
the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we
could possibly give in one day.
My father took a good look at us. Then he sat medown on his lap and
said something that I will never forget. He looked me straight in the
eyes and said, "Hana, everything that God madevaluable in the world is
covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in
the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down
atthe bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful
shell. Wheredo you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with
layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get tothem."
He looked at me with serious eyes. "Your body is sacred. You're far
more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered
too." Source: Taken from the book: More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali's
Life Lessons Through His Daughter's Eyes.

--
- - - - - - -

Love for the mother

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) was single, without wife
or child when he became a Muslim. With him however was his mother who
was still a mushrik (idolator). He longed, and prayed, for her to
becomea Muslim but she adamantly refused. One day, he invited her to
have faith in God alone and follow His Prophet but she uttered some
words about the Prophet which saddened him greatly. With tears in his
eyes, he went to the noble Prophet who said to him: "What makes you
cry, O Abu Hurayrah?" "I have not let up in invitingmy mother to Islam
but she has always rebuffed me. Today, I invited her again and I heard
words from her which I do not like. Do make supplicationto God
Almighty to make the heart of Abu Hurayrah's mother incline to Islam."
The Prophet responded to Abu Hurayrah's request and prayed for his
mother. Abu Hurayrah said: "I went home and found thedoor closed. I
heard the splashing of water and when I tried to enter my mother said:
"Stay where you are, O Abu Hurayrah." And after putting on her
clothes, she said, "Enter!" Ientered and she said: "I testify that
there is no god but Allah and I testifythat Muhammad is His Servant
and His Messenger." "I returned tothe Prophet, peace be on him,
weeping with joy just as an hour before I had gone weeping from
sadness and said: "I have good news, O Messenger of Allah. God has
responded to your prayer and guided the mother of Abu Hurayrah to
Islam." Source: "Biographies of Companions" extracted from the Al-Alim
software.
Let us make strong effort and supplications so that our parents can be
guidedif they are not already.

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Does the Qur'an contain any prophecies about the future? Have anyof these proved true?

Yes, the Qur'an contains many prophecies about the future. Many of
these have already proved true, and we confidently expectthat the
others will also come to pass in due time. In addition, no statement
in the Qur'an has ever proved to be false.
Let us see some examplesof Qur'anic prophecies that has already been
fulfilled. One example is a prophecy that occurs in Surah 30 of the
Qur'an. In the first six verses Allah promised that the Romans who had
just been defeated in the year 615 C.E. would turn around and win a
decisivevictory within nine years. At the time this statementwas made,
no human could envision how it could come to pass. The Romans had been
so soundly defeated that no hope was left that they could make a
comeback within such a short periodof time. The disbelievers mocked at
the Muslims over this passage in the Qur'an because they thought the
prophecy would surely fail. One man, Ummayah bin Khalafby name, even
placed a bet of a hundred camels that the prophecy would fail. Abu
Bakr, the closest follower of the prophet, on whom be peace, took up
that challenge becausehe was sure that the wordof God could never
fail. True enough, within the specified period, in the year 624 CE,
the Romans confronted the Persians inbattle at a place called Issus.
The Romans won their decisive victory exactly as prophecised in the
Qur'an, and Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased withhim, won the bet of one
hundred camels. In the meantime, however, revelation from Allah had
prohibited gambling, so the prophet directed Abu Bakr to give away the
camels to the poor and needy.
So the prophecy was fulfilled. But there is moreto this. The same
verses contain yet another prophecy. It says that while the Romans are
winning their victory, the believers in the Qur'an will rejoice in the
victory granted by Allah. We know from history that in that very year
the Muslims were threatened with total annihilation, but Allah rescued
them. The Muslims had been driven out of Mecca, their hometown. Now
they found safe haven in Medina. But the unbelievers could not
restknowing that the Muslimswere free to practice theirfaith somewhere
else. So they marched against the Muslims with an army of one thousand
men fully equipped for battle. The Muslims mustered the best defense
they could, amere 313 men lacking suitable equipment for battle. From
a human point of view, the greater force would win, but the help of
Allah was with thesmall group of believers. Miraculously, the
believerswon, and the Qur'anic prophecy was fulfilled despite all
odds. The unfolding of this double prophecy proves beyond doubt that
the Qur'an could not have been authored by any human being.
Another prophecy occurs in Surah 111 of the Qur'an. That Surah states
that a certain man and hiswife will perish as unbelievers. This was
uttered at a time when noone but God could say who will or will not
become believers later on.Many of the most severe opponents in the
early days became devoted followers in later days. But not this
couple. They tried everything to oppose, ridicule, and disprove the
Qur'an. One would expect that they would also pretend to become
believers just to throw doubt on the accuracy of the Qur'an. But they
did not apply this obvious strategy. What prevented them, if not the
power of God and the truth of His word?
In this way many prophecies were fulfilled, and not one has ever
failed. This gives us every reason to place our full confidence in the
book of God.

--
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The two wolves inside of us

An old Indian Grandfather said to his grandson who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice........
"Let me tell you a story. I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy.
It is like taking poison andwishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times."
He continued......
"It is as if there are two wolves inside me;
One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmonywith all round him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to doso, and in the right way. He saves all his energy forthe right fight.
But the other wolf, ahhh!
He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason.
He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing.
Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyesand asked...
"Which one wins, Grandfather?"
The Grandfather smiled and quietly said......
"The one I feed."/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

The Intensity of its Fire

Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) narrated: "When Allah's Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, 'Your ordinary fire is one of the 70 potions of the Hellfire,' someone commented, 'O Messenger of Allah, wouldit (ordinary fire) not be sufficient (to burn the wrongdoers)?' At that, Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, 'The Hellfire has 69 more portions than ordinary (worldly) fire, and all of them are as hot as this (worldly fire).'"
[Sahih al-Bukhari]
"Verily, Allah has cursed the disbelievers and prepared for them a Blazing Fire. Dwelling therein forever, and they will find no protector or helper."
[al-Ahzab, 33: 64-65]
"But he who is given his record behind his back will soon cry for destruction, and he will enter a blazing Fire."
[al Inshiqaq, 84: 10-12]
"No, they deny the Hour (of the judgment to come), but We have prepared a blazing fire forsuch as deny the Hour. When it sees them from a far off place, they will hear its fury and its ragingsigh. And when they are cast, bound, in chains, intoconstricted place therein, they will plead therein fordestruction. Do not plead today for a single destruction; plead for destruction oft-repeated."
[al-Furqan, 25: 11-14]
"The companions of the left hand - what are the companions of the left hand? (They will be) in the midst of a fierce blast (of fire) and in boiling water."
[al Waqi'ah, 56: 41-42]
"But, he whose scales are light his home will be a pit. And what will make you understand what thatis? (It is ) a fire, blazing fiercely."
[al Qari'ah, 101: 8-11]
"Soon will I cast him into Saqar (the Hellfire). And what will explain to you what Saqar is? It permits nothing to endure, and it leaves nothing alone, darkening and changing the color of man."
[al Muddaththir, 74: 26-29]
"Their abode will be Hell. Every time it abates. We will increase for them the blaze (the fierceness) of the fire."
[al Isra, 17: 97]
"Those are the ones, who have exchanged the Hereafter for the gains of this worldly life. The punishment will not be lightened for them, and they will not be aided."
[al Baqarah, 2: 86]
"So taste, (the result of your deeds), for We will not increase you except inpunishment."
[an Naba, 78: 30]
Anas (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: "The most favored man among the dwellers of the Earth will be brought from among the people of the Fire on the Day of Resurrection. He will be dyed in the Firebut once, and then it will be said to him, 'O son of Adam, have you ever seengood at all? Has any pleasure ever come to you?' He will say, 'No, by Allah, O Lord.' Then the most miserable people in the world will be brought from the people of Paradise and will be dyed with the dye of Paradise. It will be said to him, 'O son of Adam, have you ever seen any misery, andhas any hardship ever come to you? ' He will say,'No, by Allah, O my Lord. No misery ever came to me, nor did I see any hardship.'"
[Muslim]/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

"O Allah! You have grantedme the honor and privilege of talking to you directly,

Once Moosa (as) asked Allah swt:
"O Allah! You have grantedme the honor and privilege of talking to you
directly, Have you given this privilege to any other person?"
Allah swt replied: "O Moosa during the last period I am going to send
an Ummat, who will be the Ummat of Muhammad (saw) with dry lips,
parched tongues, emaciated body with eyes sunken deep into their
sockets, with livers dry andstomachs suffering the pangs of hunger.
They will call out to me (in dua) theywill be much much closer to me
than you O Moosa! while you speak to me, there are 70000 veils between
you and I but at the time of iftaar there willnot be a single veil
between ME and the fasting
Ummati of Muhammad (SAW). O Moosa I have taken upon Myself the
responsibility that at the time of iftaar I will never refuse the dua
of a fasting person"

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Jesus said that he is the way and that noone can come to God except through him. What do Muslims say about that?

Muslims believe that Jesus, on whom be peace, was indeed the way. This
means that he showed the way by which people should approach God. He
expected that people should follow him and imitate him. His early
followers were called followers of the way because, obviously, they
followed Jesus, and Jesus was the way (see Acts 9:2;18:25; 19:9;
19:23; 22:4; 24:14; 24:22). They were also called Christians, which
means 'imitators ofChrist' (see Acts 11 :26). This shows that the
early followers of Jesus copied and imitated him.
Jesus had said that his true followers will hold on to his teachings,
then they will know the truth, and the truth will set them free (see
John 8:31-32). God did reveal His truth in these last times. And true
followers of Jesus will readily acceptthat truth, for they will find
it in agreement with the unadulterated teachings of Jesus. In these
last times God has sent a messenger and declared that anyone whoclaims
to love Him must follow His messenger, on whom be peace. God directs
His messenger as follows:
Say! If you love Allah thenfollow me. Allah will love you and forgive
your sins. Surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful (Qur'an 3:31).
Now this messenger, Muhammad, on whom be peace, has brought God's
final message for all of humankind. If we love God we must follow him.
He brought the truth which Jesus said his true followers will
recognize. The truth sets people free from unreasonable doctrines and
dogmas.
Confusion arises in the minds of some who imagine that Jesus is the
only way for peoples of all times and all places. Clearly, the Old
Testamentprophets directed people to Yahweh, the only God. They showed
therefore the way to Yahweh. In fact, people were calling on the name
of Yahweh since the time of Adam (see Genesis 4:1).
Jesus was the way for his time; now Muhammad is the way. We believe in
both of them, and we worship the one God whom they both worshipped.
These men showed us the way to worship God. Jesus, for example, fell
on his knees and worshipped God (see Luke 22:4 1). He also fell on his
face and worshipped God (see Matthew 26:39). Muhammad too adopted
similar postures of humility in worshipping God. Likewise is the
practice of the true imitators of Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon
both of them.
Finally, we should recall that Jesus is the way, not the destination.
He spoke of one who is greater than himself (see John 14:28). And he
said that, that one alone is the only true God (see John 17:3).
God has sent numerous prophets and messengers.Each in his time was the
way to God. No one can approach God in a way contrary to the way of
God's messenger. This is why God said that He will call to account
anyone who does not listen to Hisprophet who will speak inHis name
(see Deuteronomy 18:19).

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Should he follow the local people with regardto starting and ending the fast?

The sighting of the moon in my country was delayed by two days, and
there is a group of people who follow the general sighting and fast
with Saudi and other neighbouring lands. I started to follow this
group this year and I fasted one day before my country. Do I have to
make up the fast, knowing that the sightinghere was proved after that?
Should I break the fast with my country or when the moon is
sightedanywhere?.
Praise be to Allaah.
In the answer to question no. 12660 we stated that if the Muslim is in
a Muslim country that relieson sighting of the moon to mark the
beginning and end of the month, then he must follow that country, and
it is not permissible for him to differ from it in starting and ending
the fast.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
fast is the day when you fast, breaking the fast is the day when you
break the fast, and sacrifice is the day when you offer the
sacrifice." Narrated by AbuDawood (2324) and al-Tirmidhi (697);
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi.
The imams differed with regard to the question of whether, if the moon
is sighted in one place, all the Muslims are obliged to fast, or are
only the nearby countries obliged to fast and not the
distantcountries, or are those whose sighting coincides with that
sighting obligedto fast, and not those whose sighting did not coincide
with it? There areseveral opinions.
The Muslim should follow the scholars of his own country in whichever
of these views they believe to be more correct, based on the evidence
that they have available, and he should not start or end the fast on
his own.
We have quoted the statement of the Council of Senior Scholars on this
issue in the answer to question no. 50487 , in which they said:
… the members of the Council of Senior Scholars think that matters
should be left as they are and that this subject should not be stirred
up. Each Islamic state should have the right to choose whichever
opinion it wishes, based on the suggestions of its own scholars,
because each view has its evidence and proofs.
Please read this statement in full, because it is important.
Based on this, you should follow your country whichrelies on the
sighting of the moon to establish the beginning and end of the month
and the beginning and end of the fast. If you do that, you will have
done well and you are notrequired to make up the fast.
And Allaah knows best.

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Is moonsighting essential?

Is it essential for the people to sight the new moon of Ramadaan?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The majority of scholars are of the view that sighting the new moon
ofRamadaan on the first night of the month is a communal obligation,
andif all the people fail to do it then they are sinning. This is also
the Hanafi view.
Some of the fuqaha' were of the view that moon sighting is mustahabb.
It says in Majma' al-Anhaar (1/283): It is a communal obligation for
the people to seek the new moon on the evening of the twenty-ninth of
Sha'baan or Ramadaan, and also of Dhu'l-Qa'dah, and it is obligatory
for the ruler to enjoin the people to do that.
It says in al-Fataawa al-Hindiyyah (1/197): It is obligatory for the
people to seek the new moon on the twenty-ninth of Sha'baan at the
time of sunset, and if they see it they must fast. If it is cloudy
then they must complete the month as thirty days. End quote.
See: Fath al-Qadeer (2/313).
It says in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa' (2/300): It is mustahabb for the
peopleon the night before the thirtieth of Sha'baan to sight the new
moon of Ramadaan.
It is mustahabb to sight the new moon so as to beon the safe side with
regard to fasting and so as to avoid disputes. It was narrated that
'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to count the days in
Sha'baan morecarefully than at any other time, then he wouldfast when
he sighted (the new moon) of Ramadaan. Narrated by al-Daaraqutniwith a
saheeh isnaad.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah in a marfoo' report: "Count the days
of Sha'baan for the sake of Ramadaan." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi. End
quote.
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi (678).
It says in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi: Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: They should strive to count its days accurately, and that is by
means of watching the waxing and waning of themoon, so that they will
becertain of when to expectthe new moon of Ramadaan and will not miss
any of it. End quote.
In al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (22/23) it says: Sighting the new moon is
something that isdecreed by the fact that some acts of worship are
connected to specific times. It is prescribed for the Muslims to
strive in seeking it and it is more important on the night before the
thirtieth of Sha'baan, in order to find out whether Ramadaan has
begun, and on the night before the thirtieth of Ramadaan in order to
find out whether the month has ended and Shawwaal has begun, andon the
night before the thirtieth of Dhu'l-Qa'dah to find out if Dhu'l-Hijjah
has begun. These three months have to do with two of the pillars of
Islam,namely fasting and Hajj, and the setting of the dates for 'Eid
al-Fitr and 'Eid al-Adha.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged
seeking the sighting of the moon. It was narratedthat Abu Hurayrah
said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Fast when you see it and break the fast when you see it, and if it is
too cloudy then complete the number (of days) of Sha'baan as thirty."
And it was narrated from 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased
with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "The month is twenty-nine days, so do not fast
until you see it, and if it is cloudy then complete the month as
thirty days." Thefirst hadeeth enjoins fasting the month of Ramadaan
when its new moon is sighted or when the month of Sha'baan is
completed with thirty days, and it enjoins ending the fast when the
new moon of Shawwaal issighted, or when Ramadaan is completed with
thirty days. The second hadeeth forbids fasting Ramadaan before the
new moon is sighted or before Sha'baan has been completed if it is
cloudy.
And there is a hadeeth narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) in which he enjoined paying attentionto the new
moon of Sha'baan because of Ramadaan. He said: "Count the days of
Sha'baan carefully for the sake of Ramadaan." This hadeeth shows the
importance of paying attention to the month of Sha'baan in order to
workout when Ramadaan starts. It was narrated from 'Aa'ishah (may
Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) used to count the days in Sha'baan more carefully
than at any other time, then he would fast when he sighted (the new
moon) of Ramadaan, and if it was cloudy he would count thirty days and
then fast.
The commentators said: i.e., he would make sure to count the days of
Sha'baan carefully in order to begin the fast of Ramadaan at the right
time.

--
- - - - - - -

Observing fast is the special duty for all of us in this month. May we could change track of our lives towards duties of Islam. May Allah accept all of your prayers

Famous Islamic Quotes about Ramadan
Given below are some of the best Ramadan quotes that speak about how
the Islamic community should observe this event and what they should
abstain from during this festive occasion. The Ramadan quotes will
also help you get into the mood of the festival.
1)(It was) the month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'aan, a
guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the
criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of yousights (the
crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present
at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month…"
- [al-Baqarah 2:185]
2) "Whoever backbites his Muslim brothers, his fasting will be invalid
and his ablution null. Should hedie in such a state, he will die like
the one who decreed lawful what Allah has forbidden."
- Prophet Muhammad
3)"Allaah has made Laylat al-Qadr in this month, which is better than
a thousand months, as Allaah says...The Night of Al-Qadr is better
than a thousand months. Therein descend the angels and the Rooh
[Jibreel (Gabriel)] by Allaah's Permission with all Decrees, there is
peace until the appearanceof dawn." -
[al-Qadar 97:1-5]
4)He is the One GOD; the Creator, the Initiator, the Designer. To Him
belong the most beautiful names. Glorifying Him is everything in the
heavens and the earth. He is the Almighty, Most Wise." -
[Quran 59:24]
5) Allah is with those who restrain themselves. -
Quran

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- - - - - - -

Resting on a sackcloth

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reports: Once I
went to the Holy Prophet (SAW). He was resting on a sackcloth, which
had welted his body. Seeing this I began to weep. He said: "Why are
you weeping?" I said: "These Caesars and Chosroes, the kings of
Byzantium and Iran, sleep on carpets of silk and velvet and you have
to take rest on sackcloth! I weep becauseof this." He said: "There is
no need of weeping over it" (for the world is for them and for us is
the hereafter). Extracted from the book "Shamail-e-Tirmidhi" by Shaikh
Ahmed E. Bemat.
All the pleasures of this world are temporary. So, let us strive hard
for the hereafter where Allah willgrant us unimaginable forms of
pleasures.

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The Fuel of Hell-Fire

"Those who has disbelieved - their wealth and their children will
never benefit them anything with Allah. And those are the ones who are
the fuel of Hellfire."
[ali'-Imran, 3: 10]
Jinn:
"And there are among us Muslims (in submission to Allah) and others
who deviate from justice. And whoever accepts Islam has sought out the
right path. As for those who deviate, they will be firewood for the
Hellfire."
[al-Jinn, 72: 14-15]
Stones:
"But if you cannot - and ofa surety you cannot - thenfear the fire
whose fuel is men and stones, which is prepared for those who reject
faith."
[al Baqarah, 2: 24]
"O you who believe, save yourselves and your families from a fire
whosefuel is men and stones, over which are appointed angels, stern
and severe, who do not disobey Allah in what He orders them and who do
precisely what they are commanded."
[al-Tahreem, 66: 6]
False Gods
"Verily, you (unbelievers) and what you worship besides Allah are fuel
for Hellfire, You will surely come to it. If those had (truly) been
gods, they would not have come to it. But all will abide therein
eternally."
[al-Anbiya, 21: 98-99]
"And the Fierce Fire will be brought out before those straying in
evil, and it will be said to them, 'Where are those you worshipped
besides Allah? Can they help you or help themselves?' Thenthey will be
thrown into it(the Hellfire) on their faces- they and those straying
in evil and the soldiers of Iblees, all together."

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Allah is sufficient as a surety

Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "An Israeli man asked anotherIsraeli to lend him one
thousand Dinars. The second man required witnesses. The former
replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a witness.' The second said, 'I want
a surety.' The former replied, 'Allah is sufficient as a surety.' The
second said, 'You are right,' and lent him the money for a certain
period. The debtor went across the sea. When he finished his job, he
searched for a conveyanceso that he might reach in time for the
repayment ofthe debt, but he could notfind any. So, he took a piece of
wood and made a hole in it, inserted in it one thousand Dinars and a
letter to the lender and then closed (i.e. sealed) the hole tightly.
He took the piece of wood to the sea and said. 'O Allah! Youknow well
that I took a loan of one thousand Dinars from so-and-so. He demanded
a surety from me but I told him that Allah's Guarantee was sufficient
and he acceptedYour guarantee. He then asked for a witness and I told
him that Allah was sufficient as a Witness, and he accepted You as a
Witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance so that I could
pay his money but could not find,so I hand over this moneyto You.'
Saying that, he threw the piece of wood into the sea till it went out
far into it, and then hewent away. Meanwhile hestarted searching for a
conveyance in order to reach the creditor's country.
One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had
arrived bringing his money, and all of a sudden he saw the piece of
wood in which his money had been deposited. He took it home to use for
fire. When he sawed it, he found his money and the letter inside it.
Shortly after that, the debtor came bringing one thousand Dinars to
him and said, 'By Allah, I had been trying hard to get a boat so that
I could bring you your money, but failed to get one before the one I
have come by.' The lender asked, 'Have you sent something to me?' The
debtor replied, 'Ihave told you I could not get a boat other than the
one I have come by.' The lender said, 'Allah has delivered on your
behalf the money you sent in thepiece of wood. So, you may keep your
one thousand Dinars and depart guided on the right path.'" Source:
Sahih Bukhari (Volume 3, Book 37, Number 488h)

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Is there a Sunnah prayer before Jumua‘ah?

We know from the saheeh hadeeths that there are four rak'ahs before
Zuhr. How should we do these rak'ahs on Friday? It is known that there
are no Sunnah prayers before Jumu'ah, but for a person who has the
habit of praying thesefour rak'ahs, is it acceptable for him to do
them on Friday? Is it acceptable for him to praythem before the sun
passes the zenith?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
There is no proven report from the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) that he prescribed a regular Sunnah (Sunnah
raatibah) prayer to be offered before it, and there is no proven
report from any ofthe Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) that they prayed anyregular Sunnah prayer before
Jumu'ah like the regular Sunnah prayer of Zuhr or any other prayer.
It is not valid to pray the regular Sunnah prayer of Zuhr on Friday,
because Jumu'ah is not Zuhr; rather it is a prayer with its own
rulings. So it is notZuhr and it is not valid either to compare it to
Zuhr in that regard.
See the answer to question no. 114765
With regard to the report which says that Ibn Mas'ood (may Allah be
pleased with him) used topray four rak'ahs before Jumu'ah and four
afterwards, it was narrated by at-Tirmidhi ina mu'allaqan which he
narrated in a way that indicates that it is weak; itis also mawqoof,
with a isnaad that ends with Ibn Mas'ood. The commentator on
at-Tirmidhi narrated from al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on
him) that 'Abd ar-Razzaaq and at-Tabaraani narrated it ina marfoo'
report, but its isnaad has some weakness and interruptions, and a
report that is like this cannot be quoted as evidence.
See: Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 8/261
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: (It is) munkar,
as it says in as-Silsilah ad-Da'eefah, 3/83
Secondly:
It is mustahabb for the one who comes to Jumu'ah to offer voluntary
prayers beforehand, whatever he is able to do, from when he enters the
mosque until the imam comes out to the people, without that being
limited to a specific number. So he may pray two or four rak'ahs, or
whatever Allahwills that he should pray.
Al-Bukhaari (883) and Muslim (657) narrated that Salmaan al-Faarisi
said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"Whoever does ghusl on Friday, purifies himself as much as he can,
uses (hair) oil or perfumes himself with the perfume of his house,
then goes out (for the Jumu'ah prayer) and does not separate between
two (persons sitting together in the mosque), then prays as much as is
decreed for him, then remains silent whilst the imam is speaking, his
sins between the present and the last Friday will be forgiven for
him."
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, discussing matters
that are specific to Friday:
It is not makrooh to pray on Friday at the time of the zenith,
according to ash-Shaafa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) and those who
agreed with him. This is the view favoured by our shaykh,
Abu'l-'Abbaas ibn Taymiyah, and he did not base his view on the
hadeeth of Layth from Mujaahid from Abu'l-Khaleel from Abu Qataadah
from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which
states that it is makrooh to pray at midday except on Friday, and he
said: "Hell flares up (at noon) except on Friday". Rather he based his
view on a report which states that whoever comes to Jumu'ah, it is
mustahabb for him to pray until the imam comes out.
He quoted the hadeeth of Salmaan mentioned above, then he said: The
report recommends praying as much as is decreed for one, and not
stopping until the time when the imam comes out.
Hence more than one of the salaf, including 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may
Allah be pleased with him), who was followed in that by Imam Ahmad ibn
Hanbal, said that the appearance of the imam prevents prayer and his
khutbah prevents speaking. They said that the factor which prevents
prayer is the appearance of the imam, not the mid-point of the day
(noon).
Moreover, if the people are inside the mosque, beneath the roof, and
they cannot tell when the zenith occurs, and a man is focusing on his
prayer, he does not know when the zenith occurs and he cannot go out,
stepping over people's necks to look at the sun and come back, and it
is not prescribed for him to do that. End quote from Zaadal-Ma'aad,
1/365
Ash-Shawkaani also regarded this view as being more correct and
henoted that the hadeeth ofSalmaan mentioned above makes an exception
to the general meaning of the hadeeths that forbid praying at the time
of the zenith. See Nayl al-Awtaar, 3/313

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Story of a man called Juraij

Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said,"There was an Israeli mancalled Juraij, while he
was praying, his mother came and called him, but he didnot respond to
her call. Hesaid (to himself) whether he should continue the prayer or
reply to his mother. She came to him the second time and called him
and said, "O Allah! Do not let him die until he sees the faces of
prostitutes." Juraij used tolive in a hermitage. A woman said that she
would entice Juraij, so shewent to him and presented herself (for an
evil act) but he refused. She then went to a shepherd and allowed him
to commit an illegal sexual intercourse with her and later she gave
birth to a boy. She allegedthat the baby was from Juraij. The people
went to Juraij and broke down his hermitage, pulled him outof it and
abused him. He performed ablution and offered the prayer, then he went
to the male (baby) and asked him; "O boy! Who is your father?" The
baby replied that his father was the shepherd. The people said that
they would build for him a hermitage of gold but Juraij asked them to
makeit of mud only." Source: Sahih Bukhari (Volume 3, Book 43, Number
662)
Allah's help is with those who are sincere to their faith.

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Two things that he feared

It is said about Shaddad ibne Aws (RA) that he once began to cry.
People asked about his crying, and he replied: It is something I heard
from Rasulullah (SAW) which makes me weep when I remember it.
Rasulullah (SAW) had said: I fear for my people from Shirk (ascribing
partners to Allah) and Hidden Desires. Shaddad (RA) says: I had asked:
O Rasulullah! Would your people be guilty of idolatry after your
death? Rasulullah (SAW) had replied: Yes (but) they will not worship
the sun, the moon, a stone or an idol; but they will act for display
(without sincerity). Hidden Desire isthat one of them will startthe
day fasting, but when one of his desires will present itself to him;
he will abandon his fast (and satisfy his desire). Source: Musnad
Ahmed.
Let us not worship nicely so that others can see andpraise us. Today,
we wear beautiful clothes and jewelleries when attending an invitation
or meeting a renowned person. Whereas, when the pious people of the
past would get up for tahajjud prayer at night, they would wear their
best clothes, put on the surma and decorate themselves nicely to stand
in front of Allah.

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Breaking News - - Syrian security shaken as suicide bomber strikes

The Syrian security establishment suffered a heavy blow on
Wednesdayafter a suicide bomber killed Defence Minister Dawoud Rajiha,
his deputy,and seriously injured several other top security officials
including the Interior Minister and the intelligence chief.
The lethal strike was carried out by the bomber who, apparently, was
part of a security team posted to guard President Bashar Al Assad's
inner circle.
The sketchy information available so far seems to suggest that the
bomber struck during a high-profile security meeting in the national
security bureau in Rawda district of Damascus.
The attack also delivered apersonal blow to Mr. Assad, whose
brother-in-law and Deputy DefenceMinister Assef Shawkat was among the
dead. Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim al-Shaar is recuperating in
hospital, as is intelligence chief Hisham Bekhtyar, who sustained
serious injuries.
Syrian authorities have appointed Fahad Jassim al-Freij, chief of the
staff ofthe armed forces, new Defence Minister.
The claims of responsibilityhave come thick and fast soon after the
attack. Liwa Al-Islam, a Syrian rebel Islamist group posted a
statement on Facebook claiming responsibility for the strike.
The Opposition Free SyrianArmy also said it carried out the attack,
according to its spokesman Qassim Saadedine.
'Hired hands'
On their part, the Syrian authorities pinned the blame for the
"terrorist bomb attack" on "hired hands," and vowed to wipe out
"criminal gangs," state television reported.
Wednesday's mega strike caps four days of hit-and-run violence in
Damascus, which started after the Opposition launched a new offensive
code-namedOperation Damascus Volcano, focusing on high visibility
targets.
Annan's peace plan
As Damascus immersed into a deep security crisis, the United Nations
Security Council is getting ready to debate a resolution on extension
of a U.N. monitoring mission in Syria, whose deployment has been tied
to the fulfilment of a six-point peace plan authored by Kofi Annan,
U.N.-Arab League envoy onSyria. Russia and China are opposed to a
British draft which embeds the possibility of sanctions, if not more,
on the Assad regime in case it does not comply with Mr. Annan's plan.

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Muslims say that theQur'an is a Miracle. What is so miraculous about a book?

Previous prophets performed miracles to prove that their message was
not their own but God's message. In the caseof the Qur'an, the message
itself is the miracle.
The prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, did not know how to read or
write. Yet the Qur'an which was being revealedto him was (and still
is) the highest pinnacle of literary beauty and excellence in the
Arabic Language. It was beyond the ability of the prophet to produce
this book. And God declares that it is beyond the ability of all
ofhumankind and spirit-kind to produce a book like the Qur'an.
The Qur'an was revealed piece by piece over a period of twenty-three
years. During this time, God challenged humankind four times to
produce a book like the Qur'an, and they couldn't do it. When the
prophet and his followers were being persecuted in Mecca, God showed
the persecutors a simple way by which they can wipe out the message of
the Qur'an. God stated that this book cannot be produced by men or
spiritcreatures. Obviously, if they pooled together their abilities
and composed a book like the Qur'an they would have proved the Qur'an
to be false in its claim. But they couldn't. And here is whatthe
Qur'an claims:
Say: If the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather together to
produce the like of this Qur'an they could not produce the like
thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support
(Qur'an 17:88).
Although people ardently wished to block the message of the Qur'an and
they tried every thingthey could to stifle it, yet they did not try
this obvious strategy. Why? Because it cannot be done. So God reduced
the challenge for them: never mind the whole book; produce just ten
chapters if you can. This challenge is mentioned in Surah 11:13 in the
Qur'an. Againthey couldn't do it. And they were the literary giants of
their day. They held fairs to promote their own literary masterpieces.
They hung their prized compositions on the door of the house of
pilgrimage for all to see. But they could not match the stunning
versesof the Qur'an.
God reduced the challenge further still (see Qur'an 10:38). If they
cannot produce ten chapters then how about one chapter? Just one! And
they couldn't do it, sothey eventually pulled down their proud
exhibitsfrom where they were hung. The Qur'an had proved its point:
this is noman-made book.
Yet they tried everything to banish the Qur'an from the face of the
earth. Theyeven made an attempt onthe life of the prophet. He fled to
Madinah, another city. And there the Qur'an kept coming to him piece
by piece. The challenge was repeated yet again. This time God reduced
theemphasis as if to say, okay you couldn't produce a chapter like it;
now produce a chapter even remotely like
it. This challenge is mentioned in the Qur'an in chapter 2, verse 23.
They failed again. And theworld has failed since. Thechallenge is
still there in the Qur'an, and everyone who disbelieves the Qur'an can
still pool together their abilities and resources to try and produce
one like it. But they cannot. Isn't this an awesome miracle?

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Jesus said that he is the way and that noone can come to God except through him. What do Muslims say about that?

Muslims believe that Jesus, on whom be peace, was indeed the way. This
means that he showed the way by which people should approach God. He
expected that people should follow him and imitate him. His early
followers were called followers of the way because, obviously, they
followed Jesus, and Jesus was the way (see Acts 9:2;18:25; 19:9;
19:23; 22:4; 24:14; 24:22). They were also called Christians, which
means 'imitators ofChrist' (see Acts 11 :26). This shows that the
early followers of Jesus copied and imitated him.
Jesus had said that his true followers will hold on to his teachings,
then they will know the truth, and the truth will set them free (see
John 8:31-32). God did reveal His truth in these last times. And true
followers of Jesus will readily acceptthat truth, for they will find
it in agreement with the unadulterated teachings of Jesus. In these
last times God has sent a messenger and declared that anyone whoclaims
to love Him must follow His messenger, on whom be peace. God directs
His messenger as follows:
Say! If you love Allah thenfollow me. Allah will love you and forgive
your sins. Surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful (Qur'an 3:31).
Now this messenger, Muhammad, on whom be peace, has brought God's
final message for all of humankind. If we love God we must follow him.
He brought the truth which Jesus said his true followers will
recognize. The truth sets people free from unreasonable doctrines and
dogmas.
Confusion arises in the minds of some who imagine that Jesus is the
only way for peoples of all times and all places. Clearly, the Old
Testamentprophets directed people to Yahweh, the only God. They showed
therefore the way to Yahweh. In fact, people were calling on the name
of Yahweh since the time of Adam (see Genesis 4:1).
Jesus was the way for his time; now Muhammad is the way. We believe in
both of them, and we worship the one God whom they both worshipped.
These men showed us the way to worship God. Jesus, for example, fell
on his knees and worshipped God (see Luke 22:4 1). He also fell on his
face and worshipped God (see Matthew 26:39). Muhammad too adopted
similar postures of humility in worshipping God. Likewise is the
practice of the true imitators of Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon
both of them.
Finally, we should recall that Jesus is the way, not the destination.
He spoke of one who is greater than himself (see John 14:28). And he
said that, that one alone is the only true God (see John 17:3).
God has sent numerous prophets and messengers.Each in his time was the
way to God. No one can approach God in a way contrary to the way of
God's messenger. This is why God said that He will call to account
anyone who does not listen to Hisprophet who will speak inHis name
(see Deuteronomy 18:19).

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Muhammad is dead. But Jesus is alive. Doesn't that mean that Jesus Is superior to Muhammad?

Muslims believe that Jesusand Muhammad were both prophets and
messengers of Allah. Peace be upon both of them. Muslims will not
belittle any of God's prophets or reject their message. The Qur'an
tells us to declare our faith in all of the prophets including
Abraham, Moses,and Jesus, and that we should make no distinction among
them (see Qur'an 2:136; 3:84; 2:285). This means that since each of
them preached the true message of God, it would be wrong to say we
believe in some but not inothers.
The prophets themselves were humble servants of God. They did not try
to prove themselves superior to others. It would be wrong for their
followers to argue over who is superior. Once a Muslim and a Jew were
arguing. The Muslim said that Muhammad is superior over all the
people. The Jew said that Moses is superior over all the people. When
this was related to the prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, he said:
Do not give me superiority over Moses (This is recorded in Sahih
al-Bukhari, vol.4, p.410, Arabic- English edition).
He also said "None shouldsay that I am better than Jonah, son of
Matta" (ibid, p.413).
He also instructed,"Do notgive superiority to any prophet among
Allah's prophets" (ibid, p.414).
Once the prophet was asked, "Who is the most honorable among the
people?" He replied, "The most God-fearing". When he was asked to name
a specific individual, he replied:
The most honorable person is Joseph (i.e. the son of Jacob) (ibid, p.390).
This humility was shared by other prophets too. The prophet Jesus, on
whom be peace, is reported to have said:
I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen
anyone greater thanJohn the Baptist (Matthew11:11).
But John the Baptist was also humble. He did not claim that greatness
for himself. He spoke of a greater one who was to come after him. He
is quoted as saying:
After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose
sandals Iam not worthy to stoop down and untie (Mark 1:7).
When God sent the angel Gabriel to take the prophet Muhammad to the
Aqsa Mosque one night, the prophet, on whom be peace, led the prayers
there, and the other prophets followed his lead. He also related the
truth that on the Day of Judgement he will lead the banner of Praise
under which will be all the other prophets. But the prophet Muhammad
did not boast about this. He instructed Muslims that they should not
praise him as the people praised Jesus, son of Mary.He said:
Call me a slave of Allah and His Messenger (Bukhari, vol.4, p.435).
What is important is not to try and prove one prophet superior over
another, but to believe in both of them. The prophet Muhammad, on whom
be peace, said:
If a man believes in Jesus and then believes in me, he will get a
double reward (ibid. p.435).

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Muslims believe thatJesus did not die on the cross. Does that mean he died of natural causes? Will he come again? Whyis he the only prophet to return?

Muslims believe that God'smessenger Jesus, son of Mary, on whom be
peace, did not die yet. God tells us in His own words that Jesus was
raised up by God and that he was neither killed nor crucified(see
Qur'an 4:157-158). Furthermore, God tells us that in order to foil the
plans of the unbelievers, God recalled Jesus and raised him up (see
Qur'an 3:55). Muslims understandfrom these Qur'anic passages that
Jesus did not die.
Muslims believe that Jesuswill be coming again. A common explanation
of verse 159 of Surah 4 in the Qur'an is that when Jesus returns, the
people of the book will each believe in Jesus as he really is. Another
verse in the Qur'an calls Jesus, on whom be peace, a sign of the day
of Judgement (seeQur'an 43:61). This was further explained by the
prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, when he said that Jesus's return
will be a sign that the dayof Judgement is near.
God alone knows the full wisdom behind what He does. We can only try
to understand some of the reasons. With God's help we can point to
several reasons why Jesus will be coming again. One reason is that
when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary about the birth of Jesus, he
prophesied that Jesus will speak to mankind while he is a baby and
again when he is mature (see Qur'an 3:46). The Arabic word Kahlan here
translated 'maturity' actually refers to a maturity at 40 years old.
When Jesus comes back he will live to this age and the prophecy willbe
fulfilled. Jesus also foretold his death (see Qur'an 19:33). This too
will be fulfilled when he returns, and Jesus will be buried in Medina
near his brother in faith, the last prophet, on whom be peace.
Another reason for Jesus's second coming is that he will be honored
with the opportunity to personally correct the belief of his people.
Too many have disbelieved and rejected him. Many others have believed
incorrectly abouthim. When he returns, everyone will believe in him
correctly. Yet anotherreason for his coming is that some of his
teachingshave been forgotten (see Qur'an 5:14), and replacedby
misguided teachings (see Qur'an 5:77, 9:30). Jesus will have the honor
of breaking the symbols of such false teachings and dramatically
confirming his true teachings which were alsotaught by his brother in
faith, the last prophet, on whom be peace.
A further reason is that in the last days an evil man called the
Antichrist will arise. He will spread muchcorruption on the earth.
Jesus will return to slay this man and restore peace on earth.
As to why Jesus alone andno other prophet will come back is for God
alone to say. The above are only a few indications.
Finally, we must admit that Jesus, on whom be peace, was very unique.
His entry into the world was unique, his departurewas unique, and his
return will be spectacular. The Qur'an rightly calls him "illustrious
in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (unto
Allah)" (Qur'an 3:45).

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