1a] What should be said when the imam sits down between the two khutbahs at Jumu’ah prayer?

Key word - {*Friday Prayers:-}
- - -

1a]
The same may also be said of the imam; he should say du'aa' between
the two khutbahs but it should be silent, asking for whatever he wants
of things in this world and inthe Hereafter.
The same may also be said concerning prostration during Jumu'ah
prayer, after reciting the adhkaar that were narrated from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), one may say du'aa' as one
wishes.
And after the tashahhud and before the salaam, one may say du'aa' for
whatever one wants, aftersaying du'aa' for that which it is narrated
one should say du'aa' for. End quote.
He also said (may Allaah have mercy on him):
Du'aa' during this time is good and is mustahabb, because this time is
a time when it is hoped prayers will be answered. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that on Friday there is a
time when no Muslim slave asks Allaah for something when he is
standing and praying but He will answer him.
The time of prayer is the most likely to be the time when du'aa's are
answered, because of the report narrated by Muslimfrom Abu Moosa
al-Ash'ari(may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "It is
between the time when the imam comes out until the prayer ends."
Based on this, one should make the most of this opportunity and say
du'aa' between the two khutbahs.
With regard to raising thehands, I do not think there is anything
wrong with it, because the basic principle with regard to du'aa' is
that its etiquette includes raising the hands.So if a person raises
his hands there is nothing wrong with it, and if he says du'aa'
without raising his hands there is nothing wrong with it. This has to
do with du'aa' between the two khutbahs. End quote.
Fataawa Noor 'ala al-Darb(Fataawa al-Salaah/Salaat al-Jumu'ah)
Thirdly:
Some fuqaha' said that it is mustahabb to recite Qur'aan when the imam
sits down between the two khutbahs, and some of them mentioned Soorat
al-Ikhlaas in particular, based on the hadeeth of Jaabir ibn Samurah
(may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to give two khutbahs, sitting in
between them. He would recite Qur'aan and remindthe people. Narrated
by Muslim (862). A similar version was narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in his
Saheeh (7/42), which he included in a chapter entitled "Mention of
what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
say when he sat down between the two khutbahs." End quote.
Al-Khateeb al-Sharbeeni (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
His sitting between the two khutbahs was about the length of Soorat al-Ikhlaas.
Should he recite Qur'aan or dhikr therein, or remain silent?
They did not discuss it, but in Saheeh Ibn Hibbaanit says that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite
Qur'aan therein. End quote.
Mughni al-Muhtaaj (1/557).
The correct view is that the words of Jaabir ibn Samurah in the
hadeeth, "he would recite Qur'aan and remind the people" do not refer
to the sitting between the two khutbahs, rather they refer to what is
mentioned at the beginning of the hadeeth,"The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to give two khutbahs", i.e., he
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would deliver two khutbahs
on the minbar, which both included recitation of Qur'aan and
exhortation and reminders to the people.
Hence al-Haafiz al-Dhahabi said in Siyar A'laam al-Nubala' (16/102),
in his biographyof Ibn Hibbaan, in an important discussion of mistakes
made by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh: One of the things which al-Dhahabi
regarded as a mistake on his part was his categorizing of this
hadeeth, when he – Ibn Hibbaan – said: Mention of what [the Prophet]
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite when he sat
down between the two khutbahs. And he did not mention anything. End
quote. Meaning that the hadeeth does not indicatewhat he mentioned in
thechapter heading.
The more correct view –and Allaah knows best – is that there is no
binding Sunnah from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) concerning this matter. The one who wants to use this brief
moment of silence to say du'aa' or dhikr or recite Qur'aan may do so,
so long as he does not disturb others.
And Allaah knows best.

1] What should be said when the imam sits down between the two khutbahs at Jumu’ah prayer?

Key word - {*Friday Prayers:-}
- - -
1]
What should be said when the imam sits downbetween the two khutbahs at
Jumu'ah prayer?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) used to deliver two khutbahs on Friday and he separated them
bysitting down briefly on the minbar.
It was narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to give two khutbahs and sit down between them. Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (928).
It is not narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) or the Sahaabah, as far as we know, said any specific du'aa'
or dhikr between the two khutbahs of Jumu'ah. Rather some of the
scholars said that it is mustahabb to say du'aa' between the two
khutbahs, seeking the time when du'aa' is answered on Friday. One of
the strongest opinions about that time is that it is from when the
imam first comes out to give thekhutbah until the end of the prayer.
This has been discussed in the answer toquestion no. 112165 .
But because this du'aa' was not narrated from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) or the noble Sahaabah, we should not
affirm it or take it as a binding Sunnah; it is also not permissible
to raise one's voice when saying itand disturb the others who are
present. Some scholars have warned against that.
Ibn Hajar al-Haytami narrated that al-Qaadi said: Du'aa' during this
sitting (between the two khutbahs) will be answered. Then Ibn Hajar
said:
It may be understood from what al-Qaadi said that the Sunnah is for
the people present to make use of the time when the imam sits to say
du'aa', because it is affirmed thatit is answered at that time. If
they say du'aa' then it is better for it to be silent, because by
saying it out loud they may disturb others, and because saying it
silently is better in the case of du'aa', unless it is for a reason.
End quote.
Al-Fataawa al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kubra by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (1/251-252).
Shaykh 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan Abu Bateen (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said: Du'aa'whilst sitting between thetwo khutbahs – I
do not know anything about it, and the one who does that seeking the
time mentioned on Friday (when du'aa' may be answered) should not be
objected to. End quote.
Rasaa'il wa Fataawa al-Shaykh 'Abd-Allaah AbuBateen (p. 163)
Shaykh Muhammad Rasheed Rida (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
As for raising the hands and the voice in du'aa' when the khateeb sits
down between the two khutabhs, we do not know of any Sunnah to support
that; there wouldbe nothing wrong with it were it not for the fact
that it disturbs others andbecause they regarded it as a Sunnah to be
followed without any evidence.
What is narrated is to ask for silence when the imam ascends the
minbar,but the silence is for the purpose of listening. Hence we say
that there isnothing wrong with saying du'aa' at times other than when
listeningis required, but one should say du'aa' quietly and not
disturb others with one's du'aa'. Not all the people should raise
their hands so that this becomes one of the rituals of Jumu'ah for
which there is no teachingin the Sunnah. Rather they are going against
theclear Sunnah, if when the imam stands up and begins the second
khutbah they continue with their du'aa's. It is better for them to
listen and ponder at the time of the khutbah, and think and reflect at
the time when the imam is resting.The least that can be said about
this action of theirs is that it is an inappropriate innovation. End
quote.
Majallat al-Manaar (6/792).
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked whether
there is a specificdu'aa' or dhikr that the worshipper may say between
the two Jumu'ahkhutbahs? Is it narrated that the khateeb should say
du'aa' between the two khutbahs or not?
He replied:
There is no specific dhikr or du'aa', rather a person may say whatever
supplication he wants, because this is a time when du'aa's are
answered. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "On Friday there is a time when no Muslim slave asks Allaah for
something when he is standing and praying but He will give itto him."
In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated from the hadeeth of Abu Moosa: "Itis
between the time whenthe imam comes out – i.e.,enters the mosque –
until the prayer ends."
This is a time when du'aa's are answered, so one should make the most
of this opportunity and say du'aa' between the two khutbahs, asking
for whatever he wants of the good things of this world and the
Hereafter.
:->

Is it obligatory to read Qur’aan with the rules of Tajweed?

Some scholars of tajweed said that it is obligatory to read Qur'aan
with the rules of tajweed. Is that true?
Praise be to Allah.
The correct view is that reading Qur'aan with the rules of tajweed is
not obligatory; tajweed is only a means of making one's recitation
more beautiful. If a person reads and pronounces theletters clearly
with the vowels as marked, then this is sufficient. With regard to the
verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning): "and recite the Quran (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and)
style" [al-Muzzammil 73:4], that does not refer to tajweed;rather what
is meant is toread it at a measured pace.

It is not permissible to stay away from Jumu‘ahprayer without an excuse

I graduated as a radiologytechnician in the Norton Hospital in
America. They offered me a job last week, but it seems that they will
not give me a day off on Fridays to perform Jumu'ah prayer. What is
the ruling?
Praise be to Allah.
It is obligatory on the onewho can hear the call to prayer on Friday
and is one of those for whom Jumu'ah is obligatory -- that is he is a
male, Muslim, accountable and free (not a slave) -- to respond to the
call. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the
Salat(prayer) on the day of Friday (Jumuah prayer), come to the
remembrance of Allah (Jumuah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salat
(prayer)) and leave off business (and every other thing), that is
better for you if you did but know!"
[al-Jumu 'ah 63:9].
And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"People must cease neglecting Jumu'ah, or Allaah will put a seal over
their hearts and they will truly be among the negligent." Narrated by
Muslim, 865.
Secondly:
There are some excuses that make it permissible for a Muslim to miss
Jumu'ah prayer, such as being sick or doing essential work that he
cannot leave in order to offer Jumu'ah prayer, as inthe case of one
who is treating the sick or dealing with emergency cases in the
hospital, or one who works as a security guard for a place of great
importance, and other such jobs.
This has been discussed previously in the answer to question no. 36530
Based on that, if your presence in the hospital atthe time of Jumu'ah
prayer is necessary for dealing with emergency and accident cases, and
there is no one else you can do this job apart fromyou, then there is
nothingwrong with your not attending Jumu'ah prayer in that case, and
you may pray it as Zuhr.
But if your staying in the hospital at that time is not necessary,
because there are others who could do the work besidesyou, then there
is no excuse for you to miss Jumu'ah prayer, and you have to do look
for another job which will not conflict with your Islamic duty. If a
person gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate
him withsomething better than it.
We ask Allah to make what is good easy for youwherever it is.
And Allah knows best.

Your Deeds Alone Are Faithful

In this world you have three companions :
one is faithful, the others are treacherous.
The latter are friends and possessions;
the faithful one is excellence in deeds.
Your wealth won't come with you out of your palace;
your friend will come, but only as far as the grave.
When the day of doom comes to meet you,
your friend will say, "I've come this far, but no farther. I will
stand a whileat your grave."
Your deeds alone are faithful: make them your refuge,
for they alone will accompany you into the depths of the tomb.

Consistency in Deeds

"The best of deeds are those carried out regularly even if they are
little deeds. " – Hadith
Never underestimate the reward of punctuality upon a small deed that
is very easy to fulfill or achieve. Regularity or punctuality upon
little deeds, is much more rewarding than huge deeds that are not
fulfilled except haphazardly. Do not be from those who have a tendency
to start off something really good, but give up after a while.
Be strong and keep going.
May the Almighty strengthen our resolve to be regular in fulfilling
our good deeds even if they are little. Aameen.

Entering Medina without Ihram for those who live close

Question:
We live in a city close to Medina Munawwara. I wanted to inquire if we
are allowed to travel to Makkah without Ihraam. If for instance, we
want to go to Makkah to meet relatives who've come for Hajj or Umrah,
can we go there without Ihraam with the intention of only doing
tawaaf? Some people are of the view that its strictly forbidden to
travel to Makkah withoutIhraam (under Hanafi Madhab). Kindly guide us
the Shariah ruling in this regard. We would beextremly grateful.
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum
In the name of Allah the Inspirer of truth.
According to the scholars of Islam, the area of the haram is a
sanctified area and anyone who ventures therein is required to observe
certain proceduresof pilgrim sanctity or ihram, and fulfill certain
rites like umra to the house of Allah.
Hence, the Hanafi position on this is that it is not permitted to
enter into the haram area (and pass the miqat) except with a valid
ihram (Radd al-muhtar).
You may want speak to some local Hanafi scholars in Madina Munawwara
or Makka Mukarrama if any special concessions can be made based on the
Shafi'i school, for instance, for taxi drivers who face this issue all
the time. However, for someone visiting the haram area occasionally
like yourself, there should not be any need to look for concessions
and instead benefit from the blessedness of the area.
And Allah knows best.

Using contraceptive pills in order to perform hajj

Question:
Asslamoualaikoum,
Alhamdullilah, my family and I are planning to perform hajj this year.
I wouldlike to know if my sisters and I can use contraceptive pills in
order to perform our hajj without having to worry about getting our
periods there?
Jazah kallah khayr
Answer:
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
I pray this finds you in the best of health and spirits.
It is permitted to use such pills.

Umrah with Father's Foster-Father

Question:
Am I allowed to go to umrah with my father's foster father who looked
after my father for many year from the age of 13 onwards, is this man
a mahram to me? I would sincerely like to know if Ican because I need
to make arrangements for me to go to umrah with him and his wife.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
Your father's foster father, i.e. the man who looked after your father
from the age of 13, is not considered a Mahram to you; hence it will
not be permitted to travel for Umrah with him, unless you are
accompanied by a Mahram.
The reason being is that being a Mahram is established through the
relationship of lineage (qarabah), breastfeeding (radha'ah) and
marriage (musaharah). As such, this person looking after your father
when your father was young does not make him a Mahram to you.
And Allah knows best

I am impatient and awaiting to perform umrah.

Question:
I am currently a 19-year old girl, and compared to many people still
very young. For 2 years now I have been waiting to go to Saudi Arabia
and wanting to perform umrah.
But I have not been able to. I was born a Muslim and a follow Islam
from my own heart. However, I am currently a practicing Muslim and
have been praying namaz everyday for 2 years now. I started wearing
the hijaab 1 year ago.
I have not had a great upbringing and I have not always been perfect.
However, each and everyday when I make duaa, I pray I go to do umrah.
I am now financially stable, and I have not committed any sins and I
believe I am the best I can be at this moment of this life as a
Muslim.
A question that approaches my mind is I ask to be called to Makkah but
have not yet been. Many keep saying you will be called when it is your
time, but I havenever wanted anything more. I was meant to come with
someone but he won't take me as he only wants to take his own wife and
child.
Every time I think about umrah I start crying. I had my hopes up and
thought I would go this Ramadan. I currently have no mehram and so no
plans.
I don't know what to do,because I keep getting upset and thinking if I
am being a good Muslimwhy is my duaa to come to Makkah not being
fulfilled. I do not know if I am being selfish and asking for this.
But I do not know what to do or who to talk to. I find it hard to talk
to family members about this, as Idon't think anyone understands me.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah. May Allah's peace and blessingsbestow upon our
beloved Prophet, his family, and companions.
Dear Sister,
I pray this finds you in good health and spirits.
I completely sympathize with your desire to visit the House of Allah.
My advice to you about dua is to remember the following:
Dua or supplication is a very powerful means of communicating your
needs and desires to Allah Most High. Don't despair that your prayers
haven't been answered. We cannot guarantee the outcome of our prayers.
Rather, we pray sincerely, take the necessary steps toachieve our
goals, and leave the rest to Allah.
If He has decreed that you will visit His House, then nothing can
prevent you from going. Likewise, if He has decreed that you will not
make umrah, no earthly power can change this.
One of the most importantaspects of iman is being contented with
Allah's qadr, or divine decree. If you are not able to make umrah,
then you will not be held responsible. It's important to have the
intention to do umrah because, as the Prophet (peace be upon him)
said,"Actions are according to intentions."
As a young woman, you have to consider the practical aspects of
traveling. The general consensus of the four Sunni schools of law is
that it is impermissible for a woman to undertake a long journey
without a husband or mahram. The Shafi'i and Maliki Schools do allow a
special dispensation for a woman who performs an obligatory hajj (her
first hajj) with a group of upright people.
Umrah is not obligatory for Hanafis, but is an emphasized Sunna. If I
may suggest, it may be better to focus your energies on Hajj. A lot of
people put off Hajj, thinking they'll make it when they're older. The
only problem is they've accumulated so much debtby that time that they
still can't go!
Don't lose hope. You're still young. Focus your energies on
establishing your deen, learning about your religion, and bringingyour
life into accord with what the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave us.
Allah willing, this will openup the doors of tawfiq, or true success.
Allah Most High hears yourprayers. He responds in many different ways.
I'm including some links from SunniPath that address the issues of dua
and women's travel:
"Can my aunty's husband (mother's brother in-law) be my mehram?"

Making one’s Messenger topic a du‘aa’ (supplication) or word of wisdom

There are "topics" for Messenger of different types, including some
that are called Islamic topics. I chose one of these topics for my
e-mail. Is it permissible for me to do that? Please note that chat or
writing begins with this Islamic topic that I chose.
Praise be to Allah.
There is nothing wrong with using Messenger topics and choosing useful
words, or beneficial supplications, or goodlines of poetry. That will
serve as a reminder to one's friends, and will prompt and remind them
to do good and obey Allah.
And Allah knows best.

somewhat as I was requesting on thelast word

No problem, and I just whent and read your poston the other thread,
you're right it is kinda spooky .
wouldn't go thanking a mullah for it though, I'd praise the Allmighty
. . . but then again you did pick Whisper_of_Iblis as a name, so I'm
guessing there is some irony or sracasm there somewhere
To Space Lizard:
I didn't realise you held verbal abuse and condescension to be so dear
to you, that you would take offense to it, and those who practice it
unashamedly, being condemed as evil.
Nice to know where you stand on the issue I guess
To RayofSun:
Islam is a way of life, therefore it does not*need* any political
system for it to be practised, all it needs is for believers to
be*allowed* to live their lives as they see fit.
and if one feels that the place where he is living is somehow impeding
his practice of Islam, then we are told to emigrate in the way of God
if we are able to, and if we truely cannot escape the circumstance
which is stoping us from being able to practise Islam, then God is
most surely most forgiving:
And those the angels take, while still they are wronging themselves --
the angels will say, 'In what circumstances were you?' They will say,
'We were abased in the earth.'The angels will say, 'But was not God's
earth wide, so that you might have emigrated in it?' Such men, their
refuge shall be Gehenna -- an evil homecoming! -
except the men, women, and children who, being abased, can devise
nothing and are not guided to a way;
haply them God will yet pardon, for God is All-pardoning, All-forgiving.
Whoso emigrates in the way of God will find in theearth many refuges
and plenty; whoso goes forth from his house an emigrant to God and His
Messenger, and then death overtakes him, his wage shall have fallen on
God; surely God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.
(Quran 4:97-100)
Emigration in search of the path of God is akin to Jihad, and the
death of such a one is akin to the death of a Martyr
we should think about that when we complain about our conditions, I
don't like it when it is being spouted by the BNPor the EDL and their
sorts, but in truth, the Quran tells us that practice of God's faith
should be dearer to us than anything, and that doesn'tmean causing a
ruckus or trouble or fighting of any sort, it means leaving for better
pasures and trusting in God that you shall find them
Just for clarity though, that shouldn't be equatedwith those who find
themselves being bombed or forcefully driven out of their own homes,
that's a totally different case, *they* have a right to defend
themselves.

(Qur'an 4:135) How can justice be established if Muslim courts of law governing the Muslims affairs are notallowed?

This verse proves that it isobligatory for Muslims to establish Muslim
government, Muslim courts and a Muslim political and economic order.
Without these Muslims are reduced to following only half or less of
Islam, many are content with this, much secular humanist and banking
power propaganda has served tomake Muslims believe that Islam is
apolitical andhas no economic dimension to its teachings, and it has
beensuccesful. Muslims must re-learn Islam from authentic sources.
Al Muwwata written by Malik is one of the source books of the Islamic
law, here are the chapter headings to give you a indication of the
scope of Islamic teachings, now largely ignored by most Muslims:
Chapter 31: Money changing
Chapter 32: Inheritance
Chapter 33: Advanced payment
Chapter 34: Sales with different time periods
Chapter 35: Corrupt sales
Chapter 36: Profit sharing
Chapter 37: Deceptive transactions
Chapter 38: Fruit‐bearing trees assigned by their owner to another person
Chapter 39: Trading in theland of the enemy
Chapter 40: Concealing defects in goods
Chapter 41: Settlement of transactions
Chapter 42: Making manufacturers accountable
Chapter 43: Wages and hire
Chapter 44: Renting ridingbeasts
Chapter 45: Renting houses and land
Chapter 46: Share‐cropping
Chapter 47: Partnership
Chapter 48: Qirad
Chapter 49: Judgements
Chapter 50: Claims
Chapter 51: The indebted person
Chapter 52: Bankruptcy
Chapter 53: The one authorised to trade
Chapter 54: Standing surety and taking responsibility that another's
obligations will be discharged
Chapter 55: Transfer of debts
Chapter 56: Pawning
Chapter 57: Property taken wrongfully
Chapter 58: Laying claim by rights
Chapter 59: Pre‐emption
Chapter 60: Division of inheritance
Chapter 61: Dedicating a property inalienably as a waqf
Chapter 62: Sadaqah
Chapter 63: Trusts and deposits
Chapter 64: Lending
Chapter 65: Theft/

Some Verses From The Qur'an

O believers, let not any people scoff at another people who may be
better than they; neither let women scoff at women who may be better
than themselves. And find not fault with one another, neither revile
one another by nicknames. An evil name is ungodliness after belief.And
whoso repents not, those -- they are the evildoers.
(Qur'an 49:11)
O believers, be you securers of justice, witnesses for God, even
though it be against yourselves, or your parents and kinsmen, whether
the man be rich or poor; God stands closest to either. Then follow not
caprice, so as to swerve; for if you twist or turn, God is aware of
the things you do.
(Qur'an 4:135)
Had God willed, they were not idolaters; and We have not appointed
thee a watcher over them,neither art thou their guardian.
Abuse not those to whomthey pray, apart from God,or they will abuse
God in revenge without knowledge. So We have decked out fair to every
nation their deeds; then to their Lord they shall return, and He will
tell them what they have been doing.
(Qur'an 6:107-108)
and finally,
It is not piety, that you turn your faces to the Eastand to the West.
True piety is this: to believe in God, and the Last Day, theangels,
the Book, and the Prophets, to give of one's substance, however
cherished, to kinsmen, and orphans, the needy, the traveller, beggars,
andto ransom the slave, to perform the prayer, to pay the alms. And
they who fulfil their covenant when they have engaged in a covenant,
and endurewith fortitude misfortune,hardship and peril, these are they
who are true in their faith, these are the truly godfearing.
(Qur'an 2:177)

Sunni and Shi'a

Introduction
Sunni and Shi'a
Mosaic tiled columns in a mosque ©
The words Sunni and Shi'a appear regularly in storiesabout the Muslim
world but few people know what they really mean. Religion permeates
every aspect of life in Muslim countries and understanding Sunni and
Shi'a beliefs is important in understanding the modern Muslim world.
Introduction
The division between Sunnis and Shi'as is the largest and oldest in
the history of Islam.
They both agree on the fundamentals of Islam and share the same Holy
Book (The Qur'an ), but there are differences mostly derived from
their different historical experiences, political and social
developments, as well as ethnic composition.
These differences originate from the question of who would succeed the
Prophet Muhammad as leader of the emerging Muslim community after his
death. To understand them, we need to know a bit about the Prophet's
life and political and spiritual legacy.
The Prophet Muhammad
When the Prophet died in the early 7th century he left not only the
religion of Islam but also a community of about one hundred thousand
Muslims organised as an Islamic state on the Arabian Peninsula. It was
the question of who should succeed the Prophet and lead the fledgling
Islamic state that created the divide.
The larger group of Muslims chose Abu Bakr, aclose Companion of the
Prophet, as the Caliph (politico-social leader) andhe was accepted as
such by much of the community which saw the succession in political
and not spiritual terms. However another smaller group, which also
included some of the senior Companions, believed that the Prophet's
son-in-law and cousin, Ali, should be Caliph. They understood that the
Prophet had appointed him as the soleinterpreter of his legacy, in
both political and spiritual terms. In the end Abu Bakr was appointed
First Caliph.
Leadership claims
Both Shi'as and Sunnis have good evidence to support their
understanding of the succession. Sunnis argue that the Prophet chose
Abu Bakr to lead the congregational prayers as he lay on his deathbed,
thus suggesting that the Prophet was naming Abu Bakr as the next
leader. The Shi'as' evidence is that Muhammad stood upin front of his
Companionson the way back from his last Hajj, and proclaimed Ali the
spiritual guide and master of all believers. Shi'a reports say he took
Ali's hand and said that anyone who followed Muhammad should
followAli.
Muslims who believe that Abu Bakr should have been the Prophet's
successor have come to be known as Sunni Muslims. Those who believe
Ali should have been the Prophet's successor are now known as Shi'a
Muslims. It was only later that these terms came into use. Sunni means
'one who follows the Sunnah' (whatthe Prophet said, did, agreed to or
condemned).Shi'a is a contraction of the phrase 'Shiat Ali', meaning
'partisans of Ali'.
The use of the word"successor" should not be confused to mean that
those leaders that came after the Prophet Muhammad were also prophets
- both Shi'a and Sunni agree that Muhammad was the final prophet.

US marks 9/11 sans politicians at ground zero 11 September 2012 07:30:00

Washington: Eleven years after terrorist attacks destroyed New York
World Trade Center's twin towers, thousands gathered Tuesday at ground
zero and elsewhere to mark the traumaticevent in sombre ceremonies
sans politicians.
In the midst of a heated electioncampaign, both President BarackObama
and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney have decided to steer away
from any political talk in a simple gesture of homage to the 11th
anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Obama has scheduled a momentof silence at the White House and a trip
to the Pentagon, the target of one of four planes Al Qaeda hijacked 11
years ago.
Romney, meanwhile, is set to address the National Guard, whose members
deployed as part of the US response to the attacks.

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Story of a Young Confuse Man With 3 Question

Young man: Who are you?Can you answer my questions?
Scholar: I am one of Allah (SubHana Wa Ta`ala )'s slaves and
inshaAllah (God willing), I will be able to answer your questions.
Young man: Are you sure? A lot of Professors and experts were not able
to answer my questions.
Scholar: I will try my best, with the help of Allah(SubHana Wa Ta`ala ).
Young man: I have 3 questions:
Does God exist? If so, showme His shape.
What is takdir (fate)?
If shaitan (Devil) was created from the fire, why at the end will he
be thrown into hell that was also created from fire. It certainly will
not hurt him at all, since Shaitan (Devil) and the hell were created
from fire. Did God not think of it this far?
Suddenly, the Scholar slapped the young man's face very hard.
Young man (feeling pain): Why do you get angry at me?
Scholar: I am not angry. The slap is my answer to your three questions.
Young man: I really don't understand.
Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?
Young man: Of course, I felt the pain.
Scholar: So do you believe that pain exists?
Young man: Yes.
Scholar: Show me the shape of the pain!
Young man: I cannot.
Scholar: That is my first answer. All of us feel God's existence
without being able to see His shape.
Scholar: Last night, did youdream that you will be slapped by me?
Young man: No.
Scholar: Did you ever thinkthat you will get a slap from me, today?
Young man: No.
Scholar: That is takdir (fate).
Scholar: My hand that I used to slap you, what is itcreated from?
Young man: It is created from skin.
Scholar: How about your face, what is it created from?
Young man: Skin.
Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?
Young man: In pain.
Scholar: Even though Shaitan (Devil) and also the hell were created fromthe
fire, if Allah wants, in-sha-Allah (Allah willing) the hell will
become a very painful place for Shaitan (Devil)

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Rule Must be Followed When Handling Quran

Question: Are there specialrules that one must followwhen handling the Qu' ran?
Answer: The Qur'an itself states that only those whoare clean and pure
should touch the sacred text:"Thisis indeed a Holy Qur'an, in a book
well-guarded, which none shall touch but those who are
clean…"(56:77-79). The Arabic word translated here as"clean"is
mutahiroon, a word that is also sometimes translated as"purified".
Some argue that this purity or cleanliness is of the heart, i.e. that
only Muslim believers should handle the Qur'an. However, the majority
of Islamic scholars interpret these verses to also refer to a physical
cleanliness orpurity, which is attained by making formal ablutions
(wudu). Therefore, most Muslims believe that only those who are
physically clean through formal ablutions should touch the pages of
the Qur'an.
As a result of this general understanding, the following"rules"are
usually followed when handling the Qur'an:
1) One should make formal ablutions before handling the Qur'an or
reading from its text.
2) One who is in need of a formal bath (after intercourse or menstrual
bleeding) should not touchthe Qur'an until after bathing.
3) A non-Muslim should not handle the sacred text,but may listen to
tapes of the Qur'an or handle a translation or exegesis.
4) Those who are unable to handle the Qur'an basedon these reasons
should either avoid handling the Qur'an completely, or in necessity
hold it while using some sort of barrier covering the hand, such as a
cloth or a glove.
In addition, when one is not reading or reciting from the Qur'an, it
should be closed and stored a clean, respectable place. Nothing should
be placed on top of it, nor should it ever be placed on the flooror in
a bathroom. To further show respect for the sacred text, those whoare
writing it should use clear, elegant handwriting,and those who are
readingfrom it should use clear, beautiful voices.
In summary, Muslims believe that the Holy Qur'an should be handled
with the deepest respect. However, God is All-Merciful and we cannotbe
held responsible for what we do in ignorance or by mistake. The Qur'an
itself says:"Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into
error"(2:286). Therefore, there is no sin in Islam on the person who
mishandles the Qur'an by accident or without the realization of
wrongdoing.
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Is it compulsory to touch the Black Stone even when there is too much rush and fear of getting or c

Question:
Assalamalaikum..i would like to know if it is compulsary to touch the
Hijr-e-Aswad even when there is too much rush and there is fear of
getting hurt or causing hurt ?Will it itbe wrong if one doesn't touch
it because of the mentioned issues..same question regarding touching
the Kaabatullah also.One more thing i want to ask is the same
regarding standing nearest to our Prophet's p.b.u.h Rozemubaarak to
send Durood...if there is too much rush and there is no sense in
pushing and hurting others to gain good deeds...can we read the Durood
standing whereever we get place ?Jazaak Allah khair.
Answer:
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
It is recommended (not obligatory) to try to touch the Black Stone,
but only ifthis will not lead to hurting, harming, or even annoying
others. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]
Given this, it is wrong to try to touch the Black Stone if it entails
pushing and shoving others.
And Allah alone gives success.

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Repentance (tawbah) from riba after having spent it all

I used to have money earned from usury or interest (riba), but I have
spent it all and none of it remains with me. Now I want to repent.
What am I required to do?
Nothing is required of youexcept repentance and seeking forgiveness
from your Lord. Note that riba is a very serious and grave issue,
seeing that Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) did not declare war in the
Qur'an against anyone except the one who accepts riba. Since the money
earned from riba has all gone, then there is nothing due from you in
its regard.

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Meaning of the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) concerning those who will be brought forth from Hell, “[They] never did anything good”

The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will say: ‘The angels have interceded and the Prophets have interceded and the believers have interceded,and there is no one left but the Most Merciful of those who show mercy. And He will seize a handful from the Fire and will bring forth from it people who never did anything good.” Narrated by Muslim. What is the meaning of the words “[they] never did anythinggood”?.
Praise be to Allaah.
What is meant by the words “[they] never did anything good” is that they did not do any righteous deeds apart from believing and affirming in their hearts. These people either died before they were able to act, so they believed and then died before they were able to do anything, so in that case it is true to say that they never did anything good;
Or this hadeeth is to be understood in the light of other hadeeths which indicate that forsaking some righteous deeds constitutes kufr, such as prayer, so the one who does not pray is a kaafir even if he claims to believe in Allah and His Messenger. The kaafir will not be benefited by the intercession of any of those who intercede on the Day of Resurrection; he will abide in Hell for ever and ever -- Allah forbid.
The point is that this hadeeth either applies to people who believe but were not able to do any righteous deeds as they died straight after they believed, so they never did anything good;
Or it is general in meaningbut an exception is made with regard to matters which the shar‘i texts state are essential, such asprayer -- so the one who does not pray is a kaafir who will not benefit from intercession and will not be brought out from Hell. End quote.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him)/ - - - :-> 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

What should she do as she prayed against herself asking that she not be successful and her du‘aa’ was accompanied by an oath?

I am a girl who offers the five prayers regularly and fears Allah, but
I fell into the pit of the secret habit. I regret what I have done and
I have repented morethan once, but of two occasions I swore that if I
did it again that my dream of getting good grades in my exams – which
is my life's dream – should not come true. This was so that I would
stop what I was doing. But unfortunately I did it again. But now I
have repented sincerely and my exams are in a few days' time, and I am
afraid that what I prayed for may come true. I wanted to fast for
three days but I did not have the strength to do that because of the
exams andpsychological pressure. But I have decided to fast after I
finish the exams.
My question is: is it possible for what I prayedfor to come true?
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The secret habit is an abhorrent and haraam action on the part of
both males and females. We have discussed the ruling on that and how
to deal with it in the answers to questions no. 329 and 101539 .
Secondly:
What you have done of praying against yourself and asking that you not
be helped to succeed in obtaining high grades is something that was
not appropriate, because it was praying for something bad for oneself.
Falling behind in your studies is not a goodthing; rather it would
leadto serious negative consequences. The Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) forbade the Muslim to pray against himself. It
was narrated that Umm Salamah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Do not pray against yourselves
except for good things, for the angels says ameen to whatever you
say."
Narrated by Muslim, 920
Muslim also narrated (3014) from Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"Do not pray against yourselves, do not pray against your children,
anddo not pray against your wealth, lest that coincide with an hour
when Allah is asked for something and He responds to you."
Thirdly:
If a person swears to do an act of disobedience then he does it, what
he isrequired to do is offer expiation for the oath he swore. This
expiation is not expiation for the sin he committed; rather it is
expiation for the oath that he swore. As for the sin, what he has to
do is repent sincerely from it. Part of his repentance is regretting
what he did in the past and resolving notto do it again.
See the answer to question no. 103424
Thus, if a person swears against himself with the aim of encouraging
himself to do something or preventing himself from doing something, as
appears to be the case in your question, then it comes under the
ruling onoaths, and if he broke it then he must offer expiation for
it.
Shaykh Khaalid al-Mushayqih (may Allah preserve him) was asked:
What is the ruling on one who says, "Insha Allah I should die if I do
such andsuch?" or he said "May such and such befall me if I do this
thing?" when he knows that he wants to go back to it and he said that
in a moment of anger? Is this regarded as being the same as an oath?
May Allah reward you with good.
He replied:
Firstly, it is forbidden for aperson to pray against himself…
Secondly, if a person prayed against himself in this manner, intending
to encourage himself to do something or prevent himself from doing
something, or to confirm something or to say that something was a lie,
then the oath was broken, thenhe must offer expiation for breaking an
oath (kafaarat yameen). For example, if he said, "If I do not go, may
I fall ill or die," then he did not go. In that case he has to offer
expiation for breaking an oath.

And Allah knows best.

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Ruling on congregational du‘aa’ for the deceased and paying the imam for reciting the du‘aa’

In our state, people used to bring the imaam of themasjid and make him
do a congregational dua for their relatives who are dead ( in front of
the grave). I have five questions here ;
1) Do Allah accept prayer for the dead (near the grave) by anyone
other than his righteous son? (As seen in a hadeeth) ..
2) Wont Allah accept the prayer of a righteous daughter? ..
3) Isn't this congregational dua a bid'ah? ..
4) Paying the imaam for praying to Allah seems to be so horrible.
Isn't this wrong?.
5)My relative justified thatimaams are paid so low here. So they who
need extra money so as to maintain their family needs. Is this a right
justification?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Offering du'aa' for the deceased after the burial is prescribed in
Islam and may be done by his son and others, because of thehadeeth of
'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaan (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: When
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had finished
burying a deceased person, he would stand over him andsay: "Pray for
forgiveness for your brother, and ask that he be made steadfast, for
he is being questioned now."
Narrated by Abu Dawood (3221); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Ahkaam al-Janaa'iz, p. 198
It is mustahabb for every Muslim to attend the burial and offer du'aa'
for the deceased.
Secondly:
The du'aa' of a righteous daughter for her father is included in the
words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): "When
a man dies, all his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing
charity (sadaqah jaariyah), beneficial knowledge, or arighteous child
who will pray for him." Narrated byMuslim (1631) from Abu Hurayrah
(may Allah be pleased with him). In Arabic, the word walad (translated
here as "child";the plural is awlaad) includes both male and female,
as in the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says: "Allah
commands you as regardsyour children's [awlaadikum] (inheritance); to
the male, a portion equal to that of two females" [an-Nisa' 4:10].
Thirdly:
Congregational du'aa' after the burial, if it happens occasionally and
does not become a regular practice, or if one of them offers du'aa'
and the others say Ameen, is regarded as permissible by some of the
scholars.
But if they always do it this way every time there is a funeral or
they visit the deceased, or they single out a specific time to gather,
or they recite du'aa' in unison, then this is a kind of bid'ah and
innovation.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: I see some
people standing at the grave after burial of the deceased and offering
du'aa' for him. Is this permissible? And is there a prescribed du'aa'
to be said after completion of the burial? Is the du'aa' tobe offered
in congregation, such as if one person says du'aa' and the others say
Ameento his du'aa'? Or should each person offer du'aa' on his own?
Please adviseus, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer: The Sunnah that is proven from the Messenger (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) indicates that it is prescribed to offer
du'aa' for the deceased after burial. When the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) had finished burying a deceased person, he
would stand over him andsay: "Pray for forgiveness for your brother,
and ask that he be made steadfast, for he is being questioned now."
There isnothing wrong with one person saying du'aa' and the others
saying Ameen, or each person offering du'aa' by himself for the
deceased. And Allah is the source of strength.
End quote from Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 13/204
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was also asked:
What is the ruling on offering congregational du'aa' at graves?
He replied:
There is nothing wrong with it. If one person says du'aa' and the
others say Ameen, there is nothing wrong with that, so long as it is
not done deliberately and it just so happens that they hear one of
them saying du'aa' and the others say Ameen. In such cases it is not
called "congregational" because it is not done deliberately.
End quote from Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 13/340
Fourthly:
It is not prescribed to pay the imam for offering du'aa' for the
deceased, and it is not Sunnah to stand for a long time at the grave.
What good can result from the du'aa' of a man hired for that purpose?!
See also the answer to question no. 83829
Fifthly:
Poor imams should be helped from zakaah and charity funds, and it is
notpermissible to encourage them in innovations.
And Allah knows best.

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versaDoing ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) on One’s Own Behalf and Hajj on Another’s or ViceVersa

I am going to do 'Umrah before Hajj in sha Allah. Is it acceptable for
me to do 'Umrah on my own behalfand Hajj on behalf of my father? In
this case do I have to do offer the hadiy(sacrificial animal) like
onewho is doing tamattu' (a type of Hajj), or not?
Praise be to Allah.
It is not stipulated in the case of tamattu' that the two rituals
('Umrah and Hajj) be done on behalf of one individual. If a persondoes
'Umrah on his own behalf and Hajj on behalf of someone else, or vice
versa, or he does that on behalf of two different people, all of that
is permissible and he has to offer the hadiy (sacrifice) of tamattu'.
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (14/11): It makes no difference
(withregard to offering the sacrifice) whether the tworituals are done
on behalf of one person, or he does 'Umrah on his own behalf and Hajj
on behalf of someone else, or vice versa, or he does that on behalf of
two different people; he still has to offer the sacrifice of tamattu',
because of the apparent meaning of the verse. This is according to the
majority of fuqaha'. However, the Maalikis said: There is some
difference of opinion in the case where both Hajj and 'Umrah are done
on behalf of one person, where the issue is not clear-cut. Ibn
al-Haajib said: The most well-known view is that he does have to offer
the sacrifice.
End quote. See also at-Taaj wa'l-Ikleel, 4/83; Sharh al-Muhadhdhab,
7/176; Kashshaaf al-Qinaa', 2/414
In the fatwas of the scholars of the Standing Committee (11/58) it
says:It is permissible to perform Hajj on behalf of one who is
deceased or on behalf of one who is still alive but is not able to do
Hajj. But it is not permissible for a person to do Hajj once and make
it on behalf of two people, because Hajj can only be done on behalf of
one person at a time, and the same applies to 'Umrah.
But if he does Hajj on behalf of one person and 'Umrah on behalf of
another in the same year, that is acceptable if the pilgrim has
already done Hajj and 'Umrah on his own behalf. End quote.
And Allah knows best.

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Jesus through Buddhist eyes

A story I like very much is of how, after a strenuous day of giving
teachings toa vast crowd, he is sound asleep in the boat that is
taking them across the sea. His calm in response to the violent storm
that arises as he is sleeping I find most helpful when things are
turbulent in myown life.
I feel very caught up in the drama of it all; there is one thing after
another.People listen to him, love what he has to say (or in some
cases are disturbed or angered by it) and are healed. They can't have
enough of what he has to share with them. I'm touched by his response
to the 4000 people who, having spent three days with him in the desert
listening to his teaching, are tired and hungry. Realising this, he
uses his gifts to manifest bread and fish for them all to eat.
Jesus dies as a young man. His ministry begins when he is thirty (I
wouldbe interested to know more of the spiritual training he
undoubtedly received before then), andends abruptly when he is only
thirty-three. Fortunately, before the crucifixion he is able to
instruct his immediate disciples in a simple ritual whereby they can
re-affirm their link with him and each other (I refer, of course, to
the lastsupper) - thereby providing a central focus of devotion and
renewal for his followers, right up to the present time.
I have the impression thathe is not particularly interested in
converting people to his way of thinking. Rather it's a caseof
teaching those who areready; interestingly, often the people who seek
him out come from quite depraved or lowly backgrounds. It is quite
clear to Jesus that purity is a quality of the heart, not something
that comesfrom unquestioning adherence to a set of rules.
His response to the Pharisees when they criticise his disciples for
failing to observe the rules of purity around eating expresses this
perfectly: "There is nothing from outside thatcan defile a man" - and
to his disciples he is quite explicit in what happens to food once it
has been consumed. "Rather, it is from within the heart
thatdefilements arise." Unfortunately, he doesn't at this point go on
to explain what to do about these.
What we hear of his last hours: the trial, the taunting, the agony and
humiliation of being stripped naked and nailedto a cross to die - is
an extraordinary account of patient endurance, of willingness to bear
the unbearable without any sense of blame or ill will. It reminds me
of a simile used by the Buddha to demonstrate the quality of metta, or
kindliness, he expected of his disciples:"Even if robbers were to
attack you and saw off your limbs one by one, should you give way to
anger, you would not be following my advice." A tall order, but one
that clearly Jesus fulfills to perfection: "Father, forgive them for
they know not what they do."

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Jesus through Buddhist eyes

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, speaking to a capacity audience in the
Albert Hall in 1984 united his listeners instantly withone simple
statement: "Allbeings want to be happy; they want to avoid pain and
suffering." I was impressed at how he was able to touch what we share
as human beings. He affirmed our common humanity, without in any way
dismissing the obvious differences.
When invited to look at Jesus through Buddhist eyes, I had imagined
that I would use a 'compare and contrast' approach, rather like a
school essay. I was brought up as a Christian and turned to Buddhism
in my early thirties, so of course I have ideas about both traditions:
the one I grew up in and turned aside from, and the one I adopted and
continue to practise within. But after re-reading some of the gospel
stories, I would like to meet Jesus again with fresh eyes, and to
examine the extent to which he and the Buddha were in fact offering
the same guidance, even though the traditions of Christianity and
Buddhismcan appear in the surface to be rather different.
A little about how I came to be a Buddhist nun
Having tried with sincerityto approach my Christian journey in a way
that wasmeaningful within the context of everyday life, I had reached
a point of deep weariness and despair. I was weary with the apparent
complexity of it all; despair had arisenbecause I was not able to find
any way of working with the less helpful states that would creep,
unbidden, into the mind: the worry, jealousy, grumpiness, and so on.
And even positive states could turn around and transform themselves
intopride or conceit, which were of course equally unwanted.
Eventually, I met Ajahn Sumedho, an American-born Buddhist monk,
whohad just arrived in England after training for ten years in
Thailand. His teacher was Ajahn Chah, aThai monk of the Forest
Tradition who, in spite of little formal education, won the hearts of
many thousands of people, including a significant number of
Westerners. I attended a ten-day retreat at Oakenholt Buddhist Centre,
near Oxford, and sat in agony on a mat on the floor of the draughty
meditation hall, along with about 40 other retreatants of different
shapes and sizes.In front of us was Ajahn Sumedho, who presented the
teachings and guided us in meditation, with three other monks.
This was a turning point for me. Although the whole experience was
extremely tough - both physically and emotionally - I felt
hugelyencouraged. The teachings were presented in a wonderfully
accessible style, and just seemed like ordinary common sense. It
didn't occur to me that it was 'Buddhism'. Also, they were immensely
practical and as if to prove it, we had, directly in front of us,the
professionals - people who had made a commitment to living them out,
twenty-four hours a day. I was totally fascinated by those monks: by
their robes andshaven heads, and by what I heard of their renunciant
lifestyle, with its 227 rules of training. I also saw that they were
relaxed and happy - perhaps that was the most remarkable, and indeed
slightly puzzling, thing about them.
I felt deeply drawn by theteachings, and by the Truth they were
pointing to: the acknowledgement that, yes, this life is inherently
unsatisfactory, we experience suffering or dis-ease - but there is
aWay that can lead us to the ending of this suffering. Also, although
the idea was quite shocking to me, I saw within the awakening of
interest in being part of a monastic community.
Christ in the desert, Ivan Kramskoj ©
So now, after more than twenty years as a Buddhist nun, what do I find
as I encounter Jesus in the gospel stories?
Well, I have to say that hecomes across as being much more human than
I remember. Although there is much said about him being the son of
God, somehow that doesn't seem nearly as significant to me as the fact
that he is a person - a man of great presence, enormousenergy and
compassion, and significant psychic abilities.
He also has a great gift forconveying spiritual truth in the form of
images, using the most everyday things to illustrate points he wishes
to make: bread,fields, corn, salt, children, trees. People don't
alwaysunderstand at once, but are left with an image to ponder. Also
he has a mission - to re-open the Way to eternal life; and he's quite
uncompromising in his commitment to, as he puts it, "carrying out his
Father's will".
:->

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And Allah knows the best!
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1b] Islam and Jesus Christ.

1b]
I died that bread may be eaten in my name; that they plant me in season.
How many lives will I live!For in every furrow of earth
I have become a future, I have become a seed.
I have become a race of men, in every human heart
A drop of my blood, or a little drop.
After they nailed me and Icast my eyes towards the city
I hardly recognised the plain, the wall, the cemetery;
As far as the eye could see, it was something
Like a forest in bloom. Wherever the vision couldreach,
there was a cross, a grieving mother
The Lord be sanctified! This is the city about to give birth.
Badr Shakir al-Sayyab, Christ after the Crucifixion
This is a poem of salvation, political and theological, a poem that
interweaves, in a apocalyptic voice, the Jesus of the Gospels and the
risen Christ triumphant, a Jesus who is lord of the wretched of the
earth and a Christ who is lord and healer of nature. It is a poetic
gospel in miniature, a vision of Christ in suffering and ultimately in
victory.
So: I think it can safely be shown that Islamic culture presents us
with what in quantity and quality are the richest images of Jesus in
any non-Christian culture. No other world religion known to me has
devotedso much loving attention to both the Jesus of history and to
the Christ of eternity. This tradition is one that we need to
highlight in these dangerous, narrow-minded days. The moral of the
story seems quite clear: that one religion will often act as the
hinterland of another, willlean upon another to complement its own
witness. There can be no more salient example of this interdependence
thanthe case of Islam and Jesus Christ. And for the Christian in
particular, a love of Jesus may also mean, I think, an interest in how
and why he was loved and cherished by another religion./

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1a] Islam and Jesus Christ.

1a]
If you want to take my word for it, you would regard him as one of the
most Christ-like figures in human history, up there with Socrates,
Gandhi andone or two of the greatestsaints of mankind. What made
al-Hallaj a Christ-like figure was total absorption in the life of the
spirit, a realm lying beyond law, and an exploration of a reality that
led him ultimately to claim identity with the divine. But at the same
time, there is in him the unshakable willingness tosubmit to the law,
even unto death. So he dies under the law, as it were, in order to
rise above it, inorder to triumph over the law. Thus, at one time he
used to advise his disciples: "Why go on pilgrimage to Mecca ? Build a
small shrine insideyour own house and circumambulate it in true faith,
and it is as if you have performed the pilgrimage." The tension
between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law endows the
life of Hallaj with a Gospel-like aura, culminating in his trial, his
tragic last days and his heart-rending crucifixion. The model of
sanctity prefigured by al-Hallaj was to survive most notably inside
Muslim mysticism where Jesus was to become a patron saint of Muslim
sufism .
But let me move now to later times. The era of the Crusades, a
two-hundred year war, pitted EuropeanChristian against Western Asian
Muslim armies. And here was a chance for Muslim scholars to point to
the glaring disparity between Jesus, the prophet of peace, and the
barbaric conduct of his so-called followers. In the twelfth century,
Jesus wasonce again reclaimed by Muslim polemics, once again
reinvented, if you prefer, in order to stand shoulder to shoulder
withthe Muslims against his alleged followers. In the battle for the
legacy of Jesus, there was no doubt whatsoever in Muslim eyes that the
true Jesus belonged to Islam. It was in a sense a replay of the
Qur'anic scenario, this time more urgent and dangerous.
As we approach our own days, we observe that many of his earlier
manifestations continue to dominate the spiritual horizons of
contemporaryIslam. Let me speak of only two major images: Jesus the
healer of nature and man, and Jesus the Crucified. To encounter Jesus
the healer, I invite my listeners to take a trip to to the Monastery
of Sidnaya north of Damascus or to the Iranian city of Shiraz. The
Monastery of Sidnaya wasfounded by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in
the 6th century AD. It sits on an outcrop of rock high above a valley.
To this Monastery travels an endless stream of men and women seeking
the blessings and healing of our Lady and her infant son. The vast
majority of visitors are Muslim, who come to this Christian shrine as
did their ancestors for a thousand years.
A visit to Shiraz might come next. Here, the celebrated city, a
treasure house of Muslim art and architecture and a garden-city of
poets and mystics, is home also to a living Muslim medical tradition
of healing, the tradition of the Masiha-Dam , the healing breath of
Christ. This theme is already reflectedin the poetry of the great
Persian poet Hafiz, some seven hundred years ago. Thus, in both the
literary as well as medical tradition of contemporaryIran, there runs
a continuous preoccupationwith the healing Christ figure. For Shii
Islam , which dominates Iran, themartyrdom of Husayn, thegrandson of
the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), in 682 A.D. is a central spiritual event.
And for Shii Islam in particular, the life and death of Christis a
parallel spiritual event. The Christ/Husayn analogy is ever present in
the religious sensibility of Shi'i Islam.
I should now make mention of another poet, widely considered the
greatest Arab poet of the twentieth century: the Iraqi Badr Shakir
al-Sayyab. His life was oneof exile, imprisonment, ill health and of
total commitment to the cause of the oppressed; his was a poetry
utterly Modernistin form but utterly classical in diction. In his
verse one will find what isprobably the most memorable impact of
Christ on modern Arabic/Islamic literature. One poem in particular,
entitled Christ after the Crucifixion is a Passion, a vision of Christ
as lord of nature and redeemer of the wretched of the earth.At the
risk of doing violence to its tight structure, I will give only its
first and its final stanzas:
After they brought me down, I heard the winds
In a lengthy wail, rustling the palm trees,
And steps fading away. Sothen, my wounds,
And the Cross upon which they nailed me all afternoon and evening
Did not kill me. I listened. The wail
Was crossing the plain between me and the city
Like a rope pulling at a ship
As it sinks to the sea-bed. The dirge
Was like a thread of light between dawn and midnight,
Upon a grieving winter sky. And the city, nursing its feelings, fell asleep.
I was in the beginning, and in the beginning was Poverty.
:->

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1] Islam and Jesus Christ.

1]
In the year 630 A.D, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) achieved
one of his most cherished goals: the occupation of Mecca and the
subsequent cleansing of the city from idol worship: it was at once a
political and a religious victory of immense symbolic importance.
Mecca had been declared the centre of the new faith; its conquest was
therefore the fulfillment of a divine promise.
Entering the Ka'ba, the square structure which housed the city's
idols, Muhammad (pbuh) ordered all its icons cleansed or destroyed.
One of the icons in what must have been a very mixed gallery of
divinitieswas a Virgin and child. Approaching the Christian icon,
Muhammad (pbuh) covered it with his cloak and ordered all the
otherswashed away except that one.
Fact or fiction? The question is immaterial. The report I cited is at
least 1200 years old and therefore belongs to some of the earliest
strataof Muslim historical writing.
What this episode illustrates is the fact that between Islam and the
figure of Jesus Christ there exists a literary tradition spanning a
millennium and a half of acontinuous historical relationship -- a
preoccupation with Jesus that may well be unique among the world's
great non-Christian religions. Todo full justice to this record, I
would need a far larger canvas than the one available to me today.
Instead I can only hope to draw a sketch of the contours of that
relationship; to point to only a few of its highest peaks, its
defining moments.
The Qur'an is the axial text of Islamic civilization,and it is of
course where we must begin for Islam's earliest images of Jesus.
Approximately one third of the Quranic text is made up of narratives
of earlier prophets, most of them Biblical. Among these prophetic
figures, Jesus stands out as the most puzzling. The Qur'anrewrites the
story of Jesusmore radically than that of any other prophet, and in
doing so it reinvents him. The intention is clearly to distance him
from the opinions about him current among Christians. The result is
surprising to a Christian reader or listener. The Jesus of the Qur'an,
more than any equivalent prophetic figure, is placed inside a
theological argument rather than inside a narrative. He is very unlike
his Gospel image. There is no Incarnation, no Ministry and no Passion
. His divinity is strenuously denied either by him or by God directly.
Equally denied is his crucifixion. A Christian may well ask, what can
possibly be left of his significance if all these essential attributes
of his image are gone?
Jesus reinterpreted by theQur'an is singled out, again and again, as a
prophet of very special significance. Uniquely among prophets he is
described as a miracle of God, an aya ; he is the word and spirit of
God; heis the prophet of peace par excellence; and , finally it is he
who predicts the coming of Muhammad (pbuh) and thus, one might say, is
theharbinger of Islam.
How did these earliest images of Jesus grow and develop inside Islamic
culture? The Hadith or Prophetic Tradition of Muhammad (pbuh) depicts
him as a figure who will come at the end of days to help bring the
world to its end. He can now be said to bracket the era of Islam,
standing right at its beginning and right at its end. But it is the
rapidly growing literary tradition of Islam which now began to embrace
the various images of Jesus current in the lands that Islam had
conquered. There came together a corpus of sayings and stories
attributed to Jesus which in their totality one could call the Muslim
Gospel (a collection of these I have just published under the title
The Muslim Jesus ). Let me quote a few of these sayings and
stories:"Jesus said, Blessed is he who sees with his heart but whose
heart is not in what he sees". Here's another: "Jesus said, The world
is a bridge; cross this bridge but do not build upon it". And here's a
short exchange: "Jesus met a man and asked him, What are you doing?'I
am devoting myself to God,' the man replied. Jesus asked, 'Who is
caring for you?' 'My brother,' said the man. Jesus said, 'Your brother
ismore devoted to God than you are'." And so it goes on, some three
hundred such sayings andstories, which Muslim culture was to ascribe
to Jesus across a millennium of continuous fascination with his images
and manifestations. At times he is a fierce ascetic, at other times he
is the gentle teacher of manners, at yet others thepatron of Muslim
mystics, the prophet of the secrets of creation, the healer of the
wounds of nature andof man.
But back now to my sketch, to just a few otherilluminations inside
this lengthy historical record. In the tenth century A.D. we have the
great Baghdad mystic al-Hallaj, whose life and crucifixion was called
"The Passion ofal-Hallaj" by the celebrated French Orientalist
Massignon.
:->

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And Allah knows the best!
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The Voice Of Heart

The Scientists have
Proved that,
The Voice which
Comes from
Heartbeat is
"Lub Dub"
But Now they
Analyzed that, It is
'Rub Dub Dub' is an Arabic
word which means
1 who Made Each
and Everything in
the Universe, And
who has the
Command on
Everything.
That is "ALLAH"
So it means Every
Heartbeat says:
"ALLAH ALLAH…
SubhanAllah
"
{its toomuch}

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Questions and Answers on Jinns

Question 12: Is it true that animals see jinn and angels?
Yes. Animals do see angelsand shaitan. When a rooster sees an angel,
it starts crowing. However, when a donkey starts braying it is seeing
a jinn.

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Questions and Answers on Jinns

Question 1: Who are the jinn?
The jinn are among the creatures that Allah (swt) created. Allah (swt)
created angels, jinn, mankind, animals, plants and others. Jinn have
some qualities like human beings. These qualities are intellect,
discrimination, freedom, and the power tochoose between right and
wrong, between true and false, as well as between good and bad.
Question 2: When did Allah (swt) create the jinn?
Allah (swt) created the jinnbefore Adam (pbuh) was created. Both were
createdin heaven and lived in paradise. One may read in Surah Al-Hijr
(The Rocky Tract) [Qur'an, 15:26-27]. However, nothing was mentioned
about the duration of time of the jinn's creation before Adam (pbuh).
Question 3: What are jinn created from?
Jinn are created from fire of hot wind [Qur'an, 15:27]; and from
smokeless fire [Qur'an, 55:15]. They were originally made from fire
and then molded and shaped in the form and shape that Allah (swt)
wanted them to be.
Question 4: Do jinn have bodies?
Yes and no! It depends upon the information that one has. One group of
scholars believe that jinn do not have bodies of their own. They also
do not inhabit bodies of othercreatures. However, they do exist
independently by themselves. Therefore, they do not know how they
exist without bodies: smoke, flame, fire or what?
The other group of scholars do believe that jinn do have bodies either
definite or subtle. If their bodies are definite then they have some
density; otherwise, if they are subtle, then they are so fine that our
weak eyes cannot see them. One mayread Surah Al-A'raf (The Heights)
[Qur'an, 7:27]. Even if they are subtle they should have weight and
density similar to that of the air itself.
Question 5: Do jinn die?
Yes. Jinn do die. As long as they are creatures created by Allah
(swt), they shoulddie. They are creatures that marry, produce
children, eat, drink, and dielike all other creatures in the universe.
One may read Qur'an Surah Al-Rahman (The Most Merciful) [Qur'an,
55:26-28].
Question 6: Do the jinn feel envy of us?
Yes. There are two types of evil eye: human and thejinn. One has to
read regularly 'A'oozu Billahi Minash-shaitanir Rajeem. Also, by
reading Ayah Al-Kursi and Al-Mu'awwazatain, one will be protected from
the evil eyes of both the jinn and mankind.
Question 7: Are there messengers and prophets from within the community of jinn?
Yes. Allah (swt) has sent prophets and messengers to jinn from within
the jinn community. Also, Allah(swt) sent Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to
mankind, to jinn, and to other creatures. In Surah Al-An'am (The
Cattle), Allah(swt) explains that He sentmessengers to men and tojinn.
See Qur'an [6:130].
Question 8: Do jinn have different religions, sects and denominations?
In Surah Al-Jinn (Ch. 72), Allah (swt) informs us that some jinn
accepted Islam, while others refused. Those who refused have deviated,
and developed for themselves different methods, different ways oflife,
and different religions,sects and denominations.
Question 9: Do jinn marry and have children?
Yes. Jinn do marry and they do have children. The way they marry is
not known to us yet. We may be able to know the futureif Allah (swt)
wants us to know.
People never knew about microbes, viruses, and the unseen micro
creatures. Now we are able to know many things about their life
cycles, their life duration, their methods of duplication or
reproduction: sexually andasexually. The mere fact that we do not know
how the jinn marry and reproduce does not negatetheir being married
and reproduced. The Qur'an stipulates in Surah Al-Kahf (18:50) that
they have offsprings. Similarly, the Qur'an states in Surah Al-Rahman
(55:56) that jinn and human beings never touched (married) the ladies
of paradise.
Question 10: Do jinn have animals as pets?
Yes. Jinn do have animals or beasts of their own. TheProphet (pbuh)
mentionedthat every piece of dung isfodder for the beasts of the jinn.
However, we do not know what type of beasts the jinn have. The same
thing is to be said as to the varieties of beasts, their number, their
shape, their size, their weight andso on.
Question 11: Do jinn have homes of their own?
Yes. The jinn do have homes. They live all over the planet earth.
However,there are special places that one may find them in abundance
and on a regular basis. These are deserts, ruins, places of impurities
such as dunghills, bathrooms and graveyards. They live in houses of
human beings too. For those who enter their houses mentioning the name
of Allah (swt), the jinn cannot have a place to stay overnight in that
house. If the people of the house mention the name of Allah (swt)
beforeeating, then the shaitan will not be able to eat with them.

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