Dought & clear, - Advice after Ramadaan

What advice can you give after Ramadaan?
Praise be to Allaah
I wonder whether the fasting person continued after Ramadaan to be as
he was during Ramadaan, or is he "like her who undoes the thread which
she has spun, after it has become strong" [cf. al-Nahl 16:92]? I
wonder whether the one who during Ramadaan was fasting, reciting and
reading Qur'aan, giving and spending in charity, praying at night,
makingdu'aa', will he be like that after Ramadaan, or will he follow
another path, I mean the path of the Shaytaan, so that he commits sin
and does things that anger the Most Gracious, Most Merciful?
If a Muslim continues to have the patience to do righteous deeds after
Ramadaan, this is a sign that his (fasting) has been accepted by his
Lord, the Most Generous,the Bestower of blessings. If he fails to
dorighteous deeds after Ramadaan, and follows the ways of the
Shaytaan, this is a sign of humiliation, meanness, lowly status and
being deprived of the help of Allaah, as al-Hasan al-Basri said: "They
were no longer of any significance to Allaah, so they committed sin.
If they had mattered to Him, He would have protected them." When a
person becomes insignificant to Allaah, Allaah will no longer honour
him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whomsoever Allaahdisgraces, none can honour him" [al-Hajj 22:18]
What is amazing is that during Ramadaan, you see some people who fast
and pray at night, who spend in charity and worship the Lord of the
Worlds, then no sooner has the month come to an end, but their nature
changes completely, and they begin to have a bad attitude towards
their Lord. So you see them neglecting prayer and avoiding righteous
deeds, committing sins and disobeying Allaah inmany different ways,
keeping away from obedience towards Allaah, the Sovereign, the Holy,
the One Free from all defects.
How terrible it is, by Allaah, when people only acknowledge Allaahin Ramadaan.
The Muslim should makeRamadaan an opportunity to turn overa new leaf
by repenting, turning to Allaah, persisting in worshipping Allaah,
always being aware thatAllaah is watching at every minute of every
hour. So after Ramadaanthe Muslim should continue to obey Allaah and
should avoid sin andevil actions, as a continuation of the way he was
during Ramadaan and the things that he did then to draw closer to the
Lord of creation.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as- Salaah), at the two ends of the
day and in some hours of thenight [i.e. the five compulsory Salaah
(prayers)]. Verily, the good deeds remove the evil deeds (i.e. small
sins). That is a reminder (an advice) for the mindful (those who
accept advice)"[Hood 11:114]
The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Follow a
bad deed with a good deed, for it will wipe it out; and have a good
attitude and good manners towards people."
Undoubtedly the purpose for which Allaahcreated everyone was toworship
Him Alone, with no partner or associate. This is the ultimate purpose
and the highest aim, which is to attain 'uboodiyyah (being a slave of
Allaah in the truest and fullest sense). This was achieved in the most
beautiful manner during Ramadaan, whenwe saw people going to the
houses of Allaah in groups and individually, and we saw them striving
to perform the obligatory prayers on time and to give in charity,
competing with one another in doing good deeds. And for this let (all)
those strive who want to strive (cf. al-Mutaffifeen 83:26), forthey
will be rewarded insha Allaah. But there remains the case of those
whom Allaah keeps firm with the word that stands firm in this world
and in the Hereafter (cf. Ibraaheem 14:27). Whomever Allaahhelps to be
steadfast in doing righteous deeds after Ramadaan, Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the righteous deeds exalt
it (i.e. the goodly words are not accepted by Allaah unless and until
they are followed by good deeds), but those who plot evils, theirs
willbe severe torment. And the plotting of such will perish"[Faatir
35:10]
Undoubtedly righteous deeds are among the acts which bring a person
closer to Allaah atall times, and the Lord ofRamadaan is also the Lord
of Jumaada and Sha'baan and Dhu'l-Hijjah and Muharram and Safar and
all the other months. That is because the worship that Allaah has
enjoined upon us includes five pillars, one of which is fasting, which
is for a setperiod which has come to an end. But there remain other
pillars, Hajj, prayer and zakaah, for which we are answerable to
Allaah. We must perform these duties in the manner which is pleasing
to Allaah, and we must strive thereby to fulfil the purpose for which
we were created. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they
should worship Me (Alone)"[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]
The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught his
Companions to compete in doing good, and he said, "One dirham may
weigh more with Allaah than a dinar, and the best of charity is that a
man gives when he is rich." He(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) explained that if the person gives charity when he is disinclined
to do so and is in good health, but fears poverty, that charity will
weigh heavily with Allaah in the balance of good deeds; whereas the
one who delays it, then when he gets sick he starts to spend in
charityhere and there, fearing that his good deeds will be rejected,
there is the danger that his (charity) will not be accepted - we seek
refuge with Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Allaah accepts only the repentance of those who do evil in
ignoranceand foolishness and repent soon afterwards; it is they whom
Allaah will forgive and Allaah is Ever All Knower, All-Wise.
And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil
deeds until death faces one of them and he says:"Now I repent;" nor of
those who die while they are disbelievers. Forthem We have prepared a
painful torment"[al-Nisaa' 4:17-18]
The pious and sincere believer should fear Allaah and strive to
obeyAllaah at all times, persisting in his taqwa and always striving
to do good, call others to Allaah, enjoin what is good and forbid what
is evil. For the believer, his days and nights in this world are
storehouses, so let him see what he can deposit in them. If he
deposits good things in them, it will testify in his favour before his
Lord on the Day of Resurrection; if it is the opposite, then it will
be a disaster for him. We ask Allaah to save us andyou from that loss.
The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) said:
Among the signs of acceptance (of good deeds) is that Allaah causes
one hasanah (good deed) to be followed by another, for the hasanah
says, "My sister, my sister!" And thesayi'ah (evil deed) also says,
"My sister, my sister!" -we seek refuge with Allaah. If Allaah has
accepted a person's Ramadaan, and he has benefited from this period of
(spiritual) training and has remained steadfast in obeying Allaah,
then he has joined the caravan of those who have remained steadfast
and responded to Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, those who say: 'Our Lord is Allaah (Alone),' and then they
stand firm, on them the angels will descend (at the time of their
death) (saying): 'Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings
of Paradise which you have been promised!
We have been your friends in the life of this world and are (so) in
theHereafter. Therein you shall have (all) that your inner selves
desire, and therein you shall have (all) for which you ask"[Fussilat
41:30-31]
"And whosoever takes Allaah, His Messenger, and those who have
believed, as Protectors, then the party of Allaah will be the
victorious" [al-Maa'idah 5:56]
"Verily, those who say: "Our Lord is (only) Allaah," and thereafter
stand firm (on the Islamic Faith of Monotheism), on them shall be no
fear, nor shallthey grieve" [al-Ahqaaf 46:13]
This standing firm should continue from one Ramadaan to the next,
because the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"From one prayer to the next, from one Ramadaan to the next, from one
Hajj to the next, this expiates for whatever (sins) werecommitted from
one to the next, so long as you avoid major sins." And Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall
expiate from you your (small) sins, and admit you to a Noble Entrance
(i.e. Paradise)" [al-Nisaa' 4:31]
The believer should join the caravan of those who stand firm and
should board the ship of salvation from the time when he reaches the
earliest age of discretionuntil he draws his last breath. He should
remain in the shade of "Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah", enjoying the blessings
ofAllaah. This religion is the truth and the way in which we
steadfastly adhere to it in Ramadaan is that with which Allaah honours
us by the bounty of His giving, His gracious blessing and His great
favour, so that we mightcontinue to pray qiyaam and to worship Him
afterthe month of Ramadaan.Do not forget, my brother, that Allaah has
blessed you with i'tikaaf,and Allaah has blessed you with giving
charity, and Allaah has blessed you with fasting, and Allaah has
blessed you with du'aa' which has been accepted. Do not forget, my
brother, to take care of these good deeds and this support from
Allaah, and do not let them be wiped out by bad deeds. So strive to
cultivate goodness and happiness on your way, and to keep company with
those who remain steadfast (inIslam), and to seek Allaah and His
Messengerand the Home of the Hereafter, where it will be said to you,
Receive glad tidings of Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth,
prepared for the pious, for you responded to the call of Allaah; O
seeker of good,continue, for Allaah has some people who will befreed
from Hell, and O seeker of evil, desist. Andyou responded to the words
of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "Whoever
prays at night during Ramadaan out of faith and hoping for reward, his
previous sinswill be forgiven. And whoever prays at night during
Laylat al-Qadr outof faith and hoping for reward, his previous
sinswill be forgiven."
I ask Allaah Who has blessed us and you with fasting, i'tikaaf, 'umrah
and charity to bless us with guidance, piety, and acceptance of our
good deeds; may He helpus to persist in doing good deeds and to remain
steadfast, for persistence in doing good deeds is one of thegreatest
means of drawing closer to Allaah.Hence when a man cameto the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, "Advise
me," he said, "Say, 'I believe in Allaah,'and remain steadfast."
(Agreed upon).
According to a report narrated by Ahmad, he said, "Say, I believe in
Allaah,' then remain steadfast." [The man] said, "O Messenger of
Allaah, all the people say that." He said, "Some people who came
beforeyou said that, but they did not remain steadfast." So the
believers must continue to be steadfast in obeying Allaah:
"Allaah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands
firm in this world (i.e. they will keep on worshipping Allaah Alone
and none else), and in the Hereafter. And Allaah will cause to go
astray those who are Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers), and
Allaah does what He wills"[Ibraaheem 14:27 -interpretation of the
meaning]
The one who is steadfastin obeying Allaah is the one whose du'aa' will
beanswered, the du'aa' which he repeats more than twenty-five times
each day, "Guide us to the Straight Way" [al-Faatihah 1:6 -
interpretation of the meaning], which we say in al-Faatihah. Why is it
that we say and believe strongly that if we remain steadfast Allaah
will forgive us, but we are too lazy to apply thatin practical terms?
We should fear Allaah and apply this in deed and thought and word. We
should strive in the way of "ihdinaa al-siraat al-mustaqeem (Guide us
to the Straight Way)", and we should travel theroute of "iyaaka
na'budu wa iyyaaka nasta'een (You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone)
we ask for help (for each and everything))" [al-Faatihah 1:5 -
interpretation of the meaning], in the shade of "ihdinaa al-siraat
al-mustaqeem (Guide us to the Straight Way)", following the route that
will lead us to Paradise the width of the heavensand the earth, whose
key is Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah. I ask Allaah to grant us and you a good
end.
After the end of Ramadaan, the people are divided into various types,
two of the most prominent of which I will describe here. The first
type are those whom you see in Ramadaan striving hard in worship. You
never see them but they are prostrating or standing in prayer, or
reading Qur'aan, or weeping, so much that they remind you of some of
the worshippers among the salaf, and you even feel compassion for them
because of the intensity of their efforts and striving. Yet hardly has
the month ended, before they go back to negligence and committing sin,
as if theywere prisoners of that worship, so they turn their attention
to their desires and become negligent and commit sins which they think
will take away their distress and grief. But these poor people
forgetthat sin is the cause of doom, because sins are like war wounds,
one of which may turn out to be fatal. How often has sin prevented a
person from saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah when in the throes of death.
After spending this entire month with faith, (reading) Qur'aan and
other acts of worship, these people then backslide, Laa hawla wa laa
quwwata illa Billaah (there is no power and no strength except with
Allaah). These are the occasional worshippers who only acknowledge
Allaah on certain occasions or at times of calamity and distress, then
after that there is no more obedience or worship. What a bad habit
that is.
"The worshipper prayed for something that he wanted, and when the
matter was done, he neither prayed nor fasted." [Arabic poetry]
I wonder what is the point of worshipping fora whole month, if that is
going to be followed by a return to dishonourable ways?
The second type are those who feel distressed at the departure of
Ramadaan, because they have tasted the sweetness of being safe from
sin, and the bitterness of patience became insignificant to them,
because they came to realize the true nature of their weakness and
need for their Master (Allaah) and their need to obey Him. They fasted
in a true sense and stoodin prayer at night out of love, so when they
bade farewell to Ramadaan, their tears flowed and their hearts were
broken. Those among them who were burdened with sin hoped to be freed
from sin and ransomed from Hell, and to join the caravan of those who
are accepted. Ask yourself, my brother, which of the two groupsdo you
belong to?
By Allaah, are they the same? Praise be to Allaah, but most of them do
not know. The mufassireen said, commenting on the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad to mankind): 'Each one does according to Shakilatihi
(i.e. his way or his religion or his intentions)..."
[al-Israa' 17:84] - every person acts according to his way or the
character that he is used to. This is condemnation for the kaafir and
praise for the believer.
You should know that the dearest of deeds to Allaah are those that are
continuous, even if they are little. The Messenger(peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "O people, you must do whatever you can
of good deeds, for Allaah does not get tired until you get tired. The
most beloved of deeds to Allaah are those which are continuous, even
if they are little. The family of Muhammad(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), when they did something, they would persist in
doing it." Narrated by Muslim.
When the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) wasasked
about which deeds are most beloved to Allaah, he said, "Thosewhich are
continuous, even if they are little."
'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) was asked about what the
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did and
whether he used to do certain things on particular days. She said,"No,
his good deeds were continuous. Who among you could do what the
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
do?" The acts of worship prescribed in Islam are based on certain
conditions which must be fulfilled, like remembrance of Allaah, Hajj
and 'Umrah and their naafil actions, enjoining what is good and
forbidding what is evil, seeking knowledge,jihaad, and other good
deeds. So strive to worship continuously according to your capability.
May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad andhis family and companions,
and grant them peace.

Dought & clear, - Will there be pregnancy and childbirth in Paradise?

We know that there willbe wives in Paradise; will there be any
pregnancy and childbirth?
Praise be to Allah.
Some of the scholars are of the view that if a person wishes to have a
child in Paradise, Allah will fulfil that wish for him. They quoted as
evidence for that the report narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2563) in
hisSunanfrom Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) who
said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "If the believer wishes for a child in Paradise, the
pregnancy, birth and growth will occur withinan hour, as he wishes."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Jaami', 6649
What is meant is that thepregnancy will occur and the child will be
born and will grow to the age of perfection, which is thirty years, as
the person wishes, i.e., the child will be male or female and so on,
in accordance with the person's wishes.
This is the view of many of the scholars.
Some of the scholars said that in Paradise there will be
intercoursebut there will be no children. This view was narrated from
Tawoos, Muhaajid and Ibraaheem an-Nakha'i.
Imam al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It was narrated
from Abu Razeen al-'Uqayli that the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "The people of Paradise will not have
children there."
The hadeeth referred to by al-Bukhaari was narrated by Imam Ahmad
(15773) from AbuRazeen al-'Uqayli (may Allah be pleased with him) in a
lengthy hadeeth in which it says "The righteous women will be for the
righteous man, you will enjoy them as you enjoyed them in this world,
and they will enjoy you, but you will not produce children."
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:It has the dignity
and light of Prophethood which suggests that it is saheeh. However it
was classed as da'eef by al-Albaani inZalaal al-Jannah, and Shu'ayb
al-Arna'oot said: Its isnaad is da'eef and is a series of unknown
narrators.
The hadeeth clearly states that there will be no childbirth, but there
is a difference of opinion as to its soundness.
With regard to the hadeeth of Abu Sa'eed (may Allah be pleased with
him), "If the believer wishes for a child in Paradise, the pregnancy,
birth and growth will occur withinan hour, as he wishes", itwas noted
that its soundness is subject to further discussion. HenceIbn
al-Qayyim said concerning it: Its isnaad meets the conditions of
soundness, but it is ghareeb jiddan.Haadi al-Arwaah, p. 213
And he said: With regardto this hadeeth of Abu Saeed al-Khudri, the
bestof its isnaads is the isnaad of at-Tirmidhi, who determined that
it is ghareeb and that it is only known from the hadeeth of
Abu's-Siddeeq an-Naaji, and the wording of the hadeeth is not sound.
End quote.
Imam Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh (may Allah have mercy on him) said
concerning the hadeeth of the Prophet (blessingsand peace of Allah be
upon him), "If the believer wishes for a child in Paradise, the
pregnancy, birth and growth will occur withinan hour, as he wishes":
But he will not wish. What is meant by the words of Ishaaq is that the
words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), "If
the believer wishes …" are hypothetical )i.e., if the believer were to
wish, but in fact he will not wish).
Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned a number of reasons why it is most likely that
there will be no childbirth in Paradise, such as the following:
1.The hadeeth of Ibn Razeen
2.The words of Allah, may He be exalted (interpretation of the
meaning):"Therein they shall have Azwajun Mutahharatun (purified mates
or wives)" [an-Nisa'4:57]. They are the ones who have beenpurified
from menses, nifaas (postpartum bleeding) and so on.
It was narrated that Mujaahid said: Purified from menses, stools,
urine, sputum, spitting, maniy and childbirth.
3.Allah, may He be glorified, made pregnancy and childbirth along with
menses and maniy; if women were to become pregnant inParadise, menses
and other discharges would not cease for them.
4.It is proven inas-Saheehthat the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "There will remain inParadise surplus space,
and Allah will create a creation forit and cause them to inhabit it
(the surplus space)." Narrated by Muslim, 5085. If there were to be
childbirth in Paradise, then this surplus space would be for those who
would be born there, and they would be more entitled to it than
others.
5.Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):"And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in
Faith, to them shall We join their offspring" [at-Toor 52:21]. Here He
tells us that He will honour themby joining to them their offspring
that they had in this world. If they were to have offspring in
Paradise, Allah would have referred to them asHe referred to their
worldly offspring, because they would be delighted with them (the
hypothetical offspring in Paradise) as they were delighted with their
children in this world (i.e., the fact that He mentioned only the
worldly offspring indicates that there will be no offspring in
Paradise).
6.Either we say that there will ongoing procreation inParadise or that
it will continue until some point, then cease. But both ideas
areimpossible, because the former implies endless birth of new
individuals,whilst the latter implies the end of one of the pleasures
of the people of Paradise, and that is impossible. And we cannot say
that there will be procreation and people will die to be succeeded by
others, because there is no death there.
7.People will not grow inParadise as they did inthis world, so the
children of its people will not grow and become bigger, and the men
will not grow. Rather these children will remain small and will not
change, and the adults will be thirty-three years old and will not
change either. If there were any childbirth in Paradise, then the
child would have to grow until it became an adult. It is well known
that children who die will reach the age of thirty-three without
growing.
Then he said: Paradise is not the realm of procreation; rather it is
the place of eternal abode and those who are in it will never die and
be replaced by their offspring. End quote.
Haadi al-Arwaah, 1/173
And Allah knows best.

There are three types of 'friends'...

Those that are necessary like nourishment and youcannot live without
them; those that are like medicine and are beneficial, so you need
them sometimes; and finally, those that are likea sickness and you do
notneed them at all!
Prophet Muhammad (saw) has said, "The believer is like a mirror to
other believers (in truthfulness)." Like a mirror, your friend gives
you an honest image. He forgives your mistakes, but does not hide or
exaggerate your strengths and weaknesses.
Once Prophet Muhammad(saw) was asked, "What person can be the best
friend?" "He who helps you remember Allah (SWT), and reminds you when
you forget Him," the Prophet Muhammad (saw), counseled.
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)said: "A friend cannot be considered a
friend unless he is tested on three occasions: in time of need, behind
your back and after your death."
Imam Jafar Sadiq (as)alsoremarks, "My best friend is the one who gifts
me my weaknesses and shortcomings." In other words one who brings
toyour notice your defects and flaws is indeed your true friend.
However, there is one very imperative point in the above-mentioned
tradition of Imam Jafar Sadiq (as). When one presents an offering to a
close friend, he does so with utmost care, not willing to overlook
anything. He offers the gift with total respect and regard. For, even
themost valuable gift if not presented with correct etiquette, can
look very ordinary. While presenting the offering, the friend tries to
make the most expensive gift seem very ordinary so as to not embarrass
the recipient. On the other hand, the recipient of this gift tries to
make even the most ordinary gift seem very precious, so as to please
his friend. Similarly, when we wish to point out certain shortcomings
to a friend, we must do so with a degree of respect and sincerity. Our
sole intention must be to reform the friend and there should be no
hint of any malice and self-righteousness. Likewise, when a friend
highlights for us, our defects, we must acknowledge the same with
respect and gratitude without any ill will and hostility.
Imam Hassan Askari (as) Says: "Those who advise their friend secretly
are respecting them, and those who advise them openly are humiliating
them."
Indeed if we establish these as the standards of friendship, the
believers shall soon find themselves enveloped with friends who will
take them closer to Paradise and farther away from the fire of hell.
Allah (SWT) says in the Noble Qur'an: O you who believe! Take care of
your souls; he who errs cannot hurt you when you are on the right
way;to Allah is your return, of all (of you), so He will inform you of
what you did. (Surah Al-Maeda, 5:105)
There are certain tips to remember if you wish to keep a stable friendship.
Do not dispute with him and do not be hostile to him.
Do not ridicule him. Do not quarrel with him. Instead accord friends
the respect they deserve.
Imam Hassan (as) Says:"Befriend people in the same manner you would
like them to befriend you."
Do not hold him in contempt nor consider him to be lower than you.
Instead guard the honor of your friends during their absence andafter
their death.
Do not claim precedence and supremacy over him. Instead forgive the
short-comings of your friends, because everyone makes mistakes in
life.
Do not crack indecent jokeswith him.
Finally, we ask Allah (SWT) to make us of the righteous ones and give
us companions that will take us away from His Wrath and lead us to His
Pleasure and Paradise.

Who should not be befriended according to the philosophy of Islam?

When choosing our friends we should ask ourselves first: Are they
going to help us achieve the purpose for which we were brought to
life? Or will they take us away from it? Will they desire for us
Allah's (SWT) pleasure or is that completely irrelevant to them and
not their concern at all? Are they leading us to Paradise or to the
Hell?
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (as) narrates from his father who said,"O my
son don't befriend five types of people:
1. Don't befriend a liar (Kadhib). For a liar is like a mirage. He
shows the distant as near and the near as distant. He will always
deceive you and trouble you.
2. Don't befriend a transgressor (Ghasib). Forhe will forsake you for
a paltry sum and make your sins appear very alluring to you. He will
make you a victim of Allah's chastisement through his petty sins and
take you farther away from His obedienceand satisfaction. He will make
Allah's worship appear as His disobedience, and His disobedience as
His worship. He will drag youalong with himself in the fire of hell.
3. Never befriend a miser (Bakheel/Kanjus). For in your time of need
and distress, he will withhold his wealth from you, while he is in a
position to assist you. (He values his wealth more than anything else.
And to thatend he is prepared to forsake even his friends)
4. Do not befriend a fool (Ahmaq). For (in his foolishness) he will
harm you while he intends to help you. (That is why it is said, 'A
shrewd enemy is better than a foolish friend')
5. Don't befriend the one who breaks relations (with his
relatives/Khata Rahmi). For, such a person has been cursed in the
Noble Qur'an in three places. He is engrossed in his own affairs with
scant regard for others. (Friendship with such a person will
eventually lead the individual towards sins and disobedience of
Allah)"
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)said: "Do not befriend a sinner
(Fasiq/Fajir) because he will sell you for a morsel."
Imam Sajjad (as) said:"Do not make anyone your enemy even though you
consider him harmless and do not turn down a person's friendship even
if you think he will not benefit you."
The Noble Qur'an says,"The hypocritical men andthe hypocritical women
are all alike; they enjoin evil and forbid good and withhold their
hands; they have forsaken Allah, so He has forsaken them; surely the
hypocrites are the transgressors." (Surah Al-Tawba, 9:67)
On the other hand, Noble Qur'an discusses the believers in the
followingmanner, "And (as for) thebelieving men and the believing
women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid
evil and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allahand His
Messenger; (as for) these, Allah will showmercy to them; surely Allah
is Mighty, Wise." (Surah Al-Tawba, 9:71)
The two Qur'anic verses mentioned above only goto show how critical a
role friendship can play in our lives. A true friend then, is the one
who takes us closer to Allah's (SWT) compassion and grace.
Having deliberated at length on who should not be befriended, we shall
now see what kind of people should be befriended. Imam Jafar Sadiq
(as) narrates,"Friendship entails certaintrusts and duties. Then the
one who observes these obligations is a true friend and the one who
breaches this trust isunworthy of friendship. These obligations are as
follows;
1. He should be the same outside as he is inside. In other words, he
should not have a dual personality. (In this age however, we often
come across people who are exceptionally humble and modest on the
outside, with little, if any humility, on the inside)
2. He will consider your virtues as his virtues and your misdeeds as
his misdeeds. (In other words your virtues will cheer him and your
faultswill grieve him. God forbid, he must not feel relieved after
observing some vice in you, and take solace from the fact that he
himself is above that vice.)
3. If he acquires a position of power and authority, it must not bring
about a drastic change in his attitude. In other words, prosperity
must not transform the individual adversely. (There are some people
who make the best of friends in adversity. But apositive change in
their financial condition reveals a dark, hitherto unknown side of
their personality. On the other hand we see some people who make good
friends in prosperity, but misfortune transforms them, disclosing
their fickleness.)
4. He must give his friendship(with you) priority over all his worldly
possessions. In other words in times of adversity, he must be willing
to give his all to redeem you.
5. He must never leave you alone in times of misfortune and distress."

The miraculous measure in tides

Tides have such an effectthat they can even change living conditionsin
some regions of the Earth. People, who resume their lives after the
withdrawal of tides, arrange their entire livesaccording to tides. By
the Will of Allah, oceans rise up to a certain level. This way, they
never become a threat for localpeople.
Think of a water molecule in the ocean. This molecule is under the
influence of the force of gravity. However, the Moon also exerts a
weaker gravitational pull on thismolecule. The distance between the
Moon and the Earth and the Moon'ssmall mass are the principal causes
of this weaker pull of the Moon.This force of gravity of the Moon is
not only influential on this water molecule, but also on all objects
on the Earth. Yet,because all objects are not fluid like liquids,
there exists no apparent changes.
Every region of the Earthdoes not respond to this rise and fall of
oceans at the same rate. That is because the Moon's force of gravity
changes from place to place; the distance between the Moon and the
various points of the Earth is not the same. As a result of this
effective force on oceans, the water rises towards a certain
direction. As the Moon's position in relation to the Earth and the Sun
changes, this force diminishes and tidal regions occur where water
withdraws.
The Sun's gravitational pull also brings about a rise in the oceans.
However, this force affects the Earth by a rate of 1/3.
Because the Moon is nearer to the Earth than the Sun, despite the
Sun's big mass, the Moon's gravitational pullis two and a half times
stronger than the Sun.
No doubt, a tide is only one of the systems in theuniverse that our
All-Mighty Allah has created with flawless miracles. The sensitive
balance in the tide is notlimited to these. As the gravity of the Moon
causes oceans to rise, with a second force, oceans are also pulled
inthe opposite direction ofthe Moon that is towardsthe Earth. While
all of these occur , Earth continues to rotate around itselfs, so
there are two tides happen everyday. The times of tides vary in each
regionas the position of the Sun, the Moon and the Earth changes. For
instance in Northern
California, tides come in twice a day, while in the Mexican Gulf, it
happens only once, in the form ofjust one rise and fall.
LIFE STORIES FROM TIDAL REGIONS
97% of the water that covers more than 70% ofthe Earth is oceans.
According to data provided by the World Resources Institution (WRI),
40% of the world's population lives on the coasts surrounding this
water and from time to time, these people experience tsunamis, storms,
or tides that come into existence with the rise and fall of water.
Especially at regions where natural events such as tides happen, with
respect to the position of the Moon, local people take many
precautions and developvarious forms of living inorder to survive.
Street Fishing
- In tidal regions, sometimes highways arebuilt upon places where
water recedes. However,when water comes back,these highways turn
intoareas where local peoplefish and very interesting scenes occur.
This activity, which is called street fishing, is a way through which
the All-
Mighty Allah offers food from the sea, one of His blessings, to
people. In the Qur'an, our Lord states that He is the One Who bestows
His blessings in the sea:
"It is He Who made the sea subservient to you sothat you can eat fresh
flesh from it and bring out from it ornaments towear. And you see the
ships cleaving through itso that you can seek His bounty, and so that
hopefully you will show thanks."(Qur'an, 16: 71)
Horizontal Falls
The rapid movement of water also causes extraordinary situations such
as falls that flow horizontally.
Flawless Design Well-Matched with Circumstances
Most of the fish living in tidal regions have a structure resistant to
shallow and running water. While water recedes, they need to hide in
small holes so that they are not drifted with the water. They
canaccomplish this by their thin structure and height smaller than 20
cm.
Fins of fish in tidal regions have the design most suitable for their
living conditions. By the fins on their chests, they can hold onto
rocks. Their skin, on the other hand, is created to resist the
constant currents. Some of them have very few scales, whereas some
have none. Instead, various fish secrete a mucus-like fluid that
minimizes friction likely to happen during currents.
Aside from these flawlesstraits, fish living in tidal regions have an
amazing ability of camouflage. Some species constantly change color
where as some others, wherever they may be, can instantly gain the
color and patterns matching the environment.
Another miracle of design in the bodies of fish living in tidal
regions is the mechanism highly resistant to water loss. Thanks to
this mechanism, even if they lose 60% of their body water, they can
survive. The thick skin they have and the mucus they secrete, are the
components of this mechanism slowing down the water loss.
The Miraculous Respiration in Air With Gills …
For fish living in tidal regions, one of the most important problems
is the need for oxygen. Outside of water, gills donot function. But,
their short and thick gill fiberscan take the oxygen they need
directly from the air by the blood vessels concentrating around their
mouth and their skin.
For this reason, fish that remain in ponds can surface and thus meet
their urgent oxygen needs.
Another miraculous trait of tidal fish is their ability to find their
nest under every condition. Generally, most fish species choose a
certain place and live there. However, if they leave this place for
one reasonor another, they can alsoturn back. Older fish have more of
this talent.
Research has shown thatfish kept in the laboratory for as long as 6
months could find their nests back when they were left at sea.
No doubt, living beings having body designs matching the conditions in
tidal regions are only one of the evidences indicating that the
All-Mighty Allah created them. The All-Knowing Allah reveals the
evidence of His unique creation in every corner of the universe. Our
Lordstates in the Qur'an as follows:
"The Originator of the heavens and Earth. When He decides on
something, He just says to it, 'Be!' and it is."(Qur'an, 2:117)
What if the water recedes?
The answer to this question no doubt affects the lives of fish living
in tidal regions. The design of fish living in tidal regions is
perfectly adapted to the conditions in these areas. These
extraordinary designs are only one of the obvious evidences of thefact
that the All-Mighty Allah, Who created all the heavens and the Earth,
creates them in this way.
Tidal regions where ocean water covers twice a day and then recedes
offer very harsh conditions to the fish to survive. When water
recedes, fish that surviveunder rocks, in puddles, and muddy areas,
are generally well camouflaged by their colors matching with
theground. Besides, with the receding of water, they often become
utterly unnoticeable, for they hide under rocks orin-between plants.
Until recently, these fish were thought to be drifted to these regions
with waves. However, recent research has revealed that they were
created with designs appropriate to these tidal regions.
In Australia's Carumba region, water rises up to4.78 m. In Broadsound
town, on the other hand, this rise reaches up to 8 m. However these
figures are rather insignificant next to Australia's highest figures,
for in Derby, water rises up to an average of 11-12 m.
References:
http://www.abc.net.au/science /scribblygum/kingtide /gallery.htm
http://www.windows.ucar.edu /tour/link=/kids_space /earth_galore.html
http://www.abc.net.au/science /scribblygum/kingtide /default.htm
http://faculty.salisbury.edu /~jwhoward/astro108/html/ lec3.HTM
http://www.redtide.whoi.edu /hab/rtphotos/99hkredtide.jpg

The army-ant in technology

Then, when they reached the Valley of the Ants, an ant said: "Ants!
Enter your dwellings, so that Sulayman and his troops donot crush you
unwittingly." (Qur'an, 27:18)
The "Valley of the Ants" refers to a special place and special ants.
In addition, the fact that ProphetSulayman (as) could hear the ants
talking among themselves may contain striking references to future
developments in computer technology. The present-day term "Silicon
Valley" refers to the centre of the world of technology. It is most
significant that a "valley of the ants" appears in the account of
Prophet Sulayman's (as) life. Allah may be drawing our attention to
the advanced technology of the future.
Furthermore, ants and other insect species are widely used in advanced
technology as models in robot projects and are intended to serve in a
wide range of areas, from the defenceindustry to technology. The verse
may also be referring to these developments.
Latest Developments in Miniature Technology: Army-Ant Robots
The best known project using ants as a model are the "Army-Ant Robot"
projects being carried out independently in several countries. One
study being carried out by the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
Virginia State University seeks to develop small, inexpensive, and
simple physically identical robots that can be used as a robot army.
Project officials explain these robots' functionality in the following
terms: "The way they behave as a group, in a coordinated manner,
perform a series of physical actions, and take joint decisions." These
robot armies' mechanical and electrical designs have been based on the
behaviour of an ant community. They are called the "army-ant" robots
because of their similarities to their insect counterparts.
The "army-ant" robot system was originally designed as a
"material-carrying system." According to this scenario, several small
robots would be charged with jointly lifting and carrying objects. It
was later decided that they could be used for other tasks. One report
describes other tasks to which they might be assigned in the future:
Nuclear and hazardous waste cleanup with robotic "swarms," mining
(including material removal and search-and-rescue),mine sweeping (both
land and water), surveillance and sentry, planetary surface
exploration and excavation. 1
In a report by Israel A. Wagner, an expert on ant robot technology,
the ant robot projects were described in theseterms:
Ant-robots are simple physical or virtual creatures designed to
cooperate in order to achieve a common goal. They are assumed to have
very limited resources of energy, sensing and computing, and to
communicate via traces left in the workspace or on the ground, like
many insects naturally do…
The distribution of work among multiple a(ge)nts can be made by either
a central controller who sends orders to the agents,or by an a-priori
agreement on acertain partitioning that, if obeyed by the agents,
eventuallyleads to a completion of the given mission. A third way,
used throughout the current work, is to design the behavior of
individuals such that cooperation will naturally emerge in the course
of their work, without making a-priori decisions on the structure of
thecooperation. The specific application that we address is covering,
which is also known asexploring or searching. This variety of names
hints to the many applications this problem might have: from cleaning
the floor of a house to mapping an unknown planet or demining a mine
field. 2
As can be seen in these examples, an ant's social lifestyle forms the
basis of many projects, and the various ant-based robot technologies
are providing benefits for human beings. That is why it is so
important that ants and theirvalley are referred to in the Qur'anic
account of Prophet Sulayman's (as) life. The term "ants" in the verse
may refer to an army consisting of robots, future developments in
robot technology, and how robots willplay an important role in
humanlife. For example, they may perform many arduous tasks and thus
make people's lives more comfortable. (Allah knows best.)

Lovelessness brings about serious chaos and ruin in the World

Lack of love and trust, which are one of the most important
problems of our day, are one of the important reasons behind the
wars, massacres, selfishness and destruction in the world. People
live in fear and stress with no trust for one another all over the
world. When there is fear, love is impossible to have. In today's
society, people do not greet one another or leer at greetings
because of this lack of trust in a loveless environment.
Lovelessness Is One of the Causes of Economic Crisis
In a world where most people do not love one another, people hate
even their closest friends, brothers are enemies with each other and
economic crisis is inevitable. This is because lovelessness also
brings poor quality production and plenty of profit in a short time.
but acting selfishly and not sharing revenues with others. However,
the manifestation of a deep love for Allah on Allah's creations will
develop the sense of mutual assistance among people and it would
lead to residual goods being used for charity. In such a system it
is clear that the world will reach harmony. Thanks to this
cooperation and justice, people's level of economic strength rises.
It would lead to a rich society.
Lovelessness Is at the Root of A Lack of Mercy and Avoiding Helping Others
People's lack of mercy and their cruelty is also based on
lovelessness. Such people can flee after running down a person with
car or abandon an injured person whom they see lying on the street
remorselessly. That some restaurant owners do not have any concern
for hygiene in their kitchens, that there is no gratitude for the
elderly, that emergency patients die because of neglect, that the
needy are looked down on, that millions of people are killed for a
small piece of land, that small children are molested, that women
are violently and sexually assaulted, that people are aggressive and
hateful against one another are all based on lovelessness.
Moreover these people who are afar from love could easily murder
someone if that is compatible with their interests or due to hatred
for someone. The number of people who can kill someone unjustly,
commit serial murders in cold blood, kill a complete stranger or
someone they know as a result of a sudden rage or jealousy, and
even those who kill people as a profession are quite high in the
irreligious societies of today. Homicide stories in papers and on
television are clear indicators of lovelessness and degeneracy in
society.
Unbelievers Lack the Sentiment of Love
The source of real love is a respectful fear and deep love of Allah,
because only those who fear Allah and avoid a morality that
displeases Him could live real love. A person who truly fears Allah
is always careful for the plots and evil of his inner self. This is
because the inner self is always calling a person to evil as
revealed in the verses about the Prophet Joseph (pbuh):
"I do not say my self was free from blame. The self indeed commands
to evil acts – except for those my Lord has mercy on…" (Surah Yusuf,
53)
On the other hand, a person who has no or little fear of Allah, or
who avoids the fact that Allah will judge his actions in this world
and do whatever his inner self wills, would know no limits to evil
deeds. It is revealed in the Qur'an that the inner self whispers
limitless evil and believers who cleanse their inner selves find
salvation and those who support the evil suggested by satan will be
destroyed as such:
" And inspired it with depravity or fear, he who purifies it has
succeeded, he who covers it up has failed." (Surat ash-Shams, 8-10)
Those who do not have faith and live loveless lives harm themselves
and others both materially and spiritually throughout their
existence. This is because;
* Loveless people try to satisfy their own interests, needs and
wants in the world as much as they can and spend their short
lifetime without any responsibilities.
* Mothers and fathers who do not show enough love and attention to
their children, and children who do not show enough respect and
gratitude to their mothers and fathers –as a result of the negative
effects of their surroundings- are the most explicit examples of
this negative suggestion. Children like these could bear a
mentality that talks aggressively to their parents, easily lie and
see their parents only as a tool to reach their own wants and
desires.
* In lovelessness, people do not sacrifice and values like
cooperation and generosity are completely eliminated. First of all
people do not respect one another for being human.
* No one would think about the health, comfort and peace of others;
no one would worry about or try to prevent any harm to other
people.
* It is not possible to trust a person who does not set any
boundaries for his inner self that whispers evil to him all the
time. It cannot be expected that such a person would be a man of
his word since there is no reason why this person would not be
honest or true.
* A person with no sentiment of love cannot oversee the natural
weaknesses of other people or tolerate even the simplest mistakes.
He or she can pick a fight over petty issues. What is important is
his comfort so when he is unhappy, he would not want even the
people he claims to love to be happy.
"Faith" is the sole power that can bring a true friendship and
alliance among people in the world. With their friendships,
believers who fear the Day of Judgment lay the foundations of a
solid alliance that begins in this world and lasts for eternity in
the hereafter. They love each other and become friends, with no
expectation of self-interest or profit, only for the good pleasure
of Allah. With the exception of Allah's will, this bond based on
love and fear of Allah could not possibly be broken.
True and Lasting Love Is Possible Only With the Morality of Religion
The word Islam is a word derived from the root "slm" and "salam". Slm
means peace, trust, harmony and love, salam means happiness, health
and safety. Therefore, a Muslim is a person who is for peace and
against bloodshed, enmity and cruelty and who wants love and
compassion instead. Since faith brings love of Allah, this would
have a very positive and good effect on people. Everyone would have
good morals to earn the good pleasure of Allah; love and respect one
another for the good pleasure of Allah. Compassion, mercy and
tolerance prevail throughout society. People would race to do good
deeds as Allah commands. They know that all human beings and living
things are created by Allah and see them as manifestations of Allah
and show their love of Allah on His manifestations. Our Lord
pointed to the importance of love in the Qur'an and commanded that
Muslims should love one another and all other living things as such:
"It is not devoutness to turn your faces to the East or to the West.
Rather, those with true devoutness are those who have faith in
Allah and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets, and
who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their
relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to travelers and
beggars and to set slaves free, and who establish prayer and pay
alms; those who honor their contracts when they make them, and are
steadfast in poverty and illness and in battle. Those are the people
who are true. They are the people who have fear of Allah." (Surat
al-Baqara, 177)
In loveless societies, selfish, frozen, robotic, impudent and
inconsiderate generations that avoid eye-contact and greeting one
another, that do not help the needy as they live with the mentality
of "let sleeping dogs lie" and that prioritize their own needs and
interests are brought up. The real source of the degeneration,
which rapidly increases in the End Times, is this lack of love in
societies.

A Muslim who believes in evolution does not leave the faith, but believes in a deception that sciencehas disproved

Some misinterpretations appear in some publications stating that
there is changing in Adnan Oktar's views regarding the theory of
evolution. However, it can easily be seen that Mr. Oktar's
statements are inaccurately reflected in the publications in
question. Mr. Oktar has always opposed Darwinist ideology and the
theory of evolution, because 21 st -century science says, "the
theory of evolution is nonsense." If there were any scientific
evidence of creation through evolution, one would of course have
said, "Allah (God) created through evolution." However, there is
not a single piece of evidence to support the theory of evolution.
As can be seen from the intellectual struggle he has been waging for
the last 20 years or so, Mr. Oktar's is the most outspoken and
powerful voice raised in opposition to Darwinism. He makes it
perfectly clear that there are no statements in the Qur'an of a kind
such as to point to evolution or to support the theory of
evolution. His statements on this subject are unequivocal. (See Why
Darwinism Is Incompatible with the Qur'an by Harun Yahya)
But Mr. Oktar still respects anyone who holds such beliefs; he
would never accuse such individuals of irreligiousness, but still
no such belief appears in the Qur'an. There may be people who both
believe in Darwin's ideas and say they believe in Allah. These
people may believe that Allah made evolution an instrument in the
creation of man and have faith in that form. It would of course be
wrong to impute irreligion to such people. Mr. Oktar has never made
such an accusation. He has never said, "Believers in evolution
cannot believe in Allah."
There are many people, not just Muslims but also Christians and
Jews, who believe in Allah and in the evolution deception at one
and the same time. These people are probably unaware that there is
no scientific evidence for the theory of evolution and do not know
that what they believe in is a deception with no scientific
foundation.
A person may interpret the faith and the Qur'an according to his
own lights, and it is wrong to describe that person as irreligious
because of this erroneous interpretation. Adnan Oktar merely tells
these people that "there is no indication of evolution in the
Qur'an" and that "there is no scientific evidence for evolution."
But it is impossible to call those who believe otherwise irreligious
on the basis of a mistaken interpretation.

Everything we perceive with our five senses is the interpretation of electric signals in our brains

Although some people may realize that images consist of
electricsignals in the brain, theymay also form the impression that
the other senses, touch for instance, are different. They may think
that when they touch or smell something they aremaking direct contact
with real matter. Again, however, they are actually perceiving nothing
more than electric signals in the brain.
When we touch something with our hands, we are not really touching
that object at all. A chemical bond is formed between atoms in a
constant state of motion. But these atoms never actually "touch" one
another. In physical terms, therefore, we have never touched anything
we think we have. As a result of this illusory sense of touch, the
atoms in our hands vibrate and initiate an electrical current. That
current then moves towards the touch center in our brains. It is then
"interpreted" whenit arrives. And this is a great miracle. In the same
way that the visualcenter interprets an incoming current as a yellow
rose, the touch center interprets the signals reaching it as soft, hot
or rough. Similar signals head from our mouths to the taste region in
the brain and form a sensation of flavor, sweetness or sourness. The
signals from the nose reaching the scent detection center in the brain
and set up a perception in the brain regarding the aroma of the object
in question. Sound from the ears reaches the brain in the form of
other electric signals, and we then in some way are convinced that the
person calling our names is our mother. Weenjoy the tunes set up
byelectrical signals forwarded to the brain from the ear, and have no
doubt that the ringtone is actually coming from the phone.
All this is an extraordinary miracle created by Allah.
But the sound we hear does not actually belong to the phone, and
neither doesthe sound of music comefrom our stereos. We experience the
sound of a telephone, the originalof which we can never see, the
original of which we can never hear unless Allah so wills.What we see
is not the yellow flower on the outside. That flower, its image, its
perfume and all its beauty, consists of electric signals reaching our
brains. And we have no evidence whether the image of this flower is
the same as the real flower on the outside. Peter Russell explains
this as follows:
If all that we ever know are the sensory images that appear in our
minds, how can we be sure there is a physical realitybehind our
perceptions?Is it not just an assumption? My answer is: Yes, it is an
assumption; nevertheless, it seems a most plausible one. [i]
There is no doubt that it is impossible for us to know whether the
images, sounds, smells and tastes that form in our brains actually
exist on the outside. On the basis of this, we can be sure of only one
thing; there is a world created especially for us in our brains. And
we can never know whether other people see this world in the same way
we do. We can only see the images, hear the sounds and taste the
flavors of a world created especially for us.We can have no direct
experience of anything else.
That being the case, we need to ask the following question: can
electric signals alone give rise to such a harmonious world?
Of course, not. Itis Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, Who creates the
world for us in all its reality, clarity and beauty. Allah bestows
onus a soul from His own spirit. It is the soul created by Allah that
perceives, enjoys and rejoices, and the electric signals are merely an
instrument.

The images visualizedand dreams

It takes but a moment when our eyes are closed to call to mindan image
of the school we attended. An image forms in our brains rightaway. But
our eyes are closed. When we look at a view for a while and then
subsequently close our eyes we can again see that image in our minds
when we want to recall it. But again our eyes are closed. Although it
is not our eyes that are doing the seeing and although there is no
image of a school in front of us, thisimage still exists in our minds
in almost the exact same form. The production of an image in the mind
despite the lack of an eye to perceive it is evidence that the
perceiver is something different than the eye and something not
dependent on matter. It is the "soul" created by our Almighty Lord to
be independent of matter and bestowed on humanbeings by Him that does
the perceiving.
Dreams are of great importance to a proper understanding ofthis
subject. Events, space, people, feeling and three-dimensionality are
all the same in dreams as they are in this world. Somuch so that it is
almost impossible to be convinced that these arenot real when one is
dreaming. Everywhere one dreams of is very real, people are real,
andevents take place in sucha vivid way that the dreamer feels
excitement in the face ofthem, and when one runs one actually grows
out of breath. One can feel fear while dreaming, strive with all one's
might to escape from danger, or feel alarm in the face of the threat
concerned. But while all this rushing around is going on for hours,
you are actually lying comfortably in bed with your eyes closed. You
are in a perfectly secure environment, andthere is no-one trying to
catch you, no rain fallingand no danger confronting you. Furthermore,
an event that seems to last for hours actually took placein your dream
in a matter of minutes. And most important of all, these events were
all created in your mind.
One important point that needs to be stressed with regard to dreaming
is this: You do not have any direct experience of any element of the
outside world when dreaming. The world you experience at that moment
is generally different from the life you regard as real life. The
environment you are in may be different, and the people you meet, even
your parents,may be different. Your home and your fears may be
different. It is impossible for you to actually see anything because
your eyes are closed. But even if they were open the place youare in
is not the place you see. The smell of grass you know so well is
perfectly clear in a dream. But you are actually asleep on the tenth
floor of an apartment block. You have no doubt about it when you eat
and taste an apple; indeed, what you are eating may sometimes be a
peach, but it tastes like an apple. And, what is more, there is
nothing odd about that in that world. However, you arenot really
eating anything at all as you are asleep lying in bed. This is merely
somethingcreated in your dream.
One may suffer pain in a dream. So much so that if you slip while you
are running over grass you see you have cut your knee. You try to
staunch the bleeding and feel the pain from your knee with perfect
clarity. Yet no such thing has happened as you lie in bed. You feel
the pain in the real sense, but no injury has occurred to your body.
But how is it you feel the pain of an injury that does not actually
exist in just the same way as in reality? How is it that, although you
are fast asleep, you can enjoy the taste of a delicious apple, and
howcan you feel fear, excitement and worry inorder to escape from
danger, despite being asleep in bed, perfectly and in a way identical
tonormal? How is it that, despite being asleep in your bed at home,
you can run for hours over boundless expanses of land? And why are
those hours in fact only minutes?
If you are not actually in that environment, then what is the power
that shows you these things and causes you to feel them as if they
were real?
It is of course our Almighty Lord Who causes you to feel these things
in that way and Who keeps the soul under His constant supervision. In
the same way that Allah (God) creates a perfectly clear and beautiful
world in our minds in this world, so He can very definitely create an
equally clear and perfect world in ourdreams. There is no doubt that
this is very easy for Him.
Our Lord has created the same naturalcauses for the real worldand for
dreams: electric signals. The things we think we see actually stem
from electric signals, as do those in dreams. Although both have the
same cause andalthough both are created in your minds, you still think
that dreams are not real, but that this world is. The fact is,
however, that they are essentially the same; both are illusions.
Time is differentin dreams. And so is space. The laws of physics are
sometimes different. But these are the only things that are real for
you when you are dreaming. That being the case, since there is no
difference between the way you perceive the world you are perceiving
now and the world in your dreams, then this world clearly consists of
an image created in your mind. The same physical activities take place
in the brain whether you envisage something in your mind, whether you
experience it in real life or whether you dream it. You generally
think that the factor that givesrise to these activities is an
external stimulus, such as light rays. But there is actually no light
striking the retina, or nothorn pricking your finger, to give rise to
images or sensations when you envisage a thing in your mind or when
you dream it.
This makes the following fact perfectly obvious: The way this world is
created is the same as dreaming. Therefore, the images you see in this
world arecreated as illusions for you, just as in dreams. You watch
events arisingin your brain in a world also forming in your brain; you
laugh at them, enjoy them or feelexcitement at them. But Allah creates
them all in your mind. If a person loses the five senses he or she
possesses, this colorful, vivid, clear and perfect looking world that
we are shown will also disappear, even though the outside world
continues to exist.It is therefore impossibleto maintain that
something we see is the same as the original on the outside. It exists
onlyin a world that Allah "creates for us" in our minds. We can never,
ever know whether other people can see it or not, or whether we see
the same image as the original on the outside.

Story, - I, the other woman

Hi all known and unknown friends! I wanted to write my storyhere for a
long time. It is really trivial thing to readon the net I have an
affair with a married man.
I know that many of you are going to call me names and tell me who
terrible is that I'm destroying a family but I am also sure that many
ofyou will support me. We met in the most trivial way via the
Internet. It turned out that we had so many things in common, hobbies,
interests, personality...
To clarify we both lived in the same city, but we are born in small
towns. Ididn't intentionally seduce him, we didn't plan all of this it
just happened. Later on he told me he had never cheated on his wife
for the 10 in years in which they were married. And now he assures me
that he wanted to divorce herand marry me. I am 29 years old, divorced
with no children and he has 2.
He is very kind and considerate, but I'm afraid of all the possible
consequences. I want to be with him but I do not want his children to
live without a father. I'm afraid that I will not meethis expectations
and he will someday leave me. We see each other almostevery day, our
work is linked.
I do not know what to do. Everything is great between us, but on the
other hand there are his marriage, his wife, his children. Early in
our relationship he said that he would get a divorce but still he does
nothing. It seems to me that I'm not insistent enough.
Tell me your opinion and what you think is best forall of us.

Story, - The Cheating Husband

Hello everyone,
I have been also reading the blogs of the people that have shared
their personal problems here.
I have been married for almost 29 years. For the past 2 or 3 years, I
have been having the feeling that my husband is beingintimate with one
of his colleagues. We all work together, him, the colleague and I.
The mistress has started to openly display their relationship.
I don't know what to do. We are now arguing at home all the time.
He has recently changed his attitude towards me in a positive way, but
we are still not having any sex.
I can't figure out whether their relationship is continuingor not.
I feel terrible!
Please, can someone giveme an advice?

Can we eat Zebra, Rabbit, Shark, Chicken, Spleen, Liver, Lucust?

Can we Eat the Zebra?Bazaz Narrated in Sahih Muslim and Bukhari from
Abu Qatada (may Allah be pleased with him) that he saw a ZEBRAand
hunted it down. Prophet (swallallaho alihi wassallam) inquired do you
have any part of its meat he replied yes I have a thigh. Prophet of
Allah (swallallaho alihi wassallam) accepted it and ate it.
What about Rabbit?Narrated in Sahih Muslimand Bukhari from Anus (may
Allah be pleased with him) that we caught a RABBIT in 'Mar al-Zahraan'
by running after it and brought it toAbu Talha (may Allah be pleased
with him), he slaughtered it and sent its back and thigh to the
Prophet of Allah (swallallaho alihi wassallam) and he accepted them.
Lets eat some Chicken!Narrated in Sahih Muslimand Bukhari that Abu
Musa Asharee (may Allah be pleased with him) says he has seen the
Prophet of Allah (swallallaho alihi wassallam) eating meat of the
CHICKEN.
Locust & Fish, Liver & Spleen:Imam Ahmed andImam Ibn Majah narrate
from son of Omar (may Allah be pleased with them all) that the Prophet
of Allah (swallallaho alihi wassallam) said for us two dead animal are
lawful and two bloods. The two dead are fish and locust, and the two
bloods are liver and spleen. Narrated in Sahih Muslim and Bukhari that
Abd'Allah bin Abi Auffi (may Allah be pleased with him) said we were
with the Prophet of Allah (swallallaho alihi wassallam) in a holy
battle [ghazwa'] and we use to eat LOCUST in the presence of the
Messenger Allah (swallallaho alihi wassallam).
Shark's meat!Narrated in Sahih Muslim and Bukhari that Jabbir
(mayAllah be pleased with him) says that I went to 'Habs al-Khapt'
[name of a place] and leader of our battalion was Abu Ubaidah bin
al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him). We were veryhungry and the
river threw such a dead fish [on shore] that like of which we had
never seen. Its name is A'nber. We [almost 300] ate it for half a
month. Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) stood one of its
bones (and according to some narrations it was its rib). Its [the
bone's] height was so much that one camel with its rider passed under
it. When we came back, we told this to the Prophet of Allah
(swallallaho alihi wassallam) and he said, eat! Allah has sent this
sustenance [food] for you and if you have any feed us too. We sent
some of it to the Prophetof Allah (swallallaho alihiwassallam) and he
ate it.
(Abstracted from "Bahr eShariat" Part 16, Vol. 2, by Maulana Amjad Ali
Azmi Al-Qadri (Hanffi))

Why eat vegetables?

The following is abstracted from"Malfuzat e Attarriyya" (Utterances of
Mohammed Ilyas Attar Qadri).
Someone asked the sheikh: Vegetables are usually a part of your diet.
What is the wisdombehind it?
Sheikh replied: Praise beto Allah, vegetables havecure for several
ailments [diseases]. Sayiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased
with them) has narrated that vinegar is the best gravy [curry], and
Prophet (Sallallaho Alihi Wassallam), use to like vegetables. It is
narratedin "Kanzul Ubaad" that the angles visit the tablecloth which
has vegetables on it.
Prophet of Allah (Sallallaho Alihi Wassallam) loved gourd [squash]. In
a narration by "Abu Naeem" Prophetof Allah (Sallallaho Alihi
Wassallam) said "Oh people! Eat plenty of squash because it
strengthens the brain. Inanother narration, Prophet (Sallallaho Alihi
Wassallam) said, "Oh Ayesha! Whenever you cook add few pieces of
squash because it strengthens the depressed heart". One should make a
habit of putting a few pieces of squash while cooking the meat so that
one gets the reward of following a sunnah and also get other benefits
narrated above. Sayiduna Zahbbi (may Allah's mercy be upon him)
narrates in "Tibb e Nabwi" [Medicine of the Prophet Sallallaho Alihi
Wassallam] eating squash increases the brain [capabilities]. Prophet
(Sallallaho Alihi Wassallam) said that squash cleans the chest and
strengthens the heart.
It is narrated in Bukhari& Muslim etc. that Sayiduna Anus (may Allah
be pleased with him) narrates that, one tailor invited the Prophet
(Sallallaho Alihi Wassallam) and presented barley bread and stew with
squash and dried meat. I saw Prophet Sallallaho Alihi Wassallam
finding piecesof squash from the bowl [serving dish] and eatingit.
After that day I loved [to eat] squash!.
Someone asked the sheikh: Olives are often seen on your tablecloth and
you prevent us fromthrowing its seed! What is the reason behind it?
Sheikh replied: I eat olives as a 'tabaruk' [blessing]. (Narrating
thebenefits of olives he said,) olive tree is a blessed tree. It is
said in the Holy Quran: (AlNoor 24:35) "from the blessed olive tree."
It is in"Tafseer e Sawwi" 70 Prophets Allhimus Salam made benediction
[dua']for its blessing including Prophet Abraham Allihis Salam and
above all, the Master of Prophets, Our Prophet Sallallaho Alihi
Wassallam.
I do not throw the seed away out of respect and to respect the olive
seed is by the guidance of theconscious. (He further narrated) After
the stormof Noah Allihis Salam, the first tree that grew was that of
an olive. Andfirst time the Olive tree grew [in this world] was on the
Mount of Turr where Prophet Moses, Allihis Salam talked with Allah
Almighty.
The life of an olive tree is very long some scholars say it lives for
3,000 years. It is narrated in "Khazayin ul Irfan" [tafseer of Quran]
that its leaves do not shed. Its oil is called"Zi'et", and any oil in
thisworld does not match the qualities of the olive oil. (He further
said) it is in a narration from "AbuNaeem" The master of medicine, the
doctor of doctors, Allah's Prophet Sallallaho Alihi Wassallam said,
eat olives and use its oil for it has cure for 70 diseases and one of
them is leprosy. Eating 25 grams of olive oil daily will cure old
[chronic] constipation. Olive pickles increase appetite and relieve
constipation.
Someone asked the sheikh: It is often seen that you drink water before
your meals, any wisdom behind it?
Sheikh replied: I have read a quote of Sayiduna Luqman, may Allah be
pleased with him, that to drink water before a meal is health, during
a meal is medicine and after a meal is burden. Allah and Allah's
Prophet Sallallaho Alihi Wassallam know (he further said) Physicians
also agree. According to medicine it is beneficial to drink water
before eating fruits. By principle fruits should beeaten before the
meal but today fruits are generally eaten after themeal. It is also
beneficial to drink water before tea [or coffee].

Can we eat Shrimps?

Maulana Amjad Ali Azmi Al-Qadri (Hanffi) writes in "Bahr e Shariat"
Part 15, Vol. 2: There is difference of opinion onshrimps being a fish
or not and based on it, is the difference of opinion on it being
lawful or unlawful. Apparently it does not look like a fish. It rather
looks like a worm. So one should avoid it. ("Radul Mukhtar")
[PS:"Rad-ul-Mukhtar is written by Syed Mohammed Amin Ash-Shaheerba Bin
Abideen Shammi, may Allah's mercy be upon him (died 1253H.)]
Following is abstracted form "Sufficient Provision for Seekers of the
Path of Truth" by Sheikh Abd' Al-Qadir Al-Jilani (Translation: Muhtar
Holland) Vol. 2: Inthe words of Bakr ibn 'Ubaidillah (may Allah bestow
His mercy upon him): "A man can not be truly pious [taqi] until hehas
come to be pious in a way he approaches thedining room.... According
to Shahr ibn Hawshab (may Allah bestow His mercy upon him): "The truly
devout person [muttaqi] is one who is ready to abstain from something
that is quite harmless in itself, as a precaution against slipping
over into something else that could be harmful" …. According to Abu
Yazid Bastami (may Allah bestow His mercy upon him), true devotion
[taqwa] is: "Cautious avoidance [tawarru'] of all things that are of
doubtful legality [shubuhat]….
Shrimps (prawns) can also live outside water and no one calls it a
fish in regular day to day language. But since the cautious scholars
of the past have mentioned thediscussions and given nojudgment it is
up to every individual to decide.
SHRIMPS (prawns) ARE A DOUBTFUL LEGALITY!

Fathwa, - Seclusion of religious women in the home

Question:
My question is in regards to women being commanded to stay in their
houses and the reality faced by religious Muslim women, especially
housewives and mothers of young children, in the West. Itcan get very
depressing to stay at home all the time withyoung children when the
husband is working long hours, however I know of a scholar who doesn't
allow his wife to come to the masjid except once a month or so. This
makes it very difficult for other community women who are in desperate
need of Islamic knowledge from her, and would love to have her teach
them. Also, she is often irritable and complains about her condition
of lonelinessand seclusion to her close friends. How can we advise our
scholar of the importance of allowing his wife to come to the masjid
to fulfill the wajib kifayahof the community, of knowledgeable women
teaching others the basics of Islam? And also it is feared that the
example that the scholar is setting will be followed by other
religious men in the community and thus make all the wives quite
miserable by not meeting their social and religious needs.
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum
There are a number of issues that need to be addressed in this question.
Firstly, it is important as you say to organize classes for the women
of the community. This is animportant obligation and thus we should
try to find a way to make this happen. You may suggest having the
classes at one of the homes where there can be complete privacy for
the sisters and with which the Imam and his wife also feels
comfortable. If a class can be arranged in the Imam's own home then
that would also solve theproblem.
The community cannot force the Imam to allow his wife to frequent the
masjid, since he may have valid reasons for not doing so. For
instance, he may not be satisfied with the segregation arrangements
there (unfortunately many masajid suffer from this problem in the US,
and many sisters feel that they cannot gain the peace and tranquility
they seek due to poor or a complete lack of segregation arrangements).
Hence, the educational aspect can be overcome by arranging the classes
elsewhere.
Secondly, the Imam's relationship and interaction with his wife in
this regard is the couple�s personal business and not something the
community has anything to do with. If the wife has a serious problem
with her situation then she may herself approach or consult withher
influential elders or scholars in this regard. They can then deal with
the issue. It is not something members of the community can take into
their hands and pressure or even advice the Imam about, since hemay
have his own valid reasons for doing what he is doing. Entering
intosuch a situation can only harm their relationship. The Sharia
instructs in general not to interfere with couples in their marital
and internal issues.
Finally, to help remove the loneliness of the Imam's wife, this is
certainly something that the sisters of the community can assist in
and will be greatly rewarded for. They can befriend her and make her
feel at home in the community by visiting her home or including her in
properly-organized social get together, so long as her husband
welcomes such interaction. Hence, this should be done on a social
level and not with the intent to interfere.
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa, - How old does a son have to be to be a mehram

Question:
I want to now how old does my son have to be before i can travel with
him as my mehram. e.g for hajj?
Answer:
wa`alaykum as-salam wa-rahmatullah
All praise is to Allah. Blessings and peace be upon the Messengerof Allah.
The mahram with whom a woman travels should be
1) Adult (baligh) by the definition of the shari`ah, (or at least
nearadult [Durr al-Mukhtar]).
(Adulthood for these purposes is defined as the first period for a
girl, or the first wet-dream for a boy, or 15 lunar years of age for
both as aprecautionary upper limit.)
2) Sane
3) Upright, trustworthy and responsible
There is not a specific age which can be used universally; rather what
is important is that the mahram (the son, in yourcase) fulfills the
conditions mentioned above. The rationale is that the mahram should be
capable of protecting the woman and her honor. Clearly a minor child
and an insane person cannot even take care of themselves, let alone
watch out for someone else. nor can anirresponsible or morally corrupt
person be expected to fulfill this role.
[References:
- Radd al-Muhtar, Ibn `Abidin, 3/464 (Dar al-Kutub
al-`Ilmiyyah)
- al-Mughni, Ibn Qudamah, 3/193-4]
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa, - Can a woman travelalone within her own city?

Question:
Is a woman allowed totravel within her own city without a mahramfor
any halal reason? An example would be going shopping alone. Or going
with a group of female friends to eat and spend time together outside
the home, like in a restaurant, or picnic area, without any male. I
have a friend, who recently became rather "harsh" throughher husband
(she has only been married 1 year). According to him and his
teachings, a woman cannot go anywhere without a mahram, even her own
city, unless there is a "need" like buying food so she won't starve.
Work, Education, having fun with friends is not considered a need. I
am Sunni Hanafi, and I would really like to know the Hanafi position
on this so I don't commit a wrong.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Dear Sister,
I pray this message finds you in good health and faith.
It is not unlawful for a woman to leave her house. The restrictions on
women going out alone apply to women's travel. However, when a woman
stays within city limits, she is allowed to go out to take care of her
needs, provided that she has the permission ofher husband.
According to both the Hanafi and Shafi'i Schools, the husband may
prohibit his wife from leaving the house. Please see "Is it
permissible for a man to forbid his wife from working?" at
http://qa.sunnipath.com /issue_view.asp?HD=1& ID=2302&CATE=121for more
details. For the Shafi'i reference, please see Reliance of the
Traveller's chapter on marriage (m10.3). The basis for this
restriction is the hadith of the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him
peace, "It isnot permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the
Last Day to allow someone into her husband's home if he is opposed, or
to go out if he is averse." (Bayhaqi)
As believing women, our primary responsibility is taking care of our
homesand families. Sacred Law has given men the responsibility of
providing for us. Thus, men are required to go out and earn for their
families. Women, on other hand, should avoidgoing out unnecessarily.
Allah Most High says,"And abide quietly in your homes, and do not
flaunt your charms as they used to flaunt them in the old days of
pagan ignorance;and be constant in prayer, and render the purifying
dues, and pay heed unto God and His Apostle... (Al-Ahzab, 33:33)
Having said that, it is alsoimportant to understand that Islam is
religion of balance and moderation.Husbands are not dicators, and are
not allowed to make their wives' lives miserable, nor to control their
everycoming and going. Husbands are encouraged to let their wives
visit relatives, seekknowledge, go to the masjid, and carry out their
obligations. Allah Most High says, And women shall have rights
similar to the rights against them, according to what is
equitable...(Al-Baqara, 2:228)
The basis for how husbands and wives should relate to each other is
the example of the Noble Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace.
He was kind and loving to his wives and did not prevent them from
becoming fulfilled individuals. The Mothers of the Believers, may
Allah be pleased with them, were accomplished women who studied,
taught, worked, and participated in the life ofthe community. However,
they did so within the limits of Allah Most High.
Thus, it is important for husbands and wives to strike a balance. Yes,
a husband may prohibit his wife from leaving thehouse. But he should
only do so if it's in his wife's best interests, and not as a means of
controland domination. If he compels her to stay at home, he should
consider the following:
1. Is her supporting her on a proper level?
2. Is he providing her with warm, compassionate companionship?
3. Is he facilitating social interaction for her by allowing her
family to visit her?
4. Is he making sure that she has the ability to study her religion
from within the confines of the home?
Realistically speaking, it is difficult, if not impossible, for
Western Muslims to ensure the above requirements and keep their wives
at homeall the time.
Previous answers on SunniPath address the issue of women going to the
masjid and conclude that women in the West should be encouraged togo
to the masjid, particularly if that is the only way for them to seek
knowledge and enjoy the companionship of their Muslim sisters. In a
rigorously authenticated tradition, the Prophet, Allah bless him and
give him peace said, "Do not prohibit the female slaves of Allah from
going to the mosques of Allah. When the wife of one of you asks for
permission to go to the mosque, she should not be refused this
permission." (Bukhari and Muslim)