Bulgaria: the sufferings of one million Muslims

For the past century, Muslims in the Balkans are the victims of many
episodes of ethnic cleansing by the crusaders and later by the
Communists inMacedonia,Albania,Bosnia,Kosovo,Serbia,Montenegro,BulgariaandGreece.
As Communism collapsed, the Muslims inEastern Europeare still facing
suppression, discrimination, harassment and intolerance.
In this context, we will highlight the sufferings of one million
Muslim Bulgarians who are uprooted and forced to flee from their
country before giving up their property. Despite all this, Islam's
presence inEuropeis likely to grow and to bring about social,economic
and political changes.
Historical Dimension:
The Balkan Peninsula has strategic geographic position, controlling
the access to the Silk Road, the ancient trade route linkingChinaand
imperialRome. Therefore, it was a battlefield for the competing
superpowers since medieval times. Theregion that is nowBulgariawas at
one time included in theRoman Empire.
Muslims managed to gainfootholds throughout theBalkans since the
Abbasidera in the 9th century. By 1396, the armies of the Ottoman
Empire controlled all ofBulgaria. During the next five centuries the
Islamic culture dominated inBulgaria. The presence ofMuslims in the
Balkan Peninsula at that time was so great when thousands of Turkish
Muslims had immigrated and settled inWestern Anatolia.
The Christian kingdoms in Western Europe launched many crusades to
take overJerusalempassing through theBalkan Peninsula. On their way
they had exterminated the Muslimsliving there. In 1878, coinciding
with the expansion of Great Serbia, Muslims inBulgariawere the
expelled and a killing spree took place with Russian backing.
After the dissolution of theOttoman Empire, Muslims in the Balkans
have been severely persecuted. By the end ofthe First World War, the
Bulgarian nationalists continued the hostile policies of the Serbs by
destroying schools and mosques in the Muslim areas. Muslims are told:
'Become Christians if you wish to remain inEurope.'
Who Are the Bulgarian Muslims?
Muslims inBulgariabelong to various ethnic groups, such as the
Turks,Pomaks, Gypsies and Tatars. The Pomaks are the main Muslim
ethnic group inBulgaria. There are many contradicting views, regarding
the origin of Pomaks. According to some historians, they are the
descendants of the ancient Slavic or Slavized inhabitants of the
Balkans. Some of them converted to Islam at the time of the conquest
and during the years that followed. Other groups converted to Islam
during the period of the Ottoman Caliphate.
The number of Pomak population changed several times due to the
suppression policy by theChristian and communist governments. During
andafter the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, the biggest waves of Pomak
migrated toTurkey.
Bulgaria's population is approximately 7.9 millionaccording to a 2001
census. Approximately 13 percent of the Bulgariansare Muslims.
Bulgarization of the Muslims:
Since the Bulgarian independence in 1908, the nationalist regimes
marginalized the Muslimsand traditionally considered them as
foreigners, even if they were ethnically Bulgarian. The Orthodox
Church is very influential and with the help of the Bulgarian
nationalists they forced the Muslims to convert to Christianity. All
the resisting Muslims were wounded, imprisoned, killed or deported.
Thousands of them fled toTurkeyandGreece. In the summer of1989 more
than 300,000 Muslims were deported fromBulgaria.
Mosques were converted into churches. Out of the 44 mosques
inSofiaonly one remained as a historical monument. Thelargest mosque
inBulgariawas the Tumbul Mosque inShumen, built in 1744. Muslims were
coerced to go to church every Sunday. Circumcision was prohibited, and
the people who circumcised their sons were severely punished.
There are pressures on Muslims to change their names, vestment and
language. Since 1942 a new law was passed which commanded Muslims to
change their names to Bulgarian ones.About 2000 Turkish and Pomak
village names were also changed to Bulgarian. Pomaks were banned from
attending Turkish schools or use theTurkish language and they were
forbidden to open private schools. Then Muslim school boards were
abolished and unified with Bulgarian school boards. Thus all their
non-Bulgarian daily life was subjected to censure.
In 1944, the Communist regime came into power and launched the
assimilation campaigns against the Muslims. Pomak villages from the
Rhodopes region were forced to resettle inNorthern
Bulgariaduring1948-1952. In 1949, the agricultural lands were
expropriated affecting many Bulgarian Muslims. For more than 40 years
the Bulgarian government promoted atheism. Muslims were treated as
second-class citizens with no rights to become members of the
government or officers.
In April 1956, the Bulgarian Communist Party decided to create a
unified socialist Bulgarian republic. Further they proceeded in
changing the names ofMuslims to Bulgarians by terror. Pomaks have
developed a strategy to `compromise name and behaviour'. A Pomak, who
was born before 1912 and lived until after 1990, has been forced to
change his Muslim name nine times for instance.
During most of the Communist period, underthe leadership of Todor
Zhivkov-secretary of the Communist Party from 1954, the country's
premier from 1964 to 1971 and head of state from 1971 to late 1989-the
policy of forceful assimilation continued under the so-called `Process
of Rebirth'. After their 'success' with the Pomaks, the Bulgarian
authorities started to work in the same way onthe other ethnic
Muslims. Therefore, in practice Communism is equivalentto Bulgarian
extreme nationalism which aims to Bulgarize the significant Muslim
minorities.
Post Communist Era:
With the fall of the racist regime of Todor Zhivkov in November 1989,
the religious restrictions inBulgariawere loosened somewhat. But still
there is discrimination, harassment, and general public intolerance of
non-Christian Orthodox religious groups.
In each Bulgarian village there are still some former Communist Party
members or local securityforces that had persecuted the Muslim in the
past. Therefore, Muslims are still afraid to speak about their harsh
experiences. They still feel threatened by the Socialist Party )former
Communist Party( members, fearing that one day Communists will be in
power again and then they will be persecuted again.
It is still impossible to find a single Muslim in the Bulgarian army
as a regular soldier. Most of the Muslim Bulgars are uneducated and
work as laborers, shepherds, haymakers and the like. Muslims are
discriminated against in jobs and education. While the Pomaks want
their children to learn Turkish, which is now theoretically possible,
in practice local education directors don't allow them to do so.
Inequalities still exist in practice and those who are dissatisfied
with theirpoor conditions continueto migrate toTurkey. Rumors and
aggressive propaganda against Muslims as terrorists continue to
receive large-scale media coverage. The Government still restricts the
religious freedom of non-Christian Orthodox religious groups. These
restrictions are manifested primarily in a registration process that
is selective, slow, and nontransparent. The Government prohibits the
public practice of religion by groups that are not registered.
However, after 1987, Bulgarian Muslims are allowed to reconstruct
their mosques and new mosques are built in many cities and villages.
Now there are about 1,267 mosques. The Muslim hierarchy was headed by
one chief mufti and eight regional muftis who interpret Muslim law.
The study of the Quran had been completely forbidden under Zhivkov and
now Quran classes are organized. Muslims also began publishing their
own newspaper, Miusiulmani, in both Bulgarian and Turkish.

Muslim women in New Zealand

Brief Introduction
New Zealand is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, located
south of the equator in the Southern Hemisphere, and marking the
eastern boundary of the Tasman Sea, a portion of the Pacific Ocean
that separates New Zealand and the nearest large landmass, Australia,
by a distance of about 1,600 km )1,000 mi(.New Zealandincludes two
large islands that constitute most of its landmass, as well as
numerous small islands.New Zealandadministers two overseas
territories, Tokelau and Ross Dependency )inAntarctica(. The
self-governing entities ofNiue and the Cook Islandsare in free
association withNew Zealand, whichhandles their foreign affairs and
defense as requested.
New Zealandis known for its scenic landscapes of snowcapped mountains
and rolling green pastures. Its image as a farming outpost stems from
the traditional importance ofagriculture to the economy as well as the
low population density inmost areas. However, the majority of New
Zealanders live in urban areas, and many now earn a living in service
industries such as tourism. The capital ofNew ZealandisWellington. The
largest and most cosmopolitan city isAuckland.
New Zealandis part of thePacificIslands, or Oceania, a grouping of
thousands of islands in thePacific Ocean. The South Island and the
North Island of New Zealand areOceania's second and third largest
islands, respectively.New Zealandis considered part of Polynesia, one
of three major divisions of thePacificIslands.
The total land area ofNew Zealandis 267,990 sq km )103,470 sq mi(,
about the same size asJapanor theBritish Isles. The North and South
islands make up almost the entire area of the country. Separating
theseislands is Cook Strait, a channel between the South Pacific Ocean
on the east and theTasman Seaon the west. The islands stretch along a
predominantly northeast by southwest axis. Their length from north to
south is about 1,600 km)1,000 mi(, and their maximum width from east
to west is 450 km)280 mi(
Land is one of the country's most valuable resources. Much of the soil
is not naturally fertile, however, and has to be supplemented with
fertilizers for crop cultivation. More than half of the land area is
either cropland or pastureland. Most of the arable land is found on
the east coasts of both islands, in particular the Canterbury Plains.
Pastures for livestock grazing dominate in north-central and
westernNorthIslandand southernSouth Island.
About 30 percent of the land area is forested. The country has 6.4
million hectares )15.8 million acres( of old-growth forest, much of
which is designated for preservation. In addition,some forests are
plantations of imported species such as the radiata pine. The
westernSouthern Alps of theSouth Islandconstitute the largest forested
area of the country and include extensive areas of native forest.
TheNorthIslandhas native forest mainly in more remote areas, notably
aroundMountTaranakiand in isolated pockets ofNorthland.
In 1840,New Zealandwasde-linked fromAustralia, but in 1907 it became a
separate, independent country, under the BritishCrown, and when the
British Commonwealth ofNations was set up in 1931 it became one of the
founding members and is still a member.
The majority of the population )74 percent( is Anglo-Saxon, with the
indigenous Maoris making up only 10 percent of the population, others
who neither Maoris nor Anglo-Saxons make up four percent, an ethnic
group that is made up of ethnic Indians and Chinese.
Seventy percent of the population is Christians, and the rest belong
to different religious denominations.
Muslims inNew Zealand
Muslim migration toNew Zealandstarted in 1910, when the first waves of
immigrants from the Indian subcontinent started to arrive, as workers
in search of livelihood.
Since they were not allowed then to bring their wives and other family
members with them, they remitted theirearning to their families back
home, visitng them from time to time.
However, in the mid-1940s, the Muslims living inNew Zealand, for the
first time, began to bring their wives from the subcontinent.
These womenfolk were mostly housewives, though some of them took up
employment as menial workers or domestic helpers, when their husbands
were at work.
But while the first generation of Muslim women inNew Zealandhad to
contend with loneliness and confinement to the home, the second
generation is faced with a different set of problems, namely
maintaining a balance between Islamic tenets and precepts, and the
secular education that is imparted on them at schools, with all its
concomitant moral and religious implications.
One result of the latter is the loss of respect for parents, who, the
youth consider as backward and unschooled.
Other problems faced by the Muslim woman inNew Zealandinclude the
preservation of the Islamic identity, racial discrimination, absence
of Islamically lawful food,inability to be married to the right
person, and even in wearing the proper school uniform.
None the less things are beginning to improve forthe Muslim women
ofNew Zealand, in that they have started to organize themselves,
andare, in fact, holding an annual assemblies, during which they are
able to project some of the problems facing themin the society.
They also hold regular seminars and camps, at which they are able to
learn more about their Muslim faith, and debate some of the issues
affecting them.
Though some of the Muslim women have made worthwhile academic
accomplishments, and some of them have established themselves
invarious fields, generally there is a tendency toward trying to
achieve more in the field of religion, so that they could preserve
their Islamic identity.

Dought & clear, - She stipulated that in order to marry her he has to memorize Soorat al-Baqarah or Aal ‘Imraan or take her for Hajj.

I want to know can memorization of Holy Quran or part of it be made
into a condition for marriage as one sister(she is a Hafiz) has put
this condition out tome to either memorize Surah al-Baqarah or Surah
ale-Imraan and her third option was Hajj after nikah. I can pick
either of the three. If I pick one of the first two what bothers me
then is I wouldn't be doing it for Allah swt it would be exclusively
to gain her hand. Please explain if this is allowedor not.
Praise be to Allaah.
If you want to marry her because she is religiously committed and you
agree to the condition, seeking thereby the pleasure of Allah and to
achieve this aim, and to marry someone who will help you to obey Allah
and you can help her, then there is nothing wrong with that and this
is partof striving for the Hereafter. Allah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And whoever desires the Hereafter and strivesfor it, with the
necessaryeffort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allaah's
obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of AllaahIslâmic
Monotheism) — then such are the ones whose striving shall be
appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allaah)"
[al-Isra' 17:19].
Al-Nasaa'i (3340) narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him)
said: Abu Talhah married Umm Sulaym and the dowry between them was
Islam; Umm Sulaym became Muslim before Abu Talhah. He proposed to her
and she said: I have become Muslim; if you become Muslim I will marry
you. So he became Muslim, and that was the dowry between them. Classed
as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Nasaa'i.
So strive to memorise the Holy Qur'aan as an act of worship and
obedience towards Allah, and seeking His reward and His pleasure.There
is no reason not tolet the request of this sister be what motivates
you to do this act of worship, because it is not contrary to
sincerity.This is like those who enter some religious competitions and
let that a motive to memorise the Holy Qur'aan. So there is nothing
wrong with thatand it is not contrary to sincerity.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked:
Taking part in religious competitions that offer cash prizes: are
these prizes halaal orharaam?
They replied: There is nothing wrong with accepting the prizes thatare
donated by people in authority or other doers of good, because that is
encouragement to acquire knowledge and memorise the Book of Allah, may
He be glorified and exalted. In these and similar matters, the
believer should be sincere towards Allah and be happy to have
something that helps him in that, and his motivation should not be
only to get the money. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 15/188
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Does a good intention intercede for one?.

Does a good intention intercede for one? Or are there other
considerations with regard that?.
Praise be to Allaah.
No act of worship will be accepted from a Muslim unless it meets two
basic conditions:
1 – Sincerity of intentiontowards Allaah, may He be exalted. This
means that the aims of the person in his words and deeds, both outward
and inward, should be to seek the Countenance of Allaah alone.
2 – It should be in accordance with the ways in which Allaah
hasordained that He be worshipped only. That is achieved by following
the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and what he
taught, and shunning anything that goes against that, and not
introducing any new acts or forms of worship that have not been
narrated in proven reports from him(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him).
The evidence for these two conditions is the verse in which Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
" So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work
righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his
Lord"
[al-Kahf 18:110]
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord" – means His reward
"let him work righteousness" – means, that is in accordance with the
laws of Allaah.
"and associate none as apartner in the worship of his Lord" – means
the deed by which is sought the Countenance of Allaah alone, with no
partner or associate. These are the two features of the deed thatis
acceptable: it must be sincerely for the sake of Allaah alone, and it
must be in accordance with the sharee'ah of the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Endquote.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/108
Hence Allaah says in the greatest soorah in the Qur'aan (interpretation):
" You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each
and everything)"
[al-Faatihah 1:5], to indicate that Tawheed and sincerity are
essential in order for a deed to be valid.
The second condition comes immediately afterthat:
"Guide us to the StraightWay"
[al-Faatihah 1:6]
No act of worship is valid unless it is in accordance with the right
way, the straight path, which Allaah has enjoined, by following His
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Inal-Saheehit is
narrated from 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever does anyaction that is not in accordance with this matter of
ours will have it rejected." Narrated by Muslim, 1718. i.e., his deed
will be thrown back at him and not accepted from him. If anyone goes
against these two conditions (sincerity towards Allaahalone and
following His laws) in any action, then he will not benefit from it.
The one who seeks goodness and wants to please his Lord, let him
worship Him and draw near to Him by the means that He has ordained.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad to mankind): If you (really) love Allaah, then follow
me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism,follow the Qur'aan and the Sunnah),
Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allaah is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:31]
So it is not sufficient to have a good intention, and it will not
intercede for him if he goes against sharee'ah and worships Allaah by
means of any kind of bid'ah (innovation). Many of those who invent
innovations – because of their ignorance – invent theseinnovations in
order to draw closer to Allaah.
Hence when Ibn Mas'ood(may Allaah be pleased with him) denounced those
who gathered to remember Allaah (dhikr),they gave the excuse that
their intention was good and that they did not mean anything but good,
and he said to them: "How many of those who intend good do not attain
it!" Narrated by al-Daarimi, 204. So it is not sufficientto have a
good intentionin order to do good and attain the reward and draw
closer to Allaah. Rather it is essential to also act in accordance
with sharee'ah and avoid bid'ah.
A good intention may intercede for a person intwo cases:
1 – Turning habits into acts of worship
A good intention may turn a habit into an act of worship for which a
person will be rewarded. So by eating and drinking he may intend to
strengthen himself to obey Allaah, and by getting married he may
intend to keep himself and his wife chaste, and so on.
2 – Earning reward without doing any deed,if the Muslim is definite in
his intention.
A Muslim may form a definite intention to do acts that are prescribed
in sharee'ah, then something prevents him from doing that – but hewill
still be rewarded forit. There are a number ofahaadeeth concerning
that, such as the following:
1 – It was narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
We were with the Propheton a campaign and he said: "You did not travel
any distance or cross any valley but inMadeenah there are men who were
with you, but they were kept behind by sickness." According to another
version: "… but they shared the reward with you." Narrated by Muslim,
1911.
2 – It was narrated from Abu'l-Darda' (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Prophetsaid:"Whoever goes to his bedintending to get up and
pray at night, then his eyes overwhelm him and(he sleeps) until
morning, the (reward for) that which he intended will be written for
him, and his sleep is a charity for him given by his Lord, may He be
glorified and exalted." Narrated by al-Nasaa'i, 1787; Ibn Maajah,
1344; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Targheeb,
601.
3 – It was narrated from Sahl ibn Haneef that the Prophetsaid:
"Whoever sincerely asks Allaah for martyrdom will attain the status of
the martyrs even if he dies in his bed." Narrated by Muslim, 1909.
And there are many other such reports, all of which indicate that
whoever forms a sincere, definite intention to do good or obey Allaah,
then is prevented from doing that deed, Allaah will decree the reward
for him.
So this is the case where a sincere intention will intercede for a
person until he is rewarded for it.
And Allaah knows best..

Dought & clear, - Is it permissible to pray for forgiveness for all theMuslims even though we know that some of them will be punished?.

I am asking about some du'aa's, such as "O Allah, forgive the Muslims,
men and women" and "O Allah, forgive us all." Is it permissible to say
such du'aa's when the fulfilment thereof is contrary to the will of
Allah? How can we respond to the one whodoubts such du'aa's when they
are said at the times when du'aa's are answered?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
There is nothing wrong with praying for forgiveness for the Muslims,
men and women, in general terms. There is evidence to the effect that
it is permissible, such as the following:
1.
The verse in which Allah,may He be exalted, says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"So know (O MuhammadSAW) that La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right
to be worshipped but Allah), and ask forgiveness for your sin, and
also for (the sin of) believing men and believing women"
[Muhammad 47:19].
It was narrated from 'Aasim al-Ahwal that 'Abdullah ibn Sarjis said: I
saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and I ate
bread and meat withhim – or he said:thareed. He (the narrator) said: I
said to him: Did the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) pray for forgiveness for you? He said: Yes, and for you. Then he
recited this verse:"and ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for
(the sin of) believing men and believing women" [Muhammad 47:19].
Narrated by Muslim, 2346.
There are several opinions concerning the tasfeer of the phrase "and
ask forgiveness for your sin". One of these opinions is that this
shows that it is obligatory to pay for forgiveness for all the
Muslims.
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It was said that this is addressed to him (the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him)), but is meant for the ummah. According to
this opinion, this verse obliges the individual to pray for
forgiveness for all of the Muslims.
Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 16/242
It was narrated that Ibn Jurayj said: I said to 'Ata':Should I pray
for forgiveness for the believing men and women? He said: Yes. The
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was commanded to do
that, so that is obligatory on all the people. Allah said to His
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him):"and ask
forgiveness for your sin, and also for (the sin of) believing men and
believing women" [Muhammad 47:19]. I said: Do you say that
supplication in the obligatory prayer? He said: No. I said: With whom
do you start, withyourself or with the believers? He said: With
myself, as Allah says:"and ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for
(the sin of) believing men and believing women" [Muhammad 47:19].
2.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered the funeral prayer
and said: "O Allah,forgive our living and our dead, our young ones and
our old ones, our males and our females, those of us whoare present
and those who are absent. O Allah, whomever You keep alive, keep him
alive with faith and whomever you cause to die, cause him to die in
Islam. Do not deprive us of the reward and do not cause us to go
astrayafter this."
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 1024; Abu Dawood, 3201; an-Nasaa'i, 1986.
Ibn 'Allaan as-Siddeeqi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"O Allah, forgive our living and our dead" means all of our living
ones and dead ones, all the Muslims.
Daleel al-Faaliheen li Turuq Riyadh as-Saaliheen, 6/240
3.
This is the action of the angels (peace be upon them), as Allah says
concerning them (interpretation of the meaning):
"and the angels glorify the praises of their Lord, and ask for
forgiveness for those on the earth"
[ash-Shoora 42:5].
4.
It is the action of the Prophets, the Sahaabah, the Taabi'een and all
thescholars of the earlier and later times.
(a)
Nooh (peace be upon him) said (interpretationof the meaning):"My Lord!
Forgive me, and my parents, and him who enters my home as a believer,
and all the believing men and women" [Nooh 71:28].
(b)
Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) said (interpretation of the
meaning):"Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents, and (all) the believers
on the Day when the reckoning will be established" [Ibraaheem 14:41].
(c)
It is what 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) did:
'Abd ar-Razzaaq narrated inal-Musannaf(3/111) that Ibn Jurayj said:
'Ata' told me that he heard 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr narrate from 'Umar ibn
al-Khattaab concerning Qunoot that he used to say: "O Allah, forgive
the believing men and women and the Muslim men and women, reconcile
between their hearts and set their affairs straight between them…"
Narrated by al-Bayhaqi inas-Sunan al-Kubra(2/210); he said: (It is)
saheeh mawsool.
Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj ila adillat al-Minhaaj, 1/410
(d)
It was the last instructions of Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him):
InFadl as-Salaah 'ala an-Nabiyby Ismaa'eel al-Qaadi (p. 63) it says in
a report that was classedas saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani:
It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas that he said: Do not send blessings
upon anyone except upon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him); however, one should offer supplication(du'aa') for
forgiveness for the Muslims, male and female.
(e)
It is what is said by all the believers, as Allah tells us about them
in the verse (interpretationof the meaning):
"And those who came after them say: 'Our Lord! Forgive us and our
brethren who have preceded us in Faith, and put not in our hearts any
hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full
of kindness, Most Merciful'"
[al-Hashr 59:10].
In the answer to question no. 104460there is a statement that this
du'aa' is permissible – in fact it is encouraged. This was stated by
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and his student Ibn al-Qayyim. In the
same answer several da'eef marfoo' hadeeths on thistopic have been
quoted.
Secondly:
With regard to the opinion of those who object to this supplication on
the grounds that Allah, may He be exalted, has decreed that there will
not be forgiveness for allof the Muslims and that there is no doubt
that some of them will enter the Fire, this is an objection that is
not valid, because it is confusing the divine willand decree (qadr))
withthe laws prescribed by Allah (shar'). According to the divinely
prescribed laws, we are commanded – or encouraged– to pray for
forgiveness for all of the Muslims. That does not contradict that
which has nothing to do with us of what Allah, may He be exalted, has
decreed for some of the Muslims. One indication of that is found in
the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
taught us du'aa's (supplications) toask for forgiveness and he
instructed the Muslims to recite them and say them. We know that it
will not be accepted from some of those who say it. What we have
mentioned above of evidence also confirms that those who say that this
du'aa' is notright are mistaken, and it confirms that praying for
forgiveness for all the Muslims, male and female, is something valid.
The earliest we have come across of those who objected to this du'aa'
was Abu'l-'Abbaas al-Qarraafi(d. 684), who regarded offering
supplication forthat as something haraam! He said inal-Furooq ma'a
Hawaashihi(4/463):
"The fifth category of haraam things that do not constitute kufr is
when the one who is offering supplication asks Allah for something
contrary to what aahaadreports state going to happen. Why I mention
"aahaad reports", as opposed to mutawaatir reports, is because asking
Allah for something not to happen in that case (i.e., when there are
mutawaatir reports that state it will happen) is akin to kufr, as
stated above. There follow some examples of that:
(i)
When he says "O Allah, forgive the Muslims all their sins," although
the saheeh hadeeths indicate that a group of the Muslims will
inevitably enter Hell and be brought forth from it,with or without
intercession. Their entering Hell will only bebecause of their sins.
If all of the Muslims were forgiven all of their sins, no one would
enter Hell.So this supplication implies rejection of those saheeh
hadeeths! So it (this du'aa') is an act of disobedience, but it is not
kufr (disbelief) because you are rejecting aahaad reports, and
labelling something an act of kufronly applies to denying something
that is well established in Islam or known from mutawaatirreports.
With regard to the angels praying for forgiveness for the believer by
saying"so forgive those who repent" [Ghaafir 40:7]and "and [they] ask
for forgiveness for those on the earth"[ash-Shoora 42:5], these words
are not general in meaning, and do not apply to all people. Even if we
were to assume that they are general in meaning, then we should
understand them as meaning that what they meant was that it was
exclusively for some people (and not for all).
Al-Furooq ma'a Hawaamishihi, 4/463-465
Abu'l-Qaasim ibn al-Shaat al-Maaliki (may Allah have mercy on him – d.
723 AH) refuted this argument by saying, as itsays inHaamish al-Furooq
al-Musamma Idraar ash-Shurooq(4/488):
What he said about these and similar du'aa'sconstituting sin is a
mereclaim. Why should it be that one should only offer supplication
for that which is possible to happen? I do not know of any proof or
evidencefor that.
Why is it not possible that Allah should enjoin people to ask for
forgiveness for the sins of every believer, even though He has decreed
that some of them will not be forgiven?
Moreover, what he said about these two verses –"so forgive those who
repent" [Ghaafir 40:7]and "and [they] ask for forgiveness for those on
the earth"[ash-Shoora 42:5]– not being generalin meaning is a grievous
mistake.
To sum up, the argumentof this man (al-Qarraafi) is far-fetched, his
claim has no proof and there is no need for it; he was confused and
mistaken.
End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr (may Allah preserve him) was asked:
What do you think of theview that du'aa' against the kaafirs is a kind
of transgression because Allah knew that they would exist until the
Dayof Resurrection?
He replied:
The Muslim is required to adhere to the teachings of Islam. With
regard to the divine will and decree, it has nothing to do with him.
One may say: Why do you pray for all of the Muslims when Allah knows
that some of them will die whilst committing major sin? Yes, there are
some scholars who say that this is not allowed and that it is not
permissible to pray for all of the Muslims. There are some who
disallow praying for all of the Muslims because according to Allah's
knowledge, thereare some who will die whilst persisting in major sin,
and this supplication is contrary to the divine will and decree. So
based on that(flawed argument), you should not pray for yourself,
because you donot know how your life will end! And you shouldnot pray
for your child, because Allah knows best how he will be! Rather we
say: you are commanded to offer supplication, and this what Allah has
prescribed; as for the divine will and decree, itbelongs to Allah and
has nothing to do with you.
Sharh al-Muwatta', Kitaab al-Janaa'iz, Baab an-Nahy 'an al-Buka' 'alaal-Mayyit.
And Allah knows best.

Quran Stories for Children: Who will take the Noble Qur'an?

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had
everything in their collection, from Picasso (Spanish artist who lived
in France) to Raphael (Italian painter). They would often sit together
and admire the great works of art.
When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very
courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The
father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Eid ul-Fitr, there was a knock at the
door. A young man stood at thedoor with a large package in his hands.
He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your
son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying
me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died
instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art."
The young man held out this package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not
really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to
havethis."
The father opened the package. It was a portraitof his son, painted by
theyoung man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the
personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the
eyesthat his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man
and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never
repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came
to his home he took themto see the portrait of his son before he
showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of
his paintings Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing
the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for
their collection.
On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded
his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son.
Who will bid for this picture?"
There was silence. Then avoice in the back of the room shouted, "We
want to see the famous paintings! Skip this one."
But the auctioneer persisted. "Will somebody bid for this painting.
Who will start the bidding? $100,$200?"
Another voice angrily,"We didn't come to see this painting. We came
tosee the Van Goghs (Dutch painter), the Rembrandts (Dutch artist).
Get on withthe real bids!"
But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the
son?" Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the
longtime gardener of theman and his son. 'I'll give$10 for the
painting.' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
We have $10, who will bid $20? Give it to him for$10. "Let's see the
masters...." $10 is the bid,won't someone bid $20?
The crowd was becomingangry. They didn't want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"
A man sitting on the second row shouted,"Now let's get on with the collection!"
The auctioneer laid downhis gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."
"What about the great paintings?"
I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a
secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that
stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be
auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire
estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets
everything!
Allah (SWT) gave His Noble Qur'an hundreds ofyears ago to guide us.
Much like the auctioneer,His message today is:"The Noble Qur'an, the
Noble Qur'an, who'll take the Noble Qur'an? Because whoever takes the
Noble Qur'an gets everything."

Time in Islam: Time is very precious utilize reading Noble Quran

Since last night my youngson has been unwell. When I got back from
work this evening I decided to take him to hospital despite my
exhaustion. There were many waiting; perhaps we will be delayed by
more than an hour. I took my number and sat down in the waiting room.
There were many faces, young and old, but all silent.
Some brothers made use of the many booklets available in the waiting
room. Some of those waiting had their eyes closed, while others
werelooking around. Most were bored. Once in a while the long silence
was broken by a nurse calling out a number. Happiness appears on
theone whose turn it is, and he gets up quickly; then silence returns.
A young man grabbed myattention. He was reading a pocket-sized Noble
Qur'an continuously; not raising his head even once. At first I did
not think much about him. However, after one hour of waitingmy casual
glances turned into a deep reflection about his lifestyle and how he
utilizes his time. One hour of life wasted! Instead of making benefit
of that hour, it was just a boring wait. Then the call for prayer was
made. We went to prayer in the hospital's Masjid (Mosque). I tried to
pray close to the man who was reading the Noble Qur'an earlier in the
waiting room.
After the prayer I walked with him. I informed him of how impressed I
was of him and how he tries to benefit from his time.
He told me that most of our time is wasted without any benefit. These
are days that go from our lives without being conscious of them or
regretting their waste.He said that he started carrying the
pocket-sizedNoble Qur'an around when a friend encouraged him to make
full use of his time. He told me that in the time other people waste
he gets to read much more of the Noble Qur'an than he gets to read
either at home or in the mosque. Moreover, besides the reward of
reading the Noble Qur'an, this habit saves him from boredom and
stress.
He added that he has now been waiting for one and a half hours. Then
he asked, when willyou find one and a half hours to read the Noble
Qur'an? I reflected; how much time do we waste? How many moments of
our lives pass by, and yet we do not account for how they passed by?
Indeed, how many months pass by and we do not read the Noble Qur'an? I
came to respect my companion, and I discovered that I am to stand for
account and that time is not in my hand; so what am I waiting for? My
thoughts were interrupted by the nurse calling out my number; I went
to the doctor.
But I want to achieve something now. After I left the hospital I
quickly went to the bookshop and bought a pocket-sized Noble Qur'an. I
decided to be mindful of how I spend the time.

Yet another blow to the myth of vestigial organs

Darwinism considers all life on Earth as a productof chance mutations
andnatural selection and, as ana prioricommitment, excludes
intelligent design. In order to argueagainst design, the Darwinist
mind seeks forflaws in the biological systems. From Darwin to Dawkins,
over and over, this dogmatic stance has led the evolutionist to insist
on the existence ofimaginary flaws and"useless" vestigial organsin
living systems. However, over and over, these bold claims by
evolutionists turned out to be manifestations of ignorance.The
allegedly vestigial organs were discovered to be performing very
important functions and the whole "vestigial organ" argument turnedout
to be a fallacy.
The history of science documents a steady reduction in the numberof
the so-called vestigial organs. The allegedly non-functional organs,
one by one, turned out to be organs whose functions had not yet been
discovered. A list ofvestigial organs that wasmade by the German
Anatomist R. Wiedersheim in 1895 included approximately 100
structures, includingthe appendix and the coccyx.As science
progressed, it was discovered that all of theorgans in
Wiedersheim'slist in fact had very important functions. Forinstance,
it was discovered that theappendix, which was supposed to be
a"vestigial organ," was in fact a part of the lymphatic system. A
medical publication notes in 1997 that "otherbodily organs and tissues
- the thymus, liver, spleen, appendix, bone marrow, and small
collections of lymphatic tissue such as the tonsils in the throat and
Peyer'spatch in the small intestine - are also part of the lymphatic
system. They too help the body fight infection." ( 1)
It was also discovered that the tonsils, which were also included in
Wiedersheim's list of vestigial organs, had a significant role in
protecting the throat against infections, particularly until
adolescence. It was found that the coccyx at the lower end of the
vertebral column supports the bones around the pelvis and is the
convergence point of some small muscles and for this reason, it would
not be possible tosit comfortably without a coccyx.
In the years that followed,it was realized that the thymus triggered
the immune system in the human body by activating the T cells, that
the pineal gland was in charge of the secretion of some important
hormones, that the thyroid gland was effective in providing steady
growthin babies and children, and that the pituitary gland controlled
the correct functioning of many hormone glands. All of these were once
considered to be"vestigial organs." Finally, the semi-lunar fold in
the eye, which was referred to as a vestigial organ by Darwin, has
been found in fact to be in charge ofcleansing and lubricating the
eye.
The steady reduction in the list of vestigial organs results from the
fact that this is an argument from ignorance. Some wiser evolutionists
also came to realize this fact. S.R. Scadding, an evolutionist
himself, once wrote in his article"Can vestigial organs constitute
evidence for evolution?" published in the journalEvolutionary Theory:
Since it is not possible tounambiguously identify useless structures,
and since the structure of the argument used is not scientifically
valid,I conclude that "vestigial organs" provide no special evidence
for the theory of evolution. ( 2)
The Leg of the Horse
The latest blow to the myth of vestigial organs comes from a recent
study of the leg of the horse. An article in the 20-27 December 2001
issue of the Nature magazine, entitled"Biomechanics: Damper For Bad
Vibrations", it is noted that "Some musclefibers in the legs of horses
seem to be evolutionary leftovers with no function. But in fact they
may act to absorb damaging vibrations generated in the leg as the
horse runs." The article reads:
Horses and camels have muscles in their legs with tendons more than
600 millimeters long connected to muscle fibers less than 6
millimeters long. Such short muscles can change length only by a few
millimeters as the animal moves, and seemunlikely to be of much use to
large mammals. The tendons function as passive springs, and it has
been assumed that the short muscle fibers are redundant, the remnants
of longer fibers that have lost their function over the course of
evolution. But Wilson and colleagues argue… that these fibers might
protect bones andtendons from potentiallydamaging vibrations….
Their experiments show that short muscle fibers can damp the damaging
vibrations following the impact of a foot on the ground. When the foot
of a running animal hits the ground, the impact sets the leg
vibrating; the frequency of the vibrations is relatively high - for
example, 30-40 Hz in horses - so many cycles of vibration would occur
while the foot was on the ground if there were no damping.
The vibrations might cause damage, because bone and tendon are
susceptible to fatigue failure. Fatigue in bones and tendons is the
accumulation of damageresulting from repeated application of stresses.
Bone fatigue is responsible for the stressfractures suffered by both
human athletes and racehorses, and tendon fatigue may explain at least
some cases of tendonitis. Wilsonet al. suggest thatthe very short
muscle fibers protect both bones and tendons from fatigue damage by
damping out vibrations… ( 3)
In short, a closer look at the anatomy of the horse revealed that, the
structures that had been considered as nonfunctional by evolutionists
have very important functions. In other words, scientific progress
demonstrated that what was considered to be evidence for evolution
isin fact evidence for design.
Evolutionists should takea hint from this fact, if they are willing to
do so.These comments made inNatureseem reasonable:
Wilson et al. have found an important role for a muscle that seemed to
be the relic of a structure that had lost its function in the courseof
evolution. Their work makes us wonder whether other vestiges (such as
the human appendix) are as useless as they seem. ( 4)
This is not surprising.The more we learn about nature, the more we see
the evidence for God's creation. As Michael Behe notes, "theconclusion
of design comes not from that we do not know, but from what we have
learned over the past 50 years." ( 5) And Darwinism turns out to be an
argument from ignorance, or, in other words, an"atheism of the gaps."

Creation in the Quran

Religion has taught the truth of creation, which all people can
grasp through reason and personal observation, since the creation
of first human being. All divine religions have taught that God
created the universe by commanding "Be!" and that its flawless
functioning is proof of His great power of creation. Many verses in
the Qur'an also reveal this truth. For example, God reveals how He
miraculously created the universe from nothing: " The Originator of
the heavens and Earth. When He decides on something, He just says
to it, 'Be!' and it is " (Surat al-Baqara, 117).
We are also told in the Qur'an:
He created the heavens and Earth with truth. The day He says "Be!" it
is. His speech is Truth. The Kingdom will be His on the Day the
Trumpet is blown, the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible. He is
the All-Wise, the All-Aware. (Surat al-An'am, 73)
We all know that present day science demonstrates the invalidity of
the materialist-evolutionist claim and confirms the fact of
creation. Contrary to the claims of the theory of evolution, all the
proofs of creation that surround us show that chance had no role in
the universe's coming into existence. Every detail that emerges as
we observe the sky, Earth, and all living things is intended as
evidence of God's great power and wisdom.
God Created the Universe from Nothing
God creates everything, in the form and at the time that He chooses,
without the use of any model and out of nothing. Since He is
exalted above any defect and is rich beyond any need. He has no need
of any cause, vehicle, or stages for His creation. Nobody should be
deceived by the fact that everything is linked to given causes and
natural laws. God is beyond all these causes and laws, since He
created them.
God, the Lord of the Earth and the Heavens, can also do away with
these causes if He so wills. For instance, He can create people who
do not need oxygen to survive, and therefore do not need any lungs.
Given this, why would He "need" to perfect the lung by making it
evolve over time or through any other mechanism? It is therefore
completely wrong for people to think of God's greatness and might
as being limited to their own feelings and reason. We can have
knowledge only to the extent that He permits.
God can use particular stages in His creation if He so wills. For
example, He produces a plant from a seed or a human being from the
coming together of a sperm and an egg cell. Yet these stages have
nothing to do with evolution and have no room for chance or
coincidence. Every stage in the emergence of a plant, or the turning
of a single cell into a human being "in the best of forms," happens
thanks to the perfect systems created by God's infinite might.
God willed and created the Earth and the Heavens, all that lies
between, and all living and non-living things. This is very easy for
Him, as indicated in the Qur'an:
He created the heavens and Earth with truth. The day He says "Be!" it
is. His speech is Truth... (Surat al-An'am, 73)
Our Word to a thing when We will it is just to say to it "Be!" and
it is. (Surat an-Nahl, 40)
He gives life and causes to die. When He decides on something, He
just says to it, "Be!" and it is. (Surah Ghafir, 68)
Creation is very easy for God. As revealed in these verses, God says
to a thing "Be!," thereby willing it to be so. God reveals in many
verses that He created the universe and living things in perfect
form. It is a grave mistake for believers to adhere to forced
explanations in the face of this evident truth and to make such
specious claims that God employed evolution to create and used
mutation, natural selection, and transitional stages between apes
and humans. It is quite wrong to put forward such accounts, for
which there is no evidence in either the Qur'an or science, in the
hope of being accepted by evolutionists.
God makes all the laws in the universe and gives them the form He
chooses, brings about what He wills and when He wills it, permeates
everything in the Earth and the Heavens, and rules everything with
His power. Yet some people do not fully comprehend His might and thus
judge Him based upon their own limited powers.
God reveals their existence in the Qur'an:
They do not measure God with His true measure when they say: "God
would not send down anything to a mere human being."... (Surat
al-An'am, 91)
They do not measure God with His true measure. God is All-Strong,
Almighty. (Surat al-Hajj, 74)
They do not measure God with His true measure. The whole Earth will
be a mere handful for Him on the Day of Resurrection the heavens
folded up in His right hand. Glory be to Him! He is exalted above
the partners they ascribe! (Surataz-Zumar, 67)
Contrary to what those who believe in evolutionary creation
suggest, God did not first create apes and then cause them to evolve
into humans through flawed transitional forms with missing organs.
Rather, as the Qur'an reveals, God created man in the most perfect
manner:
We created man in the finest mold. (Surat at-Tin, 4)
He created the heavens and Earth with truth and formed you, giving
you the best of forms. And He is your final destination. (Surat
at-Taghabun, 3)
These verses are some of the proofs that God created man in perfect
form, in other words, the form that he has now.
Of course, man also has several incapacities and weaknesses, all of
which remind him of his poverty before our Lord. Deformities and
disabilities are the results of a purposeful creation, for they
serve as reminders for those who see them and as a test for those
who carry them. They are not imperfections caused by evolutionary
process as falsely claimed by the evolutionists.
In the Qur'an, God describes how easy creation is for Him:
Does He Who created the heavens and Earth not have the power to
create the same again? Yes indeed! He is the Creator, the
All-Knowing. (Surah Ya Sin, 81)
Your creation and resurrection is only like that of a single self.
God is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. (Surah Luqman, 28)

Muslims in India

Overall, the Muslims of India make up 13.4 percent of the country's
population of over one billion. Islam isIndia's largest minority
religion.
India's Muslim communities tend to be more urban than rural. Inmany
towns and cities in northernIndia, Muslims are one-third or more of
the population. The largest concentrations of Muslims live in the
states of Bihar,West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. According to the
country's 2001 census there is 138.188.240 Muslims inIndia.
India's Muslims have played a historic role in shaping Indian society,
particularly in the medieval period in the areas of architecture,
calligraphy, miniature paintings, handicrafts, handloom, poetry,
literature in mystic humanism, culinary arts and sartorial fashions.
Not only does the Taj Mahal, the most famous symbol of India,
commemorate the love for a Muslim queen, but the very name India is an
Anglicized version of the Arabic name Hind which Muslim scholars
started using for the area beyond Sindh )roughly the east of Pakistan
today(.
InIndiathe biggest Indian minority is a victim of deprivation. Whether
it is legislative assemblies educational institutions, government
jobs, the problem of security in case of riots, representation in
political organizations, posts in policy planning and decision-making
groups or other pressure groups there is acute shortage of Muslim
representation everywhere, resulting in constant social tension and
problems in governance.
Some challenges the Indian Muslims face:
1. Communal riots againstMuslims are among the biggest tragedies of
this independent, secular democracy. Wherever Muslims have acquired a
relatively better economic position, these riots send them back to the
starting point. There have been 249 riots per year according to Indian
government statistics. Senior Indian journalist, Khuswant Singh notes
that in all communal violence that has taken place in India since
Independence in the 1940s, over 75 per cent ofthe causalities - in
terms of lives and property destroyed - were Muslim.
2. The second important problem is the state of present textbooks in
the Indian education system which have become very aggressive in
teaching Hinduism. This hits Muslims' faith, culture, civilization,
language and way of life. The educational syllabi have prescribed
course books in all states, which are replete with matters pertaining
to the faiths of the majority community, mythologicaland other stories
of Hindu gods and goddesses against the principles prescribed in the
Constitution. Obviously all these things are negations of Islamic
beliefs and teachings, especially about the Oneness of God Almighty.
Hence there is no doubt that these things are causing great concern to
the Muslims.
The rewriting of history is done in a way that continues to fuel the
non-secular, chauvinistic Hindu perspectives, causing the new
generation of Indians to shape their behavior towards minorities in a
very hostile way.
3. The economic problem:More than fifty percent Muslims are leading a
lifebelow the poverty line ascompared to thirty-five percent of Hindus
who live below the poverty line. Because of a generalenvironment of
hostility against Muslims, decent employment in the private sector is
becoming increasingly difficult for Muslims, while in the public
sectorthere is no encouragement for Muslims either. The future of
Muslim professionals and its working class, traders etchas been very
greatly affected.
Today very few Muslims are found in governmentjobs. A recent survey
shows that there are onlyeight Muslim police chiefsinIndia's 591
districts. That is .01% as compared to 12% of the Muslim population
inIndia. The situation of other departments is also worsening day by
day.
4. Education: The active discrimination Muslims face in the private
and public sector of the job market, has forced them to pay less
attention to school education which, inIndia, is connected with the
job market. In the educational field therefore, Muslims are very
backwards.
5. Urdu language. Another major problem of Muslims of India is thatof
the Urdu language. The Urdu language was born as a result of the
interaction and cohesion of different languages, nations, cultures and
civilizations and is a mixture of some old languages like Sanskrit,
Arabic, Persian, Turkish etc. Urdu is almost a deadlanguage now as far
as the medium of instruction is concerned. It is not tolerated even in
the primary and secondary stages of education.
The Muslims of India are very vulnerable in a country which describes
itself as the world's"largest secular democracy". Muslims today remain
poorer, lesseducated and less empowered inIndia.

A dialogue with Satan

Deep at night, I had this dialogue with Satan. Shortly, I heard the
Fajr)dawn( prayer call. I wanted to go to the mosque.
He said: "The night is stilllong, so take a nap."
I said: "I'm afraid I'll missmy obligatory prayer!"
He said: "There is much time to go "
I said: "I'm afraid I'll misspraying in congregation."
He said: "Don't be too harsh on yourself in worship."
Then, I didn't wake up until the sun had already risen.
He whispered to me again saying: "Don't feel sorry for what you have
missed. The day is still fullof many other chances."
As soon as I started mentioning Allaah, he brought to my mind all
kinds of thoughts.
I said: "You are diverting me from making Du'aa)supplication(."
He said: "Just delay it until the night." Shortly, Iintended to repent.
He said: "Enjoy your young age before it comes to an end"!
I said: "I'm too afraid of death."
He said: "But your life willnot end now."
I started to memorize Quran
He said: "Entertain yourself with songs."
I said: "But it's an unlawful thing to do."
He said: "Scholars differed on that matter
I said: "The evidences from the Prophet's sayings ])([ are with me"
He said: "But you know their sources are weak!"
A beautiful lady passed by, so I lowered my gaze.
He said: "What's wrong? It's just a gaze"!
I said: "A gaze puts me in a dangerous place."
He said: "It's lawful to contemplate in grace."
I went to the Ka'bah)Sacred Mosque in Makkah(. There he was with me on the way.
He said: "What's the reason behind this trip?"
I said: "To make 'Umrah)minor Hajj(."
He said: "You have risked dangers )on your travel( to do this 'Umrah.
Don't you know that good deeds have plenty of other doors?!!"
I said: "But my life needs a change for the better"
He said: "Don't you know that you can't enterParadisethrough your deeds?
I went to give advice to people.
He said: "Don't put yourself in an embarrassing situation.
I said: "But, my only aim is to benefit others."
He said: "That's a trap of self-admiration, and it is indeed the head
of corruption."
I said: "Tell me your opinion about some people."
He said: "I can answer you of the private, as well as the general."
I said: "Ahmad Ibn Hanbal?"
He said: "His calling to follow Quran and Sunnah)Prophet's Tradition(
was killing me."
I said: "Ibn Taymiyyah?"
He said: "His words hit myhead like a daily beating."
I said: "Al-Bukhaari?"
He said: "I can even burn my house with his book."
I said: "Al-Hajjaaj )a tyrant ruler(?"
He said: "I wish 1000 of men are like him. His wayis cure and
happiness to my colleagues of devils."
I said: "Pharaoh?"
He said: "Oh, to him victory and support we owe."
I said: "Saladin, the Hero of the battle of "Hitteen"?"
He said: "Let us not talk of him…he brought humiliation to my sons,
and buried our heads in mud."
I said: "Mohammad Ibn Abdul Wahhaab?"
He said: "His messages were like the heavenly fiery stars that were
burning my heart"
I said: "Abu Jahl?"
He said: "The best kinshipand brothers we are."
I said: "Abu Lahab?"
He said: "We are togetherin every step forever."
I said: "Lenin?"
He said: "Bounded by me,with Stalin on fire."
I said: "Nude Magazines?"
He said: "Are my holy books."
I said: "Satellites?"
He said: "Make people diabolical."
I said: "Coffee Shops and internet cafes?"
He said: "Welcome everyone who is divertedfrom Allaah and the right way."
I said: "What is your Athkaar )supplication(?"
He said: "Songs."
I said: "What is your job?"
He said: " False Hopes."
I said: "What do you think about the markets?"
He said: "Clubs where my friends meet."
I said: "How do you misguide people?"
He said: "By desires, doubts, distracting amusements, hopes and songs."
I said: "How do you misguide women?"
He said: "I tempt them towards showing off their beauty, and favoring
the prohibited over the lawful.
I said: "How do you misguide the scholars?"
He said: "By paving the way for them to admiration and showing off,
and by planting envy and pride in their hearts."
I said: "How do you misguide people as general?"
He said: "Through back-biting, tale-fabrication, wasting their times
in things of no value and in useless cheap conversations."
I said: "How do you misguide merchants?"
He said: "By tempting them to deal with bribery, making them hate
paying charity and by making spendthriftness beloved."
I said: "How do you misguide young people?"
He said: "By making themfall in the trap of love, reckless in
following Allaah's orders and committing the prohibited."
I said: "What do you think of Abu Nawwas )a poet who used to celebrate
alcohol and wantonness(?"
He said: "Such a respectful character. His poems really inspired me."
I said: "And "modernity"?"
He said: "The inheritors of our Satanic knowledge."
I said: "Secularity?"
He said: "That's my belief,and its believers are the cheating
magicians and creators of false hopes. We all bear same names."
I said: "What do you think of those people who call to the Word of Allaah?"
He said: "They are torturing me! They inflict a lot of pain and misery
on me. They made me an old man with gray hair! They destroy all what I
build! They make noise when I speak, read whenI sing, and seek refuge
from me when I show up."
I said: "What do you say about newspapers?"
He said: "Means for wasting people's time, especially that of the
elite, and means for stealing money."
I said: "What did you do with the crow?"
He said: "I made him kill his brother and bury him under earth till he
disappeared."
I said: "What did you do with Qaaroon )Korah(?"
He said: "I whispered to him: You son of the old man. Save the
treasuries to win. You are one of the greatest men."
I said: "What did you say to Pharaoh?"
He said: "I told him: You are the greatest one in the palace. To win
say: "Isn't it me who possess the power overEgypt?""
I said: "What did you say to the one who drinks wine?"
He said: "I told him you should drink this grape's juice. It is the
answer to all your problems. It wipes out your troubles. And don't
worry, you know the way to repentance and its doors are always open
for you."
I said: "What kills you?"
He said: "Reading the verses of "Al-Kursy" )the Footstool( ]Quran
2:255[. It prevents me from breathing and makes me feel I'm in an
eternal prison, in a night full of misery."
I said: "Who are the most beloved people to you?"
He said: "Singers, poets that aim at misguiding people, sin-doers, and
every cunning person who goes astray."
I said: "Who is the most hateful person to you?"
He said: "Mosque-goers, everyone who kneels andprostrates to Allaah,
every pious and sincere worshipper, and every fighter in the cause of
Allaah."
I said: "I hereby seek refuge in Allaah from you."
The moment I said so, he disappeared as though melting into the sand -
and this is the liar's end.

Associating partners withAllaah )Shirk( -I

First: Major Shik
One of the most important things Muslimsmust know and pay attention to
is the issue of Shirk )Associating partners with Allaah in worship(,
its seriousness and its different types, sothat our Tawheed )belief in
the Oneness of Allaah( and our Islam may be complete, and our faith
may be sound.
The word Shirk in Arabic means taking a partner, i.e., regarding
someone as the partner of another. It is used in Arabic when one
wishes to express that he regards two people as equal in status; or
that two people are involved in it.
In terms of Sharee'ha or Islamic terminology, Shirk means ascribing a
partner or rival to Allaah in Lordship)Ruboobiyyah(,
worship)Uloohiyyah( or in His Names and Attributes.
A rival is a peer or counterpart. Hence Allaahforbids setting up
rivals with Him and He condemns those who take them )rivals( as
godsinstead of or besides Allaah in many verses of the Quran. Allaah
Says)what means(:"Then do not set up rivals to Allaah )in worship(
while you know )that He Alone has the right to be worshipped(."]Quran
2:222[
And )what means(:"And they set up rivals to Allaah, to mislead
)people( from His path! Say )O Muhammad, to the polytheists(: 'Enjoy
)your brief life(! But certainly, your destination is the
Fire!'"]Quran14:30[
Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu alahyi wa sallam said: "Whoever dies
claiming that Allaah has a rival, will enter Hell." ]Al-Bukhaari[
The types of Shirk:
The texts of the Quran and Sunnah )narrations of the Prophets
sallallaahu alahyi wa sallam( indicate that Shirk sometimes puts a
person beyond the pale of Islam and sometimes does not. Hence, the
scholars divided Shirk into two types: major Shirk and minor Shirk.
Following is a brief description of each type:
1 – Major Shirk
This means ascribing to someone other than Allaah something that
belongs only to Allaah, such as Lordship)Ruboobiyyah(,
Worship)Uloohiyyah( and the Divine Names or Attributes )Al-Asmaa'
Was-Sifaat(.
This kind of Shirk may sometimes be outwardly, such as the Shirk of
thosewho worship idols and graves, or the dead or even living people.
Other times, it may be hidden, such as those who put their trust in
other than Allaah, or the Shirk of thehypocrites. For even though
their )hypocrites'( Shirk puts them beyond the pale of Islam and means
that they will abide forever in Hell, it isa hidden Shirk, because
they make an outward display of Islam and conceal their disbelief and
Shirk, so they are inwardly Polytheists but not outwardly.
Shirk in the form of beliefs, such as:
- The belief that there is someone else who creates, gives life and
death, reigns or controls the affairs of the universe along with
Allaah.
- The belief that there is someone else who must be obeyed absolutely
besides Allaah.
- Associating others with Allaah in love and veneration, by loving a
created being as loving Allaah. This is the kind of Shirk that Allaah
does notforgive, and it is the Shirk about which Allaah Says )what
means(:
"And of mankind are some who take )for worship( others besides Allaah
as rivals. They love them asthey love Allaah."]Quran 2:165[
- The belief that there arethose who know the Unseen that only Allaah
Knows. This is very common among some of the deviant sects.
- The belief that there is someone who bestows mercy in a manner that
isbefitting only for Allaah, so he shows mercy as Allaah does and
forgives sins and overlooks the bad deeds of his 'worshippers'.
Shirk in the form of words:
Such as those who supplicate to someone other than Allaah, or seekhis
help or seek refuge with him with regard to matters over which no one
has control except Allaah, whether the person called upon is a
Prophet, a Wali)righteous person(, an angel or a jinn, or some other
created being. This is a kind of major Shirk which puts one beyond the
pale of Islam.
Also, those who make funof religion or who liken Allaah to His
creation, or say that there is another creator, provider or controller
besides Allaah are included in this type of Shirk. All of these fall
under major Shirk and are grave sins that are not forgiven.
Shirk in the form of actions:
Such as one who sacrifices, prays or prostrates to something other
than Allaah, or whopromulgates laws to replace the rulings of Allaah
and makes such laws the reference whichpeople are obliged to refer to
for judgement; or one who supports the disbelievers and helps them
against the believers, and other acts that go against the basic
meaning of faith and put the one who does them beyond the pale of
Islam.

Dought and clear, - Marrying a Christian woman without a wali (guardian) or witnesses

I wanted to take a second wife, and because it is difficult to
convince my first wife and my community about this wish, and to avoid
breaking up my marriage and causing trouble to my family from my first
wife, I could find no solution more suitable then marrying a Christian
woman who I had got to know in a foreign country. My marriage to her
was done as follows:I informed her of my wish to marry her, and she
agreed to be my wife. But she did not have any guardian, because her
father is Christian and would never accept her marrying a Muslim, and
he does not care about her anyway. So she gaveherself to me in
marriage without a wali(guardian), and I followed the view that it is
permissible for a previously married woman to give herself in
marriage. Because wemet in a foreign country, where I do not know
anyone who could witness the marriage, I followed theview that the
testimony of two witnesses to the marriage can be replaced by an
announcement, becausethe purpose served is the same. So I contactedtwo
sincere friends by phone and informed them of this marriage, so that
announcement of the marriage could be done, and I informedothers after
that. I also gave her a mahr (dowry) and informed her that this mahr
is her right as a wife. The mahr was in the form ofa gold ring. I told
her that this marriage was witnessed by Allah and that she was like a
wife to me, and she had to be sincere to me as a wife and not commit
any sin. She agreed to marriage on the basis ofthese conditions, and
we got married and lived as husband and wife. Nevertheless I fear
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and I am afraid that
everything I have done may be invalid and subject to the ruling on
zina (adultery or fornication). Recently I have been faced with some
problems in my work and with my first wife, and I am afraid that Allah
is punishing me. Yet I do not think there is anything wrongwith my
second marriage; she is Christian and has sacrificed a great deal. She
has given up many of the rights that she has over me, and she
understands my situation. She agreed to be my wife and she obeys me in
what I haveasked of her. I hope thatthere is nothing wrong with this
second marriage of mine, even though I know that it goes against the
conditions of marriage on which there is scholarly consensus, but I
followed the opinions of respectable scholars. What is your opinion?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
It is not permissible for aMuslim to follow whatever he wants of
opinions, even if they were stated by some of the scholars, because by
doing that he is following his whims anddesires and is not following
the laws of Allah.
Rather what he must do – if he is able to – is to follow the most
correct opinion which is supported by shar'i evidence. If he is not
able to weigh up which of the opinions is most correct, then he should
ask someone whose knowledge and religiouscommitment he trusts, and
follow the advice hegives him.
Secondly:
For marriage to be valid,it is stipulated that the wali (guardian) of
the woman be present, and it is not permissible for the woman to do
the marriage contract for herself, because the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: "There is no (valid) marriage except
with a wali." Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2085; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani inIrwa' al-Ghaleel, 1839. And he (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) also said: "Any woman who gets married without the
permission of her wali, her marriage is invalid, her marriage is
invalid, her marriage is invalid." Narrated by Ahmad, 24417; Abu
Dawood, 2083; at-Tirmidhi, 1102; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
inSaheeh Abi Dawood.
In that regard it makes no difference whether the woman is a virgin or
previously married.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
One of the conditions of the marriage contract being valid is that it
should be done by the wali (guardian), whether the woman is a virgin
or previously married, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "There is no (valid) marriage except with a
wali." End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 21/39
If her father did not agree to this marriage because he did not
wanther to marry a Muslim, then guardianship passes to the next
closestof her guardians, such asher brother, then her paternal uncle.
If all of them refuse, the head ofthe Islamic Centre in her city can
give her in marriage; if that is not applicable, then the imam of the
Jaami' mosque may do that.
The majority of scholars are of the view that the marriage contract is
not valid except in the presence of two witnesses to the marriage
contract, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "There is no (valid) marriage except in the presence of the
wali andtwo witnesses of good character." Narrated by al-Bayhaqi,
14086; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Jaami', 13515.
Some of the scholars stipulated that the marriage must be announced
publicly in order for it to be valid. According to these scholars, the
announcement must come before consummation of the marriage. Telling
two men about it does not constitute a public announcement.
Based on that, the marriage contract that you did is not valid, and
you should not be intimate with her until after a new marriage
contract which is done correctly, in accordance with the conditions
stipulated in sharee'ah.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked
about a Muslim who marries a Christian woman without the permission of
her guardian. They replied:
The marriage contract is not valid unless it is done in the presence
of the wali and two witnesses of good character. It is not permissible
for the woman to do the marriage contract for herself, because the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "There is no
(valid) marriage except in the presence of the wali and two witnesses
of good character." And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "A woman cannot give another woman in marriage, and a woman
cannot give herself in marriage." Based on that, the marriage contract
mentioned in the question is not valid,and it must be done again with
the wali of the woman.
A kitaabi (i.e., Jewish or Christian) woman may be given in marriage
by her father. If he is not present or he is present but refuses, the
closest of her male relatives on her father's side may give her in
marriage. If they are not present, or they are present but refuse, the
Muslim qaadi (judge) may give her in marriage; if there is no Muslim
qaadi, then the head of the local Islamic centre may give her in
marriage, because the shar'i evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah
indicates that. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 18/180-181
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked
about a man who married an Australian Christian girl in London, and
the wife gave herself in marriage without the presence of a wali.
There was no mention of the value of the mahr (dowry) in the marriage
contract, and itwas not attended by anywitnesses apart from a Muslim
man and a Christian woman who was the mother of the bride. In the
wedding party there were some Christian girls and friends of the
bride, along with the Christian registrar. Four years later, the wife
became Muslim and she has two children from him. She isasking about
the validityof her marriage contract; if it is not valid,then how can
it be madevalid?
He replied: With regard to the marriage contract that you describe, it
is not valid, because the wali and two witnesses were not present. The
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "There is no
marriage except in the presence of the wali andtwo witnesses of good
character." With regard to not stating the mahr in the marriage
contract,that does not affect anything.
The way to correct it is to bring her wali to the registrar to do the
marriage contract for her to the husband mentioned, after obtaining
her approval and consent. This should also be attended by two
witnesses of good character. If she does not have a wali, then herwali
is the shar'i judge; she should give him permission to do her marriage
contract. Thereis no sin on them for what has passed, and their
children are legitimate and it is correct to call them aftertheir
father, if they believed that the marriage contract was valid, because
this comesunder the heading of a marriage that was thought to be
legitimate. End quote
Fataawa wa Rasaa'il Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem, 10/68
And Allah knows best.

Dought and clear, - Water spilling onto one’s clothes and body from a vessel that had been licked by a dog

I have a friend who putsa bowl of water in the shop so that the dog
candrink from it. One time, after the dog had drunk, this vessel was
tipped over and the water came out of it, and I was afraid that it had
got onto my clothesor my body, because it contained the saliva of the
dog that had drunk from it.
What should I do if this water touches my clothes or my body? Should I
wash the place it gets onto seven times?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed concerning the
najaasah (impurity) of dogs and there are several opinions.
It says inal-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah(40/79):
The fuqaha' differed concerning dogs with regard to whether they are
pure or impure.
The Shaafa'is and Hanbalis are of the view that dogs are impure in and
of themselves.
The Hanafis are of the view that dogs are not impure in and of
themselves, rather their leftover (food or water) and wetness are
impure.
The Maalikis are of the view that dogs are pure in and of themselves,
because they say that the basic principle concerning all things is
that they are pure, and all living beings, even dogs, are pure, and so
are their sweat, tears, mucus and saliva.
They also said: The fuqaha' differed concerning the impurity of a
vessel that has been licked by a dog. The majority of fuqaha' are of
the view that if a dog licks a vessel, it makes it impure.
The Maalikis and some ofthe Hanafis are of the view that the licking
of adog does not make the vessel impure. End quote.
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) attributed the viewthat
dogs are impure to the majority of the scholars among the Sahaabah and
Taabi'een.
He said (may Allah have mercy on him): The scholars differed with
regard to acting upon the apparent meaning of this hadeeth [about the
licking of a dog, as we shall see below], and they also differed about
what we shall mention, by Allah's leave. Most of the scholars among
the Sahaabah and Taabi'een, and those who came after them of the
fuqaha' of the Muslims, said that a vessel should be washed seven
times with water if it is licked by a dog.
End quote fromat-Tamheed, 18/269
He also said (may Allah have mercy on him): The fuqaha' also differed
concerning the leftover (food or water) of a dog or any water or food
licked by a dog. The view of Maalik, which is the final view of his
madhhab, is that the leftovers of a dog are taahir (pure) and a vessel
licked by a dog should be washed seven times on the basis that it is
mustahabb to do so, but not obligatory.
Abu Haneefah and his companions, ath-Thawri and al-Layth ibn Sa'd said
that the leftovers of a dog are najis (impure),and they did not
specify a number of times for washing (the vessel). They said: Rather
he should wash it until he thinks it most likely that the impurity has
been removed, whether that is one time or more.
Al-Awzaa'i said that the leftovers of the dog in the vessel are najis
(impure), but inal-Mustaqni'it says that they are not impure.
Thegarment should be washed if the dog's saliva gets on it, and the
meat of game (caught bythe dog) should be washed to remove the dog's
saliva.
Ash-Shaafa'i, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, Abu 'Ubayd, Abu
Thawr and at-Tabarisaid: The leftovers of a dog are najis (impure) and
the vessel should be washed seven times, the first of which should be
with dust or soil. This is the view of the majority of the
literalists.
Dawood said: The leftovers of a dog are taahir (pure) and the vessel
should be washed seven times, as an obligation, if the dog licked the
vessel. Regardless of whether the vessel contained water or something
other than water, it is taahir (pure), but one should wash the vessel
seven times. However, one may do wudoo' with the water that was
licked, and the food and drink that were licked may be consumed.
Abu 'Umar said: Those (scholars) who were of the view that dogs are
not najis (impure) say that their leftovers are taahir (pure) but the
vessel should be washed seven times if the dog licked it. In their
opinionthis is so as to follow the instructions in the hadeeth to wash
that which remains pure, andit is limited to this case. Those who are
of the view that dogs are najis (impure) and that their leftovers are
najis, and also said that the vessel must be washed seven times if the
dog licks it, say that the hadeeth specifies seven times to purify
this impurity, which is different from other types of impurity.
Ash-Shaafa'i and his companions said that dogs and pigs are najis
(impure) whether alive or dead, and there is nothing among living
beings that is najis apartfrom these two. He said: All parts of the
dog (are impure), by analogy with its tongue…
End quote fromat-Tamheed(18/269)
The correct scholarly view is that all parts of the dog are najis,
including its saliva and hair, because the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The way to purify the vessel of one
of you, if a dog licks it, isto wash it seven times, the first of
which should be with dust (or soil)." Narrated by Muslim.
Al-Khattaabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:What we learn from
this hadeeth is that dogs are najis (impure) in and of themselves; if
they were not najis, he would not have instructed us to purify the
vessel if it is licked by a dog. Purification is basically prescribed
to remove major or minor ritual impurity (ghusl and wudoo') or wash
off impure substances. The rulings on ritual impurity cannot apply
tovessels, thus it is known that the aim here is to remove an impure
substance. Once it is proven that the dog's tongue, with which it
drinks the water, is najis (impure) and it is obligatory to purify the
water from that, it is known that all the parts (of the dog) are
impure, like its tongue. So if any part of its body touches one, it
must be purified. It also clearly shows that purification cannot be
done with less than seven washings, and that rubbing it once with dust
or soil is obligatory.
It is obvious that the reason for using dust is to achieve a thorough
purification. This highlights the high degree of the dog's impurity.
Therefore, other means of purification, such as potash and the like
[used as cleansing substances], that are very effective in
purification, may also beused in place of dust or soil.
End quote fromMa'aalimas-Sunan(1/93)
As-San'aani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:This hadeeth points to
several rulings:
Firstly, the dog's mouth is najis, because of the instruction to wash
anything that the dog licks and pour away the water. He said "The
purification of the vesselof one of you", because there is no washing
except in the case of ritual impurity or contamination with an impure
substance. There is no ritual impurity in this case, therefore whatis
meant is contamination with an impure substance. Pouring it away is
wasting the water; If thewater was taahir (pure), he would not have
instructed them to wasteit, because he had forbidden them to
wastewater. This clearly indicates that the dog's mouth is najis
(impure), and the rest of the dog's body is deemed to be the same, by
analogy. That is because if it is proven that the dog's saliva is
najis, and its saliva is part of its mouth, as it is the sweat of its
mouth, then its mouth is najis, because sweat is part of what comes
from the body, so the rest of its body is thesame… End quote fromSubul
as-Salaam(1/22).
Based on that, if the dogputs its tongue or its foot or any other part
of its body in the water, the water becomes najis (impure); hence the
water must be poured away and the vessel must be washed.
Thirdly:
If the water that was licked by the dog spills onto your clothes or
your body, and you are certain or think it most likely that it got
onto your clothes or your body, then you have to wash the place
affected by the impurity seven times, one of which should be with dust
or soil, or whatever may take its place of cleansing substances such
as soap, because dust may be harmful. Butif you think it most
likelythat the water did not reach your clothes or your body, then you
do not have to do anything,because the basic principle is that things
are taahir (pure), but in this case there is some doubt concerning
najaasah (impurity).
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to lapping up (water), saliva comes out of the dog when it
does this. If the dog's saliva gets onto one's clothes or anything
else, then they should be washed seven times. But we do not say that
one of them should be with dust or soil, because thatmight be harmful.
Rather we say that instead of dust one should use soap or something
similar to remove the impurity, and that, with the seven washings, is
sufficient.
End quote fromLiqa' al-Baab al-Maftooh, no. 49
Note: it is not permissible to keep dogsexcept for a need such as
guarding or hunting. If a person keeps a dog for any other purpose, he
is sinning and every day one or two qiraats of hasanaat (good deeds)
will be detracted from his reward. And Allah knows best.