Fathwa, - Umra Acceptance and Husband's Dua Against It

Question:
I went to umrah with my husband a few weeks ago, and subhanallah it
was such an amazing experience. A few days before we arrived home me
and my husband had an argument, in the heat of the moment he said i
hope your umrah does not get accepted. i could not believe what he
said, he apologised straight away, and said he did not mean it, but my
fear is what if what he said gets accepted by Allah, what do i do. i
still haven't forgiven my husband as i am so hurt, it really felt as
if he divorced me. please help me by answering my question. salam
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Dear Sister,
Assalamu alaikum,
I pray this finds you well.
Your husband's words have no effect. What matters is that you
performed your Umrah in accordance with the Sunna, following all the
proper manners entailed therein. If your intention was for Allah
Ta'ala, then you should think well of Allah Most High and trust Him to
reward you for this act of devotion.
What your husband said was hurtful and it's good that he apologized.
You should move on, but perhaps consider why you had an argument at
such a time and what you can do in the future to prevent it from
reoccurring.
Wasalaam

Fathwa, - insecure

Question:
I have recently married my husband, I can't control the way I feel.
I'm always feeling threatened by other women around. I also feel very
insecure and jealous. It's really affecting our relationship. I just
feel so insecure. I know he loves me very much. I just can't stop the
way I'm feeling. He feels I don't have faith in him and trust him. I
really need to know how to control the way I feel. It's making me so
paranoid. I love him deeply and I am always scared of losing him.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Dear Sister,
Assalamu alaikum,
I pray this message finds you well.
Have you examined what may be underlying these feelings? What are you
doing with your time, besides worrying about these other women? Do you
have any causes you're passionate about? What projects are you working
on? What goals have you set for yourself?
How much time do you make for yourself? Do you take the time to
beautify yourself for your husband?
How do you view yourself and your achievements?
Obviously, your husband married you because he found something
attractive in you. Alhamdulillah, he loves you, so this, in itself,
should be reassuring. Is he practicing? If he observes the proper adab
with these women, then you should not worry.
Instead, you should focus on setting--and meeting--your own personal,
intellectual, spiritual, and marital goals.
The only person you should be comparing yourself with is yourself.
Stop worrying about these other women. Assess where you are now and
where you'd like to be. Then work towards that. It might be useful to
read the life stories of the Prophet's wives and the female
Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. If we devoted a fraction
of our time to emulating their examples, then we' d have so much to
focus on that is good and positive. Focus on what's good and positive
for you and your husband and leave this suspicion alone. Seek refuge
in Allah from shaytan. Give your husband the trust he deserves. After
all, doesn't he trust you?
And Allah knows best.

Contemporary sodomy - I

The grave and evil act of sodomy has various names in the Arabic
language, some of which mean:
· The act of the people of Loot.
· Sodomy.
· Homosexuality.
· Entering a person from the rear.
· Same-sex relationships.
This evil act has become widespread in the west and is being practised
by vast numbers of people. The west approves of this evil act, and has
introduced new laws in its favour of same-sex marriage.
In the year 1967, the British government introduced a law which stated
that it was no longer a crime for people of the same sex to have
sexual intercourse if they have reached the age of puberty. The result
of this was that this evil act became widespread, as did many
diseases. It is still considered a crime in that country for people of
the same sex to have a sexual relationship if at least one of them
have not yet reached the age of puberty, although this is something
that the homosexuals are pressuring that government to change.
InEurope, same sex marriage is becoming widespread with official
recognition and approval, and many governments authorize same-sex
marriages.Amsterdamwitnessed the first official same-sex marriage in
the world with a party that was attended by the ministers of the Dutch
government and other celebrities, in addition to being broadcast live
on television.
OnSunday 4thMarch 2001, it was announced inHollandthat three male and
one female couple immediately married after the announcement of a new
law that permitted same-sex marriage. Moreover, the Dutch government
gives the same rights to married couples of the same sex as it does to
those of the opposite sex, such as government financial assistance,
lower taxes, the right to adopt and the requirement of a court order
in order to divorce.
Officials inAmsterdamexpect the number of married couples to increase
by ten thousand couples annually, which represents ten percent )10%(
of the number of heterosexual marriages.
InDenmark, same sex marriages began in the year 1989, makingDenmarkthe
first country in the world to officially recognize same-sex marriages.
Also,NorwayandSwedenallow homosexuals to officially register their
relationships. In addition to this, the German government very
recently passed a new law to permit such marriages officially,
although it does not allow the couples to adopt children or be
entitled to pay less tax. This law also permits non-German citizens
who are living inGermanyto have such marriages.
In February 2000, the Canadian government granted homosexuals who live
together the same rights that normal couples have, although it did not
allow them to officially get married.
Homosexual Conception?
A British doctor studied the possibility of making this possible.
After finding a female volunteer who offered her womb, and having
extracted semen from both men concerned, the doctor discontinued the
experiment, due to coming to the conclusion that modern science has
not yet reached the level of being able to cause the man's sperm to
act as the female's ovum and thus facilitate the conception of a
child.
InIsrael, homosexuals constitute twelve percent )12%( of the Jewish
population; they are demanding that their government gives them more
rights, the most important of which is to officially recognise their
marriages. They are also demanding that the government pass laws that
give them assistance regarding inheritance, paid marriage-leave, and
so on.
Homosexuality has become something quite acceptable in the Israeli
community. The Haaretz Newspaper of14thApril 2000, contained an
article quoting a man who planned to get married to his boyfriend as
saying: "Homosexuals enjoy a much better status now from a legal
perspective; as a matter of fact, this is one of the best countries
)in this regard( in the world. We have the same rights as )the
homosexuals in(DenmarkandHolland, as there is no law that prohibits
same sex-marriage, nor is there any law prohibiting sodomy. On the
contrary, we have a law here that demands that we have equal work
opportunities."
The first punishment from Allaah:
Aids:Aids was discovered in 1981 when a number of homosexual men who
practiced sodomy in places such asLos AngelesandNew Yorkcontracted a
strange type of bacterial chest infection which is known as
Pneumosytis Carinii. Some of them also contracted a rare form of
cancer named Kaposis Sarcoma.
Scientists at that time could offer no explanation of how this rare
disease had appeared so suddenly; but in 1984, they were able to
recognize the cause and attributed it to the damage of the main cells
in the immune system due to a new virus, and this is where the name
AIDS )Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome( came from. In 1986, the
virus that causes this disease was named HIV.
This disease coincides, exactly, with the saying of the Prophetwhere
'Abdullaah bin 'Umarreported that: "The Prophetapproached us once and
said:"It is never that immorality )i.e. adultery, fornication and
sodomy( prevails in a people to the extent that they do it openly,
except that there will appear in them diseases that were unknown to
their predecessors."" ]Al-Haakim[
This disease has spread in a rapid and terrifying manner, to the point
that the number of deaths that it has caused in the United States
alone up until January of the year 2000 was 438,795 people, while
worldwide, the number of newly infected and HIV positive people at the
end of each year reaches thirty six million )36,000,000( people.
Ninety five percent )95%( of these contracted it due to practicing
sodomy, while the others did so via other means, such as infected drug
syringes. Research has proved that sixty two percent )62%( of these
cases were caused by bisexual men.
Los Angeleshas the fourth highest number of infected patients in
theUnited States, and it has been stated there that bisexual men
hinder the process of putting an end to this disease.
Before the world had an opportunity to wake up from the effect of the
shock caused by AIDS, a new homosexual disease appeared on the
horizon. This disease is even more powerful and viscous than AIDS. Dr.
Kenneth Moore MD stated that AIDS is considered insignificant in
comparison to this new disease, and he gave it the name 'The Love
Virus.'
The symptoms of this disease are that the infected person begins, six
months after being infected, to develop blisters and ulcers, from
which the patient continues to bleed until he dies. Dr. Moore has
stated that it is not easy for the body to be infected with this
virus, but once it does, modern science stands helpless in the face of
it.
This virus lays dormant in the person's body for six months and is
then activated by him having sexual intercourse again. Unlike other
diseases resulting from sexual intercourse that can only be
transmitted through the blood, bodily fluids, or sexual intercourse,
this disease can be transmitted in different ways. It can even afflict
those who have never had sexual intercourse. Dr. Moore has stated that
it appears that it is transmitted through the air and can enter a
person's lungs via his breathing mechanism.
The above were but some of the many harmful effects of sodomy. How can
any sane man, after reading this, give in to his perverted desires and
lusts, and pay such a terrible price as a consequence?

Contemporary sodomy –II

Real life stories:
We have received many questions from Muslims who live in the west in
this regard; the following are two examples:
· I live inCanada. My sister has a bisexual boyfriend and does
not see any problem in this; she even goes with him to a gay
nightclub. She also believes that we should accept this type of person
in our community. What should I do?
· I discovered that my forty year old husband has been, for the
past two years, sleeping with a boy who comes to our house
occasionally, although he does not know that I have found out. He is a
person who performs his prayers and confirms that he is sexually
satisfied by me. What should I do?
Dear brothers!This is a married man who is committing this wicked sin!
How perverted can a person get? How heedless can a person become?
Indeed he is cursed by Allaah as the Prophetsaid:"Allaah has cursed
the one who commits the act of the people of Loot )i.e.
sodomy(."]Ahmad[
The Islaamic ruling on sodomy:
The consensus of the Companionshas been recorded in this regard that
the one who commits this sin must be executed. However, there are
variant views from them on how to execute the perpetrator. Some of
them ruled that it should be by beheading him with a sword, others
ruled that it be by stoning to death, while a third group held the
opinion that it should be by burning to death. There is another group
that has ruled that it should be done by taking the perpetrator of
this evil crime to the highest point in the area he resides, and then
hurling him off from there, head down, while being stoned as he falls
and after he hits the ground, until he dies; this was the opinion of
Abu Bakrand 'Ali. There is also a view that such people should be
executed by placing them in a house that is then demolished with them
inside it.
The Prophetsaid:"Kill the one who does it )i.e., sodomy( and the one
to whom it is done."]At-Tirmithi & Others[ Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd, may
Allaah preserve him, said: "There is no indication in the narration of
the person being single or married, and thus it covers all people."
How are such sinners to be dealt with?
The one who commits this grave sin must repent before death strikes
him, as he would otherwise be subject to the wrath and curse of
Allaah, as well as the loss of both, this life and the Hereafter.
He must be advised and reminded that Allaah is watching him and that
Satan is keen to misguide him. He should remember that one day he may
become a father who would despise anyone attacking his children in
this way.
Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyimsaid:"Sodomy brings nothing but regret, sorrow and
diseases that are almost impossible to survive. It also makes one's
countenance dark and gloomy, and causes the light of guidance to
vanish from his heart. It )i.e., sodomy( becomes so evident on his
face that people would recognize this as soon as they see him. The one
who commits this sin will never survive the punishment that will
follow unless Allaah has predestined for him to repent. It results in
the blessings of Allaah upon him vanishing and being replaced by
curses and hardships. It also makes him more daring in committing more
evil and shameful deeds, and thus causes his humiliation."
Modern science has proved that this act has a very negative effect on
those who do it, such as damaging the nervous system, the brain, and
the sexual organs, as well as causing liver infections, which is in
addition to AIDS.
How does a person repent from this sin?
· Sincere repentance and remaining steadfast upon it.
· Supplicating to Allaah for assistance.
· Frequently asking forgiveness from Allaah.
· Continual mentioning of Allaah.
· Increasing in acts of worship and obedience.
· Optional prayers, as Allaah Says )what means(:"…Indeed,
prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing…"]Quran 29: 45[
· Keeping righteous company.
Whenever the slave sincerely repents to Allaah and continues
supplicating to Him for forgiveness, Allaah will certainly protect and
preserve him. Imaam Ibn Taymeeyyahwas asked whether the one who
repents from this act must inform others, his reply was:"If he truly
repents, Allaah will forgive him without him having to publicize his
act."
Allaah Says )what means(:"And those who do not invoke with Allaah
another deity or kill the soul which Allaah has forbidden ]to be
killed[, except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual
intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty.
Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and
he will abide therein humiliated – Except for those who repent,
believe, and do righteous work. For them Allaah will replace their
evil deeds with good. And ever is Allaah Forgiving and Merciful. And
he who repents and does righteousness does indeed turn to Allaah with
]accepted[ repentance."]Quran 25: 68-71[.
Additionally, one may get married after sincerely repenting in order
to protect himself from sinning further.

Islamic banking in the digital age

Islamic banking refers to a system of banking activities that is
consistent with the Sharee'ah )Islamic law( and guided by Islamic
economics. Thus, banking procedures including payment of Ribaa )usury
or interest( is Haraam )Islamically prohibited(. Islamic law also
prohibits trading in financial risk )which is seen as a form of
gambling(, investing in businesses that include alcohol or pork, or
businesses that produce anti-Islamic media, etc. In the late 20th
century, a number of Islamic banks were created, to cater to this
particular banking market.
The first modern experiment with Islamic banking was undertaken in
Egypt under cover without projecting an Islamic image for political
reasons. The pioneering effort, led by Ahmad El-Najjaar, took the form
of a savings bank based on profit-sharing in the Egyptian town of Mit
Ghamr in 1963. This experiment lasted until 1967, by which time there
were nine such banks in the country.
Islamic banking has the same purpose as conventional banking except
that it operates in accordance with the Islamic rules, known as Fiqh
Al-Mu'aamalaat )Islamic rules on transactions(. The basic principle of
Islamic banking is the sharing of profit and loss and the prohibition
of Ribaa. Amongst the common Islamic concepts used in Islamic banking
are profit sharing )Mudhaarabah(, safekeeping )Wadee'ah(, joint
venture )Mushaarakah(, cost plus )Muraabahah(, and leasing )Ijaarah(.
In an Islamic mortgage transaction, instead of loaning the buyer money
to purchase the item, a bank might buy the item itself from the
seller, and re-sell it to the buyer at a profit, while allowing the
buyer to pay the bank in installments. However, the fact that it is
profit cannot be made explicit and therefore there are no additional
penalties for late payment. In order to protect itself against
default, the bank asks for strict collateral. The goods or land is
registered to the name of the buyer from the start of the transaction.
This arrangement is called Muraabahah. Another approach is Al-Ijaarah
wal- Iqtinaa', which is similar to real-estate leasing.
Islamic banks handle vehicles' trade in a similar way )selling the
vehicle at a higher-than-market price to the debtor and then retaining
ownership of the vehicle until the loan is paid(.
There are several other approaches used in business deals. Islamic
banks lend their money to companies by issuing floating rate interest
loans. The floating rate of interest is pegged to the company's
individual rate of return. Thus the bank's profit on the loan is equal
to a certain percentage of the company's profits. Once the principal
amount of the loan is repaid, the profit-sharing arrangement is
concluded. This practice is called Mushaarakah. Further, Mudhaarabah
is venture capital funding of an entrepreneur who provides labor while
financing is provided by the bank so that both profit and risk are
shared.
Such participatory arrangements between capital and labor reflect the
Islamic view that the borrower must not bear all the risk/cost of a
failure, resulting in a balanced distribution of income and not
allowing lender to monopolize the economy.
Islamic banks have grown recently in the Muslim world but are a very
small share of the global banking system. Micro-lending institutions
such as Grameen Bank use conventional lending practices, and are
popular in some Muslim nations, but are clearly not Islamic banking.
]1[
Today, there are about seventy five )75( Islamic equity funds
worldwide based in Muslim countries and targeted at institutional
investors in the Middle East. The growth of the middle class in the
Muslim world is driving the advent of a 'new economic order.'
Some years ago, Dow Jones unveiled the first global stock benchmark
for Islamically conscientious investors. The Islamic market index
follows six hundred and sixty )660( Sharee'ah-compliant companies in
34 countries, including Microsoft, Coca-Cola etc. Brown Brothers
Harriman & Co. and a dozen other banks are introducing funds tracking
the index. Barclays of Britain and Commerz Bank AG of Germany are
nurturing new portfolios for Muslims. In November 1999, Financial
Times )FTSE( International in London introduced its own Islamic
indices.
Islamic scholars are open to creative solutions for the problems
raised by modern finance. Any respectable Islamic fund or financial
institutions has a board of scholars screening its investments and
practices. "Nearly all the scholars now agree, for example that it is
ok for Muslims to buy equities or stocks which are commitments to
responsible ownership", says Virginia-based Islamic scholar and fund
adviser Yusuf Talal Delorenzo. This approval of the scholars is
conditioned to such equities of stocks being Islamically lawful
themselves.
The Dow Jones index excludes hotel chains and airlines which serve
alcohol and pork, but the Islamic funds managed by Saturna capital
corp. do not. A. Rushdi Siddiq, Director of Dow Jones Islamic Index
Group, says: "Sharee'ah Boards are de-facto fund managers".
The strong middle class Muslims in Malaysia helped in producing some
recent innovations in Islamic finance. IslamQ.com will be launched in
Kuala Lumpur to become the first web site to offer online Islamic
stock trading. It is a virtual bazaar providing many services.
Surfers can check prayer times, plan pilgrimage to Makkah or 'Ask the
scholars' about how to handle finance under the Sharee'ah.
IslamiQ.com hopes to broaden what is possible for Muslim investors
within the bounds of what is Halaal, or permissible under Islamic law.
The Western style of banking is shunned by hundreds of millions of
observant Muslims around the world. They were left to invest in real
estate, trade financing, or small business; and to accumulate a pool
of cash that IslamiQ now estimates at US$ 150 billion and growing by
30% a year. "There is a lot of money that has been hidden under the
people's mattresses", says Hasnita Hashim, the Malaysian banker and
IslamiQ CEO and co-founder. IslamiQ.com will have offices in New
York, London and Malaysia.
As investors' choices grow, Islamic finance is no longer the exclusive
domain of Muslims. Ms Hashim, who ran Islamic funds in her native
country )Malaysia( before starting IslamQ.com, says that more than
half of her investors were non-Muslims.

Accusing chaste women of adultery

Allaah Almighty Says in the Noble Quran )what means(:
"The ]Unmarried[ woman or ]unmarried[ man found guilty of sexual
intercourse— lash each one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not
be taken by pity for them in the religion ]i.e. law[ of Allaah, if you
should believe in Allaah and the Last Day. And let a group of the
believers witness their punishment. The fornicator does not marry
except a ]female[ fornicator or polytheist, and none marries her
except a fornicator or a polytheist, and that ]i.e. marriage to such
persons[ has been made unlawful to the believers. And those who accuse
chaste women )of adultery( and then do not produce four witnesses —
lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony
ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient. Except for those
who repent thereafter and reform, for indeed Allaah is Forgiving and
Merciful."]Quran 24: 2-5[
Islamic law )Sharee'ah( prescribes a very heavy penalty for adultery.
However, Islam does not legislate such a penalty without first putting
in place sufficient legislation that protects people against falling
in sin. It also ensures that the punishment is not enforced except in
cases where there is certainty about the offence and its perpetrators.
Islam is a complete code of living that is not based on punishment.
Its basis is to provide all that promotes a clean and morally pure
life. If some individuals then abandon such a clean and easy life in
order to deliberately submerge themselves into filth, they incur such
heavy penalty.
In the case of adultery, Islam requires four witnesses to testify that
they have seen the offence, or else, a clear and confirmed confession
by the perpetrators.
It may be suggested, then, that the punishment is unreal and
unenforceable, which renders it ineffective as a deterrent. Punishment
is not the basis of the Islamic approach; its basis is prevention,
education and cultivating people's finer feelings and consciences so
that they refrain from even contemplating this offence.
Imaam Maaliknarrated that a man confessed to fornication in the time
of the Messenger of Allaah. The Messenger of Allaahcalled for a whip,
and he was brought a broken whip. Hesaid:"Above this,"and he was
brought a new whip whose knots had not been cut yet. Hesaid:"Below
this,"and hewas brought a whip which had been used and made flexible.
The Messenger of Allaahgave the order and he was flogged. Then
hesaid:"O people! Observe the limits of Allaah. Whoever has committed
any of these ugly things )adultery or fornication( should cover them
up with the veil of Allaah. Whoever reveals to us his wrong action, we
shall perform what is in the Book of Allaah against him )i.e. the
prescribed penalty(."]Maalik[
Prescribing a very harsh punishment for adultery is not sufficient, on
its own, to protect the Muslim community and ensure the purity of its
atmosphere. Therefore, a supplementary order is given to isolate the
adulterers from the rest of the Muslim community. It goes further to
remove the air of the offence from the Muslim community, prescribing a
heavy punishment for those who accuse chaste women of adultery without
providing firm evidence in support of their accusation. Allaah
Almighty Says in the Quran )what means(:
"And those who accuse chaste women of adultery and then do not produce
four witnesses — lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from
them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient.
Except for those who repent thereafter and reform, for indeed Allaah
is Forgiving and Merciful"."]Quran 24: 2-5[
Allowing people to accuse chaste women, whether married or not,
without a clear proof means that people could always make up such
accusation, fearing no repercussion. This means that the Muslim
community finds itself with a stained reputation. Every individual is
threatened with false accusation. Every man suspects his wife, and
every wife suspects her husband, and people doubt their legitimacy. In
such an intolerable state of doubt and suspicion, every family is
undermined. Moreover, when such accusations are frequently made, those
who steer themselves away from adultery will begin to think that the
crime is common in society. Thus, people begin to think about adultery
in a different spirit, with its ghastly nature sounding less ghastly
as a result of its frequent mention. Those who would not have
contemplated it at all may begin to think of doing so, feeling that
many others are doing it.
Thus, in order to protect people's honor and their suffering from
suspicion as a result of uncorroborated accusations, the Quran
prescribes for false accusation a punishment that comes close to that
of adultery. The punishment is flogging with 80 stripes, rejecting
their testimony in any case or situation, and giving them the label of
transgressors. The first part of the punishment is physical, while the
second is moral. It is sufficient that the accuser is deprived of the
right to testify, and considered deceitful. The third part of the
punishment is a religious one. The one guilty of false accusation is
following a line that deviates from that of faith. The only way to
protect himself from such punishments is that the accuser should
provide four witnesses who have seen the offence being committed, or
three alongside him if he himself has seen it.
It is agreed upon by Muslim scholars that for adultery )or
fornication( case to be authentically proven, four witnesses must
simultaneously see, by their own eyes, the man's sexual organ inserted
in the woman's sexual organ. Only when these four witnesses give such
testimony is the accusation proved and the punishment of adultery )or
fornication( is enforced on the perpetrators.
Such restrictions are set forth by Sharee'ah in order to limit to the
least minimum the possibility of falsely accusing chaste women of
adultery )or fornication(, which leads to social and psychological
troubles for the accused women. Even when such a sin –adultery )or
fornication( - is committed, such restrictions laid by Sharee'ah will
guarantee the suppression of the crime and prevents its spread among
the people, which contaminates the morally pure Muslim community.

Dought & clear, - When should the one who is praying behind the imam bow? When the imam says takbeer, or straight after the takbeer, or when?.

When we are praying behind the imam, when should we start to bow?
Should we bow when we hear the imam say Allaahu akbar or during that
or after he has finished saying it?.
Praise be to Allaah.
What is prescribed for the one who is praying behind the imam is to
follow his imam, not to do anything before him or at the same time as
him, or to delay doing it. Rather he should do things straight after
his imam does them.
This is indicated by the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (378) and
Muslim (417), from the hadeeth of Anas ibn Maalik and Abu Hurayrah
(may Allaah be pleased with them), according to which the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The imam is
only appointed to be followed, so when he says takbeer, then say
takbeer; when he bows, then bow (and do not bow until he bows); when
he saysSami'a Allaahu liman hamidah, then sayAllaahumma rabbana
laka'l-hamd. If he prays standing, then pray standing." The phrase in
brackets was added in the version narrated by Abu Dawood (603).
The words of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
"when he bows, then bow and do not bow until he bows", and the same
with regard to prostration, indicate that the person who is praying
behind the imam should not start to move to the next part of the
prayer until after the imam has done it. So he should not bow until
the imam bows, and he should not prostrate until the imam prostrates.
This is stated clearly in the hadeeth of al-Bara' ibn 'Aazib (may
Allaah be pleased with him) who said: When the Messenger of Allaah (S)
said "Sami'a Allaahu liman hamidah," no one of us would bend his back
until the Messenger of Allaah (S) had gone down in prostration, then
we would go down in prostration after him. Narrated by al-Bukhaari
(811)and Muslim (474).
Al-Nawawi said inSharh Muslim: This hadeeth shows that this is one of
the etiquettes of prayer and it is Sunnah for the one who is praying
behind the imam not to start going down (for prostration) until the
imam has placed his forehead on the ground. End quote.
Based on this, what is prescribed for the one who is praying behind
the imam is to follow his imam straight after he has moved to the next
part of the prayer. So what counts is the action of the imam, not his
takbeer. This applies to those who can see the imam. As for the
members of the congregation who cannot see him, then they should
follow his words, and they should start to move to the next part of
the prayer after the imam finishes saying the takbeer.And Allaah knows
best.

Dought & clear, - Can he pray in the clothes he slept in?.

Do the clothes you wear to sleep become impure (so you are not allowed
to pray Salat in them.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The basic principle with regard to clothes is that they are taahir
(pure), unless any najaasah (impurity) has gotten onto them, in which
case they must be purified.
Merely sleeping in clothes does not make them najis (impure); rather
they remain pure until it becomes certain that any impurity has gotten
onto them.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said: The basic principle with regard to a
person wearing clothes is that he (and they) are pure so long as he is
not certain that any impurity has gotten onto his body or clothes.
This basic principle is supported by the words of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when a man complained to
him that he felt something during his prayer – referring to breaking
wind. He said: "Do not stop (praying) unless you hear a sound or
notice a smell." If the individual is not certain about that, then the
basic principle is that he remains pure. He may think it most likely
that his clothes have become contaminated with impurity, but so long
as he is not certain about it, the basic principle is that he remains
pure. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 11/107
For more information please see the answer to question no. 12720
Secondly:
It is permissible to pray in clothes in which one has slept, so long
as they are pure and cover the 'awrah, although it is better and more
perfect to wear beautiful clothes that look good for prayer. That is
in obedience to the command of Allah, may He be exalted, in the verse
(interpretation of the meaning):"O Children of Adam! Take your
adornment (by wearing your clean clothes), while praying" [al-A'raaf
7:31].
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about
the ruling on praying in nightclothes and attending gatherings wearing
them. He said: There is nothing wrong with praying in nightclothes if
they are pure, whether one comes to the mosque wearing them or not,
unless those clothes will attract attention and criticism, and people
will talk about him in their gatherings because of that. People should
avoid anything that may be a cause of people backbiting about them.
End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 12/362
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Can he pray in the clothes he slept in?.

Do the clothes you wear to sleep become impure (so you are not allowed
to pray Salat in them.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The basic principle with regard to clothes is that they are taahir
(pure), unless any najaasah (impurity) has gotten onto them, in which
case they must be purified.
Merely sleeping in clothes does not make them najis (impure); rather
they remain pure until it becomes certain that any impurity has gotten
onto them.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said: The basic principle with regard to a
person wearing clothes is that he (and they) are pure so long as he is
not certain that any impurity has gotten onto his body or clothes.
This basic principle is supported by the words of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when a man complained to
him that he felt something during his prayer – referring to breaking
wind. He said: "Do not stop (praying) unless you hear a sound or
notice a smell." If the individual is not certain about that, then the
basic principle is that he remains pure. He may think it most likely
that his clothes have become contaminated with impurity, but so long
as he is not certain about it, the basic principle is that he remains
pure. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 11/107
For more information please see the answer to question no. 12720
Secondly:
It is permissible to pray in clothes in which one has slept, so long
as they are pure and cover the 'awrah, although it is better and more
perfect to wear beautiful clothes that look good for prayer. That is
in obedience to the command of Allah, may He be exalted, in the verse
(interpretation of the meaning):"O Children of Adam! Take your
adornment (by wearing your clean clothes), while praying" [al-A'raaf
7:31].
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about
the ruling on praying in nightclothes and attending gatherings wearing
them. He said: There is nothing wrong with praying in nightclothes if
they are pure, whether one comes to the mosque wearing them or not,
unless those clothes will attract attention and criticism, and people
will talk about him in their gatherings because of that. People should
avoid anything that may be a cause of people backbiting about them.
End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 12/362
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - If he does ghusl following a wet dream, maniy continues to comeout of him during the prayer.

May Allah reward you with good for answering my question, but I think
that it needs further explanation of the issue of sprinkling hot water
on the private part, because the wet dream occurred at the time of
'Asr prayer, and I have a problem, which is that maniy and even madhiy
continue to come out for a considerable period after they are first
emitted. It often happens with me that one of them is emitted at the
time of prayer, whether that is because of thinking or because of a
wet dream, but in order not to miss the prayer, I sprinkle hot water
(on my private part) so that whatever is left will come out. Please
note that I do not feel any desire when I use this method. Now I am
going to make up the fast of that day that I told you about, in sha
Allah, but what should I do if maniy continues to come out whilst I am
praying? Should I pray in that case?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
We appreciate this further explanation and we ask Allah, may He be
exalted, to help us and you avoid reprehensible words and actions.
Secondly:
If it does not come out continually all the time, then it does not
come under the ruling on incontinence; rather it invalidates wudoo' as
soon as it comes out, even if that happens during the prayer. The one
who is faced with that should stop praying, do wudoo' and then repeat
the prayer. He also has to do wash off whatever has gotten onto him if
what came out was urine or madhiy, because they are both najis
(impure), unlike maniy which is taahir (pure).
But the one who is praying should not interrupt his prayer unless he
is certain that something has come out of him, because the basic
principle is that he remains in a state of purity, and that which is
certain cannot be changed by mere doubt or uncertainty.
If maniy came out of a person and he did ghusl for that, then more
came out but without desire, then he does not have to do ghusl again,
but it does invalidate his wudoo'.
See:ash-Sharh al-Mumti', 1/337
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked:
If I do wudoo' for every prayer and then go out to the mosque, I
always emit madhiy; can I pray, knowing that if I take a bath and go
out, madhiy will come out without desire. So do I have to take a bath
every time?
They replied:
If that comes out of you continually, then it comes under the same
ruling as incontinence, and you have to do wudoo' for every prayer
when the time for it begins, then your prayer will be valid even if it
comes out whilst you are praying. If it does not happen frequently
with you, then you have to do wudoo' as prescribed for prayer, after
washing the penis and testicles. But you do not have to do ghusl (take
a bath) for that. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 5/413
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: When I
finish wudoo' and go to pray, I feel that a drop of urine comes out of
the penis; what should I do?
He replied: What you should do is pay no attention to that and ignore
it, as the Muslim scholars have enjoined. Do not pay any attention to
it and do not go and look at your penis to see if anything came out or
not. If you seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytaan and
ignore it, it will go away, by Allah's leave. But if you are
absolutely certain about it, then it is essential to wash whatever the
urine has gotten onto and repeat your wudoo'. Some people, if they
feel any coolness on the head of the penis, think that something has
come out. So if you are certain, then do what I have told you. What
you have mentioned is not incontinence, because it stops and starts,
whereas incontinence is ongoing and continual. But this happens after
movement and one or two drops come out; this is not incontinence,
because once a couple of drops have come out, it stops. In this case,
he should wash it off and do wudoo' again. He should always do this,
and he should be patient and seek reward with Allah.
End quote fromLiqa' al-Baab al-Maftooh, 15/184
And Allah knows best.

Imam Taqi (as): Answering Fiqh questions is not easy

Mamun al-Rashid son of Harun al-Rashid called the young 9th Imam, Imam
Taqi (as) to Baghdad from Medina and offered his daughter. This
infuriated his family (Abbasid). To prove to them the excellence of
Imam Taqi (as) even at a young age of Twelve year, he arranged a
meeting between Imam Taqi (as) and the most learned of men at that
time - Yahya ibn Aaktham, the Chief Justice of the Abbasid Empire.
It was a grand occasion with some 900 other scholars present. The
court was full of people from near and far everyone wanted to see what
the outcome would be.
Yahya asked the first question which was: What would be the kaffara of
a person in Ihram who hunted and killed his prey?
Imam Taqi (as) answered that he would have to be given a lot more
detail before he could even begin to answer the question.
For example:
Was the person in Ihram Baligh or not?
Was the person a free man or a slave?
Did he know the laws of Sharia on hunting or not?
Was his Ihram for Hajj or Umra?
Did he hunt intentionally or not?
Was this the first time or one of many?
Did the person in Ihram hunt inside the Haram of the Holy Kaaba or outside.
Did he hunt in the day or at night?
Was the prey big or small?
Was the prey a bird or an animal?
Was the person repentant or not?
Yahya was shocked and did not know what to say.
Mamun al-Rashid asked Imam Taqi (as) to answer, Yahya's question for
all of the above conditions, which Imam Taqi (as) did.
It was then Imam Taqi (as) to ask Yahya a question, which he did and
Yahya could not answer; so Imam Taqi (as) again gave the answer.
Mamun al-Rashid's joy knew no bounds. What he had asserted came true.
Addressing the audience he said, "Did I not tell you that the people
of the Ahlul Baytof the Prophet have been gifted by Allah (SWT) with
limitless knowledge? None can cope with even the children of this
elevated House."
Mamun al-Rashid took the opportunity to offer his daughter Ummul Fazl
to Imam Taqi (as). Imam Taqi (as) read his own Nikah(the khutba of
which is used today) with the Mehr of 500 dirhams. Imam Taqi (as)
wrote a letter to Mamun al-Rashid that he would also give Ummul Fazl
Mehr from the wealth of The World to Come (Aakhira). This was in the
form of 10 duas which were for fulfilling any hajaat (desires). Thus
his title is Al-Jawad (the generous one).
Moral:To answer a fiqh question is not as easy as you may think; this
is why Ulema spend years of their lives learning and researching. And
why we have to do Taqlid of a Marja (Just like we take the advice of a
doctor, when we are ill, we should take the advice of a Marja in
religious affairs).

Imam al-Taqi (as): Allah (SWT) can give you much more

When our 9th Imam, Imam Taqi (as) was only 9 years old, his father our
8th Imam, Imam Ali Ridha (as) was killed by the king Mamun al-Rashid.
Mamun al-Rashid decided that he would try to buy (bribe) Imam Taqi
(as) into his way of life because Imam Taqi (as) was still only a
child.
Mamun al-Rashid took Imam Taqi (as) to his palace and gave him
whatever money could buy, but Imam Taqi (as) was not interested,
because he knew Allah (SWT) could give him much much more.
No matter how much Mamun al-Rashid gave him, Imam Taqi (as) did not do
anything against Allah's (SWT) commands as Mamun al-Rashid wished.
Moral:Whatever anyone gives you always remember that Allah (SWT) can
give you so much more but only if you are a good Muslim and do as
Allah (SWT) tells you.

The Proliferation Of Sedition (Fitnas)

The word fitna (sedition) describes events, environments, and
conditions in which all people, especially believers, face
intensified tests of their faith. Such tests, in which living
conditions are difficult and efforts are made to weaken or destroy
people's faith, are all described as fitna in Islamic sources.
The following hadith describes how believers' faith will weaken
prior to the Mahdi's coming and the causes thereof:
The Mahdi, one of my children, comes into being, by the blessing of
Allah, when the Day of Judgment approaches and the believers' hearts
weaken because of death, hunger, the disappearance of the Sunnah, the
emergence of innovations, and the loss of the means by which to enjoin
the right and forbid the wrong. His justice and prosperity will ease
the believers' hearts, and friendship and love will settle between the
non-Arab and the Arab nations. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi
`Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 66)
To summarize, the following events will take place before the Mahdi appears:
1) Death: Public security will disappear in the face of anarchy,
widespread slaughter, and the ensuing tension.
2) Hunger: The high cost of living, as well as catastrophes and
natural disasters, will cause a rise in hunger and famine.
3) Fitnas (Sedition): Sin will be encouraged and spread, and all
kinds of immoral actions will take place before people's eyes.
4) Un-Islamic innovations (bid`at): Customs that have no place in
true Islam and that were added on and gradually came to be accepted
as a true part of it, will emerge.
5) Being Unable to Preach the Religion: An emptiness caused by
being unable to teach how good is commanded and evil forbidden; in
other words, the preaching of religion.
Sedition enables strong believers to enhance their faith and
fortitude, as well as their degree in the Hereafter, whereas they
lead those with weak faith to become further removed from faith,
and those whose faith is artificial to lose it altogether. The Mahdi
will appear at a time when such a climate of corruption is being
experienced in its fullest and most violent form.
Another hadith imparts the tidings that there will be confusion,
sedition, and fear in the "west":
Disorder, sedition, and fear will emerge in the west... Sedition will
proliferate. (Mukhtasar Tazkirah Qurtubi)
Another hadith reveals that the Mahdi will come when sedition is everywhere:
A kind of sedition will surface from which no party will be able to
protect itself, and spread immediately in every direction. This
situation will persist until one comes and says: "O people, from now
on your leader is the Mahdi." (Ibn Hajar al-Haytahami, Al-Qawl
al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntazar, p. 23)
In other words, a sedition that opposes religion and Allah will
target people's faith. Today, this sedition is materialist
philosophy, the supposed scientific basis of which is Darwin's
theory of evolution. Although it is completely irrational,
unscientific, and devoid of any scientific or logical proof,
materialist circles are seeking to impose this theory on every
society through intensive propaganda, deception, and
misrepresentation.
This theory enters our homes through the press and television,
whether we live in the West or in the Muslim world. Forming a part
of most science and other textbooks, it is imposed upon children
from the early grades through constant repetition, such as its most
famous claim: that people are descended from a common ancestor with
apes. Young people are fed these evolutionist lies from primary
school to the university.
In addition, the sedition referred to in the prophetic hadiths can
only become so widespread through modern-day technological means
(e.g., the press, publishing, the Internet, and satellite
communications). Indeed, such widespread sedition has never been
seen before today. All of these are important signs that the Mahdi's
coming coincides with our own time. The hadiths also state that
this sedition will end when the Mahdi comes.

Praising Allah and giving thanks to Allah is done very rarely among people.

Giving thanks to Allah.. Recently, I was talking to an
acquaintance of ours. He was constantly talking about some blessings
he had been given, I said; "Alhamdulillah," [Praise be to Allah] and
he did not say "Alhamdulillah". I kept talking and he still did not
say "Alhamdulillah".
have said; "My friend, my beloved brother, giving thanks to Allah is
very important. Note that all those you have just talked about are
blessings, so give your thanks to Allah in everything. "
Allah mentions giving thanks to Allah in the Qur'an. Look, He says;
[I seek refuge with Allah from the satan] "If you are grateful, I
will certainly give you increase." If you give your thanks, that
is. The man does not get it. In fact it actually increases. I mean
there would be prosperity and abundance in the whole Turkey. There
would be prosperity and abundance in his life as well. It does not
increase for him as he does not give thanks to Allah. They expect
things to happen within an hour or so. In fact it happens sometimes
only after a month, sometimes after a year.. but it certainly
increases. Giving thanks to Allah is very much important.
Alhamdulillah.

Hadees, + -

You who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed
for those before you - so that hopefully, you will fear [and respect]
Allah. (Surat al-Baqara, 183)
"Islam is based on five things: the testimony that there is no deity
but Allah and that Muhammad (saas) is His servant and messenger, the
observance of the prayer, the payment of Zakat, the pilgrimage, and
the fast during Ramadan. " (Bukhari, Muslim)

Hell described in al-Qur'an

Surah: 2. al-Baqara
24. But if ye cannot and of a surety ye cannot then fear the fire whose fuel
is Men and Stones which is prepared for those who reject Faith.
167. And those who followed would say: "If only we had one more chance we
would clear ourselves of them as they have cleared themselves of us." Thus
will Allah show them (the fruits of) their deeds as (nothing but) regrets nor
will there be a way for them out of the fire.
Surah: 4. an-Nisaa
10. Those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans eat up a fire into their
own bodies: they will soon be enduring a blazing fire!
14. But those who disobey Allah and His Apostle and transgress His limits will
be admitted to a fire to abide therein: and they shall have a humiliating
punishment.
56. Those who reject Our Signs We shall soon cast into the fire: as often as
their skins are roasted through We shall change them for fresh skins that
they may taste the penalty: for Allah is Exalted in Power Wise.
145. The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the fire: no helper wilt
thou find for them.
Surah: 5. al-Ma'ida
40. Their wish will be to get out of the fire but never will they get out
therefrom: their penalty will be one that endures.
Surah: 6. al-An`aam
27. If thou couldst but see when they are confronted with the fire! They will
say: "Would that we were but sent back! then would we not reject the Signs of
our Lord but would be amongst those who believe!.
Surah: 9. at-Tauba
34. ... And there are those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the
way of Allah : announce unto them a most grievous chastisement
35. On the day when heat will be produced out of that (wealth) in the fire of
hell and with it will be branded their foreheads their flanks and their backs
"this is the (treasure) which ye buried for yourselves: taste ye then the
(treasures) ye buried!"
Surah: 10. Yunus
27. But those who have earned evil will have a reward of like evil: ignominy
will cover their (faces): no defender will they have from (the wrath of) Allah:
their faces will be covered as it were with pieces from the depth of the
darkness of Night: they are Companions of the Fire: they will abide therein
(for aye)!
Surah: 11. Huud
106. Those who are wretched shall be in the Fire: there will be for them
therein (nothing but) the heaving of sighs and sobs:
Surah: 13. ar-Ra'd
5. If thou dost marvel (at their want of faith) strange is their saying: "When
we are (actually) dust shall we indeed then be in a creation renewed?" They
are those who deny their Lord! They are those round whose necks will be yokes
(of servitude): they will be Companions of the Fire who dwell therein (for
aye)!
Surah: 14. Ibrahim
15. But they sought victory and decision (there and then) and frustration was
the lot of every powerful obstinate transgressor.
16. In front of such a one is Hell and he is given for drink boiling fetid
water.
17. In gulps will he sip it but never well he be near swallowing it down his
throat: Death will come to him from every quarter yet will he not die: and
in front of him will be a chastisement unrelenting.
18. The parable of those who reject their Lord is that their works are as ashes
on which the wind blows furiously on a tempestuous day: No power have they
over aught that they have earned: That is the straying far far (from the
goal).
21. They will all be marshaled before Allah together: then will the weak say
to those who were arrogant, "For us, we but followed you; can you then avail us
at all against the wrath of Allah?" They will reply, "if we had received the
guidance of Allah, we should have given it to you; to us it makes no
difference (now) whether we rage, or bear (these torments) with patience: For
ourselves there is no way of escape"
Surah: 15. al-Hijr
43. And verily Hell is the promised abode for them all!
44. To it are seven Gates: for each of those Gates is (special) class (of
sinners assigned).
Surah: 18. al-Kahf
29. Say "The Truth is from your Lord": let him who will believe and let him
who will reject (it): for the wrongdoers We have prepared a Fire whose (smoke
and flames) like the wall and roof of a tent will hem them in: if they implore
relief they will be granted water like melted brass that will scald their
faces. How dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a couch to recline on!
53. And the Sinful shall see the Fire and apprehend that they have to all
therein; no means will they find to turn away there from.
Surah: 22. al-Hajj
19. These two antagonists dispute with each other about their Lord: but those
who deny (their Lord) for them will be cut out a garment of Fire: over
their heads will be poured out boiling water.
20. With it will be scalded what is within their bodies as well as (their)
skins.
21. In addition there will be maces of iron (to punish) them.
22. Every time they wish to get away there from from anguish they will be forced
back therein and (it will be said) "Taste ye the Penalty of Burning!"
Surah: 23. al-Mu'minoun
103. But those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost their souls;
in Hell will they abide.
104. The fire will burn their faces, and they will therein grin, with their
lips displaced.
Surah: 25. al-Furqaan
11. Nay they deny the Hour (of the Judgment to come): but We have prepared a
Blazing Fire for such as deny the Hour:
12. When it sees them from a place far off they will hear its fury and its
raging sigh.
13. And when they are cast bound together into a constricted place therein they
will plead for destruction there and then!
14. "This day plead not for a single destruction: plead for destruction
oft-repeated!"
15. Say: "Is that best or the eternal Garden promised to the righteous? For
them that is a reward as well as a goal (of attainment).
16. "For them there will be therein all that they wish for: they will dwell
(there) for aye: a promise to be prayed for from thy Lord."
Surah: 26. ash-Shu`araa
94. "Then they will be thrown headlong into the (Fire) they and those straying
in Evil
Surah: 27. an-Naml
90. And if any do evil their faces will be thrown headlong into the Fire: "Do
ye receive a reward other than that which ye have earned by your deeds?"
Surah: 32. as-Sajda
20. As to those who are rebellious and wicked their abode will be the Fire:
every time they wish to get away there from they will be forced there
into and it
will be said to them: "taste ye the Penalty of the Fire the which ye were wont
to reject as false.
Surah: 33. al-Ahzab
66. The Day that their faces will be turned upside down in the Fire they will
say: "Woe to us! would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Apostle!"
Surah: 35. Faatir
36. But those who reject (Allah) for them will be the Fire of Hell: no term
shall be determined for them so they should die nor shall its Penalty be
lightened for them: thus do We reward every ungrateful one!
Surah: 36. Yasin
63. This is the Hell of which ye were promised
64. Embrace ye the (fire) this day, for that ye (persistently) rejected (truth)
65. That day shall We set a seal on their mouths. But their hands will speak
to Us, and their feet bear witness, to all that they did.
Surah: 37. as-Saaffaat
....
62. Is that the better entertainment or the Tree of Zaqqum?
63. For we have truly made it (as) a trial for the wrong-doers.
64. For it is a tree that springs out of the bottom of Hell-fire
65. The shoots of its fruit-stalks are like the heads of devils
66. Truly they will eat thereof and fill their bellies therewith
67. Then on top of that they will be given a mixture made of boiling water.
68. Then shall their return be to the (Blazing) Fire.
Surah 38. Saad
55. Yea, such! but for the wrong-doers will be an evil place of (final) return!
56. Hell!-they will burn therein, -an evil bed (indeed, to lie on)!-
57. Yea, such!- then shall they taste it, -a boiling fluid, and a fluid dark,
murky, intensely cold!-
58. And other penalties of a similar kind, to match them!
59. Here is a troop rushing headlong with you! No welcome for them! truly,
they shall burn in the Fire!.
60. (The followers shall cry to the misleaders:) "Nay, ye (too)! No welcome for
you! It is ye who have brought us! Now evil is (this) place to stay in!"
61. They will say: "Our Lord! whoever brought this upon us, add to him a double
chastisement in the fire!"
62. and they will say : How is it with us that we see not men who we used to
number among the bad ones?
63. Did we treat them (as such) in ridicule, or have (our) eyes failed to
perceive them?"
64. That is true, the mutual recriminations of the people of the Fire!
Surah: 39. az-Zumar
16. They shall have layers of fire above them and layers (of fire) below them:
with this doth Allah warn off His servants: "O my servants! Then fear ye Me!"
71. the unbelievers will be led to Hell in groups: until, when they arrive
there, its gates will be opened. And its keepers will say, "Did not messengers
come to you from among yourselves, rehearsing to you the signs (verses) of your
Lord, and warning you of the Meeting of this day of yours?" The answer will be:
"True: but the decree of chastisement has been proved true against the
unbelievers!"
72. (To them) will be said: "enter ye the gates of Hell, to dwell therein: and
evil is (this) abode of the arrogant
Surah: 40. Ghaafir (al-mu'min)
47. Behold, they will dispute which each other in the Fire! The weak ones (who
followed) will say to those who had been arrogant, "We but followed you: can
you then take (on yourselves) from us some share of the Fire?"
48. Those who had been arrogant will say: "We are all in this (Fire)! Truly,
Allah has judged between (His) servants!
49. Those in Fire will say to the Keepers of Hell: "pray to your Lord to
lighten us the Chastisement for a day (at least)!"
50. They will say: "did there not come to you tour messengers with clear signs?"
They will say, "yes". They will reply, "Then pray (as ye like)! but the prayer
of those without faith is nothing but (futile wandering) in (mazes of) error!"
70. Those who reject the Book and the (revelations) with which We sent Our
messengers: But soon shall they know,-
71. When the yokes (shall be) round their necks, and the chains; they shall be
dragged along-
72. In the boiling fetid fluid; then in the fire shall they be burned;
73/74. Then shall it be said to them: "where are the (deities) to which ye gave
part-worship beside Allah?" They will reply :"They have left us in the lurch:
Nay, we invoked not, of old, anything (that had real existence). "Thus does
Allah leave the unbelievers to stray.
Surah 43. az-Zukhruf
74. The sinners will be in the punishment of Hell to dwell therein (for aye):
75. Nowise will the (punishment) be lightened for them, and in despair will
they be there overwhelmed.
76. Nowise shall We be unjust to them: but it is they who have been unjust
themselves,
77. They will cry :"O Malik (1) would that thy Lord put an end to us!" He will
say, "Nay, but ye shall abide!
78. Verily We have brought the truth to you: But most of you have a hatred for
truth.
(1) Malik is the angel in charge of Hell
Surah 41. Fussilat
19. The day that the enemies of Allah will be gathered together to the Fire,
they will be marched in ranks.
20. At length, when they reach the (fire), their hearing, their sight, and
their skins will bear witness against them, as to (all) their deeds.
21. They will say to their skins: "why bear ye witness against us?" They will
say: " Allah hath given us speech, -(He) Who giveth speech to everything: He
created you for the first time, and unto Him were ye to return.
22. "Ye did not seek to hide yourselves, lest your hearing, your sight, and
your skins should bear witness against you! But ye did think that Allah knew
not many of the things that ye used to do!
23. "But this thought of yours which ye did entertain concerning your Lord,
hath brought you to destruction, and (now) have ye become of those utterly
lost!"
24. If then, they have patience, the Fire will be a home for them! and if they
beg for pardon, their suit shall not be granted.
Surah: 44. ad-Dukhaan
43. Verily the tree of Zaqqum
44. Will be the food of the Sinful
45. Like molten brass; it will boil in their insides
46. Like the boiling of scalding water.
47. (A voice will cry:) "Seize ye him and drag him into the midst of the
Blazing Fire!
48. "Then pour over his head the Penalty of Boiling Water;
49. "Taste thou (this)! Truly wast thou Mighty full of honor!
50. "Truly this is what ye used to doubt!"
Surah 55. ar-Rahmaan
41. (For) the sinners will be known by their Marks: And they will be seized by
their forelocks and their feet.
42. Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?
43. This is the Hell which the sinners deny:
44 In its midst and in the midst of boiling hot water will they wander round!
Surah 56. al-waaqi`ah
41. The Companions of the Left Hand-what will be the Companions of the Left
Hand?
42. (They will be) in the midst of a fierce Blast of Fire and in Boiling Water
43. And in the shades of Black Smoke:
44. Nothing (will there be) to refresh nor to please:
51. "Then will ye truly o ye that go wrong and treat (Truth) as Falsehood!
52. "Ye will surely taste of the Tree of Zaqqum.
53. "Then will ye fill your insides therewith
54. "And drink Boiling Water on top of it:
55. "Indeed ye shall drink like diseased camels raging with thirst!
56. Such will be their entertainment on the Day of Requital!
Surah: 66. at-Tahreem
6. O ye who believe! save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel
is Men and Stones over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe who
flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah but do
(precisely) what they are commanded.
Surah: 67. al-Mulk
6. For those who reject their Lord (and Cherisher) is the Penalty of Hell: and
evil is (such) destination.
7. When they are cast therein they will hear the (terrible) drawing in of its
breath even as it blazes forth.
8. Almost bursting with fury: every time a Group is cast therein its Keepers
will ask "Did no Warner come to you?"
9. They will say: "Yes indeed: a Warner did come to us but we rejected him and
said `Allah never sent down any (Message): ye are in nothing but an
egregious delusion!' "
10. They will further say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence we
should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire!"
11. They will then confess their sins: but far will be (Forgiveness) from the
Companions of the Blazing Fire!

A Dialogue between the dwellers of Hell and the Dwellers of Paradise

Surah: 7. al-A`raaf
36. But those who reject our signs and treat them with arrogance they are
companions of the fire to dwell therein (for ever).
37. Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or rejects his
signs? For such their portion appointed must reach them from the Book (of
decrees); until when Our messengers (of death) arrive and take their souls
they say: "where are the things that ye used to invoke besides Allah?"
They will reply "they have left us in the lurch" and they will bear witness
against themselves that they had rejected Allah.
38. He will say: "enter ye in the company of the peoples who passed away before
you men and Jinns into the fire. Every time a new people enters it curses
its sister-people (that went before) until they follow each other all into
the fire. Saith the last about the first: "Our Lord! it is these that
misled us: so give them a double penalty in the fire." He will say:
"doubled for all": but this Ye do not understand.
39. Then the first will say to the last: "see then! no advantage have ye over
us; so taste ye of the penalty for all that ye did!"
40. To those who reject Our signs and treat them with arrogance no opening will
there be of the gates of heaven nor will they enter the garden until the
camel can pass through the eye of the needle: such is Our reward for those
in sin.
41. For them there is hell as a couch (below) and folds and folds of covering
above: such is Our requital of those who do wrong.
42. But those who believe and work righteousness no burden do We place on any
soul but that which it can bear they will be companions of the garden
therein to dwell (for ever).
43. And We shall remove from their hearts any lurking sense of injury; beneath
them will be rivers flowing; and they shall say: "Praise be to Allah Who
hath guided us to this (felicity): never could we have found guidance had
it not been for the guidance of Allah: indeed it was the truth that the
apostles of our Lord brought unto us." And they Shall hear the cry:
"Behold! the garden before you! Ye have been made its inheritors for your
deeds (of righteousness)."
44. The companions of the garden will call out to the companions of the fire:
"We have indeed found the promises of our Lord to us true: have you also
found your Lord's promises true?" They shall say "yes"; but a crier shall
proclaim between them: "the curse of Allah is on the wrong- doers;
45. "Those who would hinder (men) from the path of Allah and would seek in it
something crooked: they were those who Denied the Hereafter."
46. Between them shall be a veil and on the heights will be men who would know
everyone by his marks: they will call out to the companions of the garden
"peace on you" they will not have entered but they will have an assurance
(thereof.)
47. When their eyes shall be turned towards the companions of the fire they
will say: "Our Lord! send us not to the company of the wrong- doers."
48. The men on the heights will call to certain men whom they will know from
their marks saying: "Of what profit to you were you hoards and your
arrogant ways?
49. "Behold! are these not the men whom you swore that Allah with his mercy
would never bless? Enter ye the garden: no fear shall be on you nor shall
ye grieve."
50. The companions of the fire will call to the companions of the garden; "pour
down to us water or anything that Allah doth provide for your sustenance."
They will say: "Both these things hath Allah forbidden to those who
rejected Him.
51. "Such as took their religion to be mere amusement and play and were
deceived by the life of the world." That day shall We forget them as they
forgot the meeting of this day of theirs and as they were wont to reject
Our signs.
52. For We had certainly sent unto them a Book based on knowledge which We
explained in detail a guide and a mercy to all who believe.

Etiquette with the Word of Allah, the Noble Qur'an Etiquette with the Word of Allah, the Noble Qur'an

Etiquette with the Word of Allah, the Noble Qur'an
by Shaykh Abu Bakr Jabir al-Jaza'iri
A Muslim believes in the sacredness of the Speech of Allah, as well as
its honour and virtue that surpasses the speech of all others.
He also believes that the Noble Qur'an is the Word of Allah, which no
falsehood can approach, before it or behind it. Whoever speaks in
accord with the Qur'an, has spoken the truth. Whoever judges according
to it, has judged justly. Its devoted people are the people of Allah
and His special people. Those who stick to it shall be successful and
victorious. Those who turn away from it are the destroyed, the losers.
A Muslim's faith in the grandeur and greatness of the Book of Allah is
increased by what has been stated about it by the one who received its
revelation, the best of creation, our leader Muhammad bin 'Abdullah,
Messenger of Allah (SAW), who said:
"Read the Qur'an, for it shall come as an intercessor for its
companion on the Day of Resurrection."(Muslim)
Allah's Messenger (SAW)| also said:
"The best of you is he who learns the Qur'an and teaches Others." (Al-Bukhari)
Allah's Messenger (SAW) also said:
"The people of the Qur'an are Allah's people and His special
servants." (An-Nisa'i, Ibn Majah, and Al-Hakim with a Hasan chain)
And:
"The hearts get rusty like iron gets rusty "
The people said, "O Messenger of Allah! What will cleanse it?" He said,
"Reciting the Qur'an and remembering death." (Al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab
Al-Iman with a weak chain)
One of the Prophet's worst opponents came to him and said, "O
Muhammad, read the Qur'an to me." Allah's Messenger (SAW)| read to
him:
"Verily, Allah enjoins Al-Adl and Al-Ihsan, and giving (help) to kith
and kin, and forbids Al-Fahsha', and Al-Munkar, and Al-Baghy (i.e. all
kinds of oppression).) (16:90)
The Prophet (SAW) hardly finished reciting the verse when his opponent
[an unbeliever] asked him to repeat it, astonished at its lofty
wording, sacred meaning and clarity. He was possessed by its great
ability to influence man. He did not wait long but immediately raised
his voice to state his confession concerning it and declare his
testimony concerning the holiness and greatness of Allah's Word. He
said,
"By Allah, it has a sweetness. It is full of elegance. Its lowest
portion is for foliage and its highest portion is for fruits. No human
can say such." (Ibn Jarir At-Tabari. The opponent was Al-Walid bin
Al-Mughirah according to a narration with a good chain recorded by
Al-Bayhaqi )
A Muslim and believer, then, must even more so allow what it allows
and forbid what it forbids. He must abide by its manners and behavior
according to how it teaches one to behave.
Etiquette with reciting the Qur'an
When the person recites the Qur'an, he should adhere to the following manners:
1. He should recite it under the best circumstances, including being
in a state of purity, facing the Qiblah and sitting in a respectable,
honorable manner.
2. He should recite the Qur'an slowly and not be hasty in his
recitation. He should not recite it in less than three nights. The
Prophet (SAW) has said:
"Whoever recites the Qur'an in less than three nights did not
understand it" (The Four Sunan, and At-Tirmithi said it is Sahih)
Allah's Messenger (SAW) ordered 'Abdullah bin 'Umar, may Allah be
pleased with him, to recite the entire Qur'an once every seven days.
(Al-Bukhari)
'Abdullah bin Mas'ud, 'Uthman bin 'Affan and Zayd bin Thabit, may
Allah be pleased with them, used to complete the entire Qur'an once a
week.
3. He must have fear of Allah and humility while reciting the Qur'an.
He should demonstrate sorrow and should cry, or he should try to cry
if he is not able to cry. The Prophet (SAW) said:
"Recite the Qur'an and cry. If you cannot cry, then try to make
yourself cry." (Ibn Majah with a good chain)
4. One should also beautify his voice while reading the Qur'an. The
Prophet (SAW) said:
"Beautify the Qur'an by your voices."(Ahmad, Ibn Majah, An-Nasa'i and
Al-Hakim who said it is Sahih)
Allah's Messenger (SAW) also said:
"He is not one of us who does not make his voice beautiful with the
Qur'an." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Allah's Messenger (SAW) also said:
"Allah has not permitted anything like He has permitted a Prophet to
recite the Qur'an in a good voice. "(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
5. He should recite in private if he fears that he would be reciting
for show or reputation only or if he were to disturb those people who
were praying. Allah's Messenger (SAW) said:
"The one who recites the Qur'an aloud is like one who publicly gives charity."
It is known that it is preferred to give charity secretly unless there
is some benefit to doing it publicly, such as encouraging others to
follow one's precedent. The same is true for reciting the Qur'an.
6. A person should recite the Qur'an while thinking about and
pondering over its meaning, with due respect and presence of mind, in
order to understand its meaning and purport.
7. A person should not be one who recites the Qur'an while he is
heedless and going against what it says. In that case, he could be the
cause for his own cursing by himself. For example, if he reads the
verse:
"No doubt! The curse of Allah is on the oppressors. "(11:18)
And:
"Curse of Allah upon those who lie." (3:61)
And he is a liar or a wrongdoer, then he is simply cursing himself.
The following narration will demonstrate how wrong those people are
who turn away from the Book of Allah, who are heedless of it and spend
their time in other pursuits. It is narrated that in the Tawrah it
states that Allah has said:
"Are you not ashamed of yourselves in front of Me? If a letter comes
to you from some of your brethren while you are walking on the road,
you will stop and sit by the side of the road, read the letter, and
understand it word by word, in order not to miss anything. This is the
Book that I have revealed to you. Look how I have clearly explained
everything in it. How many times have you passed by it to ponder over
its lengths and widths and then you turn away from it? It is something
lighter in your eyes than your brethren. O My servant! If one of your
brethren sits next to you, you turn to him with all of your attention
and listen to his every word with your entire heart. If someone then
talks to you or disturbs you, you will motion to him to stop. Here I
am coming to you and speaking to you but you turn your heart away from
Me. In your sight, I am less important than one of your brethren!"
8. A person should strive to have the characteristics that are
descriptive of those people who are Allah's people and His special
people. Abdullah bin Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, once said,
"The reciter of the Qur'an must be known by his night while the
people are sleeping, by his day while the people are not fasting, by
his crying while the people are laughing, by his devotion and fear of
Allah while the people are mingling, by his silence while the people
are talking, by his humility while the people are boasting and by his
grieving while the people are rejoicing."
Muhammad bin Kafa said,
"We would recognize the reciter of the Qur'an by the yellowness of
his skin that indicated spending the night in prayer and reciting the
Qur'an."
Wuhaib bin Al-Ward narrated that someone said to a man, "Do you not
sleep?" He answered, "The marvelous nature of the Qur'an chased away
my sleep."And Dhun-Noon has said in lines of poetry,
"The Qur'an has stopped, by its promises and threats, the eyes from
sleeping at night, They understand from the Great Lord His Speech, an
understanding that makes the necks submit and surrender."

Fathwa, - Difference in way of life in our marriage

Question:
My problem has been hurting me since I got divorced. My husband and I
have had issues since the beginning of our marriage. We disagreed on
many things getting into the marriage like how big the wedding should
be. If getting a ring was the right thing to do. How big should the
house we're buying going to be. I know these could be very trivial
issues compared to many disasters in the world and I realize this now
but the point is we entered this marriage with many stresses. I know I
wanted more than what he wanted to give but like any girl in my
position I had many suitors ask for my hand with great offers. I
picked one and hoped he will give me what I want. We had nikah right
away after the engagement and it lasted for a year before the wedding.
I felt helpless because I was already married and I wondered had I
stayed engaged , would he have granted me my wishes with much of a
struggle. We have a beautiful child now but we are divorced. We kept
having issues from his mother--incredible interference in all of our
affairs...where we live, when we should have a kid, how much money my
husband should spend on me and so forth. My other issue with my
husband is that I put on hijab right before I met him. We met and got
married. I felt that hijab got me into this mess. Now I'm accepting
the qadar of Allah more that I ever did before and I'm hoping for a
better life. He handled his mother's issues he says but the remaining
issue is how religious I am. I don't and never smoked or drank or
dated. I alhamdullilah am very pretty and I know that I could do all
of that and have fun but I don't want to. Allah's path is better that
any other. I just can't wear the hijab anymore. I emotionally and
physically suffer when I go out with it. I tried personal and family
counseling to fix this problem but we got nowhere we got divorced at a
time of anger. I asked for the divorce and he gave it to me. Now we
both regret it and want to get back together but the deciding factor
is me wearing hijab. He says that he won't expect much from me but he
needs some minimums and hijab is one of them. I really really
understand his point of view and he has every right to feel that way
but I'm really confused. I told him that I always tried to force
myself to do things for him so we won't destroy this marriage but this
time I'm having such a hard time and I am not good at explaining my
feelings. He asked me to stay with my parents until I have figured out
what I will do about hijab and based on that he will decide whether we
should stay together or not meaning divorce if I take it off. I am
lost. I don't want to break this family and I don't want to suffer
everyday. I pray and ask for guidance believe me and I will continue
to do that but for the mean time what do I do? I think sometimes why
couldn't he be more reasonable with me. Out of all of his friends he
one of the most strict ones I've met and yet he enjoys his life too. I
feel that my decision will affect my life, his and our son's and it
won't be pretty. I know I must have confused you already and I swear
I'm much more confused than I ever was. Many women don't wear hijab
but they aren't necessarily not religious. He has no faith in me now
and doesn't trust that I can be a good wife. I went through a lot with
him and what got to me the most is how ready he was to divorce me
whenever we had an issue. I hope your answer will guide me a little.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Dear Sister,
Assalamu alaikum,
Thank you for your question.
Given the seriousness of the situation, I strongly urge you and your
husband to seek marriage counseling.
There are only a few observations I can offer based on what I could
understand of your situation:
1.You and your husband have a child together. You owe it to your child
to consider the impact of a broken home on his future. Are your and
your husband's issues irreconcilable?
2.You seem to be very conflicted about the purpose and status of
hijab. Hijab is a command from Allah Most High. To make the hijab a
bone of contention between you and your husband is a mistake. Are you
really prepared to sacrifice your marriage over hijab?
3.There are obviously deeper issues than whether or not to wear hijab.
You and your husband appear to have some compatibility issues that
absolutely must be resolved before you go any further.
4.There are valuable lessons that can be learned from this situation.
You and your husband need to decide if you can make a fresh start.
(I'm assuming the divorce is non-finalized). You both need to make the
Guidance Prayerand mutually agree to seek marriage counseling to help
you work through these issues.
5.You both need to change the way you handle conflict. Threatening
divorce every time an issue crops up is unhealthy and, from a fiqh
perspective, risky.I pray you can work things out.

Fathwa, - Please tell me what to do...I can't stop my sins..

Question:
I am a 17 year-old female. I been engaged for the past 4 years. I got
engaged because my parents wanted me to and I didn't want to hurt them
in any way. I had decided to try to love the person I am engaged and
do what is the best. But last year I met this guy. We started with
being great friends and then things just got serious between us. We
are so in love that we can't spend a day without talking to each
other. We both know that our parents won't agree. We have known each
other for the past 16 months and in these 16 months we have tried very
hard to separate but it never lasts.I don't know what to do anymore.
Please help me before I take a wrong path. I have tried praying and
all but now I even feel bad that I pray because I am guilty. But I
can't stop myself from this sin.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Dear Sister,
Assalamu alaikum,
I pray this message finds you well.
Thank you for your question.
As I see it, there are two pressing issues you have to deal with:
1.It is unlawful to have a relationship with the man you met last
year. Even if you weren't engaged, it would still be impermissible to
continue this relationship. Because you are engaged, it is imperative
that you extricate yourself from this situation. We women have to
honor ourselves by not placing ourselves in situations which
compromise our religion, our integrity, and our wellbeing. Although
you have strong feelings for this person, you have to look at the harm
that he is doing by involving you in an illicit relationship. If he
really cared, then he would respect the fact that you are engaged and
move on.
2.You must also consider the unhappiness and dissatisfaction that
likely led you to this situation. You agreed to get engaged to someone
just to please your parents. Moreover, you've been engaged since the
tender age of 13. This is a long time. Perhaps this engagement was not
the best choice for you. Perhaps you need to give yourself time to
grow spiritually and emotionally.You need to make the Guidance
Prayerand ask Allah Ta'ala to show you the best course of action. You
also need to break off the illicit relationship. It is better for you
in the short and long term.
You also owe it to yourself, your fiance, and your family to be
honest. Are you really interested in marrying your fiance?
I pray that Allah Most High guides you to the decision that is best
for both your dunya and akhira.