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Sunday, October 6, 2013

Story, - The desire of every girl...

Hi everyone.... when i was in 1st pu he saw me... i saw him .....
thatsit... we were in same class room... but we never talked a word
till november when he was distribuiting tickets.... tjat was the first
time.... later in d month of march our comunicatn began through fb....
by just sayn HI.... both replied... later in april it ws time to
develop an ever lastn frndshp... v shared our numbers....
to tell about my honey he is such a guy.... swthrt.... dat evry grl
would wish to have... our heights nd weights matched... ofcourse m too
thin dan him... he is so charmn n handsm... wow... vry cuteee.... luv
u dea.... ha... lets cntnu wid our true story.. as our bond of frndshp
grew so did d flng in our heart began to pour out... v both loved each
otr sincerly but nvr evr expresd....
as we al know boys move forwd.. hs frend rang me up nd tld me abt my
honeys flngs.... i ws overjoyed....dat too at nyt.... wow... i began
to dance ...
nxt dy he proposd me.... i happily xcptd... at d begng our relation
did nt seem to work ... but by two months we bcm vry close lvrs....
shard our joys nd sorws... by dat time v both mangd to convnc our
parents... wen i askd my parents abt their opinin thy happily said yes
...... which fool shall say no to such a good boy....???!
al ws fyn.... v njoyd a lot... our marks wer decrsn ... soon v paid
atntn to it nd prprd our daily plan to study... v wnt to sm places to
spnd our tym... enjyd a lot in theatrea. hotels nd parks... like love
birds... freedom full birds.....
al ws gng on vry wel.... soon my frend startd to love my honey... she
startd to seperate us ... she proposd hm too... bt he kindly rejectd
ofrn hr d hand of frndshp... nw she is bein playn pranks to seprt
us..... my hony usd to b wid me against hr.... v r now far away frm
her ...... v our bound to ourslvs... nt intrfrn in nyones matr.... al
is gng on vry well due to almightys blsngs..... need ur blsngs too....
who thy knows d future.....???! vt v hv love... trust... care fo each
otr.... isnt dat enuff....!!!¿¿¿???
thanku....

Story, - Who is my true love??

it was during my mid adolescent years... i was attracted to this boy..
i just ignored this nd thought it would just be the teenage girl's
infatuation.. as years passed my love towards him grew stronger that i
thought it would be better i tell him... but a girl proposing to a
guy.. i could hardly imagine dat.. i kept it a secret... but tried to
be closer to him.. at times i also felt he loved me... but those all
where jzt my imaginations.. he never proposed to me.. nd i went off to
college where i met many guys.. nd many proposed to me.. but i
couldn't take him off my mind until one guy came into my life... who
was less handsome less educated nd even less talented than the boy i
loved... but what i never got from this first boy i got from this boy
LOVE... i felt something i tried to give someone else those last
years.. bt my feelings towards the first guy was still stronger.. nd
there weren't days i spent without remembering him.. who is my true
love... i still dont know it yet... and i leave dat to the readers to
decide... who is my true love... is it the boy i loved??? or is it the
one who gave me his love ???

Fathwa, - A Reader on the Muslim Veil (Hijab-Niqab)

Question:
A Reader on the Muslim Veil (Hijab-Niqab)
Answer:
As-Salamu `alaykum,
Below are some new questions and answers on the topics of the female
veil/face-veil/body-veil (hijab/niqab/jilbab) in Islam and some old
ones.
Even non-Muslim Western cultures have at least some idea of the
concept. A Catholic Englishwoman wrote recently (Jan 2003) in the UK
Daily Telegraph:
"in the Christian tradition, St Paul ordered women to cover their
heads and, until the Sixties, no woman would be seen in an English
church without a hat and gloves."
In the Middle East it probably took until the Eighties for
church-going ladies to doff their covers.
As for the French war against the hijab it stems from their being
prone to self-contradiction, one time they say Vive la Difference and
overthrow their kings on pretext of human liberties; another time they
ban girls and women from dressing modestly because their president
fears "Communautarisme" [compartmentalization of society into ethnic
or religious communities] but in reality is after the votes of the Far
Right and could not care less: his law will precisely increase
communotarism and send Muslims to private madrasas en masse--at least
those that can afford it. Good thinking, Monsieur Chirac.
Well, look at the most successful Islamo-communotary society in
Europe: the United Kingdom. But France has been, is and may always be
behind the Anglo-Saxon world.
Hajj Gibril
--
Wa `alaykum as-Salam wa rahmatullah:
I am a Muslim girl. But in my family no one wears scarf except some
old women. I love to wear it because I think we have to, but when I
wear it I feel different from my other girls who are same age as me.
Once I did wear it for approximately 3 months but because I did not
have enough confidence I stopped wearing it. (I mean people used to
ask me why I wear it and I did not have enough knowledge to answer
them)
I did not wear it for less than 1 year but recently I started wearing
it again. I want to know that is it an obligation to wear a head
scarf?
Yes, dear Sister, it is an obligation for a girl after puberty to
cover everything except the face and hands according to the command of
Allah Most High:
{...And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze
and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and
adornments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they
should draw their head veils over their bosoms and not display their
beauty except to their husbands, their fathers...} (24:30-31),
Also,
{O Prophet! Tell your wives and daughters and the believing women that
they should cast their outer garments over their persons...that they
should be known and not molested} (33:59).
The Holy Prophet said, upon him blessings and peace:
"...If the woman reaches the age of puberty, no part of her body
should be seen but this and this" --- and he pointed to his face and
hands.
And our Mother `A'isha, Allah be pleased with her, said:
"When a girl reaches puberty she must cover whatever her mother and
grandmother must cover."
`A'isha also said: "By Allah, I never saw any women better than the
women of the Ansar (i.e. the women of Madina) or stronger in their
confirmation of Allah's Book! When Surat al-Nur was revealed -- {and
to draw their 'khumur' over their bosoms} (24:31) -- their men went
back to them reciting to them what Allah had revealed to them in that
[sura or verse], each man reciting it to his wife, daughter, sister,
and relative. Not one woman among them remained except she got up on
the spot, tore up her waist-wrap and covered herself from head-to-toe
(i`jtajarat) with it. They prayed the very next dawn prayer covered
from head to toe (mu`tajirat)."
And Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet, upon him and her peace,
ensured that even in her funeral the shape of her body remained unseen
by strange eyes!
Allah be well-pleased with the women of the Ansar and the Muhajirin.
You may also face some questions which you can answer this way:
Q: Is Islamic dress appropriate for modern times?A: Islamic dress is
modern and practical. Muslim women wearing Islamic dress work and
study without any problems or constraints.
Q: Does Islamic dress imply that women are submissive or inferior to men?
A: Islamic dress is one of many rights granted to Islamic women.
Modest clothing is worn in obedience to our Creator and has nothing to
do with submission to men. Muslim men and women have similar rights
and obligations and both submit to Allah.
Q: But aren't there Muslim women who do not wear the head cover, hijab?
A: Some Muslim women choose not to wear hijab. Some may want to wear
it but believe they cannot get a job or go to school wearing a head
scarf. Others may not be aware of the requirement or are under the
mistaken impression that wearing hijab is an indication of inferior
status.
In his wonderful essay "Islam, Irigaray, and the Retrieval of Gender,"
one of our major thinkers, Abdal Hakim Murad wrote:
"[T]he feminine dress code, known as hijab, forms a largely passive
text available for a range of readings. For some Western feminist
missionaries to Muslim lands, it is a symbol of patriarchy and of
woman's demure submission. For Muslim women, it proclaims their
identity: many very secular women who demonstrated against the Shah in
the 1970s wore it for this reason, as an almost aggressive flag of
defiance. Franz Fanon reflected on a similar phenomenon among Algerian
women protesting against French rule in the 1950s. For still other
women, however, such as the Egyptian thinker Safinaz Kazim, the hijab
is to be reconstrued as a quasi-feminist statement. A woman who
exposes her charms in public is vulnerable to what might be described
as 'visual theft', so that men unknown to her can enjoy her visually
without her consent. By covering herself, she regains her ability to
present herself as a physical being only to her family and sorority.
This view of hijab, as a kind of moral raincoat particularly useful
under the inclement climate of modernity, allows a vision of Islamic
woman as liberated, not from tradition and meaning, but from
ostentation and from subjection to random visual rape by men. The
feminist objection to the patriarchal adornment or denuding of women,
namely that it reduces them to the status of vulnerable, passive
objects of the male regard, makes no headway against the hijab,
responsibly understood."
Hajj Gibril
--
Wa `alaykum as-Salam wa rahmatullah wabarakatuh:
I have decided to wear niqab and I started to wear it to Islamic
functions, and slowly out in the public. I feel I am ready to wear it
now to school ( I go to a two year college) however I came across a
book that plainly stated that it is not compulsory for a woman to
cover her face. I really want to, but I feel shaytaan is getting to
me, so I am asking you why I should wear it, and am I getting good
deeds for doing it, did the prophets wives really do it, I just don't
understand it but I feel that it is very good. Is it Islamic... please
help.
The niqab type of hijab is not compulsory generally speaking but it
can be compulsory specifically speaking. If fitna is feared wherever
one goes because of unwanted attention then the right decision is to
wear it. In such a case it is definitely piety and taqwa. Imam Ibn
al-Qayyim spoke of five different types of jihad:
1. Jihad al-nafs (jihad against one's lower self) 2. Jihad al-shaitan
(jihad against shaitan) 3. Jihad al-fasiqeen (jihad against
wrongdoers) 4. Jihad al-kuffar (jihad against unbelievers) 5. Jihad
al-munafiqeen (jihad against hypocrites)
An American brother commented on the above on the MSA forum in 1995:
"Does any man think that he fights his ego better than women?
Though it is fard for women to cover themselves, show me one
practicing Muslim woman who is not only fighting her ego, but [also]
practicing all 5 of the jihads mentioned above, by wearing her hijab
in public. That is because everyone hates that, including shaitan,
nafs, the fasiqeen, the kuffar and the munafiqeen. She is like the
mujahid waving the flag of Islam high in the land of non-believers, in
the land of shaitans and evil-doers. And though the shari'ah is not so
strict asking men to wear Islamic clothes, nonetheless, in doing so,
the women are doing a big and difficult jihad, better than men who
have never fought, though the women have not fired one bullet! May
Allah bless them and strengthen their himmah." Amin.
Hajj Gibril
--
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
Below are some previous replies on the same topics of hijab, niqab, and jilbab.
--
Subject: Re: Hijab readiness
I am 13 years old, my dad insists that I wear my hijab to school and
commit to it but I don't feel ready yet. I feel when you start wearing
it you never take it off to attend anywhere etc. only around immediate
family members and I am not quite ready for that commitment. What
should I do?
There may be a spiritual readiness you feel is missing from the
picture of yourself wearing hijab at this point but you are physically
ready enough by virtue of being a Muslima of age. This is what your
father's insistence reflects, not the hidden aspects of your
personality. What matters right now is to continue to meet the basic
requirements of the Shari`a that apply to your situation, age, sex
etc. just like having to pray Salat even when one does not feel like
it. One has a lifetime, in sha' Allah, to work on strengthening
readiness and commitment.
Hajj Gibril
--
Wearing Jilbab & Upset Parent
I tried searching for this topic in the old folders but couldn't find
anything. In Hanafi fiqh wearing Jilbab is required or an optional?
What if someone wants to wear jilbab but the mother is not happy with
the decision but the father is ok with the decision? The entire
purpose of wearing jilbab is to protect one's beauty and the
non-mahrams should not see your shape can one wear different colors of
jilbabs or one should stick with black?
Walaikum assalam,
There are levels of optimality in women's dress.
1. The "jilbab" as we have it today is not recommended in itself, but
because it is a means to fulfill the obligation of covering one's
nakedness with loose clothing that does not define the shape of the
body. Other clothing can fulfill this, too, as the scholars explain.
2. Use wisdom with regards to your parents. It is not strictly
speaking obligatory to obey your parents regarding a matter like this.
However, it remains unconditionally obligatory to be good to them. If
this is possible for you while wearing a jilbab, then wear it. If it
will lead to arguing, fighting, and so on, assess the situation. (See
attached answers.)
3. As for colours, I asked Sayyidi Shaykh Mahmoud Usmani, a brilliant
Hanafi faqih and man of taqwa and wisdom. He said that there are no
colours that a woman is expected to wear or colours she must avoid.
What is important is that she not dress in a way that attracts undue
attention (that would not be attracted if she dressed, Islamically,
otherwise). Sober colours are, therefore, better.
And Allah alone gives success.
Walaikum assalam,
Faraz Rabbani.
--
This post contains replies to three different questions sent over May
and June, 2003 on the legal issue of the face-veil or niqaab with
special focus on the Shafi`i School.
FIRST QUESTION
I have noticed from reading the Reliance of the Traveler and other
Shafi'i fiqh references that the relied upon position of the Shafi'i
madhab with regard to niqab is obligation. It seems to be required for
women to cover their hands and face. For the most part, this isn't
practised in Malaysia and I was wondering if there were acceptable
alternative opinions within the madhab that allow the more lenient
position (of exposing the hands and the face) to be followed (which to
my knowledge is the relied upon position of the Malikis).
The Shafi`i Madhhab has differentiated, with regard to face-veil
(niqab) and covering the hands in public, between it being a qualified
order (amr) connected with self-respect (muru'a) rather than an
obligation in itself (wajib), however, the conclusive position seems
indeed to be the latter as you said. Al-Shirbini said in Mughni
al-Muhtaj: "The obvious meaning of the words of the Two Shaykhs
[Nawawi and Rafi`i] is that covering (satr) is obligatory in itself
(wajib li-dhatih)."
Yet the Madhhab *allows* exposing the hands and face if there is no
fear of enticement (fitna), especially in trading, witnessing,
engagement and marriage, and other transactions, as they are NOT part
of nakedness (`awra), and *commands* it in Hajj, although some have
deduced that in the context of prohibited gazes they ARE, as related
from al-Subki by al-Shirbini and favored by Dr. Sa`id al-Buti in his
book Ila Kulli Fatatin Tu'minu bilLah ("To Every Young Woman That
Believes in Allah").
A Permissive Ruling?
--------------------
Some cite al-Haytami's assertion in al-Fatawa al-Kubra (1:199): "The
sum of our [Shafi`i] Madhhab is that Imam al-Haramayn [Ibn al-Juwayni]
related consensus (ijma`) over the permissibility for women to go out
bare-faced but men must lower their gazes."
In Hashiyat Sharh al-Idah fi Manasik al-Hajj (p. 276) al-Haytami
repeats this ruling but adds: "This is not contradicted by the
consensus over her being commanded to cover her face. The fact that
she is commanded to do so for the general welfare does not presuppose
its obligatoriness." And (p. 178): "Her need to cover her face stems
only from her fear that someone's gaze might lead to a sexual
impropriety (fitna), even if we say that it is not obligatory (wajib)
for her to cover her face in the public thoroughfares as we have
determined elsewhere."
This is similar to Qadi `Iyad al-Maliki's assertion of "Consensus
(Ijma`) that it is not obligatory for her to cover her face while
walking down her street but it is a sunna, and that it is obligatory
for men to lower their gaze." The Shafi`is cite this ruling and the
Yemeni Shaykh Jamal al-Din Muhammad ibn `Abd Al-Rahman ibn Hasan ibn
`Abd al-Bari al-Ahdal (1277-1352) even recommends it in his book
`Umdat al-Mufti wal-Mustafti (3:90-91), an abridgment of a collection
of books of fatawa which is of great significance given the lateness
of the author. He apparently ignored al-Shirbini's comment in the
Mughni: "The statement of the Qadi [`Iyad] is weak."
The Likelier Ruling
-------------------
At the same time, al-Nawawi in al-Rawda and al-Shirbini in al-Iqna`
and Mughni al-Muhtaj both report that Imam al-Haramayn clearly
stipulated that the stranger's gaze to a woman's face is forbidden
(haram) whether or not there is fear of fitna [short of a valid excuse
in the Law such as one of the transactions mentioned] and that "women
are therefore forbidden to leave the house barefaced (saafiraat), by
agreement of the [law-abiding and knowledgeable] Muslims... since it
is more appropriate and decorous in the Law to block the avenue of
enticement."
The latter ruling takes precedence in the Shafi`i School just as
al-Nawawi (especially al-Rawda) takes precedence over al-Haytami.
Furthermore, al-Haytami's Fatawa and Sharh al-Idah come last even in
the hierarchy of his own books[;] one would have to adduce his Tuhfat
al-Muhtaj which is more authoritative, but not more so than the Rawda.
It remains to double-check Imam al-Haramayn's actual statement about
consensus; however, none of his works is actually authoritative in the
Madhhab by itself.
Malay Practice
--------------
The continuous habitual exposure we see in SE Asia suggests either one
of two scenarios: [1] laxity that stems from custom and culture
without grounding or justification in the Madhhab. The proof of this
is that SE Asian Islam was originally brought by the Hadramis, who are
not nearly so liberal, al-Ahdal being unrepresentative. There are also
Tariqa and other groups in Malaysia that use niqab and have become
notorious for doing so, since they are perceived as a protest or a
rebellion, which confirms that its neglect in those parts stems from
culture rather than religion.
Or [2] South-East Asian Muslimas do not feel the need to cover their
faces because they do not fear that someone's gaze might lead to
sexual impropriety, and this was known by the Hadrami Masters,
therefore they did not insist on it, especially in light of the
apparent permissiveness of the view from Imam al-Haytami's perspective
and because the Hadramis are known to rely heavily on the latter
(rather than on al-Nawawi and al-Rafi`i as do all other Shafi`is.)
One could surmise the situation is closer to the first scenario as
illustrated by the following conversation in Brunei between a local
Fiqh teacher and a traveller:
Traveller: Is it not the custom for Muslim males in Brunei to dye
their hands with henna in their nikah celebration?
Fiqh Teacher: Yes.
Traveller: But is it not expressly forbidden in the Shafi`i Madhhab -
the state Madhhab and that of the entire Malay population - as a haram
practice for men unless in case of medical necessity?
Fiqh Teacher: Yes.
Traveller: Does anything explain this contradiction between the
people's custom and the Fiqh they say they follow?
Fiqh Teacher: No.
However, in the West (and perhaps even the South East) it is evident
that the niqab would cause fitna rather than pre-empt it. Therefore,
as Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali said, it should not be used there
(whether by Shafi`iyyas or Muslimas of the other three Schools). The
hijab is enough. However, when the hijab can be worn without danger to
one's person or honor or property, then it is corruption (fisq) or
dissimulation of unbelief (nifaq) to go on not wearing it, or to wear
a false version of it such as a head-scarf that leaves the throat and
neck bare with a cute tuft of hair visible here and there. It should
be sufficient warning to such a person that the Salat she prays in
that garb is invalid and Allah knows best.
SECOND QUESTION
After a small discussion with some of my brothers I needed to research
more the question of women and the face veil. Please can you clarify
for me with text from our pious salaf the traditional viewpoint? I am
under the impression there is a difference of opinion. Please help as
this issue needs to be clarified as there is confusion from what legal
category it is in.
There is a difference of opinion that hinges upon the interpretation
of the exceptive "that which is apparent" in the verse {tell the
believing women to lower their gaze and be modest and to display of
their adornment only that which is apparent} (24:31). It is narrated
from Ibn `Abbas that it means the face and hands, and a group of the
Salaf followed that interpretation. Ibn Kathir says it is that of the
massive majority (Jumhur).
This interpretation of the verse is the proof adduced in the Shafi`i
Madhhab that the woman's face and hands are not part of nakedness
(`awra) as cited before.
Ibn `Abbas's position is also related from `A'isha but more authentic
is the report that even in Hajj ihram she would cover her face from
strangers along with the other wives of the Prophet, upon him and our
mothers peace. Meaning: out of fear of fitna. (Similarly stringent was
the fatwa of Fatima, upon her peace, that a good woman is to remain
invisible to strange men and they to her.)
It is also narrated from Ibn Mas`ud that it means the outward dress
and jewelry, while the face and hands are to remain invisible. Another
group followed that.
Even from Ibn `Abbas it is related that he explained the verse {O
Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the
believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad)}
(33:59) thus: "Allah has ordered the women of the believers, when they
go out of their houses for some need, to cover up their faces [by
dropping a veil] from above their heads with the jilbaab and show one
eye."
As for the legal category of the face-veil, it hinges on the aforesaid
difference of opinion but the latter disappears in case of fear of
enticement. Thus you have [1] the ruling of sunna or desirability of
covering the face without obligation, which is preponderant in three
of the Schools; [2] the obligation of covering the face in all the
Schools in case of fear of sexual enticement; and the severest view,
[3] the need to cover the face to prevent a stranger's gaze even
without fear of enticement, especially in urban settings. The latter
is practiced, typically, in a traditional
Shafi`i-Hanafi-Hanbali-Maliki Arab Muslim environment[*] but not in
Africa, the Subcontinent, nor South East Asia, not to mention the
West. Allah knows best.
[*] [corr.: "in traditional Shafi`i-Hanafi-Hanbali-Maliki Arab Muslim
environments]
THIRD QUESTION
I'm in need of your help concerning the 'awrah of women outside salat
according to Shafi'ee madhab with all its full references. For your
information I am wearing Niqab (and shafi'eeya) and a lot of people in
my place mock me and calling me names. I just need the exact
references in saying that it is a must for Muslim woman to cover her
face (and hands) outside salat. I would appreciate if you could help
me in this matter.
In the Shafi`i Madhhab the nakedness (`awra) of a woman consists of
the whole body except the face and hands.
It is important to note that the definition of "what must be covered"
sometimes differs from the definition of `awra and sometimes is
identical with it. The `awra of woman is everything except hands and
face; "what must be covered" depends on the following contexts:
1. Among male strangers: her whole body including face and hands even
though they are NOT `awra but "an avenue of enticement" (mazinnat
al-fitna). Yet she may uncover her face in transactions such as buying
and selling, marriage engagement, and others, in which she needs to be
recognized.
2. Among non-marriageables and in her seclusion: everything between
the navel and the knees [unless enticement is feared before male
non-marriageables].
3. Among non-Muslim women: everything that does not show during
(physical) work i.e. other than face, neck, ankles, forearms.
4. In Salat [and Ihram]: her whole body except face and hands - both
sides - unless enticement is feared, then she may cover her face. The
obligation to uncover in Pilgrimage comes as a shock and burden to
countless Muslim women who never stepped out of their houses barefaced
in their lives. This is one of the Divine tests and Allah knows best.
Sources:
Rawdat al-Talibin 1:283, 7:21. Muhadhdhab 1:64. Wasit 2:175, 5:32.
Majmu` 3:170. Hashiyat al-Bujayrami 1:235, 2:148. I`anat al-Talibin
1:113, 2:322. Shirbini, Iqna` 1:124, 2:403-404. Shirbini, Mughni
al-Muhtaj 3:129. Nihayat al-Zayn p. 47. Fath al-Mu`in 3:263. Reliance
of the Traveller and Muqaddima Hadramiyya, Book of Salat, chapter on
the conditions of Salat, "Covering Nakedness." Haytami, al-Minhaj
al-Qawim p. 215-216. Shaykh al-Islam, Sharh Rawd al-Talib and its
Hashiya by al-Ramli 1:176.
Hajj Gibril
--
The anti-veil side in France says that the veil of schoolgirls is a
violation of the law prohibiting the display of religious symbols in
public schools.
Those that defend it invoke the right of free speech and the right to
exercise one's religion freely without harm to others as stated in the
Declaration des Droits de l'Homme.
Briefly engaging some of the debaters at the French Religion forum
showed they themselves were oblivious to the fact that a
self-respecting French woman never left the house bareheaded from the
Middle Ages to the middle of the twentieth century. The French debate
about public school hijab raged as far back as 1990.
Perhaps, countries where religion is historically or philosophically
formulated as separate from the res publica would nevertheless be
prepared to debate the argument that the veil is ultimately a garment
of privacy, conscience, decency, or sexual hygiene from a "humanist"
perspective rather than a purely religious symbol perceived as
in-your-face proselytism; or that it is not so much a symbol of Islam,
as far as they are concerned, as a symbol of tradition.
Similar recent cases: [1] the prohibition of prayer in American public
schools, lest every sect under the sun proceed to demand ITS minute of
piety and impose it on the rest of the school population, including
sons and daughters of witches, Satanists....
[2] Prohibition of the veil in public schools in Singapore recently
challenged by parents of underage girls or girls whose own Muslim
mothers have long doffed the veil. It seems the parents themselves
were "challenged" in those two cases!
[3] Prohibition of the veil in Turkey, the meanest, extremist example
of the separation of church and state under the sun today.
Hajj Gibril
--
Article: The Observations of the Muslimah wearing Hijab
It has been my personal observation that some Muslim girls and women
do not realize the significance of hijab. Hijab is Arabic for
protection and cover. Some people put a lot effort into their hijab,
yet it serves no purpose. I am referring to the pointless hijab that
some girls wear.
The first pointless hijab is referred to as the headband hijab. It is
a band of fabric approximately 4 inches wide. It covers the back of
the head and allows all the hair to be exposed. It doesn't serve much
in terms of modesty, but at least it comes in handy in case of an
unexpected tennis match.
The second pointless hijab is the dupetta, also known as the Saran
wrap hijab. It covers all the hair, but it is totally transparent.
Again it doesn't serve much in terms of modesty, but it keeps the hair
nice and fresh.
The third type of hijab is known as the Mickey Mouse Hijab. It is when
a girl wears a black scarf and tucks it behind her ear, so that her
ears stick out.
-We now move to my favorites: - The yo-yo hijabs. The first yo-yo
hijab, also known as the Benazir Bhutto hijab, is the scarf that keeps
falling down and needs to be constantly pulled back up....up, down,
up, down, just like a yo-yo.
The second yo-yo hijab is also referred to as the convertible hijab.
This type of hijab is predominant at any type of social event, i.e. an
Aqeeqah, Bismillah party, Ameen party, wedding, etc. This is when an
Imam or Qari comes up to the microphone and starts to recite Qur'an.
At this point, all the convertible hijabs come up...until he says
"Sadaqallahul atheem". I'm not sure, but apparently in some cultures
that translates to "ok sisters, you may now take off your scarves".
I'm sure this may seem odd, but what's even funnier is when people do
not anticipate the recitation of Qur'an at a social event, and are
forced to be creative and use accessories such as a purse to cover
one's hair. I was surprised to see a women hold her purse over her
head as "hijab"...as if the multitudes of men surrounding her are not
a good enough reason to wear hijab, but some guy reciting du'aa
compels her to hold a purse over her head. Her friends were more
creative...one friend used her dinner napkin. I was also laughing when
I saw the communal hijab -- two or more girls draped under one dinner
napkin during the recitation of Qur'an. Her other friend was still
more creative. She used her coffee saucer on the back of her head. I
wasn't sure if it was hijab or a yamaka.....
And, people should remember that hijab is not just a protection from
guys, but from a girl's nafs (ego) as well. It should prevent girls
from having to spend hours in front of the mirror doing her hair. But,
unfortunately, you see girls in front of the mirror for hours doing
their hijab as they would do their hair, with all sorts of elaborate
braids and the like. I wanted to go up to a sister and say "Is your
hijab naturally curly?� I also felt compelled to go up to another girl
and say "pardon me, but is your hijab naturally that color, or did you
dye it?"
Well, the point to remember is that some people make an effort to wear
hijab, but it is futile, because it is not fulfilling its purpose.
It's like using an umbrella with holes in it. Hijab is used for
protection from guys as well as from the girl herself, and should not
be used as an accessory or for beautifying one's self.

Fathwa, - Is it permissible for a wife to take off her hijab if her husband disapproves of it?

Question:
Is it permissible for a wife to take off her hijab if her husband
disapproves of it?
Answer:
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
Absolutely not.
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace)
said,�There is no obedience to creation in disobedience to the
Creator.�[Bukhari and Muslim]

Fathwa, - It is permitted for a father to see his baby girl’s private parts (e.g. while changing diapers)

Question:
I was told that it was haram or highly discouraged for a father to see
his infant daughter's awarah (private parts) for example, if he is
changing the baby. And is there an age limit? Can I get both the
Hanfai and Shafi'i point of view.
Answer:
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
Small children have no awra, and it is permitted for even those not
related to them to see their private parts�such as when changing
diapers, etc. [Ibn Abidin,Radd al-Muhtar; al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya]
It would only be impermissible when there is fear of fitna or desire,
which is not normally the case.
This is also the ruling in the Shafi`i school, as explained by Shaykh
Amjad Rasheed. (See Shafii fiqh archives at on this site.)
As for the age limit, there is no specific limit, except that it is
proper that children�s awra be progressively emphasized such that by
the time they are small, they should normally be covered in dignified
ways, and by the time they are 7 or so, they should be properly
covered and when 10, it would be obligatory to discipline both boys
and girls regarding proper covering.
And Allah alone gives success.

Fornication and Adultery:Major Sins in Islam

Chastity is defined as "controlling oneself from forbidden desires due
to the love of Allaah The Almighty in response to His command, as well
as for seeking His reward in return."
Islam has always been keen to establish chastity in the Muslim
community and has thus legislated many laws that reduce the strong
impact of these desires and control them; it has also encouraged
remaining on the straight path and warned against transgressing the
defined boundaries by following these base desires.
Islam has preserved people's honor and protected lineages from being
mixed. Therefore, fornication and adultery are forbidden and
classified as major and destructive sins. Islam has even forbidden
everything that could lead to these sins, such as immoral exchange of
looks between the two sexes, depraved words, seductive moves, a man
and a woman being in seclusion in a room, and anything else which
could lead to this awful sin. Allaah The Almighty Says )what
means(:}"And come not near to unlawful sex. Verily, it is a great sin,
and an evil way )that leads one to Hell unless Allaah forgives
him(."{]Quran, 17: 32[
Islam does not have laws which contradict one another as is the case
with man-made legislation which has set penal laws for adultery and
fornication but has facilitated every means that lead to it. Moreover,
there are some societies that see no harm in allowing fornication and
adultery and have set no penal laws for those who commit them. Other
societies differentiate between committing this act in the marital
home and outside of it; they only consider committing it the marital
home as a crime and not if it is committed away from it! Islam, on the
other hand, comprehensively forbids fornication and adultery and
everything that leads to it.
Allaah The Almighty commanded His Messengerto take a pledge from women
who entered Islam to refrain from fornication and adultery. Allaah The
Almighty Says )what means(:}"O Prophet! When believing women come to
you to give you the Bai`ah )pledge(, that they will not associate
anything in worship with Allaah, that they will not steal, that they
will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, that they will not kill
their children… then accept their pledge."{]Quran, 60: 12[
Allaah The Almighty made the punishment for these sins vary from
lashing to stoning to death, along with the humiliation which results
from informing the community of the perpetrators of this sin. Allaah
The Almighty Says )what means(:}"The fornicatress and the fornicator,
flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in
their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allaah, if you believe in
Allaah and the Last Day. And let a party of the believers witness
their punishment. ]This is for unmarried persons, but if married, the
punishment is to stone them to death[."{]Quran, 24: 2[
The Prophetset the penalty for adultery and fornication as follows:"If
the parties )committing fornication( are unmarried, they should
receive a hundred lashes and be put into exile for a year. If they
commit adultery after they are married, they should receive a hundred
lashes and then be stoned to death."]Muslim[
Since Islam has comprehensively forbidden fornication and adultery, it
has also blocked all ways that lead to it. It does not have laws which
contradict one another as is the case with man-made legislation which
has set penal laws for adultery and fornication but has facilitated
every means that lead to it. Moreover, there are some societies that
see no harm in allowing fornication and adultery and have set no penal
laws for those who commit them. Other societies differentiate between
committing this act in the marital home and outside of it; they only
consider committing it the marital home as a crime and not if it is
committed away from it! Islam, on the other hand, comprehensively
forbids fornication and adultery and everything that leads to it.
The evil consequences of fornication and adultery
Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyimsaid,
"Fornication and adultery combine all evils; weakness in commitment to
the religion, lack of piety, corruption of manhood and the decrease of
praiseworthy jealousy. You will never find an adulterer or fornicator
who is pious, fulfils his promises, is truthful in his speech,
maintains friendship or has jealousy over his wife; he will be
characterised by lies, deception, betrayal, accepting prohibitions and
not being mindful of Allaah." All these characteristics are
consequences of fornication and adultery.
There are also other consequences such as:
• Incurring the wrath of Allaah The Almighty.
• Corruption of one's wife and children.
• Poverty and gloominess of the face, which will be apparent to people.
• Darkness of the heart.
• Becoming insignificant in the eyes of people and in the sight of
Allaah The Almighty.
• Loss of the characteristics of chastity and righteousness and
becoming known as a sinful, betraying adulterer or fornicator.
• Not being classified as a believer in general.
• Being decried as an evil person.

Whom one is allowed to marry

Marriage is the most essential social bond that maintains human
society. It is the key step to establishing a family, which is the
nucleus of society. Since the ultimate goal of creating human beings
is to worship Allaah Almighty, a Muslim has to look at marriage as a
means of 'producing' human beings who will be future worshippers of
Allaah, which is a religious commitment, apart from being a physical,
social and psychological need.
When planning for marriage, one has to ask himself who he should
marry. Allaah mentions most of the categories of women involved in
this question in the following verses, )which means(:"And do not marry
those ]women[ whom your fathers married, except what has already
occurred. Indeed, it was an immorality and hateful ]to Allaah[ and was
evil as a way. Prohibited to you ]for marriage[ are your mothers, your
daughters, your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters,
your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters, your ]milk[ mothers
who nursed you, your sisters through nursing, your wives' mothers, and
your step daughters under your guardianship ]born[ of your wives unto
whom you have gone in. But if you have not gone in unto them, there is
no sin upon you. And ]also prohibited are[ the wives of your sons who
are from your ]own[ loins, and that you take ]in marriage[ two sisters
simultaneously, except for what has already occurred. Indeed, Allaah
is ever Forgiving and Merciful. And ]also prohibited to you are all[
married women except those your right hands possess ]i.e., slaves or
war-captives who had polytheistic husbands[. ]This is[ the decree of
Allaah upon you. And lawful to you are ]all others[ beyond these,
]provided[ that you seek them ]in marriage[ with ]gifts from[ your
property, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse..."]Quran
4:22-24[
Those who are Permanently Forbidden in Marriage
This category includes those whom one is forbidden to marry due to a
blood relationship as well as those who are forbidden due to marital
relations:
Those Permanently Forbidden due to Blood Relations
Descendants due to a relationship with a woman, regardless of how far
)a man's daughter, granddaughter, etc.(.
Ascendants of women, regardless of how far )mother, maternal and
paternal grandmother, etc.(.
Descendants from a man's parents, regardless of how far )sisters, half
sisters, sister's children, etc.(
Siblings of male and female ascendants, regardless of how far
)paternal and maternal aunts, great aunts, etc.(.
One may notice that of these, the grandmother was not explicitly
mentioned in the verse. This is because frequently in Arabic and in
the Quran )as in some of the verses on inheritance(, the term 'mother'
includes the grandmother and all her ascendants.
Those Permanently Forbidden due to Marital Relations
Wives of ascendants, regardless of how far )the father's wife,
grandfather's wife, etc.(. Consummation is not a condition; the mere
completion of the marriage contract makes this marriage forbidden
forever.
Wives of descendants, regardless of how far. Again, the mere marriage
contract is what is considered here with or without consummation.
Ascendants of wives )such as the mother-in-law(, regardless of whether
the marriage was consummated or not.
Descendants of wives )step-daughters and their children( only if the
man consummated the marriage with the wife in question. The phrase
)which means( '…Under your guardianship…' was mentioned here only to
portray the usual case and not as a condition. The ruling holds
whether the
Those Permanently Forbidden due to Breast Feeding
The verse actually mentions 'mothers' and 'sisters' by breast feeding.
From these two, others can be derived based on the Hadeeth
)narration( of the Prophet:"Breast feeding makes forbidden what is
forbidden through blood relations."]Muslim[
The Prophetwas asked to marry the daughter of his uncle Hamzahbut his
response was to say: "She is not permissible for me. She is the
daughter of my brother through breastfeeding. And breastfeeding
forbids what is forbidden through blood relations." ]Al-Bukhaari &
Muslim[
The brother of a woman who had breastfed 'Aa'ishahcame to visit her.
She refused to let him in until she asked the Prophetif it was
permissible to do so, and he said:"Give him permission, for he is our
uncle."]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[
The Minimum Requirement for Breast Feeding
There is a wide variety of opinions on how many 'sessions' of
breastfeeding create the prohibition including one, three, five, seven
and ten sessions. A common opinion is that the child must have nursed
on three separate occasions; this is based on the Hadeeth: "The
prohibition is not established by one suck or two."
The strongest opinion is that of Imaams Maalik and Abu Haneefahand
'Ali bin Abu Taalib, 'Abdullaah bin 'Umar, and 'Abdullaah bin
'Abbaasand others, which is that a single session is sufficient. This
is the strongest opinion because it is consistent with the apparent
meaning of the word Ridhaa'ah )breastfeeding( in the above-mentioned
verses as well as the related Hadeeths; also, the above Hadeeth could
be easily taken to refer to 'sucks' and not 'sessions.' So, in other
words, if the baby merely sucks once or twice, it does not count
unless the baby completes the 'session', drinking to satisfaction.
Women Included in this Category
One's female ascendants through nursing. This includes the woman who
nursed him and her mother, etc. The husband of the wet nurse is
considered the 'cause' of the milk involved. So, for example, if a
girl is nursed by a woman, that woman's husband becomes forbidden to
her just as her own biological father is.
Descendants through nursing. The man who is the 'cause' of the milk
is forbidden from marrying the one his wife nursed or their children,
etc.
Descendants of 'parents' through nursing, )i.e., the 'sisters'(. One
cannot marry any of the children )either by blood or nursing( of the
wet nurse or her husband.
Siblings of ascendants by nursing )i.e., brothers and sisters of the
wet nurse or her husband(. This does not include their children
)'cousins' by nursing(.
Note the following important point as stated by Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen:
"The relatives of the child that is nursed, except for his/her
children, have no relation to the breastfeeding mother ]or her
husband[ and there is no effect on them from that nursing. So, it is
allowed for a boy's blood brother to marry his brother's wet nurse or
her daughters. However, the children of the child who was nursed will
become like the children of the wet nurse and her husband in the same
way that their father )the one originally nursed( was a 'child' )by
nursing( to those two."
Those Forbidden for Temporary Reasons
The second category of women a man is forbidden to marry consists of
those forbidden for temporary reasons. If the reason ceases to exist,
marriage between them becomes lawful. They include the following:
While being married to a woman, a man cannot marry her sister or any
of her aunts )paternal or maternal(. The first was mentioned in the
verses previously mentioned and the second is mentioned in the
following Hadeeth:
"The Prophetprohibited joining )in marriage at the same
If a person divorces his wife three times, it is not allowed for him
to marry her again until and unless she marries someone else )but not
as a trick in order to marry him again(, consummates that marriage and
that marriage is subsequently legally ended.
Any woman if a man already has four wives.
Marrying a slave girl when one is already married to a free woman.
Marrying a woman who is already married or who is in 'Iddah )waiting
period(. A woman in 'Iddah due either to her husband's death or
divorce is not allowed to marry until it is finished.
A woman upon whom a man has made Li'aan, unless he confesses to having
made it up. Al-Li'aan in Arabic is when the husband accuses the wife
of adultery but cannot bring witnesses, so he swears that it occurred
and the two are separated after the wife swears that she is innocent.
He can never marry her again unless
A woman who is neither Muslim nor Jewish nor Christian.

The Islamic marriage contract

Marriage in Islam is based on a contract between a man and woman
intending to be unified in marriage. Thus, as in any contract in
Islam, there are elements which are considered essential to its
existence, called 'pillars', as well as the possibility of
stipulations of different kinds, legal effects of the contract, etc.
Each of these must be understood correctly in order to ensure that the
marriage has been performed according to the legal conditions and that
the rightful effects of the marriage are guaranteed to each of the
contracting parties.
The Pillars of a Marriage Contract According to the Majority of Scholars
Offer and acceptance are among the pillars. For most scholars, the
offer must be from the woman's side and the acceptance from the man.
The two parties to the contract: the prospective husband and the
guardian of the woman.
Some also count the following among the pillars, although the majority
of these scholars
The presence of witnesses.
Dowry.
The Wording of the Contract
There are a variety of opinions as to exactly which phrases are valid
in the transaction of the marriage contract. However, the best format
is that actually used by the Prophetand his companions. Also, it is
recommended that the contract be executed verbally. However, due to
need or necessity, it may be done through writing or signing.
Among the different possible phraseology, the very clear terms such
as: "I marry you" is accepted by all scholars. Anything which
indicates a temporary nature of the contract is forbidden. There is
some difference of opinion concerning the validity of other phrases
such as: "I present to you", "I give to you", "I sell to you", etc.
Does it have to be in Arabic?
According to the majority of scholars, it is not necessary for the
marriage contract to be executed in Arabic, even for those who have
the ability to speak Arabic. The scholars of the Hanbali school, who
required the use of forms of the words Nikaah or Zawaaj )marriage(,
required that the contract be transacted in Arabic for this reason.
The Different Types of Conditions or Prerequisites
At this point, we need to learn the definition of some general terms
in Islamic Fiqh )Jurisprudence(, related to this issue, which come up
in many subject areas, including the one at hand.
Saheeh )Sound(: A contract which fulfils all of the pillars and the
prerequisites, and has full effect in the law.
Baatil )Void(: A contract that has failed to fulfil specific pillars
or vital prerequisites. A contract which is Baatil is the opposite of
one which is Saheeh and has no legal effect at all. If a marriage
contract is found to be void, even if it is only discovered after
consummation, the legal condition will be as if it never happened at
all. The lineage of the father )of a child produced in such a
'marriage'( will not be established and there is no waiting period
)'Iddah( upon the woman. An example of this would be if a man married
a woman who was married to someone else at the time.
Faasid )Defective(: This is a contract which fails to fulfil some of
the prerequisites, but not the pillars.
With respect to marriage, there are four different kinds of conditions
which must be met:
1. Conditions Required for Initiating the Contract
These are the conditions that must be present with respect to the
pillars or fundamentals of the marriage contract.
2. Conditions Required for the Soundness of the Contract
These are conditions which must be fulfilled in order for the marriage
to have its proper legal effect. If these conditions are not met, the
contract is 'Defective' )Faasid(, according to Hanafi Fiqh, and 'Void'
)Baatil( according to the others.
3. Conditions Required for the Execution of the Contract
These are conditions which must be met for the marriage to have actual
practical effect. If these conditions are not met, then the marriage
is 'Suspended' )Mawqoof( according to Hanafi and Maaliki Fiqh; for
example, a minor girl until she reaches puberty.
4. Conditions Required for Making the Marriage Binding
If these conditions are not met, then the marriage is non-binding,
meaning that either of the two parties or others may have the right to
annul the marriage. If they accept the marriage with such
shortcomings, it becomes binding.
Prerequisites Required for Initiating the Contract
In this category, there are conditions concerning the two who are
getting married, as well as the form in which the contract takes
place.
Concerning the Two Getting Married:
The two people must meet the qualification of legal competence, i.e.,
they must be adult and sane. If they are not, the marriage will be
invalid.
Secondly, the woman cannot be from those categories of women that are
forbidden for a man to marry. For example, suppose a man married a
woman and later discovered that they had been breastfed by the same
woman. In this case, it is as if the marriage never took place
because these two were not allowed to marry each other and the
marriage becomes null and void.
Concerning the Contract:
There is near unanimous agreement on the following conditions relating
to the transaction of the marriage contract:
1. The offer and acceptance must be done in one sitting. In general,
this means that the response must be immediate. Exactly what is
considered a 'sitting' depends on custom and other related factors.
2. The acceptance must correspond to what is being offered. If the
guardian says: "I marry you to Khadeejah", a response of: "I accept
Faatimah as my wife" would not constitute a valid contract. An
exception to this is if the Wali )guardian( mentions a specific dowry
amount and the groom responds with a higher amount. It is regarded
that there is no reason for dispute here since it is assumed that a
higher dowry will be acceptable.
3. The Wali cannot rescind the offer. Unlike transactions of selling,
neither party can say: "I have changed my mind" once they have uttered
the offer/acceptance. It is immediately binding. In a sale, they both
continue to have the option to change their mind until the 'sitting'
is over and they part.
4. The marriage must be effective immediately. If the Wali says 'I
will marry her to you after one month', there is no marriage and the
two remain unmarried.
Note that the custom of saying: 'I accept' three times, which is
common in some Muslim cultures, has no legal significance. Once the
first 'I accept' has been uttered, everything after that is
meaningless - whether positive or negative.
Adding Stipulations to the Marriage Contract
This is where one party states a stipulation binding on the other
party for specific reasons or goals. The offer/acceptance is tied to
this stipulation by mention. There is a difference of opinion among
the scholars concerning the validity of conditions of this nature.
Conditions of contracts are two types:
1( Those imposed directly by the Sharee'ah )Islamic Legislation( and
2( Those drawn up by one or more of the parties.
When any contract is entered into, the first type of conditions are
covered automatically, even if they are not stated in the contract.

Dought & clear, -(Rulings on prayer ),- He visualizes the Ka’bah when he prays and says du’aa’. Is this ihsaan?.

When I am praying and saying du'aa', I try to visualize the Ka'bah. Am
I achieving what is meant in the hadeeth, "Worship Allaah as if you
see Him"? When I visualize something else – which happens often and is
not waswaas – I feel that I am not attaining complete khushoo'
(focus), and when I am addressing Allaah I try to feel that. (And I do
this) because looking at the sky is makrooh. Please advise me, may
Allaah bless you.
Praise be to Allaah.
Ihsaan means doing a thing well. In sharee'ah this includes doing acts
of worship well and in the manner enjoined by Allaah.
If the worshipper remembers that Allaah is watching him and looking at
him, this will make him do his act of worship well and enable him to
reach a high status thereby.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: One day the Messenger of
Allaah (S) appeared before the people and Jibreel came to him and
said: O Messenger of Allaah, what is faith? He said: "To believe in
Allaah, His angels, His Book, the meeting with Him, and His
Messengers, and to believe in the resurrection hereafter." He said: O
Messenger of Allaah, what is Islam? He said: "Islam is to worship
Allaah and not associate anything with Him, to establish the
prescribed prayers, to pay the obligatory zakaah, and to fast
Ramadaan." He said: O Messenger of Allaah, what is ihsaan? He said:
"It is to worship Allaah as if you can see Him, for although you
cannot see Him, He can see you."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (50) and Muslim (9).
Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This indicates that one
should worship Allaah in this manner, which is keeping in mind that He
is close, and that is He is before you as if you could see Him. This
leads one to fear Him, venerate Him and show respect. It also leads
one to be sincere in worship and strive hard to do it well and make it
perfect and complete. End quote.
Jaami' al-'Uloom al-Hukam(1/35).
He also said: The basic meaning of khushoo' is softness of heart,
tranquility, submission and humility. If the heart is properly focused
in this manner, then the rest of the body will follow it in focus,
because they follow it as the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah
beupon him) said: "In the body there is a piece of flesh which, if it
is sound, the entire body will be sound, but if it is corrupt, the
entire body will be corrupt. Verily it is the heart."Narrated by
al-Bukhaari (25) and Muslim (1599).
If the heart is focused then the hearing, sight, head, face and all
the parts of the body will be focused, as will all the things that
stem from them, even speech.
Then he said: The focus that appears in the heart stems from awareness
of Allaah and acknowledgement of His might, power and perfection. The
one who knows more of Allaah will be more focused.
People vary in their focus according to their knowledge of the One
before Whom they are standing and their awareness of the attributes of
Allaah that lead to more focus. Some focus because of their sense of
being so close to the Lord and that He is aware of what is in their
hearts and minds. That leads them to feel humble before Allaah and
know that He is watching all their movements. And there are some who
focus because of their awareness of His might, glory and greatness,
which leads them to venerate Him and fear Him. And there are some who
focue because of their awareness of His perfection and beauty, which
leads them to be filled with love for Him and long to meet Him.
And there are some who focus because they are aware of the severity of
His wrath, vengeance and punishment, which leads them to fear Him.
Allaah is the One Who takes care of those who are humble before Him,
because He draws close to those who submit to Him, as He draws close
to the one who addresses Him in prayer and lowers his face in the dust
before Him when prostrating, and He draws near to those who come to
His House to stand before Him and beseech Him as they stand in
'Arafah. He draws close to them and boasts of them before the angels,
and He draws near to His slaves who call upon Him and ask of Him and
pray for forgiveness of their sins in the time before dawn. He answers
their prayers and grants them what they ask for, and no better reward
for the slave's humbleness than the closeness of Allaah and His
response to their prayers. End quote.
Al-Dhill wa'l-Inkisaar li'l-'Azeez al-Jabbaar(inRasaa'il ibn Rajab, 1/290, 293).
As for that which the questioner mentions about visualizing the Ka'bah
when he prays, we do not know of any basis for that and it does not
seem that this visualizing would help in attaining true focus
(khushoo') in prayer. How many of those who have been in the vicinity
of the Ka'bah and seen it with their own eyes prayed as if they were
praying in the marketplace, without any real focus.
In the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah that is quoted above, the Prophet(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained what ihsaan is, and
said that it means "to worship Allaah as if you can see Him"; he did
not say, "as if you can see the Ka'bah."
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear, -(Rulings on prayer ),- Women walking in front of worshippers in al-Masjid al-Haraam.

If a woman walks in front of a worshipper in al-Masjid al-Haraam does
it invalidate the person's prayer?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
It is not permissible for anyone to walk in front of a person who is
praying unless that is behind his sutrah (object used as a screen), or
he walks far away from him, beyond the place where he is prostrating –
in the event that he has not set up a sutrah – because of the report
narrated by al-Bukhaari(510) and Muslim (507) which says that the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If the one
who passes in front of one who is praying knew what (sin) he incurs,
he would realize that waiting for forty is better than passing in
front of him." Abu'l-Nadr said: I do not know whether he said forty
days, or months, or years.
The worshipper should try to stop the one who wants to walk in front
of him, because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (509) and Muslim
(505 from Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) who
said: I heard the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
say: "If one of you prays facing towards something that is screening
him from the people, and someone wants to pass in front of him, let
him push him in the chest, and if he insists then let him fight him,
for he is a devil."
Secondly:
If a woman walks between a worshipper and his sutrah, then the prayer
is invalidated, whether the worshipper is leading the prayer or
praying on his own. As for the one who is praying behind an imam, it
does not affect his prayer, because the sutrah of the imam is a sutrah
for him too. For further discussion of this point please see question
no. 3404.
Thirdly:
A number of scholars made an exception in the case of al-Masjid
al-Haraam and granted a concession allowing people to walk in front of
worshippers in that place. They were of the view that if a woman or
anyone else passes in front of a worshipper it does not invalidate his
prayer.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inal-Mughni(2/40):
There is nothing wrong with praying in Makkah without a sutrah. That
was narrated from Ibn al-Zubayr, 'Ata' and Mujaahid. Al-Athram said:
It was said to Ahmad: What if a man is praying with Makkah and does
not use anything as a sutrah? He said: It was narrated from the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that he prayed with
no sutrah between him and the tawaaf area. Ahmad said: Because Makkah
is not like anywhere else, as if Makkah is special.
Ibn Abi 'Ammaar said: I saw Ibn al-Zubayr come and pray, and the
tawaaf area was between him and the qiblah, and women were walking in
front of him. He would wait until the woman had passed, then he would
put his forehead on the ground where her feet had been. Narrated by
Hanbal inal-Manaasik.
Al-Mu'tamir said: I said to Tawoos: What if a man is praying – i.e.,
in Makkah – and men and women are passing in front of him? He thinks
that this land is not like other lands, because many people come to
Makkah in order to perform their rituals, and they crowd the place,
and if the worshipper were to prevent those who want to pass in front
of him, it would cause hardship for the people. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: I have found
a proven hadeeth which says: If one of you is praying and a donkey,
black dog or woman passes in front of him, his prayer is invalid. If
the text of the hadeeth is saheeh, what is your opinion about those
who pray in al-Haram al-Shareef with women passing in front of them as
they do tawaaf?
He replied: The hadeeth is saheeh. The Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "A Muslim's prayer is invalidated if there
is nothing in front of him the height of the back of a saddle, by a
woman, a donkey and a black dog." Narrated by Imam Muslim in
hisSaheeh. If a black dog, a donkey or a woman passes in front of a
worshipper, or between him and his sutrah each of them invalidates his
prayer. This is how it was narrated in the hadeeth from the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and it is sounder
than the opinions of the scholars. Concerning that there is a
difference of opinion among the scholars, including those who
interpreted it as meaning that it is the reward or the completeness of
the prayer that is affected.
But the correct view is that it invalidates the prayer and it is
spoiled by that.
But what happens in al-Masjid al-Haraam is excused according to the
scholars, because it is not possible to avoid that in al-Masjid
al-Haraam due to the crowding, especially at the time of Hajj. This is
one of the things that is excused in al-Masjid al-Haraam and is exempt
from the general meaning of the ahaadeeth. What happens of women who
are doing tawaaf passing in front of people praying in al-Masjid
al-Haraam does not affect them and their prayers are valid, whether
naafil or obligatory. This is the correct scholarly view. End quote
fromFataawa al-Shaykh Baaz(17/152).
The scholars of the Standing Committee for issuing fatwas were asked:
Is it permissible to walk in front of a person who is praying in the
mosque?
They replied: It is haraam to walk in front of a person who is
praying, whether he has put a sutrah in front of himself or not,
because of the general meaning of the hadeeth, "If the one who passes
in front of one who is praying knew what (sin) he incurs, he would
realize that waiting for forty is better than passing in front of
him." A number of scholars made an exception in the case of prayers
offered in al-Masjid al-Haraam, and they granted a concession allowing
people to walk in front of worshippers there, because of the report
narrated by Katheer ibn Katheer ibn al-Muttalib from his father from
his grandfather, who said: I saw the Messenger of Allaah(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) standing at the Hijr with the people
passing in front of him. According to another report from al-Muttalib
he said: I saw the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) when he had finished his seven (i.e., tawaaf), come and
stand with the Corner between him and the Saqeefah, and pray two
rak'ahs at the edge of the Mataaf, with no one between him and the
tawaaf area. Although the isnaad of this hadeeth is da'eef, it is
supported by other reports and by the general meaning of the evidence
which suggests that there is no sin in that case, because of the
difficulty involved in preventing people from passing in front of a
worshipper in al-Masjid al-Haraam in most cases. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah(7/82).
But one should not be careless about setting up something as a sutrah,
even if the place is crowded, so long as it is possible to do that.
Similarly one should not be careless about passing in front of a
person who is praying, unless one has no other choice.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: What
is the ruling on men and women passing in front of people who are
praying, especially in the Haram, and does it invalidat their prayers?
He replied: As for men (walking in front of one) they do not
invalidate the prayer, but one should try to stop them. As for woman,
an adult woman does invalidate the prayer if she walks between you and
your sutrah, or between you and the place where you prostrate, if you
do not have a sutrah, whether that is in the Haram or elsewhere. But
if a person cannot find any place to pray except a place where people
walk, such as by the doors, then as a case of necessity it does not
invalidate his prayer, because if he tried to stop the people from
walking in front of him he would be moving too much in his prayer and
would spoil it.
Questioner: But what is the ruling if they walk a little distance from him?
The Shaykh: If they walk far away, beyond the place where he
prostrates, then it does not matter. End quote fromLiqa' al-Baab
il-Maftooh(86/11).
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear, -(Rulings on prayer ),- Reciting the Basmalah in the prayer.

Must he say "Bismillahi rahman nirahim" quietly after finishing
al-fatihah in order to begin the sura he will recite? What if he
begins reciting in the middle of a sura?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Reciting the Basmalah (i.e., the phrase "Bismillaah ir-Rahmaan
ir-Raheem(in the name of Allaah, the most Gracious, the Most
Merciful)" is mustahabb (encouraged), not obligatory. It is mustahabb
if you are going to recite a soorah from the beginning, so the
worshipper says it before al-Faatihah. With regard to the soorah after
al-Faatihah, if he is reciting it from the beginning of the soorah,
then he should say the Basmalah, apart from Soorat al-Tawbah, because
the Basmalah is not recited at the beginning of it. If he is reciting
from the middle of a soorah, then it is not mustahabb to recite the
Basmalah.
The Standing Committee said:
The sound Sunnah indicates that the Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) recited the Basmalah in prayer before al-Faatihah
and before other soorahs, apart from Soorat al-Tawbah, but he did not
recite it out loud in the prayers in which he recited Qur'aan out
loud.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 6/378
They also said:
It is prescribed to recite the Basmalah in every rak'ah before
al-Faatihah and before every soorah apart from Soorat Baraa'ah (i.e.,
Soorat al-Tawbah).
Ibid.
And they said:
If (the worshipper) is going to recite a soorah after al-Faatihah, he
should recite the Basmalah silently beforehand. But if he is going to
recite a brief passage from the middle or end of a soorah, then it is
not prescribed for him to recite the Basmalah.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 6/380
And Allaah knows best.

For children, - Moths' sphere of expertise: Ultrasonic waves

A group of students and scientists from Tufts University obtained
miraculous results by investigating moths' central nervous systems.
Their aim was to decipher the code of the perceptions linking the
moth's central nervous system to the ear and to discover how moths are
able to escape from bats.
As a result of this research it was learned that thanks to a special
system in their ears, moths have broken through the bat's hunting
system. Messages concerning the bat are sent from the moth's ear to
the central nervous system by means of just two fibers. This system,
which gives the impression of having a very simple structure, actually
possesses a perfect creation that allows the moth to detect ultrasonic
frequencies.
The Early Warning System in the Ears
As they fly at night, insect-hunting bats emit a series of
high-frequency cries. This enables them to locate their prey by
determining the direction and distance of the source of the resulting
echoes. This radar is so sensitive that it enables bats to locate and
catch insects even smaller than mosquitoes. The bat is a highly
successful hunter, but some species of nocturnal moth, members of the
families Noctuidae, Geometridae and Arctiidae, have ears capable of
hearing bats' ultrasonic cries. These ears are located under the
moths' wings and function like an early warning system. This saves
them from falling prey to bats.
When they hear a bat approaching, the moths make sharp dives or
complicated loops different to their usual flight patterns. They
sometimes fly in the exact opposite direction to the high-frequency
sounds emitted at maximum velocity by the bat. Asher E. Treat from New
York University observed that moths moving in a different direction to
that of the bats' approach had a higher likelihood of survival than
others.
The moth ear can detect ultrasonic bat cries imperceptible to us from
a distance of 3,200 meters (1,988 miles) away. In addition, it can
detect bat cry frequencies ranging from 10 to 100 kilocycles a second.
Its greatest ability is to detect sound bursts, in other words, short
explosions of sound punctuated by silence, and to distinguish between
sound collision heights. These bestow a great advantage on the moth in
its war against the bat.
Obtaining the Enemy's Battle Plans
It is of course of great importance for one of two warring countries
to lay hands on the other's battle plans. Knowing the characteristics
of the weapons that will be used and the tactics the enemy will employ
in his attack is information that will make victory much easier. The
victory of moths over bats happens thanks to moths being aware of all
the offensive tactics used by the latter. This is of course a
consequence of the flawless structure in moths' creation. As the moth
detects the sound of the bat, there are a number of alternative
possibilities regarding what might ensue. However, the one that most
serves the moth's needs is what actually takes place, and the moth
duly escapes the bat. Let us now emphasize the importance of the
moth's achievement by examining these possibilities:
If the moth's sound perception range were narrower than that of the
bat, its ears would be unable to protect it from the predator. In such
an event, even if the moth were to be aware of the bat and attempt to
escape from it, the bat would nevertheless detect it and, since it
flies faster than the moth, would eventually catch it. Another
possibility is that the moth might perceive a bat very close to it as
actually being some distance away, or it might misinterpret the
direction of the sound emitted by the bat and fly right into it.
However, of all these possibilities, the best one for the moth
actually transpires, and it escapes falling prey to the bat.
In verse 52 of Surat al-Ahzab we are told that "Allah is watchful over
all things". Like all the living things on Earth, moths also survive
thanks to the perfect systems created in their bodies by Almighty
Allah (God) and to their being inspired with the knowledge of how to
use them. Again under the inspiration of Almighty Allah they behave in
a perfect manner and make the correct choices. This flawless system in
moths is just one of our Lord's countless proofs of Creation.
The Immaculate Hearing System in Moths
Just as it was provided in the book Animal Engineering, based on
articles published in the magazine Scientific American, there is a
flawlessly complex system in moths' bodies.
Ears of moths are placed in the rear sides of moths' chest. The
hearing organ is placed in a passage, which divides the chest and
abdomen of the moth. For an outsider, the ears may resemble two
cavities. In each cavity, there is a transparent tympanic membrane.
As we shall be seeing in detail, all the details in the moth ear are
of such a kind as to allow it to hear better and analyze the cries of
the bat.
In that section of the passage known as the middle ear there is an air
sac immediately behind the tympanic membrane. This sac is filled with
a fine line of tissue extending right along its length. This tissue
contains the components of the moth's hearing system and extends from
the middle of the membrane up to the skeleton support. There are two
cells, known as "A" cells, on this line. All the information regarding
the high-frequency sounds detected by the moth is forwarded by these A
fibers, known as A1 and A2, to the central nervous system.
The electrical impulses in the nerve fibers are just one to two
thousandths of a volt in strength. The signals in the moth's A fibers
reach the central nervous system from the sense cells in less than two
thousandths of a second.
These nerves have the capacity to detect the sounds emitted by bats.
They are also very sensitive when it comes to identifying their
wavelengths and alterations therein. Thanks to all these properties of
the fibers, the moth is able to distinguish between the long and weak
cry of a distant moth and the strong cries of one approaching to kill
it.
The Moth's Support Systems
The fact that the moth has two ears allows it to determine the
direction of the source of the sound. If the bat is to the left of the
moth, sound waves coming from the right are perceived around one
thousandth of a second later than those on the left. This difference
between the two ears is sufficient for the moth to determine the
direction of the source of the sound.
The astonishing features in the moth's ears are by no means limited to
these. Some moths' ears have a cover consisting of a membrane-like
structure. This serves just like our external ears, contributing to
the strengthening of hearing capacity by gathering up sounds.
In addition to all this, some moths go even further than detecting
ultrasonic sounds; they are also able to emit them. Rather than flee
when they detect a bat, these moths give off ultrasonic noises. This
is an astonishing state of affairs, because bats are literally masters
of ultrasonic sound detection. Yet contrary to what is imagined, bats
prefer to move off when they encounter such moths. Scientists think
there may be two reasons for this behavior:
1- The sound emitted by the moth impairs the bat's detection system.
2- Sound-emitting moths taste unpleasant to bats. When the bat
perceives this sound it thinks it will encounter unpleasant tasting
prey.
MOTHS ARE JUST ONE OF THE PROOFS OF CREATION THAT INVALIDATE THE
THEORY OF EVOLUTION
When all the information provided so far is examined, evident
consciousness can be seen in the way moths behave, and the flawless
creation in their bodies also draws one's attention. The moth's
perception of ultrasonic waves, its ability to interpret them, and its
emission of counter-waves are all features requiring their own
separate designs.
The amazing creations in moths are just one of the countless proofs
showing the flawless manner in which Allah (God) has created living
things. The creation in living things clearly proves that living
things did not emerge by chance, as evolutionists maintain, but that
they were brought into being with a sublime creation. There is no
doubt that it is Almighty Allah (God) Who creates all things, living
or inanimate, in the most perfect manner. Our Lord's infinite might
and the height of His glory are revealed thus in verses:
Everyone in the heavens and earth belongs to Him. All are submissive
to Him. It is He Who originated creation and then regenerates it. That
is very easy for Him. His is the most exalted designation in the
heavens and the Earth. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surat
ar-Rum, 26-27)
It is the most important priority for an animal to realize its enemy
in order to survive. To achieve this, it has to know its enemy very
well. Some species of moth are advantageous on this. Because they are
capable of hearing and distinguishing the high frequency sounds,
emitted by their greatest enemies, the bats.

For children, - There is no compulsionin Islam, everyone enjoys freedom of worship and belief

There is no compulsion where the religion is concerned. Right guidance
has become clearly distinct from error. Anyone who rejects false
deities and believes in Allah has grasped the Firmest Handhold, which
will never give way. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Surat
al-Baqara, 256)
Islam is a religion of love and beauty. Since people who live by Islam
see the essence and beauty of this beautiful faith and have a profound
belief in Allah, they live in a state of great excitement and
enthusiasm. This is an opening of the heart. The source of devotion to
Islam is love of Allah. A Muslim prays because of his love of Allah.
He performs his religious obligations and lives by the Qur'an because
of his love of Allah. In the Qur'an, Allah describes Muslims in that
regard as "those whose hearts turn to Allah" and "those who are
unreservedly devoted."
A Muslim comprehends Islam and the might of Allah with his mind and
confirms them with his heart. As set out in a definitive pronouncement
in the Qur'an, nobody can impose the religion on anyone else by the
use of force or compulsion. If attempts are made to force anyone to
convert to Islam, that may make him a hypocrite rather than a Muslim.
The result is the kind of person who is totally opposed to Islam.
Under pressure, the hypocrite will say that he is a Muslim, though in
his heart he harbors a conception that is a far cry from the moral
values of the Qur'an and is a fraud who harbors hatred for and is
inimical to Islam and Muslims. Allah describes those who engage in
hypocrisy in these terms in the Qur'an:
Among the people there are some who say, 'We believe in Allah and the
Last Day,' when they are not believers. They think they deceive Allah
and those who believe. They deceive no one but themselves but they are
not aware of it. There is a sickness in their hearts and Allah has
increased their sickness. They will have a painful punishment on
account of their denial. (Surat al-Baqara, 8-10)
When they meet those who believe, they say, 'We believe.' But then
when they go apart with their demons, they say, 'We are really with
you. We were only mocking.' (Surat al-Baqara, 14)
That is because they have had belief and then returned to unbelief. So
their hearts have been sealed up and they cannot understand. (Surat
al-Munafiqun, 3)
There is a group of you who propagated the lie... (Surat an-Nur, 24)
There is a sickness in their hearts and Allah has increased their
sickness. They will have a painful punishment on account of their
denial. (Surat al-Baqara, 10)
Every Muslim has an obligation to preach the word of Islam and tell
people of its pronouncements and excellent moral values. But this, the
Qur'an states, can never be done through compulsion. The Qur'an may be
communicated to Christians and Jews, but if these people insist of
living by their own faiths, then there can be no question of forcing
them to do otherwise.
For that reason, Allah says,"There is no compulsion in the
religion"and speaks of the need for voluntary love. Compelling people
to be Muslims is prohibited in Islam.
By the will of Allah, the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) in the End Times
in which we are living is close at hand. In the time of Hazrat Mahdi
(as) people will comprehend the essence of the religion and will turn
to belief in Allah en masse. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will rule Muslims with
the Qur'an, Christians with the Gospel and Jews with the Torah. Hazrat
Mahdi (as) will spill no blood and, as commanded in the Qur'an, will
call on people to believe in Allah and see the essence of the religion
with love and sound counsel.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Transformation of cells into Different Organs is One of the Greatest Miracles in the World

Chromosomes coming from the parents exist in an egg cell newly
fertilized in the mother's womb. This cell starts dividing rapidly,
and the newly formed cells differentiate as they continue to divide.
They start to assume different tasks and reach the parts of the body
where they belong. That is to say, rather than remaining as lumps of
meat made up of similar cells, some of them become, for instance,
eye cells or others heart cells and go to their respective places.
Alternatively, if it is a skin cell, it covers the body.
During this stage of division, cells work and cooperate very closely
and meticulously like a very good working team. Each one of the
cells is aware of the entire plan and work in cooperation and
communication. How does such an advanced level of order and
coordination come true?
The answer to these questions are very explicit: Living beings are
created flawlessly and the artistry and might in their Creation
belongs to the Almighty Allah. In one verse of the Qur'an, Allah
states the following:
"He created the heavens and the earth with truth and formed you,
giving you the best of forms. And He is your final destination.
(Surat at-Taghabun, 3)
How do the cells know where they will go, which organ they will be
a part of and what will they accomplish there?
How do they interact with other cells in such harmony?
Proteins are Produced in Various Forms for Different Cells
While an embryo develops in the woman's womb, the DNA that would
make up the eyes of that embryo produce only the proteins related to
the eye. Similarly the DNA strands that make up the brain of the
embryo only produce the proteins related with the brain.
The important point here is the following: the DNA of any cell in
the body –whether it may be a bone cell, liver cell or a kidney cell-
contains all the information that make up all the organs of the
human being. However in all this information, only the related
proteins are produced. In other words, in every cell there exists
the information related to all organs in the body but not all the
proteins are produced. Only that protein of the related organ is
produced. For this end, histon, a special protein, covers the DNA in
order to prevent the production of unnecessary proteins. Today one
of the greatest secrets that baffle scientists is how histons in
the cells know which genes to suppress and which ones are allowed
to remain continue operating. That is because proteins are also
molecules that are made up of non-living atoms. It is evident that
unconscious and unintelligent atoms can not bring such a tremendous
creation into being.
The coordination during the restructuring of the Cells is ensured by
the DNA molecule that is devoid of any Intelligence and Conscience
DNA itself is neither a biochemist nor a super computer capable of
accomplishing trillions of calculations per second. DNA is simply a
molecule made up of carbon, phosphate, nitrogen, hydrogen and
oxygen.
Now let's think; each and every cell that multiplies by division
contains all the genetic information in a human being. That is to
say, every cell actually has the capability to make up the heart
muscle, a red blood cell or any other tissue of the body. Although
every cell has DNA, at different stages of development, only some
genes become active in different organs. For instance, kidney
formation and its functioning codes exist in each cell; but during
development only the related genes become active in this organ at
some particular times.
Who gives the order to divide and of being specialized in different
tasks following the division? Furthermore, how do the cells have
the sense of obeying these orders? How do they work in such
discipline and organization? It is obvious that none of these are
random systems that come into existence by chance. They all come
into existence by the might of our Lord. (Surat as-Sajda, 5)
The Perfection in the Creation of man is not Limited to Cells being at
the right place at the right time and Activating the Right Genes
Cells must also exist at the right stage of life in accurate
amounts. Some "maintenance" genes work in all cells at almost all
times. Other genes function only for a couple of hours and then
remain in standby mode until the next task. For instance, during
nursing milk production is accelerated by genes. Available
information is activated at the right time, in the right amount and
at the appropriate location. Evolutionists try to explain away such
planned, conscious, calculated and rational use of billions of
information existing in the DNA as "chance". However, attributing
the extraordinarily planned and organized incidents taking place on
the microscopic level to chance is an account without rhyme or
reason. Indeed evolutionists also acknowledge that they are still
quite unable to give an account for this differentiation of cells
and the flawless distribution of tasks in the cells. The
evolutionist microbiologist Ali Demirsoy admits this fact as
follows:
"That many cell groups with different structures and functions come
into existence from a fertilized egg could not be satisfactorily
explained so far." (Ali Demirsoy, Heritage and Evolution, Meteksan
Publishing, Ankara, 1984, p.158)
It is obvious that all these extraordinary incidents could not have
been the work of chance or the cell itself. Then to Whom does the
Might and Intelligence that administers all these incidents and
create them for a particular purpose belong? There is one single
answer to this: Our Lord, with His infinite mercy, created man in
his current flawless form and incessantly endows him with endless
blessings. In one verse of the Qur'an Allah relates thus:
He has given you everything you have asked Him for. If you tried to
number Allah's blessings, you could never count them. Man is indeed
wrongdoing, ungrateful. (Surah Ibrahim, 34)