Excellence in faith

In one of the great prophetic narrations which included few, yet very
comprehensive words, the Prophetclarified one of the means for
salvation, and a sign of the excellence of Islam. This narration gives
the believing slave a tool by which to measure himself and realize how
close or far he is from the straight path.
Abu Hurayrahreported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"It is from the
excellence of )a believer's( Islam that he should shun that which is
of no concern to him".]At-Tirmithi[.
This narration contains many great meanings which a believer should
understand and apply. It is one of the principles and foundations of
good manners, and thus some scholars considered it to constitute
one-third or one-fourth of the religion of Islam.
Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyimsaid: "The Prophetsummed all the aspects of piety
and devoutness in this narration. Heoutlined for the slave what to do
and what to shun, and it is an indication to the first pillar of soul
purification, namely, shunning what does not concern the person, which
leads to the second pillar, and that is busying oneself essentially
with what concerns him"
Heclarified that shunning that which does not concern the person is a
means to attain excellence in religion. This means, that people, in
reality, are of two categories, those who are excellent in Islaam and
those who are not. The one who applies Islam inwardly and outwardly is
the one who has reached the level of excellence , as Allaah says )what
means(:"And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to
Allah while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham,
inclining toward truth? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate
friend."]Quran: 4:125[.
On the other hand, the one who does not apply Islam inwardly and
outwardly is the one whose degree of commitment to Islam is low, and
one of the signs of this in him is that he busies himself in that
which does not concern him.
The following verse is proof substantiating the meaning of the
narration, in which Allaah Says )what means(:"And they who turn away
from ill speech"]Quran: 23:3[."… ill speech"is anything from
falsehood, and that includes association, other minor sins and all
useless speech, actions and concerns. Furthermore, busing oneself with
that which does not concern him is included in the definition of "ill
speech".
There are other prophetic narrations which highlight the virtue of
excellence in religion, such as the narration of Abu Hurayrahin which
he reported that the Messenger of Allaahsaid:"When one of you reaches
the level of excellence in faith, then every good deed is multiplied
for him ten times up to seven hundred times; and each sin is recorded
as only one, until he meets Allaah"]Muslim[.
The saying of the Prophet:"… that which is of no concern to him"means,
that which does not benefit him in his worldly life or the Hereafter,
and this includes things that are prohibited, disliked, doubtful, and
excess permissible matters which one does not really need.
The measure by which one knows whether something is of his concern or
not, is Islamic teachings and not ones desires.
Many people decide to abandon enjoining good and forbidding evil under
the pretext that this is interfering with people's privacy and
personal life. They would do so claiming that it is not a person's
concern to intervene in other people's affairs, basing their argument
on an incorrect understanding of this very narration.
Abu Bakr As-Siddeeqsaid: "O you people! You recite and misinterpret
the following verse )which means(:`O you who believe! Take care of
your own selves. If you follow the )right( guidance ]and enjoin what
is right )Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do( and
forbid what is wrong )polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has
forbidden([ no hurt can come to you from those who are in
error.`]Quran:5:105[ But I have heard Messenger of Allahsaying:"When
people see an oppressor but do not prevent him from )doing evil(, it
is likely that Allaah will punish them all.""]Abu Daawood &
At-Tirmithi[.
In another narration hesaid:"Never that evil is committed and people
do not prevent it, though able to do so, but Allaah will overwhelm
them with punishment".
One other thing that one must concern himself with is the affairs of
other believers and their issues, because he who does not worry about
the affairs of his fellow Muslims is not one of them.
The need to understand this narration, its implications and
applications intensifies in times like ours, when people's commitments
and personal obligations have increased and priorities are mixed up.
The implementation of this narration is the first practical step
toward reforming oneself and those under his guardianship and care
which leads to achieving excellence in religion. This happens by
concentrating on that which is beneficial and staying away from all
that is not ones concern.

The effects of using weakHadeeth

The term "weak hadeeth" refers to any narration which does not fulfill
the conditions of authenticity. The scholars of Hadeethagree that a
"weak hadeeth" must not be attributed to the Prophetby saying: "The
Prophetsaid …".
Applying weak hadeeth in excellent deeds.
Very often when you point to the weakness of a Hadeeth you hear being
cited, someone will immediately say: "But this Hadeeth is talking
about )the reward of( excellent deeds, and it is alright to refer to
unauthentic Hadeeth when talking about excellent deeds."
It has become a norm amongst the majority of a good number of scholars
and students of Islamic learning that it is alright to use weak
Hadeeth when it refers to the reward of excellent deeds. They consider
it a fully accepted rule that should not be argued. They also would
quote the words of great scholars to support their point.
Before going into detail to refute the arguments of these people, let
me point out that they have, in general, misunderstood the sayings of
the great scholars of Islam they quote, relative to weak Hadeeth and
how it should be used.
This serious misunderstanding has led to the great epidemic of freely
using weak narrations; which certainly may involve lying against the
Messenger of Allaah.
Refutation of the claim:
First, we should mention that the rule cited earlier )that weak
Hadeeth can be used in excellent deeds( is not accepted by all the
scholars of Hadeeth. For instance, Abu Bakr Ibn 'Arabisaid: "The weak
Hadeeth should be absolutely avoided and not dealt with."
Second, we should know that the scholars of Hadeeth who permitted the
use of weak Hadeeth have set very strict rules applying to their use.
Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar Al-'Asqalaani
said: "There are three conditions that must be fulfilled in order to
use the weak Hadeeth:
a. It is well accepted that the weakness should only be slight. This
will help to exclude Hadeeth reported by liars or accused reporters
)of lying( who are known to commit big mistakes.
b. The weak Hadeeth should be used under already well-established
principles and should not bring in ideas of its own.
c. When a weak Hadeeth is used )after it fulfills the above two
conditions(, it should not be believed to be said by the Messenger of
Allaah; to do so we would be crediting him with that which he did not
say.
For the above conditions to be satisfied, people planning to use the
weak Hadeeth should have the ability to:
1. Distinguish between the weak and the authentic Hadeeth in order to
fulfill condition )c( above, otherwise they may fall into lying about
the Messenger.
2. Distinguish between the slightly weak Hadeeth and those which are
very weak or fabricated, in order to fulfill condition )a( above.
What should be very clear to Muslims is that the ability to make the
above two distinctions is not possessed except by a very small
category of the scholars of Hadeeth )who can be counted on the
fingers(.
In particular with reference to item )2( above, only a few of the
scholars of Hadeeth in all of the history of Islam have dealt with it.
Someone might justifiably ask: "Why are we so strict in this matter
)of using weak Hadeeth(, when some scholars of Hadeeth have permitted
it?"
The answer to this question was given by a great scholar of Hadeeth,
Muhammad Naassir Ad-Deen Al-Albaaniwho said:
"The earlier scholars used to mention the Hadeeth with their full
Isnaad )chain of Narrators(, so that any other scholar reading their
treatise could know from the chain of Narrators the degree of
authenticity of the Hadeeth."
We pray that this small introduction to the subject of weak Hadeeth
and using it as proof has helped in clarifying how dangerous this is.

Dought & clear, - Sacrifices, - Ruling on sacrificing camels other than an’aam animals.

A person lives at the North Pole and wants to offer a sacrifice. Is it
permissible for him to sacrifice a fish?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not valid to sacrifice a fish, horse, deer or chicken, because
one of the conditions of sacrifice is that it must be one of the
an'aam animals, which are camels, cattle and sheep of all kinds,
because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And for every nation We have appointed religious ceremonies, that
they may mention the Name of Allaah over the beast of cattle [an'aam]
that He has given them for food"
[al-Hajj 22:34]
It is not reported that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) or any of his companions sacrificed any other kind of
animal.
See:Fath al-Qadeer(9/97).
Al-Nawawi said inal-Majmoo'(8/364-366):
The conditions of a sacrifice being valid include that it should be
one of the an'aam animals, which are camels, cattle and sheep. All
kinds of camels, cattle and sheep, including goats, are acceptable.
Other kinds of animals, such as wild cattle, donkeys etc are not
acceptable, and there is no difference of scholarly opinion on this
point, whether male or female of all kinds, there is no difference of
opinion on any of that in our view.
A cross between a deer and sheep is not acceptable, because it is not
an an'aam animal. End quote.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said something similar
inal-Mughni(368).
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said in his essayAhkaam al-Udhiyah wa'l-Zakaah(rulings on
sacrifice and zakaah):
The type (of animal) that may be sacrificed is an'aam animals only,
because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And for every nation We have appointed religious ceremonies, that
they may mention the Name of Allaah over the beast of cattle [an'aam]
that He has given them for food"
[al-Hajj 22:34]
The an'aam animals are camels, cattle, sheep and goats. This was
stated by Ibn Katheer who said: This was the view of al-Hasan,
Qataadah and others. Ibn Jareer said: This is how it is among the
Arabs. End quote.
And the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Do
not sacrifice anything but a musinnah; if one is not available then
sacrifice a jadh'ah sheep (one that is over a year old)." Narrated by
Muslim (1963). A musinnah is a camel, cow or sheep that is two years
old or older. This was the view of the scholars (may Allaah have mercy
on them).
The sacrifice is an act of worship, and it should not be done except
in the manner narrated from the Messenger of Allaah(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), and it is not narrated that he(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sacrificed anything but a camel,
cow or sheep.

Dought & clear, - Sacrifices, - If a man or a woman wants to offer the sacrifice, they should refrain from cutting their hair and nails.

Is it permissible for one who is going to offer a sacrifice, whether a
man or a woman, to cut his or her hair and nails? What are the things
that become forbidden once the new moon of Dhu'l-Hijjah is sighted?.
Praise be to Allaah.
When the new moon of Dhu'l-Hijjah appears, it becomes haraam for the
one who wants to offer a sacrifice to remove anything from his hair,
nails or skin, because of the report narrated by Muslim (1977) from
Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her), that the Prophet(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When you see the new moon
of Dhu'l-Hijjah, if one of you wants to offer a sacrifice, let him
refrain from (cutting) his hair and nails." According to another
version: "When the ten days (of Dhu'l-Hijjah) begin, if one of you
wants to offer a sacrifice, let him not touch his hair or skin with
anything."
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The scholars differed
concerning the one who wants to offer a sacrifice when the ten days of
Dhu'l-Hijjah begin. Sa'eed ibn al-Musayyib, Rabee'ah, Ahmad, Ishaaq,
Dawood and some of the companions of al-Shaafa'i said that it is
haraam for him to cut anything from his hair and nails until he has
offered the sacrifice at the time of sacrifice. Al-Shaafa'i and his
companions said that it is makrooh but not haraam… end quote fromSharh
Muslim.
This ruling is general in meaning and applies to everyone who wants to
offer a sacrifice, man or woman.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: What is
permissible for a woman who wants to offer a sacrifice on behalf of
herself and her household, or on behalf of her parents, to do with
regard to her hair once the ten days of Dhu'l-Hijjah begin?
He replied: It is permissible for her to undo her hair (if it is
braided etc) and wash it, but she should not comb it. If some of her
hair falls out when it is being undone or washed, that does not
matter.
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz(18/47).
The one who wants to offer a sacrifice is not forbidden to do anything
else, such as wear regular clothes, wear perfume or have intercourse.
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Sacrifices, - Is it permissible to sacrifice a hermaphrodite animal?.

What is the ruling on sacrificing a hermaphrodite animal?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no reason why a hermaphrodite animal should not be
sacrificed, unless that affects the quality of the meat.
The Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described the
faults which make an animal unacceptable for sacrifice. They are:
obvious one-eyedness, obvious sickness, obvious lameness and extreme
weakness.
By analogy, this includes faults that are similar to these or worse,
such as blindness, a limp or having a leg cut off. This has been
explained in the answer to question no. 36755.
Is seems that a hermaphrodite does not have any of these faults,
unless the quality of the meat is affected.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him ) was asked about sacrificing
a hermaphrodite cow and he ruled that it was permissible, as was
narrated from him inMawaahib al-Jaleel(3/239).

Dought & clear, - Sacrifices, - He is staying in a land where Islamic slaughter is banned; can he give the price of the udhiyah in charity?.

My family and I are staying in a land where Islamic slaughter is
banned. What should we do? Can we give its price in charity?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If what is meant is the udhiyah (sacrifice) or 'aqeeqah on behalf of a
newborn, and it is not possible to carry out Islamic slaughter in the
land where you are staying, then it is better for you to send money to
someone who can slaughter it on your behalf in another country where
there are family members or poor and needy people, because
slaughtering the udhiyah or 'aqeeqah is better than giving the price
in charity.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Doing the 'aqeeqah is
better than giving its price in charity, in our opinion. This is also
the view of Ahmad and Ibn al-Mundhir. End quote fromal-Majmoo'(8/414).
It says inMataalib Ooli al-Nuha: Slaughtering it – the udhiyah or
'aqeeqah – is better than giving its price in charity. This was stated
by Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him). The same applies to the
hadiy, because of the hadeeth: "The son of Adam does not do any deed
on the Day of Sacrifice that is dearer to Allaah than shedding blood.
It will come on the Day of Resurrection with its horns and cloven
hoofs and hair. Its blood is accepted by Allaah before it reaches the
ground. So be content when you do it." Narrated by Ibn Maajah. The
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) slaughtered the
hadiy as did the caliphs after him. If giving the price in charity
were better, they would not have failed to do it. End quote. The
hadeeth mentioned was classed as da'eef by al-Albaani inal-Silsilah
al-Da'eefah, no. 526.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it
permissible to slaughter the sacrifice in the land where one is, or to
send a sum of money for that to your own country or to another Muslim
country?
He replied:
It is better to offer the sacrifice in your own country if your family
are with you. If your family are elsewhere, and they do not have
anyone with them who can offer the sacrifice for them, then send money
to them to offer the sacrifice there. End quote fromMajmoo' Fataawa
al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen(24/207)
And Allaah knows best.

Personal Perception: Key to happiness and success

Different people have different perception. One man's meat could be
another man's poison.
Once Luqman (as), The Wise said to his son, "Oh son! Do not tie your
heart in seeking the pleasure of people. You are not likely to
succeed. Do not pay attention to what people say. Instead tell
yourself always to seek the pleasure of Allah (SWT)."
Luqman (as), The Wise wanted this lesson to be always remembered and
never to be forgotten. He thought of a way. So, he then told his son
to ride a donkey and the son obeyed. The father followed behind on
foot. They traveled in this way for some distance.
After some distance they came across a group of people. Seeing the son
on the donkey, one of them said, "What an impolite and bad boy. The
old father is walking on foot. The young son is comfortably riding on
the donkey. This is no manner to show respect to one's father."
Father and son heard this. The son came down from the donkey. Luqman
(as), The Wise rode on the donkey.
After some distance they came across another group of people. On
seeing the father riding the donkey, the elder of the group said, "Oh
you old man! This is not the way to bring up a son. You make him walk
in the hot sun, while you sit comfortably on the donkey."
Luqman (as), The Wise paid attention to what the people said. He came
down from the donkey. Both father and son walked on foot. The donkey
walked in front. They went a little further.
People seeing them, said, "How foolish you are? You walk behind a
donkey. Why don't you ride it?"
Luqman (as), The Wise and his son once again accepted what the people
said. They both rode the donkey and went further. They came across a
river. There was a bridge to be crossed. Some people were sitting
there. They saw Luqman (as), The Wise and his son riding the donkey.
One of them said, "It is very unkind and cruel of you two to ride on
the poor donkey. The little animal can hardly take all your burden."
So taking this advice Luqman (as), The Wise and his son dismounted
from the donkey. They traveled a little distance further. Looking very
lovingly Luqman (as), The Wise said to his son, "You have heard and
seen what the people said. It must have assured you, by now, that
whatever you do or whichever way you move, one is not able to please
the people of the world." You can never have everyone praise you, nor
will everyone condemn you. Never in the past, not at present, and
never will be in the future.
Luqman (as), The Wise pointed at the flowing river and added, "A
person can build a wall across the river. It will stop the flow of the
water. But it is not possible to shut the mouth of the people from
criticism."
Very clearly, similar is the case in our world today. The tongue has
no bone. It can speak even without thought. There are as many opinions
as there are people in the world. It is very bad to find fault with
the other person, especially when he is doing something good. A person
can feel very hurt when he listens to all the tongues that talk loose.
To avoid getting hurt by loose talk, a person can train himself. He
can discipline himself to think. By thinking he can know what is wrong
and void. When a person is sure that what he is doing will please his
Master, Allah (SWT) the Almighty, then he must never worry what others
speak. Thus, do not be too bothered by others words if your conscience
is clear.
"We must do what we conceive to be the right thing and not bother our
heads or burden our souls with whether we will be successful. Because
if we don't do the right thing, we will be doing the wrong thing and
we will just be a part of the disease and not a part of the cure."

No Overpowering: Key to happiness and success

Many relationships fail because one party tries to overpower another,
or demands too much. People in love tend to think that love will
conquer all and their spouses will change the bad habits after
marriage. Actually, this is not the case. There is a Chinese saying
which carries the meaning that "It is easier to reshape a mountain or
a river than a person's character."
It is not easy to change. Thus, having high expectation on changing
the spouse character will cause disappointment and unpleasantness.
It would be less painful to change ourselves and lower our expectations.
Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One
day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he
was back to his palace, he complained that his feet were very painful,
because it was the first time that he went for such a long trip, and
the road that he went through was very rough and stony. He then
ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with
leather.
Definitely, this would need thousands of cows' skin, and would cost a
huge amount of money.
Then one of his wise servants dared himself to tell the king, "Why do
you have to spend that unnecessary amount of money? Why don't you just
cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet?"
The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his suggestion, to make
a "shoe" for himself.
There is actually a valuable lesson of life in this story: to make
this world a happy place to live, you better change yourself - your
heart; and not the world.

Fwd: Scholar Alert - [ Hipertention, Diabetic foot syndrome ]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Google Scholar Alerts <scholaralerts-noreply@google.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 04:37:57 +0000
Subject: Scholar Alert - [ Hipertention, Diabetic foot syndrome ]
To: aydnajimudeen@gmail.com

Scholar Alert: [ Hipertention, Diabetic foot syndrome ]

Antiviral treatment for hepatitis C virus infection is associated with
improved renal and cardiovascular outcomes in diabetic patients
YC Hsu, JT Lin, HJ Ho, YH Kao, YT Huang, NW Hsiao… - Hepatology, 2013
... as potential confounders. The definition of hyperlipidemia and
hypertension required ... consisted
of 1,411 and 5,644 patients, respectively (Figure 1). These 3 diabetic
cohorts, ... comorbidities,
and diabetes medication, although exposure to aspirin, NSAID, and ...

[HTML] Chemo-profiling of eucalyptus and study of its hypoglycemic potential
B Dey, A Mitra - therapy, 2013
... use- ful therapeutic targets against diabetes, as evidenced by
United Kingdom Prospective
Diabetes Study study ... found to be potent ACE inhibi- tors, and find
use in controlling hypertension,
one of ... Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a remarkable
anti-diabetic gut hormone with ...

[PDF] MEDICINAL PLANTS USED BY TRADITIONAL HEALERS OF PUNJAB, PAKISTAN
S Imtiaz, S Abdullah, S Afzal, G Rehman, M Waheed - Can J App Sci, 2013
... 6. Annonaceae Polyalthia longifolia Ulta ashok Leaves, Root, stem
diabetes, hypertension, skin
diseases, Fever & ... hypersensitivity, athlete's foot & ringworm 0.2
... procumbus Bhatter Whole plant
comon cold, flu, cough and wound infection, toothache, diabetes,
laxative, intestinal ...

[PDF] The influence of the 'Great Eliminator'in the treatment of
idiopathic constipation: a case study
A Mason, P Battersby, A Feyler - The Journal of Chinese Medicine And
Acupuncture, 2013
... Medication. ➢ Pregnancy. ➢ Medical Conditions: for example,
Diabetes Mellitus; Multiple Sclerosis. ...
Caution: renal impairment, uncontrolled hypertension. Side effects:
local irritation. ... P–wiry. *
Regulate Qi to induce bowel movement. Sedate Ren, foot Jueyin–Ren 12 & ST25. ...

Targeted therapies in pulmonary arterial hypertension
D Montani, MC Chaumais, C Guignabert, S Gunther… - Pharmacology & …, 2013
... Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disorder
characterized by progressive obliteration
of ... Patients with pulmonary hypertension with inability to carry
out any physical activity ... and
musculoskeletal aches and pain, predominantly involving legs and feet
(Barst, Rubin et ...

Lateral Medullary Stroke in Patient with Granulomatous Polyangiitis
OD Taraschenko, CF Amory, J Waldman, EK Hanspal… - Journal of Stroke and …, 2013
... vomiting, dysarthria, weakness, and numbness in the right hand and
right foot. ... His medical history
included hypertension, obesity, sleep apnea, and daily cigarette
smoking for ... Other reported
neurologic manifestations include meningismus, central diabetes
insipidis, and focal ...

[PDF] EXERCISE and HEALTH (a scientific explanation with demonstration
based on Physics).
VCA Nair - Centum
... being with the organ, pancreas. Diabetes, in the initial stages
can be cured by exercise. ... feet length
of the small intestine. ... High blood pressure is called
"Hypertension" and low blood pressure is
called "Hypotension", which is a rare case and hence will not be considered. ...

[PDF] A rare case of Ankylosing Spondylitis with Multiple Myeloma.
J CA, DS Somasekar, A Gurucharan, PK Perugu…
... Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of
unknown definite cause that
primarily affects ... Patient gave history of difficulty in gripping
foot wears and from past three months ...
Patient is not a known case of hypertension, diabetes mellitus,
ischemic heart disease ...

[HTML] Rheumatoid arthritis-Summary
I Have
... Wasko, MC, Kay, J., Hsia, EC and Rahman, MU (2011) Diabetes and
insulin resistance in patients
with rheumatoid arthritis: risk ... Checking cardiovascular risk and
blood pressure (see the CKS topics
on CVD risk assessment and management and Hypertension - not diabetic ...

Posters I
C Mainz - 2013
... was an open-label, single-center withdrawal study of Timed 25-Foot
Walk (T25FW ... The diagnoses
were definite MS (n = 48), clinically isolated syndrome (CIS, n = 52),
CNS ... 39yrs; female: 66%;
top-5 co morbidities: depression (14%), anxiety (10%), hypertension
(8%), obesity (7 ...

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Dua after the rain has fallen

مُطِرْنَا بِفَضْلِ اللهِ وَرَحْمَتِهِ
Translation
We have been given rain by the grace and mercy of Allah.
Transliteration
muṭirnaa bi faḍlil-laahi wa raḥmatih
Sources: Bukhari No# 846, 1038; Muslim No# 71

Dua of the sick person who is close to death

لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وحْدَهُ
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ
Translation
"None has the right to be worshipped except Allah and Allah is the greatest.
None has the right to be worshipped except Allah Alone
None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, Alone without partner.
None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, to Him belongs all
sovereignty and praise.
None has the right to be worshipped except Allah and there is no might
and no power except with Allah."
Notes:
*The prophet (may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said,
that after uttering each of the remembrances above Allah affirms what
his servant uttered.
*The prophet (may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said
after mentioning the remembrance above: "whoever is blessed to utter
these words at the time of death, the fire [of hell] shall never touch
him".
Transliteration
laa ilaaha ill-allaahu wallaahu akbar
laa ilaaha ill-allaahu waḥdahu
laa ilaaha ill-allaahu waḥdahu laa shareeka lah
laa ilaaha ill-allaahu lahul-mulku walahul-ḥamdu
laa ilaaha ill-allahu wa laa ḥawla wa laa quwwata illaa billaah
Sources: At-Tirmidhi No# 3430; Ibn Majah No# 3794

Dua and remembrance before sleeping

الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنَا ، وَسَقَانَا ، وَكَفَانَا ،
وَآوَانَا ، فَكَمْ مِمَّنْ لَا كَافِيَ لَهُ وَلَا مُؤْوِيَ
Translation
All praise is for Allah, Who fed us, and gave us drink, and Who is
sufficient for us, and has sheltered us, for how many have none to
suffice them or shelter them.
Transliteration
alḥamdu lil-laahil-ladhee aṭ‛amanaa, wa saqaa-naa, wa kafaanaa, wa
aawaanaa, fakam mim-man laa kaafiya lahu wa laa mu'wee
Sources: Muslim No# 2715; Abu Dawud No# 5053

Fathwa, - Meaning of Wallaahi, Billaahi and Tallaahi

Question
Es selamu alejkum May Allah reward you for your work. I want you to
ask you, what does the word ''Wallahi Billahi Tallahi'' means? Thank
you for the answer.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
Muhammadis His slave and Messenger.
The three words have different meanings depending on their context in
speech. They may be said and mean swearing by Allaah, because the
Arabic letters Waaw, Baa'a, Taa'a are used for swearing, so if a
person says Wallaahi, Billaahi, or Tallaahi, it means that he swears
by Allaah or makes an oath by Allaah.
On the other hand, if the word "Allaah" is preceded by the letter Waaw
or Baa'a, then it could mean other than swearing. For example, if
someone says "Ista'antu Billaah", i.e. I seek help from Allaah, then
the letter Baa'a here is for seeking help.
Likewise, the letter Waaw could mean Ist'inaaf )i.e. to indicate
beginning a new sentence to make a different point(; like the saying
of Allaah "Wallaahu Rau'oofun Bil Ibaad" )which means(: }And Allaah is
Kind to ]His[ servants.{]Quran 2:207[
As regards the letter Taa'a, if it is added to the word "Allaah", it
only means swearing by Allaah.
Allah Knows best.

Fathwa, - Position of hands duringdua and if it is sunna to recite Al-Faatihah when commencing a circle of knowledge

Question
Bismillahi rahmani raheem, Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa
barakatuh, I would like to ask you the following questions regarding a
custome I witnessed in a womens doroos circle in my city in a european
country. When they start their circle one of the women )they take
turns to include everyone in this custom( recites al fatiha- whilst
reciting all the women present put their hands as in dua but keeps
their hands in their lap- after reciting everyone wipes their faces
and then the dars begins. Im familiar with a lot of the benefits of
al-fatiha, alhamdulillah- as this was one of the arguments used when I
confronted them about this. Another argument I was presented from them
is this fatwa http://www.islamweb.ne t/emainpage
/index.php?page=showfa twa&Option=FatwaId& Id=82584 . I dont doubt
their intentions to do good. But my question is if doing this is known
from the sunnah? Do you hold it to be permissible?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
Muhammadis His slave and Messenger.
The scholars of the Salaf )righteous predecessors( were not used to
reciting Chapter Al-Faatihah when commencing a circle of knowledge.
Therefore, doing this regularly turns this act into )what is called(
an added innovation. In principle, reciting the Quran is permissible
but specifying a given Chapter at a given time that is not specified
in the Sharee'ah )Islamic law( is something that should not be done.
'Aa'ishahnarrated that the Prophetsaid: "Whoever introduces into this
matter of ours )Islam( that which is not part of it, it will be
rejected." ]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
As regards the Fatwa which you referred to in the question, it is
about concluding a supplication with Takbeer )saying Allaahu Akbar(
and we clarified that this is also a religious innovation. We have
also clarified in this Fatwa –and probably this is what you mean –the
matter of wiping the face with the hands after supplicating and we
mentioned that this is permissible and we stated the evidence. Some
scholars –like Ibn Hajar–classified the Hadeeth about wiping the face
after supplicating as Hasan ]good[. Therefore, this is one issue and
what you mentioned in the question is another completely different
issue.
Allah Knows best.

Fathwa, - Assigning a supplication to every daily obligatory prayer

Question
Assalamu 'alaikum I read in a book about specific dua after each
prayer of fajr,dhuhr,asr etc.,but I havenot come across such dua
anywhere,so please tell me if it is correct to say these duas after
each prayer and if the Prophet)peace be upon him( said these.If we do
what was not taught by the Prophet,it would be rejected,right?pls
answer.May Allah reward you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
Muhammadis His slave and Messenger.
There is nothing reported from the Prophetwith this meaning, and it is
not permissible to say these supplications as they are included in the
secondary innovations )i.e. the innovations where the basis of worship
is permitted but there is some change with regard to its reason, type,
amount, manner, time and place(, but if the meaning of these
supplications is good, and a praying person says them sometimes
without believing that they are a Sunnah, then this is permissible
because the supplication after performing obligatory prayers is, in
principle, among the legislated matters.
Allah Knows best.

Fathwa, - A brother recently said to me "You are lying", but I was not lying. Have I been wrong

Question:
A brother recently said to me "You are lying", but I was not lying.
Have I been wronged? Or is this solely between him and Allah?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
May Allah's peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad, his
folk, companions, and followers
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
This would really depend on the situation and circumstances. He may
have reason to have thought you were in error; or he may have made an
error in judgment; or he may simply be wrong. In any case, we don't
impute ill-intent in the actions of other, even when these are against
us. Rather, we try to understand their actions in the best light, and
to be fair. Allah Most High says,
"O you who believe! Be steadfast witnesses for Allah in fairness, and
let not enmity of any people lead you not to act justly. Deal justly,
that is nearer to piety. Be pious of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Informed
of what you do." [Qur'an, 5.8]
In terms of dealing with the brother in question, it would be best to
sit down and discuss the matter with him, in a spirit of brotherhood,
and in order to come to understanding--not to argue your point and
seek "your" rights, but rather to mend relations and move on. Allah
Most High says,
"The believers are but brethren, so mend relationships between your
brethren. Be pious of Allah, that you may obtain mercy." [Qur'an,
49.10]
And Allah alone gives success.

Fathwa, - Giving someone of the opposite sex a lift at night

Question:
Is it permissible to be in a car with a non-mahram woman when there is
another man there also (who is not her mahram)? Is this khalwa? Is it
permissible to give a non-mahram a lift in a car at night, for safety
reasons, when there is no-one else available to travel in the car so
that we are not alone? If the non-mahram sits in the back, then does
this count as a barrier between the two?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
During the day, in public areas, it would not be in itself a khalwa
situation for a man and woman to be in a car together. However, it is
necessary to avoid this--because of the likely fitna--particularly
when it is repeated, or when one fears anything improper (even
improper thoughts or conversations).
At night, it would not be permitted. When one considers alternatives,
there are almost always alternatives--such as having a third person in
the car.

Fathwa, - Could you tell me if one has to observe the hijab during labor? Does the same ruling apply ifthe do

Question:
Could you tell me if one has to observe the hijab during labor? Does
the same ruling apply if the doctor is a woman?
Answer:
Wa'alaikum assalaamu warahmatu Allah,
Firstly, a woman is required to be treated by a female Muslim, doctor,
if unavailable, then a female non-Muslim, then a male Muslim, then
finally, she may be treated by a non-Muslim male doctor. Therefore, if
the doctor is a Muslim woman, the woman need not observe the hijiab or
headcovering during labor, because the nakedness between Muslim women
in general (i.e. not specific to labor) is from between the navel and
knee.
A non-Muslim woman, in the Hanafi madhab is like a man, and therefore,
one would cover in front of her what she would cover in front of a man
- everything except face, hands and feet, and of course - that which
must necessarily be exposed during labor.
Nonetheless, there are opinions in the other school(s) that a
non-Muslim woman is like a Muslim woman which would not require one to
observe the headcovering in front of her. The latter indicates a
lesser degree of severity/emphasis on covering in front of non-Muslim
woman than the emphasis when the person is a man.
One should try to practice that which contains the highest etiquette
while keeping in mind that Allah does not try us with what is more
than we can bear, and that differences between the scholars are a
mercy when used scrupulously and with wisdom.
And Allah knows best.

Caring for the Orphansand Weak

According to the Holy Traditions the best Muslim's home is the one
wherein anorphan is supportedand is treated in a loving and
affectionate manner, and the worst is that home wherein an orphan
lives and is treated badly or cruelly.
It is related by Sahl ibn Saad (R.A.) that Rasulullah Muhammad (PBUH) said
"Whoever supports an orphan from among his own or any other family, he
will be as close to me in Heaven as these fingers are close to each
other."
Sahl (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (PBUH) made a motion of his index and
middle fingers (while he said this) and there was only a little space
between the two. In another Hadith the Holy Prophet (PBUH) made a
provision: "provided he is not guilty of an unpardonable sin."
This Hadith explains the status, in the hereafter, of that bondsman
who accepts the responsibility of supporting an orphan belonging
either tohis own familyorany other familywith whom he has no
particular blood tie. Which makes the fact clear that the promise of
salvation and entry into paradise is subject to the condition ofnot
committing a misdeed, such aspolytheism,murderetc. which isnot
pardonable.
Abu Hurairah (R.A.) reports that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) stated
"Whoever caresses the head of an orphan (in affection), solely for the
sake of Allah, a good deed will be written to his account for every
hair over which he passed his hand, and whoever treated an orphan (boy
or girl) with goodness and kindness, he and I will be close to
each-other in Heaven as these two fingers"
The Prophet (S.A.W.) made a gesture with his fingers as explained above.
It is therefore clear that the glad tidings onshowing kindnessto
orphans are dependent upon the condition that the loving and kindly
treatment is wholly with theintention of earning the pleasureof Allah
Almighty.
Visiting The Sick And Feeding The Hungry
In a Hadith reported by Abu Moosa Ash'ari (R.A.), The Prophet (S.A.W.)
said "Feed the hungry, visit the sick and free the captives."
Besides mention of feeding the hungry - which is a deed ofcompassion
and kind-heartedness, this Hadith also contains an injunction
forvisiting the sickandobtaining the freedomof those who are
(unlawfully) heldprisoners."
In common terms visiting the sick' simply denotes enquiring after
one's health but here it is used in a broader sense and includes also
thecaring and arrangingof treatment for the sick, if necessary, and if
one is able to do so.
The rewards and blessing for these deeds is (once again) very great,
and enviable indeed is the lot of those who feel for tie less
fortunate brethren and are willing to help them in any possible
manner.

Behavior of Old and Young

In every society there are some members who are senior in age and
others who are junior to them. The Beloved Prophet (S.A.W.) has, also,
explained (in his teachings) what their mutual behavior should be.
Stated below are a few Ahadith regarding this aspect of social
conduct, which may appear insignificant to some people, but plays
animportant partin promoting ahappy and peaceful life, both at family
and community levels.
In one Hadith the Prophet (S.A.W.) is reported to have stated that
"He is not of us, who is not affectionate to those who are younger
than him and is not respectful to those who are older."
In another Hadith he said,
"Whoever does not show affection to the young, and respect to the old,
is not one of us."
The occasion for the stating of the second Hadith, as related by Anas
(R.A.) was once when an elderly person came to meet Rasulullah (PBUH)
and the people present in the gathering took some time to make way
(clear a path in their midst) for him to go up to the Prophet (PBUH)-
i.e. they did not move quickly enough as the old person's age would
have required.
Therefore, these Ahadith show that anyone who wishes to remain
attached to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his faith should treat those
who are younger, to him, withaffection and mercy, and those who are
older withrespect and honor.
It is related by Anas (RA.) that the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) said
"For the young man who will honor an old man because of his age, Allah
will appoint men who will honor him in his old age."
This Hadith explains that, although the reward for showing good
manners and respect to one's elders will be in the Hereafter,
theAlmighty bestows His favorsto such people in this world too.

Attributes of Allah Almighty

Allah is the proper name of God, however, we know Him generally
through His attributes. These attributes describe how Allah manifests
Himself to us. God's attributes are innumerable since human intellect
cannot possibly comprehend every aspect of the Supreme Being. A Hadith
of the Holy Prophet (peace be on him) makes mention of Ninety Nine
names of Allah commonly known asAl-Asmaul Husna,the Most Names. In the
Holy Quran we read:
"And to Allah alone belong all perfect attributes. So call Him by
these.And leave alone those who deviate from the right way with
respect to His Attributes." (7:181)
"Allah - there is no God but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and
All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs
whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he
that will intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what
is before them and what is behind them; and they encompass nothing of
His knowledge except what He pleases. His knowledge extends over the
heavens and the earth; and the care of them burdens Him not;and He is
the High, the Great." (2:256)
"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of
His light is a lustrous niche, wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a
glass. The glass is as it were a glittering star. It is lit from
blessed tree - an olive - neither of the east nor of the west, whose
oil would well-nigh glow forth even though fire touched it not.Light
upon light! Allah guides to His light whomsoever He will. And Allah
sets forth parables to men, and Allah know all things full well.This
light is now lit in houses with regard to which Allah has ordained
that they be exalted and that His name be remembered in them, Therein
is He glorified in the mornings and the evenings" (24:36-37)
"He is Allah, and there is no God beside Him, the Knower of the unseen
and the seen. He is Gracious, the Merciful.He is Allah, and there is
no God beside Him, the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace,
the Bestower of Security, the Protector, the Mighty, the Subduer, the
Exalted. Holy is Allah far above that which they associate with Him.He
is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner. His are the most
Beautiful Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies
Him, and He is the Mighty the Wise." (59:23-25)
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Holy Prophet
(Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Allah has ninety
nine Names, one hundred less one; and who memorized them all by heart
will enter Paradise."(Bukhari, The Book of Tauhid)

Dought & clear, - Is his father regarded as a martyr if he died onthe job?

My father died when he was working. He worked as a taxi driver and his
income varied and was modest, and he suffered many illnesses. Is
working regarded as jihad for the sake of Allah? There are some people
who say that he is a martyr. What is the ruling?
Praise be to Allah.
Undoubtedly the efforts of fathers to earn a living in order to spend
on their children and make them independent of means so that they will
not have to ask of people is something for which they will be rewarded
if they seek reward with Allah for that. Al-Bukhaari (56) narrated
from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"Verily, you will never spend anything, seeking thereby the
Countenance of Allah, but you will be rewarded for it, even (the food)
that you put in your wife's mouth."
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:"A dinar that you
spend for the sake of Allaah, a dinar that you spend to free a slave,
a dinar that you give in charity to a needy person and a dinar that
you spend on your family – the greatest of them in reward is the one
that you spend on your family."
Narrated by Muslim (995).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: In the hadeeth
of Abu Qilaabah from Abu Asma', from Thawbaan, who attributed it to
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), it says: "The
best dinar that a man spends is a dinar that he spends on his
dependents, a dinar that he spends on his mount (for jihad) for the
sake of Allah, and a dinar that he spends on his companions (in jihad)
for the sake of Allah." Abu Qilaabah said: He started with dependents,
and what man will earn a greater reward than a man who spends on his
dependents, to preserve their dignity, and Allah benefits them through
him?
At-Tabari said: It starts with spending on dependents, which includes
one's own self, because a man's own self is among his dependents;
indeed, it has a greater right over him than the rest of his
dependents, because no one can keep others alive by neglecting and
destroying himself. Then comes spending on dependents.
End quote fromFath al-Baari, 9/499
For more information, please see the answer to question no. 69960
Based on that, your father died doing a good deed, for which we hope
that he had a good end and acceptance with Allah, may He be exalted.
But that does not necessarily mean that he was engaged in jihad in the
specific sense of fighting the mushrikeen for the sake of Allah.
With regard to jihad in a general sense (which means striving), which
includes every act of obedience to Allah, there is no reason not to
say that in general terms. But this does not mean that he died as a
martyr either, because not everyone who dies doing a righteous deed
dies as a martyr.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - The days of Tashreeq

What are the days of Tashreeq? What is special about them and
distinguishes them from other days?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The days of Tashreeq are the 11th, 12thand 13thof Dhu'l-Hijjah. There
are several verses and ahaadeeth which speak of their virtue:
1 – Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And remember Allaah during the appointed Days"
[al-Baqarah 2:203]
These are the days of Tashreeq. This was the view of Ibn 'Umar and
most of the scholars.
2 – The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said
concerning the days of Tashreeq: "They are days of eating, drinking
and remembering Allaah." Dhikr (remembering Allaah) is enjoined during
the days of tashreeq in several ways:
-Remembering Allaah immediately after the prescribed prayers by
reciting Takbeer. This is prescribed until the end of the days of
Tashreeq according to the majority of scholars.
-Remembering Him by sayingBismillaahandAllaahu akbarwhen slaughtering
the sacrificial animal. The time for slaughtering the hadiy and
udhiyah lasts until the end of days of Tashreeq.
-Remembering Allaah when eating and drinking. It is prescribed when
eating and drinking to sayBismillaahat the beginning, and to praise
Him (sayAl-hamdu Lillaah) at the end. According to the hadeeth
narrated from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
"Allaah likes His slave when he eats something to praise Him for it,
and when he drinks something to praise Him for it." Narrated by
Muslim, 2734.
-Remembering Him by saying Takbeer when stoning the Jamaraat on the
days of Tashreeq. This applies only to the pilgrims on Hajj.
-Remembering Allaah in general. It is mustahabb to make a lot of dhikr
during the days of Tashreeq. 'Umar used to recite Takbeer in Mina in
his tent, and when the people heard him they recited Takbeer too and
Mina echoed with the sound of their Takbeer. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"So when you have accomplished your Manaasik [rituals of Hajj],
remember Allaah as you remember your forefathers or with a far more
remembrance. But of mankind there are some who say: "Our Lord! Give us
(Your Bounties) in this world!" and for such there will be no portion
in the Hereafter.
201. And of them there are some who say: "Our Lord! Give us in this
world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and
save us from the torment of the Fire!""
[al-Baqarah 2:200-201]
Many of the salaf regarded it as mustahabb to make a lot of du'aa'
during the days of tashreeq.
The words of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
"These are days of eating, drinking and remembering Allaah" indicate
that eating and drinking during the days of Eid are means that help
one to remember Allaah and obey Him; perfect gratitude for the
blessing means using it to help one obey and worship Allaah,
In His Book Allaah commands us to eat of good things and thank Him for
them. So whoever uses Allaah's blessings to commit sin is showing
ingratitude for the blessing of Allaah, so he deserves to have it
taken away from him.
3 – The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade
fasting on these days: "Do not fast on these days, for they are the
days of eating, drinking and remembering Allaah." Narrated by Ahmad,
10286; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inal-Silsilah al-Saheehah,
3573.
See Lataa'if al-Ma'aarifby Ibn Rajab, p. 500.
O Allaah, help us to do righteous deeds and make us steadfast until
death; have mercy on us, O Most Generous Giver. Praise be to Allaah,
the Lord of the World.

Dought & clear, - Calling scholars, teachers and elders “father”

Is calling scholars "father" a kind of imitation of the Christian
Arabs who call their priests "father" or of the foreigners who call
their religious leader the pope (a title derived from the Greek word
for father; cf. papa)?
Praise be to Allah.
There is nothing wrong with addressing a scholar or elderly man as
father, in the sense that his status is like that of a father in terms
of respect, not in the sense of blood ties.
Abu Dawood (8), an-Nasaa'i (40) and Ibn Maajah (313) narrated that Abu
Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "I am to you like a
father; I teach you."
(Classed as hasan by al-Albaani inSaheeh Abi Dawood).
In the Qur'an, the word father is used to refer to someone other than
a biological father, as in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
"They said, 'We shall worship your Ilaah (God — Allah) the Ilaah (God)
of your fathers, Ibraaheem (Abraham), Ismaa'eel (Ishmael), Ishaaq
(Isaac), One Ilaah (God), and to Him we submit (in Islam)"
[al-Baqarah 2:133].
Ismaa 'eel was one of his (Ya'qoob's) paternal uncles, not one of his
(fore)fathers.
InFataawa Ibn as-Salaah(1/186) it says: Is it permissible according to
the Holy Book and the saheeh hadeeths to call someone "father" other
than the biological father?
He (may Allah have mercy on him) replied: Allah, may He be blessed and
exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): "They said, 'We shall
worship your Ilaah (God — Allaah) the Ilaah (God) of your fathers,
Ibraaheem (Abraham), Ismaa'eel (Ishmael)..." [al-Baqarah 2:133], and
Ismaa'eel was one of his paternal uncles, not one of his
(fore)fathers.
And Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):"And he raised his
parents [abawayhi] to the throne"[Yoosuf 11:100], but his mother had
died previously. (The scholars) said that what is meant is his
maternal aunt. This is an example of the word abawayn (parents, lit.
two fathers) being used to refer to someone other than a biological
parent, which is a valid usage in Arabic.
Use of the word in this manner to refer to the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) or a scholar or an old man is acceptable
in terms of linguistic usage and meaning. From the shar'i point of
view, Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of
the meaning):"Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is not the father of any
of your men" [al-Ahzaab 33:40]. In the saheeh hadeeth, the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him said): "I am to you like a
father; I teach you."
Hence some of our scholars are of the view that the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) should not be called the father of the
believers, even though his wives are the mothers of the believers, and
the reason given for that is what we have mentioned. Based on this, it
may be said that he is like a father, but it cannot be said that he is
our father. However, other scholars regarded the latter as permissible
too, and the one who stated this view wrote a lengthy argument to
support it. But to be on the safe side and as a precaution it is
better to avoid that. End quote.
Ash-Shaafa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that it is
permissible to call him the father of the believers, i.e., in terms of
respect. Seeal-Durar al-Bahiyyah Sharh al-Bahjah al-Wardiyyah, 4/91
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The correct view is
that it is permissible to say that he is the father of the believers,
i.e., in terms of respect. The verse (interpretation of the
meaning):"Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم( is not the father of any of
your men" ]al-Ahzaab 33:40[refers to biological fatherhood. End quote.
So there is nothing wrong with calling him (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) "father", and it does not matter that the
Christians use this word too, because resembling them is only
forbidden with regard to matters that are unique to them, but this
word is something common to all people, Arabs and others, and was also
known before the time of the Christians, as Allah says concerning
Ibraaheem (peace be upon him):"it is the religion of your father
Ibraheem (Abraham) (Islamic Monotheism). It is He (Allah) Who has
named you Muslims both before and in this (the Qur'an)" [al-Hajj 22:78
– interpretation of the meaning].
Allah, may He be exalted, called him the father of the believers.
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in hisTafseer(12/91):
Ibraaheem is the father of all the Arabs. It was also suggested that
this is addressed to all the Muslims, even though not all of them are
his descendants, because respect for Ibrahim is required from the
Muslims as respect for the father is required from the son. End quote.
People still use this word in their speech; they may call a scholar,
teacher or elder "father", and one of these people may say to one who
is younger than him, "O my son," and so on.
Muslim narrated in hisSaheeh(2151) that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be
pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said to me, "O my son."
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) included this hadeeth in a
chapter called: Permissibility of saying to someone other than one's
son, "O my son"; doing so is mustahabb.
What is meant by son in this case is like what is meant by father, and
it is no different. It does not mean biological son; rather what is
meant is to show compassion and mercy, which is an acceptable usage,
even if this word is used by (Christian) priests when speaking to
their followers, because it is not something that is unique to them,
as mentioned above.
Shaykh 'Abd ar-Rahmaan al-Barraak (may Allah preserve him) was asked:
Nowadays it is common to use the word father to refer to Muslim
religious scholars who are senior in age, knowledge and status; is it
permissible to use this word, noting that the Christians use the word
father to refer to their scholars who are senior in knowledge and
status?
(He replied:) There is no report to indicate that the Messenger
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), the Companions, the
Taabi'een or early generations used the word father to refer to the
scholars.
If anyone were to be given the title of father, no one would be more
deserving of that than the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him), of whom our Lord said (interpretation of the
meaning):"Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is not the father of any of
your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last (end) of the
Prophets" [al-Ahzaab 33:40].
He replied:
Praise be to Allah. We do not know of anyone among the scholars who
was given the title of father; rather in some societies it is
customary to describe an old man as father, whether he is a scholar or
otherwise, so this word is used when addressing him, such as saying "O
my father" or "O father", and when referring to him. There is nothing
to suggest that this is an imitation of Christian usage, because the
Christians use that word as a title for leaders of their religion. As
for your saying that the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), depite his high status and virtue, and despite of the great
rights that he has over his ummah is not a father, based on the verse
in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):"Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is not the father of any of
your men" [al-Ahzaab 33:40], what is meant by fatherhood here is
biological fatherhood. However fatherhood in the sense of status and
respect is established in the case of the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him), as it says in some modes of recitation
(interpretation of the meaning):"The Prophet is closer to the
believers than their ownselves, and his wives are their (believers')
mothers (as regards respect and marriage) and he is a father to them"
[al-Ahzaab 33:6]. What is meant by fatherhood and motherhood here is
in terms of status, respect and honour. The Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: "I am to you like a father," however
he is of even higher status than that, so his rights over his ummah
are greater than the rights of parents and all other people, as he
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:"No one of you truly
believes until I am dearer to him than his son, his father and all of
mankind."Narrated by al-Bukhaari (14) and Muslim (44). And Allah knows
best.
To sum up, there is nothing wrong with addressing a scholar or old man
as father, and this is not regarded as imitating the Christians.
And Allah knows best.

Positive Pride in Islam: Do you want Honor, Power and Glory in this World and in the Hereafter?

Verily, then to Allah belongs all honour, power and glory. Noble Qur'an (4:139)
Therefore, whoever desires (Al-Izzah) honor, power and glory in this
world and the next, let him be obedient towards Allah (SWT).
Imam Ali (as) says, that he is proud that Allah (SWT) is his lord and
that he is Allah's servant.
As Muslims we are proud of our identity, heritage and tradition.
Because we Muslims take pride in keeping our homes, gardens clean, our
places of worship appealing both to the young and old. We Muslims take
pride in respecting parents, elders, assisting neighbors, helping poor
by giving charity. We Muslim Women take pride in observing Hijab
(Islamic dress).
"Pride, the result of not remembering our status in relationship to
our Creator, can take various forms. In each of these it is an attempt
to be god."
The main push behind pride and prejudice is nothing other than the
human being thinking himself to be "god" and that he feels he is
better than others; however, if we keep the relationship between
ourselves and our Creator in mind, and that He is the only one
"entitled" to 'pride', then we bring ourselves back "down to earth"
and appreciate that we are all from the same source, and that even
though we have differences mostly based on incidental issues, the only
source of being "better" than one another (which too cannot be fully
judged) is our awareness, consciousness, and acceptance of God and all
that He gives to us.
Imam Ali (as) says: I wonder at the arrogance of a haughty and vain
person. Yesterday he was only a drop of semen and tomorrow he will
turn into a corpse. Also, it is astonishing if son of Adam is proud,
when his beginning is a sperm and his end is a decaying corpse (dead
body).
The arrogant and proud should recognize and realize his reality: his
origin is a dirty sperm and his end is stinky carrion. Between these
two, man is weak and feeble. Hunger and thirst exhaust him, ailment
and sickness overcome him, poverty and harm afflict him, and death and
wear will inevitably befall him. Man cannot provide benefits and
cannot save himself from misfortunes.
Overconfidence is a bad thing:
Confidence is a great thing. It allows us to get past our doubts and
take action. So why is slightly too much of it so bad? Take a look at
the example of Azazeel.
His name was Azazeel. He is also known as Iblees. He used to pray a
lot and even used to give lectures to the angels. One day there was a
notice in the heavens which said that someone was going to be ordered
out of the heavens. All the angels were worried because they thought
it might be one of them. They all went to Jibreel (Gabriel) who was
one of the most important angels to ask him, whether he could do
anything. Jibreel (Gabriel) said he too was worried because it might
be himself. Jibreel (Gabriel) suggested that they go to Azazeel
because he was very clever.
Azazeel told them not to worry at all, he would pray to Allah (SWT)
for all of them. He forgot himself thinking he was the best and it
could never be him. As a result of overconfidence, he became the
cursed Satan and he was ordered out of heaven.
Imam Moosa Kazim (as)says: "O Son! Don't delay in offering your
prayers. Nor should you be overconfident of the acceptance of your
prayers and feel proud of your efforts at piety. We cannot offer
prayers and obedience to Allah commensurate with His Blessings."
Summary, as human beings and believers, we need to ensure that we do
not repeat the sin which resulted in the fall of Satan - we need to
treat all of the children of Adam as human beings and not be
judgmental of things such as skin color, tribal affiliations,
language, place of birth, economic worth, social status, or even
religion, as these are all merely ways for us to "know the another"
rather than being means of shunning one another. After all, did Imam
Ali (as) not say that, "People are of two types - they are either your
brothers in faith or your equals in humanity."

Takabbur in Islam: Pride in Islam, Arrogance - Kibr is a barrier to Paradise

A proud and arrogant person regards himself better and superior to
others and by assuming vain and wishful thoughts in his mind, adopts
the conduct of Shaitan (Satan) who said: "I have been created of fire
while Adam has been created of earth and fire possesses superiority
over earth." The first sin to have been committed in the world of
creation was arrogance on the part of Shaitan (Satan).
This pride and prejudice on the part of Satan is what caused his
downfall - and has the potential to affect each and every one of us.
Satan felt that his physical makeup of 'smoke-less fire' was of a
loftier composition, and that being made of fire, he had the potential
and was naturally inclined to 'ascend' (just as fire does), whereas
the makeup of Adam was of 'earth', a heavier compound, and that his
natural inclination was to the base, lower desires, and to clinging to
the 'earth'.
Thus, as for it being a vice, there can be no doubt or skepticism.
Proud and arrogant individuals look down upon others and anticipate
others to greet them and exhibit respect and deference towards them,
always nurturing aspects of their superiority and greatness within
their minds. This "puffed up" feeling which imparts a sense of "touch
me not" is called pride (Kibr/Takabbur).
The condition of conceit and of one who considers himself to be
greater than others, so long as it stays inwardly and has no outward
manifestation, it is pride. If it gets out through the senses, it is
called arrogance.
Arrogance is one of the consequences of vanity and self-conceit. When
an individual thinks too highly of himself, it is self-conceit; and
when he tends, moreover, to consider others as inferior to himself,
that is arrogance. In contrast to these states, when one thinks of
himself as small and insignificant, that is called modesty; and when,
in addition to this, he considers others as superior to himself, that
is called humility. In any case, arrogance is one of the most fatal of
moral vices. This is so because arrogance is a thick veil which hides
one's shortcomings from his own view, and thus prevents him from
removing them and attaining perfection.
Arrogance is a mental state causing self-admiration and haughtiness
against others in words or deeds. It is censured and dispraised in
many texts in Noble Qur'anand Sunnah:
Truly Allah knows what they hide and what they manifest; surely He
does not love the proud. Noble Qur'an (16:23)
Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (saw) says: "He who has in his heart
as much faith as a grain of mustard seed will not enter hell, and he
who has in his heart as much pride as a grain of mustard seed will not
enter paradise." Hence, Pride (Kibr/Takabbur) is a barrier to
Paradise.
A proud man will not tolerate any other to be on equal terms with
himself. In private and in public he expects that all should assume a
respectful attitude towards him and, acknowledging his superiority,
treat him as a higher being. They should greet him first; make way for
him wherever he walks; when he speaks everyone should listen to him
and never try to oppose him. He is a genius and people are like asses.
They should be grateful to him, seeing that he is so condescending.
Virtues are the doors of Paradise, but pride and self-esteem lock them
all. So long as man feels elated he will not like for others what he
likes for himself. His self-esteem will deprive him of humility, which
is the essence of righteousness. He will neither be able to discard
enmity and envy, resentment and wrath, slander and scorn, nor will he
be able to cultivate truth and sincerity, and calmly listen to any
advice. In short, there is no evil which a proud man will not
inevitably do in order to preserve his elation and self-esteem.
Being proud about ones own piety is a major sin. This pride can make
all the prayers and supplications void. If a person understands the
Greatness of Allah (SWT), then he will not be proud and vain at his
exertions at prayer. The endowments of the munificent Allah (SWT) are
so great that it is impossible to count His Blessings.
Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as)who cites Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad
(saw) in a tradition in which Hazrat Musa (Moses) son of Imranasks
Satan. "Tell me about the sin which, when a son of Adam commits, you
overtake him." Satan replied, "It is when he is proud of himself,
thinks too much of his good deeds and his sin looks small in his
eyes." It is known that when Satan overtakes someone, the result will
be more sinning.
Imam Ali Reza (as)says that a pious person from Bani Israel offered
intense prayers for forty years. Then he offered a sacrifice to Allah
(SWT) that was not accepted. The person was disconsolate with sadness
for his failure. He cursed his psyche blaming it for his failure. He
received a Revelation that blaming his psyche and accepting the
shortcomings pleased Allah (SWT) more than the prayers spread over the
long period of forty years. For this reason Allah (SWT) accepted his
long years of penance.
Imam Mohammed Baqir (as)says that two persons entered the mosque. One
was pious and the other a transgressor. When they emerged from the
mosque after the prayer, the transgressor was pious and the person
with piety had turned a transgressor. The reason was that the pious
person came out of the mosque with pride at his piety and the
transgressor was penitent at his past misdeeds.
Imam Ali (as)says: "The sin that makes you sad and repentant is more
liked by Allah (SWT) than the good deed which turns you arrogant."

How big can the floating objects be on the space?

Let's get the answer by starting with a journey from the moon: a
celestial body which can be regarded as fairly big:
The Moon...
Mercury...
Mars...
Venus...
Earth... We live here
Neptune
Saturn
Jupiter
The Sun... Our star
Sirius A
Pollux… An Orange Giant
Archturus... A Red Giant
Aldebaran… A Red Giant
Ragil… A Blue Super Giant
Pistol Star… A Blue Hyper Giant
Antares A… A Red Super Giant
Mu Cephei… A Red Supergiant
VY Canis Majoris... A Red HyperGiant: known as the biggest star
The Size Of the Earth is 12,756 km.
This star is 1,975,000,000 km in diameter.
How can you imagine this size on your mind?
Imagine an airliner which goes with 900 km per hour and flying
around this star.
Just one circuit of an airliner around this star would last exactly
1,100 years.
The size of the star on a picture which shows our galaxy is only as
big as a spot on a piece of paper.
And our galaxy ... would be seen only as big as a spot in the
vastness of the universe.
"Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater
(matter) than the creation of men: Yet most men understand not."
(Surah Al-Ghafir, 57)

The devotion of the poison arrow frog

Living beings show great compassion to their babies which are
wholly defenseless and unaware of the dangers around them. One of
these living beings live in the rainforests of the Amazon River
basin. It is the poison arrow frog.
The mother frog leaves the babies that she gave birth to in a
puddle. However, this puddle is both insuffcient and unsafe for the
eggs that will grow up.The mother frog should move her tadpoles to a
more convenient place as soon as possible. The journey starts with
the tadpole to be moved on its mothers back. But, where will they
go? A lakeshore or a riverbank are not suitable places. The place
where the mother will bring the tadpoles is quite surprising; the
place that they will go is a place in the top of the forests.
The upward journey of the poisonous arrow frog is equal to a
person's climbing the Empire State Building, which is one of the
tallest buildings of the world, while carrying a baby on our back.
When the poison arrow frog reaches a plant called the bromelyad
which also lives in the highest places of the forest, the posinon
arrow frog leaves her tadpoles into a tiny pool there. The tadpoles
will be safer here. However, the mother frog has to carry out this
difficult journey for the rest of the radpoles too. In the end, 6
of the tadpoles were moved to the top of the tree and they are
saved.
But there is another problem for the mother frog;
There is no food in the pool for the tadpoles. In order to provide
food, the mother frog leaves a clutch of unfertilized eggs in the
pool, for the nutrition of the tradpoles.
Yet, just one egg is not enough for the growth of the tadpoles.
That's why the mother frog frequently visits her tradpoles and
leaves more eggs for their sustenance.
In order to take care of her tadpoles, the mother frog climbs the
tree many times, nearly 800 meters every single day, over the
course of two weeks.
To protect her tadpoles, the mother frog risks all kinds of dangers
and difficulties, and sometimes sacrifices her life to protect her
tadpoles as well. As it is seen, living beings are not in a system
where only the strongest survive and the weaks are swept away as
the Darwinists claim but rather they are Created with the behaviors
of compassion, mercy and devotion; this sweeps away the theory of
evolution and proves the fact of Creation, for only our Lord,
Almighty Allah, could endow a humble frog with these behaviors and
inspire it to such great endeavors.

The tongue of a chamelon is faster than a jet plane

Many interesting living creatures live in the forests of Madagascar .
It is quite difficult to distinguish a stick grasshopper from the
branches. A mantis is getting ready to prey upon a stick
grasshopper. At the same time, the flawless master of camoflauge,
one of the most fascinating of the Creations of Allah, the gecko
is watching them both by blending itself into the tree.
Although the gecko seems to catch the mantis easily, there is
another hunter which is not even observed : the chamelon.
The chamelon has a unique pair of legs and feet which enables it to
very move silently. It is almost impossible to see the chamelon
because of its ability to change the color of its skin in accordance
to the environment. The chamelon's eyes can move independently
from each other in any direction. Thus, they can see their prey
which is not directly in their line of sight.
This chamelon also possesses a tongue that it can use as an arrow
by flinging the tongue rapidly from its mouth. The chamelons tongue
can move five times faster than the speed of a jet plane. Via its
tongue, the chamelon hits its prey and the tongue sticks to its prey
by forming a powerful vacuum effect.
The thing that accelerates the chamelon tongue is at least 10
slippery rings of muscles between the tongue and hyoid bone. Those
muscle rings slip from their normal place and they closely press
together and they push the tongue forward. By means of this
mechanism the tongue pops out with a velocity of 1,5 meters per
second. At the time of the jactus, the hairs of the tongue
dissociate from each other and the tongue reaches to its maximum
lenght. During firing; the tongue stretches up to 6 times from
its standby position; and it also stretches up to one and a half
times the body length of the cameleon . After firing the system
quickly regroups and reverts back to normal.
It is obvious that the form of these muscle rings cannot be
explained by the theory of evolution in any way. Dr. Brad Harrub, a
scientist who supports Creation, asks those questions which forms
great dilemas to the evolutionists in his article:
1) How come each of the muscle rings evolved in the right position?
2) How has the tongue enlarged to that lenght?
3)How did the accelerating muscles emerge?
4) How can the muscle rings coordinate their movements in such a
way as to allow the tongue to reach its maximum lenght?
5) How did the muscle rings develop the ability of ' dissociating
from each other like the tubes of a telescope'?
6) How could the chamelon learn and carry out re-collecting all of
the necessary muscular movements after flinging the tongue?
7) If the ability to fire the tongue is a gain as an evolutionary
benefit, why hasn't that benefit yet evolved in other animals,
and why haven't other animals haven't employed a similar hunting
method ?
8) How has the chamelon (or its so-called evolutionary predecessor)
survived while all of those complex systems are supposed to evolve
little by little?
Undoubtedly; He is The Almighty Allah, He is the One Who Creates
the chamelon by all its features, and He is Omniscient, Mighty and
Exalted in Power. Allah informs us in a verse from the Qur'an Verse
thusly:
"And verily in cattle (too) will you find an instructive sign.From
what is within their bodies between excretions and blood, We
produce, for your drink, milk, pure and agreeable to those who
drink it."
(Surat an-Nahl, 66)