Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Ruling on rolling up sleeves during prayer

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Does rolling up the sleeves count as part of the tucking up (of clothes or hair) that is not allowed during prayer? If it is part of that tucking up, then is the ruling different if I start praying with my sleeves rolled up, i.e., I did not roll them up during the prayer – or is it the same thing?
It is not permissible to roll up the sleeves or to fold them up before the prayer or during the prayer so that they will not touch the ground when doing sujood, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I have been commanded to pray on seven bones and not to tuck up my hair or my clothes.”(Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.

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For children, - Stop blamingeveryone else for your problems

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Let's talk about blaming other people. Blaming other people for the reason why you don't have something will give all your power away to the other person. Your life is your responsibility. And it's only when you take full responsibility for your life is when you actually do something about it.
When you blame somebody, in effect, it actually means you expect somebody else to change your life situation. It means you are waiting for the other person to redeem you of your problems. It isn't their life though, it's your life.
If you think seriously about it, it's actually your fault that you are not happy, it's your fault for not taking those great opportunities and it's your fault for letting another person take advantage of you.
Your life is in direct response to the way how you treat yourself as a person. Everything you have in your life is a manifestation of how you treat yourself, NOT how somebody else treated you or what somebody else has done.
The reason why we blame others is because we become uncertain about our own capabilities and we become thwarted by our problems in life. We tend to come up with excuses to stay away from what we should be doing.
The truth is we don't like to admit when we are wrong and when we are caught; we like to shift the blame to someone or something else. If we are stopped for speeding we immediately offer an excuse, such as "I was going with the flow of traffic" (blaming someone else) or "I didn't see the sign noting the speed change" (blaming something else). We try to excuse our behavior and lessen the guilt and even the consequence of our sin.
Regardless of how much you blame others, it will not change your life; but the less you blame others, the more you will exercise greater intuition and greater judgment about what's really going on. It means you rely on yourself to determine your outcomes in life and break through adversity and this is a powerful thing!
Take full responsibility for your situation and discover how you can create success for yourself without giving away your power. Ask yourself the following questions: Am I in charge of my life outcomes? Can I personally make things better in this situation? How can I take responsibility to become better?
When you do this, you grow to feel more independent, increase determination and grow stronger as you find new ways to enhance stronger character traits. Fulfill your deepest needs and take responsibility for your outcomes that you want to manifest into your life - from now onwards, to your life success and powers.
Stop blaming and start claiming Responsibility for your results
Unsuccessful people blame external circumstances; successful people internalize responsibility for their results. This represents a new way of thinking; a paradigm shift that is necessary for your progress. Until this shift takes place the unsuccessful continue to get more and more of what they don't want, and comically it is never their fault. The following poem illustrates the above explanation.
When the other fellow takes a long time, he's slow.
When I take a long time, I'm thorough.
When the other fellow doesn't do it, he's lazy,
When I don't do it, I'm busy.
When the other fellow does something without being told, he's overstepping his bounds,
When I do it, that's initiative.
When the other fellow overlooks a rule of etiquette, he's rude,
When I skip a few rules, I'm original.
When the other fellow pleases the boss, he's an apple polisher,
When I please the boss, it's cooperation.
When the other fellow gets ahead, he's getting the breaks,
When I manage to get ahead, that's just the reward for hard work.
A man may fall many times but he won't be a failure until he says someone pushed him.

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Welcome to Islam, - * The consistency between modern science and Quran -I

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The Quran is the last revelation and a proof, not only to the pagan Arabs 1400 years ago, but also to the scientists of today. Perhaps one of the most remarkable qualities of the Quran is the complete consistency between most of the discoveries of modern Science and the Quran.
One of the first Western scientists to make a serious study of this subject was Maurice Bucaille, who wrote a book called The Bible, The Quran and Science. In this book, he compared the statements concerning natural and scientific data in the Bible and the Quran. He concluded: "The Quran follows on from the two Revelations that preceded it and is not only free from contradictions in its narrations and the sign of the various human manipulations to be found in the Gospels; but provides a quality all of its own for those who examine it objectively and in the light of Science, i.e. its complete agreement with modern scientific data.
Furthermore, statements are found in the Quran )as has been shown( that are connected with Science, and yet it is unthinkable that a man in Muhammad’s time, could have been the author of them. Therefore, modern scientific knowledge allows us to understand certain verses of the Quran, which, until now, it has been impossible to interpret.
The comparison of several Biblical and Quranic narrations on the same subject shows the fundamental differences between the statements in the Bible, which are scientifically unacceptable, and declarations in the Quran which are in perfect agreement with modern data, for example, in the description of Creation and the Flood.
An extremely important complement to the Bible was found in the text of the Quran on the history of the Exodus, where the two texts were very much in agreement with archaeological findings, dating from the time of Moses.
There are major differences between the Quran and the Bible on other subjects, which serve to disprove all the unfounded allegations that Muhammad, is supposed to have copied the Bible to produce the text of the Quran.”
In view of the level of knowledge in Muhammad’s days, it is inconceivable that many of the statements in the Quran which are connected with Science could have been the work of a man. It is, moreover, perfectly legitimate, not only to regard the Quran as the expression of a Revelation, but also to award it a very special place, on the account of the guarantee of authenticity it provides. The presence of scientific statements in the Quran which, when studied today, appear as a challenge to explanation in human terms.”
Some statements involving data confirmed by modern Science are:
1. The Accurate Description of Embryonic and Fetal Development:
At the time of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, )may Allaah exalt his mention(, prevalent theories included those of Aristotle, who thought that a child was formed by the congealing of menstrual blood, catalyzed by the male blood, as rennet does to cheese. In the 18thcentury CE, Hartsoeker claimed to have seen within the sperm a pre-formed human being through the primitive microscopes.
The Quran reflected none of these theories, describing the embryonic human development with detailed accuracy )which means(:"We created man from a quintessence of clay, We then placed him as a drop )Nutfah( in a place of rest firmly fixed, then we made the drop into an ‘Alaqah )leech-like structure( and then we changed the leech-like structure into a Mudghah, )chewed-like substance( and then We made out of that chewed-like substance bones; then We clothed the bones with flesh; then We caused him to grow and come into being and attain the definitive form. Blessed be Allaah, The Perfect Creator. After that, at length you will die. Again, on the Day of Judgment, you will be raised up."]Quran 23:12-16[
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, further explained the meaning of ‘Nutfah’ as meaning both the male sperm and female ovum. The word ‘Alaqah has three meanings in Arabic:
1( A thing that clings
2( A blood clot
3( A leech-like thing.
All three accurately describe the first stage of the developing embryo. After the fertilization of the egg, a blastocyst develops, which has on its exterior villocites, which literally "cling" to the wall of the uterus. It then goes on to resemble a leech in both appearance and behavior and goes on to resemble a blood clot.
The next stage, when it becomes "chewed-like" substance, is also accurate. It is also true that the bones precede the development of muscle and flesh. The Prophetic traditions state:"When forty-two nights have passed over the conceptus, Allaah sends an Angel to it, who shapes it, makes its ears, eyes, skin, flesh and bones. Then he says: 'O Lord! Is it male or female?' And your Lord decides what He wishes and then the angel records it."]Al-Bukhaari[
This accurate information gives the correct time for the recognizable growth of the features described, and the sex of the fetus cannot be definitely determined until just after forty-two days.
This was not known until the invention of powerful microscopes only decades ago. Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Toronto, Canada, and author of The Developing Human, Keith Moore, who is considered one of the world’s leading embryologists, said concerning these statements in the Quran and authenticated hadeeth: "Until the 19th century CE, nothing was known about classifying the stages of human development. A system of staging human embryos was developed around the end of the 19th century CE based on alphabetical symbols.
During the 20th century CE, numerals were used to describe 23 stages of embryonic development. This system of numbering the stages is not easy to follow and a better system would be based on the morphological changes. In recent years, the study of the Quran has revealed another basis for the classification of the stages of the developing embryo, which is based on easily understood actions and changes in shape. It utilizes terms which were sent from God to Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel and recorded on the Quran… It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God because almost none of this knowledge was discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a Messenger of God.”

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Welcome to Islam, - * Quran as a miracle

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The Quran is truly a living miracle. Going deeper into it, one finds amazing characteristics from every perspective.
In Language
The Arabs of the 6thand 7thcenturies CE were masters of the Arabic language. Eloquence and rhetoric were their lifeblood. The liveliness that marked their gatherings, the gaiety of their fairs, and the virtues of which they boasted, all found expression through poetry and literature. They were so proud of their literary accomplishments that they disdainfully dubbed all the other peoples of the world as “’Ajam” or “Dumb.” It was in this atmosphere that there appeared on the scene an unlettered person, Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, )may Allaah exalt his mention(. He presented before them an oration, and declared it to be the Word of Allaah, which claimed )what means(:
“If mankind and the jinn were to gather together to produce the like of this Quran, they could never produce the like thereof, even if they backed up one another.”]Quran 17:88[
Such a proclamation was an amazing thing. It came from a person who had never learned anything from the renowned poets and scholars of the time, had never recited even a single piece of poetry in their congregations, and never attended the company of soothsayers. And far from composing any poetry himself, he did not even remember the verses of other poets. This proclamation, repeated several times in the Quran, was therefore the greatest challenge to their literary expertise, and at the same time a fatal stab at their polytheist creed and beliefs. Following this, a hush fell over the whole galaxy of these stirring orators and fiery poets. Not a soul stepped forward to accept the challenge of producing the like of the Quran. They persecuted the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, called him insane, a sorcerer, poet and soothsayer, but failed utterly in composing even a few sentences like the Quranic verses. To this day, the challenge has remained unmet, although throughout history and even in modern times, many people have made feeble attempts to do so.
In Prophecies
Among other things, the Quran contains prophecies of future events, many of which have come to pass. We reproduce here a discussion of one such prophecy, which was fulfilled within the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
While the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, was still in Makkah, after having been entrusted with prophethood, and was being subjected to all sorts of persecutions by the Makkan idolaters, exactly at the same time the two great powers of Rome and Persia were involved in repeated wars. The Romans were beaten, vanquished and suffered a great loss in men and material. At last, the Romans were so utterly exhausted that, far from being in a position to launch a counter-attack, they could not even take a firm stand anywhere. This situation was a matter of jubilation for the pagans ofArabia, as they identified the Persians, being fire-worshippers, with themselves and the Romans, as “people of the Book,” with the Muslims. In their eyes, the dominance of the Persians, presaged their own victory and the defeat of the Muslims. It was under these circumstances that these initial verses of the chapter called Ar-Room )The Romans( were revealed )which mean(:
“…The Romans have been defeated, in the land close by. And after )this( defeat of theirs, they will soon be victorious within a few years. To Allaah belongs the command before and after and on that day the Believers will rejoice in Allaah’s help…”]Quran 30:2-4[
For those who were aware of the military situation concerning the Romans and Persians, this prediction was absolutely incredible. In fact, the Persians kept marching forward until they reached the city walls of the Roman capital,Constantinople. The renowned historian Edward Gibbon has commented on this prediction thus:
“When this prophecy was made, no prediction could be more unbelievable because the initial twelve years of Heraclius were evidently declaring an end to theRoman Empire.” ]Fall of the Roman Empire, v.5, p.73-74[
But exactly seven years after his first defeat, the Roman emperor sallied forth from the capital and inflicted crushing defeats on the Persians at several places, and after that the Roman armies were victorious everywhere.
Meanwhile, a large number of Muslims had migrated to Al-Madeenah and their wars with the idolaters of Makkah had already begun. The day on which 313 ill-equipped Muslims were decisively beating their enemy -- 1000 heavily armed Makkan warriors -- at the battlefield of Badr, came the news that the Romans had defeated the Persians. It was then realized that the Quranic verse, )which means(:“…on that day the Believers will rejoice in Allaah’s help”]Quran 30: 4-5[ was meant to denote the twin happiness of the Romans’ victory as well as their own victory at Badr.
In Science and History
Apart from prophecies, the Quran has pointed out many scientific and historical facts which were not only unknown at that time, but could not even be imagined given the development of civilization. Entire books have been written )by both Muslims and non-Muslims( confirming the correspondence of scientific discoveries to the truths expressed in the Quran. Again, we suffice here with two examples:
The Quran has stated that as Fir’awn )Pharaoh( was drowning in the sea he made a confession of faith orally, just to save his life. In response, Allaah Said )what means(:
“What! Now? And indeed before this you did rebel and were of the corrupt. So this day We shall rescue you with your body that you may be a sign to those who come after you.”]Quran 10: 91-92[
At the time of revelation of this verse, and even centuries afterwards, nobody knew that the body of Fir’awn had been preserved, but it has been discovered only recently and is preserved in a museum atCairo.
The Quran has stated )what means(:“And of everything We have created pairs that you may take heed.”]Quran 51: 49[
When this verse was revealed, the general concept was that male and female pairs existed only among human beings and animals or in some vegetation. However, with the advancement of science, the Quranic reality is becoming manifest that male and female pairs exist in everything. In some instances they are termed as male and female, and elsewhere as positive and negative, as electron and proton, or neutron and positron. In another verse, the Quran has also clarified that the occurrence in pairs in many other things is still unknown to people. It says )what means(:
“Glorified be He Who created pairs of all things which the earth grows, and of themselves )humans(, and of that which they know not.” ]Quran 36: 36[
A Miracle For Us!
Looking back through history, it has been observed that the prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, were sent with miracles that reflected the society and knowledge of the people they were sent to. Thus, Moosaa )Moses(, may Allaah exalt his mention, was sent with a staff that truly turned into a snake, baffling the trickster magicians of the Pharaoh. ’Eesaa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt his mention, was given the power to cure diseases and give life to the dead, astonishing the Jewish doctors who felt proud of their limited knowledge of healing, and who had begun to disregard and deny the supernatural powers of God.
Similarly, the Quran was an immediate miracle for the Arabs so many years ago, since it challenged and far surpassed the limits of their literary expression. Unlike the miracles of previous prophets, which were only applicable for a limited time, to this day the Quran -- the Final Testament given to the Last Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam -- is still a relevant miracle for humanity and will remain so as long as the world exists. We live in an age of science and technology, of knowledge, logic, and reason. Yet, in spite of all the human advancement in every sphere of life, the principles of the Quran have not been proven wrong nor have they become “out-of-date.” This is really the great miracle of the Quran, it has proven itself a timeless, universal message for humankind, relevant to every facet of our life — be it politics, economics, ethics, science, literature, arts or entertainment. In fact, even non-Muslim scholars have admitted that the entire “Western” civilization today, thriving from the “rebirth of humanity” )i.e. the “Renaissance”(, would not have been so, had it not been for the message brought by Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. As the celebrated English writer, Robert Briffault, says in The Making of Humanity:
“The ideas of freedom for all human beings, of human brotherhood, of the equality of all men before the law of democratic government, by consultation and universal suffrage, the ideas that inspired the French Revolution and the Declaration of Rights, that guided the framing of the American Constitution and inflamed the struggle for independence in the Latin-American countries were not inventions of the West. They find their ultimate inspiration and source in the Holy Quran. They are the quintessence of what the intelligentsia of medieval Europe acquired from Islam over a period of centuries through the various societies that developed inEuropein the wake of the Crusades in imitation of the brotherhood associations of Islam. It is highly probable that but for the Arabs, modern European civilization would never have arisen at all, it is absolutely certain that but for them, it would never have assumed that character which has enabled it to transcend all previous phases of evolution.”

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * She feels bad during her period

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I feel sometimes that I am not clean inside. I feel few days before my period starts that my blood is boiling inside my veins, and I feel like I want to cut myself off. About two years ago I stopped the bad habit of backbiting, since I stopped this sin I feel much more comfortable. But when the time for my period becomes close, I feel like my blood is boiling and I start repeating the past. My mother did this, my father did that, my sister is like this, and so on. When this happens I do not know how to stop it. This case of mine may stay for two days or more. Please guide me.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We praise Allaah for guiding you to an understanding of the seriousness of backbiting and its evil, and for hastening to give it up. We ask Him to help you and make you steadfast in that.
Secondly:
It is well known that many women become depressed and anxious during their menses, especially at the beginning, and that a woman’s intellectual state is not normal during menses. Most women feel pain in their backs or lower abdomen, and for some of them the pain may be more than they can bear, so they use medicines and painkillers. See question no. 43028.
Undoubtedly what you are feeling is one of the effects of menstruation but all you have to do is be patient and seek reward, for nothing befalls a Muslim, not even anxiety and grief, but Allaah will expiate some of his sins thereby.
You should keep yourself busy with work, study etc that will benefit you, for free time makes worries worse.
There is nothing wrong with a menstruating woman reading Qur’aan without touching the Mus-haf, and that will distract her and make it easier for her.
And Allaah knows best.

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * Should he have intercourse with his menstruating wife and pay the expiation because her menstrual cycleis so long?

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My period lasts ten days, and then I find yellowish discharge for another five days. This offends my husband a lot as he cannot tolerate this. Is he allowed to have an intercourse with me before then ten day ends then pay expiation? Especially that I have only 16 days between the two periods.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
If the yellowish discharge comes straight after the menses then it is part of the menses, and it is not permissible at that time to have intercourse or to pray or fast. If the yellowish discharge comes after the end of the menses (tuhr), then it is not counted as anything.
As for the yellowish discharge that comes directly before the menses, if it is accompanied by the pains of menses (cramps) that happen to women, then it is menses; if it is not accompanied by pains, then it is not menses.
See the answer to question no. 37840.
The end of menses (tuhr) occurs when one of two signs appear: the emission of a white discharge, or when the place becomes dry, so that if a piece of cotton etc is inserted it comes out clean with no trace of blood or yellowish or brownish discharge.
Secondly:
It is not permissible for the husband to have intercourse with his wife during her menses, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“They ask you concerning menstruation. Say: that is an Adha (a harmful thing for a husband to have a sexual intercourse with his wife while she is having her menses), therefore, keep away from women during menses and go not unto them till they are purified (from menses and have taken a bath). And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allaah has ordained for you (go in unto them in any manner as long as it is in their vagina). Truly, Allaah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves (by taking a bath and cleaning and washing thoroughly their private parts and bodies for their prayers)”
[al-Baqarah 2:222].
So it is not permissible to have intercourse with a menstruating woman until she becomes pure (her menses ends) and she has done ghusl.
There is a stern warning against having intercourse with a menstruating woman, as was narrated by al-Tirmidhi (135), Abu Dawood (3904) and Ibn Majaah (639) from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who said: “Whoever has intercourse with a menstruating woman, or with a woman in her back passage, or who goes to a fortuneteller and believes what he says, has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi.
The husband may enjoy his menstruating wife in ways other than intercourse. See question no. 36722.
The wife does not have the right to agree to this evil, rather she must refuse.
The husband must fear Allaah and beware of haraam forms of intimacy. In that which is halaal there is sufficient. In addition to being haraam, having intercourse during menses is harmful to both the man and the woman.
And Allaah knows best.

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * She gets brownish spotting before the bleeding starts

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My period does not come naturally, rather I have to take pills to bring it on. Two months ago I took medicine to bring it on but I did not get my period. This month I took pills to bring it on, and on the day when I was supposed to get my period I got some brownish spotting, which came and went throughout the day, then the next day I had reddish spotting, then I had bleeding which was like a natural period.
My question: on the first day on which I had brownish spotting, should I stop praying or should I pray?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It seems – and Allaah knows best – that as long as this spotting came at the usual time of the period and was connected to the bleeding that came afterwards, then it is part of the menses, so you should stop praying and fasting at that time.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: Before my monthly period, I get a brownish discharge that lasts for five days, and after that I get the normal bleeding, and the bleeding lasts for eight days after the first five days. I pray during the five days, but I am wondering whether I should fast and pray during those days or not.
He replied: If the five days when you have the brownish discharge are separate from the days when you bleed, then it is not part of your period, and you have to pray and fast during those days, and you should do wudoo’ for each prayer because it comes under the same ruling as urinary incontinence, not menses, so it does not mean that you cannot pray and fast. But you have to do wudoo’ each time until it ends, like the bleeding of istihaadah.
But if these five days are connected to the menses then they are part of the menses and should be regarded as part of your period, so you should not pray or fast.
And Allaah knows best.

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For children, - Blaming others and Success

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Most people are unable to understand the linkage between what they desire and what they deserve. You deserve on the strength of your effectiveness, your competencies and the strength of your connectivity with the ultimate reality. These need you to schedule your time to develop yourself continuously. And, that is not easy. The most easily picked up conditioned response is to blame others or circumstances in situations where results are not to expectations.
When you blame others, you give up your power to change; you create an environment of De-motivation around you by the negative energy of blaming. Success is in taking responsibility of the results as the first step for bringing in the desired results. Time spent in blaming is a total waste.
People spend too much time finding other people to blame, too much energy finding excuses for not being what they are capable of being, and not enough energy putting themselves on the line, growing out of the past, and getting on with their lives. - J. Michael Straczynski
Most of the blamers are those people who have not succeeded to the appropriate level that they wish. They are mostly wishful thinkers that cannot transform the wish into well-formed-outcomes and goals and therefore, they hardly know what to do and if they know what to do, they hardly have the appropriate level of skills. Blamers have great imaginations. They can easily figure out the way of turning the facts and distorting the realities in a way that salvages their character or reputation. They believed if they accept the responsibility instead of blaming others or even blaming themselves, they will be dramatically undermined and degraded. They just cannot take the pain of degradation. They see a great level of relief in blaming others.
The way they perceive the mistakes or faults is either to blame themselves or to blame others. They have only two options. Instead of blaming themselves, they find it easier to blame others. If they learnt that there is another option and it is not blaming anybody but accepting the responsibility for correcting the situation and learning the skills, they would begin a new path in their life.
The reason that the blamers do not succeed as well as the ones who take the responsibilities is in the fact that they expect success without any failure, without any fault and without any mistake. They just can't bear the guilt of not being able to do things correctly. Blamers think that success comes very easily and without any failure. The history of all successful people indicates that they do a lot of mistakes before they get it right and succeed. The successful people take the blame gracefully and begin to find a way for avoiding it next time when they are blamed for their failures. The blamers think differently. They look for everybody who have been somehow involved or could have been involved in a scenario. If they can find somebody who had some involvement in the faulty action they immediately begin to blame that person. If they cannot find somebody easily to blame for their wrongdoing then they blame their parents, people, the circumstances, the systems and even bad luck.
Examples of Blaming Others:
*.If a man cuts his finger off while slicing Salami at work, he blames the faulty equipment.
*.If a man smokes three packs a day for 40 years and die of lung cancer, he blames the tobacco company.
*.If a man crashes into a tree while driving home drunk, he blames the alcohol.
*.If the grandchildren are brats without manners, we blame television.
If the blamers wish to succeed in anything they have to accept responsibility for whatever they do and what has happened in their lives and avoid blaming others. Blaming circumstances or people would not resolve the problems of the blamers, in fact, it will increase their problems. Some of the blamers who have institutionalized blaming others have taken an attitude of transferring the blame for their own faults even when they get old. As they get older they increase the number of blaming others. If you sit down and talk with an old blamer you will realize that he has accumulated thousands of excuses for not being able to succeed and he has found hundreds of people to blame for his own failures.
The good news is that most of the conditioning of childhood that keeps you from success can be reversed. The starting point is the realization of the extent to which conditioning affects your perception that shapes your attitudes and behavior. For this, you are required to appreciate your vast unexplored potential and take responsibility of making "A" choice - that of doing something about it rather than being casual about it or blaming circumstances and people. You are also required to understand that the reprogramming takes place the same way as the programming in the initial stage - by repetition. Persistence, thus, becomes a key quality for success.
It is wise to direct your anger towards problems - not people; to focus your energies on answers - not excuses.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * He suffers from hayfever and wipes his nose during prayer

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i am a hayfever sufferer. in summer my nose starts running. can i wipe my nose with a handkershief whilst doing salaat? if i do not wipe my nose it may fall on the prayer mat/mosque carpet or my clothes and the people might be annoyed to see the water falling on the carpet.
Praise be to Allaah.
You have to prevent this (mucus) from falling onto the carpets in the mosque, even if you have to put a cloth or handkerchief over your nose, lest you offend other people. Keep taking care of your nose by wiping it. We ask Allaah to grant you healing soon.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * He prayed and remembered that he had passed wind after doing wudoo’

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suppose one does wodhu 10 minutes before the athan then prays when it is time and the next morning when he gets up remembers that he had passed wind during those 10 minutes what should one do in this case?
Praise be to Allaah.
He should repeat the wudoo’ and the prayer when he remembers, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah does not accept prayer without purity.”

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Times of prayer and fasting in the polar regions

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I am a non muslim who currently live in a muslim country. It is my understanding that the 5 daily pryers as well as the times for feasting during the ramadhan are according to sunrise and sunset. My question : How do a muslim may deterine the appropriate times for the prayers and begin feasting if he/she lives near the artic circle where nights and days can be quite long depending of the season.
My thanks for your answer and continue your work. It helps me understand a few things about islam as well as understand what our local staff were talking about.
Praise be to Allaah.
We thank you for this question and we appreciate your interest in the prayer times in Islam. In answer to your question, those who live close to the Arctic Circle, where they have continual night or continual day for several months, should look to the closest city to them where night and day are distinct in each twenty-four hour period, then they should do the five daily prayers based on the timing in that city.
Your interest in the matter and your keenness to ask questions and find out gives us the hope that you will embrace this religion and practise its rituals. We wish you well and hope for guidance for you.

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For children, - Henny Penny: Making excuses lets you avoid responsibility

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Making excuses doesn't help anyone but ends up hurting you at the end, as in the case of Henny Penny who was always looking for some lame excuse to talk to King. So, one day Henny Penny was scratching in the farmyard looking for something good to eat when, suddenly, something hit her on the head. "My goodness me!" she said. "The sky must be falling down. I must go and tell the king."
She had not gone far when she met her friend Cocky Locky. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" he called out. "I am going to tell the king that the sky is falling down," said Henny Penny. "I will come with you," said Cocky Locky. So Henny Penny and Cocky Locky hurried along together towards the king's palace.
On the way they saw Ducky Lucky swimming on the pond. "Where are you going?" he called out. "We are going to tell the king the sky is falling down," replied Henny Penny. "We must go quickly, as there is no time to lose." "I will come with you," said Ducky Lucky, shaking the water off his feathers. So Henny Penny, Cocky Locky and Ducky Lucky hurried on together towards the king's palace.
On the way they met Goosey Loosey, who called out, "Where are you all going in such a hurry?" "We are on our way to tell the king the sky is falling down," said Henny Penny. "I will come with you," said Goosey Loosey. So Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky and Goosey Loosey hurried on together towards the king's palace.
Round the next corner they met Turkey Lurkey. "Where are you all going on this fine day?" she called out to them. "It won't be a fine day for long," replied Henny Penny. "The sky is falling down, and we are hurrying to tell the king." "I will come with you," said Turkey Lurkey. So Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey and Turkey Lurkey all went on towards the king's palace.
Now on their way they met Foxy Loxy who asked, "Where are you going in such a hurry?" "We are going to the king's palace to tell him the sky is falling down," replied Henny Penny. "That is a very important message," said Foxy Loxy. "I will come with you. In fact if you follow me I can show you a short cut to the king's palace, so you will get there sooner."
So Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey and Turkey Lurkey all followed Foxy Loxy. He led them to the wood and up to a dark hole, which was the door to his home. Inside his wife and five hungry children were waiting for him to bring home some dinner.
That, I am sorry to say, was the end of Cocky Locky, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey and Turkey Lurkey, for one by one they all followed Foxy Loxy into his home, and they were all eaten up by the hungry fox family.
Henny Penny was the last to enter the Fox's hole and she heard Cocky Locky crowing in alarm in front of her. Squawking with fright and scattering feathers, she turned and ran as fast as she could for the safety of her own farmyard. There she stayed and she never did tell the king that the sky was falling down.
There are thousands of excuses for every failure, but never a good reason.

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * Reason why a menstruating woman should use a piece of cloth perfumedwith musk after doing ghusl

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What is the reason for using a piece of cloth perfumed with musk after the menstrual bleeding finishes?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Bukhaari (314) and Muslim (332) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that Asma’ asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about ghusl following menses. He said: “Let one of you take her water and lotus leaves and clean herself well, then let her pour water over her head and rub it vigorously so that it will reach the roots of her hair. Then let her pour the water over herself, then take a piece of cloth scented with musk and purify herself.” Asma’ said: How should she purify herself? He said: “Subhaan-Allaah! Purify yourself with it.” ‘Aa’ishah said – as if she whispered it to her – Follow the traces of blood.
The reason for using this is to perfume the site and ward off unpleasant odours.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inSharh Muslim: The scholars differed concerning the reason for using musk. The correct view is that of the majority of our companions and others, which is that the purpose of using musk is to perfume the site and ward off unpleasant odours. … She should use it after ghusl. If no musk is available, she should use whatever perfume she can find. If she cannot find any perfume then it is mustahabb for her to use whatever will remove the odour [soap, nowadays]. If she cannot find anything, then water is sufficient for her, but if she fails to perfume it when perfume is available, that is makrooh. If she is not able to do it then it is not makrooh in her case. End quote.
Dr. Aaminah ‘Ali Naasir Siddeeq, professor of microbiology in the College of Science in Jeddah has discovered that musk is a natural antibiotic for treating skin diseases and genital diseases in humans and animals. This discovery was patented in the King ‘Abd al-‘Azeez City for Science and Technology in Riyadh.
Seeal-Mujtama’magazine: http://www.al mujtamaa- mag.com /Detail.asp?InS ectionID=81& InNewsItemID= 217507
[Article is in Arabic]
The researcher also presented to the Eighth International Conference on scientific miracles in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, held in Kuwait in 1427 AH a paper entitled: Aspects of the scientific miracles of using musk as an antibiotic against funguses and yeasts that cause disease in humans, animals and plants..
She explained that disease-causing bacteria increase in number during the menstrual period and that musk has a strong effect in killing off these harmful microbes.
See the paper [in Arabic] at:
http://www.no oran.org /con8/Researc h/436.pdf
http://www.taf sir.org /vb/archive /index.php?t- 6980.html
It is clear that the reason for the menstruating woman using musk is to perfume the site, to ward off unpleasant odours, and to kill off disease-causing funguses and yeasts.
And Allaah knows best.

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * Removing hair and nails during the menstrual period

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Is removig and disposing of hair and nail during menstruation a sin? is it required to wash them before disposing during menstruation?.
Praise be to Allaah.
This is a matter concerning which many women are confused, namely the ruling on removing hair and nails and other Sunnahs of the fitrah during the menstrual period. This stems from a false belief that some of them have, that all parts of a person will come back to him on the Day of Resurrection, so if he removes them when he is in a state of major impurity due to janaabah, menses or post-partum bleeding, they will come back to him impure (naajis) and not purified (taahir) on the Day of Resurrection. This is a false notion and an illusion which is not correct at all.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked – as it says inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(21/120-121) – about a man who cut his nails and moustache and combed his hair when he was junub; is there any blame on him for that? Some of them referred to that and said: If the person who is junub cuts his hair or nails, his parts will come back to him in the Hereafter and he will be raised on the Day of Resurrection will a share of janaabah commensurate with whatever was removed, and for every hair he will have a share of janaabah. Is that true or not?
He (may Allaah have mercy on him) replied:
It is proven in the hadeeth of Hudhayfah and the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with them) that when mention of the person who is junub was made to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he said: “The believer does not become impure.” InSaheeh al-Haakimit adds: “alive or dead.” I do not know of any shar’i evidence for the view that it is makrooh for the person who is junub to remove hair or nails, rather the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Rid yourself of the hair of kufr and get circumcised.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (356) and classed as hasan by al-Albaani inIrwa’ al-Ghaleel(1/120). So he told the one who became Muslim to do ghusl, and he did not tell him to delay circumcision and removing the hair until after doing ghusl. The general meaning of his words implies that both are permissible. Similarly the menstruating woman is enjoined to comb her hair when doing ghusl even though combing the hair pulls out some hairs. And Allaah knows best. End quote.
Thus Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah referred to the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), when she menstruated during the Farewell Pilgrimage and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to her: “Undo your hair and comb it, and enter ihraam for Hajj, and leave ‘Umrah for now.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1556) and Muslim (1211).
Combing is usually accompanied by some hairs falling out, but despite that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave permission for the pilgrim in ihraam and the menstruating woman to do that.
The Shaafa’i fuqaha’ said, as it says inTuhfat al-Muhtaaj(4/56):
Our view is that the menstruating woman may remove them. End quote – i.e., nails, pubic hair and armpit hair.
It says inFataawa Noor ‘ala al-Darbby Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (Fataawa al-Zeenah wa’l-Mar’ah/question no. 9):
I heard that combing the hair is not permissible during the menses, and that one cannot cut one’s nails or do ghusl. Is this correct or not?
He (may Allaah have mercy on him) replied:
This is not correct. The menstruating woman may cut her nails and comb her hair, and it is permissible for her to do ghusl in the case of janaabah, such as if she has an erotic dream when she is menstruation, then she may do ghusl from janaabah; or if her husband is intimate with her without having intercourse and she reaches climax, then she may do ghusl from janaabah. This view that is widely held among some women, that they cannot do ghusl or comb their hair or cut their nails has no basis in sharee’ah as far as I know. End quote.
The view that this is makrooh is not known from any of the reputable fuqaha’, but it is mentioned in some books by followers of bid’ah who go against ahl al-sunnah, as it says inSharh al-Nayl wa Shifa’ al-‘Aleel(1/347) by Muhammad ibn Yoosuf al-Ibaadi.
And Allaah knows best.

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * Expiation for one who had intercourse with his menstruating wife in Ramadaan

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How can one who has repented from having intercourse with his wife when she was menstruating on an ordinary day offer expiation, and what is the expiation for having intercourse with her when she was menstruating during Ramadaan? This happened although we knew that these actions are haraam, and now we want to repent to Allaah and seek forgiveness. I hope that you can tell me of something I can do so that Allaah may forgive me. May Allaah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Intercourse with a menstruating woman is haraam according to scholarly consensus, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“They ask you concerning menstruation. Say: that is an Adha (a harmful thing for a husband to have a sexual intercourse with his wife while she is having her menses), therefore, keep away from women during menses and go not unto them till they are purified (from menses and have taken a bath)”
[al-Baqarah 2:222].
And al-Tirmidhi (135) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever has intercourse with a menstruating woman or with a woman in her back passage, or goes to a soothsayer, has disbelieved in that which was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi.
The one who does that has to repent and offer expiation, by giving a dinar or half of a dinar to the poor and needy, because of the report narrated by Ahmad (2032), Abu Dawood (264), al-Tirmidhi (135), al-Nasaa’i (289) and Ibn Majaah (640) from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said concerning one who had intercourse with his wife when she was menstruating: “Let him give a dinar or half a dinar in charity.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh Abi Dawood.
A dinar is four and a quarter grams of gold, so he should find out what that is worth and give that amount in charity, or half of it, and he should also resolve not to do this thing again.
Secondly:
If what you mean by having intercourse in Ramadaan is intercourse with a menstruating woman during the night in Ramadaan, then what you must do is what is mentioned above, namely repent and offer expiation.
If what is meant is that you had intercourse during the day in Ramadaan, then you have committed two major sins: breaking the fast in Ramadaan and having intercourse during your wife’s menses.
With regard to intercourse during your wife’s menses, you know what the penalty is.
With regard to breaking the fast during the day in Ramadaan by having intercourse, five things result from that:
1- Sin
2- Spoiling of the fast
3- Obligation to refrain from eating and drinking for the remainder of the day
4- Obligation of making up the spoiled fast
5- Obligation of offering expiation and repenting.
So you have to make up the day on which you spoiled your fast by having intercourse and you also have to offer expiation by freeing a slave. The one who cannot do that has to fast for two consecutive month. If he is unable to do that then he must feed sixty poor persons.
May Allaah help us all to do that which He loves and which pleases Him.
And Allaah knows best.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Why do we not join our prayers together?

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I'd like to know why we pray our midday and night prayers all seperately. We know that the prophet used to pray both separetely as well as together. On the day of Arafa we offer our prayers one after the other. In the Qur'an we are told about the prayers thrice daily, morning, modday and night. Why still do we offer our prayers speperately and not one afetr the other.
Praise be to Allaah.
You have to realize that the question you have asked is very dangerous, because it could be applied to all the rulings of sharee’ah. A person could ask, we do we have to fast a whole month all at once (Ramadaan), why aren’t the days spread out throughout the year? Why is Hajj with its rituals done only at one particular time of the year, when people have to be all crowded together; why can’t it be done at other times of the year too? There are many questions which may imply that one is objecting to the rulings of Allaah. Do you know that Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, As Salaah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours” [al-Nisaa’ 4:103]?
i.e., it is obligatory at those times. So understand what has been said above, and I ask Allaah to guide you and set your heart straight.
Shaykh Sa’d al-Humayd
Islam means submitting to Allaah and not objecting to His commands. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision”[al-Ahzaab 33:36]
And Allaah says concerning the timings of the prayer:
“Verily, As Salaah (the prayer) is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours” [al-Nisaa’ 4:103]
The wahy (revelation, i.e., Qur’aan and Sunnah) described the times of prayer in both word and deed. This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did the prayers during his lifetime; he did not join prayers together except when he was travelling or at times of hardship.
We also want to advise you that there are some followers of bid’ah (reprehensible innovation) who say that Zuhr and ‘Asr should be joined together, as should Maghrib and ‘Ishaa’, even when one is not travelling and for no reason. Beware of these people, do not keep company with them and do not listen to them. Beware of them lest they lead you astray from your religion. We ask Allaah to grant you strength and guidance.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Ruling on praying at times when prayer is not allowed

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One of my friend, who is very punctual in offering Namaaz, has seen offering namaaz sometimes even when the sun is setting. He is of the view that offering Namaaz at sun set or sun rise time is not a sin and it might be just a makrooh. I told him that offering prayer at sun set or sun rise time is not allowed and it might be a sin also. Because to have distinction with non-muslims, it has not been allowed to offer namaaz at this time.
Please tell me whether offering of prayers(Namaaz) at sun set or sun rise time is makrooh or a sin and why?
Praise be to Allaah.
It is mustahabb to pray naafil prayers at all times, except at the times when praying is not allowed. These times are from after Fajr prayer until the sun has risen to the height of a spear; from noon time until after the sun has passed its zenith, which is at mid-day for about five minutes before the sun reaches its zenith; and from after ‘Asr prayer until the sun sets. What is meant is the prayer which each person does by himself; once he has prayed ‘Asr it becomes haraam for him to pray until the sun has set, except in specific cases, when it is not haraam. See Question # 306.
The reason why it (prayer at these times) is not allowed is so as to avoid any resemblance to the kuffaar who prostrate to the sun when it rises as a greeting to it and to express their joy, and they prostrate to it when it sets as a farewell to it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was keen to put a stop to all things that may lead toshirk, or that might involve any resemblance to the mushrikeen. With regard to the prohibition on praying when the sun is near its zenith, this is because this is the time when the Fire of Hell is intensified, as was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so we should refrain from praying at these times.

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