Never Forget, - Dought & clear, - * The prostration of everything in the universe toAllaah

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It says in Soorat al-Hajj 22:18 that the dawaab (moving living creatures, beasts, etc.) prostrate to Allaah. What is the nature of this prostration?
Praise be to Allaah.
Note that this universe and all the created beings in it is in thrall to Allaah, whether by choice or by force. The believer worships Allaah by choice and is rewarded for his worship. Even though the kaafir may be alienated from his Lord and failing to worship Him, the atoms of his body and everything in him is worshipping Him and glorifying Him, but because our understanding and perception are limited, we are unaware of that tasbeeh (glorification of Allaah) and unable to understand its nature. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies His Praise. But you understand not their glorification. Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving”
[al-Isra’ 17:44]
What this means is that every created being is in a state of submission to Allaah and worships Him in a manner appropriate to its situation. The sun, moon, stars, trees and animals are all in a state of subjugation to Allaah and prostrate to Him, and all of them worship Him in an appropriate manner. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“See you not that whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and Ad-Dawaabb [moving (living) creatures, beasts], and many of mankind prostrate themselves to Allaah. But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is justified. And whomsoever Allaah disgraces, none can honour him. Verily, Allaah does what He wills”
[al-Hajj 22:18]
“Have they not observed things that Allaah has created: (how) their shadows incline to the right and to the left, making prostration unto Allaah, and they are lowly?
And to Allaah prostrate all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, of the moving (living) creatures and the angels, and they are not proud [i.e. they worship their Lord (Allaah) with humility]”
[al-Nahl 16:48-49]
Imaam Ibn Katheer said: Allaah is telling us of His Might, Majesty and Pride, for everything submits to Him and all things and creatures humble themselves before Him, inanimate objects and animals, and those which are accountable among mankind and the jinn, and the angels. Allaah tells us that everything that has a shadow that inclines towards the right and towards the left – i.e., morning and evening – prostrates to Allaah. Mujaahid said: When the sun passes its zenith everything prostrates to Allaah.
Allaah has confirmed that all beings prostrate to Him, and He has explained how some of them prostrate, which is by the inclining of its shadow towards the right and the left. It does not mean that everything prostrates on seven parts of the body; that applies only to the Muslims. The prostration of all other beings is in accordance with their nature. The fact that this prostration is prostration in the real sense is indicated by the apparent meaning of the text, because there is no valid reason for not interpreting the text as it appears to be, so we must accept it. That is also supported by the fact that the prostration of the sun, moon, stars, trees and animals is mentioned in conjunction with the prostration of the angels and humans, which indicates that this is prostration in a real sense for all the entities mentioned. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Prostration is a form of humility, so the prostration which includes all creatures implies the utmost submission and humility. For every created thing submits to His greatness and humbles itself before His might and power. This does not mean that everything prostrates like human beings do, on seven parts of the body, putting the forehead on the ground. This kind of prostration is only for human beings. Some other nations bow but do not prostrate, and that is their prostration. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘and enter the gate in prostration (or bowing with humility) and say: “Forgive us”’
[al-Baqarah 2:58]
It was said that this means enter it bowing, and some of them prostrate on their sides like the Jews. Sujood (prostration) is a generic term but because the way in which Muslims prostrate is so well known, many people think that this is how everything prostrates.
Jaami’ al-Rasaa’il, 1/27
And he said:
It is known that everything prostrates according to its nature, and the prostration of these created entities does not mean that they put their foreheads on the ground.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 21/284
This prostration includes the submission and humbling of these created entities to Allaah and their surrendering to His Lordship, Might and Sovereignty. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim said:
“It is the prostration of humility and submission, for everything submits to His Lordship, humbles itself before His Might and is subject to His Sovereignty.”
Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/107
The prostration of these created entities is a prostration in a real sense as befits each of these entities. So man prostrates in the manner that suits him, in the manner that is well known, on seven parts of the body. The sun prostrates in the manner that suits it, as mentioned in the saheeh hadeeth of Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Abu Dharr when the sun had set, ‘Do you know where it went?’ I said, ‘Allaah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘It has gone to prostrate beneath the Throne, then it asks for permission to rise, but soon it will prostrate and its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask for permission to rise and that will not be granted to it, and it will be said to it, “Go back from whence you came,” and it will rise from the west. This is what Allaah says:
“And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing”
[Yaa-Seen 36:38].’”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3199)
So it prostrates in a real sense, as is suited to the sun, but how does it prostrate to Allaah beneath the Throne? Allaah knows best how this prostration happens. The apparent meaning of the hadeeth proves that what this prostration means is not simply submission to the command of Allaah and obedience to Him. Indeed, it is submission, humility and surrender by prostrating in a real sense, but we do not understand how it happens. Similarly it is said that the moon, the trees, the animals and all other entities prostrate in a manner that suits them. What the believer should do is not to let the fact that he does not know how some entities prostrate prevent him from believing in this prostration, rather he must believe in what Allaah has told him about other entities prostrating to Him.
And Allaah knows best.

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For children, - Rewarding Responsibility: An Insignificant Task

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The day when the jobs were handed out was one of the most exciting for all the children in the class. It took place during the first week of the term. On that day, every boy and girl was given a job for which they would be responsible for the rest of that school year.
As with everything, some jobs were more interesting than others, and the children were eager to be given one of the best ones. While handing the jobs out, the teacher took into account like which children had been most responsible during the previous year, and those children were the ones who most looked forward for this day. Among them Rita stood out. She was a kind and quiet girl; and during the previous year she had carried out the teacher's instructions perfectly. All the children knew Rita was the favourite to be given the best job of all: to look after the class Dog.
But this year there was a big surprise. Each child received one of the normal jobs, like preparing the books or like preparing models for the lessons, telling the time, cleaning the blackboard, or looking after one of the pets. But Rita's job was very different. She was given a little box containing some sand and one little Ant. And even though the teacher insisted that this Ant was a very special Ant, Rita could not help feeling disappointed. Most of her classmates felt sorry for her. They sympathised with her, and remarked at how unfair it was that she had been given that job. Even her father became very angry with the teacher, and, as an act of protest, he encouraged Rita to pay no attention to this insignificant pet. However, Rita, who liked her teacher very much, preferred to show the teacher her error by doing something special with that job of such little interest.
"I will turn this little task into something great," Rita said to herself.
So it was that Rita started investigating all about her little Ant. She learned about the different species, and studied everything about their habitats and behaviour. She modified the little box to make it perfect for the Ant. Rita gave the Ant the very best food, and it ended up growing quite a bit bigger than anyone had expected.
One day in spring, when they were in the classroom, the door opened, revealing a man who looked rather important. The teacher interrupted the class with great joy, and said,
"This is Doctor Martinez. He has come to tell us a wonderful piece of news, isn't that right?"
"Exactly", said the Doctor Martinez. "Today they have published the results of the competition, and this class has been chosen to accompany me, this summer, on a journey to the tropical rainforest, where we will be investigating all kinds of insects. Among all the schools of this region, without doubt it is this one which has best cared for the delicate little Ant given to you. Congratulations! You will be wonderful assistants!"
That day the school was filled with joy and celebration. Everyone congratulated the teacher for thinking of entering them in the competition, and they thanked Rita for having been so patient and responsible. And so it was that many children learnt that to be given the most important tasks you have to know how to be responsible even in what are apparently insignificant tasks. And without doubt, it was Rita who was most pleased at this, having said to herself so many times "I will turn this little task into something really great".
So what have learned from this insignificant task story? Responsibility is to be measured by how we approach the seemingly less important tasks in life.
Life consists of each and every day. Not just the big events sometime in the future. So don't forget to take responsibility for the little things today too. Don't postpone it. Taking responsibility for your life can be hard on you. It's not something you master over the weekend. So you might as well get started with it right now.
I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. - Helen Keller
A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences. You are responsible for your life and your ultimate success depends on the choices you make. - Denis Waitley
Peak performance begins with your taking complete responsibility for your life and everything that happens to you.

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Never Forget, - Dought & clear, - * Is it permissible to work as a butcher in a non-Muslim country where they do not slaughter the meat in the manner prescribedin Islam?

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I work as a butcher in France. Please note that they do not slaughter the meat in the manner prescribed in Islam. What is the ruling on this work?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
What is required is to denounce evil and combat it, and not approve of it, and to prevent people from getting involved in it or falling into it, because of the general meaning of the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Help you one another in Al‑Birr and At‑Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment”
[al-Maa’idah 5:2].
And because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you sees an evil action, then let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then with his heart – and that is the weakest of faith.” Narrated by Muslim (49).
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “… let him change it”, form a command which indicates that it is obligatory according to the consensus of the ummah; the proof for the obligation to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil is based on the Qur’an, Sunnah and scholarly consensus. End quote.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If a man helps others in disobeying Allah, he is sinning, because he is helping in sin and transgression. Hence the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) cursed alcohol, the one who presses (the grapes, etc), the one for whom it is pressed, the one who carries it, the one to whom it is carried, the one who sells it, the one who buys it, the one who pours it, the one who drinks it and the one who consumes its price. Most of these people, such as the one who presses it, the one who carries it, and the one who pours it, are helping in drinking it. Hence it is forbidden to sell weapons to one who will use them in a forbidden fight, such as fighting the Muslims or fighting in the event of fitnah (turmoil, civil war). (22/141-142)
Once this is understood, then slaughter in a manner other than that which is prescribed in Islam is haraam, so it is not permissible for the Muslim to do this himself, and it is not permissible for him to help others in it, whether that is by doing the slaughtering or disposing of the meat after it has been slaughtered by selling or buying and so on.
Al-Bukhaari (2236) and Muslim (1581) narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) , during the year of the Conquest when he was in Makkah: “Allah and His Messenger have forbidden the sale of alcohol, dead meat, pork and idols.”.
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Ibn al-Mundhir and others narrated that there was consensus on the prohibition on selling dead meat (that which died without being slaughtered in the manner prescribed in Islam), but they made an exception from that in the case of fish and locusts.
End quote fromFath al-Baari(4/424).
Anything that has not been slaughtered in the manner prescribed in Islam comes under the heading of “dead meat”, such as that which died of natural causes and was not slaughtered properly.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the prohibition on selling dead meat, that includes everything that may be called dead meat, whether it died of natural causes or was slaughtered in a manner that does not make it permissible..
And Allah knows best.

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Never Forget, - Dought & clear, - * Ruling on shaking hands with and kissing mahrams

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What is the ruling on greeting mahrams by kissing and shaking hands? If that is permissible, then who are the relatives who are mahrams? Does the ruling on shaking hands and kissing include mahrams through breastfeeding?
Praise be to Allah.
There is nothing wrong with a man greeting his mahrams, or with a woman greeting her mahrams, by shaking hands or by kissing. There is nothing wrong with that. The mahrams are the ones who are mentioned in the verse in which Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“…and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands fathers, their sons, their husbands sons, their brothers or their brothers sons, or their sisters sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess...”
[an-Noor 24:31].
So mahrams include maternal uncles, paternal uncles and others.
The following are the mahrams: her father, her grandfathers, her mother’s father and grandfathers on the mother’s side, her sons, the sons of her daughters and the sons of her sons. The woman’s brothers and the sons of her brothers are also her mahrams, as are her maternal uncles and paternal uncles; all of them are her mahrams. The same applies to her husband’s father, her husband’s grandfather, her husband’s son, his son’s sons and the son of her husband’s daughters; all of them are mahrams to her.
There is nothing wrong with a man kissing his mahram - his paternal aunt, his maternal aunt, his mother, his grandmother and his sister. There is nothing wrong with him kissing them, but it is preferable for him to kiss her on the head, especially if she is an adult, or on the nose or on the cheek. The majority of scholars regard it as makrooh to kiss on the mouth except the husband; it is better for that to be with the husband, not with mahrams. In the case of mahrams, kissing should be done on the head, the nose or the cheek. This is what is preferred and is appropriate.
It is all the same whether the mahrams are mahram by blood or through breastfeeding.
The mahrams through breastfeeding are the woman’s father through breastfeeding, her paternal uncle through breastfeeding, her maternal uncle through breastfeeding, her husband’s son through breastfeeding, her husband’s father through breastfeeding. They are like blood relatives because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “What becomes mahram (forbidden for marriage) through breastfeeding is that which becomes mahram through blood ties.” This is what he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said. So blood ties are like ties through breastfeeding. The same also applies to ties through marriage (in-laws), as mentioned above. The husband’s father is a mahram by virtue of ties through marriage. The husband’s grandfather and the husband’s son are also mahrams by virtue of ties through marriage. Whether (the mahram relationship) is through ties of blood or through breastfeeding, shaking hands is more appropriate.
End quote.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him).

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Never Forget, - Dought & clear, - * Should she refuse to go to Hajj because shewill go back to sin after Hajj?

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I am a young woman, twenty-four years old. I want to go for Hajj, but my relatives told me: You will inevitably fall into sin, such as going to wedding parties, where of course there is music and mixing between men and women.
Therefore, after coming back from Hajj, can I go to places where there is mixing between men and women? Is it permissible for me to go with my paternal uncle for Hajj?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
We would like to congratulate you for your intention and decision to do Hajj, for at this young age, and in that country that is far away, it is very rare to find anyone who thinks of performing this great obligatory duty. Perhaps that is because they are distracted by worldly concerns and eagerness to acquire wealth, and to follow in the footsteps of the people of that disbelieving land. It is for these reasons that Islam advises us not to live among them, and repeatedly warns us against doing that. We ask Allah, may He be exalted, to enable you and your family to live in a Muslim country.
Secondly:
You should understand that sins incur the wrath of Allah, may He be exalted, and the one who does them is deserving of punishment. It makes no difference whether those sins occur before or after Hajj. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim wrote in his bookal-Jawaab al-Kaafi li man su’ila ‘an ad-Dawa’ ash-Shaafiabout a number of the effects that sin has on the one who does it. We have quoted that at length in the answer to question no. 23425. Among the things he (may Allah have mercy on him) said was that sin creates alienation between a person and his Lord, and it is the cause of loss ofbarakah(blessing), a bad end, things becoming difficult, and scarcity of provision.
By Allah’s grace towards this ummah, He has ordained for it occasions of good, of which the Muslim may avail himself to expiate his sins and increase his reward. So fasting the day of ‘Arafah bring expiation for two years, fasting the day of ‘Ashoora’ brings expiation for one year, and so on.
One of the greatest occasions of good and opportunities for doing acts of worship and obedience is Hajj. It is narrated in the saheeh Sunnah that “Whoever does Hajj and does not utter any obscene speech or do any evil deed, will go back as his mother bore him.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1683) and Muslim (1349).
The wise Muslim takes advantage of such opportunities, not in order to go back to committing sin again after that, but in order to turn over a new leaf and reconcile with his Lord, may He be blessed and exalted. If the Muslim understands that he no longer has any sins on his record, he will give thanks to his Lord, may He be exalted, and part of giving thanks is that he does not go back to doing that which incurs His wrath. This does not mean that the one who does Hajj will never sin again; rather what it means is that it is a characteristic of acts of worship in general that they form a barrier to sin, by the grace of Allah. Another of their characteristics, especially Hajj, is that they take away from a person the consequences and shame of sin.
For that reason, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Make the Hajj and ‘Umrah follow each other closely, for they remove poverty and sins as the bellows removes the dross of iron, gold and silver, and an accepted Hajj brings no less a reward than Paradise.”
Narrated and classed as saheeh by al-Tirmidhi (810); al-Nasaa’i (2631). Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani inal-Silsilah al-Saheehah(2901).
This indicates that the Muslim may commit sins before and after Hajj, for no one is infallible and immune from falling into sin. But if he does Hajj and ‘umrah a great deal, his sins will be expiated by these repeated actions.
We do not mean to say that a person has a concession allowing him to sin after Hajj or before it – Allah forbid – not at all. There is no concession whatsoever allowing anyone to disobey Allah. Rather what we mean to say is that if every person who committed a sin refused to go on pilgrimage to the House of Allah, no one would ever go on pilgrimage to the House of Allah, and no one would ever perform the rituals ordained by Allah.
The same would be true if everyone who was afraid of sin refused to go on Hajj. Pilgrimage to the sacred House of Allah would cease, for there is no believing slave who can guarantee that he will never fall into sin at some point. The most that we can say is:
Allah has instructed His slaves to repent, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):“And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” [an-Noor 24:31].
Part of repenting properly is training oneself not to go back to any of that sin, minor or major. If one is overcome by one’s nafs and goes back to any of that sin, then he must hasten to repent once more, and to do a lot of good deeds.
Falling into sin requires us to hasten to do acts of worship and obedience, and to do a great deal of such acts at all times and on all occasions, not to neglect a significant act of worship, such as pilgrimage to the sacred House of Allah, for fear of falling into sin once more. This is contrary to the nature of things.
Thirdly:
With regard to going with your paternal uncle, yes it is permissible for you to go with your paternal uncle, because he is one of your mahrams. If this is the obligatory Hajj, then going with him is obligatory for you, not merely permissible.
So seek the help of Allah and hasten to do Hajj, and strive hard to repent to Allah and express your need for Him to protect you from sin and error.
And Allah knows best.

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Never Forget, - Dought & clear, - * Ruling on wearing ordinary clothing over the izaar and rida’ [ihram garments] before starting the rituals

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I am going to travel for ‘umrah next week – in sha Allah – and I intend to enter ihram from my house in Cairo, because it is difficult to do ghusl and change my clothes when passing the miqaat in the plane. But the weather is cold, and wearing the ihram garments that are relatively light may cause me to become sick en route to the airport, especially since my immune system is weakened due to the chemotherapy that I am undergoing.
Can I start the steps of ihram at home by doing ghusl, putting on perfume, wearing the ihram garments and praying, but deferring saying “Labbayka ‘umratan (Here I am for ‘Umrah)” and reciting the Talbiyah, then put on warm tailored garments over the ihram, then take off the tailored garments and say “Labbayka ‘umratan” and the Talbiyah later on, in the airport or on board the plane? This is so that I will not put on any tailored garments after completing the first steps of entering ihram.
Praise be to Allah.
It is permissible for the one who wants to do Hajj or ‘umrah to do ghusl, put on perfume and whatever garments he wishes over the ihram garments, and to do any of the things that are prohibited when in ihram, so long as he has not formed the intention to actually begin the rituals. This is indicated by the report narrated by an-Nasaa’i from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: I put perfume on the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with my own hand, when he entered ihram – when he wanted to enter ihram (and before he did so) – and when he exited ihram – before he completely exited ihram (in the case of Hajj). Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) inSaheeh Sunan an-Nasaa’i.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This report is quoted as evidence that it is mustahabb (encouraged) to put on perfume when wanting to enter ihram, and that it is permissible to leave is there after entering ihram, and that it does not matter if its colour or fragrance remain; rather what is prohibited is to put it on anew when in ihram. This is the view of the majority of scholars.
End quote fromFath al-Baari(3/390)
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There is nothing wrong with doing ghusl, putting on the ihram garments and putting on perfume at home, because they are close to the miqaat by means of vehicles. But what is prescribed for them is not to enter ihram except at the miqaat. Ihram means forming the intention to begin the rituals. This is what ihram means. Then it is prescribed for them when forming the intention to utter the ritual intended, so one should say: “Labbayka ‘umratan(Here I am for ‘umrah)” or “Labbayka Hajjan(Here I am for Hajj).”
End quote fromMajmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz(17/52)
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said inash-Sharh al-Mumti‘(7/69): The words “his intention is a condition” refer to the intention to begin the rituals, i.e., forming the intention to begin the rituals is a condition; it is essential to form the intention to begin the rituals. If a person recites the Talbiyah without intending to start the rituals, then he does not enter ihram merely by reciting the Talbiyah. If he puts on the ihram garments without intending to begin the rituals, then he has not entered ihram just by wearing the ihram garments. The Talbiyah may be recited by the pilgrim and others, and wearing the izaar and rida’ is for the pilgrim in ihram and others. End quote
Based on that, it is permissible for you to wear tailored clothes, and to wear whatever you want, to protect yourself from cold, over the ihram garments (the izar and rida’), and to do everything that the person who is not in ihram does, of the things that are prohibited whilst in ihram, even if you have done ghusl and put on the ihram garments in your home, so long as you have not formed the intention to begin the rituals. This intention – as stated above – is an essential condition, but it does not have to be done until you come in line with the miqaat. It is permissible to enter ihram before reaching the miqaat, but this is contrary to what is preferred.
And Allah knows best.

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Acts of Worship, - Dought &clear, - * Ruling on customs and traditions that go againstsharee’ah or cause embarrassment

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There is a tradition some people observe during funerals. When someone who relates to two villages dies, they do the funeral then visit the relatives of the dead person. Then they quickly return to their village without any delay, they do not accept to stay at the relatives for hospitality because they think they it is not permissible for them to delay returning in this occasion.
Note that all of them in the two villages Muslims, most or all of them follow the Hanafi School of thought. They all hold same nationality and they may have womb relations.
My question is: has this habit any basis in Islam? I hope you give me a detailed full answer. Because this habit sometimes causes embarrassment and other social problems.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing in sharee’ah that points to the customs you mention in your question. It seems that these are things that people have become accustomed to in their lives and they do not attribute them to religion. It also seems that they have to do with psychological and social matters.
Whatever the case, since these customs have no basis in sharee’ah and especially since you mention in your question that the hospitality asked about is not offered by the family of the deceased, which is what is not allowed, then the people should not regard this as a sacred law that cannot be changed or altered. That is because this custom represents a shortcoming – of whatever extent – in the upholding of family ties and visiting family and brothers. There is no real reason for falling short in upholding these ties, especially since the problem may be caused when the family’s relatives come to the village without coming to visit them. That may be a reason for the resentment and suspicion.
Customs and traditions that clearly go against sharee’ah, or which go against the general aims of sharee’ah, or which may lead to misunderstandings and shortcomings, should be shunned and efforts should be made to change them, which needs some wisdom and gentleness.
Shaykh al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inRisaalah fi Usool al-Fiqh(7):
The basic principle with regard to customs is that they are permissible, unless it is narrated in sharee’ah that they are forbidden.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(6/510):
What every Muslim must do is not accept customs blindly, rather he should measure them against sharee’ah. Whatever is approved of is permissible for him to do, otherwise he should not do it. The fact that people are accustomed to something is not evidence that it is permissible. All the customs that people are used to in their lands or tribes must be measured against the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Whatever Allaah and His Messenger have permitted is permissible, and whatever Allaah has forbidden must be abandoned, even if it is the people’s custom. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inTafseer Soorat al-Baqarah2 (299):
Tradition does not make something that is not prescribed permissible, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):“It is not Al‑Birr (piety, righteousness) that you enter the houses from the back” [al-Baqarah 2:189], even though that was their custom and they regarded it as righteousness. The one who takes something as a custom and regards it as righteousness has to measure it against the laws of Allaah. End quote.
The scholars regarded adherence to customs and traditions that cause hardship for people and lead to some evil consequences or hardship and disputes and difficulty as blameworthy extremism, and as the kind of affectation and going to extremes that is forbidden in Islam.
It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Those who go to extremes are doomed.” He said it three times. Narrated by Muslim (2670).
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inSharh Muslim(16/220):
i.e., those who go to extremes and exaggerate in their words and deeds. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, speaking of different types of extremism inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(7/7):
The fourth category is going to extremes in customs, which is adhering too strongly to ancient customs and not turning to that which is better than that. But if the customs are equal to others in serving a valid purpose, then adhering to one’s own customs is better than turning to foreign customs. End quote.
And Allaah knows best.

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Acts of Worship, - Dought &clear, - * Is it permissible to offer a sacrifice in gratitude to Allaah for a specific blessing?

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Is it permissible for a person who has bought a car or a house to offer a sacrifice in gratitude to Allaah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The blessings that Allaah bestows upon people are many, and His bounty and generosity towards them are vast. A blessing can only be responded to by giving thanks and appreciating it. Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, has enjoined giving thanks to Him, for He is Appreciative and loves those who give thanks.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So eat of the lawful and good food which Allaah has provided for you. And be grateful for the Graces of Allaah, if it is He Whom you worship”
[al-Nahl 16:144]
“seek your provision from Allaah (Alone), and worship Him (Alone), and be grateful to Him. To Him (Alone) you will be brought back”
[al-‘Ankaboot 29:17]
Part of being grateful to Allaah is seeking to draw closer to Him by means of different kinds of acts of worship and to endear oneself to Him by means of good deeds such as prayer, zakaah, fasting and so on.
Another part of being grateful to Allaah is giving thanks to Him by means of sacrifice rituals, which means offering a sacrifice for the sake of Allaah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on the verse“Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only)” [al-Kawthar 108:2]:
What is meant is that prayer and sacrifice are the best of the things by means of which one may draw closer to Allaah, and the usage of the wordfa(translated here as “therefore”) points to the reason, i.e., doing that – prayer and sacrifice – in gratitude for that which Allaah has given him of al-Kawthar (a river in Paradise) and much goodness. So he should give thanks to the One Who has blessed him and worship Him, and the two greatest types of worship are these two acts of worship; indeed, prayer is the ultimate act of worship. It is as if He is saying to him: We have given you al-Kawthar and a great deal of goodness, and We have blessed you with that because you have been doing these two acts of worship in gratitude for Our blessing to you; these are the reasons why We have bestowed these blessings upon you, so do these two things for Us, for prayer and sacrifice are surrounded by blessings that come before them and after them. The best financial act of worship is sacrifice and the best physical act of worship is prayer, and the benefits that a slave of Allaah may gain from prayer cannot be compared to any other type of worship, as is known by those whose hearts are alive and those of high aspirations. Adding to it the benefits of offering sacrifice, which is a sign of devotion to Allaah and thinking positively of Him, and having strong certainty and faith about that which is in the hand of Allaah is something wonderful, if that is accompanied by faith and sincerity. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) obeyed the command of his Lord and prayed and sacrificed a great deal to Him; he even sacrificed sixty-three camels with his own hand during the Farewell Pilgrimage, and he used to offer sacrifices on the Eids and at other times. End quote.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa916/532).
If Allaah bestows a great blessing upon a person – and all His blessing are great – then it is mustahabb for him to give thanks to Allaah for it by showing kindness to people, so he should offer a sacrifice and make food and invite his brothers and friends, and give charity to those who are in need.
It says inal-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah(26/180-181):
It is mustahabb to give thanks anew when new blessings come, by speaking words of praise. Gratitude for that may also be expressed by doing acts of worship, which includes offering a sacrifice or inviting people to a meal. The fuqaha’ have mentioned the kinds of meals that may be offered when blessing are renewed, such as the wakeerah which is made for a new home, or naqee’ah which is made on the return of an absent loved one, and hidhaaq which is done when a child completes a reading of the Qur’aan.
The view of the Hanbalis, the more correct view among the Shaafa’is, is that these meals are mustahabb.
Ibn Qudaamah said: These invitations – other than the wedding feast (waleemah) and ‘aqeeqah – are something good, but they are like invitations that are given for no reason; if the person who does them intends thereby to give thanks to Allaah for His blessing and to feed his brothers and offer food, then he will have the reward for that in sha Allaah. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:
If one of my children does well in school, is it permissible for me to offer a sacrifice to celebrate his success, and to give thanks to Allaah?
He replied:
There is nothing wrong with making food (waleemah) if the children or one of them succeeds, and inviting one’s loved ones and his child’s friends, to celebrate Allaah’s blessing and to encourage the child. End quote.
Liqaa’aat al-Baab il-Maftooh(no. 161, question no. 1).
Secondly:
It is essential to beware of some beliefs which many people hold, and say that in order to protect the new house or car it is essential to offer a sacrifice and sprinkle it with the blood of the slaughtered animal, or that evil spirits will not keep away from you unless you do that, otherwise the blessing will soon dissipate. hese are jaahili beliefs which do not come from someone who believes in Allaah as his Lord Who possesses all powers to bring benefit or cause harm, in Whose hand is the creation and the commandment, and knows that it is not permissible to do acts of worship unless they are done for the sake of Allaah.
The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked about the belief held by many people, that offering a sacrifice on the threshold of the new house before entering it is one of the most important means of warding off the evil eye, and making the house blessed, and avoiding calamities and undesirable events.
They replied:
If this custom – i.e., offering a sacrifice on the threshold of the new house – is done in order to placate the jinn and ward off calamities and undesirable events, then it is a haraam custom, and is in fact shirk. This is what seems to be the case with offering the sacrifice before entering the house, and doing it on the threshold in particular.
But if the intention is to honour one's new neighbours and get to know them, and to give thanks to Allaah for the blessing of a new home, and to honour one's relatives and friends on this occasion, and to show them the house, then this is good and the one who does it is to be praised for his action. But that is only usually done after the people have moved into the house, and not before, and the animal or animals should not be slaughtered on the threshold of the house or in the entryway to the house.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah(1/214)
And Allaah knows best.

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Acts of Worship, - Dought &clear, - * Is it permissible to slaughter an animal with the intention of offering a sacrifice?

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I have been married for four years and have not been blessed with children. Praise be to Allaah, I have recently heard the news that my wife is pregnant, and on my father’s advice I slaughtered two animals (as a sacrifice) and distributed the meat among needy Muslims, purely for the sake of Allaah on behalf of myself and my wife. What is the Islamic ruling on that? May Allaah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allaah.
If this sacrifice and feeding the needy was done as an act of thanksgiving to Allaah, then it is permissible, for feeding people is a way of doing good to people, and Allaah loves those who do good.
But if your sacrifice was aimed at warding off evil and bringing about good, then it is not permissible. This is what is well-known among people when the word “sacrifice” (fadw) is used, because they think that by doing this they will ward off evil and bring about good, so they do this when accidents or sickness happen to them or their loved ones.
In Islam, sacrifice is not a means of warding off that which has been decreed by Allaah, whether good or bad.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about slaughtering an animal when a building is completed or halfway through building. He said:
This action is subject to further examination. If the intention behind the sacrifice is to protect oneself against the jinn or some other intention by which the owner of the house intends to achieve something, such as keeping it or its occupants safe, this is not permissible, and it is a kind of bid’ah (innovation). If it is done for the jinn then it is majorshirk, because it is an act of worship done for someone other than Allaah.
But if it is done as an act of thanksgiving for a blessing that Allaah has bestowed, such as reaching the roof or completing the house, so the person gathers his relatives and neighbours and invites them to this feast, there is nothing wrong with this. This is what many people do as an act of thanksgiving for a blessing from Allaah, as He has enabled them to build a house and live in it instead of renting. Similar to this is what some people do when they come back from a journey, and they invite their relatives and neighbours as an act of thanksgiving to Allaah for their safe arrival. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came back from a journey he would sacrifice a camel and invite the people to eat. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3089).
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 5/388.
Shaykh Muhammad al-Saalih ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
What some people do when they move into a new house and slaughter an animal and invite their neighbours and relatives is fine so long as it is not accompanied by any corrupt beliefs, as is done in some places where, when a person moves into a new house, the first thing he does is to bring a sheep and slaughter it on the threshold so that the blood will fall onto it, and they say that this will prevent the jinn from entering the house. This is a corrupt belief which has no basis in Islam. But if a person slaughters it as an expression of joy and happiness, there is nothing wrong with that.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 7/550, 551.
And Allaah knows best.

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For children, - Responsibility and Reward Story

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Two sons work for their father on the family's farm. The younger brother had for some years been given more responsibility and reward, and one day the older brother asks his father to explain why?
The father says, "First, go to the Kelly's Farm and see if they have any Geese for sale - we need to add to our stock." The older son soon returns with the answer, "Yes they have five Geese, which they are ready to sell to us."
The father then says, "Good, please ask them the price."
The older son returns with the answer, "Each Geese cost us $10."
The father says, "Good, now ask if they can deliver the Geese tomorrow."
And duly the older son returns with the answer, "Yes, they can deliver the Geese by tomorrow."
The father asks the older son to wait and listen, and then calls his younger son from a nearby field, "Go to the Davidson's Farm and see if they have any Geese for sale - we need to add to our stock."
The younger son soon returns with the answer, "Yes, they have five Geese for $10 each, or ten Geese for $8 each; and they can deliver them tomorrow - I asked them to deliver the five unless they heard otherwise from us in the next hour. And I agreed that if we want the extra five geese we could buy them at $6 each."
The father turned to the older son, who nodded his head in appreciation. He now realized why his younger brother was given more responsibility and reward.
A lot of times we face the question why someone is so successful and someone is not. Some people call it luck, some people call it being in the right place at the right time and some people call it influence, however the truth is performance with full responsibility and full potential. These two aspects are constantly observed by all and this is what ultimately leads to success of any individual.
Responsibility is taking care of your duties. Responsibility is answering for your actions. Responsibility is accountability. Responsibility is trustworthiness.

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * Her period becamelonger becauseof the IUD

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During Ramadaan, my wife went and had an IUD (“the coil”) inserted after her period finished, and her period became longer, so she did not fast for eleven days. After that it was proven that for four of those days the blood was not menses but irregular bleeding. What is the ruling on those days? Is there any expiation to be offered? What is it?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
If the period becomes longer because of the IUD and the bleeding follows on from the period, then it is all menses, such as if her period is usually seven days but increased to eleven days.
But if the bleeding stopped after the seven days, and she was certain that she had become pure, then she bled for four more days that was different from her usual menstrual bleeding, and that was because of the IUD, then these four days are not regarded as menses, rather they are istihaadah (irregular vaginal bleeding).
Similarly, if it is proven medically that the blood was irregular bleeding and not menses, then it is istihaadah.
Secondly:
If a woman does not fast when she sees blood because she thinks that it is menstrual bleeding, then it becomes clear to her that it was istihaadah, she does not have to do anything apart from making up the days that she did not fast.
Conclusion: If it is proven that these days were not menstrual bleeding, then she does not have to do anything apart from making up those days.
And Allaah knows best.

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * She does ghusl after her menses then she sees a brownish discharge

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I am a woman who has continuous yellowish discharge. And I am of those who do not have a sign of tuhr (purity of menstruation). And I do not know how to make sure of my tuhr in that case. My period is seven days (obvious blood for 7 days). After this I find brownish and yellowish discharge. My question is: If the brownish discharge disappears and the yellowish remains, shall I consider it menstruation or my normal yellowish continuous discharge? As sometimes the brownish discharge disappears for a day and the yellowish one remains, so I make ghusl and pray, then the brownish comes out again sometimes once a day. This puts me in great confusion. Shall I repeat ghusl or not?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The ongoing discharge that comes out of woman is taahir (pure) according to the most correct of the two scholarly opinions, but it invalidates wudoo’ and the woman who has this problem must deal with it like urinary incontinence, so she should do wudoo’ for each prayer and pray whatever she wants of obligatory and naafil prayers. You will find more details on that in the answer to question no. 50404.
Secondly:
A woman may know that her period has ended by one of two signs:
1 – Emission of the white discharge.
2 – Complete dryness, such that if she inserts a piece of cotton it comes out clean with no trace of blood or yellowish or brownish discharge on it.
al-Baaji said inal-Muntaqa: The usual sign of tuhr (end of the period) is two things: the white discharge or dryness, which is when a woman inserts a piece of cotton or cloth into her vagina and it comes out dry with no trace of blood on it. Women’s usual patterns with regard to that vary; some of them see the white discharge and some see the dryness. End quote.
Thirdly:
If the yellowish or brownish discharge comes immediately after the period then it is part of the menses. If it comes after the tuhr has been established, then no attention should be paid to it.
Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in hisSaheeh: Chapter of the coming and going of menses; the women used to send to ‘Aa’ishah vessels containing pieces of cloth on which there were yellowish marks and she would say: Do not be hasty until you see the white discharge, meaning thereby the end of the menses (tuhr).
The colour of menstrual blood usually changes towards the end of the period, and becomes lighter in colour, and it may be followed by a yellowish or brownish discharge. The report of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) indicates this, and indicates that the yellowish discharge that is connected to the period is regarded as menses.
The basic principle is that you should regard this yellowish discharge as part of the period, not spotting, so long as you have not ascertained that the period is over, especially as you see the brownish discharge after doing ghusl. This makes it more likely that it is menses.
But if the end of the period is ascertained by seeing the white discharge or complete dryness, then you should not pay any attention to the yellowish and brownish discharge in that case. This is what is indicated by the words of Umm ‘Atiyah (may Allaah be pleased with her): We used not to regard the brownish and yellowish discharge after the tuhr (end of the period) as being of any significance. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (320) and Abu Dawood (307).
And Allaah knows best.

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Acts of Worship, - Dought & clear, - * Should he focus on purifying his heart or on doing naafil acts?

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Which is more important – dealing with feelings and thoughts that Allaah dislikes, such as destructive envy, hatred, arrogance, showing off, thinking highly of one's deeds, hard-heartedness, etc., which form the evil that resides in the heart, or focusing on doing outward naafil deeds such as prayer, fasting and other acts of worship and fulfilling vows even though those other things are present in the heart? Please advise us, may Allaah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allaah.
Some of the acts mentioned are obligatory, and those which are obligatory should be given precedence, as Allaah says according to the hadeeth qudsi narrated from His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “My slave does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined on him.” Then He says: “And My slave continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him.” Outward physical acts are not valid and acceptable unless they are accompanied by appropriate actions of the heart, because the heart is like the king and the physical faculties are like his troops. If the king is evil his troops will also be evil. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “In the body there is a piece of flesh: if it is sound the whole body will be sound and if it is corrupt then the whole body will be corrupt.” Similarly the (hidden) actions of the heart inevitably affect the (visible) physical actions. So precedence must be given to that which is more obligatory, whether it is called inward or outward. Perhaps things that are called inward may be more obligatory, such as refraining from destructive envy and arrogance, for that is more essential than observing naafil fasts. Or acts that are described as outward or physical may be better, such as qiyaam al-layl (praying at night), which is better than simply giving up some thoughts that may cross one's mind such as (non-destructive) jealousy, etc. Inward and outward deeds support one another, and prayer keeps one from doing evil actions and generates fear of Allaah, and has other important effects. It (prayer) is the best of good deeds and charity. And Allaah knows best.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him),Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 6/381
So there is no separation between correcting what is inward and correcting what is outward or physical.
The outward acts of worship which a person performs with his physical faculties – if he does them for the sake of Allaah – will undoubtedly have an effect on his inward nature.
For example, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Shall I not tell you of something that will take away the evil of the heart? Fasting three days of each month.” (Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 2386; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Nasaa’i, 2249). The evil of the heart refers to rancour, hatred and destructive envy.
One of the most important remedies for diseases of the heart is to study and ponder the texts which include warnings to the one who leaves these diseases to fester in his heart, such as the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one will enter Paradise who has an atom’s-weight of arrogance in his heart.” (Narrated by Muslim, 91).
And the hadeeth according to which Hell will say, “My share is the arrogant.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4850; Muslim, 2846)
And the hadeeth: “On the Day of Resurrection the arrogant will be gathered like ants in the form of men.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2492; classed as hasan by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2025).
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The disease of the nations who came before you has started to spread among you: destructive envy and hatred. These are the shavers. I do not mean that they shave hair but they shave away religious commitment. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something which if you do it, you will love one another. Spread (the greeting of) salaam amongst yourselves.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2510; classed as hasan by al-Albaani inSaheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2038).
Whoever ponders with true insight such warnings about the diseases of the heart will undoubtedly strive to cleanse his heart thereof, and will seek help in doing so by doing outward physical acts, praying to his Lord to cleanse his heart of hatred, destructive envy, rancour and so on, as Allaah says, describing the prayer of the believers:
“and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed”
[al-Hashr 59:10 – interpretation of the meaning]
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad.

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Acts of Worship, - Dought & clear, - * Showing off (riya) in worship

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Is there any chance of getting blessings from an act ruined by riyaa if one's intentions change to please Allaah after the thought of riyaa has already come? For example, I finish reciting Qu'raan, and the thought of riyaa enters my mind. If I immediately fight this thought with thinking about Allaah, can I still get blessings for my recitation, or is it completely ruined forever because of riyaa, given that the act is over and the riyaa thought came after it was already over?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
Showing off may affect worship in three ways:
1 – When the basic motive for worship is to be seen by others, such as one who stands and prays so that people will see him, and so that they will praise him for his prayers. This invalidates the act of worship.
2 – When it is a factor that develops during the act of worship, i.e., if the worshipper is initially sincere in his intention towards Allaah, then the idea of showing off develops whilst he is doing it. In this case one of the following two scenarios must apply:
(i) There is no connection between the first part of his act of worship and the last part, so the first part is valid in all cases, and the last part is invalid.
For example: a man has one hundred riyals that he wants to give in charity, so he gives fifty of them in a sincere act of charity. Then the idea of showing off develops with regard to the remaining fifty. So the first was a sound and accepted act of charity, but the last fifty was an invalid act of charity because the sincerity was mixed with a desire to show off.
(ii) The first part of the act of worship is connected to the last part, in which case one of the following two scenarios must apply:
(a) He wards off the idea of showing off and does not give in to it, rather he turns away from it and hates it. This does not have any effect on him, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has forgiven my ummah for what crosses their minds, so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it.”
(b) When he gives in to this idea of showing off and does not ward it off. In this case the entire act of worship becomes invalid, because the first part is connected to the last part. For example, he starts the prayer with a sincere intention towards Allaah, then the idea of showing off develops in the second rak’ah, so the entire prayer becomes invalid because the first part is connected to the last part.
3 – The idea of showing off develop after the act of worship has ended. This does not affect it or invalidate it, because it has been completed soundly, so if showing off occurs after that it does not affect it.
It is not showing off if a person feels happy that the people come to know about his worship, because this developed after he has finished the act of worship.
It is not showing off if a person feels happy because he has done an act of worship, because that is a sign of his faith. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever feels happy because of his good deeds and sad because of his bad deeds, that is the believer.”
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked about that and said: “That is the first glad tidings of the believer.”

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Acts of Worship, - Dought & clear, - * I want to be a devoted slave of Allaah … ten pointers

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My question is short. I want to enter Paradise, I want to strive to control my self (my nafs), I want to kiss my mother’s hand every day, I want to keep away from whims and desires and from the Shaytaan, I want Allaah to call me a devoted slave on the Day of Resurrection, in sha Allaah, I want to love my brothers, and I want my faith to keep increasing. What should I do?.
Praise be to Allaah.
We ask Allaah to make you steadfast in adhering to the truth, and to make your hopes come true, and to make you one of those who turn to Him and who know the truth, defend it and adhere to Islam.
The things you mention in your question indicate that you have a sound and pure nature, and a great desire to achieve great things and to give everyone his rights. These are great hopes that can be achieved through faith, as it was narrated that Sufyaan al-Thawri said: Faith is not wishes or pretence, rather it is what settles in the heart and is proven by actions.” So we will discuss the matter of faith and how important it is in becoming a devoted slave, pleasing and honouring one’s parents and achieving the victory of Paradise.
Whoever seeks to achieve great things has to stay up at night (worship).
Hence al-Fudayl said: “You hearts can never taste the sweetness of faith until they shun worldly pleasures.” And he also said, “If you cannot pray qiyaam at night and fast during the day, then know that you are deprived.”
The sincere believer has a heart like a burning coal, hence it was narrated by al-Haakim in hisMustadrakand al-Tabaraani in hisMu’jamwith a saheeh isnaad that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Faith wears out in your heart as clothes wear out, so ask Allaah to renew the faith in your hearts.”
The believer’s heart may sometimes feel overwhelmed by clouds of sin. This was portrayed to us by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he said: “There is no heart that does not have clouds like the clouds that cover the moon. When the cloud covers it, it is dark, and when the cloud moves away it shines.” Narrated by al-Tabaraani inal-Awsat, and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani. So the believer’s heart is sometimes covered with a cloud and its light is hidden, and it remains dark and lonely, but if he strives to increase his store of faith and seeks the help of Allaah, that cloud goes away and the light in his heart starts to shine again. Hence one of the salaf said: “It is part of a person’s smartness to c heck on his faith and be aware of what affects it.” It is also part of a person’s smartness “that he recognizes how the Shaytaan whispers to him.”
So he has to come back to faith. If you come back to faith and do as it requires, then you will achieve what you want. We will tell you of a basic principle which will let you know when faith is present and when it is not. Imam Ibn al-Jawzi said: “O you who are turned away, O you who are deprived of meeting your loved ones, if you want to know how you stand before the king, then look at how you are spending your time and what work you are assigned to do. How many people stand at the door of the king, but no one enters except the one whom he cares for. Not every heart is fit to draw close, not every heart can be filled with love, not every wind is like the morning breeze.”
If a person want to know how he stands before Allaah and how he stands in relation to His commands and prohibitions, let him look at himself and see what he is preoccupied with. If he is busy with da’wah and with saving people from the Fire, striving to attain Paradise, helping the weak and needy, honouring his parents, then let him rejoice in the fact that he is close to the King of kings, for Allaah does not help anyone to do good except those whom He loves.
But if he is has no interest in da’wah, dislikes the daa’iyahs and does not do good things, if he is preoccupied with this world and its gains, and with gossip and asking too many questions, whilst not doing much or following his whims and desires, let him know that he is far from Allaah and has been deprived of that which will bring him closer to Paradise, because Allaah says in His holy Book (interpretation of the meaning):
“Whoever desires the quick-passing (transitory enjoyment of this world), We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell; he will burn therein disgraced and rejected (far away from Allaah’s Mercy).
And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allaah’s obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allaah Islamic Monotheism) — then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allaah)”
[al-Isra’ 17:18-19]
My brother, if you want to have a high position in all kinds of good deeds, to be a devoted slave of Allaah and to honour your parents, and you are seeking Paradise, then you have to do the following:
1 – You have to revive the faith in your heart. Faith is what will bring the Muslim everything he seeks in this world and in the Hereafter. Faith is the key to all goodness and locks the door to all evil. The means of reviving and strengthening faith in one’s heart are many and varied, including doing a lot of acts of worship and righteous deeds.
2 – You must turn to your Lord sincerely, as it says in the report: “If My slave turns to me inwardly and outwardly, I will turn the hearts of My slaves to him with love and mercy.”
Allaah has made worship the ultimate aim and loftiest purpose of man:
“And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)”
[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56 – interpretation of the meaning)]
3 – You should always set your sights on the highest degrees, and make your goal in life to earn the pleasure of Allaah, and strive to attain the victory of Paradise, or to attain the highest Firdaws. You should strive as hard as you can to achieve these lofty aims.
4 – You should follow the example of historical Muslim figures such as the Sahaabah, Taabi’een and righteous forebears (the salaf).
5 – You should make the most of every minute, every moment and every heartbeat to use it in such a way as to increase your faith.
6 – You should try to keep company with righteous people, because the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “A man will follow the religion of his close friend, so let each one of you look at whom he befriends.” Narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Tirmidhi with a hasan isnaad. Good friends are one of the best means of helping you to obey Allaah and to avoid sin and error.
7 – Doing a lot of righteous deeds which will bring you happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.
8 – Praying qiyaam al-layl, making du’aa’ in the time just before dawn. The feet of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to swell because of his desire to be a thankful slave, even though Allaah had forgiven his previous and future sins.
9 – Persisting in reading a portion of Qur’aan daily, and other dhikr that helps you to think and ponder the meanings of the Qur’aan.
10 – Striving to spread the word and make da’wah for the sake of Allaah, and working for Islam as much as possible.
If you want to reach the status of devoted slave for which you long, then be as Allaah commanded His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
“Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)”
[al-An’aam 6:162]
Being a devoted slave of Allaah means declaring one’s devotion and belonging to the Lord, which can only be achieved by applying this aayah, so that we are for Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, in all our affairs.
Being a devoted slave of Allaah can only be fully achieved in this manner; it can only be achieved by worshipping Allaah in the fullest sense of the word, which means making our living and dying, and all our movements, for Him alone. So we only speak that which is pleasing to Allaah; we only do that which is pleasing to Allaah; we focus our intention in these words and deeds only on Allaah. Worship should not be reduced to merely raising and lowering our heads at certain times, or giving a few pennies every once in a while, or fasting a few days each year, or moving our lips to say a few words and dhikrs.
Hence the deeds that lead to this status – of being a devoted slave – are innumerable and may take many shapes in all aspects of our lives and the places where we live. This is by the bounty of Allaah towards us and towards all people.
Just look, in every place where you find yourself and every moment that comes to you, for that which will please Him, and what you think He wants to see you doing, and do it. Then you will be a devoted slave.
Finally, we ask Allaah to accept righteous deeds from us and from you, and to gather us and you in His mercy with the Prophets, siddeeqs, martyrs and righteous, and those are the best of companions.

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For children, - Rewards for taking full Responsibility

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What is one of the most boring and tiresome words ever? Like discipline, responsibility is one of those words you have probably heard so many times from authority figures that you have developed a bit of an allergy to it. Still, it's one of the most important things to grow and to feel good about your life. Without it as a foundation nothing else in any personal development book really works.
It's been said that the line between childhood and adulthood is crossed when we move from saying 'It got lost' to 'I lost it.' Indeed, being accountable, understanding and accepting the role our choices play in the things that happen are crucial signs of emotional and moral maturity. That's why responsibility is one of the main pillars of good character.
Many people have been refusing to grow up and avoiding the burdens implied in being accountable. Yes, responsibility sometimes requires us to do things that are unpleasant or even frightening. It asks us to carry our own weight, prepare and set goals and exercise the discipline to reach our aspirations.
But the benefits of accepting responsibility far outweigh the short-lived advantages of refusing to do so. No one makes his or her life better by avoiding responsibility. In fact, irresponsibility is a form of self-imposed servitude to circumstances and to other people.
People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them. - George Bernard Shaw
Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment and learn again to exercise his will - his personal responsibility in the realm of faith and morals. - Albert Schweitzer
Following incident illustrates blaming others and not taking full responsibility:
Bernard L. Brown, Jr., once worked in a hospital where a patient knocked over a cup of water, which spilled on the floor beside the patient's bed. The patient was afraid he might slip on the water if he got out of the bed, so he asked a nurse's aide to mop it up. The patient didn't know it, but the hospital policy said that small spills were the responsibility of the nurse's aides while large spills were to be mopped up by the hospital's housekeeping group.
The nurse's aide decided the spill was a large one and she called the housekeeping group. A housekeeper arrived and declared the spill a small one. An argument followed.
"It's not my responsibility," said the nurse's aide, "because it's a large puddle." The housekeeper did not agree. "Well, it's not mine," she said, "the puddle is too small."
The exasperated patient listened for a time, then took a pitcher of water from his night table and poured the whole thing on the floor. "Is that a big enough puddle now for you two to decide?" he asked. It was, and that was the end of the argument.
So, responsibility is about our ability to respond to circumstances and to choose the attitudes, actions and reactions that shape our lives. It is a concept of power that puts us in the driver's seat. The grand panorama of the potential of our lives can only be appreciated when we begin to be accountable and self-reliant.
If you want more control over your life and the pleasures, power of freedom and independence, all you have to do is be responsible. Responsible people not only depend on themselves, but show others that they can be depended on.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Stopping one’sprayer in cases of necessity

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Is it permissible to stop one’s prayer if the warning siren goes off in the case of an accident?
Praise be to Allaah.
If the accident is major and serious, then it is OK to stop one’s prayer; if it is a minor incident that can be dealt with after completing the prayer, then it is not permissible. The scholars said: it is obligatory to stop one's prayer in order to save a negligent person from a fatal accident. For example, if you are praying and you see a snake approaching a man who is sitting down and has not noticed it. If it is heading for him, you have to stop your prayer and tell him so that he will not be bitten, possibly fatally. Or if you see a blind man walking in front of you whilst you are praying, and he is heading towards a well, and you are afraid that he may fall into it, then you have to stop your prayer and save him from that fatal accident, even if this means stopping your prayer. The same applies in cases of fire, etc.
But if the siren goes off for a minor matter which can be dealt with after completing the prayer and it will not be too late if you complete the prayer first, then it is not permissible to stop your prayer before you have completed it, because this accident can be dealt with after completing the prayer, without anyone coming to further harm. And Allaah knows best.

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