The example of two friends -Advice to the Youth

Allah has given us another opportunity to share with each other some advice which will remind us about the purpose of our lives inshallah. These advice are written and posted by Muslim youths just like you.
Our belief in Allah needs tobe strong and solid. Right now if I were to ask you"Is there a ground under you?" You would without a doubt say yes. Then if I asked "Is there a sky above you?" You would reply yes again without a doubt. Our belief in Allah should be so strong that if I was to ask "Is Allah watching you right now?" Without a doubt you should say yes. This type of belief doesn't come by sitting at home and doing nothing. We must work forit. Allah the Almighty has said in the Holy Quran: As for those who strive hard ``in Us`` (Our Cause), We will surely, guide them to Our Paths. (Surah Ankabut:69).
Let me share a story with you. Two friends were travelling together. One was blind and the other could see. Now, when the night fell, they decided to take some rest and continue the journey in the morning. This area wassuch that in the day time the temperature increases pretty high but in the night the temperature decreases significantly. Much like the areas near the oceans. In the morning, the person who could see left to find some food. The blind man stayed behind and was just touching here and there around him. Now, what had happened at night is that one snake was passing by this place. But due to the extreme coldness, the snake became inactive, frozen, and straight. This blind man's hand fell on this snake and he thought thatit's a very nice stick. He picked it up and became very happy. To a blind man, a good stick is a very valuable thing.
Later, the person who could see came back with some food and saw his friend touching a snake. Sohe shouted and said to throw it away. But the blind man insisted, you want this stick don't you? Iam not going to throw it away. After trying hard, hecouldn't convince the blindman to throw it away. Anyway, they continued their journey. Then the temperature began to rise and the snake started regaining its energy. Whenit received enough heat, it flexed its muscles and bit the blind man.
We can compare ourselvesto this situation also. We are like this blind man andProphet Muhammad (SAW)is like the person who could see. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) went toMiraj and saw the horrors of Hell and the blissfulness of Paradise. Now, the Prophet told us about many things to give up and stay away but becausewe can't see the dangers that's why we don't pay any attention to them. Butwhen the time comes, we will get into serious problems. That is why, we should follow the rules and regulations of Islam.
( Love for Muhammad PBUH is the basic teaching of Islam.)... Islam is not terrorism nor backwordness, but Islam isteachings of peace."Ashadunna La illaha illallahu Wa Ashadunna Muhammadan Wa Rasuluhu." "I bear witness that there is no god, but Allah, and Muhammad is His Last Messenger."/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

1a] She ran away from her family’s home and marrieda Christian; is she entitled to a share of her father’s estate?

1a]
It should be noted that one of the things that invalidate one's being
a Muslim and that constitutes apostasy is not regarding as
disbelievers the People of the Book and the mushrikeen, or having some
doubt as to whether they are disbelievers, or regarding their religion
as valid. See the answer to question no. 31807 and 6688
What you have to do is advise your sister and explain the seriousness
of what she has said, and call her to leave her husband ifhe does not
become Muslim.
To sum up the issue of her inheritance: if she remained Muslim and did
not regard as permissible her marriage that she knew was invalid, and
she did not regard the religion of the Christians as valid ordoubt
that they are disbelievers, then she may inherit. Otherwise if she has
done any of these things that invalidate her being a Muslim, then you
have to advise her and askher to repent in front of scholars in your
country. If she repents, all well and good, otherwise she is an
apostate and has no right to inherit from your father.
And Allah knows best.

1] She ran away from her family’s home and marrieda Christian; is she entitled to a share of her father’s estate?

1]
My younger sister ran away from the family home when she was sixteen
years old. My parents tried very hard to convince her to come back,but
she refused and said that she no longer wantedto be part of this
family. There has been very little contact between us and her during
the last twenty years. Now my father has died.
1. Is my sister entitled to a share of what my father left behind?
2. Is there anything wrongwith her marrying a Christian man and saying
that her children are free to choose between Islam and Christianity?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The factors that determinewhether one person inherits from another are
three: blood ties (kinship), marriage and wala' (relationship between
a freed slave and his former master). And the impediments to
inheritance are three: being a slave, being the murderer of the
deceased, and being of different religions. The fact that your sister
ran away from the family home does not alter the fact that she is the
daughter of your parents. This means that she comes under the heading
of kinship by virtue of which she is entitled to inherit from them so
long as she has not apostatised from Islam.
The fact that she ran away from the family home does not deprive her
of her right to inherit from your father, even if she hasstayed away
from her parents' home for a long time. And we do not knowof any
difference of scholarly opinion concerning that.
Secondly:
Marriage of a Muslim woman to a non-Muslim man is a major sin, and
there is scholarly consensus that it is haraam and that the marriage
contract is invalid. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And give not (your daughters) in marriage to Al-Mushrikoon till they
believe (in Allah Alone) and verily, a believing slave is better than
a (free)Mushrik (idolater, etc.), even though he pleases you"
[al-Baqarah 2:221]
"O you who believe! Whenbelieving women come to you as emigrants,
examinethem, Allah knows best as to their Faith, then if you ascertain
that they are true believers, send them not back to the disbelievers,
they are not lawful (wives) for the disbelievers nor are the
disbelievers lawful (husbands) for them"
[al-Mumtahanah 60:10].
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was
asked: A man married a Muslim woman then it became apparent that the
man was a kaafir. What is the ruling on that?
He replied:
If it is proven that the manmentioned was a kaafir at the time of the
marriage contract and the woman was Muslim, then the marriage contract
is invalid because it is not permissible, according to the consensus
of the Muslims, for a kaafir to marry a Muslim woman, because Allah,
may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning): "And give
not (your daughters) in marriage to Al-Mushrikoon"[al-Baqarah2:221]
and "then if you ascertain that they are true believers, send them not
back to the disbelievers, they are not lawful (wives) for the
disbelievers nor are the disbelievers lawful (husbands) for them"
[al-Mumtahanah 60:10].
End quote from Fataawa Islamiyyah, 3/230
It says in a statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council: Marriage of a
kaafir to a Muslim woman is haraam and is not permissible according to
scholarly consensus. And there is no doubt concerning that, because of
what is impliedby shar'i texts.
End quote from Fataawa Islamiyyah, 3/231
Any Muslim woman who isaware of that (and still does it) deserves to
incur sin and deserves to be subjected to the hadd punishment for
zina. But if a woman was unaware of this ruling, sin is waived in her
case, but it is not permissible for her to remain in that marriage,
because it was never valid in the first place.
See also the answer to question no. 8396
Thirdly:
It seems from your question that your sister has not declared any
apostasy from Islam, but there remains the issue of her marriage to a
non-Muslim and her sayingthat her children are free to choose between
Islam and Christianity. So we say:
1. It seems that her marriage to a Christian man is an invalid,
haraam marriage. If she did that regarding it as permissible when she
was aware of the prohibition on it, then that constitutes apostasy
from Islam, and the apostate cannot inherit from his Muslim relative.
If she did not regard it as permissible, then she is a sinner, as
mentioned above, but that does not prevent her from inheriting.
2. With regard to her saying that her children are free to choose
between Islam and Christianity, that is a false notion and a great
evil, because Islam is the true religion and nothing other than it is
valid or acceptable from anyone. :->

Is there any saheeh report in the Sunnah that speaks of reciting a particular soorah of the Qur’aan before travelling?

I read a hadeeth from Jubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) which
says that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said:"When you want to set out on a journey, you haverecite
Soorat al-Kaafiroon, an-Nasr, al-Ikhlaas, al-Falaq and an-Naas, but in
one go, and start with the basmalah and end with the basmalah." We
need an answer to this in the light of the Qur'aan and Sunnah.
Praise be to Allaah.
The text of the hadeeth referred to in the question is as follows:
It was narrated that Jubayribn Mut'im said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to me: "O Jubayr, when
you set out on a journey, would you like to be the best of your
companions in appearance and quantity of provisions?" I said: Yes, may
my father and mother be sacrificed for you. He said: "Recite these
five soorahs: 'Qul ya ayyuhal kaafiroon' [al-Kaafiroon 109], 'Idha
ja'a nasr Allahi wal fath' [al-Nasr 110], Qul Huwa Allahu ahad
[al-Ikhlaas 112], Qul a'oodhi bi rabbi'l-falaq [al-Falaq 113] and Qul
a'oodhu bi raabi'n-naas [an-Naas 114]. Start your recitation by saying
Bismillah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem and end your recitation by saying
Bismillah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem." Jubayr said: I was rich and had a
great deal of wealth, and I used to set out with whomever Allah willed
I should set out with on a journey, andI would be the worst of them in
appearance and the least in terms of provisions. From the time the
Messenger of Allah (blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) taught me
it, I have never stopped reciting them, andI am one of the best of
them in appearance and have the most provisions, until I come back
from my journey.
This was narrated by Abu Ya'la in his Musnad, 13/339, hadeeth no 7419.
This is a da'eef (weak) hadeeth; its isnaad includes unknown narrators.
Al-Haythami said concerning it in Majma' az-Zawaa'id (10/134): (Its
isnaad) includes people who I do not know.
Shaykh al-Albaani said concerning it in as-Silsilah ad-Da'eefah
(6963): (it is) munkar.
Based on that, it is not valid to quote this hadeethas evidence to
suggest that it is mustahabb to recite any soorahs of the Qur'aan
before travelling. By the same token, it is not valid to quote it as
evidence for saying the basmalah at the beginningof each soorah.

And Allah knows best.