2] Arabian's religien before Islam

2]
'Ilumquh of the Sabeans
~
Sheba is the Anglicized Hebrew spelling of Saba, the name of an
ancient southwest Arabian kingdom roughly corresponding to the modern
territory of Yemen, originally settled by Semites from western or
central Arabia during the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. Excavations
at Ma'rib, its capital, during the 20th century have revealed an
imposing temple to the moon god. Like the sabbath it has a meaning of
"seven".
Temple of 'Ilumquh at Marib Yemen, Sabean Moon Bull,
Incense Holder Aksum, Moon and Orb of Venus Sabean wall frieze (Doe).
"The South Arabians before Islam were polytheists and revered a large
number of deities. Most of these were astral in concept but the
significance of only a few is known. It was essentially a planetary
system in which the moonas a masculine deity prevailed. This, combined
with the use of a star calendar by the agriculturists of certain
parts, particularly in the Hadramaut, indicates that there was an
early reverence for the night sky. Amongst the South Arabians the
worship of the moon continued, and it is almost certain that their
religious calendar was also lunar and that their years were
calculatedby the position of the moon. The national god ofeach of the
kingdoms or states was the Moon-god known by various names: 'Ilumquh
by the Sabaeans, 'Amm and 'Anbay by the Qatabanians, Wadd (love) by
the Minaeans, and Sin by the Hadramis". The term 'God is Love' is
characteristic of Wadd (Briffault 3/85). 'the Merciful' ascribed to
Allah is also South Arabian (Pritchard).
The sun-goddess was the moon's consort; she was perhaps best known in
South Arabia as Dhat Hamym, 'she who sends forth strong rays of
benevolence'. Another dominant deity was the male god known as
Athtarcorresponding to Phoenician Astarte (Doe 25). Pritchard (61)
claims their pantheon included the the moon god Sin etc., Shams
(Shamash) and Athtar or Astarte as in the Semitic trinity, however it
would appear that the sunwas female as the Canaanite Shapash who
figures in Ugarit myth alongside Athtar (Driver 110).
The earliest temple knownis the Mahram Bilquis or Harem of the Queen
of Sheba, previously called the Awwam the temple of the Moon God
'Ilumquh which dates from around 700 BC, although its lower levels may
be substantiallyolder. Sabean moon worship extended througha long
period of time to around 400 AD when it was overtaken be rescendent
Judaism and Christianity around a century before Muhammad.
Bilqis the Sun-worshipper of Islam
Bilquis was the Queen of the Sabeans in Solomons time. Pre-Islamic
poetry describes Solomon as a king of universal kingdom of men, djinn
and winds etc. nine angels stand before him. He built the castle
al-Ablaq near Taima.
Sabean Votive Offerings with a black Shulamite (Doe)
Diodorus Siculus notes:"This tribe [the Sabaeans] surpasses not only
the neighbouring Arabs but also all other men in wealth and in their
severalextravagancies besides. For in the exchange and sale of their
wares they, ofall men who carry on trade for the sake of the silver
they receive in exchange, obtain the highest price in return for
things of the smallest weight. Consequently, since they have never for
ages suffered the ravages of war because of their secluded position,
and since an abundance of both gold and silver abounds in the country,
… they have embossed goblets of every description, made of silver and
gold, couches and tripods with silver feet, and every other
furnishingof incredible costliness, and halls encircled by large
columns, some of them gilded, and others having silver figures on the
capitals. Their ceilings and doors they partitionedby means of panels
and coffers made of gold, set with precious stones and placed close
together, and have thus made the structure of their houses inevery
part marvellous for its costliness; for some parts they have
constructed of silver and gold, others of ivory and the most showy
precious stones or of whatever else men esteem most highly" (Pritchard
1974 44). Their sculpture and votive offerings were refined.
Strabo noted that the kingof Saba who "presides over the court of
justice and other things" was not permitted to leave the palace, for
if he did "the people would at once stone him, in consequence of a
saying of an oracle" (Pritchard 1974 66).

Clarification of Hadith on Passing Wind

Question:
i know that the haith re passing wind says that you assume no wind
passed unless you hear or smell it today during the farz of isha, i
had grumblings in my stomach and also there was a small noise.
HOWEVER, i was pretty confident that i didnt pass any wind from my
backside and the noise could have beeninternal stomach grumblings, a
joint cracking or the floorboards and didntsound much like a fart at
all given that certainty isnt lifted bydoubt, i put this downto
waswasah and carried on with salah,sunnahs and witr. Was this correct
or should i re-read isha and witr on the basis that the noise may have
been a fart (although i dont thinkit was on balance)
Answer:
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
The hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)
is telling us that unless certain that one hasactually passed wind,
one must assume that one hasn't. What you did was correct.
And Allah alone gives success.

Some details of Tafseer of Surah an-Naba' (79)

All praise is due to Allâh, we praise Him, and seek His help and
forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allâh, Most High, from the evils of our
own selves and from our wicked deeds. Whoever Allâh guides, cannot be
misguided. I testify that there is no trueGod worthy of being
worshipped except Allâh, alone, without partner or associate. I
further testify that Muhammad is His trueslave and Messenger (SâS) [1]
.
May Allâh's Salâh and Salâm be also granted to the Prophet's pure
family, and to all of his noble companions.
"O you believe! Fear Allâh[by doing all that He ordered and abstaining
from all that He forbade] as He should be feared [Obey Him, be
thankful to Him, and remember Him always] and die not except in a
state of Islâm(as Muslims with complete submission to Allâh)." [Surah
Al-i'Imrân,3:102]
"O mankind! Be dutiful toyou Rabb (Allâh) [2] , Whocreated you from a
single person (âdam) and from him (âdam) He created his wife (Eve),
and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allâh
through Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and (do not cut the
relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allâh is ever an
All-Watcher over you." [Surah an-Nisa', 4:1]
"O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allâh and fear Him, and speak
(always) the truth. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and
will forgive you yoursins. And whosoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger
has indeed achieved a great success." [Surah al-Ahzâb, 33:70-71]
It proceeds then: That the most truthful speech is that of Allâh's
Book (the Qur'ân) and that the best of guidance is that of Muhammad
(SâS). The worst of evils are innovation (foreign to the true
teachings of Islâm). Every innovated matter (inreligion) is a Bid'ah;
every Bid'ah is a Dalâlah (misguidance), and every Dalâlah is in the
Fire of Hell. The Qur'ân is the Word of Allâh. The Tafseer (Exegesis)
of the meaning of the Noble Ayat (verses) of the Qur'ân is critical to
the understanding of Islâmas a whole. The Qur'ân is explained by the
Qur'ân itself [3] and by the Sunnah [4] of the Prophet (SâS). The
Salaf [5] not onlytransmitted the explanation of the Qur'ân, but laid
down the foundations for Ijitihâd [6] and thus their way is the best
and most reliable wayof Tafseer. Philosophical and scholastic opinions
dealing with the Word of Allâh produce confusion, alterations in the
meaning of the texts and thus lead astray. The Muslim is calledto
follow the path of thosewho gained Allâh's Pleasure. They are the
Salaf, may Allâh make us follow their path in all matters of Islâm.
Considering the above, I have decided to bring closer the Salaf's
Tafseer inseparate publications starting with the Tafseer of Part
Thirty of the Noble Qur'ân. This is the first issue and it deals with
the Tafseer of Surah an-Naba'. I hope that this approach will be
simple enough so that it will, Inshâ' Allâh, benefit a broad sector of
the Muslim Ummah (Nation). I ask Allâh to accept this effort and make
it beneficial for all those who read it and (or) distribute it.
The Tafseer of Surah an-Naba' [7]
1. "What are they asking (one another)?"
2. "About the Great News."
The disbelievers question the occurence of the Day of Reckoning. Allâh
(SWT [8] ) describes this Day as the one that brings Great News. Ibin
Katheer (The eminent scholar of Tafseer)said that most likely this
News refers to the Resurrection after death, based upon the fact that
Allâh (SWT) says about it inthe next ayah (verse):
3. "About which they are indisagreement."
Mankind are divided into believers and disbelievers regarding the
occurence ofthis Day. Allâh (SWT) warnsthose who deny it, saying:
4. "Nay, they will come to know!"
5. "Nay, again, they will come to know!"
An emphasised and a confirmed warning for those who deny this Day that
they will certainly come to know that the Day of Resurrection is
true.Allâh shows His abilities to produce the Signs of this Day and He
tells about its magnitude in the following verses so that the people
contemplate and realise that Allâh, Whois able to bring about these
Signs, is All-Able to bring life to the Dead as well as Resurrection.
Allâh (SWT) tells mankind about many aspects of His Abilityand Power
to create what He wishes. For those who under-estimate Allâh and His
Greatness, there is a reminder, and for those who believe, there is an
affirmation:
6. "Have We [9] not made the earth as a bed?"
7. "And the mountains as pegs?"
To provide cohesiveness and stability to the earth. Modern scientific
discoveries found that these pegs are driven into the ground like pegs
used to anchor a tent.
8. "And We have created you in pairs."
Males and females, tall andshort, good and bad etc. Males and females
lawfullyenjoy each other (through marriage) and have children. This
enjoyment isphysical as well as emotional.....

Peacock Spider

Peacock spider or Glidingspider (Maratus volans) is confined to
eastern parts of Australia (Queensland, New South Wales).
Although tiny, male spiders have an iridescent colouring of red, green
and blue. Females are dull, brown drab coloured creatures.
Mature spiders are small with a length of between 4 and 5 mm.
The brilliant colouring is not just for decoration. The peacock spider
has earned its name when he courts with his mate.
He raises his abdomen vertically, expands his flaps and displays them
like a peacock's tail. He also raises his third legs which have a
brush of black bristles and the white-tipped ends.
While vibrating his raised legs and tail, he starts dancing from side
to side or rolls as a sailoras he approaches the female.
Altogether a spectacular courtship dance. After mating the male
repeats the performance and dancing with other females.

Biographies Prophets - Prophets Hud and Salih

Since their purpose was often the same, the stories of many of the
prophets are very similar. They wereall raised up among their own
people, to warn their people against their sinful ways and warn of
Allah 's pending punishment. Theirmessage was the same, to worship
Allah and heed the words of His prophet. The prophets emphasized that
they had nothing to gain from their people; that they were merely
conveying Allah's message.And all the prophets were deeply
compassionate men, who became frustrated that so few heeded their
words, but who never stopped trying to convey Allah's message,until
the people's deeds exceeded limits set by Allah.�
The response to each prophet's message was also very similar. A very
small number of his people would heed his message and follow his
advice. But most of his community would refuse to listen. They would
say that their prophet was crazy. They would laugh athim, scorn his
followers, and threaten him. They would challenge him to bring on the
punishment with which he was always threatening them. But only Allah
knew when the punishment would strike and what it would be. When the
punishment did strike, the prophet and his believers would be saved,
and all the nonbelievers would be destroyed.
The type of punishment differed: it was a great flood at the time of
Nuh ( Peace be upon him ) and a shower of brimstones among the people
of Lut ( Peace be upon him ). In this issue we will see whathappened
to the people ofthe prophet Hud ( Peace beupon him ) and the people of
the prophet Salih ( Peace be upon him ). Thesetwo prophets are not
mentioned in the Bible.
Hud (pronounced "who'd")( Peace be upon him ) was a member of the 'Ad
(rhymes with "rod") tribe, a powerful Arab tribe which lived in the
southern Arabian peninsula. (Muhajir, A.M.R. 1975. Lessons from the
Stories of the Quran , Sh. Muhammed Ashraf, Lahore, Pakistan, pp
45-46). They were descendants of Nuh ( Peace be upon him ). They were
tall in stature and were skilful builders. They were all
idol-worshippers. The prophet Hud ( Peace be upon him ) was raised up
to bring them back to the worship of Allah.
Hud's ( Peace be upon him ) message and his people'sreaction to it
followed the usual pattern. They called him an idiot and a liar. He
implored them to listen to him, but they rejected him.And so Allah
sent down Histerrible penalty, from which only Hud ( Peace be upon him
) and his followers were saved. The penalty in this case was a great
wind which destroyed everything in itspath. It raged for seven nights
and eight days, and when it had passed, nothing could be seen but the
ruins of the houses. It picked the people up and flung them to the
ground.
Nothing and nobody couldwithstand its force. Thus was the tribe of Ad,
a powerful nation of skilful and intelligent people, destroyed because
it would not listen to its prophet.
The tribe of Thamud existed about 200 years after the tribe of 'Ad.
They lived in an area which is now near the border between Syria and
Arabia. They carved their homes out of rocks. Some of those rock
habitations, called asalib, are still in existence (Muhajir, pp
49-50). They are often mentioned in the Qur'an inconjunction with the
tribe of Ad. The prophet who was sent to them was named Salih ( Peace
be upon him ).�
Salih ( Peace be upon him ),too, had only a very small band of
followers. The remaining townspeople were very much against Salih (
Peace be upon him ) and his teachings. A group of them were even
plotting to secretly do away with Salih ( Peace be upon him ), but
that was not part of Allah's plan so the plot failed.
A sign of Salih's ( Peace be upon him ) prophethood was sent by Allah
to the people of Thamud in the form of a she-camel. Salih ( Peace be
upon him ) instructed the people of Thamud to allow the camel to
pasture freely and to have its share of water. It was when they killed
the camel that they overstepped the limits placed by Allah, and their
destruction was inevitable.Salih ( Peace be upon him ) foretold that
within three days of having slain the camel disaster would come upon
them. It is not clear exactly what the disaster was. Some sort of
earthquake activity and some storms are mentioned. But the result was
the total destruction of the people of Thamud, with the exception of
Salih( Peace be upon him ) and his followers.
Thus we see again in the stories of these two prophets, Hud ( Peace be
upon him ) and Salih ( Peace be upon him ), how two powerful nations
were totally destroyed, because they did not heed Allah's warning.
Only the faithful were saved.�
You can read about Hud ( Peace be upon Him ) in theQur'an, Sura
7:65-72, Sura 11: 50-60, Sura 26:123-140, Sura 41:15-16, Sura
46:21-26, Sura 51:41-42, Sura 54:18-21, Sura 69:6-8, andSura 89:6-8.
You can read about Salih (Peace be upon Him ) in the Qur'an, Sura
7:73-79,...:->

How Big Are You? An Amazing Presentation

Now, this is really fascinating. This image shows the size of Earth
compared to some other planets in our solar system.
The image below shows Earth compared to some of the larger planets in
our solar system. Look how small we are compared to Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus and Neptune! About 1,400 Earths can fit inside the Jupiter.
The image below shows the sizes of the huge planets compared to the
Sun. There is no comparison! The huge Jupiter looks tiny compared to
the Sun. About 980 Jupiters can fit inside the Sun.
Now going beyond our solar system, it's a big universe. Look how tiny
the sun is compared to some other stars.
Finally, the huge stars above is tiny compared tothe stars shown
below! The Sun is only 1 pixel in size in the image below. Subhan
Allah.
ANTARES IS THE 15TH BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY. IT IS MORE THAN 1000
LIGHT YEARS AWAY.
HUMBLING, ISN'T IT?
NOW HOW BIG ARE YOU?
AND HOW BIG ARE THE THINGS THAT UPSET YOU TODAY?
AND HOW BIG IS YOUR ALLAH?

Allergic asthma

Causes of asthma
Asthma often runs in atopic families. Children are also more likely to develop asthma if their mother smoked during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Most people find several things trigger their asthma. Some of the mostcommon predisposing factors for asthma are allergies to:
*. House dust mites
*. Mould spores
*. Pollen
*. Pets
*. Food or food preservatives
Asthma triggers include:
*. Viral infections, such as colds and flu
*. Cigarette smoke
*. Certain forms of exercise, such as running
*. Exposure to cold, dry air
*. Laughing and other emotions
*. Medication containing aspirin
*. Drinks containing sulphur dioxide, such as squashes and lemon barley water
Top
Symptoms of asthma
The main symptoms are coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and a tight feeling in the chest.
Top
Asthma treatments
There are two main treatments for asthma:
*. Relievers - salbutamol and terbutaline
*. Preventers - beclomethasone, budesonide, fluticasone, mometasone and ciclesonide
These come in a variety ofdelivery devices, such as aerosol or powder inhalers and nebulisers. You breathe the medicine in through your mouth, directly into your lungs.
Relievers are drugs called bronchodilators (based onadrenaline) that relax the muscles which surround the airways, making it easier to breathe. You should take these as directed by your doctor assoon as symptoms appear.
Taking a dose of the reliever inhaler before exercise will increase yourstamina and prevent breathing difficulty.
Preventers are drugs (usually low-dose steroids) that reduce inflammation in the airways and make them less sensitive. This means you're less likely to react when exposed to a trigger.
The protective effect of this medicine is built up over a period of time, so you must take your preventer regularly, as directed by your doctor.
Combination preventer and long-acting reliever (formoterol and salmeterol) inhalers have become popular and seem to be particularly good at controlling more severe and persistent asthma.
If your asthma is really bad, your doctor may alsoprescribe a short course ofsteroid tablets to calm your inflamed airways.
Newer anti-inflammatory medication includes leukotriene receptor antagonists (montelukast and zafirlukast), which areparticularly useful for brittle asthma and patients with aspirin-sensitive asthma.
The most recent addition to the list of possible treatments for asthma is anew injection medication (omalizumab) for those with severe allergic asthma, which works by dampening down the IgE allergic reaction.
An older orally administered bronchodilator, theophylline, isn't often used these days owing to its unpredictable toxic side-effects and need for blood testing.
There is little scientific evidence to support the use of breathing exercises,such as Buteyko, in the treatment of asthma. However, some people with asthma find breathing exercises calm their symptoms and reduce their need for reliever medication.
Top
Preventing asthma
You can help to avoid asthma attacks by taking preventer medicine regularly and avoiding your triggers. You can also monitor your asthmaby asking your doctor to provide you with a peak flow meter, a simple device that measures the amount of breath in your lungs.
Most childhood asthma is caused by an allergy. Skin-prick and RAST tests may be able to discover the allergen. Practical steps can then be taken toavoid it, be it house dust mites, cats, dogs or other pets. Even mould spores and pollen grains can trigger seasonal asthma attacks.
If you're prone to sudden or severe asthma attacks, keep asthma diary cards and a peak flow meter on hand to monitor your lung airflow so you can take early action.
Discuss an asthma action plan with your GP, who may issue an emergency supply of oral steroid pills.You may need to increase your medication dosage ifyour peak flow measurement drops steadily.
Remember, never stop taking your preventer medication, even when your symptoms are stable. Don't wait until your symptoms get worse- they'll be harder to treat./

தமிழ்ச் சமுதாயம் - தமிழுக்காக தமிழர்களுக்காக ஒரு பகுதி

சகலரும் அறிந்திருக்க வேண்டிய 100 மருத்துவக் குறிப்புகள்- இப்பவே நோட் பண்ணுங்க!
1. விபத்தில் காயம்பட்டவரை அவசரத்தில் கண்டபடி தூக்கிச் செல்லக் கூடாது.
படுக்க வைத்து மட்டுமே தூக்கிச் செல்ல வேண்டும். ஒருவேளை தண்டுவடம்
பாதிக்கப்படாமல் இருந்து, நீங்கள் உடலை மடக்கித் தூக்குவதன் மூலம் அது
பாதிப்படையலாம். உடல் பாகங்கள் செயல் இழந்து, நிலைமையை மேலும்
சிக்கலாக்கிவிடு ம்.
2. எலும்பு முறிவு ஏற்பட்டால், எக்ஸ்-ரே எடுத்துப் பார்க்காமல்
குத்துமதிப்பாகக ் கட்டுப்போட்டுக் கொள்ளாதீர்கள். ஏனென்றால், எலும்புகள்
கோணல்மாணலாக சேர்ந்துகொள்ளவு ம், தசைகள் தாறுமாறாக ஒட்டிக்கொள்ளவும ்
வாய்ப்பு இருக்கிறது. இதனால்… கால்கள் கோணலாக, குட்டையாக மாறக்கூடிய
ஆபத்து இருக்கிறது.
3. பிஸியோதெரபி என்பது இயற்கை வலி நிவாரணி. மாதக் கணக்கில் வலி நிவராணி
மாத்திரைகள் சாப்பிடுவதன் மூலம் குணமாகும் பிரச்னையை, வாரக் கணக்கிலேயே
குணமாக்கிவிடும் .
4. எலும்பு உறுதிக்கு கால்சியத்தைவிட, புரொட்டீன்ஸ் மிக முக்கியம்.
புரொட்டீன்ஸ் புடவை எனில், அதில் உள்ள டிசைன்ஸ்தான் கால்சியம். பருப்பு
வகை, சோயா, காளான், முட்டை, இறைச்சி போன்றவற்றில் புரொட்டீன்ஸ் அதிகமாக
உள்ளது.
5. எடை குறைவான இருசக்கர வாகனங்களைப் பயன்படுத்துவோர் , மிக மெதுவாக
செல்ல வேண்டும். வேகமாக செல்லும்போது ஏற்படும் அதிர்வுகள் நேரடியாக
முதுகு, கழுத்து மற்றும் இடுப்புப் பகுதியைப் பாதிக்கும்.
6. எலும்புகள், 25 வயது வரைதான்பலம் பெறும். அதன்பிறகு மெள்ள வலுவிழக்க
ஆரம்பிக்கும். எனவே, குழந்தைப் பருவத்திலிருந்த ு 25 வயது வரை சாப்பிடும்
சத்தானஉணவுகள்தான் எலும்பை உறுதிப்படுத்தும ். அதன் பிறகு
சாப்பிடுவதெல்லா ம் எலும்புகளின் வலு குறையும் வேகத்தை குறைக்க மட்டுமே
உதவும்.
7. வயதான காலத்தில் தடுமாறி விழுந்தால் முதுகு எலும்பு, இடுப்பு எலும்பு
உடைந்து போக வாய்ப்பு அதிகம். வயதானவர்கள் நடமாடும் பகுதிகளில் தரை
வழவழப்பாக இருக்கக் கூடாது. நல்ல வெளிச்சத்தோடு இருக்க வேண்டும்.
கார்ப்பெட்டில் கூட தடுக்கி விழலாம். எனவே, அவர்கள் எதையாவது பிடித்தபடி
நடப்பதற்கு வழி செய்ய வேண்டும்.

Natural Health and Environmental Research

Natural Health and Environmental Research
~
Why We Shout In Anger
"Why We Shout In Anger"
A Hindu saint who was visiting river Ganges to take bath found a group
offamily members on the banks, shouting in anger at each other. He
turned tohis disciples smiled 'n asked.
'Why do people shout in anger shout at each other?'
Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our
calm, we shout.'
'But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you?
You can as well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner.' asked
the saint
Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfiedthe other disciples.
Finally the saint explained,.
'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot.
To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other.
The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear
each other to cover that great distance. What happens when two people
fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, Because
their hearts are very close. The distance between them is either
nonexistent or very small...'
The saint continued, 'Whenthey love each other even more, what
happens? Theydo not speak, only whisper'n they get even closer to each
other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only
look at each other 'n that's all. That is how close two people are
when they loveeach other.'
He looked at his disciples 'n said.
'So when you argue do notlet your hearts get distant, Do not say words
that distance each other more, Or else there will come a day when the
distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.'

Islamic Marriage Khutbah (Wedding Speech)

Women celebrating at an Egyptian open air wedding
This is a typical Muslim nikah khutbah (wedding speech) that would be given by an Imam at a Muslim wedding. This particular speech was translated from Arabic, I believe. I do not know theauthor's name:
Wedding Khutbah
"Thanks be to Allah that we praise Him, pray to Him for help; ask Him for pardon; we believe in Him, We trust Him; and ask Him to guard us from the evil of our own souls and from the evil consequences of our own deeds. Whomsoever He leaves straying no one can guide him. I bear witness that there is no God save Allah, who has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, whom He has sent with truth as a bringer of good news anda warner.
The best word is the bookof Allah, and the best wayis that of Muhammad, on whom be peace. The worst of all things are innovations and every innovation leads astray, and every thing that leadsastray leads to Hell.
Whosoever obeys Allah and His messenger will beguided aright and whosoever disobeys will cause loss to his own self (and thereafter). Hereafter, I ask the refugeof Allah from Shaytan, theoutcast.
O mankind! Be careful ofyour duty to your Lord who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women. be careful of your duty towards Allah in whom you claim (your rights) of one another, and toward thewombs (that bear you). Lo, Allah hath been a watcher over you. [SurahAl Nisa' 4:1]
O ye who believe! Observe your duty to Allah with right observance, and die not save as those who have surrendered (unto Him). [Surah Ali 'Imran 3:102]
O ye who believe! Guardyour duty to Allah, and speak words straight to the point; He will adjust your works for you and will forgive you your sins. Whosoever obeyeth Allah and His messenger, he verily hath gained a signal victory. [Surah Al Ahzab 33:70-71]"
Marriage is one of the most important acts of worship in Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) has told us how to live as Muslims. One of the branches of faith is marriage. It has been thus narrated in a Hadeeth that when a person marries, he has complete half of his religion and so he should fear Allah regarding the remaining half.
Shame, modesty, moral and social values and control of self desire are just a few of the many teachings of Islam. Furthermore, these are just a few of the many worships that a person can complete by performing the ritual of marriage. Through marriage a person can be saved from many shameless and immoral sins and through marriage he has is more able to control his desire. Therefore, the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) has said:
"O young men! Whoeveris able to marry should marry, for that will help him to lower his gaze and guard his modesty." [Sahih al-Bukhari]
Marriage is a strong oath that takes place between the man and women in this world, but its blessings and contract continues even in Jannah. It is the way of our beloved Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam), and whosoever goes against this practice has been reprimanded.
Hadhrat Anas ibn Malik narrates:
A group of three men came to the houses of thewives of the Prophet (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) asking how the Prophet worshipped (Allah), and when they were informed about that, they considered theirworship insufficient and said:
"Where are we compared to the Prophet as his past and future sins have been forgiven?"
Then one of them said: "I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever."
The other said: "I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast."
The third said: "I will keepaway from the women and will not marry forever."
Allah's Apostle came to them and said, "Are you the same people who said so-and-so? By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my tradition in religion, is not from me (from myfollowers)." [Sahih al-Bukhari]
Therefore, Islamically, we are all encouraged to get married and not turn away from the ways of our beloved Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Salaam). It should be remembered that this duty of marriage is for both men and women. Just as men complete half their religion through thisact, it is also the same for women. However, in today's time, there are many marriage-related issues which arise in people's lives, as today we see many people abusing the laws of marriage in Islam.

The Heart of the Matter

Sometimes we have a problem with a Muslim or Muslims, and we get
frustrated and we think, "I don't want to be around those people
anymore." Orsomething happens at the Masjid (the mosque) that we don't
like, maybe the Imam says something we don't agree with, or we don't
like the Masjid policies, and we feel offended and we stop going.
Maybe we pray at home, and stop associating with Muslims, then maybe
over time we become slack in our prayers, but we tell ourselves it's
okay becausewe're still Muslim "in our hearts".
That's one kind of trap.
On top of that it's hard to represent this deen amongnon-Muslims. It's
hard to carry yourself as a Muslim at work when you're the only one
there and you're aware that some of your co-workers are bigots or are
operating on negative stereotypes. It's hard to wear the hijab when
somepeople look at you as if you're a terrorist.
So maybe we give up the outer trappings of Islam, telling ourselves
that we have to survive in this society.
That's another trap.
And if you're a convert andyour family is opposed to your conversion
to Islam, that's another weight to carry. If they are openly hostile,
and if you still live with them as they mock your deen (maybe in front
of your children) and try toundercut your childrens' practice of Islam
by feeding them pork or letting them have "a little taste" of wine… or
something comes on the news about a conflict in the Muslim world and
yourfamily says, "Look, those Muslims are at it again…" And you don't
know how to respond, or you don't want to start another fightso you
keep your mouth shut, but inside you feel humiliated and confused…
And if you are isolated from the Muslim community for racial reasons
(this is not supposed to happen but it does) or for simple
culturalreasons, because you can't speak Arabic or Urdu and you don't
fit in, and you haven't been able to makeany Muslim friends, or you
feel that the Masjid crowd don't regard you in the same way as
so-called "born Muslims"… instead they look at you as an oddity, or a
child, or a trophy of some kind, as if your conversion somehow
validates their faith…
Well, then, you might startto say to yourself, "What's the point? Is
it really worth it? Is it even really true?"
That's obviously a huge, deadly trap.
Okay, if you're a "born Muslim" you might not reach the point of that
laststatement ("Is it even true?") because for most ofus who were
raised Muslim, Islam is bred into us from childhood, and it's a part
of us even when wedon't understand it or appreciate it. But you still
might feel that identifying as a Muslim is too much trouble… it's
easier to associate with non-Muslims, abandon your prayers, drink wine
atthe company dinner, have relationships with non-Muslims, and not
haveto battle against society every day, not to mention battling
against your own nafs (desires). This is an easy trap to fall into if
you are a professional living alone.
We fall into these traps because we forget what this deen is. Shaytan
(Satan) isolates us just as awolf isolates a sheep, driving it away
from the herd; then he plays games with our minds so that we become
reactive, responding emotionally tocircumstances in our environments.
("That Muslim cheated me, so I don't trust Muslims anymore.") Shaytan
gives us pathetic rationalizationsthat we latch onto as if they really
mean something. ("I'm a single Muslim alone in a non-Muslim
environment. It's not practical for me to live an Islamic lifestyle
right now.")
Or whatever.
We fall into these spiritual traps because we forget what Islam is all
about. Weforget the heart of the matter, the core, the fulcrum upon
which the universe turns, the foundation of reality itself:
Laa ilaha il-Allah.
There is no God but Allah.

1a] Righteous deeds do notexpiate transgressions against the rights of others

1a]
if he accepts that, all well and good, but if he objects and demands
his money, then he should give it to him, and the money he gave in
charity becomes an act of charity on his own behalf. He alsohas to ask
Allaah for forgiveness and repent to Him, and pray for the other
person.

And Allaah knows best.

1] Righteous deeds do notexpiate transgressions against the rights of others

1]
I heard that the Prophet (S) said that if one keeps the fasts of
Ramadan withemaan and in order to getreward from Allah, Allah will
forgive all his or her past sins. Does this also include the sins one
may have knowingly committed against the rights of other Muslim
brothers and sisters whichhe or she now deeply regrets doing but
cannot admit his or her guilt to the victims as this may create even
more problems?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There are many things which expiate for sin, including repentance,
seeking forgiveness, doing acts of worship, carrying out hadd
punishments on those who have done acts for which such punishments are
due, and so on.
But righteous deeds such as prayer, fasting, Hajj etc only expiate for
minor sins, according to the majority of scholars, and they only
expiate for transgressions against therights of Allaah.
With regard to sins that have to do with the rightsof other people,
they can only be expiated by repenting from them. Oneof the conditions
of repenting from them is restoring the rights of those who have been
wronged.
Muslim (1886) narrated from 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The martyr will be forgiven
for all his sins except debt."
Al-Nawawi said in Sharh Muslim:
The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
"except debt" draw attention to all rights owed to other people.
Jihad, martyrdom and other righteous deeds do not expiate for
transgressions against therights of other people, rather they only
expiate for transgressions against the rights of Allaah. End quote.
Ibn Muflih said in al-Furoo' (6/193):
Martyrdom expiates for everything except debt. Our Shaykh (i.e.,
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, may Allaah have mercy onhim) said: and
except sins against other people such as murder and oppression. End
quote.
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (14/129):
Repentance in the sense of regretting what one has done and resolving
not to do it again is not sufficient to waive the rights that are owed
to other people. Whoever has stolen another person's wealth, or seized
it by force, or has wronged him in any otherway, will not have
finished with the matter by simply regretting it, giving up the sin
and resolving not to do it again. Rather he has to restore those
rights. This is a principle on which thefuqaha' are unanimously
agreed. End quote.
This has to do with material possessions, suchas wealth that has been
taken be force or by deceit. With regard to intangible rights such as
in cases of slander and backbiting, if the person who has been wronged
knows about it, then it is essential to apologize to him and ask for
his forgiveness. If he did not know, then he should not be told;
rather the one who wronged him shouldpray for him and pray for
forgiveness for him, because telling him may upset him and create
enmity and hatred between the two.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
According to the saheeh hadeeth: "Whoever has wronged his brother with
regard to his blood, his wealth or his honour, let him come and set
mattersstraight before there comes a Day on which there will be no
dirhams and no dinars, only good deeds and bad deeds, andif he has
good deeds (theywill be taken and given tothe one whom he wronged),
otherwise some of the bad deeds of the one whom he wronged will be
taken and added to his burden, then he will be thrown into the Fire."
This has to do with cases where the one who was wronged was aware of
it; but if he was gossiped about or slandered and he does not know,
then it was said that one of the conditions of repentance is telling
him, or it was said that this is not essential, which is the view of
the majority; bothviews were narrated fromAhmad, but his view on such
matters is that one should do good deeds for the one who was wronged,
such as praying for him, praying for forgiveness for him and doing
good deeds to be given to him, to take the place of that backbiting
and slander. Al-Hasan al-Basri said: The expiation for gossip is to
pray for forgiveness for the person about whom you gossiped. End
quote.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 18/189
The scholars of the Standing Committee said, concerning a man who
stole money from a slave:
If he knows the slave or he knows someone who knows him, he can tell
him to look for him and give him the money in silver or the
equivalent, orwhatever he agrees upon with him. If he does not know
who he is and he thinks that he will never find him, he should give
itor the equivalent in cash money in charity on behalf of its owner.
If he finds him after that, he should tell him what he did; if he
accepts that, :->

Mullah Nasruddin

Once a king consulted Nasruddin. "Daring the Abasis and after, khalifs
used to add the term "Allah" after their names. What title do youthink
I should choose for myself? Nasruddin answered "Nawoozobillah" (God
forbid).
Because of lack of time Nasruddin went to a judge's office to divorce
his wife. The judge asked him, "What is yourwife's name?" He answered.
"I don't know." "For how many years havd you remainedas spouses?" The
judge asked again. He said "More than 20 years". The judge asked him.
"How come you don't know her name?" Nasruddin answered, "Because I did
not have any social relations with her." Once a person slapped
Nasruddin in thestreet. Later he came hack and started to apologize
and said that he had mistaken Nasruddin for some one else. But
Nasruddin was not satisfied and took tight hold of his collar, took
him to the judge and told the judge aboutthe incident. The judge
ordered, "Nasruddin must slap that person to avenge. But Nasruddin
didn't get satisfied. Thus the judge ordered the person to give
Nasruddina gold coin in lieu of the slap. The accused had to go out of
the court to bring the gold coin. Nasruddin waited for sometime. The
accused didn't come hack. Nasruddin stood up and slapped the judge on
hisface and said, "Since I have a lot of work, whenever that person
Comes and brings the coin, You take the moneyfor this slap."

1c] How to be successful in life

1c]
because he knows that these are the result of vulnerable human nature
and of weakness and fear that have no basis. He also knows that Allaah
has guaranteed complete sufficiency to those who put their trust in
Him. So he trusts in Allaah and finds peace of mind in His promise,
and thus his worry and anxiety are dispelled; hardship is turned to
ease, sadness is turned to joy, fear is turned to peace. We ask Allaah
to keep us safe andsound, and to bless us with strength and
steadfastness of heart, and complete trust, for Allaah has guaranteed
all good things to those whoput their trust in Him, andhas guaranteed
to ward off all bad and harmful things from them.
If bad things happen or there is the fear of such, then you should
count themany blessings that you are still enjoying, both spiritual
and worldly, and compare them with the bad things that have happened,
for when you compare them you will see the many blessings that you are
enjoying, andthis will make the bad things appear less serious.
See al-Wasaa'il al-Mufeedah li'l-Hayaat al-Sa'eedah by Shatkh 'Abd
al-Rahmaan ibn Sa'di
Ibn al-Qayyim summed fifteen ways through which Allaah may dispel
worries and regret. These are as follows:
1- Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (belief in the Oneness of Divine Lordship)
2- Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (belief in the Oneness of the Divine nature)
3- Tawheed of knowledge and belief (i.e.,Tawheed al-Asma'
wa'l_Sifaat, belief in the Oneness of the Divine names and attributes)
4- Thinking of Allaah as being above doing any injustice to His
slaves, andabove punishing anyone for no cause on the part of the
slave that would require such punishment.
5- The person's acknowledging that he is the one who has done wrong.
6- Beseeching Allaah bymeans of the things that are most beloved
to Him, which are His names and attributes. Two of His names that
encompass the meanings of all other names and attributes are al-Hayy
(the Ever-Living) and al-Qayyoom (the Eternal).
7- Seeking the help of Allaah Alone.
8- Affirming one's hope in Him.
9- Truly putting one's trust in Him and leaving matters to Him,
acknowledging that one's forelock is in His hand andthat He does as He
wills, that His will is forever executed and that He is just in all
that He decrees.
10-Letting one's heart wander in the garden of the Qur'aan, seeking
consolation in it from every calamity, seeking healing in it from all
diseases of the heart, so that it will bring comfort to his grief and
healing for his worries and distress.
11-Seeking forgiveness.
12-Repentance.
13-Jihad.
14-Salaah (prayer).
15-Declaring that he has no power and no strength, and leaving matters
to the One in Whose hand they are.
We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound from worries and to relieve
us of distress and anxiety, forHe is the All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive,
and He isthe Ever-Living, Eternal.
See Alhomoom – Dealing with Worries and Stress, in the Books section
of this site.
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our
Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

1b] How to be successful in life

1b]
One of the most effective ways of dealing with worries about the
future is to recite this du'aa' which the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) used to recite:
"Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa 'ismatu amri, wa aslih li
dunyaaya allati fiha ma'aashi, wa aslih li aakhirati allati ilayha
ma'aadi, waj'al al-hayaataziyaadatan li fi kulli khayr,wa'l-mawta
raahatan li min kulli sharr (O Allaah, correct my religious commitment
which is the foundation of my life, andcorrect my worldly affairs in
which is my livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter to which is
my return. Make my life a means of accumulating good, and make death a
respite for me from all evil)." (Narrated by Muslim, 2720).
And he said, "Allaahummarahmataka arju fa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata
'aynin wa aslih li sha'ni kullahu, laa ilaaha illa anta (O Allaah, for
Your mercy I hope, so do not abandon me to myself even for a moment.
And correct all my affairs. There is no god but You)."(Narrated by Abu
Dawoodwith a saheeh isnaad, no. 5090; classed as hasan by al-Albaani
in Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib, p. 49).
If a person utters these du'aa's, which ask that hisspiritual and
worldly affairs may be set right or corrected, with proper presence of
mind and sincerity of intention, whilst striving to achieve that,
Allaah will grant himwhat he has prayed for, hoped for and striven
for, and He will turn his worryinto joy and happiness.
7 – If a person experiences anxiety and distress because of a
disaster, then one of the most effective means of relieving himself of
that isto think of the worst scenario to which that may lead, and try
to accept that. When he has done that, then he should try to alleviate
it as much as possible. By means of this acceptance and these efforts,
he will relieve himself of his worries and distress, and instead of
worrying he will strive to bring about good things and to deal with
whatever he can of the bad things. If he is faced with things that
cause fear or the possibility of sickness or poverty, then he should
deal with that by striving to make himself accept that, or something
even worse, with contentment, because by making himself accept the
worst-case scenario, he lessens the impact of the thing and makes it
seem less terrible, especially if he occupies himself with efforts to
ward it off as much as he can. Thus as well as striving to
achievesomething good which will distract him from his worries about
calamity, he will also renew his strength to resist bad things, and
put his trust and reliance in Allaah. Undoubtedly these matters are of
great benefit in attaining happiness and peace of mind, as well as
bringing the hope of reward in thisworld and in the Hereafter. This is
something which is well known from the experience of many who have
tried it.
8 – Steadfastness of heart and not being disturbed about the imaginary
things that bad thoughts may bring to mind. For when a person gives in
to his imagination and lets his mind be disturbed by these thoughts,
such as fear of disease and the like, or anger and confusion stirred
up by some grievous matter, or the expectation of bad things and the
loss of good things, that will fill him with worries, distress,mental
and physical illness and nervous breakdowns, which will have a bad
effect on him and which causes a great deal of harm, as many people
have seen. But when a person depends on Allaah and puts his trust in
Him, and does notgive in to his imagination or let bad thoughts
overwhelm him, and he relies on Allaah and has hope of His bounty,
that wards off his worries and distress, and relieves him of a great
deal of mental and physical sickness. It gives indescribable strength,
comfort and happiness to the heart. How many hospitals are filled with
the mentally sick victims of illusions and harmful imagination; how
often have these things had an effect upon the hearts of many
strongpeople, let alone the weak ones; how often have they led to
foolishness and insanity.
It should be noted that your life will follow your train of thought.
If your thoughts are of things that will bring you benefitin your
spiritual or worldly affairs, then your life will be good and happy.
Otherwise it will be the opposite.
The person who is safe from all of that is the one who is protected by
Allaah and helped by Him to strive to achieve that which will benefit
and strengthen the heart and ward off anxiety. Allaah says
(interpretation of themeaning):
"And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him"
[al-Talaaq 65:3]
i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is worrying him in his
spiritual and worldly affairs. The one who puts his trust in Allaah
will have strength in his heart and will not be affected by anything
he imagines or be disturbed by events,:->

1a] How to be successful in life

1a]
In this way a person may forget about the things that are making him
worried and distressed, and he may become happy and more energetic.
This is another means that believers and others have in common, but
the believer is distinguished by his faith, sincerity and hope of
reward when he occupies himself with that knowledge which he is
learning or teaching, or with the good deeds that he is doing.
The work with which he occupies himself should be something that he
likes and enjoys, for that is more likely to produce the desired
results. And Allaah knows best.
4 – Another thing that may ward off worry and anxiety is focusing all
one's thoughts of the present day, and not worrying about the futureor
grieving about the past. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) sought refuge with Allaahfrom worry and regret,
from regret for things in the past which one cannot put right or
change, and worry which may come because of fearfor the future. So one
should focus only on the present day, and focus one's efforts on
getting things right today. For if aperson is focused on that, this
means that he will dothings properly and forgetabout worry and regret.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said a
du'aa' ortaught a du'aa' to his ummah, as well as urging them to seek
the help of Allaah and hope for His bounty, he was also urging them to
strive to attain the thing they werepraying for through their own
efforts and to forget about the thing which they were praying would be
warded off from them. Because du'aa' (supplication) must be
accompanied by action. Soa person must strive to attain that which
will benefit him in worldly and spiritual terms, and ask his Lord to
make his efforts successful, and he should seek His help in that, as
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Strive
for that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do
not be helpless. If anything (bad) happens to you, do not say, 'If
only I had done such-and-such, then such-and-such would have
happened.' Rather you should say, 'Qaddara Allaah wa ma sha'a fa'ala
(Allaah decrees, and what He wills He does),' for (thewords) 'If only'
open the door to the Shaytaan." (Narrated by Muslim). The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) connected the matter of
striving to achieve good things with the matter of seeking the help of
Allaah and not giving in to feelings of helplessness which are a
harmful kind of laziness, and with the matter of accepting things in
the past which are over and done with, and acknowledging that the will
and decree of Allaah will inevitably come to pass. He described
matters as being of two types:
1 – Matters which a person may strive to achieve or to achieve
whatever he can of them, or to ward them off or alleviate them. In
such cases a person must striveand make the effort, and also seek the
help of Allaah.
2 – Matters where such is not possible, so he must have peace of mind,
accept them and submit to Allaah's will.
Undoubtedly paying attention to this principle will bring happiness
and relieve worry and distress.
5 – One of the greatest means of feeling content and relaxed and of
acquiring peace of mind isto remember Allaah a great deal (dhikr).
That has a great effect in bringing contentment andpeace of mind, and
relieving worry and distress. Allaah says:
"verily, in the remembrance of Allaah dohearts find rest"
[al-Ra'd 13:28]
Remembering Allaah (dhikr) has a great effect in achieving this aim
because it has a special influence and because of the hope that it
brings of reward.
6 – Another of the means of bringing happiness andrelieving worry and
distress is striving to eliminate the things that cause worry and to
achieve the things that bring happiness. That maybe done by forgetting
about bad things in the past which cannot be changed, and realizing
that dwelling on them is awaste of time. So a personmust strive to
stop himself from thinking of that, and also strive to stop himself
from feeling anxious about the future and the things that he may
imagine of poverty, fear and other bad things that he thinks may
happen to him in the future. He should realize that the future is
something unknown, he cannot know what good or bad things are going
tohappen to him. That is in the hand of the Almighty, the Most Wise,
and all that His slaves can do is tostrive to attain the good things
and to ward off thebad things. A person should realize that if he
diverts his thoughts from worrying about his future and puts his trust
in his Lord to take care of his situation, and puts his mind at rest
concerning that, if he does that, then his heart will be at peace and
his situation will improve and he will be relieved of worry and
anxiety.

1] How to be successful in life

1]
How to obtain success and prosperity in this world and
hereafter.Whatkind of success or prosperity that islam want the ummah
islam gain in this world.
Praise be to Allaah.
Peace of mind, contentment, happiness and freedom from worriesand
anxiety… these are what everyone wants, and these are the ways in
which people can have a good life and find complete happiness and joy.
There are religious means of achieving that, and natural and practical
means, but no one can combine all of them except the believers;
although other people may achieve some of them, they will miss out on
others.
There follows a summary of the means of achieving this aim for which
everyone is striving. In some cases, those who achieve many of them
will live a joyful life and a good life; in other cases, those who
fail to achieve all of them will live a life of misery and hardship.
And there are others which are in between, according to what the means
he is able to attain.These means include the following:
1 – Faith and righteous deeds:
This is the greatest and most fundamental of means. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Whoever works righteousness — whethermale or female — while he (or
she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will
give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful
provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to
the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise inthe Hereafter)"
[al-Nahl 16:97]
Allaah tells us and promises us that whoevercombines faith with
righteous deeds will have a good life and a good reward in this world
and in the Hereafter.
The reason for that is clear: those who believe in Allaah – with
sincere faith that motivates them to do righteous deeds that change
hearts and attitudes and guides themto the straight path in thisworld
and the Hereafter – follow principles and guidelines by means of which
they deal with everything that happens to them, be it the causes of
happiness and excitement or the causes of anxiety, worry and grief.
They deal with the things that they like by accepting them and giving
thanks for them, and using them in good ways. When they deal with them
in this manner,that creates in them a sense of excitement and the hope
that it will continue and that they will be rewarded for their
gratitude, which is more important than the good things that happen to
them. And they deal with bad things, worries and distress by resisting
those that they can resist, alleviating those that theycan alleviate,
and bearing with goodly patience those that they cannot avoid. Thus as
a result of the bad things they gain alot of benefits,
experience,strength, patience and hope of reward, which aremore
important and which diminish the hardships they have undergone and
replace them with happiness and hope for the bounty and reward of
Allaah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
expressed this in a saheeh hadeeth in which he said: "How wonderful is
the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are good. If
something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good
for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience,
and that is good for him. This does not apply to anyone but the
believer." (Narrated by Muslim, no. 2999).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that
thebeliever is always gaining and the reward for his deeds is always
multiplying, no matter what happens to him, good or bad.
2 – Being kind to people in word and deed, and all kinds of doing
good. This is one of the means of removing worry, distress and
anxiety. By this means Allaah wards off worries and distress from
righteous and immoral like, but the believer has the greater share of
that, and is distinguished by the fact that his kindness to others
stems from sincerity and the hope of reward, so Allaah makes iteasy
for him to be kind to others because of the hope that this will bring
good things and ward off bad things, by means of his sincerity and
hope of reward. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who
orders Sadaqah (charity in Allaah's Cause), or Ma'roof (Islamic
Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allaah has
ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this,
seeking the good Pleasure of Allaah, We shall give him a great reward"
[al-Nisa' 4:114]
Part of that great reward is relief from worry, distress, troubles, etc.
3 – Another of the means of warding off anxiety that stems from
nervous tension and being preoccupied with disturbing thoughts is to
occupy oneself with good deeds or seeking beneficial knowledge, for
that will distract one fromdwelling on the matters that are causing
anxiety.
:->

His father chose a wife for him who he does not want

After being convinced for years by my parents to marry my cousin, I
finally agreed last year and got engaged. I would however admit that I
had no special liking for her and before I took the finaldecision, I
also performed Istikharah but didnt seem to get a proper answer or
direction and remained confused. I finally thoughtthat since my
parents are happy with this marriage I would go for it. I study in
another country and after we got engaged I started talking to her on
phone and among other things got to know that she has a problem of
falling hair and due to that her hair has thinned a lot. I asked her
to visit some doctors and she has started to take medications but not
of any great help as of now. After knowing all this I am very upset
with myself and also with her although I have not told anything like
that to her that might hurt her in anyway. I really feel very upset
all the time now as you would understand that I also have some
feelings and wishes abouthow my future wife should look like. Right
now I am always in distress and feel like that this is my destiny to
marry her which cannot be changed as doing that would severly damage
the relations in our family.I don't know what to do and can't stop
thinking about this. This has now started to affect my studies also. I
can't talk about this to anyone not my parents or friends. Thinking
about this is always keeping me disturbed. I have agreed to marry her
next year after my parents told me so. I don't know what to do now or
how things would go after that. I would like to have your suggestions
and guidancein this regard.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Istikhaarah is mustahabb and is prescribed in Islam, but one does not
necessarily see a dream after it or get an answer as you described.
Rather its effects appear in the matter being made easy. If the matter
is made easyand goes ahead, this is an indication that it is good, in
sha Allah.
Secondly:
The son is not obliged to obey his parents with regard to marrying a
particular woman, but if he does that to please his parents and make
them happy, he will be rewarded for that, so longas the woman is
religiously committed andof good character.
If he gives the matter some thought and decides that the woman isnot
appropriate for him, and is afraid that he will develop resentment
towards her or that he will later be forced to divorce her, then it is
better for him to tell his parents frankly about what he feels and to
apologise to them for cancelling his engagement. This is better than
going ahead with something he does not really want.
We advise you to think long and hard and to examine your fiancée's
characteristics, both positive and negative, before taking the
decisionto cancel the engagement. If she is religiously committed
andof good character, and hasno faults other than what you mention
about her hair, then this can be dealt with. And a woman may be
beautiful or acceptable despite that problem.
But we also think that you should delay going ahead with the marriage
until you have put your mind at rest about that decision.
You should offer a lot of du'aa' (supplication) and ask Allah to guide
you to that which is best in this world and in the Hereafter.

And Allah knows best.

Should he allow his daughter to sleep over at her non-Muslim friend’s house?

Is it permissible/advisablefor my 16year old daughter to sleep over at
her non muslim friends house (there will be no males present, only her
friend and her friends mother)
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
It is not permissible for the Muslim to take a non-Muslim as a close
friend, because Allah, mayHe be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Auliya
(friends, protectors, helpers, etc.), they are but Auliya to one
another. And if any amongst you takes them as Auliya, thensurely he is
one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the
Zalimoon (polytheists andwrongdoers and unjust)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:51]
"O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitanah (advisors, consultants,
protectors, helpers, friends, etc.) those outsideyour religion
(pagans, Jews, Christians, and hypocrites) since they willnot fail to
do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred
has already appeared from their mouths, but what their hearts conceal
is far worse. Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayat (proofs,
evidences, verses) if you understand"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:118].
And there are other versesthat forbid loving the disbelievers and
taking them as confidantes and close friends.
Abu Dawood (4832) and at-Tirmidhi (2395) narrated from Abu Sa'eed that
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Do not
keep company with anyone but a believer and do not let anyone eat your
food but one who is pious."
Classed as saheeh by Ibn Hibbaan; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in
Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Friendship and keeping company leads to love and approval, and it is
notpermissible to show that towards the kaafir.
This does not mean that there should be a complete cutting off of ties
between Muslims andnon-Muslims; rather she can visit her socially and
when she is sick, and give her gifts, without loving her or taking
part in her festivals, and her intention in visiting her and giving
her gifts should be to call her to Islam. This is what our Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did. See question no. 23325
Based on that, you shouldexplain to your daughter the guidelines on
interacting with non-Muslims and help herto develop a feeling of pride
in her religion and adhering to its commands, even if that goes
against one's whims and desires. You should also discourage her from
thinking of spending the night outside her home, because sleeping over
in someone else's house is indicative of very close friendship, and we
have stated above that it is not permissible for the Muslimto form
such a close friendship with a non-Muslim. Perhaps she may be
attracted to some of their ways and influenced by that without
realising. The negative consequences of mixing too much with people
who are not religiously committed are many, so how about mixing with
people who are not of the same religion?
And Allah knows best.

Hari Raya Idul Fitri in Indonesia

Hari Raya Idul Fitri in Indonesia - Eid ul Fitr is the most
significant Muslim festival in Islamic Calendar. It is celebrated on
the end of holy month of Ramadan. During the Ramazan, Muslims offer
prayers in Mosque in largenumbers. They also observe fasting
throughout the month of Ramzan just before these Eid celebrations. The
month of Ramazan holds a deep significance in Muslim history as the
holybook of 'Quran' was revealed during this month. During this month,
Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset everyday for a month. Most parts
of the Southeast Asia celebrated this great occasion of Eid as Hari
Rya Aidilfitri.
Eid is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal. Shawwal is the tenth
month in holy Islamic Calendar. Families begin this Eid morning with a
special Prayer also knownas Eid Prayer. This prayer offers a special
thanks to god for the strength and discipline received during the holy
month of Ramadan. People distribute sweets and children wear new
clotheson this great Muslim festival known as Eid.
The people of Indonesia celebrate Eid ul Fitr with great enthusiasm
and peace. The message of brotherhood is spreader all throughout the
country. Muslims people wear new clothes and distribute sweets to mark
this auspicious festival in Islamic calendar. On this great occasion
of Eid ul Fitri, markets all through Indonesia are decorated and
people enjoy shopping with great fun.
Banks, private offices and government centers are closed for almost
one week in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

2c] The error of the collective personality concerning the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as)-2-

2c]
It is otherwise impossible for him to have a community without his
being an individual.
2- This community of Hazrat Mahdi (as) will form one century after
Bediuzzaman's own time, and all oppression will be eliminated by means
of that community. As has already been made clear, the existence of
these students is only possible with Hazrat Mahdi (as) existing as a
person.
15) ... We anticipate from the divine mercy that HIS community andthe
sayyid will make thecommunity.
16) The Mahdi's luminous community...
... His community...
... Mahdi's luminous community...
In the above two extracts,states that there will be a community
consisting of Hazrat Mahdi's (as) students. This communityis the
collective personality that will form Hazrat Mahdi (as) being atits
head. "The community of Hazrat Mahdi (as)" refers to a society headed
by Hazrat Mahdi (as) and made up of people who follow him and abide by
his message. However, the most important feature of this communityis
the presence of Hazrat Mahdi (as), the person who constitutes this
collective personality. Therefore, Bediuzzaman's concept of "Hazrat
Mahdi's(as) luminous community"again shows that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will
come as a person.
Bediuzzaman has made it clear in the passages about the duties of
HazratMahdi (as) that he is a person and not a collective personality.
17) Also, the circumstances of the Great Mahdi do not fit the
narrations alluding to the earlier Mahdis, and these have become
allegorical Hadiths.
18) ... a guide, a kind of Mahdi and reformer comes in every century,
but in terms of discharging each of these three duties, nonehave
received the title of THE GREAT MAHDI OF THE END TIMES.
19) ...one interpretation of these various narrations is this: the
Great Mahdi will have numerous functions. He will carry out duties in
the world of politics, theworld of religion, the world of government,
and in the many spheres of the world of jihad...
In these three passage, Bediuzzaman states that various Muslim
individualshave come in previous centuries for the purpose of causing
the moral values of the Qur'an to rule the world, but that none of
these have been able to perform the three major tasks that the "Great
Mahdi (as)" who comes in the End Times will perform. It is apparent
from these statements by Bediuzzaman that Hazrat Mahdi (as) he refers
to is aperson:
1- Bediuzzaman has set out the difference between the Great Mahdi
(as) and previous Mahdis, all of whom have been individual people.
This means that the Great Mahdi (as) is also a person.
2- These previous individuals have been unable to perform the tasks
set out. But the Great Mahdi (as) will perform them. This also means
that the Great Mahdi (as) is a person.
3- These previous individuals do not match the features used by the
Prophet (saas) in his hadith describing Hazrat Mahdi (as). But the
Great Mahdi (as) will meet them. It is a fact known toall Islamic
scholars for hundreds of years that Hazrat Mahdi (as) whose physical
and moral characteristics are described in the hadith is a person, not
a collective personality. Therefore, in this passage Bediuzzamanagain
reminds us that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a person who will match the
descriptions in the hadith of our Prophet (saas).
All the statements of Bediuzzaman cited above reveal with clear,
indubitable statements that the Prophet Jesus (as)and Hazrat Mahdi
(as) will appear in the End Times as individuals. By Allah's leave,
the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear in the End
Times together with the collective personality of the communities of
believers they lead and beinstrumental in the installment of the moral
values of the Qur'an over the entire world.
THE ERROR OF THE COLLECTIVE PERSONALITYCONCERNING THE PROPHET JESUS
(as) AND HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)/

2b] The error of the collective personality concerning the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as)-2-

2b]
5) ... There will be such intellectual trends at that time even IF
THAT PERSON WHO IS TRULY AWAITED AND WILL COMEIN A CENTURY'S TIME
comes at that time, since he takes everything for his own account...
-Bediuzzaman refers to Hazrat Mahdi (as) as that "awaited person." Not
as "that awaited collective personality." The reference here to that
person" removes all doubt on the subject.
-Bediuzzaman says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come "in a century's
time." The verb "come" is one that can only be used of a person, and
it can therefore clearly be seen that Bediuzzaman is referring to
Hazrat Mahdi (as) as a person.
6) ... YET THAT GREAT PERSONAGE OF THE END TIMES WILL BE FROM THE AHL
AL-BAYT (descendedfrom the Prophet (saas))…
In this extract Bediuzzaman makes it clear that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is
not a collective personality in the words "that great personage of the
End Times."
7) The accounts consist of various information regarding HAZRAT MAHDI
(AS), who is from the descent of our Prophet (saas) and a portent of
the End Times. (Rays, p.465)
In the narrations are various different prophecies about the Mahdi
(May Allah be pleased with him)
8) ... Said stated in his objections, saying: "I am not a Sayyid, and
the Mahdi will be a Sayyid," thus refuting them.
In the above three passages Bediuzzaman states that Hazrat Mahdi (as)
will be a person, a sayyid, in other words a descendant of the Prophet
(saas). It can be seen from this expression that he is not referring
to Hazrat Mahdi (as) as a collective personality. It is impossible for
a collective personality to be descended from another human being. One
would have to be a human beingin order to be descended from our
Prophet (saas), which is what Bediuzzaman is stressing here.
9) …THAT PERSON will strive to perform his great duty with the helpof
all believers and the assistance of the Islamicunion, and of scholars
and teachers and of millions of loyal people from the ahl al-bayt
(theline of our Prophet (saas)) present powerfully and in large
numbers every century.
In this extract, Bediuzzaman again states, in the words "that person,"
that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come as anindividual. Furthermore, by
referring to the great task Hazrat Mahdi (as) willperform he again
states that Hazrat Mahdi (as) willdischarge his duties as a person,
not as a collective personality.
10) ... But flowers appear in the spring, and the ground has to be
prepared for sacred flowers such as that.
In this extract, Bediuzzaman again uses the word "people" for these
holy individuals who will come in the End Times. By saying that he has
prepared the ground for these people he makesit clear that the Prophet
Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as) are not collective personalities.
11) … HAZRAT MAHDI WILL HAVE NO TIME AND BE IN NO STATE TO PERSONALLY
protect believers from madness (prevent them straying from the true
path) and to perform that duty for the whole world, leaving nothing
behind,and with much research....
The word "himself" that Bediuzzaman uses here is another proof that
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a collective personality.
Bediuzzaman makes other emphases in this passage that also show that
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a person: 1 – Hazrat Mahdi (as) has a duty he
will discharge. That means Hazrat Mahdi (as) is an individual. 2 –
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will be occupied with his other duties and will have
no time to perform that task himself. Being busy and not having enough
time are conditions that only apply to people. There is no question of
a collectivepersonality being or not having enough time.
12) Certainly, the elevated ardor in that huge force will surge upand
the Mahdi shall come to lead it, guiding it to the way of truth and
reality.
Bediuzzaman states that another of Hazrat Mahdi's (as) duties is to
encouragepeople to the truth. Bediuzzaman says that in performing that
task "Hazrat Mahdi (as) will personally undertake it," aclear
statement that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is an individual.
13) ... To give the name OF THE INDIVIDUAL TO COME recalls his three
duties at once, it would be wrong….
Bediuzzaman also speaks of "the individual to come," confirmation that
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a collective personality.
Bediuzzaman refers to "Hazrat Mahdi" (as) and the "collective
personalityof his community" as two distinct concepts.
14) ... THE PEOPLE who will disperse the darkness in a century's time
may be THE STUDENTS OF HAZRAT MAHDI."
... who will disperse the darkness in a century's time...
... The students of Hazrat Mahdi (as)
1- Bediuzzaman says that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will have students. It is
clear that in order for Hazrat Mahdi (as) to have a community he will
have to be present as its head.
:->

2a] The error of the collective personality concerning the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as)-2-

2a]
It will not be self-evident so that everyone will recognize him.
Several words in this this extract from Bediuzzamanreveal that the
Prophet Jesus (as) will be an individual, not a collectiveidentity:
... the true Jesus
... When Jesus (Upon whom be peace) comes,
... it is not necessary that everyone should know him to be the true Jesus...
... will recognize HIM through the light of belief.
... It will not be self-evident so that everyone will recognize HIM...
These five terms used by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi also suggest that he
is referring to the Prophet Jesus (as) as a human being. It appears
from theterm "the true Jesus" in particular that the reference here is
to a person, and his difference from other people is made clear in
that expression.
According to the following expressions, 1 –The Prophet Jesus (as)
willreturn 2- Not everyone will recognize Jesus (as) asthe anticipated
prophet 3 – only those close to him will recognize him 4 – society as
a whole will not recognize him. The concept of "recognition" applies
in three of these statements, and that can only be possible when used
in terms of a person. A collective identity cannot have people close
to it; and there is no possibility of people recognizing a collective
identity. These statements all therefore show that the Prophet Jesus
(as) is not a collective identity. In addition, Bediuzzaman uses the
words "HE" and "HIS" which again apply to people and this again
reveals he is referring to the Prophet Jesus (as) as an individual,
not as a collective identity.
5) …although when Jesus (as) comes he himself will know he is Jesus,
not everyone will know.
The situation described above also applies to Bediuzzaman's words.
Here, too, he stresses the fact that the Prophet Jesus (as) will come
to Earth as a human being.
... When Jesus (as) comes…
… HE will know that he is Jesus (as)…
… He will be known by the radiance of his faith;
… Not everyone will know
First and foremost, Bediuzzaman speaks of the coming of the
ProphetJesus (as). This shows thatthe Prophet Jesus (as) willcome with
a physical body, not as a collective identity.
Bediuzzaman reveals that when the Prophet Jesus (as) first comes he
will notknow that is who he is, but he will realize it later. It is
clear that no collective personality can have such awareness and
consciousness. Only a person can know who he is and the circumstances
in which he finds himself. This is also confirmed by the use of the
word "he."
Bediuzzaman Said Nursi says that the people around the Prophet Jesus
(as) will only be able to recognize him as the awaited prophet of the
End Times through the light of their faith. It is clear that people
will recognize "an anticipated individual" and not a collective
personality.
Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a Collective Personality
The term "PERSONAGES of the End Times" clearly reveals that the
Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as) are not collective
personalities.
1) Those individuals of theend of time will be knownthrough the
insight and the light of belief.
-The term "PERSONAGES ofthe End Times" clearly reveals that the
Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as) are not collective
personalities.
-The way that Bediuzzaman says that these people who will be coming in
the End Times will be recognized "through the light of faith" shows
that he means that the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as) will
not come as collective personalities. As set out previously in the
context of the Prophet Jesus (as), the verb "recognize" refers to a
condition that can only apply to people. It is of course impossible
for a collective personality to recognize whether or not it is itself.
2) ...It is a truth as powerful as the sun thatTHIS GLORIOUS PERSON
will bring about the trust and neutralize the concerns of those who
doubt the likelihood of his command.
Bediuzzaman's use of the term "this glorious person" again shows that
Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come as a person.
3) The most important and greatest and most valuable of the three
duties of THE PERSON AWAITED BY THE COMMUNITY AND WHO WILL COME IN THE
END TIMES is to spread the true faith and to save believers from
deviation...
Here, too, Bediuzzaman makes it clear that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a
collective personality by saying he is a "person…who will come in the
End Times."
4) The most important and greatest and most valuable of the three
duties of THE PERSON AWAITED BY THE COMMUNITY AND WHO WILL COME IN THE
END TIMES is to spread the true faith and to save believers from
deviation...
Here, too, Bediuzzaman makes it clear that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is not a
collective personality by saying he is a "person…who will come in the
End Times."
5)

2] The error of the collective personality concerning the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as)-2-

2]
The second coming of the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi's (as)
appearance in the End Times are the glad tidingsthat have been awaited
by the Islamic world for centuries. Bediuzzaman has also provided
detailedinformation regarding theappearance of the Prophet Jesus (as)
and Hazrat Mahdi (as) in his works. Among this information are
comprehensive statementconcerning at what time and in what sort of
climate Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear, what kinds ofactivities he will
undertake, his assistants, his struggle, and how, together with the
ProphetJesus (as), he will cause Qur'anic moral values to prevail on
Earth.
Yet although Said Nursi's statements on these matters are very clear
anddistinct, the subject of the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi
(as) may sometimes be misunderstood. Some people have clichéd
responses they give whenever the subject is raised. When asked, Will
an individual known as the Mahdi appear in the End Times? for example,
they reply, No, the Mahdi will not come, a collective personality will
come, or the Mahdi has already come. Because the Mahdi is a collective
personality; that is the Mahdi who willappear. His collective
personality already exists.In the same way, when asked Will the
Prophet Jesus (as) come to Earth a second time? they respond, No. The
Prophet Jesus (as) will not return; the Prophet Jesus (as) himself
will descend to Earth, he will be in the world as a collective
personality, or The Prophet Jesus (as) has already come, as the
collective personality of the Mahdi. Some people try to back up their
ideas by using the words of Bediuzzaman, saying, In his works,
Bediuzzaman has not made any clear statements regarding the coming of
the Prophet Jesus (as) and the Mahdi.
Yet this perspective is exceedingly mistaken andfalse. All these
clichéd responses express solely apersonal opinion, based on no
evidence, maybe due to force of habit or else that has taken root
inthe public subconscious. Because Bediuzzaman hasactually described
the coming of the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as) in very
clear terms; he has expressly stated that these personages awaited in
the End Times will both appear as individuals, not as collective
personalities.
This point can be clearly understood from Bediuzzaman's statements
about the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as):
The Prophet Jesus (as) will come to Earth for the second time
The term "individual" thatBediuzzaman uses to referto the Prophet
Jesus (as) reveals that he is not a "collective personality."
1) Then the person of Jesus (Upon whom be peace), who is present with
his human body in the world of the heavens, will come to lead the
current of true religion...
...even sends the spirits of most of the dead saints tothe world with
similitude of their bodies, it would not be far from His Wisdom -even
if he was not alive and present withhis body in the skies of the
world, and had truly died and departed for the furthest corner of the
hereafter- to clothe Jesus (Upon whom be peace) in his body and send
him to the world, so to bring the religion of Jesus to a
goodconclusion; for such a momentous result. IndeedHe promised it
because His wisdom required it to be thus, and since He promised it,
He will most certainly send him.
In this passage Bediuzzaman says that the Prophet Jesus (as) who is
currently in the world of the heavens will return to Earth in his
human body and will assume leadership of the true faith. It is clear
that Bediuzzaman does not refer to a collective identity here, but
rather to an individual. This is clear from his use of the term "human
body." If he had wanted to say that the Prophet Jesus (as) would
return to Earth as acollective identity, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi would
not have referred to "clothing Jesus in his body."
2) Yes, with the words of that hadith, the descent from the heavens of
the Prophet Jesus is certain...
In this statement, Bediuzzaman says that "the coming of the Prophet
Jesus (as) is a certain fact," using a language that makes it clear
that the Prophet Jesus (as) is not a collective identity.
3) Our Prophet (saas) has indicated this great secret: The Prophet
Jesus will come, and be of my community and labor with my law.
It again appears from Bediuzzaman's statement that the Prophet Jesus
(as)will labor with the law of our Prophet (saas) that the Prophet
Jesus (as) willcome to Earth as a humanbeing, not as a collective
identity. Because if he were referring to a collective identity, it
would be impossible for such an entity to "labor."
4) When Prophet Jesus (Upon whom be peace) comes, it is not necessary
that everyoneshould know him to be the true Jesus. His elect and those
close to him will recognize him through the light of belief. :->