The virtue of listening attentively to the Jumu’ah khutbah

* Friday Prayers - - - Will a man be rewarded for listening
attentively to the Jumu'ah khutbah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Listening attentively to the khateeb on Friday is an obligation, and
it is not permissible for the Muslims to be careless about that and
fidget, talk or ignore the khutbah. The following ahaadeeth have been
narrated concerning the virtues of listening attentively to the
khutbah.
1 – Expiation for sins committed between this Friday and the previous Friday.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever does ghusl, then comes to Jumu'ah, and prays what is decreed
for him, then listens attentively until the khutbah is over, then
prays with him (theimam), will be forgiven (his sins) between that and
the next Jumu'ah, and three days more."
Narrated by Muslim (857); a similar report was narrated from Salmaan
al-Faarisi by al-Bukhaari (883).
2 – For every step he takes to the mosque, thereward of fasting and
praying qiyaam for one year will be recorded forhim.
It was narrated that Aws ibn Aws said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever washes his head and his body (ghusl) on Friday, then sets out
early, is present at the beginning of the khutbah and is close (to the
imam), then listens attentively, for every step he takes he will have
the reward of fasting and praying qiyaam for one year."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (496) who said: it is a hasan hadeeth. It was
classed as saheeh by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (3/227) and by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
3 – The reward for praying Jumu'ah depends on listening attentively.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"If you say to your companion, 'Listen attentively' on a Friday, when
the imam is delivering the khutbah, then you have engaged in idle
speech."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (934) and Muslim (851).
4 – The one who listens attentively will have twokafl of reward.
'Ali ibn Abi Taalib delivered a khutbah in Kufah and said in his khutbah:
If a man sits in a place where he can hear and see (the imam) and
listens attentively and does not engage in idle speech or fidgeting,
he will have two shares of reward. If he stays far away and sits in a
place where he cannot hear but he listens attentively and does not
engage in idle speech or fidgeting, he will have one share of reward.
If he sits in a place where he can hearand see but he engages in idle
speech or fidgets and does not listen attentively, then he will have
one share of sin."
And at the end of that hesaid: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say that.
Narrated by Abu Dawood (1051) and classed as da'eef (weak) by
al-Albaani. A similar report was narrated from Abu Umaamah in a
marfoo' report in al-Mu'jam al-Kabeer (8/165) and in a mursal report
from Yahya ibn Abi Katheer in Musannaf 'Abd al-Razzaaq (3/223).
See the ruling on listening attentively to the Jumu'ah khutbah in the
answer to question no. 45651 .
And Allaah knows best.

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Giving the khutbah in the local language

* Friday Prayers - - - Can Khutba on fridays can be delivered in
regional languages. Or its a must that it should be in Arabic.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Friday khutbah is an act of worship which should not be done in
the local language. But ifthere is no one present who speaks Arabic
well, then it is OK to say what the people present will understand. If
the people present do not understand Arabic then it is OK to translate
what they need to know for them after the prayer, orto explain to them
in their language what they need to know.

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What should he do if he does not understand anything of the Friday khutbah?

* Friday Prayers - - - I'm presently living in Africa right now. So
I can't speak the languagedown here. During the friday khutbah, I
never gain anything from it. what should I do when the khutbah is
going on?Can i READ the koran andremember my Lord or should I just sit
there and listen to something that I don't even understand?
Praise be to Allaah.
If you listen, even if you do not understand anything, you will be
doing something good, in sha Allah. Some of the scholars excused those
who do not understand the language of the khutbah and allowed them to
occupy themselves with dhikr orreading Qur'aan, subject to the
condition that they do not disturb others who are listening to the
khutbah. The viewwhich I favour, however,is that you should listen
even if you do not understand.

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Sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during Jumu’ah

* Friday Prayers - - - I know that when Prophet Muhammad's (salallahu
'alaihi wa salam)name is mentioned we say"Salallahu 'alaihi wa salam",
but I also know that during Jumu'ah we are not supposed to speak or we
lose our reward. If the Imam mentions Prophet Muhammad's (salallahu
'alaihi wa salam) name what is the best thing for us, as muslims? Are
we exempt from sendingpeace upon our beloved messenger at that time or
should we say it to ourselves?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Imam Ahmad said: There is nothing wrong with sending blessings upon
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), saying that
to oneself. Al-Mughni, 2/165 ff.
The Standing Committee said:
If the khateeb sends blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) then the listener should do likewise without
raising his voice.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 8/217.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said:
If the khateeb mentions the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), then the listener should send blessings upon him silently,
so that he does not disturb the people around him.

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Minimum number required for Jumu’ah prayer

* Friday Prayers - - -
In regard Jumu'ah prayers, what is the minimum number of people
required to pray in congregation behind the imam. I have heard
different opinions ion reference to this such as some brothers have
told me that a minimum of 40 people are required while others have
said 2.Adifferent source has also said that only 2 people can
constitute to a congregation for jumu'ah prayers. Can you please
clarify this question for me.
Praise be to Allaah.
The Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas was asked the following question:
What is the number of men required for Jumu'ah prayer to be valid?
Some people say that it is not valid with less than forty men, and if
there is one less than that, they should pray Zuhr.
Answer: Establishing Jumu'ah prayers is obligatory (waajib) upon the
Muslims in their villages on Fridays, and it is necessary for there to
be a jamaa'ah (congregation) in order for the Jumu'ah prayer to be
valid. There is no proven evidence (daleel)which states that a
specific number is required; for the prayer to be valid it is
sufficient for there to be three or more people. It is not permissible
for a person who is obliged to pray Jumu'ah to pray Zuhr in its place
when there are less than forty people present – according to the
correct scholarly view. And Allaah is the source of strength. May
Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions, and
grant them peace.

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It is part of the Sunnah to turn one’s face towards the khateeb and look at him

* Friday Prayers - - -
During the Friday khutbah, some of the worshippers look at the
khateeb; some look straight ahead; some look at the ground; and some
close their eyes. Is there a specific Sunnah regarding this matter?
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth that oneof the companions of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: when the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) mounted the
minbar, we would turn our faces towards him.
(al-Silsilat al_Saheehah by al-Albaani, no. 2080)
It was narrated that Abaan ibn 'Abd-Allaah al-Bajili said: I saw
'Udayy ibn Thaabit turning to face the imaam when he stood todeliver
the khutbah. I said to him, I saw you turn your face towards the
imaam. He said, I saw the Companions of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) doing that.
It was narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood said: when the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) mounted the
minbar, wewould turn our faces towards him him. This was narrated by
al-Tirmidhi, who said, in the same chapter there are reports narrated
from Ibn 'Umar and Muhammad ibn al-Fadl. According to the
scholarsamong the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and others, this is to be followed. They regard it
as mustahabb to turn to face the imaam when hedelivers the khutbah.
This is the view of Sufyaan al-Thawri, al-Shaafa'i, Ahmad and Ishaaq.
It was narrated that Yahyaa ibn Sa'eed al-Ansaari said: "The Sunnah
when the imaamsits on the minbar on Friday is for all the people to
turn their faces towards him."
It was narrated from Naafi' that Ibn 'Umar used to finish his tasbeeh
before the imaam came out; when he came out, he would turn to face him
before the imaam even sat down.
Al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) compiled these ahaadeeth in
al-Silsilat al-Saheehah, no. 2080, and commented on them.
It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) sat on the minbar and we sat around him." (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 921)
Al-Bukhaari narrated thehadeeth in "Chapter: Theimaam facing the
people, and the people turning their faces towards the imaam when he
delivers the khutbah, and Ibn 'Umar and Anas (may Allaah be pleased
with them) turning their faces towards the imaam."
The point of the hadeethis that the fact that they sat around him to
listen to his words implies thatthey were looking at him in most
cases. This isnot affected by what was said earlier about the khateeb
standing during the khutbah, because this implies thathe used to speak
whilst he was sitting in a high place and they were sitting at a lower
point. If that was the case at times other than the khutbah, then it
is more appropriate to do that atthe time of the khutbah because there
is the command to listen to it attentively.
He said:
"One of the reasons for their turning their faces towards the imaam is
to facilitate their listening to his words, and to observe good
manners when listening to him. If a person turn his face towards him
with the proper physical posture and a focused mind, thatwill better
enable them to understand his preaching and is in accordance with the
reason why the khateeb is commanded to stand."
And Allaah knows best.

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* Friday Prayers - - - Acts of worship which are prescribed on Fridays

I know that Friday has many virtues. Could you tell me some acts of
worship that I can do on this day?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, Friday is a good day;there are many ahaadeeth which speak of its
virtues. See Question no. 9211 .
There are many acts of worship which are prescribed for the Muslim to
do on this day.These include:
1 – Salaat al-Jumu'ah (Friday prayer)
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the
Salaah (prayer) on Friday (Jumu'ah prayer), come to the remembrance of
Allaah [Jumu'ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaah (prayer)] and
leave off business (and every other thing). That is better for you if
you did but know!"
[al-Jumu'ah 62:9]
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Zaad al-Ma'aad (1/376):
Friday prayer is one of the most important obligations in Islam, and
one of the greatest gatherings of the Muslims. Gathering on Friday is
more importantand more obligatory than any other gathering apart from
'Arafah. Whoever neglects it, Allaah will place a seal on his heart.
It was narrated from Abu'l-Ja'd al-Damari – who was a companion of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever neglects
threeJumu'ahs, Allaah will place a seal on his heart."
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1052; classed assaheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
Abi Dawood, 928
It was narrated from 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Umar and Abu Hurayrah that they
heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) say on the minbar:
"Let people stop neglecting Jumu'ah, or Allaah will place a seal on
their hearts, then they will be among those who are neglectful."
Narrated by Muslim, 865.
2 – Making a lot of du'aa'.
On this day there is a time when a person's Lord will answer his
du'aa' – by Allaah's leave.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
mentioned Friday and said: "On this day there is a time when no Muslim
stands and prays,asking Allaah for something, but Allaah will grant
him it" – and he gestured with his hands to indicate how short that
time is.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,893; Muslim, 852
3 – Reading Soorat al-Kahf.
It was narrated from AbuSa'eed al-Khduri that theProphet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever reads Soorat al-Kahf
on Friday, he willbe illuminated with lightbetween the two Fridays."
Narrated by al-Haakim; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Targheeb, 836
4 – Sending a lot of blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him).
It was narrated from Aws ibn Aws that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "The best of your days is Friday. On that
day Adam(peace be upon him) was created; on that dayhe died; on that
day the Trumpet will be blown; and on that day all of creation will
swoon. So send a great deal of blessings upon me, for your blessings
will be shown to me." They said,"O Messenger of Allaah, how will our
blessings upon you be shown to you when you have turned to dust?" He
said, "Allaah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of the
Prophets, peace be uponthem."
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1047; classed assaheeh by Ibn al-Qayyim in his
comments on Sunan Abi Dawood, 4/273; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 925.
He said in 'Awn al-Ma'bood:
Friday is singled out because it is the best of days and the chosen
day.So there is an advantageto sending blessings upon him on that day
that is not present on any other day.
Along with these virtues and acts of worship, the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade singling out Friday for
fasting, or singling out the night of Friday for doing acts of worship
that are not narrated in sharee'ah.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "Do not single out the night of Friday
for qiyaam al-layl,and do not single out the day of Friday for
fasting, unless that is part of the habitual fasting of any one of
you."
(Narrated by Muslim, 1144).
Al-San'aani said in Subul al-Salaam:
This hadeeth indicates that it is haraam to single out the night of
Friday for worship or reading Qur'aan that is not one's regular
custom, apart from that which is indicated in thetexts, such as
reading Soorat al-Kahf.
Al-Nawawi said:
This hadeeth clearly states that it is forbiddento single out the
night ofFriday for prayer or the day of Friday for fasting. It is
agreed (among the scholars) that this is makrooh.
He also said:
The scholars said that the reason why it is forbidden to single out
Friday for fasting is that Friday is a day of du'aa', dhikr and
worship, such as ghusl, going early to the prayer, waiting for the
prayer, listening to the khutbah and recitinga lot of dhikr
afterwards,because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Then when the (Jumu'ah) Salaah (prayer) is ended, you may disperse
through the land, and seek the Bounty of Allaah (by working), and
remember Allaah much"
[al-Jumu'ah 62:10]
And there are other acts of worship to be done on this day. So it is
preferable not to fast then, as this will help a person to perform
these duties in an energetic manner and enjoy them without feeling
bored ortired. This is like the pilgrim on the day of 'Arafah in
'Arafah, because the Sunnah is for him not to fast on that day for the
same reason… This is the reason for not allowing singling out Friday
for fasting. And it was said that the reason is so thatpeople will
not go to extremes in venerating it as happened in the case of
Saturday. But thisview is weak, because on that day we offer Jumu'ah
prayer and do other acts of worship which are a kind of veneration.
And it was said that the reason for its prohibition is so that people
would not think that this was obligatory. This is also a weak view
because it is encouragedto fast on Mondays and there was no fear that
anyone would think it was obligatory. No attention should be paidto
this far-fetched view. The same argument is applicable in the case of
fasting the day of 'Arafah and the day of 'Ashoora', etc. The correct
view is that which we have stated above.
And Allaah knows best.

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✦Eeman Boosters✦

Consider every affliction that befalls you, a blessing!It can take you
way closer to Allaah, than you were before!
Always remember, Allaah's planning is better than our own, so be
patient, and soon we shall see from Himwhat will give us joy. In sha
Allaah!
Know that, whenever we are undergoing any difficulty; be it about the
job, or the difficulty in getting married or any form of illness
etc..Just remember one thing; after difficulty there will be relief!
In sha Allaah.
•►"Verily, with every difficulty there is relief." (94:6)
#So --> Relax! & try to keep your Eeman sky-high;by sincerely making
dua, hoping & trusting that Allaah will accept it!
May Allaah accept our dua's& grant us goodness in what we deserve, all
with ease. Aameen./
-
رَضِيتُ باللهِ رَبَّاً، وَبِالْإِسْلَام ِ دِيناً، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَى
اللهُ عَلِيهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَبِيَّاً
I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion and with
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as my Prophet.
•°ღ •"Allah has promised that anyone who says this three times every
morning or evening will be pleased on the Day of Resurrection." •°ღ •
{Hadeeth Narrated by Ahmad 4/ 337, An-Nasa'i, 'Amalul-Yawm wal-Laylah
p. 4, Ibn As-Sunni (no. 68), At-Tirmidhi 5/465. Its chainof
transmission is good (Hasan), Ibn Baz, p. 39.}/

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The Gift of Health

Visiting the sick , assistingthem in any way, inquiring about them and
praying for them hasmany benefits, hence it isconsidered a great act
of worship.
It boosts the morale of the sick, making them feel much better, giving
them a sense of belonging which contributes to their recovery.
The psychological impact of a kind word, a prayer and a visit is so
great thatthe sick begin to feel much bet…ter and the greatest of
miracles can occur even after medicine has given up.
It also makes us realize the gift of health that theAlmighty has
bestowed upon us and gives us the opportunity to be thankful.
Taking care of the sick can result us being protected from such
sickness as well as easy entry into paradise.
The day WE fall ill, we willbe surprised at the number of people who
inquire about us, pray for us and visit us over and above those who
take care of us. This is what makes us one big family.
The genuine concern for one another is a vital component of a happy community.
When was the last time you visited the sick, assisted them in any
way,prayed for their cure or inquired about them? Make it a regular
feature in your weekly routine.

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Power of Prayer

Prayer, which is an important connection with Almighty Allah, is
demanding in the sense that we demonstrate our weakness in front
ofAlmighty Allah. Our Lord reveals that prayer is an important act of
worshipwith the verse, " Say: 'What has My Lord to do with you if you
do not call on Him? ..." (Surat al-Furqan, 77)
Actually the need to form a connection with Allah exists in every
man's character, entailed in creation. However, while praying is an
inseparable part of their lives for believers, for some people it is
an act of worship to be remembered only when they face with
difficulties or life-threatening situations. However, this is a big
mistake because what is truly good is to ask for Almighty Allah's help
both in difficulty and ease and to take refuge in His mercy.
Being Determined in Prayer
Allah has made it possible for His servants to reach anything that He
sees as good and beautiful. However, being determined in the prayer
being made is just as important as the prayer itself. Praying with
patience is an indication of the need for the desires prayed for, of
the inconvenience about this matter and most importantly an indication
that one's closeness to Allah has increased. Being determined in
prayer makes the believer moremature and bestows on him a strong will
and character. A believer who shows determination in prayer gets much
in return by earning a deep faith, which is more valuable than most of
the things he asked for. It is revealed in the Qur'an that one needs
to be determined in prayer as such:
" Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. But that is a very hard
thing, except for the humble:" (Surat al-Baqara, 45)
Our valuable Prophet (saas) has stated how much he needs Allah
sometimes by praying for years on and our Lord, the All-Merciful,
hasgiven what he asked for at the best time. The factthat Allah
accepts every prayer, both open and hidden, is due to His Mightiness
and Grace. Allah never leaves any thought which crosses one's mind
without a return. However, "accepting a prayer" does not mean
something happening asit was asked for because sometimes a person
maybe demanding something harmful to himself. Almighty Allah reveals
as such about this matter:
" Man prays for evil just as he prays for good. Man is prone to be
impetuous." (Surat al-Isra', 11)
Allah knows best what is good and what is bad for a person because He
is the One Who appreciates everything. As with His every work, there
are many wondershidden in the way He accepts prayers. For example, the
Prophet Jacob (pbuh) rejoining his son the Prophet Joseph (pbuh) after
many long years, the Prophet Joseph (pbuh) gaining power and rulership
after staying inprison for a long time, the Prophet Ayoob (pbuh) being
saved fromthe pain caused by satan; all of these occurred after
showing great patience and continuous prayers. Almighty Allah has
accepted the prayers of these sincere servants of His at the best time
for them and has made them mature, educated them, increased their
loyalty and sincerity and turned them into servants worthy of high
degrees in Paradise.
How Does Allah Accept Prayer?
· When a believer prays, he knows that Allah hears him and
will always accept his prayer in any way. This is because he realizes
that events do not take place in a coincidental way, but according to
the destiny determined by Allah and in the way He wills. Therefore, he
has no doubt that he will nothave any return for his prayer. Praying
with thissincere spirit causes great goodness by Allah's leave. In one
verse, it is revealed that our Lord will always accept a prayer as a
manifestation of His name "Al-Mujib" (One Who accepts the demands of
those who beg to Him).
" If My slaves ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the
caller when he calls on Me. They should therefore respond to Me and
believe in Me so thathopefully they will be rightly guided. " (Surat
al-Baqara, 186)
· The reason that something asked for in aprayer is given with
delay, or accepted in a completely different way, could also be that
our Lord tests His servants. Allah may grantHis blessings after
certain periods of time in order to test the patience of His servants
and to make them mature according to a certain reason.
Due to this and similar reasons, it cannot be expected that every
prayer is realized as it is asked for and as soon as possible. As it
is stated bythe great Islamic scholar Bediuzzaman, Allah may give less
of something asked for in prayer or sometimes more of it as a reward
or because of the reasons we mentioned above He may not grant them at
all. However, in every condition, Allah accepts the prayer of the one
who prays to Him.
How Did Our Prophets Pray?
Praying is a way of submitting to Allah and all people need prayer.
The most erudite examples of this is that all Prophets pray to Allahby
submitting to Him in every matter as revealedin the Qur'an. In the
prayers of our Prophet (saas) and all other prophets, we see both
their submission to Allah,the fact that they see Allah as their sole
friend and helper and that theypraise our Lord's glory with His most
beautiful names.
The Prayer of Our Prophet (saas)
In the prayers of our Prophet Mohammad (saas), the most beautiful
examples of citing Allah with His names are revealed. One of the
verses in which our Prophet (saas)'s prayers are mentioned isas
follows:
" Say, 'O Allah! Master of the Kingdom! You give sovereignty to
whoever You will You take sovereignty from whoever You will. You exalt
whoever You will You abase whoever You will. All good is in Your
hands. You have power over all things. " (Surah Al 'Imran, 26)
In the narrations, it is noted that our Prophet (saas) prayed to our
Lordto give him a good morality and good nature.
"O Allah! Enhance goodness and ethics! O Divine! Remove from me bad
morals! . " (Tirmidhi, Imam Ahmad and Haqim;Hujjat al-Islam Imam
Gadhali, Ihyau Ulum id-din, volume 2, Translation: Dr. Sitki Gulle,
Huzur Publishing, Istanbul 1998, p.789)
The Prayer of the Prophet Noah (pbuh)
The patience of the Prophet Noah (pbuh), who called his society to the
true religion for years with an exemplary determination, was praised
in the Qur'an. The Prophet Noah (pbuh) struggled againsthis society
that acted with enmity towards him and the believers who were with
him. The fact that the Prophet Noah (pbuh) turned to Allah in every
situation, and prayed by hoping for his help sincerely is a great
example for believers. In one verse, itis revealed that Allah knew the
condition the Prophet Noah (pbuh) was in and that he prayed as
follows:
" He called upon his Lord:'I am overwhelmed, so help me!' " (Surat al-Qamar, 10)
Allah accepted the Prophet Noah (pbuh)'s prayer and commanded him to
prepare for the Flood, which was going to take place in future. The
Prophet Noah (pbuh) began to build a massive ship by the command of
Allah, even though there was no seaor lake nearby. During the
construction of the ship, he was continuously subject to spiritual
pressure by his society. When the time came Allah's promise was
realized and the flood disaster took place.
The Prayer of the Prophet Jonah (pbuh)
In the Qur'an, it is revealed that this valuable prophet of
oursseparated himself from his people, as they did not respond to his
calls. (Surat as-Saffat, 139–142) As it is revealedin the verses,
following this, there was a draw inthe ship that the ProphetJonah
(pbuh) was traveling on and as a result of the draw it was decided
that the ProphetJonah (pbuh) was to be thrown into the sea. On top of
these events, the Prophet Jonah (pbuh) submitted to Allah and prayed
to Him. Allah revealed this event as such in the Qur'an:
" And Jonah when he left in anger and thought We would not punish
him. He called out in the pitch darkness: 'There is no god but You!
Glory be to You! Truly I have been one of the wrongdoers.' We
responded to him and rescued him from his grief. That is how Werescue
the belivers ." (Surat al-Anbiya', 87–88)
As it is revealed in the verses the Prophet Jonah(pbuh) confessed his
condition sincerely in hisprayer. He prayed to Allah and waited for
His help. Our Lord, Who has infinite mercy, accepted the Prophet Jonah
(pbuh)'s redemption andsaved him from the stomach of the fish by
accepting his prayer.
The Prayer of the Prophet Job (pbuh)
In the Qur'an, the Prophet Job (pbuh)'s patience was mentionedas an
example to believers. The Prophet Job (pbuh) who received revelations
from Allah and who was a selected servant (Surat an-Nisa, 163)
experienced serious trouble and went through a difficult period.
However, despite all of the heavy tribulations he was in, he always
set an example for believers with his patience and submission to
Allah. (Surah Sad, 44) The sincere prayer of this holy prophet of ours
wasrevealed in one verse as follows:
" And Job when he calledout to his Lord, 'Great harm has afflicted me
and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful,' " (Surat al-Anbiya',
83)
It is revealed in the Qur'an that Almighty Allah accepted the prayer
of the Prophet Job (pbuh) who was oneof His sincere servants:
" We responded to him and removed from him the harm which was
afflicting him and restored his family to him, and the same againwith
them, as a mercy direct from Us and a Reminder to all worshippers. "
(Surat al-Anbiya', 84)
Prayer, which is an important means to reach Almighty Allah,
theAll-Knowing and the All-Hearing, Who is nearer to man than his
jugular vein (Surah Qaf, 16), is an act of worship believers carry out
in every occasion and condition. However, when believers do this, as
it is revealed in the verse " But you will not will unless Allah wills
..." (Surat al-Insan, 30) they behave in a manner conscious of the
fact thateverything is always under the control of our Lord and that
everythingis realized by His will.
There is a Response to Sincere Prayers in Both the World and the Hereafter
Prayer leads the person towards what is going to happen in his
destiny; Allah is the One Who determines destiny and creates prayer.
However,the blessing that comes following a prayer contains
prosperity in this world and a good return in the Hereafter. Aperson's
whole life is a result of the active or verbal prayers previously
made, whether he realizes it or not. Active prayer is our actions and
efforts put forth on the subject of prayer by Allah's leave. When this
effort is not for the good pleasure of Allah –as is the case with
some people- it could still be a means for an individual to reach his
orher wishes, by Allah's leave. People who do not have faith but carry
out their active prayers with great ambition, for example, those who
work and earn a lot, becomes rich or becomes expert about a subject
and becomes famous, have reached that degree through their active
struggle by holding onto causes, andagain by Allah's leave. However,
active prayers that are not made for the good pleasure of Allah will
bring no benefit to the individual in the Hereafter even if aperson
reaches his or her objectives from timeto time in this world.
No Other Than Allah is Prayed To
By the verse revealed in the Qur'an, " O Prophet! Allah is enough for
you, and for the faithful who follow you. " (Surat al-Anfal, 64),
believers know that Allah is the only One Whom to ask help. He is the
most superior, the most powerful and the One Who sees and hears
everything. Allah is the One Who is excluded from all deficient
features, and Who is the Owner of eternal power.All power in the
universeis in His hands. So help and forgiveness should be asked for
only and only from Allah, Whom everyone is need for andWho Himself
does not need anyone. In the Qur'an it is revealed that it is wrong to
pray to others than Allah and that Allah is the sole authority of
prayer:
" So do not call on any other god along with Allah or you will be
among those who will be punished. " (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 213)
Conclusion
Prayer is an example of Allah's mercy and compassion for His servants.
Believers can pray to Allah at every moment and under every condition
and theyare peaceful that Allah will accept these prayersin the best
ways. In this way, they can tell their deepest secrets and the most
hidden desires to Allah, and live the goodness, prosperity and beauty
that comes from the knowledge that Allah is the only friend , guide
and helper. We can see the biggest secret in Allah accepting prayers
in the lives of prophets as we have mentioned in someexamples. There
is a relation in praying and carrying out the actions Allah commands.
The physical effort shown forAllah's good pleasure, mercy and Paradise
is anact of worship as important as prayer. Allah revealed in the
Qur'an about the importance of effort: " But as for anyone who desires
the akhira, and strives for it with the striving it deserves, being a
believer, the striving of such people will be gratefully acknowledged.
" (Surat al-Isra', 19)
Islamic scholar Imam Rabbani explained this matter with these words:
"Desiring something means attaining it; indeed, Almighty Allah does
not make His servant pray for something He will not accept."Believers
who know that their actions are also prayers not onlypray at moments
of difficulty but at every moment by feeling the existence and
mightiness of Allah. Theypreserve this close connection to Almighty
Allah at every moment oftheir lives.

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Those first six hours are crucial

The first six hours after a heart attack being a crucial period for
patients, cardiologists suggest thrombolytic treatment for those
suffering heart attacks inareas that are poorly connected.
Thrombolytic treatment is basically an injection that bursts or
dissolves the clot that clogs or obstructs the blood flow to a portion
of the heart. Saturday being observed as the World Heart Day, city
cardiologists explained to The Hindu both the advantages and
disadvantages of providing thrombolytic treatment to the needy
patients.
An ideal solution
Thrombolytic treatment could be an ideal solution as there may be a
delay in bringing patients to the hospital. It can be provided even by
a general physician within six hours of the attack and can help save
lives, especially in places that lack cardiac care facilities, says
C.N. Manjunath, director, Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular
Sciences and Research.
Medical treatment needs to be streamlined to avoid delay in bringing
the patient to the hospital. "If a patient does not get treatment for
every 30 minutes after the attack, the risk of death increases by 7
per cent," he adds.
Explaining the thrombolytic treatment, V.S. Prakash, head of the
Department of Cardiology at M.S. Ramaiah Hospital, says people seek
this treatment as it is less expensive compared to angioplasty. "While
thrombolytic treatment can cost anywhere between Rs. 10,000 and Rs.
40,000, an angioplastycosts close to Rs. 1 lakh."
However, Dr. Prakash cautioned that patients need to understand that
the treatment does not end at thrombolytic treatment. "After this
treatment, they need to consult a cardiologist who will suggest the
future course of treatment."
Though cardiologists say that the goal of the treatment after the
attack should aim at reducing the death rate, and survival with good
heart function, J. Kannan,cardiologist at Narayana Hrudalaya, pointed
that the thrombolytic treatment might be useful to 60 per cent of the
patients. Side effect of this treatment could sometimes cause
internalbleeding, he cautioned.
"After the attack, the heart muscle starts dying as the blood supply
is stopped. So there is a need to restore blood flow as quickly as
possible," he suggested.
Prevention
With the incidence of cardiovascular diseases increasing every year,
cardiologists say the best way is prevention. Annually, close to 2.5
million deaths in India are attributed to myocardial infarction
(commonly known as heart attack).
"In 1990, there were only1.2 million deaths because of this. But the
incidence is increasing rapidly and the only way to deal with it is by
working out preventive strategies," Dr. Prakash added.
A recent study conductedby the Jayadeva institute on 1,042 heart
patients identified diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, obesity and
smoking to be the risk factors for heart attack. "As much as 25 per
cent of the heart attack patients are below 40 and the incidence is
increasing in the younger age groups," Dr.Manjunath pointed out, and
added that the family physician needs toplay a bigger role in
educating people about the risk factors."

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News - Sonia won’t respond toModi charges

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday refused to react to
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's attack on her and the Centre
demanding details of expenses on her foreign travels and said she was
not bothered about personal attacks on her.
"Whenever we have taken steps in the interest of the nation, there
have been all kindsof attacks against us.... Neither have we bothered
earlier, nor willwe worry about them in future," she said, launching
the party's pollcampaign in Gujarat at a farmers' convention in
Rajkot.
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP and theGujarat Chief Minister,
Ms.Gandhi said there was a "huge difference" between their preaching
and practice on the issue of corruption. Alleging that the BJP-ruled
states were "neck-deep" in corruption, she said the party was not
ready to act despite evidence and CAG reports against them."There is a
difference between their preaching and practice...They are not ready
to act against their states on the issue of corruption even though
there is evidence and CAG reports against them," she said.
Ms. Gandhi also lashed out at the BJP for not allowing the passing of
the Lokpal Bill in Rajya Sabha and attacked the opposition party for
not allowing Parliament to function. She also noted that the Gujarat
government had not appointed a Lokpal for the last eight years. "They
are not against corruption, they are against us...Those who do not
allow Parliament to function talk about being against corruption...Are
they against the government or the Constitution and the democracy of
the country? I leave it for youto decide as you are sensible to
understand this," she said.
She used the farmers rally to make a strong pitch for FDI in retail,
saying the move would help farmers get remunerative prices for their
produce by selling it directly in cities. She wondered as to why there
was so much hue and cry over allowing FDIin retail when it is not
mandatory for all states to implement.
Without directly naming Mr. Modi, Ms. Gandhi questioned why the people
of the country were being misled on theFDI in retail decision.
She also alleged that atrocities on women were being committed
inGujarat and that Dalits seeking their rights werebeing fired upon.

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Where Are the Answers?

"What am I going to do? Why is my life so messed up? Why can't I find
happiness? Why am I alone? Why do I feel stuck? Why do I have these
problems?'…
These questions only have meaning if we direct them to Allah. No one
else can answer them. Consider the wordsof the Prophet Ya'qub
(alayhis-salam, peace be upon him) when his son Yusuf (as) was
secretly thrown into a well by his brothers. They then reported to
their father that Yusuf had been killed by a wolf.
And he turned away fromthem and said, "Oh, my sorrow over Yusuf," and
his eyes became white from grief, and he fell into silent melancholy.
They said, "By Allah , you will not cease remembering Yusuf until you
become fatally ill or become of those who perish."
He said, " I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah , and
I knowfrom Allah that which you do not know.
- Quran, Surat Yusuf, 12:84-86
"I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah…"
When you feel stuck, when you feel that no one understands your
situation, when you're in pain and you can't even imagine a solution,
only Allah has the answers. You can't see a way forward, but He can.
You don't see your own worth, but He does. You can't figure out the
road to happiness, but He can show you.
I remember a night in Arizona when I was twenty six years old. I lay
on a cot in a small, frigid cell. There was snow outside and I had
only a thin blanket. As I often did, I put on all my clothing in
layers – three pants, three shirts, an army jacket and a pair of boots
– and still I kept waking up shivering and shaking. Yet, even more
than the physical discomfort, my spirit was tired. I had made mistakes
in my youth andhad been locked up for almost five years. I had become
hard mentally and physically, but my heart was full of sorrow. Ilay
there that night and I thought, "I have nothing in life. I have
accomplished nothing. I have no university degree, no wife, no
children, and not even my freedom."
That was a bad time. But I had my faith, and I usedto weep to Allah,
asking Him to have mercy on me. I think I gave up on myself for a
while, but I never gave up on Allah. Itwould not even have occurred to
me to do so. Idid cry to Him sometimes saying, "Why, Allah? Why? Why
am I here, suffering like this?" But itwasn't despair, only confusion.
In my heart I knew that He heard me and that an answer would come.
Shortly after that I received a letter from theparole board granting
me early release. I had previously been told veryclearly that I was
not eligible. It was entirely unexpected, and if you are familiar with
the American penal system, miraculous. But for Allah, nothing is
impossible or even difficult.
Within a few months I was free. I found a job a week after my
release, and I excelled. I began writing, sitting at my desk every
night after work and disciplining myself to work on poetry,stories and
articles. Eventually I went back to school and began a new career, got
married, bought a beautiful house, and one day had achild…
What can I say except Alhamdulillah! SubhanAllah! What can I do except
weep in gratitude for these blessings that I did nothing to earn, but
were given to me by my Lord who loves me and cares about me, and wants
good for me. I am so deeply touched and moved by the way Allah has
answered my prayersfrom the depths of darkness. If I did anything to
merit His blessings, perhaps it was only that I directed my pleas to
Him. I knew that no one else could help me.
This is a very emotional post for me to write. I want every Muslim to
have this sense of Allah astheir friend, as someone who cares for them
deeply. I want to put thatawareness into your heart like a gift.
When I was in that cell I used to pray the same dua' over and over,
begging Allah repeatedly.If I had made such pleas to a human being
they would have stopped hearing me long ago. When we're needy with
people it pushes them away, but when we're needy with Allah He comes
closer to us! He never tires of answering our need and forgiving us.
I know of many similar stories of people who have hit rock bottom
andhave called upon Allah – or , not even knowing "Allah" by that
name, have called to the Supreme Being, saying, "Iknow you hear me,
tell me what I need to do, show me the way!" – andthen, like a circle
of sunlight piercing a cloud,something or someone comes into their
lives to show them the way forward.
When we're out of ideas, surrounded by problems, and feeling totally
alone… we're not alone . Allah is with us. If we pray sincerely and
strive, He will put light in our hearts and help us from directions we
did not expect.
Ask Allah sincerely, open yourself to Him, and accept what He gives
youeven when it goes against your own desires.The answers to your
questions are there, with Allah, I promise you. All those terrible
questions that you ask yourself in the silence of your mind, the
answers are with Allah.
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Imam Nawawi

IMAM NAWAWI [631 - 676 A.H]
Birth and Birth place:
The complete name of Imam Nawawi is Abu Zakaria Mohiuddin Yahya, son
of Sharaf An-Nawawi, son of Murry,son of Hassan, son of Hussain, son
of Muhammad , son of Juma,son of Hazam. Nawawi refers to Nawa, a place
near Damascus, in the suburb of the city of Howran. One of his
ancestors named Hazam had settled at this place. Imam Nawawi was born
at Nawa in the year 631 A.H. His father, a virtuous and pious man,
resolved to arrange for proper and befitting education as he had
discovered the symptoms of heavenly intelligence and wisdom in his
promising child at an early stage.
Shaikh Yasin bin Yousuf Marakashi, a saintly figure of Nawa says: "I
saw Imam Nawawi at Nawa when he was a youth of ten years of age.Other
boys of his age used to force him to play with them, but Imam Nawawi
would always avoid the play and wouldremain busy with the recitation
of the Noble Qur'an. When they tried to domineer and insisted on his
joining their games, he bewailed and expressed his no concern over
their foolish action. On observing his sagacityand profundity, a
special love and affection developed in my heart for young Nawawi. I
approached his teacher and urged him to take exceptional care of this
lad as he was to become a great religious scholar and most pious saint
of future. His teacher asked whether I was a soothsayer or an
astrologer. I told him I am neither soothsayer nor an astrologer but
Allah caused me to utter these words." His teacherconveyed this
incident to Imam's father and he keeping in view the learning quest of
his son, decided to dedicate the life of his son for the service and
promotion ofthe cause of Islamic Faith.
In a short period, Nawawi learnt to read the Holy Qur'an and by that
time he nearly had attained puberty. Nawa had no academic or scholarly
atmosphere andthere were no religious academies or institutes where
one could earn excellence in religious learning, so his father took
him to Damascus, which was considered the center of learning and
scholarship, and the students from far and wide gathered there for
schooling. During that period, there were more than three hundred
institutes, colleges and universities in Damascus. Imam Nawawi joined
Madrasah Rawahiyah which was affiliated withthe Ummvi University. The
founder and patron of this Madrasah was a trader named Zakiuddin
Abul-Qassim who was known as Ibn Rawahah. Madrasah was named after
him. Noted and eminent teachers of the period taught in that Madrasah.
Imam Nawawi says, "I studied in this institution for two years. During
my stay in Madrasah Rawahiyah, I never had complete rest and lived on
the limited food supplied by the institution." As a routine he used to
sleep very little at night. When it became irresistible as a human
being, he would lean and slumber for a while against the supportof
books. After a short duration he would again be hard at his scholastic
pursuits.
His Teachers and Guides:
During his stay at Damascus, he studied from more than twenty
celebrated teachers. These teachers were regarded as masters and
authority of their subject field and disciplines they taught. Imam
studied Hadith, Islamic Jurisprudence, its principles, syntax and
Etymology from great scholars of his time. Abu Ibrahim Ishaq bin Ahmad
AI-Maghribi, Abu Muhammad Abdur-Rahman bin Ibrahim Al-Fazari,
Radiyuddin AbuIshaq Ibrahim bin Abu Hafs Umar bin Mudar Al-Mudari, Abu
Ishaq Ibrahim bin Isa Al-Muradi,Abul-Baqa Khalid bin Yusuf An-Nablusi,
Abul-Abbas Ahmad bin Salim Al-Misri, Abu Abdullah Al-Jiyani, Abul-Fath
Umar bin Bandar, Abu Muhammad At-Tanukhi, Sharafuddin Abdul-Aziz bin
Muhammad Al-Ansari, Abul-Faraj Abdur-Rahmanbin Muhammad bin Ahmad
Al-Maqdisi, Abul-Fada'il Sallar bin Al-Hasan Al Arbali etc.
His Students:
There were hundreds of Imam's students, among them some notables are:
Alauddin bin Attar, Ibn Abbas Ahmad bin Ibrahim, Abul-Abbas
Al-Ja'fari, Abul-Abbas Ahmad bin Farah, Rashid Ismail bin Mu'allim
Al-Hanafi, Abu Abdullah Al-Hanbali, AbulAbbas Al-Wasti, Jamaluddin
Sulaiman bin Omar Az-Zar'i, AbulFaraj Abdur-Rahman bin Muhammad bin
Abdul-Hamid AlMaqdisi, Badr Muhammad bin Ibrahim, Shamsuddin Muhammad
bin Abu Bakr, Ash-Shihab Muhammad bin Abdul-Khaliq, Hibatullah
Al-Barizi, Abul-Hajjaj Yusuf bin Az-Zaki etc.
His Desire and Crave for Learning:
Imam Nawawi had endless thirst for knowledge, and it can beguessed
from his daily practice of studies. He used to read daily twelve
lessons and write explanation and commentary of every lesson and also
made important additions. Whatever the book ImamNawawi read, he put
down the marginal notesand explanations on that book. His
intelligence, hard work, love, devotion and absorption in his-studies
amazed his teachers and they become fond of him and began to praise
and admire him. According toImam Dhahabi, Imam Nawawi's concentration
and absorption in academic love gained proverbial fame. He had devoted
all his time for learning and scholarship.Other than reading and
writing, he spent his timecontemplating on the interacted and complex
issues and in finding their solutions. Allah had also conferred upon
him the gift of fast memory and depth of thought, and he who makes the
right use of this boon, there remains no doubt in his sagacity and
discernment. Imam Nawawi made full benefit of his God given qualities
and potentialities and earnedthe highest degree of honor.
Imam's Simplicity and Niceness of Manners:
The learned persons, eliteof the society and the public greatly
respected the Imam on account of his piety, learning and excellent
character. He used simple dress and atesimple food. Devout scholars do
not care about worldly chattels, they give preference to religious and
academic pursuits, propagation of Faith etc. They experience more
heavenly delight and joy in such activities than those who seek
satisfaction in luxurious foods, precious clothes and other worldly
things.Imam Nawawi had a prominent place among the erudite notables of
his age. He was God-fearing person having illustrious and glorious
aims regarding propagation of Faith. Celebrated Sheikh Mohiuddin
expresses his impression about Imam Nawawi as thus:
"Imam Nawawi had threedistinctive commendable qualities in his person.
If anybody have only one out of these three, people return to him in
abundance for guidance. First, having knowledge and its dissemination.
Second, to evade completely from the worldly inclinations, and the
third, inviting to all that is good ( Islam ) enjoining Al-Ma'ruf
[i.e., Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do] and
forbidding Al-Munkar [polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has
forbidden]. Imam Nawawi had all three in him."
Imam Nawawi's worksand his death
The learned Imam had a very short life but even during this short
period, he had written a large number of books on different subjects.
Every work of the Imam is a masterwork and a treasure of knowledge.
Hundreds and thousands of people benefit from these works.
Some of the Prestigious Works of Imam Nawawi are:
Commentary on Sahih Al-Bukhari , Al-Minhaj fi Sharh Sahih Muslim ,
Riyad-us-Saliheen, Kitab-ur-Raudah, Commentary on Mohadhdhab,
Tahdhib-ul-Asma was-Sifat, Kitab-ul-Adhkar, Arba'een, At-Taqreeb fi
Ilmil-Hadith wal-Irshad fihi, Kitab-ulMubhamat, At-Tibyan, Al-Idah fi
Manasikil-Hajj, Sharh Sahih AlBukhari (Naqis), Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud
(Naqis), Tabaqat Ash Shafi'iyah, Muhimmatul-Ahkam,
Manaqib-ush-Shafi'i, Bustan-ulArifeen, Al-Khulasatu fil-Hadith,
Mukhtasar At- Tirmidhi , A1Masa'il Al-Manthurah, Al-'Umdah fi
Tashihit-Tanbih and others.
After spending 28 years of age, Imam Nawawi returned to his hometown.
Soon after his arrival at Nawa, he felt ill and died. Imam Nawawi is
still living in the hearts of Muslims. His works are of everlasting
value. May Allah bless Imam Nawawi.
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Jinn are Created from Fire

Jinn are other kind of creations of God. Like angels, the jinn's
appearance also differs from that of man. In the Qur'an we are told
that man was created from clay, while the jinn were created from fire:
We created mankind outof dried clay formed from fetid black mud.
Wecreated the jinn before, out of the fire of a searing wind. (Surat
al-Hijr, 26-27)
He created man from dryearth like baked clay, and He created the jinn
from a fusion of fire. (Suratar-Rahman, 14-15)
In the Qur'an, God also reveals His purpose in creating man and the jinn:
I only created jinn and man to worship Me. (Suratadh-Dhariyat, 56)
It is clear that even though man and the jinn are very different
beings they both were created to worship only God by livingby the
values He prescribed. God has revealed in many verses that both angels
and the jinn have some characteristics that differ from human
characteristics. For instance, both can transport matter:
He (Solomon) said,"Council! Who among you will bring me her (the Queen
of Sheba's) throne before they cometo me in submission?" An audacious
one among the jinn said, "I will bring it to you before you get up
from your seat. I am strong and trustworthy enough to do it." (Surat
an-Naml,38-39)
The Qur'an also reveals that the jinn, just like the angels, were
created before man. When He created the Prophet Adam (pbuh) God
commanded the angels and the jinn to prostrate before him. Afterthat,
He reveals that satan is one of the jinn:
When We said to the angels, "Prostrate yourselves to Adam," they
prostrated, with theexception of Diabolis. Hewas one of the jinn and
wantonly deviated from his Lord's command. Do you take him and his
offspring as protectors apart from Me when they are your enemy? How
evil is the exchangethe wrongdoers make! (Surat al-Kahf, 50)
Creation is easy for God, Who can create from nothing and with no
previous cause. Just as He created the angels and thejinn in different
forms from nothing, He also created man as a separate being from
nothing and with no need for evolution. The same applies to other
living things, such as animals and plants. God created all of these
spontaneously out of nothing and without having them evolve – in other
words, without turning one species into another. Every one of these is
a product of the flawless systems God's might and sovereignty brought
about.

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Mayan people believe that the year 2012 is the beginning of a new age when some blessed people will appear

Mayan people belive that the date December 21st, 2012, which is the
end of the Mayan calendar system made up of periods of thousands of
years, refers to the end of a long age.
According to the Mayan calendar the world enters a new age every
1million 872 thousand days. The history of the world consists of
periodsof nearly 5125 years and the end of each one of these periods
mark radical changes and great renovations.
According to the Mayan people, the period in which we live is the
fifthand the last period and it will come to an end onthe date
13.0.0.0.0. According to the Gregorian calendar, this date is 21
December 2012.
According to the Calendar of the Maya, the date of December 22nd 2012
would be represented by what arenamed: 13 Baktun, 0 Katun, 0 Tun, 0
Uinal, and 0 Kin. On their calendar a total of 1,872,000 days will
have elapsed since the beginning of the Maya Era, and this date will
mark the new beginningof the New Era.
For this reason, Mayan people think that December 21st, 2012 is not
only the end of a particular period. They believe that this date is
the beginning of a new period during which some wise, blessed people
will appear and bring a Golden Age to the world.
The Stella (stone structure) depicting that the date December 21st,
2012 is the time when an age will end and a new one will begin.
A stella was found nearby Nohoch Mul, the second highest pyramid among
the Coba Pyramids of the Ancient Mayan civilization. This stella
depicts the age that starts on August 11, 3114 BC and ends in December
21st 2012.
It is estimated that this stella is at least 2000 years old, because
settlements in the area where the pyramids of Coba exist have been
dated somewhere between 600 and 900 CE.
Mayan glifs signifying December 22th, 2012
According to the Mayan people the end of the long Mayan Cycle will
bring the end of the age of oppression and violence, and this will
bethe beginning of the "Golden Age". However this beginning will not
be a peaceful transformation; there will be upheavals in every corner
of the world, many disasters will come upon that will wear-out the
structures of the state. These will not happen in a short while; they
will occur in a long period of time. Again according to the Mayan
people, followingall these happenings, "great blessed people", whom
they believe will be the spiritual leaders of all humanity, will come.
Before their coming, there will be spiritual workers who will prepare
their way. Mayan people believe that the date December 21st, 2012
signifies the time when these spiritual workers will gradually
increase their influence.

How the Prophet Moses' (pbuh) Staff turned into a Snake

As He did with the Prophet Jesus (pbuh), God also gave miracles to the
Prophet Moses (pbuh), who, as we know, by the will of God saved his
people from Pharaoh by dividing the sea in two. Again by the will of
God, the Prophet Moses' (pbuh) staff turned into a snake. Thisis how
this fact is revealed in the Qur'an:
What is that in your right hand, Moses?'
He said, 'It is my staff. I lean on it and beat down leaves for my
sheep with it and have other uses for it.'
He said, 'Throw it down, Moses.'
He threw it down and suddenly it was a slithering snake.
He said, 'Take hold of it and have no fear. We will return it to its
original form. (Surah Ta Ha, 17-21)
As with the example of the Prophet Jesus (pbuh)making a bird out of
mud, the phenomenon of the Prophet Moses' (pbuh) staff is also one of
the greatest proofs that God can create a living thing outside natural
causes.
The moment the ProphetMoses (pbuh) casts downthe rod on his hands, it
turns, as a blessing from God, from being a lifeless piece of wood
into a fast-moving snakethat swallows everything produced by the
others there, in other words that possesses a digestive system. In
this way, God shows people an example of how He creates life out of
nothing. Inanimate matter comes to life onlyby God commanding it to
"Be!" This miracle bestowed on the Prophet Moses (pbuh) byGod
demolished the superstitious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, and the
people around him immediately saw the truth, abandoned their
superstitious beliefs and believed in God.
God creates from nothing with no need ofnatural causes. In the same
way that He created the jinn and the angels in different ways,He also
created human beings as separate entities, with no need for evolution.
The same applies to other living things, such as animals and plants.
God has created all of these from nothing, without causing any of them
to evolve, in other words, without turning one species into another.
As is revealed in verses, God gives the command"Be!" and it is:
It is He Who created the heavens and the Earth with truth. The day He
says 'Be!' it is. His speech is Truth… (Surat al-An'am, 73)
Our Word to a thing when We desire it is just to say to it 'Be!' and
it is. (Surat an-Nahl, 40)
It is He Who gives life and causes to die. When He decides on
something, He just says to it, 'Be!' and it is. (Surah Ghafir, 68)
That being the case, it is therefore a grave error for believers to
raise specious objections to this clear fact and to make inconsistent
claimsalong the lines of "God created living things through evolution"
and"In creating, He used mutations, natural selection, the
intermediate stages between apes and humans."

To abide by the pathshown by our Prophet (saas)

Our Prophet (saas) has described the End Times inwhich we are living
in considerable detail. One ofthe main features of the End Times is
that, in that period Muslims will face many difficulties, troubles and
pains. That is because,as our Prophet (saas) reveals, this period is
one in which irreligion will spread, materialist and Darwinist
ideologies will engage in intensive propaganda. During this period
many people will abandon religious moral values altogether, true
believers will be few in number, Allah will be blatantly denied
(surely Allah is beyond that), Islamic countries such as Iraq and
Afghanistan will be invaded, Muslims will be besieged in Bayt
al-Maqdis, tyrannical rulerswill oppress the public in many Islamic
countries. In this period disorder and terror will enfold the world,
corruption will spring up somewhere else as it dies down in one place
and innocent people will be unjustly killed, women and children will
be slaughtered, people will live in fear and terror and despite all
this Muslims will still be fragmented. (For more detail in this
subject, see http://www.endoftimes.net/ )
However, while warning Muslims in great detail about these problems
they will encounter, our Prophet (saas) has also shown them how they
can be saved from these difficulties. Almighty Allahwill free the
Islamic world and all mankind from difficulties and troubles of all
kinds by sending HazratMahdi (as) when the calamities of the End Times
are at their fiercest. Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a holy individual
descended fromour Prophet (saas), who, according to the hadiths and
statements by Islamic scholars, will appear in Hijri 1400, in this
century in other words, and will lead people out of the darkness into
which they have fallen, towards the light. Rasulullah (The Messenger
of Allah) (saas) has described in detail Hazrat Mahdi's (as) physical
characteristics, the kind of struggle he will wage, where he will come
from and what he will do. He has provided amazing details about all
this. According to these details, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will serve in
Istanbul, will wage an intellectual struggle against Darwinism and
materialism, will neutralize the corruption that turns people from
religious moral values, willconstruct the Turkish-Islamic Union by
uniting the Islamic world, will put an end to all forms of injustice
and unfairness, will be instrumental in people growing and becoming
very wealthy in both material and physicalterms and, together with the
Prophet Jesus(pbuh), will make the moral values of Islam rule the
world. He will be instrumental in a time likethe Age of Felicity
taking place across the world, when Allah fully manifestsHis title of
al-Hadi (Who Guides), when people fullyabide by the moral values
commanded by Allah, when there is plenty and abundance everywhere and
when joy and happiness reign.

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There is no creation through evolution either in Paradise or in Hell

Almighty God has revealedthat following people's deaths He will
recreate them, in a different form and in a manner appropriate to
their lives in the Hereafter. In the same way that He created human
beings without evolution in this world, they will be resurrected in a
single moment for their lives in the Hereafter, by His commanding them
to"Be!" In the same way, as with human beings, our Almighty Lord has
not created all the entities in Paradise and Hell through evolution,
either. The guardians and demons of Hell and the handmaidens in
Paradise revealed in verses are all brought into existence by our
Almighty Lord without natural causes. Some of the versesof the Qur'an
that refer to the resurrection of human beings after death and to
people in the Hereafter read as follows:
Mankind! if you are in any doubt about the Rising, know that We
created you from dust then from a drop of sperm then from a clot of
blood then from a lump of flesh, formed yetunformed, so We may make
things clear to you. We make whatever We want stay in the womb until a
specified time and then We bring you out as children so that you can
reach your full maturity. Some of you die and some of yourevert to the
lowest formof life so that, after having knowledge, they then know
nothing at all. And you see the earth dead and barren; then when We
send down water onto it it quivers and swells and sprouts with
luxuriant plants of every kind.Thatis because Allah is the Real and
gives life to the dead and has power over all thingsand the Hour is
coming without any doubt and Allah will raise up all those in the
graves.(SuratAl-Hajj, 5-7)
We have brought maidens into being. (Surat al-Waqi'a, 35)

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The Secrets of Success

When I woke up this morning I asked myself:
"What are some of the secrets of success in life?"
I found the answer right there in my very room:
The fan said : Be cool.
The roof said : Aim high.
The window said : See the world.
The clock said : Every minute is precious.
The mirror said : Reflect before you act.
The door said : Push hardfor your goals.
And finally, the carpet said : Kneel down and pray.

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Don’t Make Yourself a Prisoner

It's possible to make ourselves the prisoners ofothers. How? By caring
somuch what they think that we let if affect how we practice our
religion, how we dress, how we speak, even what names we call
ourselves.
Prisoners have their names taken away and are given numbers. We do it
voluntarily when we change Muhammad to Mo, Wael to Will (I've been
advised by some to do this but I have always refused), and Khadija to
Kim.
Prisoners are told how todress. We do it to ourselves by giving up our
hijabs and kufis in order to fit in. We enslave ourselves to the
cultural dictates of others. We humiliate ourselves by suppressing
everything that says, "I am Muslim."
Prisoners are sometimes refused the right to pray or to have a Quran.
We do it to ourselves by missing our prayers because we are afraid of
being seen in public; or putting away our Quran and letting it gather
dust.
Prisoners are given no choice in their diets. We do it to ourselves by
eating the non-halal meat that is put in front of us, because we are
ashamed to say, "I only eat halal."
Prisoners learn to remainsilent. We do it to ourselves when others
speak of faith and religion – sometimes even criticizing Islam in our
presence – and we remain silent because weare embarrassed to speakup.
"And believe in what I have sent down confirming that which is
[already] with you, and be not the first to disbelieve in it. And do
not exchange My signs for a small price, and fear[only] Me." – Quran,
Al-Baqarah, 2:41
Allah gave us a great gift,He gave us truth and guidance, and others
are hungering for it, so don'thide it! We must be ourselves, be proud
(not the pride of arrogance but of gratitude), let our faith show,
shine our light! A lamp in the darkness cannot be hidden!
Don't make yourself a prisoner! Wear your Islamic clothing without
embarrassment, eat halal without apology, speak your name with pride,
pray on time no matter where you are, read the Quran on the bus or the
subway if you wish, and when people ask you about your faith, tell
them with a smile, "I am Muslim." Speak your truth without fear. Be
proud of Islam. Be free, and hold your head up high, bowing only to
Allah.

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Getting Through Mini-Depressions

Many people periodically go through short depressions when they feel
negative about everything in their lives. There are ways we can
minimize these depressions, and steps we can take to ensure wedon't
sabotage our relationships when we'refeeling blue.
In my case, I go through regular periods of mini-depression every few
months. My mood will be utterly black, my mind filled with
self-critical thoughts: "I'ma failure, I'm a hypocrite, I have no real
friends, I've wasted my life…" But even in the depths of depression I
know that the mood will not last. One good night's sleep will restore
me to normal, Insha'Allah. So I keep my mouth shut and do not express
those negative thoughts to family or friends, becauseI know I will
regret it later if I do….
Does this happen to you? If so, then pay attention to your own
emotional cycles so that you know what to expect. Control yourself
when you're feeling down. Speak onlywhat is good, or stay silent.
Let's be very clear: You should not ignore genuine problems in your
life. If something is missing or making you unhappy, work on it
Insha'Allah. I'm also not saying that you should remain silent about
real issues that you face. If you've got problems in your family, it's
important to communicate to resolve them. It's also good to talk to a
therapist or counselor.
But when you are depressed, your viewpoint becomes skewed, and it's
not necessarily representative of reality. So when you have those dark
thoughts that say, "My life is worthless and Ihate everyone," don't
express those to anyone except your therapist or counselor. Don't call
up your best friend and say, "You're not a true friend, you don't care
about me." That's not productive and will only destroy your
relationship.
When you're depressed, hold on to your lifeline with God, eat well and
get plenty of rest, and be patient until the mood passes Insha'Allah.
Try to fill your life with good things: people you care about, work
that matters,hobbies you love, good books to read, exercise you enjoy…
these good things provide a safety net when you're feeling blue.
For example, photographer and human rights activist Asmaa-Deanna Dee
says, "When I am feeling low and downtrodden I just find a quiet place
and sit alone with my favorite book (the Quran)! When Iturn each of
its miraculous pages my heart begins to feel lighter and the world
around me brighter! The love, warmth and security of each word sets in
and it is in these very moments that I know for sure in my heart how
much Allah really loves me! Alhamdulillah! Subhanallah! Allahu Akbar!"
Also remind yourself of the good things in your life, and try to be
gratefulfor them. Do not look to those who have more than you, but
those who have less. Think of the times in your life when God has
helped you, guided you, and saved you. He will do so again.
By the way, I don't get those mini-depressions as often anymore. I'm
notsure why, but it could be that I exercise every day now. Also, I am
active in the Muslim community, I write passionately about subjects
that are important to me, and I have a daughter who I love… my life is
full of good things Alhamdulillah.
May your life also be full of good things.

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4a. Do the angels see Allah in this world?

4a.
Allah spoke to Moosa (peace be upon him) from behind a screen, and
that does not mean that he didnot believe. To sum up, there is no
contradiction between faith and seeing Him. This is borne out by the
fact that Moosa (peace be upon him) asked his Lord to let him see Him
so as to increase him in faith: "…he said: 'O my Lord! Show me
(Yourself), that I may look upon You'" [al-A'raaf 7:143]. Yes, after
seeing Allah, faith will no longer be regarded as belief in the
unseen, so it is possible that the bearersof the Throne and those who
are around it may have seen Allah and thus attained the highest level
of certainty. By the same token, when the believers see their Lord on
the Day of Resurrection, they will move from certainty based on
knowledge to certainty based on seeing, for when they see Allah they
will believe in Him with the faith of having seen and they will find
thedeepest joy in that; they will be blessed with seeing Him and
hearing His words. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Some faces that Day shall be Nâdirah (shining and radiant).
Looking at their Lord (Allâh)"
[al-Qiyaamah :22-23].
We ask Allah for the joy of looking upon His noble Countenance. And
Allah knows best.
End quote from Fataawa al-Islam al-Yawm.
To sum up: This is a matter of the unseen and it is not permissible to
affirm it or deny it except on the basis of evidence. The correct
approach is to refrain from asking about it.
And Allah knows best.

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4. Do the angels see Allah in this world?

4.
Angel Jibreel or any of the angels have they ever seen Allah (sabhanu wa tala)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing in the Qur'aan or Sunnah to indicate that Jibreel
(peacebe upon him) or any otherangel has seen Allah, may He be
exalted, and it is well known that this is one of the issues of the
unseen which cannot be proven except on the basisof evidence.
In the hadeeth of the Mi'raaj (Prophet's ascent toheaven) it says that
Jibreel(peace be upon him) ascended with our Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) to a level where the scratching of the
pens could be heard, but there is no proof that either of them saw
Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) in that place.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Then I
passed by Ibraaheem, and he said: 'Welcome to the righteous Prophet
and therighteous son.' I said: 'Whois this?' He said: 'This is
Ibraaheem (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).'" Ibn Shihaab
said: And Ibn Hazm told me that Ibn 'Abbaas and Abu Habbah al-Ansaari
used to say: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: "Then I was taken up untilwe reached a level where Icould hear
the scratching of the pens." Ibn Hazm and Anas ibn Maalik said: The
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Allah
enjoined upon my ummahfifty prayers, and I went back with that until I
passed by Moosa…"
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 349; Muslim, 263
The scholars differed concerning this seeing: some of them affirmed it
and some of them denied it.
Ibn Hajar al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: ||Do
the angels see Allah, may He be exalted?
He replied:
Shaykh 'Izz al-Deen ibn 'Abd al-Salaam stated that they do not see
Him, and he quoted evidence at length to support that, and he was
followed in that by some scholars, but he was refuted by the statement
of the imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Shaykh Abu'l-Hasan al-Ash'ari (may Allah
be pleased with him) who said that they do see Him. This was mentioned
in his book al-Ibaanah fi Usool al-Diyaanah. He was followed by
al-Bayhaqi who narrated it with its isnaad from 'Abd-Allah ibn'Amr ibn
al-'Aas and another Sahaabi. This was also followed by Ibn al-Qayyim
and al-Jalaal al-Balqeeni. According to ahadeeth that was classed as
saheeh by al-Haakim, Jibreel never saw his Lord before the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prostrated before his Lord
on that occasion, but this does not necessarily meanthat he did not
see Him after that or that others ofthe angels do not see Him.The view
that only Jibreel could see Him is invalid.
End quote from al-Fataawa al-Hadeethiyyah, p. 153
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Do the angels
see their Lord in this worldor does He send revelationto them from
beyond a screen?
He replied: Allah knows best.
End quote from Fataawa Noor 'ala al-Darb.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak (may Allah preserve him) was asked:
There is evidence to suggest that they do not see Him. That is the
verse in Soorat Ghaafir in which Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning): "Those (angels) who bear the Throne
(of Allâh) and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and
believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (in the
Oneness of Allâh) (saying): 'Our Lord! You comprehend all things in
mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your Way,
and save them from the torment of the blazing Fire!'" [Ghaafir 40:7].
The word "believe" in this verse may point to that meaning -- is this correct?
He replied:
The fact that Allah, may Hebe glorified and exalted, says of the
angels who bear the Throne and who are around it that they believe in
Him does not necessarily mean that theydo not see Him, or that some of
them do not see Him, or that other angels do not see Him, just as
(aspiring to) see Him does not contradict faith. Similarly, the fact
that Allah spoke (to some of the Prophets) is not contrary to faith.
Ibraaheem (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw how Allah
brought the dead back to life and that increased himin faith, as Allah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (remember) when Ibrâhim (Abraham) said, 'My Lord! Show me how You
give life to the dead.' He (Allâh) said: 'Do you notbelieve?' He
[Ibrâhim (Abraham)] said: 'Yes (I believe), but to be stronger in
Faith'"
[al-Baqarah 2:260].
Allah spoke to Moosa (peace be upon him) from behind a screen, and
that does not mean that he didnot believe. :->

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The hadeeth about the virtue of the Basmalah and that it protects against the 19 guards of Hell

The hadeeth about the virtue of the Basmalah and that it protects
against the 19 guards of Hell
Praise be to Allaah.
This report was mentioned by al-Qurtubi in al-Jaami' li Ahkaam
al-Qur'aan (1/92) and Ibn Katheer in his Tafseer (1/18), narrated from
Wakee' from al-A'mash from Abu Waa'il from Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be
pleased with him); it is thewords of Ibn Mas'ood, not of the Prophet
(blessings of Allaah be upon him).
This isnaad is saheeh from Wakee' to Ibn Mas'ood.
Although al-A'mash is mudallis, what he narrated from those with whom
he spent a great deal of time and narrated a great deal from them,
such as Ibraaheem al-Nakha'i and Abu Waa'il, may be accepted.
Al-Dhahabi said in his biography of al-A'mash in Mizaan al-I'tidaal (2/224):
He is mudallis (i.e., gives a false impressions concerning the
narration of the hadeeth, using ambiguous words to give the impression
that he heard it directly from his Shaykh when that is not the case),
and sometimes he narrates in this mannerfrom a weak narrator without
realising it. When he says haddathana [he told us], there is no
problem with that, but when he says 'an [narrating from], there is the
possibility of tadlees except in the case of narration from the
shuyookh from whom he narrated a great deal, suchas Ibraaheem, Abu
Waa'il [in the printed version it says "Ibn Abi Waa'il" but this is an
error; the word "Ibn" is a mistake] and Abu Saalih al-Sammaan. His
narration from these shaykhs is to be understood as meaning that he
heard directly from them and there is no interruption in the chain.
End quote.
But there remains the issue of the narrators who come after Wakee'.
Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Katheerdo not mention the isnaadin its entirety,
and perhapsit is because of this that al-'Allaamah Ahmad Shaakir
omitted it from hisabridgement of Ibn Katheer's Tafseer which is
entitled 'Umdat al-Tafseer,in the introduction to which (1/11) he
stated that he omitted every weak or problematic hadeeth.
But al-Suyooti attributed itin al-Durr al-Manthoor (1/26) to Wakee',
and Imam Wakee' ibn al-Jarraah wrote a well known Tafseer.
See: al-Majma' al-Mu'assis by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (p. 113)
If that is proven, then the isnaad is saheeh, and the report from Ibn
Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) is saheeh.
And Allaah knows best.

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3a. Does everyone who goes against the Sunnahfall into bid‘ah (innovation)? Notes on the meaning of following

3a.
2.
It was narrated that Abu Umaamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
It was said to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him): Which du'aa' is most likely to be heard? He said:"(That
which is said) in thelast part of the night and at the end of the
obligatory prayers."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3499; classed as saheeh byal-Albaani in
Saheeh at-Targheeb wa't-Tarheeb
"at the end of the prayers"may refer to after the prayers or in the
last part of the prayers. In the following hadeeth, for example, what
is meant is after the prayer: 'Uqbah ibn 'Aamir (may Allah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) instructed me to recite al-Mu'awwidhaat (soorahsthat give
protection) at the end of every prayer (i.e., after the prayer).
Narrated by Ahmad, 17453; Abu Dawood, 1523. Classed as saheeh
byShu'ayb al-Arna'oot in Tahqeeq al-Musnad
As for reciting du'aa' in unison, there is no report that speaks of
it; hence doing it regularly following the prayers comes under the
heading of bid 'ah.
So acts of worship must bedone as prescribed by sharee'ah in six ways:
quantity, manner, time, place, reason and type. Formore details of
that pleasesee the answer to question no. 21519
Thirdly:
There is nothing wrong with reading Soorat al-Kahf on days other
thanFriday, if the reader wants to do that or if it so happens as part
of his regular daily portion of Qur'aan, and he will have a tenfold
reward for each letter, as is the reward for reading other soorahs.
Butthat is on condition that he does not set aside a special day for
reading it, as is the case on Fridays, and hence he should not believe
that reading it on this day is better than reading it on other days
orthat there is a particular virtue of reading it on a specific day
that is like the virtue of reading it on Friday, because that
virtueapplies only to Friday, according to those who say that the
hadeeth which speaks of that is saheeh.
And Allah knows best.

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