Dought & clear, - Will a person be brought to account for whatever crosses his mind of good or evil?.

Sometimes a person suffers from thinking of some sin, and other
thoughts that come fromthe whispers of the Shaytaan and the nafs. Will
he be requited for whatever crosses his mind, and will it be written
in his record, whether it is good or bad?
Praise be to Allah.
Al-Bukhaari (6491) and Muslim (131) narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas (may
Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said, relating from his Lord, may He be glorified
and exalted: "Allah decreed good deeds and bad deeds, then He
explained that. Whoeverthinks of doing a good deed then does not do
it, Allah will write it down as one complete good deed. If he thinks
of doing a good deed and then does it, Allah [may He be glorified
andexalted] will write it down between ten and seven hundred fold, or
many more. If he thinks of doing a bad deed then he does not do it,
Allah will write it down as one complete good deed, and if he thinks
of it then does it, Allah will write it down as one bad deed."
Al-Bukhaari (5269) and Muslim (127) also narrated from Abu Hurayrah
(may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) said: "Allah, may He be glorified and exalted,
will forgive my ummah for whatever crosses their minds so long as they
do not act upon it or speak of it."
Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
These texts refer to four matters: the recording ofgood deeds and bad
deeds, and thinking of good deeds and bad deeds. This is four matters.
Then he said:
… The third matter: thinking of good deeds. It is recorded as one
complete good deed even if he does not do it,as it says in the hadeeth
of Ibn 'Abbaas and elsewhere. … In the hadeeth of Khuraym ibn Faatik
it says: "… If a person thinks of doing a good deed but then does not
do it and Allah knows that he thought of it and was keen to do it, He
records for him one good deed…" [Narrated by Ahmad, 18556. al-Arna'oot
said: Its isnaad is hasan. It wasmentioned by al-Albaani in
as-Saheehah]. This indicates that what is meant by "thinking of" here
is the determination and resolve that are usually present when one is
keen to do an action, not merely a passing thought that is not
accompanied by any resolve or determination.
Abu'd-Darda' said: If a person goes to his bed, intending to pray
duringthe night (qiyaam), then sleep overtakes him untilmorning comes,
what heintended to do will be recorded for him.
It was narrated that Sa'eed ibn al-Musayyab said: If a person thinks
of praying, fasting, going for Hajj or 'Umrah,or going for jihad, then
he is prevented from doing that, Allah will grant him the reward of
what he wanted to do.
Abu 'Imraan al-Jawni said: It is said to the angel: Record such and
such for So and so. He says: O Lord, he did not do it. He says: He
intended it.
Zayd ibn Aslam said: A man used to go around among the scholars,
saying: Who will tell me of a deed that I may keep doing for Allah,
for I do not like any hour of the day or night to cometo me except I
am striving for the sake of Allah, may He be exalted.It was said to
him: You have found what you are looking for. Do goodas much as you
are able to, then when you become tired or you stop doing it, think
about doing it, for the one who thinks about doing a good deed is like
the one who does it.
If the intention is accompanied by words or effort, the reward is
ensured and the one who intended it is like the one who does it, as
Abu Kabshah narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) said:
"[People] in this world are of four types: a person to whom Allah
grants wealth and knowledge, so he fears his Lord with regard to it,
upholds his ties of kinship with it, and acknowledges the rightsof
Allah concerning it – he is of the highest status. (The second is) a
person to whom Allah grants knowledge but He does not grant him
wealth, so he is sincere in his intention and says:If I had wealth, I
would do the same as So and sodoes. He will be rewarded according to
his intention and their reward will be the same.(The third type) is a
person to whom Allah grants wealth, but He does not grant him
knowledge, so he squanders his wealth without knowledge; he does not
fear his Lord concerning it, he does not uphold his ties of kinship
with it and he does not acknowledge the rights of Allah concerning it
– he is of the worst status. (And the fourth type is) a person to whom
Allah does not grant either wealth or knowledge, sohe says: If I had
wealth, I would do the same as Soand so does. He will be requited
according to his intention and their burden of sin will be the same."
Narrated by Imam Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah. Classed as saheeh
by al-Albaani because of corroborating evidence.
The phrase "Their reward will be the same" is understood as meaning
that they are equal with regard to thebasic reward for actions,but not
with regard to the multiplication of thatreward. Multiplication
ofreward is only for the one who actually does a deed, not the one who
intends it but does not do it. If they were equal in all regards, a
tenfold reward would be recorded for the one who thought of a good
deed but did not do it, and this is contrary to allthe texts. That is
indicated by the verse inwhich Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning): "Allah has preferred in grades those
who strive hard and fight with their wealth and their lives above
those who sit (at home). Unto each, Allah has promised good
(Paradise), but Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight,
above those who sit (at home) by a huge reward" [an-Nisa' 4:95]. Ibn
'Abbaas and others said: Those who sit (at home), above whom those who
strive hard and fight are preferred in grades are those who have
excuses, and those who sit (at home), abovewhom those who strive hard
and fight are preferred by a huge reward, are those who do not have
excuses.
Then he (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The fourth matter is thinking of evil deeds without doing them. In the
hadeeth of Ibn 'Abbaas it says that this will be recorded as one
complete good deed. Similarly in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, Anas and
others it says that it will be recorded as a hasanah (good deed). In
the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah it says "for he gave it up for My sake"
(Muslim, 129). This indicates that what is meant is that if a person
was able to do what he thought of of sin, but gave it up for the sake
ofAllah, may He be exalted,one good deed will undoubtedly be recorded
for him for that, because his refraining from committing that sin for
that reason is a righteous deed.
But if he thinks of committing a sin, then does not do it for fear
ofother people, or in orderto show off to them, then it was said that
he will be punished for refraining from it with that intention,
because giving precedence to fear of people over fear of Allah is
haraam, just as aiming to show off to people is also haraam. If
refraining from the sin isaccompanied by such intentions, then he will
be punished for refraining.
Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyaad said:They used to say: Refraining from doing
something for the sake of people is showing off and doing it for their
sake is shirk.
But if he tries to do it by all available means then is prevented from
doing it because it is not decreed that he should do it, in that case
a number of scholars stated that he will be punished for it, because
of the hadeeth, "… so long as he does not speak of it or act upon it."
So if a person strives to commit a sin, then is unable to do it, he
has acted upon it. Similarly, the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "When two Muslims confront one another with
their swords, the slayer and the slain will both be in Hell." I said –
or it was said – O Messenger of Allaah, (we understand about) the
slayer, but what about the slain? Hesaid: "He wanted to kill his
companion." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 31: Muslim, 2888). The words "so
long as he does not speak of it or act upon it" indicate that if the
one who thinks of a sin speaks of what he was thinking of, then he
will be punished for thinkingof it in that case, because he has
committed a sin with his physical faculties, which is speaking with
his tongue. That is also indicated by the hadeeth of Abu Kabshah
quoted above, who said:(The fourth type of person) says: "If I had
wealth, I would do with it what So and so does", referring to the one
whodisobeyed Allah with his wealth. He said: "Their burden of sin will
be the same."
Then he (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
But if he changes his intention and gives up his resolve for no
reason, will he be punished for what he thought of of sin, or not?
There are two scenarios:
The first is if his thinkingof sin was a passing thought that he did
not dwell on and it did not take root in his heart; rather he disliked
it and was put off by it. This will be forgiven; it is likethe awful
thoughts or whispers that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) was asked about, and he said: "That is clear faith."
[Narrated byMuslim, 132]
When the verse (interpretation of the meaning) "…whether you disclose
what is in your ownselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to
account for it. Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He
wills…" [al-Baqarah 2:284] was revealed, that was distressing for the
Muslims and they thought that it included these passing thoughts. Then
the following versewas revealed, in which itsays (interpretation of
the meaning): "Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to
bear" [al-Baqarah 2:286]. (Narrated by Muslim, 126). This proved that
with regard to that which they had no strength to bear, theywould not
be punished or brought to account for it, and it became clear that
what was meant in the first verse was things that they resolved and
intended to do.
The second scenario is things that one has resolved and intends to do,
that occurred to one's mind and become established, and one dwells on
them. These are of two types:
(i) Acts of the heart (that have to do with belief),
such as doubting or disbelievingin the Oneness of Allah, or
Prophethood, or the Prophet's mission, and other kinds of disbelief
and hypocrisy. These areall things for which a person will be punished
and by means of which he becomes a disbeliever and a hypocrite.
We may add to these all sins that have to do withthe heart, such as
loving that which Allah hates, hating that which Allah loves,
arrogance, self admiration, etc.
(ii) The second type has to do with that which is not
actions of the heart; rather they are physical actions, such as zina,
stealing, drinking alcohol, murder, slander and so on. If a person
persists inwanting to do such things and resolving to do them, but he
shows no outward indication of that, then there are two well-known
scholarly views as to whether he will be held accountable for that.
The first view is that he will be held accountable for it. Ibn
al-Mubaarak said: I asked Sufyaan ath-Thawri: Will a person be held
accountable for thinking(of committing a sin)? Hesaid: If he has
resolved to do it, he will be held accountable. This view was regarded
as more correct by many of the fuqaha', scholars of hadeeth and
scholars of kalaam among our companions and others. They quoted as
evidencefor that verses such as the following (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And know that Allah knows what is in your minds, so fear Him"
[al-Baqarah 2:235]
"but He will call you to account for that which your hearts have earned"
[al-Baqarah 2:225].
(They also quoted as evidence) hadeeths suchas that in which the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Sin is that
which wavers in your heart and you do not want the people to find out
about it" (narrated by Muslim, 2553). They interpreted the hadeeth
"Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will forgive my ummah for
whatever crosses their minds so long as they do not act upon it or
speak of it" as referring to passing thoughts and they said: Whatever
a person dwells on and it takes root in his heart is included in what
he earns and does, so it is not included in this hadeeth.
The second view is that he will not be held accountable for mere
intentions in all cases. This view is attributed toash-Shaafa'i and is
also the view of Ibn Haamid among our companions, based on general
meanings. Al-'Awfi narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas something which is
indicative of the same view…
End quote from Jaami' al-'Uloom wa'l-Hikam, commentary on hadeethno 37
(2/343-353).
To sum up:
If a person thinks of doing a good deed, and it takes root in his
heart and he resolves to do that, what he intended to do will be
recorded for him, even if he does not do it, although the reward for
the one who does do it is better and greater.
If a person thinks of doing a bad deed, then refrains from it for the
sake of Allah, one complete good deed willbe recorded for him.
If a person thinks of doing a bad deed, then refrains from it for the
sake of people, or he tries to do it but is prevented from doing so,
one bad deed will be recorded against him.
If a person thinks of doing it, then he changes his intention after
having intended it, if it was only a passing thought he will not be
held accountable for it, but if it was one of the deeds of the heart
that had nothing to do with physical actions (i.e., it has to do with
belief), then he will be held accountable for it. If it was a physical
action and he persisted in thinking of it and resolved to do it, then
the majority of scholars are of the view that he will be held
accountable for it.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,after quoting
al-Baaqillaani's opinion that the individual will be held accountable
in this case:
Al-Qaadi 'Iyaad (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The majority of
the early generation and the scholars, including the fuqaha' and the
muhadditheen, are of the same view as al-Qaadi Abu Bakr, because of
the hadeeths which indicate that people will be held accountable for
actions of the heart (i.e., that have to do with beliefs).
But they said: This resolve will be recorded as one bad deed, and it
is not the bad deed that the individual thought of, because he did not
do it and he refrained from it for a reason other than fear of Allah.
But persisting and resolving in and of itself is a sin, so it will be
recorded as a sin, and if he does it, it will be recorded as a second
sin.But if he refrains from it for fear of Allah, may He be exalted,
it will be recorded as a good deed, as it says in the hadeeth, "for he
gave it up for My sake", thus his giving it up out of fear of Allah,
may He be exalted, his striving to overcome his nafs that isinclined
towards evil, and his going against hiswhims and desires is in fact a
good deed. The type of thinking of an action that is not to be
recorded against the individual is the passing thought that does not
take root in the heart and is not accompanied by intention or resolve.
End quote from Sharh Muslim, 2/151
Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) favoured the view that (when a
person commitsa sin), it will only be recorded as one sin, without any
multiplication, so the punishment is for the sin, and thinking of it
is not added to it, because if thinking of it were added to the sin,
the individual would be punished twice for committing one sin. We
cannot say that this may also be applicable to good deeds and that one
does a good deed after thinking of it, he should be rewarded for the
good deed but not for thinking of it. We saythat this is not correct,
because if a person doesa good deed, a tenfold reward will be recorded
for him, and it may be that some of that is as a reward for thinking
of doing the good deed. And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Can he sell computer programs even though he is afraid that they may be used for haraam purposes?.

Is it permissible to sell computer programs although I am afraid that
they will use them for sinful purposes and that I may incur a burden
of sin as a result of that, or am I not responsible for what
thepurchaser does after he has bought it from me?
Praise be to Allah.
With regard to programsand computers that may be used for good or bad
purposes, it is permissible to sell them and trade in them, unless it
is known that the purchaser is going touse them for haraam purposes.
In that case it is not permissible to sell them to him. The same
applies if it is thought most likely that he is going to use them for
haraam purposes; it is not permissible to sell them to him in that
case.
But if you are not certainas to whether he will useit for haraam
purposes or not, then there is nothing wrong with youselling it to
him. Then if he uses it for haraam purposes, the burden of sin will be
on him only.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:It is
not valid to sell that which is intended for haraam purposes, such as
juice that will be usedto make wine, if that is known, as is the view
of Ahmad and others, or if it is thought most likely, as is one of the
two opinions of Ahmad. This is supported by the fact that our
companions said: If the landlord thinks it most likely that the renter
is renting the property for sinful purposes, such as selling alcohol
and the like, then it is not permissiblefor him to rent that property
to him, and therental contract is not valid. Sales and rentals are the
same.
End quote from al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 5/388

Standing by his mother's bedside

A long time ago there lived a great saint. His name was Sharafud-Din
and he loved his mother very much. Once, when Sharafud-Din was still
small, his mother fell very ill and had to stay inbed. One night she
awoke with a burning thirst and called out to her son to bring her a
bowl of water.
The young boy hurried to do her bidding, but when he returned to
herbedside with the water, he discovered that she had fallen asleep
again. Sharafud-Din was not sure what to do. Should he wake her up or
wait until she awoke, or leavethe water by her bedside and go back to
bed himself? He decided to wait until she awoke.
Minutes passed...hours passed...the night passed...and still the small
boy waited patiently with the water at his mother's side. Finally his
mother awokea little after the first light of dawn had paled the sky,
and to her surprise there was her beloved son at her side.
"How long have you been standing here?" she asked. "You haven't been
there all night have you?"
'Yes, mother," he replied,"I have been here since you asked me to
bring you some water."
His mother was deeply touched by his devotion,and asked Allah to pour
His blessings on her son. One day he grew up to be a great saint!

The real pleasures of this world

Abu Dardaa Radhiallaho anho says: "If three mostenjoyable things were
not there, I could not bear to live in the world,even for a day: (1)
the joy of spending a hot summer noon in thirst (while fasting); (2)
the bliss of lying prostrate before Allah Ta'ala in thelater part of
the night; and (3) the pleasure of sitting in company with the pious
beings, whose conversation is interspersed with wise saying, that are
picked like fruits of one's choicefrom a fruit-garden." Aswad Ibne
Yazid Rahmatullah Alaihe took much pains in devotions and fasted in
the intenseheat of summer, so muchso that his complexion became dark.
Alqamah Ibne Qais Rahmatullah alaihe asked him, "Why do you put your
body to so much torture." He replied, "I want it to attain a positon
of honour, on the Day of Resurrection." Story extracted from the book
Fadhail-e-Sadaqaa by Shaikh-ul-Hadith Muhammad Zakariyya (RA.).
Hadith: "When a man dies, the angels say, 'What has he sent forward?'
And the people say, 'What has heleft behind?"' (Bayhaqi)

DREAMS, THEIR TRUTH AND MEANING

I am neither of the night nor a worshipper of the night;
Rather I am a child of the day and therefore give tidings of the day.
Those fancies that are the traps of saints;
Are the reflections of the moon-faced ones of Divine gardens.
While you sleep with youreyes closed, your ears deaf, your tongue
mute, and your arms and legs motionless, how do you travel, meet
people, and do many things in a few minutes or even seconds? When you
get up in the morning, you feel deeply influenced by that few seconds'
adventure. Although Freud and his followers attribute dreams to the
subconscious self, to thoughts and desires, impulses and past
experiences, how can youexplain dreams that inform you of a future
event with which you have no contact or have never thought about? How
do we dream? With what part of our body or being do we dream? Why do
dreams last only a few seconds? How (and why) do we remember what we
dreamed while asleep? All of these and many similar questions are like
puzzles awaiting to be solved by science.
Sometimes while we are asleep, our thoughts and desires, impulses and
pastexperiences, which constitute our subconscious, are revealed
unconsciously. We may be sick or hungry,or have a problem that we
cannot solve. The imagination gives form tothe deviations of a bad
temper, or the mind remembers an exciting event that happened some
time ago and gives it a new, different form. All dreams coming from
such moods are jumbled; they have some meaning, but they are not worth
interpreting. For example,if we eat salty things before sleep, we may
dream that we are lying by a pool; if we go to bed angry, we may dream
thatwe are fighting with others.
There are some importanthidden truths in sleep anddreams.
Like the dream of the Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), which is the kernel of
the Qur'anic chapter of Yusuf, several verses (such as, We have
appointed the night for you as a rest. (78:9)) show that there are
some important hidden truths in sleep anddreams.
The people of truth do not approve of using the Qur'an as an 'oracle'
to consult, nor of relying on dreams.
The people of truth do not approve of using the Quran as an 'oracle'
to consult, nor of relying on dreams. Since the Quran gives to
unbelievers severe and frequent blows, it may cause despair when the
verses that threaten unbelievers appear before one who opens the Book
to receivecounsel. Likewise, since dreams are often opposite to the
reality, they may also cause despair or demoralizationeven if they are
essentially good and promising. There are many dreams which, though
bad and dreadful in appearance, prove to be good and pleasing in
actual life. Since not everyone is able to find the true relationship
between a dream and its actual meaning, people become uneasy and
anxious. It is for this reason that in the beginning I said as the
people of truth say and quoted Imam Rabbani: "I am neither of the
night nor a worshipper of night."
True dreams are one out of the forty-six aspects of Prophethood.
God's Messenger says in an authentic narration that true dreams are
one out of the forty-six aspects of Prophethood. [That is, since God's
Messenger had true dreams in the initial six months of his
twenty-three years' Prophethood,true dreams are some kind of Divine
inspirations.] This means that true dreams contain some truths and
have some connection with theProphetic mission. This is, however, a
lengthy matter, profound and significant and related to Prophethood,
so I will cut it short here, leaving its elaboration to some later
occasion.
There are three kinds of dreams
Dreams are of three kinds.Two are included in the category of (in the
Quranic expression) jumbled dreams. Either the imagination gives form
to the deviations of a bad temper or the mind remembers an exciting
event which happened some time ago, and gives it a new different form,
and the dreams a man hasin such moods are 'jumbled ones', (as
mentioned in the sura Yusuf in the Quran1) not deserving of
interpretation.
1. The king said: 'I saw (in a dream) seven fat cows which seven lean
ones devoured; and also seven green ears of corn and (seven) others
dry. O my courtiers! Tell me the interpretation of my dream, if you
understand the meanings of dreams.' They said: 'A jumble of dreams;
and we are not skilled in the interpretation of jumbled dreams.'
(Joseph) said: 'You shall sow, as usual, for seven years. Leave in the
ear the corn you reap,except a little which you may eat. Then will
come after that seven years of severity, which will consume all but a
little of that which you have stored for them. Then will.....come
after that a year inwhich the people will have abundant water andin
which they will press (juice, oil, etc.)' (Yusuf, 12.43-4, 47-9.)
True dreams
One type of dream has nothing to do with the subconscious self. Such
dreams carry important messages: either they are good tidings from
God, which encourage us to dogood things and guide us,or warnings
concerning the evils we have done. Those dreams, which we call true
dreams, are very clear and unforgettable.
Some true dreams containnews of the future. To understand the nature
and mechanism of such dreams, consider the following:
As the essence of a piece of writing, its meaning, exists before it
assumes a written, visible form, everything has an essential form of
existence in God's Knowledge before it appears in the world. Islamic
philosophers call these essential forms archetypes. When God wills to
send them to this world, through the manifestation of His Wisdom and
Power and the appropriate Divine Names, He clothes them inmaterial
bodies. Between the world of archetypes (where God's Knowledge has
primary manifestation) and this world is another world-the world of
immaterial forms or symbols. In this world, things exist in ideal
forms or as symbols, and the concept and measure of time are
completely different from their counterparts in our world. One who
dreams finds or receives these symbols differently, basedon such
factors as time and place, culture and even national and individual
characteristics.
When we sleep, our spirit ascends to this world of ideal forms without
completely breaking its connection to the body. It continues this
connection through a cord. It enters adifferent dimension of existence
in the world of ideal forms or symbols, where past, present, and
future are combined. As a result, it may experience apast event or
witness a future one. However, since things in that world exist in
ideal forms or symbols, the spirit usually receives symbols that
require interpretation.
For example, clear water in that world may correspond to knowledgein
this world. If you see your own waste matter, itmay be interpreted to
mean that you will earn money in lawful ways; if the waste matter
belongs to others, its may mean that money will come to you in
unlawful ways. As mentioned in Sura Yusuf, a fat cow may mean a year
of abundant crops, while a lean one means a year of severity. The
metaphors, similes, and parables found in the Qur'an and the Prophetic
sayings, and sometimes among people, may provide significant keys to
interpret dreams. Sometrue dreams are so clear that no interpretation
is needed.
As the measurement of time is completely different in these two
worlds, and as the spirit isfar more active when not confined by the
limits of the body while the personis dreaming, great saints who free
their spirits, to acertain some degree, can travel long distances in a
much shorter time than normal people.
Examples of true dreams
Abraham Lincoln's dream the night before his assassination is famous.
Inhis dream, he saw the White House servants running to and fro,
tellingeach other that Mr. Lincoln had been killed. He woke from his
sleep in great excitement and spent an uneasy day. Despite warnings,
he went to a theater that evening and was killed.
Eisenhower's dream just before he landed on Normandy in June 1944
changed the course of theSecond World War. A few days before the date
on which he had decided to land, Eisenhower dreamed that a big storm
broke out and overturnedthe landing crafts. This caused him to move up
the date. History records that his dream was accurate. The mother of
Anne Ostrovosky, a Russian writer, saw many scenes of the
German-Russian battles 5 years before the Second World War broke out.
Her dreamwas published in several newspapers.
Several scientific or technological discoveries were first seen in
dreams. Elias Howe, while trying to figure out how to thread a sewing
machine,dreamed that he was a prisoner of a tribe who wanted him to
thread a sewing machine. In mortal fear and puzzled, he suddenly saw
holes at the ends of his captors' spears. He woke up and made a little
"spear" with a hole at one end. Niels Bohr, who was studying atomic
structures, dreamed of planets connected to the sun withthreads and
turning around it. When he woke up, he conceived of a resemblance
between what he had dreamed and atomic structures.
Many other true dreams have predicted future events or resulted in
scientific or technological discoveries. But these fewexamples must
suffice to understand the true nature of dreams-that is, they are the
result .....of the sprit's journey in inner dimensions of existence
(the world of immaterial forms or symbols) and receiving signals
therein.
Finally, dreams provide a strong proof for the existence of immaterial
worlds as well as for Divine Knowledge and Destiny. If God Almighty
had not predetermined and recorded all events in"the Supreme Guarded
Tablet," how could we be informed of future events? Also, dreams
showthat the measure of time differs greatly according to each world's
features.
A true dream is the result of the elaboration of a presentiment
A true dream is the result of the elaboration of a presentiment.
Presentiment is found in everybody to some extent; it is possessed
even by animals. I have even discovered that man and animals have, in
addition to their inner and outer ones, two othersenses that may be
called 'motivating and enticing senses or impulses'. Although the
people of misguidance and corrupt thinking foolishly call those
unperceived senses 'instincts', they should rather be regarded as
'inborn inspiration' through which Divine Destiny directs man and
animals. It is through suchdirection of Destiny that, for example,
when its eye is blind, a cat goes and finds the herb with whichto heal
its eye, and, by rubbing it against that herb, its eye is healed.
Likewise, such flesh-eating birds as vultures, which may be regarded
as the sanitary officials of the surface of the earth because of being
creationally charged with removing the corpses of wild animals, are
informed of the existence of a carcass tens of miles away through that
direction of Destiny or theinspiration of presentiment or through
Divine orientation and are able to locate that carcass.
It is in the same way that some days-old bee can fly miles away and,
without losing its way, return to its hive. It even happens frequently
that a man unexpectedly appears before you at the momentyou have
mentioned him. This is because your spiritual faculty has felt,
through presentiment, the coming of that man. Such occurrences are so
common and often that it is said in Turkey as a proverb: 'When you
mentioned a wolf, get hold of a staff to hit it with.' You are, in
fact, unaware of the coming ofthe man or a wolf, nor could you have
been informed of it by reason. Rather, it is because you felt it
through presentiment that you mention it unintentionally. This
presentiment develops so far in men of piety, especially in saintly
people, that it becomes the source of wonders.
Since the common people are also endowed with some kind of sainthood,
they grasp in true dreams some things of the future or the Unseen
World. Just as sleep is like a rank of sainthood in respect of true
dreams, so also it is a time or space of recreation in which
magnificent Divine moving pictures are shown.
Now, a man of good conduct thinks of that which is better, and he who
thinks of that which is better sights beautiful tablets. By contrast,
a manof evil conduct thinks of that which is worse and thereby sights
ugly tablets.
Sleep is, again on accountof true dreams, also a window opening on the
World of the Unseen in the corporeal world. Further, it is a field of
release and freedom for mortal man confined in a restricted area, and
also a theatre which has a kind of permanence and where time consists
in thepresent only in which pastand future are united. In addition,
sleep is a periodof repose for living beingscrushed under the burdens
of life. It is because of such aspects ofsleep that the Wise
Qur'anteaches us the truth of sleep in such verses as, Wehave
appointed sleep for you as a rest.
True dreams demonstrate God's Compassion and point to Divine Destiny
True dreams have long convinced me through direct experience and
provided a decisive proof for me that Divine Destiny encompasses
everything. Those dreams have, in fact, come to mean for methat what
will happen to me tomorrow, down to the most insignificant event or
business or conversation, has already been predetermined. I learn of
them at night in dreams as if I read them with my eyes. It has
happened not once or a hundred times, but perhaps a thousand
times,that the people I have seen or the matters I havetalked about in
dreams, turn out the following day to be true with only a slight
interpretation. This means that nothing is accidental or coincidental
in the universe, nor it is random; rather, everything down to the most
insignificant events, has already been destinedand predetermined.

Rape, Zina and Incest

Rape, Zina and Incest
Sisters in Islam shares theconcern expressed by theDeputy Prime
Minister that the absence of a definition on rape in syariah law has
led to victims of rape being charged for zina (illicit sex).
Throughout the history of Islam, differing humaninterpretations and
understanding of the word of God had always existed. We as a society
must debate and discuss in a rational and informed manner which
interpretation will serve the best interest of our multi-ethnic,
multi-religious, industrialising and modernising society.
In Pakistan, it is reported that three out of four women in prison
under its Hudud laws, are rape victims. Because rape is equated with
zina under Hudud law, rape victims are required to produce four pious
male witnesses. It is of course nearly impossible for the rape victims
to produce the four male witnesses required to prove their allegation.
Therefore their police report of rape was taken as a confession of
illicit sex ontheir part and they were duly found guilty.
In the real world, rape is unlikely to occur in the open, such that
four pious males can observe the act of penetration. If they actually
did witness such an act, and have notsought to prevent it,
thentechnically they are abettors to the crime. In reality, unless the
rapist confesses to the crime, women can never prove rape at all if
rape is placed under syariah jurisdiction.
It is because of such grossinjustice and abuse of the law that Sisters
in Islam objected to several provisions which discriminated against
women in the Hudud Enactment of Kelantan in 1993. The enforcement
ofsuch laws leaves rape victims who are unable to provide four male
eye witnesses liable to prosecution for illicit sex.
In Malaysia, rape is a crime under the Penal Code. There is therefore
no necessity for a new crime of rape under the Syariah criminal
offences legislation as this would lead to a further conflict of
jurisdiction between civil and syariah law. All citizens, whether
Muslimsor non-Muslims, who commit the crime of rape, which includes
incest, should be prosecuted under the Penal Code. According to the
Federal Constitution crime is a federal matter and effort must be made
to minimise areas of overlapping of jurisdiction between civiland
syariah law which have already led to numerous cases of conflict that
must be addressed by the authorities in consultation with NGOs.
We feel there are adequate provisions in the Penal Code to deal with
the Deputy Prime Minister's concern of sexual abuse at home. Even
though the crime of incest is not defined in the Penal Code, the
perpetrator could be charged for rape and the judge should take into
consideration the aggravating circumstances of a family relationship
and impose a higher sentence on the rapist.
Incest, however, is a specific crime under the Syariah Criminal Code.
In an unprecedented case in Kelantan recently, a 17-year-old daughter
was charged for incest with her father under theKelantan Syariah
CriminalCode. Sisters in Islam views this development with deep
concern.
That the Syariah prosecutors regarded thegirl as a willing partner in
the commission of the crime and therefore an offender, rather than a
victim, is totally against the grain of justice. The girl is a
juvenile under the authority and controlof her father. The failure of
the Syariah judicial officers to understand the dynamics of power
relationship led to the prosecution of a daughter, a victim of sexual
abuse by the father, as if she was an equal perpetrator and willing
partner in the crime.
In this case, the cause of justice would have betterbeen served if the
father was charged with rape under the Penal Code where he is liable
to imprisonment for not lessthan five years and not more than 20
years. This sentencing properly reflects the gravity of the crime
committed and society's abhorrence of such a crime. However, under the
Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code, the person who commits incest is
liable only to a fine not exceeding$3,000 or to imprisonment for a
term not exceeding two years, or both.
In the Kelantan case, society would regard the daughter as the victim,
not the offender. She is regarded as a minor under civil law and
should have been given the professional care andsupport she so
necessarily needed to help her overcome the trauma of an incestuous
relationship. She should not have been treated as a criminal.
Sisters in Islam urges the Government to form a committee which
includes women's groupsand other NGOs to reviewthe Syariah Criminal
Law and its many provisions which conflict or overlap with civil law,
which conflict with constitutional provisions on fundamental liberties
and which discriminate against women and marginalised communities.

Rape & Incest: Islamic Perspective

Rape & Incest: Islamic Perspective
Uzma Mazhar © 2002
Incest and rape are not new in this day and age; these problems have
always existed and will continue to exist if not confronted face on.
If you have ever worked with an incest, sexual abuse or rape survivor
you will never be able to forget the devastating impact it has on all
aspects of their life, nor will you be able to sit back and do nothing
about this issue. These are serious crimes that corrode the fabric of
family and society and cannot go un-addressed, since these problems do
exist in Muslim families it is about time that we address it openly
and take action to put an endto it.
To fully understand this issue we need to examine what Islâm teaches
us about the value of human life.
Islâm views human life asa sacred gift from God. The Qur'ân repeatedly
stresses the sanctity of life (hurmat al hayat). The life of every
single individual regardless of gender, age, nationality or religion
is worthy of respect. In verses referring to the sanctity of life, the
term used is 'nafs' (soul, life); and there is no distinction made in
that soul being young or old, male or female, Muslim or non-muslim.
Sûrah al An'am 6.151:
"Do not take any human being's life, (the life) which God has declared
to be sacred - otherwise than in (the pursuit of) justice: this has He
enjoined upon you so that you might use your reason."
(Also check: Sûrah al Isra 17.33 & Sûrah al Ma'idah 5.32)
Qur'ânic teachings encompass every aspect of life; hence it does not
limit the definition of lifeto the physical body only,but includes the
mental, emotional and spiritual aspects as well. There areabout 150
verses that define the term 'nafs' in various ways making it clear
that the concept of 'life' is not limited to mere physical existence.
Historically, Islam has addressed serious issues openly and sought to
correct actions that constitute harm or 'zulm' (ie: cruelty and abuse)
to the dignity of humankind. Human life and respect for it has been
stressed unstintingly, regardless of age or gender. As a general rule,
Islâm forbids all 'zulm', be it physical, mental, emotional or
spiritual:
Sûrah al An'am 6.120
"Abandon all harm (ithm), whether committed openly or in secret."
(Check Sûrah al A`raf 7:33)
Sûrah al 49:11-12 points out categorically that emotionally abusive
language and behavior isnot acceptable.
"You who believe do not let one (set of) people make fun of another
set. Do not defame one another. Do not insult by using nicknames. And
do not backbite or speak ill of one another."
In the last address to his community, the Prophet (saw) said: "Your
lives and properties are forbidden to one anothertill you meet your
Lord on the Day of Resurrection… Regard the life and property of every
Muslim as a sacred trust… Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you...
You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity." The Prophet (saw)
did not prohibit only the unlawful encroachment of one another's life
and property, but also honor and respect.
Considering that human life is to be valued and cruelty is forbidden,
what is the Islamic perspective on incest andrape?
According to Islâm, a woman has to be respected and protected under
all circumstances, whether she belongs to your own nation or to the
nation of an enemy, whether she follows yourreligion or belongs to
some other religion or has no religion at all. A Muslim cannot outrage
her under any circumstances. All promiscuous relationships have been
forbidden to him, irrespective of the status or position of the woman,
whether the woman is a willing or an unwilling partner to the act. The
words of the Holy Qur'ân in this respect are: "Do not approach (the
bounds of)adultery" (17:32). Heavy punishment has been prescribed for
this crime, and the order has not been qualified by any conditions.
Since the violation of chastity of a woman is forbidden in Islam, a
Muslim who perpetrates this crime cannot escape punishment. (Maudoodi)
The Quran has, in various ways and in different contexts; impressed on
men that they must observe the limits set by God (Hudûd Allah) in
respect to women and must not encroach upon their rights in either
marriage or divorce. In all situations it is the menwho are reminded,
corrected and reprimanded, over and over again, to be generous to
women and to be kind, compassionate, fair and just in their dealings
withwomen. Even in divorce, when the chances of anger and
vindictiveness are high, it is stressed that men are to separate with
grace, equity and generosity.
Forbidding cruelty against children and women is apparent from rulings
against female infanticide and rights of inheritance given even toan
unborn child; and the kindness mandated even when divorcing your wife.
There are numerous ahâdîth about the rights of children to respect and
dignity. The same holds true for respect and the unprecedented rights
given to women.
Relevant verses from the Quran:
Sûrah an Nâs 4.119
'O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will...'
Sûrah an Nûr 24.33
'... And do not, in order togain some of the fleeting pleasures of
this worldly life, coerce your slave women into whoredom if they are
desirous of marriage, and if anyone should coerce them, then, verily,
after they have been compelled (to submit in their helplessness), God
will bemuch forgiving, a dispenser of grace (to them).
During the time of the Prophet (saw) punishment was inflictedon the
rapist on the solitary evidence of the woman who was raped by him.
Wa'il ibn Hujr reports of an incident when a woman was raped. Later,
when some people came by, she identified and accused the man of raping
her. They seized him and brought him to Allah's messenger, who said to
the woman, "Go away, for Allâh has forgiven you," but of the man
whohad raped her, he said,"Stone him to death." (Tirmidhi and Abu
Dawud)
During the time when Umar (raa) was the Khalifah, a woman accused his
son Abu Shahmah of raping her; she brought the infant borne of this
incident with her to the mosque and publicly spoke about what had
happened. Umar (raa) asked his son who acknowledged committing the
crime and was duly punished right there and then. There was no
punishment given to the woman. (Rauf)
Islamic legal scholars interpret rape as a crime in the category of
Hiraba.In 'Fiqh-us-Sunnah', hiraba is described as: 'a single person
or group ofpeople causing public disruption, killing, forcibly taking
property or money, attacking or raping women (hatk al 'arad), killing
cattle, or disrupting agriculture.'
The famous jurist, Ibn Hazm, had the widest definition of hiraba,
defining a hiraba offender as: 'One who puts people in fear on the
road, whether or not with a weapon, at night or day, in urban areas or
in open spaces, in the palace of a caliph or a mosque, with or without
accomplices, in the desertor in the village, in a large or small city,
with one or more people… making people fear that they'll be killed, or
have money taken, or be raped (hatk al 'arad)… whether the attackers
are one or many."
Al-Dasuqi held that if a person forced a woman to have sex, his
actions would be deemed as committing hiraba. In addition, the Maliki
judge Ibn 'Arabi, relates astory in which a group was attacked and a
woman in their party was raped. Responding to the argument that the
crime did not constitute hiraba because no money was taken and no
weapons used, Ibn 'Arabi replied indignantly that"hiraba with the
private parts" is much worse than hiraba involving thetaking of money,
and that anyone would rather be subjected to the latter than the
former.
The crime of rape is classified not as a subcategory of 'zina'
(consensual adultery), but rather as a separate crime of violence
under hiraba. This classification is logical, as the "taking" is of
the victim's property(the rape victim's sexual autonomy) by force. In
Islam, sexual autonomy and pleasure is a fundamental right for both
women and men (Ghazâlî); taking by force someone's right to control
the sexual activityof one's body is thus a form of hiraba.
Rape as hiraba is a violent crime that uses sexual intercourse as a
weapon. The focus in a hiraba prosecution is the accused rapist and
his intent and physical actions, and not second-guessing the consent
of the rape victim. Hiraba does not require four witnesses to prove
the offense, circumstantial evidence, medical data and expert
testimony form the evidence used to prosecute such crimes.
Islamic legal responses torape are not limited to a criminal
prosecution for hiraba. Islamic jurisprudence also provides an avenue
for civil redress for a rape survivor in its law of"jirah" (wounds).
Islamic law designates ownership rights to each part of one's body,
and a right to corresponding compensation for any harm done unlawfully
to any of those parts. Islamic law calls this the 'law of jirah'
(wounds). Harm to a sexual organ, therefore, entitles the person
harmed to appropriate financial compensation under classical Islamic
jirah jurisprudence. Each school of Islamic law has held that where a
woman is harmed through sexual intercourse (some include marital
intercourse), she is entitled to financial compensation for the harm.
Further, where thisintercourse was without the consent of the woman,
the perpetrator must pay the woman both the basic compensation for the
harm, as well as an additional amount based on the 'diyya' (financial
compensation for murder, akin to a wrongful death payment).
Islamic law, with its radical introduction of a woman's right to own
property as a fundamental right, employs a gender-egalitarian attitude
in this area of jurisprudence. In fact, there is a hadith specifically
directed to transforming the early Muslim population out of this
patriarchal attitude of male financial compensation for female sexual
activity. During the time of Prophet Muhammad, a young man committed
zina withhis employer's wife. The father of the young man gave one
hundred goats and a maid as compensation to the employer, who accepted
it. When the case was reported to the Prophet, he ordered the return
of the goats and the maid to the young man's father and prosecuted the
adulterer for zina (Abu Daud 1990, 3: Bk. 33,No. 4430; Bukhâri 1985,
8:Bk. 81, Nos. 815, 821, 826).
Early Islam thus established that there should be no tolerance ofthe
attitude that a woman's sexual activity issomething to be bartered,
pawned, gossiped about, or owned by the men in herlife. Personal
responsibility of every human being for their own actions is a
fundamental principle in Islamic thought.
Marital Rape
The Quran is very clear that the basis of a maritalrelationship is
love and affection between the spouses, not power or control. Rape is
unacceptable in such a relationship.
Sûrah al Baqarah 2.223
'Your wives are your tilth;go then unto your tilth asyou may desire,
but first provide something for your souls*, and remain conscious of
God, and know that your are destined to meet Him...'
* Note in Muhammad Asad's translation: 'a spiritual relationship
between man and woman is postulated as the indispensable basis of
sexual relations.'
Sûrah ar Rum 30.21
"And among His wonders is this: He creates for you mates out of your
own kind, so that your might incline towards then, andHe engenders
love and tenderness between you:in this, behold, there are messages
indeed for people who think!
Sûrah al Baqarah 2.187
"... They are as a garmentfor you, and you are as a garment for them."
Sûrah al Nisa 4.19
"... And consort with yourwives in a goodly manner, for if you dislike
them, it may well be that you dislike something which God might yet
make a source of abundant good."
"Is there recognition of marital rape in Islam?
In the context of jirah, it would appear so: where there is any
physical harm or disease caused to a spouse, there may bea claim for
jirah compensation. The law ofjirah provides for compensation for
physical harm between spouses, and supports Islamic legislation
againstdomestic abuse. Even in these discussions of appropriate jirah
compensation, the question of the injured party's consent plays a
central role. Some Islamicjurists considered consent to be presumed by
virtue of the marital relationship, while othersmaintain that where
harm occurs, it is an assault, regardless of the consent, and
therefore compensation is due. In our modern era, one might take these
precedents and their premium focus on consent and apply the Islamic
principle of sexualautonomy to conclude that any sex without consent
is harmful, as a dishonoring of the unwilling party's sexual autonomy.
Thus, modern Islamic jurists and legislators, taking a
gender-egalitarian perspective, might conclude that Islamic law does
recognize marital rape, and assign the appropriate injunctions and
compensation for this personally devastating harm." (Qureshi)
An often misquoted and abused hadith that is used to tyrannize womenis
that women cannot and should not say no to their husband when he
approaches them Womenare advised not to turn away from their husbands
except if they have their period or any other reasonable excuse. So
much so that she is to break her voluntary fast if her husband
approaches her. And if they do angels will curse them. However, this
hadith is not quoted withthe complementary one that advises men of the
same consideration.
In the same manner men are advised that meeting the needs of their
wives takes precedence over voluntary worship. Narrated Abdullah bin
Amr bin Al-As: "Prophet Muhammad (saw) said, "O Abdullah! I have been
informed that you fast allthe day and stand in prayer all night?" I
said, 'Yes, O Allah's Apostle!' He said, "Do not do that! Observe the
fast sometimes and also leavethem at other times, stand up for the
prayer atnight and also sleep at night. Your body has a right over you
and your wife has a right over you." (Bukhâri)
To a certain degree theseahâdîth are used to confuse and distract
fromthe issue, since rape doesnot have anything to do with permission
or lack of permission. In a marriage abusive or forced sexual activity
cannot be justified by abusing this hadith. Rapeis defined as
unwanted, violent and forced sex, whether this occurs in a marital
context or outside it. The definition of rape does not change because
of the relationship.
It is important to not confuse the issue of mutual rights that a
couple has on each other with the misguided, distorted and misogynist
assumption that women become a husband's property. Islam does not
allow for or tolerate ownership of human beings. Human dignity does
not allow that any one person has the right to own, mind/body/soul,
another human being... and Islam demands that all human beings respect
the humanity of everyone.
Incest & Child Abuse
The Quran clearly outlines those with whom marriage is not permitted,
we can extrapolate from it that any sexual relation with these would
be unacceptable.
Sûrah an Nisa 4:23:
Prohibited for you (in marriage) are your mothers, your daughters,your
sisters, the sisters of your fathers, the sisters of your mothers, the
daughters of your brother, the daughters ofyour sister, your nursing
mothers, the girls who nursed from the same woman as you, the mothers
of your wives, the daughters of your wives with whom you have
consummated the marriage - if the marriage has not been consummated,
you may marry the daughter. Also prohibited for you are the women who
were married to your genetic sons. Also, you shall not be married to
two sisters at the same time - but do not break up existing marriages.
GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
This includes your foster parents, siblings and children.
Al Hasan reports: 'If somebody commits illegal intercourse with his
sister, his punishment is the same as for any other person who commits
such a crime'. (Bukhâri Vol. 8 pp 526)
Thus, these same laws mentioned above in cases of rape would be
equally applicable, and incest can be prosecuted as a crime within the
bounds of Islamic law.
According to Islam, all aspects of life, ie: the physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual, are sacred and must be respected. No gender
or relationship has been given the power or right to hurt or harm the
other. Domestic violence, rape and incest are all violent and criminal
abuses that are outside the bounds of what is permitted in Islam and
there is absolutely no justification for it whatsoever.
References:
-Ghazâlî; "Ihya Ulum ud Din"
-Hasan, Riffat; "Religious Human Rights in Global Perspective:
Religious Perspectives" John Witte, Jr. and Johan D. van der Vyver
Eds. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1996
-Maudoodi, Abu al Ala; "Human Rights in Islam" The Islamic Foundation
UK 1976, 1993
-Qureshi, Asifa LLM; "Her Honor: An Islamic Critiqueof the Rape Laws
of Pakistan from a Woman-Sensitive Perspective"
-Rahman, Afzal ur; "Role of Muslim Women in Society" Seerah
Foundation, London, 1986
-Rauf, Muhammad Abdul; "Umar al Faruq" Al Saadawi Publications, 1998
Abridged version of article published in the September issue of
'Islâmic Reflections 2002'

Conferring Blessings upon the Prophet

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, Allaah confers
blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you
who have believed, ask [Allaah to confer] blessing upon him and ask
[Allaah to grant him]peace.} [Quran 33:56].
Ibn Katheer commented that, in this verse, Allaah The Almighty informs
His servants of the elevated status of the Prophet which is such that
Hepraises him in the exalted assembly of the angels who are near Him,
and they, in turn, ask Him to send His blessings on him . Then, Allaah
The Almighty orders the people of the earth to ask Him to confer
blessings upon the Prophet so that he would be praised by the dwellers
of both worlds – heavenly and terrestrial.
In his book Jalaa' Al-Afhaam, Ibn Ul-Qayyim said that the implication
here, is that if Allaah The Almighty sends blessings on the Prophet
and His angels request the same from Him, then so should people. They
are more duty-bound to do this, because they are the ones who have
been blessed by the message of the Prophet through which they shall
receive honor in this worldlylife and the Hereafter.
The meaning of "[conferring] blessings upon the Prophet ",was expanded
on, by a number of scholars; according to Abu Al-'Aaaliyah Allaah The
Almighty conferring blessings, refers to Him praising the Prophet in
the presence of angels, whereas angels conferring blessings means that
they supplicate Allaah The Almighty to do so.
Ibn Ul-Qayyim said that the injunction to send blessings, which is
cited in the verse above, signifies imploring Allaah The Almighty to
praise the Prophet show him His grace and drawhim closer to Him,
which, in itself, indicates the honor he has with Him.
As for the virtues of this act, 'Abdul-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf narrates:
"Once, I came to the Prophet while he was in prostration for a long
time. [When he got up], he said: 'Jibreel (Gabriel) came to me and
said, 'I will confer blessing upon the one who confers blessings upon
you and I will ask Allaah to grant peace to the one who asks Him to
grant you peace'; so, I prostrated to thank Allaah The Almighty.'"
[Ahmad]
It was also reported by Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said: "If a
person asks Allaah to send blessings on me once, Allaah will send
blessings on him ten times over." [Al-Haakim and Ahmad]
Likewise, Ya'qoob ibn Zayd ibn Talhah At-Taymi narrates thatthe
Prophet said that "a messenger from Allaah came to me and said [the
same thing cited above]." So, a man came to the Prophet and asked: "O
Messenger of Allaah, may I devotehalf of my supplications to you?" The
Prophet said: "As you like!" Then, the man asked: "Shall I devote two
thirds of my supplications to you?" The Prophet replied: "If you so
desire." The man then asked: "Shall I devote all of my supplications
to you?" The Prophet said: "Then Allaah The Almighty will protect you
against the distress of the worldly life and the Hereafter." [Muslim]
'Abdullaah ibn 'Amr also narrates that the Prophet gave good tidings,
saying: "The one who invokes blessing on me or asks that I be given
Al-Waseelah (a rank in Paradise which is fitting for only one of the
Servants of Allaah, and the Prophet wishes to be this servant) will be
assured of my intercession." [Muslim]
On the other hand, he said, asnarrated by Abu Hurayrah : "May he be a
loser; he who does not ask Allaah to confer blessingson me when I am
mentioned in front of him! May he be disgraced, whose parents attain
old age in his lifetime and they are not a cause for him to enter
Paradise [because of his dutifulness to them]! May his nose be rubbed
in dust [i.e., may he be humiliated]; he who witnesses Ramadhaan, but
it ends before he is forgiven!" [At-Tirmithi]
Muhammad ibn 'Ali also reports that the Prophet oncemade a similar
remark, when he said: "A person in whose presence my name is
mentioned, but he [or she] does not ask for the blessings of Allaah to
be sent on me, loses the way to Paradise." [Al-Jahdhami, Mursal –
Albaani]
In fact, as Al-Hasan relates, the Prophet described a man as "miserly;
in whose presence my name is mentioned while he does not pray for
blessings to be sent on me!" [Al-Haakim and At-Tirmithi. At-Tirmithi:
(Hasan Ghareeb Saheeh), Al-Albaani: (Mursal yet Saheeh)]
He cautions, as Abu Hurayrah narrates: "If people sit in a gathering
in which they do not remember Allaah or ask for blessings to be
conferred upon me, [that sitting of theirs] will be a cause of grief
and regret for them o¬n the Day of Judgment. Allaah may then forgive
or punishthem, as He sees fit." [At-Tirmithi,Saheeh – Albaani]
Why not, when this act itself is soeasy? 'Ali ibn Al-Husayn relates:
"My father told me that my grandfather said, 'The Prophet said: 'Do
not [come to and] make my grave a place of festivity; but ask Allaah
to confer blessings and peace upon me, foryour prayers and salutations
reach me wherever you may be.''" [Abu Daawood and Ahmad]
Similarly, 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood narrated that the Prophet said:
"Allaah The Almighty hasroaming angels who convey to me the blessings
which my Ummah ask Allaah The Almighty to confer upon me." [An-Nasaa'i
and Al-Haakim, Saheeh – Albaani]
The best supplication with which to ask Allaah The Almighty to confer
blessings upon the Prophet
Abu Mas'ood Al-Ansaari tells us: "We were sitting in the company of
Sa'd ibn 'Ubaadah when the Messenger of Allaah came to us. Bishr ibn
Sa'd asked: 'Allaah has commanded us to ask for blessings to be sent
upon you, O Messenger of Allaah. But, how exactly should we do that?'
The Prophet did not respond, and we became so perturbed over
hissilence that we wished we had not asked him. Then, he said: 'Say: O
Allaah, confer Your blessings upon Muhammad and the members of his
household asyou have conferred blessings upon the members of
Ibraaheem's (Abraham) household. Grant favors to Muhammad and his
family, as youhave granted favors to the family of Ibraaheem,
[wherever they are] in the worlds. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and
Glorious'. As for the invocation for the salutation of peace, it is as
you know [from what I have previously told you]." [Muslim]
Benefits of invoking Allaah The Almighty to send blessings on the Prophet
1. It demonstrates obedience to the Command of Allaah The Almighty and
it is an angelic trait,as they, too, ask Him to confer blessings upon
the Prophet .
2. A person gains blessings tenfold, for every time he or she invokes
blessings upon the Prophet .
3. If a person does this, perhaps adding a prayer for the Prophet to
reach the station of Al-Waseelah, he or she gains his intercession.
4. It removes the distress of a person in this life and the next, as
the aforementioned Hadeeth narrated by Ya'qoob ibn Zayd ibn Talhah
proves.
5. A person who observes the practice of sending peace and blessings
on the Prophet is guided by it to Paradise, and one who does not, is
led away from it.
6. Allaah The Almighty praises and mentions a person in good terms, if
he or she asks Him to confer blessings upon the Prophet which is
tantamount to invoking Him to praise the Prophet and honor and bless
him and his household. Since such an invocation is certain to be
answered by Allaah The Almighty, the one who supplicated will be also
rewardedin kind for his act, as the reward is of the same kind as the
deed.
7. It encourages a person to love the Prophet perpetually and
increasingly; and, as it is a basic tenet of faith, there can be no
faith without it. Furthermore, theProphet loves a person whosename is
cited to him, as asking for blessings to be sent on him . Truly, what
a great honor it is for a person's name to be mentioned before the
Prophet .
When to invoke blessings upon the Prophet
1. It is vital that this be done after the Tashahhud (final sitting)in
prayer. It is sanctioned, according to the consensus of Muslims, but
there is a disagreement over its obligation.
2. It is to be uttered after the second Takbeer (utterance of Allaahu
Akbar, i.e., Allaah is Great)of the funeral prayer. Az-Zuhari, relates
that he heard Abu 'Umaamah ibn Sahl ibn Haneef saying to Sa'eed ibn
Al-Musayyib : "The Sunnah in the funeralprayer is to recite the [first
Quranic] chapter of Al-Faatihah (The Opening); then to confer
blessings upon the Prophet and then, to supplicate sincerely for the
deceased until [the one offering prayer] concludes. He should recite
this only once and then perform Tasleem (salutation) quietly."
[An-Nasaa'i and Al-Haakim, Saheeh – Albaani]
3. When the name of the Prophet is mentioned, scholars differ on
whether it is mandatory to invoke the peace and blessings ofAllaah The
Almighty on him. At-Tahaawi and Al-Haleemi concur on its obligation,
while other scholars state that it is a favorable act, not a required
one, in which case, not doing it, would not result in a sin.
4. It should be done upon entering and leaving the mosque.Faatimah
narrated that the Prophet told her: "When you enter the mosque, say:
'Bismillaah, wassalaamu 'ala Rasoolillaah. Allaahumma salli 'ala
Muhammad wa 'ala aali Muhammad, waghfir lana wassahhil lanaa abwaaba
rahmatik (In the name of Allaah; and may peace be upon His Messenger .
O Allaah, confer Your blessings upon Muhammad and his household; and,
forgive us and facilitate for us the doors of Your Mercy)'. When you
have finished [your prayers] and are exiting, repeat this again, and
add: 'Wa sahhil lanaa abwaaba fadhlik (and ease for us the doorsof
Your grace)'.'' [Ibn Maajah and At-Tirmithi, Saheeh-Albaani]
5. It is also urged to be said after hearing the Athaan (call for
prayer), as the Prophet instructed: "When you hear the Athaan, say the
same as the callersays, then invoke blessings upon me; the one who
[does that] once will be rewarded by Allaah blessing him ten times.
Then, askAllaah to grant me Al-Waseelah, which is a rank in Paradise,
designated for only one of the servants of Allaah, and I hope to be
him. So, who prays for Al-Waseelah for me will be assured of my
intercession." [Muslim]
6. One should utter it while supplicating to Allaah The Almighty, as
Fudhaalah ibn 'Ubayd recounts "that the Prophet heard a man
supplicating to Allaah in prayer without praising Him or invoking His
blessings upon the Prophet . So, he said: 'This man has hastened.'
Then, the Prophet called the man and, addressing all the attendants,
said: "When any one of you prays,he should start by glorifying Allaah
The Almighty and praising Him; he should then invoke blessings upon
the Prophet ; after that, he may supplicate for whatever he wants."
[At-Tirmithi and Ahmad]
7. Friday is also a special day for it, as Aws ibn Aws narrates that
the Prophet said: "The best of your days is Friday. On that day, Aadam
(Adam) wascreated and his life was taken away; on that day, the
trumpet will be blown and on it, all of the creation will lose
consciousness [as signs of the Hour]. So, ask Allaah The Almighty,
frequently, to confer a great deal of blessings upon me, for [your
invocations] will be shown to me." The Companions asked: "O Messenger
of Allaah, how will our prayers be presented to you when you will have
turned to dust?" He replied: "Allaah has forbidden the earth to
consume the bodies of the Prophets."
8. It should also be said during allsermons, including the one with
the Friday prayer, on the days of Eid and when offering the prayer for
rain.
9. It is recommended to be uttered when getting up after gathering.
10. It is also Sunnah to ask Allaah to confer blessings on the Prophet
when concluding a marriage contract.

Acts of the Prayer and theheart's states in them

When you hear the Athaan (call to Prayer), let that remind you of the
horrors of the Summons on the Day of Resurrection. Spare no time in
fully preparing yourself torespond. For those who hasten to answer
this call are the ones who will receive gentle summoning on the Day of
the Great Review. So review your hearts now; if you find it elated and
eager to respond, you can expect the Summons to bring you glad tidings
on the Day of Judgment. That is why the Prophet used to address Bilal
saying: "Delight us by the Prayer, O Bilal!"
Wudhoo' (Ablution)
When you perform ritual cleansing (Wudhoo' or Ghusl), make sure to
also tend to the cleanliness of your inner being, which lies at the
heart of all these. In cleaning your inner being, use in the place of
water repentance and remorse for your excesses, and a resolve not to
perpetrate them in the future. Thus you should cleanse your inner
being, for that is the place where your Lord will be looking.
Covering private parts
When in Prayer you make sure that certain parts of your body are
covered from the eyes of other humans. But you should also mind your
internal shameful spots, those unworthy secrets of your soul that are
beheld only by Allaah Almighty. Beware these faults and realize that
nothing will escape the sight of Allaah Almighty.
Facing the Qiblah
In this you turn your face away from all other directions and set it
toward the Ka'bah. But more important than that is to turn your heart
away from everything else other than Allaah Almighty, directing it
towards Allaah Almighty. This is the whole point of the practice!
Standing upright
This means holding oneself erect—in body and in spirit—in the presence
of Allaah Almighty. Your head which is the highest part of your body
should be bowed down as a reminder of the need to keep the heart meek
and humble, free of arrogance and pride.
Intention
When forming the intention, resolve to be responsive to AllaahAlmighty
by performing the Prayer in full conformity with His commands, by
doing it properly, by avoiding things that invalidateor detract from
its wholeness, and by doing all this for the sake of Allaah alone,
hoping for His reward and fearing His punishment, seeking His grace
and favor by His leave.
Takbeer
When making Takbeer (pronouncing the phrase: AllaahuAkbar to begin the
Prayer acts), your heart must be inundated with the meaning of
Takbeer. You should feel in your heart thatnothing whatsoever is
greater than Allaah Almighty.
Reciting the Quran
People fall in three categories when it comes to Quran recitation: (a)
those who move their tongues unconsciously (b) those who are conscious
of the movement of the tongue, understanding the meaning while
listening as if to a person outside themselves; this is the degree of
`those on the right', (c) those who start from awareness of the
meaning, then use the tongue to give expression to this inner
consciousness.
Bowing
Bowing (Rukoo') indicates a renewed affirmation of the supreme
greatness of Allaah Almighty. In bowing you confirm your
submissiveness and humility, striving to refine your inner feelings
through a fresh awareness of your own impotence and insignificance
before the might and grandeur ofyour Lord Almighty. To confirm this,
you seek the aid of your tongue, glorifying Allaah Almighty and
testifying repeatedly to His Supreme Majesty. Then you rise from
bowing, hopeful that He will be merciful towards you. To emphasize
this hope within you, you say: "Allaah hears those who give thanks to
Him." Acknowledging the need to express gratitude, you immediately
add: "Grateful praiseto You our Lord!"
Prostration
Then you go down in prostration.This is the utmost point of
submission, for when you prostrate you bring the noblest part of your
body—your face—down to meet the most lowly of all things, the dust of
theearth. When you place yourself in this position of lowliness, be
mindful of the fact that you belong there, from dust you werecreated
and to dust you shall return. At the same time you should renew your
inner awareness of Allaah's majesty, repeating: "Glory to my Lord
MostHigh!"
Sitting and testifying
When you sit to make the testimony (Tashahhud), sit decorously.
Declare that all the Prayers and good deeds you perform are for the
sake of AllaahAlmighty, and everything belongsto Him. Such is the
meaning of at-Tahiyyaat. Be inwardly aware of the Prophet, and of his
noble person, as you say: "Peace be upon you, O Prophet, as well as
Allaah's mercy and blessing." Be sure that he will return an even more
perfect greeting to you. Then salute yourself and all Allaah's
righteous servants. Then testify to the Unity of Allaah Almighty, and
to the mission of Prophet Muhammad .
End of Supplication
Make sure to supplicate at the end of your ritual Prayer and before
Tasleem, imploring and entreating with meekness and humility,
confidently hoping to be answered. Let your supplication include your
parentsand the other believers.
Salutation (Tasleem)
Finally, and with the intention of concluding your Prayer, address
your Tasleem to the angels and the others present. Feel a sense of
gratitude to Allaah Almighty for having enabled you to complete this
act of worship. Imagine that you are saying farewell to this Prayer of
yours, and that you may not live to make another one.

Etiquettes related to gatherings

Introduction
Every religion and culture, besides a number of other things, have
their own distinct set of customs, traditions and etiquettes. In fact,
one of the important distinguishing features between one nation and
one tribe and another has generally been its distinct set of customs,
traditions and etiquettes.The nation or tribe formed by the followers
of the prophets and messengers of Allaah is no exception. In the
formation of this group, the prophets of Allaah may Allaah exalt their
mention directed their followers to conform to aparticular set of
etiquettes, which would distinguish them as a nation of the followers
ofAllaah's prophets.
However, because the basic objective of all prophetic teachings is to
cleanse the human mind, body and soul from all that has the potential
of defiling it, the customs and etiquettes for this group of people
have also been fixed and promoted with the same target in perspective.
In this article we will focus on the etiquette in Islam that is
related to gatherings.
Etiquettes related to gatherings
Ibn `Umar reported: "The Messenger of Allaah said: "Do not ask someone
to give up his seat in order to take it, but make accommodation wide
and sit at ease.''" It was Ibn `Umar's habit that if a person left his
seat for him, he would not take it. (Al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
Herein, we are told that the space of meeting should be wide enough to
accommodate every participant. None should feel the space problem.
Good manners disallow a newcomer to get a seat vacated for himself by
force, no matter if the occupant is an inferior. Yet, there is nothing
undesirable if the latter willingly vacates the seat for a superior.
Ibn `Umar would never agree to availing even a willing offer in this
respect. Obviously fear of Allaah and moral scruples lay behind his
reluctance to take the place of somebody else. Yet, thereare a few
exceptions in this regard. For example, if somebody sits in the chair
of his teacher, he may be asked to leave it. Also if a man has fixed
place in the market to sellhis goods, another person will not be
justified in occupying it forcibly.
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allaah said: "If someone
leaves his seat(for one reason or another) and returns to it, he is
better entitled to it.'' (Muslim)
Jaabir Ibn Samurah reported: "Whenever we came to the gathering of
the Prophet we would sit down at the end (of the assembly)." (Abu
Daawood).
This narration throws light on social etiquette. Suppose, if somebody
comes to participate in a meeting or was invited to a gathering, he
shouldnot behave in a rustic manner by crossing over the heads of the
sitting people. Nor should he attempt to forcibly put himself in the
place of another person, rather he should sit in any open spot even if
it was at the end rows or the back of the room.
Salmaan Al-Faarisi reported that the Messenger of Allaah said: "If a
man takes a bath on Friday, purifies himself thoroughly wears any
perfume which is available in the house, sets forth for the mosque,
does not (forcibly) sit between two persons, offers the prayer that is
prescribed for him and listens to the Imaam silently, his sins between
this Friday and the previous Friday will be forgiven.'' (Al-Bukhaari).
This hadeeth highlights the following important points:
1. To take a bath on Friday is a matter of commendation. Some
scholars (rightfully) adopt that it is a mandatory act.
2. One is recommendedto take it in the morning or before going to
the mosque to offer prayer.
3. On this occasion the use of perfume is preferable.
4. There is a mention ofgood manners. Instead ofcrossing over the
heads of worshippers, one should try to locate an open space and sit
there. To thrust oneself between two sitting persons looks awkward.
5. Entry into the mosque should be followed by the performance of
a two Rak`ah prayer, even if the Imaam is delivering Khutbah (speech).
6. An attempt should be made to offer voluntary prayer before the
Khutbah, if time permits.
7. Complete silence should be observed during the Khutbah to the
point that one is not allowed to say to request another person to be
silent, if one does not want to loose reward.
8. If a man offers his Friday prayer by observing the said
conditions and prerequisites, his week-long sins will be forgiven by
Allaah. But these are exclusively minor sins. As regards major grave
sins, the sinner will not be forgiven by Allaah unless he sincerely
repents fromthe sins. Similarly, a man's failure to do his duties
towards his fellow-Muslim brothers or sisters, in case he has wronged
them in anyway, will not be pardoned unless he is forgiven by them.
Some will ask: 'What should I do if I want to sitbetween two people?'
`Amr Ibn Shu`ayb on the authority of his father and grandfather
reported: ''The messenger of Allaah said: "It is not permissible for a
person to sit between two people without their permission.''
(At-Tirmithi).
This Hadeeth tells us that a man is forbidden to push himself between
two sitting persons unless they themselves allow him to do that.
Huthayfah Ibn Al-Yamaan reported: "Whosoevertakes seat in the midst of
an assembly has been cursed by the messenger of Allaah . The Messenger
of Allaah curses the one who sits inthe middle of people's circle."
(Abu Daawood).
Herein, we are also told that a man must not pushhimself into the
circles of some sitting people as this shows no consideration for
their feelings. A Muslim should not intrude on other people's personal
affairs.
Abu Sa`eed Al-Khudri reported: "I heard Messenger of Allaah saying:
"The best assemblies are those in which people make room for one
another.'' (Abu Daawood).
This Hadeeth urges us to spread out in assemblies and make room for
one another to the comfort ofeveryone.
Supplication after the gathering
Abu Hurayrah reported that the messenger of Allaah said: "Whoever sits
in a gathering and indulges in uselesstalk and before getting up
supplicates: `Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bihamdika, ash-hadu allaa
ilaaha illaa Anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayka (O Allaah, You are
free from every imperfection; praise be to You. I testify that there
is no true god except You; I ask Your Pardon and turn to You in
repentance),' he will be forgiven for (the sins he may have
intentionally or unintentionally committed) in that assembly.''
(At-Tirmithi).
A senseless, boisterous talk, not related to the life to come, is
unprofitable and warrants deprecation. But since it is a small sin, it
may be pardoned if one sincerely repents of it. Yet, it cannot be
classified under the head of major grave sins and human-right
violations which are unpardonable.Scholars unanimously agree that
those sins which can be forgiven upon sincerely reciting the
above-mentioned supplication are minor sins which relate to the
violation of Allaah's Rights, as evidenced by other narrations.
Abu Barzah reported: "Towards the end of his life, the messenger of
Allaah would supplicate before leavingan assembly thus:"Subhaanaka
Allaahumma wa bihamdika, ash-hadu allaa ilaaha illaa Anta,
astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayka (O Allaah, You are free from every
imperfection; all praise is for You. I testify that there is no true
god except You, I ask Your forgiveness and turn to You in
repentance).'' A man once said to him: "O Messenger of Allaah! You
have spoken such words as you have never uttered before.'' He said:
"It is an expiation of that which goes on in the assembly.'' (Abu
Daawood).
The messenger of Allaah would recite this supplication at the end
ofevery assembly to teach Muslims how to gain more rewards and to
beseech Allaah to forgive the lapses which they might have
inadvertentlycommitted during the course of a general conversation.
There is no indication in the Hadeeththat he himself used toengage in
idle talk while he was with his Companions.
Ibn `Umar reported:"The messenger of Allaah seldom left a gathering
without supplicating in these terms: "Allaahumma-qsim lanaamin
khashyatika maa tahoolu bihi baynanaa wa bayna ma`aaseek, wa min
taa`atika maatuballighuna bihi jannataka, wa minal-yaqeeni maa
tuhawwinu `alayna masaa'ibad-dunyaa. Allaahumma matti`naa
biasmaa`inaa, wa absaarinaa, wa quwwatinaa maa ahyaytanaa,
waj`alhul-waaritha minnaa, waj`al tha'ranaa `alaa man zalamanaa,
wansurnaa `alaa man`aadaanaa, wa laa taj`al museebatanaa fi deeninaa,
wa laa taj`alid-dunyaa akbara hamminaa, wa laa mablagha `ilminaa, wa
laa tusallit `alainaa man-laa yarhamunaa, (O Allaah, apportion to us
such fear as should serve as a barrier betweenus and acts of
disobedience; and such obedience as will take us to Your Paradise; and
such as will make easy for us to bear in the calamities of this world.
O Allaah! Let us enjoy our hearing, our sight and our power as long as
You keep us alive and let them remain until the end of our lives, and
make our revenge restricted to those who oppress us, and support us
against those who arehostile to us let no misfortune afflict our
religion; let not worldlyaffairs be our principal concern, or the
ultimate limit of our knowledge, and let not those rule over us who do
not show mercy to us).'' (At-Tirmithi).
This Hadeeth reveals a supplication through which we may be able to
reach all that which is good in this world as well as in the
Hereafter.
Conclusion
Abu Hurayrah reported that the messenger of Allaah said: "Those people
who leave a gathering in which they have not mentioned Allaah, will
conclude it as if it has foul odour similar tothat of a rotten carcass
of a donkey. And it will be a cause of grief to them (e.i. in the
Hereafter).'' (Abu Daawood).The messenger of Allaah has warned us
againstrefraining from the remembrance of Allaah because most of the
heart diseases are causedby this indifference, and because most of the
sins are committed as a result of this indifference.
Abu Hurayrah reported: "The Prophet said: "Whenever a group of people
sit in a gathering in whichthey do not mention Allaah The Exalted, nor
supplicate to exalt the mention (and status) of their Prophet, such a
gathering will be a cause of grief to them. If Allaah wills, He will
punish them, and if He wills He will forgive them.'' (At-Tirmithi).
Any meeting where Allaah is not glorified andpraised and His blessings
are not invoked to exalt the mention of His Prophet will cause grief
and punishment to the participants in the Hereafter.
Abu Hurayrah reported: The messenger of Allaah said: "If anyone sits
in a gathering where he doesnot mention Allaah, he will bring grief
upon himself (on the Day of Resurrection), and he who lies down in a
place where he does not mention Allaah, will bring grief upon himself
(on the Day of Resurrection).'' (Abu Daawood).
To sum up what has gonein these mentioned prophetic narrations of this
issue, man should mention Allaah on all occasions. This will establish
and cement his bond with Allaah, keeping heedlessness away from his
heart and mind. It is heedlessness which prompts man to transgress
Divine rules and limits, whereas the remembrance of Allaah prevents
him from indulging in backbiting and passing slanderous remarks
against people in their absence or reproaching and belittling someone
at a meeting. Unfortunately, such petty and negative out-pourings are
relishedat chat sessions in our society. This generates grudge,
illwill and hostility in hearts and splits up social cohesion and
Islamic solidarity. Every Muslim should, therefore, take care to avoid
such gatherings, and if it so happened that he attended any such
gathering, then he must fulfill his duty of forbidding people from
evil when they indulge init.

The meaning of Allaah’s name al-Haleem .

Can you give me an explanation of the beautiful names of Allah:Al Halim?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The name of Allaah al-Haleem is mentioned in a number of places in the
Qur'aan, for examplethe verses in which Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And know that Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing [Haleem]"
[al-Baqarah 2:235]
"Kind words and forgiving of faults are better than Sadaqah (charity)
followed by injury. And Allaah is Rich (Free of all needs) and He is
Most-Forbearing"
[al-Baqarah 2:263]
Ibn Jareer said in his Tafseer (4/144): "This means that He gives
respite and does not hasten to punish the onewho disobeys Him or goes
against His command."
Al-Khattaabi said in Sha'n al-Du'a' (63): "He isforgiving and grants
respite, the One Whose anger does not overwhelm Him and Who is not
provoked by the ignorance of the ignorant or the disobedience of the
disobedient. One who forgives when he is not able to punish does not
deserve to be called Haleem (forbearing); rather the one who is
al-Haleem is the One Who forgives when He isable to punish and Who
gives respite and does not hasten the punishment."
Qiwaam al-Sunnah al-Asbahaani said in al-Hujjah fi Bayaan al-Mahajjah
(1/144): "Forbearing towards theone who disobeys Him, because if He
wanted to punish him at the time of the sin, He could do so, but He
grants him respite until the appointed time. Even though this is a
name that may be applied to a person, the forbearance of a person is
not a quality with which a person is born and which then develops when
he grows older; it may change at times of sickness or anger, or
because of events that happen. His attribute dies when he dies, but
the forbearance of Allaah abides and never disappears. A person may
forgive one thing but not another; he may forgive those against whom
he is powerless toexact revenge, but Allaah forgives even though He is
able to punish."
Ibn al-Qayyim said in al-Nooniyyah (3278):
"He is the Forbearing and does not hasten the punishment for His
slave,(granting him respite) sothat he may repent from his sin."
Al-Sa'di said in his Tafseer (19): "Al-Haleem is the One Who keeps
bestowing blessings, both visible and hidden, on His creation, even
though they disobey Himand make many mistakes. So He forgives and does
not give the sinners the punishment they deserve; He encourages them
to repent and gives them time to turn to Him.".

Can Allaah be described as plotting etc .

Can Allaah be described as plotting, deceiving and betraying as in the
verses (interpretation of the meaning):
"they were plotting and Allaah too was plotting"
[al-Anfaal 8:30]
"Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it is He Who deceivesthem"
[al-Nisa' 4:142]?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The attributes of Allaah are all attributes of perfection, pointing to
the best and most perfect of meanings. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"and for Allaah is the highest description. And He is the All-Mighty,
the All-Wise"
[al-Nahl 16:60]
"His is the highest description (i.e. none has the right to be
worshipped but He, and there is nothing comparable unto Him) inthe
heavens and in the earth. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise"
[al-Room 30:27]
Al-Sa'di said in his Tafseer (commentary) – p. 718, 1065:
The highest description means the most perfect attributes.
Attributes are of three types:
1 – Attributes of perfection – in which there is no shortcoming
whatsoever. These attributes apply to Allaahin absolute terms and are
not limited or restricted in any way. Examples of that include His
knowledge, power, hearing, seeing, mercy, etc.
2 – Attributes which imply imperfection and shortcomings. These can
never be ascribed to Allaah, such as sleeping, being unable, doing
wrong or oppressing, betraying, etc.
3 – Attributes which maybe perfect or imperfect, depending on the
context. These cannot beascribed to Allaah in absolute terms, and
theycannot be denied in the case of Allaah in absolute terms. If the
context implies perfection then they canbe ascribed to Allaah; if it
implies imperfection then they cannot be ascribed to Allaah. Examples
include: plotting, deceiving and mocking.
Plotting against, betraying and mocking the enemy are attributesof
perfection, because that is indicative of complete knowledge, power
and might, and so on.
But plotting against the sincere believers is an attribute of imperfection.
Hence these characteristics are not ascribed to Allaah in absolute
terms, rather they are mentioned in such a context as to indicate that
these are attributes of perfection.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it is He Who deceivesthem"
[al-Nisa' 4:142]
This is deceiving the hypocrites.
And He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you (O Muhammad)
to imprisonyou, or to kill you, or to get you out (from your home,
i.e. Makkah); they were plotting and Allaahtoo was plotting; and
Allaah is the Best of those who plot"
[al-Anfaal 8:30]
This is a plot against the enemies of Allaah who were plotting against
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Allaah says of the hypocrites (interpretation of the meaning):
"And when they meet those who believe, they say: 'We believe,' but
when they are alone with their Shayaateen (devils — polytheists,
hypocrites), they say: 'Truly, we are with you; verily, we were but
mocking.'
Allaah mocks at them and gives them increase in their wrong-doing to
wander blindly"
[al-Baqarah 2:14-15]
This is mocking the hypocrites.
These attributes are to be regarded as indicating perfection in this
context. Hence we say that Allaah mocks thehypocrites and deceives
them, and that He plots against His enemies, andso on. But it is not
permissible to describe Allaah as mocking or deceiving in absolute
terms, because that doesnot indicate perfection.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: Can
Allaah be described as plotting and named as such?
He replied:
Allaah cannot be described as plotting except in a limited sense;He
cannot be described as such in absolute terms. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allaah? None feels
secure from the Plan of Allaah except the people who are the losers"
[al-A'raaf 7:99]
This verse indicate that Allaah has a plan or plot, which was to
confound them without them realizing it. This is akin to the hadeeth
narrated by al-Bukhaari: "War is deceit."
If it is asked: How can Allaah be described as plotting when this
seemsto be something blameworthy?
The answer is that plotting in the right circumstances may be
something praiseworthythat points to the strength of the plotter, and
that he is superior to his enemy. Hence Allaah cannot be described as
plotting in absolute terms, and we cannot say "Allaah is a Plotter."
Rather this attribute is mentioned ina context where it is positive,
such as the verses (interpretation of the meaning):
"they were plotting and Allaah too was plotting"
[al-Anfaal 8:30]
"So they plotted a plot, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not"
[al-Naml 27:50]
And we cannot say in absolute terms that this cannot be ascribed to
Allaah, rather in contextswhere it is something positive it may be
ascribed to Him, and in contexts where it is not something positive,
it should not be ascribed to Him. So Allaah should not be called by a
name which refers to this, so we cannot say that one of the names of
Allaah is "the Plotter". Plotting is one of His actions, because it
has to do withthe Will of Allaah.
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 1/170.
He was also asked: Can Allaah be described as betraying, or as
deceiving, as in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it is He Who deceivesthem"
[al-Nisa' 4:142]?
He replied:
With regard to betrayal, this is something that can never be ascribed
to Allaah, because it is something shameful in all circumstances, and
it is plotting at a time of trust, which is blameworthy. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"But if they intend to betray you (O Muhammad), they indeed betrayed
Allaah before. So He gave (you) power over them. And Allaah is
All-Knower, All-Wise"
[al-Anfaal 8:71]
And He did not say: So Hebetrayed them.
With regard to deceiving, it is like plotting. It may be ascribed to
Allaah when it is something positive, but it cannot be ascribedto Him
in absolute terms.Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it is He Who deceivesthem"
[al-Nisa' 4:142]
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 1/171
And Allaah knows best.