Stories of Prophets, - Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH)

The Advent of Ibrahim
Long ago Almighty Allah gave the honor of His choice to a man
calledIbrahim. He became the Prophet. His native Mesopotamia is the
present southern Iraq. He was anideal model for mankind. Speaking
highly of him the Holy Quran says:
"Ibrahim was indeed a paragon of virtue, obedient to Allah, ever
inclined to Him and he was not of those who set up equals to Allah. He
was ever grateful for His favors, We chose him and guided him to a
straight path; and We bestowed on him good in this world and in the
Hereafter, he will surely be among the righteous." ( Surah 16: Verses
121-123)
His Nation was Staunch Worshippers of Idols
In the days of the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon
him)ignoranceprevailed upon the minds of the people. Most of the
people had no knowledge of Allah and His teachings. They worshipped
thesun, the moon and the stars. They wereastronomersand maintained the
records of the movements of the planets. They prayed to theidolsmade
of wood and stone and made many offerings for them. The priests
enjoyed a prominent place in the society. They commanded respect among
their followers. They were paid well. The poor people were ruled by
the chiefs. They were subjected to their cruelty and injustice.
TheProphet Ibrahim(peace be upon him) was the son of Terah whose
surname Adhar was popularly known. He was a doll carver and a staunch
worshipper of idols. He did all he could to compel Ibrahim (peace be
upon him) to worship the handicrafts of man but flatly refused to do
so. Hehated even an idea of worshipping the idolswhich could neither
see, nor hear, nor speak.
The Prophet Ibrahim's Preaching
The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him)received the message of
Allahthrough a specialAngel Gabriel (Jibra'il). Gradually he was
commanded to start preaching. As he was astrong manin his will and
determination, he worked very hard. He began his mission in the teeth
of opposition. He argued with his people with great vigor regarding
the folly of worshipping the idols. The Holy Quran says:
"When he said to his father and his people: What are these images to
which you are so devoted ? They replied: We found our fathers
worshipping them. He said: Then you as well as your fathers have
indeed, been in manifest error. They said: Is it really the truth that
you have brought for us or are you jesting ? He replied: Nay, your
Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth; He brought them into
existence and I am of those who bear witness to this, and by Allah, I
will certainly plan against your idols after you have gone away and
turned your backs." ( Surah 21: Verses 53-58)
Opposition by the People and Discussion with the King
The people paid no heed to his teachings. They insisted on their ways.
Theydid not refrainfrom worshipping the twinkling stars, shining moon
and ugly idols. The priests kept on encouraging the people to
disbelieve in the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him). They
wereafraidlest they should be deprived of theirpriesthoodif the people
abandoned idol-worship.
As a matter of fact the kingNemrùd(Namrood) in that area thought
himself to be god. He had a big castle and many soldiers at his
disposal. He desired to argue with the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon
him) one day.
They met to hold discussions: The king looked at the Prophet Ibrahim
(peace be upon him) mockingly for a while. Then he said: What is this
thing you are calling the people for? Why do you persuade the People
to worship God Who is invisible?
The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) replied boldly: My God is the
One: Who gives and takes away life.
Nemrùd answered arrogantly: I have also the power to do that. I can
kill the persons and can spare them also.
The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) asked a clever question that
caught every one by surprise. He said:My God causes the sun to rise
from the East and set it in the West. Can you make it come from the
east?
On hearing the king remained silent because he knew that no man had
the power to do so.
Breakage of the Idols
After a few days a special event took place. There was a grand
ceremony outside the locality and every one had to participate in the
celebrations. Most of the evil-doers drank; liquor and became noisy
and wild. They were losing their balance of mind in a state of
intoxication. There was a great hustle. Almost every one from the town
attended the ceremony except the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him).
He had a special plan in his mind. He proceeded towards the Temple
escaping the sight of others. When he entered the Temple, he saw there
many statues whichstood motionless and helpless.
The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) lifted his heavy axe andbegan
to smite the idolsturn by turn. The idols fell to the ground with a
big thud. The floor was loaded with numerous noses, ears, heads, arms,
legs and other parts of the idols. Hebroke all the idolsin the
sanctuary but spared the Chief one. He did so todemonstrate that the
idols had no powerto cause harm to any one or bestow benefits upon
others. They were as helpless as mere stones and it is against the
dignity of human beings to pay homage to them. When the Prophet
Ibrahim (peace be upon him) finished his job, he left the Temple
cautiously making sure that no one had seen him.
Decision to burn Ibrahim (PBUH) alive
When the celebrations came to an end, the people returned. The priests
went directly towards the Temple as usual and some people accompanied
them. They saw that the idols weresmashed to pieces. The floor was
littered with stones and the Chief idol was standing with an axe
hanging down along its neck.
The priests began to scream and became confused. The people rushed to
the Temple on hearing a deafening hue and cry. Every one was in a
furious mood. They wanted to know who had dared do this trouble to the
idols. They wished to take revenge. Then some one said that the
Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) would have done so because he
consistently spoke ill of our gods and advised the people to worship
One God. The Holy Quran relates:
"Then he broke them into pieces except the Chief of them that haply
they may return to him. They said: Who has done so to our gods? Most
surely he is one of the evil-doers. We heard a youth called Ibrahim
making mention of them." ( Surah 21: Verse 57)
The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was summoned to appear before
the king. When he came, he was asked if he had destroyed all those
idols. He remained silent for a while. Afterwards he directed the king
to ask the chief idol on whose neck was hung the axe with which the
havoc was done.
The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was mocking and making fun of
thosestupid people who worshipped helpless,dumbanddeaf idolsmade
ofstones. The king as well as the priests did not like to prolong
their discussions because the arguments of the Prophet Ibrahim (peace
be upon him) werevery sound and convincing. The Holy Quran relates:
"Then they said to Ibrahim: Is it you who has done so to our gods? He
replied: Well, some one has surely done this. Here is the chief of
them, so ask them if they can speak. Then they turned towards one
another and said: You yourselves are surely in the wrong. Then they
were made to hung down their heads out of shame and said to Ibrahim:
Certainly you know that they do not speak." ( Surah 21: Verses
65-68).
Although they felt ashamed yet they remained stubborn. Theydecided to
burn the Prophet Ibrahim(peace be upon him) alive for causing
destruction to their idols.
Fire does not Burn The Prophet Ibrahim
A big furnace was prepared for this purpose. The Prophet Ibrahim
(peace be upon him) was tied with a rope and he could hardly move. He
was quitecalm and cheerfulbelieving firmly that Allah would save him.
He did not even resist and the spectators were amazed at his attitude.
The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was thrown in the center of
the furnace. The flames of the fire were blazing. They sizzled and
hissed but the Almighty Allah ordered the fire not to harm His friend
Ibrahim (peace be upon him):
"We said: O' fire! Be thou a means of comfort and security for
Ibrahim." ( Surah 21: Verses 70)
The transgressors thought that the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him)
had burnt to death. They did not hear the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be
upon him) shouting with pain. Some time later the people saw the
prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him)walking out of the fire safeas if
nothing had touched him. They were much surprised to see him.
Migration to Palestine
In spite of this miracle the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) could
not have a large number of people following his teachings. He went on
preaching and underwent a chain of tests and trials to prove his
obedience and sincerity. When his people tortured the Prophet Ibrahim
(peace be upon him), he wasordered to leavethat area and go to the
blessed land which is now calledPalestine.
In compliance with the Commandment of Almighty Allah the Prophet
Ibrahim (peace be upon him) did not lose a moment's rest without
getting in touch with the people and teaching them about God and His
message. Nothing seemed to discourage him.
Birth of the Prophet Isma'il (PBUH) and Migration to Mecca
As the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) had no off-spring from his
first wifeSarah, he entered into matrimonial alliance with another
woman calledHajira(Hagar). He prayed for a son in all sublimity and
his prayer was granted. Some time later Hajira announced happy news
that she was expecting a baby.
As time passed she gave birth toIsma'il (Ishmael). Soon after God
ordered the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to take his wife
Hajira and the Prophet Isma'il (peace be upon him) to thevalley of
Bathã (Makkah).
In accordance with the Divine Commandment he set out on a long and
troublesome journey. They arrived at the spot after a long time. It
was hilly area without any trees and water. They set up their tents
and looked around but nothing was visible except sand. The Prophet
Ismail (peace be upon him) had attained the age of a few months only
when the event of migration took place. He began to cry because
ofthirst. His mother began to look for water but it was not available
anywhere.
Zam Zam is Discovered
She ran desperately inquest of waterbetween two hillocks
calledSafaandMarwabut found no water. She came back to her thirsty
infant and was surprised to see the spring ofZam Zamemerged from
beneath the foot of the Prophet Isma'il (peace be upon him). She
heaved a sigh of relief. She quenched the thirst of her baby with
water.
Many people from far and wide came to the spot where Prophet Ibrahim
(peace be upon him) and his family had settled. Gradually this
locality namedMecca (Makkah)became thebirth place of Islam.
Vision of the Prophet Ibrahim Regarding the Sacrifice of the Prophet Isma'il
The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) went back to Palestine to join
his first wife, the beloved Sarah. He received a Commandment in his
vision tosacrifice his only son, Isma'il. The Prophet Ibrahim (peace
be upon him) hadno hesitationin complying with what he was ordered to
do but his son was infant at that time. He had to wait until he grew
older.
Due to delay the temptation of not doing what he was supposed to do,
was certainly there. But the Prophet Ibrahim (peace he upon him) had a
solid faith in Allah and hislife was all dedicatedto His' service. So
he kept on waiting until Prophet Isma'il (peace be upon him) became a
teenager.
One day the father told his son about the dream. To his great surprise
he saw that Prophet Isma'il (peace be upon him) hadno objectionand was
willing to be sacrificed as Allah had willed it. He said:
"O' my father! Do what you have been commanded to do; then you will
find me of the patients." ( Surah 37: Verses 10-11)
This was a hard decision for a young man to take and it was amoment of
great faithin Allah.
The Ordeal of Sacrifice of Prophet Ismail
On thetenth of Dhil Hijjathe father and his beloved son walked side by
side. A young ladpossessed for bearanceand the old man wasfull of
determination and spiritto complete submission to Allah. Their purpose
was to carry out the orders of their Lord. Nothing was dearer to them
than the service of Allah.
They proceeded towardsMinawith a sharp butcher's knife that, the old
shaky Ibrahim had in his hand. Many a thought and memories of the past
must have crossed in their minds. Finally they reached a special spot.
The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) looked at his loving son
whereas Prophet Isma'il (peace be upon him) cast a glance at his,
father obediently and cheerfully.
The father laid his son prostrate on the ground. He was standing
beside him. His heart was beating violently. He was shaking with
emotions when he drew the knife across the neck of his son. It was a
moment of action, an action that was very hard to put into practice.
God highlyappreciated them for their obedienceand they heard a voice:
"O' Ibrahim! you have indeed shown the truth of the vision. Surely do
We reward the doers of good." ( Surah 37: Verse 105)
When Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him)fulfilled the command of the
dream, he was ordered not to sacrifice his own son. Aramwas provided
in his stead. The Prophet Isma'il (peace be upon him) stood up and the
ram was sacrificed.
So the moment of suspense came to an end and both the father and the
son expressed a deep sense of happiness and gratitude. From that time
until today, thesavage custom human sacrifice has been absolutely
abolished.
Glad Tidings Regarding the Birth of Prophet Ishaq
When the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) displayed his unstinted
submission to the orders of Allah by trying to sacrifice his beloved
son Ismail he was informed of a glad-tiding regarding the birth of
baby from Sarah, his first wife. The Holy Quran affirms:
"And We gave him the good news of Ishaq (Isaac), a Prophet among the
good ones and We showered our blessings on him and on Ishaq, and of
their offspring are the doers of good and also those who are clearly
unjust to their own selves." ( Surah 37: Verses 112-113)
Time passed by and Sarah, the old lady got pregnant. At last she gave
birth to a male baby and they gave him the name of Ishaq. Later on
Isma'il (peace be upon him) proved to be the Prophet of the Muslims
and Ishaq (peace be upon him) became the Prophet of the Jews.
Re-construction of Ka'bah
Thefirst House of Allah, theKa'bahwas erected by the Prophet
Adam(peace be upon him). It was reconstructed by the Prophet Ibrahim
and the Prophet Isma'il (peace be upon them).
TheMuqam-e-Ibrahimis still outside the enclosure. It is a place of
marble-like stone on which he stood to raise the walls of the
sanctuary at Mecca. This stone contains the sunken imprints of the
feet of the great Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him). The Holy Quran
testifies to the hallowed sanctity of this stone by declaring it to be
one of theSigns of Allah. It says:
"We made the House a resort for men and a place of security after
saying: Take as your place of worship the spot where Ibrahim stood to
pray. And We enjoined Ibrahim and Isma'il by saying: Purify My House
for those who visit it and those who meditate therein; and those who
bow down and those who prostrate themselves." ( Surah 2: Verse 125)
Burial Place
The Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) lived for175 years. His life
wasfull of happenings,testsandtrials. He had afirm faithin Allah. He
nevermissed a moment's restin calling for the message of Allah.
Hegainedthousands upon thousands of believers. When he passed away, he
was buried inHebron, twenty miles south-west ofJerusalem.

Stories of Prophets, - Prophet Huud (PBUH)

Huud was the Prophet sent to theBani Aadfor their reformation. His
lineage genealogy joins with theProphet Nuh(peace be upon him) and his
sons. The Prophet Huud (peace be upon him) belonged to the Bani Aad.
They were thedescendants of Sam.
Outstanding Qualities of the Adites
The Aadites quarreled with the children of Ham and left Babylon. They
peopled a district in southern Arabia contiguous to Oman, Yemen and
Hadramaut. There they built palaces, erected temples and worshipped
deities and stars. The names of their chief deities were Saqi'ah,
Salimah, Raziqah and Hafizun. The people belong to the Bani Aad
weretall in stature and were skilful masons. Allah (SWT) had given
them abundance of wealth, cattle, children and gardens. They had
attained a considerable degree of civilization.
Among them flourished the famous kingShaddad. He built a magnificent
palace near Adal. It was known as theGarden of Iram. He was mighty
king and his conquests extended toSyria, Iraq and the frontier of
sub-continent of Indo-Pakistan. These people were proud of their
achievements and considered themselves to be invincible. They were
indulged in sins and committed acts ofinjustice and violence. Instead
of expressing a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty Allah for the
favors He had bestowed upon them, they became transgressors and showed
disobedience to Him.
The Prophet Huud appears and Preaches
The Prophet Huud (peace be upon him) appeared among them for their
guidance. He tried his best to bring them back to theworship of One
God. He directed them to give up evil practices. He advised them
toabstain from committing sins. They paid no heed to the teachings and
warnings of their Prophet.
The Holy Quran says:
"And to the Aad We sent their brother Huud. He said: 0' my people!
Serve Allah, you have no god other than Him. Will you not then keep
away from evil and be mindful of your duty to Him. The Chiefs of those
who disbelieved from among his people said: Most surely, we see you in
folly and indeed we think you to be of the liars. He said: O' my
people! There is no folly in me but I am an Apostle of the Lord of the
Worlds. I convey to you the message of my Lord and I am a sincere
adviser to you." ( Surah 7: Verses 65-68)
The Deluge is Descended
The people did not listen to him and disobeyed theCommandments of
Allah(SWT). For this disobedience the wrath of Allah came down upon
them. Adroughtof unusual severity and aviolent stormnearly annihilated
the majority of the people of the Bani Aad. The Holy Quran describes:
"As to the Aad, they were destroyed by a roaring violent blast which
He made to prevail over them for seven nights and eight days
un-intermittingly so that you mightiest have seen the people therein
prostrate as if they were hollow trunks of palm tree." ( Surah 69:
Verses 6-7)
This storm had such a devastating effect as all the proud and
disobedient people werecompletely destroyedbut the Prophet Huud (peace
be upon him) and his followers remained safe and sound. The Holy Quran
says:
"So We delivered him and those with him by mercy from Us and We cut
off the last of those who treated Our Signs as lies and were
disbelievers" ( Surah 7: Verse 72)
Afterwards the remnant who survived established themselves in Yemen.
The grave of the Prophet Huud (peace be upon him) is inHadramaut. It
is visited by the Arabs in the month of Rajab.

Stories of Prophets, - Prophet Dawood (PBUH)

Dawood (David) was not only an illustriousProphet of the Israelitesbut
he was also their king. The Holy Qur'an affirms:
"...And Allah gave him the kingdom! and wisdom and taught him of that
which He willed...." ( Surah 2: Verse 251).
"(And it was said unto him) O' Dawood! Lo! We have set you as a
vicegerent in the earth, therefore, judge aright between mankind and
follow not desire." ( Surah 38: Verse 26)
The Prophet Dawood (peace be upon him) had an ancestral link with the
Prophet Ya'qub (peace be upon him). He lived in Bait-ul-Lahm which was
situated at the distance of ten miles from Jerusalem. The Prophet
Dawood (peace be upon him) was the youngest of his eight brothers. The
Prophet Samuel (peace be upon him) had received an indication that the
Prophet Dawood (peace be upon him) would become king after Jalut
(Goliath). He went to Baitul-Lahm to cast a glance at Prophet Dawood
(peace be upon him). He was much impressed at his attractive and
angelic sight.
The Prophet Dawood Adopts the Companionship of Talut
According to the Torah, Talut (Saul) was in quest of a man who could
play on a harp. As the Prophet Dawood (peace be upon him) was well
versed in this art, he was asked to come to Talut and stay with him.
The Prophet Dawood (peace be upon him) passed most of the time in the
companionship of his master and visited his father off and on. He
helped him intending the sheep. Thus he got an opportunity to hunt
wild beasts. The Holy Qur'an, makes mention of Prophet Dawood (peace
be upon him) at many places.
Heroic Deeds of Prophet Dawood
The Bible relates an incident which throws a light on the heroic deeds
of Prophet Dawood (peace be upon him). Once a war broke out between
theIsraelites and the Philistines. The army of the Philistines was
commanded byJalutwho was a man of lofty stature. He put on a shining
armour. The Israelites were overawed to see Jalut's army which was
well accoutered. He called out his opponents to combat but none of the
Israelites had the courage to accept the challenge.
He declared: In case any one of the Israelites overpowered me, I would
surrender to him but if I gained the upper hand, the opponents would
have to become under the sway of the servitude of the Philistines. The
Israelites were terror-stricken. They had lost their courage and self
respect.
The Prophet could not bear this disgrace. So he decided to face Jalut
for thesake of truth, honour and dignity. The king Talut advised him
to refrain from fighting with an experienced warrior. The Prophet
Dawood (peace be upon him) did not budge an inch from his decision. He
took his cudgel and proceeded towards the battle-field to fight with
Jalut.
When they faced each other, Jalut disdained his adversary and cursed
him by taking the name of some deities. He threatened Talut that his
flesh would be thrown before the wild beasts and birds. The Prophet
Dawood (peace be upon him) did not care for such warnings and marched
forward. He prayed:
"Our Lord! Pour out constancy on us and make our steps firm and help
us against those who are disbelievers." ( Surah 2: Verse 250)
By God's will Jalut was killed by Prophet Dawood (peace be upon him)
and his army was put to rout. The Philistines took to their heels. The
Israelites chased them and came by an enormous booty. The Prophet
Dawood (peace be upon him)won a good deal of appreciation and
popularitybecause herescued his peoplefrom those grave dangers which
prevailed over them.

Women site, - Artificial Insemination

Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And Allaah has made for you
from yourselves mates and has made for you from your mates sons and
grandchildren and has provided for you from the good things. Then in
falsehood do they believe and in the favor of Allaah they disbelieve?
{]Quran 16:72[. Allaah The Exalted also Says )what means(:}He gives to
whom He wills female ]children[, and He gives to whom He wills males.
Or He makes them ]both[ males and females, and He renders whom He
wills barren. Indeed, He is Knowing and Competent. {]Quran 42: 49-50[.
In addition, the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"Marry
women who are loving and very prolific, so I will outnumber all other
nations through you."]Abu Daawood and An Nasaa'i[
Continuous reproduction is of a great importance in the life of man in
order for him to preserve his existence and perform his mission of
constructing the earth. Nevertheless, one of the spouses – or both -
may suffer infertility which deprives them from having righteous
offspring.
Science discovered artificial insemination as a means to treat
infertility in the husband or wife and in the case of a delay in
pregnancy in a number of cases, including:
- The blockage of the fallopian tubes extended to the two sides of the
uterus or the absence thereof.
- The presence of antibodies in the secretions of the cervix and vagina.
- Low sperm count in men.
Forms of Artificial insemination:
There are various forms of artificial insemination. However, they are
divided into: permissible according to the restrictions set forth by
Islam or impermissible for contradicting the principles of the Islamic
Sharee'ah. These forms can be presented as follows:
The Permissible Forms Include:
- Taking the sperm specimen from the husband and injecting it into the
uterus of his wife by way of internal fertilization.
- Taking two samples; one from the semen of the husband and the other
from the ovum of the wife. They are fertilized externally in a test
tube. Then, the embryo is implemented in the uterus of the wife, the
owner of the ovum.
Impermissible forms Include:
- Inserting the semen of a certain male, who is known to the doctor
but unknown to the married couple, into the uterus of a woman. This is
after having taken her consent and the consent of her husband provided
that the donor shall not know to whom his semen will be given.
- Collecting the semen of many men and donating them to the sperm
bank. Then, it is used to fertilize the woman who requests
fertilization.
- External fertilization in a test tube between the sperm of a man and
an ovum of a woman who is not his wife and this man and woman are
referred to as donors. Then the embryo is implemented in the womb of
another married woman who desires to give birth. This applies in cases
of barren wives as a result of problems in the ovaries but a healthy
uterus as well as in case of barren husbands.
Regulations of Artificial Insemination:
Jurists have set forth a number of regulations that protect the
individuals, the family and society, such as:
- Taking extremely intense precautions in assuring that the ovum is
not confused with other fertilized ova.
- The husband or someone he trusts shall attend the process of
insemination from the point of taking the sperm and the egg until
inserting them into the woman's uterus.
- Recording the data of the process in full in order to avoid any
circumstances that may lead to intermixing of lineages.
- Affirmation of the professional and ethical integrity of the
physicians and medical staff who perform the process of insemination.
The issue, from the very beginning, should be enveloped by faith in
fate and divine decree as Allaah The Exalted Says )what means(:}He
gives to whom He wills female ]children[, and He gives to whom He
wills males. Or He makes them ]both[ males and females, and He renders
whom He wills barren. Indeed, He is Knowing and Competent.{]Quran 42:
49-50[.

Women site, - Warning against despair of the Mercy of Allaah

One should never despair of the Mercy of Allaah, because despair of
the Mercy of Allaah is a grave major sin.
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
•}And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except for those
astray?{]Quran 15: 56[
•}Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allaah except the
disbelieving people.{]Quran 12:[
In another verse, Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And do not
throw ]yourselves[ with your ]own[ hands into destruction.{]Quran 2:
195[
Commenting on the verse, some scholars said that when the slave of
Allaah commits a sin and then thinks that his sin will not be forgiven
and, therefore, he abandons seeking forgiveness and repentance to
Allaah, this is the destruction meant in the verse. We seek refuge in
Allaah form that.
In a Qudsi Hadeeth, the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
narrated that Allaah The Almighty Said:"A slave committed a sin and he
said, 'O Allaah, Forgive me my sin.' Allaah The Almighty Said, 'My
slave committed a sin and came to realize that he has a Lord Who
Forgives sins and Calls to account )the sinner( for the sin.' He then
again committed a sin and said, 'My Lord, Forgive me my sin.' Allaah
The Exalted Said, 'My slave committed a sin and came to realize that
he has a Lord Who Forgives sins and Calls to account for the sin.' He
again committed a sin and said, 'My Lord, Forgive me for my sin.'
Allaah The Exalted Said, 'My slave committed a sin and came to realize
that he has a Lord Who Forgives sins and Calls to account for the sin.
O slave, do what you like. I Have Granted you forgiveness.'"]Muslim[
Here is also the example of that man who used to drink alcohols and
was brought to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
'Umar, May Allaah Be Pleased with him, narrated that he said:"During
the lifetime of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, there was
a man called 'Abdullaah whose nickname was Himaar )donkey(, and he
used to make the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
laugh. The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, lashed him because
of drinking )alcohols(. One day, he was brought to the Prophet,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, for the same charge and was lashed. On
that, a man among the people said, 'O Allaah, Curse him ! How
frequently he is brought )to the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, for such a charge(!' The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, said, 'Do not curse him, for by Allaah, I know that he loves
Allaah and His Messenger.'"]Al-Bukhaari[
The wording of another narration reads: A man said:"'Why does he do
so? May Allaah Fail him.' The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam, said, 'Do not support the devil against your
brother.'"]Al-Bukhaari[
Hence, a slave should never despair of the Mercy of Allaah The
Almighty. Rather, whenever he commits a sin, he should ask for
forgiveness and repent to Allaah. None is infallible. Regarding the
righteous people who are promised Paradise, Allaah The Almighty Says
)what means(:}And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as
wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous.{]Quran 3:
133[
Indicating the characteristics of the righteous people, Allaah Added
)what means(:}And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong
themselves ]by transgression[, remember Allaah and seek forgiveness
for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allaah? - And ]who[
do not persist in what they have done while they know. Those - their
reward is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers
flow ]in Paradise[, wherein they will abide eternally; and excellent
is the reward of the ]righteous[ workers.{]Quran 3: 135-136[
Even a righteous person may commit a grave major sin or do an
immorality. Nevertheless, he immediately gives up the sin and returns
to his Lord seeking forgiveness and repentance.
Here is also the example of the Messengers, May Allaah Exalt their
mention. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Indeed, in My presence
the messengers do not fear. Otherwise, he who wrongs, then substitutes
good after evil - indeed, I Am Forgiving and Merciful.{]Quran 27:
10-11[
Moosa )Moses(, May Allaah Exalt his mention, who was directly
addressed by Allaah, killed a person and then said as Allaah The
Almighty Says )what means(:}My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, so
Forgive me," and He Forgave him. Indeed, He Is The Forgiving, The
Merciful.{]Quran 18: 16[
Even those who brought the truth and they who believed in it
concerning them Allaah Says )what means(:}That Allaah May Remove from
them the worst of what they did and Reward them their due for the best
of what they used to do.{]Quran 39: 35[
The verses stand as evidence that they did bad actions.

Women site, - Giving Food

Giving food in Surah Al-Insaan )No.76(:
This is a good gesture of Allaah's Mercy to Mention giving food in a
Surah that is entitled "Al-Insaan". Allaah The Exalted Says )what
means(:}And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the
orphan, and the captive…{]76:8[
Ibn 'Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, and Mujaahid, may Allaah
have mercy upon him, said, "This verse denotes that they feed the
needy, the orphan and the captive despite the scarcity of food and
their need and love for it."
What about you and your food?
How great a deed is feeding the hungry in our time!
Allaah The Exalted Says )what means(:}Or feeding on a day of severe
hunger…{]90:14[
An-Nakha'i, may Allaah have mercy upon him, commented on this verse
saying, "They feed the hungry at times when food is not ample."
Mohammed ibn Al-Munkadir, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,
"Feeding hungry Muslims guarantees the forgiveness of sins."
He, may Allaah have mercy upon him, also said on another occasion:
"Feeding the hungry and saying kind words to others usher you to
Paradise."
Dear brother and sister, you may notice how our days - in some Muslim
countries - have turned into days of severe hunger. Food has become
scarce and meat has also become scarce as well as being too expensive
for the poor.
What about you, dear readers? What about your food?
An explicit command:
Feeding people in general and a hungry person in particular has been
explicitly mentioned in the command of the Messenger of Allaah,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Abu Moosa Al-Ash'ari, may Allaah be
pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, said:"Feed the hungry, pay a visit to the sick and free ree
the captives."]Saheeh[ A reported saying reads, "The best charity is
to satisfy a hungry person." Alas, a Muslim may sit at an Iftaar table
with delicious and tasty dishes while his neighbors break their fast
with a few morsels of food, if they can be found!
The Righteous Predecessors, may Allaah have mercy upon them:
Our righteous predecessors, may Allaah have mercy upon them, were keen
to feed people and favored this act of worship over many others,
whether it was for a hungry poor person or feeding a righteous Muslim.
Poverty is not an essential condition in this regard. The Messenger of
Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"O people! Spread the
Islamic greetings amongst yourselves, feed the hungry, maintain
kinship relations, observe prayer at night while people are asleep and
you will peacefully enter the Paradise."]Saheeh[
Some of the righteous predecessors, may Allaah have mercy upon them,
said, "It is better for me to invite ten of my friends and feed them
delicious food that they like than freeing ten slaves from the
children of Ismaa'eel, may Allaah exalt his mention )i.e. Arabs(."
Abu As-Siwaar Al-'Adawi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said, "Some
men from the 'Uday tribe used to pray in this mosque and none of them
would break his fast alone. If one found someone to eat with, he would
eat. If he could not find someone to eat with, he would take his food
and go to the mosque to share it with the people in the mosque."
Fruits of Feeding the Hungry:
The act of worship of feeding the hungry gives rise to many other acts
of worship such as showing affection towards one's fellow Muslims whom
he feeds and this can be a reason for him being granted Paradise. The
Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:"You shall not enter
Paradise as long as you do not affirm belief )in all those things
which are the articles of faith( and you will not believe as long as
you do not love one another."]Muslim[
It also gives rise to )the act of worship( being in the company of
righteous people and hoping for the rewards of Allaah The Almighty in
offering them food as they gain strength to perform acts of worship.
Food baskets:
Some righteous predecessors, may Allaah have mercy upon them, used to
send their friends a basket full of sugar or other such food.
Yunus ibn 'Ubayd Yahdi, may Allaah have mercy upon them, said, "I gave
a basket of sugar to Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may Allaah have mercy upon
him, as a gift and I have not seen any sugar better than this one. He
opened the basket and said to his companions, "Eat and enjoy."

Women site, - Islamization of knowledge

It is necessary to reform methods of thinking and build a genuine
clear vision of its different stages. There is no field of science
that cannot be regulated by the comprehensive Quranic perspective,
which extends over all its core issues: goals, methods, facts and
application.
With knowledge being directed towards the consolidation of power,
hegemony,, egoism and transforming scientific accomplishments into
weapons against mankind, rather than in his favor, giving an Islamic
character to knowledge becomes even more important. It abides by the
Quranic vision of the universe, life and the adoption of the framework
set by Islam to regulate the scientific movement.
The focal points of the Islamization of knowledge:
The Islamization of knowledge is based on the following focal points:
1- To practice knowledge-based activity )discovery, collection,
composition and publication( from an Islamic point of view.
2- To contain all various theoretical and applied human activities and
sciences so as to be formed within an Islamic framework.
3- To assure that the capability of the Islamic mind, thought and
method keeps up with the needs and challenges of the Ummah )Muslim
nation(.
The necessities for the Islamization of knowledge:
The need for knowledge to have an Islamic identity emanates from
several necessities:
First: The necessity of creed:
It is to surrender to Allaah, the Lord of all that exists, submitting
to His Will, Commands and Prohibitions in all affairs of life. To give
an Islamic identity to knowledge in the creed requires:
1- To aid the Muslims all over the world to have a better and more
correct understanding of Islam. Thus, being more convinced concerning
the right of this religion to lead mankind.
2- To enable the Muslims to acquire the necessary material power to
develop their civil life so that they may achieve a suitable position
in this world. As a result, they will be capable of encountering the
challenges imposed upon them by their enemies who desire that they
remain underdeveloped and in poverty.
Second: The necessity of humanity:
It is the endeavor to make the conscious believing person, who is able
to resist all forms of rogue )and misleading( knowledge.
Third: The civic necessity:
To protect present and future Muslims from getting dissolved in
civilizations other than their own. The aim of giving an Islamic
character to civilization is to restore the role of this Ummah in
rebuilding the world through knowledge based on the guidance of Allaah
The Almighty.
Fourth: The scientific necessity:
It is true that scientific activity, in its material aspect, has been
established upon personal gains, ambitions, discovery and the pursuit
of being distinguished. However, giving an Islamic character to it
encourages scientific activity to flourish in discovering facts and
established norms of the universe. Thus, the sources of power and
energy that the Book of Allaah The Almighty Referred to will be made
evident. He The Almighty called upon the Muslims to extract them to
provide mankind with good in abundance.
The role of the Muslim in utilizing the Islamic method for scientific
means becomes more important in the age of mass communication, space
exploration and computer science. Therefore, it is incumbent that the
Muslims have a prominent role in the civil scientific renaissance.
This role will establish the necessary base to achieve successive
authority on earth and face the challenges of time provided that they
endeavor on the basis of the Book of Allaah The Almighty and the
Sunnah of His Messenger, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
This is the difference between the Muslim scientist and those who only
seek to gain wealth and position. They make a mockery of their
knowledge for the destruction of mankind rather than facilitating the
means of life and pursuing happiness for all people.
Principles of the Islamization of knowledge:
The principles of the Islamization of knowledge vary with the
different variety of scientific fields. These principles include:
1- To believe in the Oneness of Allaah The Almighty and reflecting
this belief upon all aspects of thought and activity.
2- To believe that man is the vicegerent of Allaah The Almighty on
earth, and that He The Almighty Has Subjugated all things in it to his
service.
3- To believe in Islam's comprehensive nature and ability to lead the
world in all disciplines.
4- To believe in the general nature of Islamic facts in all times,
places and associated people.
5- To believe in the necessary agreement of the Divine revelation with the mind.
6- To make Muslims mindful of their religion and their role in life.
7- To unify the concepts and methods of Islamic thought.
8- To encompass the Islamic heritage: The Quran, the Sunnah, the
tradition of the Companions, May Allaah Be Pleased with them and their
followers from the two subsequent generations, May Allaah Have Mercy
upon them and the efforts of the scholars, thinkers and reformers of
the Ummah.
9- To be up-to-date with the latest achievements of contemporary knowledge.
10- To renew the basic priorities of scientific research.
11- To compose scientific cadres and provide necessary technical,
material and human resources.
12- To care for the role of knowledge, libraries and the Arabic
translation of sciences that preceded us.
13- To encourage Arabic in the pursuit of scientific knowledge and
giving importance to it because it will be the instrument of Arabic
and Islamic thinking until it becomes the )universal( language of
science.
14- The disciplining of scientific cadres, competent in more than one
single foreign language, to be active elements in the effective
transmission of )knowledge from( the developed Western civilizations.
15- To increase individual activity in this respect through
investigating the intention of serving Islam and the Ummah in the
educational process and performance of scientific research.
16- To provide the necessary resources to conduct scientific research
and experiments and rewarding scientists in all scientific fields
through the distribution of prizes and raising their financial status.
17- To encourage the excellent youth by investing in them and setting
up long-term plans for them to be the scientists of the future.

Dought & clear, - How can the Qur’an bea miracle for the non-Arabs when it is Arabic and they do not know Arabic?

The Qur'an came as a miracle from Allah to His Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him), as it says in the verses of the Qur'an
and in the hadeeth of al-Bukhaari, no. 7274. Hence I want to ask: How
can the Qur'an be a miracle for the non-Arabs who do not know Arabic,
and who formed the majority of inhabitants of the world at that time?
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The hadeeth referred to in the question is as follows:
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:"There is not a single
Prophet who was not given signs so that the people would believed in
him because of them. What I have been given is a Revelation that Allah
has revealed to me, and I hope that I will be the one with the most
followers on the Day of Resurrection."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1044) and Muslim (152).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There are
several possible interpretations of the hadeeth:
It was said that what is meant is that the miracles of the Prophets
have come to an end with the end of their time, and no one witnessed
them except those who were present, but the miracle of the Qur'an is
ongoing and will continue until the Day of Resurrection. It is
extraordinary in its style and eloquence, and in what it foretold of
future events of the unseen, so that no era passed except something
appeared that the Qur'an said would come to pass, which proves the
truthfulness of its claim. This is the strongest of the
interpretations of the hadeeth.
It was also said that what is meant is that the miracles of the past
were visible and could be seen with the eyes, such as the she-camel of
Saalih and the staff of Moosa, whereas the miracle of the Qur'an may
be comprehended with the intellect, so the number of those who
followed the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) because of it were more numerous, since that which can be seen
with the eyes comes to an end when the looking ends, whereas that
which may be comprehended with the intellect will continue to be
understood by those who come after the first generations.
Fath al-Baari, 9/70
Secondly:
The answer to the question, How can the Qur'an be a miracle for the
unlettered non-Arabs who formed the majority of inhabitants of the
world at that time? is as follows:
it is known that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) was sent among the Arabs, who were distinguished by their great
eloquence and beautiful style in speech, so Allah, may He be exalted,
made the miracle or sign of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) of the same nature of that by which his people were
distinguished, so that the miracle and challenge would be more
effective, just as the sign of Moosa (peace be upon him) was his staff
or stick, with which he overcame the deceit of the sorcerers, and the
sign of 'Eesa (peace be upon him) was the healing of those who had
been born blind and of the lepers, because knowledge of medicine was
widespread at his time.
With regard to the non-Arabs, in the past and at present, and how the
Qur'an may be a miracle for them, and whether they were included in
its challenge, this may be explained from several angles:
-1-
Not all Arabs have great knowledge of the Arabic language and its
style and eloquence, just as not all non-Arabs are ignorant of the
Arabic language. Hence it is known that the miracle and the challenge
is addressed to all those who know Arabic, whether they learned it
from birth, like the Arabs, or they learned it later on, like the
non-Arabs. Thus it is clear that the case of the non-Arabs is like
that of Arabs who have no knowledge of their language.
Abu 'Abdullah al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If it is said: "With regard to reviving the dead, turning the staff
into a snake and other, similar miracles, they are very clear and no
one who observes that will have any doubt about it. It will be clear
to all rational people and no doubt will remain; rather they will all
reach a definitive conclusion after seeing that. But this is not the
case with regard to your Prophet's claim of the miraculous nature of
the Qur'an, because not everyone will be able to understand its
miraculous nature; rather it is only you (Arabs) who can see that, and
this applies only to those Arabs who have a good command of the
language, as you claim. As for those who do not have a good command of
the language, or non-Arabs who do not understand Arabic, they will not
understand its miraculous nature. If a non-Arab is asked to speak a
word of Arabic, he will not be able to do so, so the fact that he is
not able to do that, does not prove that what you are challenging him
with is true. Similarly, if an Arab who does not have a good command
of Arabic is asked to speak proper Arabic, he will not be able to do
so; therefore for him the Qur'an is not miraculous."
The answer to that is:
We will explain, insha Allah, some aspects of its miraculous nature,
of which there are many, some of which can be understood by ordinary
people, town dwellers and desert dwellers alike, and these aspects are
as clear as turning the staff into a snake and raising the dead. If we
assume, for the sake of argument, that it is only miraculous with
regard to its eloquence and style, which is different to the style of
the speech of ordinary people, then we say that the miraculous nature
of the Qur'an, raising the dead and turning the staff into a snake are
not going to be understood equally or at the same time by rational
people. Rather the one who appreciates the miraculous nature of any
miracle is the one who knows how and why that thing is a miracle, as
he knows that it is something that cannot be achieved by human tricks
and cannot be reached by discovering some material with special
characteristics.
It may not be far-fetched to say that a specious argument may be
developed in the mind of one who is ignorant of medicine or magic,
which prevents him from seeing the miracle; therefore he may say:
Perhaps Moosa had some extra knowledge of magic that the sorcerers did
not know and had never learned, and by the same token, perhaps 'Eesa
had found some stones with special qualities or some other material
with special qualities by means of which he was able to achieve what
he achieved. Such a specious argument can only develop in the mind of
one who is ignorant of medicine and magic. As for the one who has any
knowledge of medicine or magic, no such confusion will arise in his
mind, because he realises, on the basis of his knowledge and
experience, that the miracle performed by a prophet is something that
cannot be achieved by means of professional tricks or finding some
materials with special characteristics; rather it is a miracle that
happens by the will of the Creator of the universe, by means of which
He intended to give proof of the authenticity of the one who called
people to Him. Thus we conclude that understanding of the miraculous
nature of raising the dead and turning the staff into a snake was
first reached by the sorcerers and magicians, and it may not have been
understood by many of the fools who were ignorant of medicine and
magic. The same may be said of the miraculous nature of the Qur'an,
without any differences: understanding of it came to those who had
knowledge of the Arabic language and would see, based on their
knowledge of Arabic, the difference between the Qur'an and regular
Arabic speech. Thus they would conclude that it was not within the
ability of the Arabs to say things in the same style. If the eloquent
Arabs and those who were well versed in Arabic were unable to match
it, then others are more unlikely to be able to do so. As we say, if
the doctors are unable to raise the dead and heal those who were born
blind and lepers, people other than doctors are more unlikely to be
able to do so; and if the sorcerers were unable to turn a stick into a
snake, then people other than sorcerers are more unlikely to be able
to do so.
The statement that matching the Qur'an is something that the Arabs are
not able to do, and non-Arabs are not involved in this challenge, is
similar to saying that only doctors are unable to raise the dead, and
people other than doctors are not involved in this challenge, or
saying that only sorcerers are unable to turn a stick into a snake,
and people other than sorcerers are not involved in this challenge. As
the challenge in the other two cases (raising the dead and turning the
stick into a snake) is expected to be undertaken by those who have the
relevant skills, the same applies in the case of the Qur'an. Rather,
in the case of the Qur'anic miracle, it has aspects that we will
discuss which everyone can understand, whether he is a non-Arab or an
Arab, a Magian or a Jew or Christian. We will discuss it below, in sha
Allah.
So we may conclude from what we have said that Muhammad (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) brought the Qur'an, challenged people with
it and it is a miracle, and anyone who brings a miracle and challenges
others with it is truthful. Therefore the certain conclusion is that
Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is true.
Al-I'laam bima fi Deen an-Nasaarah min al-Fasaad wa'l-Awhaam wa Izhaar
Mahaasin al-Islam, p. 326
-2-
Some of the scholars said that the miracle in the Book of Allah, may
He be exalted, is not only in the wording, but also the meanings, the
sequence of meanings and the way in which ideas are presented. So the
miracle and challenge for the Arabs has to do with the style, and for
others it has to do with the fact that no one among the speakers of
any other language is able to come up with something similar to the
Qur'an in any other language.
Al-Jassaas (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The words of Allah, may He be exalted, (interpretation of the
meaning): "Say: 'If mankind and the jinns were together to produce the
like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if
they helped one another'" [al-Isra' 17:88]prove the miraculous nature
of the Qur'an. Some people say that its miracle is in the wording and
style on the one hand, and in the meanings and the sequence in which
ideas are presented, on the other hand. They quote as evidence for
that the fact that in this verse the Qur'an challenges both the Arabs
and the non-Arabs, the jinn and humans. It is well-known that the
non-Arabs could not be challenged on the aspect of the wording and
style, therefore the challenge for them should have to do with the
meanings and the sequence in which ideas are presented.
Some of the scholars insist that its miraculous nature is limited to
its style and eloquence of expression. They say: The miraculous nature
of the Qur'an has many aspects: its beautiful style, its eloquent and
concise wording, the way in which it combines many meanings in few
words, in addition to the fact that it is completely free of any words
that sound ineloquent or any ideas or meanings that are out of place,
as well as being free of any contradictions. All of it, from beginning
to end, is consistent, as described above. The words of people, on the
other hand, especially if they speak at length, cannot be free of
cheap words, corrupt meanings and contradictions. What we have
mentioned of the flaws in people's speech are present in the speech of
people of all languages; it does not apply only to those who speak
Arabic. Thus it is possible that the challenge of the Qur'an may be
applicable to the non-Arabs in that way: challenging them to bring
something that is free of the faults and flaws referred to above,
because saying things in an eloquent manner is not something that is
limited only to Arabic, to the exclusion of other languages, even
though the Arabic language is the most eloquent. We know that the
Qur'an is the pinnacle of eloquence, so it is possible that the
challenge to the non-Arabs is by way of challenging them to produce
words at the highest level of eloquence in their own languages.
Ahkaam al-Qur'an, 5/34, 35
-3-
There are many aspects to the miraculous nature of the Book of Allah;
it is not limited to style and eloquence only. Hence some of the
scholars said that the miraculous nature of the Book of Allah which
all people, not only the Arabs, may understand, and that Allah's
challenge to produce something like it, is only applicable to these
aspects. Hence Allah issued this challenge to the jinn as well as to
mankind, to produce something like this Qur'an. One of these aspects
is that it foretold events that would happen and foretold the time at
which they would happen, for example.
Abu 'Abdullah al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
… The third aspect of the miraculous nature of the Qur'an is what it
includes of news of the future before any human even knew anything
about it, and foretelling events before they happened. This is
something that cannot be known except via the truthful ones who are
conveying from Allah, may He be exalted. We will refer to some events
just to prove this point in brief, with no need for a lengthy
discussion.
For example, Allah, may He be exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning):
"Certainly, you shall enter Al-Masjid al-Haram; if Allah wills,
secure, (some) having your heads shaved, and (some) having your hair
cut short, having no fear"
[Muhammad 47:27].
This verse is one of the clearest miracles of the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him). Allah, may He be exalted, promised
him that He would cause him to enter al-Masjid al-Haraam, him and his
people, in safety, and that He would grant them the conquest of Makkah
in the best state. They kept waiting for that until its time came and
Allah fulfilled His promise. Then they entered it as He had promised,
and conquered it as they had been foretold.
Al-I'laam bima fi Deen an-Nasaarah min al-Fasaad wa'l-Awhaam wa Izhaar
Mahaasin al-Islam, p. 337
There are other opinions too, but what we have quoted above is
sufficient, and it is the strongest view concerning this matter.
To sum up: the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was
an Arab and the Qur'an is Arabic. He was sent to eloquent, well-spoken
Arabs, hence his greatest miracle was the Book of Allah, may He be
exalted. They were unable to match its wording, phrases, style and
eloquence. Thus the rational people among the eloquent and well-spoken
realised that this was not the words of a human being, hence they
believed.
As for those Arabs who were not eloquent or well spoken, and the
non-Arabs, what is to be mentioned to them is the meanings and rulings
of the Qur'an, and those aspects of its miraculous nature that they
are able to understand. Thus they may develop conviction based on the
knowledge and understanding that this is not the words of a human
being. Hence many of the non-Arabs became Muslim because of coming
across the meaning of a verse. In such cases, this non-Arab could not
understand its eloquence and style, but its meaning is the reason why
he became Muslim. Many such stories have been passed down by numerous
narrators, and in our own time there are many more. Those people only
became Muslim after they learned what there is in these verses that no
human being could have produced, and that at the time of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) there was no technology and
no scientific discoveries that could enable him to tell people about
these matters. Thus they accepted that this was revelation from
heaven, so they became Muslim. Hence we can see the extent to which
the hadeeth the questioner referred to is applicable to real facts.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - Ruling on offering congratulations at the beginning of the Hijri year

What is the ruling on offering congratulations on the occasion of the
Hijri new year and saying "Kull 'aam wa antum bi khayr" or praying for
blessing, or sending a card with best wishes for blessings in the new
year?
Praise be to Allah
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) was asked: What is the ruling on congratulating people on the
occasion of the Hijri new year, and how should one reply to a person
who offers congratulations?
He replied:
If someone offers you congratulations, then respond to him, but do not
initiate such greetings. This is the correct view concerning this
matter. So if a person says to you, for example, "Happy New Year",
then you can say, "May Allaah make it a good and blessed year for
you." But you should not initiate such a greeting, because I do not
know of any report that the salaf [early generations of Islam]
congratulated one another on the occasion of the new year, rather the
salaf did not regard the first of Muharram as the first day of the new
year until the caliphate of 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be
pleased with him.
Shaykh 'Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr said concerning offering
congratulations on the occasion of the hijri new year:
Praying for another Muslim in general terms, in phrases that are not
meant as a kind of ritual on special occasions such as Eid, is
acceptable, especially if what is meant by this greeting is friendship
and to show a friendly face to one's fellow Muslim. Imaam Ahmad (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: "I do not initiate the greeting but if
someone greets me I return the greeting, because responding to the
greeting is obligatory. But being the first to offer congratulations
is neither Sunnah nor forbidden.

Dought & clear, - He works as a nurse, which means that he may do some things thatare not acceptable according to sharee‘ah

What is the permissibility of being a male nurse in a non muslim
country? Im currently studying to become a nurse and I'm worried about
several things concerning this career. Often times we need to feed
patients ( maybe even female patients) food that may contain pork
other haram foodstuff. Sometimes the patients are olso served alcohol.
We may also need wash the (female) patients and change their clothes.
Also in this country this is a predominantly femele occupation. In my
current practical training there only one other male. Only two of the
patients are male. Also all of my teachers and majority of my
classmates are female. We may also have to bring them activity which
may include (religious) music and non-muslim religious activities. I
also have to have a practical training period concerning female health
and maternity care where the patients will be female. Also in elderly
care 2/3 of the patients are female. I don't think it is possible to
work in this field and uphold all the religious teachings strictly and
work in this field at the same time. What is the ruling on this
matter? Could reply swiftly to my guestion so I can change my field of
study if it is necessary.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The basic principle is that medical treatment of women should be done
by female doctors and nurses; if there are no female doctors or
nurses, it is permissible for them to be treated by a man, but that
should be in accordance with Islamic guidelines as mentioned in the
answer to question no. 127491
Secondly:
Free mixing between men and women is a great evil that leads to
serious negative consequences in both religious and worldly terms.
Similarly, work that involves serving pork and haraam drinks to people
is not permissible, because it comes under the heading of cooperating
in sin and transgression.
See the answer to question no. 3288
Thirdly:
According to what the questioner mentioned in his question, this work
is haraam and is not permissible, for the following reasons:
1.haraam mixing between men and women in school and work
2.offering pork and haraam drinks to patients
3.uncovering of 'awrahs and touching them unnecessarily, as there are
women around who can do these tasks
4.taking part in activities that include singing, music and mixing
5.treating women and taking care of them when there are female nurses
who could do that.
What you must do is look for work that is appropriate for you, far
removed from things that are contrary to Islam, and choose the best
and the next best, according to what you can do.
And Allah knows best.

For children, - Power of Positive Talk or Avoiding Toxic Self-Talk (Negative Talking)

Allah (SWT) the Exalted says in Noble Qur'an: "O you who believe! Be
careful of (your duty to) Allah and speak the right word." (33:70)
I remember my dad teaching me the power of language at a very young
age. Not only did my dad understand that specific words affect our
mental pictures, but he understood words are a powerful programming
factor in lifelong success.
One particularly interesting event occurred when I was eight. As a
kid, I was always climbing trees, poles, and literally hanging around
upside down from the rafters of our lake house. So, it came to no
surprise for my dad to find me at the top of a 30-foot tree swinging
back and forth. My little eight-year-old brain didn't realize the tree
could break or I could get hurt. I just thought it was fun to be up so
high.
My older cousin, Tammy, was also in the same tree. She was hanging on
the first big limb, about ten feet below me. Tammy's mother also
noticed us at the exact time my dad did. About that time a huge gust
of wind came over the tree. I could hear the leaves start to rattle
and the tree begin to sway. I remember my dad's voice over the wind
yell, "Bart, Hold on tightly." So I did.
The next thing I know, I heard Tammy screaming at the top of her
lungs, laying flat on the ground. She had fallen out of the tree.
I scampered down the tree to safety. My dad later told me why she fell
and I did not. Apparently, when Tammy's mother felt the gust of wind,
she yelled out, "Tammy, don't fall!" And Tammy did fall.
My dad then explained to me that the mind has a very difficult time
processing a negative image. In fact, people who rely on internal
pictures cannot see a negative at all. In order for Tammy to process
the command of not falling, her nine-year-old brain had to first
imagine falling, then try to tell the brain not to do what it just
imagined. Whereas, my eight-year-old brain instantly had an internal
image of me hanging on tightly.
This concept is especially useful when you are attempting to break a
habit or set a goal. You can't visualize not doing something. The only
way to properly visualize not doing something is to actually find a
word for what you want to do and visualize that. For example, when I
was thirteen years old, I played for my junior high school football
team. I tried so hard to be good, but I just couldn't get it together
at that age. I remember hearing the words run through my head as I was
running out for a pass, "Don't drop it!" Naturally, I dropped the
ball.
My coaches were not skilled enough to teach us proper "Self-Talk."
They just thought some kids could catch and others couldn't. I'll
never make it pro, but I'm now a pretty good Sunday afternoon football
player, because all my internal dialogue is positive and encourages me
to win. I wish my dad had coached me playing football instead of just
climbing trees. I might have had a longer football career.
Here is a very easy demonstration to teach your kids and your friends
the power of a toxic vocabulary. Ask them to hold a pen or pencil.
Hand it to them. Now, follow my instructions carefully. Say to them,
"Okay, try to drop the pencil." Observe what they do.
Most people release their hands and watch the pencil hit the floor.
You respond, "You weren't paying attention. I said TRY to drop the
pencil. Now please do it again." Most people then pick up the pencil
and pretend to be in excruciating pain while their hand tries but
fails to drop the pencil.
The point is made. If you tell your brain you will "give it a try,"
you are actually telling your brain to fail. I have a "no try" rule in
my house and with everyone I interact with. Either people will do it
or they won't. Either they will be at the party or they won't. I'm
brutal when people attempt to lie to me by using the word try. Do they
think I don't know they are really telegraphing to the world they have
no intention of doing it but they want me to give them brownie points
for pretended effort? You will never hear the words "I'll try" come
out of my mouth unless I'm teaching this concept in a seminar.
If you "try" and do something, your unconscious mind has permission
not to succeed. If I truly can't make a decision I will tell the
truth. "Sorry John. I'm not sure if I will be at your party or not.
I've got an outstanding commitment. If that falls through, I will be
here, Insha Allah. Otherwise, I will not. Thanks for the invite."
People respect honesty. So remove the word "try" from your vocabulary.
My dad also told me that psychologists claim it takes seventeen
positive statements to offset one negative statement. I have no idea
if it is true, but the logic holds true. It might take up to seventeen
compliments to offset the emotional damage of one harsh criticism.
These are concepts that are especially useful when raising children.
Ask yourself how many compliments you give yourself daily versus how
many criticisms. Heck, I know you are talking to yourself all day
long. We all have internal voices that give us direction.
So, are you giving yourself the 17:1 ratio or are you short changing
yourself with toxic self-talk like, "I'm fat. Nobody will like me.
I'll try this diet. I'm not good enough. I'm so stupid. I'm broke,
etc. etc."
If our parents can set a lifetime of programming with one wrong
statement, imagine the kind of programming you are doing on a daily
basis with your own internal dialogue. Here is a list of Toxic
Vocabulary words. Notice when you or other people use them.
*.BUT: Negates any words that are stated before it.
*.TRY: Presupposes failure.
*.IF: Presupposes that you may not.
*.MIGHT: It does nothing definite. It leaves options for your listener.
*.WOULD HAVE: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't
actually happen.
*.SHOULD HAVE: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't
actually happen (and implies guilt.)
*.COULD HAVE: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't
actually happen but the person tries to take credit as if it did
happen.
*.CAN'T/DON'T: These words force the listener to focus on exactly the
opposite of what you want. This is a classic mistake that parents and
coaches make without knowing the damage of this linguistic error.
Examples:
*.Toxic phrase: "Don't drop the ball!"
*.Likely result: Drops the ball
*.Better language: "Catch the ball!"
*.Toxic phrase: "You shouldn't watch so much television."
*.Likely result: Watches more television.
*.Better language: "I read too much television makes people stupid.
You might find yourself turning that TV off and picking up one of
those books more often!"
Exercise:
*.Take a moment to write down all the phrases you use on a daily basis
or any Toxic Self-Talk that you have noticed yourself using. Write
these phrases down so you will begin to catch yourself as they occur
and change them.
Forge a positive relationship with the world around you and the world
will become a better place for you to live. And remember: Make
positive Self-Talk a daily practice.

Social System in Islam: The View of Man and Woman and the Human Sexual Instinct

"Woe to Humankind! What has made him reject God? From what thing did
He create him? > From a clot He Created him..."[Abasa: 17-19]
Thus, Allah (swt) has addressed Humankind with obligations and He
(swt) has made Humankind the subject of that speech and those
obligations. He (swt) has revealed the laws (Shar'a) to Humankind and
He (swt) will resurrect Humankind, account him/her and admit him/her
to Paradise or Hell. Therefore, He (swt) has made Humankind - not men
or women - the subject of the obligations.
Allah (swt) has created Humankind, whether male or female, with a
specific nature which is distinct from that of animals. The woman is a
human, as is the man, and they do not differ from each other in terms
of their humanity. Nor is one distinguished from the other in any
aspect of that humanity. Allah (swt) has prepared both of them, in
their capacity as humans, to enter the walks of life and inevitably
made them live in the same society. He also made the survival of the
human race dependent on their meeting together and their mutual
presence in every society.
It is not permitted to view one of them except as the other is viewed
because, as humans, they possess all human characteristics and the
essential requirements of life. Allah (swt) has created within each of
them a vital energy (Taqa Hayawiya), and it is the same vital energy
which He (swt) has created for the other. So He (swt) made in each of
them organic needs such as hunger, thirst and the need to relieve
nature and He (swt) made in each of them a survival instinct (Gharizat
al-Baq'a) and a procreation instinct (Gharizat al-Nau') and a
sanctification (Gharizat al-Tadayyun) instinct. They are the same
organic needs and instincts that are present in each other.
He (swt) has granted both of them the faculty of thought, and it is
the same faculty of thought that is present in the other. Thus,
intelligence is present in a man and it is the same intelligence that
is present in a woman, since Allah created an intellect for Humankind
and not exclusively for a man or a woman.
The procreation instinct can be satisfied illegitimately. However,
this will not serve the purpose for which the instinct has been
created in Humankind except in one case, that is if a man satisfies it
with a woman and a woman satisfies it with a man. Therefore, the
relationship of a man with a woman and vice versa from the angle of
instinctual sexuality is a natural relationship free from any
abnormality. It is the only genuine relationship by which Humankind
realises the purpose for which this instinct was created, that is the
survival of the human race. So when a relationship takes place between
them in terms of sexual intercourse, that is instinctive and natural,
and there is nothing strange or odd about that. Rather, it is a
necessary matter for the survival of the human species.
However, allowing this instinct to run loose is detrimental to
Humankind and his social life. The purpose of its existence is to
produce offspring for the survival of the species. Therefore,
Humankind's view of this instinct must be oriented towards the purpose
for which it is found in him, and that undoubtedly, is for the
survival of the species without distinction between men or women. As
for the pleasure and enjoyment which is obtained by satisfaction, that
is a natural and inevitable matter whether Humankind considers it or
not. Therefore it is not correct to say: pleasure and enjoyment should
be dissociated from the procreation instinct. Disassociation between
them is not attainable, this is because it is not possible. However,
Man's view stems from his concept about this satisfaction, and the
purpose of its existence. Consequently, Humankind must generate a
specific concept about this instinct and the purpose for which it
exists in him. This will form a distinct view concerning the
procreation instinct, so that he restricts it to the relationship of a
man with a woman, and a woman with a man. It will also form in him a
distinct view concerning the relationship between men and women in the
male-female sense, i.e. the sexual relationship, such that it is
directed according to the purpose for which it was created, i.e. the
survival of the human race. Through this view, the satisfaction of the
instinct is achieved, as is the purpose for which it was created.
The community which adopts this concept and possesses this distinct
view also achieves tranquillity (Tamannina). The view of the community
- any human community - concerning that which exists between men and
women in terms of the male-female relationship, (i.e. their sexual
relationship), must be changed from a view focused on pleasure and
enjoyment, to one of considering pleasure and enjoyment a natural and
necessary matter, but the view is orientated towards the purpose for
which this instinct exists. This view maintains and discharges the
procreation instinct according to the correct manner for which it was
created, and gives man the opportunity to carry out his other
activities and frees him to pursue the things that make him happy.
For this reason man must possess a concept concerning the satisfaction
of the procreation instinct and the purpose for which it exists. The
human community must have a system that ensures co-operation between
the man and the woman and eliminates from people's minds the dominance
of the notion of sex, making it the concern that overrides all other
concerns. This is because the community is of no worth (Salaah)
without the co-operation between men and women, considering them as
two siblings who support each other in mutual love and kindness. For
this reason, we must emphasise the importance of complete change in
the community's outlook towards the relationship between men and the
women, which will end the dominance of the concepts of sex, turning it
into a matter which is natural (marriage) and necessary for
satisfaction and ending the restriction of this relationship to
pleasure and enjoyment. Instead, it will produce a view which seeks
the good of the community, not a masculine or feminine one, and it
will be governed by the fear (Taqwaa) of Allah and not by enjoyment or
lust. It is a view which does not deny Man the enjoyment of sexual
pleasure, but makes it lawful (Mashru'), ensuring the survival of the
human race and agreeing with the ultimate goal of a Muslim, which is
to seek the pleasure of Allah.
Some verses in the Qur'an came to address the marital aspect, i.e. the
purpose for which the procreation instinct was created. Thus, there
are verses which make it clear that the creation of the procreation
instinct, in origin, is for the purpose of marriage, i.e. survival of
the human race. In other words, Allah (swt) has created the instinct
only for the purpose of marriage. The verses clarify this using
different styles and various meanings in order to ensure that the view
of the community towards the relationship between the man and woman,
is a view which is focused on marriage and not on sex.
"Oh Humankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single
person, and from him created his wife, and from them both He created
many men and women."[An- Nisa: 1]
"It is He Who has created you from a single person, and He has created
from him his wife, in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of living
with her. When he had sexual relations with her, she became pregnant
and she carried it about lightly. Then when it became heavy, they both
invoked Allah, their Lord: If You give us a good child, indeed we
shall be amongst the grateful."[Al- Araf: 189]
"And Allah has made for you wives of your own kind, and has made for
you, from your wives, sons and grandsons."[An- Nahl: 72]
"The Creator of the heavens and earth. He has made for you mates from
yourselves."[Ash- Shura: 11]
The Impact of this view on the relationship between Man and Woman
Only when the instinct is excited, will it require satisfaction. Once
the instinct requires satisfaction, it will drive Humankind to acquire
it, and the human will experience anxiety as long as the instinct is
excited. Once it is calmed down, anxiety will no longer exist. The
non-satisfaction of this instinct will not result in death or any
physical, mental, or psychological harm. Harm will be merely through
anxiety and frustration. Consequently the satisfaction of this
instinct is not mandatory such as the satisfaction of the organic
needs (food, drink ,relieving), it is rather a matter to bring about
tranquillity and comfort.
Two matters excite the instinct:
1. The tangible reality and
2. Thought and association of ideas.
One of these matters at least, must be present for the instinct to be
excited. Meaning, it is not excited due to an internal motive (within
the human body), as is the case with the organic need, but rather from
an external incentive, namely the tangible reality or associated
thoughts. This holds true for all instincts, namely the instinct of
survival(for example to become rich...), sanctification (to worship..)
and procreation, with no difference between them.
Since the procreation instinct is similar to the other instincts in
that if it is excited it will require satisfaction, and since it is
not excited except by a tangible reality or associated thoughts, then
the human is able to control this satisfaction. As a matter of fact,
the human is able to initiate this satisfaction, or to prevent it from
taking place except in such a manner that it is geared towards
preserving the human race. Seeing the opposite sex or any tangible
reality related to the procreation instinct will excite the instinct
and cause it to require satisfaction. Consequently, reading sexual
stories and listening to sexual ideas will excite the procreation
instinct. Conversely, keeping away from the opposite sex (except blood
relatives), sexual ideas or anything related to the procreation
instinct will prevent the instinct from being excited. This is so
because the procreation instinct cannot be excited except by a
tangible reality or a sexual thought.
If the community's view of the relationship between men and woman is
focused on the male-female relations, i.e. the sexual relations, as is
the case in Western society, then it will be preoccupied with creating
exciting tangible realities and generating sexual thoughts necessary
to excite the procreation instinct, so as to require satisfaction, and
by its satisfaction, the relationship is achieved and comfort is
gained. Contrary to this, if the view of the community to the
relationship between man and woman is focused on the purpose
(marriage,protecting one's spouse,training the kids..) for which this
instinct was created, namely preserving the human race, then keeping
the tangible realities and sexual thoughts away from men and woman in
public life is a necessity. Otherwise, the instinct will be excited
and require a satisfaction that is not available, a matter which
causes anxiety and frustrations. Also, restricting exciting tangible
realities to the case of marriage is necessary to preserve the human
race, by producing tranquillity and comfort when satisfaction is
demanded within marriage.
This is a clear indication of the extent that the community's view of
man-woman relations has in directing public life in the community and
in the society. Both the Western and Eastern view of the man-woman
relationship is one that is sexual, not one geared to preserving the
human race. Hence, they purposely worked on finding tangible realities
and sexual thoughts for man and woman to excite this instinct, in
order to satisfy it. They claimed that if this instinct is not
satisfied, this will lead to suppression, which leads to physical,
psychological and mental harm. As a result, one finds in the Eastern
and Western communities and in the Western and Communist societies,
many sexual thoughts in writing, poetry, and literature in general. It
is normal in these societies to have unnecessary free mixing between
men and women in their homes, parks, roads, and swimming pools for
example. This is because they consider these things a necessity that
they purposely create. It is a part of organising their life and a
part of their life style.
Muslims who believe in the Aqeedah of Islam and the validity of its
rules, carry a different point of view. Meaning, Islam views the
man-woman relations as for preserving the human race. The Islamic
point of view does not focus on the sexual aspect of the relationship:
though considering it an inseparable part of satisfaction, its
satisfaction, however, is not the real motive. Consequently, Islam
views the presence of sexual ideas and the tangible realities that
excite the instinct as a cause of corruption and harm. Hence, it
forbade man and woman; to meet in seclusion (Khulwa), the woman from
showing her charms to strangers and the men and women from looking at
each other in a sexual fashion. Islam also has defined the
co-operation between men and women in public life and confined sexual
relations between men and women to marriage.
Therefore, Islam works to prevent the procreation instinct from being
excited by anything in the public life and works to confine sexual
relations to marriage. Contrary to Islam, Capitalism and Communism
work to create situations that excite this instinct in order to
satisfy it and to set it loose (to the level of animals) in
everything. Also, while Islam views the man-woman relations as only
for the purpose of preserving the human race, Capitalism and Communism
view the man-woman relations as a male-female one, i.e. a sexual view.
The wide difference between what Islam aims to achieve and what the
other two ideologies are designed to achieve becomes evident. This
reflects the Islamic point of view as being one of purity,
righteousness and chastity. It is a point of view for the tranquillity
of the human and the continuation of his race.
With regard to what the Westerners and the Communists claim that
suppressing the sexual instinct in men and women alike causes mental,
physical and psychological disorders to the human, this claim is wrong
and conflicts with reality. This is due to the fact that there is a
difference between the organic needs and the instincts in terms of the
necessity of satisfaction. The former, such as the need for food,
drink, and relieving the call of nature, must be satisfied or it will
result in physical harm that may lead to death. As for the instincts
of survival, sanctification and procreation, if not satisfied (outside
marriage) these will not lead to any physical, mental or psychological
harm, but merely lead to anxiety . This is proven by the fact that a
person might spend his entire life without satisfying some of the
instincts and no harm befalls him. Also their claim that physical,
mental and psychological illnesses occur when the procreation instinct
is not satisfied is false, since it only happens to some individuals,
not humans at large. This shows that such illnesses do not happen
naturally due to its non-satisfaction but rather due to other factors.
If such complications were a result of suppressing the instinct, it
would have happened in every case of non-satisfaction, according to
the laws of nature, a matter which has never occurred. And they admit
to the fact that it does not occur naturally due to non-satisfaction.
Therefore, such complications must be due to factors other than the
suppression of the instinct.
Furthermore, an organic need requires satisfaction naturally from
within. It does not require an external stimulant, though an external
stimulant incites it when the need is present. This is different from
the instinct which does not become excited naturally from within,
without the presence of an external stimulant. It is not stimulated
internally unless there exists an external stimulant which results
either from an exciting tangible reality or an exciting sexual
thought, part of which is the association of exciting thoughts. When
the external factor is absent, there will be no stimulation. This
holds true for all instincts with no difference between the instinct
of survival, sanctification or procreation and with all their external
aspects. Therefore, if a stimulant for any instinct is present, the
person will be excited and the instinct will require satisfaction.
Once the stimulant is kept at bay or the person becomes occupied in
something that is more important, the demand for satisfaction will
disappear and he will calm down. This is different from the organic
need where once excited, it will never go away until satisfied.
This clearly demonstrates that if the procreation instinct is not
satisfied, there will result no physical, mental or psychological
illness, since it is merely an instinct, and not an organic need. What
in fact happens is that once a person is confronted with an exciting
tangible reality or sexual thought, which stimulates the procreation
instinct, that person will be excited and demand satisfaction. If the
demand is not met with satisfaction, that person will experience
nothing more than anxiety. With repetition, anxiety will turn to pain
(also sexual problems later and abnormal behaviour). However, if the
stimulant is kept away or the person is kept occupied with something
that dominates the instinct, the anxiety disappears. Therefore,
suppressing the procreation instinct once aroused will result in
anxiety and pain, and if not excited, nothing will result, not even
anxiety or pain. Therefore, the proper solution is not to excite the
instinct. This is achieved by preventing anything from exciting it as
long as it can not be satisfied (until one gets married).
This shows the fallacy of the Western and Communist point of view,
which made the community's view to the relations between men and women
focused on the male-female relations(a sexual one). Consequently, it
shows the falsehood of the treatment produced by this point of view of
stimulating the instinct in the man and the woman via highlighting
things that stimulate it, such as free mixing, dancing, games,
stories, etc. It also shows the truthfulness of the Islamic point of
view which made the community's view to man-woman relations focused on
the purpose for which this instinct was created, namely preserving the
human race. Accordingly, it shows the correctness of the solution
produced by this view of keeping away any kind of stimulating tangible
reality or sexual thought when legal satisfaction through marriage .
Therefore, Islam alone is able to completely and correctly treat the
corruption caused by the procreation instinct in the society and among
the people. Such correct and complete treatment will result in piety,
tranquility and elevation in the society and among the people.

The Family & The SexualRevolution

Family is a Mutual Commitment
The Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said:"Women are the
other half of men."The unit of humanity is not a man or a woman. It is
a man and a woman in that unison that makes them a family (just like
the smallest part of water is not oxygen or hydrogen but both united).
Like Judaism, Christianity and many other religions, Islam decrees
that the pairing off of a man and a woman to make a family constitutes
a sacred bond that the Holy Qur'aan calls "a stout pledge", that has
to be documented and authenticated by the "marriage contract" or
wedlock.
It signifies the commitment of the spouses to one another and
establishes their mutual rights and responsibilities as well as those
vis-a-vis their children.
Children have the right to legitimacy (birth under a marriage contract
and having and knowing their father and mother), loving care as they
are raised, being nurtured and catered for both physically and
spiritually, and the right of education and getting them equipped to
face life and bear its responsibilities as mature and useful citizens.
As the parents attain old age or get incapacitated some way or
another, it is the children's religious duty to look after them and
cater to their comfort without feeling impatient or distressed about
it. It is a right towards Allah.
Of course, it is the perpetual insurance for the future of the
children as they themselves grow up and become parents and attain old
age. This solidarity of the family and strength of the family ties is
of paramount importance in Islam. It spreads even beyond the nuclear
family along the widening circles of blood ties. The Quran calls it
"the relation of the womb".
It is both a duty and a rewardable charity to be kind to those blood
kindred through friendly care or financial support if needed. Even
after parents have died, it remains one's duty to pray for them, and
even to maintain the ties with their friends, show them courtesy, and
offer help if needed.
Purpose of Marriage in Islam
In Islam, marriage subserves two functions, and it is only marriage
that lawfully subserves them. The one is to fulfil the yearning of the
one half to its other half and their becoming one, both physically and
spiritually. Says the Holy Qur'aan:"Amongst His signs is that He
created for you, from amongst you, consorts, with whom to dwell in
tranquility; and He laid love and compassion between you."(30:21)
The other function is to procreate and have a progeny. Says Allah
Almighty:"God made for you, from amongst you, consorts, and out of
your consorts made for you children and grandchildren; and bestowed on
you from His bounty; would they then believe in the vain things and
deny the blessings of God?"(16:72) Marriage is the only legitimate
venue for sex and reproduction. Trespassing outside marriage is a
grave sin. To satisfy these legal criteria must be a very rare event,
and it seems it was meant to be so.
It is noteworthly that the same moral principles used to prevail also
in America and the West, but with the slippage of more and more people
into atheism or microtheism, change was inevitable. Atheism is when
God is denied. Microtheism is when God is acknowledged but with
reduced Godliness. We worship Him but on our own terms. We visit the
houses of worship usually on weekends, but we do not allow God out to
tell us what to do with our private or public lives. This erosion of
faith set the stage for the "sexual revolution", as all religious
values became subject to radical revision.
Origin of the Sexual Revolution and the Immorality of the West
The sexual revolution did not start as recently as we think in the
sixties. Nor was it the outcome of a passive natural social change. It
was the result of intelligent planning, hard work and perseverance. It
all started with the extreme fascination with scsience and its
technological capabilities, in the wake of banishment of the church
from delving into public life.
The human mind became the Ultimate arbiter of all human affairs, and
all time-honoured values were subjected to its new rulings. In their
haste and superficiality, however, people missed the obvious fact that
the human mind itself, and by its own admission, is an imperfect
instrument, and that with its limitation it cannot pass such ultimate
judgments as those concerning the absolute moral standards.
To further replace God by man, a movement arose between the two world
wars called "Morality without Religion", accusing religion, and not
human error, of causing enmity and conflict between people. They
pretended the same moralities could be attained without necessarily
ascribing them to religion and called them "unattached moralities".
But as religion moved out of focus, God was dethroned, and new codes
of morality were issued wherein the immoralities of yesterday became
the normalities of today, and secular humanism could, at last, frankly
declare that human values must be made by human beings and without
relevance to any non-human or supernatural reference.
With the shift towards materialism, such values as honour, chastity
and purity became empty words and nonviable currency. A full range of
indoctrination worked to stretch the boundaries of freedom to include
licence, and in a society that emphasises individuality, every human
whim became a human right.
It was another setback when the tidal wave that hit society deluged
also many of the traditional custodians of religion and protectors of
its values. These were the Trojan horse, because instead of leaving
the religious camp to the libertarian camp, they started working on
religion itself by new re-interpretations and new exegesis of the
texts to render lawful and permissible what has been unlawful and
reprehensive along the whole history of those religions. Many of those
clergy themselves fell prey to the germs they were supposed to fend
off. Some even interpreted the institution of "celibacy" as refraining
from marriage but not from having sex.
The result, as expected, is this chaotic sexual conduct of whole
societies. Without the values of chastity outside marriage and
fidelity within it, came the desecration of sex as a very special bond
between a man and a woman, mass and promiscuous sex, spur posses,
rapes, unwanted pregnancies ending in abortion or unwanted children
stripped of their right of legitimate double parentage, and children
begetting children.
Further, family trust is eroded when even in stable families some 15
percent of the children are not having their fathers, added to all
this are health hazards due to the epidemic spread of sexually
transmitted diseases, whether new diseases or the recurrence of old
ones we thought have been conquered long ago. Their causative
organisms have acquired resistance to known antibiotic therapy, and
with rising promiscuity they are exacting a heavy toll on the
community, especially the youth.
No Confusion in Islam
We, Muslims, do not have any confusion or vagueness about what is
lawful in our religion and what is unlawful. The moralities and the
immoralities specified in the Holy Qur'aan will remain so forever, and
cannot be diluted or manipulated or rationalized according to anyone's
whim. There are no clergy or scholars who can claim to be endowed with
the right or ability of special interpretation. This does not mean
that all Muslims are, therefore, virtuous people who do not sin. Of
course, Muslims violate their own religion by committing sins and
abominations, but at least they know it is sin, and it will remain on
their conscience until they desist and repent to Allah.
The real challenge the Muslim citizens of the Western communities are
facing is that their children are raised under social and moral norms
that conflict with the teachings of Islam. But the Muslims are not
alone in this, because there are also Jews, Christians and others who
uphold the same divine moralities and make every effort to endow their
children with them.
Our way with our children follows an early introduction to Allah, and
that when we believe in Him it means we accept and abide by His rules.
If we follow His rules, we do not bother if the others do not, for
when one is on the side of Allah then one is in the majority. This
breeds the confidence that resists peer pressure and the vagaries of
temptation. "They all do it" ceases to be an excuse.
The vaccination approach aims at building up immunity long before the
child is exposed to disease: be it physical or moral. Just like a
soldier is prepared to battle before and not during the battle, future
hazards and catches are discussed with the child so that he/she would
decide in advance what position to take when the time comes whether
the offer is smoking, drink, drug or sex.
Fortunately, the preaching of premarital chastity entails more than an
order to obey (of course the teaching is that when Allah orders, we
hear and we obey). Discussions with Muslim and non-Muslim youth
presented the case equally powerfully even along purely intellectual
lines. "Who believes in equality of the sexes?", and it is an
unanimous vote. "Who believes in justice?", and again it is a
unanimous agreement. The proposition is then introduced that any
relationship between two partners, the consequences of which are not
equally shared by both, cannot constitute justice; and they all agree.
In a situation of liberal sex, the consequences are not equally
shared, because the female side is the loser all the way, whether she
is deserted, or gets pregnant and goes for abortion, or gives birth
and signs away her baby for adoption or ends with a fatherless baby to
support alone for the rest of her life. When we observe the
consequences and ask the question, "Can this be justice?" the general
shout is "No!".
Homesexuality and its Consequences
The homosexuality movement was a fairly late comer on the wagon of the
sexual revolution. Homosexuality, of course, is not a new invention as
it has always been there in practically all cultures and among all
people but, one would guess, in more limited proportions. It had its
lobby whose activities followed more or less subtle ways, but its
influence mushroomed only over the past decade or so.
A "Gay Bowel Syndrome" was described in the medical literature, and
later it was AIDS that made the news and its relation to homosexual
behaviour being established. Very soon the AIDS problem was pushed out
of the medical arena and its rules and regulations for handling
infectious diseases.
It became a political issue, and the homosexual lobby further grew
into a political power capable of intimidating office bearers and
political figures and gaining the support of many in the media, the
arts and the clergy. Instead of AIDS being contained, it spilled over
to blood recipients, drug addicts, the foetus in utero, heterosexual
contacts with wives and others and accidental infections.
It became a global epidemic that is spreading at a serious pace. To
the AIDS patient we have empathy and compassion and hopefully the best
available medical and nursing care. To those not infected, we
recommend the preventive approach. This is not the condom, for there
is no such a thing as safe sex. It is chastity until marriage, and
fidelity within marriage.
The debate about homosexuality is ravaging. "Be what you are" they
say, "and do not be ashamed of it". Many unsuspecting youth started to
experiment, to discover what they really are. Consent is a requisite,
and the lobbies in Scandinavia are trying to bring down the consent
age to four years. A 'Gay Pride Day' is annually observed in
California with media coverage, a 'Gay Pride Month' in some school
districts has been established to remove bigotry and prejudice, and
two-man or two-woman households are being presented as alternative
forms of family.
Recently, science began exploring a possible anatomical or genetic
basis for homosexual orientation. We Muslims are not impressed, and to
us the matter is that simple. We do not make our religion, but we
receive it and we obey it. We cannot impose anything on anyone, but to
us, the Holy Qur'aan and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Sall
Allaho alaihe wasallam) clearly and explicitly condemn homosexual
practices.
Whether you have the orientation or not, whether you harbour the gene
or not, your feelings and desires shall not dictate your behaviour.
You might be dying to do something (be it homosexual contact or
heterosexual with a partner who is not your wife or taking an
alcoholic drink or an urge for a violent action or a desire to steal
something that is not yours), what you feel need not be what you do.
Says Allah Almighty in the Holy Qur'aan:"It is not for a believing man
or woman if a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, to
have a choice of their own. If anyone disobeys Allah and His
Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong path."(33:36). Every human
being has an undisputed gene without which they cannot be a human
being: it is called the "gene of self-control"!