The Qur’an commands usto show affection and compassion to devout Jews and Christians

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- - - * - Translator:: http://translate.google.com/m/ -▓███▓ -
- - > - > Muslims believe in all theProphets sent by
Allah before our Prophet (saas), and love and respect them all
equally. Similarly, they also harbor a profound love and respect for
those people who were genuinely devoted to these true Prophets and who
defended the truth with them. Verses from the Qur'an referring to the
peoples of the Prophets read as follows:
You who believe! Be helpers of Allah as Jesus son of Maryam said to
the Disciples, 'Who will be my helpers to Allah?' The Disciples said,
'We will be the helpers of Allah.' One faction of the tribe of Israel
believed and the other disbelieved. So We supported those who believed
against their enemy and they became victorious. (Surat as-Saff,14)
... There is a community among the People of theBook who are upright.
They recite Allah's signs throughout the night, and they prostrate.
They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin the right and
forbid the wrong, and compete in doing good. They are among the
righteous. You will not be denied the reward for any goodthing you do.
Allah knows those who have taqwa [fear of Allah]. (Surah Al 'Imran,
113-115)
Because Muslims behave according to the Qur'an and the Sunna of our
Prophet (saas), they also love the People of the Book. They feel
affectionfor those who remained loyal to Allah's Prophets and the
mission imparted to them. It is for these reasons that there can be no
questionof a Muslim who has faith in Allah and His Book ever adopting
an anti-Semitic line. That is because it is wrong to be anti-Semitic,
in other words to harbor enmity toward devout Jews who obeyed the
ProphetMoses (as) and his mission. It is unlawful, according to the
Qur'an, to feel anger toward thePeople of Israel because they live by
the Torah sent down by Allah to them through the Prophet Moses (as).
Such a moral conception is unbecoming of Muslims.
What matters for us is the attitude of our Prophet (saas), who always
treated Jews believing in Allah in his own day with great
understanding and justice. The People of theBook were treated with
great compassion in the time of our Prophet (saas) and the four
Caliphs who followed. These people were watched over and protected,
and their rights preserved with justice. Our Prophet (saas) both
called on them to convert to Islam but also treated them well and
allowed them to live by their own faith.
If according to the Qur'an, the attitude to be adopted toward the
People of the Book wereone of hostility, then thefirst person to do
that would obviously have been our Prophet (saas) himself. The fact
is, however, that historic documents make it clear that in the time of
our Prophet (saas) and the Caliphs who came after him, devout Jews and
other People of the Bookwho sought shelter with Muslims, asked for
protection and did not fight against them were always treated in a
loving and protective manner. (You can read more details from here. )
Allah clarifies this in these verses:
Allah does not forbid you from being good to those who have not fought
you in the religion or driven you from your homes, or from being just
towards them. Allah loves those who are just. (Surat al-Mumtahana, 8)
Those who believe and those who are Jews and the Sabaeans and the
Christians, all who believe in Allah and the Last Day and act rightly
will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 69)
It is for these reasons that, according to the verses of the Qur'an,
it is atheists, associaters that Muslims need to wage an intellectual
struggle against, both in the timeof our Prophet (saas) and in the
present day, and not devout believers. Our Prophet (saas) never fought
devout Jews or Christians who believed in the Oneness of Allah. The
Prophet (saas) and his companions only fought against atheists and
those pagans and hypocrites who did all they could, physically and
psychologically, to harm Muslims and prevent the spread of the
religion and stop Muslims preaching.
Looking at the battles fought by our Prophet (saas), these were always
fought for defensive purposes. In other words, the Prophet (saas)
never embarked on war against those who did not declare war on him,
and never continued fighting against those who wished to put a stop to
it or asked for terms. Our Prophet (saas)remained completely loyal to
the conditions regarding war revealed by Allah in the Qur'an. Allah
reveals this in the Qur'an on the subject:
Permission to fight is given to those who are fought against because
they have been wronged – truly Allah has the power to come to their
support – (Surat al-Hajj, 69)
But if they cease, Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat
al-Baqara, 192)
... Do not fight them in the Masjid al-Haram untilthey fight you
there. But if they do fight you, thenkill them... (Surat al-Baqara,
191)
Therefore, the history of Islam is full of such examples. For
instance, on one occasion the Jews of Haybar came to our Prophet
(saas) and said that their goods had been removed by certain Muslims
without their permission. At this, the Prophet (saas) gathered the
Muslims together in the mosque and told them the property of those
with whom treaties had been agreed were sacrosanct and that what they
had done was. (Musnad, IV, 89; Vakıdi, II, 691; Serahsi, Siyer, I,
133, IV, 1530) Article 17 of the Medina State Treaty our Prophet
(saas) had drawn up in his first years in the city used theexpression,
" Those of the Jews who join us willbe helped and well treated. They
will suffer no injustice and their enemies will not be helped." A
rticle 25 of thesame treaty says, "The Jews of the Beni Awf
andbelievers are one Ummah. They will live bytheir own faith, and
Muslims by theirs." Article 36 says, "There will be mutual aid,
kindness and goodness between Muslims and Jews." (Ibn Kathir, as-Sira,
II/322; Hamidullah, el-Vesaik, p. 44-45; Co-existence in Western and
Western sources, p. 285).
When Abubaqr (ra) captured Tabariyya afterour Prophet (saas), the
Christians living there were given guarantees that their churches
would not be harmed. When Umar (ra) captured Jerusalem he issued a
decree to the populace, declaring that the places of worship of the
People of the Book would not be harmed. Another decree issued by Umar
(ra) to the Christians of Medain included the principle that "No
Christian shall be forced to become a Muslim against his will". During
the capture, in the time of Uthman (ra), of Debil, an Armenian city,
the Christians living there were given a guarantee in a decree that
places of worship would be protected. Permission was always given for
damaged churches to be repaired and for new synagoguesand monasteries
to be built.

There is a great secret inthe difficult tests undergone by the Prophets

- < - ▓███▓ - "Published by, M NajimudeeN Bsc - INDIA|®|- -
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- > - > Almighty Allah of course knows that all the
prophets He created were pure believers possessed of lofty moral
values; it is He Who created them with a truedepth and pure faith.
Yetdespite being our Lord's chosen, superior and honored servants, the
prophets were still subjected to difficult tests all through their
lives. Difficulties are a great means whereby people could witness
their honesty and adopt their moral values as role models, for the
prophets to improve their closeness to and love of Allah, and for
their goodness to increase many times over in the Hereafter.
This climate of testing is described by means of the stories related
in the Qur'an. When he came tothe sea, pursued by Pharaoh's army, the
Prophet Moses (as) saw no apparent way of escape. Those who failedto
properly appreciate the infinite might of Allah said, "We are
trapped," but as revealed in verses the Prophet Moses (as) said
"Never! My Lord is with me and He will guide me." (Surat ash-Shuara',
62)
Throughout that difficulttime when he was imprisoned in the belly of
the fish, the Prophet Jonah (as) constantly turned to Allah and, as
revealed in a verse, "...called out (to the Lord) in absolute
despair." (Surat al-Qalam, 47) The Prophet Jonah (as), who sincerely
turned to Allah during this difficult test, was rescued from the belly
of the fish through our Lord's mercy and compassion, and was then sent
to a community as their prophet. This difficult test of the Prophet
Jonah is described as follows in the Qur'an:
Jonah too was one of the Messengers.
When he ran away to the fully laden ship
and cast lots and lost.
Then the fish devoured him and he was to blame.
Had it not been that he was a man who glorifiedAllah,
he would have remainedinside its belly until the Day they are raised again.
So We cast him up onto the beach and he was sick;
and We caused a gourd tree to grow over him.
We sent him to a hundred thousand or even more.
They believed and so Wegave them enjoyment for a time.
(Surat as-Saffat, 139-148)
When our holy Prophet (saas) was attacked by the pagans on two sides
together with his community there appeared to be no escape. This was
the day of a most difficult test. Atthe same time, it was a very
special test in whichtrue believers with a genuine faith in Allah, Who
trusted in Allah's help with all their hearts, and who trusted in and
embraced Him, could remain strong andexpect His help. As ordained by
Allah, those who were unable to properly appreciate Him and the
hypocrites lost hope of His mercy and began dreaming up falseideas of
their own. Our All-Mighty Lord described this difficult climate in
another verse:
When they came at you from above you and below you, when your eyes
rolled and your hearts rose to your throats, and you thoughtunworthy
thoughts about Allah, at that pointthe believers were tested and
severely shaken.
When hypocrites and people with sickness in their hearts said, 'What
Allah and His Messenger promised us was mere delusion.' and a group of
them said, 'People of Yathrib, Your position is untenable so return!'
some of them asked the Prophet to excuse them, saying, 'Our houses are
exposed,' when they were not exposed; it wasmerely that they wantedto
run away. (Surat al-Ahzab, 10-13)
In this difficult climate, our Prophet (saas) and the pure believers
with him hoped for Allah's help and support and placed their trust in
Him,saw that this had been promised by our Almighty Lord and gave
thanks. Almighty Allah reveals in a verse:
When the believers saw the Confederates they said: 'This is what Allah
and His Messenger promised us. Allah and His Messenger told us
thetruth.' It only increased them in faith and in submission. (Surat
al-Ahzab, 22)
As our Lord reveals in a later verse; "Allah made it unnecessary for
the believers to fight. Allah isMost Strong, Almighty." (Surat
al-Ahzab, 25)
The Prophet Yusuf (as) also underwent many great tests and hardships
in his life. The way he was falsely accused and left in a dungeon for
years are ofcourse very difficult tests. But there is no doubt that
one of the greatest tests he faced, and bore bravely and happily for
Allah's approval, is the way he was thrown into a well by his brothers
at an early age and waited in the darkness to be rescued. If a caravan
hadnot passed by during his time in the well, if the people in it had
not decided to draw water from the well, then he would have gone
through a martyrdom lasting several days. There is no doubt that
everything happens by Allah's Will, however. Allah created Prophet
Yusuf (as) as a worthy, superior and holy prophet and also ordained
his salvation inthe finest manner in destiny.
The Prophet Lot (as) also struggled against the pressure from a
hereticalpeople, the Prophet Job (as) displayed fortitude in the face
of sickness and physical difficulties, the Prophet Aaron (as) sought
to win over a pagan people who rejected him, the Prophet John (as) was
martyred by the deniers of his time and the Prophet Jesus (as) strove
against the snares of thehypocrites. These holy prophets were all
subjected to great tests. The Muslims who followed the prophets also
confronted similar difficulties. People who came to believe after
seeing the proofs that Allah bestowed on the Prophet Moses (as) did so
even in the knowledge that Pharaohwould cut off their opposite hands
and feet and then kill them. The companions of our Prophet (saas)
strove against the deniers who forced them from their lands, inflicted
unbelievable tortures onthem and even chose to martyr them. Believers
have been faced by severe tests when cast into the flames by a society
of non-believers. Almighty Allah describes the situation of
believerscast into the flames as follows in verses:
Cursed be the Companions of the Pit –
The fire well stocked with fuel –
When they were seated right beside it
Witnessing what they did to the believers.
The only reason they punished them was because they believed inAllah,
the Almighty, the All-Praiseworthy –
Him to whom the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs. Allah is
Witness of all things.
Those who persecute men and women of the believers, and then do not
repent, will have thepunishment of Hell, will have the punishment of
the Burning. (Surat al-Buruj, 4-10)
Of course Almighty Allah is He who creates, with aspecial creation,
prophets and believers and those believers who warn their
communities,who turn to Him, who love Him above all and live for Him
alone. He has created them for paradise. But they are nevertheless
tested in the life of this world. There is a secret behind this. The
test and the difficulties involved in it are a sign of superiority,
love, self-sacrifice and a genuine and sincere love of Allah. The
prophets add to their own beauty with the fortitude, honesty,
self-sacrifice, loyalty, devotion and moral virtue they display. These
moral virtues, which make them one ofthe most valuable elements of
paradise, are a superior and worthy fortitude in the face of
difficulty and submission to Allah. Almighty Allah has prepared this
difficult environment of the test in order for us and even them to
witness their devotion and love to Him. There is no doubt that
Almighty Allah always supports and protects believers and is always by
their side. That is why it is so valuable for believers to know this
and display fortitude in difficult environments. The prophets and
those believers who follow them will certainly enjoyeternal life in
the hereafter and the finest reward for this excellent fortitude.
Almighty Allah reveals in verses:
Such people will be repaid for their steadfastness with the Highest
Paradise, where they will meet with welcome and with 'Peace'. They
will remainin it timelessly, for ever. What an excellent lodging and
abode! (Surat al-Furqan, 75-76)
The Existence of the Test Is a Great Blessing for Sincere Muslims
The existence of Allah is obvious. Whoever denies the existence of
Allah is lying and deceiving. The evidence for the sublime existenceof
Allah is everywhere. Itis impossible for anyone,confronted by this
manifest evidence, not to see the sublime and dazzling Sublime
Existence of Almighty Allah, the Existence and Might of Whom are so
clear.
Human beings, the cell, light, the atom, the Earth, the planets and
even a single match are all proof of this glorious and stunning
Creation. This cannot be denied. The reason why some people are in a
state of heedlessness with regard to Allah is not their failure to see
His manifest existence. Whatmakes it hard for these people to turn to
and submit to Allah is their inability to comprehend the existence of
the test and the secret behind it. The existence of the test
intimidates them, and itsdifficult nature prevents them being a
servant whom Allah will approveof. Otherwise, everyone is well aware
that they have to live for Allah. In one verse Almighty Allah says:
And they repudiated them wrongly and haughtily, in spite of their own
certainty about them. See the final fate of the corrupters. (Surat
an-Naml, 14)
All people know in their consciences the existence of Allah and that
they should live for Him. But some of them are confused and doubtful
in the face of the test. The reason why the people who set out
together with the Prophet Moses (as) told him "You and your Lord go
and fight. We will stay sitting here." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 24) in the
face of difficulties, is that they preferred their ownearthly desires
to undergoing hardship forAllah's sake.
The fact is that the proper behavior demonstrated by true Muslims in
the face of communities of deniers who combined to attack the Qur'an
is revealed as follows:
Those to whom people said, 'The people have gathered against you,
sofear them.' But that merely increased their faith and they said,
'Allah is enough for us and the Best of Guardians.' (Surah Al 'Imran,
173)
Muslims who sincerely submits to Allah in the face of a difficult test
aredescribed as; "Those who, when disaster strikes them, say, 'We
belong to Allah and to Him we will return'." (Surat al-Baqara, 156)
Almighty Allah reveals in another verse that attaining goodness and
truth is possible by discharging the responsibilities required by the
test, and to demonstrate such moral virtues as loyalty, fortitude and
self-sacrifice:
It is not devoutness to turn your faces to the East or to the West.
Rather, those with true devoutness are those who believe in Allah
andthe Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets, and who,
despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives
and to orphans and the very poor, and to travelers and beggars and to
set slaves free, and who establish prayer and pay alms; those who
honor their contracts when they make them, and aresteadfast in poverty
and illness and in battle. Those are the people who are true. They are
the people who fear [and respect Allah]. (Surat al-Baqaara, 177)
Hardships have been visited on heedless communities with a particular
wisdom and for a particular reason. Some people have a tendency to
concentrate on their own affairs and worldly matters and to forget
Allah while they enjoy plenty, abundanceand prosperity. These people
imagine that once they have means and prosperity at their disposal
nothing bad will happen to them, and imagine they have an independent
power of their own. Our Lord has tested communities that fall into
heedlessness because of plenty and well-being, despite being warned,
that regard themselves as invincible and strong, that harbor an
unjustified pride and arrogance in the face of Allah and that have
evenhad the effrontery to deny Allah, with difficulties in order for
them to find the true path, remember their mistakes and recall that
all power belongs to Allah alone. Allah reveals this fact in a verse:
We sent Messengers to nations before you, and afflicted those nations
with hardship and distress so that hopefullythey would humble
themselves. (Surat al-An'am, 42)
Testing through difficulties is of course a great and powerful
reminder for these heedless communities. Almighty Allah reveals the
situation of a heedless community thatremain in a boat surrounded by
waves all around as follows in another verse:
It is He Who conveys youon both land and sea so that when some of you
are on a boat, running before a fair wind, rejoicing at it, and then a
violent squall comes upon them and the waves come at them from every
side and theyrealize there is no way of escape, they call on Allah,
making their religion sincerely His: 'If You rescue us from this, we
will truly be among the thankful.' (Surah Yunus, 22)
The secret of the test lieshere. These people, who become aware of the
transitory nature of the life of this world, remember that all
powerlies with Allah alone and have no doubt of the need to turn to
our Lord only when surrounded by waves, return to theirformer state of
unawareness once the difficulties they face have been removed. Allah
reveals this in a verse:
But then, when He does rescue them, they become rebellious in theearth
without any right to do so. Mankind, your rebelliousness is only
against yourselves. There is the enjoyment of the life of this world
and then you will return to Us and We will inform you about what you
did.(Surah Yunus, 23)
All people know in their conscience what they should do. Everyone is
aware he should be a good servant of Allah and do all he can to
earnHis approval. The reason why some people seek not to comprehend
the might of Allah in this world and to forget this spiritual
responsibility comes from a wish to live by their earthly desires. But
the fact is that people can seek to feign ignorance about the climate
of testing all they like, yet they will still be tested. Living by
their earthly desires will never, ever give them the satisfaction and
pleasure they seek so long as they fail to heed their consciences.
They will never find the false happiness they seek in this world.
These people fail to appreciate that it is Allah Who bestows pleasure,
happiness and joy. It is of course impossible to have a clear
conscience and livea peaceful and happy life if one forgets Allah and
refuses to live for Him. People who ignore the existence of the test
fail to appreciate this reality.
What Would Happen in aWorld with No Testing?
All the beauties that make human beings human would suddenly vanish in
a climate of no testing. The values imparted by moral virtue, such as
self-sacrifice, loyalty, fortitude, love, compassion, respect,
solidarity and friendshipwould immediately lose all meaning. Competing
to do good and putting others' desires before one's own would be
regarded as unnecessary. And there would be no meaning tothe life of
someone for whom nothing is of any value or importance.
The sole reason for responding to the testing in this world with
submission and fortitude is a deep love of Allah. Everything would be
flat without testing and the love of Allah. Because man will be
deprived of all moral values to take delight in,one would turn into a
very strange creature with no other aims and expectations from life
other than eating, drinking and sleeping. Such a person can take
pleasure neither from anything he does nor the life he leads. Such a
life is the false conception of life that Darwinists have been trying
to impose people for so many years. In a world with no testing, and
therefore with no moral or ethical virtues, with no purpose to life, a
person will turn into an organism no different to the animals, just as
Darwinists maintain, and his life will resemble that of anyanimal.
When the effort made for Allah in this world comes to an end, all that
remains will be that organism's struggle for survival.
It will here be of use to recall the following point: Even animals
havea conception of affection, love, loyalty, self-sacrifice and
solidarity inspired in them by Allah. Therefore,in a climate with no
testing, people who have no purpose and who have lost all these
virtues will actually become lower than animals. Almighty Allah has
revealed that deniers who deify their own earthly desires will be
lower than animals:
Do you suppose that most of them hear or understand? They are just
like cattle. Indeed they are even more astray! (Surat al-Furqan, 44)
What some people fail tounderstand is this: the existence of testing
gives people worth. We love someone in the Hereafter because we know
he had displayed fortitude for Allah. The value of the prophets
increased many times over because they responded to difficulties in
the way Allah wanted.Someone who suffers for Allah is beautified. One
loves someone who displays moral virtues for the sake of Allah, no
matter what the circumstances, and their abodes in the Hereafter are
even lovelier. One loves and admires people who, even though human
nature has been created with a tendency toward selfish passions and
jealousy, exhibit no selfishness out of a fear of Allah, who are not
prone to envy, who regard Muslims as above themselves and who are
aware of their own helplessness before Allah. With such traits, such
people will always be remembered in the Hereafter.
Our Lord regards a person as superior because of the lofty fortitude,
patience and will he demonstrates in the course of the test. Since a
person uses this will for Allah, despite all the hardships, severe
illnesses and selfish desires in this world, since he responds to each
with fortitude and virtue and never abandons hope in Allah, he is of
great value in the eyes of our Lord.
This fortitude and will be a fine adornment of Paradise. Because
Paradise can only be attained with fortitude shown in testing for
Allah's approval and with effort made for the love of Allah. Almighty
Allah reveals in another verse:
Or did you imagine that you were going to enter the Garden without
Allahknowing those among you who had struggled and knowing the
steadfast? (Surah Al 'Imran, 142)
The following important truth must not be forgotten; Almighty AllahWho
creates difficult tests deliberately for people has also, of course,
created fortitudeand ways of overcomingthem. One of the secrets that
our Lord imparts to believers in the Qur'an isthat nobody will be
given a burden greater than he can bear:
Allah does not impose on any self any more than it can stand. For it
iswhat it has earned; against it, what it has merited. Our Lord, do
not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake! Our Lord, do not
place on us a load like the one You placed on those before us! Our
Lord, do not place on us a load we have not the strength to bear! And
pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy on us. You are our Master,
so help us against the people of the unbelievers. (Surat al-Baqara,
286)
A Muslim who turns to Allah under all circumstances is a loyal and
excellent servant of Allah. No matter what hardships he undergoes as a
result of the test, they will never be greater than he can bear.
Hardships are given in order to improve devout believers, draw them
closer to Allah, protect them against heedlessness and so theycan earn
the eternal delights and blessings ofParadise.
Someone undergoing such difficulties is also capable of properly
appreciating Paradise, with its eternal blessings. A person tested by
want and poverty in this world willgive even greater thanksto Allah
and be even closer and more devotedto Him when he sees how he can have
whatever he wants in Paradise, at the moment he wants it and with no
natural causes being involved, and will properly appreciate the
blessings of Paradise. Someone who exhibits fortitude in the face of
grave illness will doubtless feel an extraordinarily increased joy,
gratitude and love for Allah when he sees there are no such weaknesses
or sicknesses in Paradise. Everyone unjustly oppressed in this world
will be improved many times over in the infinitely peaceful and
delightful climate of Paradise, when he enjoys peace and security in
the presence of our Lord, free from alldeficiency, flaws and ugliness,
in Paradise. Forexample, a believer who is lame in this world will be
able to run around freely in Paradise, and even to fly and live just
as he wishes; a believer who is blind in this world will have an
incomparably greater power of sight in Paradise compared to that in
this world, and will look on immaculate beauties with an
infinitesatisfaction and delight. A believer with severe defects in
the face or body in this world will be created with a stunning beauty
in Paradise. This new creation is of great valueto a believer who is
aware of his former state and was patient in the face of it.
Comparing the difficult environment in this world with the eternal
life of Paradise is of course a great blessing for believers. The life
of this world is a very brief test, a transitory benefit.Those who
display fortitude in this test for the sake of Almighty Allah, who
live for Allah and who turn to Him in all their thoughts and deeds,
will of course be those who rejoice in the Hereafter.
As for those who believed and did right actions, they will be made
joyful in a verdant meadow. (Surat ar-Rum, 15)

The question Darwinism and materialism will never be able to answer:what is the origin of life?

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(The following is an excerpt from the book titled Origins of Life*, by
Hugh Ross ** and Fazale Rana *** )
Currently scientists standno closer to understanding life's beginning
than they did when Stanley Miller conducted his first experiments
fifty years ago. Though some scientists assert that the research is in
its infancy, significant resources have been brought to bear on the
origin of lifequestion over the past five decades. To date, noreal
answers have emerged. Rather, a misguided approach hasessentially
stalled the research program.
Best-selling author Paul Davies makes this point in his book The Fifth Miracle:
When I set out to write this book, I was convinced that science was
close to wrapping up the mystery of life's origin… Having spent a year
or two researching in the field, I am now of the opinion that there
remains a huge gulf in our understanding… Thisgulf in understanding is
not merely ignorance about certain technical details; it is a major
conceptual lacuna. (Paul Davies, The Fifth Miracle:The Searchfor the
Origin and Meaning of Life (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999), pp.
17-18)
Davies' statements likely surprise most people, including scientists.
From popular media reports, one would thinkresearchers have all but
finalized the explanationfor life's beginning. But such is not the
case.
Davies explains why this mismatch persists between public perception
and stark reality:
Many investigators feel uneasy about stating in public that the origin
of life is a mystery, even though behind closed doors they freely
admit that they are baffled. There seems to be two reasons for their
unease.First, they feel it opens the door to religious …..
explanations. Second, they worry that a frank admission of ignorance
will undermine funding. (Davies, pp.17-18)
So scientists are keepingquiet and searching for new directions in
which to proceed. Their behind-the-scenes frustration became evident
(to these authors) at the combined meetings of the International
Societyfor the Study of the Origin of Life and the International
Conferenceon the Origin of Life, held both in 1999 at the University
of California, San Diego, and in 2002 in Oaxaca, Mexico (hereafter
referred to as ISSOL 1999 or ISSOL 2002). This joint scientific
meeting, held every three years, attracts leading origin oflife
investigators from around the world and serves as a platform for them
to share and discuss their latest findings.
The atmosphere at such gatherings typically crackles with anticipation
as participants gather to hear about new discoveries and
breakthroughs. However, at both of these last two ISSOL events, a grim
mood laced with desperation prevailed. Participants acknowledged that
some fifty years of well-funded investigation have led toone barricade
after another. The old intractable problems remain as new ones come to
light. (Fazale R. Rana, "Origin-of-Life Predictions Face Off:
Evolution vs Biblical Creation," Facts for Faith 6 (Q2 2001),
pp.41-47)
…..Origin of life researchers cannot identify any location on
primordial Earth suitablefor production of prebiotic molecules. Those
studying the problems cannot explainhow the uniform "handedness"
(homochirality) of aminoacids, nucleotids, and sugars could emerge in
any so-called prebiotic soup.
Data from the geological, geochemical,and fossil records all place
impossible constraints on naturalistic scenarios. Life arose rapidly
and early in Earth's history - as soon as Earth could possible support
it. Origin of life researchersrecognize that life had no more than
tens of millions of years to emerge. Life also appeared under
amazingly harsh conditions - conditions that would not allow lifeto
survive, let alone originate.
Earth's first life was complex chemically… Consistent with this.
Investigators have discovered that life in itsmost minimal form
requires an astonishing number of proteins that must be spatially and
temporally organized within the cell.
Many [under the leadership of militant atheist Richard Dawkins
converted to the Space Religion ] now speculate that life may have
originated somewhere other than on Earth.
* Hugh Ross and Fazale Rana, Origins of Life , Navpress 2004, CO, pp.25-27

The explanation of Chapter Al-Humazah

- < - ▓███▓ - "Published by, M NajimudeeN Bsc - INDIA|®|- -
- - * - Translator:: http://translate.google.com/m/ -▓███▓ - -
- > - > The Soorah (Quraanic chapter) Al-Humazah (The
Mocker) [No. 104] is one of the short Chapters of the thirtieth part
of the Noble Quran. Herein is its explanation extracted from 'Tafseer
Ibn Katheer', which is one of the most reliable books of Tafseer
(interpretation).
The text of the chapter:
In the name of Allaah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
1. Woe to every scorner and mocker
2. Who collects wealth and [continuously] counts it.
3. He thinks that his wealth will make him immortal.
4. No! He will surely be thrown into the Crusher.
5. And what can make you know what is the Crusher?
6. It is the fire of Allaah, [eternally] fueled,
7. Which mounts directed at the hearts.
8. Indeed, it [i.e. Hellfire] will be closed down upon them
9. In extended columns
The explanation:
" Woe to every scorner and mocker "
That is, who holds people in contempt and belittles them, as in the
Words of Allaah, the Most High, which mean: " [And] scorner, going
about with malicious gossip ." [Quran, 68: 11]That is, according to
Ibn 'Abbaas and Qataadah a backbiter who goes about amongst the people
sowing dissension and discord between them, carrying tales and causing
corruption. It isnarrated by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim that the Messenger
of Allaah was passing by two graves and he said:
"Assuredly, they are both being punished, not for a major sin,
butbecause one of them did not clean himself after urinating and the
other used to carry tales." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Imam Ahmad has narrated that Hudhayfah said: "I heard the Messenger of
Allaah saying: "The tale-bearer will not enter Paradise." [Muslim]
"Who collects wealth and [continuously] counts it."
That is, who hoards his money and occupies himself in counting it,
like a miser, as in Allaah's Words, which mean: " And collected
[wealth] and hoarded it." [Quran 70: 18] His wealth diverts him: All
day he spends time counting and piling up his money and at night, he
sleeps like a rotting corpse .
" He thinks that his wealth will make him immortal."
That is, he believes that his accumulated wealth will prolong his life
in this world.
"No!!"
That is, the matter is in no way ashe supposes .
"He will surely be thrown into theCrusher"
That is, surely, the one who piles his wealth in a miserly manner will
be thrown in a crushing fire which burns up to the heart while he is
still alive .
" And what can make you know what is the Crusher? It is the fire of
Allaah, [eternally] fueled, which mounts directed at the hearts."
Thaabit said: "It means that it(the fire) burns them up to their
hearts while they are alive." Then,he said, "The punishment reachesits
climax." - At this point, Thaabit began to cry (at the thought of such
a terrible torment). According to Muhammad Ibn Ka'b the fire eats away
the flesh of the body until it reaches up to the heart, then it
proceeds up to his throat, then it commences again with his body .
" Indeed, it [i.e. Hellfire] will be closed down upon them"
There is no escape for them from it, nor any relief since, according
to Ibn 'Abbaas, the Arabic word Mu'sadah used in this verse means that
it (the fire) locks all doors upon them so that there is no escape.
Qataadah said it means a fire that blocks out all the light and
prevents any exit from it, while Ad-Dahhaak said it means an
all-encompassing fire from whichthere is no door by which to exit.
According to Abu 'Imraan Al-Jawni "When the Day of Resurrection comes,
by Allaah's command, every tyrant, every devil and every person who
used to fear people (rather than Allaah) will be fettered in irons,
then Allaah will order that they be thrown into the Fire and they will
be covered by it, then - by Allaah - their feet will not be able to
obtain any position on the ground - ever; nor will they be able to see
the sky from it, for their eyes will never be able to close in sleep,
nor – by Allaah – will they taste therein any cold (refreshing) drinks
– ever." [Ibn Abi Haatim]
"In extended columns"
'Atiyah Ibn 'Awfi said that it means columns of iron, while As-Suddi
said, "It means columns of fire." Qataadah said that according to Ibn
'Abbas, it means the doors (of the fire) are extended. Al-'Awfi also
attributesto Ibn 'Abbaas that it means that Allaah will place them in
the Fire with extended columns over them, buttressed by supports to
which they are chained by their necks and the doors are locked upon
them. Qataadah also said: "We used to say that they are punished with
columns of fire." This was the preferred explanation of Ibn Jareer
while Abu Saalih said that the verse means: "In heavy shackles (which
bind them)".

Ibn Al-Haytham: the father of modern optics

- < - ▓███▓ - "Published by, M NajimudeeN Bsc - INDIA|®|- -
- - * - Translator:: http://translate.google.com/m/ -▓███▓ - -
- > - > Abu 'Ali Al-Hasan bin Al-Haytham (965-1040 C.E.)
was one of the most eminent physicists, whose contributions to optics
and scientific methods are outstanding. Known in the West as Alhazen,
Ibn Al-Haytham was born in 965 CE in Basrah, and was educated in
Basrah and Baghdad.Thereafter, he went to Egypt, where he was asked to
find ways of controlling the flood of the Nile.
After failing in his attempt to regulate the flow of the Nile, Ibn
Al-Haytham feared that al-Hakim would punish him. To avoid punishment,
he pretended to be insane until al-Hakim's death. He also traveled to
Spain and during this period, he had ample time for his scientific
pursuits, which included optics, mathematics, physics, medicine and
development of scientific methods -- on each of which he has left
several outstanding books.
He made a thorough examinationof the passage of light through various
media and discovered thelaws of refraction. He also carriedout the
first experiments on the dispersion of light into its constituent
colors. His book Kitaab-al-Manaadhir was translated into Latin in the
MiddleAges, as also his book dealing with the colors of sunset. He
dealt at length with the theory ofvarious physical phenomena like
shadows, eclipses, the rainbow and speculated on the physical nature
of light.
Ibn Al-Haytham is the first to accurately describe the various parts
of the eye and give a scientific explanation of the process of vision.
He also attempted to explain binocular vision, and gave a correct
explanation of the apparent increase in size of the sun and the moon
when near the horizon.He is known for the earliest use of the camera
obscura . He contradicted Ptolemy's and Euclid's theory of vision,
that objects are seen by rays of light emanating from the eyes;
according to him the rays originate in the object of vision and not in
the eye. Through theseextensive researches on optics, he has been
considered as the Father of Modern Optics.
The Latin translation of his main work, Kitaab-al-Manaadhir , exerted
a great influence upon Western science, for example on the work of
Roger Bacon and Kepler. It brought about great progress in
experimental methods. His research in catoptrics centered on spherical
and parabolic mirrors and spherical aberration. He made theimportant
observation that the ratio between the angle of incidence and
refraction does notremain constant and investigatedthe magnifying
power of a lens. His catoptrics contains the important problem known
as 'Alhazen's problem'. It comprises drawing lines from two points in
the plane of a circle meeting at a point on the circumference and
making equal angles with the normal at that point. This leads to an
equation of the fourth degree.
In his book Meezaan al-Hikmah , Ibn Al-Haytham has discussed
thedensity of the atmosphere and developed a relation between it and
the elevation. He also studiedatmospheric refraction. He discovered
that the twilight only ceases or begins when the sun is 19° below the
horizon and attempted to measure the heightof the atmosphere on that
basis. He has also discussed the theories of attraction between
masses, and it seems that he wasaware of the magnitude of acceleration
due to gravity.
Ibn Al-Haytham's contribution to mathematics and physics was
extensive. In mathematics, he developed analytical geometry
byestablishing a link between algebra and geometry. He studiedthe
mechanics of motion of a body, and was the first to maintain that a
body moves perpetually unless an external force stops it or changes
its direction of motion. This would seem equivalent to the first law
of motion.
The list of his books runs to 200 or so, very few of which have
survived. Even his monumental treatise on optics survived through its
Latin translation. During the middle Ages, his books on cosmology were
translated into Latin, Hebrew andother languages. He has also written
on the subject of evolution, a book that deserves serious attention
even today.
In his writing, one can see clear development of the scientific
methods as developed and applied by the Muslims, comprising the
systematic observation of physical phenomena and their linking
together into a scientific theory. This was a major breakthrough
inscientific methodology, making itdistinct from guess-work and
conjecture, and placed scientific pursuits on a sound foundation
comprising systematic relationship between observation, hypothesis and
verification.
Ibn Al-Haytham's influence on physical sciences in general and optics
in particular, has been heldin high esteem and, in fact, it ushered in
a new era in optical research, both in theory and practice.

Pondering on Allaah's signs

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In the Quran, it is mentioned thatthe unbelievers are the people who
does not recognize and appreciate the signs of Allaah. The
significance of a believer is his ability to see those signs and
proofs. They know that these are not created in vain; they can realize
the power and great art ofAllaah everywhere and find ways to appraise
Him. About such people Allaah Almighty Says (what means): "Who
remember Allaah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides
and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth,
[saying], 'Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are
You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the
Fire.'" ] Quran 3:191]
Many times in the Quran, there are expressions like "will you not take
heed?", "...there is a sign for thinking men" which emphasize the
importance of pondering on the signs of Allaah. Allaah has created an
endless list of things to be the subjects of pondering. Everything we
see and sense is indeed a manifestation and sign of Allaah; so all
those in heavens and in earth and in between may be a means of
pondering for us. Allaah Saya (what means): "He causes to grow for you
thereby the crops, olives, palm trees, grapevines, and from all the
fruits. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought."
[Quran 16: 11]
Let's think for a while of one of the items mentioned in the above
verse; for instance, the"date-tree, as well known, growsup from a seed
out of the earth. From this tiny seed (a seed is not even 1 cm3 in
size), an enormous wooden mass of several meters long and hundreds of
kilograms of weight, forms. The only thing that seed can use while
constituting this great mass is the earth in which it is buried.
How can a seed know how to constitute a tree? How does it know how to
decompose the necessary substances in the soil to form food? How can
it predict the required shape and structure? This last question is
especially important, because it isnot an ordinary wooden piece that
emerges out from the seed. The seed develops a complex living organism
with roots for assimilating substances from the earth, with veins in
itself and with branches that are perfectly organized. A human being
has difficulty while drawing even a picture of a tree, but on the
otherhand a simple seed can produce that extremely complex object
using the substances in the soil.
This observation concludes that aseed is extremely intelligent and
wise, even more than us. Or better to say, there is an
amazingintelligence in what a seed does. But what is the source of
that intelligence? How can it be possible for a seed to have such an
intelligence and memory like acomputer "chip"?
The chips are produced by peoplewho have intelligence and knowledge.
Just like a seed whichis created by Allaah with the ability to develop
a tree. Every seed on earth is encompassed by Allaah and grows within
His knowledge. He Almighty Says (what means): "Indeed, Allaah is the
cleaver of grain and date seeds. He brings the living out of the dead
and brings the dead outof the living. That is Allaah; so how are you
deluded?" [Quran 6: 95]
A seed is merely one of the numerous signs that Allaah has created in
the universe. If men begin to think with not only theirminds but also
with their hearts, asking the question of 'why' and 'how' to
themselves, they can understand that all the universe is a proof of
the existence and power of Allaah, the Most Exalted.
However, the unbelievers cannot understand such things, since they
don't have the ability to"see" this purpose- as the Quran expresses
(what means): "…They have eyes with which they do notsee…" [Quran 7:
179] i.e., they do not have the wisdom and comprehension to realize
the important reality with their materialistic vision.
On the other hand, believers are different than this 'blind' group,
because they realize and accept that the whole universe is created by
Allaah with a certain aim and wisdom. This belief is the first step of
faith. As faith andwisdom, both of which are in parallel, increase,
they will start to identify every detail of Allaah's creation.
One of the things to be done to identify the details of Allaah's
Creation is to be careful and observant. Because the ability to see
the signs of Allaah and not tobe "blind" like the unbelievers, require
a high concentration.
Allaah Almighty Says (what means): "Unquestionably, to Allaah belongs
whatever is in the heavens and earth. Already He knows that upon which
you [stand] and [knows] the Day when they will be returned to Him and
He will inform them of what they have done. And Allaah is Knowing of
all things.." [Quran 24: 64]
"Unquestionably, they are in doubt about the meeting with their Lord.
Unquestionably He is, of all things, encompassing." [Quran 41:54]
One should train himself to recognize the signs of Allaah and should
always keep this in mind. Otherwise, mind will start to wander,
jumping from one topic to another, wasting time thinking about useless
things.
Mind is like water; unless it is directed which way to flow, it
spreads away, to the places that you would not want it to flow. This
is a kind of unconsciousness;you cannot control your mind. You cannot
focus and concentrate on a subject. Actually, you cannot conceive the
truth behind the events happening and also cannot ever have the
competence to interferein them. On the contrary, your mind gets
directed by those events. You are "bewildered" all the time, which is
not an attribute of a believer, but the unbelievers, as Allaah
Almighty Says (what means): "...And he who associates with Allaah – it
is as though he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds
or the wind carried him down into a remote place." [Quran 22: 31]
Believers, on the other hand, are the ones who direct their minds, try
to better perceive Allaah, and who try to better serve His religion.
The believers are the ones "who turn away from ill speech" [Quran
23:3]. They free their minds from any useless thoughts and whenever
they realize the appeal of Satan, they rescue themselves just like
AllaahAlmighty Says in the Quran (what means): "Indeed, those who fear
Allaah – when an impulse touches them from Satan, they remember [Him]
and at once theyhave insight." [Quran 7: 201]
Therefore, the believers should be careful to keep their minds free of
useless thoughts and ponder only on useful things thatserve them in
their life and keep them close to the Mighty Creator.

The Heart Softeners, - Why will there be more women in Hell than men? .

Dought & clear, - - < - ▓███▓ - "Published by, M NajimudeeN
Bsc - INDIA|®|- - - - * - Translator::
http://translate.google.com/m/ -▓███▓ - - - > - > Why
are there more women in hell than men?
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) that women will form the majority of the people of Hell. It
wasnarrated from 'Imraan ibn Husayn that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "I looked into Paradise andI
saw that the majority of its people were the poor. And I looked into
Hell and I saw that the majority of its people are women."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3241; Muslim, 2737)
With regard to the reason for that, the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) was asked about it and he explained the reason.
It was narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Abbaas said: The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "I was shown
Hell and I have never seen anything more terrifying than it. And I saw
that the majority of its people are women." They said, "Why, O
Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "Because of their ingratitude (kufr)."
It was said, "Are they ungrateful to Allaah?" Hesaid, "They are
ungrateful to their companions (husbands) and ungrateful for good
treatment. If you are kind to one of them for a lifetime then she sees
one (undesirable) thing in you, she will say, 'I have never had
anythinggood from you.'" (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1052)
It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri said:
"The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
went out to the Musalla on the day of Eid al-Adhaor Eid al-Fitr. He
passed by the women and said, 'O women! Give charity, for I have seen
that you form the majority of the people of Hell.' They asked, 'Why is
that, O Messenger of Allaah?' Hereplied, 'You curse frequently and
are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient
in intelligence and religious commitment than you. A cautious sensible
man could be led astray by some of you.' The women asked, 'O Messenger
of Allaah, what is deficient in our intelligence and religious
commitment?' He said, 'Is not the testimony of two women equal to the
testimony of one man?' They said, 'Yes.' He said, 'This is the
deficiency in her intelligence. Is it not true that a woman can
neither pray nor fast during her menses?' The women said, 'Yes.' He
said, 'This is the deficiency in her religious commitment.'"
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 304)
It was narrated that Jaabir ibn 'Abd-Allaah said: "I attended Eid
prayers with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him). He started with the prayer before the khutbah, with no
adhaan or iqaamah. Then he stood up, leaning on Bilaal, speaking of
fear of Allaah (taqwa) and urging us to obey Him. He preached to the
people and reminded them. Then he went overto the women and preached
to them and reminded them. Then hesaid, 'Give in charity, for you are
the majority of the fuel of Hell. A womanwith dark cheeks stood up in
the midst of the women and said, 'Why isthat, O Messenger of Allaah?'
He said, 'Becauseyou complain too much and are ungrateful to your
husbands.' Then they started to give theirjewellery in charity,
throwing their earrings and rings into Bilaal's cloak."
(Narrated by Muslim, 885)
Our believing sisters who learn of this hadeeth should behave like
those Sahaabiyaat who, when they learned of this, did good deeds which
would be the means, by Allaah's leave, of keeping them far away from
being included in that majorityof the inhabitants of Hell.
So our advice to the sisters is to strive to adhere to the rituals
andobligatory duties of Islam, especially prayer, and to keep away
from that which Allaah has forbidden, especially shirk in its many
forms which are widespread among women, such as seeking one's needs
from someone other than Allaah, going to practitioners of witchcraft
and fortune-tellers, etc.
We ask Allaah to keep usand all our brothers and sisters far away
from theFire and the words and deeds that bring one close to it.

The Heart Softeners, - Conditions for deeds to be acceptable to Allaah .

- < - ▓███▓ - "Published by, M NajimudeeN Bsc - INDIA|®|- -
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- > - > When a Muslim does an action, what conditions
make it acceptable and therefore rewarded by Allah. Is it simply that
you intended to follow the Qur'an and Sunnah, and therefore you will
be rewarded even though you may have been wrong in your action. Or is
it that you must have the intention, but you also need to follow the
correct Sunnah as well.
Praise be to Allaah.
For acts of worship to beacceptable to Allaah and for a person to be
rewarded for them, there are two conditionswhich must be met:
The first condition: it should be devoted to Allaah Alone. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And they were commanded not, but that they should worshipAllaah, and
worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to
Him)"
[al-Bayyinah 98:5]
The meaning of worshipping Allaah alone is that the person should
intend in all his words and deeds, both inward and outward, to seek
the Face of Allaah (i.e., His pleasure). Allaahsays (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And who has (in mind) no favour from anyone to be paid back,
Except to seek the Countenance of his Lord,the Most High"
[al-Layl 92:19]
"(Saying): "We feed you seeking Allaah's Countenance only. We wish for
no reward, nor thanks from you"
[al-Insaan 76:9]
"Whosoever desires (by his deeds) the reward of the Hereafter, We give
him increase in his reward, and whosoever desires the reward of this
world (by his deeds),We give him thereof (what is decreed for him),
and he has no portion in the Hereafter"
[al-Shoora 42:20]
"Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter, to them We
shall pay in full (the wages of)their deeds therein, and they will
have no diminution therein.
They are those for whomthere is nothing in the Hereafter but Fire, and
vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which
they used to do"
[Hood 11:15-16]
It was narrated that 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) say:
'The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will
get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated
for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for
what he emigrated for.'"
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Bad' al-Wahy, 1).
It was narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah, may
He be blessed and exalted, says: 'I am so self-sufficient that I am in
no need of having an associate. Thus he who does an action for someone
else's sake as well as Mine will have that action renounced by Me to
him whom he associated with Me.'" (Narrated by Muslim, al-Zuhd
wa'l-Raqaa'iq, 5300)
The second condition is that the action should bein accordance with
the only way which Allaah has prescribed for worship, which is by
following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in
the laws that he has brought. It was narratedthat the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever does any action
that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will
have it rejected." (Narrated by Muslim, al-Aqdiyyah, 3243).
Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:"This hadeeth forms one
of the most important principles of Islam. It is like a scale for
weighing up deeds according to their outward appearance, just as the
hadeeth 'The reward of deeds depends upon theintentions' is the means
of weighing up the inner nature of deeds. Just as every action which
is not intended for the sake of Allaah brings no reward to the one who
does it, so too every deed which is not in accordance with the command
of Allaah and His Messenger will also be rejected and thrown back at
the one who does it. Everyone who innovates in Islam something for
which Allaah and His Messengerhave not granted permission, that thing
is nothing to do with Islam.
(Jaami' al-'Uloom wa'l-Hukam, part 1, p. 176)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined
following his Sunnah and teachings, and made them binding. He (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "You have to followmy
Sunnah (way) and the way of my rightly-guided successors (al-khulafa'
al-raashidoon); bite ontoit with your eyeteeth (i.e., cling firmly to
it)." And he warned against bid'ah (innovation), as he said: "Beware
of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is a going
astray." (narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-'Ilm, 2600; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 2157)
Ibn al-Qayyim said: "Allaah has made devotion of worship to Him alone
and followingthe Sunnah the means ofdeeds being accepted; if these
conditions are not met, then deeds are unaccaptable."
(al-Rooh, 1/135)
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is
best in deed"
[al-Mulk 67:2]
al-Fudayl said: "'best in deed' means, most devoted to Allaah alone
and most in accordance with the Sunnah.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.

The Heart Softeners, - How to be successful in life.

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How to obtain success and prosperity in this world and hereafter.What
kind of success or prosperity that islam want the ummah islam gain in
thisworld.
Praise be to Allaah.
Peace of mind, contentment, happiness and freedom from worries and
anxiety… these are what everyonewants, and these are theways in which
people can have a good life andfind complete happiness and joy. There
are religious means of achieving that, and natural and practical
means, but no one can combine all of them except the believers;
although other people may achieve some of them, they will miss out on
others.
There follows a summaryof the means of achieving this aim for which
everyone is striving. In some cases, those who achieve manyof them
will live a joyful life and a good life; in other cases, those who
fail to achieve all of them will live a life of misery and hardship.
And there are others which are in between, according to what the means
he is able to attain. These means include the following:
1 – Faith and righteous deeds:
This is the greatest and most fundamental of means. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or
she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will
give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful
provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to
the best ofwhat they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)"
[al-Nahl 16:97]
Allaah tells us and promises us that whoever combines faith with
righteous deeds will have a good life anda good reward in this world
and in the Hereafter.
The reason for that is clear: those who believe in Allaah – with
sincere faith that motivates them to do righteous deeds that change
hearts and attitudes and guides them to the straight path in this
world and the Hereafter – follow principles and guidelines by means of
which they deal with everything that happensto them, be it the causes
of happiness and excitement or the causesof anxiety, worry and grief.
They deal with the things that they like by accepting them and giving
thanks for them, and using them in good ways. When they deal with them
in this manner, that creates in them a sense of excitement and the
hopethat it will continue and that they will be rewarded for their
gratitude, which is moreimportant than the goodthings that happen to
them. And they deal withbad things, worries and distress by resisting
those that they can resist, alleviating those that they can alleviate,
and bearing with goodlypatience those that they cannot avoid. Thus as
a result of the bad things they gain a lot of benefits, experience,
strength, patience and hope of reward, which are more important and
which diminish the hardships they have undergone and replace them with
happiness and hope for the bountyand reward of Allaah. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) expressed this in a saheeh
hadeeth in which he said: "How wonderful is the situation of the
believer,for all his affairs are good. If something goodhappens to
him, he givesthanks for it and that is good for him; if something bad
happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him.
This does not apply to anyone but the believer." (Narrated by Muslim,
no. 2999).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that
the believer is always gaining and the reward for his deeds is always
multiplying, no matter what happens to him, good or bad.
2 – Being kind to people in word and deed, and all kinds of doing
good. This is one of the means of removing worry, distress and
anxiety. By this means Allaah wards off worries and distress from
righteous and immoral like, but the believer has the greater share of
that, and is distinguished by the factthat his kindness to others
stems from sincerity and the hope ofreward, so Allaah makes it easy
for him to be kindto others because of the hope that this will bring
good things and ward off bad things, by meansof his sincerity and
hopeof reward. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who
ordersSadaqah (charity in Allaah's Cause), or Ma'roof (Islamic
Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allaah has
ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this,
seeking the good Pleasure of Allaah, We shall give him a great reward"
[al-Nisa' 4:114]
Part of that great reward is relief from worry, distress, troubles, etc.
3 – Another of the meansof warding off anxiety that stems from nervous
tension and being preoccupied with disturbing thoughts is tooccupy
oneself with good deeds or seeking beneficial knowledge, for that will
distract one from dwelling on the matters that are causing anxiety. In
this way a person may forget aboutthe things that are making him
worried anddistressed, and he may become happy and moreenergetic. This
is another means that believers and others have in common, but
thebeliever is distinguished by his faith, sincerity andhope of reward
when heoccupies himself with that knowledge which he is learning or
teaching, or with the good deeds that he is doing.
The work with which he occupies himself should be something that he
likes and enjoys, for thatis more likely to producethe desired
results. And Allaah knows best.
4 – Another thing that may ward off worry and anxiety is focusing all
one's thoughts of the present day, and not worrying about the future
or grieving about the past. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) sought refuge with Allaah from worry and regret,
from regret for things in the past which one cannot put right or
change, and worry which may come because of fear for the future. So
one should focus only on the present day, and focus one's efforts on
getting things right today. For if a person is focused on that, this
means that he will do things properly and forget about worry and
regret. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said a du'aa' or taught a du'aa' to his ummah, as well as urging them
to seek the help of Allaah and hope for His bounty, he was also urging
them to strive to attain the thing they were praying for through their
own efforts and to forget about the thing which they were praying
would be warded off from them. Because du'aa' (supplication) must be
accompanied byaction. So a person must strive to attain that which
will benefit him inworldly and spiritual terms, and ask his Lord to
make his efforts successful, and he shouldseek His help in that, as
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Strive
for that which will benefit you and seek thehelp of Allaah, and do not
be helpless. If anything (bad) happens to you, do not say, 'If only I
had done such-and-such, then such-and-such would have happened.'
Rather you should say, 'QaddaraAllaah wa ma sha'a fa'ala(Allaah
decrees, and what He wills He does),' for (the words) 'If only' open
the door to the Shaytaan." (Narrated by Muslim). The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) connected the matter of striving
to achieve good things with the matter of seeking the help of Allaah
and not giving in to feelings of helplessness which are a harmful kind
of laziness, and with the matter of accepting things in the past which
are over and done with, and acknowledging that the will and decree of
Allaahwill inevitably come to pass. He described matters as being of
two types:
1 – Matters which a person may strive to achieve or to achieve
whatever he can of them, or to ward them off or alleviate them. In
such cases a person muststrive and make the effort, and also seek the
help of Allaah.
2 – Matters where such isnot possible, so he must have peace of mind,
accept them and submit to Allaah's will.
Undoubtedly paying attention to this principle will bring happiness
and relieve worry and distress.
5 – One of the greatest means of feeling contentand relaxed and of
acquiring peace of mind is to remember Allaah a great deal (dhikr).
That has a great effect in bringing contentment and peace of mind, and
relieving worry and distress. Allaah says:
"verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest"
[al-Ra'd 13:28]
Remembering Allaah (dhikr) has a great effectin achieving this aim
because it has a special influence and because ofthe hope that it
brings of reward.
6 – Another of the meansof bringing happiness and relieving worry and
distress is striving to eliminate the things thatcause worry and to
achieve the things that bring happiness. That may be done by
forgetting about bad things in the past which cannot be changed, and
realizing that dwelling on them is a waste of time. So a person must
strive to stop himself from thinking of that, and also strive to stop
himself from feeling anxious about the futureand the things that he
may imagine of poverty, fear and other bad things that he thinks may
happen to him in the future. He should realize that the future is
something unknown, he cannot know what goodor bad things are going to
happen to him. That isin the hand of the Almighty, the Most Wise, and
all that His slaves can do is to strive to attain the good things and
to ward off the bad things. A person should realize that if he diverts
his thoughts from worrying about his future and puts his trust in his
Lord to take care of his situation, and putshis mind at rest
concerning that, if he does that, then his heart will be at peace and
his situation will improve and he will be relieved of worry and
anxiety.
One of the most effectiveways of dealing with worries about the
futureis to recite this du'aa' which the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) used to recite:
"Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa 'ismatu amri, wa aslih li
dunyaaya allati fiha ma'aashi, wa aslih li aakhirati allati ilayha
ma'aadi, waj'al al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi kulli khayr, wa'l-mawta
raahatan li min kulli sharr (O Allaah, correct my religious commitment
which is the foundation of my life, and correct my worldly affairs in
which is my livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter to which is
my return. Make my life a means of accumulating good, and make death a
respite for me from all evil)." (Narrated by Muslim, 2720).
And he said, "Allaahumma rahmatakaarju fa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata
'aynin wa aslih li sha'ni kullahu, laa ilaahailla anta (O Allaah, for
Your mercy I hope, so donot abandon me to myself even for a moment.
And correct all my affairs. There is no god but You)." (Narratedby Abu
Dawood with a saheeh isnaad, no. 5090; classed as hasan by al-Albaani
in Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib, p. 49).
If a person utters these du'aa's, which ask that his spiritual and
worldly affairs may be set right or corrected, with proper presence of
mindand sincerity of intention, whilst strivingto achieve that, Allaah
will grant him what he has prayed for, hoped for and striven for, and
He will turn his worry into joy and happiness.
7 – If a person experiences anxiety and distress because of a
disaster, then one of the most effective means of relieving himself of
that is to think of the worst scenario to which that may lead, and try
to accept that. When he hasdone that, then he should try to alleviate
it as much as possible. By means of this acceptanceand these efforts,
he willrelieve himself of his worries and distress, andinstead of
worrying he will strive to bring aboutgood things and to deal with
whatever he can of the bad things. If he is faced with things that
cause fear or the possibility of sickness or poverty, then he should
deal with that by striving to make himself accept that, or something
even worse, with contentment, because by making himself accept the
worst-case scenario, he lessens the impact of thething and makes it
seem less terrible, especially if he occupies himself withefforts to
ward it off as much as he can. Thus as well as striving to achieve
something goodwhich will distract him from his worries about calamity,
he will also renew his strength to resist bad things, and put his
trust and reliancein Allaah. Undoubtedly these matters are of great
benefit in attaining happiness and peace of mind, as well asbringing
the hope of reward in this world andin the Hereafter. This is
something which is well known from the experience of many whohave
tried it.
8 – Steadfastness of heart and not being disturbed about the imaginary
things that bad thoughts may bring to mind. For when a person gives in
to his imagination and lets his mind be disturbed by these thoughts,
such as fear of disease and the like, or anger and confusion stirred
up by some grievous matter, orthe expectation of bad things and the
loss of good things, that will fill him with worries, distress, mental
and physical illness and nervous breakdowns, which will have a bad
effect on him and which causes a great deal of harm, as many people
have seen. But when a person depends on Allaah and puts his trust in
Him, and does not give in to his imagination or let bad thoughts
overwhelm him, and he relies on Allaah and has hope of His bounty,
that wards off his worries and distress, and relieves himof a great
deal of mentaland physical sickness. It gives indescribable strength,
comfort and happiness to the heart. How many hospitals are filled with
the mentally sick victims of illusions and harmful imagination; how
often have these things had aneffect upon the hearts ofmany strong
people, let alone the weak ones; how often have they led to
foolishness and insanity.
It should be noted that your life will follow yourtrain of thought. If
your thoughts are of things that will bring you benefit in your
spiritual or worldly affairs, then your life will be good and happy.
Otherwise it will be the opposite.
The person who is safe from all of that is the one who is protected by
Allaah and helped by Him to strive to achieve that which will benefit
and strengthen the heart and ward off anxiety. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And whosoever puts histrust in Allaah, then He will suffice him"
[al-Talaaq 65:3]
i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is worrying him in his
spiritual and worldly affairs. The one who puts his trust in Allaah
will have strengthin his heart and will not be affected by anything he
imagines or be disturbed by events, because he knows that these are
the result of vulnerable human nature and of weakness and fear that
have no basis. He also knows thatAllaah has guaranteed complete
sufficiency to those who put their trustin Him. So he trusts in Allaah
and finds peace ofmind in His promise, andthus his worry and anxiety
are dispelled; hardship is turned to ease, sadness is turned to joy,
fear is turned to peace. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound, and
to bless us with strength and steadfastness of heart, and complete
trust, for Allaah has guaranteed all good things to those who put
their trust in Him, and has guaranteedto ward off all bad and harmful
things from them.
If bad things happen or there is the fear of such, then you should
count the many blessings that you are still enjoying, both spiritual
and worldly, and compare them with the bad things that have happened,
for when youcompare them you will see the many blessings that you are
enjoying, and this will make the bad things appear less serious.
See al-Wasaa'il al-Mufeedah li'l-Hayaat al-Sa'eedah by Shatkh 'Abd
al-Rahmaan ibn Sa'di
Ibn al-Qayyim summed fifteen ways through which Allaah may dispel
worries and regret. These are as follows:
1- Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (belief in the Oneness of Divine Lordship)
2- Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (belief in the Oneness of the Divine nature)
3- Tawheed of knowledge and belief (i.e., Tawheed al-Asma'
wa'l_Sifaat, belief in the Oneness of the Divine names and attributes)
4- Thinking of Allaah as being above doing any injustice to His
slaves, and above punishing anyone for nocause on the part of the
slave that would require such punishment.
5- The person's acknowledging that he is the one who has done wrong.
6- Beseeching Allaah by means of the things that are most beloved
to Him, which are His names and attributes. Two of His names that
encompass the meanings of all other names and attributes areal-Hayy
(the Ever-Living) and al-Qayyoom (the Eternal).
7- Seeking the help of Allaah Alone.
8- Affirming one's hope in Him.
9- Truly putting one's trust in Him and leaving matters to Him,
acknowledging that one's forelock is in His hand and that He does as
He wills, that His will isforever executed and that He is just in all
that He decrees.
10-Letting one's heart wander in the garden ofthe Qur'aan, seeking
consolation in it from every calamity, seeking healing in it from all
diseases of the heart, so that it will bring comfortto his grief and
healing for his worries and distress.
11-Seeking forgiveness.
12-Repentance.
13-Jihad.
14-Salaah (prayer).
15-Declaring that he has no power and no strength, and leaving matters
to the One in Whose hand they are.
We ask Allaah to keep ussafe and sound from worries and to relieve
usof distress and anxiety, for He is the All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive,
and He is the Ever-Living, Eternal.

Islamic Stories500 Years of Worship

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- > - > 500 Years of Worship
Angel Jibrail (as) told Rasulullah (peace be upon him) the follwing
incident about a man in the past who worshipped Allah Ta'ala
continuously for 500 years. He was granted a shelter on top of a
mountain that was surrounded by salty water. However, Allah caused a
stream of sweet water to flow through the mountain for that
individual. The man would drink from this water and use it to make
ablution. Allah Ta'ala also raised a pomegranate tree from which the
man would eat one fruit every day.
One day, this person supplicated to Allah that,"Oh Allah, bring my
death while I am in the state of prostration." Allah accepted this dua
of his. Whenever Jibrail (as) came down to the Earth, he found this
man prostrating to Allah. Jibrail (as) said that on the day of
Judgement, Allah will tell the angels to take this individual to
Paradise through His mercy. However, this man will insist that he
should enter paradise through the good deeds that he had performed.
Then, Allah will tell the angels to compare his good deeds with the
blessings that were given to him in the world. It will be seen that
500 years of his worship does not even equal to the gift of eye sight
that was given to him by Allah. The angels will be asked to take
himtowards the hell fire. Then the man will plead,"Oh Allah! Enter me
into Paradise only through Your mercy." At that point, the following
discussion will take place between Allah and that man.
Allah: Oh my servant, who created you?
The worshipper: Oh Allah, You have created me.
Allah: Were you created because of the good deeds you have done or
because of My mercy?
The worshipper: Becauseof Your mercy.
Allah: Who granted you the ability to worship for500 years?
The worshipper: Oh the Almighty! You have granted me that ability.
Allah: Who placed you on the mountain surrounded by the ocean? Who
caused a stream of sweet water toflow in between the salty water? Who
causeda pomegranate tree to grow for you? Who granted you death
whilein the state of prostration?
The worshipper: Oh the Sustainer of the Worlds! You have done all of these.
Then Allah will say, "All these have happened due to My mercy and
youtoo will enter Paradise only through My Mercy."
Source: Obtained from the book "Tambihul Ghafileen" by Shaikh Abul
Laith Samarkandi.
We can never thank Allah for the blessings that He has given us. Let
us use these blessings to recognize Allah before our death.

Islamic Stories - Importance of Saying Insha-Allah

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Importance of Saying Insha-Allah
During a Jumah Khutbahin a small town, an Imamtalked about the
significance of saying"Insha Allah" (which means if Allah wills) when
planning to do something in the future. After a few days, a man who
had also attended the Khutbah was going to buy a cow from the market.
On the way, he met a friend who asked him where he was going. He told
him aboutbuying the cow but did not say Insha Allah in theend. His
friend remindedhim about the Khutbah and told him to say InshaAllah.
However, this individual said that he had the money he needsand the
energy to go to the market, thus, there isno point of saying Insha
Allah as he will certainly buy the cow. He thoughtthat saying Insha
Allah will not make any difference.
When he reached the market, he found a cow that met his expectations.
He burgained with the seller and came to a reasonable price.
Finally,he decided to pay for the cow but was dumbfounded when he
discovered that his money was missing. A thief had stolen the money
while he was walking through the busy market. The cow seller asked him
whether he was going to buy the cow or not."Insha Allah, I will buy it
next week," he said. When he reached home, his wife inquired about the
cow. He told her about how he forgot to say Insha Allah, and also
added, "Insha Allah, I wanted to buy the cow. But Insha Allah, my
money was stolen. Insha Allah, I will buy it next week." His wife
clarified to him that we should say Insha Allah for thingsthat are yet
to happen, not for those things that had already happened. He never
forgot his"Insha Allah" again.
This incident was narrated by Shaikh Wahidullah from Toronto, Canada.