For children, - Sincerity (Ikhlas) in Islam, Sincere Faith and Worship, Sincerity Quotes

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Allah (SWT), the Wise, has said in the Noble Qur'an: He is the Living, there is no god but He, therefore call on Him, being sincere to Him in obedience; (all) praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Suratul Ghafir (40:65)
Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)said: As for anyone who works to Allah (SWT) sincerely for forty days, Allah (SWT) will make the springs of wisdom come out of his heart and tongue.
Imam Ali (as) said: Perform your deeds with sincerity, for (then, even) a slight of it shall be sufficient for you.
Imam Ali (as) said: This world is wholly ignorance except the situations of knowledge. Knowledge is wholly ignorance except that which is practiced. All the practices are showiness except those which are done heartily. Sincerity, likewise, is insecure before the end result is realized.
Imam Taqi al-Jawad (as)said: Sincerity is the best worship.
Doing things out of ones own free will tells as to the measure of intention one possesses. In this there is sincerity (ikhlas) in the action. Sincerity is the key to the acceptance of all deeds. A person whose deeds are accepted by Allah (SWT), however trivial they may be, is a sincere person and one whose deeds, in spite of being plentiful are rejected by Allah (SWT), is not of the sincere ones.
Sincerity stands for purifying one's deeds from blemishes of ostentation in order to make them purely intended to Allah (SWT). A sincere person strives to purify his soul from vices and exerts himself to perform (good) deeds and maintain (sincerity of) intention so that Allah (SWT) accepts his deeds.
It is related that a man said: "For thirty years, I used to offer my prayers collectively in the mosque in the first row. One day, I was late because of something and I had to join the second row. As soon as I stopped, I felt embarrassed. Only then, I discovered that my previous prayers had been my source of pleasure."
The level of intention, knowledge and deeds is related to spiritual purification and refinement, and if a sincere person were to pay due attention to his inner self, he would come to perceive the true concept of Unity of God (Tawheed). The lowest degree of sincerity is when a person exerts himself to the best of his ability, neither anticipating rewards for his deeds nor attaching any importance to them.
Sincerity Quote:The measure of Sincerity of a person is his devotion towards Allah (SWT). A person not Sincere to his creator can never be faithful to people.

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Fathwa, - Trying to make peace between brothers

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Question
There are some family problems between my husband and his brother. This family is a very lovely and religious family, but things happened to be hard and made these two brothers get in a big fight. My concern is that always solved small problems between them but this last one two months ago was the biggest. My brother in-law cursed, threatened, and tried to attack our house with a hammer. Since then the family was splitting. My turn came and I was trying to make things better but in a way to keep my husband calm because he went through allot. My question is: do I get blamed in the religion if I do things behind by husband just to make them go back to each other with no problems? For example, if I spoke with him without telling my husband or if I lied to my husband telling him good things his brother did or any thing to make things better, please I really need an answer for this thing.
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions. Making conciliation between two quarreling parties is among the great good deeds. Allah Says )interpretation of meaning( in this concern: }"There is no good in most of their secret talks save )in( him who orders Sadaqah )charity in Allah's Cause(, or Ma'raf )Islamic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allah has ordained(, or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allah, We shall give him a great reward."{]4:114[. Your efforts and aspiration to settle the dispute between the two brothers is highly encouraged and you will be rewarded for that. Lying to make peace between two parties is permissible. Therefore, there is no harm to lie to your husband for that purpose provided this does not cause any harm or lead to greater harms. You may seek help of good people or other respected family members who can settle the matters. Allah knows best.

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Fathwa, - Do not interfere in domestic affairs

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Question
This person married my sister. He is a reserved type. He does not like to mix around with his in-laws side that is his wife relatives but then he wants his wife to mix with his side. He gets irritated and angry when his wife speaks to her own maternal uncles etc. He also likes to insult and pass sarcastic remarks on people whom in some majlis he likes to create trouble especially at his wife's side. This is causing a lot of unhappiness and misery at our family functions. Advise him, no improvement. He gets jealous easily when my sister mixed around with her side. But he is friendly, nice with his family and friends only. How to change his bad characters. What advise should be given to him according to Quran and Hadith. He does not allow my sister to talk or visit her own brother and he is very authoritative against her. My relatives are trying to avoid him. My poor sister on the other hand is a very nice and polite person with good qualities. Please help her and my family and Dua for us. Recently he went thru some problems but no change in him. My family and my sister are being very patient.
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
Islam legislated marriage for the achievement of great religious purposes, the most important of which is the stability of life.
Allahsays:"And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect." )Ar-Rum 30:21(
So, both of the spouses have to make their effort to achieve this. If any problem that hinders their life happens, they have to resort to the Shariah to solve that. The husband has to help his wife establish good relations with her kinship in kindness, and should recognize his in-laws rights on him, and he has to do his best to be kind with them.
However, it is obligatory on the wife to obey her husband. If the latter prohibits his wife from visiting her family, she has to obey him. This obedience becomes more obligatory if the visit contains a Haram thing or causes any harm.
But ordering his wife to visit his relatives and mix with them in a way that causes temptation, is not permissible, she does not have to obey him, because there is no obedience to a creature in disobeying the Creator.
Anyway, we advise you not to interfere with what is going on between your sister and her husband in matters like those mentioned in the question. Because it is more appropriate for the husband to look into the interests of his wife, especially that she is patient about what could happen to her from his side and bears his shortcomings.
However, you have to advise him about his mockery about some people, and about his causing some trouble. This is his right on you as a Muslim.
The prophet said: "Religion is advice," reported byMuslim.
Allah knows best.

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Fathwa, - Suffering because his parents are bickering about getting a divorce

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I am 15 and my parents have nothing worked out together and they are planning a divorce. I see a lot of problems in front like shouting and bad words. I feel really bad. I feel that I'm getting sick from inside from all this that I see with my eyes and it will change a lot in my life. I don't know what to do. Please help me.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammadis His slave and Messenger.
We supplicate Allaah to dispel your grief, remove your sorrow and reconcile your parents. We guide you to some important matters:
First, supplicate Allaah as much as possible to reconcile your parents. Make supplications at the recommended times when supplications are more likely to be responded to, such as the last third of the night, during prostration, between Athaan and Iqaamah, and the like.
Second, arrange separate meetings with each of your parents and let them know your feelings regarding the unhappy incidents that are taking place. Try to address them in an appealing way and express your feelings, probably they may become soft and prepare to settle their disputes.
Third, try to convince them to appoint some wise and reliable persons from their families or scholars to look into their matters and settle them.
Fourth, they should be reminded of Allaah and His commands about being good with one's spouse. Allaah says )interpretation of meaning(: }…And due to them ]i.e. the wives[ is similar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable….{]2:228[. Your mother especially should be reminded of that her husband is her caretaker and should be obeyed. Allaah says )interpretation of meaning(: }Men are in charge of women by ]right of[ what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend ]for maintenance[ from their wealth…..{]4:34[.
On the other hand, your father should be reminded of the commands of Allaah that encourage a husband to be kind-hearted and cordial with his wife as proved from the Prophetthat he commanded: "Be kind to women )i.e. wives(." ]Muslim[
Allaah knows best.

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Welcome to Islam, - Did Islam spread by the sword? Myth and reality

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Among the most widely believed myths about Islam in the West today is the myth of forcible conversion to Islam.
Many Westerners believe that Islam is so widespread in the world today simply because of a "holy campaign of terror" carried out by the early Muslims to convert non-Muslims to Islam. They believe that non-Muslims were offered the freedom to choose between two things: Islam or death.
During a discussion, a Baptist Minister said: "Muslims tend to kill non-Muslims and anyone who disagrees with them". In a syndicated column appearing in over 30 papers )on July 23, 1994( entitled, ‘Muslim Persecution of Christians Increasing’ the author blames many Muslim countries for persecuting Christians, then he quotes the Quran )which means(:"There is no compulsion in religion"]Quran 2:256[ and ends the quote by rudely writing: "Really?"
How to confront such misconceptions? First, there is no need for us to be apologetic. As Muslims, we should search for the truth and present it as it is. This is how we have been instructed by Allaah Almighty )which means(:"Say: The truth from your Lord and let him who will believe and let him who will reject"]Quran 18:29[
Islam is the religion of the Truth and the Quran is the Book which testifies to the Truth; Allaah Says )what means(:"We sent down the Quran in Truth and in Truth has it descended"]Quran 17:105[
And )what means(:"Put your trust in Allaah for you are on the path of the manifest Truth"]Quran 27:79[
Therefore, we should ask ourselves first, before we are asked by anyone else: what is the truth? Did Muslims really force others to convert to Islam? Is there any evidence for consistent forcible conversion throughout Islamic history? In fact, there is no such evidence anywhere in the history of Islam. Many distinguished Western historians have attested to this fact -- foremost among whom is Sir Thomas W. Arnold in his book, The Preaching of Islam. Similarly authors like, Marshall G. Hodgson, in his book The Venture of Islam, Albert Hourani in his book, A History of the Arab People, Ira Lapidus in his book, History of Islamic Societies, L.S. Starorianos in his book, A Global History: The Human Heritage and many others have testified to this.
On the contrary, there is substantial evidence that Muslims were often seen as liberators of the oppressed people everywhere.
The question that remains to be answered is: why have so many people chosen Islam in the 1400 years of its history? Islam has penetrated the Middle East,North Africa,Spain, West Africa, East Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Central Asia,Afghanistan,India, Western China and theMalay Archipelago. In all these regions, Islam replaced so many other well-established religions: Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Paganism and Animism. What are the reasons behind the triumph of Islam over all these religions?
First, Islam is an amazing blend of simplicity and rationality, as Professor Hodgson explains: "Muslims made a personal appeal to people's religious consciousness. On the level of straight argument, they often put forward the populistic intelligibility of Islam. Muslims commonly ridiculed, in the name of intellectual good sense, the more mythically convoluted teachings of older traditions. This could seem attractively straightforward to people dissatisfied with taking things on faith from a learned priest whose mysteries they could not comprehend.
A single Creator, to be worshipped by each person for himself, based on revelation that had been given to a famous prophet whom millions already acknowledged. This was at once intelligible and plausible."
The unambiguous and uncompromising belief in the Unity, Greatness and Wisdom of God, the Creator of the universe, is unparalleled among other religions. The French professor Edouard Montet said: "The dogma of the unity of God...has always been proclaimed in the Quran with a grandeur, a majesty, an invariable purity and with a note of pure conviction which is hard to find surpassed outside the pale of Islam. A creed so precise, so stripped of all theological complexities and so accessible to the ordinary understanding might be expected to possess and does indeed possess a marvelous power of winning its way into the consciences of men."
Besides its simple and rational creed, Islam offers an impressive set of rituals, which has gained the admiration and, subsequently, the conversion of many non-Muslims. The second pillar of Islam, Salaah ]prayer[ has been described as follows by Sir Arnold: "The religion of the Muslim is continuously present with him and, in the daily prayer, manifests itself in a solemn and impressive ritual which cannot leave either the worshipper or the spectator unaffected."
In addition to the prayers, the other pillars of Islam, Zakaah ]alms tax distributed to the poor[, Hajj )pilgrimage to Makkah(, Siyaam )fasting in Ramadan(, have always been factors in attracting many hearts to Islam. To this day, one still meets converts who were impressed by the social justice of Islam, brilliantly expressed in the payment of Zakaah, the unique congregation of the Hajj and Siyaam. Thus, it is the union of rationalism and Divine rituals that explains the power that Islam has exercised over the hearts and minds of so many people.
Islam simply presents the truth in a tangible form, with the help of a miraculous book: the Quran. The marvelous power and beauty of the words of the Quran have also been a decisive factor in the conversion of many people to Islam.
The famous Jewish American convert to Islam, Maryam Jameelah, cited the Quran as the major factor of her conversion. After a deep study of both the Old Testament and the Quran, the contrast between the two scriptures became increasingly evident to her until she firmly believed that the Quran was indeed God's message to the human race.
A conference of Christian missionaries in 1887 was discussing why Islam has almost swept away Christianity from theMiddle East. What did Islam offer these people to forsake Christianity for good? One of the missionaries was insightful enough to say the following: "Islam brought out the fundamental dogmas of the Unity and Greatness of God, that He is Mindful and Righteous. It proclaimed the responsibility of man, a future life, a Day of Judgment and stern retribution to fall upon the wicked, and enforced the duties of prayer, alms giving and fasting. It replaced monkishness by manliness; it gave hope to the slave, brotherhood to mankind and recognition to the fundamental facts of human nature."
The formidable rationalism and clarity of Islam not only led the Christians of theMiddle Eastto forsake Christianity and embrace Islam in the past, it continues to do so with Christians in the West to the present day.
A Muslim sister, fromCalifornia, who was a practicing Christian and an active member in her nearby Presbyterian church, wrote in her conversion story. She said that in spite of her active affiliation with the church, she always had serious questions about the fundamentals of Christianity, which did not make sense to her. She debated her questions with her friends but they never came up with reasonable answers. The church could not give them answers either, but only told them to "have faith". All her questions were answered when she took a course about Islam. Listen to her words:
"This class brought back all of the concerns that I had about Christianity. As I learned about Islam, all my questions were answered. All of us are not punished for Adam's original sin. Adam asked God for forgiveness and our Merciful, Loving God forgave him. God doesn't require a blood sacrifice in payment for sin. We must sincerely ask for forgiveness and amend our ways. Jesus wasn't God; he was a prophet like all of the other prophets. This answered all of my questions about the trinity and the nature of Jesus. I found a teaching that put everything in its proper perspective and appealed to my heart and my intellect. It seemed natural. It wasn't confusing. I had been searching and I had found a place to rest my faith."
Islam is so strong and so self-assured that it does not need to use force to attract others to it. The moral and intellectual superiority of Islam over all other religions has manifested itself clearly throughout the history of Islam. Despite the ills that Muslims are facing everywhere, Islam continues to be the fastest growing religion on earth. Professor Huston Smith of the MIT in his book, The Religions of Man says:
"In some areas where Islam and Christianity are competing for converts, Islam is gaining at a rate of 10 to 1."

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Welcome to Islam, - Islam does not tolerate the killing of innocents

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Islam is portrayed as a religion of “terror” and “killing”, yet this is just one of the most widely held misconceptions about Islam. Allaah Almighty states unambiguously in the Quran )what means(:"Nor take life -- which Allaah has made sacred -- except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority )to demand retaliation or to forgive(: but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life, for he is helped )by the Law(."]Quran 17:33[
Based on this verse, it is Islamically unlawful to murder anyone who is innocent of any crime. At this point, we would do well to remember the distinction between the Quran and Sunnah, and the Muslims. Only the Quran and Sunnah are guaranteed to be in accordance with what the Creator desires, whereas the Muslims may possibly deviate. Hence, if any Muslim kills an innocent person, that Muslim has committed a grave sin, and the action cannot be claimed to have been committed "in the name of Islam."
It should be clear, then, that the oft-used term "Muslim terrorist" is almost an oxymoron: by killing innocent people, a Muslim is committing a grave sin, and Allaah is Just. This phrase is offensive and demeaning of Islam, and it should be avoided. It is hoped that as the general level of public awareness and understanding of Islam increases, people will keep "terrorism" and "Islam" separate from each other, and not use them in the same phrase.
Jihaad or Holy War?
Another misunderstood Islamic concept is that the Creator has imposed `Jihaad' on us. The term "holy war" has come from the time of the Crusades, and originated in Europe as a rallying cry against the Muslims inJerusalem. Jihaad is an Arabic word, meaning struggle, but in the context of many verses in the Quran, it carries the meaning of military struggle or war. Allaah gradually introduced the obligation of military struggle to the Muslim community at the time of the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The first verse ever revealed in that connection is as follows, )which means(:"Permission )to fight( is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed, and most surely Allaah is well able to assist them."]Quran 22: 39[
This verse lays down the precondition for all wars in Islam: there must exist certain oppressive conditions on the people. The Creator unequivocally orders us to fight oppression and persecution, even at the expense of bloodshed as the following verse shows in which Allaah Says )what means(:"And fight in the cause of Allaah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allaah does not love those who exceed the limits. And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from where they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque )in Makkah( until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the reward of the unbelievers. But if they desist, then surely Allaah is Forgiving, Merciful. And fight with them until there is no persecution, and religion should be only for Allaah, but if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors."]Quran 2:190-192[
As one might imagine, the method of military struggle has been clearly and extensively defined in the Quran and Sunnah. Since this is a vast subject, we can simply summarize part of it by noting that it is unlawful to kill women, children, the sick, the old and the innocent. From the Sunnah, we find: Narrated 'Abdullaah, may Allaah be pleased with him:"During some of the battles of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, a woman was found killed. Allaah's Apostle disapproved the killing of women and children."]Al-Bukhaari[
A related misconception about Jihaad is often propagated by Muslims who say that: "Jihaad is only for self-defense of physical borders." The Quran and Sunnah refute this notion categorically. As the verses cited above show, Jihaad is obligatory wherever there is injustice, and Muslims need not acknowledge imaginary lines around the earth when it comes to upholding this obligation. The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, has also commented on this extensively in the Sunnah. From the study of the Sunnah, we find: Narrated Abu Moosaa, may Allaah be pleased with him:"A man came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and asked: 'A man fights for war booty; another fights for fame and a third fights for showing off; which of them fights in Allaah's Cause?' The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "He who fights that Allaah's Word )i.e. Islam( should be superior, fights in Allaah's Cause."]Al-Bukhaari[
Hence, the Creator obligates us to fight wherever people are being deprived of freely hearing or practicing the Message of Allaah, as contained in the Quran and Sunnah. Sayyid Qutb, a famous Muslim scholar eloquently discusses the notion of Jihaad and self-defense in his book Milestones: "If we insist on calling Islamic Jihaad a defensive movement, then we must change the meaning of the word `defense' and mean by it `defense of man' against all those elements which limit his freedom. These elements take the form of beliefs and concepts, as well as of political systems, based on economic, racial or class distinction."
Judicial System of Islam:
A third major area of misconceptions about Islam is that of the Islamic judicial system, which is considered unnecessarily harsh. This assumption is weak in two respects. First, it presupposes that human beings are more just and more merciful than the Creator, and therefore we can change the law. Second, it is often based on gross oversimplifications of Islamic law, such as saying: "all thieves get their hands cut off!"
The Quran and Sunnah make it clear that the law of retaliation )or equality( governs us for murder and physical injury, but forgiveness is better as the following verses from the Quran show; Allaah Says )what means(:"The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto )in degree(: but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allaah: for )Allaah( loves not those who do wrong. But indeed if any do help and defend themselves after a wrong )done( to them, against such there is no cause of blame. The blame is only against those who oppress men and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice: for such there will be a grievous penalty. And whoever is patient and forgiving, these most surely are actions due to courage."]Quran 42:40-43[
The Creator ordained the law of retaliation for us, knowing full well that we might question it. In many non-Muslim societies today, there are ongoing debates about the death penalty. In Islam, this discussion is moot: The Creator has decided the matter for us. He has however given us an interesting verse in the Quran, which advises to consider the matter carefully if we want to understand it; the verse says )which means(:"And there is life for you in )the law of( retaliation, O people of understanding, that you may guard yourselves."]Quran 2:179[
Most people are also unaware of the stringent conditions, which must be met for the law of retaliation to be applicable. The Sunnah is full of examples of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, showing us when the law's preconditions were fulfilled. For example, a thief is only liable to lose his or her hand if the stolen item exceeds a certain value, and if it is proven that the item was taken from its normal resting place. Stealing food is not punishable by the loss of one's hand, and other items are exempt as well. This is just an example of how carefully the law is applied in Islam. Moreover, it must be clarified that penalties in Islam are meant to establish peace and security for the society.
The Sword of Islam:
Finally, another reason advanced for this prevalent misconception is that Islam `spread by the sword'. It should be clear by now that we must always distinguish between the Quran and Sunnah and the Muslims, when it comes to determining what the Creator has asked of us. Allaah has stated clearly in the Quran )which means(:"There is no compulsion in religion; truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error; therefore, whoever rejects Satan )and what he calls to( and believes in Allaah, he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handhold, which shall not break off, and Allaah is Hearing, Knowing."]Quran 2:256[
Hence, it is impossible to accept Islam under duress. Even if misguided Muslims were to try to `force' Islam somehow on others, based on the previous verse, it would not be accepted by the Creator. Historical arguments that try to demonstrate that Muslims did not `convert others by force' are actually secondary to the argument given above. However, it is worth noting that historically, Islam did spread by peaceful means.
The Message of the Creator was introduced inAfricaand southeast Asia by trading Muslims. People started converting to Islam in big numbers when the Muslims liberated them from the clutches of the cruel rulers, who used to tax then heavily and loot precious belongings from them whenever they wished. Today the largest Muslim country in the world isIndonesia. The military expeditions that led to the conquest of large swathes of territory in Europe and centralAsiawere all marked by tolerance of other creeds and faith.

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Welcome to Islam, - Our position towards people who introduce misconceptions

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Now, what should be our stance towards these people who introduce and arousemisconceptions? Should we sit with them? Should we listen to what they say? Did Allaah not command us not to sit with them and not to listen to what they say in the abovementioned verse? Did the Prophetsallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam not warn us against them in this regard when he said:“Beware of mixing with them.”
Did theProphetsallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam not comment on the saying of Allaah which means:“…As for those in whose hearts is deviation ]from truth[, they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation ]suitable to them[…”]Quran 3: 7[ by saying:“When you see people who arouse misconceptions, beware of them, because they are the ones referred to in this )verse(.”]Al-Bukhaari & Muslim[
Our Salaf, may Allaah have mercy upon them, would adopt a very tough stance towards those who aroused and spread misconceptions. Once, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, heard that a man by the name of Subaygh ibn ‘Aslam was asking questions that created doubts and misconceptions in the minds of the people, so ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, summoned him and beat him until the man said: “O leader of the believers! Please! This is enough! I am now clear about the things I inquired about.” After this, ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, sent him to live in exile in another city and commanded the people to boycott him, which they did. This continued until the governor of that city sent a letter to 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, seeking permission to allow people to talk to him, as his life had become a miserable one.
Also Ibn ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, was once informed that a man by the name of Najdah, who was a member of the deviant Khawaarij sect, was spreading doubts and misconceptions, but he, may Allaah be pleased with him, avoided listening to the specific details of what he was propagating, lest it would affect his heart. Note that he did this despite him being one of the well-established scholars amongst the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them.
Ibn Mas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, said regarding misconceptions: “He who lives long enough to see those who spread misconceptions should run away and refuse to talk or listen to them.” One does not have to physically leave the city they are in, but he must allow his heart and mind to escape, for his own protection.
Al-Fudhayl, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “If a man consults a person about a matter and the later directs him to inquire from an innovator, then he has betrayed Islam. Beware of sitting with innovators because they will divert you from the truth … he who sits with innovators has become poisoned )i.e. in his mind(, so be aware of him.”
How did Jahm ibn Safwaan, to whom the deviant sect of Al-Jahmiyyah is attributed, divert from the right path? He did this by sitting with atheists who asked him: “Sit with us and discuss your religion, if we convince you then follow our way, and if you convince us, then we will follow yours.” He thought of this as a good opportunity to convince them. They then asked him: “You claim to have a Lord, but did you ever see him, hear him, smell him, find any trace of him, or see a statue that resembles his form?” He replied: “No!” So they said: “Then he does not really exist” Jahm sat for forty days after that, not knowing who to worship as a result of this debate.
Unfortunately, Jahm did not possess the intelligence to debate, because if he did, he could have asked them in return if they possessed brains, to which the answer would of course be yes; after this he could have asked them the same questions that they asked regarding Allaah about their brains, and conclude that they did not possess any.
A man came to a scholar and asked him: “What are the Jinn created from?” He answered: “Fire.” The man then asked: “Then how can they be punished with fire if they are created from it?” The scholar asked: “What are you created from?” The man replied: “Clay.” So the scholar asked him: “Well, why do you get injured if you are hit with dried clay?”
Many people deviated simply due to allowing themselves to sit with others who aroused certain misconceptions; they listened to what they had to say and thus became confused and doubtful. Others read books that addressed and discussed misconceptions. Yet others deviated due to surfing websites that propagate misconceptions and by chatting online to the people behind them. There is a final type whose curiosity led them to browse such websites simply to see what they contained, and they thus fell into their traps.
One may ask why Allaah decreed for such misconceptions to spread. We say that it is a means of testing people generally, as well as their reaction and steadfastness. Of course Allaah knew how people would react before they were even created, but it is to make their reaction evident, as He Sayswhat means:“Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while Allaah has not yet made evident those of you who fight in His cause and made evident those who are steadfast?”]Quran: 142[ How can anyone be admitted into Paradise without having persevered and fought Jihaad? It is not possible. The Knowledge of Allaah must become manifested in reality.
The issue of listening to misconceptions is a grave one, especially during the era in which we live when we are exposed to so many things via numerous means that could divert people and poison their hearts and minds. Yes we must face these misconceptions and expose their reality to people, but this is the responsibility of the people of knowledge and not that of the common masses – their task is to stay away form such evils and their propagators and not expose themselves to them, because they would not then have the tools to defend themselves and protect their minds and hearts from being influenced. If a common person were to become exposed to any misconception, or even think about one, he should immediately refrain from this thinking and rush to inquire from trustworthy scholars to clarify the matter for him as Allaah Says what means:“…So ask the people of the message )i.e. people of knowledge(if you do not know.”]Quran 21: 7[
What are the methods that the deviants deploy to confuse people? They might quote a text from the Qur’aan or the Sunnah that is general in it is meaning and apply it to specific cases were it is not applicable, or quote a part of it, or explain it to mean other than what Allaah or the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam intended it to mean. They decorate their ideas with eloquent phrases to confuse people; and many people are deceived by these decorations, because they are presented in a very clever way.
When a follower of the truth tries to refute these misconceptions, the propagators of doubt prevent him from doing so and play around with the words and terms he uses, but when a deviant requests to speak, they open the way for him via numerous satellite television channels, or various other media.
Lastly, deviant people generally do not dare to debate with well founded scholars. This is why the deviant Khawaarij deviant sect refused to debate with Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, when he went to publicly debate with them regarding their beliefs.

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Dought & clear, - Bid‘ah of Sha‘baan

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What is Shab e Baraat that is celebrated by many South Asian Muslims?
Praise be to Allaah.
Some Muslims celebrate the middle of Sha‘baan, fasting on that day and spending that night in prayer (qiyaam). There is a hadeeth concerning that which is not saheeh, hence the scholars regarded celebrating this day as an innovation (bid ‘ah).
Muhammad ‘Abd al-Salaam al-Shuqayri said: Imam al-Fatni said inTadhkirat al-Mawdoo‘aat: Among the innovations that have been introduced on “Laylat an-Nusf” (mid-Sha‘baan) is al-Salaat al-Alfiyyah, which is one hundred rak‘ahs in which Soorat al-Ikhlaas is recited ten times in each rak‘ah, offered in congregation; they pay more attention to this than to Jumu‘ah and Eid prayers, although there is no report concerning it, except da‘eef (weak) and mawdoo‘ (fabricated) reports, and we should not be deceived by the fact that these reports were quoted by the authors ofal-Qootandal-Ihya’and others, nor should we be deceived by what was mentioned in Tafseer al-Tha‘labi, that it is Laylat al-Qadr. End quote.
Al-‘Iraaqi said: The hadeeth about the prayer on Laylat al-Nisf (mid-Sha‘baan) is false. Ibn al-Jawzi narrated it inal-Mawdoo‘aat(which is a compilation of fabricated hadeeths):
Chapter on the hadeeth, prayer and supplication on Laylat al-Nisf:
The hadeeth, “When the night of ‘nisf Sha‘baan’ (mid-Sha‘baan) comes, spend the night in prayer and fast on that day” was narrated by Ibn Maajah from ‘Ali. Muhashiyyah said: (It was also narrated) inal-Zawaa’id. Its isnaad is da‘eef (weak) because of the weakness of Ibn Abi Basrah, of whom Ahmad and Ibn Ma‘een said: He fabricates hadeeth. End quote.
Praying six rak‘ahs on Laylat al-Nisf with the intention of warding off calamity, having a long life and being independent of people, and reciting Ya-Seen and offering du‘aa’ in between that -- there is no doubt that this is something that has been introduced into the religion and is contrary to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The commentator onal-Ihya’said: This prayer is well known in the books of later Sufi masters, but I have not seen any saheeh report in the Sunnah to support it and the connected du‘aa’. Rather this is the action of some shaykhs. Our companions said: It is makrooh to gather on any of the nights mentioned in the mosques or elsewhere. Al-Najm al-Ghayti said, describing spending the night of al-Nisf min Sh‘baan (mid-Sha‘baan) praying in congregation: That was denounced by most of the scholars of the Hijaz, including ‘Ata’ and Ibn Abi Mulaykah, the fuqaha’ of Madinah and the companions of Maalik. They said: All of that is an innovation (bid‘ah) and there is no report to suggest that the Prophet spent that night in praying in congregation or that his Companions did that either. Al-Nawawi said: The prayers of Rajab and Sha‘baan are two reprehensible innovations. End quote fromal-Sunan wa’l-Mubtada‘aat, p. 144
Al-Fatni (may Allah have mercy on him) said, after the comments quoted above: The common folk are so infatuated with this prayer that they stored up a lot of fuel for it and many evils resulted from it, and many transgressions are committed which we do no need to describe. (It is so bad that) the close friends of Allah feared His punishment and fled into the wilderness. The first time this prayer occurred was in Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) in 448 AH. Zayd ibn Aslam said: We never saw any of our shaykhs or fuqaha’ saying that Laylat al-Baraa’ah (15 Sha‘baan) had any superiority over other nights. Ibn Dihyah said: The hadeeths about the prayer on Laylat al-Baraa’ah are fabricated and one has an interruption in the isnaad. Anyone who acts upon a report which is known to be false is a servant of the Shaytaan.
End quote fromTadhkirat al-Mawdoo‘aatby al-Fatni, p. 45
See:al-Mawdoo‘aatby Ibn al-Jawzi, 2/127;al-Manaar al-Muneef fil Saheeh wa’l-Da‘eefby Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 98;al-Fawaa’id al-Majmoo‘ahby al-Shawkaani, p. 51
Some people use the word al-Sha‘baaniyyah to refer to the last days of Sha‘baan, and say, “These are the days of bidding farewell to food,” and they take advantage of these days to eat a lot before Ramadan begins. Some scholars say that this idea was originally taken from the Christians, who used to do that as their fasting period (Lent) approached.
To sum up, there is no celebration in Sha‘baan and there is no special act of worship to be performed in the middle of it or during the last days of the month. Doing that is an innovation that has been introduced into the religion.
And Allah knows best.

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Dought & clear, - Gathering to eat and celebrate on the last day of Sha’baan

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Some families get together on the last night of Sha’baan and make food, and some of their lders recite poems for this occasion. What is the ruling on this getting together to eat?
Praise be to Allaah.
We put this question to Sahykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah preserve him, who replied as follows:
I think that this is closer to bid’ah (innovation), and it should be disallowed rather than permitted, because it is being taken as an “Eid” (regular celebration). If it happened only once, then it is OK.
Our response is: we do not allow it.
And Allaah knows best.

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Dought & clear, - The bid’ah of Eid al-Abraar(the “festival ofthe righteous”)

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What is the ruling on Eid al-Abraar which is celebrated in Shawwaal every year?
Praise be to Allaah.
One of the innovated things that happen in Shawwaal is the bid’ah (innovation) of “Eid al-Abraar” (the “festival of the righteous”), which is on the eighth day of Shawwaal.
After the people have completed the fast of Ramadaan, and they broke their fast on the first day of Shawwaal – the day of Eid al-Fitr – they start to fast the first six days of Shawwaal, and on the eighth day they celebrate an “eid” which they call Eid al-Abraar.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “With regard to celebrating occasions which are not prescribed in sharee’ah – such as some nights in Rabee’ al-Awwal which are called ‘Mawlid’, or some nights in Rajab, or the eighteenth of Dhu’l-Hijjah, or the first Friday in Rajab, or the eighth of Shawwaal which the ignorant call Eid al-Abraar – these are innovations which were not approved of by the salaf and they did not do these things. And Allaah knows best.” (Majmoo’ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, 25/298)
He also said: “With regard to the eighth of Shawwaal, it is not an Eid, neither for the righteous nor for the evil. It is not permissible for anyone to take it as an Eid or to do any of the things connected with celebrations on that day.” (al-Ikhtiyaaraat al-Fiqhiyyah, p. 199)
The celebrations of this “eid” take place in one of the famous mosques, where men and women mix freely, shake hands with one another and utter words of Jaahiliyyah when they shake hands. Then after that they go and make some foods especially for this occasion.” (al-Sunan wa’l-Mubtada’aatby al-Shuqayri, p. 166)

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