Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * The prohibition on praying at the time of sunrise and sunset

I read several hadith that said :
if you pray at the time of sunrise and sunset, it is like praying
between the two horns of shaytaan. These times for salat are
prohibited. also it stated that this is the time the Jins pray to
shaytaan.... is this a sound hadith?
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it was narrated inSaheeh al-Bukhaari(581) andSaheeh Muslim(831)
that it is forbidden to pray after Fajr prayer until the sun has risen
above the horizon to the height of a spear, at the time of noon when
the sun is at its zenith, and after the time of 'Asr until the sun is
fully set. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
told us that the sun rises and sets between the two horns of a devil,
at which time the kuffaar prostrate to it.
Shaykh Sa'd al-Humayd
There is nothing in the hadeeth to say that the jinn pray to the
devils at that time, rather the devils (shayaateen) are the evil ones
among the jinn.

For children, - Moral Story: Efforts of a little bird (Ababeel)

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Once there was a little bird (Ababeel) that lived during the times of Prophet Abraham (Hazrat Ibrahim AS). When Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was thrown into fire by the enemy of faith, King Nimrod, a little bird saw what happen and decide to put out the fire to help Prophet Abraham (pbuh). The little bird starts scooping up few drops of water in her tiny beak from the nearby river. The larger birds in the vicinity watched and laughed at the little bird and they said, "Where are you carrying the water?"
The little bird said, "To put out the fire around Prophet Abraham (pbuh)." The larger birds continue laughing. "How could you put out such a huge fire with such a small amount of water? It is pointless and useless."
Do you know what the little bird replied? "I am sure Allah (SWT) will not asked me whether I manage to put out the fire or not. But Allah (SWT) will ask what I have done to stop the fire."
Hearing the answer, all the larger birds are silenced.
We often think that our effort is the one responsible for our success. This is wrong way of thinking because Allah (SWT) is the One. If he says we succeeded, we will succeed. Our effort is just a sacrifice that we are willing to make. Similarly little bird knows that with few drops of water fire will not extinguished but it is his responsibility to contribute whatever it can in anyway with his capability.
The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better. - Robert F. Kennedy
One more practical example from our time: The leader of the revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (ra), was questioned by the media personnel in Paris, at the time when the climax of the scenario was set in, whether he thought the revolution would be successful or not. He replied, "I don't know." And the whole world was taken by astonishment. Such a great leader and such a simple answer. So he went onto say that he was not doing what he was doing, for the sake of achieving a result or success. It was just he felt that it is his duty and responsibility to do something for his nation. He went onto explain that when Allah (SWT) will question him of what he had done when everyone was wrong, then atleast he could reply that he put in his best efforts in his full capacity to make a difference.
It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.

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Hajj & Umrah, - * Hajj: An Obligation Once in a Lifetime

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Religious obligations based on time take different forms: some obligations are yearly, like fasting the month ofRamadan; others are weekly, like theJumu'ahprayer, while others are daily, like the five daily prayers. However, there is an obligation that is only required once in a lifetime, which is the performance ofHajj)pilgrimage(.
One might ask: why wasHajjmade obligatory only once in a lifetime? Is it to make things easy for people? This is possible, yet the fact that one cannot overlook is that many lessons can be learned fromHajjand that includes different great instructions that reform one's character.
If a Muslim acts upon these instructions and benefits from these lessons, they would suffice him from having to performHajjanother time. If a Muslim performsHajjthe way he is supposed to and in a way that pleases Allaah The Almighty, then he would not need to performHajjonce more to learn or benefit from the lessons instilled inHajj.
After performing that one obligatory time, it becomes only recommended to performHajja second or a third time in order for these lessons to become engraved in his heart and become well founded therein; until these lessons become second nature, and he consequently becomes entitled to be showered with the Mercy of Allaah and obtain the spiritual treasures
The Objectives ofHajj:The real essence ofHajjis to establish pure monotheism to Allaah The Almighty, as was stated in the narration:"He who performs Hajj for the sake of Allaah …"This means that he performsHajjpurely for Allaah The Almighty as a way to testify to The Oneness of Allaah.
Monotheism is an obvious feature of this act of worship from the time Allaah The Almighty mandated it, and as it is noticed in its rites, from beginning to end. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}"And ]mention, O Muhammad[, when We designated for Abraham the site of the House, ]saying[, “Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaaf and those who stand ]in prayer[ and those who bow and prostrate."{]Quran 22:26[
Imaam Al-Qurtubicommented on this verse saying,"This means that monotheism was made a condition upon your father )Ibraaheem( and those who came after, and you are part of those addressed with the verse ]…[ a pilgrim starts the rites of Hajj with monotheism by proclaiming; ' Labbayka Allaahumma labbayk, labbayk la shareeka laka labbayk, inna al-hamda wan-ni‘mata laka wal-mulk la shareeka lak )Here I am at Your service, O Allaah! You have no partner. Here I am at Your service, O Allaah. Verily, all the praise, the grace and the sovereignty belong to You. You have no partner.('"
A Muslim is encouraged to exert a lot of effort proclaiming the above-mentioned phrases and frequently mention Allaah The Almighty duringHajj, especially"La Ilaaha Illallaah)None is worth of worship except Allaah(". He is instructed to utter "Allaahu Akbar)Allaah is The Greatest(" every time he throws the pebbles throughout the'Eeddays. When the Muslim is about to depart and return to his home country, he is instructed to perform the farewellTawaaf)circumambulation around theKa'bah( and to mention Allaah The Almighty abundantly and supplicate Him.
Therefore, the pilgrim starts hisHajjwith pure monotheism and ends hisHajjwith it. Sincerity is an essential condition for the acceptance of one's deed, and thus one is instructed to proclaim hisHajjsaying:"Allaahumma hajjatan la riyaa'a feeha wa la sum`ah" )O Allaah, )enable me to perform( Hajj with no Riyaa' )show-off in the sense of desire that others witness one's good acts( or Sum`ah )show-off related to desire that others hear about one's good acts( in it."
Things that invalidate Hajj:
·Rafath)i.e. sexual intercourse or what leads to it from sayings or actions( and sins are things that prevent the slave from obtaining the hoped rewards of Hajj.
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}"Hajj is ]during[ well-known months, so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein ]by entering the state of Ihraam[, there is ]to be for him[ no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing during Hajj"{]Quran 2:197[
Commenting on this verse, Abu Bakr Al-Jassaassaid,"This verses instructs one to control his tongue and private parts from all prohibited matters and instructed him to refrain from sinning and disobedience. Although sinning and disobedience are prohibited before one goes in the state of Ihraam for Hajj, yet Allaah stated the prohibition when talking about Hajj to highlight the sanctity of both Hajj and Ihraam, because sinning whilst in the state of Ihraam is graver and the punishment in such case is greater than sinning during other times."
It is not befitting for one to commit such vices whilst in the state ofIhraam)sacral state( and whilst performing such an honorable act of worship. A pilgrim refrains from such behavior as a way of purifying himself and reforming it, and as a means to elevate his soul and cultivate himself. All of this is done in order for the pilgrim to perfect his manners, purify his soul and reform his moral conduct.
The reward awaiting pilgrims:What a great reward awaits those who performHajjin the way that pleases Allaah The Almighty… the great reward is the forgiveness of all previous sins. The pilgrim returns as sinless as the day he was born. One returns after having struggled and sacrificed and purified his soul from polytheism…after having dealt compassionately with the poor and the needy …after having refrained from evil and sins … indeed this entitles him to return as sinless as the day he was born, with a pure white record of deeds.
Commenting on the narration in which the Prophetsaid:“Whoever performs Hajj for Allaah and does not do Rafath nor commits sins )while performing Hajj(, he will return as sinless as he was on the day he was born.”]Al-Bukhaari[ Ibn Hajarsaid:"This entails forgiving all minor and major grave sins" .
What a great reward indeed … a reward that cannot be measured … a reward worth more than the earth's fill of gold. A pilgrim should be prepared for these days and must be keen on purifying his record of deeds. Allaah Says )what means(:}"The Day every soul will find what it has done of good present ]before it[ …"{]Quran 3:30[
Undoubtedly,Hajjis a school that teaches great lessons and that has countless benefits and one must take advantage of it and get the best he can out of it.

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Hajj & Umrah, - * Hajj and the Muslims’ Unity

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Unity and agreement lead to strength and victory, while disunity and disagreement lead to weakness and defeat. Powerful nations only succeeded because of unity among its members and integration of its efforts. History is the best witness to this rule. Hence, we find several texts in the Quran and the Sunnah stressing this great principle and warning against disagreement and dispute. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And obey Allaah and His Messenger, and do not dispute and ]thus[ lose courage and ]then[ your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allaah Is with the patient.{]Quran 8:46[
Abu Mas‘ood, May Allaah Be Pleased with him, said:“The Messenger of Allaahused to place his hand upon our shoulders at prayer time )when we would form rows for the prayer( and say, ‘Stand in straight rows and do not differ among yourselves, or else your hearts will differ )due to disaccord(.’”]Muslim[
Hajj is a great occasion where the Muslims’ unity appears in its most beautiful forms. All differences disappear, all barriers melt and Muslims gather in this imposing scene, which delights the souls and hearts.
Muslims from all over the world gather around this Ancient House, towards which they turn to perform the prayers five times a day, the House towards which they turn their souls and hearts during prayers in their faraway lands. Now, they gather around it to see, consult, love, and shake hands with each ‎other. They took off those different and distinguishing clothes to wear a white uniform indicating the whiteness of their hearts, as well as the purity of their appearance and souls.
Indeed, these are magnificent moments when all pilgrims move from Mina to stand this great standing in ‘Arafah confirming the unity of place, time, clothes and destination.
There are unanimous manifestations of unity in Hajj, including:
- Unity of place and time: Hajj is performed in a specific time and place and it is impermissible to be performed at any other time or in any other place. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Hajj is ]during[ well-known months, so whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein ]by entering the state of Ihraam[, there is ]to be for him[ no sexual relations and no disobedience and no disputing duringHajj.{]Quran 2:197[
The Prophetsaid:“Hajj is the standing at ‘Arafah.”]At-Tirmithi[
- Unity of rituals: All pilgrims are required to perform the rituals of Hajj including Ihraam, Tawaaf, Sa‘y between the Safa and Marwah, standing at ‘Arafah, spending the night at Mina, stoning the Jamraat and so on.
All pilgrims perform the same rituals, the thing that embodies and deepens brotherhood and love among them.
- Unity of aim and feeling: All pilgrims come from every distant pass hoping for the Mercy of Allaah The Almighty, fearing His punishment and raising their hands to implore Him and ask for His forgiveness, bounty and satisfaction.
They have one Qiblah, one Lord, similar feelings and similar clothes. These manifestations of unity that take place in this blessed occasion maintain the feeling of unity and reinforce the feeling of brotherhood among Muslims. They also strengthen mutual sympathy and sharing in joy in addition to religious and worldly cooperation among Muslims.
This was a brief overview of this important issue that occupy the minds of all Muslims, who aspire to a time when the Muslim nation will reunite to achieve superiority over the other nations and restore its leadership that the Muslims lost because of disunity and disagreement. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Allaah Has Promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He Will surely Grant them succession ]to authority[ upon the earth just as He Granted it to those before them and that He Will surely Establish for them ]therein[ their religion which He Has Preferred for them and that He Will surely Substitute for them, after their fear, security, ]for[ they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that - then those are the defiantly disobedient.{]Quran 24:55[

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * Sunan al-fitrah during menses

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Is it not permissible for a woman to do the “sunan al-fitrah” during her menses?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no reason why one should not do the “sunan al-fitrah” or keep oneself clean or beautify and adorn oneself, rather the menstruating woman is like any other woman in that regard.
Rather the menstruating woman is not allowed to pray, fast, circumambulate the Ka’bah (tawaaf), touch the Mus-haf, enter the mosque or have intercourse.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked: Is it permissible for me to put henna on my hair and hands during my monthly period?
They replied:
That is permissible for you, because the basic principle is that it is permissible and there is no shar’i proof to the contrary. End quote.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah(5/403)
Secondly:
Doing the sunan al-fitrah depends on whether there is a need for that. If a person’s hair or nails have grown long, it is Sunnah for him to hasten to shorten them.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inal-Majmoo’(1/340):
With regard to the time limit for cutting the nails, it depends how long they are– when they grow long one should cut them. That varies from one person to another. The guideline with regard to cutting the moustache, plucking the armpit hairs and shaving the pubes is the same. End quote.
It is well known that the menses may last for more than a week, and nifaas may last up to forty days, so how can one be enjoined to ignore these sunan al-fitrah and not do them during that time?
Thirdly:
Some people believe that the person who is in a state of major impurity should not remove any of his hair or nails. This is a false belief that has no basis in Islamic sharee’ah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about a man who cut his nails and moustache and combed his hair whilst he was junub – is there any blame on him for that? Some of them referred to this and said: If the person who is junub cuts his hair or nails, then these parts will come and join his body in the Hereafter, and he will be raised on the Day of Resurrection with a measure of janaabah commensurate with what he cut of that, and on every hair will be a measure of janaabah. Is that the case or not?
He (may Allaah have mercy on him) replied:
It is proven in the hadeeth of Hudhayfah and the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with them both) that when the person who is junub was mentioned to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he said: “The believer does not become junub.” InSaheeh al-Haakimit says: “alive or dead.” I do not know of any shar’i evidence to suggest that it is makrooh for one who is junub to cut his hair or nails. Rather the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to one who became Muslim: “Cut off the hair of kufr and get circumcised.” And he told the one who became Muslim to do ghusl, but he did not tell him to delay getting circumcised or removing his hair until after he had done ghusl. The general meaning of his words indicates that both are permissible. Similarly the woman who is menstruating is enjoined to comb her hair whilst doing ghusl, even though combing the hair will cause some of the hairs to fall out.
And Allaah knows best.

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * She saw blood after she had done ghusl following menses and had intercourse with her husband. Whatshould they do?

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A man copulated his wife after she made ghusl following menstruation. On the same day and before she made ghusl of janaba (impurity after intercourse) she found blood. It is very rare for her to have longer period than normal. Did he copulate her while she is still menstruating? If so, then how should they expiate? Should the wife make ghusl to clear the impurity of intercourse, or can she wait till the end of the day so that she can make ghusl to clear the impurity of both intercourse and menstruation? Are they sinful? Bear in mind that she was sure that her period stopped, she made ghusl and prayed.
Praise be to Allaah.
If she was certain that she had seen the tuhr (sign of purity i.e., that the menses had ended), either complete dryness or the white discharge by which women know that the end of the menses has come, then any blood that appears after that is not regarded as menses, so it does not mean that she cannot pray, fast and have intercourse.
But if you were not certain about the tuhr, rather you based it on the usual end of your menses, then the blood was menses, because the period may be longer or shorter than usual.
Shaykh Ibn Jibreen (may Allaah preserve him) was asked:
What is the ruling on the blood that appears on days other than the monthly period? My period is usually nine days but in some months I bleed on days other than the days of my period, but it is a very small amount of blood, and it may last for a day or two. Do I have to pray and fast during that, or make them up?
He replied: This blood that is extra to the period is bleeding from a vein and is not counted as part of the period. The woman who knows the nature of her period should, during the time of her usual period, not pray, fast, touch the Mus-haf or let her husband have intercourse with her in the vagina. When she becomes pure and her period is over, she should do ghusl, then she comes under the same ruling as women who are pure (not menstruating). If she sees a little blood or yellowish or brownish discharge, that is istihaadah (non-menstrual bleeding) and it does not mean that she cannot pray and so on. End quote.
Fataawa al-Mar’ah al-Muslimah(1/277).
With regard to what took place of intercourse, there is no sin on you for that, because you thought that the period had ended.
There is no sin on the woman if she delays ghusl for janaabah so that she can do ghusl for menses and janaabah together, although it is better for her to do ghusl for janaabah, because by doing so it becomes permissible for her to read Qur’aan, as the one who is in a state of janaabah is not allowed to read Qur’aan, whereas the menstruating woman may read Qur’aan.
And Allaah knows best.

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Menstruation and Post-Natal bleeding, - Dought& clear, - * She bled after having a coil inserted after her nifaas ended

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My postnatal bleeding has stopped ten days before Ramadan started. I visited the doctor and she inserted coil two days before Ramadan. I started bleeding again till this day, should I fast and pray? Bear in mind that I am fasting and praying currently.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The basic principle is that the bleeding experienced by women is menstrual blood, so long as it does not last for more than fifteen days, in which case it is istihaadah (non-menstrual bleeding) according to the majority of fuqaha’. According to some scholars, it is menstrual blood unless it continues for most of the month; if it does that, then it becomes istihaadah.
Secondly:
The menses may be longer or shorter, or it may come early or late. The blood that comes in these cases is regarded as menstrual blood, and there is no need to repeat the fast, according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions. So your usual period may be seven days, then it increases to ten for example, so the ruling is that it is all menses.
Thirdly:
Having a coil inserted usually causes some disruption of the cycle, such as making the period longer, or making it come earlier, or changing the nature of the blood.
Fourthly:
What we understand from your question is that the bleeding started after the coil was inserted, two days before Ramadaan, and it has lasted until today (the seventh of Ramadaan), but you did not tell us what your previous cycle was like, or whether the period came at the usual time or not.
Based on this information, the bleeding you are experiencing comes under the heading of menstrual blood, unless it lasts for more than fifteen days, in which case you will be mustahaadah (experiencing istihaadah or non-menstrual bleeding). [According to some scholars, you will not be mustahaadah unless the bleeding lasts for most of a month.]
If it is established that you are mustahaadah, then one of three scenarios must apply:
1-
You previously had a regular cycle, so you should count on your former cycle and refrain from prayer etc. accordingly, then do ghusl and pray. Any bleeding outside of your normal period is istihaadah.
2-
If you did not previously have a regular cycle, then you have to distinguish between types of bleeding: menstrual blood is dark and thick, and has an unpleasant odour, and is usually accompanied by pains (cramps). The blood of istihaadah is light and thin. So your menses is the days when the blood is dark and thick, and the other blood is istihaadah.
3-
If you cannot make this distinction, then you should refrain from praying for six or seven days, because that is the usual length of women’s menses, then do ghusl and pray.
The woman who is mustahaadah may fast, pray and have intercourse, but she must do wudoo’ for every obligatory prayer after the time for it begins, and she may offer whatever naafil prayers she wants to with that wudoo’.
And Allaah knows best.

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For children, - Moral stories about making a difference (Starfish Story)

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We are by nature moral story tellers. Our brains are wired to tell moral stories.
Think for a moment about how many moral stories you have already told today: to your spouse or partner; to your children; to your colleagues; or to your friends. Moral stories are the currency of our lives; they are the measure of our days. We are nothing without our moral stories, because moral stories encapsulate our fears, our failures, our dreams, and our desires. We understand and make sense of our own lives by telling moral stories about ourselves and others. Moral stories are the touchstones for our emotions.
Moral stories have a way to connect and stay with us like nothing else ever could. They tap into our inner feelings and make us part of it. The reason why we remember moral stories is because they pull on our emotional strings. They make us think and they make us feel. And it's that feeling that helps us remember.
A moral story, not data or facts, shake us up and make us see other points of view through characters we can identify with. And if a story is really captivating, we continue to think about it, turning it over in our minds, savoring it. Maybe we even begin to think about things a little differently from the way we had thought about them before. Moral stories have the power to move us emotionally; stir us intellectually; and teach us, too.
The following moral stories about making a difference will never fail to inspire us, regardless of how insignificant it may seem in the eyes of others.
Once upon a time, while walking along a beach, an elderly wise man saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young boy, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.
Elderly wise man came closer still and called out, "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young boy paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean."
The elderly wise man smiled and said, "I must ask then, why are you throwing starfish back into the ocean?"
To this, the young boy replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they will die."
Upon hearing this, the elderly wise man commented, "But, young boy, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
The young boy listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for that one."
We often think we are too insignificant or too unimportant to make a difference. We couldn't be further from the truth. So, can I encourage you to take the time to do something that will make a difference to someone else's life and it doesn't have to be much and they don't need to know. Just take a moment, do something special, the universe will know and that's enough.
I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; I will not refuse to do something I can do. - Helen Keller
One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something. - Henry David Thoreau

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Welcome to Islam, - * Harvesting the Chaff

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Despite the improvement of the economic conditions of workers in Europe, the socio-economic status of the woman is still critical. The woman still earns half of the salary of the man in most fields of work, if not all. If a woman wants to marry, she has to relinquish her name and the name of her father to become a subordinate to her husband even if in terms of name. In many cases, she has no right to dispose of her property except with the permission of her husband. Many readers will be astonished to know that it is the woman in many cultures who pays the dowry to the man, not vice versa -- although many Westerners nowadays do not follow this practice. Moreover, the man is not responsible for the financial maintenance of his wife.
On the other hand, Islam gave the woman her independent character and identity. She cannot be married except after her permission and consent. She does not change her name, but keeps her father's name and family name after marriage. She has the complete authority to dispose of her property without taking her husband’s permission. She does not have to support herself or her children financially even if she is rich and her husband is poor. If she spends any money, then it is considered as charity given to her husband or a debt that he has to pay back when he has the means to do so.
The status of the Western woman, who still struggles to earn her living in return for mean wages that men would not usually accept, is pathetic.
Because of the deteriorating economic and social conditions, she has become an easy prey to the middlemen of the international prostitution trade. She is also used to promote goods. We always find the photo of a charming woman in advertisements even if the advertisement has nothing to do with women.
The commercial mind thinks actively and employs a group of women in stores and offices under the supervision of a man or two men in order to regulate work and intellectually, physically and sexually dominate the women.Because of these deteriorating conditions, the woman suffers from loneliness, from which she escapes into the arms of any man, who soon gets bored with her and takes another. The woman has to take contraceptive pills early. As a result, officials in the West have found themselves obliged to teach schoolgirls how to use contraceptives. Nevertheless, there are thousands of young girls who become pregnant every year due to their inadequate knowledge about contraceptives. Therefore, mentors and officials instituted programs to teach the use of contraceptives in secondary schools, then in preparatory schools and finally in primary schools when they found that very young girls fall prey to pregnancy the most. Officials are not concerned with the spread of fornication and prostitution; rather, their concern is focused on circulating contraceptives among children.
Western laws had to legalize abortion, even if they did so reluctantly. Cases of abortion spread to the extent that a million cases of abortion take place every year in the US. About the same number of abortions takes place in Europe.
Statistics reveal that most suicide cases take place among young girls who live an anxious desperate life. For the first time in the history of medicine, collective cases of cruel battering of young children have appeared. These cases mostly end up in death or in physical and mental damage.
The woman brought all these calamities and afflictions upon herself through the misfortune of her going out of her home to work in offices and factories. Actually, we are doing the European woman an injustice, because she did not work outside her home willingly. She was forced to go outside her home to work in search of a living after the capitalists demolished the family by taking the father to the furnace of the factories and the cellars of mines. The woman, at that time, had to go out searching for provision. Hands received her and desires exploited her. In order to achieve the goals of the Jews, all means of treachery, apparent and hidden means of crime were used to demolish values and morals and increase the unending greed of the capitalists.

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Welcome to Islam, - * Islam and wife beating

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In the event of a family dispute, the Quran exhorts the husband to treat his wife kindly and not overlook her positive aspects ]Quran 4:19[. If the problem relates to the wife's behavior, her husband may exhort her and appeal for reason. In most cases, this measure is likely to be sufficient.
In cases where the problem continues, the husband may express his displeasure in another peaceful manner, by sleeping in a separate bed from hers. There are cases however, in which a wife persists in deliberate mistreatment and expresses contempt of her husband and disregard for her marital obligations.
Instead of divorce, the husband may resort to another measure that may save the marriage, at least in some cases. Such a measure is more accurately described as a gentle tap on the body, but never on the face, making it more of a symbolic measure then a punitive one.
Following is the related Quranic text )which means(:"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women. Because Allaah has given the one more )strength( than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in )the husband's( absence what Allaah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part you fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them )first(, )next( do not share their beds, )and last( beat )tap( them )lightly(; but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means )of annoyance(: for Allaah is Most High, Great )above you all(."]Quran 4:34[
Even here, that maximum measure is limited by the following:
1. It must be seen as a rare exception to the repeated exhortation of mutual respect, kindness and good treatment, discussed earlier.
Based on the Quran and narration, this measure may be used in the cases of lewdness on the part of the wife or extreme refraction and rejection of the husband's reasonable requests on a consistent basis. Even then, other measures, such as exhortation, should be tried first.
2. As defined by narration, it is not permissible to strike anyone's face, cause any bodily harm, or even be harsh. What the narration qualified as light striking, was interpreted by early jurists as a )symbolic( use of Miswaak )a small natural toothbrush(! They further qualified permissible "striking" as that which leaves no mark on the body.
It is interesting that this latter fourteen-centuries-old qualifier is the criterion used in contemporary American law to separate a light and harmless tap or strike from "abuse" in the legal sense. This makes it clear that even this extreme, last resort, and "lesser of the two evils" measure that may save a marriage, does not meet the definitions of "physical abuse," "family violence, " or "wife battering" in the 20th century law in liberal democracies, where such extremes are so commonplace that they are seen as national concerns!
3. The permissibility of such symbolic expression of the seriousness of continued refraction does not imply its desirability. In several narrations, Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam )may Allaah exalt his mention( discouraged this measure. Among his sayings are the following: "Do not beat the female servants of Allaah;""Some )women( visited my family complaining about their husbands )beating them(. These )husbands( are not the best of you;" and also, "]It is a shame that[ one of you beats his wife like ]an unscrupulous person[ beats a slave and maybe he sleeps with her at the end of the day."]Riyadh Al-Saaliheen[
In another narration the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam said :..."How does anyone of you beat his wife as he beats the stallion camel and then he may embrace )sleep with( her?..."]Al-Bukhaari[.
4. True following of the Sunnah is to follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, who never resorted to that measure, regardless of the circumstances.
5. Islamic teachings are universal in nature. They respond to the needs and circumstances of diverse times, cultures and circumstances. Some measures may work in some cases and cultures or with certain persons but may not be effective in others. By definition, a "permissible" act is neither required, encouraged nor forbidden. In fact it may be better to spell out the extent of permissibility, such as in the issue at hand, rather than leaving it unrestricted and unqualified or ignoring it all together. In the absence of strict qualifiers, persons may interpret the matter in their own way, which can lead to excesses and real abuse.
6. Any excess, cruelty, family violence or abuse committed by any "Muslim" can never be traced, honestly, to any revelatory text )Quran or narration(. Such excesses and violations are to be blamed on the person)s( himself, as it shows that they are paying lip service to Islamic teachings and injunctions and failing to follow the true Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Why is the Prophet’s grave in his mosque even though it is forbidden to take graves as places of worship?

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The hadeeth says, “May Allaah curse the Jews, for they have taken the graves of their Prophets as places of worship”. So how come the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is inside his mosque in Madeenah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars have discussed this issue, in the past and more recently, and they refuted those who quote the fact that the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is inside his mosque as evidence that it is permissible to take graves as places of worship, or to include graves in mosques. We will quote the fatwas of some of our prominent scholars, which discuss in detail the matter raised in the question.
1 – Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
There is a specious argument put forward by those who worship graves, namely the fact that the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is in his mosque. The answer to that is that the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) did not bury him in his mosque, rather they buried him in the house of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her). When al-Waleed ibn ‘Abd al-Malik expanded the Mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) at the end of the first century, he incorporated the room into the mosque, but he did wrong thereby, and some of the scholars denounced him for that, but he believed that there was nothing wrong with it for the sake of expanding the mosque.
It is not permissible for a Muslim to take that as evidence that mosques may be built over graves, or that people may be buried inside mosques, because that goes against the saheeh ahaadeeth, and because it is a means that may lead to shirk by associating the occupants of the graves in worship with Allaah. End quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 5/388, 389.
2 – Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on praying in a mosque in which there is a grave.
He replied:
Praying in a mosque in which there is a grave falls into two categories:
(i) Either the grave was there before the mosque, and the mosque was built over the grave. It is essential to shun this mosque and not pray therein, and the one who built it must knock it down; if he does not do so, then the Muslim authorities must knock it down.
(ii) Or the mosque was there before the grave, and the deceased was buried after the mosque was built. In the case the grave must be dug up, and the remains taken out and buried with the people (in the graveyard).
As for praying in such a mosque, it is permissible so long as the grave is not in front of the worshipper, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade praying in the direction of graves.
With regard to the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which is incorporated into his mosque, it is well known that the Mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was built before his death, and was not built over his grave. It is also well known that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was not buried in the mosque, rather he was buried in his house which was separate from the mosque. At the time of al-Waleed ibn ‘Abd al-Malik he wrote to his governor in Madeenah, who was ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez, in 88 AH, ordering him to dismantle the Prophet’s Mosque and add to it the rooms of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). ‘Umar gathered the prominent people and fuqaha’, and read the letter of the caliph al-Waleed to them. That caused them distress, and they said: “Leave it as it is, that is better.” And it was narrated that Sa’eed ibn al-Musayyib denounced the incorporation of ‘Aa’ishah’s room into the mosque, as if he feared that the grave would be taken as a place of worship.
Umar wrote a letter to that effect to al-Waleed, and al-Waleed sent word to him ordering him to carry out his instructions, so ‘Umar had no other choice. So you see that the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was not placed in the mosque, and the mosque was not built over it, so there are no grounds for those who try to quote this as evidence that people may be buried inside mosques or that mosques may be built over graves.
It is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “May the curse of Allaah be upon the Jews and the Christians; they have taken the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.” He said that as he was dying, as a warning to his ummah against doing what they did. When Umm Salamah told him of a church that she had seen in Ethiopia and the images therein, he said: “Those people, if a righteous man among them died, they would build a place of worship over his grave. They are the most evil of people before Allaah.” And it was narrated from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Among the most evil of people upon whom the Hour will come when they are still alive are those who take graves as places of worship.” Narrated by Imam Ahmad with a jayyid isnaad.
The believer should not accept to follow the ways of the Jews and the Christians, or to be among the most evil of people.
Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 12/question no. 292
And Allaah knows best.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Rulingsand issues about praying on a chair

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During Taraweeh prayer, some worshippers need to sit on a chair. We know that the rear legs of the chair should be placed in line with the row if the person is going sit throughout the prayer, but my question is: how should it be lined up in the following cases:
1- When the person sit on the chair during the standing only
2- When he sits on the chair during bowing, prostration or the tashahhud
3- When he sits on the chair during various parts of the prayer?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Standing, bowing and prostrating are pillars or essential parts of the prayer. Whoever can do them, it is obligatory for him to do them in the manner prescribed in sharee’ah. Whoever is not able to do them because of sickness or old age, it is Sunnah for him to sit on the ground or on a chair.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Guard strictly (five obligatory) As‑Salawaat (the prayers) especially the middle Salaah (i.e. the best prayer ‑ ‘Asr). And stand before Allaah with obedience [and do not speak to others during the Salaah (prayers)]”
[al-Baqarah 2:238]
It was narrated that ‘Imraan ibn Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I had haemorrhoids so I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about praying. He said: “Pray standing up; if you cannot, then pray sitting down; and if you cannot, then pray (lying) on your side.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1066.
Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisi said:
The scholars are unanimously agreed that if a person cannot stand then he may pray sitting down.Al-Mughni, 1/443
Al-Nawawi said:
The ummah is unanimously agreed that whoever is unable to stand during the obligatory prayer may pray sitting, and he does not have to repeat it. Our companions said: his reward will not be less than the reward for praying standing, because he is excused. It is proven inSaheeh al-Bukhaarithat the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a person is sick or travelling, the same reward will be written for him with regard to what he used to do when he was not travelling and was healthy.”
Al-Majmoo’, 4/226
Al-Shawkaani said:
The hadeeth of ‘Imraan indicates that it is permissible for one who has an excuse and cannot stand to pray sitting, and for one who has an excuse and cannot pray sitting to pray lying on his side.
Nayl al-Awtaar, 3/243
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
The Muslims are agreed that if a worshipper is unable to do some of the obligatory duties of prayer, such as standing, reciting, bowing, prostrating, covering the ‘awrah, facing the qiblah etc, then what he is unable to do is waived for him. End quote fromMajmoo’ al-Fataawa, 8/437
Based on that, if a person offers an obligatory prayer sitting when he is able to stand, his prayer is invalid.
Secondly:
It should be noted that if a person is exempted from standing, his excuse does not make it permissible for him to sit on the chair to bow and prostrate.
If he is exempted from bowing and prostrating in the proper manner, that excuse does not make it permissible for him not to stand and to sit on the chair instead.
The basic principle with regard to the obligatory duties of prayer is that whatever the worshipper can do, he is obliged to do it, and whatever he is unable to do, is waived for him.
Whoever is unable to stand, it is permissible for him to sit on a chair during the standing, and he should bow and prostrate in the proper manner. If he is able to stand but it is difficult for him to bow and prostrate, he should pray standing, then sit on the chair when bowing and prostrating, and he should bend lower for the prostration than for the bowing.
See also question no. 9307and 36738.
Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisi said:
If a person is able to stand but he cannot bow or prostrate, the standing is not waived for him; he should pray standing and tilt his head for the bowing, then sit down and tilt his head for the prostration. This is the view of al-Shaafa’i…
Because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And stand before Allaah with obedience” [al-Baqarah 2:238], and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Pray standing.” And because standing is one of the pillars (essential parts of prayer) for the one who is able to do it, so he must do it, like the recitation. Being unable to do other things does not mean that this is waived, as is also the case if he is unable to recite. End quote from al-Mughni, 1/44.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The one who prays sitting on the ground or on a chair must make his prostration lower than his bowing. The Sunnah is for him to put his hands on his knees when bowing, and when prostrating the Sunnah is to put them on the ground if possible; if he cannot do that then he should put them on his knees, because it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: the forehead – and he pointed to his nose – the two hands, the two knees, and the edges of the two feet (i.e., the toes).”
If a person is unable to do that and prays on a chair, there is nothing wrong with that, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can”
[al-Taghaabaun 64:16]
and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If I tell you to do a thing, then do as much of it as you can.” Saheeh – agreed upon.
Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 12/245, 246.
Thirdly:
With regard to the placement of the chair in the row, the scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) stated that the one who prays sitting down should have his posterior in line with the row when he is sitting, so he should not be in front of the row or behind it at that point, because that is the place in which the body settles.
See Asnaa al-Mataalib, 1/222; Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj, 2/157; Sharh Muntaha al-Iraadaat, 1/279.
It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (6/21):
In order for a person’s following the imam to be valid, he should not stand in front of the imam according to the majority of fuqaha’ (Hanafis, Shaafaa’is and Hanbalis).
How do we know whether he is in front of the imam or not, it is judged by where the heels are. If they are standing level at the heel and the toes of the one who is praying behind the imam turn out to be in front because he has longer feet, that does not matter. With regard to those who are sitting, it is judged by where the posterior is. And with regard to those who are praying on their sides, it is judged by their sides.
If the worshipper is going to pray on the chair from the beginning of the prayer until the end, then he should make the place where he will sit level with the row.
If he is going to pray standing, but he will sit on the chair when he bows and prostrates, we asked Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak about that, and he said that what matters here is the standing position, so he should be level with the row when standing.
Based on this, the chair will be behind the row, so it should be placed in such a manner that it will not disturb worshippers in the row behind.
And Allaah knows best.

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For children, - Restore Faith in Humanity: The Professor

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As usual life was hectic for me. Every day, I had to leave in a hurry to reach my office on time by 9:00 am. It was already 8:00 am; I just woke up from my slumber. In a hurry I got freshen up and dressed, ready to leave for office by 20 minutes without having my breakfast. It was a common routine for me; life was full of fixed schedule just like a pendulum moving to and fro.
I stood near the road, waved towards a passing auto, no luck. After 5minutes an auto stood by and I saw a young driver with a black t-shirt and blue denim, quite unusual for an auto driver. Without wasting my time in bargaining I boarded the auto. Another passenger was already seated, a woman in her mid-forties with little make ups, marks of talc near her neck, big rounded spectacles with a hand bag with few books. I guessed she was a professor from the imprint on her bag "Bangalore University."
After 5 minutes, the auto stopped and a woman came to seat near "The professor." Within an instant, the professor strongly opposed to the driver that woman cannot seat near her, or go in the auto.
The lady seemed like a daily laborer, with stains of dirt and dust across her sari, she looked feeble but her hand full of scratches and stiffness proved her strenuous works for a living. She had some masonry tools, dusty and old.
I was left aback when "The professor" said she cannot sit with her.
She can't sit in the auto. "This is my vehicle, I decide who will go or not" said the angry driver.
I will pay the full fare, replied the professor lady.
My anger was nearly out of control. Suddenly I spoke with a burst. "What the hell are you, Human or devil? Being a teacher is this what you teach your children? You think you are civilized? I think you are the most uncivilized one. You call yourself educated, but what is the use of the education. I think you are an uneducated fool."
The professor lady got angry and said to the driver, "I will pay the full fare, just leave this guy here."
The driver was equally angry: "Just get down; I don't need your bloody money. You are a curse to humanity."
With a few angry murmurs, the so called professor of a college with no such thing called humanity in her for a fellow woman, got down angrily.
The laborer lady got up and put her things at the back of the auto and sat down.
Unaware of the pace of time, I was fighting for a person's rights, fundamental rights. I was satisfied, even though it was already late.
I was just getting down from the auto paying my fare, when I heard a low voice saying "Thank You."
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

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Discover Islam, - * Islam and essential needs

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Islam came to complete the previous Divine religions and faith on earth. In fact, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, )may Allaah exalt his mention( completed the missions of the previous Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention. Allaah’s Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“My example, and the example of the prophets, who preceded me, is like that of a person who built a beautiful house. The house was perfect, magnificent and great except for a place of a single brick )in one corner(. People, who visited )or saw( that house admired it but always wondered, why did not the owner complete that missing single brick?’ I am that )missing( brick. I am the final Prophet )for mankind on the earth(.”]Al-Bukhaari, Hadeeth No.3341 and at-Tirmithi, Hadeeth No.2862[
Islam diligently acts to provide the basic needs of man on earth, like the previous Divine religions and works hard to secure his rights.
Let us read together the following verse of the Glorious Quran )which means(:“Fight in the cause of Allaah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allaah loves not transgressors.”]Quran 2:190[
Allaah, the Exalted and Sublime, has made Jihaad )fighting and struggling for His cause(, a rewardable act that Muslims believe in and practice. In fact, Jihaad is looked upon as the “hump” of the camel, the highest most important point on the body of the camel, and a Muslim should regard it similarly. Struggle for the sole cause of Allaah Almighty must be cherished by the sincere believing Muslims in this life. It should be treated with reverence and taken seriously, with a mature understanding of its objectives. Jihaad is not an innovation in Islam. In fact, Jihaad is an accepted, well-established, and known practice in the previous faiths and nations as well.
Jihaad was established earlier, Allaah knows best, because of the fact that there have been conflicts and differences among people all over the earth. Moreover, good and evil have always co-existed in societies all over the world throughout history. Therefore, Jihaad was founded and defined in order to stop tyranny and remove tyrant rulers, who deviate from Allaah’s Path and the code of life that He laid down for man to follow. Jihaad is also laid down, Allaah knows best, in order to stop people from worshipping other people and false deities, and introduces them to the reality of the worship of Allaah alone, Who has no son, partners or associates.
Jihaad is also laid down for man on earth to remove all injustices committed by man and introduce the world to the mercy, justice, peace and tranquility of Islam as a way of life. Moreover, Jihaad is laid down, in principle, to protect the call to Islam and help spreading it all over the world. It is for the interest of humankind on earth and not for the interest of Arabs or Muslims, as Islam has no geographic borders.
The final word underlying Jihaad is for the people to either accept or reject Islam as a way of life. Islam has a message for the entire humanity. Islam has the most comprehensive code of morals and ethics for people in every walk of life. Islam laid down the principles of justice, fairness, equality, freedom, prosperity, success and truthfulness for man on earth. Jihaad has not been laid down to force people against their will to join Islam; rather it is a tool and mechanism to help spread the religion of monotheism, justice and equality to the entire world. After the various peoples receive the message, it is up to them to accept Islam as a way of life or choose otherwise.
In any event, the essential purpose of Jihaad is to carry the Message of Islam to people and introduce it to them. Almighty Allaah states in the Glorious Quran )what means(:“Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects Evil and believes in Allaah has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And, Allaah hears and knows all things.”]Quran 2: 256[
The directive principle cementing relationships between government and people is based on peace. Yet, Allaah Almighty laid down the foundations of Jihaad in Islam for a special reason and purpose. There is a major difference between the terms“Jihaad”and“War”.Jihaad, as interpreted and understood in Islam, is not a“Holy War”as described in the Western media; rather, it is an honorable ‘struggle’ against the enemies of Allaah Almighty who reject His Word and faith in Him and His religion of Islam.“War”on the other hand, is a drive for personal interests and ownership of lands, natural resources for political or economic reasons. Islam ordered for Jihaad in the three situations as follows:
1- Defense of life, property and national boundaries
This concept is based on the verse of the Glorious Quran )which means(:“Fight in the cause of Allaah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allaah loves not transgressors.”]Quran 2: 190[
2- Removing oppression and preserving the just rights of the oppressed people. This concept is based on the verse of the Glorious Quran, )which means(:“And why should you not fight in the cause of Allaah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated people )and oppressed(? Men, women, and children, whose cry is: ‘Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect; and raise for us from You one who will help!’”]Quran 4:75[
3-Defence of Faith and Religion
A fighter must purify his intention to please Allaah Almighty alone and he must have a sound understanding that he is not participating in this Jihaad for any unfair reasons. The fighters must realize that they are taking part in such a Jihaad in order to spread the Word of Allaah Almighty. This concept is based on the verse of the Glorious Quran, )which means(:“And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevails justice and faith in Allaah altogether and everywhere; but if they cease, verily Allaah does see all that they do.”]Quran 8:39[
Moreover, if the enemies of Islam cease their fire and resort to stop the war, accepting to make peace with the Islamic Jihaad government, the Muslim fighters must, as well, cease their fires and stop all Jihaad activities. In fact, it becomes unlawful for Muslims to continue to fight in Jihaad against the troops of the other side, if the confronted party cease their fire and ask for peace. This concept is based on the verse of the Glorious Quran, )which means(:“Therefore if they withdraw from you but fight you not, and )instead( send you )guarantees of( peace, then Allaah has left no way for you )to war against them(.”]Quran 4:90[
Furthermore, all other types of wars that aim at land expansion, colonial interests and revenge that result in wide-scale destruction, are totally prohibited according to Islam. Although Islam permitted fighting against enemies for necessary reasons, it has laid articulate rules of conduct while waging wars against the enemies of Islam. Islam does not allow fighters to kill anybody: it is permissible to attack only combatants and supporting forces on the other side. Islam does not permit, accept or condone the killing of elderly people, children, women, sick people under medical treatment, medical staff workers and monks who have secluded themselves for worship of Allaah Almighty.
Islam prohibits killing a wounded man in a battle and forbids mutilating the bodies and organs of the deceased enemy fighters. Islam also forbids the killing of cattle or any type of animals of the enemies, destroying the houses of innocent people, polluting the potable waters, rivers, lakes, springs and wells of water of the fighting enemies. Moreover, Islam prohibits chasing people who flee the battlefield. This concept is based on a verse of the Glorious Quran )which means(:“But seek, with the )wealth( which Allaah has bestowed on you, the Home of the Hereafter, nor forget your portion in this World: but do you good, as Allaah has been good to you, and seek not )occasions for( mischief in the land: for Allaah loves not those who do mischief.”]Quran 28:77[

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Discover Islam, - * Islam and essential needs

* Islam and essential needs

Discover Islam, - * What is the purpose of life

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All praise be to Allaah and may Allaah exalt the mention of His messenger, Muhammad.
The information which I wish to share with you may seem a bit extensive, but when you consider the capacity of the human brain and the capacity that it can store, I am sure that a few pages in tonight's talk will not overburden you.
I am honored to have this opportunity and I would like to begin by saying that all of you have an equal responsibility. That responsibility is to listen with an open heart and an open mind. In a world filled with prejudice and cultural conditioning, it is very hard to be able to find people to take a moment to think about life objectively and try to arrive at the truth about this world and the real purpose of our lives.
Unfortunately, when you ask most people the question: "What is the purpose of life?" )such a fundamental and important question(, they will not tell you what they have concluded through observation or analytical reasoning. Rather, in most cases, they will simply tell you what someone else said, or they will tell you what is "commonly presumed" by others, i.e., What my father said purpose of life is, what the minister of my church said the purpose of life is, what my teacher in school said, what my friend said, etc. If I ask anyone about the purpose of eating or why do we eat, everyone will say ]in one word or another[ that it is for nutritional purposes, because nutrition sustains life. If I ask anyone why they work, they will say because it's a necessity in order to support themselves and to provide for the needs of their families. If I ask anyone why they sleep, why they wash, why they dress, etc., they will answer with appropriate answers, for these are common necessities for all human beings. We can follow this line of questioning with a hundred questions and receive the same or similar answers from anyone in any language from any place in the world. Then I ask you the question: Why, when we ask the question, "What is the goal and purpose of life?" that we get many different answers? It is because people are confused; they don't really know. They are stumbling in the dark, and rather than say, "I don't know"; they just offer any answer they have been programmed to give. Think about it. Is our purpose in this world simply to eat, sleep, dress, work, acquire some material things and enjoy ourselves? Is this our purpose? Why are we born? What is the object of our existence? What is the wisdom behind the creation of man and this tremendous universe?
Think about those questions. Some people argue that there is no proof of any diving origin; no proof that there is a god and there is no proof that this universe has come about through any divine purpose. There are people who argue this way, and they say that perhaps this world came about by chance. A big bang, and this great world ]with all its orchestration[ just came together. They argue that life doesn't have any definite purpose, and that there is nothing that can prove ]either through logic or science[ that there is a god, or a purpose or any divine reason behind this world.
Here I would like to mention a few verses from the Noble Quran that address this subject. We seek the protection of Allaah from every evil thing. Allaah mentions to us in the Noble Quran )what means(:"And to Allaah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and Allaah is over all things competent. Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. 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: 189-191[
Now here in these verses, Allaah draws our attention to the creation of the heavens and earth, the alternation of the night and the day, the creation of the universe. He calls our attention to their creation and their precision, and mentions those who contemplate the wonders of creation and realize that this was not created for any foolish purpose, ]that Allaah is exalted above doing such a thing[ and they seek refuge with Allaah from the punishment of Hell. Truly, when you see the design of all that Allaah created, you realize it is very powerful and very precise. Something very powerful and very precise; something beyond your own calculation and imagination, cannot be foolish. It cannot be just "thrown together".
There are many examples of things that happen by chance. Let me offer one situation. If you took ten colored marbles, then numbered them one to ten and you put them inside a bag. Next, you shook that bag to mix them up. Then, closing your eyes and reaching into the bag, you tried to pull out the marbles in order-1 to 10. What is the chance of pulling out the marbles in order? Do you know what the chances are? It is twenty six million to one )26,000,000 to 1(. And this is something within our ability to do. So now I ask you, what is the chance that the heavens and the earth just came together as they are ]with the exact precision and orchestration in their existence[?
My dear respected brothers and sisters, we have to ask ourselves a further question. When you see a bridge, a building or an automobile, you automatically consider the person or company that constructed it. When you see a large ship, an airplane, a rocket, a satellite; you also think about how incredible it is. ]You know by its design who the maker is.[ When you see a super international airport, nuclear plant or an orbiting space station you have to be thoroughly impressed with the engineering dynamics that are involved. Yet, these are just things that are manufactured by human beings. So what about the human body with its massive and intricate control systems? Think about it. Think about the brain: how it thinks, functions, analyzes, retrieves and stores information, as well as distinguishes and categorizes information in a millionth of a second, all of this constantly. Think about the brain for a moment. )And don't forget the fact that you are using your brain to consider itself!( This is the brain that made the automobile, the rocket ships, the boats, and so on. Think about the brain and who made that! Think about the heart. Think about how it pumps continuously for sixty or seventy years ]taking in and discharging blood throughout the body[ maintaining steady precision throughout the life of the person. Think about the kidneys and the liver and the various functions they perform. The purifying instruments of the body that perform hundreds of chemical analyses simultaneously and also control the level of toxicity in the content of the body. All of these are done automatically. Think about your eyes, the human cameras, that adjust, focus, interpret, evaluate, and discern color automatically, naturally receiving and adjusting to light and distance. Think about it-Who created them? Who has mastered their design and function? Who plans and regulates their function? Human beings do this? No, of course not. What about this universe? Think about this. This earth is one planet in our solar system, and our solar system is one ]of possible many[ solar systems. Our galaxy, The Milky Way, is one of the galaxies. There are one hundred million galaxies in the universe. They are all in order and they are all precise. They are not colliding with each other. They are not conflicting with on another. They are swimming along in an orbit that has been set for them. Did human beings set that into motion and are human beings maintaining that precision? No, of course not. Think about the oceans, the fish, the insects, the birds, the plants, bacteria, and chemical elements that have not yet been discovered and cannot be detected even with the most sophisticated instruments. Yet each of them has a law that they follow. Did all of this synchronization, balance, harmony, variation, design, maintenance, operation and infinite numeration happen all by chance? Do these things function perfectly and perpetually also by chance? No, of course not. That would be totally illogical and foolish. In the least, it indicates that however it came to exist-it exists beyond the realm of human capability. We will all agree to that. The Being, The Almighty Power, God, The Creator who has the knowledge to design and proportion crated all of this and is responsible for maintaining it. HE is the only one that deserves praise and gratitude.
If I were to give each one of you one hundred dollars for no reason, you would at least say thank you. What about your eyes, your kidneys, your brain, your children, and your life: Who gave you all of that? Is He not worthy of praise and thanks? Is He not worthy of your worship and recognition?
My brothers and sisters, in a nutshell, this is the goal and purpose of this life. Allaah Says to us in the Noble Quran )what means(:"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me." ]Quran 51: 56[ This is what he Almighty said. Our purpose in this life is to recognize The Creator, to be grateful to Him, to worship Him, to surrender ourselves to Him and to obey the laws that He has determined for us. It means worship is our purpose in life. Whatever we do in the course of that worship, ]i.e., the eating, the sleeping, the dressing, the working, the enjoying,[ between birth and death is consequential and subject to His orders. But the main reason for our creation is worship. I don't think anyone who is analytical or scientific will have much of an argument with that purpose. They may have some other reason with themselves-but that is something they have to deal with between themselves and Almighty God.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Ruling on a woman performing theadhaan

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What is the ruling on a woman performing the adhaan for men?.
Praise be to Allaah.
For fourteen hundred years the custom among the Muslims has been that the adhaan has not been performed by anyone except men. This alone should be sufficient evidence that women are not allowed to perform the adhaan for men. Going against this is going against the way of the believers. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell — what an evil destination!”
[al-Nisa’ 4:115]
The matter would be too clear to need any evidence or argument, were it not for the fact that there are people whose eyes have been sealed by Allaah and who are arguing about matters that should be regarded as firmly-established aspects of this religion.
The evidence for that from the Sunnah is as follows:
1 – al-Bukhaari (604) and Muslim (377) narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: When the Muslims came to Madeenah, they used to gather and wait for the prayer, and there was no call for the prayer. One day they spoke about that and some of them said, “Let us use a bell like the bell of the Christians.” Others said, “No, let us use a horn like the horn of the Jews.” ‘Umar said, “Why don’t you send a man to give the call to prayer?” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “O Bilaal, get up and call the people to prayer.”
This hadeeth indicates that the decision of the Sahaabah was that no one should give the call to prayer except men, and there is no room for women to do that, because ‘Umar said, “Why don’t you send a man to give the call to prayer?”
2 – al-Bukhaari (684) and Muslim (421) narrated from Sahl ibn Sa’d al-Saa’idi (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever notices anything amiss during the prayer, let him say tasbeeh, for if he does so it will be noticed; and clapping is only for women.”
al-Haafiz said:
It is as if women are not allowed to say tasbeeh because they are enjoined to keep their voices low in prayer at all times, because of the fear of fitnah. End quote.
If women are forbidden to alert the imam by speaking if he makes a mistake, and should clap instead, so that they will not raise their voices in the presence of men, then how can it be allowed for a woman to give the adhaan?
The scholars are agreed that it is not prescribed for women to give the adhaan for men. There follow some of their comments on this topic:
It says inBadaa’i’ al-Sanaa’i’(1/411) (Hanafi):
It is not allowed for a woman to give the adhaan, according to all the reports.
It says inMawaahib al-Jaleel(2/87) (Maaliki):
The adhaan of a woman is not valid. End quote.
Al-Shaafa’i said inal-Umm(1/84):
A woman should not give the call to prayer, and if she gives the adhaan for men, her adhaan is not valid (and they should repeat it). End quote.
It says inal-Insaaf(1/395) (Hanbali):
The adhaan of a woman is not valid.

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Prayer, - Dought & clear, - * Saying a du’aa ‘from the Qur’aan when prostrating

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I am new to Islam and I have learned that it is not allowed to recite the quran while in prostration. But that is that best time to make du'a as one is nearest to his Creator. My question is what about the du'a's that we have that are from the Quraan. Are we allowed to make du'a with them in prostration? Or is that considered reciting?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade reciting Qur’aan when bowing and prostrating.
Muslim (479) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I have been forbidden to recite the Qur’aan when bowing or prostrating. As for bowing, glorify your Lord therein, and as for prostrating, strive in du’aa’, for it is deserving of a response (from your Lord).”
Muslim (480) narrated that ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade me to recite Qur’aan when bowing and prostrating.
The scholars are agreed that it is makrooh to recite Qur’aan when bowing or prostrating.
Seeal-Majmoo’, 3/411;al-Mughni, 2/181
The wisdom behind that is:
It was said that the best pillar of prayer is standing and the best of dhikr is reciting Qur’aan, so the best has been put with the best, and it is not allowed to put it with anything else, lest anyone think that it is equal to other kinds of dhikr.‘Awn al-Ma’bood.
It was said that it is because the Qur’aan is the noblest of speech, because it is the Word of Allaah, and the position of bowing and prostration is one of humility and submission on the part of the worshipper, so it is more appropriate not to recite the Word of Allaah in these two positions.Majmoo’al-Fataawa, 5/338
Secondly:
If a person recites a du’aa’ that is mentioned in the Qur’aan when prostrating, such as the words (interpretation of the meaning):“Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire” [al-Baqarah 2:201], there is nothing wrong with that, if the intention is to say du’aa’ and not to recite Qur’aan, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions, and each person will have but that which he intended.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1; Muslim, 1907.
Al-Zarkashi said: It is makrooh when it is intended as recitation of Qur’aan, but if it is intended as du’aa’ and praise, then it is like someone who did Qunoot by reciting a verse. End quote.
Doing Qunoot by reciting a verse from the Qur’aan is permissible and is not makrooh.
Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj, 2/61
Al-Nawawi said inal-Adhkaar(p. 59)
If a person does Qunoot by reciting a verse which includes a du’aa’, then he has done Qunoot, but it is better to say the du’aa’ as narrated in the Sunnah. End quote.
This applies if he intends to say du’aa’ when he recites the verse.
Seeal-Futoohaat al-Rabbaaniyyah Sharh al-Adhkaar al-Nawawiyyahby Ibn ‘Allaan, 2/308
The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked: We know that it is not permissible to recite Qur’aan when prostrating, but there are some verses which include du’aa’s, such as the words,“Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:8]. What is the ruling on saying such du’aa’s that are mentioned in the Qur’aan, when prostrating?
They replied: There is nothing wrong with that if it is done as a du’aa’ and not as recitation of Qur’aan.

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