His father chose a wife for him who he does not want

After being convinced for years by my parents to marry my cousin, I
finally agreed last year and got engaged. I would however admit that I
had no special liking for her and before I took the finaldecision, I
also performed Istikharah but didnt seem to get a proper answer or
direction and remained confused. I finally thoughtthat since my
parents are happy with this marriage I would go for it. I study in
another country and after we got engaged I started talking to her on
phone and among other things got to know that she has a problem of
falling hair and due to that her hair has thinned a lot. I asked her
to visit some doctors and she has started to take medications but not
of any great help as of now. After knowing all this I am very upset
with myself and also with her although I have not told anything like
that to her that might hurt her in anyway. I really feel very upset
all the time now as you would understand that I also have some
feelings and wishes abouthow my future wife should look like. Right
now I am always in distress and feel like that this is my destiny to
marry her which cannot be changed as doing that would severly damage
the relations in our family.I don't know what to do and can't stop
thinking about this. This has now started to affect my studies also. I
can't talk about this to anyone not my parents or friends. Thinking
about this is always keeping me disturbed. I have agreed to marry her
next year after my parents told me so. I don't know what to do now or
how things would go after that. I would like to have your suggestions
and guidancein this regard.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
Istikhaarah is mustahabb and is prescribed in Islam, but one does not
necessarily see a dream after it or get an answer as you described.
Rather its effects appear in the matter being made easy. If the matter
is made easyand goes ahead, this is an indication that it is good, in
sha Allah.
Secondly:
The son is not obliged to obey his parents with regard to marrying a
particular woman, but if he does that to please his parents and make
them happy, he will be rewarded for that, so longas the woman is
religiously committed andof good character.
If he gives the matter some thought and decides that the woman isnot
appropriate for him, and is afraid that he will develop resentment
towards her or that he will later be forced to divorce her, then it is
better for him to tell his parents frankly about what he feels and to
apologise to them for cancelling his engagement. This is better than
going ahead with something he does not really want.
We advise you to think long and hard and to examine your fiancée's
characteristics, both positive and negative, before taking the
decisionto cancel the engagement. If she is religiously committed
andof good character, and hasno faults other than what you mention
about her hair, then this can be dealt with. And a woman may be
beautiful or acceptable despite that problem.
But we also think that you should delay going ahead with the marriage
until you have put your mind at rest about that decision.
You should offer a lot of du'aa' (supplication) and ask Allah to guide
you to that which is best in this world and in the Hereafter.

And Allah knows best.

Should he allow his daughter to sleep over at her non-Muslim friend’s house?

Is it permissible/advisablefor my 16year old daughter to sleep over at
her non muslim friends house (there will be no males present, only her
friend and her friends mother)
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
It is not permissible for the Muslim to take a non-Muslim as a close
friend, because Allah, mayHe be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Auliya
(friends, protectors, helpers, etc.), they are but Auliya to one
another. And if any amongst you takes them as Auliya, thensurely he is
one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the
Zalimoon (polytheists andwrongdoers and unjust)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:51]
"O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitanah (advisors, consultants,
protectors, helpers, friends, etc.) those outsideyour religion
(pagans, Jews, Christians, and hypocrites) since they willnot fail to
do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred
has already appeared from their mouths, but what their hearts conceal
is far worse. Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayat (proofs,
evidences, verses) if you understand"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:118].
And there are other versesthat forbid loving the disbelievers and
taking them as confidantes and close friends.
Abu Dawood (4832) and at-Tirmidhi (2395) narrated from Abu Sa'eed that
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Do not
keep company with anyone but a believer and do not let anyone eat your
food but one who is pious."
Classed as saheeh by Ibn Hibbaan; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in
Saheeh Abi Dawood.
Friendship and keeping company leads to love and approval, and it is
notpermissible to show that towards the kaafir.
This does not mean that there should be a complete cutting off of ties
between Muslims andnon-Muslims; rather she can visit her socially and
when she is sick, and give her gifts, without loving her or taking
part in her festivals, and her intention in visiting her and giving
her gifts should be to call her to Islam. This is what our Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did. See question no. 23325
Based on that, you shouldexplain to your daughter the guidelines on
interacting with non-Muslims and help herto develop a feeling of pride
in her religion and adhering to its commands, even if that goes
against one's whims and desires. You should also discourage her from
thinking of spending the night outside her home, because sleeping over
in someone else's house is indicative of very close friendship, and we
have stated above that it is not permissible for the Muslimto form
such a close friendship with a non-Muslim. Perhaps she may be
attracted to some of their ways and influenced by that without
realising. The negative consequences of mixing too much with people
who are not religiously committed are many, so how about mixing with
people who are not of the same religion?
And Allah knows best.

Hari Raya Idul Fitri in Indonesia

Hari Raya Idul Fitri in Indonesia - Eid ul Fitr is the most
significant Muslim festival in Islamic Calendar. It is celebrated on
the end of holy month of Ramadan. During the Ramazan, Muslims offer
prayers in Mosque in largenumbers. They also observe fasting
throughout the month of Ramzan just before these Eid celebrations. The
month of Ramazan holds a deep significance in Muslim history as the
holybook of 'Quran' was revealed during this month. During this month,
Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset everyday for a month. Most parts
of the Southeast Asia celebrated this great occasion of Eid as Hari
Rya Aidilfitri.
Eid is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal. Shawwal is the tenth
month in holy Islamic Calendar. Families begin this Eid morning with a
special Prayer also knownas Eid Prayer. This prayer offers a special
thanks to god for the strength and discipline received during the holy
month of Ramadan. People distribute sweets and children wear new
clotheson this great Muslim festival known as Eid.
The people of Indonesia celebrate Eid ul Fitr with great enthusiasm
and peace. The message of brotherhood is spreader all throughout the
country. Muslims people wear new clothes and distribute sweets to mark
this auspicious festival in Islamic calendar. On this great occasion
of Eid ul Fitri, markets all through Indonesia are decorated and
people enjoy shopping with great fun.
Banks, private offices and government centers are closed for almost
one week in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

2c] The error of the collective personality concerning the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as)-2-

2c]
It is otherwise impossible for him to have a community without his
being an individual.
2- This community of Hazrat Mahdi (as) will form one century after
Bediuzzaman's own time, and all oppression will be eliminated by means
of that community. As has already been made clear, the existence of
these students is only possible with Hazrat Mahdi (as) existing as a
person.
15) ... We anticipate from the divine mercy that HIS community andthe
sayyid will make thecommunity.
16) The Mahdi's luminous community...
... His community...
... Mahdi's luminous community...
In the above two extracts,states that there will be a community
consisting of Hazrat Mahdi's (as) students. This communityis the
collective personality that will form Hazrat Mahdi (as) being atits
head. "The community of Hazrat Mahdi (as)" refers to a society headed
by Hazrat Mahdi (as) and made up of people who follow him and abide by
his message. However, the most important feature of this communityis
the presence of Hazrat Mahdi (as), the person who constitutes this
collective personality. Therefore, Bediuzzaman's concept of "Hazrat
Mahdi's(as) luminous community"again shows that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will
come as a person.
Bediuzzaman has made it clear in the passages about the duties of
HazratMahdi (as) that he is a person and not a collective personality.
17) Also, the circumstances of the Great Mahdi do not fit the
narrations alluding to the earlier Mahdis, and these have become
allegorical Hadiths.
18) ... a guide, a kind of Mahdi and reformer comes in every century,
but in terms of discharging each of these three duties, nonehave
received the title of THE GREAT MAHDI OF THE END TIMES.
19) ...one interpretation of these various narrations is this: the
Great Mahdi will have numerous functions. He will carry out duties in
the world of politics, theworld of religion, the world of government,
and in the many spheres of the world of jihad...
In these three passage, Bediuzzaman states that various Muslim
individualshave come in previous centuries for the purpose of causing
the moral values of the Qur'an to rule the world, but that none of
these have been able to perform the three major tasks that the "Great
Mahdi (as)" who comes in the End Times will perform. It is apparent
from these statements by Bediuzzaman that Hazrat Mahdi (as) he refers
to is aperson:
1- Bediuzzaman has set out the difference between the Great Mahdi
(as) and previous Mahdis, all of whom have been individual people.
This means that the Great Mahdi (as) is also a person.
2- These previous individuals have been unable to perform the tasks
set out. But the Great Mahdi (as) will perform them. This also means
that the Great Mahdi (as) is a person.
3- These previous individuals do not match the features used by the
Prophet (saas) in his hadith describing Hazrat Mahdi (as). But the
Great Mahdi (as) will meet them. It is a fact known toall Islamic
scholars for hundreds of years that Hazrat Mahdi (as) whose physical
and moral characteristics are described in the hadith is a person, not
a collective personality. Therefore, in this passage Bediuzzamanagain
reminds us that Hazrat Mahdi (as) is a person who will match the
descriptions in the hadith of our Prophet (saas).
All the statements of Bediuzzaman cited above reveal with clear,
indubitable statements that the Prophet Jesus (as)and Hazrat Mahdi
(as) will appear in the End Times as individuals. By Allah's leave,
the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear in the End
Times together with the collective personality of the communities of
believers they lead and beinstrumental in the installment of the moral
values of the Qur'an over the entire world.
THE ERROR OF THE COLLECTIVE PERSONALITYCONCERNING THE PROPHET JESUS
(as) AND HAZRAT MAHDI (AS)/