Prophet Ibrahim (2)

As you may recall, most of the people at the time of Ibrahim (alayhis
salam) were idol worshippers. There were very few people who heeded
the words of Ibrahim (alayhis salam). One of the people who did follow
in the way of Allah was his wife, Sarah. She and Ibrahim (alayhis
salam) had been married for many years but did not have any children.
As they became more elderly, it seemed apparent that they would never
have a family. Sarah therefore gave Ibrahim (alayhis salam) her
slavewoman, Hajra, as a wife, in the hopes that she would be able to
bear a child for him. Ibrahim (alayhis salam) prayed for a righteous
son and his prayer was answered. To him and Hajra was born the son
Ismail (alayhis salam).
Ismail (alayhis salam) grew up strong in the belief of Allah. When he
had become old enough tohave become helpful, Ibrahim (alayhis salam)
saw in a vision from Allah that he was to sacrifice his son. You can
imagine how heavy-hearted he was at the thought of giving up that
long-awaited son. Buthe never thought to go against the command of
Allah. He went to his son and told him of the vision and asked him
what he thought of it. Now Ismail (alayhis salam), although very
young, never hesitated. If it was Allah's will, he said, he would go
along with it.
Ibrahim (alayhis salam) and Ismail (alayhis salam) prepared for the
sacrifice and just as Ibrahim (alayhis salam) was about to perform it,
Allah intervened. Allah provided a ram for sacrifice in place of
Ismail (alayhis salam), for Ibrahim (alayhis salam)and Ismail (alayhis
salam) had passed the test of faith which Allah had set for them.
Some time later, the angels who were being sent to Lut (alayhis salam)
stopped at Ibrahim's (alayhis salam) home. When he saw the two
strangers, he roasted a calfin order to entertain them.When he saw
that they didnot eat, he mistrusted and feared them. But they told him
not to be afraid. Sarahwas there and she laughedwhen they told her she
would have a son. She couldn't believe it. She wasan old woman and her
husband an old man. They told her not to wonder at Allah's decree, for
he can do all things.
Ibrahim (alayhis salam), too, couldn't believe his ears when they told
him that he would father another son endowed with wisdom. He asked
themessengers how they could say such a thing when he was such an old
man. But they assured himthat they were telling the truth.
Just as the angels had foretold, a son was born toSarah and Ibrahim
(alayhissalam). He was named Ishaaq (alayhis salam) and he later
became the father of Yaqub (alayhis salam). Itis from Ishaaq (alayhis
salam) that the children of Israel trace their roots.
It is from Ismail (alayhis salam), Ibrahim's (alayhis salam)
first-born son, that the people of Arabia trace their lineage. Thus
can twopeoples, the Jews and the Arabs, trace their beginnings back to
a single ancestor, Ibrahim (alayhis salam), the father of Ismail
(alayhis salam) and Ishaaq (alayhis salam).
You can read about Ibrahim (alayhis salam) and his sons in the
following surat of the Qur'an 11:69-76, 15:51-56,and 37: 99-111.

Prophet Ibrahim (1)

Prophet Ibrahim as a role model
We often see the term "role model" in newspapers and magazines. It
refers to someone who leads the sort of life that you would like to
live. Many of us choose our favorite sports star or film star as our
role model because we are impressed by the glitter and flair of these
wealthy people. However, if we stopped to think about what kind of
lives the starsreally lead, perhaps we would have second thoughts
about our choice of role model. How many of these stars have never
known or have forgotten Allah in their quest for fame and riches! How
often are they consumed by hate, envy, violence, drugs and other
evils! Whoreally wants that kind of life? Certainly not we Muslims.
The Qur'an tells us that theprophets should be our role models, and
Prophet Ibrahim (alayhis salam) in particular is frequently mentioned.
He was obedient to Allah, upright, and he did not worship any god but
Allah. He turned away from those who worshipped idols, even from his
own father. He was grateful to Allah for the blessings which were
bestowed on him. Hewas rewarded with good in this world and he is
among the righteous in the hereafter.
Prophet Ibrahim's call
Prophet Ibrahim 's (alayhis salam) father, Azer, was a stone carver.
He carved theimages of the idols which his people worshipped. Prophet
Ibrahim (alayhis salam) grew up in an atmosphere of paganism, in which
Allah was just one of many gods worshipped by his people. But Allah
chose Ibrahim (alayhis salam) to be His prophet. Prophet Ibrahim
(alayhis salam) saw a star when it rose and called upon it as his
lord, but when it set he realized that it was powerless. He called
upon the moon when it rose in the sky, but it too disappeared as
itset. Then he decided to worship the sun when it rose, but even the
sun with all its brilliance had to set each evening. It wasat this
point that Prophet Ibrahim (alayhis salam) was ready to acknowledgethe
supremacy of the Creator of all the heavenly bodies, the Lord of all
creation, and a being without equal and withoutpartners. He tried
unsuccessfully to persuadehis father and his people to discard the
useless idolsand to submit themselves wholly to Allah. He promised his
father that he would pray for forgiveness for him, and since he had
promised, he did pray. But we are told in the Qur'an that we should
shun pagans and we should not pray for them (Qur'an 9:113-114).
Prophet Ibrahim (alayhis salam) asked his people why they worshipped
those idols which they themselves had made, instead of the true God
who had created everything and everybody.The people answered that they
worshipped the idols because their fathers had done so. One day, when
noone was about, Prophet Ibrahim (alayhis salam) took his right hand
and smashed the idols to pieces, all except the biggest. The people
came running, asking who had destroyed their gods. Prophet Ibrahim
(alayhis salam) pointed to the big god and said, "He did it. Why don't
you ask them?" But of course those fragments of stone were not able to
speak and the people knew in their hearts that the big stone could not
have destroyed them. So Prophet Ibrahim (alayhis salam) asked, "Why do
you worship these powerless rocks instead of Allah who is all
powerful?" Then the people were very angry and they seized Prophet
Ibrahim (alayhis salam) and threw him into a blazing fire. But Allah
was with Prophet Ibrahim (alayhis salam) and made the blaze feel cool
to him. Prophet Ibrahim (alayhis salam) emerged from the fire
unharmed.
In Arabia at the time of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),
threereligious groups claimed ancestry to the prophet Ibrahim (alayhis
salam). They were the Christians, the Jews, and the pagan
idol-worshippers. But the religion of Ibrahim (alayhissalam) was none
of these three. His religion was truly that of Islam , a total
submission to the will of Allah. It is he who should serve as our role
model, a man of unswerving faith introubled times.
You can read about Prophet Ibrahim (alayhis salam) as a role model
andabout his disputes over the idols in the following suras of the
Qur'an: 2:130, 135, 258; 3:67; 6:74-83; 16:120-123; 19:41-50;
21:51-71; 26:70-82; 37:83-98; 60:4-6.

Allah Will Protect Me

Once Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was taking rest under a tree
when he was returning from an expedition and hung his sword from the
tree. A Non-Muslim person came quietly, took hold of the sword and,
addressing the Prophet said to him:"O Muhammad! now who will save you
from my hand?" The Prophet heard it, rose up from his seat and said:
"Allah will save me." Hearing the name of Allah, he was overawed and
the sword slipped from his hand. The Prophet rose up from his place,
took the sword into his hand and questioned him: "Now who will save
you from my hand?" He felt sorry and begged apology. The Prophet
forgave him. He was so impressed by this kindnessthat he embraced
Islam. He then went to his tribesmen and expressed that he never found
a manbetter than Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Source: "The Miracles of the Prophet" by Shaikh Ahmed S. Dehalvi; also
related in Bukhari and other sources with slight variations.
Related to the protection of the Prophet Muhammad, Allah has mentioned
in the Quran "OApostle! proclaim the message which has been sent to
you from your Lord. If you do not do it, you would not have fulfilled
and proclaimed this mission. And Allah willdefend you against men who
mean mischief. For Allah guides not those who reject faith." (Al
Quran5:67).
( Love for Muhammad PBUH is the basic teaching of Islam.)... Islam is
not terrorism nor backwordness, but Islam isteachings of
peace."Ashadunna La illaha illallahu Wa Ashadunna Muhammadan Wa
Rasuluhu." "I bear witness that there is no god, but Allah, and
Muhammad is His Last Messenger."

Punishment of a Liar

Narrated Anas: There was a Christian who embraced Islam and read
Surat-al-Baqara and Al-Imran, and he used to write (the revelations)
for the Prophet. Later on he returned to Christianity again and he
used to say:"Muhammad knows nothing but what I have written for him."
Then Allah caused him to die, and the people buried him,but in the
morning they saw that the earth had thrown his body out. They said,
"This is the act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of
our companion and took his body out of itbecause he had run away from
them." They again dug the grave deeply for him, but in the morning
they again saw that the earth had thrown his bodyout. They said, "This
is an act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our
companion and threw his body outside it, for he had run away from
them." They dug the grave for him as deep as they could, but in the
morning they again saw that the earth had thrown his body out. So they
believed that what had befallen him was not done by human beings and
had to leave him thrown (on the ground).
Source: Sahih Al Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 814.
( Love for Muhammad PBUH is the basic teaching of Islam.)... Islam is
not terrorism nor backwordness, but Islam isteachings of
peace."Ashadunna La illaha illallahu Wa Ashadunna Muhammadan Wa
Rasuluhu." "I bear witness that there is no god, but Allah, and
Muhammad is His Last Messenger."

Should he send blessings on the angels in the tashahhud?

Is it permissible to send blessings on the angels in the tashahhud as
I send blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
In the answer to question no. 105330 we stated thatit is prescribed to
send blessings on the angels.
But in the tashahhud doing that is not prescribed, because what must
be done is to recite only that which was proven from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), without adding anything
to it.
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan was asked: Should blessings be sent on the
angels in the tashahhud as they are sent on the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)?
He replied:
No, the blessings that are mentioned in the tashahhud should be
limited only to that whichis narrated, but when we say al-salaamu
'alayna wa'ala 'ibaad-Allaah al-saaliheen (may peace be upon us and
upon all the righteous slaves of Allaah), that includes every
righteous slave in heaven and on earth, which includes the angels.

People of Imân and Piety Readily Accept the Truth

Allâh says,
"That home of the Hereafter (i.e. Paradise), We shall assign to those
who rebel not against the truth with pride and oppression in the land
nor do mischief by committing crimes. And the good end is for the
pious." (Al-Qasas 28:83)
Fellow Muslims! A scholar among our righteous predecessors wrote a
letter to a brother of his in which he asked him for admonition and
advice on an issue. The scholar wrotehim the following reply:
"To proceed, if Allâh is with you who are you then afraid of? And if
Allâh is against you, who is he unto him you can fix your hope? Bye."
Dear brethren! This short statement is a great admonition, a strong
reminder and a brilliant word. Allâh's care for His slave supersedes
all other cares; and with the care of Allâh, the slave is in no need
of the care of others. The special divine care means protection and
support. Allâh tells us about those who deserve this protection when
He says,
"Truly, Allâh is with those who fear Him (keep their duty unto Him),
and those who are good-doers." (An-Nahl 16:128)
May Allâh include us among the pious and the righteous. May He guide
usto the path of His sincere slaves and keep us away from causes of
His wrath and punishment.

People of Imân and Piety Readily Accept the Truth

All praise is due to Allâh, Lord of all the worlds. Peace and
blessings of Allâh be upon the Messenger, his household and
companions.
O you who believe! Fear Allâh as He should be feared and work towards
your salvation tomorrow on,
"The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, except him who
brings to Allâh a clean heart." (Ash-Shu'arâ 26:88-89)
And
"The Day when man shall remember what he strove for." (An-Nâzi'ât 79:35)
Fellow Muslims! It is part of a Muslim's magnanimity, nobility and
good manners to always seek for and surrender to the truth out of
desire for the pleasure of Allâh and out of fear of falling into the
abyss of arrogance. The Messenger of Allâh said,
"Whoever has the weight of mustard seed of pride inhis heart will not
enter Paradise."
A man said,
"[What about] a person who likes his clothes to be fine and his shoes
to be fine."
The Prophet responded,
"Verily, Allâh is beautiful and He loves beauty. Pride is disregard
for the truth and contempt for people." (Al-Bukhârî and Muslim)
Disregard for the truth is to reject it. And contempt for people is to
scorn themand show them all forms of arrogance either through words or
deeds.
Rejecting the truth also implies denying it, hating it and turning
away from it, as former people who were punished had done. The
punishment of Allâh came to them in their homes and what happened to
them becamea lesson for others. Allâh says,
"And never an Ayah (sign) comes to them from the Ayât (proofs,
evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord,
but that they have been turning away from it. Indeed, they rejected
the truth (the Qur'ân andMuhammad (peace be upon him)) when it came to
them, but there will come to them the news of that (the torment) which
they used to mock at. Have they not seen how manya generation before
them We have destroyedwhom We had established on the earth such as We
have not established you? And Wepoured out on them rain from the sky
in abundance, and made the rivers flow under them. Yet We destroyed
them for their sins, and created after them other generations."
(Al-An'âm 6:4-6)
Allâh also says,
"Indeed We have brought the truth (Muhammad (peace be upon him) with
the Qur'ân), to you, but mostof you have a hatred for the truth."
(Az-Zukhruf 43:78)
As for those who have faith and fear Allâh, their most prominent
characteristic is acceptanceof the truth, submitting to it and calling
others unto it. That is why they are thewisest of all people and the
most knowledgeable of the causes of happiness,victory and success.
Wisdom is the lost property of a believer; he takes hold of it
wherever he finds it. Refraining fromrejecting the truth is safetyfrom
being in the same group with the erroneous and deniers of the signs of
Allâh. It is also the safety from sharing in the consequences of their
rejection of the truth as a result of their arrogance inthe land.
You will notice that those who fear Allâh have habituated themselves
on accepting the truth irrespective of the person from whom the truth
comes. Hence you find them accepting the truth from children, ignorant
and enemies. This is the opinion of eminent scholars like Qâdî 'Iyâd
andothers.
Another noble quality of those who fear Allâh is that when anyone of
themdebated with someone, hesupplicated secretly for his opponent to
Allâh to strengthen his opponent, make him reach at the truth and let
the truth come from him. An example of this is Imâm Ash-Shâfi'î who
used to say,
"Whenever I argued with someone, I always wished that Allâh show the
truth through him."
Brethren in faith! The God-fearing Muslim treats his brother as gently
as he can. He lowers his voice when he speaks with him, he guards his
tongue and hands from attacking his honour and never harms him with
any form. He always bears in mind the saying of the Messenger ofAllâh
that goes thus,
"A Muslim should neither be slanderer nor a curser, nor an immodest nor foul."
And his saying,
"A Muslim is someone from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe."
(Al-Bukhârî and Muslim)
He also abstains from useless argument and he fears the malice and
hatred that quarrelling leads to. In this regard he follows the
Prophet's admonition that goes thus,
"I guarantee a house in the surroundings of Paradise for a man who
avoids quarrelling even if he were in the right." (Abû Dâwûd)
And his saying,
"No nation went astray after they had been on guidance except that
they were afflicted with quarrelling and deprived of (fruitful)
actions." (Ahmad and At-Tirmidhî)
In short, sincerity of purpose and an intention to arrive at the truth
is thegoal. The Muslim must beware of promoting his personal ego and
showing that he is better than other. He should also treat all people
with compassion and wish them well.

Struggles benefit - The man who wanted to help the butterfly

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared.
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hoursas it struggled to
force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making
any progress.It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and
it could go no further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly. He tooka pair of scissors
and snipped off the remainingbit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily. But it hada swollen body and
small,shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that,at
any moment, the wingswould enlarge and expand to be able to support
the body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact,the butterfly spent the rest of its life
crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.It never was
able to fly.
What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that
the restricting cocoon andthe struggle required for the butterfly to
get through the tiny opening were Allah's way of forcing fluid from
the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for
flight once it achieved its freedom fromthe cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If Allah
allowed us to go through our liveswithout any obstacles, it would
cripple us.
We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never "fly"!
I asked for Strength.........
And Allah gave me Difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for Wisdom.........
And Allah gave me Problems to solve.
I asked for Prosperity.........
And Allah gave me Brain and Brawn to work.
I asked for Courage.........
And Allah gave me Dangerto overcome.
I asked for Love..........
And Allah gave me Troubled people to help.
I asked for Favours.........
And Allah gave me Opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted ........
I received everything I needed!
"So blessed be Allah, the best of creators!"
Sura The Believer (23) verse 14

The young girl who isn't an atheist like her teacher

A young woman teacher with obvious liberal tendencies explains to
herclass of small children thatshe is an atheist. She asks her class
if they're atheiststoo. Not really knowing what atheism is but wanting
to be like their teacher, their hands explode into the air like fleshy
fireworks. There is, however, one exception. Abeautiful girl named
Zainab has not gone along with the crowd. Theteacher asks her why she
has decided to be different. "Because I'm notan atheist."
Then, asks the teacher,"What are you?" "I'm a Muslim." The teacher is
a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asks Zainab why she
is a Muslim. "Well, I was brought up knowing and loving God. My mom is
a Muslim, and my dad is a Muslim, so I am a Muslim."
The teacher is now angry."That's no reason," she says loudly, "what if
your mom was a moron,and your dad was a moron, - what would you be
then?" She paused, and smiled. "Then," says Zainab, "I'd be an
atheist."
[a moron is a dumb, stupid person]

2a] Arabian's relegion before islam

2a]
'Ilumquh of the Sabeans
~
Sabean jewelery in gold carnelian and onyx (Doe).
Statue, Sabean script, and a decorative panel in marble (Doe).
While her tomb and documents of her time have yet to come to light,
and remains of the tenth century BC are still largely unknown to
archaeology, the recovery of a small amount of contemporary evidence
together with a considerable amount of material from only three or
four centuries later enables us to reconstruct ageneral outline of the
Queen of Sheba's culture with considerable probability. She would have
lived surrounded by the accoutrements of an affluent civilization: a
thriving trade that brought unparalleled prosperity; an irrigation
agriculture that provided ample subsistence; a distinctive
architecture in stone that was second only to that of Egypt in
theancient Near East in its execution and variety of ornamentation; a
richness in metallurgy and stone carving as well as an abundance of
artists and artisans who pursued these vocations; a high degree of
literacy among the people, who had a keen appreciation of the
importance of a written language and of their beautiful alphabetic
script;and an art that is representational in a symbolic archaic
manner (Pritchard 40).
"The great civilization of South Arabia was little known to the Arabs
of Muhammad's time [although] any of the Arab tribes of Muhammad's day
still had a tradition that they had lived in South Arabia before
taking to thedesert when the old civilization declined." Some tribes
retained a memory of being settled there before conditions worsened,
apparently connected with the Marib dam bursting and a return to
nomadic life. Restorations were know to have been carried out in450
and 542 which puts a final date on the demise (Pritchard 1974 88).
Sura 34:15 states:"Certainly there was a signfor Saba in their abode;
two gardens on the right and the left; eat of the sustenance of your
Lord and give thanks to Him: a good land and a Forgiving Lord! But
they turned aside, so We sent upon them a torrent of which the rush
could not be withstood, and in place of their two gardens We gave to
them two gardensyielding bitter fruit and (growing) tamarisk and a few
lote-trees."
The hoopoe visits Nikaulis to entice her to Solomon (Lassner).
Sura 27:15-44 relates many of the episodes already found for examplein
the Targum Sheni, a further indication of the familiarity Muhammad had
with details of Jewish literature outside the Pentateuch. Rather than
Bilqis being portrayed as ademon, Solomon is portrayed as a great man
of God and master of the Djinn to whom Bilquis submits in
acknowledgement of al-Llah. The story of Solomon sending the Hoopoe in
a flock of bird to summon the Queen is told. The people of Sheba are
said to be sun-worshippers. Her throne is disguised and placed before
her as a test.She says "It is like it' evasively. As she walks on to
the palace: 44 "She though it a pool and uncovered her legs. Solomon
said 'It is a place paved with glass.' She said'I have wronged myself
to God, Lord of the worlds, with Solomon I make submission.' "
al-Lat, al-Uzza and Dhu Shara: the Deities of Nabatea
A second prominent Arab culture had sprung up from Southern Sinai
around 600 BC and from around 400 BC in the land of the Edomites in
Jordan. The Nabateans had a closerelationship with the Edomites as
they each claim a female line of descent from Ishmael, through
Bashemath one ofthe three wives of Esau and her sister Nabaioth
respectively (Browning 32), conditions favourable to integration. This
also gave the Edomites descentfrom Isaac through Esau. The son of Esau
and Bashemath was Ruel the Midianite father in Law of Moses.
Moon and Sun deities surmounted by the Eagle. Al-Uzza as Moon Goddess
commands the Zodiac surmounted by the moon and carrying a moon staff.
The temple of Manatu at Petra. Dionysian tragic mask with dolphins.
Grapefreeze (centre). Aretas IV and Shaqilat II (Glueck).
The Nabateans migrated from Arabia as shepherds and caravan traders
who benefited from horse breeding and settled adaptably to form rich
irrigated productive land with a prominent trade, centred on the
previously unpopulated area round Petra - 'a rose red city half as old
as time'. During the time of Jesus, Nabatea wasan independent Kingdom
with influence spreading to Damascus. Herod was involved in
hostilities withAretas IV the King of Nabatea because Herodias
displaced Aretas's daughter as Herod's wife. Although they were
annexed by the Romans they continued to be a significant Arab power to
the time of Muhammad.
Herodotus says of the Arabs: "They deem no other to be gods save
Dionysus and Heavenly Aphrodite … they call Dionysus Orotalt and
Aphrodite Alilat" (Negev 101).
:->

2] Arabian's religien before Islam

2]
'Ilumquh of the Sabeans
~
Sheba is the Anglicized Hebrew spelling of Saba, the name of an
ancient southwest Arabian kingdom roughly corresponding to the modern
territory of Yemen, originally settled by Semites from western or
central Arabia during the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. Excavations
at Ma'rib, its capital, during the 20th century have revealed an
imposing temple to the moon god. Like the sabbath it has a meaning of
"seven".
Temple of 'Ilumquh at Marib Yemen, Sabean Moon Bull,
Incense Holder Aksum, Moon and Orb of Venus Sabean wall frieze (Doe).
"The South Arabians before Islam were polytheists and revered a large
number of deities. Most of these were astral in concept but the
significance of only a few is known. It was essentially a planetary
system in which the moonas a masculine deity prevailed. This, combined
with the use of a star calendar by the agriculturists of certain
parts, particularly in the Hadramaut, indicates that there was an
early reverence for the night sky. Amongst the South Arabians the
worship of the moon continued, and it is almost certain that their
religious calendar was also lunar and that their years were
calculatedby the position of the moon. The national god ofeach of the
kingdoms or states was the Moon-god known by various names: 'Ilumquh
by the Sabaeans, 'Amm and 'Anbay by the Qatabanians, Wadd (love) by
the Minaeans, and Sin by the Hadramis". The term 'God is Love' is
characteristic of Wadd (Briffault 3/85). 'the Merciful' ascribed to
Allah is also South Arabian (Pritchard).
The sun-goddess was the moon's consort; she was perhaps best known in
South Arabia as Dhat Hamym, 'she who sends forth strong rays of
benevolence'. Another dominant deity was the male god known as
Athtarcorresponding to Phoenician Astarte (Doe 25). Pritchard (61)
claims their pantheon included the the moon god Sin etc., Shams
(Shamash) and Athtar or Astarte as in the Semitic trinity, however it
would appear that the sunwas female as the Canaanite Shapash who
figures in Ugarit myth alongside Athtar (Driver 110).
The earliest temple knownis the Mahram Bilquis or Harem of the Queen
of Sheba, previously called the Awwam the temple of the Moon God
'Ilumquh which dates from around 700 BC, although its lower levels may
be substantiallyolder. Sabean moon worship extended througha long
period of time to around 400 AD when it was overtaken be rescendent
Judaism and Christianity around a century before Muhammad.
Bilqis the Sun-worshipper of Islam
Bilquis was the Queen of the Sabeans in Solomons time. Pre-Islamic
poetry describes Solomon as a king of universal kingdom of men, djinn
and winds etc. nine angels stand before him. He built the castle
al-Ablaq near Taima.
Sabean Votive Offerings with a black Shulamite (Doe)
Diodorus Siculus notes:"This tribe [the Sabaeans] surpasses not only
the neighbouring Arabs but also all other men in wealth and in their
severalextravagancies besides. For in the exchange and sale of their
wares they, ofall men who carry on trade for the sake of the silver
they receive in exchange, obtain the highest price in return for
things of the smallest weight. Consequently, since they have never for
ages suffered the ravages of war because of their secluded position,
and since an abundance of both gold and silver abounds in the country,
… they have embossed goblets of every description, made of silver and
gold, couches and tripods with silver feet, and every other
furnishingof incredible costliness, and halls encircled by large
columns, some of them gilded, and others having silver figures on the
capitals. Their ceilings and doors they partitionedby means of panels
and coffers made of gold, set with precious stones and placed close
together, and have thus made the structure of their houses inevery
part marvellous for its costliness; for some parts they have
constructed of silver and gold, others of ivory and the most showy
precious stones or of whatever else men esteem most highly" (Pritchard
1974 44). Their sculpture and votive offerings were refined.
Strabo noted that the kingof Saba who "presides over the court of
justice and other things" was not permitted to leave the palace, for
if he did "the people would at once stone him, in consequence of a
saying of an oracle" (Pritchard 1974 66).

Clarification of Hadith on Passing Wind

Question:
i know that the haith re passing wind says that you assume no wind
passed unless you hear or smell it today during the farz of isha, i
had grumblings in my stomach and also there was a small noise.
HOWEVER, i was pretty confident that i didnt pass any wind from my
backside and the noise could have beeninternal stomach grumblings, a
joint cracking or the floorboards and didntsound much like a fart at
all given that certainty isnt lifted bydoubt, i put this downto
waswasah and carried on with salah,sunnahs and witr. Was this correct
or should i re-read isha and witr on the basis that the noise may have
been a fart (although i dont thinkit was on balance)
Answer:
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
The hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)
is telling us that unless certain that one hasactually passed wind,
one must assume that one hasn't. What you did was correct.
And Allah alone gives success.

Some details of Tafseer of Surah an-Naba' (79)

All praise is due to Allâh, we praise Him, and seek His help and
forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allâh, Most High, from the evils of our
own selves and from our wicked deeds. Whoever Allâh guides, cannot be
misguided. I testify that there is no trueGod worthy of being
worshipped except Allâh, alone, without partner or associate. I
further testify that Muhammad is His trueslave and Messenger (SâS) [1]
.
May Allâh's Salâh and Salâm be also granted to the Prophet's pure
family, and to all of his noble companions.
"O you believe! Fear Allâh[by doing all that He ordered and abstaining
from all that He forbade] as He should be feared [Obey Him, be
thankful to Him, and remember Him always] and die not except in a
state of Islâm(as Muslims with complete submission to Allâh)." [Surah
Al-i'Imrân,3:102]
"O mankind! Be dutiful toyou Rabb (Allâh) [2] , Whocreated you from a
single person (âdam) and from him (âdam) He created his wife (Eve),
and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allâh
through Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and (do not cut the
relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allâh is ever an
All-Watcher over you." [Surah an-Nisa', 4:1]
"O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allâh and fear Him, and speak
(always) the truth. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and
will forgive you yoursins. And whosoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger
has indeed achieved a great success." [Surah al-Ahzâb, 33:70-71]
It proceeds then: That the most truthful speech is that of Allâh's
Book (the Qur'ân) and that the best of guidance is that of Muhammad
(SâS). The worst of evils are innovation (foreign to the true
teachings of Islâm). Every innovated matter (inreligion) is a Bid'ah;
every Bid'ah is a Dalâlah (misguidance), and every Dalâlah is in the
Fire of Hell. The Qur'ân is the Word of Allâh. The Tafseer (Exegesis)
of the meaning of the Noble Ayat (verses) of the Qur'ân is critical to
the understanding of Islâmas a whole. The Qur'ân is explained by the
Qur'ân itself [3] and by the Sunnah [4] of the Prophet (SâS). The
Salaf [5] not onlytransmitted the explanation of the Qur'ân, but laid
down the foundations for Ijitihâd [6] and thus their way is the best
and most reliable wayof Tafseer. Philosophical and scholastic opinions
dealing with the Word of Allâh produce confusion, alterations in the
meaning of the texts and thus lead astray. The Muslim is calledto
follow the path of thosewho gained Allâh's Pleasure. They are the
Salaf, may Allâh make us follow their path in all matters of Islâm.
Considering the above, I have decided to bring closer the Salaf's
Tafseer inseparate publications starting with the Tafseer of Part
Thirty of the Noble Qur'ân. This is the first issue and it deals with
the Tafseer of Surah an-Naba'. I hope that this approach will be
simple enough so that it will, Inshâ' Allâh, benefit a broad sector of
the Muslim Ummah (Nation). I ask Allâh to accept this effort and make
it beneficial for all those who read it and (or) distribute it.
The Tafseer of Surah an-Naba' [7]
1. "What are they asking (one another)?"
2. "About the Great News."
The disbelievers question the occurence of the Day of Reckoning. Allâh
(SWT [8] ) describes this Day as the one that brings Great News. Ibin
Katheer (The eminent scholar of Tafseer)said that most likely this
News refers to the Resurrection after death, based upon the fact that
Allâh (SWT) says about it inthe next ayah (verse):
3. "About which they are indisagreement."
Mankind are divided into believers and disbelievers regarding the
occurence ofthis Day. Allâh (SWT) warnsthose who deny it, saying:
4. "Nay, they will come to know!"
5. "Nay, again, they will come to know!"
An emphasised and a confirmed warning for those who deny this Day that
they will certainly come to know that the Day of Resurrection is
true.Allâh shows His abilities to produce the Signs of this Day and He
tells about its magnitude in the following verses so that the people
contemplate and realise that Allâh, Whois able to bring about these
Signs, is All-Able to bring life to the Dead as well as Resurrection.
Allâh (SWT) tells mankind about many aspects of His Abilityand Power
to create what He wishes. For those who under-estimate Allâh and His
Greatness, there is a reminder, and for those who believe, there is an
affirmation:
6. "Have We [9] not made the earth as a bed?"
7. "And the mountains as pegs?"
To provide cohesiveness and stability to the earth. Modern scientific
discoveries found that these pegs are driven into the ground like pegs
used to anchor a tent.
8. "And We have created you in pairs."
Males and females, tall andshort, good and bad etc. Males and females
lawfullyenjoy each other (through marriage) and have children. This
enjoyment isphysical as well as emotional.....

Peacock Spider

Peacock spider or Glidingspider (Maratus volans) is confined to
eastern parts of Australia (Queensland, New South Wales).
Although tiny, male spiders have an iridescent colouring of red, green
and blue. Females are dull, brown drab coloured creatures.
Mature spiders are small with a length of between 4 and 5 mm.
The brilliant colouring is not just for decoration. The peacock spider
has earned its name when he courts with his mate.
He raises his abdomen vertically, expands his flaps and displays them
like a peacock's tail. He also raises his third legs which have a
brush of black bristles and the white-tipped ends.
While vibrating his raised legs and tail, he starts dancing from side
to side or rolls as a sailoras he approaches the female.
Altogether a spectacular courtship dance. After mating the male
repeats the performance and dancing with other females.

Biographies Prophets - Prophets Hud and Salih

Since their purpose was often the same, the stories of many of the
prophets are very similar. They wereall raised up among their own
people, to warn their people against their sinful ways and warn of
Allah 's pending punishment. Theirmessage was the same, to worship
Allah and heed the words of His prophet. The prophets emphasized that
they had nothing to gain from their people; that they were merely
conveying Allah's message.And all the prophets were deeply
compassionate men, who became frustrated that so few heeded their
words, but who never stopped trying to convey Allah's message,until
the people's deeds exceeded limits set by Allah.�
The response to each prophet's message was also very similar. A very
small number of his people would heed his message and follow his
advice. But most of his community would refuse to listen. They would
say that their prophet was crazy. They would laugh athim, scorn his
followers, and threaten him. They would challenge him to bring on the
punishment with which he was always threatening them. But only Allah
knew when the punishment would strike and what it would be. When the
punishment did strike, the prophet and his believers would be saved,
and all the nonbelievers would be destroyed.
The type of punishment differed: it was a great flood at the time of
Nuh ( Peace be upon him ) and a shower of brimstones among the people
of Lut ( Peace be upon him ). In this issue we will see whathappened
to the people ofthe prophet Hud ( Peace beupon him ) and the people of
the prophet Salih ( Peace be upon him ). Thesetwo prophets are not
mentioned in the Bible.
Hud (pronounced "who'd")( Peace be upon him ) was a member of the 'Ad
(rhymes with "rod") tribe, a powerful Arab tribe which lived in the
southern Arabian peninsula. (Muhajir, A.M.R. 1975. Lessons from the
Stories of the Quran , Sh. Muhammed Ashraf, Lahore, Pakistan, pp
45-46). They were descendants of Nuh ( Peace be upon him ). They were
tall in stature and were skilful builders. They were all
idol-worshippers. The prophet Hud ( Peace be upon him ) was raised up
to bring them back to the worship of Allah.
Hud's ( Peace be upon him ) message and his people'sreaction to it
followed the usual pattern. They called him an idiot and a liar. He
implored them to listen to him, but they rejected him.And so Allah
sent down Histerrible penalty, from which only Hud ( Peace be upon him
) and his followers were saved. The penalty in this case was a great
wind which destroyed everything in itspath. It raged for seven nights
and eight days, and when it had passed, nothing could be seen but the
ruins of the houses. It picked the people up and flung them to the
ground.
Nothing and nobody couldwithstand its force. Thus was the tribe of Ad,
a powerful nation of skilful and intelligent people, destroyed because
it would not listen to its prophet.
The tribe of Thamud existed about 200 years after the tribe of 'Ad.
They lived in an area which is now near the border between Syria and
Arabia. They carved their homes out of rocks. Some of those rock
habitations, called asalib, are still in existence (Muhajir, pp
49-50). They are often mentioned in the Qur'an inconjunction with the
tribe of Ad. The prophet who was sent to them was named Salih ( Peace
be upon him ).�
Salih ( Peace be upon him ),too, had only a very small band of
followers. The remaining townspeople were very much against Salih (
Peace be upon him ) and his teachings. A group of them were even
plotting to secretly do away with Salih ( Peace be upon him ), but
that was not part of Allah's plan so the plot failed.
A sign of Salih's ( Peace be upon him ) prophethood was sent by Allah
to the people of Thamud in the form of a she-camel. Salih ( Peace be
upon him ) instructed the people of Thamud to allow the camel to
pasture freely and to have its share of water. It was when they killed
the camel that they overstepped the limits placed by Allah, and their
destruction was inevitable.Salih ( Peace be upon him ) foretold that
within three days of having slain the camel disaster would come upon
them. It is not clear exactly what the disaster was. Some sort of
earthquake activity and some storms are mentioned. But the result was
the total destruction of the people of Thamud, with the exception of
Salih( Peace be upon him ) and his followers.
Thus we see again in the stories of these two prophets, Hud ( Peace be
upon him ) and Salih ( Peace be upon him ), how two powerful nations
were totally destroyed, because they did not heed Allah's warning.
Only the faithful were saved.�
You can read about Hud ( Peace be upon Him ) in theQur'an, Sura
7:65-72, Sura 11: 50-60, Sura 26:123-140, Sura 41:15-16, Sura
46:21-26, Sura 51:41-42, Sura 54:18-21, Sura 69:6-8, andSura 89:6-8.
You can read about Salih (Peace be upon Him ) in the Qur'an, Sura
7:73-79,...:->

How Big Are You? An Amazing Presentation

Now, this is really fascinating. This image shows the size of Earth
compared to some other planets in our solar system.
The image below shows Earth compared to some of the larger planets in
our solar system. Look how small we are compared to Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus and Neptune! About 1,400 Earths can fit inside the Jupiter.
The image below shows the sizes of the huge planets compared to the
Sun. There is no comparison! The huge Jupiter looks tiny compared to
the Sun. About 980 Jupiters can fit inside the Sun.
Now going beyond our solar system, it's a big universe. Look how tiny
the sun is compared to some other stars.
Finally, the huge stars above is tiny compared tothe stars shown
below! The Sun is only 1 pixel in size in the image below. Subhan
Allah.
ANTARES IS THE 15TH BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY. IT IS MORE THAN 1000
LIGHT YEARS AWAY.
HUMBLING, ISN'T IT?
NOW HOW BIG ARE YOU?
AND HOW BIG ARE THE THINGS THAT UPSET YOU TODAY?
AND HOW BIG IS YOUR ALLAH?

Allergic asthma

Causes of asthma
Asthma often runs in atopic families. Children are also more likely to develop asthma if their mother smoked during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Most people find several things trigger their asthma. Some of the mostcommon predisposing factors for asthma are allergies to:
*. House dust mites
*. Mould spores
*. Pollen
*. Pets
*. Food or food preservatives
Asthma triggers include:
*. Viral infections, such as colds and flu
*. Cigarette smoke
*. Certain forms of exercise, such as running
*. Exposure to cold, dry air
*. Laughing and other emotions
*. Medication containing aspirin
*. Drinks containing sulphur dioxide, such as squashes and lemon barley water
Top
Symptoms of asthma
The main symptoms are coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and a tight feeling in the chest.
Top
Asthma treatments
There are two main treatments for asthma:
*. Relievers - salbutamol and terbutaline
*. Preventers - beclomethasone, budesonide, fluticasone, mometasone and ciclesonide
These come in a variety ofdelivery devices, such as aerosol or powder inhalers and nebulisers. You breathe the medicine in through your mouth, directly into your lungs.
Relievers are drugs called bronchodilators (based onadrenaline) that relax the muscles which surround the airways, making it easier to breathe. You should take these as directed by your doctor assoon as symptoms appear.
Taking a dose of the reliever inhaler before exercise will increase yourstamina and prevent breathing difficulty.
Preventers are drugs (usually low-dose steroids) that reduce inflammation in the airways and make them less sensitive. This means you're less likely to react when exposed to a trigger.
The protective effect of this medicine is built up over a period of time, so you must take your preventer regularly, as directed by your doctor.
Combination preventer and long-acting reliever (formoterol and salmeterol) inhalers have become popular and seem to be particularly good at controlling more severe and persistent asthma.
If your asthma is really bad, your doctor may alsoprescribe a short course ofsteroid tablets to calm your inflamed airways.
Newer anti-inflammatory medication includes leukotriene receptor antagonists (montelukast and zafirlukast), which areparticularly useful for brittle asthma and patients with aspirin-sensitive asthma.
The most recent addition to the list of possible treatments for asthma is anew injection medication (omalizumab) for those with severe allergic asthma, which works by dampening down the IgE allergic reaction.
An older orally administered bronchodilator, theophylline, isn't often used these days owing to its unpredictable toxic side-effects and need for blood testing.
There is little scientific evidence to support the use of breathing exercises,such as Buteyko, in the treatment of asthma. However, some people with asthma find breathing exercises calm their symptoms and reduce their need for reliever medication.
Top
Preventing asthma
You can help to avoid asthma attacks by taking preventer medicine regularly and avoiding your triggers. You can also monitor your asthmaby asking your doctor to provide you with a peak flow meter, a simple device that measures the amount of breath in your lungs.
Most childhood asthma is caused by an allergy. Skin-prick and RAST tests may be able to discover the allergen. Practical steps can then be taken toavoid it, be it house dust mites, cats, dogs or other pets. Even mould spores and pollen grains can trigger seasonal asthma attacks.
If you're prone to sudden or severe asthma attacks, keep asthma diary cards and a peak flow meter on hand to monitor your lung airflow so you can take early action.
Discuss an asthma action plan with your GP, who may issue an emergency supply of oral steroid pills.You may need to increase your medication dosage ifyour peak flow measurement drops steadily.
Remember, never stop taking your preventer medication, even when your symptoms are stable. Don't wait until your symptoms get worse- they'll be harder to treat./

தமிழ்ச் சமுதாயம் - தமிழுக்காக தமிழர்களுக்காக ஒரு பகுதி

சகலரும் அறிந்திருக்க வேண்டிய 100 மருத்துவக் குறிப்புகள்- இப்பவே நோட் பண்ணுங்க!
1. விபத்தில் காயம்பட்டவரை அவசரத்தில் கண்டபடி தூக்கிச் செல்லக் கூடாது.
படுக்க வைத்து மட்டுமே தூக்கிச் செல்ல வேண்டும். ஒருவேளை தண்டுவடம்
பாதிக்கப்படாமல் இருந்து, நீங்கள் உடலை மடக்கித் தூக்குவதன் மூலம் அது
பாதிப்படையலாம். உடல் பாகங்கள் செயல் இழந்து, நிலைமையை மேலும்
சிக்கலாக்கிவிடு ம்.
2. எலும்பு முறிவு ஏற்பட்டால், எக்ஸ்-ரே எடுத்துப் பார்க்காமல்
குத்துமதிப்பாகக ் கட்டுப்போட்டுக் கொள்ளாதீர்கள். ஏனென்றால், எலும்புகள்
கோணல்மாணலாக சேர்ந்துகொள்ளவு ம், தசைகள் தாறுமாறாக ஒட்டிக்கொள்ளவும ்
வாய்ப்பு இருக்கிறது. இதனால்… கால்கள் கோணலாக, குட்டையாக மாறக்கூடிய
ஆபத்து இருக்கிறது.
3. பிஸியோதெரபி என்பது இயற்கை வலி நிவாரணி. மாதக் கணக்கில் வலி நிவராணி
மாத்திரைகள் சாப்பிடுவதன் மூலம் குணமாகும் பிரச்னையை, வாரக் கணக்கிலேயே
குணமாக்கிவிடும் .
4. எலும்பு உறுதிக்கு கால்சியத்தைவிட, புரொட்டீன்ஸ் மிக முக்கியம்.
புரொட்டீன்ஸ் புடவை எனில், அதில் உள்ள டிசைன்ஸ்தான் கால்சியம். பருப்பு
வகை, சோயா, காளான், முட்டை, இறைச்சி போன்றவற்றில் புரொட்டீன்ஸ் அதிகமாக
உள்ளது.
5. எடை குறைவான இருசக்கர வாகனங்களைப் பயன்படுத்துவோர் , மிக மெதுவாக
செல்ல வேண்டும். வேகமாக செல்லும்போது ஏற்படும் அதிர்வுகள் நேரடியாக
முதுகு, கழுத்து மற்றும் இடுப்புப் பகுதியைப் பாதிக்கும்.
6. எலும்புகள், 25 வயது வரைதான்பலம் பெறும். அதன்பிறகு மெள்ள வலுவிழக்க
ஆரம்பிக்கும். எனவே, குழந்தைப் பருவத்திலிருந்த ு 25 வயது வரை சாப்பிடும்
சத்தானஉணவுகள்தான் எலும்பை உறுதிப்படுத்தும ். அதன் பிறகு
சாப்பிடுவதெல்லா ம் எலும்புகளின் வலு குறையும் வேகத்தை குறைக்க மட்டுமே
உதவும்.
7. வயதான காலத்தில் தடுமாறி விழுந்தால் முதுகு எலும்பு, இடுப்பு எலும்பு
உடைந்து போக வாய்ப்பு அதிகம். வயதானவர்கள் நடமாடும் பகுதிகளில் தரை
வழவழப்பாக இருக்கக் கூடாது. நல்ல வெளிச்சத்தோடு இருக்க வேண்டும்.
கார்ப்பெட்டில் கூட தடுக்கி விழலாம். எனவே, அவர்கள் எதையாவது பிடித்தபடி
நடப்பதற்கு வழி செய்ய வேண்டும்.

Natural Health and Environmental Research

Natural Health and Environmental Research
~
Why We Shout In Anger
"Why We Shout In Anger"
A Hindu saint who was visiting river Ganges to take bath found a group
offamily members on the banks, shouting in anger at each other. He
turned tohis disciples smiled 'n asked.
'Why do people shout in anger shout at each other?'
Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our
calm, we shout.'
'But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you?
You can as well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner.' asked
the saint
Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfiedthe other disciples.
Finally the saint explained,.
'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot.
To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other.
The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear
each other to cover that great distance. What happens when two people
fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, Because
their hearts are very close. The distance between them is either
nonexistent or very small...'
The saint continued, 'Whenthey love each other even more, what
happens? Theydo not speak, only whisper'n they get even closer to each
other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only
look at each other 'n that's all. That is how close two people are
when they loveeach other.'
He looked at his disciples 'n said.
'So when you argue do notlet your hearts get distant, Do not say words
that distance each other more, Or else there will come a day when the
distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.'

Islamic Marriage Khutbah (Wedding Speech)

Women celebrating at an Egyptian open air wedding
This is a typical Muslim nikah khutbah (wedding speech) that would be given by an Imam at a Muslim wedding. This particular speech was translated from Arabic, I believe. I do not know theauthor's name:
Wedding Khutbah
"Thanks be to Allah that we praise Him, pray to Him for help; ask Him for pardon; we believe in Him, We trust Him; and ask Him to guard us from the evil of our own souls and from the evil consequences of our own deeds. Whomsoever He leaves straying no one can guide him. I bear witness that there is no God save Allah, who has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, whom He has sent with truth as a bringer of good news anda warner.
The best word is the bookof Allah, and the best wayis that of Muhammad, on whom be peace. The worst of all things are innovations and every innovation leads astray, and every thing that leadsastray leads to Hell.
Whosoever obeys Allah and His messenger will beguided aright and whosoever disobeys will cause loss to his own self (and thereafter). Hereafter, I ask the refugeof Allah from Shaytan, theoutcast.
O mankind! Be careful ofyour duty to your Lord who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women. be careful of your duty towards Allah in whom you claim (your rights) of one another, and toward thewombs (that bear you). Lo, Allah hath been a watcher over you. [SurahAl Nisa' 4:1]
O ye who believe! Observe your duty to Allah with right observance, and die not save as those who have surrendered (unto Him). [Surah Ali 'Imran 3:102]
O ye who believe! Guardyour duty to Allah, and speak words straight to the point; He will adjust your works for you and will forgive you your sins. Whosoever obeyeth Allah and His messenger, he verily hath gained a signal victory. [Surah Al Ahzab 33:70-71]"
Marriage is one of the most important acts of worship in Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) has told us how to live as Muslims. One of the branches of faith is marriage. It has been thus narrated in a Hadeeth that when a person marries, he has complete half of his religion and so he should fear Allah regarding the remaining half.
Shame, modesty, moral and social values and control of self desire are just a few of the many teachings of Islam. Furthermore, these are just a few of the many worships that a person can complete by performing the ritual of marriage. Through marriage a person can be saved from many shameless and immoral sins and through marriage he has is more able to control his desire. Therefore, the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) has said:
"O young men! Whoeveris able to marry should marry, for that will help him to lower his gaze and guard his modesty." [Sahih al-Bukhari]
Marriage is a strong oath that takes place between the man and women in this world, but its blessings and contract continues even in Jannah. It is the way of our beloved Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam), and whosoever goes against this practice has been reprimanded.
Hadhrat Anas ibn Malik narrates:
A group of three men came to the houses of thewives of the Prophet (Sallallaahu layhi Wasallam) asking how the Prophet worshipped (Allah), and when they were informed about that, they considered theirworship insufficient and said:
"Where are we compared to the Prophet as his past and future sins have been forgiven?"
Then one of them said: "I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever."
The other said: "I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast."
The third said: "I will keepaway from the women and will not marry forever."
Allah's Apostle came to them and said, "Are you the same people who said so-and-so? By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my tradition in religion, is not from me (from myfollowers)." [Sahih al-Bukhari]
Therefore, Islamically, we are all encouraged to get married and not turn away from the ways of our beloved Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Salaam). It should be remembered that this duty of marriage is for both men and women. Just as men complete half their religion through thisact, it is also the same for women. However, in today's time, there are many marriage-related issues which arise in people's lives, as today we see many people abusing the laws of marriage in Islam.

The Heart of the Matter

Sometimes we have a problem with a Muslim or Muslims, and we get
frustrated and we think, "I don't want to be around those people
anymore." Orsomething happens at the Masjid (the mosque) that we don't
like, maybe the Imam says something we don't agree with, or we don't
like the Masjid policies, and we feel offended and we stop going.
Maybe we pray at home, and stop associating with Muslims, then maybe
over time we become slack in our prayers, but we tell ourselves it's
okay becausewe're still Muslim "in our hearts".
That's one kind of trap.
On top of that it's hard to represent this deen amongnon-Muslims. It's
hard to carry yourself as a Muslim at work when you're the only one
there and you're aware that some of your co-workers are bigots or are
operating on negative stereotypes. It's hard to wear the hijab when
somepeople look at you as if you're a terrorist.
So maybe we give up the outer trappings of Islam, telling ourselves
that we have to survive in this society.
That's another trap.
And if you're a convert andyour family is opposed to your conversion
to Islam, that's another weight to carry. If they are openly hostile,
and if you still live with them as they mock your deen (maybe in front
of your children) and try toundercut your childrens' practice of Islam
by feeding them pork or letting them have "a little taste" of wine… or
something comes on the news about a conflict in the Muslim world and
yourfamily says, "Look, those Muslims are at it again…" And you don't
know how to respond, or you don't want to start another fightso you
keep your mouth shut, but inside you feel humiliated and confused…
And if you are isolated from the Muslim community for racial reasons
(this is not supposed to happen but it does) or for simple
culturalreasons, because you can't speak Arabic or Urdu and you don't
fit in, and you haven't been able to makeany Muslim friends, or you
feel that the Masjid crowd don't regard you in the same way as
so-called "born Muslims"… instead they look at you as an oddity, or a
child, or a trophy of some kind, as if your conversion somehow
validates their faith…
Well, then, you might startto say to yourself, "What's the point? Is
it really worth it? Is it even really true?"
That's obviously a huge, deadly trap.
Okay, if you're a "born Muslim" you might not reach the point of that
laststatement ("Is it even true?") because for most ofus who were
raised Muslim, Islam is bred into us from childhood, and it's a part
of us even when wedon't understand it or appreciate it. But you still
might feel that identifying as a Muslim is too much trouble… it's
easier to associate with non-Muslims, abandon your prayers, drink wine
atthe company dinner, have relationships with non-Muslims, and not
haveto battle against society every day, not to mention battling
against your own nafs (desires). This is an easy trap to fall into if
you are a professional living alone.
We fall into these traps because we forget what this deen is. Shaytan
(Satan) isolates us just as awolf isolates a sheep, driving it away
from the herd; then he plays games with our minds so that we become
reactive, responding emotionally tocircumstances in our environments.
("That Muslim cheated me, so I don't trust Muslims anymore.") Shaytan
gives us pathetic rationalizationsthat we latch onto as if they really
mean something. ("I'm a single Muslim alone in a non-Muslim
environment. It's not practical for me to live an Islamic lifestyle
right now.")
Or whatever.
We fall into these spiritual traps because we forget what Islam is all
about. Weforget the heart of the matter, the core, the fulcrum upon
which the universe turns, the foundation of reality itself:
Laa ilaha il-Allah.
There is no God but Allah.

1a] Righteous deeds do notexpiate transgressions against the rights of others

1a]
if he accepts that, all well and good, but if he objects and demands
his money, then he should give it to him, and the money he gave in
charity becomes an act of charity on his own behalf. He alsohas to ask
Allaah for forgiveness and repent to Him, and pray for the other
person.

And Allaah knows best.

1] Righteous deeds do notexpiate transgressions against the rights of others

1]
I heard that the Prophet (S) said that if one keeps the fasts of
Ramadan withemaan and in order to getreward from Allah, Allah will
forgive all his or her past sins. Does this also include the sins one
may have knowingly committed against the rights of other Muslim
brothers and sisters whichhe or she now deeply regrets doing but
cannot admit his or her guilt to the victims as this may create even
more problems?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There are many things which expiate for sin, including repentance,
seeking forgiveness, doing acts of worship, carrying out hadd
punishments on those who have done acts for which such punishments are
due, and so on.
But righteous deeds such as prayer, fasting, Hajj etc only expiate for
minor sins, according to the majority of scholars, and they only
expiate for transgressions against therights of Allaah.
With regard to sins that have to do with the rightsof other people,
they can only be expiated by repenting from them. Oneof the conditions
of repenting from them is restoring the rights of those who have been
wronged.
Muslim (1886) narrated from 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Aas (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The martyr will be forgiven
for all his sins except debt."
Al-Nawawi said in Sharh Muslim:
The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
"except debt" draw attention to all rights owed to other people.
Jihad, martyrdom and other righteous deeds do not expiate for
transgressions against therights of other people, rather they only
expiate for transgressions against the rights of Allaah. End quote.
Ibn Muflih said in al-Furoo' (6/193):
Martyrdom expiates for everything except debt. Our Shaykh (i.e.,
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, may Allaah have mercy onhim) said: and
except sins against other people such as murder and oppression. End
quote.
It says in al-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah (14/129):
Repentance in the sense of regretting what one has done and resolving
not to do it again is not sufficient to waive the rights that are owed
to other people. Whoever has stolen another person's wealth, or seized
it by force, or has wronged him in any otherway, will not have
finished with the matter by simply regretting it, giving up the sin
and resolving not to do it again. Rather he has to restore those
rights. This is a principle on which thefuqaha' are unanimously
agreed. End quote.
This has to do with material possessions, suchas wealth that has been
taken be force or by deceit. With regard to intangible rights such as
in cases of slander and backbiting, if the person who has been wronged
knows about it, then it is essential to apologize to him and ask for
his forgiveness. If he did not know, then he should not be told;
rather the one who wronged him shouldpray for him and pray for
forgiveness for him, because telling him may upset him and create
enmity and hatred between the two.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
According to the saheeh hadeeth: "Whoever has wronged his brother with
regard to his blood, his wealth or his honour, let him come and set
mattersstraight before there comes a Day on which there will be no
dirhams and no dinars, only good deeds and bad deeds, andif he has
good deeds (theywill be taken and given tothe one whom he wronged),
otherwise some of the bad deeds of the one whom he wronged will be
taken and added to his burden, then he will be thrown into the Fire."
This has to do with cases where the one who was wronged was aware of
it; but if he was gossiped about or slandered and he does not know,
then it was said that one of the conditions of repentance is telling
him, or it was said that this is not essential, which is the view of
the majority; bothviews were narrated fromAhmad, but his view on such
matters is that one should do good deeds for the one who was wronged,
such as praying for him, praying for forgiveness for him and doing
good deeds to be given to him, to take the place of that backbiting
and slander. Al-Hasan al-Basri said: The expiation for gossip is to
pray for forgiveness for the person about whom you gossiped. End
quote.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 18/189
The scholars of the Standing Committee said, concerning a man who
stole money from a slave:
If he knows the slave or he knows someone who knows him, he can tell
him to look for him and give him the money in silver or the
equivalent, orwhatever he agrees upon with him. If he does not know
who he is and he thinks that he will never find him, he should give
itor the equivalent in cash money in charity on behalf of its owner.
If he finds him after that, he should tell him what he did; if he
accepts that, :->

Mullah Nasruddin

Once a king consulted Nasruddin. "Daring the Abasis and after, khalifs
used to add the term "Allah" after their names. What title do youthink
I should choose for myself? Nasruddin answered "Nawoozobillah" (God
forbid).
Because of lack of time Nasruddin went to a judge's office to divorce
his wife. The judge asked him, "What is yourwife's name?" He answered.
"I don't know." "For how many years havd you remainedas spouses?" The
judge asked again. He said "More than 20 years". The judge asked him.
"How come you don't know her name?" Nasruddin answered, "Because I did
not have any social relations with her." Once a person slapped
Nasruddin in thestreet. Later he came hack and started to apologize
and said that he had mistaken Nasruddin for some one else. But
Nasruddin was not satisfied and took tight hold of his collar, took
him to the judge and told the judge aboutthe incident. The judge
ordered, "Nasruddin must slap that person to avenge. But Nasruddin
didn't get satisfied. Thus the judge ordered the person to give
Nasruddina gold coin in lieu of the slap. The accused had to go out of
the court to bring the gold coin. Nasruddin waited for sometime. The
accused didn't come hack. Nasruddin stood up and slapped the judge on
hisface and said, "Since I have a lot of work, whenever that person
Comes and brings the coin, You take the moneyfor this slap."

1c] How to be successful in life

1c]
because he knows that these are the result of vulnerable human nature
and of weakness and fear that have no basis. He also knows that Allaah
has guaranteed complete sufficiency to those who put their trust in
Him. So he trusts in Allaah and finds peace of mind in His promise,
and thus his worry and anxiety are dispelled; hardship is turned to
ease, sadness is turned to joy, fear is turned to peace. We ask Allaah
to keep us safe andsound, and to bless us with strength and
steadfastness of heart, and complete trust, for Allaah has guaranteed
all good things to those whoput their trust in Him, andhas guaranteed
to ward off all bad and harmful things from them.
If bad things happen or there is the fear of such, then you should
count themany blessings that you are still enjoying, both spiritual
and worldly, and compare them with the bad things that have happened,
for when you compare them you will see the many blessings that you are
enjoying, andthis will make the bad things appear less serious.
See al-Wasaa'il al-Mufeedah li'l-Hayaat al-Sa'eedah by Shatkh 'Abd
al-Rahmaan ibn Sa'di
Ibn al-Qayyim summed fifteen ways through which Allaah may dispel
worries and regret. These are as follows:
1- Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (belief in the Oneness of Divine Lordship)
2- Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (belief in the Oneness of the Divine nature)
3- Tawheed of knowledge and belief (i.e.,Tawheed al-Asma'
wa'l_Sifaat, belief in the Oneness of the Divine names and attributes)
4- Thinking of Allaah as being above doing any injustice to His
slaves, andabove punishing anyone for no cause on the part of the
slave that would require such punishment.
5- The person's acknowledging that he is the one who has done wrong.
6- Beseeching Allaah bymeans of the things that are most beloved
to Him, which are His names and attributes. Two of His names that
encompass the meanings of all other names and attributes are al-Hayy
(the Ever-Living) and al-Qayyoom (the Eternal).
7- Seeking the help of Allaah Alone.
8- Affirming one's hope in Him.
9- Truly putting one's trust in Him and leaving matters to Him,
acknowledging that one's forelock is in His hand andthat He does as He
wills, that His will is forever executed and that He is just in all
that He decrees.
10-Letting one's heart wander in the garden of the Qur'aan, seeking
consolation in it from every calamity, seeking healing in it from all
diseases of the heart, so that it will bring comfort to his grief and
healing for his worries and distress.
11-Seeking forgiveness.
12-Repentance.
13-Jihad.
14-Salaah (prayer).
15-Declaring that he has no power and no strength, and leaving matters
to the One in Whose hand they are.
We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound from worries and to relieve
us of distress and anxiety, forHe is the All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive,
and He isthe Ever-Living, Eternal.
See Alhomoom – Dealing with Worries and Stress, in the Books section
of this site.
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our
Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

1b] How to be successful in life

1b]
One of the most effective ways of dealing with worries about the
future is to recite this du'aa' which the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) used to recite:
"Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa 'ismatu amri, wa aslih li
dunyaaya allati fiha ma'aashi, wa aslih li aakhirati allati ilayha
ma'aadi, waj'al al-hayaataziyaadatan li fi kulli khayr,wa'l-mawta
raahatan li min kulli sharr (O Allaah, correct my religious commitment
which is the foundation of my life, andcorrect my worldly affairs in
which is my livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter to which is
my return. Make my life a means of accumulating good, and make death a
respite for me from all evil)." (Narrated by Muslim, 2720).
And he said, "Allaahummarahmataka arju fa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata
'aynin wa aslih li sha'ni kullahu, laa ilaaha illa anta (O Allaah, for
Your mercy I hope, so do not abandon me to myself even for a moment.
And correct all my affairs. There is no god but You)."(Narrated by Abu
Dawoodwith a saheeh isnaad, no. 5090; classed as hasan by al-Albaani
in Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib, p. 49).
If a person utters these du'aa's, which ask that hisspiritual and
worldly affairs may be set right or corrected, with proper presence of
mind and sincerity of intention, whilst striving to achieve that,
Allaah will grant himwhat he has prayed for, hoped for and striven
for, and He will turn his worryinto joy and happiness.
7 – If a person experiences anxiety and distress because of a
disaster, then one of the most effective means of relieving himself of
that isto think of the worst scenario to which that may lead, and try
to accept that. When he has done that, then he should try to alleviate
it as much as possible. By means of this acceptance and these efforts,
he will relieve himself of his worries and distress, and instead of
worrying he will strive to bring about good things and to deal with
whatever he can of the bad things. If he is faced with things that
cause fear or the possibility of sickness or poverty, then he should
deal with that by striving to make himself accept that, or something
even worse, with contentment, because by making himself accept the
worst-case scenario, he lessens the impact of the thing and makes it
seem less terrible, especially if he occupies himself with efforts to
ward it off as much as he can. Thus as well as striving to
achievesomething good which will distract him from his worries about
calamity, he will also renew his strength to resist bad things, and
put his trust and reliance in Allaah. Undoubtedly these matters are of
great benefit in attaining happiness and peace of mind, as well as
bringing the hope of reward in thisworld and in the Hereafter. This is
something which is well known from the experience of many who have
tried it.
8 – Steadfastness of heart and not being disturbed about the imaginary
things that bad thoughts may bring to mind. For when a person gives in
to his imagination and lets his mind be disturbed by these thoughts,
such as fear of disease and the like, or anger and confusion stirred
up by some grievous matter, or the expectation of bad things and the
loss of good things, that will fill him with worries, distress,mental
and physical illness and nervous breakdowns, which will have a bad
effect on him and which causes a great deal of harm, as many people
have seen. But when a person depends on Allaah and puts his trust in
Him, and does notgive in to his imagination or let bad thoughts
overwhelm him, and he relies on Allaah and has hope of His bounty,
that wards off his worries and distress, and relieves him of a great
deal of mental and physical sickness. It gives indescribable strength,
comfort and happiness to the heart. How many hospitals are filled with
the mentally sick victims of illusions and harmful imagination; how
often have these things had an effect upon the hearts of many
strongpeople, let alone the weak ones; how often have they led to
foolishness and insanity.
It should be noted that your life will follow your train of thought.
If your thoughts are of things that will bring you benefitin your
spiritual or worldly affairs, then your life will be good and happy.
Otherwise it will be the opposite.
The person who is safe from all of that is the one who is protected by
Allaah and helped by Him to strive to achieve that which will benefit
and strengthen the heart and ward off anxiety. Allaah says
(interpretation of themeaning):
"And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him"
[al-Talaaq 65:3]
i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is worrying him in his
spiritual and worldly affairs. The one who puts his trust in Allaah
will have strength in his heart and will not be affected by anything
he imagines or be disturbed by events,:->

1a] How to be successful in life

1a]
In this way a person may forget about the things that are making him
worried and distressed, and he may become happy and more energetic.
This is another means that believers and others have in common, but
the believer is distinguished by his faith, sincerity and hope of
reward when he occupies himself with that knowledge which he is
learning or teaching, or with the good deeds that he is doing.
The work with which he occupies himself should be something that he
likes and enjoys, for that is more likely to produce the desired
results. And Allaah knows best.
4 – Another thing that may ward off worry and anxiety is focusing all
one's thoughts of the present day, and not worrying about the futureor
grieving about the past. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) sought refuge with Allaahfrom worry and regret,
from regret for things in the past which one cannot put right or
change, and worry which may come because of fearfor the future. So one
should focus only on the present day, and focus one's efforts on
getting things right today. For if aperson is focused on that, this
means that he will dothings properly and forgetabout worry and regret.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said a
du'aa' ortaught a du'aa' to his ummah, as well as urging them to seek
the help of Allaah and hope for His bounty, he was also urging them to
strive to attain the thing they werepraying for through their own
efforts and to forget about the thing which they were praying would be
warded off from them. Because du'aa' (supplication) must be
accompanied by action. Soa person must strive to attain that which
will benefit him in worldly and spiritual terms, and ask his Lord to
make his efforts successful, and he should seek His help in that, as
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Strive
for that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do
not be helpless. If anything (bad) happens to you, do not say, 'If
only I had done such-and-such, then such-and-such would have
happened.' Rather you should say, 'Qaddara Allaah wa ma sha'a fa'ala
(Allaah decrees, and what He wills He does),' for (thewords) 'If only'
open the door to the Shaytaan." (Narrated by Muslim). The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) connected the matter of
striving to achieve good things with the matter of seeking the help of
Allaah and not giving in to feelings of helplessness which are a
harmful kind of laziness, and with the matter of accepting things in
the past which are over and done with, and acknowledging that the will
and decree of Allaah will inevitably come to pass. He described
matters as being of two types:
1 – Matters which a person may strive to achieve or to achieve
whatever he can of them, or to ward them off or alleviate them. In
such cases a person must striveand make the effort, and also seek the
help of Allaah.
2 – Matters where such is not possible, so he must have peace of mind,
accept them and submit to Allaah's will.
Undoubtedly paying attention to this principle will bring happiness
and relieve worry and distress.
5 – One of the greatest means of feeling content and relaxed and of
acquiring peace of mind isto remember Allaah a great deal (dhikr).
That has a great effect in bringing contentment andpeace of mind, and
relieving worry and distress. Allaah says:
"verily, in the remembrance of Allaah dohearts find rest"
[al-Ra'd 13:28]
Remembering Allaah (dhikr) has a great effect in achieving this aim
because it has a special influence and because of the hope that it
brings of reward.
6 – Another of the means of bringing happiness andrelieving worry and
distress is striving to eliminate the things that cause worry and to
achieve the things that bring happiness. That maybe done by forgetting
about bad things in the past which cannot be changed, and realizing
that dwelling on them is awaste of time. So a personmust strive to
stop himself from thinking of that, and also strive to stop himself
from feeling anxious about the future and the things that he may
imagine of poverty, fear and other bad things that he thinks may
happen to him in the future. He should realize that the future is
something unknown, he cannot know what good or bad things are going
tohappen to him. That is in the hand of the Almighty, the Most Wise,
and all that His slaves can do is tostrive to attain the good things
and to ward off thebad things. A person should realize that if he
diverts his thoughts from worrying about his future and puts his trust
in his Lord to take care of his situation, and puts his mind at rest
concerning that, if he does that, then his heart will be at peace and
his situation will improve and he will be relieved of worry and
anxiety.