Sincerity means wholehearted belief in Allah(God) and devotion to him

As for those who believeand do right actions andhumble themselves
before their Lord, they are the Companions of the Heaven, remaining in
it timelessly, for ever. (Surah Hud, 23)
Sincerity means being deeply devoted to Allah by heart. A sincere
person has a deep fear for Allah, profoundly believes in Him, sees and
advocates the righteousness in the best way. A sincere person is the
one who believes in Allah with certainty, the Hereafter, prophets, the
Heaven and the Hell and angels.
WHAT IS ESSENTIAL IS NOT ONE'S SEEING HIMSELF SINCERE BUT THE
RECOGNITION OF HIS SINCERITY BY ALLAH.
The Prophet Muhammad(may Allah bless him andgrant him peace), the
Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), the Prophet Moses (pbuh), the
Prophet Abraham (pbuh), the Prophet Solomon (pbuh), the Prophet Joseph
(pbuh), the Prophet Jonah (pbuh), the Prophet Job (pbuh) and all the
other prophets are the sincere servants of Allah. We are aware of
prophets' sincerity because Allah sees them sincere and declares them
to be so. All of the prophets were blessed people who were devoted to
our All-Mighty Lord with great love and experienced sincerity in
itsmost profound state. Likewise, due to their sincerity, all the
prophets were blessed people who absolutely engaged in the most
accurate act, whose deeds resulted in good and beauty and who truly
turned to Allah in all their deeds.
Due to his fear for Allah and profound love of Allah, a sincere person
is someone who readily discriminates between theright and the wrong,
who absolutely implements what is right according to the Qur'an and,
without seeing any limits in closeness to Allah and lovefor him, who
discharges allthe requirements of the religion in the most accurate
and absolute manner. Consequently, sincerity is the kind of attitude
which appears with fear of Allah, and closeness and love of Him and is
experienced in the form as depicted in the Qur'an. If a Christian is
devoid of any Islamic knowledge, we may hope for his enterance to the
Heaven, as long as he advocates Allah's existence and unity,believes
in the Heaven andthe Hell, has faith in the destiny and the Hereafter,
performs his regular prayers ( salat ), fasts albeitin his own way,
and pays the alms. Similarly, if a Jewhas no knowledge about Islam,
then we can hope that he can go to the Heaven as long as he observes
what is lawful and unlawful, has faith in the destiny and Hereafter,
performs his regular prayers (salat) and fasts. All of these are the
commandments stated in the Torah and the Gospel. If he is sincere and
has no knowledge about Islam, by Allah's leave, we may hope that a
Christian or a Jew can also enter the Heaven as long as he
wholeheartedly fulfills all these religious obligations.
When one examines the Qur'an with a sincere heartone can immediately
see that the Qur'an is the true Divine book. But if someone has never
had access to the Qur'an, then he is AHL AL-FATRAT , but if he
believes in the one Allah, loves and fears Allah, does good works
forHis approval and prays, fasts and performs his religious duties as
required by the religion, then that person may hope for Paradise.
Becausethis person may not implement some parts of the Qur'an, out of
ignorance, but if he lives by the remaining of the Prophet Abraham
(pbuh) then since this person is ahl al-fatrat he may hope to enter
Paradise.
However, nobody can everbe certain that either he oranyone else will
go to Heaven or Hell. One can never say for certain that anyone, be he
Christian, Jew or Muslim, will go to Heaven or Hell. So long as a
morally virtuous person lives for the approval of Allah he may hope
for Paradise from Him, and one may hope that this person will be one
of the saved, though one can never be certain of this. As Allah
reveals in the Qur'an,all believers live "betweenhope and fear:"
Their sides eschew their beds as they call on theirLord in fear and
ardent hope. And they give of what We have provided for them. (Surat
as-Sajda, 16)
Since sincerity can only be experienced with unconditional belief in
Allah, hoping for the Heaven merely saying, "I am sincere", without
fulfilling the decrees of thereligion is an insincere view that only
deceives the person himself. It is a great collapse of reason to
appear with a reasoning commanding that "satanists can go to the
Heaven if they are sincere" and try to show acriminal person who
overtly murders a human being and who evidently denies Allah asa
sincere person deserving the Heaven.
A person who denies Allah,commits crimes and engages in immoral acts
commits all these misdeeds due to his insincerity and his disbelieving
and rebellious mind.

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The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is not Allah, but a manifestation of Allah

The Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is a holy messenger of Allah. The Qur'an
reveals that he is "One of high esteem in this world andthe Hereafter,
and one ofthose brought near [to Allah]." (Surah Al 'Imran, 45) Allah
sent the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) to call the community he lived in to the
true path, and revealed the Gospel to himto distinguish between truth
and falsity. This is revealed as follows in Surat al-Ma'ida, verse 46:
And We sent Jesus son of Mary following in their footsteps, confirming
the Torah that came before him. We gave him the Gospel containing
guidance and light, confirming theTorah that came before it, and as
guidance and admonition for those who fear [and respect Allah].
By claiming that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is the son of Allah;
Christians cause millions of people to become irreligious
Excerpt from Mr. Adnan Oktar's interview dated December 10 th , 2009
The religion revealed to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is"the true
religion, that which believes in Allah, the One and Only." However,
this holy individual's message was distorted following his being taken
into the presence of Allah, with true Christianity being replaced by
"a false belief based on superstitious philosophies," such as that"The
Prophet Jesus being the son of Allah, the Trinity and atonement for
sins." (Surely Allah is beyond all these.) The people who believed
this failed to understand that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) isa
manifestation of Allah. The scale of the error into which some
Christians have fallen is revealed as follows in the Qur'an:
People of the Book! Do not go to excess in your religion. Say nothing
butthe truth about Allah. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only the
Messenger of Allah and His Word, which He cast into Mary, and a Spirit
from Him. So believe in Allah and His Messengers. Do not say, 'Three.'
It is better that you stop. Allah is only One God. He is too Glorious
to have a son! Everything in the heavens and in the Earthbelongs to
Him. Allah suffices as a Guardian. The Messiah would never disdain to
be a servant to Allah nor would the angels near toHim. If any do
disdain to worship Him, and grow arrogant, He will in any case gather
them all to Him. (Surat an-Nisa', 171-172)
Those who say, 'Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary,' are unbelievers.
Say: 'Who possesses any power at all over Allah if He desires to
destroy theMessiah, son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone else on
Earth?' The kingdom of the heavens and the Earth and everything
betweenthem belongs to Allah. He creates whatever He wills. Allah has
power over all things. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 17)
As revealed in several verses of the Qur'an, the real Prophet Jesus
(pbuh) is very different to what such people imagine. He isa servant
created by Allah. He is a holy prophet who submitted to our Lord,
someone with lofty moral values and made superior to all the worlds.
He always referred to the sublime might and power of our Lord when
preaching the word, and said that he was a servant of Allah. Just like
the prophets Abraham, Moses (peace be upon them), Muhammad (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) and all the others, the Prophet Jesus
(pbuh) isa servant and prophet of Allah. He is a created
beingpossessed of human characteristics. He himself used to pray to
Allah.
The concept of trinity in Christianity means polytheism
Excerpt from Mr. Adnan Oktar's interview dated December 3 rd , 2009
The Qur'an describes how the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) preached the word
and how he described himself:
He said, "I am the servant of Allah, He has given me the Book and made
me a prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I am and directed me to
do prayerand give alms as long as I live. (Surah Maryam, 30-31)
I come confirming the Torah I find already there, and to make lawful
for you some of what was previously forbidden to you. I have brought
you a Sign from your Lord. So have taqwa of Allah and obey me. Allah
is my Lord and your Lord so worship Him. That is a straight path."
(Surah Al 'Imran, 50-51)
To ascribe divine status to the Prophet Jesus (surely Allah is beyond
that) means to fail to properly appreciate the might, greatness and
divine power of our Lord. It is certain that Almighty Allahis
unfettered by any weakness or deficiency. Everything in this world
belongs to Allah, and He is the sole Creator, Power and Force. Allah
reveals this in the Qur'an:
Say: "He is Allah, Absolute Oneness, Allah, the Everlasting
Sustainerof all. He has not given birth and was not born. And no one
is comparable to Him." (Surat al-Ikhlas, 1-4)

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Five millionth 'test tube baby' By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News, Istanbul

Five million "test tube babies" have now been born around the world,
according to research presented at a conference of fertility experts.
Delegates hailed it as a"remarkable milestone" forfertility treatments.
The first test tube baby, Louise Brown, was born in the UK in July
1978. Her mother Leslie Brown died last month.
However, delegates at the conference in Turkey warned couples not to
use fertility treatment as an"insurance policy" if they delayed
parenthood.
The International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive
Technologies (Icmart) presented its latest data onchildren born to
infertile parents at the European Society of Human Reproduction and
Embryology conference.
It said official figures up to 2008, plus three years of estimates,
put the total number of test tube babiesborn at five million.
Milestone
Icmart chairman Dr David Adamson said: "This technology has been
highlysuccessful in treating infertile patients. Millions of families
with children have been created, therebyreducing the burden of
infertility.
IVF success rates (based on figures for 2008)
33.1% for women under 35
27.2% for women aged 35-37
19.3% for women aged 38-39
12.5% for women aged 40-42
BBC Health: IVF in depth
"The technology has improved greatly over the years to increase
pregnancy rates."
About 1.5 million cycles of IVF, and similar techniques, are performed
every year, resulting in 350,000 babies, Icmart said.
Stuart Lavery, a consultant gynaecologist and director of IVF at
Hammersmith Hospital, said: "IVF is now part of the mainstream, it is
no longer something couples are ashamed of."
However, he cautioned that the great success of assisted reproduction
techniques should not lull people into thinking they could wait to
have children.
"The subtext is that if people delay childbirth they may view IVF as
an insurance policy that they can access at any stage.
"Unfortunately the facts still suggest that IVF success rates in women
as they get older are not fantastic."
Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at theUniversity of
Sheffield, said:"I think it's significant that we've got to five
million. It's far more socially acceptable than it has beenover the
last 10 or 20 years.
"One word of warning, we should make sure that couples understand that
IVF isn't a guaranteed solution and if they're in a position to have
their children earlier in life then they should try and do that.
"IVF really is something that should be preserved for those people who
reallyneed it."
http://m.facebook.com/mNajimudeenBscIndia

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The Miser and the Angel of Death

A miser had accumulated, by effort, trade and lending, three hunderd
thousand dinars. He had lands and buildings, and all kinds of wealth.
He then decided that he would spend a year in enjoyment, living
comfortably, and then decide as what his future should be.
But, almost as soon as he had stopped amassing money the Angel of
Death appeared before him, to take his life away.
The miser tried, by every argument which he could muster, to dissuade
the Angel, who seemed, however, adament. Then the man said: "Grant me
but three more days and I will give you one-third of my possessions."
The angel refused, and pulled again at the miser'slife, tugging to take it away.
Then the man said:
"If you only allow me two more days on earth, I will give you two
hundred thousand dinars from my store."
But the Angel would not listen to him. And the Angel even refused to
givethe man a solitary extra day for all his three hundred thousand
pieces.
The the miser said:
"Please, then, give me just time enough to write one little thing down."
This time the Angel allowed him this single concession, and the man
wrote, with his own blood:
"Man, make use of your life. I could not buy one hour for three
hundred thousand dinars. Make sure that you realize the value of your
time."

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A Young Man's Fear of Allah

One day, Malik bin Dinar (rahimaullah) was passing by a place when he
noticeda young man wearing old clothes and crying by the roadside. His
name was Uthbah. Sweat was dripping down his body even though the
temperature was very cold at that time. Malik bin Dinar became very
surprised at this scene and asked Uthbah, "Oh young man, why are you
crying? And why are you sweating during this cold temperature?"
Uthbah replied, "Once, I committed a sin at this place. Today, as I
was passing by this place, I remembered that sin."
Source: Obtained from the book "Tambihul Ghafileen" by Shaikh Abul
Laith Samarkandi.
Look how pious were the early Muslims. Today, we are committing
thousands of sins, yet, we are walkingaround with happiness andjoy as
if we have nothing to worry about.

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The King and the Poor Man

There was a king who decided to take a tour of his country. As he
passed by different places, everyone rushed to see him. However, while
passing by a certain place, he noticed a poor old manwho did not pay
any attention to the king's arrival and remained engaged in his own
activities. The king went up to this poor man and asked why he did not
join the people to see him. Thepoor man replied, "Before you, there
was another king who once passed by this place. Everyone gathered to
see him as well. But, few days later he died and was buried in a place
nearby. A poor man also died during that time and was buried near the
king's grave. After some time, a strong flood passed through that area
causing those graves to overturn. As a result, the bones of the poor
man became mixed up with those of the king's. We could not
differentiate between them any longer.After seeing this, it does not
matter to me anymoreas to who is a king and who is a beggar. In the
end, our home is the same."
Narrated by brother Ayyubfrom Toronto, Canada during one of his lectures.

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Owners of the Garden

The following story is mentioned in Surah Qalam, Chapter 68 of the Holy Quran.
Once there was a wealthy and pious man. He had a big garden full of
green trees laden with fruits. After the fruits were picked, this
rightful man used to distribute some fruits among the poor who would
gather at the garden every season to take their share.
Allah liked this act of the man. By the grace of Allah the garden used
to give rich harvest every season. Truly, one who spends for the sake
of Allah gets the reward in the hereafter as well as in this life.
This man had many sons who were not so pious as him. When their father
died, they discussed a planand said to each other that their father
was not awise man. He did not know how it was difficult to earn
livelihood. They did not like the habit of distributing some of the
fruits among the poor. They felt as if all their efforts would go to
vain if the poor had some share.
One of the sons had a concern. What will they tell the poor people
when they gather to take their fruits next time? They thought over its
implications, as they were worried about losing their prestige.
However, they were not afraid of Allah's wrath. One of them suggested
removing all the fruits in the night and thus clearing the garden
before dawn so that nobody could come and ask for his share.
Everyoneagreed to this suggestion. Since they were not even afraid of
Allah, they forgot to say 'Insha-Allah', which means if Allah
Wills,"...they swore to pluck the fruits of the (garden) in the
morning, without saying Insha-Allah ('if AllahWills')" (Verses 17-18).
If a Muslim does not say Insha-Allah before doing something Allah may
not fulfill his wish. But those who have no faith in Allah fail to
remember this and get stuck up in their act.
Allah is all Powerful. He knows no bounds in His Governance. All the
brothers went to sleep with a view to getting up early in the morning
and gather the ripe fruits. In the meantime, with the Will of Allah
"...there passed by on the (garden) a visitation (fire) from your Lord
at night and burnt it while they were asleep." (Verse 19)
In the early morning, all ofthem got up and hurried up and "...called
out one toanother as soon as the morning broke, Saying: 'Goto your
tilth in the morning, if you would pluck the fruits.' So they
departed, conversing in secret low tones (saying), No Miskin (poor
man) shallenter upon you into it today." (Verses 21-24)
As they were proceeding towards the garden, they were quite unaware
that Allah had willed otherwise. Because the garden had become
"blackby the morning, like a pitch dark night (in complete ruins)"
(Verse 20). So when they reachedthe garden, they said this was not
their garden, and that they had strayed away from the right path to
the garden. But when they saw there was no other way around, they were
wonder struck! Soon they realized the situation and yelled: "Verily,
we have gone astray," "Nay! Indeed we are deprived of(the fruits)!"
The best among them said: "Did I not say to you 'Why not glorify
(Allah)'?" (Verses 26-28). He had been advising them earlier against
this act, for he hadsaid it is only Allah who would enhance their
fruitsif they continued to give away some of them in charity.
All of them felt regretful over their misdeed. They turned, to one
another, in reproach and said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been
doing wrong. Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed!" All of them,
then, sought Allah's pardon and said:"We hope that our Lord will give
us in exchange a better (garden) than this. Truly, we turn to our Lord
(wishing for good that He may forgive our sins, and reward us in the
Hereafter)." (Verses 31-32)
It is very beloved to Allah that we share with the less fortunate
whatever we have. While some of usonly feel hungry during the month of
Ramadan, there are many who are hungry everyday. Let us be more
generous with our wealth and help all those who are in need. Wewill
not lose anything by giving away some of our wealth, we will only
gain.

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NEWS - US military buildup in the Gulf counteracts Iran’s possible retaliation 2012-07-04 03:33:09 GMT 2012-07-04 11:33:09(Beijing Time) SINA English

The U.S. has quietly added forces in the Persian Gulf to foil Iran's
possible moveto choke off the Strait of Hormuz, according to the New
York Times。
Another batch of fighter jets capable of striking deep into Iran has
been sent to the area, in a persistent effort to beef upthe American
military presence in the gulf region。
The most visible reinforcements are the doubled minesweepers bythe
Navy consigned to the region up to eight vessels. In line with the
move, Navy ships are also deployed to largely strengthen the US patrol
in the Strait of Hormuz and to reopen the narrow waterway once Iran
laid mines to deter oil tankers of Saudi Arabia and other oil
exporters from passing through。
"The message to Iran is: Don't even think about it,"one senior Defense
Department official said on the condition of anonymity, "Don't even
think about closing the strait. We'll clear the mines. Don't even
think about sending your fast boats out to harass our vessels or
commercial shipping. We'll put them on the bottom of the gulf。"
Those additional attack aircraft give the US military greater
capability against coastal missile batteries that could threaten
shipping, as well as its reach to strike other targets deeper inside
Iran。
In response to the tightening Western sanctions, Iran announced on
Monday that it would consider blocking the Strait of Hormuz. The
Islamic Republic has also started a three-day missiledrill delivering
a warning to Israel and the United States.

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The Righteous Beggar

The following incident took place in Dhaka which is the capital city
of Bangladesh.
There was a beggar in the city who used to beg beside a Masjid on
Fridays after Jumah prayer. Begging was permissible for him due to his
adverse condition. Though he was a beggar, he would pay attention to
the sermons that were delivered duringthe Khutbah. One such sermons
was about the importance of earning halal income. He learnt that
supplications (dua) will not be accepted from those people whose
income are from forbiddensources. He immediately decided to accept
money from only those individuals that he knew had halal income. His
dailyearnings decreased as a result but he was committed to his
decision.
Then came a day when the beggar died. Eventhough he lived as a beggar,
his funeral was like that of a king. Many dignitaries of the area
attended his funeral because they knew of thatgreat sacrifice he used
to make daily in order to keep up with the commandment of Almighty
Allah.
Dear readers, we too should sincerely adopt thecommandments of Allah
inour lives regardless of our social status. In this way, Allah will
elevate us in thisworld and in the hereafter.

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Ruling on paying zakaahin instalments because the cash is not available;does she have to take a loan in order to pay zakaah?

I put my money in two Islamic bank portfolios.
The first is for constructionof real estate in an Islamic Indian city.
The project was completed three years ago without receiving any money
and Icannot withdraw the money. The second is also in real estate, but
every four months I receive a small amount of profits that I spend on
my needs. For the past three years I have been saving some of my
monthly maintenance (from my husband) and have been paying the zakaah
on my wealth which has reached the sum of ten thousand.
But this year I was not able to save because my husband was building a
private villa and because prices rose. Now Ramadanis approaching and I
feel very worried because I do not have enough money to pay zakaah,
especially since I do not like to pay zakaah from bank profits.
My question is: is it permissible for me to divide the ten thousand
(which is the amount of my zakaah) according to my ability or should I
take a loan and pay the zakaah in one go, then pay off thedebt after
that?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Putting money in a sharedbank portfolio to build real estate and then
trade in it or benefit from the dividends comes under the heading of
dealing in real estate shares.
The basic principle with regard to zakaah on shares is: if the company
[or bank] has not paid zakaah on its wealth for any reason, then what
the shareholders must do is pay zakaah on their shares. If the
shareholder is able to find out from thecompany accounts how much
zakaah is due on his own shares (that is if the company has paid
zakaah on its wealth in the manner indicated), then he should pay
zakaah on his shares in this manner, because that is the basic
principle with regard to paying zakaah on shares.
If the shareholder is not able to find out about that:
If he bought shares in the company with the aim of benefitting from
the annual dividend of the shares, not with the aim oftrading in them,
then this shareholder does not haveto pay zakaah on the shares
themselves; rather he must pay zakaah on the dividend, at the rate
ofone quarter of one tenth after one full hijri year has passed since
he took possession of the dividend. He should also pay attention to
the conditions of zakaah beingobligatory and make sure there are no
impediments.
If the shareholder bought the shares with the aim of trading in them,
he shouldpay zakaah on them as trade goods. If zakaah becomes due on
them when they are still in his possession, he should pay zaakah on
the market value. If they have no market value, he should pay zakaah
on their value as estimated by experts. He should pay one quarterof
one tenth, or 2.5%, of that value and of the profit if there is any.
End quote from Majallat Majma' al-Fiqh al-Islami (1/879)
Based on that:
If you bought this portfolio with the intention of benefitting from
the dividends, but you have not received anything, then you do not
have to pay zakaah on it. If you have received a small amount of
profit, but you spent it before one full hijri year had passed, then
you do not have to pay zakaah on it either.
If you bought these shareswith the intention of trading in them, then
you have to pay zakaah every year on the market value of the shares.
There is nothing wrong with you paying the obligatory zakaah from any
money you have, from bank profits or otherwise, so long as it is
permissible according to sharee'ah.
Secondly:
If a person is obliged to pay zakaah but he does not have any cash, it
is permissible for him to delay paying zakaah until he has the cash,
or to pay in instalments whenever he is able to do so, and he does not
have to take out a loan.
Al-Mirdaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Insaaf (3/186):
If you are not able to pay it fromthe wealth itself because itis not
available or for some other reason, it is permissible to delay it
until you are able to do so.End quote.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If the land and
the like, such as the house andcar and so on, are intended for trade,
then you have to pay zakaah every year based on their value at the end
of the zakaah year, and it is not permissible to delay that, except
for one who is unable to pay his zakaah because he has no other
wealth. In this case he may delay it until he sells it and pays the
zakaah for all years, each year according to its value at the end of
that zakaah year, whether the value was greater than the priceor less.
What I mean is: the price for which the land or car or house was
bought.And Allah knows best.

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Is it permissible for him to enable his sister to see her suitor outside the home without his father’s knowledge?

A young man who has memorised the Qur'aan (Haafiz al-Qur'aan) and is
of good character has proposed to my sister, andthere is tentative
acceptance. But my sister has not seen him except fleetingly and I
want her to see him in the manner prescribed in sharee'ah before the
engagement goes ahead, to ensure thatthey are compatible and feel
comfortable about one another, but my father refuses to allow
thisseeing as prescribed in sharee'ah and he wants the engagement to
go ahead immediately. Is it permissible for my sister to see this
young man as prescribed in sharee'ah in my presence, but outside the
home and without myfather knowing about it? If it is permissible, what
are the conditions?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
It is prescribed for the suitor to see his potential fiancé and to be
allowed to do that; it is also prescribed for her to be allowed to see
him, so that if there is agreement to go ahead with the marriage it is
done on the basis of clarity and insight.
Abu Dawood (2082) narrated that Jaabir ibn 'Abdillah said: The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"When one of you wants to propose marriage to a woman, if he can see
that which will encourage him to go ahead and marry her, let him do
so." I proposed marriage to a girl and I used to hide and watch her
until I saw that which prompted me to go ahead and marry her, and I
married her.
Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood
He may see that of her that which will prompt him to go ahead and
marry her, such as that which ordinarily appears such as the face,
hands, neck and feet.
It says in ar-Rawd al-Murbi' (p. 332):
It is permissible for the one who wants to propose to a woman and
thinks it most likely that she will accept, to look at what ordinarily
appears, such as the face, necks, hands and feet. End quote.
The Scholars of the Standing Committee said:
It is permissible for the one who wants to marry awoman to look, when
proposing to her, at her face without any feelings of pleasure or
desire, and without being alone with her, according to scholarly
consensus. That is prescribed because of necessity and because it is
more likely to make their marriage stable. And that is sufficient
because the face is the focal point of beauty and by means of this the
need is met. And some scholars regarded it as permissible to look at
the hands too, and whatever ordinarily appears of the woman that may
encourage him to go ahead and marry her. And it is permissible for the
suitor to watch herwhen she is walking in thestreet so that he may see
that which may encouragehim to go ahead and marry her.
End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah, 18/75
See also the answer to question no. 2572
Secondly:
If the matter is as you describe, there is nothing wrong with you
enabling your sister to see this suitor and enabling him tosee her,
even if that is outside the home, on condition that you or a mahram of
hers is present during the meeting. What matters is that he should not
be alone with her and there should be no cause of fitnah, as the
scholars have explained previously.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
He may look at the face, head, hands and feet, on condition that he is
not alone with her; rather one of her mahrams should be present. It is
also essential that there be no risk of fitnah. He should look onlyas
much as is necessary, but if he is not able to see her the first time,
there is nothing wrong with him looking at her another time, but that
is subject to the condition we have mentioned, which is that he should
not be alone with her, because being alone with a woman is haraam.
Similarly, she should not beautify or adorn her face when he looks at
her, because that will have the opposite effect. If he looks at her
when she has beautified herself he will think that she is more
beautiful than she really is, then when heenters upon her (after
marriage) and sees her as she really is, he may be put off and turn
away from her.
End quote from Fataawa Su'aal min Haaj (p. 39)
But you have to make sureyour father does not find out about that, so
that he will not get angry or refuse to let her marry him, when the
marriage is agreed upon.
If it is possible to make him agree and convince him of that, then
that is better and is preferable.
We should also point out that if the passing glance you mentioned was
sufficient for your sister and was also sufficient for the suitor to
form an opinion and lead to an agreement, then this is what is
required and thereis no need to look directly.
And Allah knows best.

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"If there's something that you're dreaming of then may it all come true,because you deserve it all..HAPPY BIRTHDAY".

As you slide down the banister of life,may all the splinters point in
the right direction.happy Birthday.
God made the sun,the earth,the moon,the stars, but love he could not
make another one when he made a love like you.happy birthday.
I would like to thank god for bringing you 2 life. andi would like 2
ask god 2 give you as much years to live as he can.Happy Birthday.
Do not keep your mind dalor boring always keep smileing-then the whole
world will smile with you.happy birthday.
"If there's something that you're dreaming of then may it all come
true,because you deserve it all..HAPPY BIRTHDAY".

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Allah is everywhere

Some people imagine thatthey themselves, matter and the world they see
all around them are all absolute beings. But they regard Allah (surely
He is beyond that) as an imagination pervading that absolute matter.
Or else, since they cannot see Him with their own eyes, they say:
"Allah must be somewhere we cannot see, in space or far away from
human eyes." (SurelyAllah is beyond that.) But these are all grave
errors.
Because Allah is everywhere, not just in the sky. As the sole absolute
being, Allah enfolds the whole universe, all people and places, the
heavens and everywhere. And Allah is manifested in the whole universe.
According to the hadith, our Prophet (saas) said that someone who said
that Allah was in the sky was telling the truth. But this account in
no wayconflicts with the fact that Allah is everywhere. Because if
someone at your location on Earth raises his hands and prays to Allah
and thinks that Allah is in the sky, while someone at the South Pole
turns to Allah in the same way, while someoneelse at the North Pole
raises his hands and yet another individual in Japan, or America or
Ecuador raises his hands tothe sky in the same way and turns to Allah,
then it is impossible to speak of any fixed direction. In the same
way, if djinn, angels and demons at various points in space and the
universe also pray toward the skies, it will again be impossible to
speak of anyfixed direction, and the situation will be one that covers
the entire universe.
We must not also forget that Allah is unfettered by time and space.
Allah's selfis something different. Butthe manifestations of Allahare
everywhere. If someone enters a room and says Allah is not there,he is
denying Allah. The manifestations of Allah arein that room and
everywhere. Wherever you may turn, manifestations of Allah arethere.
Several verses of theQur'an state that Allah pervades all places, that
He is closer to us than our own jugular veins, and that we will see
His face wherever we look. For example, in verse 255 of Surat
al-Baqara Allah says"... His Footstool encompasses the heavens and the
earth...." Verse 92 of Surah Hud says, "...But my Lord encompasses
everything that you do" meaning that Allah also pervades what people
do.
The truth revealed in the Qur'an is clear: Allah is not only in the
skies. Allah is He Who enfolds and pervades all places. This knowledge
is provided to us by way of the Qur'an. Describing the reality of the
secret behind matter will enable people to better understand these
verses. People who realizethat matter is not an absolute entity will
realizewith complete clarity that Allah is everywhere at anymoment,
that He sees and hears them at all moments, that He witnesses all
things and is closer to them than their own jugular veins, and that He
hears the prayers of those who pray.
Some verses of the Qur'an on the subject
Both East and West belong to Allah, so wherever you turn, the Face of
Allah is there. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing. (Surat
al-Baqara, 115)
Allah, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He is
notsubject to drowsiness or sleep. Everything in the heavens and the
earth belongs to Him. Who canintercede with Him except by His
permission? He knows what is before them andwhat is behind them
butthey cannot grasp any ofHis knowledge save what He wills. His
Footstool encompasses the heavens and the earth and their preservation
does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent. (Surat
al-Baqara, 255)
When We said to you, 'Surely your Lord encompasses the peoplewith His
knowledge.' Weonly appointed the vision We showed you and the Accursed
Tree inthe Qur'an as a trial and temptation for the people. We
frighten them, but it only increases them in their excessive
insolence. (Surat al-Isra', 60)
There is no one in the heavens and earth who will not come to the
All-Merciful as a slave. Hehas counted them and numbered them
precisely. (Surah Maryam, 93-94)

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Prayer of a Sick Person

Imam Baihaqi has stated on the authority of Hadhrat Ali (ra) who
stated: "Once, I was present with the Prophet (peace be upon him). At
that time, I had fallen so much sick that I prayed to Allah Almighty
to grant me death if I am destined to die so that I may get relief
from the sickness, otherwise, I may be restored to normal health from
the sickness if I have to live for sometime. I, also, prayed for being
granted patience if this sickness is a test for me from Allah
Almighty." Hearing that, the Prophet beat Ali with his foot and
observed: "Oh Ali! repeat what you were saying." Ali(ra) repeated his
prayer. Then the Prophet prayed to Allah Almighty: "O Allah! Heal him
from the sickness." Ali (ra) stated that he became healthy the same
day and the painnever appeared again.

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Thirst for Learning

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
"After the passing away ofthe Prophet (peace be upon him), I said to
an Ansari friend of mine: 'The Prophet is not now with us. But a large
number of Sahabah are still among us. Let us go to them and get
knowledge of the Islamic practices.' He said: 'Who is going to
approach you for learning a regulation in the presence of these
eminent Sahabah?' I was not discouraged. I kept up my quest for
knowledge and approached every person who was supposed to have heard
something from the Prophet. I managed to gather substantial
information from the Ansar. If on my visit to someone of the Sahabah,
I found him asleep, I spread my shawl at the gate and sat waiting.
Sometimes my face and body would get covered with dust, but I kept
sitting till they woke and I was able to contact them. Some of them
said: 'Abdullah you are the cousin of the Prophet; youcould have sent
for us. Why did you take the trouble of coming to our places?' I said
to them: 'I must come to you, for I am a student and you are my
teachers.' Some peoplefor whom I had waited said: 'Since when have
youbeen waiting for us?' I informed them that I had been sitting there
for a pretty long time. They said: 'What a pity! You could have
awakened us from our sleep.' I said: 'I did not like to disturb you
for my own sake.' I thus carried on my pursuits, till there came a
time when people began to flock to me for learning. My Ansari friend
realized this at that time and remarked: 'This boy has surely proved
himself more sensible than us.'"
Source: From the book"Stories of the Sahabah" by Shaikh Muhammad
Zakariyya Kaandhlawi.
Besides our quest for knowledge to earn a livelihood in this world, we
must as well gain sufficient knowledge of Islam. No matter what
agegroup we belong to at thismoment, we should atleast have that much
Islamic knowledge with which we can turn our 24 hours life into
worship. Those with knowledge and practice will be exalted in this
world and in the hereafter.

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The Fisherman

An investment banker wasat the pier of a small coastal village when a
small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were
several large yellow fin tuna. The investment banker complimented the
fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to
catch them.
The fisherman replied,"Only a little while."
The investment banker then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and
catch more fish?"
The fisherman said, "With this I have more than enough to support my
family's needs."
The investment banker then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of
your time?"
The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, playwith my
children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each
evening and spend time with my family, I have a full and busy life."
The investment banker scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you.
You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a
bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy
several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.
Instead of selling your catch to a middlemanyou would sell directly to
the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control
the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this
small coastal fishing village and move to a big town and eventually to
the the city where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."
The fisherman asked, "But,how long will this all take?"
To which the investment banker replied, "15 to 20 years."
"But what then?" asked the fisherman.
The investment banker laughed and said that's the best part. "When the
time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to
thepublic and become very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions?...Then what?"
The investment banker said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small
coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little,
play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village
in the evenings andspend time with your family."

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Army of Elephants

The following incident is mentioned in Surah Feel ofthe Holy Quran and
it happened during the period of the birth-year of Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him). Abraha Al-Ashram was thegovernor of Yemen on
behalf of the king of Ethiopia. He (Abrahah) thought to build a house
(like the Kabah at Makkah)in Sana (the capital of Yemen) and call the
Arabs to perform the pilgrimage there in Sana instead of the Kabah in
Makkah, withthe intention of diverting the trade and benefits from
Makkah to Yemen. He presented his idea to the king of Ethiopia who
agreed to it. So the house (church) was built and he named it
Al-Qullais; there was no church of its like atthat time. Then a man
from the Quraish tribe of Makkah came there and was infuriated by it,
so he relieved his nature (stools and urine) in it, soiled its walls
and went away. When Abrahah Al-Ashram saw that, he could not control
his anger and raised an army to invade Makkah and demolish the Kabah.
He had in that army thirteen elephants and amongst them was anelephant
called Mahmud which was the biggest of them. So that army proceeded
and none amongst the Arab tribes that faced them (fought against them)
but was killed and defeated, till it approached near Makkah. Then
there took place negotiations between Abrahah Al-Ashram and the chief
of Makkah (AbdulMuttalib bin Hashim, the grandfather of the Prophet),
and it was concluded that Abrahah would restore the camels of Abdul
Muttalib which hehad taken away, and then he (Abrahah) would
decidehimself as regards the Kabah. Abdul Muttalib ordered the men of
Makkah to evacuate the city and go to the top of the mountains along
with their wives and children incase some harm should come to them
from the invading oppressors. Then that army moved towards Makkah till
they reached valley Muhassir. While the army was marching towards
Makkah, in the middle of the valley, suddenly it was overtakenby
flocks of birds, flocks after flocks, air-raiding that army with small
stones slightly bigger thana lentil seed. There never fell a stone on
a soldier except it dissolved his flesh and burst it into pieces. So
they perished with a total destruction. Abrahah Al-Ashram fled away
while his flesh was bursting into pieces till he died on the way (back
to Yemen). Such was the victory bestowed by Allah,(the All-Majestic,
All-Powerful) to the people of Makkah and such was the protection
provided by Him for His House (Kabah in Makkah).

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Story :- Reward for Helping Others

Ibn Abbas narrated, Once I was in a state of itikaaf in the Prophet's
Mosque (Medina). A certain person came to me and sat down.I said to
him, 'O so and so, you look sad'. He said, 'Yesof course, o fraternal
brother of the Prophet. So-and-so has his due on me, and by the one
who lies in eternal peace in the grave (i.e. Prophet Muhammad), I am
not able to pay the debt' I said, 'Should I not talk to him about your
debt?' He said, 'You can do so if you like' There upon I put my shoes
on and went out of the mosque. The person asked him, 'Have you
forgotten the state you were in (i.e. itikaaf)?' I replied, 'Not at
all, but I have heard rom the one who lies in eternal peace in the
grave [saying this his eyes became filled with tears], said:
"One who moves to fulfill any need of his brother, and makes effort
for it, will find it better than itikaaf of ten years; and one who
performs itikaaf for one day for the pleasure of Allah, he will create
a distance of three ditches between him and the hell - and each ditch
has a width which lies between East and West, orbetween the heaven and
earth."
Source: Al Targhib Vol II p 272.
By the blessings of Allah, we are approaching another Ramadan. For
most of us, we feel a little taste of hunger during thismonth only.
But there are billions for whom it is a matter of daily life. Let us
get immense rewards by helping our needy brothers and sisters around
the world during this month of generosity.

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Story :- Better to Give

A young man, a student in one of the universities, was one day taking
a walkwith a Professor, who wascommonly called the student's friend,
from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions.
As they went along,they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes,
which they supposed to belong to a poor man who was employed in a
field close by,and who had nearly finished his day's work.
The student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a
trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those
bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when hecannot find them."
"My young friend," answered the professor,"we should never amuse
ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give
yourselfa much greater pleasure by means of this poor man. Put a coin
in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this
affects him."
The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes
close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across
thefield to the path where he had left his coat and shoes.
While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes,
but feeling something hard, hestooped down to feel what it was, and
found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his
countenance. He gazed upon the coin, turned it around, and looked at
it again and again.
He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen.
He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the
other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin.
His feelings overcame him;he fell upon his knees, looked up to the
heavens and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of
his wifewho was sick and helpless,and his children without bread, whom
this timely bounty, from some unknown hand,would save from perishing.
The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with
tears."Now," said the professor, are you not much better pleased than
if you had played your intended trick?"
The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never
forget. I feel now the truth of thesewords, which I never understood
before: "It's more blessed to give than to receive."
Abdullah bin Abbas (radi Allahu anhu) reported thatthe Prophet
(sallAllahu alaiyhi wassallam) said that encouraging good, prohibiting
evil, lifting the burden of the weak person and removing an offensive
thing from a path are all acceptable prayers to Allah.

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Story :- A Thousand Camels

In the times of Umar (Radiallahu Anhu) there was a severe famine. All
the people of Madinah were suffering due to the shortage of food. A
caravan made up of a thousand camels loaded with a large stock of food
grains belonging to Uthman (Radiallahu Anhu) arrived from Shaam
(Syria). Several merchants offered to buy all of it. He asked them
what profit they would pay. "Five per cent," they said. He answered
that he could get higher profit than that.They began to argue with
him, saying that they did not know of any merchantwho would offer him
more than their quote. He said to them, "I know of one who repays a
profit ofmore than seven hundred to a dirham (Arabian currency)." He
then recitedthe verse of the Noble Quran in which Allah Ta'ala
mentioned this profit. "The likeness of those who spend their wealth
in the Way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows
seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold
increase to whom He pleases. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His
creatures' needs, All-Knower." (2:261).
"O traders! Bear witness with me that I donate all this to the poor
people of Madinah!" said Uthman (Radiallahu Anhu).
Source: Related by Shaikh Habibullah Mukhtaar in hisbook "Bringing Up
Children in Islaam" in the chapter of Generosity.
Dear readers, what ever we give for the sake of Allah is really ours
and whatever we keep with uswill one day be someone else's. Let us
follow the footsteps of our Prophet and the pious Sahabah, with whom
Allah was pleased with, by helping the needy ones in this blessed
month of Ramadan.

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Secrets intended for believers alone are hidden in the Qur’an

When we read the Qur'an we see that the most fundamental matters that
Muslims have to know and understand are set out quite explicitly.
Allah describes His creation in the Qur'an. He describes satan,
reveals what is lawful and unlawful and tells us of the lives of the
prophets. It is revealed how the life of this world is a test and how
our true homes are inthe Hereafter. Paradise and Hell are described in
the Qur'an and people are warned against the torments in the latter.
In addition to all these basic issues, the Qur'an also contains
special signs that Allah has deliberately concealed in it for
believers. Through these signs, our Lord tells believers how they
shouldbehave toward deniers, the best way of preaching the word and
what they must do if the moral values of the Qur'an are torule the
world. These signsare only, of course, comprehensible to those
servants who can look at the Qur'an with the eyes of the heart and
good conscience, who can grasp the radiance and message of the Qur'an,
and with whom Allah is well pleased. This is just one of the hundreds
of miracles of the Qur'an.
Our Almighty Lord Makes Science Obligatory for Believers in the Qur'an
The presence in the Qur'anof scientific and mathematical miracles is
itself a miracle that confirms the sublime nature of the Qur'an, its
miraculous aspect and the fact that it is a divine scripture. But in
addition to that specific miracle, when we look at the verses of the
Qur'an we see that Allah makes science obligatory for believers. Allah
advises believers to reflect on the extraordinary creation they
witness and to learn the knowledge of the creation of the Earth and
sky. In Surah Al 'Imran our Lord says:
Those who remember Allah, standing, sitting and lying on their sides,
and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the Earth: "Our Lord,
You have not created this for nothing. Glory beto You! So safeguard us
from the punishment of the Fire." (Surah Al 'Imran, 191)
Scientific development and progress proves the sublime and
extraordinarynature of Allah's creation in the most perfect way. The
more that people of good conscience possessed of this knowledge deepen
in science, the more amazed they are by Allah's sublimeartistry. Just
a single cell, the glorious DNA within a single cell or a single
protein is enough to see the power and might of Allah. Almighty Allah
is powerful enough to createworlds within worlds, to create all things
from nothing, and gloriously shows His sublime omniscience by creating
atoms in tiny specks of space and making atoms, which themselves
consist of 99% empty space, the natural causes of matter itself.
Almighty Allah is powerful enough to bring the Earth and sky into
being through a single explosion, out of nothing, out of emptiness.
Almighty Allah reveals thissublime creation, the Big Bang miracle in
other words, in this verse:
As for heaven – We built it with great power and gave it its vast
expanse. (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 47)
Almighty Allah has made scienceessential for Muslims in order for them
to comprehend andsee His matchlessartistry and the glories in the
entities He creates. Those who deepen in science with the knowledge of
the Qur'an will also grow in faith since they will witness His
omniscience. Allah tells us in another verse:
But those of them who are firmly rooted in knowledge, and the
believers, believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent
down before you: those who establishprayer and pay alms, and believe
in Allah and the Last Day – We will pay such people an immense wage.
(Surat an-Nisa', 162)
For that reason, Allah advises true Muslims to learn and research the
scientific facts and to become aware of what is all around them:
Have they not looked at the sky above them: how We structured it and
made it beautiful and how there are no fissures in it? And the
Earth: how We stretched it out and cast firmly embedded mountains onto
it and caused luxuriant plants of every kind to grow in it, an
instruction and a reminder for every penitent human being. (Surah Qaf,
6-8)
Have they not looked at the camel – how it was created? And at the sky
–how it was raised up? And at the mountains – how they were embedded?
And at the Earth – how it was smoothed out? So remind them! You are
only a reminder. (Surat al-Ghashiyya, 17-21)
Do they not see the things Allah has created, casting their shadows
tothe right and to the left, prostrating themselves before Allah in
complete humility? (Surat an-Nahl,48)

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There is a great secret in the difficulttests undergone by the Prophets

Almighty Allah of course knows that all the prophets He created were
pure believers possessed of lofty moral values; it is He Who created
them with a true depth and pure faith. Yet despite being our Lord's
chosen, superior and honored servants, the prophets were still
subjected to difficult tests all through their lives. Difficulties are
agreat means whereby people could witness theirhonesty and adopt their
moral values as role models, for the prophets to improve their
closeness to and love of Allah, and for their goodness to increase
many times over in the Hereafter.
This climate of testing is described by means of the stories related
in the Qur'an. When he came to the sea, pursued by Pharaoh's army, the
Prophet Moses (as) saw no apparent way of escape. Those who failed to
properly appreciate the infinite might of Allah said,"We are trapped,"
but as revealed in verses the Prophet Moses (as) said "Never! My Lord
is with me and He will guide me." (Surat ash-Shuara', 62)
Throughout that difficult time when he was imprisoned in the belly of
the fish, the Prophet Jonah (as) constantly turned to Allah and, as
revealed in a verse, "...called out (to the Lord) in absolute
despair." (Surat al-Qalam, 47) The Prophet Jonah (as), who sincerely
turned to Allah during this difficult test, was rescued from the belly
of the fish through our Lord's mercy and compassion, and was then sent
to a community as their prophet. This difficult test of the Prophet
Jonah is describedas follows in the Qur'an:
Jonah too was one of the Messengers.
When he ran away to the fully laden ship
and cast lots and lost.
Then the fish devoured him and he was to blame.
Had it not been that he was a man who glorifiedAllah,
he would have remainedinside its belly until the Day they are raised again.
So We cast him up onto the beach and he was sick;
and We caused a gourd tree to grow over him.
We sent him to a hundred thousand or even more.
They believed and so Wegave them enjoyment for a time.
(Surat as-Saffat, 139-148)
When our holy Prophet (saas) was attacked by thepagans on two sides
together with his community there appeared to be no escape. This was
the day of a mostdifficult test. At the same time, it was a very
special test in which true believers with a genuine faith in Allah,
Who trusted in Allah's help with all their hearts, and who trusted in
and embraced Him, could remain strong and expect His help. As ordained
by Allah, those who were unable to properly appreciate Him and the
hypocrites lost hope of His mercy and began dreaming up false ideas of
their own. Our All-Mighty Lord described this difficult climate in
another verse:
When they came at you from above you and below you, when your eyes
rolled and your hearts rose to your throats, and you thoughtunworthy
thoughts about Allah, at that pointthe believers were tested and
severely shaken.
When hypocrites and people with sickness in their hearts said, 'What
Allah and His Messenger promised us was mere delusion.' and a group
ofthem said, 'People of Yathrib, Your position is untenable so
return!' some of them asked the Prophet to excuse them, saying, 'Our
houses are exposed,' when they were not exposed; it was merely that
they wanted to run away. (Surat al-Ahzab, 10-13)
In this difficult climate, ourProphet (saas) and the pure believers
with him hoped for Allah's help and support and placed their trust in
Him, saw that this had been promised by ourAlmighty Lord and gave
thanks. Almighty Allah reveals in a verse:
When the believers saw the Confederates they said: 'This is what Allah
and His Messenger promised us. Allah and His Messenger told us the
truth.' It only increased them in faith and in submission. (Surat
al-Ahzab, 22)
As our Lord reveals in a later verse; "Allah made itunnecessary for
the believers to fight. Allah is Most Strong, Almighty." (Surat
al-Ahzab, 25)

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The way that unbelievers strive to struggle against Allah is a miracle created by him

If someone denies Allah, if he does not believe in Creation and is
reluctant to believe that this world will come to an end and that he
will be recreated with death and exist for all eternity, if he thinks
that all he has belongs to this world, then this person will have a
frightening and terrifying wait. He seeks to give the impression he is
unaware of this. He will maintain that his purpose is to enjoy the
things of this world. He will say he never thinks about tomorrow and
lives only for the moment. Yet subconsciously he is still worried
about "ceasing to exist." The life of this world, which he believes in
as an absolute entity, will increasingly abandon him. Death is
approaching.And after death, according to his own superstitious
belief, there is only non-existence. This really terrifies that
person.
The terror of someone who denies Allah is not limited to the fear of
ceasing to exist. Everything is equally terrifying for someone who
denies Creation, imagines that everything came into being
spontaneously and that the universe and he himself are both entirely
haphazard. Under his feet there is a thin crust over boiling magma,
while the Earth revolves at great speed in the vastness of space. If
everything were acoincidence, as he believes, then a meteor would
inevitably one day collide with the Earth, and the Earth would be
shattered in a moment with gigantic tremors. Anyof the billions of
delicate balances that make the Earth hospitable to life could
similarly be eliminated. Therefore, just about everything represents a
threat and source of anxiety for such a person. The heart he believes
beats by chance, the veins he believes carrynutrients to the body by
chance and the eyes he believes see by chance are all in danger at
every moment.
These are the people who,as stated in a verse, believe that the life
of this world is all they possess: "What is there but our life in the
dunya? We dieand we live and we will not be raised again." (Surat
al-Muminun, 37)
The aim behind such people's denial is to make the greatest use of the
life of this world, no matter how great their fear and terror.
Therefore, one would expect such a person to do all he can and use all
the means at his disposal to remain, in his own eyes at least, in this
world he imagines to be a random one, to striveto that end alone. But
thatis not what happens. The great majority of such people MOBILIZE
ALL THEIRMEANS TO OPPOSE MUSLIMS, and not to stay alive or to enjoy
earthly pleasures. This is an astonishing state of affairs.It is
amazing how they expend all the power, money and means they would
appear to acquire in the life of this world, in short, everything
given them by Allah, SOLELY in order to oppose Him and His religion
and to weakenand inflict suffering on Muslims, in their own eyesat
least.
Our Almighty Lord has revealed this in verses:
When We let people taste mercy after hardship has afflicted them,
immediately they plot against Our signs. Say: "Allah is swifter at
plotting." Your plotting is recorded by Our Messengers. (Surah Yunus,
21)
When unbelievers, who see and appreciate the might of Allah in times
of difficulty, attain well-being they imagine that the mercy bestowed
on them from His own Grace by Allah is actually theirs, and they then
stupidly direct all their energies to striving against Muslims in the
belief that their power and well-being belong to them. Allah creates
these people specially in order to test Muslims. Their Creation in
this way is one of the greatest proofs of the existence of Allah.
Almighty Allah Has Spoken of this Attitude of Unbelievers in Verses
Almighty Allah reveals in the Qur'an how some unbelievers unwilling to
live by the moral values ofthe Qur'an will use all theirpower to
strive against Him and Muslims. Some of these verses read:
When those who are unbelievers were plotting against you to imprison
you or kill you or expel you: they were plotting and Allah was
plotting, but Allah is the Best of Plotters. (Surat al-Anfal, 30)
Allah desires to turn towards you, but those who pursue their lower
appetites desire to makeyou deviate completely. (Surat an-Nisa', 27)
Those who prefer the lifeof this world to the Hereafter, and bar
accessto the way of Allah, wanting to make it crooked; they are
greatlymisguided. (Surah Ibrahim, 3)

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According to the Torah, the King Messiah will bring justice and peace to the world

According to Islam, Judaism and Christianity, King Messiah [Hazrat
Mahdi (pbuh)] who is among us now will be in search of justice, he
will bea just ruler, he will rule with love and peace not with might
and power, he will proclaim peace to all the nations, he will put an
end to the wars, he will bein search with friendship, love and justice
and will watch over the poor, he will put an end to oppresion and
cruelty, he will be benevolent and humble. Some of the superior
characteristics of the King Messiah [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] who has been
described in the Torah and the other Judaicscriptures are as follows:
RIGHTEOUSNESS will be his [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)]belt, and
FAITHFULNESS the sash around his waist. (Isaiah, 11:5)
... A SCEPTER OF JUSTICE will be the scepter of your [Hazrat Mahdi's
(pbuh)] kingdom... (Psalms, 45:6-7)
... In judging, [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] SEEKS JUSTICE ... (Isaiah, 16:5)
With RIGHTEOUSNESS he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will judge the needy...
(Isaiah, 11:4)
You [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] LOVE RIGHTEOUSNESS , and HATE WICKEDNESS
(Psalms, 45:7)
... WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS HE [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] WILL JUDGE THE NEEDY.
(Isaiah, 11:4)
... One from the house of David [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... WHO IN
JUDGING SEEKS JUSTICE ... (Isaiah, 16:5)
... And He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] WILL STRIKE THE EARTH WITH THE ROD OF
HIS MOUTH [that is to say he will influence the worldwith his words
without weapons], and with the breath of his lips he will slay the
wicked [that is to say he will paralyse them spiritually with his
speech]. (Isaiah, 11:4)
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... and
he will DELIGHT IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD (Isaiah, 11:2-3)
... [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is] RIGHTEOUS AND HAVING SALVATION ... (Zechariah, 9:9)
"The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will raise up to
David a righteous branch [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]... who will... DO WHAT
IS JUST AND RIGHT IN THE LAND ..." (Jeremiah, 23:5-6)
" NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER, but by My Spirit ," says the Lord
Almighty. (Zechariah, 4:6)
He [your king, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will PROCLAIM PEACE to the
nations. His [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth. (Zechariah,
9:10)
His [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)]great righteousness and the wonders that he
will bring about will cause all peoples to MAKE PEACE WITH HIM and all
lands to serve him... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Sanhedrin, 10:1)
[In the days of the Messiah(Hazrat Mahdi [pbuh])]... BATTLES AND WARS
WILL CEASE... THEY WILL NOT LIFT A NATION AGAINST NATION. (Maimonides,
Mishnah Torah, Sanhedrin 10:1)
... For he [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] WILL DELIVER THE NEEDY WHO CRY OUT,
THEAFFLICTED WHO HAVE NO ONE TO HELP . (Psalms, 72:12)
He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will have pity on the poor and needy, and THE
SOULSOF THE NEEDY HE WILL SAVE . (Psalms, 72:13)
He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will REDEEM THEIR SOUL FROM OPPRESSION AND
VIOLENCE , and precious will their blood be in his sight. (Psalms,
72:14)
He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will DEFEND THE AFFLICTED AMONG THE PEOPLE
AND SAVE THE CHILDREN OF THE NEEDY ...(Psalms, 72:4)
... I will... make you [HazratMahdi (pbuh)]... a light for the
nations, to open eyes that are blind, to FREE CAPTIVES FROM PRISON AND
TO RELEASE FROM THE DUNGEON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS . (Isaiah,
42:6-7)
His [Hazrat Mahdi's (pbuh)] GREAT RIGHTEOUSNESS and the wonders that
he will bring about will cause ALL PEOPLES TO MAKE PEACE WITH HIM and
all lands to serve him... (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Sanhedrin, 10:1)
He [your king] will PROCLAIM PEACE TO THE NATIONS . His [Hazrat
Mahdi's (pbuh)] rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River
[Euphrates] to the ends of the earth. (Zechariah, 9:10)
If a king [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] will arise from the House of David...
and REPAIR THE BREACHES [in the observances of Allah's Laws]...
(Maimonides, Mishnah Torah, Laws of Kings 11:4)
... He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)]will have PITY ON THE POOR AND NEEDY AND
THE SOULS OF THE NEEDY HE WILL SAVE . (Psalms, 72:13)
... He [Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)] SHALL NOT CRY, NOR LIFT UP, NOR CAUSE HIS
VOICE TO BE HEARD IN THE STREET . (Isaiah, 42:2)
A BRUISED REED he [HazratMahdi (pbuh)] WILL NOT BREAK, AND A
SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT SNUFF OUT . (Isaiah, 42:3)

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Some of the promises of Allah to the Jews in the Torah

The words of the Torah stating that Allah would only realize His
Promise to the Jews on the condition that they love Him and obey Him
And when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey
Him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything
I command youtoday then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes
and have compassion on you and gather you again fromall the nations
where He scattered you. Even if you have been banished to themost
distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will
gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that
belonged to your fathers ... He will make you more prosperous and
numerous than your fathers… Then the LORD your God will make you most
prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your
womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land.The LORD
will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he
delighted in your fathers, ifyou obey the LORD your God and keep his
commands and decrees ... and turn to the LORD your God with all your
heart and with all your soul .(Deuteronomy, 30:2-10)
Some of the blessings promised to Jews when they comply with the
commands of Allah
If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all His
commands I give you today... all these blessings will come upon you
and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: "You will be blessed
in the city and blessed in the country... The fruit of your womb will
be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your
livestock--the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your
basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed
when you come inand blessed when you go out... The Lord will send a
blessing on your barns and on everything you putyour hand to. The Lord
your God will bless you in the land he is giving you... if you keep
the commandsof the Lord your God and walk in His ways ... The Lord
will open the heavens, the storehouse ofhis bounty, to send rain
onyour land in season and tobless all the work of your hands... If you
pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you
this day and carefully follow them ...(Deuteronomy, 28:1-14)
Some of the threats of Allah upon Jews when they do not live with the
fear of Allah, with the love for Allah, when theydo not comply with
the commands of faith.
However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully
follow all His commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these
curses will come upon you and overtake you : You will be cursed in the
city and cursed in the country... TheLord will send on you curses,
confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are
destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in
forsaking him... you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms
on earth… You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day
you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you.. You will
build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard,
but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit… You will have nothing
but cruel oppression all your days… You will sow much seed inthe field
but you will harvest little… All these curses will come upon you…
because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands
and decrees hegave you … therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness
and dire poverty… If you… do not revere this glorious and awesome
name—the Lordyour God—the Lord will send fearful plagues on you and
your descendants,harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and
lingering illnesses … You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky
will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the Lord your
God … Then the Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end
of the earth to the other… Among those nations you will find no
repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord
will give you an anxious mind, eyesweary with longing, and a
despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense, filled with
dread both night and day, never sure of your life …(Deuteronomy,
28:15-68)


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The words insha'Allah and masha'Allah have a special place in the glorification of Allah

What is the special secret in the recitation ofthe words "insha'Allah"
and "masha'Allah"?
Why is it important to use the words "insha'Allah" and "masha'Allah"
whenevernecessary?
What important statement has Mr. AdnanOktar made on this subject?
Our Lord is infinitely merciful. He bestows matchless blessings on
people throughout their lives. In addition to physical blessings, He
also bestows spiritual ones: He forgives their mistakes, accepts their
repentance, protects them, conceals their sins, increases their
happiness and leads them to the true path. Allah ensures that all
things are favorable for believers, and He supports them in various
ways. The terms insha'Allah and masha'Allah that appear inthe Qur'an
possess very broad and deep significance, and much mercy.
Insha'Allah and Masha'Allah Are Two Very Important Terms That Repeat
the Name ofAllah and Prevent Polytheism
True faith and unalloyed love involve absolute submission to Allah.
One iscareful not to make even amomentary error. One knows that
polytheism may arise the moment one feels any loss of trust in Allah
or seeks any helpers other than Allah. For that reason, a believer
with unsullied faith turns to and trusts in Allah alonebecause he
knows that Allah reigns over all things, that His power is unfettered,
and that not a single leaf can fall unless He so wills it. He is
therefore aware that the only place to seek help for any reason is
Allah. He has adopted Him as his guide. He feels no need to rely
onanyone other than Allah, or to seek help from anyone else or any
other power because he knows that everything that happens in the world
doesso by Allah's leave. So someone with true faith acts with that
awareness at every moment of his life. Therefore, by the word
"insha'Allah" he is reiterating that everythinghappens by Allah's
leave and is created by Him in destiny. If someone says that he will
do something and forgets to say that Allah will create it, then that
is polytheism. But if he says, 'insha'Allah', 'I will do it by Allah's
will, through Allah's creating it in destiny,' then, by Allah's will,
he avoids polytheism and becoming someone who ascribes equals to
Allah.
On the other hand, if a person says, "How lovely" when he sees beauty,
thenhe is ascribing a divine significance to it. But if he uses the
term "Masha'Allah," meaning "How finely Allah has created," then he is
protected against polytheism. For that reason, "insha'Allah" and
"masha'Allah" are two very important terms that eliminate polytheism
in the End Times and that repeat the name of Allah. All-Wise Allah
reveals in Surat al-Kahf in the Qur'an that these two expressions are
the key to protection against polytheism and praising Him:
"Never say about anything, ' I am doing that tomorrow,' without adding
'If Allah wills. ' Remember your Lord when you forget, and say,
'Hopefully my Lord will guide me to something closer to right guidance
than this'." (Surat al-Kahf, 23-24)
" He is, however, Allah, my Lord, and I will not associate anyone with
my Lord. Why, when youentered your garden, didyou not say, " It is as
Allah wills, there is no strength but in Allah"? Though you see me
withless wealth and children than you possess," (Surat al-Kahf, 38-39)
Mr. Adnan Oktar describes how the repetition of "Insha'Allah" and
"Masha'Allah" eliminatespolytheism:
ADNAN OKTAR: Allah tells us to say "insha'Allah" when starting any
task or in reference to anything happening tomorrow. In other words,
"by Allah's leave," "by Allah's will." This is a recitation of the
name of Allah. Like "La ilaha illAllah," "subhanAllah," "Allah-u
akbar" or "alhamdulillah." It is a recitation of the name of Allah. It
is therefore propitious. Those who make much use of the words
"insha'Allah'" and "masha'Allah" will rule theworld in the End Times.
That is a feature of the followers of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh); they are
secret words. It is also a feature of the People of the Cave. A
feature of the End Times.When we see something, we say, "Masha'Allah,
how well Allah has created." We are thus protected against polytheism.
"Insha'Allah"means by Allah's leave, by Allah's creation, with Allah's
creation in destiny. Both are anti-polytheistic terms.They are blows
struck against polytheism. Two words that demolish polytheism. Allah
says in Surat an-Nur that those who do not ascribe equals to Him will
rule the world. Now if I say, "I will do something tomorrow," if I say
that in forgetfulness ofAllah, if I forget that Allah will create it,
that is polytheism. But if you say, "insha'Allah", "by Allah's leave,"
"by Allah's creationin destiny," then you are protected from
polytheism.

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The Sight of Kabah

One never tires of gazing at the sight of the House of Allah, the
Kaa'ba. The site upon which the mercyand blessings of Allah are
constantly descending. There is truly nothing comparable to the House
of Allah on this Earth. People wish time would stand still so they
could keep gazing at the Kaa'ba; their thirst is never quenched,
rather it increases.
Once, while on a visit to Washington, people told me that a woman had
accepted Islam and had some questions for me. They told me that many
non-practicing Muslim women had started practicing again due to her.
At prayer time she would dress in her best clothes as if readying
herself for someone special, and would become oblivious to everything
around her as soon she started praying.
After a brief question and answer session, I asked her what prompted
her to accept Islam. She sighed and started explaining; "I was a Jew
and my husband was a Christian who was posted in Saudi Arabia for some
technical work. Everyday I used to see Muslim men and women dressed in
white on their way somewhere. Iasked my husband where they were going
and he told me that they go to perform pilgrimage at the Muslim shrine
of Kaa'ba. I expressed a desire to go but he told me that non-Muslims
were not allowed. However, I was determined and so we both bought
white clothesand set out. Fortunately no one stopped us and wereached
Makkah, from where we found directionsto the Kaa'ba. Upon seeingthe
Kaa'ba our eyes froze and time seemed to stand still. When we turned
to look at each other after some time, we were both crying. With our
eyes we told each other that this was the Truth and we should accept
Islam. No one ever told me about Islam, but there were so many
blessings descending on that House that they changed my life forever."
The blessings of Tawhid descend in Makkah, and the blessings of
Prophethood descend in Madinah. One has seen nothing in life if he has
not seen these two holy sites. May Allah give all Muslims the
opportunity to visit to His House.

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A World of Smile

About ten years ago whenI was an undergraduate incollege, I was
working as an intern at my University's Museum of Natural History. One
day while working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an
elderly couple come in with a little girl ina wheelchair.
As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was kind of perched on
her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck
and torso. She was wearing a little white dress with red polka dots.
As the couple wheeled herup to me I was looking down at the register.
I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink. As I took the
money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving
me the cutest, largest smile I haveever seen. All of a sudden her
handicap was gone and all I saw was this beautiful girl, whose
smilejust melted me and almostinstantly gave me a completely new sense
of what life is all about. She took me from a poor, unhappy college
student and brought me into her world; a world of smiles, love and
warmth.
That was ten years ago. I'm a successful business person now and
wheneverI get down and think about the troubles of the world, I think
about that little girl and the remarkable lesson about life that she
taught me.
Source: Submitted by a Writer of AL-Islaah Publications.

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Smile

Tears are more truthful than smile because you can smile in front of
everyone but you will onlycry in front of one who is special for you.
A smile costs less than electricity, But gives more light So Always
smile & prove that U are the best bulb in India Dont Get Fused!
U cant hold destiny. u canthold time... bt u can hold ur SMILE. Keep Smiling
for each leaf of a tree is your smile then I promise you my dear, I
will water it through out my life to see your evergreen smile forever
Keep d smyl, leave d tear Think of joy, forget d fear Hold d laugh, leave d pain

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