Islamic Article - Islam and stability of the family - I

Out of all the previous divine religions, none has given due
importance to the family as Islamdid. In doing so, Islam has
legislated procedures and means which maintain security and preserve
stability within the family. It has also prescribed some measures
which prevent the family from collapse and destruction. We --
particularly in the present time where immorality abounds and
temptations are overwhelming -- have to return to the endless spring
of the Quran, theSunnah(Prophetic tradition) as well as the sayings of
the righteous predecessors which are guiding beacons for us along our
road to maintain family stability.
Islam has initiated several measures to maintain the stability of the
family as well the whole Muslim community. In thisarticle, I will
discuss only two measures that Allaah The Almighty has legislated to
avoid the disintegration of the family structure and to maintain the
unity of the Muslim community and steadfastness in the face of the
huge challenges that the entire MuslimUmmah(nation) is facing. Such
challenges are directed to the Muslim family in particular which has
become a clear target for the schemes of Westernization and corruption
led by the enemies of Islam from among the Jews and others.
1- Restricting the gates to divorceto maintain marital life and
safeguard the community:
To avoid making divorce the first decision in case of dissention
anddispute, Islam stated stages for reconciliation between the
spouses, including:
1-The policy of reconciliation between the disputing
spouses.Reconciliation is recommended even before dissention worsens
and its evil consequences emerge. The arbitrators are chosen from the
spouses' families because they are more capable of reconciling them
and of knowing the details. The arbitrators should truly seek
reconciliation and maintenance of the marital life, and as such Allaah
will help them to achieve this. Allaah The Exalted Says (what
means):{And if you fear dissension between the two, send an arbitrator
from his people and an arbitrator from her people. If they both desire
reconciliation, Allaah will cause it between them. Indeed, Allaah is
ever Knowing and Acquainted [with all things].}[Quran 4: 35]
2-Islam directed the spouses to exert their best efforts in
reconciliation when dissention and dispute occur among them. Allaah
The Exalted Says (what means):{And if a woman fears from her husband
contempt or evasion, there is no sin upon them if they make terms of
settlement between them - and settlement is best. And present
in[human] souls is stinginess.}[Quran 4: 128] Commenting on the last
verse, At-Tabarisaid,"There is a consensus that this is applicable
when the wife is unattractive or very old and feels that her husband
no longer desires her, treats her with contempt or inclines to other
women. In such a case, she can waive some of her rights in
ordertoappeasehim and maintain her marital life."
3-Islam warns against following whims and desires as well as
surrendering to emotions, which overwhelm and change. A husband may
feel aversion towards his wife, but if he is patient, this feeling
will soon change. Therefore, it is not acceptable that a husband
divorces his wife because of these temporary feelings of aversion.
Allaah The Exalted Says (what means):{And live with them in kindness.
For if you dislike them - perhaps you dislikea thing and Allaah makes
therein much good.}[Quran 4: 18]
In aHadeeth(narration), the Prophet,, said:"No believing man should
hate his believing wife. If he dislikesone of hercharacteristics, he
would surely like another."[Muslim]
This means that a husband could hate one of his wife's characteristics
while he is heedless of her other good ones. Consequently, he has to
think deliberately before divorce as he may prefer keeping her and his
feeling of dislike could change.
It was narrated thata man consulted 'Umar ibn Al-Khattaababout
divorcing his wife and 'Umarsaid to him,[Fi Thilaal Al-Quran: Sayyid
Qutb]"Do not doso.""I do not love her,"the man argued. 'Umarsaid,"Are
families built only on love? Whereis, then, mutual care and the
maintenance of rights and duties?"
The statement of 'Umarindicates how Islam is keen to maintain the
solemn marital contract as Allaah The Almighty describes it in the
Quran Saying (what means):{And they have taken from you a solemn
covenant}.[Quran 4: 21] Even if love is missing in marital life, there
is still scope for cooperation, solidarity and the fear of blame for
divorce which distresses the wife, the children and the husband
himself in manycases.

Islamic Article - Islam and stability of the family - II

1-When divorce is unavoidable, the best form is to divorce the wife
only once during a period of purity during which no incident of
intercourse takes place. This is the meaning of the verse in which
Allaah The Exalted Says (what means):{O Prophet, when you [Muslims]
divorce women, divorce them for [the commencement of] their waiting
period.}[Quran 65: 1]
The period of menstruation mostly brings on feelings of lethargy,
alienation and irritability. On the other hand, theperiod of purity
features intermixing between the spouses, mutual understanding and
interaction. Consequently, when a husband divorces his wifewhile she
is menstruating or during a period of purity in whichan incident of
intercourse takes place, this is, as expressed by some of the
righteous predecessors including Ibn Taymiyyaha divorce based
uponBid'ah(innovation) which contradicts the wiseSharee'ah(Islamic
legislation). Actually, thisform of divorce contradicts the ordinances
of Allaah The Almighty because it is an innovated matter in religion
and does not cancel the original state(i.e. the marriage contract)
whichis established by the Quran, theSunnah(Prophetic tradition) as
well as the scholars' consensus.
The Prophet,rejected this form of divorce and nullified it. [Ibn
Al-Qayyim] The majority of scholars, however, are of the view that
this form of divorce is effective. Consequently, when a husband
decides to divorce his wife after he had divorced her while she was
menstruating or during a period of purity in whichan incident of
intercourse took place and then took her in wedlock again, he has to
divorce her according to theSharee'ah-approved manner.
2- Permissibility of polygyny if one can be fair:
There are great advantages in polygyny including, for example:
1-The wife may suffer from an incurable disease and does not expect a
full recovery, and therefore she is neither able to manage her home
nor fulfill her husband's rights. Meanwhile, she is poor and has
neither wealth tolive from in case of divorce nor is she a breadwinner
capable of taking care of herself. Does chivalry entail divorcing her
in this case? The answer is of courseno. Rather, chivalry entails that
he keeps her as his wife. Nevertheless, is it just that he retains her
as his wife while he badly needs someone to take care of him, manage
his affairs, maintain his chastity and provide him with offspring?
This would mean sentencing him to misery and wretchedness. Moreover,
thiswould be a wretched fate for them both. Rather, justice
entailsallowing him to marry another wife. Consequently, chivalry and
justice entail allowing polygyny insuch cases.
2-The wife could be infertile, and although she may spare no effortin
seeking a cure and her husband may be keen to utilize the available
means for her to conceive, their efforts may be in vain. What is the
judgment of justice and human nature in this case? Should the husband
suppress his desire to have a child to please him in his lifetime and
inherit him after death or marry another woman after keeping patient
with his wife's infertility for a period of time andlosing hope in
having children from her? Like the previous wife, such a woman could
be poor andhave no breadwinner. In such a case, faithfulness, kind
association and chivalry entail that he keeps her, maintains her and
takes care of her.
3-In most nations, particularly in certain circumstances, women
noticeably outnumber men. Consequently, when each man marries only one
wife, other women and young girls will remain spinsters. This means
that they will harbor rancor against married men and women. This also
means exposing their chastity to danger.In such a case, the wives
themselves will be afflicted with evil, for the unmarried women will
share their husbands with them secretly. This evil also afflicts men
for unmarried women are relatives to men and what hurts their
reputation hurtstheir relatives as well.
Discussing the advantages of polygyny, ShaykhAsh-Shinqeetisaid,
"It is one of the normal ways of Allaah in the universe that men are
less than women in number and more vulnerable to death in all fields
of life. Consequently, if the man is forbidden from marrying more than
one woman,there will be a huge number of unmarried women who will
resort to adultery. Neglecting theguidance of the Quran and the Sunnah
in this issue is one of the greatest reasons behind lacking morals and
degradation to the degrees of animals in losing chastity, honor,
nobility and morals. Glory be to The Ever Wise and The Ever Acquainted
with everything."[Adhwaa' Al-Bayaan]
4-Unlike women who rarely have children after the age of forty-five,
man is naturally able to havechildren even after the age of sixty.
Consequently, when a man marries at an older age or loves having a lot
of children, preventing him from marrying another wife is a form of
confinement. Also, unlike the woman who is prevented by pregnancy from
having children all the time, the husband is able to do so at anytime.
To sum up:
Islam legislated many regulationswhich safeguard the Muslim family and
prevent it from disintegration. The family is the essential pillar of
the entire Muslim community and its inviolable fort. This indicates
the justice and perfection of the IslamicSharee'ahas well as its
keenness to do what is beneficial to humans in both worlds.

General Article - Small daily aspirin dose 'cuts cancer risk'

A small daily dose of aspirin - 75mg - substantially reduces death
rates from a range of common cancers, a study suggests.
Research at Oxford University andother centers found that it cut
overall cancer deaths by at least afifth.
The study, published in the Lancet, covered some 25,000 patients,
mostly from the UK.
Experts say the findings show aspirin's benefits often outweighed its
associated risk of causing bleeding.
Aspirin is already known to cut the risk of heart attack and stroke
among those at increased risk. But the protective effects against
cardiovascular disease are thought to be small for healthy adults, and
aspirin increases the risks of stomach and gut bleeds.
However, this latest research shows that when weighing up the risks
and benefits of taking aspirin, experts should also consider its
protective effect against cancer.
Those patients who were given aspirin had a 25% lower risk of death
from cancer during the trial period and a 10% reduction in death from
any cause compared to patients who were not given the drug.
Lasting protection
The treatment with aspirin lastedfor between four and eight years,but
long term-follow-up of around 12,500 patients showed the protective
effect continued for 20 years in both men and women.
Lead researcher Professor Peter Rothwell said the findings might well
underestimate the reductionin deaths that would result from
longer-term treatment with aspirin.
The risk of cancer death was reduced by 20% over 20 years.
Forindividual cancers the reduction was about 40% for bowel cancer,
30% for lung cancer, 10% for prostate cancer and 60% for oesophageal
cancer.
The reductions in pancreas, stomach and brain cancers were difficult
to quantify because of smaller numbers of deaths.
There was also not enough data to show an effect on breast or ovarian
cancer and the authors suggest this is because there were not enough
women in the trials. Large-scale studies investigating the effects on
thesecancers are under way.
Professor Rothwell said he was not urging healthy middle-aged adults
to immediately start taking aspirin, but said the evidence on cancer
"tips things towards it being well worth it". The benefit in cancer
reduction were found from a low daily doseof 75mg.
Professor Rothwell said the annual risk of major internal bleeding was
about 1 in 1,000 and aspirin roughly doubled that risk. But he said
the danger of major bleeding was "very low" in middle age but
increased dramatically after 75.
Sensible time to consider startingdaily aspirin use would be between
45-50, continuing for around 25 years, he said.
Cancer Research UK described theresults as "promising". But Ed Yong,
head of health information and evidence, said: "We encourage anyone
interested in taking aspirin on a regular basis to talk to their GP
first."
Professor Peter Elwood, an epidemiologist from Cardiff University, who
carried out some of the first studies into the effects of aspirin on
health, said individuals should make up their own minds:
"Aspirin should be thought of in the same context as lifestyle changes
such as diet and exercisewhich can help to preserve health."
Professor Elwood said taking aspirin at night and with calcium seemed
to enhance its effects. Hesuggested taking it with a glass of milk as
this could also reduce stomach irritation.

Dought & clear - The Divine names as remedy.

Is it permissible to use the Beautiful Names of Allaah as a remedy,
suchas saying "Ya Baseer (O All-Seeing)" over the patient's eye and so
on?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Using the names of Allaah as a remedy is a practice that is widespread
among people. Flyers are widelydistributed on which thenames are
written and beside them the diseaseswhich may supposedly be treated by
that name.
The one who claims to have discovered this kind of remedy is Dr
Ibraaheem Kareem, the inventor of the science of "biogeometry". He
claimed that the beautiful names of Allaah have the power toheal a
huge number of diseases, based on his research in which he measured
energy levels in the human body. He claimed to have discovered that
each of the names of Allaah produces an energy that prompts the immune
system to work efficiently in a particularpart of the human body. He
claimed that by applying the "law of resonance" he could, simply by
mentioning one of the names of Allaah, bring about improvements in the
vital energy in the human body. After researching for three years, he
presented his discovery to people in a schedule in which he described
diseases and stated which name of Allaah could be beneficial in
treating it.
For example: al-Samee' (the All Hearing) can restore the balance of
energy; al-Razzaaq (the Provider) can treat the stomach; al-Jabbaar
(the Compeller) can treat the spine; al-Ra'oof (the Most Kind) can
treat the colon; al-Naafi' (the Bringer of benefits) can treat the
bones; al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) can treat the kidneys; al-Badee' (the
Originator) can treat the hair; Jalla Jalaalahu (Glorified be His
Majesty)can treat dandruff; al-Noor (the Light), al-Baseer (the
All-Seeing)and al-Wahhaab (the Bestower) can treat the eyes. …
The way in which the remedy is administered is to repeat the name or a
number of names over the affected part of the body, for ten minutes.
He claims to have discovered that healing energy is multiplied when
reciting the versesof healing after reciting tasbeeh of the beautiful
names of Allaah. These verses are (interpretation of the meaning):
"and heal the hearts of abelieving people"
[al-Tawbah 9:14]
"and a healing for that which is in your hearts"
[Yoonus 10:57]
"wherein is healing for men"
[al-Nahl 16:69]
"And We send down of the Qur'aan that which isa healing and a mercy"
[al-Isra' 17:82]
"And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me"
[al-Shu'ara' 26:80]
"Say: It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing"
[Fussilat 41:44]
Our response to these claims is:
1 – Remedies may be administered either by scientific means or by
religious means (as described in the Qur'aan and Sunnah). With regard
to scientific, physical means, treatment should be based on experience
and expertise. With regard to religious means, reference is to bemade
to the texts of sharee'ah in order to find out what remedies are to be
used and how they are to be administered. Mentioning Allaah by His
beautiful names (dhikr) is something that is prescribed in sharee'ah,
but this researcher does not quote any shar'i source of evidence for
using specific names of Allaah in this manner to treat disease, so it
cannot be a legitimate shar'i means of treating disease. Religious
matters cannot be subjected to experimentation or disrespected in this
manner.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said:
Note that medical treatment is a means of healing but the One
Whocauses it to be effective is Allaah, may He be exalted. There is no
cause except that which Allaah makes a cause. The things that Allaah
makes causes are of two types:
(i) Means that are prescribed in sharee'ah, such as the
Holy Qur'aan and du'aa' (supplication), as the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said concerning Soorat al-Faatihah:
"How did you know that it is a ruqyah (prayer or incantation for
healing)?" And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
recited ruqyah for the sick by making du'aa' for them, and Allaah
healed those whom He wanted to heal by virtue of his du'aa'.
(ii) Physical means, such as medicines that are known
from sharee'ah, like honey, or from experimentation and experience,
like many kinds of medicine. The effect of this kind of means must be
direct, not by way of imagination and wishfulthinking. If its effect
is known in a direct and measurable manner, then it may rightfully be
used as a remedy by means of which a cure may be effected, by Allaah's
leave. But if it is simply the matter of wishful thinking on the part
of the patient, which brings him some kind of psychological relief,
then it is not permissible to rely on it or affirm that it is a
remedy, lest a person come to depend on wishful thinking. Hence it is
forbidden to wear rings, strings etc to heal disease or ward it off,
because that is not a means that is prescribed in sharee'ah or known
from experience. So longas it is not proven to be a means that is
prescribed in sharee'ah or known from experience, it is not
permissible to regard it as a means of healing. Regarding it as a
means is a kind of trying to compete with Allaah in His dominion and
associating others with Him, in the sense that one is trying to play a
role that belongs only to Allaah, namely deciding the means and the
ends. Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhaab explained this matter in
Kitaab al-Tawheed by saying: "CHAPTER: It is shirk to wear rings and
strings etc to ward off evil or relieve it."
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 1, question no. 49.
2 – This involves mentioning names of Allaah and claiming that He has
called Himself by these names, when that is not the case, such as
Jalla Jalaaluhu (Glorified be His Majesty), al-Rasheed (the Guide),
al-Badee' (the Originator), al-Naafi' (the Bringer of Benefit), etc.
This is indicative of the ignorance of the onewho made this claim, and
that this so-called energy does not exist, because it is derived –
according to his own claims – from names thatare not names of Allaah
as proven in the saheeh evidence.
3 – He describes a specific method of treatment and stipulates a name
for each disease.
Even when a name mentioned is proven in saheeh evidence to be one of
the names of Allaah, this still comes under the heading of speaking
about Allaah without knowledge. Allaah has forbidden us to speak of
Him without knowledge, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): (But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden
are Al-Fawaahish (great evil sins and every kind of unlawful sexual
intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all
kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with
Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about
Allaah of which you haveno knowledge"
[al-A'raaf 7:33]
Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaanal-Sa'di (may Allaah havemercy on him) said in
hiscommentary on this verse:
"and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge" means,
withregard to His names, attributes, actions and laws.
Tafseer al-Sa'di, p. 250.
4 – The scholars of the Standing Committee refuted the claims of
thisman when they were asked about this matter. They said:
After studying the matter, the Standing Committee for Academic
Research and Issuing Fatwas replied as follows:
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him
by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter
impious speech against) His Names. They will be requited for what they
used to do"
[al-A'raaf 7:180]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Allaah has ninety-nine names; whoever learns them will enter
Paradise." Among them is the greatest name of Allaah which, if He is
called upon by it, He will respond, and if He is asked by it, He will
give.
No one knows how many names Allaah has except Allaah Himself, and all
of them are beautiful. We must believe in them and in the perfection,
majesty and might of Allaah to which they point. It is haraam to
disbelieve in them by rejecting all of them or any of them, or to deny
the perfection ofAllaah or any of the attributes of Allaah indicated
by these names.
An example of denying the names of Allaah is the claim made by this
"Kareem Sayyid" and his student and son in a flyer which they
distributed among people, that the beautiful names of Allaah have the
power toheal a huge number of diseases, based on his research in which
he measured energy levels in the human body. He claimed to have
discovered that each of the names of Allaah produces an energy that
prompts the immune system to work efficiently in a particularpart of
the human body. He claimed that by applying the "law of resonance" he
could, simply by mentioning one of the names of Allaah, bring about
improvements in the vital energy in the human body. He said: it is
well known that the Pharaohs were the first ones to study and measure
the life force in the human body by means of [?] the Pharaonic
pendulum. Then he mentioned a number of the names of Allaah in a
schedule and claimed that each of these names could benefit the body
in someway or treat specific physical diseases. He explained that by
drawing a diagram of the human body and writing one of the names of
Allaah on each part thereof.
This action is false because it is a kind of disbelief concerning the
names of Allaah and it subjects them to degrading treatment. What is
prescribed in Islam with regard to the names of Allaah is to call upon
Him by them, as Hesays (interpretation of the meaning):
"… so call on Him by them …"
[al-A'raaf 7:180]
Similarly we must affirm the attributes of Allaah implied by these
names, because each of these names describes an attribute of Allaah
and it is not permissible to use them for any other purpose than to
call Him by them, unless there is shar'i evidence to that effect.
Whoever claims that they may be used in suchand such a manner, or may
be used to treat such and such a disease with no evidence to
thateffect from sharee'ah, is speaking about Allaah without knowledge,
andAllaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): (But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden
are Al-Fawaahish (great evil sins and every kind of unlawful sexual
intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all
kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with
Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about
Allaah of which you haveno knowledge"
[al-A'raaf 7:33]
This flyer must be destroyed, and the people mentioned here and others
have to repent to Allaah from this action and not do any such thing
again that has to do with 'aqeedah and rulings of sharee'ah.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
And Allaah knows best.