The provocation of ''the film about our Prophet (saas)'' is designed to disintegrate believers

The American-produced film with a blasphemous content against Islam
and our Prophet (saas) – surely Islam and our blessed Prophet (saas)
are beyond that – has instantly dominated the world agenda. Some
people have immediately fallen into the trap of this provocative
act. They started engaging in protests, attacked embassies, and
even killed people. They accused governments, states, nations,
races and religions simply because of an ordinary film based on the
distortions produced by an ordinary person. Newspapers, in their own
eyes, disseminated "an aggressive, hate-monger image of a Muslim who
burns flags and engages in ferocious activities." A tremendous
propaganda of "Bloody Islam" has been initiated. For days,
anti-Islamists all over the world distorted these propaganda
materials as they liked and used them for their own benefits.
The provocation accomplished its goal in a short while: as a result,
an ordinary, anti-Islamic producer of a very ordinary film, which is
entirely divorced from facts and based on distortions, has become
world famous. This weird film which is composed of made-up stories
which would otherwise not be heard by anyone if these incidents
have not occurred also became well-known.
Those who, in their own eyes, strive to show Islam as a religion of
blood and vulgarity, have accomplished their stealthy intentions and
those who say "Allah is One" were set against one another.
What is astonishing is that, upon the word of an impertinent
anti-Islamic person, Muslims immediately believed that this movie
was about our blessed our Prophet (saas). This incomprehensible
assertion of an impertinent person was somehow taken seriously.
Muslims adopted this assertion simply because he told so, not
realizing the fact that they have become instrumental in spreading
this provocation. They did not understand that they were fallen into
a trap. They could not realize that the goal of this poor, ordinary
person was to become renowned and to disintegrate religions. The
fact is however, believers had to think in line with the Qur'an and
realize that they have been instrumental in making an ordinary
person accomplish his goal. They had to comprehend that they had
become instrumental in presenting an unknown person like a very
important individual.
Insult belongs to those who utter it. The producer of this movie
told himself in this movie and thus insulted himself.
There is a well-known phrase: insults always belong to the ones who
utter them. The producer of the film made a film about himself. In
his film, he described his own flawed character traits, his
distorted ideas and made all the insults to himself.
It is very striking that Muslims take such a very common person who
has fallen into the situation of hurling insults to himself so
seriously.
But why have Muslims been so rapidly provoked? There are two
reasons of it. First; ignorance and lack of knowledge. Second;
fanaticism, that is bigotry. The fact is however, lack of knowledge
is a concept that also includes bigotry, because in our day many
people assume the bigotry they experience to be Islam. They think
that being a Muslim necessitates feeling rage and spilling blood.
For this reason, they take an impertinent seriously, invade
embassies, murder people, curse countries and nations, burn flags
and continuously mention blood and rage.
These Muslims are even unaware that they, in fact, commit a sin. The
great majority of these people are driven away from the Qur'an by
bigots. The fact is, according to the Qur'an taking the soul of an
innocent soul; declaring religions, nations and races as enemies;
giving the image of hatred and fear to human beings is unlawful.
This way, these people commit sins. Remaining under the influence
of filthy indoctrinations of bigots, they believe the perverted
religion made up by them to be the true religion. However what
matters in the religion that one experiences by living by the
Qur'an is to eliminate the seeds of rage and to treat everyone of
every religion, language, race and nation with love. That is why
these people have the need to urgently try to understand the soul
and essence of the Qur'an.
The goal of the satan is driving a wedge among believers; Muslims
must not permit this to happen
Satan always tries to weaken believers and he commits this by
stirring up sources of disorder that will drive them apart. Satan
have always taken advantage from disbelievers' union, some Muslims'
harboring ill will against the People of the Book (Christians and
Jews), some of whom are described to be "sincere" in the Qur'an,
and such provocations' distancing the members of the three religions
from one another.
That is because satan is aware that union of those who say "Allah is
One" and those representatives of love will lead to an
extraordinary and invincible power in the world. Thus genuine
Muslims must think in compliance with the Qur'an and the hadith of
our Prophet (saas) and be aware of this stealthy plot of satan.
We, as Muslims, must fulfill the requirements our religion of Islam
which commands love, beauty, peace, compassion, democracy and
self-sacrifice.
- We must approach Muslims, Christians, Jews and all human
beings regardless of their religion and race, with real love.
- We must eliminate the corrupted rationale of those
provocateurs who try to plot against Islam and for this end embrace
all Muslims, Christians, Jews and those who side with love and
companionship.
- We must keep in mind that all the conflicts in the world
stem from the disunion of believers. This is related in the Qur'an
thus: Those who are disbelievers are the friends and protectors of
one another. If you do not act in this way there will be turmoil in
the land and great corruption. (Surat al-Anfal, 73)
No one can come up and say, "I have made an anti-Islamic film" or "I
have drawn a caricature against Islam" when;
- Believers declare their unity in the face of provocations,
- Good people embrace one another with love and compassion,
- When those who say "Allah is One" unite together as one and
establish a powerful unity.
These people will simply lose their power to engage in such evil
acts in the face of the powerful unity of believers and the
representatives of love. The fear that their unity and power cause
will suffice them.
The greatest revenge against provocateurs is the union of members of
all religions around the world under the umbrella of love and
peace. Establishing this unity is the most urgent duty incumbent
upon us, Muslims, for this is what Allah commands us in the Qur'an.

Hajj, - The First Ten days of Dhul Hijjah

The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are full of virtues and great
blessings. According to a large group of mufassireen (commentators of
the Qur'aan), the ten nights mentioned in Soorah Al Fajr are the
nights of the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah. Allah says:
By the Dawn; By the ten Nights;(89:1-2)
This oath substantiates the greatness and sacredness of these ten
nights in the eyes of Allah. This is an extra ordinary oath; it is
very reliable and significant and the wise men can understand that by
this oath, Allah too attaches great importance and value to the ten
nights of Dhul Hijjah.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam too, has clearly mentioned the
importance and the virtue of these blessed moments. It is reported by
Abdullah Ibne Abbaas radhiyallahu anhuma that the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wasallam said, "No good deeds done on other days are superior
to those done on these (first ten days of Dhul Hijjah)." Thereupon,
some companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, "Not
even Jihaad ? " He replied, "Not even jihaad, except that of a man who
does it by putting himself and his property in danger (for Allah's
sake) and does not return with any of these things."
Bukhaari V1 pp132
In another Hadeeth reported by Aboo Hurayrah radhiyallahu anhu, the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, "On no days is the worship of
Allah desired more than in the (first) ten days of Dhul Hijjah. The
fast of each of these days is equal to the fast of a whole year, and
the worship of each of these nights is equal to the worship of
Laylatul Qadr."
TirmiziV1 pp58
Moreover, what other virtue can be greater for these blessed days than
the fact that certain specific devotions cannot be performed but in
these specified days. Allah Almighty has specifically chosen these
days for the fulfilment of two of the most important devotions, viz.
Hajj and Qurbaani.
One may argue and say that there are other forms of devotions too,
which are fixed to specific days and moments; hence what is the
speciality of these particular days ? The answer to this argument is
simple. Although there are other devotions too, which are also fixed
to specific time, such as fasting in the month of Ramadhaan; but one
may, if he desires, fulfil the devotion of fasting in days other than
Ramadhaan i.e. as an optional devotion. On the contrary, the wuqoof of
Arafaat (which is the essence of Hajj), the wuqoof of Muzdalifah,
etc., cannot be performed but in these specified days.
If one was to remain in Arafaat for many months after the 9th Dhul
Hijjah, he will not receive any reward whatsoever and it will never be
considered an act of ibaadah.
Similarly, Qurbaani is performed only in three days one of which is
10th Dhul Hijjah. There is no possibility whatsoever of a nafl
Qurbaani once these days have lapsed, so much so that qazaa Hajj or
qazaa Qurbaani is not even possible. It is because of these
distinguishing characteristics that the ulamaa have stated, in the
light of Qur'aan and Hadeeth that after the days of the month of
Ramadhaan, the greatest days in virtue are the first ten days of Dhul
Hijjah.
The reward of ibaadah in these days increases abundantly and the
results are honoured with specified blessings and mercies by the
Creator.
ACTS OF VIRTUE
There are certain specific acts of virtue in these blessed days of
Dhul Hijjah which are enumerated and explained below:
1. Upon sighting the moon of Dhul Hijjah, those people intending to
perform Qurbaani should neither cut their hair nor clip their nails
until the Qurbaani is performed. This is a mustahab (desirable) act
derived from Hadeeth of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam wherein
he has said:
"A person should neither clip his nails nor cut his hair until he
performs qurbaani".
Ibne Maajah
Some ulamaa have explained the reason and wisdom behind this order of
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam thus that in this month,
hundreds of thousands of people are blessed with the opportunity of
visiting the sacred house of Allah in Makkah.
They enjoy the spiritual atmosphere of the holy places and acquire
maximum benefit from the blessed moments.
Whilst they are there in the state of ihraamcertain acts become
impermissible for them. Amongst them is clipping of nails and cutting
the hair. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam instructed those of
his followers who could not reach the blessed places, to imitate the
pilgrims by not cutting the hair and clipping the nails so that the
mercy of Allahcan enshroud them too together with the pilgrims.
2. These days are so blessed that a day's fast is equivalent to a
year's fast and a night's devotion is equivalent to the ibaadah of
Laylatul Qadr. The indication is towards the fact that we should
endeavor to perform as many virtuous acts as possible in these days.
3. 9th Dhul Hijjah is the day of Arafah in which the main fardh of
Hajj is performed i.e. wuqoof Arafah. This is a great moment for the
pilgrims when the Mercy of Allah descends upon them in abundance and
their sins are forgiven and du'aa accepted. Allah, through His
Compassion and Mercy, has not deprived the non-pilgrims of his mercy,
but rather, shown the way to His Pleasure. The Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wasallam was asked about the fast of the day of Arafah. He
said, "It compensates for the (minor) sins of the past and the coming
year."
Ibne Maajah
Note: One should take note that the sins forgiven are minor sins. The
major sins are not forgiven without tawbah.
4. The reciting of Takbeeraate Tashreeq after every fardh Salaat from
the Fajr of 9th Dhul Hijjah to the Asr of 13th Dhul Hijjah (i.e. total
of twenty three fardh Salaat). It is waajib upon men to recite this
takbeer once after every fardh Salaat audibly. The women should recite
it silently.
5. The Sunnah of Ibraahem alayhi salaam – the Qurbaani. It is to be
performed on 10th, 11th or 12th Dhul Hijjah. One may sacrifice a
thousand animals on days other than these, but it will never be
regarded or considered a Qurbaani.
Here, a believer is taught a great lesson that an action or a place or
a time does not hold any virtue in itself; but rather it is Allah's
command and order that changes the status, level and grade of things.
Regarding Qurbaani, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:
"There is nothing dearer to Allah during the days of Qurbaani than the
sacrificing of animals. The sacrificed animal shall come on the Day of
Judgement with its horn, hair, and hooves (to be weighed). The
sacrifice is accepted by Allah before the blood reaches the ground.
Therefore sacrifice with an open and happy heart."
Tirmizi V1 pp275, Ibne Maajah V1 pp226
May Allah ta'aalaa bless us with spiritual gains and His Pleasure in
these blessed moments. Aameen.

Hajj, - Common Health Issues During Hajj

RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTION
People from all over the world bring with them all kinds of
infections, and the unavoidable closeness of the hundreds of thousands
of Hujjaj facilitates easy spread of those illnesses. Fatigue, and
lack of sleep from the physically demanding regimen of Hajjrites as
well as the over-enthusiastic exertions in salah and devotions, lower
one's immunity and resistance, thereby making one more vulnerable to
disease. Acute respiratory infection is very common. Epidemics of
flu-like illnesses are also very common.
The key point here is that nearly all-upper respiratory tract
ijifections (URI) are viral. They will resolve spontaneously, and
require no antibiotic treatment. Patients should seek care only if
they experience symptoms consistent with complications of URI such as
prolonged illness with purulent nasal secretion, fever, and facial
pain; isolated sore throat with fever; shortening of breath;
productive cough with fever or shortening of breath, or the subjective
feeling of a severe illness. Try symptomatic measures to minimize the
symptoms of sore throat or flu, as follows:
Drink lots of clear fluids (water, juice, Sprite).
Take acetaminophen or paracetamol to reduce pain and fever. For a
cough try an over-the-counter cough suppressant. For sore throat:
gargle with salt water; suck on ice cubes or lozenges; drink hot water
with lemon and honey. Wash your hands often. Flu is spread through the
air by coughing or sneezing. It may also spread by hand contact.
HEAT ILLNESSES
Not all types of heat illnesses are mentioned here to avoid confusion
or unnecessary details. It should be made clear, however, that heat
can present major challenges to persons making Hajj, and that they
should take such illnesses seriously.
HEAT EXHAUSTION
Commonly caused by dehydration and loss of body salts. It is
manifested by weakness, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomitting, and
diarrhea. An increased body temperature and pulse rate may be present.
The treatment of heat exhaustion is by resting, getting out of the
heat/sun, sponging the body with water and fanning it, and
aggressively replacing fluids and salts. If not taken seriously, this
can progress to heat stroke. Patients diagnosed as suffering from heat
exhaustion should be admitted to hospital where they are covered with
large sheets of wet gauze and fans used to aid cooling. IV-fluid
should be administered and a fluid balance chart kept monitoring urine
output. Nearly all patients recover and are discharged within 24
hours. Patients must be transferred immediately to the nearest health
care center.
HEATSTROKE
In this condition the body loses its ability to regulate temperature
and the body temperature soars, often to above 106 degrees. Sweating
may or may not be present. The hallmarks of heat stroke are physical
collapse and mental deterioration ranging from confusion to coma. This
is a medical emergency and must be treated aggressively with rapid
cooling and IV-fluids if available. If not, deathor permanent damage
to the kidneys, heart, or liver may result. Emergency treatment can
consist of cooling in whatever water is available or removing
clothingand wetting/fanning the body. If able to drink, give the
victim water, or oral rehydration formula.
All patients diagnosed as suffering from heat stroke should be cooled
on the specially designed MakkahBody Cooling Unit (BCU). This achieves
rapid reduction of the body temperature by evaporation from the warm
skin; the skin temperature is kept at 30-32 C (84-90 F) to enhance
vasodilatation and increase the heat flow.
PREVENTING HEAT ILLNESS
Even marginal dehydration interferes with the body's ability to
regulate temperature. It also makes a mild diarrheal illness more
likely to become serious. In hot climates you should always consume
enough water so that you must urinate every two to three hours. If
your urine becomes dark yellow it means that you are getting
dehydrated or that you are getting jaundiced! Here are some preventive
measures that help you reduce the burden of heat:
* Don't be exposed to direct sunlight but rather use an umbrella or
other protective gadget
* Don't leave your kids is unventilated vehicles
* Drink plenty of water, even if you are not thirsty (preferably Zam-zam water)
* Keep a close watch on children to be sure they do the same
Reduce physical activities by:
* Not walking for long periods. Rather ride any available vehicle
* Trying to avoid crowded places as much as you can and not rush when
performing rites
* In case of weakness (e.g. chronically-ill patient) and if you can't
handle the crowd during stoning, it is permissible for you to go to
Mina at the end of the night to stone the Jamra before the arrival of
the crowd
* Taking enough time for rest and sleep as needed

Hajj, - Blessed places where Duas are accepted

While writing a letter to the people of Makkah, Imaam Hasan Al-Basri
(RA) advised them of the following 15 places in Makkah where duasare
accepted:
1.Inside the Baitullah
2.At Multazam
3.In Arafat
4.In Muzdalifah
5.In Mina
6.While performing Tawaf
7.While performing Sa'ee
8.At the hill of Safa
9.At the hill of Marwa
10.At the well of Zam Zam
11.At Maqam of Ibraheem
12.Under the Meezaab or aqueduct of the Ka'bah.
13.Near the big Shaytan
14.Near the middle Shaytan
15.Near the small Shaytan
In some other narrations places and instances such as Rukne- Yamani,
Mataaf (where tawaf is commenced), near Hajr Aswad and on first
sighting the Baytullah are also mentioned.