Women site, - Maryam, the Mother of Jesus

As Muslims, we respect, honor and hold in high esteem Maryam, may
Allaah exalt her mention, the daughter of Imraan who was a chaste
virgin and is the best of the women of the world.
The Muslims respect and love her for many reasons, among which are the
following:
• Allaah Almighty praised her and described her as being pure and
chaste; Allaah Almighty Says )what means(:}And ]the example of[ Mary,
the daughter of 'Imraan, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into
]her garment[ through Our angel ]i.e. Gabriel[, and she believed in
the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly
obedient.{]Quran 66:12[ Indeed, Allaah Almighty mentioned her and
elaborated on the details of her story in many verses in the Quran.
• Allaah has chosen her as the best of the women of this world; Allaah
Says )what means(:})And ]mention[ when the angels said, "O Mary,
indeed Allaah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the
women of the worlds.{]Quran 3:42[
• Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, was brought up in a pious and
religious family like her mother, may Allaah be pleased with her, who
vowed to Allaah to dedicate what was in her womb to His Services and
to serve His Religion; Allaah Says )what means(:}]Mention, O
Muhammad[, when the wife of Imraan said, "My Lord, indeed I have
pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated ]for Your service[, so
accept this from me. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing." But
when she delivered her, she said, "My Lord I have delivered a female."
And Allaah was most knowing of what she delivered, and the male is not
like the female. And I have named her Mary, and I seek refuge for her
in You and ]for[ her descendants from Satan, the expelled ]from the
mercy of Allaah[."{]Quran 3: 35-36[
Indeed, Allaah accepted the supplication of the mother of Maryam as He
appointed a Prophet to her care and service, who was the Prophet
Zechariah, may Allaah exalt his mention, so that she would be brought
up upon the Guidance of Allaah. Allaah Says )what means(:}So her Lord
accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good
manner and put her in the care of Zechariah. Every time Zechariah
entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found with her provision.
He said, "O Mary, from where is this ]coming[ to you?" She said, "It
is from Allaah. Indeed, Allaah provides for whom He wills without
account."{]Quran 3:37[
• Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, reached a status and an
honorable level that no other women has reached; the Prophet,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, mentioned this and clarified this in
many Ahadeeth. For instance, we cite the following:
-"Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such
a level except Maryam, the daughter of Imraan, and Asia, the wife of
Pharaoh."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
-"The best of the women of her time was Maryam, daughter of Imraan,
and the best of the women of her time was Khadeejah, Bint
Khuwaylid."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
-"The best of the women of paradise after Maryam Bint 'Imraan are:
Faatimah ]daughter of the Prophet[, Khadeejah ]Prophet's wife[ and
Asia the wife of Pharaoh."]As-Silsilah As-Saheehah[
-"The best of the women of the world are: "Maryam Bint 'Imraan,
Khadeejah Bint Khuwaylid, Faatimah Bint Muhammad, and Asia, the wife
of Pharaoh."]At-Tirmithi[
• All the Muslim nation agree that Maryam, may Allaah exalt her
mention, was of great honor and high status and they consider her as
an example regarding purity and chastity.
• A whole Chapter in the Quran was named after her name and she is the
only woman who has won this honor )as no other Chapter is named after
any other woman(, and Allaah elaborated in details the story of her
conceiving 'Eesa, may Allaah exalt his mention, and her giving birth
to him.
• Also, she is the only woman who was clearly mentioned by name in the
Quran whereas other women of honor and great status were only
mentioned by reference.
Indeed, her name was mentioned explicitly in the Quran 34 times in 32
verses, and it was mentioned 11 times without being linked to her son
'Eesa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt his mention.
• Also, Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, was the one who was
given as an example – along with Asia Bint Muzaahim ]the wife of
Pharaoh[ –for the Muslim women, and for men as well. Allaah Says )what
means(:}And Allaah presents an example of those who believed: the wife
of Pharaoh, when she said, "My Lord, build for me near You a house in
Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the
wrongdoing people." And ]the example of[ Mary, the daughter of
'Imraan, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into ]her garment[
through Our angel ]i.e. Gabriel[, and she believed in the words of her
Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.{]Quran
66:11-12[
• Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention was known for her chastity and
virginity even after giving birth to 'Eesa )Jesus(, the Messenger of
Allaah, may Allaah exalt their mention. She sought refuge with Allaah
when the angel Jibreel )Gabriel( appeared to her in the form of a man
in all respects, as she said: Allaah Says ]on her tongue[ )what
means(:}She said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Merciful )i.e.
Allaah( from you if you do fear Allaah"{]Quran 19:18[
• Allaah honored her by declaring her not guilty and by protecting her
honor and dignity with a great miracle as He made her son –'Eesa
)Jesus( –speak while he was still in the cradle in order to declare
her innocence and refute the accusation of the people of falsehood and
corruption. Indeed, Allaah mentioned in details the story how she
conceived her son and how she gave birth to him. Allaah Says )what
means(:}Then she brought him to her people, carrying him. They said,
'O Mary, you have certainly done a thing unprecedented. O sister of
Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother
unchaste." So she pointed to him. They said, "How can we speak to one
who is in the cradle a child?" ]Jesus[ said, "Indeed, I am the servant
of Allaah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet. And He
has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and
Zakaah as long as I remain alive. And ]made me[ dutiful to my mother,
and He has not made me a wretched tyrant. And peace is on me the day I
was born and the day I will die and the day I am raised alive." That
is Jesus, the son of Mary— the word of truth about which they are in
dispute. It is not ]befitting[ for Allaah to take a son; exalted is
He! When He decrees an affair, He only says to it, "Be," and it
is.{]Quran 19:27-35[
• Allaah selected her to be a pious believing mother for one of the
Prophets of great determination, who were the five great Prophets in
the history of mankind, may Allaah exalt their mention.
• She conceived 'Eesa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt his mention, in an
unordinary human way, and in a miraculous manner as the angel Jibreel
)Gabriel( breathed into her womb and she became pregnant, and then she
gave birth to him.
• She was honored as Allaah attributed her great son to her; Jesus,
son of Mary, as he was mentioned being attributed to her in the Quran
23 times out of 34 times.
• Allaah honored her with a number of miracles before her pregnancy
and after she gave birth, such as the food which Allaah blessed her
with when there was nobody to give her food or when she was lacking
it. Allaah Says )what means(:}…and put her in the care of Zechariah.
Every time Zechariah entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he found
with her provision. He said, "O Mary, from where is this ]coming[ to
you?" She said, "It is from Allaah. Indeed, Allaah provides for whom
He wills without account."{]Quran 3:37[ Allaah also blessed her with
the stream and the palm tree, which Allaah created for her so that she
would eat and drink from them in the lonely place where she was so
that she will give birth far from the eyes of the people. Allaah Says
)what means(:}…But he called her from below her, "Do not grieve; your
Lord has provided beneath you a stream. And shake toward you the trunk
of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates. So eat and
drink and be contented…"{]Quran 19:24-26[
• She was strong in her religion. She endured much hardship and was
steadfast to the last second of hardship, especially when she became
pregnant, when she gave birth, and when she breastfed her son.
• Her name was widely spread among the Christians and the Muslims.
Indeed, many Muslims like naming their daughters Maryam, and her name
is absolutely the most wide-spread name for females around the world
and in the Christian world. Her name is especially spread among the
woman in Spanish speaking countries, such as the name of Mary
Augustine, and Mary Asunción, Mary Antoinette, Miriam, Mary Carmen,
and Mary Magdalene, Virginia, …etc.
Conclusion:
Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, is a role model for all Muslim
women because she maintained her impeccable character throughout her
life. Allaah raised her status and chose her from among the women of
the entire world. Indeed, many verses and many Ahadeeth clarified her
great status.
Allaah blessed her with some miracles, protected her and defended her
against any accusations and blasphemy. On the other hand, Maryam, may
Allaah exalt her mention, demonstrated her genuine devotion and
loyalty to Allaah through her impeccable virtue and behavior. She also
expressed her profound and genuine devotion to Him Almighty through
her determination, devotion, and unconditional surrender to His Will.
She placed all of her hope and trust only in Allaah.
As a result, Allaah supported her with His Grace and Help, and turned
all hardship into goodness and beauty.
She became pregnant and delivered her child all alone. She showed
patience and complete faith in Allaah and endured the accusations of
her people. Consequently, Allaah eased her burden, supported her, and
refuted any accusations against her.
Maryam, may Allaah exalt her mention, had a superior and honorable position.
As Muslims, we should honor her, defend her dignity and chastity, and
clarify to the people of the whole world the truth about her that she
is the best example for all women around the world to follow. She was
indeed the best woman ever in the whole world, may Allaah exalt her
mention.

Dought & clear, - The virtue of observing a lot of naafil fasts in the month of Muharram

Is it Sunnah to observe a lot of naafil [supererogatory] fasts in the
month of Muharram? Is there anything special about this month compared
with other months?.
Praise be to Allah
The month of Muharram is the first month of the Arabic year, and it is
one of the four sacred months of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Verily, the number of months with Allaah is twelve months (in a
year), so was it ordained by Allaah on the Day when He created the
heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred (i.e. the 1st, the 7th,
the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the
right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein"
[al-Tawbah 9:36]
al-Bukhaari (3167) and Muslim (1679) narrated from Abu Bakrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "The division of time has turned to its
original form which was current the day Allaah created the heavens and
earth. The year consists of twelve months of which four are sacred:
three consecutive months, Dhu'l-Qa'dah, Dhu'l-Hijjah and Muharram, and
Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jumada and Sha'baan."
It was proven from the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) that the best fasting after Ramadaan is fasting in the month of
Muharram. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "The best fasting after Ramadaan is the month of
Allaah Muharram, and the best prayer after the obligatory prayer is
prayer at night." Narrated by Muslim, 1163.
With regard to the phrase "the month of Allaah", mentioning the month
in conjunction with Allaah is a sign of its great status. Al-Qaari
said: it seems that what is meant is all of the month of Muharram.
But it was proven that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) did not fast any month in full apart from Ramadaan, so this
hadeeth is to be understood as meaning that it is it is encouraged to
fast a lot in the month of Muharram, not to fast the whole month.
And Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear, - The wisdom behind the creation of dangerous animals.

What is The wisdom behind the creation of dangerous animals ?
Praise be to Allaah.
There are two aspects to the answer to this question: general and
specific. The general answer is that the Muslim believes that Allaah
is All-Wise and All-Knowing, and He does not create anything in vain;
all of His actions are based on Wisdom. If the wisdom behind any of
His actions is hidden from the believer, then he should still adhere
to this principle, and not think of his Lord in bad terms.
The specific answer is that the wisdom behind the creation of these
things is to manifest the perfect nature of Allaah's creation and
control of all things. Even though the created things are so many, He
provides for them all. He also tests people by means of these
(dangerous creatures), rewards those who are afflicted by them and
makes manifest the bravery of those who kill them. By creating them,
He tests His slaves' faith and certainty: the believer accepts the
matter and submits, whilst the doubter says, "What is the point of
Allaah creating this?!" He also demonstrates the weakness and
incapability of man, whereby he suffers pain and sickness because of a
creature which is far smaller than he is. One of the scholars was
asked about the wisdom behind the creation of flies. He said, so that
Allaah may humiliate the noses of the tyrants with them. Because of
the existence of harmful creatures, it becomes apparent how great is
the blessing in the creation of beneficial things, as it is said that
contrast with the opposite demonstrates the nature of things. The
study of medicine has demonstrated that many beneficial drugs are
derived from the venom of snakes and the like. Glory be to the One Who
has created benefits in things that to all outward appearances are
harmful. Moreover, many of these dangerous animals are food for other
creatures which are beneficial, and this forms the ecological cycle in
the environments where Allaah has created them.
But the Muslim has to believe that everything that Allaah does is
good, and that there is no pure evil in what He creates. In everything
that He creates there has to be some aspect of good, even if it is
hidden from us, as is the case with the creation of Iblees, who is the
head of evil. But there is wisdom and a purpose behind his creation,
for Allaah tests His creatures by means of him, to distinguish the
obedient from the disobedient, those who strive from those who are
negligent, the people of Paradise from the people of Hell.
We ask Allaah to bless us with strength of faith and understanding of
our religion. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and grant him
peace.

Dought & clear, - Can we do what wewant?.

I have some questions about Islam, could you explain them for me? Are
all of man's actions, such as birth, death, his day-to-day behaviour,
and all that he thinks about doing decreed by Allaah? Is our life
programmed by Allaah before we are born? Or do we have freedom of
choice and can we decide and do whatever we want, without that being
controlled by Allaah? In brief, do we do whatever we want or what
Allaah has created us to do?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It should be noted that some of our circumstances are forced on us,
and and we have no choice in it, such as the day when a person is
born, the colour of his skin and eyes, and when he will die. All of
these are matters over which people have no control, rather they
happen to them by force. Given that these are matters in which people
have no choice, they do not have anything to do with Paradise or Hell,
torment or blessing.
But some actions are the subject of choice, such as whether to believe
or disbelieve, or worldly matters such as choosing what to eat or
drink, and where to live.
There is nothing of that nature which is entirely outside the will and
decree of Allaah.
But how does that happen?
Belief in al-qadar (the divine will and decree) is one of the pillars
of faith. The Muslim's faith cannot be valid unless he accepts that
everything comes from Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments
of all things before their creation as written in the Book of
DecreesAl-Lawh Al-Mahfooz)"
[al-Qamar 54:49]
Indeed, the names of Allaah include al-Qaadir, al-Qadeer and
al-Muqtadir (which refer to His being All-Powerful).
The heart of the matter is that Allaah possesses the attributes of
knowledge, power and will.
Based on that, if people who do deeds want to do them, whether they
are sins or acts of obedience, then Allaah inevitably knows that,
indeed He knew that in eternity past, before He even created the
universe.
Then after He knew it, He wrote it with Him, then when they wanted to
do it, He willed that they should do so. If He did not will that, then
they would not do it. He is All-Powerful, and He is the Creator of
people's deeds because He is the Creator of the human beings who do
them.
So all the deeds of mankind are written with Allaah, because Allaah
has prior knowledge of them. This does not mean that Allaah compels
people to do what they do, rather they have freedom of choice with
regard to their deeds. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful"
[al-Insaan 76:3]
But their actions are not compelled by Allaah, for Allaah does not
force His slaves to do anything.
Imaam Ibn Abi'l-'Izz al-Hanafi said concerning a similar matter:
If it is said, How can Allaah will something that He is not pleased
with and does not like? How can He will it and create it? How can His
will be reconciled with His hatred for it?
It should be said (in response) that this is the question which has
caused divisions among the people and has caused them to follow
different paths and opinions.
It should be noted that what is willed may be of two types: that which
is willed or wanted for itself, and that which is willed or wanted for
something else.
That which is willed or wanted for itself is that which is wanted and
loved for what it is and for the goodness it contains. So it comes
under the heading of aims and goals. That which is willed or wanted
for something else may not be what is wanted, but it serves a purpose;
it may not serve any purpose in and of itself, even though it may be a
means to attain that which he wants and is aiming for. So it may be
something that is disliked in and of itself, but he may seek it
because it serves a purpose and helps him reach what he wants. So in
this case he will have two opposing feelings, his dislike (of the
means) and his desire (for the end). There is no contradiction, as
these feelings are related to different things. This is like
unpleasant medicine which the one who takes it knows will cure him, or
like cutting off a wasted limb when he knows that will save the rest
of his body, or travelling a difficult route when he knows that it
will bring him to what he wants and loves. The wise man would rather
accept the disliked thing on the basis that he is likely to get good
results even though the ultimate end may not be quite certain. So how
about Allaah, from Whom nothing is hidden? He may dislike something
but it may not be against His will for it to exist, because it may be
a means to an end, and it may be a means to something that Allaah
likes. For example, Allaah created Iblees, who is the cause of the
corruption of religions, deeds, beliefs and human wills; but
nevertheless he is a means to a lot of things that Allaah likes, which
result from the creation of Iblees. For these things to exist is
dearer to Allaah than if they did not exist at all.