General Articles, - The First Female Convert to Islam: Our mother Hazrat Khadija

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Our mother Hazrat Khadija (ra), the first wife of our beloved Prophet (saas), was at the same time the first female Muslim.
Our worthy mother made great efforts to assist the spread of Islam through her intellect, foresight and wisdom.
With her submission, courage and devotion, our mother Hazrat Khadija (ra), one of our Prophet’s (saas) greatest supporters, was a role model for all Muslims.
Our Prophet (saas) first told Hazrat Khadija (ra) of the revelation that came to him; and she, with her intelligence and foresight, her unquestioning obedience to and trust in our Prophet (saas), realized that he had been especially chosen by Allah and believed him straight away . When the prophethood was bestowed upon him, Hazrat Khadija (ra) said "I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah" and converted to Islam.
Hazrat Khadija (ra) was from the Quraysh, one of the leading Arab tribes, and her family shared the same line of descent as our Prophet (saas). And although she was subjected to many tests reflecting the moral values of the ignorant Arab society in which she lived, she always exhibited a most powerful and determined character in the face of all adversities.
· According to accounts, Hazrat Khadija (ra) died three years before the hegira (19 April, 620 A.D.) and lived at a time when Islam had not yet become strong and achieved dominion. Despite the difficult conditions of the time, and all the persecution by the pagans of Mecca, she maintained her unquestioning submission to Allah and our Prophet (saas).
· At a time when there were quite literally only three Muslims in the world, Hazrat Khadija (ra) would sometimes worship around the Kaaba with the Messenger of Allah (saas) and Hazrat Ali (ra), and sometimes at home.
· When the pagans of Mecca besieged the Muslims at Shi'bu Abi Talib, Hazrat Khadija (ra) withstood the siege alongside our Prophet (saas) with tremendous courage, fortitude and heroism.
· The immaculate line of our Prophet (saas), that will continue until the Day of Reckoning, is descended from our mother Hazrat Khadija (ra). With the exception of Hazrat Maria (ra), whose son Abraham died subsequently, our Prophet (saas) had no children with any of his other precious wives.
· Our Prophet (saas) had six children with our mother Hazrat Khadija (ra). The first of these was Hazrat Fatima, who would continue the line, from whom Hazrat Hassan and Hazrat Husseinm whose lines will also continue until the Day of Reckoning, were born.
· Our mother Hazrat Khadija (ra) was a wealthy person engaged in business; but after becoming a Muslim, instead of seeking worldly advantages, she happily used everything she had acquired in order to earn the approval of Allah and was a role model in terms of spending her fortune for the sake of Islam.
· Hazrat Khadija’s (ra) purity and chastity were renowned even before her conversion to Islam, for which reason she was known as "Tâhire" (the spotless and immaculate woman).

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Soul Purification, - Lying is the Source of All Sins

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Lying is the source of all sins and it is the shortest way to Hell. The Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“Beware of lying because lying leads to dissoluteness, and dissoluteness leads to Hell. A person keeps on telling lies until he is written before Allaah as a liar.”]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Lying, in essence, is deliberately telling something that is other than the truth and is something dispraised by all sensible people. A liar is always in doubt and never truly believes anything. Had this been the only disadvantage of lying, it would have been sufficient. Some philosophers have stated,“The one who knows himself to be a liar will never believe people who tell the truth. Moreover, the one who is known to be a liar will never be believed, even when he tells the truth. Not only this, but when people hear lies, they may automatically attribute it to him, even if he is not the one who told it.”
Reasons and Signs
There are several causes of lying and various signs that indicate it. There is no doubt that knowing such causes and signs is of great help in treatment because the first step in the treatment of any disease is knowing its causes and determining its symptoms in order to eliminate them. Al-Maawardi , may Allaah have mercy upon him, mentioned some of these reasons as follows:
1-Bringing benefit and driving away harm. The liar thinks that lying is safer and more beneficial; hence, he resorts to lying as he is deceived and aspires to get something in return.
2-Preferring his speech to be pleasant and nice, thinking that the truth is neither pleasant nor nice. So, he prefers to lie as it is the easiest thing to do.
3-Intending to gratify one’s thirst for revenge. So, he may tell lies about his enemy and attribute falsities to him.
4-Getting used to lying, which turns into a habit because its reasons accumulate and a liar becomes familiar with them.
5-Having an inclination to domineer, as the liar thinks that he is superior to the others to whom he gives information, thereby believing himself to be like a righteous scholar.
Some of the Signs of Lying
When one tells a liar something, he cannot differentiate between what he tells him and what he made up.
One can make a liar doubtful of his own words to the extent that he might take them back.
If one argues with a liar about what he said, he would get confused and not be able to defend himself or refute what he says.
Doubt and suspicion would be apparent on his face. Some wise men have said that faces are like mirrors that expose the secrets that people conceal.
If a person becomes a liar, all unknown rumors would be attributed to him, in addition to other made up lies, to the extent that people would tell lies about him. Thus, he would combine two different things: the disgrace of being a liar and the harm of lying to him.
Types of Lying
There are various types of lying; be it lying in deeds, sayings or intentions.The firstis lying in sayings. It means deliberately telling something that is not true or real. This type has different forms that vary in the degree of guilt. The gravest and worst type is telling lies about Allaah the Exalted and/or His Messenger,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allaah a lie{]Quran 6:21[
This also includes deciding what is lawful and what is unlawful according to personal whims and not according to theSharee‘ah. That is why Allaah The Almighty rebukes the disbelievers when they claim that what they say is the legislation of Allaah. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
}And do not say about what your tongues assert of untruth, “This is lawful and this is unlawful,” to invent falsehood about Allaah{]Quran 16:116[
}Or have they other deities who have ordained for them a religion to which Allaah has not consented? But if not for the decisive word, it would have been concluded between them. And indeed, the wrongdoers will have a painful punishment.{]Quran 42:21[
Moreover, the Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, warned us against telling lies about him when he said:“Whoever tells a lie about me intentionally, let him settle in his seat in Hell.”]Saheeh Al-Jaami‘ As-Sagheer: 6519[
This type also includes inventing lies about the believers such as those who testify to falsehood do. The Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, considered testifying to falsehood one of the grave major sins. Nowadays, we find that many people sell their religion and conscience and testify to falsehood, thereby squandering or failing to give people’s rights or making false accusations against them out of greed for a worldly reward or to gratify their thirst for revenge.
Another example is lying when joking in order to make others laugh. The Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“Woe to him who lies to make people laugh. Woe to him! Woe to him!”]Ahmad and Abu Daawood, At-Tirmithi -Hasan[
A believer cannot be a liar for faith and lying cannot be combined in one person. Hence, when the Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was asked if a believer could be a liar, he replied in the negative, in spite of the fact that he stated that a believer could be a miser or a coward. This is because lying is one of the signs of hypocrisy. The Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“There are three characteristics of a hypocrite: when he speaks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it and when he is trusted he betrays.”
Lying is not one of the characteristics of the noble rather a characteristic of the mean who despise themselves and find lying easy. If they had real self-esteem, they would have avoided lying.
‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, said,“It is better for me to tell the truth even if it would demean me - and it rarely does - than to tell a lie that may elevate me - and it rarely does.”
The second typeis lying in deeds. One may do something in order to deceive others into believing that something actually happened, while it did not, or to express the existence of something that does not really exist. Lying in deeds could be more dangerous or more effective than lying in sayings. An example of this is what was narrated in the Quran about the brothers of Yoosuf )Joseph(, may Allaah exalt his mention, when they came to their father at night weepingand with his shirt stained with false blood. So they lied both in their deeds and in their sayings. ]Al-Akhlaaq Al-Islaamiyyah:1/529[
The third typeis lying in intentions, and this is when one intends to do something for the sake of anyone or anything other than Allaah. This is supported by theHadeethof the three types of people who would be the first to be thrown in Hell: the martyr, the scholar and the one who used to give charity.
Each one of these three would claim that he did what he did for the sake of Allaah but they would be told that they are liars. The first would be told,“You fought so that people would say that you are courageous.’The second would be told,“You gave in charity so that people would say that you are generous,”and the third would be told,“You learned so that people would say that you are a scholar.Therefore, lying is indeed the source of all sins and it brings utter disgrace upon the liar.

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Soul Purification, - Causes and Effects of Diseases of the Heart

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Indeed, all sins poison the heart and lead to its illness and destruction. They sicken it and define its will as other than what Allaah The Almighty wants ]of His servant[, in effect being as harmful to the heart as actual poisons are to the body. Imaam Ibn Al-Mubaarak, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,“I have seen that sins cause the death of the heart and addiction to them breeds humiliation. On the other hand, quitting sins gives life to the heart and it is better for one to disobey his own self ]than to disobey Allaah The Almighty[.”
The extent of harm that sins cause to the heart and body in this life and in the Hereafter, are known to Allaah The Almighty alone. However, every evil and every single disease in this life and the Hereafter, can be attributed to sins and acts of disobedience. Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said:
“Then why ]else[ were our parents )Aadam and Eve, may Allaah exalt their mention( expelled from Paradise – the abode of joy, pleasure, bliss and happiness – to the dwelling of suffering, sorrows and disasters? Why was Satan cast out from the kingdom of Heaven? Why was he cursed and deformed externally and internally, until he had the most heinous appearance, with his insides even uglier and more abominable than his exterior? Why was he under a curse instead of mercy, and given ugliness in place of beauty, and Hell instead of Paradise? He became worthless in the sight of Allaah The Almighty, deprived of His compassion and inflicted with His anger. Allaah The Almighty deluded and detested him so much that He led him to destruction, until he became a leader for every immoral and criminal person; and Satan accepted this position although he had ]earlier[ worshipped ]Allaah[. We seek refuge with You, O Allaah from breaching Your command or doing what You prohibited!”
He, may Allaah have mercy upon him, continued:
“Why did all the people on earth drown ]at the time of Noah, may Allaah exalt his mention[ and the water submerge the peaks of mountains? Why were the people of ‘Aad afflicted with an intense wind that left their lifeless bodies on earth like they were hollow trunks of palm trees? Why was the tribe of Thamood afflicted with a loud shriek that literally tore their hearts on the inside and all of them died ]as a result[? Why were the villages of the people of Loote, may Allaah exalt his mention, lifted so high up to the sky that the angels heard the barking of their dogs, and then were turned upside down, leading to their deaths; and why were they cast with stones of layered, hard clay? In this way, they were punished twice, which was something that did not happen to any other nation. Their counterparts today may also have the same punishment, and this is never far from the wrongdoers. As for the people of Shu’ayb, may Allaah exalt his mention, why were they afflicted with clouds of torment that appeared as canopies, but when they approached over their heads, they rained flames of blazing fire over them? Why were Pharaoh and his soldiers drowned in the sea and transported by soul to Hell? Why was Qaaroon, along with his house, property and family, swallowed by the earth? Why were the generations after Nooh )Noah(, may Allaah exalt his mention, destroyed by different kinds of punishment? What about the Children of Israel; why were they tried by militarily superior people, who ransacked their homes, killing men and taking children and women captive, in the process? Why did those enemies later again come to them and destroy everything they could to the point of annihilation? Why were they afflicted with different types of torturous punishments: death, imprisonment, destruction of their houses, subjugation to the tyranny of kings and transformation into apes and pigs? The last of these hardships is mentioned in the verse where Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}He Would surely ]continue to[ send upon them until the Day of Resurrection those who would afflict them with the worst torment.{]Quran 7:167[”
Some of the effects of acts of disobedience and sins:
• They are ammunition that a sinner provides his enemy with, supporting his rival with an army against his very own self.
• They embolden others to defy the sinner, in ways they would never have previously dared.
• They gradually seal one’s heart; if sins accumulate, their doer becomes heedless. Some of the righteous predecessors said that the verse where Allaah The Almighty Said )what means(:}Nay! But on their hearts is the Raan which they used to earn.{]Quran 83:14[, refers to the sins that pile up until the heart is blinded. That is because the heart rusts from sins, an increase of which steps up corrosion until it constitutes Raan )rust(. This, then, in turn, develops until it becomes a seal and bolt which enlarges, until it completely wraps around the heart.
• The enormity of sins is removed from the heart to the extent that it then considers them as mere habits.
• Sins breed sins and help sustain the ]habit of committing[ evil.
• Ill actions render darkness in one’s heart, which is as tangible as the shadows of the night. It was narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, that he said,“A good deed brings about light in ]its doer’s[ face and heart, blessing in provisions and love in the hearts of people. Conversely, a sin brings about darkness in the face and the heart, lack in sustenance and hatred in the hearts of people.”
• Sins weaken the heart and body. As for the former, it is evident in its continuous pattern which ends only when its life does. The body, too, becomes weakened because a believer’s power lies in his heart, and the stronger that is, the stronger his body is.
• They render man’s affairs difficult; whenever he wants to do something, he finds it tough or unattainable. One of the righteous predecessors said,“When I disobey Allaah The Almighty, I find that reflected in the behavior of my wife and ]even my[ domesticated animal.”
• Sins create alienation between its doer and others, especially the good among them. Abu Ad-Dardaa’, may Allaah be pleased with him, advised,“Beware of being cursed by the hearts of the believers while you do not know! You secretly commit sins and that is why Allaah The Almighty casts hatred of you in their hearts.”
• Sins dismiss a man’s honor and dignity in the sight of Allaah The Almighty and His creatures, as He Says )what means(:}And whomsoever Allaah abases, there is none who can make him honorable{]Quran 22:18[.
• Evil deeds not only extinguish the fire of zeal in one’s heart, but also removes bashfulness from it, which is the source of life to the heart.
• Sins diminish the heart’s zeal to please Allaah The Almighty and win in the Hereafter.
• A person continues to commit vices until he or she belittles them and considers them as trivial. Ibn Mas‘ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, said:“The believing man sees his sin as if it were a mountain that he fears will fall down on him; whereas the immoral person thinks of his sin as a fly that sat on his nose and he easily waved it off.”]At-Tirmithi[ Also, Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, once remarked:“Indeed, you commit actions that you consider as trivial, but we used to consider them at the time of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to be major sins.”]Al-Bukhaari[
Bilaal ibn Sa‘d, may Allaah have mercy upon him, advised,“Do not look at the smallness of a sin but look at the magnificence of the One Whom you disobeyed.”
As for the foremost five evil acts that afflict the heart and are most widespread, they are an excess of: talking, prying gaze, socializing, eating and sleeping.

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