What is the meaning of Allaah’s name al-Sayyid?.

What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Sayyid (the Master)?
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah is al-Sayyid (the Master), i.e., the Sovereign of the universe;
all of creation is enslaved to Him.
Allaah is the One Who is needed in an absolute sense. No created
being is independent of Him. IfHe did not create them, they would not
exist, and if He did not sustain them after creating them, they would
not remain. If He did not help them with all that they are faced with,
theywould have no help besides Him. So it is His right that His
created beings should call Him, and none other, al-Sayyid.

Names and Attributes of Allah - The meaning of Allaah’s name al-Mateen .

What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Mateen (the Most Strong) ?
Praise be to Allaah. Allaah is the Owner of Power, the Most Strong,
i.e., He has immense Power. He is All-Strong and All-Powerful; His
Power never fails, and whatever He does, it never results in
difficulty, discomfort or tiredness for Him. His Power is perfect and
complete, it never wanesor decreases – exalted be Allaah far above
such a thing.

A pious and intelligent woman from the Banu Israil

Muhammad bin Ka'b relates that there was a great alim and abid in the
Banu Israil. He loved his wife very much. Co-incidentally, she passed
away. This person was so grieved by this that he locked hisdoor and
abstained frommeeting and conversing with people. A woman from the
Banu Israil heard about this so she went to him. She informed those
who were guarding the entrance to his house that she wants to ask him
a mas'ala and that itcan only be asked directly to him. Saying this,
she sat down stubbornly by the door. The person was informed of this
and eventually permitted herto enter. She said: "I want to ask you a
mas'ala." He replied: "Go ahead." She said: "I havea neighbour from
whomI borrowed some jewellery. I am wearing it for quite some time
now. Thereafter she senta person asking for her jewellery. The
question I want to ask you is that do I have to give it back to her?"
The alim replied: "Yes, you have to give it back to her." The woman
replied:"That jewellery was withme for a very long time. How can I
give it?" The alim replied: "In such a case, you should give it even
more happily because it was out of her kindness that she allowed you
to use it for such a long time." When he said this, the woman replied:
"May Allah have mercy on you? Why, then, are you so sad? Allah had
loaned you something and when He wished, He took it back. (Because) it
belongs to Him." Upon hearing this, the alim realized his mistake and
benefited tremendously from this conversation.
Lesson: Look at how this woman put some sense into this man who was a
great 'alim. O women! You should also bear thisin mind when you have
to encounter any difficulty or calamity. You should also explain this
to others.

The lion, rats, snake and the honey comb - a beautiful story

I heard the following story from a pious brother. Hopefully, this
story will be beneficial for everyone, Inshallah.
Once a man saw in his dream, that a lion was chasing him. The man ran
to a tree, climbed onto it and sat on a branch.He looked down and saw
that the lion was still there waiting for him. The man then looked to
his side wherethe branch he was sitting on was attached to the tree
and saw that two rats were circling around and eating the branch. One
rat was black and the other one was white. The branch will fall on the
ground very soon. The man then looked below again with fear and
discoveredthat a big black snake had come and settled directly under
him. The snake opened its mouth right under the man so that he will
fall into it. The man then looked up to see if there was anything that
he could hold on to. He saw another branch with a honeycomb. Drops of
honey were falling from it. The man wanted to taste one of the drops.
So, he put his tongue out and tasted one of the falling drops of
honey. The honey was amazing in taste. So, he wanted to taste another
drop and then another and as a result, he got lost into the sweetness
of the honey. He forgot about the two rats eating his branch away, the
lion on the ground and the snake that is sitting right under him.
Suddenly when the branch broke he remembered all the dangers woke up
from his sleep.
Since this was an uniquedream, the man went to a pious scholar of
Islam to know its meaning. The scholar said "The lion you saw is your
death. It always chases you and goes where ever you go. The two rats,
one black and one white, are the night and the day. Black one is the
night and the white one is the day. They circle around, coming one
after another, to eat your time as they take you closer to death. The
big black snake with a dark mouth is your grave. It's there, just
waiting for you to fall into it. The honeycomb is this world and the
sweet drops of honey are the luxuries of this world. We like to taste
a little of the luxuries of this world and it's very sweet. Then we
want to taste little more and then more. Meanwhile, we get lost into
it and we forget about our time, we forget about our death and we
forgetabout our grave."
May Allah wake us up from the sleep and save us before it's too late. Ameen.

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ANNIVERSARY - TIPS

I LOVE U are words just three,which mean so much on our ANNIVERSARY.
So, this is what i want to say,live inmy heart n there 4 ever stay...

Names and Attributes of Allah,- What is the meaning of Allaah’s name al-Subooh? .

What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Subooh (the Glorified One)?
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Subooh is the One Who is above all that is not befitting to Him and
He is above all the shortcomings and (imperfect) qualities which are
inherent in His creation.
Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husna by Dr. Hissah al-Sagheer, p. 138

Names and Attributes of Allah,- The meaning of Allaah’s name al-Musawwir.

What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Musawwir (the Fashioner, the
Bestower of forms)?
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah is the Bestower offorms. His creation is as is He wills, and He
is the One Who formed and gave shape to all that exists. He has given
everything its own form and distinct shape, even though His creation
is so great and so varied. He has bestowed forms, notby way of copying
– glorified and exalted be He far above such a thing.
When He wills a thing, He merely says to it "Be!"and it is, with the
attributes that He wills and the form that He haschosen for it. He
does what He wills and creates what He wills in the form that He
wills.
Some scholars differentiated between al-Khaaliq (the Creator),
al-Baari' (the Maker) andal-Musawwir (the Bestower of forms) as
follows:
Al-Khaaliq (the Creator) is the One Who created from nothing all
creatures that exist, according to their decreed qualities.
Al-Baari' is the One Who made man from al-baraa, i.e., clay.
Al-Musawwir is the One Who creates various forms and shapes.
So al-Khaaliq is a general word, al-Baari' is more specific and
al-Musawwir is even more specific.
Kitaab Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husnaa, by Dr. Hissah al-Sagheer, 240

Names and Attributes of Allah,- What is the meaning of Allaahs name al-Hayiy?.

What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Hayiy (the Modest)?
Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described his
Lord as being modest. The modesty of Allaah cannot be comprehended by
human understanding, and no mind can understand its nature. It is
modesty that is based on kindness, goodness, generosity and majesty.
By His mercy, generosity,perfection and forbearance, Allaah is too
modest to expose Hisslaves, show them up or carry out His punishmenton
them. He is too modest to reject anyone who stretches forth his hand
to Him, and He loves people who are modest.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
"He is the Modest who does not expose His slave even though he
audaciously commits sin.
But He covers him, for Heis the Concealer, the One Who forgives."
Sharh Asmaa Allaah taaala al-Husnaa, by Dr. Hissah al-Sagheer, p. 114

Gratitude - II

Again, knowing and recognising the favors, aswell as their source, is
the initial step and it precedes thanking Allaah. Recognising favors
such as the favors of being able to move, walk, work, exercise, sleep,
eat etc. all branch from the great favor of being healthy. The favor
of being humans; the favor of being Muslims; the favor of being
guided; the favor of being well-mannered; the favor of being a Prophet
(when it applies for those whom Allaah Has chosen) are also great ones
to reflect on. This issue is very important to mention when calling
people towards Allaah. Allaah repeatedly reminds us in different parts
of the Quran of His favors upon us. He says (what means): "…And [He]
subjected for you the ships to sail for you through the sea by His
command and subjected for you the rivers. And He subjected for you the
sun and the moon, continuous [in orbit], and subjected for you the
night and the day. And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if
you should count the favor [i.e., blessings] of Allaah, you could not
enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is[generally] most unjust and
ungrateful." [Quran 14: 32-34] There are many other verses in the
Quran in which Allaah reminds us of the favors that He has bestowed
upon us. One way of calling people towards Allaah is to remind them of
the favors of Allaah upon them, so that they may be grateful and not
to be amongst those about whom Allaah says (what means): "…And Allaah
is full of bounty to the people, but most of the people do not show
gratitude." [Quran 2: 243]Some people attribute favors to other than
the actual source, like Qaaroon, who said when he was reminded of the
favors of Allaah upon him(which means): "…I was only given it because
of the knowledge I have'…" [Quran 28: 78] It is arrogance that leads
to such a reaction, which results in misery for such people, because
Allaah says (what means): "And whatever you have of Favor – it is from
Allaah…" [Quran 16: 53]
Expressing gratitude by the tongue: One's tonguereflects what he
conceals in his heart, and thus when his heart is overwhelmed by
gratitude to Allaah, the tongue will naturally constantly utter praise
and gratitude to Allaah. One should ponder upon how the Prophet would
perform Thikr, or supplications and remembrance of Allaah, to see how
much gratitude and praise theycontained;
· Whenever he woke up, he would say: "All praise is due to Allaah, Who
has brought us backto life after He has causedus to die, and to Him is
the return."
· Whenever he would retire to bed, he would say: "All Praise is due to
Allaah who has fed us, provided us with drink, satisfied us and given
us protection. Many are those who have no one to provide for them or
give them shelter."
· Some of his regular morning and evening supplications were: "O
Allaah! Whatever favor I, or any of Your creation has, is solely from
You; there is no partner with You; All praise and gratitude is due to
You."
· He would ask forgiveness saying: "I seek refuge in You from the evil
of what I have done. I acknowledge the favors that You have bestowed
upon me, and Iconfess my sins, so forgive me."
· All his supplications would begin with the praise of Allaah, which
Heis very worthy of.
· He would begin all hisspeeches by praising Allaah.
· The opening supplication for prayer, Soorah Al-Faatihah,
supplications whilst bowing and prostrating, and his supplications
after concluding his prayers, were all filled with praise and
gratitudeto Allaah.
· Whenever he wished to eat, drink, travel or sneeze, he would praise
Allaah and thank him.
· On one of the nights when it was the turn of 'Aa'ishah to be with
him, she began looking for him in the dark by feeling around with her
hand, then her hand touched his hands and she heard him saying: "O
Allaah! I seek protection against Your Wrath in Your Pleasure. I seek
protection in Your Pardon against Your punishment; I am not capable of
enumerating praise of You. You are as You have lauded Yourself".
Expressing gratitude by the limbs: Any righteous deed or act of
obedience which the son of Aadam performs is a form of expressing his
gratitude to Allaah, the Lord. There are different means of performing
gratitude of the limbs; one of which iswhen one practices the
instruction of Prophet Muhammad when he said: "When you get up inthe
morning, charity is due from every one of your joints. There is
charity in every ascription of glory to Allaah; there is charity in
every declaration of His Greatness; there is charityin every utterance
of praise of Him; there is charity in every declaration that He is the
only true God (worthy of worship); there is charity in enjoining good;
there is charity in forbidding evil. Two Rak'as of Dhuhaa (i.e.,
forenoon prayer) is equal to all this(in reward)." Thus, any ofthe
things mentioned in the above narration is a righteous deed which
reflects gratitude to Allaah. One should exert all efforts to thank
Allaah using all his limbs and should never feel that he has thanked
Allaah enough, or that he does not need to do it again the next day.
There is no contradiction between thanking people and being grateful
to Allaah, because Allaah commands us to thank and reward those who do
us favors, the foremost of them being one's parents, as Allaah says (
what means): "…Be grateful to Me and to your parents…" ] Quran 31: 14]
The problem is when one thanks people and abandons thanking Allaah;
this is a great disaster. Additionally, there is a difference in the
manner in which onethanks people and thanks Allaah; one shouldbe
submissive and humble whilst thanking Allaah because this reflects
servitude, while on the other hand, one cannot do so with other
humans; one should instead supplicate for their forgiveness and praise
them. One who does not thank other people is evil and it is unlikely
that he would thank Allaah and express gratitude towards Him.
Additionally, favors and bounties from Allaah are preserved and even
increase by one being grateful, but what is it that helps a person to
be grateful?
· By observing the condition of those who are lower than you in
status, and to remember when seeing those who are higher than you in
standard that it is only bythe decree of Allaah. Allaah says ( what
means): "And it is He who has made you successors upon the earth and
has raised some of you aboveothers in degrees [of rank] that He may
try youthrough what He has given you." ] Quran 6: 165]
· By realising that one willbe held accountable for these favors, as
Allaah says ( what means): "Thenyou will surely be asked that Day
about [worldly] pleasure". ] Quran 102: 8 [ Even for bounties as
seemingly minor as cold water. Some people, due to their
misunderstanding of the concept of gratitude, deprive themselves from
enjoying them, whereas in fact they were bestowed upon us to enjoy.
Allaah says ( what means): "…Eat from the good [i.e., lawful] things
which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allaah if it is
[indeed] Him that you worship." ] Quran 2:172] Thus, gratitude cannot
entail deeming lawful matters as prohibited, which is one of the
principles of the Soofees. If gratitude was a precondition of enjoying
the bounties of Allaah, then nobody would have been able to enjoy any
of the favors orbounties from Allaah, because no one can do enough
deeds to appropriately express gratitude to Allaah for what He
bestowed upon us. The solution thereforeis to utilise these favors and
bounties in ways that please Allaah, and to thank Him and seek His
pardon for our shortcomings - and Allaah will accept this much from
us.
· By supplicating to Allaahto help us to be grateful to Him, as in the
prophetic supplication in which he taught Mu'aath to say: " O Allaah!
Help me remember You, express gratitude to You and worship You in the
best manner."
It is more virtuous to be grateful when blessed with a favor than to
persevere when one is afflicted. Allaah loves to see the effects of
His favors. Once, Imraan ibn Husayn came out wearing a fine garment,
and when he saw how his friends were looking at him, he said: "The
Prophet said: "Allaah loves to see the effect of His Bounties on His
slaves."
The Prophet said: "Eat, drink and give out in charity without
arrogance or exaggeration, because Allaah loves to see the effect of
His Bounties on His slave." Therefore, the limit when expressing and
showing the effect of the favors from Allaah on oneself is to neither
be boastful and proud, nor to exaggerate.
Allaah hates a Kanood, oran ungrateful person, and punishes him.
ImaamAl-Hasan said: "A Kanood, is one who remembers the disasters
which befall him and always forgets to mention the favors from Allaah
(upon him)." This quality is more apparent in women; for example,
awoman's husband is kindto her for many years, but as soon as she
experiences a minor shortcoming from him, she will immediately tell
him that she has never seen anything good fromhim. This is a form of
oppressing the husband, and thus the majority of the dwellers of Hell
are women, the reason beingthat they are ungrateful to their husbands.
If being ungrateful to one'shusband results in punishment in Hell, how
will the case be for those who are ungrateful to Allaah?
'Umar ibn 'Abdul-'Azeez would look at the favors of Allaah upon himand
say: "O Allaah! I seek refuge in You from meeting Your favors
withungratefulness or denying them after knowing them, or forgetting
them and not mentioning them with praise (i.e., praising You)."
It is also recommended that one prostrates whenever he receives news
about a new favor or bounty from Allaah, as was the practice of the
Prophet . Likewise, when Abu Bakr received the news that Musaylamah
the liar (who claimed to be a Prophet after the death of Prophet
Muhammad ) was killed, he went down into prostration. Ka'b ibn Maalik
also prostrated when he was given the good news of forgiveness from
Allaah after he failed to participate in a battle. Onthe other hand,
this should not be a daily practice, but rather, it should only be
done when one receives good news or a new favor. An example of a new
favor or good news is the incident when one of theSalaf who was hiding
from Al-Hajjaaj, prostrated when he received the news of his death,
because the deathof a tyrant is a great bounty and favor from Allaah.
Also, the news of having a new baby, or a Muslim victory over the
infidels, warrants such a prostration to be made.
Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim said: "The religion consists of two halves; one
half is represented by gratitude and the other half is by
perseverance." Scholars have disputed regarding who is better, a rich
person who is grateful, or a poor person who is patient, but it seems
that it is best for the rich person to be grateful, and for the poor
to persevere.

Gratitude - I

Gratitude is the greatest way to live for those whopossess high ranks
of righteousness, and such people did not reach these lofty ranks
except through their gratitude; this is because belief is comprised of
two halves; one half is gratitude and the other is perseverance.
Gratitude is to acknowledge being treated well by Allaah; it is also
to praise the One who has done one many favors. It also entails
displaying the effect of the favors of Allaah upon a person by
believing with one's heart, utteringpraise and glorifications of
Allaah by ones tongue,and to use one's limbs in the worship and
obedience of Allaah. If only a few favors are worthy of a great deal
of gratitude, how would the case be when favors are abundant? People
are either grateful or ungrateful.
Gratitude holds a high rank in Islam:
· Allaah parallels it with His mention. He Says ( what means): "So
remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do notdeny
Me". [Quran 2: 152]
· Allaah parallels it with belief. He Says ( what means): "What would
Allaah do with [i.e., gain from] your punishment ifyou are grateful
and believe?..." [Quran 4: 147] Meaning, if you fulfil the rights due
to Allaah and the reason for which He has created you by gratitude and
belief, He will not punish you.
· Those who practice gratitude to Allaah are those who are chosen to
be granted His favors. He Says (what means): "And thus We have tried
some of them through others that they [i.e., the disbelievers] might
say, 'Is it these whom Allaah has favored among us?' Isnot Allaah most
knowing of those who are grateful?" [Quran 6: 53]
· Allaah has classified people into being either grateful or
ungrateful; the worst matter in the scale of Allaah is ingratitude
whilst the dearest things to Him are gratitude and the grateful.
Allaah Says ( what means): "Indeed, We guided him [i.e., man] to the
way, be he grateful or ungrateful" [Quran 76: 3]
· Allaah tests His slaves in order to see who will practice gratitude
and who will not. Allaah informs us about what Prophet Sulaymaan said
when He Says ( what means): "…This is from the favor of my Lord to
test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful. And whoever is
grateful –his gratitude is only for [the benefit of] himself. And
whoever is ungrateful – then indeed my Lord is Free of need and
Generous." [Quran 27: 40]
· Allaah promises increased favors for those who are grateful. He Says
( what means): "And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are
grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny,
indeed My punishment is severe.'" [Quran 14: 7]
· Allaah loves gratitude and the deeds of the grateful. He Says (what
means): "If you disbelieve– indeed, Allaah is Free from need of you.
And Hedoes not approve for His servants disbelief. And if you are
grateful, He approves [i.e., likes] it foryou…" ] Quran 39: 7 ] The
grateful people mentioned in the verse are those who remain steadfast
upon belief during trials and who do not retreat or recant on their
belief. Some people verbally thank Allaah during times of ease, but
during trials they give uptheir faith. The truly grateful are those
who express the true condition of their hearts during trials by
remaining steadfast and continuing to thank Allaah by their tongues,
hearts and limbs. Additionally, this verse clarifies that the
pleasureof Allaah is achieved by being grateful to Him.
· Allaah did not make the reward for the grateful subject to any
condition, as He did for other acts ofworship, which He conditioned to
His will; rather, Allaah immediately mentions their reward; He Says (
what means): "…And Allaah will reward the grateful." [Quran 3: 144]
and also (what means): "…And We will reward the grateful." [Quran 3:
145]
· Allaah informs us that one of Satan's primary objectives is to
prevent humans from being grateful; He Says ( what means): "[Satan
said] 'Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them
and on their right and on their left, and You [i.e., Allaah] will not
find most of them grateful [to You]." [Quran 7: 17]
· Allaah describes His grateful slaves to be few in number; He Says (
whatmeans): "…And few of My servants are grateful." [Quran 34: 13] The
reasonbeing that many people enjoy blessings and bounties from Allaah,
butfail to practice gratitude to Allaah.
· Allaah praised the first prophet sent to man on earth, Prophet Nooh
due to him being grateful. Allaah Says ( what means): "O descendants
of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah. Indeed, he was a grateful
servant." [Quran 17: 3] This is as an indication that we shouldimitate
him .
· Gratitude is the first instruction given to man as soon as he begins
to comprehend. Allaah Says ( what means): "And We have enjoined upon
man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him, [increasing her]
in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be
grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the[final] destination."
[Quran 31: 14]
· Allaah specified it as oneof the main qualities of a person who sets
himself as a good example for others to follow. He says regarding
prophet Ibraaheem ) what means): "Indeed, Ibraaheem was a
[comprehensive] leader, devoutly obedient to Allaah, inclining toward
truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allaah. [He
was] grateful for His favors. He [i.e., Allaah] chose him and guided
him to a straight path." [Quran 16: 120-121]
Therefore, gratitude is one of the objectives thatman is commanded to
accomplish.
Imaam ibn Al-Qayyim mentioned that gratitude is one of the ranks of
belief, which canbe extracted from the fifth verse of Soorah
Al-Faatihah, (what means): "It is You we worship and You we ask for
help." Then he mentioned the following additional points regarding
gratitude:
· It is one of the highest ranks of belief.
· It is higher than the rank of contentment; andnobody can be content
without being grateful.
· Allaah praises the grateful.
· Allaah promises the grateful the best of rewards.
· Allaah makes gratitude areason for attaining more of His bounties.
· It is a means to preserve the favors of Allaah upon a person.
· It is one of the main objectives that a slave must accomplish.
· It is extracted from Ash-Skakoor, which is one of the Names of
Allaah, and which impliesgratitude.
· Those who are grateful are very few in number.
· Gratitude results in morefavors from Allaah.
Gratitude is having ones heart devoted to loving the One bestowing the
favors, having the limbs continuously obedient to Him and having the
tongue repeatedly mentioning Him, praisingHim and glorifying Him.
Gratitude entails the following three things:
1. One should realise the favors bestowed upon him and have it present
in his mind constantly, because this leads him to remember the
Bestower of favors and therefore being grateful to and loving Allaah,
who is of course the Bestower of favors. This would therefore make one
exertmore effort in worshipping Allaah.
2. One should receive favors with humility and express his need to
Allaah, the Bestower of favors, and mention that he is unworthy of the
favors bestowed upon him, and that it is only due to the Grace and
Kindness of Allaah that such favors were bestowed.
3. One should praise Allaah, the Bestower of favors, and this is done
intwo ways:
1) Generally: To describe Allaah as being generous and kind.
2) Specifically: To mention His favors upon one.
There are two points regarding the issue of mentioning and talking
about favors from Allaah:
1) To mention all that Allaah Has bestowed upon one.
2) To utilise these favors in His obedience.
People fall into three categories with regards to the favors from Allaah:
1. Those who are gratefuland praise Allaah for bestowing them upon them.
2. Those who are ungrateful and do not mention them.
3. Those who express thatthey are worthy of them, when in fact they
certainly are not.
An-Nu'maan ibn Al-Basheer said: "He who does not thank Allaah for
small favors will not thank Him for great ones; and he who does not
express gratitude to people (for doing him favors) will not express
gratitude towards Allaah. Appreciating and mentioning the favor
bestowed upon one fromAllaah is gratitude, and not doing so expresses
ingratitude." [Ahmad]
This should be done in front of people and between a person and
himself (i.e., to himself) but if people are of the envious type, then
one should conceal such favors, and he would not be ungrateful in this
case, because he is simplyconcealing them in an attempt to prevent an
evil from befalling him, such as an evil eye or an evil plot from the
envious, and it must be known that to prevent harm from afflicting man
is an objective set forth by the Islamic Sharee'ah.
There is no way one can do anything to repay the favors bestowed upon
him by Allaah, except thathe should continue to praise and thank
Allaah for having bestowed them upon him, as well as utilising these
favors for the pleasure of Allaah.
What is our duty towardsAllaah with regards to the favors He bestows upon us?
· Being submissive to Allaah.
· Loving Allaah.
· Acknowledging that He is the Bestower of all favors.
· Praising Him.
· Utilising these favors in a way that pleases Him.
Does the way of expressing gratitude towards Allaah differ, justlike
the favors themselvesdiffer?
Yes; gratitude can be expressed by the heart, the tongue and the limbs.
Expressing gratitude by the heart :This is by knowing that Allaah is
the Bestower of these favors, and this is something that is very
important when cultivating children, so that they know where favors
come from, as Allaah Says (what means): "O Mankind, remember the favor
of Allaah upon you. Is there any creator other than Allaah who
provides for you from theheaven and the earth? There is no deity
except Him, so how are you deluded?" ] Quran 35: 3]

Dought & clear,- Ruling on making phone apps for some educational projects andselling them.

Is it permissible to make phone apps to sell Islamic information? For
example, the iPhone mobile phone has a number of apps that are sold
via the Apple company, such as the electronic Mushaf, Saheeh
al-Bukhaari, Saheeh Muslim, and so on. I would like to make apps like
these, that dealwith the Qur'an and Prophet's hadeeths, for the iPhone
and iPad, and upload them to the App Store as unique apps.
Praise be to Allah.
Striving to spread knowledge and the Qur'an is a great good deed, and
making use ofmodern technology to do that is one of the bestand
greatest good deeds, if a person does itseeking to please Allah,
especially nowadays when followers of whims and desires and the people
of kufr, hypocrisy and division are hastening to spread evil,
immorality, shirk and kufr, and everythingthat angers Allah, may He be
exalted, via electronic means by using the highest levels of modern
technology that mankind has attained.

Dought & clear,- They committed zina and got married before they repented; do they have to do a new marriage contract?.

A young Muslim man got married three years ago to a girl who only
embraced Islam a week before the wedding, andnow they have a child and
she is six months pregnant with their second child. But before they
got married they were in a haraam relationship and they committed
immoral actions several times. Now it seems to them, after reading a
fatwa, that their marriage is invalid and that it must be annulled as
they did not repent before marriage. In fact they only repented after
marriage.
What should they do now? Do they have to annul their marriage now and
then repeat it without any need for 'iddah? Does this mean that their
children are the result of haraam andimmoral actions (are they
illegitimate)? Do they come under the ruling on zaanis (fornicators)
for the duration of their marriage? Is annulment a straightforward
procedure, or is it a lengthy process like talaaq (divorce)? Can they
be excused becauseof their ignorance? All they want to do is live a
clean married life that is pleasing to Allah, may Hebe blessed and
exalted. Please note that the girl got her period once before they got
married and the young man did not have intercourse with her after that
until after they got married; that is, he wanted to make sure that she
was not pregnant before marriage. Allah knows that they did not know
that repentance is stipulated as a conditionof marriage being valid,
otherwise they would not have hesitated to repent straightaway at that
time. What about the children, do they notdeserve some consideration
in this situation? Can they stay together for the sake of the children
only, without any sexual intimacy? I tried to find out about the
matter as much as I could so that all aspects of it would beclear,
because they found two contradictingopinions that only increased their
confusion, and they do not know which way to proceed. They do not want
to live in haraam and they hope that you can explain with detailed
evidence.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
It is not permissible for the zaani (fornicator or adulterer) to marry
the zaaniyah (fornicatress oradulteress) except after repenting
because Allah,may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"The adulterer marries not but an adulteress or a Mushrikah and the
adulteress none marries her except an adulterer or a Muskrik. Such a
thing is forbidden to thebelievers (of Islamic Monotheism)"
[an-Noor 24:3].
Repentance is achieved by regretting (what one has done) and resolving
not to go back to the sin.This may have happenedin the case asked
about here, hence they gave up zina and wanted to live a clean life
that is pleasing to Allah, as you say, and they wanted to be on the
safe side by making sure that she was not pregnant as a result of
something haraam.
The fuqaha' differed concerning the validity of a marriage between two
who committed zina, if the marriage wasdone before they repented. The
majority are of the view that it is valid, but the Hanbalis are of the
view that it is not valid, and this is the more correct view. See
question no. 85335
What is required in that case is to repeat the marriage contract. The
matter does not require a talaaq (divorce); ratherit is a repeat of
the marriage contract, in which the woman's wali (guardian) may be her
Muslim father, brother or any other male relative on the father's
side, so long as he is Muslim. If she has no male Muslim relatives,
then the imam of the Islamic Centre may act asher guardian for the
purpose of marriage, in the presence of two Muslim witnesses.
It is not essential to tell the one who does the marriage contract of
the details of the situation; itis possible to use double entendres
and to say that they want to repeat the marriage contract because of
some uncertainty about its validity, because they got married without
a wali, or for some other appropriate reason, or because it was done
in another city or country, and so on, because the Muslim is enjoined
to conceal his faults and mistakes.
Secondly:
The children who were born under the previous marriage contract should
be attributed to the husband, because they were born in a marriage
that both spouses believed to be valid.
And Allah knows best.

Marrying a young girl does not mean..

Question
Al Salam alekum, I was in debate in Islam and therewas question
regarding the answer to the following translation of the Quran from
Al_Tabari Al-Tabari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The
interpretation of the verse "And those of your women as have passed
the age of monthly courses, for them the 'Iddah (prescribed period),
if you have doubt (about their periods), is three months;and for those
who have no courses [(i.e. they are still immature) their 'Iddah
(prescribed period) is three months likewise". He said: The same
applies to the 'idaah for girls who do not menstruate because they are
too young, if their husbands divorce them after consummating the
marriage with them. thatthe last comment (He said: The same applies to
the 'idaah for girls who do not menstruate because they are too young,
if their husbands divorce them after consummating the marriage with
them. ") they conclude the meaning in having `Iddah after having
intercourse with minor girl who did not reach the age of puberty. by
highlighting the words (consummating the marriage) can you explain it
please. thanks.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad
, is His Slave and Messenger.
Giving a young girl in marriage is something permitted in Islam. We
have previously pointed that out in Fataawa 88199 and 116746 .
Praisebe to Allaah, there is no ambiguity in the opinion that Imaam
At-Tabari mentioned. That is because if the young girl is not able for
intercourse, then it is not permissible for her guardian to give her
to her husband until she becomes able for it. If herhusband divorces
her before consummating marriage with her, then there is no 'Iddah
(i.e. waiting period) and thus she is not included in that verse;
rather, she is included in the saying of Allaah The Almighty (which
means): { O You who have believed, when you marry believing women and
then divorce them beforeyou have touched them, then there is not for
you any waiting period to count concerning them. So provide for them
and give them a gracious release. }[Quran 33:49]
However, if she is able for intercourse and her husband asks for her,
and she was given to him, and he had intercourse with her and then
divorced her, then 'Iddah will be obligatory upon her.
Allaah Knows best.

How to gain self-confidence

Self-confidence is the way to success in life, whereas, falling down
under the pressure of negativity, hesitation, worryand uncertainty
about one's abilities, is the beginning of failure. Much potential was
wasted and lost because their owners did not realize the value of the
abilities that Allaah The Exalted had bestowed on them. Had they
properly utilized them, they would have achieved many things. Here are
some steps one can take to discard many of the negative ideas and
feelings in life,whether they are in thoughts, behavior, morals,
habits or words. These steps would help one relieve himself of such
thoughts and feelings, free himself of their effect and receivelife
with more self-confidence and shining hopes. These steps are:
1- With neither partiality nor exaggeration, determine the most
important negative thoughts and characteristics in your life.
2- Think of every thought or characteristic separately.
3- Try to think about every thought or characteristic in a logical and
analytical way that leads you to know its causes and its true nature.
You must know whether it is indeed a reality or a mere illusion and
fantasy.
4- If it is a mere illusion, you should free yourself from it;
otherwise, you should try to discard its causes and minimize itas much
as possible. Moreover, you should know that the more deeply-rooted the
characteristic is, the more effort and time required for it to be
discarded.
5- In moments of serenity that are free from distractions and worries,
try to connect your mindand thoughts with an important positive
situation in a focused manner. Recall all the details of that
situation with voice, image, feelings, and all the surrounding
atmosphere. When you reach the peak of mental activity, psychological
relief and cheerfulness of the heart and youfeel that you are far away
from reality, try to say 'Allaahu Akbar ' (Allaah is the Greatest),
'Subhaan Allaah' (Glory be to Allaah), and Laa ilaaha illa Allaah
(There is no god but Allaah) along with making a particular motion
with your finger. This situation, for example, could be the news of
your success, your wedding day, a night that you spent in worshipping
Allaah The Almighty,hearing good news concerning the Muslims or the
first day whenyou saw one of the two Holy Mosques.
6- Repeat this many times until this positive situation with all its
feelings as well as its psychological and emotional consequences is
automatically connected with this signal. You should try this until
you reach thestate that when you make this signal, you will
automatically findyourself transferred to this positive psychological
state, even if you did not remember the material situation that caused
it.
7- When any negative feelings or thoughts occurs to you in any
situation, you should close your eyes for a while and discard
thesethoughts. Then try to imagine that there is a notice board before
you with the word "STOP" written on it. Contemplate this word for a
while and look at it repeatedly as if you can not see anything else.
8- Go beyond this word with youreyes and try to imagine that there are
flourishing gardens, floating rivers, singing birds and a gentle
breeze behind it. Keeping your eyes closed; try to enjoy all this for
a while.
First and foremost, however, one must resort to Allaah The Almighty
because it is He who makes one laugh and weep. Hence, you have to
repent and ask for the forgiveness of Allaah The Almighty and
constantly remember Him to revive your heart.

Food & Nourishment,- It is not permissible to eat foods that are prepared by the kuffaar for their festivals.

Is it permissible for a Muslim to eat the foods that the people of the
Book or the mushrikoon prepare for their festivals or accept such
foods if they are given on the occasion of their festivals?.
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible for the Muslim to eat foods that the Jews,
Christians and mushrikoon make for their festivals. It is not
permissible either for a Muslim to accept such things that are given
to them on the occasion of their festivals, because that implies
honouring them and cooperating with them in manifesting their symbols
and propagating their innovations and sharing their happiness on the
days of their festivals. That may also lead to taking their festivals
as festivals for us too, or to exchanging invitations to meals or to
give gifts on one another's festivals at the very least.This is a kind
of deviation and innovation in religion. It was proven that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
introduces anything into this matterof ours that is not part ofit,
will have it rejected." And it is not permissible to give them
anything on the occasion of their festivals.
Al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 22/398.

Food & Nourishment,- Ruling on using foods which contain pork-derived substances and how to deal with them.

"The mentioned above numbers according to Muslim scientists are
substances that have been transformed into totally different
substances. They cannot have their original attributes and thus they
cannot be named according to the originalsubstance they are madeof.
This chemical or natural transformation made the substance into
another one. It is permissible then to eat products containing those
substances after it loses its original attributes. The Muslim scholars
know that transformation cancels prohibition. An example of this was
given by the known scholar imam ibntaymiyah :" if a pig or a dog falls
into a saltcellar and transformed under the effect of salt until it
loses its original attributes, it is permissible to use this salt"
this is a known rule to the early Muslim scholars. They used
transformation as a way to make some impermissible things permissible.
What is haram is to use products that contain pork fat or meat, as fat
does not normally change by heating or boiling. So if it is written on
the coverof the product that it contains pork fat or animals fat, this
makes the particular product impermissible to eat, and it is haram to
eat it for the mentioned reason"
Do I have to search on the covers of all productsI buy? And how can we
know the haram substances? If these numbers are not prohibited, then
what is their purpose? A common person does not understand some of
these numbers, and some products may contain these substancesbut they
will not be written on the cover.
Is it correct that if the mentioned substances exist in a product but
in small proportion, it becomes halal? And what if we do not know the
exact proportion?
What is your opinion regarding who says that some firms feed turkeys
with pork products?
Will I be sinful if I eat a product that I found it contains one of a
substance that maybe extracted from pork? Will I be sinful if I eat a
product and after eatingit discover that it contains one of the
mentioned numbers referring that it maybe extracted from pork?
I apologise for this long question. May Allah reward you greatly!.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
One of the things that distinguishes the Muslim from others is that he
pays attention to the shar'i rulings that have to do with his life.
That includes his earnings, hisfood, his drink. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated the importance of halaal food
to the Muslim in this world and the Hereafter. He stated that eating
haraam food is a cause of du'aa's not being answered and with regard
to the Hereafter, there is a stern warning to the onewho nourishes his
body with haraam things.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Every
body that is nourished with haraam things, the Fire is more befitting
for it." Narrated by al-Tabaraani; classed as saheeh by Shaykh
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami' (4519).
The Muslim should beware of eating that which is it not permissible
for him to eat, and he should seek out halaal food, even if it is more
expensive thanother food, and even if obtaining it involves more
effort.
Secondly:
The pig is haraam and najis (impure); it is haraam to eat its meat or
fat, and it is not permissible to eat a littleof it or part of it. If
some parts of its meat or fat is found in bread, food or medicine, it
is haraam toconsume it at all.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas said:
If the Muslim is certain or thinks it most like thatany pork, lard
(pig fat), or ground up pig bones has gotten into his food, medicine,
toothpaste and so on, then it is not permissible for him to eat it or
drink it, or apply it to his skin. Whatever he is uncertainabout, he
should abstainfrom it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Leave that which makes you doubt for that
which does not make you doubt." End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh 'Abd al-Razzaaq 'Afeefi, Shaykh
'Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh 'Abd0Allaah ibn Qa'ood.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (22/281).
Thirdly:
Does the Muslim have to ask and find out before eating any ingredients
ifhe is uncertain about whether there is anything haraam in them?
The scholars of the Standing Committee said: If he is uncertain about
something, he should leave it. Elsewhere (22/285) they said: He should
ask for details because it is obligatory to beware of eating haraam
things.
This is what must be done if the country where those foods and drinks
were manufactured is one where factories are not banned from using
pork derivatives. Those people use a lot of pork by-products such as
lard (pig fat) which they use in many kinds of food, drink, medicines,
pastes and so on.
If the country of manufacture is a Muslim country which bans the use
of pork and its by-products, then the Muslim does not have to research
and enquire and ask about product that is permissible in andof itself,
as it is unlikely that there will be any of these haraam things in it.
Depending on the country where the food is produced or manufactured,
the scholars will say whetherone should enquire or not. Part of
enquiring is asking scientists and experts about the chemical
composition and organic materials. It also includes reading thelists
of ingredients on foods. This is sufficient to make sure, even if it
comes from a kaafir country, because such lists are paid proper
attention to for fear of the laws and penalties. They are slaves to
moneyand do not indulge in lying – in most cases. What is written on
them of symbols and names ofingredients that are not understood should
also be asked about by the one who is able to do that. Knowledge is
available nowadays via many means. The one who trusts them regarding
this matter and trusts what they write can read the list of
ingredients, otherwise he has to enquire further, or avoid it
altogether, which is safer for him.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked:
Is it essential to read the list of ingredients written on food, to
make sure that there areno pork or alcohol related products?
They relied:
Yes, that is essential. End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh 'Abd al-Razzaaq 'Afeefi.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (22/285)
Fourthly:
Everything mentioned above applies whether there is a little pork or
lard or there is a lot in food, drink or medicine. If that meat or fat
is manufactured in a manner that changes its form, is the prohibition
lifted or does it remain haraam and must be avoided?
The scholars differed concerning that. The scholars of the Standing
Committee for Issuing Fatwas are of the view that the prohibition is
not lifted, and the rulingdoes not change at all. Others – such as the
Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences – disagreed and said that
najis, haraam substancesbecome permissible if they are turned into
something else, and the quality of impurity and the name no longer
apply to them. This is in accordance with what Ibn al-Qayyim (may
Allaah have mercy on him) thought most likely to be correct and what
we think is most likely tobe correct. We have quoted both opinions in
the answer to question no. 97541 .
We should add here thatthis is also the view regarded as more correct
by the Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In
their book al-Buhooth al-'Ilmiyyah (3/467), they said:
Similar to that is the purity of that which has been fertilized of
trees and crops with impure things; their fruits are permissible
because of the transformation of the impure substance. Another similar
case is the purity of alcohol which turns into vinegar; it is
permissible to consume it, sell it, drink it and use it in other ways,
after it had been alcohol which it is haraam to drink, sell or buy,
and that is because of this transformation. End quote.
Fifthly:
If a person eats some haraam food and does not know anything about it,
he should avoidthe rest (as soon as he finds out that it is haraam);
he does not have to do anything about what happened inthe past, but he
should be careful in the future.
The scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked:
A man ate pork without realizing, then another man came to him after
he had finished eating and told him that it was pork, and as we know,
pork is haraam for Muslims. What should he do?
They replied:
He does not have to do anything about that, andthere is no sin on him,
because he did not know that it was pork. But he has to be careful and
be cautious in the future. End quote.
Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh 'Abd al-Razzaaq 'Afeefi, Shaykh
'Abd-Allaah ibn Qa'ood.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (22/282, 283)
And Allaah knows best.

Food & Nourishment,- Ruling on eating snails; isit permissible to cook them alive?.

What is the ruling on eating snails? Bear in mind that preparing
snails dish requires cooking them alive! Were snails used as food
during the era of prophet Muhammad peace be upon him?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Snails are of two types, land snails and sea snails. Land snails come
under the same heading as "insects and vermin" which have no blood
that flows. Sea snails come under the headingof shellfish, which are
sea animals.
In al-Mawsoo'ah al-'Arabiyyah al-'Aalamiyyah it says:
The snail is a invertebrate sea animal, and it is a kind of shellfish.
Most snails have an external shell; some snails have a small flat
shell above or under the skin, but most do nothave a shell at all.
Land snails have a pair of antennae, with an eyeat the end of the
longer antenna. The large sand snail is regarded as a harmful pest,
because it has a voracious appetite for plants. Its length reaches 10
cm. End quote.
Secondly:
With regard to the ruling on eating snails:
1. Land snails come under the ruling on eating "insects". The
majority of scholars are of the view that it is haraam. Al-Nawawi
(mayAllaah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo' (9/16): The view of
the scholars concerning landinsects ... our view is thatit is haraam.
This was the view of Abu Haneefah, Ahmad and Dawood. Maalik said: it
is halaal. End quote.
Ibn Hazm (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It is not permissible to eat land snails or any other "insects and
vermin", such as geckos, cockroaches, ants, bees, flies, wasps, worms,
lice, fleas, bedbugs, mosquitoes or anything else of that type,
because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Forbidden toyou
(for food) are: Al-Maitah (the dead animals)" and "unless you are able
to slaughterit (before its death)" [al-Maa'idah 5:3]. And there is
sound proof thatslaughter can only be done in the neck or upper chest,
so if it is notpossible to slaughter it, then there is no way onecan
eat it unless it is dead i.e., not slaughtered properly, so it is
haraam. End quote.
Al-Muhalla (6/76, 77).
The Maalikis did not stipulate that a creature which has no flowing
blood should be slaughtered, rather they included it under the same
ruling as locusts, and its slaughter is by boiling, roasting, or
piercing it with a stick orneedle until it is dead, whilst saying the
name of Allaah over it.
In al-Mudawwanah (1/542) it says:
Maalik was asked about something in the Maghreb (North Africa) which
is called a snail, that is found in the desert on the trees - can it
be eaten? He said: I think it is like the locust. If it is taken alive
and boiled or roasted, I do not think there is anything wrong with
eating it, but if it is found dead, it should not be eaten. End quote.
In al-Muntaqa Sharh al-Muwatta' (3/110) by Abu'l-Waleed al-Baaji (may
Allaah have mercy on him) it says:
If that is proven, then the ruling on snails is thesame as the ruling
on locusts. Maalik said its slaughtering is by boiling or being
pierced with a stick or needle until it dies, and the name of Allaah
should be mentioned whilst doing so, as it is mentioned when
cuttingoff the heads of locusts. End quote.
2. Sea snails are halaal,because of the general permission with
regard to eating seafood. Allaahsays (interpretation of the meaning):
"Lawful to you is (the pursuit of) water game and its use for food --
for the benefit of yourselves and those who travel"
[al-Maa'idah 5:96]
al-Bukhaari narrated that 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: "Water game means what is hunted, and its food is what
the sea throws out (onto theshore)."
al-Bukhaari narrated from Shurayh, the companion of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that he said: "Everything in the
sea is madhbooh (slaughtered)."
But we have not seen any hadeeth which suggests that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ate snails.
To sum up:
The permissibly of eating snails applies to both types, both land and
sea snails. If they arecooked alive there is nothing wrong with that,
because land snails have no blood so that it might be said that they
must be slaughtered properly and the blood extracted, and sea snails
come under the general permissibility of sea game and food.
And Allaah knows best

What would you do in the following case?

During a battle in the way of Allah (swt), sayyedina Ali, found
himself face to face with a kafir who attacked him violently. They
were both brave and powerful men, but the kafir was no match for
sayyedina Ali, who soon was sitting astride his chest, ready to finish
him off.
"I invite you to bear witness that there is no god except Allah, and
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah," saidAli. "Accept Islam, and your
life will be spared."
"Never!" panted the kafir.
Sayyidina Ali lifted his sword and was just about to plunge it into
his enemy, when the kafir spat defiantly in hisface.
Much to the kafir's surprise, sayyidina Ali immediately jumped away
from his enemy and lowered his sword.
"Go away!" said sayyidina Ali, "I cannot kill you now."
"Why did you do that?" asked the kafir. "You could have killed me easily."
"I was fighting you purely in the way of Allah," replied Ali, "but
when you spat in my face, your insult made me angry and if I had
killed you in anger, it would have taken me to the Hell Fire - so I
had nochoice but to let you go. To kill someone in angeror out of
desire for revenge is not bravery, but the act of a coward."
On hearing this, the kafirwas so impressed by sayyidina Ali's
sincerity and self-control that he embraced Islam on the spot: "I bear
witness thatthere is no god but Allah," he said, "and I bear witness
that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"
May Allah give us sincerity and clean our hearts.

Agony of a piece of wood

A beautiful tradition reported by Al Hasan Al Basri on the authority
of Anas Ibn Malek is the following. He said: The Messenger of Allah
peacebe upon him used to give the Friday sermon while standing near a
piece of wood against which he would lean his back. When the number of
people increased in the mosque he said: Make a pulpit of two steps for
me, which they did. When the Prophet stood up to give the sermon on
Friday the said piece of wood moaned as if it expressed its sad
feeling of missing the Messenger of Allah peacebe upon him. Anas
comments: I was in the mosque and heard the piece moan. It continuedto
moan until the Prophet descended to it and embraced it. Then it was
silent. As a matter offact, whenever Al Hasan narrated this tradition
he would cry and say: O slaves of Allah! A piece ofwood misses the
Messenger of Allah! It is you who should do so.

* Allah (God) breathed his spirit into man

* After trying to resolve the issue of how red is perceived inside the
brain, how the sound of pleasant music is interpreted differently from
chewing a steak and why even the most detailed MRI provides noevidence
regarding the interpretation mechanism involved, Jeffrey M. Schwartz,
a neuroscientist and research professor of psychiatry at the UCLA
School of Medicine, goeson to ask the following important question:
...why would studying brain mechanisms, even down to the molecular
level, ever provide an answer to those questions?
The answer is this: Because the answer to the interpreting mechanism
is not in the brain at all. It is impossible to come by the answers to
questionsregarding this mechanism by studying human cells, examining
neurons or performing research at the molecular level. That is because
what causes a person to perceive the outside world is not inside the
human body. It is something outside the brain, neurons, cells or
electric signals. It is the soul bestowed on us by Almighty Allah.
Reveals Allah in one verse:
… then [He] formed him and breathed His Spirit into him and gave you
hearing, sight and hearts. What little thanksyou show! (Surat
as-Sajda, 9)
People who fail to understand that it is the soul that perceives, and
that it is independent of matter, are making a very important mistake:
They face the possibility that the images they see exist on a screen
in their brains. Yet when we consider that there is a screen in our
brains on which the outside world exists, we also have no choice but
to admit the existence of a little man watching that screen. And there
must be another little man watching the screen in the brain of the
first, and so on. But there is no screen and no other little man
watching the events on it in the brain. The human brain is pitchblack
and silent. There is nothing there but neurons made up of proteins and
electric signals moving very swiftly back and forth. It is impossible
for those electric signals to see a flower, smell it, touch it,
delight in it, see a ship sailing in the distance orenjoy the taste of
a strawberry--all in a pieceof flesh. It is impossible for them to
experience aprolonged period of enjoyment of an orchestral symphony.
It is obviously not electrical signals that produce such a lively,
bustling, brightly colored, vivid, three-dimensional and perfectly
sharp world. And there is also no doubt that it is not electric
signals that cause one to rejoice or grieve, to feel excitement or
concern, to remember and feel happy, or to miss someone and satisfy
thatlonging. Even if the world's most renowned professors were to work
together, as Jeffrey M. Schwartz says, they still would not find this
perception mechanism anywhere in the brain.
The self-conscious entity that says "I see" the images and "I hear"
the sounds in the brain is the soul given to man byAllah. This is the
reality that the materialist mindset is most unwilling of all to see
revealed. The soul sees without the need for eyes, touches without the
need for hands, hears without the need for ears, smells without the
need for a nose and tastes without the need for a mouth. The soul is
the only answer to the question of "who does the perceiving?" which
scientists have been trying to resolve for years. Allah constantly
shows images to the human soul and, day and night, whether in this
world or in dreams, creates a whole world for them. Everything in that
world has a perfect and flawless appearance. So much so that it is
very difficult forus to realize that the sharp image and sensation of
depth in front of us consists merely of an illusion andhas no
connection with the real outside world. This is the flawless,
matchless, glorious workof our Almighty Lord, Who has the power to
create infinite worlds in an area just a few centimeters in size
whenever He chooses.
He is Allah – the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong
the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and Earth
glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surat al-Hashr, 24)
A flawless image forms in our brains because Allah so wills. There are
smells there because He so wills and we listen to and enjoy immaculate
music because He so wishes. We also feel and recognize things by
touching them because Allah so wills. The food we eat has flavor
because that is what Allah wills. A whole world emerges in the human
mind from nothing at Allah's command. Our Lord creates a world from
nothing in a person's mind that belongs to that person alone, that
only he can see and recognize. This world is not the outside world. It
is impossible to have direct contact with the world outside. It is
impossible, unless Allah so wills, for anyone to have direct
experience of a world created for someone else. One can only live in
and watch a world created for oneself alone by Allah. It is impossible
to step outside it. In another verse, Allah reveals:
They will ask you about the Spirit. Say: "The Spirit is one of the
commands of my Lord. You have only been given a little knowledge."
(Surat al-Isra', 85)

Uyghur's and Chinese can live together in peace in east Turkestan

The efforts being made today to stir up ethnic conflict in East
Turkestanare extremely dangerous. Our Muslim brothers in East
Turkestan have been subjected to various difficulties for the last
60years or so, but have never turned to violenceand conflict. The
Uyghur Turks are a noble people, known for their good manners,
honesty, fortitude, reconciliatory natures, obedience to the state,
loyalty and devotion. These fine people possess excellent virtues,
such as forgiveness, loving peace, lovableness, respect for different
ideas and beliefs and judging people according to their moral values
rather than their race. There has therefore never been any conflict
based on ethnicity with the other peoples living in the region,
especially the Han Chinese, and neitherwill there be any in the
future. The Uyghur Turkswant a climate in which everyone can live
together in peace and security, respecting the right to life of
everyone in East Turkestan, no matter what their religion or ethnic
origin.Some of the main ways in which this can be brought about are as
follows:
1. It is obvious that the Uyghur Turks favor peace and security. But
peace in the region can only be ensured if the security of our Uyghur
brothers is guaranteed. The international community has important
responsibilities in that respect. The support of international
societies and organizations is essential if it is to be possible for
our Uyghur Turk and Chinese brothers are to be able to live in peace.
Democratic pressure from these organizations, especiallythe UN, on the
Chinese government, will ensure that the administration follows a line
that is more peaceable toward the problems and legitimate demands of
our Uyghur brothers andrespects their human rights. When the
necessary encouragement and direction is provided, when the
international community acts as a guarantor, it will be easier to
establish peace in the region.
2. It is natural for China to be keen to protect its national and
economic interests. But this cannotbe established through oppression
and aggression. The path that will make China prosperous and
strengthen its economic and social regeneration lies in a conception
that respects human rights, isdemocratic and loving, and that defends
freedom of ideas and belief. The only solution that can calm Chinese
fears, such as lack of access to energy resources, economic losses,
loss of territory orfragmentation is the foundation of the
Turkish-Islamic Union. The Turkish-Islamic Union will establish an
environment in which borders are lifted, there is freedom of trade and
investment and in whichall communities have equal access to energy
resources. In this way, China will be able to spread its investments
over a wide area from Tanzania to Indonesia and sell its good across
awide territory, and Muslims will be able to invest in China on a
large scale. China will regenerate rapidly with the establishment of
the Turkish-Islamic Union, will be spared from having to use its
citizens as a cheap labor force and will enjoy abundance and plenty
all over.
3. Islam is a religion of peace. All forms of violence are sinful in
Islam. In the Qur'an, Allah commands Muslims to be forgiving. A
Muslimwho abides by the Qur'an and follows our Prophet (saas) has a
dutyto be peace-loving, affectionate, loving, compassionate, patient
and moderate. The moral values of the Qur'an oblige Muslims to control
their anger, to respond to evil with good, to always speak and behave
in a pleasantmanner, to forgive under even the most difficult
circumstances and to behave justly, even if that conflicts with their
own interests.The spread of and learning about Islamic moral values is
a great benefit for China. If the Chinese government is concerned
about the Han Chinese taking in action in terror attacks and wishes to
avoid anarchy and violence, then it must encourage the teaching and
dissemination of Islamic moral values. In a China inhabited by people
who live by the moral values of the Qur'an there will be no need
formilitary occupation and security measures. The unrest and unease
will come to a complete stop.The result will be a society made up of
individuals who trust and respect one another, treat one another with
understanding, are respectful of and loyal tothe state and who all
livein peace, that spends its money on the wealth of its own citizens
instead of military investment, without investing millions of dollars
in armaments and employing thousands of security personnel. And the
order and equilibrium sought by China will be establishednaturally.
4. Our Uyghur brothers' demands for humane conditions, to live freely
according to their religion, to be able to worship as they wish, to
protect their own culture and maintain their own existence are all
justified and human ones. The most effective way of bringing these
about is for the Uyghur people to make a cultural leap forward, to
improve themselves withan anti-materialist and anti-Darwinist
education, to increase their economic strength,and strengthen
themselves both materially and spiritually. The Turkic Uyghur people
must not forget that they are the most important representatives of
Muslims and Islam in China. They must act as models to the Chinese
people with their good manners, nobility, modesty, balance and
moderation. An Uyghur people who are culturally advanced and
materially stronger will clearly have wide opportunities to defend
their own rights and also to describe and spread the moral values of
Islam. By Allah's leave, the future of an Uyghur society that loves
Allah, protects its own nationalculture, is anti-Darwinist and
anti-materialist, whose members love one another, which perfectly
implements Qur'anic moral values and supports peace, love, tolerance
and compassion, will be a very bright and excellentone.
The time we are living inis a very holy one, in which Hazrat Mahdi
(as) will appear and in whichthe Prophet Jesus (as) will return to
Earth. The time has now come when war and conflict will come to an
end, when armament will come to an end, when people will love and
embrace one another as brothers, when they will trust one another and
when moral virtues will reign. This is the destiny of Allah. That
destiny willalso manifest itself in China, and this will be a time
when Chinese and Uyghurs live together in friendship, when they
allattain wealth, and whenthey build a bright civilization with joy
and enthusiasm.

Compassion in the Qur'an

All Muslims must embrace the moderate, gentle, compassionate, calm and
kind style Allah depicts in the Qur'an.
Radicalism means supporting sudden revolutionary destructive changes
in any sphere and applyinga strict uncompromising policy in order to
achieve them. Radicals are characterised by their desire for
revolutionary change and the stern, sometimesaggressive attitude they
adopt.
In this, as in every sphere of life, the guide for the Muslim is the
Qur'an. When we look atradicalism in the light of the Qur'an, we see
that ithas nothing to do with the way in which Allah commands the
believers to behave. When Allah describes a believer in the Qur'an,
He depicts him as a loving, soft-spoken person, shunning conflicts and
arguments, approachingeven the most hostile people with warmth
andfriendship.
Beautiful Examples from our Prophet (saas)
An example to guide us in this matter is the command given by Allah to
Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh and speakgently to him:
Go to Pharaoh; he has overstepped the bounds.But speak to him with
gentle words so that hopefully he will pay heed or show some
fear.(Surah Ta Ha, 43-44)
Pharaoh was one of the most cruel and rebellious unbelievers ofhis
time. He was a despot who denied Allah and worshipped idols; moreover,
he subjected believers (the Israelites of the time) to terrible
cruelties and murder. But Allah commanded His prophets to go to such
a hostile man and speak to him gently.
You will notice that the way shown by Allah wasthe way of friendly
dialogue, not the way ofconflict with sharp words, angry slogans and
agitated protests.
If we examine the Qur'an you will see that a warm, gentle and
compassionate disposition characterized all the prophets. Allah
describes Abraham as "tender-hearted and forbearing." (Surat at-Tawba,
114) and in another verse, the prophet Muhammad's moral principles are
described in this way:
It is a mercy from Allah that you were gentle with them. If you had
been rough or hard of heart, they would have scattered from around
you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them, and consult with
them about the matter. Then when you have reached a firm decision, put
your trust in Allah . Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.
(Sura Al'Imran, 159)
Compassion in Islam
An obvious characteristicof radicalism is its anger.This disposition
can be clearly seen in the speeches, writings and demonstrations of
radicals. However, angeris not an attribute of Muslims. When Allah
describes believers in the Qur'an, he describes," those who give in
times of both ease and hardship, those who control their rage and
pardon other people - Allah loves the good-doers" (Surah Al'Imran,
134)
Therefore, it is the duty of a Muslim only to explain the facts and to
invite people to accept them. Whether or not people accept the
invitation is completely up to their own conscience. Allah
revealsthis truth in the Qur'an when He says that there is no
compulsion in religion.
There is no compulsion where deen is concerned. Right guidance has
become clearly distinct from error...(Surat al-Baqara, 256)
Therefore, there is no coercion to make peoplebelieve and become
Muslims, or to make Muslims perform prayersand beware of sin. Thereis
only advice. Allah reveals in a few verses addressed to the Messenger
of Allah that Muslims are not oppressors:
We know best what theysay. You are not a dictator over them. So
remind, with the Qur'an, whoever fears My Threat. (Surah Qaf, 45)
Muslims are responsible only for explaining their religion, they apply
no pressure or coercion on anyone and are enjoined to speak gentlyto
even the most tyrannical deniers. Such persons cannot be radicals.
The Behind the Scenes ofRadicalism
There is no radicalism in the religion of Islam. Islam commands to be
moderate, temperate and compassionate and prohibits extremism. In one
verse Allah relates thus:
"Say: 'People of the Book! Do not go to extremes in your religion,
asserting other than the truth, and do not follow the whims and
desires of people who were misguided previously and have misguided
many others, and are far from the right way.' (Surat al-Maida, 77)
When the social phenomena depicted as "radicalism" are examined, it
will be seenthat they are actually a compilation of the methods and
statements formerly employed by communists.
Muslims must refrain from a harsh, angry, andchallenging approach, for
these are contrary to the Qur'an's method andessence. Instead,
Muslimsmust adopt the accepting, moderate, calm, and rational approach
described in the Qur'an. In other words, they must be rolemodels for
humanity and earn people's admiration for the morality of Islam and
themselves. Muslims should also make great progress and produce superb
works of science,culture, art, and aesthetics, as well as live Islam
in the best way, and thus represent it to the world. (Harun Yahya,
Justice and Compassion in the Qur'an )

Islam on dowry

The Real Gift
Islam has legislated the giving of the dower by the husband to the
wife in order to please the woman's heart and to honour her. It is
also meant to bring an end to what was done in the Days of Ignorance
wherein she was wronged, exploited, despised and robbed of her wealth.
The dower is a right exclusively for the wife. It is her possession
and none of her guardians or relatives may share any part of it. No
one has any power over her concerning how she wishes to dispose of it,
as long as she does so in a legally acceptable manner. She may give it
away as a gift, she may lend it to others or she may give it in
charity or do any other permissible acts she wishes with it.
T he dower was instituted because the goal of marriage is not the
actual act of the marriagecontract in itself. In fact, the actual
purpose of marriage cannot be achieved unless the spouses stay in a
state of marriage. However, that may not be achieved unless the dower
is an obligation at the time of the marriage contract itself. In this
case, when there come times that may lead the man to divorce his wife,
such as estrangement orcoarse behaviour, the husband would not be
willing to divorce his wife due to just the slightest act of rudeness
that occurs. If it were not for the dower that was required due to the
contract itself, it would be very easy for him to leave her.
Therefore, the goals of marriage would not be met as the goals and
benefits of marriage are only met when the two are in accord and
agreement with one anotherbut that accord will not come about unless
the woman is something honoured and special to the husband. But such
honour will not come about unless he had to give up something
important to him. This is becausewhat is most difficult to achieve is
most special to the person. Therefore, if the wife is not something
special in the eyes of the husband, then he will disposeof her at the
first sign of unhappiness, the accord will not occur and the purposes
of marriage will not be achieved.
What we see happening in some European countries, and indeed some
Muslim countries, is very strange indeed. This is where the woman is
required to furnish a dowry or provide the furniture for their future
house. This is definitely turning the natural order of things upside
down and goes against the nature of mankind. It leads to a great deal
of social ills and behavioural harm. It is a means by which the woman
is despised and belittled. Indeed, she is ruined because of it. If the
woman is not able to gather enough wealth together for marriage, she
will not be able to get married and, instead, will have boyfriends and
affairs, and other evil results.
Such a practice contains a great deal of evil and harm for the
society; this practice may even bring about society's end soon. There
is a great difference between the case where the woman feels that she
and what she possesses belong to her husband and where she feels that
she is something desired and honoured, as the fiancé spends money on
her and gives her presents and so on to get heras his wife.
One regrettable aspect of dowry-giving in recent times is that it is
becoming more and more a matter of ostentation. Nothing could be more
un-Islamic in motivation than this. Even the practice of performing a
marriage quietly, without any flamboyant display of wealth,
butsubsequently giving a lavish dowry to enable the bride to set up
her home is contrary to Islamic practice. It was certainly not the
Sunnah of the Prophet . Faatimah was his favourite daughter, but he
neither gave her a lavish dowry nor did he send things to her home
after the wedding, and even when she made a request to him for
something of a material nature, he only gave her the benefit of his
counsel.
Mahr (The Dower)
Islam has successfully maintainedan even balance in society between
men and women by giving its unequivocal endorsement to a practical
division of labour, whereby women are placed in charge of the internal
arrangement of the household, while men are responsible for its
financing. The home is thus organised on the pattern of a microcosmic
estate, with the man in a position of authority. The Quran is
specified on this issue; Allaah Says (what means): "Men are in charge
of women by [right of] what [qualities] Allaah has given one over the
other and what they spend [in support] from their wealth. So righteous
women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what
Allaah would have them guard…" [Quran 4:34]
For largely biological reasons, women are well adapted to domestic
pursuits while men, for similar reasons, are better suited to work
outside the home. These physical and mental differences between men
and women are, in practice, what underlay Islam's division of familial
responsibilities into internal and external spheres, with the woman
dealing exclusively with the home and family and the man providing the
funds.
Mahr Mu'ajjal (Promptly given dower)
At the time of the marriage, the groom hands over to the bride a sum
of money called Mahr (dower) which is a token of his willing
acceptance of the responsibility of bearing all necessary expenses of
his wife. This is the original meaning of Mahr, although this custom
has come to have different connotations in modern times.
There are two ways of presentingthe Mahr to the bride. One is to hand
it over at the time of the marriage, in which case it is known as Mahr
Mu'ajjal, or promptly given dower. During the time of the Prophet and
his companions, Mahr Mu'ajjal was the accepted practice and the amount
fixed was generally quite minimal. The giving of Mahrby 'Ali to
Faatimah who was the Prophet's daughter, is anillustration of how this
custom was respected. After the marriage had been arranged, the
Prophet asked 'Ali if he had anything he could give as dower in order
to make Faatimah his lawfully wedded wife. 'Ali replied:"I swear by
Allaah that I have nothing, O Messenger of Allaah." The Prophet then
asked: "Where is the coat of armour I once gave you?" 'Ali replied
that it was still in his possession. The Prophet then instructed him
to send the coat of armour to Faatimah thereby making his union
lawful. This then was the sum total of Faatimah's dower.

Who are the Mahrams of a Woman?

When people distance themselves from the instructions of Islam and the
rulings of religion -- especially those which guard chastity and the
'Awrah (parts of the body that must be covered), prevent mixing of
progeny and other immoral acts -- they fall into the pit of vice and
immorality. This is encouraged bythe enemies of Islam who try to
control women with all the possible means until they lead them astray
and strip them of their modesty, under the pretext of "liberating"
them. In reality, they wanted to liberate women from their religion,
modesty, and chastity.
As a ruling of Sharee'ah (Islamic legislation), a woman has to know
who her Mahrams (non-marriageable men) are, so as to guard herself and
her religion.
The following question was raised to An-Nawawi : "Who is the woman
whom a man is permitted to look at and meet her in seclusion?"
An-Nawawi replied, "It is every woman whom he is permanently forbidden
to marry due to a permissible reason because of her unlawfulness."
"Permanently" is said to exclude the wife's sister and her like,
namely her paternal aunt, maternal aunt, and her daughter if the
marital contract is concluded with the mother yet the marriage has not
been consummated with her.
"Due to a permissible reason" excludes the mother and her daughter
with whom a man had sexual intercourse mistakenly believing that it
was lawful. The mother and her daughter are permanently forbidden, not
because of a permissible reason, but because doubtful intercoursewhich
is neither described as permissible nor unlawful, because the man was
oblivious and thus, incompetent to receive religious commitment at
that time.
"Because of her unlawfulness" excludes the woman who is involved in
Li'aan (oath of condemnation). This woman is permanently forbidden to
remarry (her ex-husband) as an act of punishment, not because she is
unlawful for him. Allaah knows best." [The Fataawaa that is known as
Al-Manthooraat by An-Nawawi, question no. 223.]
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And not expose their adornment
except that which [necessarily] appears thereof and to wrap [a portion
of] their headcovers over their chests and not expose their adornment
except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers,
their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers'
sons, their sisters' sons, their women, that which their right hands
possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or
children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women.}
[Quran 24:31]
As regards "their fathers" up to the end of the verse, &Ibn Katheer&&
said, "These are all Mahrams for the woman who, therefore, is allowed
to appear tothem in her adornment without excessive display of
beauty."
Explanation of Mahrams:
• Their fathers: The woman's father.
• Their husbands' fathers: The husband's father and grandfathers, up
to all levels.
• Their sons: The woman's sons down to all levels, and also the sons
of daughters down to all levels.
• Their husbands' sons: Male sonsof the husband, including grandsons
down to all degrees, whether they are sons of the husband's sons or
daughters.
• Their brothers: The woman's brother
• Their brothers' sons: The brother's sons down to all degrees.
• Their sisters' sons: The sister's sons down to all degrees.
• Their women: Muslim, not polytheistic women, according tothe
preponderant opinion.
• That which their right hands possess: This may mean either:
bondmaids or bondmen.
• Male attendants having no physical desire: They are men who are not
at the same level as the women and have no interest in or desire for
women; or the oblivious person who has no desire; an imbecile; and, an
impotent man. The eunuch who can describe women is excluded.
• Children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women:
Because they are so young they do not understand anything about women
or their 'Awrah (parts of the body that must be covered). If a child
is young and does not understand that, there is nothing wrong with him
entering upon women, but if he is an adolescent or approaching
adolescence, so that he knows and understands these things, and can
make a distinction between a woman who is beautiful and one who is
not, then he should not enter upon women.
First benefit:
Are a woman's paternal and maternal uncles her Mahrams?
Al-Qurtubi said, "The majority of scholars held that thematernal and
paternal uncles of awoman are like other Mahrams inthat they are
allowed to see of the woman what is permissible for them to see."
Second benefit:
Is the daughter's husband a Mahram for her mother?
Ibn Katheer said, "The majority of scholars held that thewife's mother
becomes forbidden to be married to a person once he concludes the
marital contract with her daughter."
Third benefit:
Is the mother's husband a Mahram for her daughter (i.e. his stepdaughter)?
A mother's husband (the stepfather) is not a Mahram for her daughter
except on two conditions, as Ibn Hajar said in Al-Fat'h, "The
prohibition of marrying a stepdaughter is stipulated by two things:
o She must be under the guardianship of the man
o The man should have consummated the marriage with her mother.
Therefore, the stepfather is not a Mahram to his step-daughter if only
one of the two conditions exists."
This view was adopted by Daawood ibn 'Ali and his companions, chosen
by Ibn Hazm, narrated by Abu Al-Qaasim Ar-Raafi'i on the authority of
Maalik . However, Ibn Taymiyyah found it dubious and did not hold a
certain opinion regarding it.
Finally, the majority of scholars held that the stepdaughter is
unlawful to her stepfather in marriage, whether she was under his
guardianship or not. Please check Tafseer ibn Katheer and Fat'h
Al-Baari.