Story, - Love is not always at yourdisposal

You want him to love you! You want him to not only say that he loves
you, but also to truly mean it! You want him to love you with that
kind of love that can change someone; the kind of love that shuts his
eyes closed for everyone but you and puts you in a halo of light
around you. You want him to see the fire in your eyes, your eyes and
only yours. You want him to feel the softness of your hair, your hair
and only yours. You want him to seek the warmness in your arms, your
arms and only yours. You want him to look for your advice, yours and
only yours. You want him to love you and only you. You want, and want,
and want...
But all you are left with is wanting!
Why is the world like this ? You love someone, you give him
everything; your heart, your sole, your respect, your trust, you give
him your entire being and he doesn't love you back. He can't or we
doesn't want to, that's not what matters. The important thing is that
it is the reality.
You want him to confide in you about everything; to be faithful, to
spend his time with you, to be next to you, when you need him to; you
want him to need you and your affection, yours and only yours. But
there comes a point in which you realize how much you actually want.
What you want is impossible.
And of course, you start looking for the reason within yourself. You
start thinking that you are not giving everything that you possibly
can; that you are not the one that he would madly fall in love with
and you start wanting to become her; the perfect woman, the one that
he is looking for and is not finding in you. But even if he starts
loving you when you become her, he wouldn't actually be in love with
you, but with the one that you are trying to become; the one that you
actually are not. And this wouldn't constitute real love.
You are aware of this and you are trying to find an answer, a much
needed solution. How to make him love you??? Can you possibly make him
love you? No, right?! There is nothing more that you can do.
You have tried everything, but it just doesn't work. He cannot love
you. Maybe it's you or maybe he isn't capable of loving you, or maybe
you just weren't meant to be. But you love him so much that you can't
face it and you know very well that you must do so, because you are
the only one who is actually suffering! But it's all the same to you
whether you are with him or not, knowing that he doesn't love you and
that maybe he isn't even being faithful.
The only thing you want is to be with him and for him to love you.
That makes two things. Ok, then, you settle with just one of them. Why
do you do that? Because you love him. You love him more than you love
yourself, and this is the biggest mistake in the world that someone
can make, the stupidest thing, the biggest sin. But you aren't even a
believer; you are not afraid of being a sinner.
You have suffered enough and you are not afraid to sin over and over
again, while looking for your true love. You want that to be him,
because you are tired of this never ending search; you are tired of
the scheming, the hurt feelings and the broken hearts.
You are too tired to keep going, knowing that the person next to you
doesn't really love you, nor in his words, neither in his heart and he
isn't even trying to hide it. You are fed up with it, but yet you keep
going. You keep going because you want to be with him, you want him to
love you; you want this more than anything, even though you realize
how much you are missing out on; even though you realize that your
soul is rotting away, stricken by the coldness coming from his heart.
You keep going without even seeing the point; without finding any
reason to continue. But why is everyone looking for a meaning?
Sometimes love is just meaningless; ti makes us do things that make no
sense, but isn't this why it's called love!
The thing that we are always looking for; the thing that we are not
afraid to give out even to people that don't deserve it; the thing
that we so stubbornly keep blaming for every mistake that we do; the
thing that we desperately need in order to feel alive... More vital
than the air, more desired than the sun, more beautiful than life
itself... And this is why we absolutely want to have it. But can we?
Can we have love at our disposal as if it were an item, a material
thing; something that we can sell, give or exchange. We can't, but it
seems like this is exactly what we want. We are corrupting its
saintliness.
Look at how far we got, didn't we? And you simply wanted to say what
you want! What you want, but what you are not getting and what you
aren't going to get, no matter how hard you try. Simply because you
cannot have love at your disposal!

Fathwa, - Talking to a girl I am intending to marry whilst living abroad

Question:
Firstly, jazakumullah khayran for the honorable service you are
rendering to the islamic community by making us more aware of our
responsibilities. I have browsed answers from your site relating to my
question. But I felt it could be somewhat different to what I have
seen so far, although it could also be that I have missed any such
points previously or an answer. I am intending to marry a girl from
whom I live away, as I am studying abroad. I must admit I don't feel
good about starting the relationship which happened quite a while
back, when I was not so aware of my obligations towards being a
muslim. We just went out to eat etc, a few times and it wasn't proper
conduct on our part. We have decided not to ever meet before marriage
inshAllah. There has been no formal engagement though. I have some
knowledge about few verses in the Quran and authentic hadiths which
relates to conduct of men and women. I don't claim to be an authority
on the subject, but what I have understood is that it is advised
primarily to close all avenues leading to Zina. So for that matter
even a 'harmless exchange of letters' can be a threat if the
participants are in the vicinity of each other. Now there is
absolutely no way for us to meet even if we wanted to, in the next 5-6
months. My query is -are we allowed to chat, talk or text; not to
necessarily engage in romantic conversations every time but just to
keep in touch? If I cut out talking on the phone owing to the fact
that women's voice are supposed to be part of her awrah (although one
of the reasons for this is to protect her from strangers' desire, who
are in the vicinity and the subsequent threat), can I still converse
online or send texts? Please excuse my points of view about the
following if I have misunderstood at all. Jarir ibn 'Abdullah said
concerning his wife, "(Before marriage) I used to hide under a tree to
see her." If persons intending to marry had all the same qualities as
strangers, wouldn't it be unlawful for a person to look at a woman's
awrah? I am also aware of the following hadith reported by Abu Dawud
-The Prophet (peace be on him) said, "When one of you asks for a woman
in marriage, if he is able to look at what will induce him to marry
her, he should do so." which probably indicates that developing love
before marriage is not unlawful. Finally, I'd like to know if there is
a strong hadith where there is an explicit command not to engage in
letter writing or similar purports between persons intending to marry,
who are living far apart.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Dear Brother,
I pray that you are doing well and experiencing the joys of strong
iman and good health.
Thank you for your question.
We have actually addressed the issue of instant messaging and online
conversations previously, but I'd be happy to reiterate the key
points.
The etiquette of engaged couples, or those who have agreed to get
married, is the same etiquette followed by unrelated men and women in
general. Until you and your fiancee have signed your marriage contract
or had your nikah ceremony, then you are still, from the perspective
of Sacred Law, "strangers." What this means is that any contact you
have with each other must be chaperoned.
To my knowledge, there are no hadiths that address the issue of
letter-writing specifically. However, there are hadiths, such as the
one you mentioned above, that emphasize the permissibility of looking
at one's intended spouse.
For example:
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported: I was in the company
of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) when there came a man and
informed him that he had contracted to marry a woman of the Ansar.
Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Did you cast
a glance at her? He said: No. He said: Go and cast a glance at her,
for there is something in the eyes of the Ansar. (Muslim, Book 8, No.
3314)
Obviously, if the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, advised
men to look at their prospective wives, then it follows that meeting
with one's prospective spouse and talking to him/her is also a good
practice. Cutting off the avenues to zina does not mean avoiding any
and all contact with your intended spouse. It means that when you are
together, you observe the boundaries of gender etiquette.
In this situation, online chat and instant messaging are more
problematic than talking on the phone. A woman's voice is not awrah,
and there is nothing wrong with calling your fiancee, provided that
you have her family's permission, and that she talks to you in the
presence of others. I would definitely steer clear of instant
messaging unless there is some urgent matter that needs to be
communicated. Letter-writing is less problematic, especially if you
observe the proper adab. However, online chat and emailing are best
left alone because it's easy to let one's guard down in these
contexts.
Again, if you'd like to stay in touch with your fiancee, which is only
natural, then I suggest that you confer with her and her family about
the most appropriate method. If you're planning to spend the rest of
your lives together, then you need to communicate.
I hope this is helpful.
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa, - Non-Muslim Courtesy

Question:
I am a non-Muslim living in America. I am studying the history and
culture of Islam and find myself overwhelmed by the intricate social
interactions. What greetings and phrases should I, as a non-Muslim,
refrain from using when conversing with Muslim friends and students?
What topics are taboo to speak of with Muslims, either male or female?
And finally, what customs should I be sure to observe to be confident
I will not inadvertently offend through my ignorance?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Dear Questioner,
I pray that this message finds you in good health and spirits.
Thank you for your sensitivity to issues of social etiquette. This is
an important question.
First of all, please don't be overwhelmed. Islam's social structure,
particularly in the area of gender relations, might appear very
complicated. However, in reality, if you just stick to a few basic
rules, then you should have no problem interacting with Muslims.
1. Greetings and phrases:
You are free to use any greeting you wish. Some non-Muslims like to
use the Muslim greeting of peace when interacting with Muslims. If you
would like to try this, just keep in mind that some Muslims are
surprised to hear salaams from non-Muslims, and might not respond
automatically. Others, however, will have no problem with this.
Ultimately, use whatever greeting you are comfortable with.
I can't think of any particular phrases or expressions to avoid.
Consider the way you would speak to someone with whom you are getting
acquainted. Normally, you would avoid overly familiar or casual
speech. I think this is a rule that would apply to everyone, no matter
their religion.
2. Taboo topics:
Again, the context is important. When I studied Islam in Syria, the
Shaykh (religious scholar) who founded our school, Ahmad Kuftaro (may
Allah bestow His mercy upon him), spoke frequently about the concept
of hikma, or wisdom. He defined wisdom as the ability to do what is
appropriate at the time when it is appropriate, and in the manner that
is appropriate. He said that this was the hallmark of the Prophetic
Sunna, the living tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, Allah bless him
and give him peace.
Muslims try to apply this concept of wisdom to their social
interactions, particularly with members of the opposite sex.
If you are conversing with Muslims, and especially with Muslim women,
then you will want to steer clear of topics that are antithetical to a
pious Muslim life, such as premarital or extramarital sex, drinking,
drugs, partying, etc. I bring these things up because I have been in
situations where non-Muslim classmates have revealed details of their
lives that I would rather not have heard. A good rule of thumb is
this: is this a topic you would want your little sister discussing
with a guy? If not, then it's better to avoid it.
3. Customs:
Again, the only customs to observe when interacting with Muslim women
(and I'm assuming that you're male) are to avoid shaking the women's
hands or making any sort of physical contact. Observant Muslims avoid
the sort of casual physical contact with the opposite sex to which
we're accustomed here in America, such as shaking hands, hugging, etc.
Also, in terms of eye contact, you'll notice that observant Muslims
will avoid staring at members of the opposite sex. This lowering of
the gaze facilitates modesty and respect for the other person and
shouldn't be interpreted as a lack of confidence or unfriendliness.
To conclude, gender etiquette among Muslims is not as complicated as
you might think. As long as you avoid explicit or suggestive
conversation, don't make physical contact, and maintain a respectful
and modest demeanor, then interacting with Muslims of the opposite sex
should not be a problem.
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa, - Instant messaging for marriage

Question:
I am searching for a wife online. SunniPath Q&A's seem to discourage
or even seem to hint at prohibiting instant messaging with a
prospective spouse. However, I can't seem to figure out how then email
or phone would be any different. Phone is also "instant", and when you
need to get to know someone then emails could be going back and forth
pretty quickly, such that it's almost like chatting, but only slower.
If 2 people are outgoing and talkative, then the risk of getting
informal on the phone would probably be just as high as through
instant messaging. Thus, I really don't believe that instant messaging
with a prospective spouse in itself would be haram, rather it would
depend on how you use it. Could you please confirm? When you need to
get to know someone, instant messaging would make things a lot more
quicker and perhaps effective than email.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Dear Brother,
I pray this message reaches you in good health, lofty spirits, and strong iman.
Generally, it is improper to engage in conversation with an unrelated
member of the opposite sex without need. However, as indicated in
previous SunniPath answers, it is permitted to talk to a member of the
opposite sex when there is some purpose. Obviously, talking to someone
with the intention of getting to know that person for marriage is both
purposeful and permissible.
Please see Can I Talk To My Fiancé?and Instant messaging with the
opposite sex. Both of these answers address your question. Obviously,
if you are searching for a wife online, any communication with that
sister will be online. Nonetheless, whichever method you choose to
communicate, please be sure to mutually adhere to Islamic adab. One
usually knows when one has crossed those boundaries. If you have any
doubts, then that is a definite indication that you need to find a
better way to communicate. As a matter of caution, you should avoid
chatting in private, and, particularly, at night. It's very easy for
an ostensibly legitimate conversation to digress into gray areas.
I hope everything works out for you.
And Allah knows best.

Knowledge in Islam and how to seek it

In this article we'll try to shed some light on knowledge from Islamic
perspective. Generally speaking, the Arabic word for knowledge is
'ilm, which, in most cases, indicates to Islamic knowledge or matters
related to Sheree'ah )Islamic Law(. Although, some of the Quranic
verses in this article refer to Islamic knowledge, yet they are
general in their meaning, and thus can be used to refer to learning in
general.
The importance of education is a none disputable matter. Education is
the knowledge of putting one's potentials to maximum use. One can
safely say that a human being is not in the proper sense till he/she
is educated.
This importance of education is basically for two reasons. The first
is that the training of a human mind is not complete without
education. Education makes man a right thinker. It tells man how to
think and how to make decision.
The second reason for the importance of education is that only through
the attainment of education, man is enabled to receive information
from the external world; to acquaint himself with past history and
receive all necessary information regarding the present. Without
education, man is as though in a closed room and with education he
finds himself in a room with all its windows open towards the outside
world.
This is why Islam attaches great importance to knowledge and
education. When the Quran began to be revealed, the first word of its
first verse was 'Iqra' that is, read. Allaah says, )what means(:"Read!
In the Name of your Lord Who has created )all that exists(. He has
created man from a clot )a piece of thick coagulated blood(. Read! And
your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught )the writing( by the
pen. He has taught man that which he knew not"]Quran, 96: 1-5[
Education is thus the starting point of every human activity. Allaah
created man and provided him with the tools for acquiring knowledge,
namely hearing, sight and wisdom. Allaah says )what means(:"And Allaah
has brought you out from the wombs of your mothers while you know
nothing. And He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts that you might
give thanks )to Allaah("]Quran, 16:78[
A knowledgeable person is accorded great respect in many prophetic narrations.
Because of the importance of knowledge, Allaah commanded His
Messengerto seek more of it. Allaah says )what means(:"and say: `My
Lord! Increase me in knowledge"]Quran, 20:114[
The Prophetmade seeking knowledge an obligation upon every Muslim, and
heexplained that the superiority of the one who has knowledge over the
one who merely worships is like the superiority of the moon over every
other heavenly body. Hesaid that the scholars are the heirs of the
Prophets and that the Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention did not
leave behind any money, rather their inheritance was knowledge, so
whoever acquires it has gained a great share. Furthermore, the
Prophetsaid that seeking knowledge is a way leading toParadise.
Hesaid:"Whoever follows a path in the pursuit of knowledge, Allaah
will make a path toParadiseeasy for him.")Al-Bukhaari(
For example the Quran repeatedly asks us to observe the earth and the
heavens. This instills in man a desire to learn natural science as
well. All the books of Hadeeth have a chapter on knowledge. In Saheeh
Al-Bukhaari there is a chapter entitled "The virtue of one who
acquires learning and imparts that to others."
Islam calls us to learn all kinds of beneficial knowledge. Branches of
knowledge vary in status, the highest of which is knowledge of
Sharee'ah )Islamic Law(, then other fields of knowledge, such as
medicine, etc.
This is the knowledge )Sharee'ah( with which Allaah honoured His
Messenger; He taught it to himso that he might teach it to
mankind:"Indeed, Allaah conferred a great favour on the believers when
He sent among them a Messenger )Muhammad( from among themselves,
reciting unto them His Verses )the Quran(, and purifying them )from
sins by their following him(, and instructing them )in( the Book )the
Quran( and Al-Hikmah ]the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet )i.e.
his legal ways, statements and acts of worship([, while before that
they had been in manifest error"]Quran, 3:164[
How great importance is attached to learning in Islam, can be
understood from an event in the life of the Prophet. At the battle of
Badr in which the Prophetgained victory over his opponents, seventy
people of the enemy rank were taken prisoner. These prisoners of war
were literate people. In order to benefit from their education the
Prophetdeclared that if one prisoner teaches ten Muslims how to read
and write, this will serve as his ransom and he will be set free. We
can freely say that this was the first school in the history of Islam
established by the Prophethimself with all its teachers being
non-Muslims. Furthermore, they were all war prisoners.
On the one hand Islam places great emphasis on learning, on the other,
all those factors which are necessary to make progress in learning
have been provided by Allaah. One of these special factors is the
freedom of research. One example of it is that in Makkah, the
birthplace of the Prophetdates were not grown. Afterwards the
Prophetmigrated to Madeenah, the city of dates. One day the Prophetsaw
that some people were atop the date trees busy in doing something. On
being asked what they were engaged in, they replied that they were
pollinating.
The Prophetsuggested them not to do so. The following year date yield
was considerably very low. The Prophetenquired them of the reason.
They told him that the date crop depended on pollination. Since
hesuggested them to do otherwise, they had refrained from that. The
Prophetthen told them to go on doing as they used to, and that, "You
know the worldly matters better than me." )Al-Bukhaari(
Also we should know that there is no goodness in knowledge which is
not confirmed by actions or words which are not confirmed by deeds,
Allaah the Almighty says )what means(:"O you who believe! Why do you
say that which you do not do? Most hateful it is with Allaah that you
say that which you do not do"]Quran, 61: 2-3[
Knowledge brings a great reward. The one who points the way to
something good is like the one who does it. When the knowledgeable
person dies, his reward with Allaah does not cease when he dies,
rather it continues to increase so long as people benefit from his
knowledge. The Prophetsaid:"When a man dies, all his deeds come to an
end except for three — an ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge or a
righteous child who will pray for him.")Muslim(
On other side, a person without knowledge is like someone walking
along a track in complete darkness. Most likely his steps will wander
aside and Satan can easily deceive him. This shows that our greatest
danger lies in our ignorance of Islamic teachings in the first place
and in our unawareness of what the Quran teaches and what guidance has
been given by the Prophet.
On the other hand, if we are blessed with the light of knowledge we
will be able to see plainly the clear path of Islam at every step of
our lives. We shall also be able to identify and avoid the dangerous
paths of disbelief, Shirk )associating with Allaah( and immorality,
which may cross it. And, whenever a false guide meets us on the way, a
few words with him will quickly establish that he is not a guide who
should be followed.
Knowledge is pursued and practiced with modesty and humility and leads
to dignity, freedom and justice.
The main purpose of acquiring knowledge is to bring us closer to our
Creator. It is not simply for the gratification of the mind or the
senses. It is not knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Knowledge
accordingly must be linked with values and goals.
One of the purposes of acquiring knowledge is to gain the good of this
world, not to destroy it through wastage, arrogance and in the
reckless pursuit of higher standards of material comfort.
Six etiquettes of learning
lbn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyahsaid: "There are six stages to knowledge:
Firstly: Asking questions in a good manner.
Secondly: Remaining quiet and listening attentively.
Thirdly: Understanding well.
Fourthly: Memorising.
Fifthly Teaching.
Sixthly- and it is its fruit: Acting upon the knowledge and keeping to
its limits."
Conclusion
According to Quranic perspective, knowledge is a prerequisite for the
creation of a just world in which authentic peace can prevail. In the
case of country's disorder or war the Quran emphasizes the importance
of the pursuit of learning, Allaah says )what means(:"Nor should the
believers all go forth together: if a contingent from every expedition
remained behind, they could devote themselves to studies in religion,
and admonish the people when they return to them - that thus they )may
learn( to guard themselves )against evil(."]Quran, 19:122[

Etiquettes of Seeking Knowledge - II

•Specialization: If a Muslim wants to specialize in one science, he
should choose the most honorable branch of science and the most
beneficent one that suits his abilities. It was said, "If you want to
be a scholar, you should know everything about one thing, but if you
want to be cultured, then know something about everything."
•Memorizing with understanding and reflection: The Prophetsaid:"May
Allaah Brighten the face of the person who hears something from us and
memorizes it until he transmits it to others. Perhaps the one whom it
reaches comprehends it better than the one who heard it. Or perhaps
the one who heard it never comprehended it"]At-Tirmidhi[ This
indicates the importance of memorization.
•Documenting: It was said, "Write down knowledge." It was also said,
"Knowledge is like game that is hunted and writing catches it." Hence,
we should write down knowledge in order not to forget it and carefully
choose what we write. It was said, "There are three categories of
people who listen to the scholar; the first one writes down all that
he hears; the second does not write but only hears, while the third
selects and he is the best among the three".
•Studying and reviewing: Mu'aath ibn Jabal, May Allaah Be Pleased with
him, said:"Seek knowledge as seeking it for the Sake of Allaah leads
to fearing Him, and seeking it is an act of worship, studying it is
Tasbeeh )glorification of Allaah(, searching for it is Jihaad )a
difficult struggle(, teaching it is charity to those who do not have
it, and conveying it to those who deserve to learn it is a good deed."
•Arranging learning hours: A Muslim should always be well organized in
all his affairs and should be keen on organizing his time and spend it
in gaining knowledge and know-how.
•Avoiding shyness in seeking knowledge: Allaah The Almighty Says )what
means(:}So ask the people of the message if you do not know.{]Quran
16:43[ 'Aa'ishah, May Allaah be Pleased with her, said:"The best women
are the women of the Ansaar, shyness did not prevent them from
comprehending their religion."So the Muslim should ask about that
which he desires to know more of and shyness should not prevent him
from asking. For knowledge is a treasure kept in chests and the keys
are questions.
•Traveling to seek knowledge. Jabir ibn 'Abdullaah, May Allaah Be
Pleased with them, said,"It reached me that a man heard a Hadeeth from
the Messenger of Allaahso I purchased a camel and rode it for a month
until I reached Ash-Shaam. I knew that this man was 'Abdullaah ibn
Unays. I told his gate keeper to say to him, 'Jabir is at the door.'
The gate keeper said, 'Jabir ibn 'Abdullaah?' 'Yes,' I replied. So
'Abdullaah rushed out and embraced me and I embraced him. I said, 'It
reached me that you heard a Hadeeth from the Messenger of
Allaahconcerning Qisaas )retribution( and I feared that one of us
might die before I get it. So Abdullaah ibn Unays mentioned to him the
Hadeeth."]Ahmad and At-Tabaraani[
'Ubaydullaah ibn 'Adiyy, May Allaah Be Pleased with him, said: "I knew
about a Hadeeth that was heard by 'Ali, May Allaah Be Pleased with
him, and I feared that I might not find it with anyone else if he
died, so I travelled to him and found him in Iraq." ]Al-Khateeb[
Ibn Mas'ood, May Allaah Be Pleased with him, said: "If I knew of
someone who I can reach by riding my camel and who is more
knowledgeable than me with what was revealed to the ProphetI would go
to him to increase my knowledge." ]Ibn 'Asaakir[
Ash-Sha'bi, May Allaah Have mercy upon him, said, "A man travelled
from the furthest reaches of Ash-Shaam to the furthest reaches of
Yemen to listen to words of wisdom. I do not perceive this travel as a
loss."
•Applying what one learned; Allaah The Almighty Disapproved of those
who do not apply what they know and likened them to donkeys that carry
)heavy loads of( books, but do not understand what they carry. Allaah
The Almighty Says )what means(:}The example of those who were
entrusted with the Torah and then did not take it on is like that of a
donkey who carries volumes ]of books[.{]Quran 62:5[
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Do you order righteousness of
the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then
will you not reason?{]Quran 2:44[ So a Muslim should know with
certainty that he will be asked about what he put forth for himself
during his life. The Prophetsaid:"The slave will not step forward on
the Day of Resurrection until he is asked about his age and how he
spent it, his knowledge and what he did with it, his wealth and how he
acquired it and spent it, and about his body and how he used
it."]At-Tirmithi[
•Respecting the teacher: a teacher has a great virtue upon his students.
•Listening attentively: Al-Hasan ibn 'Ali, May Allaah Be Pleased with
him, said to his son: "O son, when you sit with scholars, be more
diligent to listen than to speak and learn to listen attentively just
as you learn to be quiet. When you ask, your questions should be for
the purpose of understanding and realizing, not for arguing or showing
deficiency."
•Observing etiquettes during learning sessions: A Muslim should sit
with his teacher politely and calmly. He should not keep turning his
head, pointing or laughing. He should present himself in a pleasant
manner, be clean and avoid speaking or asking questions until taking
permission. One should not belittle his colleagues or mock them,
rather he should know that they are his brothers in knowledge so they
should be shown mercy and respect.
Among the reasons that help in gaining knowledge and studying is to
study in a location that has adequate light, quiet and freedom from
distracting noises. One should avoid studying in bed as this makes one
feel sleepy. Moreover, books should be arranged well and organized.
And one should give his body its right by resting occasionally. He
should choose the right time for studying and divide this time
appropriately to study all branches of science.

Hope – the Most Sublime Rank for the Followers

In this article, we will talk about hoping for Allah's mercy. The
believers' relationship with their Lord is characterized both by fear
and hope, such that the former deters them from sins and disobedience,
whereas the latter drives them towards good deeds.
Ibn Al-Qayyimsaid:
"Hoping for the reward of Allah is one of the most supreme and
honorable ranks of one who pursues the right path. Allah The Almighty
praises those ]who do that[, when He Says )what means(:}There has
certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern
for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and ]who[ remembers
Allah often.{]Quran 33:21[ It was also narrated in a Hadeeth Qudsi,
that Allah The Almighty Says: 'O son of Adam, If you supplicate to Me,
expecting My forgiveness, I will forgive you however great or many
your sins may be.' When a person has hope, it means that he or she is
bound and attached to these names of his or her Lord: "The Benevolent,
The Beneficent". The more one knows Allah The Almighty, His names,
attributes and the dominance of His mercy over His wrath, the more his
or her hope increases ]in Him[. Had it not been for hope, the
servitude of the heart and organs ]to Allah[ would have ceased, and
monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, where the name of Allah
is frequently mentioned, would have been demolished. If not for the
spirit of hope, ]our[ limbs would not have performed acts of
obedience, and neither would the ships of good deeds have sailed in
the seas of will without its pleasant breeze."
Similarly, the Prophetsaid:"If a believer ]truly[ knew of the
punishment of Allah, no one would expect His Paradise. Equally, were a
disbeliever to know of the ]actual[ mercy of Allah, none would despair
of His Paradise."'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood, may Allah be pleased with
him, remarked, "The most encouraging verse in the Quran is in the
Chapter Az-Zumar )The Groups(; Allah The Almighty Says )what
means(,}Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves
]by sinning[, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah
forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the
Merciful."{]Quran 39:53["
One of those who visited Maalik ibn Anasduring the night in which he
died, asked him, "O Abu 'Abdullaah, how do you find yourself?"
Heanswered, "I do not know what to say to you except that you will
soon see ]aspects[ of the clemency of Allah that you have never
expected."
Glory be to Allah The Almighty! If those who turn away from Him only
know how He waits for their return and how Merciful He is to them,
they will long for Him enormously. Indeed, if this is His will towards
such people, how will He be to those who draw near to Him? 'Abdullaah
ibn Al-Mubaarak approached Sufyaan Ath-Thawriboth, on the night of
]standing in[ 'Arafah, and found him kneeling ]in prayer[, as his eyes
overflowed with tears; he asked, "Who is the worst person in this
gathering ]in the plains of 'Arafah[?' Sufyaan Ath-Thawrireplied:
"Whoever thinks that Allah will not forgive their sins ]i.e., of the
people who are present[.'"
On a similar night, Al-Fudhayl ibn 'Iyaadhobserved people's
glorification ]of Allah The Almighty[ and their crying, so he asked
those around him: "If those people went to a man and requested
one-sixth of a dirham from him, would he let them return
empty-handed?" When they replied in the negative, he commented: "By
Allah, pardoning is easier for Allah than ]that[." Therefore, I
implore Allah The Almighty, seeking His forgiveness, knowing fully
that He absolves and forgives; even if people's sins are great, they
are minor in comparison to His mercy.
Hence, a slave should have much hope in Him, especially when he or she
is on the verge of death. Allah The Almighty Says, as narrated in a
Hadeeth: "I am ]to him or her[ as My slave thinks of Me." That is why,
perhaps, when Waathilah ibn Al-Asqa', may Allah be pleased with him,
went to see Yazeed ibn Al-Aswadas he lay dying, he asked him, "What is
your expectation about Allah?" The latter replied: "My sins have
brought me to the brink of ruin, but I hope for the mercy of Allah."
So, Waathilah, may Allah be pleased with him, ]happily[ exclaimed
"Allah is The Greatest", and then said, "I heard the Messenger of
Allahsay:'Allah The Almighty Says: 'I am as My slave thinks of Me, so
let him think of Me what he wants'.'"For the same reason, when
Sulaymaan At-Taymiwas dying, he instructed his son: "O Mu'tamir, talk
to me about exemptions ]in Islam[, so that I may meet Allah while
having good expectations of Him."
Hope prompts one to do good deeds
It is witnessed as a reality in life that many neglect good deeds and
dare to commit evil and sins, claiming that they trust in the mercy
and forgiveness of Allah The Almighty. Undoubtedly, this is a
misunderstanding of the true meaning of hope. The words of Al-Hasan
Al-Basriare applicable to such people mentioned above; he says: "There
are people whose confidence in forgiveness diverts them from doing
what is moral, so much so that they die with no virtues. They
proclaim: 'we have good expectation of Allah'. Surely, they are liars,
for if they had hope ]in Him[, they would have done good ]to support
their claim[."
Allah The Almighty is indeed the most Forgiving, Ever Merciful;
however, I would like to draw your attention, dear reader, to the
subtle meaning embedded in the verse )which means(:}Indeed, those who
have believed and those who have emigrated and fought in the cause of
Allah - those expect the mercy of Allah. And Allah is Forgiving and
Merciful.{]Quran 2:218[. Contemplate how this verse alludes to these
people hoping for the mercy of Allah The Almighty alongside doing
those great noble deeds.
Dear Muslim, let us, then, do good and repent from our sins and evil
which we have committed. Let us repeat the words of Mahmood
Al-Warraaq: "O Allah, I have much hope in Your forgiveness and You
]alone[ manage my affairs. I have concealed my secrets from my
relatives and others; You are the only One to Whom I disclose them as
I am confident that You will veil them. O Allah! Do not fail me on the
Day of Resurrection when all hidden matters will be exposed. O Allah,
do not reveal my secrets before people; Your protection will provide
me with an argument ]for my forgiveness[, even though I have no basis
for contention or a real excuse."

Dought & clear, - [Sifat al-Salaah (description of the prayer)] - - Saying between the two prostrations: Rabb ighfir li wa li waalidayya (Lord forgive me and my parents).

What is the ruling on saying "Rabb ighfir li wa li waalidaya (Lord
forgive me and my parents)" when sitting between the two prostrations?
Is that permissible?.
Praise be to Allaah.
You should adhere to what was narrated of the du'aa' of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) between the two
prostrations, which is to say, "Rabb ighfir li(Lord forgive me)", as
it was narrated by an-Nasaa'i (1145) and Ibn Maajah (897) from
Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say between the two
prostrations: "Rabb ighfir li, Rabb ighfir li(Lord forgive me, Lord
forgive me)."
It is proven that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) also used to say between the two prostrations: "Allaahumma ighfir
li warhamni wajburni warfa'ni wahdini wa 'aafini warzuqni(O Allaah,
forgive me, have mercy on me, console me, raise me in status, guide
me, grant me well being and grant me provision)."
At-Tirmidhi (284) narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with
him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used
to say between the two prostrations: "Allaahumma ighfir li warhamni
wajburni wahdini warzuqni(O Allaah, forgive me, have mercy on me,
console me, guide me, and grant me provision)."
Abu Dawood (850) narrated it as follows: "Allaahumma ighfir li
warhamni wa 'aafini wahdini warzuqni(O Allaah, forgive me, have mercy
on me, grant me well being, guide me and grant me provision)."
Ibn Maajah (898) narrated it as follows: "Rabb ighfir li warhamni
wajburni warzuqni warfa'ni(O Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me,
console me, grant me provision and raise me in status).
This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said inal-Majmoo'(3/414): With
regard to the hadeeth of Ibn 'Abbaas, it was narrated by Abu Dawood,
at-Tirmidhi and others with a jayyid isnaad. It was narrated by
al-Haakim inal-Mustadrakand he said: Its isnaad is saheeh. He quoted
the different versions then he said: To be on the safe side, the best
option is to combine all the reports and say all the phrases
mentioned, of which there are seven: "Allaahumma ighfir li warhamni wa
'aafini wajburni warfa'ni wahdini warzuqni(O Allaah, forgive me, have
mercy on me, grant me well being, console me, raise me in status,
guide me and grant me provision)." End quote.
With regard to adding to this du'aa', what appears to be the case is
that it is permissible, but it is preferable to keep to what has been
narrated and to offer du'aa' for one's parents in prostration or
before saying the salaam at the end of the prayer. Muslim (479)
narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"…as for prostrating, strive in du'aa', for it is deserving of a
response (from your Lord)."
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Then he should
rise from prostration, saying "Allahu akbar (Allah is most great),"
and sit muftarishan, which means sitting on the left foot and holding
the right foot upright, placing his right hand on his right thigh or
on his knee, extending his fingers over his knee, and placing his left
hand on his left thigh or his left knee, extending his fingers over
it. This is the Sunnah. And he should say: "Rabb ighfir li, Rabb
ighfir li, Rabb ighfir li(Lord forgive me, Lord forgive me, Lord
forgive me), as the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) used to do. And it is mustahabb to say in addition to
that:Allahumma ighfir li warhamni wahdini wajburni warzuqni wa
'aafini(O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, console me,
grant me provision and grant me well being), because that is proven
from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And if he
says more than that, there is nothing wrong with it, such as if he
says, "Allahumma ighfir li wa li waalidayya(O Allah, forgive me and my
parents)" or "Allaahumma adkhilni al-Jannah wa anjini min an-naar(O
Allah, admit me to Paradise and save me from Hell)" or "Allaahumma
aslih qalbi wa 'amali(O Allah, make my heart and my actions righteous)
and so on. But he should ask a great deal for forgiveness between the
two prostrations, as was narrated from the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him).
End quote fromFataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 11/36
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - [Sifat al-Salaah (description of the prayer)] - - He sneezed whilst he was praying – should he say al-hamdu Lillaah?.

If I sneeze whilst I am praying, should I say al-hamdu Lillaah or not?.
Praise be to Allaah.
If a person sneezes whilst he is praying, it is prescribed for him to
say al-hamdu Lillaah, may He be glorified, whether the prayer is
obligatory or naafil. This is the view of the majority of scholars
among the Sahaabah and Taabi'een, and it was also the view of Imam
Maalik, al-Shaafa'i and Ahmad, but they differed as to whether he
should say it silently or out loud. The correct view and the view of
Imam Ahmad is that he should say it out loud, but only loud enough
that he can hear himself, lest he distract other worshippers. That is
indicated by the general meaning of the report narrated by Abu
Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If one of you sneezes, let him
say 'Al-hamdu Lillaah'…" The hadeeth was narrated by al-Bukhaari. That
is also supported by the report narrated by Rifaa'ah ibn Raafi' (may
Allaah be pleased with him) who said: I prayed behind the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and I sneezed and
said: Praise be to Allaah, much good and blessed praise, as our Lord
loves and is pleased with. When the Messenger of Allaah(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) had finished praying he said: "Who is
the one who spoke during the prayer?" and no one said anything. Then
he said it a second time, "Who is the one who spoke during the
prayer?" and no one said anything. Then he said it a third time, "Who
is the one who spoke during the prayer?" and Rifaa'ah ibn Raafi' said:
It was me, O Messenger of Allaah. He said: "What did you say?" He
said: I said: Praise be to Allaah, much good and blessed praise, as
our Lord loves and is pleased with. The Messenger of Allaah(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "By the One in Whose hand is my
soul, thirty-odd angels competed to see which of them would take it
up." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood and al-Nasaa'i. Al-Tirmidhi
said: a hasan hadeeth. Al-Haafiz narrated inal-Tahdheebfrom
al-Tirmidhi that it is saheeh. It was also narrated by al-Bukhaari in
hisSaheehbut he did not mention that he said that after sneezing,
rather he said it after rising from bowing. It may be that he sneezed
whilst rising from bowing and he said that because he sneezed, and the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of that
and did not rebuke him for it. This indicates that it is prescribed
during prayer, but if a person sneezes whilst praying then praises
Allaah, it is not permissible for those who hear him to say Yarhamak
Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you), because that is part of human
speech and it is not permissible during prayer. It is proven that the
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) denounced someone
who said Yarhamak Allaah to a man who sneezed whilst praying, then he
said to him: "In this prayer nothing of human speech is permitted; it
is only tasbeeh (glorifying Allaah), takbeer (magnifying Allaah) and
recitation of Qur'aan." Narrated by Imam Muslim, Abu Dawood and
al-Nasaa'i.
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and
peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End
quote.
Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas.
Fataawa Al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah li'l-Buhooth al-'Ilmiyyah wa'l-Ifta' (26/113).

Dought & clear, - [Sifat al-Salaah (description of the prayer)] - - What is meant by dhikr and du‘aa’ at the end of the prayer?.

What is meant by "at the end of every prayer"? Does it mean before the
salaam at the conclusion of the prayer or after it? Is it Sunnah to
raise the hands in du'aa' after the prayer?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
"At the end of the prayer" may mean after it, following it, or in the
last part of it.
There are several hadeeths which encourage dhikr and du'aa' at the end
of the prayers, such as the following:
1.
The report narrated by al-Bukhaari (6330) and Muslim (594) from
al-Mugheerah ibn Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him), according to
which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) used to say at the end of every prayer after saying the
salaam:Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu'l-mulk wa
lahu'l-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadeer. Allaahumma laa maani'
lima a'tayta wa laa mu'ti lima mana'ta wa la yanfa' dhaa'l-jadd minka
al-jadd(There is no god but Allaah Alone, with no partner or
associate, His is the sovereignty and to Him be praise, and He is Able
to do all things. O Allaah, none can withhold what You give and none
can give what You withhold, and no wealth or majesty can benefit
anyone for from You is all wealth and majesty).
2.
The report narrated by al-Bukhaari (6329) from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah
be pleased with him): They said: O Messenger of Allah, the wealthy
have attained exclusively the high ranks and eternal blessing (in
Paradise). He said: How is that? They said: They pray as we pray, and
they strive in jihad as we strive, and they spend from the surplus of
their wealth, but we have no wealth. He said: "Shall I not tell you of
something by means of which you will catch up with those who have gone
before you and will go ahead of those who come after you, and no one
could achieve what you achieve except one who does what you do. At the
end of every prayer, glorify Allah (by sayingSubhaan Allah) ten times,
and praise Him (by sayingal-hamdu Lillah) ten times, and magnify Him
(by sayingAllahu akbar) ten times.
Al-Bukhaari (843) narrated: "Glorify Allah (by sayingSubhaan Allah),
praise Him (by sayingal-hamdu Lillah), and magnify Him (by
sayingAllahu akbar) thirty-three times after each prayer."
Muslim (595) narrated: "Glorify Allah (by sayingSubhaan Allah), praise
Him (by sayingal-hamdu Lillah), and magnify Him (by sayingAllahu
akbar) thirty-three times at the end of each prayer."
3.
Muslim (596) narrated from Ka'b ibn 'Ujrah (may Allah be pleased with
him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "Dhikrs at the end of the prayer, the one who says them or
does them at the end of each obligatory prayer will not be
disappointed: thirty-three tasbeehahs, thirty-three tahmeedahs and
thirty-four takbeerahs."
What is meant by "at the end of the prayer" in these hadeeths is
immediately after the prayer, that is, after the salaam, as is stated
clearly in some reports. The same is mentioned in the reports which
speak of reciting Aayat al-Kursiy and the Mu'awwidhaat at the end of
the prayer. What is meant is after the salaam.
4.
Abu Dawood (1522) narrated from Mu'aadh ibn Jabal (may Allah be
pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) took him by the hand and said: "O Mu'aadh, by Allah
verily I love you, by Allah verily I love you." Then he said: "I urge
you, O Mu'aadh, never to stop saying at the end of every
prayer:Allahumma a'inni 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni
'ibaadatika(O Allah, help me to remember You, give thank to You and
worship You properly)."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh Abi Dawood
An-Nasaa'i (1303) narrated it as follows: "Do not neglect to say in
every prayer,Rabbiy a'inni 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni
'ibaadatika(My Lord, help me to remember You, give thank to You and
worship You properly).
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inSaheeh an-Nasaa'i.
What is meant by "at the end of the prayer (dibr as-salaah)" here is
in the last part of the prayer before the salaam, becausedibr
ash-shay'(lit. the end of a thing) is part of it. This is confirmed by
the words in the report of an-Nasaa'i: "in every prayer".
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said inZaad
al-Ma'aad(1/294): "At the end of the prayer" may be understood as
meaning before the salaam or after it. Our shaykh [i.e., Ibn Taymiyah]
regarded it as more likely that it is before the salaam. I asked him
about that and he said: Dibr kulli shay' (the end of everything) is
part of it, like the dibr (rear end) of an animal. End quote.
5.
at-Tirmidhi (3499) narrated that Abu Umaamah (may Allah be pleased
with him) said: It was said: O Messenger of Allah, what du'aa'
(supplication) is most likely to be heard (and responded to)? He said:
"(That which is offered) in the last part of the night and at the end
of the prescribed prayers."
This hadeeth was classed as hasan by at-Tirmidhi and by al-Albaani
inSaheeh at-Tirmidhi.
What appears to be the case is that what is meant by "at the end of
the prayer" here means before the salaam.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: What appears
to be the case is that what is meant by "at the end of the prescribed
prayers" in the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah – if it is saheeh –is: in the
last part of the prayer. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 13/268
The scholars noted concerning this that in the texts which mention the
end of the prayer, if it is dhikr (such as sayingSubhaan
Allah,al-hamdu Lillah, Allahu akbar, or reciting Aayat al-Kursiy and
the Mu'awwidhaat), then what is meant by the end of the prayer in this
case is after the prayer; if it is du'aa' (supplication), then what is
meant by at the end of the prayer is in the last part of it, i.e.,
before the salaam.
But if there is a report to indicate that a particular du'aa' should
be said after the salaam, such as when the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Ask for forgiveness (by
sayingAstaghfirullah) three times," this is a du'aa', but the Sunnah
indicates that it should be said after the salaam.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
What is meant by "at the end of the prayer" in the hadeeths which
encourage saying du'aa' or dhikr at the end of each prayer? Is it the
last part of the prayer or after the salaam?
He replied:
The phrase "the end of the prayer" may be applied to the last part of
it before the salaam, or it may be applied to what comes immediately
after the salaam. There are saheeh hadeeths that mention that, most of
which indicate that what is meant is the last part of the prayer
before the salaam if it has to do with du'aa', such as the hadeeth of
Ibn Mas'ood, in which the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) taught him the tashahhud, then he said: "Then let him choose
whatever du'aa' he likes and say it." And according to another version
he said, "Let him choose after asking whatever he wants." (saheeh –
agreed upon).
Another example is the hadeeth of Mu'aadh in which the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: "Do not
neglect to say at the end of every prayer:Allahumma a'inni 'ala
dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni 'ibaadatika(O Allah, help me to remember
You, give thank to You and worship You properly)."
Narrated by Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasaa'i with a saheeh isnaad.
Another example is the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari (may Allah have
mercy on him) from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with
him) who said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
used to say at the end of every prayer: "Allaahumma inni a'oodhu bika
min al-bukhl, wa a'oodhu bika min al-jubn, wa a'oodhu bika min an
uradda ila ardhal il-'umr, wa a'oodhu bika min fitnat ad-dunya wa min
'adhaab al-qabr(O Allah, I seek refuge in You from miserliness, and I
seek refuge in You from cowardice, and I seek refuge in You from
reaching feeble old age, and I seek refuge in You from the trials of
this world, and I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave.
With regard to the adhkaar that have been narrated, the saheeh
hadeeths indicate that they are to be recited at the end of the prayer
after the salaam. An example of that is to say after saying the
salaam: "Astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah, astaghfirullah. Allaahumma
anta al-salaam wa minka al-salaam tabaarakta ya dhaa'l-jalaali
wa'l-ikraam(I ask Allaah for forgiveness, I ask Allaah for
forgiveness, I ask Allaah for forgiveness. O Allaah, You are the One
Who is free from all defects and deficiencies and from You is all
peace, blessed are You, O Possessor of majesty and honour), whether he
was the imam or praying behind the imam or praying on his own. Then
after that the imam should turn to face the congregation, and the
imam, the one who prayed behind the imam and the one who prayed on his
own should say, after that dhikr and prayer for forgiveness:Laa ilaaha
ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu'l-mulk wa lahu'l-hamd wa
huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadeer. Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah
wa laa na'budu illaa iyyaah. Lahu'l-ni'mah wa lahu'l-fadl wa
lahu'l-thanaa' al-hasan. Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah mukhliseena
lahu'l-deena wa law kariha'l-kaafiroon. Allaahumma laa maani' lima
a'tayta wa laa mu'ti lima mana'ta wa la yanfa' dhaa'l-jadd minka
al-jadd(There is no god but Allaah Alone, with no partner or associate
His is the sovereignty and to Him be praise, and He is Able to do all
things. There is no power and no strength except with Allaah, and we
worship none but Him. From Him (alone) come all blessings and
favours, and all good praise is due to Him. There is no god but Allaah
and we make our worship purely for Him (alone) however much the
disbelievers may hate that. O Allaah, none can withhold what You give
and none can give what You withhold, and no wealth or majesty can
benefit anyone for from You is all wealth and majesty).
It is mustahabb for the Muslim, male or female, to recite this dhikr
after each of the five daily prayers, then to glorify Allah (by
sayingSubhaan Allah), praise Him (by sayingal-hamdu Lillah), and
magnify Him (by sayingAllahu akbar) thirty-three times, then to
complete one hundred by saying: Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa
shareeka lah, lahu'l-mulk wa lahu'l-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in
qadeer (There is no god but Allaah Alone, with no partner or associate
His is the sovereignty and to Him be praise, and He is Able to do all
things).
All of that is proven in hadeeths from the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). After that it is mustahabb
to recite Aayat al-Kursiy once, quietly, and to reciteQul Huwa Allahu
Ahad(Soorat al-Ikhlaas) and al-Mu'awwidhatayn once, quietly, except in
the case of Maghrib and Fajr, when it is mustahabb to repeat the
recitation of the three soorahs mentioned, three times. It is also
mustahabb for the Muslim, male or female, to say after praying Maghrib
and Fajr:Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu'l-mulk
wa lahu'l-hamd yuhyi wa yumeet wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadeer(there
is no God but Allaah alone, with no partner or associate, His is the
Dominion and to Him be praise, He gives life and gives death, and He
has power over all things) ten times in addition to what is mentioned
above, before reciting Aayat al-Kursiy and before reciting the three
soorahs mentioned above, in accordance with the saheeh hadeeths that
have been narrated concerning that. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 11/194
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If one ponders this matter it will become clear that what is connected
to the end of the prayer, if it is dhikr it comes after the prayer and
if it is du'aa' it comes in the last part of the prayer.
With regard to the former, Allah, may He be exalted, has made the time
after the prayer a time for dhikr, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):"When you have finished As-Salat (the prayer -
congregational), remember Allah standing, sitting down, and lying down
on your sides" [an-Nisa' 4:103]. And the Sunnah explains what is
mentioned in general terms in this verse of dhikr, such as when the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "The one who
glorifies Allah (by sayingSubhaan Allah) at the end of every prayer
thirty-three times…" Each text that mentions dhikr at the end of the
prayer is to be understood as referring to after the prayer, in
accordance with this verse.
With regard to the latter, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) regarded the time after the final tashahhud as a time for
du'aa'. So every text that mentions du'aa' at the end of the prayer is
to be understood as referring to the last part of it, so that the
du'aa' will be at the point where the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) taught us to offer du'aa', unless interpreting the
text in this manner is impossible or unlikely, according to the
context, in which case it is to be understood as indicated by the
context. End quote.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 13/268
Secondly:
It is not prescribed to raise the hands when saying du'aa' after the
prayer, because that was not narrated from the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him). It says inFataawa al-Lajnah
ad-Daa'imah(7/103): When saying du'aa' after the obligatory prayer it
is not Sunnah to raise the hands, whether that is done by the imam on
his own or the one who prayed behind the imam on his own, or by both
of them. Rather that is an innovation, because it was not narrated
from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or from
his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). As for saying du'aa'
without doing that (raising the hands), there is nothing wrong with
it, because there are some hadeeths that mention that. And Allah knows
best.

Imam Hasan Askari's (as) words of wisdom and advice

Imam Hasan Askari (as) said: "To greet everyone you pass by and to sit
in a place other than the first class of a session are signs of
modesty".
Imam Hasan Askari (as) said: "Very much offering of prayers and
fasting is not the worship; the very worship is the very much
pondering over the affairs of Allah (SWT)".
Imam Hasan Askari (as) said: "Anger is the key to every evil".
Imam Hasan Askari (as) said: "The best of your brothers is the one who
forgets your sin and remembers and mentions your favours done to him".
Imam Hasan Askari (as) said: "Nothing is above two characters:
believing in Allah (SWT) and benefiting the friends".
Imam Hasan Askari (as) said: Generosity has a limit, when crossed
becomes extravagance; caution has a limit when crossed becomes
cowardice; thriftiness has a limit, when crossed becomes miserliness;
courage has a limit, when crossed becomes fool-hardiness.
Let this moral lesson suffice: Cease from doing anything which you
would disapprove of if done by someone else.

Imam Hasan Askari's (as) Generosity with his Enemies

It is narrated that Al-Mu'tamid, the Abbasid Caliph had kept a spy to
keep a watchful eye on our 11th Imam, Imam Hasan Askari's (as)
movements.
One day, a Shia (follower of Imam Hasan Askari (as)) sent some
pomegranates to him as a gift. The pomegranates were placed in front
of Imam Hasan Askari (as).
The spy, who happened to be present at that time, kept on staring at
the pomegranates longingly. When Imam Hasan Askari (as) noticed this
behaviour, despite his knowledge about him, Imam Hasan Askari (as)
picked up one pomegranate and gave it to the spy. The spy took it but
did not eat it.
Imam Hasan Askari (as) asked him: "Why aren't you eating the
pomegranate I gave you?" He said, "I have five children and I never
eat without them. I was just wondering how I will share this one
pomegranate with them"?
Imam Hasan Askari (as) felt pity for him and gave away all the
pomegranates to him. The man refused but Imam Hasan Askari (as)
insisted saying: "If your children eat these, it is better than I eat
them!"
Innumerable true stories of our Holy Imams are written in the books,
from which we can learn a lot. Studying the lives of our Holy
personalities is important to all of us and to pass it over to our
children. In conclusion we should raise our hands in supplication and
pray that may Allah (SWT) guide us all to the path of the Ahlul Bayt
(as) and give us Taufeeq to practice what they have taught us. Ameen

Imam Hasan al-Askari (as) and Knowledge of Noble Qur'an

Almighty Allah (SWT) says: "... Then the male shall have the like of
the portion of two females ..." (Noble Qur'an 4:176)
A person well known for his knowledge and virtues came to Imam Hasan
Askari (as) and asked, "Women are naturally weaker than men. Then why
is it that they are given one share in inheritance? And men, despite
their strength are given two shares? Justice demands that it should be
on the contrary".
Imam Hasan Askari (as) said, "You have seen apparent weakness of women
but have not reflected on the duties of men and women. The
difficulties of men are much more than those of women. Jihad is
incumbent on men and not on women; the responsibility of earning
livelihood rests on men and not on women; the maintenance of women is
on men. Then in such circumstances if the share of men is double, is
it against justice and equity?"
Once somebody asked Imam Hasan Askari (as), "Whom does the verse refer
to: 'Nay! These are clear communications in the breasts of those who
are granted knowledge; and none deny Our communications except the
unjust.' ( Noble Qur'an29:49)?" Imam Hasan Askari (as) replied, "It
refers to us - the Ahlul Bayt".

Waging a Struggle Consistent with the Qur'an's Ethics

All Muslims should live according to the ethics Allah revealed in
the Qur'an. However fair and just Muslims are in their everyday
life, their business affairs, or in their personal relationships,
they must demonstrate the same values during times of war, while
defending themselves, or even while being driven from their lands.
They must still put themselves in Allah's hands, obey Allah's laws,
and adhere strictly to His instructions.
The word "Islam" has the same meaning as the word "peace" in Arabic.
The Qur'an calls people to the ethics of Islam, through which the
world can be made a haven for peace and love. Allah commands us to
rule justly and without discriminating among people, to preserve
people's rights, oppose cruelty, and help those in need. This
justice requires each Muslim to protect the rights of both parties,
evaluate events objectively, and think without bias. It requires
justice, honesty, love, mercy, and compassion.
As Allah reveals in the Qur'an: "O you who believe! Show integrity
for the sake of Allah, bearing witness with justice. Do not let
hatred for a people incite you into not being just. Be just, for
that is closer to heedfulness. Fear Allah. Allah is aware of what
you do." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 8), true Muslims must not let their
decisions or practices be tainted by such feelings as resentment,
hatred, and rage. Muslims must always conduct themselves according
to the Qur'an, behave with patience and restraint, and avoid
exaggerated responses. As Allah reminds: " We will test you with a
certain amount of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and life and
fruits. But give good news to the steadfast ." (Surat al-Baqara,
155). Thus, given that this life on Earth is merely a trial, we must
never forget that Allah tests His believers with war, attack,
oppression, and all manner of difficulties. The most important thing
is for Muslims to respond to such trials in a manner that pleases
Allah and always to behave in accord with Islamic teachings and
principles.
Thus the Palestinians must remember, as they respond to Israel, that
every difficulty they endure is really a test of their faith. In
addition, they must strictly adhere to Allah's ethics, justice, and
commands not to overstep their bounds. They must follow only those
opposition methods revealed in the Qur'an. The result of such an
intellectual struggle is most certainly salvation, for "Allah only
did this for it to be good news for you and so that your hearts might
be set at rest by it. And victory is not except from Allah, the
Exalted in Might, the Wise." (Surah Al 'Imran, 126)
Attacks against Defenseless Jews Are Incompatible with the Qur'an
The verse: "Allah does not forbid you from being good to those who
have not fought you in the religion or driven you from your homes,
or from being just toward them. Allah loves those who are just."
(Surat al-Mumtahana, 8) describes how the Palestinians must behave
toward civilians as they oppose the Israeli government. In the
Qur'an, Allah forbids killing innocent people, unarmed women,
children, and the elderly. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) gave specific orders to his commanders going to war,
and warned them not to harm civilians.
In the last few years, however, some Palestinians have carried out
bombings against civilian settlements occupied by unarmed
civilians, children, women, and the elderly. These attacks have made
targets of a cafeteria, a school bus, and places where teenagers
hang out, and have resulted in dozens of civilian deaths. According
to Israeli reports from various news agencies, suicide bombings
since September 2000 have killed 30 Israeli children and injured
272 more. Out of 177 Israelis killed, 128 were civilians; out of
1,743 Israelis injured, 1,216 were civilians. ("Palestinian
Terrorism - The Israel Side," Bridges for Peace Website,
http://www.bridgesforp eace.com/public ations /dispatch/signsoftimes
/Article- 2.html .) These attacks provoked a strong reaction
throughout the world and did more harm than good to the Palestinian
cause. Even those in the West who had opposed Israel's pro-violence
policy were forced to condemn the Palestinians and withdraw their
support.
Obviously, such attacks cannot be excused. As explained above, such
a method is absolutely inconsistent with Islam. When we examine the
Qur'an and the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
actions, we find that Islam does not support attacks against
civilians. Whether during the conquest of Mecca or during other
wars, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
carefully protected the rights of innocent and unarmed people and
prevented them from being harmed. He reminded Muslims of this on
various occasions by telling them: "Set out for war in the name of
Allah and for the sake of Allah. Do not lay hands on the old verging
on death, on women, children and babies. Do good, for Allah loves
the virtuous and the pious." ( Sahih Muslim Hadiths ) Another
reminder is:
"Do not kill any old person, any child or any woman." ( Abu Dawud Hadiths )
"Do not kill the monks in monasteries" ( Musnad of Ibn Hanbal
Hadiths) or "Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of
worship." ( Musnad of Ibn Hanbal Hadiths)
As shown in the hadiths, Muslims must struggle in conformity with
the Qur'an. In other words, their struggle must be just,
compassionate, and free of extremism. Muslims should oppose both
tyranny and barbarism, and all forms of injustice. Another verse
reports that they must always be on the side of peace and
compromise:
If they incline to peace, you too incline to it and put your trust
in Allah. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. (Surat al-Anfal,
61)
Muslim's stand on the subject of Israel and the Jews must also be in
line with these basic principles. Muslims who live in accordance
with the Qur'an must have an unbiased view of the Jews.
Jews believe in Allah's Oneness and follow a religion Allah revealed
through His messengers. Moreover, the Qur'an refers to them as
People of the Book. They embrace many values, based on Allah's
revelation, as well as the concepts of sin, haram (prohibited) and
halal (allowed). In the Qur'an, one can see that there was a
friendly relationship between Muslims and the People of the Book.
For this reason, if one of the People of the Book cooks some food,
Muslims can eat it and vice-versa, and Muslim men can marry their
women. These commands show that warm neighborly and even family
ties can be established among Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and
that they can accept each other's invitations. Another verse calls
for the two groups to unite, based upon a common word for belief
(Surah Al 'Imran, 64).
For these reasons, Muslim communities historically have behaved
moderately and compassionately toward the People of the Book. This
situation is especially evident in the Ottoman Empire, which
accepted the Jews exiled by Catholic Spain at the end of the
fifteenth century and allowed them to live peacefully in the
empire.
Allah does not forbid you from being good to those who have not
fought you in the religion or driven you from your homes, or from
being just toward them. Allah loves those who are just. Allah
merely forbids you from taking as friends those who have fought you
in the religion and driven you from your homes and who supported
your expulsion. Any who take them as friends are wrongdoers. (Surat
al-Mumtahana, 8-9)
Justice and moderation also should be shown toward followers of
non-monotheistic faiths and toward those with no faith at all, both
of which are far more distant to Muslims. According to the Qur'an,
Muslims have an obligation to protect all, even idolaters, and to
ensure they reach their destination safely when they so request.
If any of the idolaters ask you for protection, give them protection
until they have heard the words of Allah. Then convey them to a
place where they are safe. … (Surat at-Tawba, 6)
Muslims with a responsibility to ensure the safety of all, even
idolaters, must obviously be affectionate and understanding toward
the People of the Book, who believe in the One Allah, are loyal to
the prophets and have the concept of lawful and forbidden. Simply
put, Muslims who are sincere in their religion, obey Allah, and
respect the Qur'an can neither nurture animosity toward Jews just
because of their religion and beliefs, nor treat them with hostility
just because they are Jews.
Islam Forbids Suicide
When discussing attacks on Israeli citizens, the Islamic view of
suicide also must be examined. Some people are gravely misinformed
about Islam, believing that this religion of peace permits suicide
bombings; nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, Islam
forbids a Muslim from taking his or her life, just as it forbids
taking somebody else's life. Allah explicitly condemns suicide: " do
not kill yourselves " (Surat an-Nisa', 29), regardless of the
reason. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) also
told his Companions that suicide leads one to eternal damnation:
Whoever purposely throws himself from a mountain and kills himself
will be in the (Hell) Fire falling down into it and abiding therein
perpetually forever. Whoever drinks poison and kills himself with
it, he will be carrying his poison in his hand and drinking it in
the (Hell) Fire, wherein he will abide eternally forever. Whoever
kills himself with an iron weapon will be carrying that weapon in
his hand and stabbing his abdomen with it in the (Hell) Fire,
wherein he will abide eternally forever. ( Sahih Bukhari Hadiths)
As explained in the hadith, committing suicide and engaging in
suicide bombings – not to mention killing innocent people thereby –
violates the Qur'an's ethics. Every Muslim should condemn these
incidents, which cast a pall upon the Palestinians' rights.
It must not be forgotten that those who compel Palestinian youths to
engage in such unjust and irrational behavior are also pulling
Israeli and Palestinian youths into an endless cycle of bloodshed
and retribution. These ongoing suicide bombings destroy these
young people's futures and that of the land itself. The young people
who strap on explosives and detonate them among civilians are
being destroyed on a road that will never lead to success. And it is
essential for this method, which is incompatible with the Qur'an,
to be condemned by all Muslims.
The Solution Is the Implementation of Qur'anic Ethics
Any mode of struggle outside of the Qur'anic value system – for
example, the guerilla tactics envisaged by communist ideology – is
not correct and cannot succeed. For this reason, the current
situation must be evaluated sensibly and realistically, and a method
consistent with Qur'anic values must be devised.
The Palestinians can only attain the rights and peaceful lives they
demand through a campaign waged on the level of ideas and supported
by a very powerful educational project. For this, the Palestinians
need a strong team of educated and cultured individuals who are
aware of legal, diplomatic, and international policies, and who
conduct themselves according to the ethics of the Qur'an.
Of course there are a great many highly cultured, open-minded
intellectuals among the Palestinian people. The important thing is
the work these intellectuals will engage in to raise the
consciousness of the young, turn them in the right direction and
defend the Palestinian cause before the people of the world. This
work could play an important role in raising the Palestinians'
awareness of true Islamic ethics, raising the level of education,
and helping them to explain their rights to the world.
At present a very different picture of the Palestinian people is
being presented to the world, a picture totally at variance with the
truth. The Palestinian cause is suffering serious damage on account
of the irrational attacks, incompatible with Islamic values, being
carried out by a few fanatics or subversive groups who oppose peace
with violence. In the same way that this harm is expressed by many
intellectuals, it is also described by commentators in various
countries, including Turkey. The daily Zaman writer Kerim Balci, who
lives in Palestine, drew attention to this in one of his articles:
Not only are the suicide attacks a violation of fundamental Islamic
values, they also damage the Palestinian cause. Not just me, but
rational thinking Palestinians say the same thing … The Palestinian
cause is a problem of the whole Islamic world. Those at the head of
this movement cannot act in the light of their own personal
interests, out of a desire for revenge and a concern over honor and
pride. The militants who kill innocent Jewish children in Palestine
may well believe they are serving Islam. Yet all of their actions do
is to make things much more difficult for those people who are
trying to repair the damage done to the Muslim image all over the
world … It is blatantly evident that attacks of this kind benefit
Israel much more than Palestine. ( Zaman Turkish Daily, 15 September
2002.)
There are even those Palestinians who, ignorant of the true
Qur'anic morality, may participate in these provocations without
realizing the nature of what they are doing.
Given this, a great education force must be mobilized and spread
among all Palestinians, particularly the young ones, to stamp out
this ignorance and fanaticism and to teach them the true values of
the Qur'an. Schools, universities, and mass education campaigns can
help to raise their awareness and will be the greatest possible
contribution. We say this because when these people recognize the
true Islam revealed in the Qur'an, when they learn that Islam is a
religion of peace and reconciliation, when they comprehend world
politics with the consciousness brought by the Qur'an, they will
understand that suicide bombings and killing innocent people in
cafeterias or on buses are not only wrong, but are not a solution.
It is far easier to reach a solution through compassion and
reconciliation, rational policies, a worldwide diplomatic
initiative, and an intellectual struggle that is consistent with
the Qur'an's moral values.
The many wars of the twentieth century, as well as the numerous
incidents that have inaugurated the twenty- first century, clearly
show that violence cannot undo violence, and that brutality cannot
undo brutality. The only way to stop violence is for the virtues of
the Qur'an's ethics – humility, compassion, reconciliation, and
rationality – to prevail upon people's thoughts and actions, and on
the entire world.

Darwinist Education at Schools is the Main Reason Behind the Violence and Terrorism

Nothing in this world is a coincidence, and neither was the
darkness that the world was dragged into in the 20 th and 21 st
centuries. Allah, through these painful stages in history, showed a
very important example to humanity and He still wants them to see
it. The people need to understand: If they forget that they were
created for love, brotherhood, friendship and altruism, and if they
choose to be divided and fight instead of uniting and getting
stronger, and if they get carried away by false ideologies and
movements and believe that "killing and fighting is necessary to
improve," they will get what they want: fighting and suffering. And
they will ultimately see that conflicts will not bring improvement,
but only destruction.
Darwinism and Its Derivative Communism Is Based on a So-called Need
to Fight and Conflict
Dialectics which first originated in ancient Greece and meant
"debate" was described by Heraclitus (576-480) with the following
words: "... all things come into being by a conflict of opposites. "
To Heraclitus, conflict is the father of everything. Therefore,
there has to be a conflict between the thesis and the anti-thesis.
If the defenders of a thesis are going to be defeated by the other
side, it has to be through war and blood and the other side must be
destroyed at all costs. Then the synthesis will turn into a new
thesis and the same fight and war should continue at full speed.
Hegel and Marx, who followed centuries after him, called it
"conflict," if not directly war and it certainly didn't take long
before the bloody communist leaders perceived it as war and
massacre. They believed in the necessity of war and considered it
the basic condition for Marxism. Even though the green communists
today reject this concept of war, communism requires brutal
ambushes, guerilla war, and massacres without any reservations. The
current massacres in Syria, the bloodshed by the communist PKK in
the Southeastern Anatolia is proof enough of that.
Every Country Facing Terrorism Today Is Actually Suffering from Communism
Every country that is suffering from terrorism, including Turkey,
is actually fighting communism. Communism is very much alive today,
and even if it's not officially recognized; it's controlling parts
of North America, Northern Europe and almost the whole of the Middle
East. Then there are the countries which are officially under
communist rule such as many South America countries, China and of
course, North Korea. This communist, Marxist rule brings terrorism to
the whole world. Those who shut their eyes to this very obvious
Marxist threat are still looking for solutions to terrorism with
never- ending TV debates. However, at the same time, they continue
to teach their students dialectics in their schools. Their own
children's minds are filled with lies that two opposing ideas need
to fight each other and the history is full of such conflicts, and
that only such conflicts can bring improvement and benefit to
societies. Terrorists themselves are also indoctrinated with the
same lies. Ironically, both communist countries and capitalist
countries provide this education; the Marxist state of mind
therefore continues to progress in every country with secretive but
very firm steps.
There is another point that has to be kept in mind: Capitalism is
not a blow dealt to Marxism. On the contrary, according to Marx,
capitalism is an important requirement for societies to move
forward to communism. Communism is simply lying in ambush, waiting
to ensnare people and societies which became selfish under
capitalism, which have abandoned their moral, religious and human
values, thinking about themselves alone. The latest economic crisis
played into the hands of communism. According to Marxists and
communists, everything is now ready. Anyone wishing to understand
this phenomenon better can take a closer look at the many problems in
the world.
The Existence of Opposites Does Not Require Wars
There have always been opposites. The conflict between good and evil
has existed since the beginning of the world. However, this
conflict has to be defined accurately. The existence of opposites
does not require war. The opposites can stand up for themselves
through communication, and intellectual debate, presentation of
evidence, all within the bounds of love and respect; no one can be
forced to accept any idea and no one should be killed simply because
he doesn't want to accept it. No war has ever brought about
definitive improvement to any society so far. The bloody wars and
conflicts of the 20 th century, the endless fights of today, just
help the armaments industry which makes money over weapons
production and destroys people, civilizations, technology, cities and
entire economies. There can be no progress or improvement with
people who are becoming more and more frightened every day. There
can be no going forward when people keep getting hungrier, more
malnourished, less educated, less productive. The cities won't be
better when their infrastructure and technology is destroyed with
bombs and jetfighters. No society can move forward with the younger
generation dying out. The atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki did not bring anything other than wholesale destruction
that lingered through generations. The bloody dialectics introduced
by Marxism never brought that imaginary progress to societies and
it will not do so in the future. If we allow that, the world will
be engulfed with even worse disasters, and everywhere will be
drowning in blood.
Darwinism is the philosophical background of many conflicts in the
world. The theory of evolution claims that all species evolved from
a single cell (whose origin Darwinists can never explain) as a
result of a rather nebulous string of coincidences. According to
them, fighting is one of the elements of this imaginary
evolutionary process. The basis of this brutal ideology, which
claims that the living things can evolve only through fighting, is
about the survival of the fittest. Introducing this twisted Darwinist
religion as a scientific theory and including it in curriculums all
around the world has brought upon a mass public deception and
those twisted Darwinist ideas found a fertile breeding ground, which
ultimately led to loss of millions of lives through various wars.
The Sole Solution against Bloody Ideologies Is Ending the One-Sided
Education Favoring Darwinism
Opposing ideas can give rise to something better only through love
and compassion, respect, freedom of thought and scientific
evidence. Not through force or violence. It is high time for
everyone to understand the reason behind the disasters handicapping
the world. Marxism provides the rationale for war; Marxist societies
set the stage for that in a covert manner. The most effective way to
stop that is through showing that this bloody dialectics is a false
scientific rationale to justify the wars. It should be said all
around that the so-called dialectics of nature is pure nonsense, and
as much as there are predators in nature, there are living things
that act in a very selfless and altruistic manner too. A fast way to
achieve this would be swiftly amending the education system that
teaches young minds this bloody dialectic idea all around the
world. This world is not a battlefield, neither for us, nor for
other beings. The world will be beautiful only with love, as
revealed by Allah in all the Divine religions. Allah wants love from
us. Allah wants us to be one, brothers and sisters. Allah loves to
love and to be loved. This world will change only if we follow
Allah's orders and "love."
Bediüzzaman Points to the Importance of Intellectual Struggle
against Darwinism and Materialism
The great Islamic scholar Bediuzzaman, who devoted his entire life to
an intellectual struggle against disbelief, explained in his works
that disbelief was sustained by Darwinism and materialism. He,
therefore, said that an intellectual struggle against such
ideologies would play a vital role.
Bediüzzaman explains the impact of materialism on unbelievers
trying to ambush him and his friends:
"And thirdly: To corrupt them with the enticing vices and
stupefying, pleasurable poisons of materialist philosophy and
civilization; and destroy their solidarity; and disparage their
leaders with treacherous lies; and discredit their ways with some of
the principles of science and philosophy…" (Bediuzzaman, Risale-i
Nur Collection, The Rays, Thirteenth Ray)
As very wisely put by Bediüzzaman, the unbelievers sought to cheat
believers with temporary and tempting worldly pleasures to nullify
the intellectual works of Bediuzzaman, and with the encouragement
from materialistic culture, tried to impair the unity and
solidarity of the believers and slandered Bediuzzaman repeatedly.
However they invariably failed.
Bediüzzaman says that Darwinism and materialism will get stronger
especially in the End Times and that disbelief will be more
widespread propelled by these two ideologies; however the Prophet
Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as) will put an end to this trouble
through an effective intellectual struggle. As Bediüzzaman
explained, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will carry out this duty perfectly, and
will intellectually end Darwinism and materialism and help save
people's faith.
" The first: Under the influence of science and philosophy, and the
spread of the materialist and naturalist epidemic into humanity, the
first duty [of Hazrat Mahdi (as)] is first of all to save faith as
to entirely silence philosophy and materialistic thinking ."
(Emirdag Addendum, p. 259)
Bediüzzaman says that Darwinism and materialism are the mainstays
of the antichrist, and that the Prophet Jesus (as) will carry out a
great intellectual struggle against that mischief, effectively
ending it:
"… at the end of time the religion of Christianity will be purified
and divest itself of superstition in the face of the current of
unbelief and atheism born of naturalist philosophy, and will be
transformed into Islam. At this point, the collective personality of
Christianity will kill the fearsome collective personality of
irreligion with the sword of heavenly revelation; so too,
representing the collective personality of Christianity, Jesus (as)
will [spiritually] kill the antichrist, who represents the
collective personality of irreligion, that is, he will kill
atheistic thought [he will intellectually eliminate it]." (The
Letters, First Letter, p. 22)
"... will [intellectually] kill the gigantic collective personality
of materialism and irreligion which the antichrist will form – for
the antichrist will be killed by Jesus' (as) sword [of knowledge] –
and destroy his ideas and disbelief, which are atheistic." (Flashes,
5th Flash, p. 589)
Bediüzzaman Said Nursi makes it very clear that it is Darwinism and
materialism that push people away from the moral values of religion
and lead them to disbelief. He explains that Muslims will carry out
a great intellectual struggle against these two twisted ideas under
the leadership of the Prophet Jesus (as) and Hazrat Mahdi (as). By
the grace of Allah, these ideologies will be ended by these two
blessed personages and the moral values of Islam will come to reign
throughout the world.