SAFAH

Bismillah. The family and social lives of the Muslim community today are plagued by dissension and breakdown. As every day dawns, the Muslims are united in their dislike and prejudices towards others in their community, which keeps on intensifying, and shows no signs of dying down. Husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters, friends and relatives, neighbors and acquaintances are the most significant and vital elements that play roles in shaping an Islamic society. Their mutual sympathy towards one another and understanding, the urge to help, and support one another in their sufferings, the spirit of respect and honor towards everyone in the Muslim community, and the feeling of a sense of brotherhood and kinship towards their brothers and sisters in faith, and observing their social responsibilities towards the entire Muslim community are disappearing fast. These are qualities, which must be observed by every member of the community to breathe a fresh lease of life into the present day Muslim society, and put it on the path that guarantees its prosperity and development. But, it is a matter of great concern that the Muslim community instead of showing love, goodwill, and sympathy towards one another has, of late, become indifferent to the basic Islamic values that are desired in Muslims. As a result, the social system outlined in the Holy Qur’an and the Traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad is no longer being observed. The culture of a feeling of brotherhood that existed in the past in the Muslim society, which enabled them to scale glorious heights in human civilization, is now totally into shambles. The moral structure of the society, and the basic family values of each unit of the Muslim society have crumbled to such an extent that it has caused them to drift away from one another by the day. Honor and respect towards their brothers have been replaced by insult and derision, love and sympathy by hatred and enmity, harmony and brotherhood by jealousy and spite, mutual cooperation and integration by discard and disunity. The killer instinct to make it good in the society at the cost of other Muslims on the material and social scale has become the dominant urge among Muslims and the order of the day. This is the state, which has exposed the Islamic Ummah to a number of social perils and moral bankruptcy. The relation between parents and children signifies honor and sacredness on one hand; it carries a great degree of love and affection on the other. But, the current trends of the modern society with all its social evils have crept into their lives, and the Muslims as a community have done away with all the respect and honor that should be accorded to one another both in the family and the society. Parents should confer all the love they can muster towards their children, and likewise the children should hold the parents in reverence and high esteem over all the members. However, the opposite of the ideal enjoined on a Muslim family is true, as we read the newspapers everyday about cases, which are lodged in courts against parents by their children and vice versa: all of which go to prove that the community is plunged into the abyss of social disintegration and collective decay. Next, comes the relationship between husband and wife, which is held sacred in the tenets of Islam that visualizes for them a image of deep love, sympathy, trust, and honesty towards one another. Its teachings mirror for them a respectful, peaceful, responsible and a happy married life. However, this sacred relationship has crossed the boundaries set for the married couple by the Islamic Shariah, into the profane complexities, which are the benchmarks of a materialistic society. Cruelty and callousness, greed and avarice on the part of the husband, and his merciless demand of a huge dowry from the guardians of the wife, and his trampling over the rights of the wife, and the disobedient and impertinent attitude of the wife, her irresponsible behavior with her spouse and his family take place on a daily basis. Their quarrels reach to such an extent that they come out into the open under the scrutiny of the courts and the media. Under such circumstances, the conjugal life, in spite of flourishing and prospering at the material level, is on the verge of ruin and despair, because of petty trivial matters, prejudices, dislike and hatred towards one another along with their families. Quite evidently, for the same reasons, cases of murder and plunder, theft, fraud, and robbery have now started taking root in the members of the Muslim society. Divorce and breakdown of marriages have become commonplace. They are the result of our rejecting the social norms, human values, and morally sound attitudes enjoined upon us by the teachings of Islam. At the same time, the human relations like brothers, sisters, neighbors are undergoing mutual spite, quarrels, and differences, which keep undermining the true bliss of life and the real taste of social existence that is desired in a Muslim society. Is it not our responsibility to diagnose the ailments of our society and find solutions for them according to the Islamic law of the Holy Qur’an and the Holy teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (saws)? In fact, this is a collective responsibility of the Muslim Ummah. These crises and hostile issues that have been plaguing the Muslim community should be given a deep thought in order to bring out the solutions for them as early as possible. According to our humble view, the cure lies in the fact that every Muslim individual should make himself aware of the basic elements of his purpose of his life on earth, his reckoning in the Hereafter. Having learnt the religious injunctions, he should imbibe its teachings into his thoughts, actions, and into his very soul. The only way to possess them is to strive hard to gain a better Islamic knowledge and religious awareness from the elders and learned in the society who are well versed with the Holy Qur’an and Hadith literature or read the authentic Islamic literature that is now abundantly available in the market. When in doubt, one should crosscheck it with those who know better, and in this way become a more responsible Muslim in the society. Secondly, everyone should make a vow that he tries his best not to trample on the rights of others in his community and fulfill his duties where they are due, not caring whether the others in his society are mindful about them or not. If we – the Muslims as a community – instead of demanding our personal rights, should first try to discharge our own responsibilities, then this world would become a better place to live in.

Bismillah. The social structure of the families throughout the world is crumbling down to pieces. In the present times, it would not be totally wide of the mark to say that an overall social anarchy is prevailing in the family order of human beings everywhere in the world. The beautiful concept of family life in the world has been completely ruined. The sanctity of relations bound by blood, and based on sound moral values, is seen as disappearing fast from this planet. Islam has provided us with the most precise and comprehensive guidance on how we are to fulfill all our social responsibilities, and conduct, in all our dealings and relationships, with all our relatives with whom we come into contact on this earth, and other people in different walks of life. One of the most primary relationships in this world exists between a person and his/her parents. In Islam, the rights of parents have been described as those that are next to the rights of Allah (swt). The Holy Qur'an says:“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and do good to parents. If either of them or both reach old age, do not say to them “Uff” (a word of anger or contempt) and do not scold them. And address them with respectful words, and submit yourself before them in humility out of compassion and say, “My Lord, be merciful to them as they had brought me up in my childhood.” (17:23-24) Further, the Holy Qur'an states: “We commanded man to be good about his parents. His mother carried him facing weakness after weakness, and his weaning in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents. To Me is the ultimate return'. And if they force you to ascribe to Him partners about whom you have no knowledge, do not obey them. And be with them in this world, with due fairness, and follow the way of the one who has turned himself towards Me. Then, towards Me is your return, so I shall tell you about what you had been doing.” (31:14-15) The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saws) has also laid a very great stress on giving full devotion to the needs of parents, and obedience to one's parents. It is a highly grievous sin to disobey one's parents, ignore their feelings, or to disregard their comfort and happiness in any way. Allah and His Prophet have declared it as the greatest sin, and have characterized a disobedient attitude towards parents after polytheism. The Holy Prophet (saws) has said: “In the pleasure of parents lies the pleasure of Allah, and in their displeasure, the displeasure of Allah.” The Prophet (saws) once said, “Every time a dutiful son or daughter looks with affection and respect towards his or her father or mother, Allah writes against his or her name the reward of an approved Hajj.” (Baihaqi) The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saws) once said to his Companions that the most mortal sins in the world are three: “Associating anyone with Allah, disobeying parents, and giving a false evidence.” (Mishkat) Once a person enquired from the Prophet (saws), “What are the rights of the parents?” The Holy Prophet replied, “Parents are the Heaven or Hell of their children, i.e. Salvation and Paradise could be gained by serving one's parents well while disobedience to them could lead one to Hell.” (Ibn Majah) So, every Muslim should be highly respectful towards his parents though he suffers some kind of problem or difficulty, while treading on this path on account of his parents rebuking him or using harsh words against him because of their old age. Parents, after all, are human beings susceptible to weaknesses and desires. It is possible that they might say or do something wrong and offending to their children. In such circumstances, the children should not mind the acts or utterances of their parents. They should not become enraged at such things and start cursing them. Whatever the parents may do to their children, they should control their temper keeping in view of the hardships and difficulties suffered by them in raising him up as a child into an adult. A Muslim should always consider this fact, and stand by the side of his parents in the way of their appreciating all that they have done to him in bringing him up, and be respectful and obedient to them every time especially in their old age. No doubt, some of the parents, by their unjust behavior, can create certain situations in which the children may become rebellious and disobedient to them. Especially, when the father remarries and the children have to live with their stepmother who is usually callous and uncompromising with them. It is often seen that the stepmother tries to get her husband angry towards his children from his first wife, over their trivial faults. In most of the cases, the father-out of love and consideration for their new brides, and in an effort to please all their whims and temperaments- does change his attitude towards his children, and mistreat them. He too, becomes like a stepfather to his own children. Similarly, if the mother, a widow or a divorcee, marries again after divorce or death of her husband, the second husband does not like that his wife treat her and his children alike. And, the poor wife in order to please her husband is compelled to adopt a different attitude towards her children from her first husband. Either way the Islamic Shariah has admonished the children to obey their parents even at the cost of endangering their own lives. We hope that people will learn from the verses of the Holy Qur'an and the Traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saws) that we have quoted above to behave in the best possible terms with their parents, especially in their old age, so that they might gain the pleasure of Allah in this world, and the Hereafter.

Bismillah. “Alif Laam Meem This is the Book that contains no doubt, guidance for those who fear Allah. Those who believe in the unseen, who establish the daily prayers and spend from what We have provided them with. Those who believe in what was revealed to you and what was revealed to those before you, and they are filled with conviction concerning the hereafter. They are upon guidance from their Lord, and they are the successful.” {Soorat-ul-Baqarah: 1-5} (1) Related by Imaam ad-Daarimee in his Sunan as #3382 and #3383 from ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ood-may Allah be pleased with him-and it has been ruled as being marfu’oo [1] that he said: “Whoever recites ten verses from Soorat-ul-Baqarah at night time the shaytaan will not enter the house that evening until the morning, (also) the first four verses of Soorat-ul-Baqarah, Aayat-ul-Kursee and the two verses after it, in addition to the three last verses of Soorat-ul-Baqarah beginning with: {…To Allah belongs what is in the heavens…} And in another narration “…shaytaan or anything he dislikes will not come near him nor his family that day, and it is not recited over a mentally ill person except that he will recover from his illness At-Tabaraanee related it in his Kabeer as #8673, and al-Haythamee said in his Majma’ (#17014): “The men of this narration are the narrators of the Saheeh except that ash-Sha’bee did not hear directly from Ibn Mas’oud.” [1] T.N. Al-Khateeb (rahimahullah) said: “It is what has been narrated by a companion directly from the Messenger (may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him)”. Al-Baa’eeth-ul-Hatheeth Page 54.

Bismillah. A man went to Ibn ‘Abbas radiAllaahu ‘anhu and said, “O Ibn ‘Abbas, I want to enjoin people to do good and forbid them from doing evil.” Ibn ‘Abbas said, “And have you reached that level?” He said, “I hope that that is so.” He said, “If you do not fear to be exposed by three verses of Allah’s Book, then do so.” The man asked, “And what are they?” He mentioned this verse: Enjoin you Al-Birr (piety and righteousness and each and every act of obedience to Allâh) on the people and you forget (to practise it) yourselves.” (Baqarah 2:44) And then asked, “Have you applied the implications of this verse?” He said, “No.” Ibn ‘Abbas then mentioned the second verse: O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful it is with Allâh that you say that which you do not do. (As-Saff 61:2-3) After that he asked, “Have you applied the implications of this verse?” He said, “No.” He then mentioned the third verse regarding Shu’aib alayhi salaam: “I wish not, in contradiction to you, to do that which I forbid you.” (Hud 11:88) And then he asked, “Have you applied the implications of this verse? He said, “No.” Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Then begin with yourself.”

Bismillah. That is a successful trade, O Abu Ad-Dahdah! Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, “When this Ayah, [مَّن ذَا الَّذِى يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ] (Who is he that will lend Allah handsome loan: then (Allah) will increase it manifold to his credit (in repaying),) was revealed, Abu Ad-Dahdah Al-Ansari said, `O Allah’s Messenger! Does Allah ask us for a loan‘ The Prophet said, «نَعَمْ، يَاأَبَا الدَّحْدَاح» (Yes, O Abu Ad-Dahdah.) He said, `Give me your hand, O Allah’s Messenger,’ and the Prophet placed his hand in his hand. Abu Ad-Dahdah said, `Verily, I have given my garden as a loan to my Lord.’ He had a garden that contained six hundred date trees; his wife and children were living in that garden too. Abu Ad-Dahdah went to his wife and called her, `Umm Ad-Dahdah!’ She said, `Here I am.’ He said, `Leave the garden, because I have given it as a loan to my Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored.’ She said, `That is a successful trade, O Abu Ad-Dahdah!’ She then transferred her goods and children. The Messenger of Allah said, «كَمْ مِنْ عَذْقٍ رَدَاحٍ فِي الْجَنَّةِ لِأَبِي الدَّحْدَاح» (How plentiful are the sweet date clusters that Abu Ad-Dahdah has in Paradise!)” In another narration, the Prophet said, «رُبَّ نَخْلَةٍ مُدَلَّاةٍ، عُرُوقُهَا دُرٌّ وَيَاقُوتٌ، لِأَبِي الدَّحْدَاحِ فِي الْجَنَّة» (How many a date tree that has lowered down its clusters, which are full of pearls and gems in Paradise for Abu Ad-Dahdah!) {Tafsir ibn kathir} –

Bismillah. Who is your Lord? The First Principle: So if it is said to you: “Who is your Lord?”, then say: “My Lord is Allaah, who has nurtured me and all of the creation with his favours and blessings, He is the one whom I worship and there is no other whom I worship besides him.” The proof is the saying of Allaah, the Most High:“All praise is for Allaah, the Lord of all creation.” [Al-Faatihah 1:2] Everything besides Allaah is a created being and I am one of the creation. “The First Principle” – The first principle is having knowledge of the Lord. Knowledge of this necessitates belief in Him, belief that He alone deserves to be worshipped and belief in His beautiful names and perfect attributes. The author started with this because it is the fundamental of all fundamentals. “So if it is said to you: “Who is your Lord?”,” – The word ‘Lord’ can be applied to the king, the master and the one who deserves to be worshipped. Only Allaah possesses these three qualities. As for the creation, then it is possible for one of them to be a lord in the sense that he is a master, or a king and a master, but these things coupled with the right to be worshipped are exclusive to Allaah, the Most High. He is the King, Master and the One who deserves to be worshipped, to him belongs the creation, it is in His possession, sovereignty and control, and to Him belongs the command, both legislative and universal. “then say: “My Lord is Allaah,” – Meaning, He is the one whom I worship. Ibn ‘Abbaas (May Allaah be pleased with him) explained the word ‘Allaah’ to mean: “The One who deserves to be worshipped and served by the whole of creation.” The word ‘Allaah’ and ‘al-ilaah’ come from the word ‘uloohah’ which means worship (Al-‘Ibaadah); therefore Allaah is Al-Ma’looh which means the one who is worshipped. “who has nurtured me and all of the creation” – Allaah nurtures his creation in two ways: 1. He nurtures them by providing blessings that suffice their bodily needs or we could say a provisional and nutritional nurturing with all that is needed to live. 2. Allaah nurtures His servants with the revelation that He reveals to His Messengers. This is a religious nurturing. It is feasible for us to say that Allaah nurtures some of His servants from a religious perspective and others from a worldly perspective. “with his favours and blessings,” – Ni’am is the plural of ni’mah (blessing or favour). “He is the one whom I worship and there is no other whom I worship besides him.”” – This is the correct explanation of the meaning of Laa ilaah illa Allaah (None has the right to be worshiped except Allaah). “The proof is the saying of Allaah, the Most High: “All praise is for Allaah, the Lord of all creation.”” - Al-hamd is to praise Allaah. The reason for this praise is because of the apparent and hidden blessings that Allaah gives to the creation. It has to be understood that there is a difference between thanks (shukr) and praise (hamd). Praise is offered on account of a blessing or a calamity, whereas thanks are only offered on account of a blessing. Praise occurs on the tongue only whereas thanks occurs upon the tongue, in the heart and upon he limbs. A poet said: “The favour caused thanks to manifest itself upon my limbs, tongue and heart.” A person says to someone that has done them a favour, ‘May Allaah reward you’, and this is with the tongue. He may also extend his hand in order to shake hands, and he may sense in his heart that he has been favoured. Allaah started four soorahs in the Qur’aan with ‘Al-hamdu lillah’ (All praise is for Allaah), and he mentioned after that the reason that warrants this praise. In this verse the reason for this praise is the Lordship of Allaah over His creation. The four soorahs are: 1. Al-An’aam: “All praise is for Allaah Who created the heavens and the earth, and originated the darkness and the light; yet those who disbelieve hold others as equal with their Lord.” Here the praise is on account of the creation of the heavens and the earth, and origination of darkness and light. 2. Al-Kahf: “All praise is for Allaah Who sent down to His slave the Book, and has not placed therein any crookedness.” Here praise is on account of Allaah revealing the Book to His Messenger (Peace be upon him), the Book that is a guide, straight and upright. 3. Saba’: “All praise is for Allaah to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. His is all praise and thanks in the hereafter, and He is that All Wise, All Aware.” Here praise is on account of Allaah possessing everything that is in the heavens and the earth. 4. Faatir: “All praise is for Allaah, the only creator of the heavens andthe earth, Who made the angels messengers with wings, two three or four. He increases in creation what He wills. Verily Allaah is able to do all things.” In this soorah the praise is on account of Him creating the heavens and the earth, and making the angels messengers. The word Al-hamd is mentioned in more than forty places in the Qur’aan. “Everything besides Allaah is a created being and I am one of the creation.” – ‘Alameen is the whole of creation – the heavens, earths, angels, mankind, jinn, animals, etc. All of these are created and is subservient to Allaah and they are all under his dominion, he is their Omnipotent King, Organiser of their affairs and ilaah.

Bismillah. The Critics of Islam often like to bring up two Quranic verses that supposedly preach a hateful message of the unbeliever, the two verses say: For the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are the deaf and the dumb,- those who understand not.(8:22) For the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are those who reject Him: They will not believe. (8:55) So they quote the passages and claim that the Quran is so hateful and insulting for calling and describing none-Muslims as being beasts. However so is this the reality, are all none-Muslims truly described as being beasts, or is there a context to this, a context that the critics have once again ignored. Well surprise surprise (well not really!), this is another case of ignoring the context, and simply isolating the verse on it’s own to paint a distorted picture. In the case of Surah 8:55 all you had to do was the read the next verse! Let us quote 8:55 in its context: For the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are those who reject Him: They will not believe. 
They are those with whom thou didst make a covenant, but they break their covenant every time, and they have not the fear (of Allah). (8:55-56) That is Surah 8:55 in its CONTEXT, all the critic had to do was literally read the next passage! According to the context, the worst of beasts that are being mentioned in verse 55 is referring to people who keep breaking their covenants with the Muslims! Hence it is not an unrestricted label; rather the label is restricted on the people who are breaking their covenants with the Muslims! Basically the people who make an agreement with the Muslims, yet they constantly renegade, and turn back on those agreements. What about Surah 8:22? Well once AGAIN the context is important, so let us quote 8:22 within its context: O ye who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger, and turn not away from him when ye hear (him speak). Nor be like those who say, "We hear," but listen not: For the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are the deaf and the dumb,- those who understand not. (8:20-22) So all the critic had to do was read the PREVIOUS verse that came right before verse 22! In verse 21 God commands the Muslims to not be like people who say yes we hear, but in reality they do not listen, meaning do not be HYPOCRITES. Hence the context is referring to hypocrites, people who lie, people who claim they understand, claim they hear, yet in reality they do not and are just pretending to. Furthermore if one studies the historical context of this verse, and the time, one will know that the Muslims had a problem with people who were specifically called the hypocrites! These would be persons who pretended to be Muslim, while inwardly they were not, and would always mock and attack the faith. Then you had another worst group of hypocrites who were Muslims, but when the going got tough, they turned on their heels and started complaining and abandoning the Muslim faith and community. So in conclusion, the Quran does label certain unbelievers as being the worst of beasts, yet the labeling is not an unrestricted label on all non-Muslims, rather the label is specific and restricted. It is restricted to people who broke their covenants and agreements with the Muslims, and it was in reference to hypocrites. So as usual, the critic really has no case, the critic just has a bad case of dealing with context! And Allah Knows Best!

Bismillah. A Thought Provoking Incident Hadhrat Jibreel (A.S) related to Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu-alaihi wasallam) the incident of a person who lived on an island and worshipped Allaah for five hundred years. The island was surrounded by salty water, but Allaah caused a small spring of sweet water to flow near him, from which he drank. Allaah also caused a pomegranate tree to grow for him to eat from. Daily he ate from the tree, drank from the water and made wudhu therewith. Allaah even accepted his du’a to die while prostrating. Hadhrat Jibreel (A.S) told Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu-alaihi-wasallam) that whenever they ascended and descended from the heavens they found him in prostration before Allaah. Allaah will then instruct the angels to take this person to Jahannam. As they proceed, he will say, “Oh Allaah! Enter me into Jannah by Your mercy.” Allaah will then command the angels to bring him back. When they again present him before Allaah, Allaah will ask him the following questions: Question: Who created you? Reply: Oh Allaah! You did. Question: Was this (creation) due to your actions or due to My mercy? Reply: Due to Your mercy. Question: Who granted you the guidance and the ability to engage worship for five hundred years? Reply: Oh Allaah! You did. Question: Who took you to the island in the centre of the ocean? Who caused a spring of sweet water to flow amidst the salty water of the ocean? Who caused the pomegranate tree to grow? Who acceded to your request and allowed your soul to leave your body while you were prostrating? Reply: Oh Allaah! You did. Allaah will then tell him, “All of this was on account of My mercy, and I shall admit you into Jannah by My mercy as well.” (SubhanAllahi Wabihamdihi SubhanAllahil Adheem) [From the kitab: "Admonition for the Neglectful" [Part 1] by Faqih Abu Lais Samarqandi (A.R.). Translation edited by: Mufti A.H. Elias]

Bismillah. My Hands An old man, probably some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the park bench. He didn't move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands. When I sat down beside him he didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if he was ok. Finally, not really wanting to disturb him but wanting to check on him at the same time, I asked him if he was ok. He raised his head and looked at me and smiled. Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking, he said in a clear strong voice. I didn't mean to disturb you .....but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were ok I explained to him. Have you ever looked at your hands he asked. I mean really looked at your hands? I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point he was making. Then he smiled and related this story: Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life. They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child my mother taught me to hold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They dried the tears of my children and caressed the love of my life. They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. They wrote the letters home and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse. Yet, they were strong and sure when I dug my friend out of a foxhole and lifted a plow off of my best friends foot. They have held children, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand. They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to open in prayer. These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of my life. But more importantly it will be these hands that will receive, The Book of deeds. I look, ponder and pray that MY RIGHT HAND is blessed the fortune of receiving the trials of this life ie. MY BOOK OF DEEDS with this RIGHT HAND. No doubt I will never look at my hands the same again. I never saw the old man again after I left the park that day but I will never forget him and the words he spoke. When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and wife I think of the man in the park. I, too, want to RECEIVE MY BOOK OF DEEDS WITH MY RIGHT HAND----I am trying to be worthy of it by preparing for it now........ O MY PERFECT AND GENEROUS ALLAH ! I make shukr for these hands. Taken from Inspirations Volume 5 ************** "(And remember) the Day when We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imam (their Prophets, or their records of good and bad deeds, or their Books like the Quran, the Taurat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel), etc.). So whosoever is given his record in his right hand, such will read their records, and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least." ( Qur'an 17-71 )

Bismillah. Come back to the Deen This is a true story, of how a sister came back to her Deen Alhumdulillah! She was a sweet and innocent girl, her name was Aisha She loved her parents, Abdul and Alisha. For them, she was the best thing to have happened She was always cheerful and never easily saddened She studied hard to achieve her goals, Top of the class, she was told. She enjoyed spending time with her mates, Until one day they had a debate, Not knowing that this was about to change was her fate. She started making new friends Began following the latest trends, Mixing with boys is how it begun She thought this was fun Her new friends would constantly, be flirting with boys, In return they were treated as toys. Aisha started to let shaitan get in her way, She took of her headscarf and went astray. She did this on the sly, What would she have said to her Lord if, suddenly she was to die? Months later, after the continuous misbehaving, And ‘time-to-time’ raving. She fell for Zain, the boy of her dreams Well so it seemed. They got closer and closer And fell in love with each other. She wasn’t allowed to out that often, Considered herself to be a boffin So she started bunking school, To be with, Zain, what a fool?! She lied to her mum and dad, Not knowing how it would make them sad. Then she started drifting apart from everyone Zain was her life, her number one. Her studies went down the drain, She wasn’t ashamed. A year went by; her parents found out and began to cry. What had happened to their sweet little Aisha? Hours turned into days, days into months and months into years, The regular rowing turned into tears, Her parents were angry, Wanted to send her off to their country She couldn’t stay away from her lover So she decided to do a runner, Consequently her parents found out her plans to runaway with Zain Never has Aisha seen her mum and dad suffer so much pain She saw tears in their eyes She thought no more lies? Zain kept calling her as he was missing her It was a choice between him or her mother and father What was she to do? She realised being with Zain Was driving her insane And the people she loved, so much pain. She went up to her room, And asked herself was she doomed? On her bed was an Islamic book, She picked it up and had a look To her surprise it read, "And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [surah an-Nisa; 4:110] From this day on she turned to Allah Subhana Wata’Ala To leave behind her days of Jahiliyyah Started to pray, five times a day, To keep shaitan away, From leading her astray Love for Allah grew stronger, Alhumdulillah Aisha realised it was time to finish with her boyfriend, And began making amends with her real friends She started researching on the Hijab, Wearing the Hijab is no futile action, It must be obeyed by women of the Muslim nation, A woman may go through much trial and tribulation Because she has obeyed Allah Subhana Wata’Ala But the fulfilment of this action will never go unnoticed, Subhan’Allah "Never will I allow to be lost the actions of any of you; whether male or female" (Surah Al-Imran 3:195)). She thought to herself Nothing good comes simple With regards of struggle in wearing the Hijab Allah has ordered us to cover our self Not to expose our beauty We should only be recognised by our personality Therefore she put the Hijab back on. This time her Iman was stronger Since she got back her faith and trust in Allah, Subhana Wata’Ala Abdul and Alisha, her mother and father Were slowly starting to forgive her, This was a sign from Allah Subhana Wata’Ala As she was constantly repenting and following the Sunnah Love for their daughter, Was greater than ever.... Alhumdulillah! Nothing good will come easy in this life, Our Lord has promised not to overburden a soul with more than it can bear. The problem that the we as an Ummah are facing is that we have forgotten that WE ARE TRAVELLERS ON THIS EARTH, AND EVERY TRAVELLER MUST RETURN HOME!!! ALL PRAISE BE TO ALLAH, Ar-Rahmaan, Ar-Raheem.

Bismillah. The Young Hafiz There was a young man, who got to know about a precious stone. He decided not to come back to his house till he finds the stone. So he left his house with a little provision. He sat down to sketch a map on a notebook. He had a very long route to cover, but he stuck to his ambition and had very high hopes. He believed that if he found the stone he would not have to work anymore and would become the wealthiest person. All his worries and problems would be finished. Everyone would respect him. Ultimately he would become a successful man. He traveled through many countries, cities, towns, jungles, and mountains in search of the stone for forty years. At last while he was passing by an ancient mine he found the stone underneath a heavy rock but by then he had become very old and frail looking person. Holding the stone tightly in his fist, he started jumping with great joy and happiness. Suddenly he saw a young boy sitting by the stream, reciting the Quraan-e-Kareem in a beautiful tone. The boy's penetrating words of the Quraan-e-Hakeem struck the man's heart. It seemed that trees, birds, water all were listening to his Quraan. He thought to himself that he had become too old and weak, so why not give the stone this young man. The man came up to the boy and said, young man, may I have your attention please. I have traveled through many countries, Cities, towns, jungles and mountains in search of this precious stone for forty long ho years. Now I have found it, but I have become very weak and old. I want you to have it because you seem to be pious and have long life ahead of you." "What would I do with it?" The boy asked suspiciously. "Oh..., you would be the most successful, happiest and wealthiest person in the world", laughed the man as he stretched out his hands. "But I have found the Creator of t his stone as well as all the stones of the entire universe," said the boy confidently. "Allah Ta'ala has all the treasures of success, happiness, peace, respect and sustenance. Allah Ta'ala has got power over every thing." smiled the young boy as he raised his index finger to the sky, as the little boy continued, "If you had given even a little time toyour Creator. Everything would have become yours." The man broke into tears and the boy's words sank into his heart. He repented and threw the stone and served rest of his life to become the friend of Allah Ta'ala. Lesson: Look, children..! Even the young ones can become the means of guidance for the Elders if they are on the right path. If the stone had impressed the boy, do you think that the old man would have got guidance (Hidayat)?

Bismillah. THE CROW AND THE EAGLE. “Anwaar-e-Suhaili is a well known Persian book. In it has been narrated a very thought provoking story: Once a man saw a crow whose wings were cut. He thought, “poor thing, how is it going to survive? From where shall it get its food?” Hardly a moment had passed when that person spotted an eagle carrying some prey in its beak. The eagle came closer, landed and fed the crow. On seeing this the man thought “ This is how Allah provides for His creatures, so why should I worry about earning a living. Allah will provide for me.” So he sat down and remained idle. Some days passed but yet the person did not get anything. One wise man said to him “ O servant of Allah, you were shown two birds, one injured crow and an eagle. Why did you prefer to become like the crow? Why did you not think about becoming like the eagle who not only eats himself but also feeds others who are in need? This story illustrates very well the real nature of ‘Tawakkul’. IF anyone has yet means of livelihood at his disposal, then he should not give up those means. His case is a like that of the eagle. He should not only fulfil his own needs but also look after others. “ Taken from “the World Within” by Mufti Muhammad Shafi (late grand mufti of Pakistan)

Bismillah. Advise with sincerity and kindness The one who invites others to Allaah is from the closest people to Allaah our Lord. In addition, Muslims collectively agree on the importance of propagating Islam and inviting people to Allaah, and many talk about it being mandatory upon Muslims, and we agree with them, that it is an obligation, to enjoy that which is good and forbid that which is evil and to spread chastity and fight immorality and educate people and remind them and advise them. Therefore, there is no doubt that one who invites to Allaah is a chosen one, and form the best of his creatures. He loved Allaah, responded to Him and invited to Him so in return Allaah loved him. That is why Allaah Says in a short statement and made it very clear (what means): “And who is better in speech then he who invites to Allaah, meaning, Islamic monotheism and does righteous deeds and says; `I am one of the Muslims`” [Quran 41:33]. Al-Hasan Al-Basari, may Allaah have mercy uopon him, said after he has recited the abovementioned verse: “This is the beloved one to Allaah, this is the Waly of Allaah, meaning supported and loved by Allaah. This is the chosen one by Allaah, this is the best of preachers to Allaah this is the most dear from the dwellers of earth to Allaah. He responded to Allaah and called people to Allaah and acted righteously while responding and calling and said "I am from the Muslims"” To attain the level of this rank, it is necessary for the Muslim missionary or propagator who is seeking the reward from Allaah to be mindful of the following issues in order for the mission to be fruitful: 1) Being sincere in the objective and intention: Sincerity is the foremost of all deeds and certainly the most important of them all; it is the foundation for all other deeds; it is the essence of Islaam and the one of the principal matters that the prophets called their people to. Allaah Says (what means): “And they [i.e. the People of the Scripture] were not commanded except to worship Allaah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give Zakaah. And that is the correct religion.” [Quran 98:5] Sincerity is the essence of worship; Imaam Ibn Hazm said: “The relationship between sincerity and deeds is like that between the soul and the body.” Sincerity is the basis upon which deeds are either accepted or rejected, and thus it is the cause of one's ultimate success or failure. Sincerity is the way leading to Hell for those who do not fulfil it and the path to Paradise for those who can attain it. Those who fulfil Islaamic monotheism are also referred to as the sincere, and its Islaamic definition is as Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “…To have only (the pleasure of) Allaah in one's intention whilst performing acts of obedience.” The Prophet (SAW) said: “Deeds are but with intentions.” This is one of the most important prophetic narrations from amongst all that the Prophet (SAW) taught us. On the other hand, those who perform deeds in order to be seen by others are dispraised by Allaah and are promised punishment, as Allaah Says (what means): “Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments – We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they therein will not be deprived. Those are the ones for whom there is not in the Hereafter but the Fire.” [Quran 11:15-16] Therefore, the Muslim propagator or missionary does not call to gain a personal benefit for himself, his people, his tribe or group. Otherwise he will have no reward. 2) Being kind whilst calling people: Using the proper means leading to the acheivement of the objective is achieved by one following the way of the Prophet (SAW) . Allah addresses the Prophet Saying (what means): “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair preaching and argue with them in a way that is better”. [Quran 16:125]. Some of the people who are invited to the way of Allaah are good in nature, if they recognize the truth they stick to it. They are thirsty and eager, and as soon as one shows them the truth, they hasten to it . Such a person is to be invited with wisdom. Regarding the method of calling people, Allaah Says in the above verse (which means): “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best…”[Quran 16:125] Thus, one should not be aggressive and harsh in the way he calls people to Islam; rather he should use words that would soften their hearts, so that they would yield to his instructions and pay heed to his words. Allaah commands us to be this way, even with the disbelievers, when He says (what means): “And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them…”[Quran 29: 46] In our era, such wisdom, soft words and kindness when calling to the path of Allaah are especially important. This is of course required in all situations, but in a period in which ignorance and submitting to desires has overwhelmed the masses, it becomes all the more essential. Once, a scholar entered into the presence of an ‘Abbaasi caliph and said: “I am going to admonish you in a harsh manner, so listen.” Upon hearing this, the caliph said: “O brother! Be gentle, for I am not worse than Pharaoh, and you are not better than Moosaa whom Allaah addressed along with his brother, Haaroon, Saying (what means): “And speak to him [i.e., Pharaoh] with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allaah].”” [Quran 20: 44] Furthermore, the Prophet said: “He who is deprived of gentleness and forbearance is deprived from a great deal of goodness.” `Aa’ishah reported that the Prophet said:“Whenever forbearance is added to something, it adorns it; and whenever it is withdrawn from something, it leaves it defective.”[Muslim].

Bismillah. Concerning the Prohibition of Lesbianism It was narrated by Waathilah ibn al-Asqa’ as well as by Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with them both) that they said that the Messenger of Allah (sall'Allahu alayhi wasalam) said: "This wordly life will not depart until men begin to find sexual satisfaction with men and women with women. And as-Sihaaq (Lesbianism) is illegal sexual intercourse between the women." [Majma’ az-Zawaaid (256/6) from the narration of at-Tabaraanee and Aboo Ya’laa.] And al-Aajuree said, “We were informed by Ahmad ibn al-Hasan with a chain of transmission that reaches Waathilah ibn al-Asqa’ that the Messenger of Allah (sall'Allahu alayhi wasalam) said: "Lesbianism is illegal sexual intercourse between the women." [Related by at-Tabaraanee from Waathilah as in al-Maqaasid al-Hasanah (556) and al-‘Ajloonee said in Kashf al-Khufaa’a (1467/1) it was related by at-Tabaraanee and Ibn Maajah from Waathilah all the way to the Prophet (sall'Allahu alayhi wasalam). And it is related in al-Jaami’ as-Sagheer with the title “Lesbianism between the Women is illegal sexual intercourse between them”. And we were informed by ‘Umar bin Hudbah as-Sawaaf with a chain of transmission connected to Zur bin Hubaysh from Abu ibn Ka’b who said, “We were informed of many things that would occur amongst this Ummah (the Islamic nation) that would signify the coming of the final hour. From those things is men having anal sex with their wives or female servants. This is what Allah and His Messenger prohibited and it is what Allah detests as well as His Messenger. There is no prayer that they make that will be accepted until they sincerely repent to Allah.” Ibn ‘Aqeel said, “When the Muslim women are observed loving Lesbianism then they should be prevented from being alone with one another. Lesbianism is illegal sexual intercourse but there is no obligation in performing the Islamic punishment for it rather they should be boycotted and reprimanded. That is because their act does not contain any actual intercourse so it is considered like the man who has anal intercourse (with a woman) without going into her vagina.” Taken from Ahkaam-un-Nisaa’e of Ibn al-Jawzee (rahimahullah) pages 138-139 with verification by Ahmad Shoohaan and printed by Maktabah at-Turaath first edition. Translated by Aboo ‘Imraan al-Mekseekee-may Allah guide him.

Bismillah. AN-NIFAQ HYPOCRISY AND ITS VARIOUS MANIFESTATIONS Hypocrisy is of two types, namely: (A) Hypocrisy in Belief. (B) Hypocrisy in deeds and actions. (A) Hypocrisy in Belief There are six aspects of hypocrisy in Belief: 1. To belie the Messenger (Muhammad ) 2. To belie some of all that was brought by the Messenger (Muhammad (e.g. the Qur'an, the Sunnah, laws and principles of Islam). 3. To hate the Messenger (Muhammad :saw:). 4. To hate some of all that was brought by the Messenger (Muhammad ). e.g. Islamic Monotheism, etc. 5. To feel happy at the disgrace of or setback for the religion of Allah's Messenger (Muhammad ). 6. To dislike that the religion of Allah's Messenger (Islamic Monotheism) becomes victorious (not being pleased at the victory of Islam). A person having these six types (of hypocrisy) will be in the lowest depths (grade) of the Fire (Hell). (See V. 4: 145). (B) Hypocrisy in deeds and actions There are five aspects of hypocrisy in deeds and actions, and their proof is from the statement of Allah's Messenger The signs of a hypocrite are these: 1. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. 2. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it (his promise). 3. If you trust him, he proves to be dishonest (if you keep something as trust with him, he will not return it). 4. And in another narration of the Prophet :saw: Whenever he quarrels, he behaves in a very imprudent, evil, insulting manner. 5. Whenever he makes a covenant, he proves himself treacherous.

Bismillah. 1. In school, you can often redo your exam if you fail. In the hereafter, if one fails there is no going back. 2. In school, you often do not know what questions will be asked. In the hereafter, there are only 3 questions: Who is your Lord? What is your Deen? And who is this man who was sent to you? But the answers are answers you live by. 3. In school, we stay up at night to prepare for the exam the next day. So too in Allah's exam, we should be staying up in night prayers. 4. In school, we pray and hope and work for an outstanding mark. So too should be our attitude towards Allah's exam. 5. In school, when we get a great mark, we erupt with happiness. So too will the believers erupt in happiness when they get their books in their right hands. Work for it. 6. In school, when we get a bad mark, sadness can be seen on our faces, and we dislike to face others. So too in the hereafter. Protect yourself from that. 7. During a school exam, you cannot ask anyone for help. In the hereafter, you can prepare from now to get assistance from Allah's Messenger, the Quran, and other ways of intercession. 8. In school, when exam time draws near, we banish distractions to focus on what is really important. In Allah's exam, isn't death within 1 heart beat? Banish distractions and focus. 9. In school, until exam results come out, we worry about the result. In Allah's exam, we don't know what our result will be, so we spend our days in hope and worry until the results come out. With best wishes to see you succeed at the highest level! - Muhammad Alshareef

Bismillah. Have You Ever Tasted Jannah? by Muhammad Alshareef In Saheeh Muslim, Ibn Masood narrates from RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam the warming story of the last man to escape Hellfire: His crawl away from Hellfire is filled with his face sliping into the dirt, a tremoring walk, and a fire that licks him until he finally escapes. When he is past it, he looks back, horrified, and announces with the loudest voice, “All praise is due to Allah Who saved me from you.” Then he says, most proud, “Verily I have been rewarded with something that no one from the beginning to the end of creation has been blessed with.” At that moment, a tree catches his eye – a tree that was commanded to be raised for him. He quickly raises his hands, “O Allah! Allow me to draw near to that tree so that I can cool off under its shade and drink from its water.” Then Allah ta’aala calls him, “O son of Adam! I fear that if I grant you what you ask, you shall ask for more.” “Nay, O Allah!” pleads the man and he testifies that he shall ask no more. As the man basks in the glory of the tree, another tree is raised, one more bounteous and lush than the first. The man pleads, “O Allah! Allow me to draw near to that tree so that I can cool off under its shade and drink from its water. Allah then says, “Did you not promise me that you would ask no more? Perhaps if I give it to you, you shall ask for yet even more.” The man testifies that he will not, and is permitted that tree. Just then a tree is raised near the doors of Jannah, one bigger and lusher than all the rest and the man’s heart sinks. “O Allah, that tree, that tree. I’ll ask for nothing else.” “Did you not promise you would ask for nothing more?” “After that tree, yaa Allah, nothing more!” He is permitted to draw nearer to the tree and there, as he nears the doors of Jannah, he hears the sounds of its inhabitants and he leaps, “O Allah! Enter me into Jannah!” “O son of Adam!” Allah announces, “What shall satisfy you and finish your pleading?” Then Allah offers, “Will it please you if I give you all the treasures and bounty of the entire world and then double it!” The man’s smile shuts off and his eyes lock up. “My Lord, You’re the Lord of the universe…Are You mocking me?” … Ibn Masood started laughing. He said to his students, “Ask me why I’m laughing. I’m laughing because RasulAllah laughed when he told us this. And he also asked us, ‘Do you know what makes me laugh? I’m laughing for Allah’s laughter when the man said, ‘You are the lord of the universe…are you mocking me?’” Allah then tells him, “I am not mocking you, rather I am capable of doing whatever I so wish.” Allahu Akbar! Turn to almost every page of the Qur’an and you’ll find mention of Jannah. Jannah…have you ever seen it? Have you ever smelt it? Have you ever touched it? Have you ever tasted it? RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam taught us that in Jannah there is that “which no eye has witnessed, no ear has heard, and that which has never been imagined by any human.” Recite the verse if you wish: And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort of the eye (satisfaction) as reward for what they used to do (As-Sajdah 32/17). Many Muslims tasted the eman of Jannah, and Bilal radi Allahu anhu was one of them. His slave master, Umayyah, would drag Bilal out to the grilling desert at noontime – the fiercest moment of the day. Umayyah would press Bilal to the scalding ground and place a boulder on top of his chest to increase the torture. As his back would melt away Bilal would say nothing but, “Ahad! Ahad! – One! Only One.” Later in his life, when companions would see Bilal’s scarred back, tears would well in their eyes and they would ask him how he survived the punishment. Listen to his answer: “The pain of punishment mixed with the sweetness of eman. I tasted both and the sweetness of eman overcame everything until I felt no more pain.” Today, let us sample Jannah, as offered to us in the Qur’an and Sunnah. The Gates of Jannah Imagine yourself present on the day when the gates of Jannah will be opened with all of the splendor that lies beyond it. Allah tells us in the Qur’an about when the muttaqoon are escorted to the gates of Jannah by the most handsome of Angels: “And those who feared their Lord will be led to the Garden in crowds, until – behold – they arrive there. Its gates will be opened and its keepers will say, “Peace be upon you! You have done well, so enter (Jannah) and live in it eternally.” RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam spoke to the Sahaabaa about the gates of Jannah. He mentioned the gate of prayers, the gate of jihaad, the gate of siyaam, and the gate of charity. Abu Bakr asked with the desire that took him to where he reached in eman, “Will anyone be called from all gates?” RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Yes, and I hope that you will be one of them.” The Shade in Jannah Imagine yourself in Jannah’s cooling shade – water springs surrounding you, and fruits dipping in hands reach. Allah tells us: Indeed, the muttaqoon will be amid shades and springs / And fruits from whatever they desire / Eat and drink to your hearts content for what you used to do (in the dunya) / Such we certainly reward the doers of good (Al-Mursalaat 77/41-44). The Ambience in Jannah Imagine yourself in Jannah. Jannah doesn’t have any gossip; no, “Did you hear about brother so and so,” or “Did see what sister so and so is wearing.” Your face is shining with joy and you’re so glad that you woke up for Fajr all those days, glad you paid your zakah, glad you wore hijab all those summer days. This is what the atmosphere is like in Jannah: Faces that day will be joyful (radiant) / Satisfied with the effort they put (in the dunya) / In an elevated garden / Where they shall hear no unsuitable speech (Al-Ghaashiyah 88/8-11). Jannah: The Greatest Gift In Masjid An-Nabawee I had been reciting the Qur’an to Shaykh Muhammad Ahmad Ma’bad for over a year. Finally when the time of the Khatm Al-Quran came, I brought a recorder to the halaqah and told him that I wanted to record the Khatm and the du’a for my mother who was in Canada. When he made du’a he prayed for my parents saying, “O Allah! Bless Muhammad’s parents with crowns of noor (light) on the Day of Repayment!” A month later in Canada, when I was handing out gifts, I pulled out this tape for my mother. She took it and listened to the entire thing. When my mother heard this du’a, she sat crying. She told me, “This is the greatest gift I could have gotten.” Truly, Jannah is the greatest gift one can get. As Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala says: “Indeed Jannah is the greatest attainment!” PART II Regarding the inhabitants of Jannah: “You can tell in their faces the radiance of the blessing.” The inhabitants of Jannah shall be in: “Gardens and rivers.” The inhabitants of Jannah are: “Most pleased with what Allah gave them from His bounty.” Dear brothers and sisters, Jannah is the fruit of a seed planted in this dunya; it is the retirement package that you save up in all your years of work. There once lived a pious man who was enslaved to a wicked master. The righteous slave wanted to teach his master a lesson that he would not forget; a lesson that would make him change his ways. The master told him one day to plant wheat. The slave took the opportunity and went and collected seeds of barley and planted them instead. As the season drew near, the master was enraged to see that after all this work and time, the slave had planted the wrong seed. In his thrashing rage, he scolded the slave saying, “Why did you do this?” The righteous slave said, “I had hoped that the barley seeds would come out as wheat.” The master said, “How can you plant barley seeds and expect it to come out as wheat?” The slave stopped and said quietly, “How can you disobey Allah and expect for His bounteous mercy? How can you openly challenge his deen and hope for Jannah.” The master was stunned and silent. He understood. “You have taught me something today that I had never realized. You are free for the sake of Allah.” A poet once wrote: There is no home for a man after death Except that which he used to build before he died. If he built it with bricks of good deeds, Then the architecture shall come out beautiful. And if he built it with evil, Its architect will fall into ruin. Dear brothers and sisters, do you know what the greatest blessing for the inhabitants of Jannah is? Don’t let any laziness in Salah block you from being here. Don’t let anything anything stand between you and this blessing. RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam told us: “When the inhabitants of Jannah enter Jannah, Allah will ask them all, ‘Is there anything more that I can give you?’ They will say, ‘Have you not illuminated our faces? Have you not entered us into Jannah? Have you not saved us from Hellfire?’ “Then Allah will uncover the veil (and all shall see Allah). After that moment there would be nothing more beloved to them than seeing their Lord" (Bukhari and Muslim). Let’s go home today driving towards Jannah!

Bismillah. Repentance is ultimately the goal that we all seek. All sane people are conscious of their numerous sins, and those who believe in Allaah and His Messenger sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) recognize that they will be held accountable for their sins, and therefore desire to be free of the evil consequences of their misdeeds. Islam offers man the ideal way by which he may be released from the burden of his sins. The word Tawbah (repentance) in Arabic literally means 'to return'. In an Islamic context, it refers to the act of leaving what Allaah has prohibited and returning to what He, Almighty, has commanded. The subject of repentance is one that concerns all people who believe in Allaah, and is vital for the Muslims to understand because our salvation in the Hereafter depends on our repentance to Allaah, as Allaah commands (what means): "…And turn to Allaah in repentance, all of you, that you might succeed." [Quran 24:31] Allaah also Says (what means): "…Indeed, Allaah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” [Quran 2:222] One may have a real intention to repent, but there may be some obstacles to the path of repentance. If this is the case, then he needs to act without hesitation and remove those obstacles to clear the way to a happy soul. The postponement of repentance may be the result of either a deliberate desire to prolong the illicit pleasure derived from the sin, or doubt on the part of an ignorant sinner whether or not Allaah would accept his repentance. However, we have to be certain that Allaah will guide us to success and safeguard us against our malice. We also must be confident that Allaah forgives our sins and that He, and only He, can judge us. It is only His Judgement that is worthy of our worry and anxiety. So we should fear Him only because sincere repentance removes all sins and disobedience. The door of repentance is always open, until... The door to repentance is always open and will not be closed in the face of any repentant person, regardless of his sins. Expect this gate to have two locks: death and the approach of the Day of Judgement. The first was mentioned in the Hadeeth: "Allaah accepts a slave's repentance unless his death approaches." [At-Tirmithi] The other was mentioned in the Hadeeth: "Whosoever turns to Allaah in repentance before the sun rises in the West, Allaah will forgive him." [Ahmad] Allaah Says in the Quran what means: "But repentance is not [accepted] of those who [continue to] do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says: ‘Indeed, I have repented now,' or of those who die while they are disbelievers...” [Quran 4:18] O heedless soul! Hasten to repent before the knock of death sounds and the time of repentance runs out. Do not get caught dying in a state of disobedience to your Most Merciful Lord. Satan gives you long hope and empty promises; he delays your repentance until your heart becomes as callous as a rock by being adamant in sin and disobedience, and you would therefore meet your Lord in a wretched state. If the door of repentance is closed to you, it will never open to you again. Repentance is ultimately the goal that we all seek. All sane people are conscious of their numerous sins, and those who believe in Allaah and His Messenger sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) recognize that they will be held accountable for their sins, and therefore desire to be free of the evil consequences of their misdeeds. Islam offers man the ideal way by which he may be released from the burden of his sins. The word Tawbah (repentance) in Arabic literally means 'to return'. In an Islamic context, it refers to the act of leaving what Allaah has prohibited and returning to what He, Almighty, has commanded. The subject of repentance is one that concerns all people who believe in Allaah, and is vital for the Muslims to understand because our salvation in the Hereafter depends on our repentance to Allaah, as Allaah commands (what means): "…And turn to Allaah in repentance, all of you, that you might succeed." Allaah also Says (what means): "…Indeed, Allaah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” [Quran 2:222] One may have a real intention to repent, but there may be some obstacles to the path of repentance. If this is the case, then he needs to act without hesitation and remove those obstacles to clear the way to a happy soul. The postponement of repentance may be the result of either a deliberate desire to prolong the illicit pleasure derived from the sin, or doubt on the part of an ignorant sinner whether or not Allaah would accept his repentance. However, we have to be certain that Allaah will guide us to success and safeguard us against our malice. We also must be confident that Allaah forgives our sins and that He, and only He, can judge us. It is only His Judgement that is worthy of our worry and anxiety. So we should fear Him only because sincere repentance removes all sins and disobedience. The door of repentance is always open, until... The door to repentance is always open and will not be closed in the face of any repentant person, regardless of his sins. Expect this gate to have two locks: death and the approach of the Day of Judgement. The first was mentioned in the Hadeeth: "Allaah accepts a slave's repentance unless his death approaches." [At-Tirmithi] The other was mentioned in the Hadeeth: "Whosoever turns to Allaah in repentance before the sun rises in the West, Allaah will forgive him." [Ahmad] Allaah Says in the Quran what means: "But repentance is not [accepted] of those who [continue to] do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says: ‘Indeed, I have repented now,' or of those who die while they are disbelievers...” [Quran 4:18] O heedless soul! Hasten to repent before the knock of death sounds and the time of repentance runs out. Do not get caught dying in a state of disobedience to your Most Merciful Lord. Satan gives you long hope and empty promises; he delays your repentance until your heart becomes as callous as a rock by being adamant in sin and disobedience, and you would therefore meet your Lord in a wretched state. If the door of repentance is closed to you, it will never open to you again. What keeps us from repenting? 1. Taking sins lightly: The problem with many of us today is that we do not fear Allaah, which means that we do not think seriously about disobeying Him and therefore fall into sin, without giving any real thought to it. Hence, we should think about the statement which Ibn Mas'ood may Allaah be pleased with him made: "A believer sees his sins as if he were sitting under a mountain which he is afraid may collapse on him, whereas the wicked person considers his sins as flies passing over his nose which he just drives away like this (and he waved his hand across his face to illustrate this)."[Al-Bukhaari] The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Take caution against minor sins, because such sins are like a group of people who temporarily settled in the middle of a valley. Then, they decided to make a fire, so each one of them brought a stick until they were able to make it, so they baked their bread. Thus, minor sins (when they accumulate) may destroy the one who commits them." [Ahmad] 2. "What is the point? I will only end up doing it again" Such an approach is the result of a misunderstanding. Indeed, one of the conditions of repentance is having a real intention not to return to the same sin. This, however, does not mean that Satan will never tempt you to commit the same sin again. Thus, if you have failed yourself, and you returned to the same sin, it does not mean that your first repentance was a lie. You should hasten to make additional repentance, with a real intention not to return to this sin, keeping in mind that Allaah's mercy extends over everything. 3. "Allaah is forgiving, so let me sin" When reminded of repentance and the hideousness of disobedience, some people would respond that Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. An atheist once said in sarcasm: "You should commit as many sins as you can because you are heading towards the Lord who is Most-Generous." There is no doubt that such a view is complete ignorance of the religion of Allaah, because Allaah's mercy is close to the righteous and not to the wrongdoers. 4. "I am destined to be a sinner" Some people may choose to blame Al-Qadr (fate) for their sins. For example, if you ask any of them, "Why do you not perform the Prayers? Why do you not fast? Why do you drink or smoke? Why do you not repent from your disobedience?" They would respond by saying: "This is Allaah's Qadr" or: "I am doomed to do this." This is definitely a grave misconception and an evasion of the truth. Believing in Al-Qadr does not mean that one is destined to commit sins. It is true that Allaah has written all human beings' deeds, good or bad, and only He knows the unseen, but the believer is not forced to perform a good deed, nor is he forced to commit any disobedience. Instead, he has been granted the ability to reflect, reason and then make a decision freely. Al-Qadr is only responsible for the calamities and blessings that an individual may confront because he can do nothing about them. For example, if a couple were to marry and have three children, then this is their Qadr. It is impermissible to fault Al-Qadr for our sins and disobedience because doing so is akin to being in confrontation and showing dissatisfaction with Allaah. Repentance wipes out all sins, major and minor: Being confused, some people may think that repentance is only required for major sins. It should be noted that repentance from all sins is obligatory. Even the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) who was sinless, asked Allaah to forgive him on a daily basis. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is reported to have said: "O people! Make repentance to Allaah. I swear by Allaah that I make repentance to Him more than seventy times every day." [Al-Bukhaari] Therefore, we all need to fear Allaah, ask His forgiveness and be aware that there is no sin that is minor with persistence, and no major sin with seeking Allaah's forgiveness (i.e. if the minor sin is repeated many times it becomes a major one.) Thus, sincere repentance wipes out all committed sins. Never despair! Someone might say: "I want to repent but my sins are too many." But Allaah Says what means: "Say: 'O my slaves who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allaah. Indeed, Allaah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." [Quran 39:53] Therefore, we should never lose hope or stop asking for Allaah's forgiveness. Its importance is shown to us in the Hadeeth in which the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "O people! Turn to Allaah in repentance and seek His forgiveness, for I make repentance to Him a hundred times every day." [Muslim] Repentance is such a great act of worship that doing it can erase all our sins altogether, as the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "One who repents from sin is like one without sin." [ibn Maajah]

Bismillah. Having A Good Opinion of People From leading principles to which the Muslim needs to pay attention before he raises any doubt and before he accepts and believes in any accusation is to give priority to having a good opinion over having a bad opinion of his Muslim brothers. He should look for excuses and justifications that will excuse them and clear them of blame, especially when the accusation is directed towards callers to Allah and the righteous. This is the practice of the righteous, people of understanding and wise men from among Muslims who fear their Lord and desire victory and predominance for Allah's Deen. Had it been the other way around - had having a bad opinion of people been given a priority over having a good opinion, then no scholar would have been left without being maligned, no nobleman without faults found in him, and Muslims would be deprived from good examples. That is a methodology that is accepted neither by the Islamic Law nor by any logic. “The basic principle in this rule is the saying of Allah `azza wa jall: “O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.” [Al-Hujurat 49:12] Allah `azza wa jall ordered avoiding much of the suspicion because some of it is sin, and He followed this order with the prohibition of spying, pointing out that spying in most cases does not occur except due to bad assumptions. The way of the Muslim – the general rule - is hiding others' faults and having a good opinion of others. This is why Allah `azza wa jall ordered believers to have a good opinion of people when they hear slanders of their Muslim brothers. And in the story of ifk (the lie which hypocrites invented against A`isha, the Mother of the Believers, from which Allah declared her free and innocent in the Quran), when it was said what was said, Allah `azza wa jall clarified the true position which every Muslim must understand. He said subhanahu wa ta`ala: “Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of themselves [i.e. one another] and say, 'This is an obvious falsehood'?” [An-Noor 24:12]”

Bismillah. About Propagating Islam to Interested People… How should a Muslim talk to a non-Muslim who is interested in Islam and a possible convert? What "angle" should they take in illuminating their minds on Islam? Reply The following are some of the major points that must be kept in mind while propagating Islam to people of other religions: It is very unfortunate that propagation of Islam has become more of a debate between proponents of Islam and other religions. We are so used to this style of "propagation" that the very word of propagation brings to mind a hot debate in which two or more parties are trying to convince an audience that the beliefs of the other are unfounded and absurd. I would like to stress at the outset that such a style is not just "not propagation" but can be very harmful to the very spirit and objective of propagation. Every criticism on another person’s beliefs and every intellectual attack on his/her philosophy makes the other person prone to criticising our own beliefs rather than accepting them. It activates a strong defense mechanism inside the person and makes it difficult for him/her to be receptive to our call. The first principle that must therefore be kept in mind is that the style of introducing Islam to others should be such that the other person does not feel offended or insulted. To introduce a person to Islam, we don't need to criticise his/her existing beliefs. We should try to present the teachings of Islam in a positive manner. Such a style is expected to face lower resistance from the addressees. The primary object in propagating Islam is not to win a debate or to increase the number of registered Muslims in the world. It is an attempt to remove all excuses a person might have, on the Day of Judgment, for not accepting Islam. For every such excuse shall be a burden on the Muslims on that Day. It is an attempt to save a person from the eternal punishment. It is an attempt to answer all questions on Islam raised by others. Keeping this object of propagation in view, our style should only be such that the other person perceives us to be his sincere well wisher. We should try to avoid confrontation at all costs. For Muslims, propagating Islam really means propagating the Truth. The essence of this propagation, thus is to pursue our addressees to accept whatever is proven to be the Truth. Now, if this is really the case, then the person who is trying to convince others of his ideas, should first of all keep his own mind open to accept whatever is proven to be the Truth. If I am trying to convince others to keep their minds open to accept the Truth, I can never be effective if my own attitude towards the ideas of others is of apathy and outright rejection. Propagation of Islam is not merely convincing someone intellectually about Islamic ideals, it is much more than that. It is to present the moral, ethical and philosophical teachings of Islam. This presentation can only be effective if the person presenting these ideals is himself a practicing Muslim. After all, how can I convince another person to change his life according to the views that are true in my eyes, if I am myself not living my life according to the propagated views. As our experience shows, the primary response from a non-Muslim that should be expected in reply to our propagational efforts is that he would criticize on matters relating to Islam; this criticism is most likely to be on some of the verses of the Qur’an, some of the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) and a few events from Sirah (the life of the Prophet) and Muslim history. It is normally observed that in response to such criticism, we – the Muslims – start criticising the books and the teachings of the prophet who holds a revered position in the eyes of our addressee. This may critically hamper the communication process. We must remember that if somebody has criticised the Qur’an or the life and teachings of the Prophet (pbuh), the correct response should be to give an acceptable answer to such criticism, not to criticise the beliefs of the critic. Such criticism on the beliefs of the critic may prove the beliefs of the critic to be wrong, but it would not, by itself, prove the correctness of the Islamic ideology. In view of this fact, propagation of Islamic ideals should only be taken up either after having deep knowledge about Islam and its teachings or under close guidance and supervision of someone who has this knowledge. We must also remember that the case of propagating Islam, is quite different from that of the other major religions of the world, in the sense that in the case of Islamic propagation, we need not prove the other religions to be wrong. Our stand point can simply be that Mohammad (pbuh) was the last among the prophets of the Almighty. Even if their respective beliefs are taken to be correct, still if Mohammad (pbuh) is proven to be a true prophet of Allah, his teachings, merely because he was the last among these prophets, must be followed. On the contrary, the case for Christianity, for instance, or Judaism can only hold ground if Islam is proven to be a false religion and Mohammad (pbuh) a false prophet. It is because of this reason that, in my opinion, we must concentrate solely on the positive presentation and replies to criticisms on Islam and try to avoid criticising other religions. While propagating our ideals, we must always try to find a common point of reference with our addressee from where we start our efforts. One must remember that the human mind can more easily adapt to and accept ideas that are familiar to it, than to those that are absolutely novel and new. Another important principle is that the Islamic teachings should be presented in the correct sequence. A new convert or a potential convert should be taught only the most basic and primary teachings. Only after these teachings are fully accepted and adopted by our addressees should we move on. If the proper sequence in this process is not maintained, it may quite easily result in not only making these teachings incomprehensible for a new convert but also in disturbing the perfect balance of the total body of the teachings of Islam. In this case, a new or a potential convert should be considered as a child who starts going to school. He may plan on ultimately becoming a doctor, but no one would recommend that the child should be introduced to advanced medical concepts in its forming years. I have tried to briefly enlist a few of the important principles in propagating and teaching Islam to those who are interested to learn. I hope this helps.

if you feel that my brother then be it.

Bismillah. The Treatment of Handicapped People in Islam In our everyday lives, we often encounter handicapped people. Whether we stop to chat with them or not, many of us find ourselves thanking God for creating us free of disabilities while simultaneously uttering a prayer for them. Interestingly enough though, whereas we may consider such people disadvantaged, there is very little evidence in the Qur’an or the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that Islam views them in a similar fashion. For instance, the Qur’an contains hardly any direct reference to disabled people except in the context of jihad: “Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled, and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives.” (4:95) In another place, when God rebukes the Prophet, pbuh, in Surah Abasa (Ch. 80) on account of his behavior toward Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum, He does not dwell on the latter’s disability except to refer to him as the “blind man.” In other words, the Prophet is not being admonished on his insensitivity towards a handicapped person, but rather on his negligence of someone who came to him to learn. The Prophet’s behavior toward disabled people is an example par excellence for us. In addition to greeting Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum with respect and humility, the Prophet, pbuh, designated him as the Leader of Madinah many times in his own absence. As far as the Prophet was concerned, Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum’s blindness was not a hindrance in his ability to carry out his duties. Similarly, the case of Julaybib, another companion of the Prophet, is instructive. He was thus known because of his diminutive figure. He was also described as being deformed or revolting in appearance. While many people in Madinah had made him an outcast, the Prophet, pbuh, instead approached a family to give their beautiful daughter as a bride for Julaybib. As may be expected, the parents were blinded by his apparent handicaps – yet their daughter surrendered herself to the will of the Prophet, pbuh. These examples are important because they show that even though the Prophet, pbuh, was sensitive to their particular circumstances, he did not consider these to be things which should stand in their way of leading normal lives. Rather, he was intent upon focusing on their inner beauty and amorphous souls – just as he did with all of his companions. Therefore, putting aside our own prejudices and assumptions, we must recognize that disability in and of itself is not necessarily a hindrance or disadvantage. No doubt, it causes the afflicted person far more difficulty than someone who is not in his/her position. This is all the more reason why we should make extra efforts to provide facilitation to our brothers and sisters by ensuring not only their physical comfort through appropriate measures but their mental and emotional ease as well. The latter can only be accomplished if we view them beyond their physical state, just as the Prophet, pbuh, did. After all, God has promised us that our lives are a test for us. Degrees and forms of our trials vary from person to person, even family to family. However, it is up to us to have fortitude, accept our fate, and then actively work to make the best out of them. Indeed, God has promised us that “with every hardship there is relief,” (94:5) and that “no person shall have a burden laid on him greater than he can bear” (2:286). In general, handicapped people face the challenge of normalizing their lives with patience, strength and courage. Many of them accomplish this with such flair that they no longer see themselves as “different.” May God facilitate them in their adversity and enable others of us to become a supportive force for them.

Bismillah. "O Allah, make my love for You the most beloved thing to me, and my fear for You the most fearful thing to me, and remove from me all worldly needs and wants by instilling a passion for meeting You, and when You have given the people of the world the pleasures of their world, make the coolness of my eyes (pleasure) in worshipping You." . Almighty Allah said: All praises and thanks be to Allah Who Alone created the heavens and the earth, and originated the darkness and the light, yet those who disbelieve hold others as equal with their Lord. He it is Who has created you from clay, and then has decreed a stated term (for you to die). And there is with Him another determined term (for you to be resurrected), yet you doubt (in the Resurrection). And He is Allah (to be worshipped Alone) in the heavens and on the earth, He knows what you conceal and what you reveal, and He knows what you earn (good or bad). And never an Ayah (sign) comes to them from the Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord, but that they have been turning away from it. Indeed, they rejected the truth (The Qur'an and Muhammad) when it came to them, but there will come to them the news of that (the torment) which they used to mock at. Have they not seen how many a generation before them We have destroyed whom We had established on the earth such as We have not established you? And We poured out on them rain from the sky in abundance, and made the rivers flow under them. Yet We destroyed them for their sins, and created after them other generations." (Ch 6:1-6 Quran)

Bismillah. How to be successful in life (In the light of the Glorious Qurân and the Sunnah) By: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid Question: How to obtain success and prosperity in this world and hereafter? What kind of success or prosperity that Islam wants the Ummah Islam gain in this world? Answer: Praise be to Allah. Peace of mind, contentment, happiness and freedom from worries and anxiety… these are what everyone wants, and these are the ways in which people can have a good life and find complete happiness and joy. There are religious means of achieving that, and natural and practical means, but no one can combine all of them except the believers; although other people may achieve some of them, they will miss out on others. There follows a summary of the means of achieving this aim for which everyone is striving. In some cases, those who achieve many of them will live a joyful life and a good life; in other cases, those who fail to achieve all of them will live a life of misery and hardship. And there are others which are in between, according to what the means he is able to attain. These means include the following: 1 – Faith and righteous deeds: This is the greatest and most fundamental of means. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): {Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)} [Quran, 16:97]. {مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحاً مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ} Transliteration: Man Amila Şāliĥāan Min Dhakarin 'Aw 'Unthá Wa Huwa Mu'uminun Falanuĥyiyannahu Ĥayāatan Ţayyibatan Wa Lanajziyannahum 'Ajrahum Bi'aĥsani Mā Kānū Yamalūna Allah tells us and promises us that whoever combines faith with righteous deeds will have a good life and a good reward in this world and in the Hereafter. The reason for that is clear: those who believe in Allah – with sincere faith that motivates them to do righteous deeds that change hearts and attitudes and guides them to the straight path in this world and the Hereafter – follow principles and guidelines by means of which they deal with everything that happens to them, be it the causes of happiness and excitement or the causes of anxiety, worry and grief. They deal with the things that they like by accepting them and giving thanks for them, and using them in good ways. When they deal with them in this manner, that creates in them a sense of excitement and the hope that it will continue and that they will be rewarded for their gratitude, which is more important than the good things that happen to them. And they deal with bad things, worries and distress by resisting those that they can resist, alleviating those that they can alleviate, and bearing with goodly patience those that they cannot avoid. Thus as a result of the bad things they gain a lot of benefits, experience, strength, patience and hope of reward, which are more important and which diminish the hardships they have undergone and replace them with happiness and hope for the bounty and reward of Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) expressed this in a saheeh hadeeth in which he said: «How wonderful is the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are good. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him. This does not apply to anyone but the believer» [Narrated by Muslim, no. 2999]. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us that the believer is always gaining and the reward for his deeds is always multiplying, no matter what happens to him, good or bad. 2 – Being kind to people in word and deed, and all kinds of doing good. This is one of the means of removing worry, distress and anxiety. By this means Allah wards off worries and distress from righteous and immoral like, but the believer has the greater share of that, and is distinguished by the fact that his kindness to others stems from sincerity and the hope of reward, so Allah makes it easy for him to be kind to others because of the hope that this will bring good things and ward off bad things, by means of his sincerity and hope of reward. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): {لاَّ خَيْرَ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِّن نَّجْوَاهُمْ إِلاَّ مَنْ أَمَرَ بِصَدَقَةٍ أَوْ مَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ إِصْلاَحٍ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ ابْتَغَاء مَرْضَاتِ اللّهِ فَسَوْفَ نُؤْتِيهِ أَجْراً عَظِيماً} Transliteration: Lā Khayra Fī Kathīrin Min Najwāhum 'Illā Man 'Amara Bişadaqatin 'Aw Marūfin 'Aw 'Işlāĥin Bayna An-Nāsi Wa Man Yafal Dhālika Abtighā'a Marđāati Allāhi Fasawfa Nu'utīhi 'Ajrāan Ažīmāan {There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allah's Cause), or Ma‘roof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allah, We shall give him a great reward} Quran, 4:114[ Part of that great reward is relief from worry, distress, troubles, etc. 3 – Another of the means of warding off anxiety that stems from nervous tension and being preoccupied with disturbing thoughts is to occupy oneself with good deeds or seeking beneficial knowledge, for that will distract one from dwelling on the matters that are causing anxiety. In this way a person may forget about the things that are making him worried and distressed, and he may become happy and more energetic. This is another means that believers and others have in common, but the believer is distinguished by his faith, sincerity and hope of reward when he occupies himself with that knowledge which he is learning or teaching, or with the good deeds that he is doing. The work with which he occupies himself should be something that he likes and enjoys, for that is more likely to produce the desired results. And Allah knows best. 4 – Another thing that may ward off worry and anxiety is focusing all one’s thoughts of the present day, and not worrying about the future or grieving about the past. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sought refuge with Allah from worry and regret, from regret for things in the past which one cannot put right or change, and worry which may come because of fear for the future. So one should focus only on the present day, and focus one's efforts on getting things right today. For if a person is focused on that, this means that he will do things properly and forget about worry and regret. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said a du’aa’ or taught a du’aa’ to his Ummah, as well as urging them to seek the help of Allah and hope for His bounty, he was also urging them to strive to attain the thing they were praying for through their own efforts and to forget about the thing which they were praying would be warded off from them. Because du’aa’ (supplication) must be accompanied by action. So a person must strive to attain that which will benefit him in worldly and spiritual terms, and ask his Lord to make his efforts successful, and he should seek His help in that, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: «Strive for that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allah, and do not be helpless. If anything (bad) happens to you, do not say, ‘If only I had done such-and-such, then such-and-such would have happened.’ Rather you should say, ‘Qaddara Allah wa ma sha’a fa’ala (Allah decrees, and what He wills He does),’ for (the words) ‘If only’ open the door to the Shaytaan» [Narrated by Muslim]. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) connected the matter of striving to achieve good things with the matter of seeking the help of Allah and not giving in to feelings of helplessness which are a harmful kind of laziness, and with the matter of accepting things in the past which are over and done with, and acknowledging that the will and decree of Allah will inevitably come to pass. He described matters as being of two types: 1 – Matters which a person may strive to achieve or to achieve whatever he can of them, or to ward them off or alleviate them. In such cases a person must strive and make the effort, and also seek the help of Allah. 2 – Matters where such is not possible, so he must have peace of mind, accept them and submit to Allah's will. Undoubtedly paying attention to this principle will bring happiness and relieve worry and distress. 5 – One of the greatest means of feeling content and relaxed and of acquiring peace of mind is to remember Allah a great deal (dhikr). That has a great effect in bringing contentment and peace of mind, and relieving worry and distress. Allah says: {الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ} Transliteration: Al-Ladhīna 'Āmanū Wa Taţma'innu Qulūbuhum Bidhikri Allāhi 'Alā Bidhikri Allāhi Taţma'innu Al-Qulūbu {Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest} [Quran, 13:28]. Remembering Allah (dhikr) has a great effect in achieving this aim because it has a special influence and because of the hope that it brings of reward. 6 – Another of the means of bringing happiness and relieving worry and distress is striving to eliminate the things that cause worry and to achieve the things that bring happiness. That may be done by forgetting about bad things in the past which cannot be changed, and realizing that dwelling on them is a waste of time. So a person must strive to stop himself from thinking of that, and also strive to stop himself from feeling anxious about the future and the things that he may imagine of poverty, fear and other bad things that he thinks may happen to him in the future. He should realize that the future is something unknown, he cannot know what good or bad things are going to happen to him. That is in the hand of the Almighty, the Most Wise, and all that His slaves can do is to strive to attain the good things and to ward off the bad things. A person should realize that if he diverts his thoughts from worrying about his future and puts his trust in his Lord to take care of his situation, and puts his mind at rest concerning that, if he does that, then his heart will be at peace and his situation will improve and he will be relieved of worry and anxiety. One of the most effective ways of dealing with worries about the future is to recite this du’aa’ which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite: «Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa ‘ismatu amri, wa aslih li dunyaaya allati fiha ma’aashi, wa aslih li aakhirati allati ilayha ma’aadi, waj’al al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi kulli khayr, wa’l-mawta raahatan li min kulli sharr (O Allah, correct my religious commitment which is the foundation of my life, and correct my worldly affairs in which is my livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter to which is my return. Make my life a means of accumulating good, and make death a respite for me from all evil)» [Narrated by Muslim, 2720]. And he said: «Allaahumma rahmataka arju fa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata ‘aynin wa aslih li sha’ni kullahu, laa ilaaha illa anta (O Allah, for Your mercy I hope, so do not abandon me to myself even for a moment. And correct all my affairs. There is no god but You)» [Narrated by Abu Dawood with a saheeh isnaad, no. 5090; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib, p. 49]. If a person utters these du’aa’s, which ask that his spiritual and worldly affairs may be set right or corrected, with proper presence of mind and sincerity of intention, whilst striving to achieve that, Allah will grant him what he has prayed for, hoped for and striven for, and He will turn his worry into joy and happiness. 7 – If a person experiences anxiety and distress because of a disaster, then one of the most effective means of relieving himself of that is to think of the worst scenario to which that may lead, and try to accept that. When he has done that, then he should try to alleviate it as much as possible. By means of this acceptance and these efforts, he will relieve himself of his worries and distress, and instead of worrying he will strive to bring about good things and to deal with whatever he can of the bad things. If he is faced with things that cause fear or the possibility of sickness or poverty, then he should deal with that by striving to make himself accept that, or something even worse, with contentment, because by making himself accept the worst-case scenario, he lessens the impact of the thing and makes it seem less terrible, especially if he occupies himself with efforts to ward it off as much as he can. Thus as well as striving to achieve something good which will distract him from his worries about calamity, he will also renew his strength to resist bad things, and put his trust and reliance in Allah. Undoubtedly these matters are of great benefit in attaining happiness and peace of mind, as well as bringing the hope of reward in this world and in the Hereafter. This is something which is well known from the experience of many who have tried it. 8 – Steadfastness of heart and not being disturbed about the imaginary things that bad thoughts may bring to mind. For when a person gives in to his imagination and lets his mind be disturbed by these thoughts, such as fear of disease and the like, or anger and confusion stirred up by some grievous matter, or the expectation of bad things and the loss of good things, that will fill him with worries, distress, mental and physical illness and nervous breakdowns, which will have a bad effect on him and which causes a great deal of harm, as many people have seen. But when a person depends on Allah and puts his trust in Him, and does not give in to his imagination or let bad thoughts overwhelm him, and he relies on Allah and has hope of His bounty, that wards off his worries and distress, and relieves him of a great deal of mental and physical sickness. It gives indescribable strength, comfort and happiness to the heart. How many hospitals are filled with the mentally sick victims of illusions and harmful imagination; how often have these things had an effect upon the hearts of many strong people, let alone the weak ones; how often have they led to foolishness and insanity. It should be noted that your life will follow your train of thought. If your thoughts are of things that will bring you benefit in your spiritual or worldly affairs, then your life will be good and happy. Otherwise it will be the opposite. The person who is safe from all of that is the one who is protected by Allah and helped by Him to strive to achieve that which will benefit and strengthen the heart and ward off anxiety. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): {And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him} [Quran, 65:3] {وَمَن يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ} Transliteration: Wa Man Yatawakkal Alaá Allāhi Fahuwa Ĥasbuhu i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is worrying him in his spiritual and worldly affairs. The one who puts his trust in Allah will have strength in his heart and will not be affected by anything he imagines or be disturbed by events, because he knows that these are the result of vulnerable human nature and of weakness and fear that have no basis. He also knows that Allah has guaranteed complete sufficiency to those who put their trust in Him. So he trusts in Allah and finds peace of mind in His promise, and thus his worry and anxiety are dispelled; hardship is turned to ease, sadness is turned to joy, fear is turned to peace. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound, and to bless us with strength and steadfastness of heart, and complete trust, for Allah has guaranteed all good things to those who put their trust in Him, and has guaranteed to ward off all bad and harmful things from them. If bad things happen or there is the fear of such, then you should count the many blessings that you are still enjoying, both spiritual and worldly, and compare them with the bad things that have happened, for when you compare them you will see the many blessings that you are enjoying, and this will make the bad things appear less serious. See al-Wasaa’il al-Mufeedah li’l-Hayaat al-Sa’eedah by Shatkh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Sa’di Ibn al-Qayyim summed fifteen ways through which Allah may dispel worries and regret. These are as follows: 1- Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (belief in the Oneness of Divine Lordship). 2- Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (belief in the Oneness of the Divine nature). 3- Tawheed of knowledge and belief (i.e., Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l_Sifaat, belief in the Oneness of the Divine names and attributes). 4- Thinking of Allah as being above doing any injustice to His slaves, and above punishing anyone for no cause on the part of the slave that would require such punishment. 5- The person’s acknowledging that he is the one who has done wrong. 6- Beseeching Allah by means of the things that are most beloved to Him, which are His names and attributes. Two of His names that encompass the meanings of all other names and attributes are al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) and al-Qayyoom (the Eternal). 7- Seeking the help of Allah Alone. 8- Affirming one's hope in Him. 9- Truly putting one’s trust in Him and leaving matters to Him, acknowledging that one's forelock is in His hand and that He does as He wills, that His will is forever executed and that He is just in all that He decrees. 10- Letting one's heart wander in the garden of the Qur’aan, seeking consolation in it from every calamity, seeking healing in it from all diseases of the heart, so that it will bring comfort to his grief and healing for his worries and distress. 11- Seeking forgiveness. 12- Repentance. 13- Jihad. 14- Salah (prayer). 15- Declaring that he has no power and no strength, and leaving matters to the One in Whose hand they are. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound from worries and to relieve us of distress and anxiety, for He is the All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive, and He is the Ever-Living, Eternal. And Allah knows best. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

Bismillah. Take Pride in Islam al-Jumu'ah Magazine In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful In face of the attacks on Islam by the disbelievers, some Muslims turn to the defensive with an inner feeling of defeat as they try to show that the Islamic values are no different from the western ones. If they are told that the Islamic political system is dictatorial, they respond by trying to show it is democratic. If they are told that Islam spread with Jihad, they respond that Muslims fought only to defend themselves when attacked. If they are told that there is a problem with the status of women in Islam, they try to prove that Islam allows polygamy only under strict conditions which most men do not fulfill and hence they conclude it is virtually not allowed! Such apologetic attitudes should be put behind. Islam is a way of life given to us by Allah, it cannot be put on the same level as other man-made ideologies or corrupted revelations. Muslims should have enough confidence in themselves to go on the offensive rather than stay on the defensive like an accused person. When Quraysh accused the Muslims of violating the sanctity of the sacred months on the occasion of the fight between the Muslim brigade of Abdullah bin Jahsh and the disbelievers, Allah subhanahu wa taala revealed: {They ask you concerning fighting in the Sacred Months (i.e. 1st, 7th, 11th and 12th months of the Islamic calendar). Say, "Fighting therein is a great (transgression) but a greater (transgression) with Allah is to prevent mankind from following the Way of Allah, to disbelieve in Him, to prevent access to Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah), and to drive out its inhabitants, and Al-Fitnah is worse than killing. And they will never cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion (Islamic Monotheism) if they can. And whosoever of you turns back from his religion and dies as a disbeliever, then his deeds will be lost in this life and in the Hereafter, and they will be the dwellers of the Fire. They will abide therein forever.} [Al-Baqarah 2:217] {يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلشَّهْرِ ٱلْحَرَامِ قِتَالٍ فِيهِ ۖ قُلْ قِتَالٌ فِيهِ كَبِيرٌ ۖ وَصَدٌّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّـهِ وَكُفْرٌۢ بِهِۦ وَٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ وَإِخْرَاجُ أَهْلِهِۦ مِنْهُ أَكْبَرُ عِندَ ٱللَّـهِ ۚ وَٱلْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ ٱلْقَتْلِ ۗ وَلَا يَزَالُونَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَن دِينِكُمْ إِنِ ٱسْتَطَـٰعُوا۟ ۚ وَمَن يَرْتَدِدْ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِۦ فَيَمُتْ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَـٰلُهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ} البقرة: 217 Transliteration: Yasaloonaka AAani alshshahri alharami qitalin feehi qul qitalun feehi kabeerun wasaddun AAan sabeeli Allahi wakufrun bihi waalmasjidi alharami waikhraju ahlihi minhu akbaru AAinda Allahi waalfitnatu akbaru mina alqatli wala yazaloona yuqatiloonakum hatta yaruddookum AAan deenikum ini istataAAoo waman yartadid minkum AAan deenihi fayamut wahuwa kafirun faolaika habitat aAAmaluhum fee alddunya waalakhirati waolaika ashabu alnnari hum feeha khalidoona This is how the Qur’an argues with the disbelievers. The Qur’an starts by attacking them on their greatest crime: their disbelief in Allah and their association of partners with Him. One should not present a false interpretation of our religion for the purpose of pleasing the disbelievers. Some Muslims try to hide their Islamic identity for fear of being labeled as “fundamentalist”. Men are shaving their beard and women are trying to make their hijab look like the latest fall fashion. If presented with food or drink that is haram, they say we are full at the moment, or they say we do not like that particular food. Only few say that they cannot eat it because it is unlawful in Islam. This is not the way of the companions of the Prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, behaved. When the companions accepted Islam, they became proud of it and felt that all other ideologies and ways of life are inferior to what has been revealed to them from above seven heavens. In the battle between the Muslims and the Persians, Rostom, the leader of the Persian army, asked to negotiate with the Muslims. Sad ibn Abi Waqqas, the Muslim leader in that battle, sent a group of companions among which was Rabie ibn Amir. The Persian leader prepared a magnificent reception in order to impress those “Bedouins” and weaken their position. The Persians asked Rabie to enter without his arms. He refused and entered with his arms and his horse and tied his horse next to Rostom. Rstom asked: “What brings you?” Rabie said: “Allah has sent us to convert mankind from the worship of people to the worship of Allah and from the narrowness of this life to its wideness and from the oppression of the religions to the justice of Islam. Allah has sent us to His creatures with His religion. Whoever accepts it, we accept from him and whoever refuses, we fight him until we get the Promise of Allah?” “And what is His Promise?” asked Rostom. “Paradise for those who die and victory for those who survive” answered Rabie. Rostom said: “Can you delay this matter until we think about it?” Rabie answered: “Yes. How many days you need, one or two?” Rostom said: “More. Until I write to my people.” Rabie said: “We can’t. Our Prophet does not authorize us to delay our enemies more than three days. So make up your mind." This companion came from a society which was materially far behind the Persian Empire. Nevertheless he had in himself the seed of Truth and righteousness that allowed him not to be distracted or impressed with the glamour surrounding the disbelievers. Civilization starts with the correct belief and faith. The material aspects of civilization will come later as a by-product. On the other hand, the disbeliever, no matter how materially advanced he might be, is an uncivilized person and bears in his soul the germs of his own destruction. This is why you should take pride in your religion. This is why you should take pride in Islam.