SAFAH

Bismillah. TREE OF IMAN If someone gives you a plant to take care of..how do you think you will do it? Wouldn't you try your best to not to let that plant die? And of course, to do that you are going to make sure that all the things that plant need, you provide it and keep it away form all the harmful things. At the same time you will try to find out about the basic elements that plant is consisted of and the basic things those elements need to grow properly. Believe me or not but all of us have one, very delicate and at the same time very strong tree to take care of given to us by our Lord. Allah (SWT) has given us this tree that is planted in our hearts, called "shajarat-ul-Iman" (Tree of Iman). Allah (swt) describes that tree in Quran: "Have you not seen how Allah coined a similitude (of parable) a good word like a good tree, the root of that tree is firmly established in the ground and the branches reach the heavens." At another place in Quran Allah (swt) said: "(this particular tree by the permission of its Lord), gives fruits (all kinds of fruits) anytime Allah (swt) wants it to give fruits. Allah (swt) also said: "Allah coin similitude for the human beings (for you and I), so that perhaps we may reflect (we may think)." Science say there are trees in other plants than earth ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Allah (swt) created seven heavens and earth other than this planet. Some people say that there are trees and some say there are not. There is proof in Quran and Sunnah that there are trees in Jannah (heaven). One of them is called "Toobaa", the tree for the "ghurab'a" (strangers). The shade of that tree is one month journey and this is where the believers will take their clothes from. Most Important Tree in this World: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The most important tree in this dunya (world) is the Tree of Iman (shajarat-ul-Iman). The tree that Allah (swt) has planted in our hearts. The tree that we all should be worrying about day and night. We all must know what that tree of Iman is made of so that we can take good care of it. What Does the Tree of Iman Have: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Almost all the trees that Allah (swt) has created/originated, almost all of them have three very basic things: 1. Root (O'rooq) The roots of the most important tree on this earth are: a) Knowledge (I'lm) B) Certainty (Yaqeen) The tree of Iman is the basic belief of Islam "La ilaha illal lah" "There is no God worthy of worship except Allah (swt)" So the root for us of the Tree of Iman, is the KNOWLEDGE of the meaning of "la ilaha illallah". It covers every single aspect of our life. When we know that there is no God other then Allah (swt), we totally surrender to Him alone and we take everything that He gave us through the Quran and the Sunnah of Rasul of Allah (saw). The other half of the root of this tree is the certainty, meaning the certainty of everything what "la ilaha illallah" brings. When implementing Islam in our lives, or when accepting a matter which we were not aware of before, we should do it with firm belief and certainty, as long as it is from the Quran and the authentic Sunnah of Rasul and his Companions. 2) Trunk: (Saaq) The tree of Iman, like the other trees, also has a trunk, which is Purity of Intention: (al-Ikhlas) We must have the purity of intention for our tree to be firm and unshakable and immovable. Abdullah Ibn Sahl at-tuzkuri (ra) (scholar from the taba'een) was asked: "What is al-Iman?", he said: "Iman is statement, is action, is nyyah (intention) and is Sunnah. If it is a statement without actions then it is Kufr (disbelief), if it is a statement and action with out intention then it is Nifaq (hypocrisy), if it is a statement, action and intention without the Sunnah, then it is Bid'ah (innovation)." To keep a healthy trunk of our tree, we must have a pure intention of our actions. Our every righteous deed is divided into two parts. The first half of a righteous deed is the purity of intention. The nyyah has to be pure for the pleasure of Allah ONLY! 3) Branches & Fruits: This tree should also has branches and fruits. And these are: a) Righteous deeds B) Honorable/Noble Character At several places in Quran, Allah (SWT) has distinguished the people of Jannah from the people of Hell as Indeed those who believed and did righteous deeds.... Those people who believed and did righteous deeds have also been given the glad tidings of Jannah at several places in Quran: Every righteous deed consists of two parts. First part is the purity of intention (for the sake of Allah only!). Second half of the righteous deed is that the action has to be in conformed with Shariah (Quran and Sunnah of Rasul (SAW) and the Companions(May Allah be pleased with them)). If the action is not conformed with Shariah, it is not considered a righteous deed! When a tree has firm roots and healthy trunk and branches, it automatically produces good fruits. Similarly, when we establish firm roots of Iman in our heart and keep healthy trunk and branches of the tree the fruits will prosper. If we have the knowledge of our deen and certainty of whatever knowledge we have, and we do righteous deeds with pure intentions, we will automatically develop an honorable and noble character. Things that will Make Our Tree Die: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1)Kufr: If we allow kufr to come into our tree, it will destroy the tree. 2) Shirk: If we allow shirk to come into our tree, it will also destroy the tree. 3) Bid'ah: If we allow Bid'ah (innovations) of all types to come into our tree, it will demolish our tree. Our tree will become yellow, our tree will become dry and our tree will eventually die! Note: Muslims nowadays are involved in so many "religious practices" thinking that they are pleasing Allah (swt), though in reality they are getting themselves involved either in bid'ahs or sometimes even to the extant of shirks. Muslims, intentionally or unintentionally, either add or remove stuff from how a certain act was originally practiced by our pious predecessors and hence making it a bid'ah. And since the act was not practiced according to the "Shari'ah", it will not be considered a righteous deed. To avoid from getting ourselves involved in these dangerous things, it is extremely important to have the "knowledge" of the deen and to refer back to our pious predecessors in every single thing we do or say. What is AL-Iman: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Al-Iman is: 1) Belief: Iman is a belief in our hearts. It is to have a firm belief of "la illah illallah" in our hearts and all the thing that it brings. Every thing that we find from Quran and Sunnah, we must have a sincere and firm belief on that without having any doubts. 2)Statement: Iman is a statement by our tongue. We must state "la illaha illallah" by our tongues. Meaning what ever believes we have, we cannot just keep them in our hearts, but we must say them out. 3) Actions: Iman is to carry out our believes and our statements by our bodily limbs. After believing in "la illaha illallah" and stating it, we must imply it in our actions. And the way we imply "la illaha illallah" in our actions is by modifying our every action and deed according to the Quran and Sunnah of Rasul and our pious predecessors. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A general example of the above could be wearing hijab. If one has a firm belief in Allah (swt) and whatever He revealed, will definitely believe that wearing hijab is a command of Allah and it is mandatory. Then only believing is not enough, we must have to admit by stating by our tongues the fact that hijab is necessary and inform other people about it in a nice pleasing way (not in a displeasing or complaining manner). But still our Iman is not completed until we start wearing it ourselves. To think that Iman is in our hearts only, is one of the tricks of Iblis (satan). We shouldn't be fooled by the shaytans (satan) of the Ins wal Jin (Humans and Jinns) by thinking that Iman is in our chests only and as long as we have a firm belief, our Iman is completed Rather we HAVE to show our believes by our statements and by our actions Highest and Lowest of Iman: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rasul of Allah (saw) said: "Iman has 70 branches. And the highest of al-Iman is the statement "la illaha illallah" (It is the most sublime, the most magnificent and the most superior of all Iman). The lowest of the Iman is to remove some harmful thing from the street. And modesty is a part of al-Iman." Iman Wears Out: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We all go through high and low levels of Iman. As Rasul of Allah told us:"al-Iman wears out in each and everyone of you and me like a "thaub" (garment) wears out (like our clothes wears out...and they become shabby eventually. Iman wears out like that "thaub"). So Rasul of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) advised us (since our Iman wears out) "So all of you Muslims, should ask Allah (swt) to RENEW the Iman in our hearts."

Bismillah. In life there will always be those people who are opportunists, or those who take advantage of any opportunity to get what they want no matter what the cost is. Opportunists are usually thought of in a negative, “out for yourself” perspective. In reality this depends on your intention, your acts, how you go about getting what you want, and at what costs. In Islam, being an opportunist is not seen as cut throat, but rather it is encouraged to compete as opportunists, and even considered a praiseworthy act. This is because an opportunist racing towards the pleasure of Allah and towards getting good deeds in this life will have success awaiting for them on Judgment Day and in the Afterlife. This goal is more important to reach “no matter what the cost in this world”. Here is the beautiful story of one opportunist who did not let go of his chance to get guaranteed pleasure in the Hereafter. Abu Darda (may Allah have mercy on him) was one of those people who found an opportunity to win what is greater than the heavens and the earth. There was a companion of the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) who cultivated his garden next to the property of an orphan. The orphan claimed that a specific palm tree was on his property and therefore belonged to him. The companion rejected the claim, so the orphan boy went to the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) to complain. The Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) measured the two gardens and found that the palm tree did indeed belong to the companion. The orphan erupted crying. Seeing this, the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) asked the companion, “Would you give him the palm tree and for you is a palm tree in Jannah?” However, the companion in his disbelief that an orphan would complain to the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam), missed the opportunity and went away angry. But someone else saw the opportunity – Abu Darda (radi Allahu anhu). He went to the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) and asked, “Ya RasulAllah, if I buy the tree from him and give it to the orphan shall I have that tree in Jannah?” The Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) replied, “Yes.” Abu Darda (radi Allahu anhu) had chased after the companion and asked, “Would you sell that tree to me for my entire garden?” (Abu Darda had a garden of 600 trees) The companion answered, “Take it, for there is no good in a tree that was complained to the Prophet about.” Immediately, Abu Darda (radi Allahu anhu) went home and found his wife and children playing in the garden. “Leave the garden!” shouted Abu Darda. “We’ve sold it to Allah! We’ve sold it to Allah!” Some of his children had dates in their hand and he snatched the dates from them and threw them back into the garden. “We’ve sold it to Allah!” When Abu Darda was later martyred in the battle of Uhud, RasulAllah (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) stood over his slain body and remarked, “How many shady palm trees does Abu Darda now have in Paradise?” What did Abu Darda lose? Dates? Bushes? Dirt? What did he gain? He gained a Jannah whose expanse is the heavens and the earth. Subhan’Allah, how beautiful is this story, of one Sahabi who gave up everything he had, just to have one palm tree in Jannah. Allahu Akbar.

Bismillah. Ten Causes that Result in Allaah’s Love For His Slave and the Slave’s Love for his Lord. Author: Ibnul Qayyim al Jawziyyah, Source: Madarij as-Saalikeen (vol. 3, pp. 17-18 ) First, reciting the Qur’an while pondering over its meanings and what is meant by it. Second, getting closer to Allaah by performing voluntary deeds after completing obligatory deeds. This is as is stated in a Hadith Qudsi: “My slave continues getting closer to Me by performing voluntary deeds until I love him.” Third, continual remembrance of Allaah under all circumstances, with one’s tongue, heart and actions. The extent of one’s love of Allaah is determined by this. Fourth, giving precedence to what He loves over what you love when you are overtaken by your desires. Fifth, the heart being avid of Allaah’s Names, and Attributes and the heart roaming in that garden of knowledge. Sixth, observing Allaah’s kindness, goodness and bounties, both hidden and open. Seventh, and this is the most wonderful, the heart being soft, subdued and meek before Allaah. Eighth, being alone with Allaah during the time when the Lord descends during the last portion of the night while reading His Book and ending that by asking for forgiveness and repenting. Ninth, sitting with the beloved and sincere, benefitting from the most fruitful of their speech. And not to speak unless speaking is more beneficial and you know that it will improve your state and be beneficial to others. Tenth, remaining away from every cause that comes between the heart and Allaah.

Bismillah. ‎18 Ways To Survive In Temptation Island! Yes, it's hard, especially when you're constantly bombarded with obscene images: that hot, scantily clad guy or gal in the magazine luring you; or the persistent emphasis on sex in the movies (even Toy Story or Spider Man!); or the pervasive links to pornography while you may simply be checking your e-mail. How can you protect yourself from all of this? 1. Don't forget the power of Allah's Remembrance (Dhikr)! It is the most powerful of all the defences. Regular reading of prescribed Du'as will develop your Taqwa (consciousness) and keep you mindful of what thoughts you entertain. Ya Khabeeru (The One who is all-aware): constant recitation will decrease your nafs 2. Remember your Accountability to Allah. In Islam, you're fully accountable as soon as you understand and feel such temptations. Your eyes will testify about what you looked at on the Day of Judgment. 3. Always walk with your gaze lowered. But make sure not to bump into a hydro post! Lowering the gaze does not mean that you cannot have any 'eye contact' as you walk or during a conversation. It means that you keep your eyes under control. 4. Take the Right Seat! In a public place (e.g. café), choose a seat that minimizes your view-frame and avoid mixed-crowds. It is precisely about such comfortable gazing at the attractive features of the passers-by that the Prophet (SAW) advised 'Ali ibn Abi Talib: "Ali, do not let a second look follow the first. The first look is allowed to you but not the second." (Ahmad, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi.) 5. Hangout with those known for noble character and modesty. When you are around good people, they can remind you to abstain from that which Allah dislikes. As the Prophet (SAW) said, "A person is likely to follow the faith of his friends, so be careful about who you make your friend." (Ahmad.) 6. Avoid friends that are into immoral movies, music, dirty jokes etc. Such activities are the tools of Shaytan that promote the idea of 'love based on looks' or 'love at first sight'. Such friends would take you into an artificial world of fantasies and false hopes, away from reality, before it's too late! Therefore, either you help your friends change through gentle advice, or abandon frequent contact with them. As Allah warns us: "If anyone withdraws himself from Allah's remembrance, Most Gracious, We appoint for him an evil one to be his intimate companion." [43: 36.] 7. Avoid visiting malls and parks alone. Always try to go out with a family member or a good friend, whose company may help you avert your eyes from the objectionable billboards and inappropriately clothed people. In summer, step out only when you have to. 8. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CURRENTLY WATCH TV AND/ OR SURF THE INTERNET! Surf or Watch TV when others are around. The temptation to sneak a look at dirty pictures is heightened when you're alone in your room watching TV or surfing the Internet. Shaytan's primary target is always a lonely person! Try to avoid late night TV and Internet surfing. MAKE DUA TO ALLAH TO RID YOU OF THESE EVIL INDULGENCES! 9. Never have 'nothing to do'! Shaytan loves 'bored and idle' people. If you are feeling bored, do the dishes, or take out the garbage, or read some book. Allah says, "Do not throw yourself into destruction with your own hands." [2: 195.] 10. Volunteer for Islamic Organizations. Your Jihad against immorality in the society is one reason for you to join Muslim youth groups in your community. Your involvement with such activities, along with the love of helpful brothers or sisters struggling for a good cause, will keep your mind, energies, and thoughts focused away from the Haram. 11. Read, Read, and Read! Yes, read as many Islamic books and articles as possible. Reading keeps your mind and eyes busy! It keeps you motivated to live your Islam and strengthens your relationship with Allah. 12. Always remember that the beauty of this world is temporary and the life hereafter is everlasting. 13. Observe voluntary fast to strengthen your willpower and to cool your passions. The Prophet (SAW) strongly recommended the youth to make it a habit. 14. If you are able and responsible then get married for the sake of Allah. It may be one of the most effective, yet challenging, defence mechanisms against such temptations. 15. For Brothers, remember your Mom and Sister. Disgusting right? Exactly! No sane person would look at his mom or sister the way many of us examine the girls on TV shows or stare at our Muslim sisters in social gatherings. This thought should sicken you enough to stop Insha-Allah. 16. Remind yourself of the Death and Hereafter often. "Remember often the terminator (or destroyer) of all the pleasures [i.e. death]," the Prophet (SAW) reminded us. (at-Tirmidhi.) 17. Increase your Good Actions. Try following the advice of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW): "Remain conscious of Allah and fear Him wherever you are. And follow a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards people." (at-Tirmidhi.) 18. Repent and Return to Allah. Allah is All-forgiving and loves those who return to Him, promising not to repeat their sins. "Ask forgiveness from your Lord, then turn towards Him in repentance; He will loosen the sky over you in abundance, and He will add strength unto your strength." [11: 52].

Bismillah. Forgiveness the like of it On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “Allah the Almighty said: ‘O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.’” Hadith - Qudsi 34

Bismillah. ‎25 Ways to Enter Jannah 1.Whoever meets Allah without ascribing anything to Him will enter Jannah.[bukhari] 2.Whoever believes (has emaan) in Allah and His Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam), and establishes the prayer and fasts the month of Ramadan, it is incumbent upon Allah that He enters him in Jannah.[bukhari] 3.Whoever builds a masjid seeking by it the Pleasure of Allah, Allah will build for him a similar place in Jannah. [bukhari] 4.Whoever prays the two cool prayers (Asr and Fajr) will enter Jannah. [bukhari] 5.Whoever goes to the masjid (every) morning and in the afternoon (for the ongregational prayer), Allah will prepare for him an honorable place in Jannah with good hospitality for (what he has done) every morning and afternoon goings. [bukhari] 6.Whoever can guarantee (the chastity of) what is between his two jaw-bones and what is between his two legs (i.e. his tongue and his private parts), I guarantee Jannah for him. [bukhari] 7.Whoever prays 12 rakaat in the day and night, a house in Jannah will be built for him. [Muslim] 8.Whoever treads a path in search of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him the path to Jannah. [bukhari] 9.Whoever repeats after the muadhdhin from his heart (i.e., sincerely) will enter Jannah. [Abu Dawud] 10.There is not one of you who perfects his wudu and prays two rakaat setting about them with his heart as well as his face except that Jannah would be mandatory for him [Abu Dawud] 11.Whoever says: “I am pleased with Allah as my Rabb, and with Islam as my Deen, and with Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) as my Prophet, Jannah would be mandatory for him. [Abu Dawud] 12.Whosoever last words are: laa ilaaha il Allah, will enter Paradise. [Abu Dawud, Saheeh] 13.Whoever says “SubhanAllah al-Adheem wa biHamdihi, Glorified and Exalted is Allah, The Great, and with His Praise”, a date-palm will planted for him in Jannah.[Tirmidhi] 14.Whoever dies and is free from three: arrogance, grudges and debt will enter Jannah.[Tirmidhi] 15.Whoever raises two girls, he and I will enter Jannah. [Tirmidhi] 16.Whoever calls the adhan for 12 years, Jannah will become mandatory for him[ibn Maajah] 17.Whoever asks Allah for Jannah three times, Jannah will say: “O Allah, enter him into Jannah.” [Tirmidhi] 18.Whoever visits an ailing person or a brother of his to seek the Pleasure of Allah, an announcer (angel) calls out: May you be happy, may your walking be blessed, and may you be awarded a dignified position in Jannah.[Tirmidhi] 19.Indeed, truthfulness leads to righteousness and indeed righteousness leads to Jannah. [bukhari] 20.Allah guarantees him who strives in His Cause and whose motivation for going out is nothing but Jihad in His Cause and belief in His Word, that He will admit him into Jannah. [bukhari] 21.O people, spread the salaam (greetings), feed the hungry, and pray while the people are asleep, you will enter Jannah in peace. [Tirmidhi] 22.(The performance of) Umrah is an expiation for the sins committed between it and the previous Umrah; and the reward of Hajj Mabrur (i.e., one accepted) is nothing but Jannah. [bukhari] 23.Allah has ninety-nine Names, one hundred minus one, and whoever believes in their meanings and acts accordingly, will enter Jannah. [bukhari] 24.I saw a man going about in Jannah (and enjoying himself) as a reward for cutting from the middle of the road, a tree which was causing inconvenience to the Muslims[Muslim] 25.O Allah, You are my Lord, none has the right to be worshipped except You, You created me and I am You servant and I abide to Your covenant and promise as best I can, I take refuge in You from the evil of which I committed. I acknowledge Your favor upon me and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for verily none can forgive sin except You. “If somebody recites this invocation during the day, and if he should die then, he will be from the people of Jannah. And if he recites it in the night, and if he should die on the same day, he will be from the people of Jannah.” [bukhari]

Bismillah. The Sound of Azaan Constantly Echoes Around the Globe. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest Ashadu an La illaha illAllah I witness/declare that there is no illah (god) but Allah Ashadu an La illaha illAllah I witness that there is no illah but Allah Ashadu anna Muhammad ar Rasool Allah I witness that Muhammad is Rasul (Messenger) of Allah Ashadu anna Muhammad ar Rasool Allah I witness that Muhammad is Rasul of Allah Hayya 'alas Salat Come towards the Salat Hayya 'alas Salat Come towards the Salat Hayya 'alal Falah Come towards the Success Hayya 'alal Falah Come towards the Success Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest La illaha illaAllah There is no illah but Allah Let us begin with Indonesia right on the eastern side of the earth's central land mass. Indonesia consists of numerous small islands, the principle ones amongst them being Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Saibil, all of which are well known. It is the largest country in the world, with 180 million inhabitants. The number of non-Muslims here is negligible. As soon as dawn breaks on the eastern side of Saibil, at approximately 5:30 am local time, Fajar Adhan begins. Thousands of Muazzins in eastern Indonesia commence proclaiming the Tawheed (oneness) of the Almighty, Omnipotent and Omniscient Allah and Risaalat (Universal Apostleship) of the Prophet Muhammad . The process then continues and advances towards the Western Islands of Indonesia. The time difference between the eastern and western islands of Indonesia is one and a half hours. So one and a half hours after the Adhan has been completed in Saibil, it echoes in Jakarta on Java island. Sumatra then follows suit. Before this auspicious process of calling Adhan ends in Indonesia, it has already begun in Malaysia. Burma is next in line, and within an hour of its commencement in Jakarta, it reaches Dacca, the capital city of Bangladesh. No sooner the calling of Adhan ends in Bangladesh, it has already prevailed in western India, from Calcutta to Srinagar. It then advances towards Bombay and the environment of entire India resounds with this august proclamation. Srinagar and Sialkot (a city in north Pakistan) have the same timing for Adhan. The time difference between Sialkot, Kota, Karachi and Gowadar (a city in Baluchistan, a province of Pakistan) is forty minutes, and within this time, Fajar Adhan is heard throughout Pakistan. Before it ends there, however, it has already begun in Afghanistan and Muscat. The time difference between Muscat and Baghdad is one hour. Adhan resounds during this one hour In the environments of Hijaaz-e-Muqaddas (Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah), Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq. The time difference between Baghdad and Alexandria in Egypt is again one hour. Adhan continues to resound in Syria, Egypt, Somalia and Sudan during this hour. Alexandria and Istanbul are situated on the same geographical longitude. The time difference between eastern and western Turkey is one and a half hours, and during this time it is echoed with the call to prayer. Alexandria and Tripoli (capital of Libya) are located at a hour difference from one another. The process of calling Adhan thus continues throughout the whole of Africa. Therefore, the proclamation of the Oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Muhammad that had begun in the eastern islands of Indonesia reaches the Eastern Shore of the Atlantic ocean after nine and a half hours. Prior to the Adhan reaching the shores of the Atlantic, the process of Zohar Adhan has already commenced in eastern Indonesia, and before it reaches Dacca, Asar Adhan has started. This has hardly reached Jakarta one and half hours later. Then the time of Maghrib becomes due, and no sooner has Maghrib time reached Sumatra, then the time for calling Isha Adhan has commenced in Saibil! When the Muezzins of Indonesia are calling out Fajar Adhan, the Muezzins in Africa are calling out the Adhan for Isha. There is not a single moment when few thousands if not hundreds of thousands of Muezzins around the world are not proclaiming the Oneness of Almighty Allah and the Apostleship of the noble Prophet on the surface of this earth! Insha Allah this universal and continuous calling of the Adhan shall not cease until the Day of the Judgment.

Bismillah. The Masjid After Ramadan Ramadan came and the masjid brimmed with joy from daybreak to sunset, men, women, and children overflowed its sacred halls light emanated out from their ardent worship magnificent chandeliers adorned the uplifted roof perfectly straight and still rows stretched out far and wide a mesmerizing recitation of the Quran marvelously glided through encompassing their bodies and seizing their hearts and unleashing the blessings of the Most Bountiful the masjid gloated, beaming with praise and hope when Ramadan ended, the masjid lamented and wept its Eid was no Eid its happiness was gone its light was replaced by a gloomy darkness for all those who visited it had suddenly deserted it perfectly content with their performance in Ramadan they saw no further need to come back they could happily chase after the pleasures they had missed out in Ramadan and as I gaze now, the masjid is silent as a mortuary mourning without wailing peaceful as waves breaking on a shore lights reminiscent of the full moon shining down upon a vast desert shadows abound, of the door knobs peeking down of the window grids forming black holes in the carpet the people are gone a feeling of emptiness overwhelms how many vacant spots are there beseeching, pleading for a worshipper to come and connect his soul with the Almighty to earn eternal success how many mushafs are there wishing they were being read by a sincere heart why do not the people reform why do they stubbornly persist in answering the calls of ignorance why do they ignore the call of their Lord why do they neglect the masjid except at Ramadan alas, the masjid is there waiting, peacefully and silently for them to come its looming, heavy silence is its tears for it has to wait one long and dry year until the next Ramadan when the people will finally come back so it can be restored to its glory and to its original purpose - in the service of its Creator.

Bismillah. In the Lizard's Hole: Television, Televangelism and Muslims By Khalid Baig When television was introduced in the middle of the 20th century, Muslim scholars nearly unanimously opposed it, just like the film before it. They were concerned about its potential social, cultural, and moral impact on the society. In the decades that followed their worst fears came true. Television everywhere caused unprecedented upheavals in the society, changing moral norms, corrupting social structures, and ushering an era of unabashed hedonism and materialism. After watching the destruction caused by the glamorous new toy in their societies for decades, and the apparently unstoppable momentum with which it surged forth, many concerned Muslims decided to do something about it; in increasing numbers they want to use it to promote Islamic teachings. After all when nearly everyone who can afford it --- and even many who cannot --- have a television in their home, how can you ignore it? As a result today there are hundreds of “Islamic” channels broadcasting through terrestrial, cable, satellite, and Internet connections. Many have been there for a decade and many more keep coming up. To be sure television still remains a controversial subject in the Islamic world with a small and dwindling minority of scholars considering it impermissible. But for increasing numbers it is not only permissible but desirable to harness this medium to serve the cause of Islamic dawa and education. Some may even say it is a sacred duty. Underlying this push is an unexamined assumption that television is just a tool that can be used with equal facility in the service of good or evil. Thus the problems caused by television were caused solely because it was in the wrong hands and the only thing we need to counter those problems is have more broadcast power in the right hands. With television signals potentially reaching millions of people, we can preach to and educate such vast numbers as had never been possible before. Those who are in the opposing camp have only been concerned with a technical issue of the definition of tasweer (picture). Does it violate Islamic prohibition of making and displaying pictures of living things? Or does the definition not extend to pictures on the screen because unlike the ones on paper they are not permanent? The bigger issues of the nature and built in proclivities of the medium itself have unfortunately not entered the debate. But is it possible that visual communication is not just an extension of the aural communication as assumed but an entirely different animal? That the medium itself may be good for some purposes and entirely unsuitable for others? That a serious message like Islamic teachings may be trivialized and distorted by it? Words and Pictures Television reflects the idea that serious discourse can be carried out through pictures instead of words. While pictures can sometimes be used in a written document or in a live presentation, their role there is a subordinate one. On television, the picture is the centerpiece. It dominates and controls the entire communication and everything else is subordinate to it. Now words and pictures do not occupy the same universe of discourse. A piece of writing requires one to go beyond the shape of the letters to read them. It requires thought to understand what is being said. To concentrate on a critical idea we sometimes close our eyes or even when they are open we pay no attention to what is visible. We develop insights by opening our inner eyes, so to speak, and turning away from the sights. But in the presence of television you cannot close eyes or ignore what is in front of them. Before you can begin to think deeply about an idea, there is another eye-catching picture on the screen to distract you. Thus television does not only not require reflection; it does not even permit it. With beautiful imagery and a continuous display of dazzling pictures it shuts off our ability to engage in deep thoughts. That is why little children can spend hours in front of the mini screen but get tired very quickly after looking at a picture-less page of text. The disability to think and process textual information is increased with continued watching. Therefore generations nurtured on television have such a short attention span. Television can titillate, it cannot teach. It appeals to the emotions, not the intellect. It can bring images into our heart, not ideas into our mind (1). In a live lecture people look at the speaker from time to time. They do not constantly gaze at him. And even when they are looking it is not the details of his appearance that interest them. The power of a close up shot does not enter the picture, so to speak, when you are addressing a live audience. That is why speakers do not go to makeup artists before their speaking assignments. Neither is there a need to go to great lengths to decorate the stage and podium to engage the audience’s attention. A person who is not telegenic may still be a very successful speaker. His words and not his picture are of interest as they should be in any genuine communication. Not so with television where the basic rules of communication are turned upside down. Here appearances and images are the king. Ideas and arguments are of secondary importance. It is the purpose of this article to examine the result of these differences in light of actual experience with use of television for religious programs in the Christian and Muslim worlds. The question we ask is how television has influenced the religious discourse in the two communities. There are two reasons for looking at the Christian experience. First the Christian world, especially in the US, has been much ahead of the Muslim world in its use of television. While Muslims came to it after several decades, Christians were at it from the first day ---since the 1950s. Their preoccupation with it gave rise to the term televangelism, which refers to the use of television for evangelism or spreading Christian faith. Second, many Muslim broadcasters are following in the footsteps of the televangelists, whether their audiences realize it or not. It is important to see what the televangelists did and what were the results of doing that. That may tell us what is in store for us if we continue blindly on their trail. The Televangelists Televangelists like Billy Graham, Oral Roberts (d. 2009), Jimmy Swaggart, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Jerry Fallwell, Pat Robertson, and Robert Schuller built broadcast empires whose budgets and audiences ran into millions. As early as 1957 the television programs of Oral Roberts were reaching 80% of the possible television audience in the US. Around the same time Billy Graham boasted that in a single telecast he preached to millions more than Christ did in his lifetime. How did they do it? By carefully studying and implementing marketing strategies and techniques used by successful commercial television programs. They copied formats, set designs, themes, even musical tunes thereby attracting worshippers to a feel-good Christianity that provided great entertainment while demanding little other than donation dollars. As Reverend Johan Tangelder notes, “Christian television ministry exists within the context of North American culture. In this culture even religion has become a recreational pursuit.” Television was particularly suited for this transformation because of its need for communication through pictures and its inability to handle abstractions, in depth arguments and any thing requiring reflections. You can certainly place a camera in front of a scholar engaged in some serious discourse, but it is highly unlikely for such a program to have mass appeal. To succeed in building and holding a large audience, you need to constantly attract its members through eye-catching visuals and learn to speak in sound bites. This is even more important because of the setting in which television operates since the next really entertaining program is just a tap on the remote or even a flick of the wrist away. Persona Advertisers know that the most popular programs on television take the form of a movie. That is why even a thirty second commercial is a carefully crafted miniature movie with a problem, a climax and then a resolution that is obtained by using the products being peddled. To compete against this the televangelists knew they had to have a better ‘movie’. In that movie the preacher became the hero – the object of viewer adoration, the centerpiece of the entire plot. “Like Hollywood or show business generally, televangelism relies extensively on public persona,” writes Quentin J. Schultze in Televangelism and American Culture (2). It was the persona of the preacher whose own image and personality dominated the show. People turned to the show to watch their favorite star in action, rather than to listen to a lecture. Talk Show Format The successful televangelists also borrowed formats and styles from the entertainment world. Schultze notes that Robertson, Bakker, and Crouch started their talk-pray-sing formula in imitation of the talk shows of Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin. Schuller incorporated a variety show format in his programs. This included guest stars from Hollywood and sports, airy shots of the interior of his Crystal Cathedral, serene images of the outdoor fountains, and majestic skyward pictures of the glass cathedral. Not to be left behind, Swaggart’s “old fashioned” revivalism (as it was named) bore the marks of contemporary variety shows with the cameras alternating between shots of the excited audience and those of the performers. The net result: “The revivalist or evangelist [became] a talk-show host, a variety-show emcee and above all a performer.” Health and Wealth Gospel Further, television’s demand for action and drama found a good match in the old art of the faith-healer and those talking in tongues. Thus quite expectedly many of the most successful televangelists made full use of these practices. This even impacted Christian theology by giving rise to the health and wealth gospel, which held that God wants everyone to be healthy and wealthy and the only thing needed to achieve this was to make an offering to the televangelist. To convince the audiences their programs regularly showcased “miracles” performed by the televangelist. A destitute person becoming wealthy, a terminally sick person becoming healthy, all through the power of the prayer of the host whose favors extend to anyone who believed in his gospel and made contributions to his ministry. Power of Drama Television is the ideal medium for drama and televangelists made full use of it. They were true masters of this art. The power of drama --- and their mastery of it--- can be seen in the repentance of Swaggart who had been caught in a sexual scandal involving a prostitute. This, after he had been exposing the sexual scandals of rival televangelists for some time. Quite naturally it was a big shocker but after a few months of not knowing what to do, he finally came up with a brilliant solution. He recorded a one-hour program in his church admitting unspecified sins and focusing on Christian forgiveness. Shots of a crying Swaggart with tears rolling down his face were alternated with those of heart broken congregants who suffered with him. At the end of the show came the resolution of this carefully orchestrated drama: Swaggart hugging and crying with individual supporters, who clearly had forgiven him. The Result: Religion in the Entertainment Marketplace Using the full capabilities of the medium in masterly manner televangelists certainly attracted huge audiences. But what was its impact on those audiences? According to Christian critics it was not the promotion of Christianity as it was known before the advent of television. The audiences were attracted and held though the lure of entertainment, which is the “supra ideology” of television as Neil Postman said. Schultze notes that televangelism promoted a new religion whose pillars were selfishness, individualism, and materialism --- not to mention superstition in the form of the health and wealth gospel (3).Some would call it the ultimate blasphemy. In Richard F. Collman’s words “The ultimate blasphemy of a consumerist culture is its desire to consume God”(4). This is what happens when religion is sold in the entertainment marketplace. The effect was not limited to the television program only. After being conditioned by entertainment in the name of religion, people started expecting it everywhere. There was a demand for the church to be like the television program and the local preacher to ape the performance of the favorite televangelist. Schultze noted that congregations accustomed to TV were more easily bored by routine, less likely to follow a lengthy or complicated sermon, and visually tuned to the preacher. In short, as Neil Postman would say, it was not that religion became the content of television but that television shows were becoming the content of religion (5). Muslim World We can now turn to the scene in the Muslim world. Could the same thing happen there? Many Muslims would dismiss this suggestion by arguing that the problems were rooted in Christianity not television. Revivalism was dominated by entertainers before the advent of even radio. The health and wealth gospel had historic roots in Christian theology. Such distortions are unthinkable in Islam, where both the Qur’an and Hadith are well preserved and Shariah limits are well defined. Here we can enjoy the promise of television, with huge audiences, without the perils experienced elsewhere. While certainly there are differences of day and night between Islam and Christianity in terms of the preservation of the source texts and the historic continuity of its dogma, the propensities of television as a medium are the same. And their impact on those who submit to it cannot be different. This is what Marshal McLuhan told us through his aphorism that has become a cliché, that the medium is the message (6). That television will not just communicate but shape and distort the message it is carrying. It will mold it in its own image. By moving the religious discourse to the world of entertainment, it will make religious authority irrelevant. A critical look at what has been happening in the world of Islamic television may be sobering. The Amr Khaled Phenomenon The person who attained phenomenal success with Islamic programs on television is undisputedly Amr Khaled of Egypt. An accountant turned lay preacher, his official resume is full of large numbers. Thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions. On facebook more than two million “like” him. His television program is seen by millions. He lists the audience size in the gatherings he has addressed during the past decade. 20,000 here, 40,000 there. Like the televangelists he can bask in the glow of an unprecedented popularity. There is no other Islamic television host that comes close. How did he do it? Exactly the way the televangelists had done. Amr Khaled rose to stardom in 2001 with the appearance of his show “Kalam min al-Qalb” (Words from the heart) on satellite. His producer Abu-Haibah was very impressed with televangelists saying, “if we did this with Islam it would be a new experience for Islam.” Their stated goal was to make Islamic media “not just as good, but much, much more interesting than the most interesting programs on other channels.” They did whatever it takes to become more interesting than the vulgar commercial fare. They chose a set that had no relation to Islam, rather it would be “something that will feel like a top-ten [music] program.” They invited celebrities, many of them former film stars who had gone through the coming-back-to-Islam experience. (It was a carefully calibrated conversion where they started wearing a headscarf without stopping a public display of beauty --- makeup and all). Amr Khaled wore expensive European suits and a clean shave. The format was that of a talk show and the level of the talk was the same. “Not a Shaikh” Amr Khaled frequently says that he is not a shaikh or a religious scholar. What is left unsaid is even more important: “And you do not need a shaikh. I am much much more entertaining and accommodating.” For otherwise he feels fully qualified to challenge any tenets of Islam or give his personal opinions on any subjects. He stated, for example, that Shaytan was a believer, because of his conversation with Allah as reported in the Qur’an. He justified mixed gatherings of men and women using the incident about Syedna Umar’s acceptance of Islam. He belittled such towering personalities as Imam Malik. In the case of blasphemous cartoons of the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, he stood against a united Muslim stand, taking a position that was childish if not sinister. Under normal circumstance these would be considered sufficiently scandalous to end the career of a preacher, but his audiences still love him. They would find some excuse for the aberrant statements and move on. They do so not because he has made major breakthroughs in Islamic scholarship or statesmanship but because he is so entertaining. His style and his content find perfect resonance with the medium. “Better” Packaging for Islam There are others who have copied the Amr Khaled technique --- with the same great results. In Saudi Arabia it is Ahmad al-Shugairi, who started as a TV host for Yalla Shabab (Hey Youth) program and moved on to his own Ramadan program called Khawater or stray thoughts. He is very popular with the youth who credit him, just like the fans of Amr Khaled, with bringing them back to Islam. His philosophy is that of a Procter and Gamble marketing manager: “Islam is an excellent product that needs better packaging.” This packaging includes a glitzy studio, lighting, panning between him and his devoted audience, the music montage introducing the show, and soothing sound bites that offer a feel good Islam. In short everything demanded by the entertainment world. In an interview with On the Media he explains his winning strategy of not focusing more than 20-30 seconds on the same frame. In this marketing-driven preaching, the goal is to give the audiences what they want (It is a minor detail that the entire purpose of dawah is to give people what they need). A fan told the New York Times: “Ahmad helped me see that I can want to be with a girl, and it’s O.K. — I don’t need to feel bad.” According to the report the fan Muhammad Malaikah was able to spend time alone with his girlfriend and still feel he was being true to himself and his culture (7). Paradise Here and Now Yet another star in the kingdom of Islamic television is Mostafa Hosni of Egypt. The set for his weekly program looks like that of a pop music show, with the name, Love Story, drawn over a big purple heart in the background. "The time has come to speak to the young in their language, to live in their world," he says. This is the language of the entertainment media. He opened the first episode of his show ‘Ala bab al-ganna (At the Gates of Paradise) by bringing paradise to a screen near you. Using a studio set that reflected his visualization of paradise in front of a mixed-gender studio audience, he told viewers that tuning into this program would help “transform Paradise from merely an invisible dream to a daily reality.” This is precisely what the entertainment media doctors had ordered. Never mind that Islamic teachings for centuries have praised the believers for believing in an unseen paradise. The Qur’an opens with the statement that it is guidance for those who believe in the unseen. But television cannot deal with the unseen; it cannot communicate without pictures. And so the tenets of the most iconoclastic belief are now to be communicated visually. Although for obvious reasons he cannot present it as a new theology in Islam, his scheme would be the envy of any proponent of the health and wealth gospel. All about Fun These are glimpses of some of the most successful “Islamic” television programs --- if success is defined by number of viewers. All of them rely heavily on visual stimulation, aim at providing entertainment, avoid serious talk, depend upon the persona of the hosts who are telegenic and charismatic, shun religious authority, and encourage individualism and consumerism. They aim to provide not a break with the profane programs that saturate television everywhere but a seamless connection. There is another interesting feature to be noted here. All of the hosts mentioned above had led sinful lives and then had a conversion – of sorts. Their fans say that they love them for this reason also that they had not always been pious. This comment --- made in interviews with reporters--- calls for reflection. Sinful people have always repented and many of them went ahead and became great scholars in Islamic history and became a source of guidance to others. People were attracted to them because of their current knowledge not their past ignorance. This is the first time that the past sinfulness of a preacher is being touted as a qualification. The real reason may be that it makes for an interesting storyline. A person who has no colorful past to repent from would make a dull host. As would be the person who had completely switched to an Islamic life style, which is often referred to as boring by the organizers and fans of these programs. Imagine Amr Khaled sporting a beard, wearing Arabic dress, displaying Islamic mannerism, and deferring to the real scholars, saying ‘I do not know’ or ‘I need to consult a scholar’ regarding questions that are beyond his limited Islamic education. It is a safe guess that such a transformed Amr Khaled would be a flop despite his fabulous communication skills. For that would remove all the fun. And for the mass audiences that we are talking about here Islam on television just like Christianity on television is all about fun. Other Islamic Television Channels While not all the Islamic television programs have gone to the extremes outlined above, we can see features of these most successful programs in others as well. Consider QTV, a prominent channel in the Pakistan/India market. Its attractions include female na’t singers in colorful costumes, ignorant and confused youth sorting out their problems themselves, talk shows that center around celebrations, and question and answer sessions where laxity outweighs authenticity. Celebrate, sing, have fun. And remember this great religious entertainment is brought to you by the same company that also brings the openly secular entertainment. One feature that one can see across the board is the use of music. Through constant exposure we have been so programmed that few people ask why, say, a news program on television opens and closes and is punctuated with music. Postman observed that music is there “for the same reason music is used in the theatre and films --- to create a mood and provide a leitmotif for the entertainment" (8). One hoped that at least those who were producing Islamic religious programs would have the sense to see the gravity of the situation where both seriousness and sacredness of the program are under attack by music. One would hope in vain. For, by and large Islamic programs of all persuasions on television have submitted to this commandment of the entertainment world. Music has become such an integral part of all television that most people do not even notice that there is something terribly wrong here. The same people would consider it unthinkable to allow a serious talk in the masjid or even a lecture hall to open with music. But they are perfectly at ease when that enormity is produced on the mini-screen. In programs which apparently deal with serious topics, the preferred format is to have a debate. As far as television is concerned every topic is debatable. Or else it is not televisable. Controversies and exchanges enliven a program and serious talks drive away viewers. Therefore even the most fundamental and agreed upon principles have to be opened up to debates. It helps if in the debate a scholar is paired with a person who has no religious education but who is a smooth talker and who can air his or her ignorance eloquently and attack the former. This is the way to increased ratings and fatter bottom lines and so it is used regularly in the “Islamic” programs on mainstream commercial channels. A tendency toward sensationalism also comes with the territory. Zakir Naik’s mention of Yazeed with the words of blessing (i.e. “May Allah be pleased with him”) may have been an inadvertent reflection of the same tendency. While the gaffe occurred in 2007, the hot debates on rival Islamic television channels continued for several years with sparks flying and fatwas of kufr being pronounced with great zeal. No doubt such tendencies have always been there. But their destructive power is magnified manifold on television. Impact on the larger Islamic Discourse The Amr Khaled phenomenon is a reflection of the sea-change in our idea of an Islamic discourse caused by our adjustment to television. Entertainment Certainly the adjustment started before Amr Khaled came on the scene, although he and others like him may have accelerated it. Its most important aspect is its penchant for entertainment. First television demanded that even the most serious discourse should meet the entertainment test. Then people started demanding the same entertainment in real life as well. This is exactly what happened in the church, where church programs and even church architecture was molded to conform to the requirements of television. And it is now happening in the masjid as well. One can see it in some Friday khutbahs in north America (and probably elsewhere) where the speakers try to tell a joke to enliven the audience. Little do they realize that it is a solemn occasion and the khutbah is an act of worship at the same level as the salat that follows it. Worse, the audiences now expect to be entertained. Many times they burst into laughter during religious sermons because they think the speaker was saying something funny when the poor speaker had no such idea. There are other signs of change in our entertainment seeking audiences. They like the easy talk that does not emphasize the Hereafter, include admonitions, and mention prohibitions. Their ability to process verbal information --- to listen and reflect---- is diminishing as they lean toward more visual communication. To accommodate that conferences and mosques now increasingly have large video screens installed. In youth conferences, entertainment and music are considered an indispensable part. Lights, Cameras, Action At new popular Islamic conferences, which are huge crowd pullers, the stage setting follows the path of the televangelists. It is a panorama of light and color and stage designs taken straight from any popular television program. Multiple booms carrying video cameras constantly move throughout the speech and alternate between the shots of the speaker from various angels and those of the audience. This is simply in obedience to the dictate of television for action. Since the speaker stands at one place (at least so far) the elaborate camera arrangement has to be made to provide motion and action. Sometimes the talks are good. But they are so out of place with the environment in which they are delivered. Mixing the Sacred with the Profane Another indicator of change is in our adjustment to the ads that appear on free Islamic websites and Internet televisions. There are Islamic television programs on the Internet devoted to Qur’anic recitation, Hadith study or other Islamic talks. Suddenly a semi-nude picture of a woman appears on the screen who is selling something. A note from the site owners explains: “The ads make it possible to bring the program free of charge to you. We do not control the content of the ad.” Apparently that satisfies most viewers or the sites would have stopped this practice of mixing the sacred with the profane. It is like distributing free milk after mixing it with urine as a condition for free distribution. The greater tragedy is that no one complains about this contaminated milk. This again shows how our perceptions and attitudes are influenced by the media. For no one would have accepted its equivalent in the older medium of books. (A book containing Qur’an or Hadith lessons distributed free with the help of such ads.) The Real Promise of the “Televangelists” These “televangelists” have been cheered by the pundits. Time magazine declared Amr Khaled to be the 13th most influential person in the Arab world. (Readers are not privy to the calculations that lead to these ratings; there may be an underlying hope that reporting it to be so may make it so). Major radio, television, and print media outlets have run laudatory stories about all of them. The hype is not without reason. They see the big promise of these televangelists in “making it increasingly difficult for any single interpretation of Islam to hold sway over others” (9). In other words in the destruction of scholarly authority as lay preachers with little knowledge of Islam occupy positions of authority through the magic of television. They become celebrities not through knowledge and piety, as had been the case for all these centuries, but through their mastery of the medium. This change in epistemology, in our ways of learning about religion, this is the most catastrophic result of our love with television and our acceptance of the idea that television can be a serious source for learning about Islam. This is more damaging than distortions in particular doctrinal or legal issues introduced so far by the successful televangelists. This is the problem faced by Christianity and it is exactly the same problem now facing the Muslims. Which should remind us of the following hadith: Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that Allah’s Messenger Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, warned: "You will tread the same path as was trodden by those before you inch by inch and step by step so much so that if they entered into a lizard's hole, you would follow them in this also. We said, 'Allah's Messenger, do you mean the Jews and Christians before us?' He said, 'Who else?'" (Sahih Muslim, Chapter 3, Book 34, No 6448) On the surface the Muslim televangelists are the harbinger of an Islamic revival, especially among the youth. In reality they may be hijacking the Islamic revival that is occurring because of the disenchantment of the masses with all non-Islamic avenues. They appear to be catering to the needs of the wayward; in reality they may be creating a permanent place for acceptable waywardness and making it respectable. They appear to be creating the thirst for Islamic knowledge among people who were far away from it; in reality their popular entertainment programs are quenching that thirst with contaminated beverage labeled as energy drink. What should be done? Both the power and the prevalence of television make it very difficult to suggest easy solutions to the problems caused by it. At the same time we must not underestimate the destructive power of television. Television did not cause all the upheavals in society by being ineffective. Rather the above only highlights its ineffectiveness in carrying a serious discourse. But it is a very effective tool for carrying propaganda. Since television appeals to emotions not intellect, it can be easily used to stir up emotions of, say, hate and anger --- something that has been used effectively by the Islamophobes in the Christian world and beyond. Some televangelists have played a major role in the rise in Islamophobia in the US through their media crusade against Islam.These also cannot be ignored in our discussion of television policies. Obviously simple yes or no answers cannot work. Just ignoring television will not reduce the destruction it is causing in the society. Jumping on to the bandwagon and starting Islamic television programs to reach the large audiences without careful analysis and planning will only perpetuate the problems that have been outlined above. Due to the nature of the medium, if it is given legitimacy as the venue for Islamic teachings, then in time alim and mufti actors will replace the real alims and muftis as is already happening. They will also set the expectations for what the real alims should look like and behave. There is no ready made solution. The real solution will be the outcome of a rigorous and ongoing discussion involving the scholars, thinkers and the media experts and will require first that we do fully understand the nature of communication in the video world and its peculiar problems. TV Free Home The solution they come up with will be a multi-faceted one and will vary with the circumstances of the person. For an individual the prime goal is just to protect him and his family. For this the message should be that the less you watch, the better it is. An atmosphere is to be created in which not watching television and maintaining a TV free home is a perfectly respectable and even desirable option. Grass roots organizations and all means of persuasion should be used to promote this idea. Such an organization exists in the US (10). It is a pity that it does not exist in the Muslim world. The success of this campaign will not be measured just by how many stop watching but also by what they think about watching it. The objective should be that those who do not have a TV free home should look up to those who do and not the other way around. Declaring Ramadan as a TV free month, where participants pledge to keep television off during Ramadan and use the time so saved to benefit from Ramadan may go a long way towards this objective. Alternative Channels of Communications At the same time we need to develop the non-television channels of communication to the best of their potential. In the communication landscape, television is one option. It is not the only one. It is expensive and it is fraught with serious problems in its ability to transmit our message. Even if we cannot avoid it, we do need to put it in its proper place. This means we do need to rethink the older avenues. Friday khutbahs are a case in point. They offer an immense resource for educating the masses. Everywhere Muslims turn in large numbers to them and there are no production or distribution costs like those associated with TV. Unfortunately this priceless opportunity is wasted because the great majority of those speaking have not been prepared for the task. They either do not have an understanding of how to relate Islamic teachings to the problems of today or do not know how to communicate that effectively. As a result most attendees go without any expectation of enlightenment through the khutbah. Squandering of this tremendous opportunity has no excuse. It is a pity that Islamic religious schools have, by and large, failed to step up to the responsibility to have special training programs for speakers and guiding the khateebs. The Okaz Market Model What about using television itself? We may learn from the Prophetic Example in the souq of Okaz, the largest and the most famous of the annual markets and fairs of the Jahliya period. There pilgrims from all of Arabia gathered for business, poetry competitions, networking and entertainment. When the opposition of the Quraish to the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, increased to a point where continued call to Islam within Makah was not possible, he sought all avenues outside to continue his mission. This included his visits to Okaz. The purpose of the visits was to meet the people and pull them out. The place of training and education was Dar Arqam. Using that model as our guide, we may make a case for reaching out to the people who are today in the Okaz market created by television. That is we must not confuse it with the masjid, or school, or Dar Arqam. The purpose should be to pull the people out from there to these places where real worship, education, and training can take place. Recognizing the peculiar problems of this new venue, we must make sure the programs avoid all the pitfalls outlined above. No run for ratings. No entertainment. No music. No celebrity culture. No expectation of a return on investment. No competition with the commercial world. No ads that can dilute or counter the message. In other words no distortion in the message in exchange for a large audience. The numbers who respond will be small, just as they were in Okaz. But just as the Prophetic example in Okaz showed, delivering the pure unadulterated message to a small number is infinitely superior to delivering a distorted message to the millions. Notes: 1. Taken from Understanding Television , http://www.albalagh.net/general/tv.shtml. 2. Quentin J. Schultze, “Televangelism and American Culture: The Business of Popular Religion”, (Michigan, Baker Book House: 1991) 32. 3. Quentin J. Schultze, “Televangelism and American Culture: The Business of Popular Religion”, (Michigan, Baker Book House: 1991) 132 4. Richard F. Collman, “The Tyranny of the Familiar: Critical Reflections on the Church Growth Movement,” The American Organist 19:3 (March 1995), p. 39. 5. Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death, (New York: Viking, 1985) 124. 6. Marshal McLuhan, Understanding Media, Routledge, (London: Routledge, 1964) 7. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/world/middleeast/03preacher.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&th&emc=th 8. Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death, (New York: Viking, 1985) 102. 9. Dale F. Eickelman and Jon W. Anderson, eds., New Media and the Muslim World: The Emerging Public Sphere, 2nd ed. (Indiana University Press, 2003) 10. http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/screenfreeweek/index.html. See also http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/

Bismillah. MANY OTHER PHENOMENA IN THE UNIVERSE POINT TO THE RESURRECTION A great care is shown in, and many purposes are attached to, even the most insignificant-seeming things in the world A great care is shown in, and many purposes are attached to, even the most insignificant-seeming things in the world. For example, cellulose is the structural tissue that forms the chief part of all plants and trees. Through its elasticity, it enables plants to bend and protects them from breaking. It has an important place in the paper industry. The digestion of cellulose is very difficult. Only the enzymes secreted by ruminant animals can dissolve cellulose. However, cellulose is advisable for an easy excretion, it accelerates the working of bowels and prevents constipation. Animals are like factories that change substances with cellulose into useful matter. The excrement of animals is used as manure. Innumerable bacteria in the soil consume the excrement, thus both increasing the soil in productivity and cleaning the earth of bad-smelling things. But for the bacteria in earth, it would be impossible to survive in the world But for the bacteria in earth, it would be impossible to survive in the world. To cite a single example, if the flies born in a single spring-time did not disappear in earth, they would form a thick cover over the whole of the earth. Through the manifestation of His Name the All-Purifying, God Almighty employs bacteria to clean the earth. Have you ever considered why forests are so clean although many animals die in them every day? They are so because carnivorous animals and bacteria eat up dead animals and clean the earth of them. To conclude, do you think that God, Who employs the most insignificant-seeming creatures to serve many great purposes, allows man to rot away in earth, thus reducing his existence to utter futility? Again, a wound healed shows the vigor of the body. A fruit reminds of the tree on which it has grown. Footprints point to the one who has passed by. A leakage of water indicates a source of water. Similarly, the feeling of eternity in man and his desire for it are signs of One Who is eternal and of the eternal world . This world with whatever is in it can never satisfy man. He overflows with subtle, refined feelings and aspires to lofty ideals, which cannot possible have originated in matter and the material world. These are the reflections in man of the infinite, immaterial dimensions of existence. Philosophers, especially the Muslim ones, call the universe macro-human, while describing man as normo or micro-cosmos. Like man, the universe is a whole entity all the parts of which are interrelated with one another. Who knows that there is not an angel deputed to represent the universe, one serving as its spirit. Like man, the universe also suffers injuries and, as Einstein puts it, new bodies are formed in its remote corners. Just as man has an appointed time of death, so does the universe. As we increase in knowledge about existence, paradoxically, we also increase in ignorance about it. We have little knowledge about existence. As we increase in knowledge about it, paradoxically, we also increase in ignorance about it. Existence is in a continuous flux and we do little other than observing it. The Prophet Muhammad, God’s Last Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, used to pray: O God, show me the reality of things! There is nothing purposeless in the ‘palace’ of the universe and precise ecological balance There is nothing purposeless in the ‘palace’ of the universe. Its ecological system is so complex and the parts comprising it are so interrelated to one another that the lack or removal of one of them can result in the destruction of the universe. In order to express this reality, God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, declared: If dogs were not a community like you. I would order their killing.3 If the bacteria within trees were killed, we would not be able to obtain fruits from trees. Every species, even every thing, has an important place of its own in the structure of the universe. Such a magnificent universe cannot be purposeless. It works to a moving time-line. As seconds point to minutes, minutes to hours, and hours to the end of the present day and the coming of the next one, and days point to weeks, weeks to months, months to years and years to the end of a whole life-span, existence has its own days in its every sphere and dimension, and the life-span appointed for it will one day come to an end. Also, time proceeds in cycles. For example, a scientist has established that corn is abundantly produced in every seven years, and fish come in abundance in every fourteen years. The Quran points to this fact in sura Yusuf. The life of existence as a whole has certain terms or cycles. The worldly life is a cycle or term, the life of the grave is another cycle, and the afterlife is the last cycle which has many cycles or terms of its own. The Quran calls each of them a day. This is so because a day is the shortest unit of time-cycles. It corresponds to the whole life of existence in that daytime reminds of the worldly life with its divisions of dawn, morning, noon, afternoon, and evening corresponding to one’s birth and babyhood, childhood, youth, old age and death respectively, and that night resembles the intermediate life of the grave and the next morning, the Resurrection.

Bismillah. DISCOURSE OF STARS Listen to the stars and heed their beautiful sermons, See what is written in these luminous missives of Wisdom: They are all delivering together this fruitful discourse: Each of us is a radiant proof for the majestic Sovereignty of an All-Powerful One of glory. We bear witness to the existence of the Maker and also to His Unity and Power. We are His subtle miracles gilding the face of the skies, for the angels to make excursions on. We are the innumerable discerning eyes of the heavens directed to Paradise, and overseeing the earth. We are the exquisite fruits attached to the heavenly branch of the tree of creation; and to the twigs of the Milky Way, attached by the hand of wisdom of the Majestic, All-Gracious Being. For the inhabitants of the heavens, we are traveling mosques, revolving houses and exalted homes, light-diffusing lamps, mighty ships, planes. We are miracles of the Power of the All-Powerful One of Perfection, the All-Wise One of Majesty; each of us is a wonder of His creative art, a rarity of His Wisdom, a marvel of His creation, a world of light. To the man who is truly human, we present hundreds of thousands of proofs in hundreds of thousands of tongues; The eye of the atheist, may it be blind, never sees our faces, nor do his ears hear our speech; we are signs that speak the truth. On us is the same stamp and seal. We obey our Lord and glorify Him, and mention Him in worship. We are ecstatic lovers in the widest circle of the Milky Way, the circle reciting our Lord’s Names.

Bismillah. REFLECTION ON GOD THROUGH THE FACE OF THE SKY Listen to the verse: Do they not look at the heaven above them, how We have built it and adorned it? (50:6) Look to the face of the sky where you see a silence in restful serenity ... The verse draws the attention to the adorned, beautiful face of the sky, so that, observing with care, people must notice the silence in the extraordinary calmness and apparent rest observed there and conclude that the sky has taken that form through the order and subjugation of an Absolutely Powerful One. If it were otherwise, that is, if the heavenly bodies were left free to roam at random, with their enormous size and speed of motion, they would make such a clamor that they would deafen everybody. They would also cause such a tumult and confusion that the universe would collapse. If twenty buffalos move all together in the same area, you can guess what great uproar and confusion they will cause. However, according to astronomers, among moving stars there are some that are one thousand times bigger than the earth and move with a speed seventy times greater than a cannon ball. So, you may understand from the silence of the heavenly bodies in calmness and rest the extent of the Power of subjugation of the Majestic Maker and the All-Powerful One of Perfection, and the degree of the submission and obedience of stars to Him. A purposive motion, The verse also orders us to see the purposive motion on the face of the sky. That extremely strange and mighty motion takes place in absolute dependence on a purpose which is extraordinarily subtle and comprehensive. The immensity and order of a factory whose wheels and machinery turn and toil in wisdom-in a perfect order and for wise purposes-show to what extent its engineer is learned and skilful. In just the same way, with the sun in the center and mighty planets revolving around it in a perfect, subtle order for many wise purposes, the solar system shows the extent of the All-Powerful One’s Power and Wisdom. Radiance in majesty and a smile in adornment, There is on the face of the sky a radiance in such majesty and a smile in such adornment that it shows the splendid sovereignty and the beautiful art the Majestic Maker disposes. In the same way as innumerable illuminations used on special occasions demonstrate the degree of the king’s majesty and how his country is advanced in civilization, the vast heavens with their majestic glittering stars, show to attentive eyes the perfection of the Majestic Maker’s sovereignty and the beauty of His art. All combined in the orderliness of creation and the symmetry of art The verse says: See the order and balance on the face of the sky and know how powerful and wise the Creator is. When you see someone turning numerous objects one round the other in a perfect order and with a special, delicate balance for many wise purposes, you may guess how wise and powerful and skilful that one is. Likewise, together with their numberless stars in their awesome size and speed, the vast heavens in their tremendous immensity have been performing their duties for billions of years according to an established measure and with a certain, sensitive balance without transgressing their limits even for a second and causing even the slightest disorder. This shows to attentive eyes according to what a sensitive and exact measure their Majestic Maker exercises His Lordship. Like similar verses in sura al-Naba’ among others, the verse also points to the fact that the Majestic Creator has subjugated the sun, moon and other heavenly bodies. The brilliance of its candle, the dazzle of its lamp, and the glitter of its stars manifest the Infinite Sovereignty for those with insight and sound reasoning. Almighty God has hung on the adorned roof of the world a lamp like the sun which gives heat and light used as a ‘pot’ of light to write the ‘letters’ of the Eternally Besought-of-All on the lines of day and night on the pages of the seasons. Also, like the phosphorescent hour-hands of the clocks in tall towers, He has made the moon in the dome of the heaven the hour-hand of the largest clock of time, and causing it to move through its mansions according to a perfect measure and fine calculations, it is as if He leaves to each night another different crescent and then collects them together to Himself (making it invisible). Furthermore, He has gilded the beautiful face of the sky with stars glittering and smiling in that dome. Certainly, all this points to the infinite Sovereignty of His Lordship and the magnificence of His Divinity, and invites thinking people to believe in His existence and Unity. Look at the colorful page of the book of the universe, and see how the golden pen of the Power has inscribed it! There has been left no point dark for those who can see with the eyes of their hearts. It is as if God wrote His signs with light. See, what an astounding miracle of wisdom the universe is! See, how tremendous a spectacle the space of the universe is!

Bismillah. NATURE ANNOUNCES DIVINE EXISTENCE AND UNITY IN AN INFINITE VARIETY OF LANGUAGES Every tree in blossom is an ode rhythmic and well-composed, singing the high and manifest praises of the Creator. Or it is something with multiple eyes opened to watch, and cause others to watch the wonders of the Maker’s art displayed. Or it has clothed its members in green for their festival so that its Lord may observe His illustrious works and gifts upon it, while itself displays in the display-hall-the earth- the embellishments of His Mercy before the eyes of mankind, thereby proclaiming the wisdom in its creation, in that significant treasuries are stored in it by the Grace and Generosity of the Sustainer of its fruits: Glory be to Him, how generous His favoring, How clear arguments for Him, how manifest are His proofs! The imagination sees that angels are clothed in bodies from the (branches of) these trees resembling thousands of flutes, from these flutes are heard songs of praises of the All-Living One. The leaves are each a tongue reciting, ‘He, no god but He’. Say: O God, the Master of the Kingdom, You give kingdom to whomever You wish and withdraw kingdom from whomever You wish. All things always utter, O Truth; all of them announce, O All-Living One; all together they proclaim, God.

Bismillah. HOW DO THE DIVINE NAMES MANIFEST THEMSELVES AND WHAT ARE THEIR RESULTS? A king has different titles in respect of the different departments of his government, and different styles and attributes among the classes of his subjects, and different names and signs in the levels of his rule, for example, ‘supreme judge’ in the department of justice, ‘chief administrator’ in the civil service, ‘commander-in-chief’ in the army, and ‘supreme teacher’ in the education department. If, starting from these examples, you know the rest of his names and titles, you will understand that a single king may have numerous names and titles in respect of the departments of his government and levels of his rule. It is as if, by virtue of his public person and private system of communication, that king is present in every department, and through his laws, regulations, and representatives, he superintends all his officials and watches all his subjects, and is seen by them. Behind the veil at every level, he administers, executes his orders, and is watchful through his decree, knowledge, and power. Similarly, the Lord of the Worlds, Who is the King of eternity, has at the levels of his Lordship’s manifestations reputations and designations which are all different but which correspond to each other. In the spheres of His Divinity, He has names and marks which are all different but whose manifestations are concentric with one another. He has in His majestic execution of His rule representations and appellations which are all different but which resemble one another, and in the operations of His Power He has titles which are all different but which are linked with each other. In the manifestations of His Attributes He has sacred ways of disclosing Himself which are all different but which point to one another. In His modes of acting, He has wise operations which are of numerous sorts but which perfect one another. In His colorful artistry and varied works of art, He has magnificent aspects of Lordship which are of different kinds but which correspond to each other. Besides, in every world, in every division of beings, each one of His Most Beautiful Names is individually manifested. In that world or sphere that Name is dominant, and the other Names are subordinate to it. Furthermore, in every level of beings, in every small or large division of them, whose individual members are large or small, God has a particular display of Himself, a particular manifestation of Lordship, and a particular manifestation of one of His Names. Although the Name in question has a universal manifestation, it concentrates on something particular in such a way that you think it is peculiar to that thing exclusively. In addition, although the All-Majestic Creator is nearer to everything than itself, He is separated from it through seventy thousand veils of light. For example, you can consider how many veils or degrees there are between the Name of Creator and the degrees of Its creativity manifested in you, between you and the greatest degree and supreme title which is the Creator of the Universe. That means, provided you transcend the outward dimensions of the universe, you may reach, through the door of being a creature, to the highest limit of the manifestations of the Name of Creator, and draw close to the sphere of Divine Attributes. Since the veils have windows opening on each other, and the Names appear concentric with each other, and the designations correspond to each other, and the representations are like one another, and the operations perfect one another, and the various dispositions of Lordship co-operate with one another, then it is surely necessary for one who recognizes Almighty God by one of His Names, titles, or aspects of His Lordship, etc. that he does not deny His other titles, actions, and aspects of Lordship. Rather, if one does not make a transition from the manifestation of one Name to the other Names, one is in a loss. For example, if one does not notice the Name, the All-Knowing where he sees the works of the Names, the All-Powerful and the Creator, one may fall into heedlessness and the misguidance of regarding nature as self-originator. Therefore, one should always keep in view and recite ‘He!’ and ‘He is God!’ He should listen, and hear from everything: ‘He is God, the One!’ In unison with all the rest of the creation, he should proclaim: ‘There is no god but He!’ Thus, through the declaration, God, there is no god but He; His are the Most Beautiful Names, the manifest Qur‘an points to these truths which I have mentioned. If you would like to observe those elevated truths more closely, go and ask a stormy sea or the quaking earth: ‘What are you saying?’ Surely, you will hear them repeating: ‘O Majestic One! O Majestic One, O Honorable One of Might! O All-Compelling One!’ Then ask the small creatures and their young that are maintained with care and compassion on the land and in the sea: ‘What are you saying?’ For sure they will hymn: ‘O Gracious One! O Gracious One! O Most Compassionate One!’ Then listen to the heavens how they sing: ‘O Majestic One of Grace!‘ Give ear to the earth, which says: ‘O Gracious One of Majesty!‘ Pay attention to the animals and hear how they invoke: ‘O Most Merciful One! O Provider!‘ When you ask the springtime, you will hear it reciting many Names such as ‘O Most Caring One! O Most Merciful One! O Most Compassionate One! O Most Munificent One! O Gracious One! O Affectionate One! O Fashioner! O Illuminating One! O Favoring One! O Adorner!’ Lastly, ask a human being who is truly human, and see how he recites and manifests all the Most Beautiful Names of God and how they are inscribed on his forehead. If you look carefully, you too may discern them one by one. It is as if the universe is a huge orchestra singing the Divine Names. With the songs sung in the least notes and tones mixed with the highest, the universe produces a magnificent harmony. Man is the place of manifestation of all the Names. However, the Names being various and being manifested in various ways and degrees has caused variety in the universe, and variety in the angels’ worshipping; it is likewise responsible for varieties among human beings. This has also resulted in differences among the laws of the Prophets, the ways of saints, and the paths of purified scholars. For example, the Name the All-Power-ful was more predominant in Jesus, upon him be peace, than the other Names manifested in him. In those who follow the path of love, the Name the All-Loving One prevails, and in those who follow the path of contemplation and reflection, the Name the All-Wise. So, if someone is at the same time a teacher, an officer, a lawyer, and an inspector in the civil service, in each office he has relations and duties, salaries and responsibilities, and promotion, and enemies and rivals who try to cause him to fail in his services. He meets with the king with many titles, and having recourse to him through his many titles, seeks help from him in many ways. In exactly the same way, man, who is the object of the manifestations of numerous Divine Names and is charged with many duties and is the target of many kinds of enmity, seeks refuge in God by invoking many of His Names. In fact, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, who is the pride of mankind and truly the most perfect man, prayed to God through a thousand and one of Him Names in his supplication named Jawshan al-Kabir, and sought refuge in Him from Hellfire. It is because of this that God, in the sura, Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of men, the Sovereign of men, The Deity of men, from the evil of the slinking whisperer, who whispers in the breasts of men, from jinn and men, God commands us to seek refuge in Him through three of His titles, and In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate, He teaches us to seek help from Him through three of His Names.

Bismillah. NASEEHAT FOR YOUNG WIVES Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said that if he had to order any person to prostrate (make sajdah) for another person, and if this was permissible, he would have commanded the wife to make sajdah to her husband. This o­ne Hadith is more than adequate to show the high rank which the husband has over his wife. Besides this Hadith, there are numerous other Ahadith as well as Qur’aanic aayaat which declare the higher rank of the husband with emphasis and clarity. MARRIAGES In this age of western liberalism which has been adopted by Muslims, the very same evil trend of marriages collapsing and ending in divorce for sport and fun, has overtaken the Muslim community. No longer is Nikah and the home regarded as the holy institutions which Islam has ordained. In addition to the evil of western liberalism another factor which is increasingly contributing to the break down in marriages is the misconception of their rights which girls gain from girls madrasahs. RIGHTS They emerge from the madrasahs having understood o­nly that they have rights — that the Shariah has given them Waajib rights — that it is not necessary for them to do domestic chores — that instead of them being servants in the marital home, o­n the contrary, their husbands should be their servants. While they learn about their right of a separate home, away from their in-laws, they are not taught that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) warned: "Woman! Your husband is either your Jannat or your Jahannam." While they emerge from the madrasah with the idea firmly embedded in their minds that they are not obliged to render any service to their mothers-in-law, they are not taught that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) warned: "Neither the Fardh nor Nafl Salaat (nor any act of ibaadat) is accepted of the wife who has displeased her husband." Girls who marry in this age are obsessed with their rights. They enter into marriage with the idea of severing the holy relationship which their husbands have with their parents and family members. From the very first day a young wife arrives at her husband’s home, she initiates her scheme of achieving separation from her in-laws. In the process of conniving to be separated from her parents-in-law, she creates many upheavals in the home, leading to rupture in relationships and misery. Even if she ultimately succeeds in her scheme, she departs from the home of the in-laws leaving behind a legacy of bitterness, enmity and misery. TALAAQ In many cases the marriage simply ends in Talaaq. It is imperative that the seniors of the young girls explain to them what exactly Nikah and making a home are. Some girls enter into Nikah understanding that it is freedom from parental control and freedom to wander around. When they realise that they have simply passed from o­ne control to another control, they become rebellious and the worst of nafsaaniyat surfaces to ruin the marriage. AKHLAAQ It is essential that young wives and prospective wives understand that marriage is a holy bond. A happy marriage is not based o­n demanding rights. Happiness in a marriage is the product of understanding, patience, toleration, refraining from demanding rights, service to in-laws and total obedience to the husband. Without display of good conduct, happiness in marriage is not possible. HOME The young wife should understand that o­nce she has married, her new and permanent home is the home her husband places her in, whether it is a separate house or the home of his parents. His parents are now her parents. Her parents have become strangers to her. The home of her parents is no longer her home. She cannot hope to gain happiness by keeping o­ne leg in the home of her parents and o­ne leg in her marital home. HAPPINESS She will not gain happiness if she gives preference to her family over her husband’s family. If her husband is disinclined towards her parents, brothers, etc., and for some reason, whether right or wrong, annoyed with them, his wife should not stand up in defence of them. She should understand that she has to pass her life with her husband, not with her parents or her brothers. Even if her husband unjustly speaks ill of her parents and brothers, she should not display annoyance. She should not pull up her face nor make any comment which will inflame him. She should employ her intelligence, be it defective, and convey to her husband that she is o­n his side, not o­n the side of her family, because now her o­nly family is her husband’s family. Allah Ta’ala will take her husband to task for his injustices. It is not her concern. Her concern is to serve her husband, keep him happy and please him in all lawful things. ALLAH’S COMMAND It is Allah and it is His Rasool (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) who have commanded that the wife submits fully to her husband and keeps him happy. Her happiness (her Jannat) is inextricably interwoven with his pleasure. By serving his parents, she serves her husband. And, this sacred serfdom should be her honour. She should not view marriage, home and husband through the coloured glasses of the immoral libertine cult of westernism which has overrun even Muslim society in this age. DIVINE PLEASURE In serving her parents-in-law, she is not lowering her dignity in any way. She gains tremendous thawaab thereby. Such service is based o­n the bond she has with her husband. Such service cultivates her husband’s pleasure which in turn brings for her the wonderful Ni’mat of Allah’s Pleasure. She will gain more Divine Pleasure and thawaab out of service to her in-laws than from Nafl acts of ibaadat. o­n the contrary, Allah’s Pleasure is denied to her if she displeases her parents-in-law because such displeasure leads to the displeasure of her husband, and his displeasure brings about Allah’s Displeasure. In the wake of Allah’s Displeasure come His Ghadhab (Wrath) and La’nat (Curse). INGRATITUDE The attitude which is common to almost all wives is their ingratitude to their husbands. It is o­n account of this evil attitude that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said that most inmates of Jahannum will be women. Wives should heed this warning of Nabi-e-Kareem (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and struggle against the nafs when this vile emotional urge develops. MASTER If the wife o­nly utilizes a bit of intelligence and keeps her in-laws happy by serving them and tolerating their indiscretion and even injustices, she will ultimately become their master. In fact, she will become the master of even her husband. The magnanimity of her heart will win them all over. They will then adore her and serve her. Allah’s aid and special rahmat will be with her. The hearts of people are in His control. If the wife submits to her husband and his whims and fancies, for the Sake of Allah’s Pleasure and in obedience to the numerous advices and exhortations of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), she will attain happiness and Jannat in this world. If she desires the rewards of Jihaad and the ranks of Shahaadat (Martyrdom), she has to wage jihaad against her nafs in the struggle to gain her husband’s pleasure which is the most important and the o­nly bridge for her to gain Divine Pleasure. ADMONITION FOR HUSBANDS The Naseehat offered o­n this page to wives is not a licence for husbands to commit zulm (injustice). In so far as husbands are concerned, there is a host of warnings, admonition and exhortations in the Qur’aan and Hadith which they have to observe in order to gain Allah’s Pleasure and to be saved from His Wrath for any injustices which they may commit against their wives. Husbands should remember that violation of the huqooq of their wives is a major sin and the consequences of this will not be escaped in Qiyaamah. While wives should not be concerned with the errors and faults of their husbands, the latter should not focus their gazes o­n the wife’s subservience commanded for husbands by the Shariah. Both husband and wife should look to the Shariah and see what the Qur’aan and Sunnah expect of them. This is the prescription for happiness o­n earth, Divine Pleasure and happiness in the Aakhirah. "The Majlis" Vol.15 No.5

Bismillah. HUQOOQ OF WOMEN Commenting o­n the abuse of the Shar’i rights of women, Hakimul Ummat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thaanvi (rahmatullah alayh) said: "Nowadays there is considerable deficiency in the fulfilment of the rights of wives. Such denial of rights is great injustice and cruelty. Husbands tend to become frustrated over even the little acts of discretion of their pure and chaste wives. In their frustration and constriction of heart they violate the rights of their wives. This is most unintelligent. Husbands fail to realize that inspite of the indiscretion of wives, they remain chaste and pure. They guard their chastity. This o­ne attribute (i.e. chastity) overshadows all their indiscretion. In this attribute of chastity the honourable females of Hindustan are in fact like the Houris of Jannat. If such a wife is deserted by her husband without him informing her, without her being aware of his whereabouts and without him having made any arrangement for her maintenance, she will remain at home guarding her chastity and honour. If the husband suddenly returns after years of absence, he will find his chaste wife in the same corner where he had abandoned her. CHASTITY Regarding this very lofty attribute of chastity in chaste women, Allah Ta’ala says: "If you dislike them, then perhaps you dislike something (an attribute in them) in which Allah has put considerable goodness." (Qur’aan) Absorbed in her chastity, she has no need for pretence and display of customary mannerisms (as is the practice of unchaste women of these times). o­n the contrary, the real capital of unchaste women is deceit and cunning to deceive the husband. Ignorant people describe this customary display of manners as refinement whereas it is an artificial act." OUR COMMENT The plaudits which Hakimul Ummat confers o­n women apply to the simple, chaste and purdah nasheen women of former times. Today such women are rare exceptions. Westernization has taken its toll. Chastity is the lost capital of women. They are in this age bereft of simplicity, modesty and honesty. Cunning, pretence, treachery and ingratitude are their hallmarks. Hadhrat Hakimul Ummat would have had some other comments if he was living today. The question of women in this day remaining chaste, contented, patient and resigned to Allah Ta’ala if husbands abandon them for years, may be entertained in dreams. A little incompatibility and sternness of the husband are considered grounds for separation. Some learned men too have fallen in the snares of women, hence ‘annulments’ have become a joke. The very institution of Nikah has been reduced to a mockery. LA’NAT The meaning of Allah’s La’nat is incomprehensible to the women of today. They feel competent and strong enough to live and perish and be resurrected in Qiyaamah under the La’nat of Allah Ta’ala, but they are not prepared to subdue their evil emotional attributes for the sake of the happiness and success of their married life. Thus, we find that women are prepared to ruin their lives and the lives of their children in this world and the Aakhirah for the sake of enjoying the haraam freedom of kuffaar women. PRISON The home has become a prison for most women o­n account of their innate attitude of ingratitude. Allah Ta’ala has ordained that the whole world is a prison for the Mu’min. In this worldly prison, home is or is supposed to be a sacred sanctuary. But modern woman desires the streets and the vile gazes of immoral men, hence her home has become a prison for her. But it is a place of safety. A place of holiness. A place of Rahmat. A place of Noor and a place in which she can attain lofty ranks of Divine Proximity. It is a place in which she can gain the ranks of martyrdom (Shahaadat) IRRETRIEVABLE BREAKDOWN Irretrievable breakdown of the marriage is an alien concept rejected by Islam. This western concept allows for divorce for reasons which are never valid in the Shariah of Allah Ta’ala. If a woman fancies another man or she does not find her husband up to her pre-marriage idea of expectation, this will constitute grounds for divorce in the kuffaar conception. This attitude will foster disobedience and aloofness in the wife, culminating in a barrier developing between them. Thus, the aim of irretrievable breakdown is achieved. IMMORALITY Adultery and immorality are no longer valid grounds for divorce in the western sub-culture. But, a post-marriage dislike developed by the woman is regarded valid ground for wrecking the marriage and ruining the home. Any stupid argument is valid in a subculture for the attainment of irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. This attitude militates against the sacred institution of Nikah and the obedience which the Qur’aan and Sunnah impose o­n a wife for her husband. A woman who demands Talaaq from her husband for kuffaar reasons—for reasons upheld by the western subculture— for reasons never accepted as valid by Islam, will be denied even the fragrance of Jannat. She remains perpetually under the dark shadow of Divine Curse. "The Majlis" Vol.15 No.8

Bismillah. ISLAM - CULTURE OF IBAADAT Islam is a culture of Ibaadat. Ibaadat is not confined to spiritual affairs. Every mundane act and activity of the Muslim has to be brought within the purview of Ibaadat which is the original purpose of man's creation. The Qur'aan Majeed says: "I have not created jin and man except that they worship Me." The Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) regiments the daily life of the Mu'min in a way which transforms his entire day into Ibaadat. From the morning when his eyes first open, he is required by the Sunnah to recite a dua; when he enters the toilet, he has to recite a dua; when he emerges from the toilet, a dua; when he dresses, a dua has to be recited; when he looks in the mirror, a dua has to be recited; when he commences to eat, a dua has to be recited. In short, when commencing, ending and during the course of an act, any and every act, the Sunnah requires the Mu'min to recite a dua. Special short duas for the numerous occasions and moments of life have been instructed by Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Then besides these duas, the Mu'min is required to abandon his mundane activities and occupations five times a day to go into seclusion for Salaat. He has to observe the introductory measures such as wudhu for Salaat. Besides the five Fardh (compulsory) Salaat, he is required to perform Ishraaq Salaat, Dhuha Salaat, Awwaabeen Salaat and Tahajjud Salaat. In addition, he is required to perform Tahyatul Wudhu immediately after having made wudhu or ghusl. o­n entering the Musjid, Tahyatul Musjid has to be executed. Then there are the other occasional Salaats such as Istikhaarah, Taubah Salaat, Salaatul Khauf, Salaat o­n the occasion of an eclipse of the sun and moon, Taraaweeh Salaat, Salaatul Tasbeeh, Salaatul Haajaat, Eid Salaat and Janazah Salaat. Most of these acts are daily routines. But, this is not all. The Sunnah requires the Mu'min to spend daily some time in Tilaawat of the Qur'aan. In addition to his quota of tilaawat in the morning, there are lengthy Masnoon Surahs to be recited after each Salaat, viz., Surah Yaaseen after Fajr, Surah Fatah after Zuhr, Surah Naba' after Asr, Surah Waaqiah after Maghrib and Surah Mulk after Isha. To complete the list, is the constant and perpetual Thikr commanded by the Qur'aan: "(The People of intelligence are) those who make the Thikr of Allah while standing, sitting and reclining...." Many verses and ahadith exhort and command perpetual Thikr. The Rooh of the Mu'min can develop correctly o­nly by means of perpetual Thikr, all day long, in all walks of life. o­ne does not require wudhu or any other special condition for perpetual thikr. But, such thikr is the Purpose of life o­n earth. When the Mu'min coconsciously endeavours to reduce his worldly life into subservience of Islam, he will then strive to comply to the Culture of Ibaadat which the Sunnah actually is. When his heart becomes alive with perpetual Thikr, he will becomes conscious of his transgressions, failings and defects. When this realisation dawns o­n him, he will make an attempt to purify himself morally and seek ways of spiritual elevation. He will then search for the Saaliheen who can guide him along the path to Allah Ta'ala. It is for this reason that the Qur'aan commands: "And, join the company of the Saadiqeen (i.e. the Auliya)." "The Majlis" Vol 12 No 3

Bismillah. What Is The Unseen Muhammad Mitwaly Ash-Sha'rawy The Unseen is anything that is kept hidden from us, for the seen is no longer unknown! This means that what the eyes behold is not considered unseen, but it simply has to be away from our perception. Thus, that which is witnessed does not fall under the hidden or the unknown. If man were to examine his life he would discern that his knowledge is but trivial and what is kept beyond it is far greater. To us the seen merely constitutes our lives, which is a very limited sphere, even when added to it the events we see on television or in other media transmitted to us from lands afar. All what we gain through them, in spite of their multiplicity, is a mere fraction compared to what happens in the entire universe. We could be present in the same place yet in separate rooms, unaware of what is going on in the one next to us. We could be sitting face to face conversing with some people, yet have no clue as to what truly revolves in their minds and hearts. Therefore, we perceive that in our daily lives the least of all is visible and certainly far beyond great is kept unknown to us. Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, says in His Noble Book, (what means): “And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little.” (Al-Isrâ’, 17: 85) If the knowledge we possess about the witnessed present world is the very least, the same applies to general issues, because no issue that was subjected to careful study and its researchers devoted themselves to uncover it but involved their knowledge of certain things and their ignorance of many others. Seldom one finds a worldly matter or a passed law that does not need modification or alteration after a while. Why? Because those who studied a given case or established a particular law learned certain facts and missed others, so with the passage of time the hidden realties begin to manifest themselves, hence necessitating amendments. This is the way things are, as every age enfolds its own laws and cases. Every age uncovers certain matters that were kept hidden from the preceding generations and reveals new issues. As Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, is the Sole Legislator, and because nothing is hidden from Him, His Knowledge is Eternal and fully comprehends everything in the universe even before He brought it into being. Indeed, not even the weight of an atom (or a small ant) or less than that or greater, escapes His Knowledge in the heavens or in the earth. Solving worldly problems with the Divine Law If we truly want to solve the problems of this world with a remedy that needs no alteration or substitution, let us seek and derive such a remedy from the Law of Allah, because He, all praise and glory be to Him, is the One Who created the disease and its cure. He is the One Who created man and knows best what serves him and what harms him. He, be ever gloried His Majesty and Might, is the One Who created this universe and knows best what sets it right and what brings about its destruction. In our worldly affairs we seek the machine manufacturer to help repair the machine damage, because he made it and hence knows best the secrets of his creation. If it was not possible for us to go to the manufacturers themselves due to the large-scale production and its international distribution, the manufacturers would have technicians trained to repair the machines they produce and would print millions of manuals instructing people on how to repair them. But if we sought a man who was neither trained by the manufacturer nor read the manual, he would certainly damage it instead of repairing it. The same applies to calling a carpenter to fix your television, he would simply damage it and people would blame you for not seeking the help of the manufacturer or a technician. We come to the Divine Law and abandon it! We act thus in our material concerns but we ignore it in universal matters. We definately know that Allah is The Creator of this universe and The Creator of man. He is The Lawmaker of the course of life in the universe and He has conveyed it to us. But when it comes to practicing the Law of Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, we actually abandon it. We make laws based on our imperfect reasoning and limited understanding believing that we are reforming, but in fact we are corruptors. We abandon what The Creator has given us and we began imposing our own opinions, thinking that we are more capable than The Maker in handling His Creation. In this regard Allah, The Truth[Al-Haqq: one of the Beautiful Names of Allah], says(what means): “And when it is said to them: ‘Make not mischief on the earth,’ they say: ‘We are only peacemakers.’ Verily! They are the ones who make mischief, but they perceive not.” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 11-12) All acts of reform remote from the Law of Allah are nothing but mischief on the earth for moving further from The All-Knowing Creator towards the created being who knows but little. Nothing created by Allah but blesses the universe and is impossible to cause mischief. The sun, for instance, illumines the universe since time began; it has caused aught mischief as that caused by factories and the exhaust gases emitted from cars in a matter of a few years. Allah created the plants to provide the planet with the pure oxygen it needs, but man came, uprooted them and built in their place factories and cities that caused air pollution and the ozone hole that threatens the entire humanity. Indeed, what is hidden from us is great and what is seen is so petty. That is regarding this world, apart from the other worlds that Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, has kept hidden from us, unseen, unknown. The world of jinn is hidden from us, whether the righteous among them or the devils. Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, says in the Noble Qur’an (what means): “Verily, he and Qabîluhu (his soldiers from the jinns or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them.” (Al-A‘râf, 7: 27) Moreover, the world of angels is hidden from us, as we do not see the angels, together with the other worlds that only Allah knows and we know nothing about. A limited knowledge of existence So, can see that our knowledge is very limited regarding all that exists in this universe, whether of the material or the unseen world. There exists a present seen world; that is the world of Dominion, the visible world that we all share. And there also exits the world of the Greatest Kingdom; the invisible world that Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, only shows to whom He wills from His Messengers or righteous servants. Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, says in the Noble Qur’an (what means): “Thus did we show Ibrâhim (Abraham) the kingdom of the heavens and the earth that he be one of those who have Faith with certainty.” (Al-An‘âm, 6: 75) Hence, we realize that there exists Kingdoms known only to Allah, which He shows to whomever He wills of His servants. The Ghaib (all that is hidden, unseen or unknown) in its comprehensive essence is divided into two: a relative unseen world and an absolute unseen world. The absolute Unseen is only possessed by Allah, and has not yet emerged to perform its duty in life, for everything in this universe is assigned a duty and has a beginning and an end. Even the progress that humans achieve has a beginning; a feature in fact not exclusive to man alone but everything in the universe has both a beginning and an end. For instance, each scientific theory is assigned a birth date for it to start carrying out its mission in the universe. If it chances upon a researcher after its discovery, Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, may reveal it to him and if it does not, Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, will reveal it to a seeker of the Signs of Allah on earth, through what we call coincidence. Many a time we find a researcher examining a certain matter or a certain theory and his search leads him to a totally different path; something he was not even looking for. But Allah, The Most Exalted, has guided him to it by what we humans call coincidence. Or else, Allah makes him notice a thing he has not noticed before which makes him change his search entirely and pursue a different course. Recovery from sickness also has an assigned date and birth. When Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, wills the regaining of health He guides the physician to the disease and reveals its cause to him, so he diagnoses it, treats it and health is restored by the Will of Allah. A patient may in vain seek the most skilled doctors, but still does not get cured, then may come a fresh graduate doctor who examines him, diagnoses the illness and the patient is cured!! Is this inexperienced fresh graduate doctor more versed than the medical professors who taught him? No, because he acquired his knowledge from those professors. He simply examined the patient at the birth date of healing, so Allah guided him to the illness, which he treated and health was restored. Allah reveals to His Messenger some of the Divine Secrets So, the absolute Hidden or Unseen is only within the Knowledge of Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, and has not yet emerged out of the Realms of The Almighty through His Word ‘Be’, to be known and starts carrying on its role in the universe. We recite in the Noble Qur’an the verse in which Allah, be ever gloried His Majesty and Might, says (what means): “And with Him are the keys of the Ghaib (all that is hidden), none knows them but He.” (Al-An‘âm, 6: 59) Only Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, knows the absolute Unseen but the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) told us about hidden things that happened for real. All the minor portents of the Last Hour that came true during the present time such as: loss of honesty, rivalry of the naked barefooted people in constructing high edifices, children becoming an affliction to their parents, man’s love for his wife and desertion of his mother, niggardliness obeyed, prevalence of corruption on the earth, impunity of bloodshed in the innumerable bombings, assassinations and civil wars, decoration of Masjids, decadence of hearts and absence of faith within, the rise of hypocrites to high positions and authority coming in the hands of unfit persons. These as well as hundreds of other prophecies foretold to us by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) came true, which at the time the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) predicted them were still unseen, then they were fulfilled. The question is: Did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) know the Unseen? Almighty Allah says to His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the Noble Qur’an (what means): “Say (O Muhammad SAW): ‘I don't tell you that with me are the treasures of Allâh, nor (that) I know the unseen.’” (Al-An‘âm, 6: 50) Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, commanded His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to inform us that he knows not the Unseen, so how did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) foretell many events that actually happened? In the Battle of Khaibar, the noble Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) saw a warrior fighting among the rows of Muslims, showing remarkable courage that amazed the believers, yet he said, ‘Indeed, that man is one of the denizens of hellfire!’ Abu-Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated to us the hadith saying, “We were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the Battle of khaibar when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said (about a man who claimed to be a Muslim), ‘Indeed, that man will be cast into hellfire.’ So, when the battle started, the man fought with all his might till he sustained many wounds, whereupon a man from amongst the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) came and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Tell me, the man about whom you have said that he is one of the denizens of hellfire, by Allah he had fought for the Sake of Allah with all his might and sustained many wounds.’ Upon that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘As to him, he is indeed one of the denizens of hellfire.’ Some of the Muslims were almost on the verge of doubting (what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had said) but while he was in this state, the man suffered pain from his wounds so he precipitated death, thus he firmly placed his sword into the ground then he heaved himself upon it and killed himself.” The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) knew that the warrior was one of the denizens of hellfire though the man fought on that day in the Cause of Allah with exceptional courage and audacity. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) also foretold his Companions others things that happened afterwards. During the Battle of the Trench, and while digging one around Medina to protect it from the attack of the disbelievers, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) foretold that Shâm [the territory expanding to modern Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan], Persia and Yemen would be conquered and won by the Muslims. Al-Barâ’ bin ‘Âzib Al-Ansâry (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “(It happened) at the time the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) ordered us to dig a trench, that we came across a very huge hard rock some place in the trench unyielding to the strikes of the pick, so we complained to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) of that. On seeing it he (the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace) took the pick and said, ‘Bismallâh (In the Name of Allah),’ and he aimed a blow that broke its third and then he said, ‘Allahu akbar (Allah is the Most Great), I have been given the keys of Shâm, by Allah I can see its red palaces by the Will of Allah.’ Then, he aimed a second blow that broke another third, whereupon he said, ‘Allahu akbar (Allah is the Most Great), I have been given the keys of Persia, by Allah I can see Al-Madâ’in (Ctesiphon) white palace.’ Then, he aimed a third blow and said, ‘Bismallâh (In the Name of Allah),’ breaking the rest of the rock. So, he said, ‘Allahu akbar (Allah is the Most Great), I have been given the keys of Yemen, by Allah I can see the gates of Sanaa from this very place of mine.’” Thus, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) foretold unseen events that would happen several years ahead and narrated them to the believers standing around him. Many prophecies revealed by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that all came true. How then has Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, commanded His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the Noble Qur’an, that is never to be altered or changed till the Day of Resurrection, to tell the believers that he knows not the Unseen, yet he informs us with ever so much of the Hidden and the Unknown? The answer is that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) certainly knows not the Unseen, but it is Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, Who had informed him of all the secrets he foretold. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) did not know the Unseen on his own, but Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, revealed to him incidents that would happen in the future to narrate them to us as a testament to the veracity of his message and the fact that it is conveyed from Almighty Allah. But the absolute Unseen is only known by Allah, all praise and glory be to Him. What is the relative Unseen? We then move on to the relative Unseen, which constitutes the unseen matters that humans may know. But what is the relative Unseen? It is something you do not know but others do. For instance, if something is stolen from you, the thief is unknown to you; it is something beyond your knowledge. The police may also not know the thief, but the thief knows himself, as well as his accomplice who hid the stolen objects and the buyer of the stolen goods. A ruler or a minister may sign me in a new post; the endorser of my employment contract knows the decision, also his clerk or whoever was present at the time of signing the contract. If that witness phoned me at the time of issuing the decision and told me that I would be appointed to that post, whilst hiding from me the fact that he witnessed the signing of the contract, should I say that he knows the Unseen? Of course not. So, the relative Unseen is known by others but I am held unaware of it. For instance, if I am traveling back from a journey and a friend accompanying me, who knew the time of my arrival, returned a couple of days before me. He then stated the day of my return and I did actually return on that day, should my friend then be a knower of the Unseen? Of course not. The same applies to all affairs that we believe to be totally unknown but actually they do not belong to the absolute Unseen, rather they are relatively unseen. All such affairs that mankind may learn, which charlatans or other deceivers, who invoke the help of the devils, try to make people believe that they hold the secrets of the Unseen when actually they do not. All are merely events that took place in reality but remained unknown to their seekers. But as for the real and absolute Unseen, only Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, has its keys. Prediction and the Unseen Prediction or foresight also falls under the relative Unseen. For instance, I know that in the character of a certain person that he grows angry out of specific causes: as his dislike of a certain man and his reluctance to receive him at home. It happens that the one whom he dislikes knocks at his door during his absence; I may predict that if the man shows up now a quarrel will ensue. The man actually comes and a dispute follows. By foreseeing this, am I a knower of the Unseen? I may also notice that my son does not study; that he opens the book and gazes blankly at it but understands nothing, or pretends that he is studying his lessons so he shuts himself in his room but actually does not study. Consequently, I predict that the boy will not pass and he actually takes his exams and fails. Does this mean that I am a knower of the Unseen? Or that premises simply bespoke the results! Moreover, if you asked a professor about his students: those who will and will not succeed, he can pinpoint them to you. He can even name who will be the first, the second and the third. Then, come the exams and the results match the professor’s predictions. Is he then considered a knower of the Unseen? Of course not, he simply used his foresight, intelligence and experience in predicting the results. The three veils screening the Unseen The veils screening the Unseen pertaining to worldly life are three. First is the past; something that happened in a past I have not lived whereby that thing remains unknown to me. All the historical events that occurred before our birth are kept unknown to us and we only learn about them through the narrators who saw or witnessed them. We receive them as news, thus we pose uncertain whether they are true or false. In history there are contradictory accounts, deeds not ascribed to their proper authors, intrusions that never happened and none can tell truth from falsehood? But we have to accept them as they are, relying on the authority of the narrators and the historians. In fact, many of the historical events are full of forgery and falsification. In our contemporary history and during the present time we live we find clear examples for that. When one of the leaders or rulers dies some biographers ascribe to him glories, whereas others depict him having the most dreadful qualities. Some say he was just, some say he was vicious, others say he was a tyrant and each substantiates his writings by documentations. Historians affirm that the forged documentations in the history of mankind exceed the authentic ones. Even the celestial books (save the Noble Qur’an) did not escape attempts of falsification, so they withheld some of the stated parts in them and forged what they withheld not, and then brought words of their own and claimed them to be Divine, even though they are certainly not the Words of Allah, all praise and glory be to Him. In this regard, the Noble Qur’an conveys to us the Statement of The Truth, Blessed and Exalted be He, (which means): “Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say, ‘This is from Allâh,’ to purchase with it a little price! Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for that they earn thereby.” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 79) And the Qur’anic Statement of The Truth, be ever gloried His Majesty and Might, that says (what means): “Do you (faithful believers) covet that they will believe in your religion inspite of the fact that a party of them (Jewish rabbis) used to hear the Word of Allâh [the Taurât (Torah)], then they used to change it knowingly after they understood it?” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 75) We thus see that they distorted the Words of Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, and ascribed to The Almighty words He uttered not while alleging them to be Divine. Furthermore, we must pay heed to the Words of The Truth, all praise and glory be to Him, that say (what means), ‘After they understood it?’ which signify that they did not distort or change the Words of Allah, out of ignorance or lack of understanding; otherwise their excuse would have been their ignorance or incomprehension of the Divine Words. But in reality they willfully changed them after a sound and reasonable understanding. If this is the case regarding the Words of Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, what would it be regarding the deeds and words of mankind? In the previous celestial messages, Allah, be ever gloried His Majesty and Might, entrusted His servants with guarding His Books and Words against any alteration or distortion. But when people did alter and change them and ascribed to Allah what He uttered not, The Almighty ordained that He should be the One to guard the Noble Qur’an by His Endless Might and Power, as substantiated by the noble Qur’anic verse saying (what means): “Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'ân) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption).” (Al-Hijr, 15: 9) Therefore, the Noble Qur’an will remain guarded by the Endless Might of Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, never to be altered or changed till the Day of Resurrection. The veil of the unseen past So, the first veil screening the Unseen is the past but as for the second, it is the future; for none knows what will happen in the future. Time has concealed from us the events yet to come until they become a present reality for us to learn them. We do not even know what will happen tomorrow. Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, says (what means): “No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow.” (Luqmân, 31: 34) In this way, the future remains a sealed book before us all, knowing not what will happen in it, or what will happen to us, or to those surrounding us or to the entire world. As for the third veil, it is that of space; in plain words, my unawareness while present in a certain place of what is going on in other places; the screening veil of space prevents me. For instance, while being in Cairo I do not know what is happening in London or New York or in other locations throughout the world. All these events are concealed from me. Sitting in my study I am unaware of what is going on in my house. I may not even know what is happening in the next room by reason of the screening barrier of space, which is one veil of the Unseen to mankind. Then, came the Noble Qur’an and lifted all these veils; that of time, space and future, unveiled them all by disclosing famous and well-known incidents that none can belie, even by the enemies of this religion and that is owed to the Inimitability of the Noble Qur’an, mightily able of working unending miracles till the Day of Resurrection.

Bismillah. Trials 'Abdul-Maalik al-Qaasim All praise is due to Allaah, may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger ®, his household and companions. Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah as he should be feared, for fear of Allaah brings more blessings and prevents afflictions. Dear Muslims! Allaah has foreordained the fate of all creatures, written down their impacts and deeds, portioned out between them their livelihood and wealth and created death and life that He may test them which of them is best in deed. Indeed, belief in Allaah's decree and preordainment is one of the pillars of faith. Nothing happens in this universe except by His will. This life is full of misfortune and sorrow. It is destined to be a place of hardships and trouble. Trials and tribulations are as inevitable in this life as cold and heat. Allaah says, "And certainly We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to those who are patient." Pre-destination is a test by which the truthful ones are distinguished from untruthful ones. Allaah says, "Do people think that they will be left alone because they say, 'We believe,' and will not be tested." (29: 2) The human soul does not become pure except through trials, and it is during tribulations that real men are known. Ibn Jawzee said, "Whoever wants to have everlasting peace and well-being with no affliction does not understand the meaning of Allaah's commandments, nor does he perceive the meaning of submission to Allaah. Every soul (either believing or disbelieving) shall inevitably taste suffering in this world, for this life is based on hardships. Man lives between comfort and suffering. Prophet Aadam, for instance, had the angels prostrated before him and yet was soon after expelled from paradise A believer is afflicted with trials in order to refine him, not to punish him. He is tested in ease as well as in hardship. Allaah says, "And We tried them with good (blessings) and evil (calamities) in order that they might turn (to Allaah's obedience)." (Al-A'raaf 7: 168). Brothers in faith! Something undesireable may sometimes have a pleasant result, while something seemingly desirable may turn out to have an unpleasant and abominable result. Do not therefore feel that harmful things cannot come to you through hardship. Allaah says, "...And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allaah knows, and you do not know." (Al-Baqarah 2: 216). Prepare yourself mentally for afflictions before they occur so as to make their occurrence light on you. Do not be worried because of tribulations, for they have their limits, and watch what you utter during your hard times for many a word has ruined its utterer. A resolute Muslim stands firm during hardships, his heart does not change and he does not complain. Console yourself whenever afflicted with a promise of reward from Allaah. Wise people show endurance whenever they are stricken with misfortune so as not to add to their misfortune the malicious joy of their enemies, for whenever your enemies know of your misfortune they are overjoyed. Brothers in Islaam! Endeavour to keep your misfortunes and pains to yourself, for concealment of afflictions and pains are of the qualities of noble people. Be patient over afflictions, they will soon be removed from you. Those who perished only suffered that because of their impatience while the patient ones are being recompensed with good rewards. Allaah says, "And those who are patient, we will certainly pay them a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do." (Al-Anaam 16:96). The reward of the patient ones will be doubled for their patience and Allaah will be with them, remove their afflictions and make them victorious. O afflicted one! Your Lord does not deny you what you want except what is better than that, He does not test you but for your well-being and He does not subject you to tribulations but to purify you. He tries His slaves with pleasure as he blesses them with calamity. Do not therefore waste your time thinking over what has already been guaranteed for you. As long as one is still alive his provision will no doubt come to him. Allaah ta'ala says, "And no (moving) living creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allaah." (Hood 11:6). Further, if Allaah - out of His wisdom - closes a door against you, He opens out of His mercy a door better for you than the closed one. It is by afflictions that righteous and understanding people are increased in rank and reward. Sa'ad bin Abee Waqqaas said: I said, "O Messenger of Allaah, who are the most afflicted of all people? He replied ®, "The Prophets, then the righteous people, then those who are nearest to them in perfection and those who are nearest to them. Man is tested according to his religiosity; if he is strong religiously, his test is increased and if he is weak in religion, his test is reduced And a believer will be tested until he walks on the earth sinless [i.e. his sins have been erased by series of afflictions that he endured.]" (Al-Bukhari) Fellow Muslims! Prophet Aadam laboured along difficult paths beset with affliction; Prophet Ibraheem was thrown into a blazing fire; Ismaeel was laid down for slaughter; Yoonus was swallowed by a whale; Prophet Aayoob suffered from a severe illness; Yoosuf was sold for a pittance, thrown into a well and wrongfully jailed and Muhammed ® suffered different kinds of injury. You also are in path of calamities moving, for the life does not give pleasure only to anyone. The Prophet ® said, "If Allaah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials." (Al-Bukharee). Some people of knowledge said, "Whoever Allaah creates for paradise will be having trials and undesirable things." Real trial, dear brothers, is the trial in one's religion and whatever trial besides that is regarded as well being, for it raises one in the rank and erases ones sins. Also all comforts that do not bring one closer to Allaah is a tribulation. Do not therefore grieve over what you miss in worldly materials, for worldly pleasure begets pain and disobedience. Aboo Dardaa said, "Of the insignificance of this world to Allaah is that He is not disobeyed except in it, while what is with Him cannot be obtained except by abstaining from it. Engage yourself in what will benefit you more. Keep away from what is in peoples' hands you will be the wealthiest of them; do not lose hope in Allaah's mercy lest you are disgraced; always remember Allaah's favour on you and drive away your distress by being pleased with Allaah's decree, for however long the night may be, it will be followed by the dawn. Supplicate to Allaah. He will give you relief and if you are patient Allaah will provide a way out for you. Ponder over the story of Prophet Ya'qoob who lost a son for a long period and yet did not lose hope of relief from the Almighty One, but rather said, "Maybe Allaah will bring them all (back) to me." Dear brother! It is only Allaah who deserves all praise and is capable of attending to all complaints. It is only Him you must beseech to remove your misfortunes. Pray to Him during the night with submission and humbleness and request Him to make your affairs easy for you. He says, "Is it not He who responds to the distressed one when he calls Him (better than your gods.)" (27: 62) Put your trust in the Omnipotent Lord and take refuge with Him with a humble heart, He will open the doors of His mercy for you. Fudayl ben 'Iyaadh said, If you lose hope in all people and you do not ask anything from them, your Lord will give you all that you want." Whoever leaves his affairs to the hands of Allaah will achieve what he aspires: Always recite the prayer of Prophet Yoonus: "None has the right to worshipped except You (O Allaah) Glorifed (and exalted) are You (above all that they associate with You) Truly I have been of the wrong doers." The 'Ulamaa said, "No one In distress recites this prayer except that Allaah gives him relief from his distress." Ibn al-Qayyim said, "It has been tested that whoever says: "Verily distress has seized me and You are the most merciful of all those who show mercy!" Seven times Allaah relieves him of his distress! Put then yourself under the protection of Allaah, depend upon Him, submit your affairs to Him and ask Him for relief. Try to supplicate in the most appropriate periods like during prostration and the last hour of the night. Do not feel uneasy if your supplications have not yet been answered, and do not lose hopeof Allaah's mercy even though the period of your affliction may seem long, for relief is near, and continue to pray to Allaah. Also know that when Allaah afflicts you no one except Him is capable of removing that affliction for He does whatever He wills. If your provision seems delayed, do a lot of istighfar, for misdeeds necessitate punishment; and if it does not seem that your supplications are having any impact, then examine yourself, for it may be that you have not been sincere in your repentance. Endeavour also, to give charity to the needy, for charity prevents and removes affliction. However, if your affliction is removed, give a lot of thanks and praise to your Lord and know that a false sense of safety is a big trial. Allaah says, "Say: Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allaah has ordained for us. He is our Lord and Protector, and in Alaah let the believers put their trust." (At-Taubah 9: 51). Dear Muslims! No condition is permanent. Fortunate is he who is always God-conscious. Fear Allaah in any condition you may find yourself. You can do nothing to prevent what has been destined to happen as you do nothing to attain what has not been pre-ordained. The ability to choose and control is with Allaah alone and His choice for His slave is better for him than his choice for himself. Dawood bin Sulaymaan said, "Three things indicate the piety of a believer; his trust in Alaah in what he has not attained; his satisfaction with whatever he has attained and his patience over what he hasmissed." A wise man was asked, "What is wealth?" He replied, "Fewness of one's mundane desires and one's contentment with what suffices him." Shurayh said, "A slave will not be afflicted by a trial except that he finds three blessings therein, (1) that the trial has nothing to do with his religion, (2) that the trial was not bigger than it is, and (3) that Allaah gives him patience to bear it."

Bismillah. Patience is half of Imân Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah Imân is in two halves: half is patience ( sabr) and half is gratitude ( shukr). Therefore Allâh has mentioned patience and gratitude alongside one another: “Verily in this are signs for all who constantly persevere and give thanks” (Ibrâhîm 14:5; Luqmân 31:31; Sabâ’ 34:19; ash-Shurâ 42:33). The reasons why one half of îmân is patience and the other half is gratitude are as follows: 1. îmân is a term which covers words, deeds and intentions, all of which are based on one of two things, action or abstinence. Action refers to performing a deed in accordance with the instructions of Allâh, which is the reality of gratitude. Abstinence, as in refraining from wrong action, requires patience. The whole of religion is embodied in these two things: carrying out that which Allâh has commanded, and refraining from that which Allâh has prohibited. 2. îmân is based on two pillars, yaqîn (conviction) and patience, which are referred to in the following ayah: “And We appointed, from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, so long as they persevered with patience and continued to have faith in Our Signs” (as-Sajdah 32:34). It is through faith that we know the reality of Allâh’s commands and prohibitions, or reward and punishment, and it is through patience that we carry out His instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited. A person can never come to believe in Allâh’s commands and prohibitions, and in reward and punishment, and it is through patience that we carry out His instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited, and in reward and punishment, except through faith, and that is truly from Allâh. And we can never carry out Allâh’s instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited except through patience. Therefore patience is half of îmân, and the other half is gratitude. 3. Man has two powers, the power of doing and the power of abstaining, which control all his behaviour. So a person will do what he likes and abstain from what he dislikes. The whole of religion is doing or abstaining, carrying out the instructions of Allâh or abstaining from that which He has prohibited, neither of which can be accomplished without patience. 4. The whole of religion is hope and fear, and the true believer is the one who is both hopeful and fearful. Allâh said: “…They used to call on Us with love and reverence, and humble themselves before Us” (al-Anbiyâ’ 21:90). The Prophet (SAAS) used to pray: “O Allâh, I have surrendered my soul to You, and turned my face to You. My (own) affair I commit to Allâh and I seek Your protection, in hope of You and in fear of You” (al-Bukhârî). So the believer is the one who is both hopeful and fearful, but hope and fear can only be based on the foundation of patience: fear should make the believer patient, and his hope should lead to gratitude. 5.Any action done by man is either beneficial or harmful to him in this world and the next, or else it is beneficial to him in the world and harmful to him in the other. The best course for man is to do that which is beneficial to him in the Hereafter, and abstain from that which is harmful to him in the Hereafter. This is the reality of îmân: to do what is good for him, and that is gratitude; and to abstain from that which harms him, and that is patience. 6.Man is always is a situation where he has to carry out an instruction of Allâh, or avoid something which Allâh has prohibited, or accept something that Allâh has decreed. In all cases, he has to face the situation with patience and gratitude. Carrying out Allâh’s instructions is gratitude, and abstaining from prohibited things and being content with the decree of Allâh constitutes patience. 7.Man is constantly being pulled in two opposing directions: should he respond to the lure of this world of desires and pleasures, or should he answer the call of Allâh and the hereafter, with the eternal Paradise that Allâh has prepared for His friend ( walî)? Going against the call of whims and desires is patience, and responding to the call of Allâh and the Hereafter is gratitude. 8.Religion is based on two principles: determination and perseverance (patience), which are referred to in the du‘â of the Prophet (SAAS): “O Allâh, I ask You for perseverance in all my affairs, and I ask You for the determination to stay on the straight and narrow path.” 9. Religion is based on truth (haqq) and patience, which is referred to in the âyah: “…and they (join together) in the mutual teaching of truth, and of patience and constancy” (al-‘Asr 103:3). Man is required to work according to the truth, both by himself and others, which is the reality of gratitude, but he cannot do that without patience, therefore patience is half of îmân. And Allâh knows best.

Bismillah. Your father is your father no matter what. He remains the one whose child you are & always shall be. The Almighty's Supreme Indisputable Decision. We shall be called by our fathers names on the Day of Judgement : as children of our fathers. No matter how bad a father may be, he can never be replaced by anyone as he was appointed by the Almighty for us to be known by. Denying one's true lineage or hiding it is considered a major sin. May the Almighty forgive us & help us mend our ways. Aameen Mufti Ismail Menk.

Bismillah. When we constantly belittle our children there comes a time when they begin to believe whatever we have said. This results in low self esteem and psychological disorders or complexes. In turn they resort to irresponsible behaviour and habits. However, when we constantly praise our children, telling them how important they are to us, how much we love them, how gorgeous and special they are and how ... proud we are of them, their self esteem is boosted, confidence levels shoot up, they focus on achieving more and they are more likely to be saved from dangerous or irresponsible behaviour and habits. This is why we MUST go out of our way to make such heart warming statements to them regularly and never forget to do the same to ALL our children.

Bismillah. The signs of a hypocrite are that when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks the promise, when he is entrusted he betrays & when he is in an argument he screams & yells. Hypocrisy is to display outwardly that which is contrary to the inward condition. It is important that each one of us works very hard to identify such weaknesses within ourselves & remedy them as best as we can. This will help purify the heart & make all our acts of worship much more satisfying & meaningful. May the Almighty protect us from all forms of hypocrisy. Aameen. Mufti Ismail Menk.

Bismillah. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Qur’an, وَلا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُوْلَئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْئُولاً “Do not pursue that regarding which you have no knowledge. Indeed the hearing, the sight and the heart will be questioned” [al Isra' 17:36] Further, in a hadeeth Rasūl Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم mentions, “Part of the goodness of a man’s religion is that he abandons that which does not concern him.” [Tirmidhi] We cannot become pure of heart and mind without abandoning interest in other people’s affairs, which are of no concern to us. By asking questions and probing into the private affairs of others, we are only satisfying a craving of the nafs. In order to progress spiritually and thus make our religion good, we must abandon such acts.

Bismillah. In a hadeeth related by Imam Muslim رحمة الله عليه in his Sahih, on the authority of Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضى الله عنه, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says ‘Never does anyone’s wealth decrease by giving in the way of Allah and never is a servant of Allah forgiving and merciful to anybody else except that Allah سبحانه وتعالى increases his honour and dignity, and never is a servant of Allah humble for Allah’s sake except that Allah سبحانه وتعالى elevates him’. Allah hates those who are arrogant and loves those who are humble. In a hadeeth related by Imam Ahmad Ibn Hambal in his Musnad, Sayyiduna Huthayfah رضى الله عنه, says ‘Once we accompanied the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to a janaazah. There, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم stood over the grave staring in and then after mentioning the punishment of the grave, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said to us, Should I not inform you of the worst of Allah’s creation? Every man who is foul mouthed and arrogant. And should I not inform you of the best of Allah’s servants? Every weak, humble and oppressed person who if he swears in the name of Allah عز وجل, Allah سبحانه وتعالى will fulfil his promise. Allah would not allow his oath to go unfulfilled and unanswered. ‘