Acacia

Insha'Allah. ADHD = Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder

Masha'Allah, jazakAllah khayran for sharing this here. Insha'Allah we can prepare a compilation of resources regarding the spectrum, including ADHD (an area of interest for me). Following other threads under health, perhaps sister Taalibah would like to join the effort here and work on such a project about the spectrum as a whole?

Masha'Allah, such a beautiful reminder - jazakAllah khayran!

Ameen, thumma ameen. JazakAllah khayran for this very beneficial post.

Ameen, thumma ameen!

Masha'Allah, what a fantastic gift! May Allah Ta'aala make it a means of tapping into Islamic knowledge for many, ameen.

You might want to check the Love Durood site as well insha'Allah.

Divine Assistance in alleviating Debts Sayyiduna Abu Umamah Radhiyallahu Anhu was once sitting in the Musjid very perturbed and worried when Rasulullah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam noticed him in that condition. Rasulullah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallamenquired the cause of his worry. Abu Umamah replied: “Worry and anxiety of debt has overcome me.” Rasulullah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said to him: “Should I not teach you a few special words which if you recite in the morning and evening, Allah will remove your worries and will settle your debts?” Abu Amamah replied: “Yes indeed O Prophet of Allah!” Rasulullah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wa Sallam thereafter taught him the following Dua to be recited every morning and evening: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحُزْنِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَقَهْرِ الرِّجَالِ Transliteration: Allahumma Innie A’uzu Bika minal Hammi Wal Huzn, wa A’uzu Bika Minal Ajzi wal Kasal, Wa A’uzu Bika minal Jubni wal Bukhl, wa A’uzu Bika min Ghalabatid Dayni wa Qahrir Rijaal. Translation: O Allah, I seek your protection from worry and grief, and I seek your protection from being incapacitated and laziness, and I seek your protection from cowardice and miserliness, and I seek your protection from overwhelming debts and the oppression of men. Sayyiduna Abu Umamah says: “I practiced on this advice and Allah removed my worries and settled my debts.”(Abu Dawood, Hadith #: 1555, Narrated by Abu Sa’eed) Engaging in excessive Istighfaar and seeking Allah’s forgiveness are also very effective in drawing Allah’s help for the alleviation of financial difficulties. It is recorded in the Hadith that Allah will remove all difficulties and hardships from the one who frequently and continuously asks Allah for forgiveness and Allah will bless him with wealth from avenues that he cannot even fathom. (Abu Dawood, Hadith #: 1518, Narrated by Ibn Abbaas) (source: Jamiat Newsletter)

The Definition of Al-Maisir (Gambling) Gambling and other terms such as gaming and 'games-of-chance' derive from the Anglo-Saxon ‘gamen’ and ‘gamon’ which mean sport or play. The general use of the word gamble denotes any decision executed in any transaction or pursuit involving risk and uncertainty. Hence, gambling is to play a game of chance for money; or to take a risk for some advantage; or a risky venture. Risk and uncertainty are faced in gambling since the outcome of the decision taken is unknown even though a good outcome is always expected. Therefore, it is said that politics, in fact, are ‘a big gamble’ since judgements passed in this area are always uncertain and risky. The use of the word usually, however, refers more specifically to economic activity which is very concerned with the aspect of gain, loss, risk and uncertainty relating to the 'game of chance'. Economically, therefore, to gamble is to “play 'games-of-chance' for money especially for unduly high stakes; or to stake money (especially to an extravagant amount) on some fortuitous event” (The Oxford English Dictionary, 1989). However, this definition is too narrow because the words ‘to play games’ does not accommodate all types of gambling. There are business transactions which are certainly gambling in nature but could not be included under the definition of 'games'. Furthermore, there are many kinds of gambling that are not based purely on chance such as betting on horse races, boxing or other sporting events, even though outcomes are unpredictable. In addition, the words ‘for money’ in the above definition do not suit all kinds of modern gambling. Although, monetary gain remains the main objective of much gambling, it is not considered the sole purpose of a 'game of chance'. There are various alternative prizes to be won including political power, leadership and, to a certain extent, women. As mentioned by Cohen and Hansel in their writing, Scythians staked not only their teeth, eyebrows, wives, families and freedom, but also risked their lives on a single throw of the dice (Cohen, 1956). Green, in his work, Betting and Gambling, suggested a definition he claimed was more comprehensive. He defined ‘to gamble’ as “an agreement between two parties whereby the transfer of something of value from one to the other is made dependent on an uncertain event, in such a way that the gain of one party is balanced by the loss of another,” (Green, 1930). Accordingly, this definition fits all types of gambling such as playing 'games-of-chance' or betting on horse racing and other sporting events between clients and bookmakers or between individuals; including all kinds of sweepstakes, lotteries and similar enterprises (Gambling, 1931). Furthermore, the definition given even includes certain business transactions (Green, 1930). The above definition claims a comprehensive statue yet it still excludes a few important aspects such as risk, hope of gain and the element of chance. The New Encyclopædia Britannica (1977) offers a closer description of the truth by stating that: “... gambling is the betting or staking of something of value, with consciousness of risk and hope of gain, on the outcome of a game, a contest, or an uncertain event, the result of which may be determined by chance or accident or has an unexpected result by reason of the bettor’s miscalculation.” This definition excludes sophisticated business transactions that, nevertheless. embody elements of gambling such as the stock market and foreign exchange transactions. Here, at least two significant gambling elements were excluded from the definition offered: the element of economic fundamentals and economic manipulation. Hence, the present writers suggest a renewed definition for gambling as follows: The betting of something of value with unnecessary risk with the hope of gain based on elements of chance and uncertain events that may involve, to a certain extent, economic manipulation and, on occasion, loss of the contextual elements of economic reality. Source: Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy Vol 6 No 1 S1 January 2015 Further reading: Speculation: Islamic perspective; A study on al-maisir (Download PDF) Back to table of contents

Question and Answer: Q. I have a query regarding divorce. If a person has to give his wife the 2nd Talaaq, what are the consequences? Idaat period, providing for the wife after the Talaaq, status of marriage? (Query published as received) A. If the husband and wife had reconciled after the first divorce and now he issues a second divorce, her Iddah will commence from the time of the second divorce. If they did not reconcile after the first divorce, the Iddah will continue from the first divorce and the second divorce will not cause the Iddah to restart. There is still room for reconciliation as long as three divorces have not been issued. If they do not reconcile before the Iddah expires, the bonds of marriage will terminate and it will be necessary for them to renew the Nikah if they wish to reconcile thereafter. During the Iddah period, the husband is obligated to provide maintenance for the wife. And Allah Knows Best Mufti Suhail Tarmahomed Fatwa Department Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) Council of Muslim Theologians (source: www.jamiat.org.za)

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has described Talaaq as the most hated of permitted actions in the sight of Allah. (Abu Dawud)

The following is a summarized transcription of Shaykh Husain Abdul Sattar's December 2, 2011 talk - FROM MISTAKES COME OPPORTUNITIES. Allah Ta’aala provides us with opportunities in the deen and one of the things that we have to appreciate is that every opportunity generally comes at the cost of another person or the cost of another circumstance; this is something that is very subtle. One very, very special things that a believer can do is to overlook the mistakes of another person. In fact, not only to overlook those mistakes but to conceal those mistakes. We know from many ahadeeth that the Prophet encouraged us to overlook the mistakes and shortcomings of others and in other ahadeeth the Prophet encouraged us to hide the mistakes of other believers. If you are going to overlook the shortcomings of another person and you are going to hide the mistakes of another person – the only way you can do that is if there is a person that makes a mistake. How can it be that you are going to hide the shortcoming of a person without there being a shortcoming in that person? So, the opportunity for us to forgive and the opportunity for us to conceal the mistakes of others requires that somebody be there to make a mistake otherwise that circumstance wouldn’t arise. Many opportunities within our deen arise because of a circumstance in which another person has to undergo some difficulty. Example 1: A person came to me, very upset, said that they need to talk about a situation where they have been giving zakat to the same person for many years; however, the person they give zakat to doesn’t manage their money well. I looked at the person and said: “That’s exactly why you should give them zakat... if he managed money the way you manage money, then he wouldn’t be in a situation that he needed zakat. If everybody was as smart as you, then there would be nobody in the world that needed zakat because if he was so smart and good at managing his money then there wouldn’t be a need to give him zakat – he would be careful. The whole point is that the people who need zakat are in some hardship because they can’t control what’s going on around them or they are the types of people who don’t know how to manage their money and that’s why they need the zakat or sadaqah or whatever it might be.” So, a lot of times, the opportunities that are provided for us don’t exist until there is another person that is going to make a mistake on the other end. Example 2: At the time of Rasulullah (s.a.w), there was a woman who committed zina. She came to Rasulullah and explained that she had committed zina. The Prophet didn’t even want to hear it – he turned away. Then she explained it again – he turned away. She explained it again – he turned away. Until finally he was forced to listen to what she was saying and she wanted to be punished because she felt very guilty and she felt that the only way to redeem herself would be to accept the punishment of the shariah. In this case, the punishment of the shariah happened to be stoning. So, when it came time for this to occur, the whole community gathered and the punishment was delivered. While the punishment was being delivered, either the blood or something from the woman landed near one of the people who was applying the punishment. That person made the comment that “this is very disgusting” – he wanted to keep himself far from it because he saw it as something impure. The Prophet explained that this woman’s tawbah is so powerful that were it to be distributed among the entire community, it would suffice every individual. That’s how powerful her tawbah was. Now, sahaba gained a great lesson from that because they learned and we learned (because this is embedded in hadeeth and is read until the Day of Judgment) the power of Allah Ta’aala’s ability to forgive. If a person comes with repentance, even such an extreme deed can be forgiven. Now, we all took benefit from that circumstance and the companions took benefit from that circumstance because they learned a mechanism of tawbah for a particular circumstance. Our benefit came at a cost. It came at a cost to that particular individual who happened to fall into that circumstance and then sought Allah Ta’aala’s tawbah. In fact, it is a very interesting principle within our scholars that the sahabah, generally speaking, were mahfoo, meaning they were protected from mistakes. Another part of that principle is that they had the ability to make mistakes but, when they made a mistake, they immediately sought to repent for that mistake. Ulema explain that the mistakes of the sahabah occurred in a certain manner only to teach the community how to remove themselves from that circumstance. So, the mistakes of the sahabah were generated in order to teach the community how to absolve themselves from the mistakes that they would make in the future. The cost came to who? The cost came to the sahabah. The benefit came to who? The benefit came to the remainder of the community. This type of circumstance always exists. Example 3: When a mother’s child dies, there is a huge reward in going and giving your condolences to that individual – very big reward to support that individual. Now, that opportunity to go and give condolences and earn an immense reward comes at a price. At who’s price? It comes at the price on the other end which is: that person had to lose a child. Until that person can lose a child, the circumstance is not created for the whole community. Generally speaking then, our opportunities, when they arise, come at the cost of something else. Lesson: When we see that someone makes a mistake, we shouldn’t look down upon that person – we should see it as an opportunity for ourselves. For example, if there is an individual in need and they need zakat, then we should see it as an opportunity rather than looking down on that person. Because, there has to be someone who needs zakat and they have to be in a circumstance of poverty otherwise, where would zakat be distributed? Its not that we need to now blame them and somehow claim that if they were as good as I then the circumstance would not exist. We should take advantage of those circumstances and we should be thankful that Allah Ta’aala has created the imbalances that create opportunities for us and we should ask Allah Ta’aala that we always be the ones that have the upper hand. You know the famous hadeeth: the upper hand is better than the lower hand. Meaning, if there are 2 circumstances and one person is deprived and another person is in excess, it is always better to be the one with the upper hand. If somebody wrongs you, it is always better to be the one that forgives. Its always better to be the one that is on top. Of course, such a circumstance can’t exist unless there is someone beneath. So, if we see someone make a mistake, its not an excuse to go and somehow criticize that individual. Instead, it is an opportunity for us to forgive and to conceal. Why? Because then, on the Day of Judgment, if we forgive and conceal today, then the hope is that Allah Ta’aala will forgive and conceal another day – which is when we stand before Allah Ta’aala and our sins are revealed. The greater the circumstance of forgiving and concealing, the better it is. Sometimes it is easy if there is some small person in a corner and nobody knows them and they make a mistake – to forgive and conceal. But, sometimes there is a big person in the community who everybody knows and then that’s the time that everybody wants to speak but that’s the exact circumstance – when there is a tremendous drive in human beings to actually go and expose something – that’s the exact circumstance to maximize on that opportunity. Similarly, there is somebody in need and we want to expose what they’re doing or expose them because they’re not as perfect as we are but that’s just the nature of the person. Now, if there is a person that is purposely a crook and they’re stealing from the community – that’s a different story – I’m not talking about that. However, there are some very naive people they don’t know how to balance their budget, they don’t know when to spend and when not to spend, they get caught up like the rest of the community – especially the community out here running from store-to-store after sale-after-sale, buying things that they don’t need. That’s what the vast majority of the people do in this society. The point is that, that is human nature. They are being taken advantage of by this monster advertising and this whole creation of these types of holidays and sales and these types of things but that’s human nature – there’s nothing we can do about that except to advise people. So, we shouldn’t look down upon the circumstances that create opportunities for us. We should be very careful and we should be very quiet about it. And we should think to ourselves: “ if today I’m thinking that I gave this person ‘x’ amount of money and they’re mismanaging it, then what’s going to happen on the Day of Judgment when Allah Ta’aala takes me to account for my whole salary and asks me if I managed it properly or if I mismanage it?” Don’t you think that its going to just be a big list of mismanagement? We’re all mismanaging. We’re all big mismanagers: we spend on things we don’t need; We create goals and aspirations in this life that don’t mean anything; and, we fail to invest for ourselves in the hereafter. We’re all mismanaging. So, if we don’t forgive the one who mismanages today, then how can we expect to be forgiven for our mismanagement on that day when we stand before our Lord? We should enter these circumstances with humility. Example 4: a brother was complaining that somebody threw something in the street and it was disturbing the people that were trying to cross the street. While it is true that people shouldn’t throw things in the street and create problems for others, at the same time, we know from hadeeth that one of the branches of imaan is removing something from the street that causes a disturbance to other people. How is that thing going to end up there? Somebody has to have put it there. Yes, on occasion, a tree will break and a branch will fall on the street but the vast majority of the time, when there is something in the way, it means that somebody must have put it there. If there is a bunch of cans in front of the masjid door, then somebody must have left those cans there. So, if somebody leaves them there, that’s the only way for the opportunity will arise for us to pick them up and earn a reward of fulfilling that sunnah – a branch of our deen. Almost every circumstance arises because somebody else is going to do something wrong. The whole ability of us to guide others to good is because there is evil. If there wasn’t shaytaan misguiding people, then the opportunity for us to guide people to something else wouldn’t be there. That’s the way Allah Ta’aala created creation – that’s the balance. Its not an opportunity for us to say “look at how dirty these people are – they left their cans in front of the masjid door.” That’s not the opportunity. The opportunity is to pick it up and to say: This is the attitude of the believer. Its not going to arise unless there is an imbalance in our deeds. So again, we’re not people that look down upon others; we are people that seek opportunities and recognize that they must have been created by the mistake of another person - and its OK. In fact, we make mistakes all the time. Du'aa May Allah Ta’aala give us the tawfeeq to be among those who take advantage of such opportunities and may He make us among those who convert those opportunities as mechanisms to obtain forgiveness for our own mistakes in the hereafter and in this life. Ameen.

Talaaq Explained Part 2 How should Talaaq be issued? Talaaq is only to be pronounced once. This is done by the husband stating, “Talaaq!” or “I give you Talaaq!” or “I divorce you!” and similar statements. In written form, the words have the same effect. The Talaaq should preferably be witnessed by two witnesses but will still be valid if pronounced in the absence of witnesses. Do not under any circumstances pronounce Three Talaaqs at one instance. Such an action is Haraam and greatly angered Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. The pronouncement of Three Talaaqs will cause an immediate termination of the Nikah without scope for reconciliation. It is an evil that many have regretted. Do not be of those who have to live with this regret. When should Talaaq be issued? To pronounce Talaaq to a woman in her menses is Haraam but the Talaaq will still be valid. It is compulsory for the husband to revoke a Talaaq issued in menses if possible. The period of time wherein a woman is not in menses is known as Tuhr (clean period). Talaaq should only be pronounced during a Tuhr period with the additional condition that there should be no intimate relations between spouses in the said Tuhr period. Consulting with the Ulama is a must before contemplating the issuance of Talaaq. (source: Jamiatul Ulama - KZN)

Travelling without a Mahram: Why do Muslim women do it New means of communication have rapidly turned the world into a global village. A village easily accessed by advanced modes of transport increasing the number of people who travel to a scale never witnessed before. Today many Muslims are “wandering” the world for various reasons, work, leisure, discovery or necessity. With the emergence of women in the workforce, Muslim women have also begun to travel by themselves within their countries and abroad. Cii Radio asked its Facebook followers what they thought the reasons were for women disregarding the Islamic guideline that is impermissible for women to travel on her own over the specified distance of 88,864km. “1) Some women haven’t got a mahram, 2) some mahram’s are not playing their role and taking up the responsibility, 3) the woman doesn’t want to ask her mahram especially if he sees her as ‘burden’,” wrote Fatima. Another Facebook commenter coined the issue as the concept of “Womandla”. She said statistics of kids growing up in SA without a father in the home was “shocking”, “Many women have become sole breadwinners of the household and unfortunately have to travel and do many daily tasks on her own for herself and the family.” Aadila shared the same sentiment writing, “instead of ‘Muslim women today are not adhering to this guideline’ ask ‘why are Muslim [men] not taking care of Muslim women today so Muslim women can adhere to this guideline’.” Others simply wrote the reasons were because: women did not have any mahrams, a “western influence”, the “destruction of Islam”, a yearning for freedom, “no other choice” and imperfect Muslims living a perfect Islam. A male commenter wrote, “1. Many are not aware of that [ruling]. 2. Those who are aware of think that this is medieval safety system and it has lost its relevance now in this post-modern period. 3. Men-women equalitistic sense clouds their sense.” While the practice has become commonplace and questioning why it has become “normal” seems unusual and “backward” the ruling remains. According to Islamic law, a woman cannot travel without a Mahram if she is going to traverse beyond the Safar – specified distance – of 88,864km – the distance of three days and nights. In his book Injunctions Pertaining to the Traveller – edited by Mufti Afzal Hoosen Elias – Maulana Mufti Inam Haq Qasmi writes that in addition to a women’s physical nature, “The Islamic system of values attaches paramount importance to the safety and chastity of women.” It is for these reasons that Shari’ah has stipulated special guidelines for every situation in which the chastity and honour of a woman may be jeopardised. There are many clear narrations of Nabi Muhammad SAW in this regard. Sayyiduna Abu Said al-Khudri RA narrates that the Messenger of Allah SAW said, “Let no woman travel for more than three days unless her husband or a Mahram is with her.” (Sahih Muslim). Sayyiduna Abd Allah ibn Umar RA narrates that Nabi Muhammad SAW said, “A woman must not travel for three days except with a Mahram.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1036 & Sahih Muslim). Sayyiduna Abu Huraira RA narrates that the Nabi Muhammad SAW said, “It is unlawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the last day that she travels the distance of one day and one night without a Mahram accompanying her.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1038). The Shari’ah has allowed women to travel a distance less than the Safar without a Mahram as there is little danger involved. However, Ulama have discouraged it in today’s time as her honour is greatly jeopardised given the widespread immorality and corruption present. The four main schools of thought all agree on this matter except with women travelling for Hajj with a group of trustworthy ladies, which the Shafi and Maliki madhabs say is permissible. The basis for this ruling is not an evil assumption about women and their manners, as some people unreasonably think, but it is to take care of her reputation, dignity and safety. It is to protect her from the desires of those who have diseased hearts, from the assault of an immoral person. Today people argue that forms of travel have changed from how it was in the time of Rasulullah SAW. Since various modes of transportation such as planes, buses and ships gather large amounts of people at a time this provides plenty of confidence and reliability, removing feelings of fear for women, because she will not be by herself in any place. Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam from the UK based Darul Iftaa explains, “This deduction is incorrect and the permissibility of women travelling without a Mahram can not be justified on its basis.” Neither can the justification that we live in a different era where women need to “move with the times in order to improve” carry any weight. Rulings that are based upon clear texts of the Quran and Sunnah can never change. The wisdom behind this ruling is to save women from the dangers that can be encountered on a journey. However, this is not the legal reason. Whether the journey is safe, in a plane or on foot, it will remain impermissible. This is very similar to the ruling of shortening of prayers for a Musaafir. The wisdom behind the ruling is undue hardship; however, this is not the reason. The reason is the travelling distance of three days and three nights. Even if one was in a perfectly comfortable journey, all the Hanafi scholars (classic and contemporary) have declared that it is incumbent upon a traveller to shorten the Fard prayers. We don’t see people suggesting that prayers must not be shortened due to the modern day means of transport. (source: Jamiatul Ulama - KZN)

Talaaq Explained Part 1 What is Talaaq? Talaaq is the issuance of divorce, whether in word or in writing. What is the Islamic status of Talaaq? Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has described Talaaq as the most hated of permitted actions in the sight of Allah. (Abu Dawud) It is allowed only under specific circumstances. Who can issue Talaaq? The husband has the sole prerogative of issuing Talaaq. A woman who is living in an unbearable marriage may apply for annulment of her marriage from an Ulama body. Although Talaaq is the right of the husband, he will be answerable in the court of Allah should he abuse this right. Under what circumstances may Talaaq be issued? Talaaq is issued as a last resort, not as a first. Numerous verses in the Qur'an stress the need for mutual appreciation, overlooking faults and reconciliation in bitter situations. Talaaq should only be considered after all options are exhausted and advice from the Ulama is sought. (source: Jamiatul Ulama - KZN)

GAMBLING: A SOCIAL CANCER INTRODUCTION: “My family moved to this boring old town where there was nothing to do and no proper friends to hang out with. It seemed the main attraction was the Casino with its bright lights and busy parking lot. So, I started going out of boredom fully intending to stop when we moved back to the city a few months later but I haven’t been able to – I still gamble, and it has gotten worse.” “I was bored and so I thought I’d try it out to see what the big fuss is all about; I never thought I’d get drawn into it even deeper. The more I gambled the more money I needed, the more I borrowed, and the deeper in debt I found myself. I let everyone down but I know the big win will make it all better so wish me luck, I got paid and hope to get lucky at the card table tonight!” “My friend seemed to be winning a lot. I mean, he would play these scratch cards and win – he was always in my face about it too. So, when I found myself in need of extra money, I thought ‘why not give it a go’ and without second thought, I bought my first ticket.” “The school was running a casino fundraiser so I volunteered. It was my first time in a casino and to be there with other parents made me feel better. I didn't feel so repelled the next time I drove past it and when I heard another school was having their casino fundraiser, I went to contribute – you know, to help them out as I noticed some parents were there from our fundraiser.” “I used to volunteer at a seniors home where they would have a bingo night. It seemed like they were having fun more than anything. When I found out my neighbor was a bingo fan, I joined her and have been going nightly for the past 3 months – I can’t seem to get enough.” “My family has been buying lottery tickets for as long as I can remember. I remember my mom would ask me to pick from the batch for good luck. We would even give each other lottery tickets as gifts. Sometimes we would win, but never enough to do all the things we would dream about. It was just a tradition for us and I kept it going.” “My father would take me to the horse races and I would watch him place his bets. When I got older, if he couldn't make it out, he would send me out to place bets for him. The thrill, especially for a young child, is indescribable - especially the odd time you win.” “We have family game night every Friday and we like to spice things up a bit by placing bets. At first we would play with candy, but as we got older we started betting with our allowance money. Sometimes we feel let down but mostly it stays within the family so its all good.” Unfortunately, these scenarios can go on and on and on. The reality is that most of us know at least one person who is affected by gambling if we ourselves are not already affected by it; and those who think there isn't a gambler around them are probably quite naive and blind to it. Gambling has become so mainstream and accepted that it can be found in households, in schools, in seniors homes, you name it, you’ll find gambling going on in one shape or another. For example, did you know many parents in schools in the west fund-raise through casinos and bingo halls? Yes, parents raise money for their schools through gambling! We may recognize gambling in the form of over-the-top, loud, glitzy casinos and perhaps we know of a few games that would be considered gambling but do we know what else would be considered gambling? Do we realize just how broad a category it is? If you are one of those people who thinks gambling is not part of their life or a part of the life of someone close, then please just take a look at this list and then decide whether it is or not: lottery games Slot machines dice games card games chip and tile games (like dominoes or mahjong) board games wheel games (like roulette) backgammon chess checkers bingo animal fights animal races spectator sports kite racing pool, snookers and billiards amusement park games video gambling and games These are just a few examples and though not everything in the list is considered gambling by default, many are synonymous with gambling. Ultimately, anything can be a gamble if people engaging in it do so in exchange for money or something of value to them. Back to table of contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction The definition of al-Maisir (Gambling) ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE ON GAMBLING The evils of gambling - Inter Islam Tafseer of Surah al-Baqarah (2), Verse 219 (Part 1) Why gambling is prohibited in Islam Effects of gambling Impermissiblity of using a dice Fataawa on some contemporary games Gambling in Islam - ebook ISLAMIC ADVICES From addiction and sin to devotion within - Talk by Shaykh Hasan Ali Kicking the Habit - Booklet by Shaykh Yunus Patel (Raheemahullah) Practical solutions and advices

The Test of Patience by Shaykh Mawlānā Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullāh Every child born comes with a definite ending; death is an inevitable phenomenon for every birth, rather for every creation. Allāh ta‘ālā mentions in the Qur’ān, “Everything is going to perish except His Face (His Being).” (28:88) This phenomenon makes the world a temporary abode, a transitory station, one from where each one of us will depart some day or the other. ‘Every soul has to taste death…’ (3:185) Whilst living through this transitory period, we need to come to realities with the characteristics of this place and our objectives. Three Abodes Allāh ta‘ālā has created three abodes: the world, Jannah and Jahannam. Jannah is a place where there is no sign of adversity, difficulty grief or sorrow; there is only happiness and joy. In contrast, Jahannam is the place where one will not experience an iota of peace, joy, happiness or comfort; the dweller will at every breath experience only grief, sorrow and pain. The world is a place where one faces both conditions of adversity and privilege. He experiences good and bad times, hardships and ease, happiness and grief. The world in fact, is the place for test, and the former two are the places of result. Our Objective Our ultimate objective in this world is acquiring the Happiness and Pleasure of Allāh which manifests with our submission and obedience to His every command, and abstinence from every prohibition. Allāh ta‘ālā says: I did not create the Jinn and the human beings except for the purpose that they should worship Me. (51:56) O people! Worship your Lord who created you and those before you, so that you may become God-fearing. (2:21) This obedience and submission is tested by the ever changing conditions we face whilst living in the world; happiness suddenly becomes sadness; joy turns into sorrow; peace becomes chaos and turmoil; laughter changes into crying. Allāh ta‘ālā says: So that He might test you as to who among you is better in deed. (11:7) …The One who created death and life, so that He may test you as to which of you is better in his deeds. And He is the All-Mighty, the Most-Forgiving (67:2) In every condition, our obedience and submission is tested with sabr and shukr (patience and gratitude). Naturally, happiness and sadness are the only two conditions one experiences in life and hence sabr and shukr are two tests. Consequently, it is inevitable that we will face, at some point, a test of sabr. The Test of Patience The coming of adverse conditions is definite; no one can claim that he has never faced a situation of adversity and he has only lived a life of ease and comfort. Allāh ta‘ālā states, “Surely We will test you with a bit of fear and hunger, and loss in wealth and lives and fruits, and give good tidings to the patient.” (2:155) There will be tests of different kinds. Some may experience fear; fear of one’s life, fear upon one’s family, fear from enemies, fear of war etc. For others it maybe an experience of poverty in various shapes and forms; financial market crashes, unemployment, loss of wealth, bankruptcy etc. Some may face scenarios of family loss; death of close ones, children dying in tender age, still-born births or events where families are lost. For some, the test of patience is light; for some it is intense; everything evolves around the Wisdom of Allāh. Therefore, the one afflicted with a situation of adversity is being tested with sabr, and so should take on board the following points: 1. Sabr - A speciality of a Mu’min A test is given upon a claim. When a person claims to have completed a course, he is tested. When a person claims to have completed the medicine course, he will be tested for competency. Likewise, we have claimed to be believers of Allāh, lovers of Allāh, worshippers of Allāh. Hence, our claim cannot go without a test. It should not be a matter of surprise that non-believers are not tested; they have no claim to be tested upon. Allāh ta‘ālā says: Do people think that they will be left (at ease) only on their saying, ‘We believe’, and will not be put to any test? (29:2) Do you think that you will enter Paradise while you have not yet been visited by (difficult) circumstances like those that were faced by the people who passed away before you? They were afflicted by hardship and suffering, and were so shaken down that the prophet, and those who believed with him, started saying, ‘When (will come) the help of Allāh?’ (Then, they were comforted by the Prophet who said to them) ‘Behold, the help of Allāh is near.’ (2:214) The believers are the claimers; hence they will be tested with sabr. Non-believers are given respite, and when their time will lapse they only have doom to face. Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam describes the believers with a plant that sways with the wind and the non-believers with a Cedar tree. The tree does not sway with the winds and withholds, however when an extremely strong wind blows, it is uprooted, never to get up again. (At-Tirmidhī) The plant sways left to right; it may even flatten out to the ground, but will not uproot in the most adverse conditions. When conditions mellow out, it will once again become upright. Similar is the believer and a non-believer. The winds of difficulties will make the believer sway left and right, and afflictions and difficulties will frequent, but he/she will always come up again and succeed, whereas the non-believer will remain upright and enjoy life, but when Allāh’s Wrath descends, he/she will be uprooted and will never be able to stand up again. Hence, an adverse condition followed by steadfastness with patience is a positive sign of true Faith. 2. Become a Sābir (a patient person) The description of the patient has been described by Allāh ta‘ālā as, “Who, when a suffering visits them, say, ‘We certainly belong to Allāh, and to Him we are bound to return.’” (2:156) The essence of this is that they have no complaints in their hearts and minds; rather they turn solely to Allāh and regard every situation to be from Allāh. Every person, at some point, comes to terms with their situation, be it after a few days, a week, or a month. Why not attain the title of Sābir by exercising patience from the very onset? Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam states, “The (real) patience is at the first instant of grief.” (Al-Bukhārī) 3. Glad tidings for a Sābir In adverse conditions, a believer will definitely succeed because of his Faith in Allāh, and therefore Allāh grants him the glad tidings: Surely We will test you with a bit of fear and hunger, and loss in wealth and lives and fruits, and give good tidings to the patient: those are the ones upon whom there are blessings from their Lord, and mercy as well; and those are the ones who are on the right path for the Hereafter. (2:155-6) In this verse, Allāh states that a Ṣābir gains three rewards: special mercies from Allāh, general mercies of Allāh and hidāyah. What great rewards for the patient! ‘Umar radhiyallāhu ‘anhu used to say, “How great are the ‘idlān, and how great is the ‘ilāwah!” (Al-Bukhārī) In those times, a traveller would carry his provisions in sacks tied to the sides of his conveyance and a bundle in his lap. ‘Idlān are the sacks which are tied on either side of the conveyance, and ‘ilāwah is the bundle one places in his lap. A traveller having all three sacks full would be regarded as one with a lot of provisions, and hence ‘Umar radhiyallāhu ‘anhu is describing the three rewards as ‘idlān and ‘ilāwah, denoting a patient person to have acquired a vast provision. Allāh states, “Certainly those who observe patience will be given their reward in full without measure.” (39:10) 4. Think positive Every grief and adversity has some form of positive aspect to it. It is only a person’s misfortune that he/she fails to perceive it. When afflicted with some form of predicament, one should think of the positive aspects instead of crying, wailing and moaning. Hereunder are some aspects one can think along: a. Think of the Wisdom of Allāh. Allāh mentions in the Qur’ān, “It could be that you dislike something, when it is good for you; and it could be that you like something when it is bad for you. Allāh knows, and you do not know.” (2:216) Only Allāh is the Knower of everything and He understands the wisdom behind our predicament. At times we regard an adversity to be a setback, a problem, and a loss. However, as time passes we begin to realise the great gain, opportunity, advantages and benefits we have actually attained as a result of the very adversity. To the extent that we find ourselves commenting, ‘The greatest event that happened for me was this... (the very adverse condition).’ b. Think of the spiritual benefits One aspect of spiritual benefits is the rewards one will attain. The other is the spirituality one attains from being patient. A person gains proximity to Allāh by way of Mujāhadah (spiritual struggle). This mujāhadah is of two types: voluntary and involuntary. The proximity to Allāh one attains from involuntary mujāhadah, cannot be attained through voluntary mujāhadah. Furthermore, from the involuntary mujāhdah, the proximity a person attains from the affliction of grief, cannot be attained from any other involuntary struggle or difficulty one is faced with. c. Think of the positive changes that have occurred in your Dīnī life, such as tawbah, the realisation of the temporary world, the heart becoming inclined towards Allāh, and the waking up from negligence with regards to Dīnī matters. d. In many situations, people feel sorry and sympathise with us, and begin to make du‘ā for us. This would not have been attained had a calamity not occurred. At times of adversity, the test of sabr is not confined to the one afflicted, rather it becomes a means of test for those around them. In such situations, everyone has a role to play. Therefore, when seeing a person in a difficult condition, we should keep in mind certain points, which I will discuss in the next issue inshā’allāh.

The following is a summarized transcription of Shaykh Husain Abdul Sattar's February 21, 2010 talk on BEING PATIENT THROUGH DIFFICULTY From Birth To Death Allah Ta’aala brings us into this life and interestingly, when he sends us into this life, he sends us empty handed. Every single person enters this world with nothing to their name; forget about nothing to their name, they don’t even have a name! Over time, Allah Ta’aala gives us certain things and He takes away certain things and each giving and taking is a trial from Allah Ta’aala: As a newborn, we don’t own a thing. We don’t even have a name. We are essentially unknown. Then, over time, Allah Ta’aala begins to give us strength. He begins to give us certain degree of development and health. He then begins to give us knowledge. Eventually, we gain wealth and possessions and then over time we begin to amass these things and eventually pass away. In the giving and taking of things, Allah Ta’aala has created a test so that, when He gives something, there is a test, and when He takes away things there is a test; and, each human being is being gauged in their response to those circumstances. We tend to look at the things we have and we tend to ignore them. Then we tend to look at the things that we don’t have and we tend to feel bad about them – especially when we lose them. Example 1: the vast majority of people have healthy children and then if we have a child and the child is not so healthy then it is human nature that we begin to look at other children and we begin to compare. Example 2: if we have a certain amount of wealth, we don’t appreciate it. Then, all of a sudden, when we invest it in something and lose it, then we really feel it. Even though we would say “this isn’t really a balanced way of looking at things. We should be happy whatever we have – whether we have something or we don’t have something.” Ajeeb that Allah Ta’aala is highly sensitive to the fact that we feel a loss when we had something and it was taken away or when we are lacking something the average person has. Examples Based on Hadeeth of Rasulullah When someone passes away and a person is patient with that passing away, Allah Ta’aala will replace the loss that the person feels. Now, as a young person if your parent passes away or both your parents pass away, obviously you feel it because those are your parents and they raised you. You look around at everybody else and you say “well, I’m only 25 years old, I lost my parents. Look at all these other people, they are 25-30, 50, some people are 60, and they still have their parents around.” So then you begin to feel that “I don’t have parents.” Allah Ta’aala is so sensitive to your loss that He has promised that, if you are patient with that loss, then He will replace that loss with something even better. Example 1: The most beautiful example of this is that of Umme Salama . Umme Salama was married to a very righteous husband and was very happy in her marriage; she was blessed to be married to someone so righteous. Then her husband became ill and passed away. She really felt the loss of his passing and went to Rasulullah and began to explain the loss. The Prophet assigned her the following du’aa to read: Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oon Allahumma' jurnee fee musibatee Wakhluf lee khayrun minh Verily from Allah we come and to Him we will return O Allah, grant me patience in this difficulty And grant me better than what caused my difficulty (the loss). Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oon – is the standard du’aa we are supposed to recite when we lose anything, especially when we lose a loved one. In addition to the standard du'aa, Rasulullah gave Umme Salama the 2 additional, very interesting lines. She had lost a loved one, especially such a righteous loved one and this was her difficulty. Umme Salama began to recite this du’aa and perhaps we might think in our mind that “how could such a replacement even exist because he was such a righteous husband.” However, eventually Allah Ta’aala inspired the Prophet to actually propose to her and she subsequently married Rasulullah . So, you see, while Umme Salama was thinking that she lost the most righteous individual, she married the Prophet . This beautiful story highlights a very important principle about the way by which Allah Ta’aala deals with us: anytime we are lacking something or we lose something, we should be excessively patient. Why? Because… whatever we have came from Allah Ta’aala; all of what we have is going back to Allah Ta’aala anyway; We come from Allah Ta’aala; and We are going back to Allah Ta’aala. Whatever Allah Ta’aala gave us, Allah Ta’aala can take it away… so long as we remain the servants of Allah Ta’aala. If we have a circumstance that we think is a trial for us, we should recognize that eventhough it is a trial and it is difficult, Allah Ta’aala will surely replace it with something better – probably in this life and if not in this life, certainly in the hereafter. Example 2: when people see how the disabled people of this world (e.g. people who don’t have the cognitive or physical abilities that most others have) are rewarded on the Day of Judgment, each person will wish that they had that exact same disability in this life; because, in the end, they will be rewarded in such a way that we won’t even be able to fathom and that (reward) is the real purpose of life. Dealing With Loss Anytime we lose anything, we should: be patient; recognize that it is a trial from Allah Ta’aala and that it is up to Allah Ta’aala to give or to not to give; and take advantage of that moment; Every moment has a means by which we can take advantage of it. The way by which we take advantage of difficulty is to ask Allah Ta’aala to reward us for your patience and to grant us something better than that. Loss is part of life. We will all lose loved ones and material things. Over the last few years, many people lost their jobs. 2 things can happen when we lose our jobs: we can be very upset and say: “this isn’t fair, I’m better than so-and-so, how come I lost my job.” We can complain and say: “my boss was against me, my boss was purposely plotting and planning for me to lose my job.” We can look at everybody else and we can say: “how come these 5 people didn’t lose their job and why is Allah Ta’aala testing me this way?”; or we can say: “SubhanAllah, Allah Ta’aala gave me this job to be begin with. He gave me the abilities to be able to perform this job. Now I lost this job so I ask Allah Ta’aala to grant me patience and to reward me and to preserve me during this difficulty; and I ask Allah Ta’aala to replace it with something better.” If we make this simple du’aa (even in English or any other language) and the true state of our heart is that we recognize that whatever Allah Ta’aala decides for us, we are fine with it and we ask Allah Ta’aala to reward us in our patience and to grant us something better. Then, insha’Allah we will be able to prosper even in our times of difficulty. Everybody goes through difficulty. I know that when we look at other people we say “subhanAllah this person isn’t experiencing one difficulty. Look at how perfect their life is.” There is no perfect life. Life is designed as a test and everyone has to undergo that test. We all have circumstances in which we lose things. And we all have circumstances that are difficult. But, the challenge is to be patient and to recognize that this came from Allah Ta’aala and Allah Ta’aala alone. Du'aa May Allah Ta’aala give us the tawfeeq to be among those who exhibit patience at the time of difficulty. May He make us among those who are patient at the time of difficulty. And, may He make us among those who ask for better from Him at those times of difficulty. Ameen.

The following is a summarized transcription of Shaykh Husain Abdul Sattar's November 11, 2001 talk on Opening Our Hearts to Islam. GOAL: that we develop a maddening love for the deen. Transliteration: Waqaloo quloobuna ghulfun ballaAAanahumu Allahu bikufrihim faqaleelan mayu/minoon Translation (Pickthall): And they say: Our hearts are hardened. Nay, but Allah hath cursed them for their unbelief. Little is that which they believe. (2:88) A few words that contain very deep meanings. In this verse, Allah Ta’aala is narrating 3 words that the Bani Israel used to say at the time of the Prophet : Waqaloo – and they used to say quloobuna – our hearts ghulfun – are veiled Background of the verse: The reason they used to say this was because they were proud that the “curse” of Islam had not entered upon their hearts – this is what the Bani Israel of Medina used to say. When the Prophet came to Medina, the way people used to change their lives in his presence and the way they used to submit themselves to him and to his teachings and to, ultimately, Allah Ta’aala, was almost disease like or maddening for outside observers. Peoples lives changed radically and very quickly after interacting with Rasulullah . They would literally go from someone who had no purpose in life and no direction, to someone who was now focused on Allah Ta’aala and had a mad love for Rasulullah . Rather than sleeping all night, they would be awake all night in prayer. If you look at some of the statements of the unbelievers about the Prophet , they would say “this is a magician.” They used to call the Prophet a magician because it was as if he was doing magic on people. He would take these people that had no purpose in life and he would make them so devoted to his cause that they would not look at anything else in the world. They would leave everything that was “important” to them before Islam and completely submit to this new way of life. Such was the aura of Medina: that people would come in the presence of the Prophet , they would take the shahadah and their lives would literally flip overnight. They would begin praying, they would go to the masjid 5 time a day, they would begin to live their lives according to the shariah, they would begin to walk like the Prophet , they would begin to eat like the Prophet , they would begin to learn to use the washroom like the Prophet was teaching them to use the washroom. Their whole lives would completely change as if some magical thing had entranced them and so this is why the kuffar used to call the Prophet a magician and this is exactly what the Bani Israel are referring to in this particular ayah. What they said: “Our hearts are veiled.” What they meant: "look how strong our faith is in Judaism that our hearts are so veiled that this madness that has taken over Medina is not afflicting us at all, in the least bit, it has not affected us.” Allah Ta’aala replies to them: ballaAAanahumu Allahu bikufrihim Its not that their hearts are veiled. Instead, the fact is that Allah Ta’aala has cursed them because of their disbelief (kufr). faqaleelan mayu/minoon And how little is it that they truly believe. Meaning, it isn’t the belief that saved their hearts, its actually the kufr that was in their hearts that has kept them from the beauty of Islam, from submitting themselves completely and from being entranced by this magic and it was a true magic because it was Allah Ta’aala changing people’s hearts. Reflecting on the verse: This ayah shows us what the true essence of this deen was at the time of the Prophet - it used to change people’s lives. Even thereafter for centuries and centuries - when people used to come into this deen, they used to come into it completely. They used to be magically entranced and their lives would completely change. Goal: that we develop a maddening love for the deen, that’s something that’s lacking. The excitement with which we pursue other things in our lives unfortunately is much greater than the excitement with which we pursue this deen. The energy, effort, time, money, thinking, imagining, dreaming and planning that we put into our lives in this world is unfortunately often much, much greater than what we do for our deen. How many hours do we think about what degree we’re going to attain? How many hours do we prepare for the exams that we have to take? How many hours do we spend discussing with one another what degrees they have and what jobs they hope to get in the future and what jobs we hope to get. How many hours do we lie in bed imagining 20 years from now I’ll be in this position and I’ll be earning this much and I’ll be able to purchase this? How much time is spent with our families discussing when we’ll be able to purchase the different things of this world? Compare that, add all that up and put it on a scale, and compare it to the amount of time that we put into our deen. This deen should have a magical effect on us. When people truly submit themselves, they fall in love with the Qur’an – they can’t put it down. When people truly submit, they fall in love with the masjid – they can’t leave it; and, when they leave it they are like a fish out of water (it cannot stand to live without the water, it needs to be put back in the water – the mumin is the same way). The mumin should be so attached to the masjid that when you take them out of the masjid they just feel very uncomfortable and they are rushing and wondering when will they get back into the masjid. These are all the characteristics, when you look into the lives of the sahaba, that entered into their lives: A deep love for Allah Ta’aala; A deep love for His messenger ; and A deep love to sacrifice for both of these things. That is what the magic of this deen was! Subsequent generations after that experienced it and that’s why you have countries converting, you have thousands of people converting at times. You have 1400 years of us sitting here today and being able to reflect on the greatness of this deen. How many other movements are there in the world that have lasted 1400 years (to their asl)? Meaning, communism came and went, and different ideas and ideologies have come and gone, even the different religions have come but they have been so altered – yet this deen for 1400 years Allah Ta’aala has kept it preserved and it was because of t of the words of Allah Ta’aala and the sunnah of the Messenger . Du’aa (taken from the talk): May Allah Ta’aala give us the tawfeeq that our hearts don’t become sealed to this deen – we don’t want to be in the category of people who are not affected by it because the people who are not affected by it seriously have a disease in their heart. May Allah Ta’aala give us the tawfeeq that we develop our heart, we soften it, and we are able to experience this deen the way it is supposed to be experienced – that magic, that tingle that goes down your spine is the tingle you should have for this deen. May Allah Ta’aala give us the tawfeeq that our hearts become soft so that we can begin to taste it. Ameen.

SubhanAllah, that is just brilliant! Allahu Akbar!

References, Useful Links, and Further Reading In alphabetical order: 1. Ma'ariful Qur'an - (text) English translation of Maulana Mufti Muhammad Shafi's tafseer ( ) 2. Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD).pdf - (text) an article by Dr. Mohammed Sadiq 3. Remedy-to-evil-thoughts-A5.pdf by Shaykh Abdul Hamid Ishaq 4. Satanic Whispers - (audio) a talk by Shaykh Riyadhul Haq 5. Waswasah Ke Hifaazat – (audio) By Hadhrat Mufti Khanpuri Saab URDU 6. Wasaawis ka 'Ilaaj - (audio) a talk in URDU by Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat on the Remedy for Wasaawis (InshaAllah we intend to transcribe the lecture soon and post main content in English.) 7. Whisperings-of-Shaytaan.pdf - (text) transcription of a talk by Hazrat Maulana Shaykh Yunus Patel ( ) === (back to Table of Contents)

Comfort in a Qur'anic verse for one sufferer (A Happy Ending) The whole Quran has this unbelievable way of amazing me. Its beautifully poetic verses and breath taking words just settle in my heart and mind so warmly. Though the whole Quran has the power to make me feel like everything will be okay, there is one verse that absolutely wins my heart. That verse is "On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear" 2:286. (This verse is also repeated in 6:152, 7:42 and 65:7). I can not think of any other verse in the Quran that empowers me as much as this one does. This is a verse I often reflect on in times of stress, sadness and need. Think about it. Just repeat the words. On NO soul does Allah place a burden GREATER than it can bear. Now, tell me, what is it that we can not overcome? What test is too much to bear? What final exam, what major decision, what grief of a loved one passing away, do we not eventually overcome? The answer is simple - none. This verse really hit me at a time I needed it most. For the last couple of years, I have been suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD. It is a disorder that effects millions of people, and is due to a chemical imbalance in the brain. This disorder caused me to have many unnecessary thoughts. I would repeatedly replay incidents over and over in my head. The type I have is more of a mental OCD, rather than a physical type. However, I would sometimes encounter physical anxiety. For example, sometimes I felt I had to touch something a certain amount of times or repeat things. The hardest challenge was when I came to have difficulties in making wudu, the purification washing before performing a prayer. I was always under the impression that my wudu was not good enough or that I missed washing a spot. I would literally stand in front of the sink repeating my wudu until I thought I had it perfect. The same would happen with my prayers. I would pray the same prayer 3 times just to make sure it was "perfect". Little did I know that on one particularly rough day, I would be inspired. I was feeling very down because of the OCD. I just could not handle it. It is hard to explain to someone who does not have it, it is just so frustrating because it seems like an easy thing to handle, but for one who has OCD it is incredibly exhausting. So, I am standing in front of the sink, wondering to myself why it is so difficult to just be content with the things I do. I was so angry. So upset. Until the phone rang. It was my brother, calling from his college dorm. My mom picked up the phone and spoke with him. I assume she told him that I was having a rough day, so he asked to talk to me. When I got on the phone, all he said was, "Go look in the Quran in chapter 2, verse 286". So I went and picked up my Quran that he had recently bought me. I flipped through the pages until I came to the verse. Then I stared at the words and read them in my head. "On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear." I had to fight back tears. I actually felt like Allah had written those words just for me. It was that day that I really understood what those words meant. I still reflect on the words every time I need to. So I want to tell you all, my brothers and sisters, let those remarkable words settle in your hearts and minds. Always remember that there is nothing we can not overcome. Allah said so. (By the way, OCD can be controlled, please reach out to a doctor if you feel you need too. Always remember Allah is watching over you). (Source) === (back to Table of Contents)

Examples of OCD and Waswasa Combined I Decided To Be A Better Muslim I remember that after my son died, I decided that I will be a better Muslim. I looked at the most religious person that I knew. It was my mother-in-law. This person is on the prayer mat all the time—always praying, always fasting. So, I thought that she was a good example. I started thinking about the ways in which she does things and that's because she was so religious, so I thought she must be right. I started to see the behaviour that she had towards things. She would not let anyone touch her things, which made me think we were not clean enough. If I washed something like a spoon or pots, then she would wash that item again three times. So I started thinking that everything had to be washed three times to be clean. So I started doing the same thing. Even before my son had died, I was “normal.” My mother-in-law does not put her clothes in the washing machine with ours, hers had to be washed separately. My husband even got her a separate basket for her clothes. Looking at her behaviour, I thought that I was not clean enough. So, I began to be like her so that I would go to Jannah and see my son again. Obsession With Cleanliness Amar (not his real name) had an obsession with cleanliness and was convinced that everything must be so clean that he could pray during any second of his life, even while sleeping. It became such an obsession that he would insist all doorknobs in the house be washed, chairs must be washed and anyone who touched them must be perfectly clean. He left conversations and events frequently to wash his hands. He refused to use any toilets outside his own home and in his own home he insisted on having a bathroom that only he could use so he could assure himself it was clean. Literally "Hours in the Bath" When a person spends more than 30 minutes or so in the bathroom it is often said in jest that they spend "hours" taking a bath. Well in this case the sister literally does spend "hours" in the bathroom. She bathes and repeats the bathing over and over and again until family members knock on the door and try to convince her that she is clean. She asks, "Are you sure I'm clean?". When it is confirms a few times that yes, she is clean, only then will she come out. *She has gone through intensive medical treatment however her condition remains. A Mind Consumed By Persistent Doubts (source) Doubts regarding taharah are consuming my mind. Try as I might, a new powerful, anxiety-ridden doubt will force me to seek assurances from a mufti on a daily basis. I am therefore fearful of going to urinate or to have a bath. What others may not pay any attention to, my mind is automatically drawn towards it. For example, today, near the pile of clean clothes was underwear. Assuming it was paak, I picked it up and wore it, whilst my feet, legs and private parts were wet. Subsequently the all consuming doubt entered my mind, which was: 'I am not sure whether it is paak or not, why was it just lying there in isolation and is it a napaak underwear that I negligently discarded. If so, my limbs have become napaak, and if they have become napaak, then the water which dripped on to the carpet has rendered the carpet napaak. This would mean any subsequent salah performed on that carpet would be void for the rest of my life.' If I clean the carpet with a rug doctor again (like I have done several times previously) this will serve only to cause a huge argument with my wife. I have to contend with this conflict and, no matter how much dhikr I do, the doubt and fear that the carpet is napaak will always be there. A Mufti has advised me to ignore the doubt, but the 'what if' scenario is still at the forefront of my mind. This has caused me to miss Asar, Maghrib and Isha today. I often cry out to Allah because this issue of not knowing whether I am paak or not, or whether the carpet is paak, or whether cross-contamination has taken place through a wet transfer is driving me crazy. It is because of this I miss Salah and feel despondent thinking there are so many things to wash due to cross-contamination that I am never going to finish. I have to wash towels etc. discreetly and quickly so that my wife does not find out. This raises my anxiety. Sometimes after wudhu I will feel as though a drop of urine has come out, despite vigorously trying my best to remove urine drops at the time of istinja. The confusion is sometimes that feeling is backed up by concrete evidence of a urine drop having come out. 8 out of 10 times there will be nothing. In such a scenario, the mind becomes scrambled as to what should be done next. The latest issue is hand-washing after Istinja or generally. I wash 3 times, but after removing my hands from the sink, there will be this strong whisper in my mind, which says: 'You have just touched the toilet floor. If you don't go back and wash your hands, then the towel you wipe your hands with will become napaak. If this becomes napaak and then you wipe your body after ghusl, then your body will become napaak, and if your body, in particular your feet become napaak, the carpet will become napaak and the repercussions of that are far worse than going back and washing your hands.' The voice in my head also says: 'It takes only one error for these chain of events to come in to play and therefore to avoid the greater anxiety, it is safer to engage in the less anxious task of re-washing your hands.' I have seen Shayks, Muftis, Hakeems, Doctors etc. but that question of 'what if the carpet is napaak will not go away?' Sometimes the question is: 'what if I have committed kufr?' A couple of Shaykhs are unwilling to assist stating that I am the only one that can help myself. No disrespect intended but I am trying. I wouldn't deliberately inflict this anxiety on myself or my family. It is the things with the most grave repercussions that affect me, e.g. if the carpet is napaak (as in the above scenario) then anytime and everytime my wife and I walk on it after wudhu, our feet become napaak, and if they become napaak, then our Salah for the rest of our life will not be accepted. Similarly, if a particular action, no matter how far-fetched, may constitute kufr, the repercussions are I could have nullified all my previous good actions and invalidated my marriage. These are serious issues and hence on a daily basis, I am not functioning. All I am doing is asking fatwas. I think I have a database of over a 1000 fatwas. My marriage is in turmoil because I simply cannot distinguish between what is a genuine concern and what is a doubt. I feel all alone and often wonder whether this issue will ever go away and whether or not I will ever attain that connection with Allah. I am having CBT, counselling and Paroxetne. I try to do dhikr at the time of these doubts, but they remain strong as ever. 'What if' is a dominating theme in my thought process and this is exacerbated by the odd occasion when I have tried to ignore and realised that actually there is clear evidence that urine has come out or that the underwear is napaak. I want to gain closeness to Allah, but I am plagued by waswasa, OCD, concerns, anxiety, worry (call it what you well). I would love to wake up one day and find instant peace within myself and not worry about whether the carpet is paak or not, or whether my in laws are recklessly consuming haram again. This leads me on to another issue. My father in law will sometimes order takeaway without checking whether its HMC or making relevant enquiries. This leaves me in a dilemma; should I eat or should I not eat? My hear beat goes up everytime I go there. If I say something, it gets blamed on my waswasa or being too strict. If I eat it and it's haram, the consequences are even worse. These issues have led to contemplation of suicide. Has anyone been through this and, if so, can they render some advice. * The topic was eventually locked with no solution found. The various advices of members did not seem to help. === (back to Table of Contents)

Connecting OCD and Wasaawis Having examined and defined OCD and wasaawis separately, insha'Allah we will now investigate the connection between the two. For this, we turn to scholarly opinions and find that: * any connection between the two hinges on both definition and severity of the condition; and * if anything, some OCD related symptoms may originate as wasaawis, though we can not say for certain that all OCD symptoms are wasaawis. For this reason, it is crucial to appreciate that: * OCD and wasaawis can be separate conditions requiring separate treatments; * they can both manifest in the person at the same time; and * the most effective treatment may require a combination of treatments. However, regardless of whether the condition is wasaawis or OCD, all relief comes from Allah Ta'aala and so we must always turn to Him and supplicate for relief while continuing to pursue various options that He might make the means of relief for us. Insha'Allah, in addition to the fataawa in previous posts, the following quotes from scholars will help shed some light on the issue of whether such recurring thoughts could be wasaawis and OCD. 1. Ilm Hub (our question): Question: Can worries [pertaining to ritual purity] lead to excessive concerns and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) regarding purity? I'm looking into OCD and wasaawis regarding purity. A special needs teacher recently said to a friend who has a son who suffers from OCD that religious beliefs often contribute to OCD. I also wanted to know if wasaawis as we know them in Islam, is actually OCD? Answer: A continuous pattern of such scenarios confusing ones mind do contribute to OCD. Once certain scenario is sought and clarified with an Alim, then it should be left to rest. Everytime the same scenario appears, one should follow the guidance given on the previous occasion. When a person starts recurring worries on the same scenario, even after having had the solution for it will definitely be either OCD or Wasawis. Actually, any set of ideology, whether it is through religion, civilized code of conduct or just basic interactive ethos ALL have the same tendency of contributing towards OCD. Essentially, anything can contribute. No, I do not think so. While OCD resemble similar symptoms, I feel wasawis are more particular in nature. Wasawis tend to have a pattern about things which takes one away from ibadiyaat or distances oneself from them. OCD can be in many simple things as well. Why is the soap placed that way, it has to be right side up and in the specific place. etc. 2. Jamiat Ulama - Natal (our question): Question: We are looking into compiling a resource on OCD. We have gathered quite a lot of information, both medical and from the Islamic perspective and we are in the process of putting it together inshaAllah. After researching what we cannot tell for sure is if OCD are in fact Wasaawis. Answer: As Imam ibnul Hajar al-Haythami (Rahimahullah) has stated, OCD stems from Wasawis. The beginning stage is that Shaitaan injects the doubts (Wasawis) in a person. The more a person pays attention to these doubts, the more severe it becomes until it eventually leads to OCD. And Allah Knows Best. (Mufti Suhail Tarmahomed) 3. Mufti Ebrahim Desai (1): Waswasa could either be genuine whispers of the Shaitaan or due to some sickness. If it is due to a sickness which is generally diagnosed by a phsychiatrist or clinical phycologist, then such waswasa or thoughts are treatable. 4. Mufti Ebrahim Desai (2): Question: I have been suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) for nearly 11 years. My symptoms are characterised by incessant, obtrusive, obscenely blasphemous thoughts, which I have no control over, and cannot seem to purge from my mind. Moreover, I suffer from another manifestation of OCD, vis, excessive hand washing and avoidance behaviour. This condition is having a debilitating impact upon my life. I would like to know the Islamic take on my situation, and does it lay the blame for my affliction firmly on my doorstep. Answer: OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) may be viewed as a sickness like any other sickness. As Muslims, it is out belief that sickness is from Allah Ta’ala and it is compulsory upon us to be happy with the order of Allah Ta’ala. When one is ill, he will consult an appropriate physician with the hope of getting treatment to cure or control the sickness. You should view your condition in the light of the above and consult with a psychologist for treatment and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best. 5. Seekersguidance: From what you have described, it appears to me that your condition might move beyond waswasa and into the realm of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which is in reality a serious disorder that requires professional attention. Therefore, I highly encourage that you seek counseling from a qualified mental health professional who can help you understand and deal with this condition. Have no doubt that seeking medical help is part of our religion. Consulting others in serious matters is an emphasized sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and seeking necessary medical help is required upon those who are able to seek it. When we are in doubt about something, Allah commands us to ask those who know [16:43]. 6. Shaykh Faraz A. Khan: Question: Are there any verses in the Quran that allude or suggest that ocd is caused by jinn, by ocd i mean the type of ocd where people keep washing their hands or they keep thinking they havent locked the front door etc? Answer: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a serious mental illness, for which a person should seek appropriate psychiatric counseling and medical treatment. Allah knows best if the cause could be related to jinn. If what you mean by OCD is not the actual medical disorder, but instead a person’s bad habit or tendency to be fidgety or twitch, or repeatedly check things unnecessarily, then it is possible that such a tendency is related to waswasa, which the Qur’an does affirm as coming from evil jinn, as in the well-known verses of Sura al-Nas. Having said that, we also know that a person’s own nafs incites him, as Allah Most High informs us: “Surely it was We Who created man, and We know what suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein.” [50:16] Regardless of its origin, a person should force himself to fight such a tendency, lest it get out of hand and perhaps even turn into the real medical illness of OCD. Restlessness is a vice, while the mark of the strong believer is dignity and tranquility. [Nahlawi, al-Durar al-Mubaha] And Allah knows best. Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani === (back to Table of Contents)