Friday, November 30, 2007

Awesome Architecture - Brunei Mosque

Built:
1958
Cost:
USD $5,000,000.00
Type:
Holy place
Observation deck:
Yes
Location:
Kampong Ayer, Bandar Seri Begawan (formerly Brunei Town)

A mazing in appearance, but too beautiful to be true, The Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is Brunei's proudest architectural achievement. It sits on an artificial lagoon near the Brunei River in Kampong Ayer, which is appropriately enough, known as a "water village." A structure in the water that resembles a ship was at one time used for official state ceremonies. The mosque is the largest in the Far East, and considered among the most beautiful in the world. It reaches a height of 52 meters and is topped with a gold dome supported by walls of Italian marble, which also forms the mosque's columns, arches, and towers. The stained glass was hand made in England and the carpets are Saudi Arabian.

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“…then the eight gates of heaven will open for him”

Sheikh Salman al-Oadah

`Umar relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“If anyone of you performs his ablutions for prayer in a thorough manner and then says: ‘I bear witness that there is no God but Allah alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad (s.a.w.) is His servant and messenger’ – then the eight gates of heaven will be opened for him to enter through any gate he pleases.

This is an authentic hadîth related in Sahîh Muslim (234), Sunan Abî Dâwûd (169), Sunan Al-Nasâ’î (148), Sunan al-Tirmidhî (55) and Sunan Ibn Mâjah (470).

In Sunan al-Tirmidhî, there is the addition: “O Allah, make me of the penitent and make me of those who purify themselves.”

Al-Tirmidhî adds after relating the hadîth with this addition: “

The meaning of the hadîth:

The full story of this hadîth is related in Sahîh Muslim.

`Uqbah b. `Âmir relates:

We were responsible for tending the camels. It was my turn to take care of them, and I went out to tend to them in the evening. Then I came upon the Prophet (peace be upon him standing and addressing the people. At the time of my approach, I heard him say: “If any Muslim performs his ablutions well and then offers two units of prayer with his heart and soul, then Paradise becomes his certain right.”

I said: “How excellent this is!”

Suddenly, I heard someone right in front of me say: “What came before this was even more excellent!”

I looked and realized that the speaker was `Umar. He continued: “I see that you have just arrived.”

Then `Umar repeated what I had missed: “If anyone of you performs his ablutions for prayer in a thorough manner and then says: ‘I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (s.a.w.) is His servant and messenger’ – then the eight gates of heaven will be opened for him to enter through any gate he pleases.”

Its legal implications:

The hadîth brings up the matter of what supplications are prescribed for our ablutions. It asserts that we can say:

“I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (s.a.w.) is His servant and messenger.”

Or:

“I bear witness that there is no God but Allah alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad
(s.a.w.) is His servant and messenger.”

There are some narrations which give additions to this supplication. We shall discuss them now.

“O Allah, make me of the penitent and make me of those who purify themselves”
As we mentioned earlier, this addition is mentioned in Sunan al-Tirmidhî.

Al-Tirmidhî comments after relating the hadîth with this addition: “There is inconsistency in the chain of transmission for this. Not much is authentically related from the Prophet (peace be upon him) on this topic."

However, this addition is supported by other narrations. Ibn Hajar writes in al-Talkhîs that this additional phrase is authentically established.

Al-Albânî cites other narrations to support it, specifically the narration of Thawbân in Mu`jam al-Tabarânî al-Kabîr (1441) and Ibn al-Sunnî in `Amal al-Yawm wa al-Laylah (32).

Though this narration is weak due to the weak narrator Abû Sa`îd al-Baqqâl, it is sufficient to give support to the authenticity of the narration from `Umar.

Therefore, this addition is authentic.

“Glory and praise be to You, O Allah. I seek refuge with You and repent to You.”
This addition is related by al-Nasâ’î in Amal al-Yawm wa al-Laylah (81) from Abû Sa`îd.

The hadîth reads: “Whoever says after performing ablutions – Glory and praise be to You, O Allah. I seek refuge with You and repent to You – he will have it recorded on a page. This page will then be stamped with a seal that will not be broken until the Day of Resurrection.”

It is also related in Mustadrak al-Hâkim (1/564) and Mu`jam al-Tabarânî al-Awsat (1478)

The chain of transmission for this hadîth is authentic as a statement of Abû Sa`îd, who is a Companion. He does not declare that the Prophet (peace be upon him) actually made the statement. However, this hadîth is taken to be a statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him) because it is not something that a person can come about from his own opinion. A Companion would not make such a statement about the rewards in the Hereafter unless he actually heard it from the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Moreover, Abû Sa`îd is not known to relate things from the Jewish and Christian traditions.

Therefore, the full supplication that is authentically related to us is as follows:

I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (s.a.w.) is His servant and messenger. O Allah, make me of the penitent and make me of those who purify themselves. Glory and praise be to You, O Allah. I seek refuge with You and repent to You.

A Muslim can recite this supplication in full, or any part of it, after completing his ablutions.

Source: Islamtoday.com

Sunday, November 25, 2007

History of the Translation of the Noble Qur'an

SCHOLARS agree that the meanings of the Qur'an were translated for the first time into a foreign language, namely Syrian, during the caliphate of Hisham Ibn Abdul Malek.

During the Renaissance, many priests, thinkers, scholars and Orientalists became interested in the Qur'an. Some of them translated the meanings of the Qur'an, but their translations were full of mistakes and distortions due to their religious bias.

Those translators simply wanted to "refute" the Qur'an and to prove that it is written by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and it is not a Holy Book.

The first translation of the meanings of the Qur'an in Europe was in Latin by Robert of Ketton in 1143 who was helped by Herman of Dalmatia. Peter the Venerable, the Abbot of Clunny, was the one who chose, encouraged and supported the above-mentioned translators to complete their work. This translation was published by Theodore Bibliander at Basel in 1543, 400 years after its composition.

But this translation was not satisfactory because the two translators used words and notions that suited the Christian World, but not that of Islam. There are no existent copies of this translation. Then the meanings of the Qur'an were translated into Italian in 1547, into German in 1616, into French in 1647, into Russian in 1776, into Dutch in 1941 and into about 120 languages of the world.

As for the history of English translations, there are more than 50, most of them are the renderings of the original Arabic. Some others are renderings from Urdu versions.

The English translations of the meanings of the Qur'an started in the 17th century and continued to the present time. That is to say, the translations extend over more than four centuries.

The 17th century witnessed the publication of one translation only, that is, the one published by Alexander Ross in 1649 and in the 18th century only one translation was published by George Sale in 1731. The 19th century witnessed the publication of two translations, those of J.M. Rodwell in 1861 and F.H. Palmer 1880. However, these early translations were full of deliberate mistakes due to religious bias or were unintentional due to imperfect knowledge of Arabic. In the 20th century, there was a growing interest in the studies related to the Qur'an and this led to the emergence of tens of English translations of the meanings of the Qur'an.

So Called"Islamic Democracy" is Forbidden Shura Is Not Democracy

Democracy is government by the people ,Rule of majority.With majority votes ruler is elected,with majority votes the ruler is ruled throughout i.e the people are rule via majority vote. In Islam,the ultimate authority doesn’t belong to people; it belongs to Allah alone. That means that both the ruler and the ruled in Islam are subject to a higher criterion for decision-making, that is, divine guidance. If the people—the rulers and the ruled—are truly believers, the final say in the interpretation or understanding of these divine laws would have to be within those laws. So the ruler made by man can never overide the rules set by Allah subhanawatala. Previous religious communities took their religious leaders [for their lords beside Allah (At-Tawbah 9:31).Islam does not permits this.

Man is Allah’s vicegerent or representative on earth (Al-Baqarah 2:30)
The political system of Islam is based on the three principles of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah), Risalah (prophethood) and khilafah (humans’ responsibility) .

Tawheed means that Allah (God) alone is the One and Only Creator, Sustainer and Master of the universe. The system of life will be lead according to his laws . Worship and obedience are due to Him alone.

Hence, it is not for us to set the ruling ,ethical or moral codes or invent our frames of reference.The risalah is the message of the prophets. Islam is the deen and the Qur’an is the last testament. Muslims believe in the previous messengers and the books sent to them which no longer exists authentic . The Qur’an lays down the broad principles on which human life should be based universally, as it is the last revealed message from Allah, and Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah, established a model system of Islamic life in accordance with these principles. The combination of these two elements — Tawheed and risalah — is called the Shari ‘ah (Law).

Khilafah means representation. according to Islam, Humans — both men and women —are the representatives of Allah on earth, His vicegerents. When it comes to ruling then only Man is the Khalifah because Allah subhanawatala said Men are the protectors and maintainers of women.A Khalifah protects and maintains the ummah in the name of Allah under the law of Allah subhanawatala.
4:34. Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allâh has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means. ........
The State system is built upon eight pillars:
1. The Khalif.
2. The delegated assistants.
3. The executive assistants.
4. The Amir of Jihad.
5. The Judges.
6. The governors of the provinces (Wilayat).
7. An administrative system.
8. The consultative assembly (majlis ash-shura).[ They given definite majority decisions on aspects asked by Khalifah and these aspects does not include foreign policy,economy, Jihad/war etc.They can question the government on all acts,any adult muslims can become member ,non-muslims can also become members but they can only voice their complaints.

Today we hear a new concept which was never followed by Khulafa e rashideen /pious Caliphs nor later rulers since 1400yrs.Misintepret ing few verses on consultation, few people think that rule of majority is allowed in Islam ,they think Khalifah can be elected by majority votes of the general public and with majority votes by people's representatives administration will run .They say they'll follow all shariah laws and no amendment will be done in the following..

1.Religious practices i.e 5 pillars,[a]. Testimony/ Shadahah, [b].prayer/Salah, [c]charity/Zakat, [d] Fasting/saum, [e].Hajj/ pilgrimage

2.Social [a].Rights and duties of citizens,[b] education,[c] Family laws,[d] Obligations towards old,women & children

3.Military-Jihad both in defence & in offence

4.Economic,Interest free economy, No capitalism,Halaal food

5.Judicial laws [a]All capital punishments, no alcoholism,gambling ,bribery, theft,adultery [b]Moral police

And in rest of the rule ,majority will have their say.With majority votes the Khalifah will be appointed and with majority votes he will work throughout.Majority amongst muslims only as non-muslims are not allowoed to vote because they reject Allah ,they cannot vote for khalifah .

Al Bukhari's chapters reads: If the ruler makes a decision that is contrary to that of people of knowledge, his decision is to be rejected.
Verses of shura-Consultation has been mistakenly taken as democracy voting and democratic rule.
Shura is the verbal noun of the verb “shawara,” or consulted. It means seeking an opinion from the one who is consulted. The Khalifah or any lawful authority can undertake the Shura.
Shura can only Legislate in the Permissable (al Mubah)Matters
Mubah is defined as communication from the Lawgiver concerning the conduct of the individual which gives him the option to do or not to do something. As al-Ghazali explains, it is established in the express permission of the Almighty God which renders the commission or ommission of an act permissable either in religious terms or in respect of a possible benefit or harm that may accrue from it in this world. Al Mubah is one of the five varieties of divine rules (hokm shar'i), the others being: the obligatory (wajib, fard), recommended (mandub), abominable, i.e.,disliked (makruh), and the forbidden (haram).

Mutul Consultation
Prophet Muhammad salla lahu alaihi wa sallam was commanded to consult ,and the final say used to be only his decision.His final decisions overided their opinions even if they are in majority.
"And by the Mercy of Allâh, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allâh's) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allâh, certainly, Allâh loves those who put their trust (in Him)."(The Holy Qur'an 3:159)
*Note:Al-Tabari in his tafseer of this verse says that "Allah ordered His Prophet to consult his companions in certain matters so that the community knows about it, and follows this principle by consulting among themselves when they are faced with calamities". And in al Razi' interpretation of this verse it is reported that al-Hassan and Sufyan bin Uyaynah as saying "Allah ordered the prophet to consult his companions, so that others may follow him and thus it would become a tradition for the community".

Prophet Muhammad salla lahu alaihi wa sallam did not followed opinions of people always because his is the final say.The final decision rested upon him.
49:7 And know that among you is Allah's Apostle: were he in many matters to follow your (wishes) ye would certainly fall into misfortune: but Allah has endeared the Faith to you and has made it beautiful in your hearts and He has made hateful to you unbelief wickedness and rebellion: such indeed are those who walk in righteousness
8 A grace and favor from Allah; and Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom.

Islam lays great stress on consultation ,this proves that the rule of the Khalifah can never be like that of a dictator.Consultati on and decision making are to different aspects.And decision making belongs to Khalifah.
42:38. And those who answer the Call of their Lord [i.e. to believe that He is the only One Lord (Allâh), and to worship none but Him Alone], and perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salâ t), and who (conduct) their affairs by mutual consultation, and who spend of what We have bestowed on them;
In democracy, the majority opinion is always binding.Islam’ s verdict on Shura is different.

There are three types of Shura, the first individual Shuraa, the second group Shuraa, and the third public Shuraa.
1) Shura is never considered in Religious beliefs and practises
2) The expert/specialists opinion is taken who are experts in the field, regardless of the majority or minority, in matters where an intellectual judgement is required about some subject which is not already decided by Quran,Sunnah, Ijma,Qiyas.
3) The opinion of masses is asked in aspects which directly involves actions .Ex-health,educatio n etc.Here consultation (shura) constitutes the seeking of views,and the majlis as-shura seeks to arrive at the definitive view. Only here the issues that are the legitimate concern of the majlis are decided on the basis of the majority opinion, irrespective of whether it is considered to be correct or not.
In all other matters of consultation the correct opinion is sought, whether it be a minority or majority held opinion.If the majority is not pleased which the final decision of Khalifah then they can take the issue to the Judicial court to question the government on all actions it carries out, to express dissatisfaction in the governors and assistants to the Khalifah.

Shuraa is no more than a procedure of making decisions. It can thus be defined as the procedure of making decisions by consultation and deliberation among those who have an interest in the matter on which a decision is to be taken, or others who can help them to reach such a decision.
Shura can include matters like worldly affairs ex: war, politics and the general interests of the people.
This is because the two verses that have been revealed on the subject of shura are general in scope i.e ., in the language of Islamic jurisprudence `Amm. 'Amm may be defined as as a word which applies to many things,not limited in number, and includes everything to which it is applicable. This is established by the
linguistic patterns of words and the style of speech and grammar, in the particular case of shura the verses are general proclamations which are not specified or limited by other verses of the Qur'an.

Shafi'i expressed in his book Al Risala, Al-Imam Qurafi is of the same opinion which he expressed in his book Al Ahkam p79: "If the ruler were a mujtahid
(jurisprudent) , he should rule only by the opinion which he believes outweighs others".
Choosing The Easiest
The Book Pertaining to the Excellent Qualities of the Holy Prophet (may Peace be upon them) and His Companions (Kitab Al-Fada'il)
Muslim :: Book 30 : Hadith 5754
'A'isha reported: Never did Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) make a choice between two things but adopting the easier one as compared to the difficult one, but his choice for the easier one was only in case it did not involve any sin, but if it involved sin he was the one who was the farthest from it amongst the people.
work in cooperation and mutual understanding
Judgments (Ahkaam) Bukhari :: Book 9 :: Volume 89 :: Hadith 284 Narrated Abu Burda:
The Prophet sent my father and Mu'adh bin Jabal to Yemen and said (to them), "Make things easy for the people and do not put hurdles in their way, and give them glad tiding, and don't let them have aversion (i.e. to make people to hate good deeds) and you both should work in cooperation and mutual understanding" Abu Musa said to Allah's Apostle, "In our country a special alcoholic drink called Al-Bit', is prepared (for drinking)." The Prophet said, "Every intoxicant is prohibited. "
The Community is the Source of Power

The Muslims are responsible for the implementation of the Islamic laws.

"O ye who believe stand out firmly for justice..". [Al-Nisa:135] ;
"O ye who believe fulfill (all) obligations" [ Al-Maida:1]; "The believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil" [al-Tauba:71] and many other verses place the responsibility of upholding Islam on the shoulders of the nation, ie., the Muslims as a whole.

To discharge this responsibilty the nation, which possesses the power or authority, selects a leader to manage the affairs of the nation in accordance with
the Islamic law. The Khalifah is only empowered to rule by the Muslims giving him bayah, i.e., a pledge of allegiance, through an offer and acceptance.
Democratic Election Is Forbidden,Neither is shura a democratic desicion
Choosing the Khalifah
1. By selection (bay'ah) from people of power/influence/ nusrah whom the majority trusts.
2. By nomination from people of power/influence/ nusrah whom the majority trusts or by previous Khalifah.
3. By force if the ruler is unjust and openly profess kufr.
4. By divine text such as Iman mahdi

Abu bakr r.a was chosen by people of power/influence. Omar r.a was nominated by Abu bakr r.a and elected by council of members.Uthman r.a was elected, 6 people were asked to choose among themselves. Ali r.a was elected by few members of power.Abdullah bin zubair by force proclaimed himself Khalifah against unjust ruler and ruled for few years.Mahdi will be chosen on divine text as people will verify him with the description given in hadiths.

Majority voting by the ummah to elect Khilafah is not to be found in shariah nor is traced back to Islamic history neither any text regarding present in Quran and Sunnah.In Islam a selected few chooses their leader.Not all people participate in voting to elect the Khalifah.And that selected few are chosen by the people,the leader takes decisons with their consultation but he has the final say in all matters.

In the absence of a Khalifah like our present times,the selected few i.e people of nusrah/power who are accepted by people choose the khalifah.
In the presence of a Khalifah,he takes majority vote of selected few to appoint another Khalifah near his death.
In the presence of a leader,to choose the selected few,a leader selects few people who represent the majority.
If a person give allegiance to a man, as ruler, without a consultative approval of the Muslims, ala ghayri maShuraati-n min al muslimeen, then neither he nor the man to whom he gave allegiance should be followed (Bukhari, al Muharibeen)
Consultation to choose Khalifah is essential:Quraysh even though they were in minority decided to rule ,they have that acceptability
Punishment of Disbelievers at War with Allah and His Apostle Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 82 :: Hadith 817 Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
I have been informed that a speaker amongst you says, 'By Allah, if 'Umar should die, I will give the pledge of allegiance to such-and-such person.' One should not deceive oneself by saying that the pledge of allegiance given to Abu Bakr was given suddenly and it was successful. No doubt, it was like that, but Allah saved (the people) from its evil, and there is none among you who has the qualities of Abu Bakr. Remember that whoever gives the pledge of allegiance to anybody among you without consulting the other Muslims, neither that person, nor the person to whom the pledge of allegiance was given, are to be supported, lest they both should be killed.
And no doubt after the death of the Prophet we were informed that the Ansar disagreed with us and gathered in the shed of Bani Sa'da. 'Ali and Zubair and whoever was with them, opposed us, while the emigrants gathered with Abu Bakr. I said to Abu Bakr, 'Let's go to these Ansari brothers of ours.' So we set out seeking them, and when we approached them, two pious men of theirs met us and informed us of the final decision of the Ansar, and said, 'O group of Muhajirin (emigrants) ! Where are you going?' We replied, 'We are going to these Ansari brothers of ours.' They said to us, 'You shouldn't go near them. Carry out whatever we have already decided.' I said, 'By Allah, we will go to them.' And so we proceeded until we reached them at the shed of Bani Sa'da. Behold! There was a man sitting amongst them and wrapped in something. I asked, 'Who is that man?' They said, 'He is Sa'd bin 'Ubada.' I asked, 'What is wrong with him?' They said, 'He is sick.' After we sat for a while, the Ansar's speaker said, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' and praising Allah as He deserved, he added, 'To proceed, we are Allah's Ansar (helpers) and the majority of the Muslim army, while you, the emigrants, are a small group and some people among you came with the intention of preventing us from practicing this matter (of caliphate) and depriving us of it.'
When the speaker had finished, I intended to speak as I had prepared a speech which I liked and which I wanted to deliver in the presence of Abu Bakr, and I used to avoid provoking him. So, when I wanted to speak, Abu Bakr said, 'Wait a while.' I disliked to make him angry. So Abu Bakr himself gave a speech, and he was wiser and more patient than I. By Allah, he never missed a sentence that I liked in my own prepared speech, but he said the like of it or better than it spontaneously. After a pause he said, 'O Ansar! You deserve all (the qualities that you have attributed to yourselves, but this question (of Caliphate) is only for the Quraish as they are the best of the Arabs as regards descent and home, and I am pleased to suggest that you choose either of these two men, so take the oath of allegiance to either of them as you wish. And then Abu Bakr held my hand and Abu Ubada bin Abdullah's hand who was sitting amongst us. I hated nothing of what he had said except that proposal, for by Allah, I would rather have my neck chopped off as expiator for a sin than become the ruler of a nation, one of whose members is Abu Bakr, unless at the time of my death my own-self suggests something I don't feel at present.'
And then one of the Ansar said, 'I am the pillar on which the camel with a skin disease (eczema) rubs itself to satisfy the itching (i.e., I am a noble), and I am as a high class palm tree! O Quraish. There should be one ruler from us and one from you.'
Then there was a hue and cry among the gathering and their voices rose so that I was afraid there might be great disagreement, so I said, 'O Abu Bakr! Hold your hand out.' He held his hand out and I pledged allegiance to him, and then all the emigrants gave the Pledge of allegiance and so did the Ansar afterwards. And so we became victorious over Sa'd bin Ubada (whom Al-Ansar wanted to make a ruler). One of the Ansar said, 'You have killed Sa'd bin Ubada.' I replied, 'Allah has killed Sa'd bin Ubada.' Umar added, "By Allah, apart from the great tragedy that had happened to us (i.e. the death of the Prophet), there was no greater problem than the allegiance pledged to Abu Bakr because we were afraid that if we left the people, they might give the Pledge of allegiance after us to one of their men, in which case we would have given them our consent for something against our real wish, or would have opposed them and caused great trouble. So if any person gives the Pledge of allegiance to somebody (to become a Caliph) without consulting the other Muslims, then the one he has selected should not be granted allegiance, lest both of them should be killed."
Lets see whether we have a history of democracy or not.
"The rule is to none but Allah" [6:57] so there is no room for democracy

Caliph/Khalifah representation is the one who has the right to adopt the divine rules, aimed at protecting the Deen and ruling the world (Dunia) with it. The establishment of the deen and implementation of the divine law cannot be achieved unless the Khalifah possesses the authority to do so.Islam only recognises power in the hands of individual.Be it Khilafah/caliphate or Kingdom.

Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 5378 Narrated byHudhayfah ibn al-Yaman An-Nu'man told on Hudhayfah's authority that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "Prophecy will remain among you as long as Allah wishes it to remain, then Allah Most High will remove it. Then there will be a caliphate according to the manner of prophecy as long as Allah wishes it to remain, then Allah Most High will remove it. Then there will be a distressful kingdom which will remain as long as Allah wishes it to remain, then Allah Most High will remove it. Then there will be a proud kingdom which will remain as long as Allah wishes it to remain, then Allah Most High will remove it. Then there will be a caliphate according to the manner of prophecy." Then he stopped. Habib said: "When Umar ibn AbdulAziz became caliph I wrote to him, mentioning this tradition to him and saying, "I hope you will be the commander of the faithful after the distressful and the proud kingdoms." It pleased and charmed him, i.e. Umar ibn AbdulAziz."
Ahmad and Bayhaqi, in Dala'il an-Nubuwwah, transmitted it.
*Note:Caliphate according to the manner of prophecy means Khilafah upon the way of Prophethood.
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 4590 Narrated byIrbad ibn Sariyah
AbdurRahman ibn Amr as-Sulami and Hujr ibn Hujr said: We came to Irbad ibn Sariyah who was among those about whom the following verse was revealed:"Nor (is there blame) on those who come to thee to be provided with mounts, and when thou saidst: "I can find no mounts for you." We greeted him and said: We have come to see you to give healing and obtain benefit from you. Al-Irbad said: One day the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) led us in prayer, then faced us and gave us a lengthy exhortation at which the eyes shed tears and the hearts were afraid. A man said: Apostle of Allah! It seems as if it were a farewell exhortation, so what injunction do you give us? He then said: I enjoin you to fear Allah, and to hear and obey even if it be an Abyssinian slave, for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error.
Again rule of a single man i.e king is mentioned.
2:246. Have you not thought about the group of the Children of Israel after (the time of) Musâ (Moses)? When they said to a Prophet of theirs, "Appoint for us a king and we will fight in Allâh's Way." He said, "Would you then refrain from fighting, if fighting was prescribed for you?" They said, "Why should we not fight in Allâh's Way while we have been driven out of our homes and our children (families have been taken as captives)?" But when fighting was ordered for them, they turned away, all except a few of them. And Allâh is All-Aware of the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers) .
247. And their Prophet (Samuel ) said to them, "Indeed Allâh has appointed Talût (Saul) as a king over you." They said, "How can he be a king over us when we are better fitted than him for the kingdom, and he has not been given enough wealth." He said: "Verily, Allâh has chosen him above you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature. And Allâh grants His Kingdom to whom He wills. And Allâh is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower."
Shura is not democratic government,it is only consultaion irrespective of minority or majority opinion
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 5368 Narrated byAbuHurayrah
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "When your commanders are your best people, your rich men are your generous people and your affairs are conducted by mutual consultation, the surface of the earth will be better for you that its interior. But when your commanders are your worst people, your rich men are your niggardly people and your affairs are in the hands of your women, the interior of the earth will be the better for you than its surface."
Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.
Muslims are a single ummah/nation ,not the ummah of majority.
2:143 Thus have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced that ye might be witnesses over the nations and the Apostle a witness over yourselves; and We appointed the Qiblah to which thou wast used only to test those who followed the Apostle from those who would turn on their heels (from the faith). Indeed it was (a change) momentous except to those guided by Allah. And never would Allah make your faith of no effect. For Allah is to all people most surely full of kindness Most Merciful.

Lets see what is rest of the rule remaining?Everythin g is included in above categories only in broader sense.In depth what goes into the hands of majority is as follows.
1.Religious- building mosques,religious instituations will go into the hands of the majority.
2.Social laws-cultural influence depending upon the majority view,educational benefits,hostitals, allowances to weak members of the society will go into the hands of the majority.
3.economically -increase in privatisation, utility of Zakat money,bussiness transactions, industrial management,apropria te distribution of wealth,jobs will go into the hands of the majority
4.Foreign policies will effect,according to the likes and dislikes of majority foreign trade will run,majority' s verdict on Jihad,involvement of majority on security issues will go into the hands of the majority.

If all these goes into the hands of majority then who will take care of minority?Who will speak on behalf of minority?
With this division will appear amongst muslims .A division of deprivity.Unjust means mainly for worldy gains .The ruler will have no power,but will be mere puppet of majority.Islam does not recognises majority as head,leader or leading force.Too many chefs spoil the broth.


If Majority becomes the decision makers then larger nations and larger tribes will make decisions depriving the rights of smaller ones .This may lead to despising eachother.

49:13 O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).
Consultation in Matters of governance
The prophet or the Caliph has two groups of advisors,Its their choice to accept or reject their advices.So the ultimate head is the Prophet [peace be upon him ]after his death its the Khalifahs/Caliphs. This shuns the majority rule theory.
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 9.306 Narrated byAbu Said Al Khudri
The Prophet said, "Allah never sends a prophet or gives the Caliphate to a Caliph but that he (the prophet or the Caliph) has two groups of advisors: A group advising him to do good and exhorts him to do it, and the other group advising him to do evil and exhorts him to do it. But the protected person (against such evil advisors) is the one protected by Allah."
Prophet Muhammad salla lahu alaihi wa sallam's Consultation
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) consulted with the majority of the people of Madina in the question of leaving Madina to fight the enemies at Uhud. He said to the people of Madina "Give me your suggestions" . He wanted to know from them whether they wanted to fight the enemy inside or outside the city of Madina.

This consultation can be with the masses or representatives of the masses. The Prophet (SAW)consulted the two Sa'ads, Sa'ad bin Mu'az and Sa'ad bin Ubadah in connection with the compromise with the tribe of Ghatfan in return for one third of the fruit crops of Madina, on condition that they would retreat from fighting against the Muslims in the battle of the Ditch. The two said, "If it is an order from the heavens, please comply with it. If it is a matter in which you you are not ordered by Allah, and you wish it so, we obey you. But if it is an opinion, then they have nothing from us except the sword. The Prophet (SAW) accepted their opinion and abandoned the topic of compromise with Ghatfan. The two Sa'ad's were the leaders of their people, being the chiefs of the Ansar.
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) consulted with the majority of the people of Madina in the question of leaving Madina to fight the enemies at Uhud. He said to the people of Madina "Give me your suggestions" . He wanted to know from them whether they wanted to fight the enemy inside or outside the city of Madina.

This consultation can be with the masses or representatives of the masses. The Prophet (SAW) consulted the two Sa'ads, Sa'ad bin Mu'az and Sa'ad bin Ubadah in connection with the compromise with the tribe of Ghatfan in return for one third of the fruit crops of Madina, on condition that they would retreat from fighting against the Muslims in the battle of the Ditch. The two said, "If it is an order from the heavens, please comply with it. If it is a matter in which you you are not ordered by Allah, and you wish it so, we obey you. But if it is an opinion, then they have nothing from us except the sword. The Prophet (SAW) accepted their opinion and abandoned the topic of compromise with Ghatfan. The two Sa'ad's were the leaders of their people, being the chiefs of the
Ansar.
Al-Qurtabi in his tafseer of the Qur'an comments: "It is the duty of the rulers to consult the scholars on matters not known to them and in religious matters not clear to them, to consult the leaders of the army in matters related to war, and leaders of the people in matters related to administration. The teachers,ministers and governors in matters related to the welfare of the country and its development" .During the preparation for the battle of Badr, the Prophet (pbuh) consulted with the military expert Habaab al Mundhir.

Follow the three generations.

The Book Pertaining to the Merits of the Companions (Allah Be Pleased With Them) of the Holy Prophet (May Peace Be Upon Him) (Kitab Al-Fada'il Al-Sahabah)
Muslim :: Book 31 : Hadith 6159
'A'isha reported that a person asked Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as to who amongst the people were the best. He said: Of the generation to which I belong, then of the second generation (generation adjacent to my generation), then of the third generation (generation adjacent to the second generation).
‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) used to consult the elders of the Muhaajiroon (immigrants) firstly. Then he would consult the Ansar, followed by the elders of Quraysh, in this exact order. If one of these groups agreed on something he would carry it out because the final say would be carried out by Khalifah Umar r.a .
One-fifth of Booty to the Cause of Allah (Khumus) Bukhari :: Book 4 :: Volume 53 :: Hadith 386 Narrated Jubair bin Haiya:
'Umar sent the Muslims to the great countries to fight the pagans. When Al-Hurmuzan embraced Islam, 'Umar said to him. "I would like to consult you regarding these countries which I intend to invade." Al-Hurmuzan said, "Yes, the example of these countries and their inhabitants who are the enemies. of the Muslims, is like a bird with a head, two wings and two legs; If one of its wings got broken, it would get up over its two legs, with one wing and the head; and if the other wing got broken, it would get up with two legs and a head, but if its head got destroyed, then the two legs, two wings and the head would become useless. ............ ..excerpts ends.
Umar b. Al-Khattab (ra) consulted the Muslims regarding the newly conquered lands of Iraq, whether they should be divided amongst the Muslims as booty, or left in the hands of its people subject to payment of Kharaj. Bilal (ra), Abdur Rahman (ra) and Az-Zubayr (ra) thought that the land should be divided in the same way that the Prophet (saw) divided the land of Khaybar as booty. Umar, however, made Ijtihad upon some ayat in Surah al Hashr to deduce that the land should be Kharaji land. once Umar heard the views and was convinced with his own Ijtihad in preference to that of the majority, he rejected all other opinions and followed his own expert understanding of the text. During Umar’s Khilafah, he consulted the Sahabah on many issues related to understanding the rules of Islam for new situations, and he adopted the strongest opinion and never the majority opinion. The general consensus of the Sahabah upon this makes it clear that the Khaleefah can consult until he finds the strongest opinion. It is the Khaleefah who decides which is correct and no one else.

The Prophet (saw) followed the opinion of a single expert, Habab bin Munthir (ra), over the selection of the place of the Battle of Badr. It was narrated in the Seerah of Ibnu Hisham that, “when he (saw) camped at the near side of the water of Badr, Al-Habab b. Al-Munthir was not happy with this place. He said to the Messenger (saw), ‘O Messenger of Allah! Did Allah make you camp in this place where we can’t depart from it, or is it the opinion of war and strategy?’ He (saw) said, ‘It is rather the opinion of war and strategy.’ Al Habab b. al-Munthir said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, this is not the (right) place. Move the people till we come to the side of the water near to the people (enemy), we camp there...’ The Messenger (saw) said, ‘You gave the right opinion.’” Here, the Prophet (saw) followed the opinion of a single expert without asking for the majority view.

When a correct judgement on a subject, whether technical or Shari’ah, is required it is the correct opinion and not the majority that is followed. only one man, the Khaleefah, has the right to decide which is correct. The ayah of consultation continues:

“...When you decided (azamta), put your trust in Allah” [TMQ Al-‘Imran: 159].

This indicates that the final decision is with ruler and not with the people. This is because the verb “to decide” used in the text is “azamta” which means you (singular) decided. If the decision had been for the people then the verb would have been in the form “azamtum” meaning you plural. Again, it is seen that Shura and democracy are not the same.
Prescribed Punishments (Kitab Al-Hudud) Dawud :: Book 38 : Hadith 4385 Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:
Ibn Abbas said: A lunatic woman who had committed adultery was brought to Umar. He consulted the people and ordered that she should be stoned.
Ali ibn AbuTalib passed by and said: What is the matter with this (woman)? They said: This is a lunatic woman belonging to a certain family. She has committed adultery. Umar has given orders that she should be stoned. He said: Take her back. He then came to him and said: Commander of the Faithful, do you not know that there are three people whose actions are not recorded: a lunatic till he is restored to reason, a sleeper till he awakes, and a boy till he reaches puberty?
He said: Yes. He then asked: Why is it that this woman is being stoned?
He said: There is nothing. He then said: Let her go. He (Umar) let her go and began to utter: Allah is most great.


After matters are resolved by the authoritarians, obey the commandments.
47:21. Obedience (to Allâh) and good words (were better for them). And when the matter (preparation for Jihâd) is resolved on, then if they had been true to Allâh, it would have been better for them.

People Must Obey the authority,Its not authority that obeys the people.All obedience is in that which is right.

Obey authority and that authoritarions which are under the Khalifah
4;59. O you who believe! Obey Allâh and obey the Messenger (Muhammad SAW), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allâh and His Messenger (SAW), if you believe in Allâh and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.
4:83"When there comes to them some matter touching (Public) safety or fear, they divulge it. If they had only referred it to the Apostle, or to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would have Tested it from them (direct). Were it not for the Grace and Mercy of God unto you, all but a few of you would have fallen into the clutches of Satan.

[And let there be a people among you who invite to good and enjoin what is fair, and forbid what is wrong] (Aal `Imran 3:104).

Sole Head as Khalifah
Abu Bakr addressed the congregation in the following terms: "O people, I swear by Allah that I never coveted the caliphate either by day or by night, nor had I any inclination towards it. I never prayed to God openly or in secrecy to confer the office on me. I merely accepted this office lest some mischief might arise at this critical juncture in the history of the Muslims and thereby adversely affect the interests of Islam. In fact a big task has been assigned to me which is beyond my power to fulfil except with the help of the Almighty Allah and your whole hearted cooperation. I wished to see the strongest of men in my place this day. Now, it is beyond doubt that I have been elected your Amir, although I am not better than you. Help me, if I am in the right; set me right if I am in the wrong. Truth is a trust; falsehood is a treason. The weak among you will be strong with me till, God willing, his rights have been vindicated; and the strong among you shall be weak with me till, if the Lord wills, I have taken what is due from him. Obey me as long as I obey Allah and His Prophet, when I disobey Him and His Prophet, then obey me not. And now rise for prayers; may God have mercy on you."


Umar Inargural address r.a
"O ye faithful! Abu Bakr is no more amongst us. After having led us for about two years, he has returned to His Maker. He has the satisfaction that he has successfully piloted the ship of the Muslim state to safety after negotiating the stormy sea. He successfully waged the apostasy wars, and thanks to him, Islam is now supreme in Arabia. Islam is now on the move and we are carrying Jihad in the name of Allah against the mighty empires of Byzantine and Persia.
After Abu Bakr, the mantle of Khilafat has fallen on my shoulders. I swear it before God that I never coveted this office. I wished that it would have devolved on some other person more worthy than me. But now that in national interest, the responsibility for leading the Muslims has come to vest in me, I assure you that I will not run away from my post, and will make an earnest effort to discharge the onerous duties of the office to the best of my capacity in accordance with the injunctions of Islam.
In the performance of my duties, I will seek guidance from the Holy Book, and will follow the examples set by the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr. In this task I seek your assistance. If I follow the right path, follow me. If I deviate from the right path, correct me so that we are not led astray.
Now brothers I offer a few prayers and you say Amen to them.
O Allah I am hard, make me soft to promote the Truth, to comply with your injunctions and to aspire to a better life in the world hereafter.
O Allah make me hard for the enemies of Islam and for those who create mischief so that their desigus against Allah come to naught.
O Allah I am miser; make me generous in the promotion of the good.
O Allah save me from hypocrisy. Strengthen my resolves so that whatever I do, I do for the sake of winning Your approbation.
O Allah soften my heart for the faithful so that I attend to their needs with a sense of dedication.
O Allah, I am careless, make me responsible enough so that I do not lose sight of You.
O Allah I am weak in offering my obedience to You; make me active and fortify my faith.
O Allah bestow on me faith, and the power to do good.
O Allah give me the power of self-criticism and self assessment.
O Allah bestow on me the insight into the meaning of the Quran and the strength to act in accordance with what the Quran says.
O Allah You are capable of doing anything: bless us with Your favor. Amen."

Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 6.8 Narrated byIbn Abbas
Umar said, "Our best Qur'an reciter is Ubai and our best judge is 'Ali; and in spite of this, we leave some of the statements of Ubai because Ubai says, 'I do not leave anything that I have heard from Allah's Apostle while Allah said:
"Whatever verse (Revelations) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten but We bring a better one or similar to it." ' " (2.106)


Inaugural address of Uthman r.a
After election, Uthman took his stand on the pulpit and addressed the congregation. He glorified God and His Prophet, and then talked of the transitoriness of the world. He wanted the people to do good deeds which might stand them in good stead in the next world. He said that he was conscious of his limitations but he would do his best to serve Islam and the people. Then overwhelmed by emotions, Uthman broke down and could not complete his address. He said:
"O people, it is not easy to manage a new horse. If God willing I live, there will be several other occasions to talk to you. Right now I cannot address you. You know that I am not good at making public speeches".

Inaugural address Address of Ali r.a
After his election, Ali addressed the people. He said that he had no intention to accept the office of the Caliph, but as the office had been forced on him he would do his best to discharge the duties of the office according to the commandments of God and the traditions of the Holy Prophet. He pointed out that a generation had passed since the demise of the Holy Prophet, and during this period the Muslim polity had come to be plagued with dissension and discord. He observed the events that had culminated in the assassination of Othman were most deplorable and regrettable. He said that it would be his endeavor to purge Islam of all the evils from which had come to suffer in the past. He made it clear that towards this end he would have to administer law and order with a stern hand. He warned all concerned that he would tolerate no sedition and found guilty of subversive activities would be dealt with harshly. He advised the people to mend their ways and behave as true Muslims. Ali was not the man to mince words. He felt disgusted with the state of political affairs and spoke in strong bitter terms.


"O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allâh, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allâh is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you may avoid justice, and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allâh is Ever Well­Acquainted with what you do." (The Holy Qur'an 4:135)

The Usmania Sultan was a leader in guarding the rights of people of all religions. It was the Usmania Sultan Bayaseed II, who gave shelter to the Jews thrown out of Spain in 1492. 30 percent of the Istanbul population was Jew during the seventeenth centaury. The Jews were not the oppressed in Istanbul; they chose to live in a Muslim nation. The Jews and the Christians enjoyed top positions during the Usmania government. Similarly the Moguls enjoyed good relations with people of other faiths.
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 3696 Narrated byAn-Nawwas ibn Sam'an
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "A creature is not to be obeyed when it involves disobedience to the Creator."
It is transmitted in Sharh as-Sunnah.

Every day I think

9:24 Say: If your fathers, and your sons, and your brethren, and your wives, and your tribe, and the wealth ye have acquired, and merchandise for which ye fear that there will be no sale, and dwellings ye desire are dearer to you than Allah and His messenger and striving in His way: then wait till Allah bringeth His command to pass. Allah guideth not wrong doing folk.

Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 5130 Narrated byMu'awiyah
Mu'awiyah wrote to Aisha asking her to write him a letter giving him advice but not to make it lengthy. She wrote: Peace be upon you! To proceed: I heard Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) say, "If anyone seeks Allah's good pleasure at the cost of men's displeasure Allah will keep from him the trouble caused by men; but if anyone seeks men's good pleasure at the cost of Allah's displeasure Allah will leave him in men's hands."
Transmitted by Tirmidhi.
43:67. Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except Al-Muttaqûn
80:34 That Day shall a man flee from his own brother.
35 And from his mother and his father.
36 And from his wife and his children.
37 Each one of them that Day will have enough concern (of his own) to make him indifferent to the others.
38 Some Faces that Day will be beaming.
39 Laughing rejoicing.
40 And other faces that Day will be dust-stained;
41 Blackness will cover them:
42 Such will be the Rejecters of Allah the Doers of Iniquity.

WOMEN PLUCKING EYEBROWS AND PAYING OWN ZAKAT

Q> Is it allowed to make eyebrows 4 husband with
husband permission?? ?
is it farz on me to pay my zakat if my husband
doesn't pay my zakat???


Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh

1. It is prohibited for a female to shape her eyebrows
even for her husband. Rasulullah (SAW) cursed those
women who shape their eyebrows. (Bukhari)
2. If zakat is due on you, you will be responsible to
pay zakat. You husband may pay your zakat with your
consent. If he does not do so, you will be responsible
to pay your zakat.

Cultivating the Love of Allah

A heart filled with the love of Allah is a heart that finds peace and tranquility. Allah says: “Indeed, by the remembrance of Allah do the hearts find contentment.” [Sûrah al-Ra`d: 28]

Allah promises those who believe and work righteousness that he will give them a life of goodness. He says: “Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily to him we will give him a life that is good and pure.” [Sûrah al-Nahl: 97]

This life which is good and pure is by way of the radiance of one’s spirit, the coolness of one’s eyes, and the happiness of one’s heart towards Allah. Religion faith provides solace to the soul’s pain. It is the physician that cures our tears and our emotional wounds.

From our love for Allah stems our love for His Messengers, His Prophets, and His angels, Our love for Allah makes us love His righteous servants among our fellows. We want to be with those who love Him, associate with them, and adopt their good ways and manners.

From our love for Allah stems a desire to exhibit goodness to all of Creation. This desire manifests itself in our good words, our good deeds, our supplications, and our help. This in itself is a reason for happiness and contentment. Those who go forth to help others and fulfill their needs are the people with the most happiness and fulfillment in their lives.

The love for Allah comes by way of keeping His Book as a dear companion – by reading it, contemplating its meanings, and acting upon its teachings. Such companionship of the Qur’ân means that the reader is always with it. Whenever he completes one chapter, he moves on to another. He never finishes reading the Qur’ân except with the intention of starting again.

A person’s love for Allah is expressed through his love for prayer, since this is the way the soul can travel to its Lord. It brings rest to the spirit. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Bilâl: “Call the prayer, so that we may find rest in it.” [Sunan Abî Dâwûd (4985)]

Prayer safeguards us from sin and wrongdoing. Allah says: “Establish prayer, for prayer restrains from shameful and false deeds.” [Sûrah al-`Ankabût: 45]

We show our love to Allah by constantly seeking His forgiveness and by constantly striving to draw nearer to Him. A Muslim never despairs of Allah’s mercy and he never see his sins to be greater than Allah’s forgiveness. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.

Allah says: “No one despairs of Allah’s mercy except those who have no faith.” [Sûrah Yûsuf: 87]

Allah says: “And who despairs of the mercy of Allah except those who are astray?” [Sûrah al-Hijr: 56]

Our penitence includes our repeatedly seeking Allah’s forgiveness with the prescribed wording for doing so while keeping the meaning of what we are saying clear in our minds. We must recognize and acknowledge our shortcomings before Allah. We should feel acutely how much we need Him and how much we must rely on Him at every moment of our lives.

We show our love for Allah by being aware of the numerous blessings He has bestowed upon us, despite all our sins and shortcomings.

A worshipper of Allah should never forget supplication. It is a door that is always open and never closed. Allah says: “Call upon Me. I will answer you.” [Sûrah Ghâfir: 60]

Allah says: “If My servants asks you about Me, for indeed I am near. I answer the supplication of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.” [Surah al-Baqarah: 186]

We must beseech our Lord in humility at every possible occasion and express our need of Him. Our hearts should be tied to Allah. We should wake up and pray to Him during the last third of the night, which is a special and most precious time for our worship. We should beseech Allah during the last hour of the afternoon on Friday and between the two calls of every prayer.

We should be careful that all of our sustenance is lawful and good. We should uphold our ties of kinship and honor our parents. We should respect the honor and wealth of our fellow human beings and never transgress against them.

We should receive in our hearts the glad assurance of the good that is bestowed by the One who when He wills something, just says “Be!” and it is.

Friday, November 23, 2007

FATIMA S.A (THE DAUGHTER OF THE PROPHET Mohammed PBUH, SAW

"Jab Kabhi Ghairat-e-Insaan Ka Sawaal Aata Hai
Bint-e-Zehra Terey Pardey Ka Khayaal Aata Hai"
Fatima bint Muhammad is one of the four noblest women in Islamic teachings. This is not just because she is the daughter of the Prophet of Islam or the wife of Imam Ali or the mother of Hasan and Hussain. These relationships are significant in themselves, but Fatima is important to the Muslims in her own right.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is seen as the perfect model of the values and teachings that were revealed in the holy Qur'an. He was the Last Prophet and the Qur'an was the Final
Revelation:
no prophet or scripture is to be sent after him. However, the Prophet was a man and so he could not be a complete role model for half of the humanity; therefore, there was a need for a perfect female model of Qur'anic values and teachings. And that role model for women was Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet.
This is how Fatima is part of the Prophet; she completes the female dimension of the Prophet's function as a complete role model for humanity.
That is why the Prophet of Islam described Fatima as follows: "The leader of all the ladies of Paradise." (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 4, p.819.)
"Fatima is a part of me, and he who makes her angry, makes me angry." (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 5, p. 61.)
According to the holy Qur'an (33:33) she is among the infallibles ones in Islam. This status of infallibility comes with being a part of the Prophetic mission: he is the perfect role model for the men whereas she is the perfect role model for women.
Fatima was not only a loving daughter, a loyal wife and a caring mother; she is known in history as a woman of knowledge and wisdom, and she actively stood up for her rights. An excellent example of her social activism can be seen when she was denied her inheritance upon her father's death.
Fatima challenged the authorities in power on basis of the Qur'an. She argued that the Qur'an has examples where the children of past prophets inherited their father. Using the Qur'an as her basis, she argued that she should not be denied her right.
PROPERTIES OF THE BEST WOMEN:
She is content: Such woman is the best one who becomes happy and content when her husband puts a loving glance on her, and when he orders her for something right, she obeys him immediately, and never does any thing against his will. - Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)
She is a great cook and a good administrator: A woman who cooks neat, clean and delicious food for her husband. Allah has provided great food for such nice wife in paradise. In heaven, she will be asked to drink and eat whatever you wish, as this is the reward for the pain and services which you performed for your husband! - Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)
The best woman among your women is one who cooks delicious food, spends the money justly and does not waste it. Such women are the workers of Allah, and the workers of Allah never get hopeless and regretful! - Imam Jafer-e-Sadiq (as)
She is priceless: A woman doesn't have any price, whether she is good or bad. A good and nice lady can not be measured with money or gold or silver, as she is far more expensive and precious than money or gold. Similarly, a woman with bad character and worst nature can not be compared with sand, as sand is far more higher and good than her. - Imam Jafer-e-Sadiq (as)
She is loving, caring and patient: Do not you want me to tell you about those ladies who will enter paradise? A woman who is loving and caring to her husband, and gives births to his children and when he gets angry with her, she instantly says My hand is in your hand like she does not get satisfied until her husband becomes happy with her. - Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)
She is obedient: Lucky and fortunate woman is one who respects her husband and does not give him any pain, hurt or discomfort and does not makes him worried and obeys him in all the right aspects of life. - Imam Jafer-e-Sadiq (as)
She does Jehaad: The Jehaad of woman is that she must not lose her patience if she gets hurt from her husband. Her patience is her Jehaad. - Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)

Friday, November 16, 2007

Why Islam forbids Alcohol, Drugs?

ALCOHOL and narcotic drugs are now the greatest social problem all over the world.
It is said that Omar (later the Second Rightly-Guided Caliph) prayed: "O Allah give us a decisive indication about wine, it takes away the money and the intellect. (Ahmad) Allah revealed: "They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: In them is great sin, and (some) benefits for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit." (2:219)
Omar continued to pray: "O Allah indicate a manifest indication about wine." Allah revealed: "O you who believe! Approach not As-Salat (the prayer) when you are in a drunken state until you know (the meaning) of what you utter." (4:43)
Omar prayed again: "O Allah indicate us about wine." Allah revealed : "O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling ... are an abomination of Shaitan's (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. Shaitan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from As-Salat (the prayer). So will you not then abstain?" (5:90-91)
After hearing this revelation, Omar exclaimed: "We are refrained, we are refrained."
The ban on the use of intoxicants was gradual. This evil was eradicated by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He warned about the curse of Allah on all those associated with it from production to its consumption.
The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Whatever much of it intoxicates, then little of it is also prohibited." (Abu Dawood from Jabir)
Abdullah Bin Omar is quoted to have said: "The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said that 'Anybody who attributed to me anything which I did not say will go to Hell.'" After this Abdullah Bin Omar said: "I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) saying 'No doubt Allah has prohibited the wine, games of chance and the wine extracted from "Ghabeera" (a flower tree with fruit.)
Narcotic drugs are also banned in Islam. This ban was enforced in 7th century for the welfare of humanity.
The latest developments in medical science have proved the consumption of alcohol and narcotics to be a social evil causing great harm not only to the society but also to human health. If we look into the expenditure incurred on drinks (intoxicants) in European and American countries we get an alarming figure of thousands of millions of dollars. France has the highest alcohol consumption. French men consume 200 million liters of alcoholic beverages every year.
Alcohol makes the man unstable and creates multifarious problems. It breaks the family ties and brings about a complete disruption in family life. The man under its influence fills the destructive bowl, gets excited with an urge to commit crimes and does not hesitate to commit adultery, incest and fornication.
Alcohol abuse presents the society with a staggering bill. In the US, somewhere between $25 billion to $40 billion are lost in terms of labor productivity, treatment and welfare. (Koffend 1979)
In 1979, the World Health Organization in a report stated that alcoholism is becoming a major problem in developing countries. In Zambia and Venezuela the abuses of alcohol are linked with increasing crimes and is the major cause of road accidents. In South Africa, 75 percent of the population is affected directly with adverse affects of alcoholism. In US, 40 percent of all road accidents are due to alcohol abuse and alcohol accounts for 50 percent of criminal arrests.
Man is a social animal. He is superior to animals by virtue of his mental faculties. If these faculties are impaired, he will act like an animal. Alcohol and narcotic drugs impair the higher centers of the brain with the result a man loses judgment, intellect, learning, reason, memory and orientation. The lower centers of the brain are freed from the inhibiting influence of the higher centers causing excitement and animalistic behaviors. Owing to this, the intoxicated person behaves recklessly and become loquacious and loses slef-control, totters and is led by evil desires to commit crimes.
The following are the bodily harms or diseases of alcoholism observed by the medical science.
1) Peripheral Neuritis, i.e. numbness and weakness in nervous system.
2) Wernicks Encephalopathy, causing the disturbance in consciousness and neurological problems.
3) Korsakoffs Psychosis i.e. impairment of memory delusion.
4) Delirium Tremens. The alcoholic is confused, restless, misidentifies people and places and has severe tremor.
5) Cerebella degeneration.
6) Alcoholic gastritis causes heartburn, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting.
7) Pancreatitis. It may result into hemorrhage resulting in death.
There are some other sever diseases like cardiomyopathy abnormality of the rhythm of the heart and beri beri heart disease etc., etc.
The above facts make it crystal clear that alcohol and narcotic drugs not only take away the hard-earned money of the people but also their intellect and health and leave them worthless. Caliph Omar was wise when he prayed in earlier 7th century for the ban saying intoxicants take away the money and the intellect. Allah the Omniscient, the All-Wise Who cares for the welfare of his bondmen banned intoxicants and delivered them from the pernicious evil.
Now in 20th century all the sensible world is making a lot of hue and cry to stop alcoholism only to learn that it is reaching epidemic proportions.
It is Islam which tackled all social evils and crimes and devised ways and means to save humanity from the menace of narcotics and alcoholism.

A question

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

In the Subcontinent, many people wear tabeez. I have heard and believe this to be shirk. Could you please verify and tell me if wearing tabeez is shirk, and if so, why is it so?

Thank You

May Allah Bless You


(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)


Answer:


Taaweedh amulet

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.


The Messenger of Allah (saws) strictly forbade the believers to wear any sort of ‘taaweedh’ or amulet on any part of their body. Anyone who does wear a ‘taaweedh’ or an amulet, starts seeking his trust and help from this ‘taaweedh’, rather than putting his full life and trust in the Lord of the Worlds!


Guidance is to worship, invoke, believe and keep one’s full and unconditional trust in none but Allah Subhanah, the Lord of the Heavens and the earth and all that exists in between!


If a believer, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, seeks any protection for anything in life, all he has to do is seek refuge in Allah and supplicate Him for all His needs. For Allah Alone is the Owner of All Strength and Power; and no harm or no trouble can come to anyone without the permission of Allah Subhanah. Therefore, a believer must put his full and unconditional Trust in none but Allah Subhanah Alone.


Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 160:

If Allah helps you none can overcome you: if He forsakes you who is there after that that can help you? In Allah then let believers put their trust.


Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verse 3:

And put your trust in Allah Alone; and enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.


Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 51:

Say: "Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our Protector"; and on Allah let the believers put their trust.


Uqbah ibn `Amir narrates that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "If anyone wears an amulet (taaweedh), may Allah not help him in fulfilling his wish. If anyone wears a sea-shell around his neck, may Allah give him no peace."

Narrated by Ahmad and Al-Hakim.


An amulet (tamimah, taaweedkh, etc.) is a string of shells or beads that the Arabs used to put around their children`s necks, believing that it would protect them from the evil eye. Islam absolutely abolished this and all other superstitious practices. The Messenger of Allah (saws) called it a manifest form of ‘shirk’ and invoked the curse of Allah upon those who wore a ‘taaweedh’ seeking its protection.


It is reported from Ibn Mas`ud that once, when he entered his home, he noticed his wife wearing a knotted object round her neck. He took it away and broke it. Then he remarked: `The family of Abdullah has become so arrogant that they now associate with Allah those for whom He has sent down no authority.` I have heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) saying: `Verily, incantations, amulets, and love charms are acts of shirk (associating gods with Allah).` The people said: `O Abu Abdullah! We are familiar with incantations and amulets, but what is a love charm (altawlah)`?` He replied: `It is a sort of magical formula by which women sought to gain their husbands` love`." (Related by Al-Hakim and Ibn Hibban).


Imran ibn Hasin reports that the Messenger of Allah (saws) saw a man wearing a bracelet of copper on his arm. The Prophet (saws) exclaimed to him: `Woe be to you!` What is this? ` The man replied: `I am suffering from weakness (al-wahinah).` (Al-wahinah is a disease that causes pain in the shoulders and hands. The man was wearing a copper bracelet believing it would relieve his pain and suffering). The Prophet (saws) prohibited him from wearing it because he regarded it as an amulet. The Prophet (saws) said: `It will give you nothing but pain. Throw it away. Had you died while wearing it, you would never have achieved salvation! (ie. you would have died in the state of the unforgivable sin of ‘shirk’`" (Narrated by Ahmad)


Isa ibn Hamza said: I went to see Abdullah ibn Hakim and his face was red due to high fever. I said to him: `Why don`t you use an amulet?` He said: `We seek refuge with Allah from it. The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Whoever wears anything as an amulet will be entrusted to it". (Narrated by Abu Daw`ud)


Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

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