Boycott Israel [IslamCity] Second Coming: A bloody welcome for the Messiah? - BY MUNIR DAAIR (Khaleej Times)

[~ Faith ~]

)Second Coming: A bloody welcome for the Messiah?
BY MUNIR DAAIR 

10 August 2006 
  SEVENTY million Americans, almost one third of their country’s population, 
believe that the second coming of the Messiah will only happen if Israel rules 
the whole of Palestine. These represent the backbone of Israel’s Christian 
supporters in America, the so-called Christian-Zionists. Jews share this 
belief. However, for Jews, it is not the second coming; it is the first arrival 
of the ‘Moshiach’.   After all, the man whom the Jews reportedly crucified 2000 
years ago was a false Messiah, so they claim. But, it does not matter whether 
it is the 2000 years old crucified Messiah who is coming again or the new 
‘Moshiach’ who will make his first entrance. The rival adherents are agreed 
that someone is coming. 
  They are also agreed that before he comes, certain arrangements need to be 
made to welcome him. For starters, a river of blood must flow in the holy 
lands. Thereafter Armageddon must follow. Armageddon is that very bloody red 
carpet they will lay for the Prince of Peace, the Lord of justice who will 
restore Jerusalem to the Jews and their Christian-Zionist partners.   
  Having restored Jerusalem, making Israel the centre of world government, with 
Jewish law reigning supreme, our world will all come to an end. Just after the 
‘Moshiach’ puts things right, the end comes? What a pity. But will humanity 
live long enough to see this awaited Messiah and Armageddon? Indeed, is it God 
or the human beings who need Armageddon to bring the end of times? And who will 
determine the end of times, God or human beings? If it is the later, as all 
these killing fields testify, then, will God allow a place in His kingdom for 
those who took away from Him the initiative? On whose terms and whose timing 
will they enter that kingdom?
  Equally important, what kind of Messiah or Moshiach would wish to be ushered 
in by the blood of children and the old and the innocent? Should he still 
decide to come, to claim his worldly kingdom, over whose dead bodies will he 
reign? Those massacred in Deir Yasin, Safsaf, Sabbarin, Kafr Kassim and other 
villages eradicated 60 years ago, or those massacred in Sabra and Shatilla 20 
years ago, or those massacred at Qana in 1996 or in Marwahein, Baalbak, Bekka’a 
and Qana in 2006 or those still to be massacred? 
  If this awaited Messiah is the God fearing one we all know about, then his 
bloodied welcoming party will have a lot of explaining to do. 
  They will have to explain why homes have been bulldozed and millions have 
been thrown into the desert for generations. Why infants became adults under 
the scorching sun of the wilderness? Why peace was never given a chance, why 
olive branches were crushed and doves were killed? Why the innocence of 
children was not allowed to blossom? Why the womb of a pregnant woman was torn? 
Why water was diverted away from the thirsty? Why walls were raised to split 
families? Why thousands were taken away from their children and thrown in jail? 
Why hospitals were bombed and others denied medicines. 
  He will ask them, was it in my name that all these crimes were committed? Is 
this how you welcome your Messiah? For which crime have all these people been 
punished? Which religion granted you this right? Indeed, the Messiah will want 
to know which of their many false Messiahs taught them to commit these 
sacrileges.
  Demagogues have always used religion as a tool for their geo-political 
ambitions. Nothing is more self-serving for Zionism than the belief that the 
Messiah will not come unless Israel rules over the whole of Palestine. A belief 
Zionists promote in the most powerful country, using Christians themselves and 
the super-power’s own political agenda for the Middle East. And they care not 
how many children they sacrifice on the altar of the Promised Land or the New 
Middle East that Condoleezza Rice announced as we buried our dead children. We 
see now where their ‘moderation’ led the Middle East. We can only imagine the 
catastrophes that will come to pass while they await their Messiah. 
  But for now, we must deal with this catastrophe and its aftermath. Like all 
catastrophes, this one too has its positive side. It has removed another 
blindfold from the eyes of the Arab masses and put one more nail in the coffin 
of those who stood by as Lebanese and Palestinians were murdered in cold blood, 
their homes systematically destroyed.
  Arab leaders, uncaringly living in their opulence, those who silently watched 
the massacres and those who supported the enemy, not so silently, will 
ultimately have to answer to their people. This war is not about captured 
Israeli soldiers. This war is about the removal of resistance to Israel’s and 
American occupation of the Middle East, the Promised Land. It is also about 
maintaining the status quo represented by compliant Arab regimes. 
  The original intention was for Israel first to 

Boycott Israel [IslamCity] Experiment by A.Q.Alidost

[~ Faith ~]

  
Experiment 
   
  by A.Q.Alidost
   
   
  Hassan; “Is Music Haram?”
Jason: “How would I know, I’m a new convert”
Omar: “I’ve heard it’s haram”
Tariq: “Actually, from what I’ve heard, it’s not haram.”
  
Jason: “From what I’ve heard, cows can fly!”
Silence
Hassan: “ What do you mean by this, Jason?”
J: “Well, we can’t just assume things in our religion by hearing things around, 
right?”
Group agreed
J: “So why don’t we ask someone knowledgeable.”
O: “Here is Alidost, let’s ask him.”
H: “Alidost, salam alaikom”
Alidost: “Wa alaikumussalam, how are you guys doing?”
O: “We’re fine…”
J: “We have a question for you.”
A: “Shoot!”
H: “Is Music Haram?”
A: “Do you mean playing music, singing, buying and selling instruments, or 
listening to music? Or watching music videos? Participating in musical videos, 
playing music background in a movie or party…what is your question?”
H: “In general, can a Muslim listen to music”
A: “How would I know! I am not a scholar”
J: “Do you listen to music?”
A: “And since when I became your role model? You should ask if Prophet listened 
to music?”
H: “No no no, you’re making this complicated. I keep on hearing that music is 
haram.”
A: “ I don’t know, but I know one thing…”
Silence
T: “well?..what?”
A: “ Do an experiment”
O: What experiment
A: For three weeks, just listen to music. Your favorite ones. Do not listen to 
Qur’an at all. Listen to any music: classical, rap, rock, whatever you like.
O: For three weeks?
A: Yes, and now let me finish…yeah…for three weeks. Do NOT listen to any Qur’an 
tapes. And then for two weeks, just listen to Qur’an tapes, no music. At first 
it may be boring and hard, but be patient and imagine you are fasting from 
music. 
T: Then what
A: Keep listening ONLY to Qur’an tapes for two weeks, and listen to your 
favorite voices and recitations and translations for two weeks. 
H: OK
A: And then. After two weeks of only listening to Qur’an, try to go back to 
your favorite music and see how you feel. THAT should tell you if music is 
haram or not. 
   
  SOURCE:
  http://writers.oneummah.net/print.php?sid=500
 
  





***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom 
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue 
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone 
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy 
Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in 
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites 
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I 
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if 
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of 
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)  also said, Whoever 
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who 
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

Recommended:
http://www.ikhwanweb.com
http://www.islamonline.net
http://www.islam-guide.com
http://www.prophetmuhammadforall.org

--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in 
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved 
otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily 
digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your 
mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the 
title change to daily digest.  
Yahoo! Groups Links

* To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/

* To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

* Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 

Boycott Israel [IslamCity] Etiquettes of Reading and Handling the Qur'an al-Kareem

[~ Faith ~]

Etiquettes of Reading and Handling
the Qur'an al-Kareem
  
Imam Muhammad ibn Ahmad Qurtubi 
   
  




  In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

  By Him we seek Assistance.
   
  Some people, consider that it is lawful to handle the Holy Qur'an when not in 
the state of wudu. As we shall see, this view is contrary to the practices of 
the real Salaf as-Salihin.  
   
  In Summary  
It is unlawful (haraam) for someone not in the state of wudu to carry a Qur'an, 
even by a trap or in a box , or touch it, whether its writing, the spaces 
between its lines, its margins, binding, the carrying strap attached to it, or 
the bag or box it is in.   
   
  The opinion expressed in Fiqh al-Sunnah that it is permissible to touch the 
Qur'an without ritual purity is a deviant (shadh) view contrary to all four 
schools of jurisprudence (fiqh) that is Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali and 
is impermissible to teach (except to teach that it is deviant). It is 
permissible to carry books of Sacred Law (Shari'ah), hadith, or Qur'anic 
tafsir, provided that most of their text is not Qur'an. One should not 
use saliva on the fingers to turn the pages of the Qur'an. When one 
fears that a Qur'an may burn, get soaked, that a non-Muslim may touch it, or 
that it may come into contact with some filth, then one must pick it up if 
there is no safe place for it, even if one is not in the state of wudu or is in 
need of the obligatory bath, though performing the dry ablution (tayummum) is 
wajib if possible. It is haraam to use the Qur'an or any book of Islamic 
knowledge as a pillow. 

  Imam Muhammad ibn Ahmad Qurtubi   says inal-Jami' li ahkam al-Qur'an   
[Taken from Reliance of the Traveller]   It is the inviolability of the 
Qur'an:1. not to touch the Qur'an except in the state of ritual purity 
in wudu, and to recite it when in a state of ritual purity;
   
  2. to brush one's teeth with a toothstick (siwak), remove food particles from 
between the them, and to freshen one's mouth before reciting, since it is the 
way through which the Qur'an passes;
   
  3. to sit up straight if not in prayer, and not lean back;
   
  4. to dress for reciting as if intending to visit a prince, for the reciter 
is engaged in an intimate discourse;
   
  5. to face the direction of prayer (qiblah) to recite;
   
  6. to rinse the mouth out with water if one coughs up mucus or phlegm;
   
  7. to stop reciting when one yawns, for when reciting , one is addressing 
one's Lord in intimate conversation, while yawning is from the Devil;
   
  8. when begining to recite, to take refuge from in Allah from the accursed 
Devil and say the Basmala, whether one has begun at the first surah or some 
other part one has reached;
   
  9. once one has begun, not to interrupt one's recital from moment to moment 
with human words, unless absolutely necessary;
   
  10. to be alone when reciting it, so that no one interrupts one, forcing one 
to mix the words of the Qur'an with replying, for this nullifies the 
effectivness of having taken 
  refuge in Allah from the Devil at the beginning;
   
  11. to recite it leisurely and without haste, distinctly pronouncing each 
letter;
   
  12. to use one's mind and understanding in order to comprehend what is being 
said to one;
   
  13. to pause at verses that promise Allah's favour, to long for Allah Most 
High and ask of His bounty; and at verses that warn of His punishment to ask 
Him to save one from it;
   
  14. to pause at the accounts of bygone peoples and individuals to heed and 
benefit from their example;
   
  15. to find out the meanings of the Qur'an's unusual lexical usages;
   
  16. to give each letter its due so as to clearly and fuLly pronounce every 
word, for each letter counts as ten good deeds;
   
  17. whenever one finishes reciting, to attest to the veracity of ones's Lord, 
and that His messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) has delivered his 
message, and to testify to this, saying: Our Lord, You have spoken the truth, 
Your messengers have delivered their tidings, and bear witness to this. O 
Allah, make us of those who bear witness to the truth and who act with 
justice: after which one supplicates Allah with prayers.
   
  18. not to select certain verses from each surah to recite, but rather the 
recite the whole surah;
   
  19. if one puts down the Qur'an, not to leave it open;
   
  20. not to place other books upon the Qur'an, which should always be higher 
than all other books, whether they are books of Sacred Knowledge or something 
else;
   
  21. to place the Qur'an on one's lap when reading; or on something in front 
of one, not on the floor;
   
  22. not to wipe it from a slate with spittle, but rather wash it off with 
water; and if one washes it off with water, to avoid putting the water where 
there are unclean substances (najasa) or where people walk. Such water has its 

[IslamCity] Love, Marriage and Family

[~ Faith ~]

Love, Marriage and Family

  
Where in the world, are the Muslim youth getting their ideals about love, 
marriage and family? Are we turning to the Qur'ân and the Sunnah of the Prophet 
SallAllâhu 'alayhi wa sallam?
   Unfortunately, we do not.
   
  In the Indian subcontinent, we're turning to Indian films; In America and 
possibly the rest of the world, we're turning to Hollywood.
  Mumbai, a famous mainstream Indian film, features a Muslim girl who falls in 
love and ultimately marries a Hindu boy. At the beginning of the film, she is 
shown in niqab [veil]. After her family refuses to allow their marriage, the 
girl runs away and does not speak to them for six years. At the end her parents 
come to her and all are happy.
   
  Hollywood, one of the largest influences in the world, plays a huge role in 
the formation of concepts about love, marriage, and family. These films portray 
men and women who are 'in love.' And yet, often times the individual they 
'love' will be someone they just saw or spoke to briefly. Suddenly, however 
they are willing to lose their spouse, their family, their job, their life, and 
even their Lord. It is, therefore, more correct to say that they make these 
sacrifices because their desires have become their god. Allâh speaks of these 
people when He says:
   
  Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own vain desire? Allâh knowing 
[him as such] has left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart (and 
understanding), and put a cover on his sight. Who, then, will guide him after 
Allâh (has withdrawn guidance)? Will ye not then receive admonition?” (45:23)
   
  But yet these very same people that Allâh has described in His book as most 
astray have become our example and ideal. In 1998, Titanic, grossing more than 
1 billion dollars in sales worldwide, became the most popular movie across the 
globe. The story features a young girl of age 17 who is engaged to be married. 
After meeting and ultimately falling in love with another man, the young girl 
cheats on her fiancé and disobeys her mother. Both the mother and the fiancé 
are shown as superficial in order to make her disloyalty more acceptable.
   
  The messages of these films are very penetrating. The most powerful message 
is: if you sacrifice for 'love', all will be well in the end. In other words, 
if you disregard your religion, your family, your God, following only your 
desires, you will be rewarded in the end.
   
  If we look to America, we can see the clear effects of these misshapen 
concepts. 'Why has divorce reached the unprecedented rate of 40-60%? 
   
  The answer lies in the misconstrued definition of what true love and marriage 
actually is. These movies feature the wedding as the end of the movie, and thus 
marriage is seen as the end of a love story, rather than the beginning.
   
  Does Piety Matter?
   
  What effect does this have on our society, on our youth in particular, who 
are the victims of these misconstrued ideals. What is the basis of the love 
portrayed in these movies? 
  What criterion will young Muslims affected by these images use when choosing 
a spouse? Will they follow the Sunnah of the Prophet Sallallalhu 'alayhi wa 
sallam, who says the one who marries for Dîn [religion and conduct] is blessed? 
  Or, will they base their choice on an empty, fleeting attraction disguised as 
“love? If the youth begin to choose their spouses based on this ephemeral 
emotion rather than on Dîn, what effect will that have on the Ummah as a whole? 
Will not more families be broken due to divorce and strife? Will more youth not 
be forced to cut ties with their families (assuming they do not agree)?
   
  Thus, we should be aware and guard ourselves and our children from this 
deceptive tool of Satan. Allâh describes those people who only follow their 
desires numerous times throughout the Qur'ân. Let us not be among those who 
Allâh describes as most astray and let those not become our ideals.
   
  Who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, devoid of guidance 
from Allâh? For Allâh guides not people given to wrongdoing [28: 50]
   
   
  http://www.masjidulmuttaqeen.org/article_056.html
   
   
   

 

Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that 
which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire! (The Holy Qur'an 
2:201)  Ameen 




-
 New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 1GB of free storage!




 Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- 
Great things are happening at Yahoo! Groups.  See the new email design.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/TISQkA/hOaOAA/yQLSAA/TXWolB/TM
~- 

***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom 
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, 

[IslamCity] Heroic Deeds of Muslim Women - by: Syed Sulaiman Nadwi

[~ Faith ~]

 
  Heroic Deeds of Muslim Women 
   
  The history of Islam abounds in scores of such gallant actions on the part of 
Muslim women, but, unfortunately, they are not commonly known. 
   
  Prior to Islam, the Arab women used to accompany men to the battlefield. With 
their children, they remained behind the fighting lines and looked after the 
wounded soldiers, attended the horses, comforted their valiant husbands, roused 
their spirit by narrating the thrilling achievements of their ancestors, 
disarmed the dead soldiers of the enemy, rallied the panic-stricken fugitives, 
and guarded the prisoners. 
   
  The famous poet of Arabia, 'Umar Bin Kulthum, recites in pride: 
  Behind our ranks are beautiful and whitefaced women; we are always afraid 
lest they should be insulted, and the enemy take possession of them. These 
women have taken oaths from their husbands to show gallantry in the field of 
battle. They accompany us, so that they may take possession of, and arrest, 
enemies' horses and armaments. 
   
  These are the ladies of the family of Jashm b. Bakr, who not only possess 
beauty, but also have traditions both of family and religion. They look after 
our horses and they say, 'If you cannot protect us from the enemy you are not 
our husbands'. 
   
  Islam also maintained this tradition. Women always followed men in the Jihad. 
In the battle of Uhud, according to Bukhari, 'Ayesha (may God be pleased with 
her) carried a leather bag full of water to quench the thirst of wounded 
soldiers. She was helped in the task by Umm Salim and Umm Salit. 
   
  The traditionist Abu Nayeem relates that in the battle of Khaibar, half a 
dozen women of Medina followed the marching army. The Prophet (peace and 
Blessings of ALLAH be upon him) did not know of this and, when he (peace and 
Blessings of ALLAH be upon him)  was informed, he (peace and Blessings of ALLAH 
be upon him)  angrily asked them why they had come at all. They reverently 
answered that they had medicines with them, that they would nurse and dress the 
wounded, take out arrows from the bodies of the soldiers, and arrange for their 
rations. The Prophet (peace and Blessings of ALLAH be upon him)  allowed them 
to accompany the army, and, when Khaibar was conquered, he gave a share of the 
war booty to these women also. [1] 
   
  In a number of battles, Umm Salim and a few other ladies of the Ansar 
rendered similar service.[2] Rabi, daughter of Muaz, along with other women, 
performed the duty of carrying the martyrs and the wounded from the battlefield 
of Uhud to Medina.[3] Umm Raqida had a pavilion for the wounded, where she 
washed and dressed their wounds.[4] 
   
  Umm Zaid, Ashjiya, and five other ladies helped the Muslims during the battle 
of Khaibar, by working at spinning wheels. They picked up arrows from the 
field, and offered grain flour (Sattu) to the soldiers. [5] Umm Attiya cooked 
for the Companions in seven battles. [6] 
   
  Tabari writes of one occasion when the corpses of the Muslim soldiers lay in 
great numbers in the van. The group of men appointed for burying the martyrs 
commissioned women to look after the wounded. In the battles of Aghwath and 
Armath, fought in connection with that of Qadisiya, women and children dug 
graves. [7] 
   
  The battle of Qadisiya is described thus by a woman w o was present: When 
the battle was over, we (women) rushed forward daringly to the battlefield with 
rods in our hands and picked up the wounded Muslim soldiers. [8] 
   
  The above incidents, however, not only testify to the religious zeal, 
national enthusiasm, and heroism of Muslim women, but also detail the various 
duties they were called upon to perform from time to time. They did not shirk 
the humble and unpleasant chores: the digging of graves and the procurement of 
rations for the army. Not only did the women nurse the wounded in the rear, 
they also brought in the casualties from the battlefield. Not content with 
urging men to take a firm stand, sometimes, they actually helped them by 
joining in the battle. In short, no task was too difficult or too unpleasant 
for them to attempt. 
   
  If you examine the battles of the early period of Islamic history, you will 
find women engaged in these duties in the rear. The last mentioned services 
rendered by Muslim women require, however, some elaboration, and we will go 
into detail to show how nobly the weaker sex among the Muslims discharged this 
task. 
   
  The mother of Anas (ALLAH be pleased with him) b. Malik -the Prophet (peace 
and Blessings of ALLAH be upon him 's servant, Umm Salim, usuailly accompanied 
the Prophet (peace and Blessings of ALLAH be upon him) to the field. When 
Taleeb b. 'Umair adopted Islam and informed his mother of this, she said, You 
have sided with the man who deserved the most. Would that I had the strength 
and the ability of man, I would protect him and fight for him.[10] 
   
  In the battle of the Ditch, the Prophet (peace and 

[IslamCity] Question: Recitation of Shaikh Muhammad Al-Minyaoui

[~ Faith ~]

as salaam u alaykum

 

Is any one knowing where on net  can I find the audios of

the Quranic recitation by:

 

Egyptian Qari (reciter), Shaikh Muhammad Al-Minyaoui ?

 

He is the one who recited in the
The Life of the Last Prophet* by yusuf Islam 

 

please do reply as soon as possible 

 

wa salaam





 Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- 
Click here to rescue a little child from a life of poverty.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/phoW8D/gYnLAA/i1hLAA/TXWolB/TM
~- 

***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom 
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue 
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone 
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in 
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites 
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I 
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if 
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of 
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)  also said, Whoever 
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who 
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in 
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved 
otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily 
digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your 
mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the 
title change to daily digest.  
Yahoo! Groups Links

* To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/

* To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

* Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 

[IslamCity] Battle for Hasba bill will continue: Fazl

[~ Faith ~]

Battle for Hasba bill will continue: Fazl
From our correspondent 8 August 2005 

LAHORE — Muttahida Majlise Aml Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rehman declared here yesterday the religious alliance would continue its legal battle on Hasba bill and improve the system in NWFP, where the MMA is in power. 

He said at a news conference that the Hasba bill was in the interest of the province. The Supreme Court had declared various provisions of the bill unconstitutional and asked the NWFP governor to sign it.
Under the Constitution, the governor is obliged to assent the bill within 30 days of being referred to him or send it back to the provincial legislature for reconsideration. In case the assembly doesn’t change it and send the same to the governor, he has no option but to sign it.
Speaking on the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling on the Hasba bill, the MMA secretary general said that the SC judges had not taken oath under the 1973 Constitution and they were serving under the Legal Framework Order. “How can they (the judges) declare Hasba unconstitutional?” he asked.
The Maulana said the MMA wage a movement against the government’s plan to launch an operation against religious seminaries.
He said the religious seminaries were not involved in militancy or any other objectionable activity.
He held the government responsible for the worsening situation in Waziristan. Also, he said it was federal information minister Sheikh Rashid who ran various camps. Ulema, he said, should not be labelled for the activity. He asked the government to explain who was running camps in Mansehra.
He said the MMA was an enlightened and progressive party while General Pervez Musharraf is a reactionary and his claims of being enlightened were false.
He said if foreigners were a threat to the country’s security, the government should expel all foreigners from Pakistan. “There is no justification in expelling foreign students who have come to Pakistan on valid study visas,” he added.
Maulana Fazl said that madrassas were not promoting extremism, adding that the seminaries were producing true Muslims who loved humanity irrespective of creed or colour.
NNI adds: Maulana Fazal ur Rehman warned of launching a movement if the government tried to implement President Musharraf’s plan to expel foreign madarassa students. 
On July 29th, President Pervez Musharraf said 1,400 foreign students at madrassas, must leave the country even if they have formal visas.
“We will launch movement if the decision was not withdrawn,” Maulana Fazal ur Rehman told a news conference here.
He described the decision as ‘contrary to national interests’. He said the MMA will hold protest rallies against President Musharraf’s decision. He also condemned campaign against religious seminaries under the pretext of curbing extremism.
President Musharraf said he took the decision, the latest in a series of measures in his clampdown, because he did not want the madrassas "misused for extremism". 
The schools have been in the spotlight after one of the London bombers was reported to have studied at one.
Fazal criticised Lahore High Court decision to bar from local elections those candidates who have degrees from religious schools.__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com 






***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] 

[IslamCity] Delhi or Dehli or Dilli?

[~ Faith ~]

Delhi or Dehli or Dilli?WHAT’S in a name? Plenty, it seems. Some Indian historians have kicked off a passionate campaign demanding renaming of the capital Delhi as Dehli. The champions of Rename Delhi — oops, Dehli — cause argue that the British with their stiff upper lip in place couldn’t properly pronounce the traditional name of Mughal Dehli or Dilli. 

It’s argued that the imperial mispronunciation of Dehli as ‘Delhi’ came to be recognised as the right name. Which is a shame, insist the patriotic group of Indian historians. 
Well, at least this renaming of Delhi is not as drastic and unreasonable as Kolkata in place of Calcutta or Chennai instead of good ol’ Madras. 
But why, pray, bother to change Delhi to Dehli? What’s wrong with the much-reassuring Delhi? What historical wrongs will be instantly corrected, if Delhi is called Dehli? Patriotic fervour may account for this zeal to change the names of streets, cities, and countries, but it is patently inconvenient and often borders on the absurd. And more often than not, this preoccupation with the past assumes unreasonable proportions and sparks chain reaction. When Shiv Sena’s Bal Thackeray wanted to send home the message that he ran India’s financial capital, he renamed the cosmopolitan Bombay as Mumbai —a really dull name for a lively city. Which inspired the Tamil Dravidian parties to turn Madras into Chennai. Which in turn led to renaming of Calcutta as Kolkata by the Marxists. And now we are talking about Dehli!
Where is this going to end? Pride in one’s roots and historical past is fine but it is rather difficult to accept when it turns into an obsession inconvenient for everyone else. 
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/
Another news-report:
Name game debate continues as Indian cities shrug off colonial pastNEW delhi - India’s growing economy has turned a local debate global as foreign tourists arrive in greater numbers and investment in call centres grows -- is it Mumbai or Bombay? Chennai or Madras? Kolkata or Calcutta? [more...]
Sounds funny to me!
		Yahoo! Mail 
Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour






***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title change to daily digest. 





  




  
  
  YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS



  Visit your group "islamcity" on the web.
  To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
  Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.



  

[IslamCity] Fwd: Quraan: Our Weapon in the War of Ideas

[~ Faith ~]

 are in sharp conflict with the Islamic doctrine of Tauheed. 
It was precisely the type of shirk prevalent in Arabia during the time of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that has again found its way in the Muslim society. The Holy Qur'an is full of refutations and arguments against these beliefs and practices, especially the Surahs that were revealed in Makkah. In order to reform and rectify the religious beliefs and practices of the common Muslims, all we need to do is to start a movement of Turjuma-e-Qur'an (Translation of the Qur'an). For most Muslims, Arabic remains a foreign and alien language. What is needed, therefore, is to have brief sessions in the Masjids after the Fajir and/or Asr prayers every day, in which a small portion of the Qur'an is recited and its translation explained to the audience. We believe that no deep scholarship is required here, as the mere translation of the Qur'an is enough to remove the false beliefs and to promote genuine Islamic faith and practice.
 
2. Materialism: The dominant ideology of our times is materialism, not in the sense of a specific academic viewpoint but as the general mindset of the modern man. Although there are a number of philosophical systems popular in the world today, the underlying idea that is common in most of these systems is either a categorical or an implicit denial of all spirituality, metaphysics, and transcendence. 
The history of the present materialistic atheism goes back to the beginning of Christian religion. The innovations introduced by St. Paul in the original teachings of Prophet Jesus Christ had led to the genesis of a completely new and different religion. The highly irrational dogma of Trinity ultimately resulted in the divorce between two natural allies, religion and reason. The conversion of Caesar Constantine in 313 C.E., and of the entire Roman Empire during the next hundred years or so, was the starting point for the establishment of Christian theocracy in Europe. The huge vacuum created by the Pauline idea of abolition of the Mosaic law was then filled by the virtually unlimited authority of the Church, represented by the infallible Pope. During the Middle Ages, the Church and the clergy ruled the masses with an iron hand, oppressing and exploiting them in the name of religion, while discouraging any inclination
 towards science or rationalism. 
The Aristotelian system of cosmos, as adopted by Ptolemy, was incorporated into the Christian theology. As a result, when Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo opposed the Geocentric doctrine and proposed Heliocentric views based on their scientific observations, the Church condemned and vehemently opposed them as heretics, starting the unfortunate rivalry between Science and Religion. The scientific and rationalistic movement in Europe, therefore, cam face to face with the powerful religious establishment of the Church. The latter used all its resources to halt this new wave of progress towards knowledge and learning, but succeeded only in producing among the masses a deep mistrust of all thing connected with religion. The ruthlessly unfavorable attitude of the clergy caused a reactionary feeling of hatred against the Church, and then against the very idea of religion itself. 
The development of science and modern philosophy in Europe, therefore, was forced to take place in an environment which was hostile to religion, and this hostility has since then permeated deep down into the very roots of Western thought. The world-view and civilization that grew out of this materialistic frame of mind is characterized by a profound shift of emphasis — from God the Almighty to the material universe and laws of nature, from spiritual pursuits to sensual gratification, and from salvation in the life Hereafter to success and prosperity in this world. Scientism has largely been accepted as epistemology by the modern man, resulting in a profound weakening of the faith in God, in the soul of man, and in the life Hereafter. The influence of the prevalent atheistic philosophies is not restricted to the academicians, but it has permeated deep into the minds and life-styles of ordinary citizens.
 
The revival of Islamic faith in the present materialistic milieu is possible only by means of a powerful intellectual movement. The weapon to fight against the modern atheistic ideologies is nothing but the Holy Qur'an itself. However, the battle at this front cannot be won by merely explaining the translation of the Qur'anic verses. Instead, much more arduous efforts are needed in this regard. The envisioned intellectual movement should aim at effectively refuting the false claims of the scientific and empirical method as the only reliable source of knowledge. It should point out the logical flaws in the materialistic philosophies and disprove the un-Islamic features in the dominant Western paradigm. Such an intellectual movement can be started, and its momentum maintained, only by a team of dedicated and capable Muslim scholars

[IslamCity] The Tongue

[~ Faith ~]

The Tongue 
Pick Your Teeth! 
It's one of the greatest sins and yet it's something we do day after day. Sometimes we don't even realise it. You're just chatting away with your friends and you begin to talk about somebody else. Our whole lives are based around 'Home and Away' and 'Neighbours', soaps based on lying, backbiting etc. But look at what the Prophet (saw) said about it: The Prophet (saw) was sitting with his companions one day and one of them was speaking badly about someone who wasn't there. As the man got up to leave the Prophet (saw) said to him: "Pick Your Teeth!" "But I haven't eaten anything." The man protested. "No" the Prophet (saw) said "YOU HAVE EATEN THE FLESH OF YOUR DEAD BROTHER". As Allah tells us in the Quran "Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? No, you would hate it." (Ch49: v12) 
But What If It's True?! 
The Prophet (saw) told us "Backbiting is to say something about someone they wouldn't like said about themIf what bad you said about them is true, then you have backbited and if it is false then you have slandered them." (MUSLIM) 
If you're still not convinced of how big a sin backbiting really is, then look at the punishment Allah has in store for the backbiters. The Prophet (saw) described: "On the night of mirage I passed by some people who had metal hooks in their hands and were clawing at their faces and their necks with them. I asked Gabriel 'Who were these people?' He said 'These are the people who eat the flesh of human beings and disgrace them' (Abu Dawud). 
This is how big of a sin backbiting is looked upon and yet we continue to backbite without a second thought, next time you lie, talk about somebody, remember Allah (swt) and the Prophet (saw) and put them in front of you before you speak. 
Just having a Laugh! 
May be we think it's all right to take the mick out of someone so long as we say it to their face. 'We'll make fun of the way someone talks, walks, or how they look. Allah warns us against such behaviour: "O you who believe. Let not some men laugh at others, it may be the that they are better than you. Nor let some women laugh at others it may be that they are better than you. Nor abuse each other , nor be sarcastic to each other by using offensive nicknames..." (Ch49v11) 
Don't forget that Allah made us the way we are, so how can you even think of making fun of his creation? 
Cool to Swear? 
Listen to yourself and to your friends speaking one day - nearly every sentence will have a swear word in it, thinking it's cool and macho to swear, copying the idols of TV and the cinema. Is it really 'cool' to swear? The Hellfire is far from being cool. People will wish they were cool then rather than being cool in this world. Remember! That every time you speak , an angel writes down what you say, and that one day you will have to answer for every single word you ever uttered. So if you swear at someone then it's written down as a sin against you. You're only harming yourself. The Prophet (saw) said that "Abusing a Muslim is a sin and fighting with him is disbelief." (MUSLIM). 
'But sometimes you just have to swear'! 
We've all been there - you're just so angry with somebody and the only way you can express yourself, is to swear at them. The solution? ... 
Don't get angry in the first place 
A man came to the Prophet (saw) one day and said "Advise me". The prophet (saw) said "Don't become angry. Don't become angry. Don't become angry" 
"When one of you gets angry while he is standing up, he should sit down. Then anger will leave him, and if not then he should lie down" (Ahmad). So let us follow this beautiful advice of the Prophet (saw) and remember that anger is from shaitan. If someone angers you or swears at you then don't harm yourself by doing the same but respond in a better way as Allah says in the Quran "Repel evil with what is better. Then he who was your worst enemy will become your best friend." (Ch41v33) 
"It wasn't me. Honest." 
How often do we say such a phrase or say that "I was only joking". We treat lies as being trivial. However we are told that "Allah's messenger did not hate anything more than lying"(Ahmed). The Prophet (saw) was once asked "Can a Muslim be a coward?" He (saw) replied "Yes." and then asked "Can a Muslim be a miser?" and the reply was "Yes." The Prophet (saw) was then asked "Can a Muslim be a liar?" The Prophet (saw) replied "NO! A Muslim can never be a liar". Furthermore, he said "Truth leads to virtue and virtue leads to paradise...Lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to the hellfire." (Bukhari). As we know that one lie leads to another ten lies which lead to bad actions. Remember you can lie and think that you have got away with it but on the day of Judgement your hands, tongue and feet will bear testimony against you and tell the truth. 
But it's only words! 
One day one of the companions asked the Prophet (saw) "O Messenger of Allah. Will we be called to account for what we say?" He 

[IslamCity] Difference of Opinion: A Cause of Weakness?

[~ Faith ~]

Difference of Opinion: A Cause of Weakness? 
By Mazhar Khan Pathan
The most talked about topic amongst the Muslims is undoubtedly the issue of unity. The manifestation of disunity and proliferation of problems is there for all to see. Difference of opinion is seen by some to be the main cause for this. It is reckoned that until and unless Muslims can not agree on simple matters like prayers, as well as other 'simple' matters, unity can never be achieved. "If there is a right and a wrong how can two differing answers both be correct?", is a common question posed when the issue of disunity is discussed. Thus some see the difference of opinion amongst the Muslims as a major source of weakness and an obstacle on the path to unity. 
To clear the confusion surrounding difference of opinion and the issue of Muslim unity, a number of questions need to be answered.  
Is it Wrong for Muslims to Differ? 
In short, No. Evidence for this is an incident in which the Prophet (SAW) witnessed the companions disputing, but did not rebuke them for doing so. The incident relates to the dispute regarding the 'Asr prayer on their way to Bani Qurayzah. The Prophet instructed the companions to go and fight the Jews. He said, "Do not pray until you get to Bani Qurayzah". On route to Bani Qurayzah the time for 'Asr was drawing to a close. A dispute ensued. One group understood the prophet's command metaphorically, thinking that the Prophet (SAW) meant hurry up. A party of the believers prayed there whilst the others prayed after 'Asr time when they arrived at Bani Qurayzah. 
When they next met the Prophet (SAW) they asked him who was right and who was wrong. It is important to note the response. Only one of them could have been right, but the Prophet (SAW) did not point out who that was, rather he said, "Whoever performs ijtihad and errs will receive one reward. Whoever performs ijtihad and arrives at the correct answer gets double the reward." 
Had it been haraam to differ, the Prophet (SAW) would have rebuked those differing from the correct opinion and praised those who were right. This example teaches us to tolerate opposing Islamic opinions which are arrived at by those qualified to do so after performing ijtihad. 
The scholars in the past recognised this; "The most learned amongst the people is also one who is most knowledgeable of the difference amongst the people" (Ghazali, Shawkani, Abu Zahrah) 
Before performing Ijtihad it is a prerequisite for a scholar to be aware of all the differences on the issue at hand.   
3. What Causes Differences? 
They can occur due to a number of factors which include, 
a) Hadith Criteria. Different Muhaddith adopt different criteria of classifying hadith. For example Imam Shafi didn't take narration from people who use to eat while walking as he did not consider this as the characteristic of a just person. 
b) Adoption of usool. Scholars differed on the usools they adopted. Imam Malik regard the consensus of the people of Madinah as indication of the Prophet's sunnah, other scholars like Abu Hanifah and Ahmed bin Hanbal did not. 
c) Interpretation (literal/metaphorical). Like in the example of the Asr prayer, a difference can occur depending on the meaning taken from a word. The word 'Touch' in the Qur^Òan gave rise to a difference on the issue of cleanliness when touching a woman. Abu Hanifah said touch meant intercourse, where as Imam Shafi said the touch was the literal touch and not the metaphorical one, thus if a person touched the hand of a woman. he would lose his wudu. 
d) Arabic Language. A word can give rise to a number of meanings. The word Quru, can be understood as the period of impurity or the period in between as the word carries both meanings.   
Where Does it Occur 
This does not mean that difference can occur in all matters. There are two types of differences. Those that may arise and those that are invalid 
Difference can only occur where ijtihad is necessary, i.e. where either the text is not definite or the meaning is not definite. If both are definite, ijtihad is not permitted. A difference in this case would not be valid and would be rejected. 
Thus, there is no difference of opinion about not drinking alcohol, not eating pork, ruling only by the Shari^Òah or having only one leader for the Muslim ummah. 
In areas where valid differences may occur, it be can further be divided into two: 
a) Where differences may arise and are permitted to exist, i.e. differences regarding personal worships. 
b) Where differences may arise and are not permitted to exist, i.e. societal matters like buying and selling. 
In the former case, companions differed on various matters, but the companions as a whole, did not condemn the issue of having differing opinions. 
In the latter case for example Abu Bakr and Umar (RA) differed on issues relating to divorce and the distribution of money amongst the Muslims (i.e. societal matters). Regarding the divorce. Abu Bakr held that if talaq was 

[IslamCity] Nine great benefits of reciting the Quran

[~ Faith ~]

Nine great benefits of reciting the Quran
Indeed to reflect on Allah’s verses is a form of worship that will draw one close to Allah Most High. This reflection is not a reckless and wandering one, rather it includes a study of the classical tafseer of the verses being pondered over, as this would fulfil Ibnul-Qayyim’s great advice, “Such as reflecting over a book which a person has memorised and he expounds it so that he may understand what its author intends by it.” 
Indeed the Book of Allah is not a book like any other, it is the timeless Speech of Allah, not a created thing, the study guide for life and death and what comes after. Therefore it deserves a more careful study than anyone else’s speech. It necessitates that its reader return to the early narrations of those who witnessed its revelation and heard its explanation by the one deputed by Allah to rehearse and explain His Words to humanity (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). For if one would try to ponder over the meanings of the verses without having done this study, then surely the filth of the time that he lives in and his ignorance of the correct application and understanding that the early Muslims had would cause him to understand some things not intended by Allah Most High, and therefore he would go astray, thinking to be worshipping Allah. So every sincere Muslim who hopes to earn Allah’s Love breciting and reflecting over
 Allah’s Book, then let him hold tight to the meanings explained by the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), and those taught by the companions and their immediate followers, and the early scholars of Islam. 
So dear brother and sister Muslim! Know that reciting and pondering over the Book of Allah, devoting your time regularly to its study and implementation has tremendous benefits in this life and the Next, so let us now look to just a few of them to attach ourselves more firmly to Allah’s Majestic Words. Each benefit stands as enough of an encouragement to shun any laziness we have and dedicate ourselves to the Qur’an. 
1 - Reading and reflecting over the Qur’an fulfils an Islamic duty. 
Indeed the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) summarised this Religion with his statement: “The Religion is naseehah (sincerity)!” So then Tameem ibn Aws, may Allah be pleased with him, then said, “We asked, ‘To whom?’” He said: “To Allah, HIS BOOK, His Messenger, the leaders of the people, and their common folk.” [Muslim] The sincerity that is due to the Book of Allah includes its regular recitation, learning the rules of tajweed and reciting it beautifully, learning about its tafseer and the reasons for its revelation, affirming that it is the Truth, the perfect Speech of Allah and not part of the creation, honoring it and defending it, abiding by the orders and prohibitions found in it, teaching it and calling to it. [See Jaami’ul-’Uloom wal-Hikam of Ibn Rajab Al-Hambalee] So by reading and reflecting over the Qur’an, one fulfills an obligation and is rewarded for that. Upon fulfilling this obligation, the Qur’an then
 becomes a proof for him on the Day of Judgment! And that is our second benefit we will take by embracing this Noble Book... 
2 - The Qur’an will be a proof for us on the Day of Judgment. 
This is due to the statement of the Messenger: “And the Qur’an is a proof for you or against you.” [Muslim] So one of two things will occur with this proof, the Book of Allah. It will either be in your favor, a proof for you on the Day when you will need every single good deed, or it will be something standing against you, the very Speech of your Creator, a proof against you! Who could be saved from the terrors of that Day if Allah’s own Speech is against him?!?! Think carefully, dear Muslim brother or sister, about your position with the Qur’an! Are you neglecting it, contradicting it, being heedless of its orders and prohibitions, are you thinking deeply over it?! Will it be on your side on the Day of Judgment.?! O Allah! We ask you, by Your Glorious Speech and the rest of your beautiful Names and Attributes, to make the Qur’an a proof for us! O Allah! Don’t make the Qur’an a proof against us on that Day, and save us from the
 hellfire! For if Allah makes the Qur’an a proof in our favour on that Day, then it would also be an intercessor for us, when NO intercession will take place except by His Permission. 
3 - The Qur’an will intercede for us on the Day of Judgment. 
The proof: Aboo Umaamah relates that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Read the Qur’an, for verily it will come on the Day of Standing as an intercessor for its companions.” [Muslim] 
4 - Your status in this life will be raised. 
In Saheeh Muslim, we find a lovely story, about how a man from the people of Jannah, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, understood this principle. Some men came to question him during his khilaafah about the leadership of Makkah, they asked, “Who do you use to govern Makkah?” He said, “Ibn Abzaa.” They asked, “And who is Ibn 

[IslamCity] The True Nature of Sound Understanding

[~ Faith ~]

 
The True Nature of Sound Understanding

Jum`ah `Abd Al-`Aziz
In "Violence: Analysis  Cure," published by Al-Falah Foundation, Cairo, 1999.
Sound understanding is of crucial importance, as actions, perceptions and policies are based on it. Understanding also means knowledge, and precedes faith and action. Allah (swt) says in the Quran: "So know (O Muhammad) that there is no god save Allah." (Surah Muhammad, 47:19) And the Prophet (s) said: "When Allah wishes good for anyone, He provides him with the understanding (fiqh) of religion."

A big part of the crises of the present generation, is not really due to sincerity or enthusiasm to do good deeds, rather it lies in several confusions that prevent them from having a sound understanding of religion. We should remember that we are a nation in which each generation takes its examples from the previous ones. Imam Abu Hanifa (r) said: "News of the glorious deeds of preceding scholars is dearer to me than a lot of Fiqh".
Sound understanding requires a Balance between Following and Creativity
By following, we mean observing the footsteps of the pious ancestors who received the Divine Revelation, perfectly understood its teachings, and applied them in the best possible way. Therefore, they represent for us a good example to follow, as the Prophet (s) said: "Follow my sunnah and the practices of my rightly guided successors (Caliphs) and hold fast with them."
They witnessed the living experience of the Prophet (s), and therefore constituted the prominent generation throughout history. Creativity and continuous work should go side by side with following the steps of the righteous ancestors. What we should always remember is that knowledge is a gift from Allah (swt), so each generation could realise what the previous ones could not. But we should always dignify our ancestors, because it was only with their great efforts, sincerity before Allah (swt), jihad, understanding and purity of intention that the message has come to us.
Avoid Exaggeration
What we should avoid is exaggeration, as we should always remember that the first ones to exaggerate in their understanding of Islam and caused lots of crises in the ummah, were the "Khawarij" (The Revolters). The reason was not lack of sincerity or humility, or even insufficient ibada (worship), rather it was a deviation in their understanding, so they passed out of religion as the arrow passes through the hunted animal. On the contrary, their foreheads became sore due to frequent prostration (sujud), but it was of no use to them because they misunderstood Islam, and imposed their authority on other Muslims. The Prophet (s) said: "Avoid exaggeration in religion, as it has destroyed those who were before you." And, "The one who exhausts his horse (in travelling) would neither reach his destiny nor keep his horse." And, "Perished are the dogmatists (zealots)," i.e. those who are fanatics, exceeding the limits in what they say or do, and tend to
 overdo everything. Allah (swt) says in the Quran: "Say (O Muhammad) ‘O People of the Scripture! Exceed not the limits in your religion other than the truth.’" (Al Ma idah, 5:77)
Misunderstanding and exceeding the limits in religion is manifested in situations like: accusing Muslims of being disbelievers (Kafir), an accusation which is simply based on the slightest doubts they have against them. Some of them would set themselves as judges, declaring this one as Kafir (disbeliever), the other one as disobedient (Fasiq), that one is a tyrant and so on. Unfortunately, they have forgotten the serious consequences that would result from these unfair convictions. If they just stop for a minute to think about it, they would realise how dangerous is the crime they committed (against those people!).
Other Features of Deviation in Understanding
Exaggeration in love or hate is also a form of deviation in understanding. If you belong to a certain group, it does not mean that anyone who differs with you in opinion, is necessarily wrong, while you and your group are definitely right and possessing all the truth! Then you will be following the saying: "This one who is with me is a saint, and who is not a devil!" and "If you do not join me, then you are my enemy!"
This narrow-minded outlook would never result in a straight way of thinking. It would only kill and restrict the person who is embracing it, in his thinking and movement, and also in his dealings with the others.
Another kind of mentality which we need to avoid, is that of a Muslim who divides the text (verses of the Quran) into sections, dealing with it as entities independent of one another, i.e. he interprets verses out of their context instead of trying to take them as a whole and find the relation between the verses of the surah.
"Lowering the Garment"
Another case of misunderstanding is that con

[IslamCity] The psychological Wisdom of Prayers in Islam was proven in Science and Psychology:

[~ Faith ~]

The psychological Wisdom of Prayers in Islam was proven in Science and Psychology:
The sections of this article are:
1- The psychological Wisdom of Prayers in Islam was proven in the Science of Psychology.2- The Psychological and Scientific Proofs.3- Conclusion.
The total number of minutes of the 5-daily Prayers in Islam are approximately 15 to 20 minutes, except for Friday, where the noon Prayer lasts for about 1/2 hour, because Muslims spend most of it listening to the Sheikh's (Minister) preaching. The Friday prayer was really made to be a weekly meeting for the local Muslim community to get educated and to stay with the events that are effecting the Muslims. The Preacher, or Sheikh, would choose a topic and talk about it for about 20 minutes, with providing Islamic quotes and references to help strengthen his points and argument.
Anyway, the Wisdom of Prayer in Islam is to 
(1) Create a Spiritual connection between Allah Almighty and the person;
(2) To relief the person's mind completely from life's stress and issues, by taking a mental and physical break.
Please visit: Can we use other than the language of Arabic when we pray to Allah Almighty?, to see the Quranic Proof about the Wisdom of Prayer being for creating a spiritual connection between the Muslim and Allah Almighty.
Having said all of that, let us now look at what psychologists have to say about taking a daily 15 to 20 minute mental and physical break:

The Psychological and Scientific Proofs:

This article was taken from: http://www.selfsoulcenter.org/generic.html?pid=5 
Stress Relief 
Mindbody Medicine: Stress  Acute Stress Disorder, What you can do to help yourself! by Rod Birney MD
The Stress of Our Lives:Even before the terrorist attack of September 11, most of us would say we already had stressful lives. The pace and demands of modern life can feel overwhelming and threatening. Stress is a normal physiologic response to help us meet threat or danger, real or perceived. The stress response sends blood away from our skin and digestive systems and to our muscles and brain mobilizing our energy to attack or move away. 
One teacher gave me the example of the stress and relaxation response in a deer he observed. The deer smelled danger. His whole body tensed, respiration, heart rate, muscles all poised to flee. The danger passed and the deer began to have twitching in his muscles as he relaxed to resume grazing. 
The Problem :The stress response becomes problematic when it is chronic, when there is never a time or a place that feels safe for us to relax and resume the normal pattern of our lives. When our nervous and hormonal systems stay in a constant state of hyper vigilance to danger we begin to burn out. 
Additionally when the stress involves witnessing or experiencing events that involve actual or threatened death, many people may initially experience fear, helplessness, or horror. A common pattern of symptoms may arise. This is called acute stress disorder.  
Symptoms of acute stress disorder may include: -Dissociative symptoms of numbing or detachment.-Decreased awareness of surroundings, depersonalization, derealization, dissociative amnesia.-The traumatic event may be re-experienced through recurrent images, thoughts, dreams, flashbacks, sense of reliving the experience, or distress upon exposure to reminders of the event.-Avoidance of stimuli that arouse recollections of the trauma, ie thoughts, feelings, conversations, activities, places, people.-Increased arousal, anxiety, difficulty sleeping,-Irritability, poor concentration, hyper vigilance, exaggerated startle response, motor restlessness ( the fight or flight response). 
When the perceived threat is life threatening, or there are multiple, continual stresses, the stress response is more intense.
Many people in our nation and the world today live in continual danger. In the inner city gang violence creates an environment where the danger is constant and real. Over 500 million people in the wold everyday are in the constant stresses of the danger of battle, imprisonment, torture, or starvation. 
What To DoRelaxation Response: Humanity has known for thousands of years that there are certain techniques or skills that help us relax as human beings. It was not until the 70?s that more formal research was being done. Herbert Benson MD from Harvard who is a cardiologist and others started doing pioneering research on relaxation techniques including meditation, diaphragmatic breathing, imagery/visualization, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness repetitive christian prayer, autogenic training, repetitive exercise. He found all of them, if done over time had similar physiological responses, and reversed the effects of the stress response. 
Note The Muslims' total of 15 to 20 minutes 5-daily Prayers included repetitive physical exercise, meditation, and freeing of mind from the natural life and connecting with GOD Almighty.
Continuing with the article.
Benefits 

[IslamCity] Hijab: Not just a Head Cover, but a Code of Conduct for a Believing Woman

[~ Faith ~]

 
Hijab: Not just a Head Cover, but a Code of Conduct for a Believing Woman
Faiza Abdullatif
Sydney, New South Wales
Lecture presentation on the 11 November 2000 at the Canterbury Community Centre (Lakemba),
organised by the Bangladesh Community Women’s Committee.
http://www.famsy.com/salam/Hijab.htm
The issues relating to women’s dress in Islam have been dealt with on many occasions, nevertheless it keeps recurring! Muslim women seem to be confused or unclear about what the Quran and the ahadith state on this subject of great importance. Thus in this discussion will be presented a summary of what is available on the subject; focusing on the evidences from the Quran and ahadith relating to hijab and its requirements. It is hoped that this discussion will, inshaAllah, help us realise that hijab is not only the way that we Muslim women dress, but also the way we behave and conduct ourselves in public and in the presence of non-mahram (strange, marriageable) men.
At the beginning, it should be clarified that there is absolutely no doubt that hijab is an order from Allah (swt) and not a cultural practice as claimed by some Muslims.
Evidence from Quran and Hadith
First verse relating to hijab: "Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and to guard their modesty. That is purer for them. Verily, Allah is acquainted with all that they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and to guard their modesty, and not to display their adornments, except that which ordinarily appears thereof, and to draw their head-veils over their necks and bosoms, and not to reveal their adornments except to their own husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers, or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants free of physical desires, or small children who have no sense of women’s nakedness. Let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they conceal of their hidden ornaments. And turn unto Allah altogether, O you Believers; in order that you may attain success."
 An Nur (24:30-31)
The general meaning of this verse is clear except for the intent of Allah’s (swt) command: "…and not to display their adornments, except that which ordinarily appears thereof…". According to Al-Kanadi its meaning has been translated as: "The believing women are not to display anything of their adornments except that which ordinarily appears thereof". The scholars have differed over the precise meaning of the phrase "except that which ordinarily appears thereof".
As mentioned by Al-Qurtubi (cited in Al-Kanadi) the view of the Companion Ibn Masood is that: "By the appearance of adornments is meant the (woman’s) clothes". Ibn Jubair’s view was that it is "The face". Sa’eed bin Jubair, ‘Ata and Al-Awzaa’i include the face, the two hands and the garments. Ibn ‘Abbas, Qataadah and Al-Miswar bin Makhrama said: "By this phrase is meant the wearing of kuhl, bracelets, hand dye and other things of that nature, which are permitted for a woman to wear and for others to see displayed on her." At-Tabari mentions similar ahadith to those mentioned previously in his commentary of the Quran. At-Tabari stated that the intended meaning regarding what may be displayed of the woman’s body is "the face and the hands."
The Hanbali School of Fiqh (Jurisprudence) as well as some Shafi’ee scholars are of the view that a woman’s entire body should be covered and that the meaning of the verse is as follows: "The woman is not to display any of her adornments whether they be natural (like the beauty of the face) or acquired (like jewelry, hand-dye, or eye-shadow). However she is exempted from blame for whatever accidentally appears thereof, without any willful intention to show them on her part. According to this view a woman must make every effort to cover her whole body at all times in front of a male stranger. Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi and Abu Bilal Al-Kanadi state that this view is of a minority of the scholars of Fiqh.
Thus, the view of At-Tabari, Sheikh Qaradawi and Al-Kanadi is that the most correct of all the rulings is that the intended meaning is "the face and the two hands." This view is also supported by the fact that all scholars agree that a woman is allowed to uncover her face and hands during acts of worship such as salah and hajj (i.e. it is not considered to be part of the ‘awrah, if it were `awrah then it would have to be covered). [Al-Qurtubi cited in Qaradawi] Thus the obvious meaning for the exception made in the verse mentioned is that it refers to the face and hands. Further proof is a hadith of the Prophet (s) reported by Aishah (ra) which states: "Asmaa’ the daughter of Abu Bakr (ra) entered into the presence of Allah’s Messenger (s), wearing thin transparent clothing, so the Messenger of Allah turned away from her saying: ‘O Asmaa’, if a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it is not allowed that any of her should be
 seen 

[IslamCity] Fwd: HARRY POTTER’S MAGIC

[~ Faith ~]

fw:ABC 123 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: 
Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2005 01:50:54 -0700 (PDT)From: ABC 123 [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: HARRY POTTER’S MAGIC
 
HARRY POTTER’S MAGIC

Faiyaz Khan
Brisbane, Queensland

It will come as a surprise to many Muslims that the third major sin (out of 70) mentioned in the classical work of Imam Adh-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him), Al-Kaba’ir (The Major Sins) is magic. It is worth noting that in the learned Imam’s opinion magic was the third major sin in Islam, only after shirk (polytheism) and murder respectively.

In the age of Harry Potter, witches, vampire slayers and all sorts of other magical creatures and characters, we must stop and take account of what we are reading and watching. Magic has become something that is thought to be harmless and part of everyday entertainment. Like homosexuality, adultery, drug use, fornication, nudity and the like, all have become norms in our society, so much so that we do not have a second thought about these things when confronted by them.

Allah (swt) tells us in Surah al-Baqarah (chapter 2) where magic came from and how it was taught to the people: "… (the shaiyateen (satans)) taught witchcraft to the people and that which was revealed to the two angels, Harut and Marut in the city of Babylon. Yet these two angels never taught magic to anyone without saying: ‘We have been sent to tempt you; do not renounce your faith.’ In spite of this warning those people kept on learning, from the angels, the magic which could cause discord between husband and wife; although they could harm none with it except with Allah’s permission. They learned, indeed, what harmed them and did not profit them; even though they knew fully well that the buyers of magic would have no share in the happiness of the Hereafter. Surely, they sold their souls for a bad price, if they could understand it!" (Q2:102)

The above ayah (verse) makes it quite clear that whosoever indulges in magic and practices the secret arts, that person becomes a disbeliever, as the statements "do not renounce your faith" and "that the buyers of magic would have no share in the happiness of the Hereafter". In other words, to practice magic is kufr (disbelief). Imam Adh-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that: "The prescribed punishment for an (unrepentant) magician is death, since magic constitutes unbelief in Allah and is a source of spreading unbelief among the people" (p.16).

The above statement of the Imam is from a hadith of the Prophet (s) who declared that: "The prescribed punishment given to a magician is a stroke with the sword" (p.17). [The Imam classified the hadith as sound].

Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) also gave instructions during his caliphate that every magician whether male or female was to be put to death.

In Surah Al-Falaq [113:4] in the Qur’an, Allah tells us to seeks His Protection "from the evil of malignant witchcraft". Imam Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) states in his tafseer (commentary) that this ayat refers to sorcerers. 

In Sayyid Qutb’s (may Allah have mercy on him) tafseer, In the Shade of the Qur’an, he states that the above ayat "refers to the various types of magic, whether by deceiving physical senses or by influencing people’s will power and projecting ideas onto their emotions and minds. Magic is the production of illusions, subject to the magician’s designs, and it does not offer any kind of new facts or alter the nature of things" (p.360).

He goes on to state that this is proven by the reference in Surah Ta Ha, of the incident where Musa (alayhis salaam) was challenged by the magicians of Egypt: "The magicians said: "O Musa! Will you throw down first or shall we?" Musa replied: "Go ahead, throw down first". Suddenly it appeared to Musa as if their cords and staffs were moving about because of their magic, and Musa conceived fear within himself. We said: "Do not be afraid! You will surely come out on top. Throw that which is in your right hand. It will swallow up every thing they have produced. What they have produced is nothing but a magician’s trick, and a magician can never succeed against a miracle no matter how skilful he may be." [20:65-69]

In his concluding remarks on the subject of magic, Sayyid Qutb states that, "It is indeed an evil from which Allah’s protection needs to be sought" (p.360).

So this would mean that if Harry Potter were a real person living in a Muslim country under Islamic Shari‘ah (Law), he would be punished for practising magic. This would apply to all other magical characters as well. It is needless to say then that all such movies, books, comics, cartoons, computer games, etc. would be banned in an Islamic state. This would shock and surprise many Muslims today. Many would see this as radical, extremist and fundamentalist!

The ruling on magic in Islam is quite clear from the Qur’

[IslamCity] Love for the Prophet (Pbuh)

[~ Faith ~]

fw:
Love for the Prophet (Pbuh)


Action, Not words, is the Criterion

Commentary by Adil Salahi





“Messenger of Allah, what about a man who loves some people but cannot match their good deeds?” The Prophet replied: “You, Abu Zarr, will be with those whom you love.” Abu Zarr said: “I love Allah and His messenger.” The Prophet replied: “You will be with whom you love.”




All over the Muslim world, people speak of “loving the Prophet (Pbuh)” as the ultimate virtue. Unless one loves the Prophet from the depth of one’s heart, one is not a true Muslim, or so we are told. They say that it is genuine, deep, profound love for the man who taught us Islam which ensures salvation in the hereafter. Everyone, therefore, should work hard for the achievement of that pure love if he cares about what happens to him in the life to come. 
There is no doubt that these people are well meaning and genuine in their belief. To them, loving the Prophet is an ideal to be always cherished and conveyed in all forms and modes of _expression_. Hence, they often speak of it, try to impress on others the overriding need of loving the Prophet (Pbuh) genuinely. They praise the Prophet (Pbuh) in their ordinary speech and in gatherings held specially for the purpose. 
When you speak to such people trying to understand why they attach so much importance to loving the Prophet (Pbuh) they will tell you that they only want to make sure of being admitted into heaven in the hereafter. To love the Prophet (Pbuh) is the shortest way to achieve that goal. In support of their argument they quote the Hadith in which the Prophet says to Abu Zarr, one of the companions: “You, Abu Zarr, are with those whom you love.” They will point out that this Hadith refers to the hereafter and that the Prophet is the only one who is absolutely certain to be in heaven. If you want to be with him in heaven then you must love him. 
That is a perfectly sound argument in as far as it goes. The Hadith they quote enjoys a good degree of authenticity and the idea it expresses is correct. Moreover, when the Prophet (Pbuh) said it, it was in context of loving Allah and His messenger. We may wonder, then, why scholars and others always tell us that we must do all sorts of things by way of worship and implement a strict code of conduct in order to stand a chance of being forgiven our sins and scrape through to heaven. 
In order to understand all that, we need to look at the Hadith carefully and to understand what sort of love ensures that high degree in heaven. The Hadith in question is related by Al-Bukhari in his priceless book Al-Adab Al-Mufrad and also related by Ahmed, ibn Hibban, Abu Dawood and others. It is attributed to Abu Zarr himself who states that he said to the Prophet” “Messenger of Allah, what about a man who loves some people but cannot match their good deeds?” The Prophet replied: “You, Abu Zarr, will be with those whom you love.” Abu Zarr said: “I love Allah and His messenger.” The Prophet replied: “You will be with whom you love.” 
It does not take much reflection on the words and meaning of this Hadith to understand that its framework is that of action, nor sentiment. Abu Zarr, the noble and conscientious companion of the Prophet (Pbuh) phrases his question in his typically modest way. He is not satisfied with what he does in the service of Islam. He believes that others are far ahead of him in this respect. His love of the Prophet (Pbuh) is, however, genuine and sincere. He wonders what he should do in order to catch up with those who are recognized to be better servants of Islam. Hence, he specifies in his question that he is asking about catching up with their work; that is, their good deeds in the service of Islam. The question he puts to the Prophet (Pbuh) is about “a man who loves some people but cannot match their good deeds.” So, an effort is made by him, but he views that effort as modest and unsatisfactory. Hence, he wonders what will happen to him. Will be have a
 chance to be with those whom he loves? 
The Prophet (Pbuh), who knew everyone of his companions thoroughly well, immediately recognized what was troubling Abu Zarr. He, therefore, reassures him that he will be with the ones he loves. Abu Zarr was a man of true faith and a conscience which was always alert. Moreover, ever since he became a Muslim, he showed that he was prepared to make any sacrifice that was required of him. In the Tabuk expedition which was meant as a test to all the companions of the Prophet (Pbuh), the task the Prophet (Pbuh) set was very hard indeed. The Muslim army traversed the desert from Madinah to Tabuk, a distance of 1,000 km, in the blazing sun of the hot summer days. Those who did not have camels to ride had no hope of joining the army. Abu Zarr had no hope of joining the army. Abu Zarr had but a weak camel. After having travelled some distance, his camel kept falling behind. When he realized that he ran the danger of not being able to catch up

[IslamCity] Ahad, Ahad !!

[~ Faith ~]

Ahad, Ahad !! 
Why shed these tears of sorrow? 
Why shed these tears of grief? 
Ya nafsy how soon you forget, 
After trials come sweet relief 
Why turn you from Ar-Rahman? 
Why yearn for a listening friend? 
Ya nafsy, do you not remember, 
On ALLAH (SWT), you must depend? 
Have you not read those stories, 
Of the trials in days gone by, 
Of the Sahabi beloved by ALLAH (SWT), 
Who for ALLAH (SWT)'s cause did strive? 
Why loosen your hold upon him? 
Why fling away, 
His outstretched Hand? 
Ya nafsy, do you not remember, 
Bilal's Sabr on the blazing sand? 
" Ahad! Ahad!" He cried,
While his flesh did drip and burn. 
"Ahad! Ahad!" He cried, 
To ALLAH (SWT) alone he turned. 
Have you forgotten the firmness of Hamza, 
As the gleaming swords did fall? 
With Sabr he turned to ALLAH (SWT), 
As the Quraish did slice and maul. 
Why drown in salty tear drops? 
How can you dare compare your pain? 
To that of Yasir and Summayah, 
As they lay tortured on the scorching plain?
Have you forgotten the charring of Khabbab, 
As on burning coals he lay? 
Ya nafsy how meagre your suffering, 
Wherefore do you lose your way? 
Why befriend you not Al-Wali? 
Why not in Salat to Him complain? 
Like Job who only to Allah, 
Turned in all his grief and pain? 
Forget you that trials in this life, 
Cleanse your heart and make it clean? 
Ya nafsy, why all this sadness? 
Do you not wish your heart to gleam? 
Be patient in all your hardships, 
ALLAH (SWT) hears your cries of woe. 
So trust Him and His Hikma, 
For He knows best and not you. 
So tighten your hold upon him,
Lest He withdraw His outstretched Hand! 
And remember the example of Bilal, 
As he lay anchored on the blazing sand. 
"Ahad! Ahad!" he cried, 
While his flesh did drip and burn. 
"Ahad! Ahad!" he cried, 
To ALLAH (SWT) alone he turned. 
Author unknown 
http://www.ahmed2004uk.blogspot.com/ 






















Moderator:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/
"Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!" (The Holy Qur'an 2:201) Ameen __Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com 



***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title change to daily digest. 



  
  





  
  
  YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS



  Visit your group "islamcity" on the web.
  To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
  Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.



  

[IslamCity] What Does Jihad Mean? - Jamal A. Badawi

[FAITH]

What Does Jihad Mean?
 Jamal A. Badawi, Ph.D.
Professor of Religious Studies
St Mary’s University, Halifax, NS, Canada

The Qur’anic Arabic term Jihad has been commonly mistranslated as “Holy War”. The original Qur’an is in Arabic, not English. The Arabic equivalent of the English _expression_ “Holy War” is “ Harb Muqaddasah”, an _expression_ which is not found anywhere in the Qur’an or in the authentic sayings of the Prophet of Islam. Even when the Qur’an speaks about defensive war, it never glorifies it or calls it “Holy”, but as something which is inherently hated [2:216-217]. However, as a last resort, it may be better [than doing nothing in the face of aggression or oppression]. Furthermore, the term “Holy War” means,
 lexically, a fight on behalf of one religion against the other [s]. There is no verse in the Qur’an that condones fighting any peaceful non-Muslim on the sole ground that he/she is a non-Muslim. The Qur’an prohibits compulsion in religion [2:256] and even allows some form of interfaith marriage. For example, a Muslim male may marry a Jewish or Christian woman [5:5]. It may be argued, from religious perspectives that the _expression_ “Holy War” is a contradiction of terms as there is nothing “Holy” about war and its results; bloodshed, destruction and human suffering. It may be a lesser evil, but not holy in itself.
It may be useful then to find out the meaning of “Jihad” in both its literal and religious meanings. Jihad is an Arabic term derived from the root “JHD” which means, literally, to strive or exert effort. The term Jihad and other similar terms derived from the same root are used in the Qur’an [the Muslim holy book] and in Hadeeth [sayings of Muhammad, Prophet of Islam] in three contexts. Firstly, it is used in the context of prayers, doing righteous deeds and self-purification; inward Jihad or struggle against evil inclinations within oneself [Qur’an, 22:77-78; 29:4-7]. Secondly, it is used in the context of social Jihad, or striving for truth, justice and
 goodness in one’s relationship with other humans. Examples of this usage include the payment of charity to the needy [49:15] and striving to persuade those who reject God’s prophets 
by referring to the arguments presented in the Qur’an [25:51-52]. Thirdly, it is used in the context of the battlefield, which is often called, more specifically, Qital, which means fighting. That later form; the combative Jihad, is allowed in the Qur’an for legitimate self-defense in the face of unprovoked aggression or in resisting severe oppression, on religious or other grounds [2:190-194]. No other verse in the Qur’an, when placed in its proper textual and historical context, permit fighting others on the basis of their faith, ethnicity or nationality [60:8-9]. The Qur’an recognizes plurality in human societies, including religious plurality, as part of God’s plan in creation [10:19; 11:118-119]. It calls for peaceful and respectful dialogue, not forced conversion whether through war or other forms of coercion [3:64, 16:125, and 29:46].

Combative Jihad is not only restricted in terms of what may or may not justify it, it is also strictly regulated. Prophet Muhammad taught how to behave in the battlefield. As an “hated act”, war should not be resorted to if other peaceful and just means may stop aggression or oppression. Intentions must be pure and no selfish personal or nationalistic agenda should be the driving force. There must be a declaration of war by a legitimate authority after due consultation. No non-combatants should be hurt. All must refrain from looting and unnecessary destruction. Prisoners of war and the injured must be treated
 humanely. 

It should be noted, in the long history of Muslim people, there were times when such conditions and rules were adhered to and other times where there were violations in differing degrees. There were also some misinterpretations of the concept by some scholars, possibly influenced by the circumstances of the world in which they lived. The fact remains, however, that Islamic teachings are not to be driven by either what some Muslims did or are doing today, nor by misinterpretations, past or present. It is a duty of Muslim scholars to clarify these issues to both Muslims and Non-Muslims alike. Some are already doing that in the pursuit of the true Qur’anic vision of a peaceful and just society and world.

Postal Address : 
Attn: Dr. Jamal Badawi
Department of Mangement,Saint Mary’s University, Nova Scotia, 
Halifax B3H 3CE, Canada. 
Tel (Res.): 902-4452494 
Tel (Off.): 902-4205776 
Fax: 902-4205119 























***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who

[IslamCity] Encouragement and Criticism:Killing Your Child's Enthusiasm

[FAITH]

Encouragement and Criticism:Killing Your Child's Enthusiasm
By Ibrahim Bowers
Parents, sometimes with their comments or attitude can have a negative influence on their children, unknowingly. Discussed below are some of these pitfalls and ways of avoid them.Enthusiastic Children
"Mommy! Daddy! Look at what I did!" Children, their faces beaming with joy, running to their parents to show them "something special" is an everyday occurrence and an extremely important one.The treasure they hold in their hands might be a picture they have drawn or painted, a card they have made, a word they have written, or their report card from school. Whatever it is, they are very happy and can't wait to show mom and dad. Wrong Ways to Handle Children's Enthusiasm
What parents do in these situations can have a tremendous impact on children's lives. Sometimes parents will immediately start complaining and finding fault in everything. "Don't interrupt me right now! I'm busy!" they might say. Or they might start criticizing the child's treasure itself. The face is not drawn perfectly, the word is not written neatly enough, you should have gotten all A's. That B+ is not good enough. The heartbroken child, with his head hanging sadly, walks away maybe to give up ever trying to improve his drawing, his writing, or his school work. He tried. It wasn't good enough. Why try anymore?Certainly, evaluation and positive criticism are sometimes necessary to teach children how to do better next time. However, at this stage, it is probably much more important to recognize our children's efforts than the results of those efforts.If their enthusiasm for learning and trying is stifled at a young age by too much
 negative criticism, it will be difficult to renew their enthusiasm later. If, on the other hand, parents begin with good words, look for the positives in their work, and compliment it, they will encourage their children to do more and more. And chances are, the children will get better and better at what they are doing. Proper Ways to Handle Children's EnthusiasmCompliment Children's Achievements Timing is very important in this. Parents should learn to recognize the signs. Sometimes children want to show parents what they have done in order to hear them say how good it is. In these cases, point out and compliment the positives first, then point out some of the negatives and suggest ways to correct them. Look for Positive in Children and Encourage itAt other times, children may take their parents something
 with a questioning look on their face. They know something is wrong with their work, and they want their parents to tell them how to fix it. If they are looking for help, this is the time to show them a better way without belittling them. Always look for the positive and encourage it first. The negatives should be played down and given in a spirit of advice, not criticism. Children usually believe in themselves. If asked if they can draw a picture, for example, they will usually say that they can. They are confident in their abilities. However, if parents belittle, criticize, and make fun of their work, they will lose this confidence. It is the parents' responsibility to fan the flames of their children's enthusiasm, not to put out the fire.

Source:
www.soundvision.com


















***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title change to daily digest. 

[IslamCity] Ibn Sina (Avicenna) - doctor of doctors by Dr. Monzur Ahmed

[FAITH]

Ibn Sina (Avicenna) - doctor of doctors

by Dr. Monzur Ahmed




Ibn Sina was born in 980 C.E. in the village of Afshana near Bukhara which today is located in the far south of Russia. His father, Abdullah, an adherent of the Ismaili sect, was from Balkh and his mother from a village near Bukhara. 
In any age Ibn Sina, known in the West as Avicenna, would have been a giant among giants. He displayed exceptional intellectual prowess as a child and at the age of ten was already proficient in the Qur'an and the Arabic classics. During the next six years he devoted himself to Muslim Jurisprudence, Philosophy and Natural Science and studied Logic, Euclid, and the Almeagest.
He turned his attention to Medicine at the age of 17 years and found it, in his own words, "not difficult". However he was greatly troubled by metaphysical problems and in particular the works of Aristotle. By chance, he obtained a manual on this subject by the celebrated philosopher al-Farabi which solved his difficulties.
By the age of 18 he had built up a reputation as a physician and was summoned to attend the Samani ruler Nuh ibn Mansur (reigned 976-997 C.E.), who, in gratitude for Ibn Sina's services, allowed him to make free use of the royal library, which contained many rare and even unique books. Endowed with great powers of absorbing and retaining knowledge, this Muslim scholar devoured the contents of the library and at the age of 21 was in a position to compose his first book.
At about the same time he lost his father and soon afterwards left Bukhara and wandered westwards. He entered the services of Ali ibn Ma'mun, the ruler of Khiva, for a while, but ultimately fled to avoid being kidnapped by the Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna. After many wanderings he came to Jurjan, near the Caspian Sea, attracted by the fame of its ruler, Qabus, as a patron of learning. Unfortunately Ibn Sina's arrival almost coincided with the deposition and murder of this ruler. At Jurjan, Ibn Sina lectured on logic and astronomy and wrote the first part of the Qanun, his greatest work.













He then moved to Ray, near modern Teheran and established a busy medical practice. When Ray was besieged, Ibn Sina fled to Hamadan where he cured Amir Shamsud-Dawala of colic and was made Prime Minister. A mutiny of soldiers against him caused his dismissal and imprisonment, but subsequently the Amir, being again attacked by the colic, summoned him back, apologised and reinstated him! His life at this time was very strenuous: during the day he was busy with the Amir's services, while a great deal of the night was passed in lecturing and dictating notes for his books. Students would gather in his home and read parts of his two great books, the Shifa and the Qanun, already composed. 
Following the death of the Amir, Ibn Sina fled to Isfahan after a few brushes with the law, including a period in prison. He spent his final years in the services of the ruler of the city, Ala al-Daula whom he advised on scientific and literary matters and accompanied on military campaigns.
Friends advised him to slow down and take life in moderation, but this was not in character. "I prefer a short life with width to a narrow one with length", he would reply. Worn out by hard work and hard living, Ibn Sina died in 1036/1 at a comparatively early age of 58 years. He was buried in Hamadan where his grave is still shown.
Al-Qifti states that Ibn Sina completed 21 major and 24 minor works on philosophy, medicine, theology, geometry, astronomy and the like. Another source (Brockelmann) attributes 99 books to Ibn Sina comprising 16 on medicine, 68 on theology and metaphysics 11 on astronomy and four on verse. Most of these were in Arabic; but in his native Persian he wrote a large manual on philosophical science entitled Danish-naama-i-Alai and a small treatise on the pulse.
His most celebrated Arabic poem describes the descent of Soul into the Body from the Higher Sphere. Among his scientific works, the leading two are the Kitab al-Shifa(Book of Healing), a philosophical encyclopaedia basedupon Aristotelian traditions and the al-Qanun al-Tibbwhich represents the final categorisation of Greco-Arabian thoughts on Medicine.
Of Ibn Sina's 16 medical works, eight are versified treatises on such matter as the 25 signs indicating the fatal termination of illnesses, hygienic precepts, proved remedies, anatomical memoranda etc. Amongst his prose works, after the great Qanun, the treatise on cardiac drugs, of which the British Museum possesses several fine manuscripts, is probably the most important, but it remains unpublished.
The Qanun is, of course, by far the largest, most famous and most important of Ibn Sina's works. The work contains about one million words and like most Arabic books, is elaborately divided and subdivided. The main division is into five books, of which the first deals with general principles; the second with simple drugs arranged alphabetically; the third with diseases of 

[IslamCity] WAKE UP MUSLIMS

[FAITH]

WAKE UP MUSLIMS

http://www.nustconsulting.com/wakeup1.html

Make sure Sound is enabled 
and Speakers are ON 
 
you need flash player to view this file 






Moderator:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/

Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that 
which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire! (The Holy Qur'an 
2:201)  Ameen 























-
Discover Yahoo!
 Stay in touch with email, IM, photo sharing  more. Check it out!




 Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- 
Would you Help a Child in need?
It is easier than you think.
Click Here to meet a Child you can help.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/sTR6_D/I_qJAA/i1hLAA/TXWolB/TM
~- 


***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom 
(i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue 
with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone 
astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in 
His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites 
(men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I 
am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if 
Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of 
camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)  also said, Whoever 
calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who 
follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in 
any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved 
otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily 
digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your 
mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the 
title change to daily digest.  
Yahoo! Groups Links

* To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/

* To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

* Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 

[IslamCity] The Revelation Of The Glorious Quran

[FAITH]

on: ieb_quran_direct_confrontation1.htm From the very first day that the Prophet began preaching his message of monotheism, he summoned people also to a realistic vision of the world. When inviting them to faith, he addressed their wisdom and intelligence and called on them to use their eyes and their ears to perceive the truth. · Do we deserve the Qur'an ? ieb_quran_deserve.htm The student of the Qur'an will find out that, Qur'an is telling us that the messengers of Allah will lead the people from darkness into the light and that nowhere in the Qur'an does Allah tell us a
 story of a community misled by its messenger or given the wrong teachings by him. The student of the Qur'an will find out that, Qur'an is telling us that the messengers of Allah will lead the people from darkness into the light and that nowhere in the Qur'an does Allah tell us a story of a community misled by its messenger or given the wrong teachings by him. earth." 
http://www.whyislam.org/877/Divine_Revelation/Revelation.asp

























***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title change to daily digest. 








Yahoo! Groups Links

To visit your group on the web, go to:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

[IslamCity] El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz or Malcolm X

[FAITH]

El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, or Malcolm X as he is better known among countless non-Muslim Americans, was a man of great intelligence and charisma. His life story goes back to his days as a young man. The son of a Garveyite (a follower of Marcus Aurelius Garvey) who remembered throughout his life the brutal manner in which White racists killed his father. Mr. Shabazz was born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925, the fourth of eight children of Rev. Earl Little, a Baptist preacher from Georgia, and his wife, Louise, a West Indian woman who was light skinned enough to pass for White. Because of his background Malcolm Little imbibed much of the rage of suspicion of White America which his father felt before his murder. Condemned to live in a hostile American society without wealth or effective parental direction, Malcolm Little got lost in the wilderness of sin and crime. He got involved in a number of illegal activities which eventually
 landed him in jail. In his now famous autobiography, ghostwritten by Alex Haley of Roots fame, Mr. Shabazz paints a gloomy picture of life for a Black youth in those days of racial bigotry and Black victimization in American society. He tells us in the book that his life changed after his brother had introduced him to the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. The message from this leader of the Nation of Islam was designed to de-inferiorize Blacks in the US who had been told repeatedly that their color and race condemned them to eternal damnation in America’s social system. According to Ron Karenga, the prominent African-American activist and essayist during the Civil Rights struggle of the 1960s and 1970s, there are six aspects to the doctrine of the Nation of Islam, as advocated by Elijah Muhammad. The first and most fundamental "is the posing of Islam as the true religion of Black people and Christianity as the religion of their opposite and enemy, the White people." The second "is the
 contention that Allah (God) is in reality a Black man and the Black man is God." The third is that Black people "are a Chosen People who are righteous by creation and righteous by nature." The fourth is that "the White man is the devil himself." The Fifth is that "separation on the social and political level from White was a divine imperative." The sixth aspect of Elijah Muhammad’s theory stresses "the need for racial and Islamic solidarity throughout the world." He argued that, inspite of Euro-American machinations, people in the developing countries are destined to unite because they all belong to the Original People.
In an attempt to understand the spiritual journey of Malik Shabazz, we must examine how he related to these ideas of Mr. Muhammad and the manner in which his life changed following his encounter with the orthodox Islam.
Malcolm Little, the convert to the Nation of Islam, changed his name to Malcolm X and became a strong and forceful champion of Mr. Muhammad’s philosophy. His efforts at proselytization took the message of the Nation of Islam to every nook and corner of the Black community in the United States. Malcolm X, as the national spokesman of the Nation of Islam, was perhaps the most potent force behind the publicity of the Black nationalist religious body in the United States and overseas. His speeches in colleges and universities and on television and radio galvanized a large number of young Blacks in American ghettos. Many of these Blacks would later embrace the NOI philosophy and become active defenders and promoters of their adopted faith. Malcolm X’s activities on behalf of the NOI created a tense atmosphere in the late 1950s and early 1960s. At the time in US history the civil rights movements was bent on desegregating American life
 and society. In order to do so a coalition of Blacks and Whites was needed. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Urban League and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference formed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others, were the advocates of change. They had earlier scored a victory over the segregationists when the US Supreme Court struck down racist laws which mandated separate educational facilities for 40 percent of US school children located primarily in the southern states. Entering the field of struggle around this time, Malcolm X taught Black Americans his master’s message: "Blacks and Whites cannot live together and agitation for integration is suicidal." This message reverberated in the firmaments of Black debates throughout the lifetime of Mr. Muhammad. Although the followers of the NOI were not prominent in Black leadership circles, the visibility and dynamism of Malcolm X gave the NOI more attention than its members warranted
 at the time. Many analysts of the civil rights movement saw the message of Malcolm X and the NOI as an alternative to Dr. King’s message of change without violent struggle. Inf

[IslamCity] Submission to God by Alija Izetbegovic (Ex- President of Bosnia)

[FAITH]

Submission to God
Extract from Alija Izetbegovic's magnum opus: Islam Between East and West.
Alija Izetbegovic (8 August,1925 -19 October, 2003) , the venerable lawyer, politician and author from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Izetbegovic died in hospital in October 2003 after becoming ill following a fall at his home in September. His funeral was attended by over 150,000 Bosnians. 


 
"Our goal: the Islamisation of Muslims. Our methods: to believe and to struggle."The following essay is from Izetbegovic's 'Islam Between East and West': Nature has determinism, man has destiny. The acceptance of this destiny is the supreme and final idea of Islam. Destiny -- does it exist and what form does it take? Let us look at our own lives and see what has remained of our most precious plans and the dreams of our youth? Do we not come helplessly into the world faced with our own personality, with higher or lower intelligence, with attractive or repulsive looks, with an athletic or dwarfish stature, in a king's place or in a beggar's hut, in a tumultuous or peaceful time, under the reign of a tyrant or a noble prince, and generally in geographical and historical circumstances about which we have not been consulted? How limited is
 what we call our will, how tremendous and unlimited is our destiny! 

Man has been cast down upon this world and made dependent on many facts over which he has no power. His life is influenced by both very remote and very near factors. During the Allied invasion of Europe in 1944, there was, for a moment, a general disturbance in radio communications which could have been fatal for the operations under way. Many years later, the disturbance was explained as a huge explosion in the Andromeda constellation, several million light years away form our planet. One type of catastrophic earthquake on the earth is due to changes on the sun's surface. As our knowledge of the world grows, so does our realization that we will never be complete masters of our fate. Even supposing the greatest possible progress of science, the amount of factors under our control will always be insignificant compared to the amount of those beyond it. Man is not proportional to the world. He and his lifetime me not the measuring units of the pace of things. This is the
 cause of man's eternal insecurity, which is psychologically reflected in pessimism, revolt, despair, apathy, or in submission to God's will. 
Islam arranges the world by means of upbringing, education, and laws. That is its narrower scope; submission to God is the broader one. 
Individual justice can never be fully satisfied within the conditions of existence. We can follow all Islamic rules which, in their ultimate result, should provide us with the "happiness in both worlds"; moreover, we can follow all other norms, medical, social and moral but, because of the terrific entanglement of destinies, desires and accidents, we can still suffer in body and soul. What can console a mother who has lost her only son? Is there any solace for a man who has been disabled in an accident? 
We ought to become conscious of our human condition. We are immersed in situation. I can work to change my situation, but there are situations which are essentially unchangeable, even when their appearance takes a new look, and when their victorious power is veiled: l must die; I must suffer; I must fight; I am a victim of chance; I get inevitably entangled in guilt. These basic conditions of our existence are referred to as "the border situations."[1] Sure, "man is bound to improve everything that can be improved in this world. After that, children will still go on dying unjustly even in the most perfect of societies. Man, at best, can only give himself the task of reducing arithmetically the sufferings of this world. Still, injustice and pain will continue and, however limited, they will never cease to be blasphemy."[2] 
Submission to God or revolt -- these are two different answers to the same dilemma. 
In submission to God, there is some of every (human) wisdom except one: shallow optimism. Submission is the story of human destiny, and that is why it is inevitably permeated with pessimism: for "every destiny is tragic and dramatic if we come down to its bottom."[3] 
Recognition of destiny is a moving reply to the great human theme of inevitable suffering. It is the recognition of life as it is and a conscious decision to bear and to endure. In this point, Islam differs radically from the superficial idealism and optimism of European philosophy and its naive story about "the best of all possible worlds." Submission to God is a mellow light coming from beyond pessimism. 
As a result of one's recognition of his impotence and insecurity, submission to God itself becomes a new potency and a new security. Belief in God and His providence offers a feeling of security which cannot be made up for with anything else. Submission to God does not imply passivity as many people wrongly believe. In 

[IslamCity] Jihad: Waging Peace and Justice by Prof. Mohamed Elmasry

[FAITH]

Jihad: Waging Peace and Justice
by Prof. Mohamed Elmasry 
1. The word Jihad (from the Arabic root Ga-Ha-Da) is a verbal noun meaning exerting an effort, expounding an energy, striving, working to improve, struggling, doing one's best. 
From the same Arabic root, there is Majhood (effort), Mojtahed (a person who does his/her best), Ijtehad (Islamic science of deducting Islamic laws from basic sources), Johid (potential or energy as in electrical potential or energy) and Jihad (persuasion as in (29:8), (31:15), (6:109)). 
2. Jihad in Islam is waging peace and justice. Jihad is a war against unjust, oppression, exploitation, tyranny, fear, corruption and denying the masses basic human rights (4:75-76) and to establish justice, peace, freedom, especially freedom of religion, security, equity and social justice (2:193). 
The tools for launching this war are knowledge, effort, resources, activism, awareness, praying, persuasion, combativeness, advocacy in addition to exercising social, political and military pressures (9:111), (8:60), (9:44-45). 
The use of the military option is not ruled out and would be used if and only if it is the only option to stop a greater evil (2:216). The rules of engagement are so strenuous for a given military option to qualify as Jihad. Not every military campaign is a Jihad (2:244). 
3. Jihad in Islam is not meant for domination, and not to achieve personal, territorial and/or economical gains and not to exercise power and control. Any type of aggression would make Jihad null and void (2:190-191). 
4. One of the most important objectives of Jihad in Islam is to stand for those who are oppressed and/or forced out of their homes just because of their religion (22:39-40). 
5. Those who are performing outward Jihad must also spiritually reform themselves by performing (al-jihad al-akbar), an inward personal and more difficult type of Jihad (29:69), (22:78). 
This type of Jihad is the internal spiritual and moral struggle which should lead to the victory over the ego. This is an important, necessary, and meritorious type of Jihad. In effect, this type of Jihad is the one which we wage against our lower selves, according to the Prophetic traditions. This personal effort made to overcome the self is considered to be "the greatest Jihad", as mention in a Hadith narrated by Imam Ahmed. 
6. It is impossible for Jihad to be performed by an oppressor, a tyrant, a transgressor or an exploiter; it does not matter what that person/government/group calls his/her/its actions. Nor there is Jihad for those who are after personal, tribal and national gains (9:24). 
It is precisely in such a context that Jihad meant not to have a negative but a positive meaning both inwardly and outwardly and it is in this sense that Islam has stressed the positive aspect of combativeness; peace belongs to those who are inwardly at peace and outwardly at war with the forces of unjust. 
7. Jihad is an unselfish and noble effort for the good of humanity (29:6), involving many sacrifices; money, time, effort, and the ultimate sacrifice of all, life itself. But the rewards of this unselfish and noble act are immense (29:69), (9:41), (4:74), (3:142), (9:16), (9:111), (49:15) and its negligence is costly for humanity (9:38-39), (9:24), (9:81). 
8. For political and historical reasons, the word Jihad in the West connotes violence. It is most often translated into English not only as "a holy war," but also a war waged against non-Muslims, a kind of Crusade in reverse. 
Today in the West the term Jihad leads people to believe that Muslims are supposedly encouraged to take up arms in order to impose their faith by force, annihilating those who reject it. 
This is contrary to the Islamic teachings that it is not for man but for God alone to judge and punish disbelief and that compulsion in religious matters is formally forbidden (2:256). It is regrettable that in Western public opinion, Jihad seems to have retained only the misleading meaning of "holy war." 
9. The Qur'an explicitly safeguards the clergy, declaring that God protects non-Muslim places of worship: "Did not God check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of God is commemorated in abundant measure." 
This prohibition is corroborated and elucidated by the Prophetic tradition which forbids soldiers to do harm to any religious persons, whereas they could logically have been the primary targets if the motive of "holy war" had been religious. 
Without putting Western civilization on trial, we should nevertheless mention by way of contrast that several centuries later, the founders of international law in Europe excluded the Muslim "infidels" from the benefits of the law of wars. Yet, the concept of "holy war" remains branded as the _expression_ of the Muslims’ religious fanaticism. How i

[IslamCity] Emphasis on seeking forgiveness

[FAITH]

 of arrogance. He suggests that he is in no need of God’s help. Hence, his attitude is an affront to God. The Prophet is quoted by Abu Hurairah as saying: “He who does not pray God incurs His anger.” In another version, the Prophet is quoted as saying: “He who does not pray Him incurs His anger.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, At-Tirmithi, Ibn Majah, Ahmad). It is therefore right to conclude that supplication is one of the most important
 duties a believer owes to God. To avoid what incurs God’s anger is certainly obligatory. A person who often prays God does well because he makes his requests of the One who is able and willing to answer.
An important area for supplication is to pray God to repel harm from us. The Prophet has taught us a short supplication and recommended us to say it three times each morning and three times each evening in order to be spared all harm. Al-Bukhari and Muslim relate the Hadith in which Uthman ibn Affan states that he heard the Prophet saying: “He who says three times every morning and three times every evening: ‘(I appeal) by the name of God, whose name prevents all harm by anything in the Earth or in the heavens, He is the all-hearing, all-knowing’, will not be harmed by anything.” (Related by Al Bukhari, Muslim and others). The Arabic text of this supplication is as follows: “Bismillahi allathi la yadurru ma’ ismihi shay’un fi al ardhi wala fi assama’, wa huwa asamee’ al-aleem.” It is sufficient to say that this Hadith tells us of a form of supplication which ensures that nothing can inflict any harm on us when we say it three times
 early in the morning, after dawn has broken and three times after sunset. I have heard many people confirming that they have acted on the Prophet’s advice repeating this prayer as he has instructed and found that it works as the Prophet has said. I can add further confirmation from my own experience. 
However, the chain of transmitters of this Hadith includes Aban ibn Uthman who reported it once after he had suffered partial paralysis. His interlocutor looked at him in his condition. Aban realized that he wanted to ask him about his illness. He said to him: “The Hadith by the Prophet is as I have told you. It so happened that on the day this occurred to me, I had not said it. Thus, God’s will was done.” The version related by Abu Dawood, quotes Aban’s explanation as follows: “But on the day on which I suffered this, I had been angry and I forgot to say the supplication.” It tells a great deal of Aban’s firm faith in the truth of everything the Prophet has said to continue to teach this Hadith despite his paralysis and to explain it the way he has explained.











026.083"O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me,and join me with 
the righteous; 026.085 And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of 
Delight," (THE HOLY QUR'AN) ameen 
MODERATOR
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/

		Yahoo! Mail Mobile 
Take Yahoo! Mail with you! Check email on your mobile phone.



***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title change to daily digest. 








Yahoo! Groups Links

To visit your group on the web, go to:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

[IslamCity] Islamic Expressions

[FAITH]

Islamic Expressions

Words of Islam - Every Muslim should remember these essential expressions. Say When; 1.Meet a Muslim:Assalam-u-Alaikum - Peace be upon you 2.A Muslim greets you: Walaikum Assalam - And peace be upon you 3.Meet a Muslim:Assalam-u-Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh - Peace and mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you 4.A Muslim greets you:Walaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh - And peace and mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you 5.Before making a beginning:Bismillah - In the name of Allah 6.For _expression_ of thanks:JazakAllah - May Allah reward you 7.For _expression_ of thanks:JazakAllahu Khair - May Allah reward you for the good 8.Responding to someone’s thanks:BarakAllahu Feekum - May Allah bless you 9.By way of saying good-bye:Fi Amanullah - May Allah protect you 10.For praising something:Subhaanallah - Glory be to Allah 11.For expressing a
 desire to do something:Insha Allah - If Allah wishes 12.Repenting for sins before Allah:Astaghfirullah - I beg Allah for forgiveness 13.For expressing appreciation of something good:Masha Allah - As Allah has willed 14.For showing gratitude to Allah after success or even after completing anything:Alhamdulillah - Praise be to Allah 15.The end of a Dua or prayer:Aameen - May it be so 16.Whenever say the name of Prophet Muhammad:Sal Allahu Aleihi Wasallam /Alaihi salaam - Peace be upon him (S.A.W.) 17.Whenever say name of male companion of the Prophet: (Sahabi)Radi Allah Anhu - May Allah be pleased with him (R.A.) 18.Whenever say name of female companion of the Prophet:Radi Allah Anha - May Allah be pleased with her (R.A.) 19.Plural form of saying companions of the Prophet:Radi Allah Anhum - May Allah be pleased with them (R.A.) 20.this is uttered as an _expression_ of sympathy of the news of some loss or some
 one's death:Innaa Lillaahi Wa Innaa Ilayhi Raaji'oon - To Allah we belong and to Him is our return










026.083"O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me,and join me with 
the righteous; 026.085 And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of 
Delight," (THE HOLY QUR'AN) ameen 
MODERATOR
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/

		Discover Yahoo! 
Have fun online with music videos, cool games, IM & more. Check it out!



***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title change to daily digest. 








Yahoo! Groups Links

To visit your group on the web, go to:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

[IslamCity] Quoting the Bible for Dawah Purposes

[FAITH]

Quoting the Bible for Dawah Purposes

Q. I heard a Maulana saying that it is Biddat to quote the Bible to do Daw’ah to the Ahle-Kitab (People of the Book; i.e. the Jews and the Christians). I would like to get the answer from Dr. Zakir Naik whether it is allowed as he very often quotes the Bible.
A. Although majority of the Muslim Scholars find nothing wrong in the act of quoting the scriptures of Ahle-Kitaab (People of the Book; i.e. the Jews and the Christians) for the purpose of Daw’ah, there are some Muslims who harbour a misconception that it is wrong to do so. Some of the Scholars among them state that ‘those Muslims who quote the Bible are doing Bid’ah’. It will be pertinent to know the relevance of the evidence provided by these people to substantiate their claim. The only Hadith that is very often quoted by them is as follows:
 
“Narrated Jabir Ibn Abdullah :

Umar ibn al-Khattab brought to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) a copy of the Torah and said: ‘Allah’s Messenger, this is a copy of the Torah’. He (Allah’s Messenger) kept quiet and he (Umar) began to read it. The colour of the face of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) underwent a change, whereupon Abu Bakr said: “Would that your mother mourn you, don’t you see the face of Allah’s Messenger?’ Umar saw the face of Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) and said: ‘I seek refuge with Allah from the wrath of Allah and the wrath of His Messenger. We are well pleased with Allah as Lord, with Islam as religion, and with Muhammad as Prophet’. Whereupon Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said : ‘By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, even if Moses were to appear before you and you were to follow him, leaving me aside, you would
 certainly stray into error; for if (Moses) were alive (now), and he found my prophetical ministry, he would have definitely followed me’.
(Sunan Ad-Darimi, Vol. 1, Hadith No. 435) 

Based on the Hadith quoted above, some scholars insist that it is forbidden for the Muslims to quote the Bible, regardless of the purpose behind quoting it since the Prophet (pbuh) expressed his displeasure when Umar (R.A.) read the Torah. However, here the objection of the prophet (pbuh) was mainly on reading the Torah for guidance, as can be understood by Umar’s prompt reafiirmation and satisfaction with Allah as lord, with Islam as religion and with Muhammad (pbuh) as messenger. The Prophet’s (pbuh) remark further clarifies that even if Moses was alive, he would have definitely followed him, meaning Moses (pbuh) too would have followed the Qur’an and the teachings of Muhammad (pbuh). Thus those Muslim Da’ees who quote the Old Testament or the New Testament of the Bible for the purpose of Daw’ah do not quote it with
 the intention of following them or seeking guidance from them, because the ultimate and the best of the guidance is found in the last and the final testament, the Glorious Qur’an and the authentic Ahadith. Says Allah in the Qur’an:

“This day have I perfected your religion for you completed my favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Al-Qur’an 5:3)

With regards to quoting the Bible for the purpose of Daw’ah, the authentic sources of knowledge of Islam indicate beyond any doubt that it is permissible for the Muslims to do so.

Let us first analyse the following verse of the Qur’an :

Say : “O people of the book! Come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not from among ourselves Lords and patrons other than Allah.” If then they turn back say: “Bear witness that we (atleast) are Muslims (bowing to Allah’s will).”

In the verse quoted above, Allah instructs Muslims to invite the Ahle-Kitab to common terms, with the first term being the oneness of Allah. How will a Muslim get to common terms without knowing the terms of the faith of Ahle-Kitab? It is either through studying their scriptures, or is it to be presumed that all Muslims are well versed with their term ? If a person tries to know the common terms just by looking at the followers of Christianity, he will be in a dilemma as to what the common terms are, because majority of the Christians believe in many diverse concepts, several of which are contrary to the teaching of the Bible.

Let us analyse some more verses of the Qur’an :

“ All food was lawful to the children of Israel except what Israel made unlawful for itself before the Law of Moses was revealed. Say: “Bring you the Law (Torah) and study it if you be men of truth.” (Al Qur’an
 3:93)

Allah also says : And they (the jews and the Christians) say: “None shall enter paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian”. Those are their (vain) desires. Say :” Produce your proof if you are truthful.” (Al-Qur’an 2:111)

In the verse Quoted above Allah (swt) commands us to demand for proof for the claims of the Jews and the Christians. And they have produced the only proof they have – i.e. the Bible, in over two thousand

[IslamCity] TAUBA

[FAITH]

splay their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands their fathers their husbands' fathers their sons their husbands' sons their brothers or their brothers' sons or their sisters' sons or their women or the slaves whom their right hands possess or male servants free of physical needs or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah that ye may attain Bliss.Chapter no.9, Ayat no.102-104102. Others (there are who) have acknowledged their wrong-doings: they have mixed an act that was good with another that was evil. Perhaps
 Allah will turn unto them (in mercy): for Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.103. Of their goods take alms that so thou mightest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf. Verily thy prayers are a source of security for them: and Allah is one who heareth and knoweth.104. Know they not that Allah doth accept repentance from His votaries and receives their gifts of charity and that Allah is verily He the Oft- Returning Most-Merciful?Chapter no.6, Ayat no.5454. When those come to thee who believe in Our Signs say: "Peace be on you: your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy: verily if any of you did evil in ignorance and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct) lo! He is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful."Chapter no.66, Ayat no.8O ye who believe! turn to Allah with sincere repentance: in the hope that your Lord will remove from you your ills andadmit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow the Day that Allah will not permit to be humiliated the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their Light will run forward before them and by their right hands while they say "Our Lord! perfect our Light for us and grant us Forgiveness; for Thou has power over all things."Chapter no.4, Ayat no.18Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil until death faces one of them and he says "Now have I repented indeed"; nor of those who die rejecting faith: for them have We prepared a punishment most grievous. 
Chapter no.3, Ayat no.90-9190. But those who reject faith after they accepted it and then go on adding to their defiance of faith never will theirrepentance be accepted; for they are those who have (of set purpose) gone astray.91. As to those who reject faith and die rejecting never would be accepted from any such as much gold as the earthcontains though they should offer it for ransom. For such is (in store) a penalty grievous and they will find no helpers.Chapter no.39, Ayat no.53-5553. Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft- Forgiving Most Merciful.54. "Turn ye to your Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will)
 before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped.55. "And follow the Best of (the courses) revealed to you from your Lord before the Penalty comes on you of a sudden while ye perceive not!- -Chapter no.4, Ayat no.147What can Allah gain by your punishment if ye are grateful and ye believe? Nay it is Allah that recogniseth (all good) and knoweth all things.Chapter no.42, Ayat no.25-2625. He is the One that accepts repentance from His Servants and forgives sins: and He knows all that ye do.26. And He listens to those who believe and do deeds of righteousness and gives them increase of His Bounty: but for the Unbelievers there is a terrible Penalty.Chapter no.2, Ayat no.286On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray): "Our Lord! condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; help us against those who stand against faith." 










026.083"O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me,and join me with 
the righteous; 026.085 And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of 
Delight," (THE HOLY QUR'AN) ameen 
MODERATOR
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/
__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com 



***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those w

[IslamCity] Du`aa’ After Ablution opens the eight gates of Paradise

[FAITH]

Du`aa’ After Ablution opens the eight gates of Paradise
A true believer never gives up supplicating to his Lord and imploring Him for guidance. Almighty Allah teaches us to call upon Him and seek His forgiveness all the time. In the Qur’an, Almighty Allah teaches us:
“Ask Allah of His bounty. Lo! Allah is ever Knower of all things.” (An-Nisaa’: 32) Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq states in his well-known book, Fiqh us-Sunnah: `Umar reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
“If one completes (and perfects) the ablution and then says, ‘I testify that there is no god except Allah, the One Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger,” the eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him and he may enter any of them that he wishes” (Muslim). Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri reported that the Prophet said, 
“Whoever makes ablution and says, ‘Glory be to Thee, O Allah, and the praise be to Thee. I bear witness that there is no god except You. I beg Your forgiveness and I repent unto you,’ will have it written for him, and placed on a tablet which will not be broken until the Day of Resurrection” (At-Tabarani). 
An-Nasa’i has it with the wording 
“It will be stamped with a seal, placed below the throne, and it will not be broken until the Day of Resurrection.” As for the supplication, 
“Allah, cause me to be from among the repentant, and cause me to be from among the pure,”
it has been narrated by At-Tirmidhi.

SOURCE:
fw message










026.083"O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me,and join me with 
the righteous; 026.085 And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of 
Delight," (THE HOLY QUR'AN) ameen 
MODERATOR
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/
__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com 



***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title change to daily digest. 








Yahoo! Groups Links

To visit your group on the web, go to:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

[IslamCity] 25 Duas from the Holy Quran

[FAITH]

25 Duas from the Holy Quran 
IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO READ THE ARABIC TEXT OF THE DUAS IN THIS E-MAIL THEN PLEASE CLICK ON THE VIEW BUTTON ON YOUR WEB BROWSER.THEN SCROLL DOWN TO ENCODING ANDSELECT THE LANUAGE ARABIC (WINDOWS) PREFERABLY
INSHA ALLAH IT WILL BE HELPFUL



(And when My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I respond to the dua (prayer) of every suppliant when they calleth on Me - Quran 2:186)




1. Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the life to come and keep us safe from the torment of the Fire (2:201) 

 

2. Our Lord! Bestow on us endurance and make our foothold sure and give us help against those who reject faith. (2:250) 

 

3. Our Lord! Take us not to task if we forget or fall into error. (2:286) 

 

4. Our Lord! Lay not upon us such a burden as You did lay upon those before us. (2:286) 



5. Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear, grant us forgiveness and have mercy on us. You are our Protector. Help us against those who deny the truth. (2:286) 



6. Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate from the truth after You have guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Your grace. Verily You are the Giver of bounties without measure. (3:8) 



7. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and the lack of moderation in our doings, and make firm our steps and succour us against those who deny the truth. (3:147) 



8. Our Lord! Whomsoever You shall commit to the Fire, truly You have brought [him] to disgrace, and never will wrongdoers find any helpers (3:192) 



9. Our Lord! Behold we have heard a voice calling us unto faith: "Believe in your Lord" and we have believed. (3:193) 



10. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and efface our bad deeds and take our souls in the company of the righteous. (3:193) 



11. Our Lord! And grant us that which you have promised to us by Your messengers and save us from shame on the Day of Judgement. Verily You never fail to fulfill Your promise. (3:194) 



12. Our Lord! We have sinned against ourselves, and unless You grant us forgiveness and bestow Your mercy upon us, we shall most certainly be lost! (7:23) 



13. Our Lord! Place us not among the people who have been guilty of evildoing. (7:47) 



14. Our Lord! Lay open the truth between us and our people, for You are the best of all to lay open the truth. (7:89) 



15. Our Lord! Pour out on us patience and constancy, and make us die as those who have surrendered themselves unto You. (7:126) 

 

16. Our Lord! Make us not a trial for the evildoing folk, and save as by Your mercy from people who deny the truth (10:85-86) 

 

17. Our Lord! You truly know all that we may hide [in our hearts] as well as all that we bring into the open, for nothing whatever, be it on earth or in heaven, remains hidden from Allah (14:38) 

 

18. Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Your presence and dispose of our affairs for us in the right way. (18:10) 

 

19. Our Lord! Grant that our spouses and our offspring be a comfort to our eyes, and give us the grace to lead those who are conscious of You. (25:74) 

 

20. Our Lord! You embrace all things within Your Grace and Knowledge, forgive those who repent and follow Your path, and ward off from them the punishment of Hell. (40:7) 

 

21. Our Lord! Make them enter the Garden of Eden which You have promised to them, and to the righteous from among their fathers, their wives and their offspring, for verily You are alone the Almighty and the truly Wise. (40:8) 

 

22. Our Lord! Relieve us of the torment, for we do really believe. (44:12) 

 

23. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins as well as those of our brethren who proceeded us in faith and let not our hearts entertain any unworthy thoughts or feelings against [any of] those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness and Most Merciful (59:10) 

 

24. Our Lord! In You we have placed our trust, and to You do we turn in repentance, for unto You is the end of all journeys. (60:4) 

 

25. Our Lord! Perfect our light for us and forgive us our sins, for verily You have power over all things. (66:8) 


I'm not sure who wrote this program, but it's pretty nifty. It just brings up the 25 Quran Duas on your PC on a little program. You can download it from here. 











026.083"O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me,and join me with 
the righteous; 026.085 And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of 
Delight," (THE HOLY QUR'AN) ameen 
MODERATOR
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/
__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com 



***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone 

[IslamCity] AL-QURAN, The Miracle of Miracles

[FAITH]

AL-QURAN, The Miracle of Miracles
Ahmed Deedat
Say: If the whole of mankind and jinns were togather together to produce the like of this Qur`an,they could not produce the like thereof, even if theybacked up each other with help and support. (The Holy Qur'an)

What is a miracle?
I think it is necessary that we have are somedefinitions:- ve a clear picture of what we mean by amiracle.

"An event that appears so inexplicable by the laws ofnature, that it is held to be supernatural in originor an act of God."
"A person, thing or event that excites admiring awe."
"An act beyond human power, an impossibility."
It is logical that greater the impossibility,greater the miracle. For example, should a personexpire before our very eyes and is certified dead by aqualiified medical man, yet later on a mystic or asaint commands the corpse to 'arise!', and toeverybody's astonishment the person gets up and walksaway , we would label that as a miracle. But if theresurrection of the dead took place after the corpsehad been in the mortuary for three days, then we wouldacclaim this as a greater miracle. And if the dead wasmade to arise from the grave, decades or centuriesafter the body had decomposed and rotted away, then inthat case we would label it the greatest miracle ofthem all!

A Common Trait:
It has been a common trait of mankind since timeimmemorial that whenever a guide from God appeared toredirect their steps into the will and plan of God;they demanded supernatural proofs from these men ofGod, instead of accepting message on its merit.
For example, when Jesus Christ (pbuh) began topreach to his people - "the children of Israel" - tomend their ways and to refrain from mere legalisticformalism and imbibe the true spirit of the laws andcommandments of god, his 'people' demanded miraclesfrom him to prove his bona fides ( his authenicity ,his genuineness), as recorded in the christianscriptures:
Then certain of the scribes and the phairseesanswered, saying master, we would have a sign (miracle ) from thee. But he answered and said untothem, "an evil and adulterous generation seeketh aftera sign (miracle) and there shall no sign be given toit, but the sign of the prophet Jonas ( Matthew12:38-39 Holy Bible)

Though on the face of it, Jesus (pbuh) refuses topamper the jews here, in actual fact, he did performmany miracles as we learn from the gospel narratives.
The holy bible is full of supernatural eventsaccredited to the prophets from their lord. In realityall those 'signs' and 'wonders' and 'miracles' wereacts of God, but since those miracles were workedthrough his human agents, we describe them as themiracles of prophets (i.e. Moses or Jesus (pbuh) bythose hands they were performed).

Quirk Continues:Some six hundred years after the birth of Jesus(pbuh),Muhammad (pbuh) the messenger of God was born inMakkah in arabia. When he proclaimed his mission atthe age of forty, his fellow countrymen, the mushriksof makkah made an identical request for miracles, ashad the jews, from their promised Messiah. Text bookstyle, it was as if the arabs had taken a leaf fromthe christian records. History has a habit ofrepeating itself!

And they say: why are not signs sent down to him fromhis lord? (holy Qu`ran 29:50)

SIGNS! WHAT SIGNS!!
"Miracles ? Cries he, what miracles would you have?Are not you yourselves there? God made you 'shaped youout of a little clay.' Ye were small once; a few yearsago ye were not at all. Ye have beauty, strength,thoughts, 'ye have compassion on one another.' Old agecomes-on you, and grey hairs; your strength fades intofeebleness: ye sink down, and again are not. 'Ye havecompassion on one another': This struck me much: Allahmight have made you having no compassion on oneanother, how had it been then! this is a great directthough, a glance at first-hand into the very fact ofthings" "(On heroes hero-worship and the heroic inhistory,") by Thomas Carlyle.

"This Struck Me Much"This, that "ye have compassion on one another",impressed thomas carlyle most from his perusal of anEnglish translation. 
I persume, there verse thatmotivated this sentiment is:
1. And among his signs is this, that he createdfor you mates from amonng yourselves, that ye maydwell in tranquillity with them. and he has put loveand mercy between your (hearts): verily in that aresigns for those who reflect. (emphasis added)Translation by A Yusuf ALi (Qu`ran 30:21)

2. And one of his signs it is, that he hathcreated wives for you of your own species that ye maydwell with them, and hath put love and tendernessbetween you. herein truly are signs for those whoreflect (emphasis added) Translation by Rev. J.M.Rodwell 

3. By another sign he gave you wives from amongyourselves, that ye might live in joy with them, andplanted love and kindness into your hearts. surelythere are signs in this for thinking men(emphasisadded) Translation by N.J. Dawood.

The first example is from the translation byYusuf Ali, a muslim. The second is by a 

[IslamCity] Resurrection or resuscitation? By Ahmad Deedat

[FAITH]

Resurrection or resuscitation? 
By Ahmad Deedat 
In one of my books - "Who Moved the Stone?" I had promised to deal with the anomaly, where believers were reading simple English, yet were so conditioned that they were understanding exactly the OPPOSITE of what they were reading. The following story from real life will not only illustrate the point but will also elucidate our present case - "RESURRECTION OR RESUSCITATION?" 
I was about to leave for the Transvaal on a lecture tour, so I phoned my friend Hafiz Yusuf Dadoo of Standerton, informing him of my impending visit, as well as to enquire whether he needed anything from Durban. He said that as he was taking up Hebrew, I should try and obtain a Bible in the Hebrew language with a translation in English side by side. 
I went to the "BIBLE HOUSE" in Durban. Without any difficulty I found the appropriate Bible for my friend, the "Authorised Version," also known as the "King James Version," looking for one with the best print and at the cheapest price, I noticed the lady behind the counter had lifted up the telephone to speak to someone. I was out of hearing istance, nor was I interested, but after an exchange with the person on the other side of the line she put her hand on the mouthpiece and addressed me: "Excuse me, sir, are you Mr. Deedat?" I said, "Yes." She said, "The Supervisor of the Bible Society would like my pleasure," 
I answered. She spoke a few more words into the telephone and replaced the receiver. I said with a smile, "I thought that you were ringing the police." (perhaps because of the number of Bibles I was handling). - She laughed and said, "No, it was the Rev. Roberts, the Supervisor, who wishes to speak to you." 
WINNING A CONVERT 
Presently, Rev. Roberts approached me and after introducing himself he gestured to me to hand over to him the Bible which I was holding in my hand. I handed the book. He opened it and began reading to me - "and this is life eternal that they should know Thee the only True God and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent." (John 17:3). (Subsequently, I checked up the Gospel references of his quotations). After having listened to his reading of this scripture, I responded with the words: "I accept!" - meaning the implication of the Message he was trying to convey to me. I did not tell him then that what he was trying to convey to me was the same as the Holy Qura'an was telling mankind for
 the past fourteen hundred years - that all must believe in the 'ONE AND ONLY GOD ALMIGHTY AND JESUS CHRIST is only a MESSENGER OF GOD.' The words of the Holy Qur'an are as follows:- 
"MOST CERTAINLY THE MESSIAH, JESUS THE SON OF MARY, WAS AN APOSTLE OF ALLAH AND HIS WORD, WHICH HE BESTOWED ON MARY AND A SPIRIT PROCEEDING FROM HIM: SO BELIEVE IN ALLAH AND HIS 
APOSTLES..." Holy Qur'an 4:171 
LOVE ONE ANOTHER 
Rev. Roberts must have been elated to hear my words- "I ACCEPT," to his first quotation. He quickly opened the Bible in another place and began reading these words attributed to Jesus:- "A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love for one another." John 13:34-35 
A NEW CONVERT? 
When he had finished reading these verses, I remarked-"Very good!" He was greatly encouraged with my comment. I sincerely meant what I said and there was no pretence. The Reverend found yet another quotation to clinch a convert for Christ. He began:- "Judge not that ye be not judged." "For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Matthew 7:1-2 
To this quotation I responded with the words, "I agree!" My only reason for agreeing and accepting everything that the Reverend was reading to me was not of the "special discount" I was getting from the Bible Society on my purchases, but because these particular quotations were conveying the same message and ideals which Allah "Subhanahoo Wa- Ta'aala" was commanding the Muslims to preach and practice. I would be spiritually jaundiced to take exceptions to what was common to both of us - the MUSLIM and the CHRISTIAN. For me to say that an identical message from my Book (the Holy Qur'an) was VERY GOOD, but the same message in his Book (the Holy Bible) was VERY BAD would be hypocritical in the extreme. It
 would be soul shaming untruth. 
THE PURPOSE 
What was the real purpose of the Reverend's reading the Scripture to me? Indeed, I was getting a special discount on all my purchases from the Bible Society and I was perhaps the only non-Christian to get such a discount, though it was depending purely on a business transaction, and this information must have been passed on the the Reverend as the

[IslamCity] Adam Hawa (peace be upon them)

[FAITH]

, the information in the Torah can be summarised as follows: The LORD God said, "it is not good that man should be alone; I will make him an help meet" the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam... and He took one of his ribs... and made He a women... and brought her unto the man... and... Adam said,... "she shall be called woman" (Gen. 2:18,21-3)The Holy Qur'an confirms that Hawa was indeed created out
 of Adam but is silent on the specific process used in her creation. It states: "O mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord Who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his zaowja (wife/mate), and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women" (S. 4-:1).Stephen Jay Gould, the Harvard paleontologist and essayist, say, ".. it makes us realise that all human beings, despite differences in external appearances, are really members of a single entity that's had a very recent origin in one place. There is a kind of biological brotherhood that's much more profound than we ever realised".This is the very point that Allah has related in the Holy Qur'an, which evidently Mr Gould was not aware of, or perhaps, like many others, did not want to accept until it was endorsed by science. Do they not see though, how far modern science lags behind the teachings of the Holy Qur'an?It is evident from the above stated
 Qur'anic verse and Torah that Hawa's creation is a phenomenon - she is the only women that was created from a man, but clearly not by the natural process that women would give birth. Her creation is significant, a sign and the second part of the three - part phenomenon of human creation. First was the creation of Adam, a human being who was made out of nothing, using only water and earth; second, the creation of a women (Hawa) as explained above, and third, the creation of a man - Jesus (pbuh) - out of a women without the participation of a man. All three creations are on the same footing in being unique, evident reasons for faith in Allah, and were all made possible by only the commanding word "Be" from the Almighty, attesting His power and knowledge of the secrets of the heaven and the earth, and of what is revealed and concealed (S. 3:59; 76:1-3).In terms of religion and as a phenomenon of human creation, it is easy to understand the rank held by Hawa's
 creation. An unmarried women who conceives is open to all kinds of questions about the circumstances under which she became pregnant. In contrast, there is little that can be said where a women is formed out of the sole male human being in existence - that creation is undoubtedly a great feat at which humans should marvel.In contrast to the Torah, the Holy Qur'an does not say that Hawa was created from Adam's rib, but says that she was made "of like nature" to him, and this fact is confirmed by reality and what is known about the human body. The biblical statement "God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam... and He took one of his ribs... and made He a women" (Gen. 2:18, 21-3), can be interpreted literally or as an allegory, the result however, in my view, is the same whichever interpretation is applied. This biblical notion, though no authenticated by the holy Qur'an, is supported by the following hadith. In the absence of any Qur'anic foundation one might argue that their
 authenticity is thus subject to a measure of doubt. Nevertheless, these historical sources state: Abu Hurairah (ra) relates that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: Treat women kindly. Woman has been created from a rib and the most crooked part of the rib is the uppermost. f you try to straighten it, you will break it and if you leave it, alone, it will remain crooked. So treat women kindly. (Bukhari and Muslim)Another version is: A woman is like a rib; if you try and straighten it, you will break it and i you wish to draw benefit from it, you can do so despite its crookedness.Another version is: Woman has been created from a rib and you cannot straighten her. If you wish to draw benefit from her, do so despite its crookedness. If you try to straighten her, you will break her and breaking her means divorcing her.In Islam, women are not viewed biologically warped nor generally speaking of a criminal mentality
 (crooked), they are human beings of a similar nature (S. 4:1) to men and were also created "in the best of moulds" (S. 95:4). As already stated it may well be that an actual rib was take from Adam and then clothed with flesh in the formation of Hawa. This idea is Lamely acceptable in light of the following verse from the Holy Qur'an: Men we did create from quintessence (of clay), then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed; then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; the of the clot We made a (foetus) lump; then We made out of that lump bones and clothed with flesh; then We developed out if it another creature. So Blessed be Alla

[IslamCity] ALLAH IS WITH US

[FAITH]

ALLAH IS WITH US
(This is a story of the time of the hijrah to Madina.)
The night was dark. It was already past midnight. In a few hours the first ray of sunshine would appear. Then the Quraysh would realize that Muhammad the Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam had slipped through their fingers and the chase would be on. They would leave no part of the city unsearched.
The Blessed Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam had already left his house and Ali radhiallahu ta'ala 'anh lay asleep in his bed. The house was being surrounded by 12 young men of the Quraysh who, jointly, had plotted to kill the blessed Prophet that night. He knew the time to emigrate had arrived. The preparations had already been made. From his own house the Blessed Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam came to Abu Bakr radhiyallahu ta'ala 'anh's house in Misfalah, the part of Makkah which lay just to the south of the Ka'bah. Although they wanted to reach Madinah in the north, they took the route to the south. They knew that the first place the enemy would look after realizing that Muhammad sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam had escaped, would be the way to Madinah and the house of Abu Bakr. So to confuse their pursuersand gain time they went south. 
Soon the Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam  Abu Bakr radhiallahu ta'ala 'anh came to the mountains and hills which lie south to Makkah. They began looking for a place where they could take refuge while the enemy was
 searching for them. After trudging up and down mountains paths, they found a cave on mount Thaur. It was desolate and isolated. It seemed never to have been visited by human beings before.
 The night was still dark, except for the light from the stars. Abu Bakr radhiallahu ta'ala 'anh entered the cave first, cleared it of pebbles and stones, and began looking for snakes which might harm the Blessed Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam. He took off the garment he was wearing, tore it into strips and filled up every hole he could find . After making the cave safe  secure,
 he came out and invited the Blessed Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam to step inside.Abu Bakr radhiyallahu ta'ala 'anh loved no one more then the Blessed Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam. He had faith in Him when few were prepared to believe. He spent all his money for the cause of Islam, and now he was given the honour of accompanying the Blessed Prophet on that memorable journey to Madinah which would change the course of human history.
Earlier, as they walked from Abu Bakr's house in Misfalah to the cave of Thaur, Abu Bakr sometimes fell behind and sometimes moved briskly on ahead .The Blessed Prophet Asked him why he didn't stay by his side. Abu Bakr replied, "I am on the lookout for any threat or danger".
"You mean," said the Blessed Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam, "you love me so much that you would face danger rather then let any harm come to me?"
"Yes, O Prophet," Abu Bakr replied. 
By the time the Blessed Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam  Abu Bakr radhiyallahu ta'ala 'anh had settled in the cave it was dawn and back at Makkah the young men found out that the man who had been sleeping in the Blessed Prophet's bed was not the blessed Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam but Ali radhiallahu ta'ala 'anh. They became very angry and frustrated. Immediately they launched a search for the Blessed Prophet .Saddling their horses they galloped along the road to Madinah, but found no tracks, so they gave up and came back. Then they
 spread out around the city searching to the east, west and south. Finally they hired expert trackers to discover by which route the blessed Prophet sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam had left the city. Soon saddling up again, they headed for the mountains south to Makkah. Now they were on the right trail.
The blessed Prophet  Abu Bakr were huddled in the cave. Even though they had travelled in the opposite direction to confuse the Quraysh and were in a cave which they believed would not be easily discovered by their enemies, they still did not feel secure. Abu Bakr looked around again and again and, fearfully strained his ears for any sounds.
Eventually they heard footsteps. Quite a few people had arrived in the area. Accompanied by the trackers, they covered the hills on foot and by horseback, trying to find where the blessed Prophet(PBUH) and Abu Bakr were hiding. Finally they reached the mouth of the cave. But they found that a spider have woven a web over the entrance. Obviously, they concluded, no one could be inside. One of the trackers, Kurz bin Alqamah, remarked: 'The footsteps come to this point then vanish. Where did they go from here?'
"Let us go inside,' said another, "maybe they are here".
Ummayyah bin Khalf, a prominent Quraysh chief, was with them. He shook his head. 'There's no point in going inside the cave .What will you find there? No one has entered recently. The spider's web was woven long before
 Muhamma

[IslamCity] Excellence of loving fellow beings for Allah

[FAITH]

Excellence of loving fellow beings for Allah
By Dr Muhammad Ali Hashmi
Many Ahadith describe the status of the two people who love one another for the sake of Allah, and describe the high position in Paradise, which He has promised them, and the great honour which He will bestow upon them on the day when mankind is resurrected to meet the Creator of the worlds: Among them is the Hadith which describes the seven whom Allah will shade on the Day when there is no shade but His: "...a just leader; a youth who grows up worshipping Allah; a man who is deeply attached to the mosque; two men who love one another for the sake of Allah, meeting for His sake and parting for His sake; a man who is called by a beautiful woman (for intercourse) and (he) says, I fear Allah'; a man who gives charity in secret such that his left hand does not know what his right hand is doing; and a man who remembers Allah when he is alone and his eyes fill with tears." (Bukhari and Muslim)
The two who love one another for the sake of Allah are clearly shown to be among those whom Allah will shelter with His shade and upon whom He will shower His mercy and kindness.
What a great honour! It is enough honour for those who love one another for the sake of Allah that their Almighty Creator will greet them on the Day of Resurrection and say to them: "Where are those who loved one another for My glory? Today, I will shade them in My shade on the day when there is no shade but Mine." (Muslim)
Such is the magnificent honour and tremendous reward that will be bestowed upon those who truly loved one another for the sake of Allah, on that awesome Day.
Love for the sake of Allah and not for the sake of anything else in this life, which is filled with greed, desires and interests, is very difficult, and none can attain it except the one who is pure of heart, for whom this world is as nothing compared to the pleasure of Allah.
It is not surprising that Allah should give them a status and blessing, which is commensurate with their position in this world, above whose concerns they have risen. We find proof of this in the Hadith of Hadhrat Mu'az (Radhi Allaho anho), who said that the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said:
"Allah said: 'Those who love one another for My glory, will have Minbars of light, and the holy prophets and martyrs will wish that they had the same." (Tirmizi)
Allah gives to those who love one another for His sake a gift which is even greater than this status and blessing: that is His precious love which is very difficult to attain. This is proven by the Hadith of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allaho anho), in which the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said:
"A man went to visit a brother of his in another village. Allah sent an angel to wait for him on the road. When the man came along, the angel asked him, 'Where do you intend to go?' He said, 'I am going to visit a brother of mine who lives in this village.' The angel asked, 'Have you done him any favour (for which you are now seeking repayment)?' He said, 'No. I just love him for the sake of Allah.' The angel told him, I am a messenger to you from Allah, sent to tell you that He loves you as you love your brother for His sake.'" (Muslim)
What a great love, that raises a man to a position where Allah loves him and is pleased with him! The teaching of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) goes even further and states that the better of two brothers who love one another for the sake of Allah is the one who loves his brother more.
The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said: "No two men love one another, but the better of them is the one whose love for his brother is greater." (Bukhari)
Islam goes even further in spreading love in the rightly guided Muslim society by telling the Muslim that if he loves his brother, he should tell him. The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said: "If a man loves his brother, let him tell him that he loves him." (Abu Dawood and Tirmizi)
The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) understood the impact of this strong, pure love in building societies and nations, so he never let any occasion pass without advocating this love and commanding the Muslims to announce their love for one another, in order to open hearts and spread love and purity among the ranks of the Ummah.
Hadhrat Anas (Radhi Allaho anho) said that a man was with the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), when another man passed by. The first man said, "O Messenger of Allah, indeed, I truly love this man." The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) asked him, "Have you let him know that?" He said, "No." The Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) said, "Tell him."
He caught up with him and told him, "Truly I love you for the sake of Allah," and the man said, "May Allah love you who loves me for His sake." (Abu Dawood)
Hadhrat Mu'adh (Radhi Allaho anho) began to spread this pure love among the Muslims throughout the Muslim lands, 

[IslamCity] Twelve proofs of Prophet Muhammad's prophethood

[FAITH]

Twelve proofs of Prophet Muhammad's prophethood
By Shaikh Abdur Rahman
My brothers and sisters! With this essay, I am not singling out the adherents of Islam -- to which I ascribe -- but rather I am writing this essay to every man and woman throughout the whole world. I ask Allah that He facilitates that this essay reaches every ear, falls under the sight of every eye, and is understood by every heart. Hadhrat Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), the son of Abdullah, is Allah's Prophet and the Final Messenger Sent by Allah to the inhabitants of earth.
My brothers and sisters! You should know that the Messenger Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) is Allah's Messenger in reality and truth. The evidences that show his veracity are abundant. None but an infidel, who out of arrogance alone, could deny these signs. Among these proofs are:
1. Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) was raised illiterate, unable to read or write, and remained like that till his death. Among all his people, he was known as being truthful and trustworthy.
Before receiving revelation, he had no prior knowledge of religion or any previously sent Message. He remained like that for his first forty years. Revelation then came to him with the Holy Qur'aan that we now have between our hands.
This Qur'aan mentioned most of the accounts found in the previous scriptures, telling us about these events in the greatest detail as if he witnessed them. These accounts came precisely as they were found in the Torah sent down to Prophet Moses [Musa (Alaihis salaam)] and in the Gospel sent down to Prophet Jesus [Isa (Alaihis salaam)]. Neither the Jews nor the Christians were able to belie him regarding anything that he said.
2. Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) also foretold of everything that would occur to him and his community after him, pertaining to victory, the removal of the tyrannical kingdoms of Chosroes [the royal title for the Zoroastrian kings of Persia] and Caesar, and the establishment of the religion of Islam throughout the earth. These events occurred exactly as he foretold, as if he was reading the future from an open book.
3. Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) also brought the Holy Qur'aan in Arabic that is the peak of eloquence and clarity, and was revealed to him by Allah Almighty himself. The Holy Qur'aan challenged those eloquent and fluent Arabs of his time, who initially belied him, to bring forth a single chapter like the Qur'aan. The eloquent Arabs of his days were unable to contest this Qur'aan.
Indeed, till our day, none has ever dared to claim that he has been able to compose words that equal -- or even approach -- the order, grace, beauty, and splendour of this Glorious Qur'aan.
4. The life history of this Noble Prophet (Muhammad) was a perfect example of being upright, merciful, compassionate, truthful, brave, generous, distant from all evil character, and ascetic in all worldly matters, while striving solely for the reward of the Hereafter. Moreover, in all his actions and dealings, he was ever mindful and fearful of Allah.
5. Allah instilled great love for Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) in the hearts of all who believed in him and met him. This love reached such a degree that any of his companions would willingly sacrifice his (or her) self, mother or father for him.
Till today, those who believe in his honour and love him, would ransom his own family and wealth to see him, even if but once.
6. All of history has not preserved the biography of any person in the manner it has preserved the life of Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), who is the most influential human in history.
Nor has the entire earth known of anyone whom every morning and evening, and many times thereafter throughout the day, is thought of by those who believe in him. Upon remembering him, the believers in him will greet him and ask Allah to bless him. They do such with full hearts and true love for him.
7. Nor has there ever been a man on earth whom is still followed in all his doings by those who believe in him. Those who believe in Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) sleep in the manner he slept; purify themselves (through ablution and ritual washing) in the manner he purified himself; and adhere to his practice in the way they eat, drink, and clothe themselves.
Indeed, in all aspects of their lives, his followers adhere to the teachings he spread among them and the path that he travelled upon during his life. During every generation -- from his day till our time -- the believers in this Noble Prophet have fully adhered to his teachings.
With some, this has reached the degree that they desire to follow and adhere to the Prophet's way in his personal matters regarding which Allah has not sought of them to adhere to in worship. For example, some will only eat those specific foods or only wear those specific garments that the Messenger liked.
Let alone all that, all those 

[IslamCity] Azaan: The Amazing Phenomenon

[FAITH]

Bismillahir'rahman'nir-rahim
Azaan: The Amazing Phenomenon 
Amazing as it sounds, but fortunately for the Muslims of the world, it is an established fact. Have a look at a map of the world and you will find Indonesia on the eastern side of the earth. The major cities of Indonesia are Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Saibil. As soon as dawn breaks on the eastern side of Saibil, at approximately 5:30 am local time, Fajar Azaan begins. Thousands of Muazzins in Indonesia begin reciting the Azaan. 
The process advances towards West Indonesia. One and a half hours after the Azaan has been completed in Saibil, it echoes in Jakarta. Sumatra then follows suit and before this auspicious process of calling Azaan ends in Indonesia, it has already begun in Malaysia. 
Burma is next in line, and within an hour of its beginning in Jakarta, it reaches Dacca, the capital city of Bangladesh. After Bangladesh, it has already prevailed in western India, from Calcutta to Srinagar. It then advances towards Bombay and the environment of entire India resounds with this proclamation. Srinagar and Sialkot (a city in north Pakistan) have the same timing for Azaan. The time difference between Sialkot, Quetta, and Karachi is forty minutes, and within this time, Fajar Azaan is heard throughout Pakistan. Before it ends there, it has already begun in Afghanistan and Muscat. The time difference between Muscat and Baghdad is one hour. Azaan resounds during this one hour in the environments of Hijaaz-e-Muqaddas (Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah), Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq. 
The time difference between Baghdad and Alexandria in Egypt is again one hour. Azaan continues to resound in Syria, Egypt, Somalia and Sudan during this hour. The time difference between eastern and western Turkey is one and a half hours, and during this time it is echoed with the call to prayer. 
Alexandria and Tripoli (capital of Libya) are located at one hour's difference. The process of calling Azaan thus continues throughout the whole of Africa. Therefore, the proclamation of the Tawheed and Risaalat that had begun in Indonesia reaches the Eastern Shore of the Atlantic Ocean after nine and half hours. Prior to the Azaan reaching the shores of the Atlantic, the process of Zohar Azaan has already started in east Indonesia, and before it reaches Dacca, Asar Azaan has started. This has hardly reached Jakarta one and half hours later, the time of Maghrib becomes due, and no sooner has Maghrib time reached Sumatra, the time for calling Isha Azaan has commenced in Saibil! When the Muazzins of Indonesia are calling out Fajar Azaan, the African Muazzins are calling the Azaan for Isha. 
If we were to ponder over this phenomenon thoughtfully, we would conclude the amazing fact that there is not even a single moment when hundreds of thousands of Muazzins around the world are not reciting the Azaan on the surface of this earth. Even as you read this material right now, you can be sure there are atleast thousands of people who are hearing and reciting the Azaan!!! 

Wasalamualaikum Wa Rahmatullah










026.083"O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me,and join me with 
the righteous; 026.085 And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of 
Delight," (THE HOLY QUR'AN) ameen 
MODERATOR
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/

		Do you Yahoo!? 
Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! 



***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the 

[IslamCity] Modern Science finds God

[FAITH]

Modern Science finds God
(Perhaps the most important and astounding scientific discovery in human history.)

There was a time when science seemed to be the enemy of religious belief – that time is no more! Modern physics and cosmology (science of the origin and development of the universe) now provide firm objective evidence of the existence of God, confirm the primary attributes of God, and show how God created the physical existence out of ‘nothingness’. This knowledge comes from a critical analysis of the ‘Big Bang’ theory, Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity, and work being done in quantum physics. The concepts behind this esoteric scientific knowledge can now be presented in such a way as to be understood by any person with a modern education.

1. We now know according to the most widely accepted theories of cosmology that the physical universe we see today was created out of nothingness (meaning – no time, no space, and no matter). 
2. We also know that the beginning of the creation of the universe took place by light coming into existence at a singularity (a point with no dimension).
3. We know that the matter of the physical universe was brought into being by photons (little packages of light energy) which, when colliding with each other, formed the virtually infinite number of protons, neutrons and electrons, which in various combinations make up everything in our physical world.
4. In essence we can now accurately say that all the matter of the physical universe, ourselves included, is actually light slowed down.
5. We know that the space which contains our physical universe is expanding. This is a concept so alien to human thought that until Albert Einstein developed his General Theory of Relativity early in the 20th century it had never occurred to any of the world’s great minds, but was stated in the Qur’an over 1400 years ago when Allah told us, “I am expanding the universe with my power”. Even Einstein was so astounded by his discovery that he falsified his data to show a universe that was not expanding, because he well understood that an expanding universe implies there was
 somewhere in the distant past a moment of creation for the universe.
6. Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity (which he actually called his Absolutism Theorem because he realized he had found the one thing in a relative universe that was absolute) is about the special qualities of light.
7. The Special Theory of Relativity allows us our first objective glimpse into that which exists beyond the material world.
8. We could have found anything once we got our first glimpse beyond the material world, but what we did find is indeed remarkable. We find Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity showing us that the non-material existence beyond the physical world consists only of absolutes, and some of those absolutes are remarkably similar to what everyone’s religion has considered to be among the primary attributes of God.
9. Example One: As the speed of light (300,000km per second) is approached then time slows, and at the speed of light time does not pass. This means for a photon of light which travels at exactly the speed of light, time does not pass. Therefore the photon is outside of time, and ETERNAL.
10. Example Two: Since no time passes for a photon of light, and that photon can be observed at different places in space, therefore that photon of light is simultaneously in those different places (and many other places) at the same time, and therefore OMNIPRESENT.
11. Example Three: Since every bit of matter in the physical universe is created by the energy of light, and that light energy constantly sustains and directs the activity of every bit of matter in the physical existence, then there is no power other than the power of light, light energy is all the power that exists, and therefore OMNIPOTENT.
12. Example Four: Since all knowledge that exists, that ever existed, or will exist, is stored by light energy and transmitted through light energy then there is no knowledge beyond that intrinsic to light, and therefore OMNISCIENT.
13. Furthermore, light does not actually exist within the physical existence although we can somehow perceive it. As you approach the speed of light one of the three dimensions (length, height, or width), the dimension in line with the direction of motion, becomes progressively less, and at the speed of light that dimension becomes zero. To determine volume we multiply height times width times length, but if any one of those three dimensions is zero then the volume is zero, and that thing therefore does not exist in the material universe. Light occupies no volume
 of space and therefore has no existence in the physical universe.
14. And, while everything in the physical universe has some mass greater than zero, which is a necessary characteristic for existence in the material world, light has no mass at all. As you approach the speed of light mass increases, at the speed of light mass 

[IslamCity] ACTIVITIES OF THE QADIANIS

[FAITH]

ACTIVITIES OF THE QADIANIS
WHO ARE QADIANIS OR AHMADIS?
The followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian are called Qadianis or Abmadis, whether they may regard him as a real Prophet; or a ‘Zilli or Buroozi’ (through rebirth according to Hindus’ reincarnation) Prophet; as the ‘Masih Mau’ud; a reformer; (Muhaddas) (one who talks with God), Hazrat Ibrahim, Sri Krishna, even God. Whatever may they regard him, they are invariably non-Muslims, rather traitors, both to Islam and to the Millat-e-Islamiyah. But they fraudulently claim to be one of the Muslim sects like the Hanafis, the Malikis, the Shafies and the Hanbalis, who are undoubtedly pristine and puritan Muslims. There is not an iota of truth in the Qadianis’ such fraudulent claims. This is a worst type of fraud on their part, motivated to misguide the simple-minded Muslims. The Qadianis are unanimously held by the recognised authorities of Islam to be non-Muslims, and not a Muslim sect, whether they may belong to the ‘Rabwa group or to the ‘Lahore’ group. Both groups are
 non-Muslims.
Extracts 
[In the 19th Century] Indian Muslims rallied in thousands under the banner of revolt [Jehad] raised by the great Syed [Ahmed Shaheed]. Not unduly, the British masters were perturbed by the upsurge. In Sudan, Sheikh Mohammad Ahmad gave the call of Jehad and Mehdism which rattled the Western imperialists. They knew that if the spark was allowed to blaze forth it would become uncontrollable. And, then, they saw the Pan-Islamic movement of Syed Jamaluddin Afghani gaining in popularity. The threat that all this spelt for their colonial structure was too obvious to be ignored. The only way to hold them [Muslims] in check was, thus, to make use of their religious susceptibilities... Mirza Ghulam Ahmad who was a victim of frustration and mental unrest and wanted very much to be the founder of a new faith so that he, too, may have devotees and followers and his name, also went down in history like that of the Prophet Mohammad (Peace be on him), was picked up by the British
 Government to fulfill the mission. No one could be more suited to work among the Muslims towards that objective.
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad launched his endeavour with great alacrity. At first he laid claim to the station of a Renovators - then promoted himself and declared that he was Imam Mehdi, after some time the glad tidings of being the Promised Messiah reached him and, finally, he was the Prophet. The design of the British masters had been put into effect. It had been carried out admirably! The Mirza played his part very well and nothing was left wanting by way of British patronage also. His security and protection was looked after with care and diligence and all sorts of facilities were made available to him. The Qadiani, on his side, was not an ungrateful soul. He never forgot the favours conferred by the Government nor tired of proclaiming that his advancement was solely due to its benevolence. In one of his articles he declares himself to be a “seedling of the British Government,” and makes a display of his unswerving faithfulness in these words:

“The greater part of my life has been spent in supporting and defending the British Government. I have written so many books regarding the prohibition of Jehad and loyalty to the British that, were they to be gathered together, they would fill fifty almirahs. I have distributed these books in all countries: Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Kabul and Rum.’
At another place, the Mirza writes: 

“From my early age till now when I am about sixty years old, I have been engaged with my pen and tongue in an important task: to turn the hearts of Muslims towards true love, goodwill and sympathy for the British Government, and to obliterate the idea of Jehad from the hearts of the less wise among them, since these stand in the way of sincerity and frank and honest mutual relations” 
The movement of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad furnished excellent spies, faithful friends and sell-sacrificing agents to the British Government. Some of his followers did yeomen service to it, both in India and abroad, and did not hesitate even to shed their blood for its sake, such as Abdul Latif Qadiani who was an enthusiastic preacher of the Qadiani faith in Afghanistan and [who] also did his best to refute the concept of Jehad. He was executed by the Afghan Government because it was feared that the kind of preaching he indulged in would drive out from the Afghans the spirit of valour for which they were known all over the world. In the same way, Mulla Abdul Halim Qadiani and Mulla Nur Ali Qadiani were executed in Afghanistan, for certain papers were found in their possession which proved that they were the agents and spies of the British and their job was to conspire against the Afghan Government, as is apparent from the statement issued by the Minister of Interior of
 Afghanistan in 1925, and the official organ of the Qadiani movement, Al-Fazl, too, has published this statement in its issue of March 3

[IslamCity] The Qur'an Cares About the Environment Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi

[FAITH]

The Qur'an Cares About the EnvironmentDr. Yusuf al-QaradawiIslamic Concept of Education  Economy as Seen in the Sunnah© 1418 AH El-Falah, Cairo, Egypt
It is quite striking to the fair researchers how the Qur’an and Sunnah cared about the environment. For example, the Qur’an says:
"Do they not look at the camels how they are created" (88:17)
Here the Qur’an mentions camels rather than other animals. The reason behind that is to attract the attention to this remarkable animal and calling people to contemplate about its structure, properties and benefits, as it is the closest of the grazing live-stock to the Bedouins who are addressed directly by the Qur’an.
The Qur’an speaks repeatedly of grazing live-stock (camels, sheep, cattle) rather than other animals that might exist in other areas. The reason is that it wants to attract the attention of the addressed people to the animals present in the surrounding environment in order to make use of them; be grateful to the Bounties of Allah, to eat its meat and drink its milk.
"Pure milk palatable to drinkers." (16:66)
Also, to enjoy their sight when you are leading them in the morning and bringing them back in the evening.
"And wherein is beauty for you, when you bring them from home in the evening and as you lead them forth to pasture in the morning." (16:6)
The same is mentioned in the Qur’an about the bees; their homes, various kinds, nutritive and medical values in a Surah called "The Bees".
Likewise, the Qur’an talks about the date-palm, grapes, crops of diverse flavor, the olive and the pomegranate similar and different. Here the Qur’an stresses on two important aspects:

Enjoying its beauty: 
"Look at their fruits thereof when they bear fruit and upon its ripening." (6:99)
Making use of its substance, but paying the due Zakah prescribed by Allah.
"Eat of their fruit when they bring fruit, but pay the due thereof (its Zakah according to Allah’s Order) on the day of its harvest. But be not extravagant." (6:141)
It was repeatedly mentioned in the Qur’an: Forbidding from spoiling the earth after Allah (Exalted and Almighty) has created it suitable and well prepared for the successive human generations. It announced that Allah does not like spoiling or those who spoil in life, this includes spoiling environment, polluting it or being aggressive with it. Also it is forbidden to abuse it in any way that would make it deviate from the purpose of Allah created it for. This would be like showing ingratitude to Allah, that would cause vengeance from Allah, and becomes like a warning to those who perpetrated this, that severe penalty will almost come upon them as what happened before to the `Aad and the Thamud and those who came after them.
"Who did transgress beyond bounds in the land (in the disobedience of Allah) and made therein much mischief. So your Lord poured on them different kinds of severe torment. Surely your Lord is Ever-Watchful." (89:11-14)
This is like the punishment that came upon the Saba’ who did not appreciate the bounties that Allah gave them; the fertile land, the fresh pure water, the sweet-smelling gardens, and they showed reluctance, neglected the land and wasted their source of bounty. Allah (Exalted and Almighty) said:
"Indeed there was for (the) Saba’a sign in their dwelling place. Two gardens on the right hand and on the left (and it was said to them): Eat of the Provision of your Lord and be grateful to Him, a fair land and an Oft-forgiving Lord. But they turned away from the obedience of Allah, so We sent against them Sail al-`Arim (flood released from the dam) and we converted the two gardens into gardens producing better bad fruit and tamarisks and some few lote-trees. Like this We required them because they were ungrateful disbelievers and never do We require in such a way except those who are ungrateful disbelievers." (34:15-17)
http://islaam.com//Article.aspx?id=436










026.083"O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me,and join me with 
the righteous; 026.085 And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of 
Delight," (THE HOLY QUR'AN) ameen 
MODERATOR
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/

		Celebrate Yahoo!'s 10th Birthday!  
Yahoo! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web 


***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides 

[IslamCity] PROPHET Muhammad (PBUH)s HUMOUR

[FAITH]

PROPHET Muhammad (PBUH)s HUMOUR 
Muhammad (PBUH) was a very cheerful and 
pleasant person. His company was neither 
boring nor dull and uninteresting, like that 
of ordinary religious leaders, but was full of 
pleasant and delightful humour. He often joked 
with his companions and laughed with them. 
Abdullah ibn Al-Harith bin Jaz said that he 
had seen no one more pleasant and smiling than 
Muhammad(PBUH). It is reported by Abu Hurairah 
that Muhammad (PBUH) used to mix with them on 
familiar terms, even to the extent of enjoying 
light jokes with them. Some companions asked 
him, "Allah's Messenger! Do you make jokes 
with us?" He replied, "I speak nothing but the 
Truth." (Tirmizi) 

Anas reported that once a man asked Muhammad 
(PBUH) for an animal to ride. He replied that 
he would give him the baby of a she-camel to 
ride on. The man asked what would he do with a 
she-camel baby. Muhammad (PBUH) replied, "Is 
there any camel which is not born of a 
she-camel?" He also reported that once an old 
woman came to see the Prophet (PBUH) and asked 
him to pray for her that she might go to 
Paradise. He replied, "No old woman will enter 
Paradise!" She was very grieved end began 
crying. Muhammad (PBUH) told his companions to 
tell her that the old woman would go to 
Paradise but as a young girl. Auf ibn Malik 
al-Ashjai reported that he went to God's 
Messenger at the expedition of Tabuk, when he 
was sitting in a small tent, and gave a 
salutation. He resumed it, saying, "Come in." 
I replied, "The whole of me, God's Messenger?" 
He replied, "The whole of you," so I went in. 
Jarir ibn Somura said that the Prophet (PBUH) 
always welcomed him from the time he became a 
Muslim and that he never saw him without a 
smile. 

Anas said that a man from the desert called 
Zahir ibn Haroun used to bring presents to the 
Prophet (PBUH) from the desert and Allah's 
Messenger (PBUH) would prepare for him what he 
needed when he intended to depart. The Prophet 
(PBUH) used to say that Zahir was his desert 
man and he was his townsman. The Prophet liked 
him though he was an ugly man. One day the 
Prophet (PBUH) went to him when he was selling 
his goods and embraced him from behind. He 
could not see who it was, so he said, "Let me 
go, who is this?" But when he turned round and 
saw the Prophet (PBUH), he kept his back close 
against the Prophet (PBUH)'s chest. Then the 
Prophet (PBUH) begun to say, "Who will buy a 
slave?" He said, "O God's Messenger! By God, 
you will find me to be worthless goods." The 
Prophet (PBUH) replied, "But in God's Sight, 
you are not worthless goods." 











026.083"O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me,and join me with 
the righteous; 026.085 And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of 
Delight," (THE HOLY QUR'AN) ameen 
MODERATOR
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/
__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com 


***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title change to daily digest. 








Yahoo! Groups Sponsor


  ADVERTISEMENT 












Yahoo! Groups Links

To visit your group on the web, go to:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

[IslamCity] A Muslim's Nationality and His Belief By Syed Qutb

[FAITH]

A Muslim's Nationality and His BeliefBy Syed QutbThe day Islam gave a new concept of values and standards to mankind and showed the way to learn these values and standards, it also provided it with a new concept of human relationships. Islam came to return man to his Sustainer and to make His guidance the only source from which values and standards are to be obtained, as He is the Provider and Originator. All relationships ought to be based through Him, as we came into being through His will and shall return to Him.Islam came to establish only one relationship which binds men together in the sight of God, and if this relationship is firmly established, then all other relationships based on blood or other considerations become eliminated. "You will not find the people who believe in God and the Hereafter taking as allies the enemies of God and His Prophet,
 whether they be their fathers or sons or brothers or fellow tribesmen." (Al-Qur'an 58:22)In the world there is only one party of God; all others are parties of Satan and rebellion. "Those who believe fight in the cause of God, and those who disbelieve fight in the cause of rebellion. Then fight the allies of Satan; indeed, Satan's strategy is weak." (Al-Qur'an 3:78)There is only one way to reach God; all other ways do not lead to Him. "This is My straight path. Then follow it, and do not follow other ways which will scatter you from His path." (Al-Qur'an 6:153)For human life, there is only one true system, and that is Islam; all other systems are Jahiliyyah. "Do they want a judgment of the Days of Ignorance? Yet who is better in judgment than God, for a people having sure faith?" (Al-Qur'an 5:50)There is only one law which ought to be followed, and that is the Shari'ah from God; what is other than this is mere caprice. "We have set thee on a way
 ordained (by God); then follow it, and do not follow the desires of those who have no knowledge." (Al-Qur'an 45:18)The truth is one and indivisible; anything different from it is error. "Is anything left besides error, beyond the truth? Then whither do you go?" (Al-Qur'an 10:32)There is only one place on earth which can be called the home of Islam (Dar-ul-Islam), and it is that place where the Islamic state is established and the Shari¹ah is the authority and God's limits are observed, and where all the Muslims administer the affairs of the state with mutual consultation. The rest of the world is the home of hostility (Dar-ul-Harb). A Muslim can have only two possible relations with Dar-ul-Harb: peace with a contractual agreement, or war. A country with which there is a treaty will not be considered the home of Islam. "Those who believed, and migrated, and strove with their wealth and their persons in the cause of God, and those who gave them refuge and
 helped them, are the protectors of each other. As to those who believed but did not emigrate, you have no responsibility for their protection until they emigrate; but if they ask your help in religion, it is your duty to help them, except against a people between whom and you there is a treaty; and God sees whatever you do. Those who disbelieve are the allies of each other. If you do not do this, there will be oppression in the earth and a great disturbance. Those who believe, and migrate, and fight in the cause of God, and those who give them refuge and help them, are in truth Believers. For them is forgiveness and generous provision. And those who accept Faith afterwards and migrate and strive along with you, they are of you." (8:72-75)Islam came with this total guidance and decisive teaching. It came to elevate man above, and release him from, the bonds of the earth and soil. A Muslim has no country except that part of the earth where the Shari'ah of God is established
 and human relationships are based on the foundation of relationship with God; a Muslim has no nationality except his belief, which makes him a member of the Muslim community in Dar-ul-Islam; a Muslim has no relatives except those who share the belief in God, and thus a bond is established between him and other Believers through their relationship with God.A Muslim has no relationship with his mother, father, brother, wife and other family members except through their relationship with the Creator, and then they are also joined through blood. "O mankind, remain conscious of your Sustainer, Who created you from one soul and created from it its mate, and from the two of them scattered a great many men and women. Remain conscious of God, from Whose authority you make demands, and reverence the wombs which bore." (4:1)However, Divine relationship does not prohibit a Muslim from treating his parents with kindness and consideration, inspite of differences of belief, as long
 as they do not join the front lines of the enemies of Islam. However, if they openly declare their alliance with the enemies of Islam, then all

[IslamCity] Maryam: a much mistaken woman

[FAITH]

 Maryam: a much mistaken woman 
 By Lobna Elhaw
This is the story of Maryam (Mary) daughter of Imran and mother of Isa (Jesus) [Alaihis salaam]. She was respected by both Muslims and Christians, but there are some aspects on which the two religionists differ. Let us see the facts that the learned writer has compiled about her.
 
Allah declares He has no son:
In many verses of the Glorious Qur'aan, Allah the Exalted denied the claim of the Christians that He has a son. A delegation from Najran came to Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam). They began to talk about their claim about the Trinity, which is that Allah is three in one, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with some disagreement among their sects. That is why Allah affirmed in many verses of the Holy Qur'aan that Jesus is a slave of Allah, whom He moulded in the womb of his mother like any other of His creatures, and that He created him without a father, as He created Adam without a father or mother. It means Maryam is not the wife of God.
Maryam-member of the chosen family:
Allah the Almighty said, "Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham and the family of Imran above the Alamin (mankind and jinns) (of their times). Offspring, one of the other, and Allah is the All-Hearer, All-Knower.
Maryam's birth:
"(Remember) when the wife of Imran said: "0 my Lord! I have vowed to You what (the child that) is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services (free from all worldly work; to serve Your Place of worship), so accept this, from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing.
"Then when she delivered her (child Mary), she said: "0 my Lord! I have delivered a female child," - and Allah knew better what she delivered, - "and the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam, and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Satan, the outcast." (3:33-36)
Maryam's sustenance:
"So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakaria. Every time he entered the Mihrab (a praying place or a private room), he found her supplied with sustenance.
"He said, '0 Maryam! From where have you got this?' She said, 'From Allah. Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit." (3:37)
Maryam's family history:
Allah declared that He had elected Adam and the elite of his offspring who obey Allah. Then He specified the family of Ibrahim, which includes the sons of Ismail, and the family of Imran, the father of Maryam. Muhammad Ibn Ishaaq stated that he was Imran Ibn Bashim, Ibn Amun, Ibn Misha, Thn Hosqia, Ibn Ahriq, Ibn Mutham, Ibn Azazia, Ibn Amisa, Thn Yamish, Ibn Ahrihu, Ibn Yazem, Thn Yahfashat, Thn Eisha, Thn Iyam, Thn Rahbaam, Ibn David (Dawood).
A mother's longing:
Prophet Zakaria's sister-in-law had a daughter named Hannah. She was married to Imran, a leader of the Israelites. For many years the couple remained childless. Whenever Hannah saw another woman with a child, her longing for a baby increased. Although years had passed, she never lost hope. She believed that one day Allah would bless her with a child, on whom she would shower all her motherly love.
She turned to the Lord of the heavens and the earth and pleaded with Him for a child. She would offer the child in the service of Allah's house, in the temple of Jerusalem. Allah granted her request. When she learned she was pregnant, she was the happiest woman alive, and thanked Allah for His gift. Her overjoyed husband Imran also thanked Allah for His mercy.
However, while she was pregnant, her husband passed away. Hannah wept bitterly. Alas, Imran did not live to see their child for whom they had so longed. She gave birth to a girl, and again turned to Allah in prayer: "0 my Lord, I have delivered a female child, ... and the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam, and I seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and her offspring from Satan, the outcast. (3:36)
Zakaria as Maryam's guardian:
Hannah had a big problem in reference to her promise to Allah, for females were not accepted into the temple, and she was very worried. Her brother-in-law, Zakaria, comforted her, saying that Allah knew best what she had delivered and appreciated fully what she had offered in His service. She wrapped the baby in a shawl and handed it over to the temple elders. As the baby was a girl, the question of her guardianship posed a problem for the elders. This was a child of their late and beloved leader, and everyone was eager to take care of her. Zakaria said to the elders: "I am the husband of her maternal aunt and her nearest relation in the temple, therefore, I will be more mindful of her than all of you."
As it was their custom to draw lots to solve disagreements, they followed this course. Each one was given a reed to throw into the river. They agreed that whoever's reed remained afloat would be granted guardianship of the girl. All the reeds sank to the bottom except 

[IslamCity] Solidarity and brotherhood By Harun Yahya

[FAITH]

 
Solidarity and brotherhood
 
By Harun Yahya
Just as loyalty and sincere devotion to Allah, brotherhood and solidarity are the important attributes of believers. The Holy Qur'aan tells that all believers are brothers; they are the people sharing the same feelings who strive for the same end, adhere to the same Book and struggle to reach the same goal. Consequently, solidarity becomes the natural feature of a community made up of believers.
Allah says: Hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favour on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, you became brethren; and you were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus do Allah make His Signs clear to you: That you may be guided. (Aal-e-Imraan: 103)
Believers are modest people who have fellow feeling and mercy for each other. Therefore, unity and solidarity among them is naturally maintained. But still in this community, there are reasons to be cautious; some erroneous behaviours may give harm to this solidarity and create an unfriendly atmosphere among the believers.
The basic reason of such undesired behaviours is surely the soul. It is true that a believer is tolerant and warm. Yet, everybody has the wicked sides of the soul and in case of heedlessness, a person may well be driven by the negative side of the soul; to put it another way, jealousy, selfishness or ambition may influence him.
That is why the Qur'aan stresses the impact of these negative aspects of soul as a serious threat to unity among the believers. Considering that the inside desire can mislead man, the believers should avoid to use a style or wording that will prompt the wicked side of another believer.
Allah says: "Say to My servants that they should (only) say those things that are best: for Satan do sow dissensions among them: For Satan is to man an avowed enemy." (Isra: 53)
The verse surely gives an important message. In the verse, Allah commands the believers to address each other in the best manner possible (not in a good manner but in the best manner). Here, an important feature of satan is revealed: Satan aims to create dispute among the believers.
The essential method satan employs to break the unity among the believers is to inculcate the feeling of competition into the hearts of the believers. In a state of heedlessness, a believer may well be grabbed by delusions of grandeur and develop an ambition to attain a particular status in society.
In such a mood, it is all possible that he may try to establish supremacy over other believers. Similarly, he may feel envy of his brother for one reason or another. Though the word "envy" may sound as a feeling that may be excused, it actually has a more serious significance; it is an explicit rebel against Allah. In the Qur'aan, it is described as thus: "Or do they envy mankind for what Allah has given them of his bounty?..." (An-Nisa, 54).
As the verse suggests, all the favours are bestowed by Allah and being envious of the favours given to others is simply opposing the will of Allah. That is why the believers should mindfully stay away from such an attitude. Otherwise, it would not be a conduct, which will serve in attaining the will and pleasure of Allah. Besides, as the verse informs, it is detrimental to the unity of the believers.
Allah Almighty says: "And obey Allah and His Messenger; and fall into no disputes, lest you lose heart and your power depart; and be patient and persevering: For Allah is with those who patiently persevere." (Al-Anfaal: 46)
Consequently, a believer should never let competition or dispute prevail among his brothers. Considering the primitive nature of this feeling, his soul should never be driven by it.
Another key attribute of a believer stressed in the Qur'aan is being self-sacrificing. A believer always gives priority to the needs and wishes of other believers and displays a virtuous spirit. What is more he takes pleasure in assuming such an attitude. The Qur'aan describes this attitude as follows:
"But those who before them, had homes (in Madinah) and had adopted Faith, show their affection to such as came to them for refuge, and entertain no desire in their hearts for things given to the (latter), but give them preference over themselves, even though poverty was their (own lot). And those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, they are the ones that achieve prosperity." (Al-Hashr: 9)
Essentially, envy, competition and dispute are the three basic factors posing a serious threat to the maintenance of brotherhood and solidarity among the believers. Competition, likely to be aroused by ambition, do harm to the brotherhood bond. This is, indeed, a detriment to the soul and leads to a moral regression.
However, it is all senseless to waste time by hindering the efforts of o

[IslamCity] Being arrogant in practising religion By Dr Shariffa Carlo

[FAITH]

Being arrogant in practising religion 
 By Dr Shariffa Carlo
One of the biggest thing that hurts us, that allows us to fall into the trap of the ignorant age's mentality when it comes to being a woman is that we have forgotten about a major element of Islam that allows us and strengthens us in being good practising Muslimahs. I want to talk about pride and arrogance. But, don't get me wrong. I am not going to say what most people say when they talk about pride and arrogance. Ususally, when this topic is discussed, you will get verses and Ahadith, which condemn pride and arrogance. I am here to tell you to have pride and arrogance. I am going to tell you that pride and arrogance is good. I am going to tell you, that you need to let your chests expand with pride and arrogance till they are ready to burst. Confused? Don't be. I don't mean pride and arrogance as in looking down upon people. Because this pride and arrogance was forbidden.
Narrated Abdullah bin Masood: The Apostle of Allah (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) observed: He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride and arrogance shall not enter Paradise. A person (amongst his hearers) said: Verily a person loves that his dress should be fine, and his shoes should be fine. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: Verily, Allah is Graceful and He loves grace. Pride is disdaining the truth (out of self-conceit) and contempt for the people. (Sahih Muslim:)
I don't mean pride and arrogance in the conceited, hurtful sense. I mean pride and arrogance as in recognising and acting like what you are -- the best nation ever raised by Allah, for Allah says: You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong, and believe in Allah; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors. (3:110)
(And) lo! those who believe and do good works are the best of created beings. (98:7)
We are the highest of creations. We were created in the best stature and will remain so, so long as we do what we must to obey Allah. Allah says: Surely We created man of the best stature; Then we reduced him to the lowest of the low; except such as believe and do righteous deeds: for they shall have a reward unfailing. (95:4-6)
We, the Muslims, are the best nation created. We are the leaders of this world. The companions of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) recognised this. They embraced it, and it is for this reason that they were able to defeat the non-believers and conquer so much of the world. They did not cower in the corners, afraid to declare their faith. They did not sit back and allow themselves to be humiliated except when it was a command from Allah and/or His Messenger that they do so. They were strong. They were confident, and they wore their pride and arrogance in their religion like a badge of honour.
An excellent example of this was Hadhrat Abu Zarr Ghifari (Radhi Allaho anho). He accepted Islam at a time when the Muslims were weak and persecuted. Yet, instead of hiding his religion, he announced it for all to know.
In his own words: "...After that I stayed with the Holy Prophet in Makkah and he taught me Islam and taught me to read the Holy Qur'aan. Then he said to me, 'Don't tell anyone in Makkah about your acceptance of Islam. I fear that they will kill you." "By Him in whose hands is my soul, I shall not leave Makkah until I go to the Sacred Mosque and proclaim the call of Truth in the midst of the Quraish," vowed Abu Zarr.
He said the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) remained silent. He went to the mosque. The Quraish were sitting and talking. He went in their midst and called out at the top of his voice, "O people of Quraysh, I testify that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
He said his words had an immediate effect on them. They jumped up and said, 'Get this one who has left his religion.' They bounced on him and began to beat him mercilessly. They clearly meant to kill him. But Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet, recognised him.
He bent over and protected him from them. He told them: "Woe to you! Would you kill a man from the Ghifar tribe and your caravans must pass through their territory?" They then released him.
This companion had so much pride and arrogance in his religion that he could do nothing better than to announce it for all to hear, even at the risk of his own life. Even though it was an unwise thing to do, and the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) remained silent on hearing his intention to pronounce the testimony of faith in the midst of the Makkans (although he did not forbid it), this man felt a compulsion to let the people know that he had accepted Islam.
This is a sign of the pride and arrogance, which is permitted. And it was the foolish act, not the pride and arro

[IslamCity] ISSUE OF SINGING AND MUSIC IN ISLAM

[FAITH]

ak and adorn yourself with it on the 'Id festivals and on meeting the delegations." 

Allah's Apostle replied, "This is the dress for the one who will have no share in the Hereafter (or, this is worn by one who will have no share in the Hereafter)." 
From this argument we should understand the hadîth meaning that being involved in wearing silk, fornication, wine drinking and musical instruments is haram. We can see that there are many Muslims today who are involved in all four of these aspects at once.  
Imam Ghazali said in Ihya Ulum Al-Din--The Revival Of The Religious Sciences: 
"The musical instruments and songs which are typically associated with drunkards are prohibited as they remind of prohibited things and promote the prohibited, such as the consumption of wine and other intoxicants. These prohibited instruments include the Majamir, the Autar and the Kubah, but not the Daf, the flute and other musical instruments."

Argument #4:All of the schools of thought including Maliki, Shafii, Hanbali and Hanafi say that music is Haram
Response:Sheikh Muhammad Al-Hanuti stated:
"The majority of schools say music is haram, but there are some other reliable schools that say it is halal."

We must look at the evidence provided by all scholars and then take into consideration what the music is being used for. In this age, the music industry is powerful and it leads astray many youth who are addicted to this music. As Muslims we must provide Islamic alternatives for them in order to guide them back to Islam.  
Argument #5:All other Ahadeeh recorded refer to musical instruments negatively.

Response:In Bukhari, another hadith relates a connection between musical instruments and the family of David (saw). This is evidence that, indeed, the Psalms were musical in nature: 

Bukhari Volume 6, Book 61, Number 568: "Narrated Abu Musa that the Prophet said to him' "O Abu Musa! You have been given one of the musical wind-instruments of the family of David.'"

The following hadith relates of how the adhan (call to prayer) came to be, and how the Prophet's companions suggested the use of musical instruments such as the horn or bell like the People of the Book. Now although the Prophet ultimately approved the use of the human voice, there is no mention that the Prophet chastised his companions for suggesting musical instruments for the adhan. And if the Prophet was so very much against musical instruments, then why would his companions dare to suggest the use of such sinful things in the call to prayer? 

From Muslim Book 004, Number 0735: Ibn Umar reported: When the Muslims came to Medina, they gathered and sought to know the time of prayer but no one summoned them. One day they discussed the matter, and some of them said: Use something like the bell of the Christians and some of them said: Use horn like that of the Jews. Umar said: Why may not a be appointed who should call (people) to prayer? The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: O Bilal, get up and summon (the people) to prayer.  
As Muslims we must understand the environment that our youth live in. Our duty is to bring Islam to them and instil the love of Allah in their hearts. We must combat the negative forces in the society with positive alternatives rather than harsh rules that are not agreed upon by all scholars. Music and singing has been used successfully for over a decade in this country as a means to bring the youth to have stronger faith in their religion. We should encourage this development to the best of our abilities. 











026.083"O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me,and join me with 
the righteous; 026.085 And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of 
Delight," (THE HOLY QUR'AN) ameen 
MODERATOR
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/

		Do you Yahoo!? 
Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term'


***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, wit

[IslamCity] Freedom from Sin by Shaykh Ahmad Hendricks

[FAITH]

Freedom from Sin
by Shaykh Ahmad Hendricks


In talking about sin another urgent question needs to be looked at. Why and how do people fall into it? Knowledge of the causes and then of managing them wisely with the intention of ultimately removing them is one of the fundamental ways of overcoming the disease. There are both general and specific causes of sin whether they are sins of the body or sins of the heart. In this and the next essay we will look at the general causes. The specific causes of sin will be dealt with in future essays and as the need arises. Generally speaking people fall into a particular sin as a result of mainly four causes:

Lack of knowledge 
The influences of Shaytan 
The nafs or lower self 
Friends and peer groups 
Let us look briefly at each of these points starting with the first and second:
Lack of Knowledge.
Lack of knowledge is the great shortcoming of humankind. Educational systems of all types exist precisely to overcome this universal human weakness. Quite obviously sins cannot be avoided if they are not known to be sins. The beginning of right living or the pursuance of the good life depends entirely on the degree of knowledge of the devotee. It has to be remembered though that knowledge can be both acquired (kasbi) or innate (fitri). Often people with a minuteae of acquired knowledge feel dissatisfied with their lives. This dissatisfaction sometimes has its source in the innate knowledge of goodness and evil that every soul is inspired with. As Allah, the Most High, says: 
"And by the Soul and its creation in perfect proportion and balance, And the knowledge of evil and good He inspired into it." [Surah al-Shams,v 7-8]. 
Much of Islamic spirituality is geared to the awakening of that innate sense of good and evil. But this innate understanding of good and evil is not enough. Human nature is complex. Circumstance and upbringing can blind the fitrah. Some scholars hold that it can even be changed and distorted. As a result all of the well-known schools of spiritual development or tariqah (pl. turuq) as they are known stipulates the acquisition of a basic knowledge of Islam before higher instruction is given. And this, with good reason, if only to ensure that the student has a firm foundation on which to develop. It is hoped of-course that a basic knowledge of sin has been clearly described in the previous essays in this series.
Learning and acquiring knowledge is obligatory in Islam. One cannot go to the masjid everyday for the daily salah and neglect the important duty of gaining more knowledge. The two must go together. Doing the one and neglecting the other and still imagining that we are improving as Muslims is one of the great delusions of our time. The Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said, "Seeking knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim male and female"[ Narrated by Bukhari]. In this hadith we have one of the rare occasions where the Prophet (s), may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, specifically uses the Arabic term "faridah" or "obligation" mainly to underline the importance of knowledge. Shaytan and the heart 
In order to explain in meaningful terms the relationship between our heart and the workings of Shaytan, Ibn Qudama compares the heart to a fortress. He says:

Know that the heart is like a fortress. The Shaytan is the enemy who wants to invade the fortress, own, and control it. And there is no way to protect the fortress except by guarding the entrances. The doors cannot be guarded if we are ignorant of them and the Shaytan cannot be repelled except through knowledge of his routes of penetration. The doors and pathways of the Shaytan are the qualities of the slave and they are many. [Mukhtasar minhaj al-qasidin, Abridgement of the path of the seekers, Ibn Qudama, pg. 193-194]. 
Traditionally the word heart (qalb) has a number of different applications. In this passage the author uses it to refer to the entire non-physical part of us. And we know the heart in this sense is both susceptible to higher influences in the form of guidance from Allah, the Most High, and tends to rebel against that guidance through its desires and passions. Now the point of the author is that Shaytan is able to influence us and work his tricks of illusion and deception precisely because we are not vigilant enough and not knowledgeable enough of our shortcomings and of our negative qualities. 
Take for example envy and greed. When these shortcomings are stimulated for some reason. We become, for example, envious of the wealth, fame or knowledge of another individual, or we become greedy for more worldly possessions. The first thing that then happens is the natural light (nur) of the heart becomes dim. It must be remembered here that innately (bil-fitrah) we are equipped to know the Devil's ruse. Every human being is gifted with the light (nur) of insight. This insight however, is blocked and even seriously impaired if greed and envy gets 

[IslamCity] Essence of Abstinence

[FAITH]

Essence of Abstinence
You who are kept in pawn to food,you can be free if you suffer yourself to be weaned,Truly in hunger there is abundant nourishment:search after it diligently and cherish the hope of finding it.Feed on the Light, be like the eye,be in harmony with the angels, O best of humankind.Like the Angel, make glorification of God your sustenance.
See how the hand is invisible while the pen is writing;the horse careening, yet the rider is unseen;the arrow flying, but the bow out of sight;individual souls existing,while is Soul of the souls is hidden. 
Don't strive so much to complete your worldly affairs;don't strive in any affair that's not sacred. 
Otherwise at the end. you'll leave incomplete,your spiritual affairs damaged and your bread unbaked.
The beautifying of your grave isn't doneby means of wood and stone and plaster;
no, but by digging your grave in spiritual purityand burying your own selfhood in His (mission), 
and by becoming His dust, buried in love of Him,so that from His breath, yours may be replenished.
The smell of pride and greed and lustwill betray you when you speakas much as the onions you have eaten. 
Many prayers are rejected because of their smell;the corrupt heart reveals itself in the tongue.But if your meaning is pure,God (may) accept even your clumsy _expression_. 
Ahmad Sam’ani [Rawh al-arwah, p.312] 
source:
http://www.sunnah.org/tasawwuf/essence_of_abstinence.htm

















026.083"O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me,and join me with 
the righteous; 026.085 And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of 
Delight," (THE HOLY QUR'AN) ameen 
MODERATOR
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/

		Do you Yahoo!? 
Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard.


***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title change to daily digest. 








Yahoo! Groups Sponsor


ADVERTISEMENT













Yahoo! Groups Links

To visit your group on the web, go to:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

[IslamCity] WHAT THE SEEKER NEEDS By Muhiyy ad-Din Ibn 'Arabi

[FAITH]

In the name of Allah, The Beneficent, Most Merciful
WHAT THE SEEKER NEEDS
Kitab Kunh ma la budda minhu lil-murid
By Muhiyy ad-Din Ibn 'Arabi
(translated by Tosun Bayrak)
All praise and thanks are due to Allah Most High, and may His benedictions and salutations be upon His messenger, and the progeny and companions of His messenger. 
This short guide is a response to one who wishes to take the path of faith, hope, and love so that he might become complete and perfect as he was created. It was written to answer his questions about what he should believe in and what he should do in the beginning, before anything else. 
O you who yearn for eternal beauty, traveler on the path of the true wish, may Allah make you successful in knowing the true way, finding it, and being upon it. May He use you and us in actions that please Him and are done for His sake. For the beginning and the end and what is in between, and success in them all, belong only to Him. 
The way and means to eternal salvation and bliss is in coming close to the Truth. Allah Himself teaches us the meaning of His closeness to us. He teaches us by sending us His prophets. We say, "we believe." It is the truth. We accept and confirm it. The only thing then left for us to do is to follow the teachings and the example of His prophet. 
First, you must believe in the oneness and uniqueness of the One who is before the before and after the after, who created us and everything else, and you must not associate with Him anything unbefitting the purity of His Essence. He Himself says in His divine book: 
If there were in them gods besides Allah, (the heavens and the earth) would both have been in disorder (mixing and clashing and being destroyed). (Anbiya', 22) 
The wills of many creators would clash and cancel each other, not permitting anything to be or to happen. Therefore, if we and all existence exist, He -- the One and Unique Creator - exists, and He has no associates. 
O you with beautiful nature and pure heart, do not debate, discuss, even talk with people who attribute partners to Allah. There is no use in trying to convince them. Even the deniers will finally concede: 
And if you ask them who created the heavens and the earth they will say, Allah. (Luqman, 25) 
They as well will finally admit an unknown force as the initial Creator of the creation - but they will add to Him further creators. The difference between them and the believers is that they suppose that others, among the created, are also able to create. You do not have to prove to them the existence of Allah. Let them prove, if they can, the existence of His associates. 
This is sufficient advice for you on the subject of professing the oneness of Allah. Time is valuable: you cannot be careless with it. If the mind has reached a state in which it is free from doubt and the heart is safe and secure, it makes no sense to disturb this peace with superfluous proofs. 

SOURCE:
http://www.sunnah.org/tasawwuf/what_seeker_needs.htm











026.083"O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me,and join me with 
the righteous; 026.085 And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of 
Delight," (THE HOLY QUR'AN) ameen 
MODERATOR
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/
__Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com 


***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the 

[IslamCity] Fwd: THE VOICE OF A WOMAN in Islam by Yusuf al-Qaradawi

[FAITH]

From: "faith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: THE VOICE OF A WOMAN in Islam by Yusuf al-QaradawiDate: Sun, 16 Jan 2005 03:44:16 GMT



THE VOICE OF A WOMAN
in IslamYusuf al-Qaradawi
Many Muslims have adopted the Judeo-Christian ethic whichviews women as the source of human tragedy because of heralleged biblical role as the temptress who seduced Adam intodisobedience to his Lord. By tempting her husband to eat theforbidden fruit, she not only defied Allah, but causedhumankind's expulsion from Paradise, thus instigating alltemporal human suffering. Those misogynists who support thisBiblical myth, dredge from the archives of psuedo-Islamicliterature such as false and weak hadiths.
This Old Testament myth is a widely circulated belief in theIslamic community despite the fact that Allah in the Qur'anstresses that it was Adam who was solely responsible for hismistake. In 20:115 it is stated: "We had already, beforehand,taken the convenant of Adam, but he forgot; and we found onhis part no firm resolve." Verse 20:121-122 continues: "Inresult, they both ate of the tree...thus did Adam disobey HisLord, and fell into error. But his Lord chose for him (FromHis Grace): He turned to him, and gave him guidance."Therefore, there is nothing in Islamic doctrine or in theQur'an which holds women responsible for Adam's expulsionfrom paradise or the consequent misery of humankind.However, misogyny abounds in the pronouncements of manyIslamic "scholars" and "imams."
The result of such misinterpretation of hadiths and spreadingnegativity is that entire societies have mistreated theirfemale members despite the fact that Islam has honored andempowered the woman in all spheres of life. The woman inIslamic law is equal to her male counterpart. She is asliable for her actions as a male is liable. Her testimony isdemanded and valid in court. Her opinions are sought andacted upon. Contrary to the pseudo hadith: "Consult womenand do the opposite," the Prophet (SAW) consulted his wife,Um Salama on one of the most important issues to the Muslimcommunity. Such references to the Prophet's positiveattitudes toward women disprove the one hadith falselyattributed to Ali bin Abi Talib: "The woman is all evil, andthe greatest evil about her is that man cannot do withouther."
The promotion of such negativity against women has led many"scholars" and "imams" to make the unsubstantiated rulingabout female speech. They claim that women should lowertheir voice to whispers or even silence except when shespeaks to her husband, her guardian or other females. Thefemale act of communication has become to some a source oftemptation and allurement to the male.
The Qur'an, however, specifically mentions that those seekinginformation from the Prophet's wives were to address themfrom behind a screen (33:53). Since questions require ananswer, the Mothers of the Believers offered fatwas to thosewho asked and narrated hadiths to whomever wished to transmitthem. Furthermore, women were accustomed to question theProphet (SAW) while men were present. Neither were theyembarassed to have their voices heard nor did the Prophetprevent their inquires. Even in the case of Omar when he waschallenged by a woman during his khutba on the minbar, he didnot deny her. Rather, he admitted that she was right and hewas wrong and said: "Everybody is more knowledgeable thanOmar."
Another Qur'anic example of a woman speaking publicly is thatthe daughter of the Shaykh mentioned in the Qur'an in 28:23.Furthermore, the Qur'an narrates the coversation betweenSulayman and the Queen of Sheba as well as between her andher subjects. All of these examples support the fatwa thatwomen are allowed to voice their opinion publicly forwhatever has been prescribed to those before us is prescribedto us, unless it was unanimously rejected by Islamicdoctrine.
Thus, the only prohibition is the female talking softly andflirting in a manner meant to excite and tempt the male.This is expressed in the Qur'an as complacent speech whichAllah mentions in 33:32: "O consorts of the Prophet! Ye arenot like any of the other women: If ye do fear Allah, be nottoo complaisance of speech, lest one in whose heart is adisease should be moved with desire: but speak ye a speechthat is just."
What is prohibited then is alluring speech which enticesthose whose diseased hearts may be moved with desire andthat is not to say that all conversation with women isprohibited for Allah completes the verse: "...but speak yea speech that is just." (33:32)
Finding excuses to silence women is just one of theinjustices certain scholars and imams attempt to inflict uponwomen. They point to such hadiths as narrated by Bukhariabout the Prophet which says: "I have not left a greater harmto men than women." They assume that the harm implies thatwomen are an evil curse to be endured 

[IslamCity] Prophet Ayoub (Job) [PBUH]

[FAITH]

Prophet Ayoub (Job) [PBUH]
Job's Family History
Ibn Ishaaq stated that he was a man of Rum. His name was Job, Ibn Mose, Ibn Razeh, Ibn Esau, Ibn Isaac , Ibn Abraham . Someone else said he was Job, Ibn Mose, Ibn Rimil, Ibn Esau, Ibn Isaac, Ibn Jacob. There have also been other statements on his lineage. Ibn Asaker narrated that his mother was a daughter of Lot . It was said, also, that his father was one who believed in Abraham when he was cast into the fire. 
The first opinion is the most plausable, because he was a descendant of Abraham's offspring as Allah Almighty declared: And that was Our proof which We gave Abraham against his people. We raise whom We will in degrees. Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing. And We bestowed upon him Isaac and Jacob, each of them We guided, and before him, We guided Noah, and among his progeny David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron. Thus do We reward the good-doers. Surah 6: 83-84
Allah's Praises of Job
Allah the Almighty praised His worshiper Job in His Glorious Qur'an: Truly! We found him patient. How excellent (a) slave! Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance (to Us)! Surah 38: 44 
Job was repentant, remembering Allah with thankfulness, patience, and steadfastness. This was the cause of his rescue and the secret of Allah's praising him. 
A group of angels were discussing Allah's other human creatures, how those who were humble earned Allah's pleasure, while those who were arrogant incurred His displeasure. One of the angels remarked: 'The best creature on earth today is Job, a man of noble character who displays great patience and always remembers his Generous Lord. He is an excellent model for the worshipers of Allah. In return, his Lord has blessed him with a long life and plenty of riches, yet he is never haughty or selfish. His family, his servants, as well as the needy and the poor share in his good fortune; he feeds and clothes the poor and buys slaves to set them free. He makes those who receive his charity feel as if they are favoring him, so kind and gentle is he."
Iblis's Jealousy of Job
Iblis, overhearing all this, became annoyed. He planned to tempt Job to corruption and disbelief, so he hastened to him. He tried to distract Job from his prayers by whispering to him about the good things in life, but Job was a true believer and would not let evil thoughts tempt him. This disturbed Iblis more; thus he began to hate Job even more.
Iblis Destroys Job's Wealth
Iblis complained to Allah about Job. He said that although he was continuously glorifying Allah, he was not doing so out of his sincerity but to satisfy Allah so that his wealth should not be taken away. It was all a show, all out of greed. "If You remove his wealth then You will find that his tongue will no longer mention Your name and his praying will stop." 
Allah told Iblis that Job was one of His most sincere devotees. He did not worship Him because of the favors; his worship stemmed from his heart and had nothing to do with material things. But to prove to Iblis the depth of Job's sincerity and patience, Allah allowed him to do whatever he and his helpers wished with Job's wealth. 
Iblis was very happy. He gathered his helpers and set about destroying Job's cattle, servants, and farms until he was left with no possessions. Rubbing his hands in glee, Iblis appeared before Job in the guise of a wise old man and said to him: "All your wealth is lost. Some people say that it is because you gave too much charity and that you are wasting your time with your continuous prayers to Allah. Others say that Allah has brought this upon you in order to please your enemies. If Allah had the capacity to prevent harm, then He would have protected your wealth." 
True to his belief, Job replied: "What Allah has taken away from me belongs to Him. I was only its trustee for a while. He gives to whom He wills and withholds from whom He wills." With these words, Job again prostrated to his Lord.
Iblis Destroys Job's Children
When Iblis saw this, he felt frustrated, so he again addressed Allah: "I have stripped Job of all his possessions, but he still remains grateful to You. However, he is only hiding his disappointment, for he places great store by his many children. The real test of a parent is through his children. You will then see how Job will reject You." 
Allah granted Iblis authority, but warned him that it would not reduce Job's faith in his Lord nor his patience. 
Iblis again gathered his helpers and set about his evil deeds. He shook the foundation of the house in which Job's children were living and sent the building crashing, killing all of them. Then he went to Job disguised as a man who had come to sympathize with him. In a comforting tone he said to Job: 'The circumstances under which your children died were sad. Surely, your Lord is not rewarding you properly for all your prayers." Having said this, Iblis waited anxiously, ho

[IslamCity] REPLY: Make Dua' to my late brother.

[FAITH]

wa alaykum as salam brother,

Innaa lillahi wa inna ilaihi raje oon

Really sad to know of your brother's death.
May his soul eternal rest in peace (ameen)
and may you  your family overcome this grief with patience (ameen)

as salaam u alaikum,

Regards,
Faith 











026.083"O my Lord! bestow wisdom on me,and join me with 
the righteous; 026.085 And place me among the inheritors of the Garden of 
Delight," (THE HOLY QUR'AN) ameen 
MODERATOR
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam4all/

		Do you Yahoo!? 
The all-new My Yahoo! – What will yours do?


***
{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} 
(Holy Quran-16:125)

{And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: I am one of the Muslims.} (Holy Quran-41:33)
 
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels. [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] 

The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all. 
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] 
--

All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. 

If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title change to daily digest. 








Yahoo! Groups Sponsor


ADVERTISEMENT












Yahoo! Groups Links

To visit your group on the web, go to:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

[IslamCity] Extremism: The Accusation and the Truth ( by Yusuf Al Qaradawi ) PART 1

[faith _hope4peace_of_mind]

Extremism: The Accusation and the Truth
from:Islamic Awakening between Rejection and Extremism 
 by Yusuf Al Qaradawi
Logicians argue that one annot pass a judgment on something unless one has a clear conception of it, because the unknown and the undefined cannot be judged. Therefore, we first have to determine what "religious ,extremism" means before we can condemn or applaud it. We can do so by considering its reality and its most distinguishing characteristics. Literally, extremism means being situated at the farthest possible point from the center. Figuratively, it indicates a similar remoteness in religion and thought, as well as behavior. One of the main consequences of extremism is exposure to danger and insecurity.! Islam, therefore, recommends moderation and balance in everything: in belief, ibadah, conduct, and legislation. This is the straightforward path that Allah (SWT) calls al Sirat. al mustaqim, one distinct from all the
 others which are followed by those who earn Allah's anger and those who go astray. Moderation, or balance, is not only a general characteristic of Islam, it is a fundamental landmark. The Qur'an says:Thus have we made of you an Ummah justly balanced, that you might be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves.As such, the Muslim Ummah is a nation of justice and moderation; it witnesses every deviation from the 'straightforward path' in this life and in the hereafter. Islamic texts call upon Muslims to excerise moderation and to reject and oppose all kinds of extremism: ghuluw (excessiveness), tanattu' (trangressing; meticulous religiosity) and tashdid (strictness; austerity). A close examination of such texts shows that Islam emphatically warns against, and discourages, ghuluw. Let us consider the following ahadith: 

Beware of excessiveness in religion. [People] before you have perished as a result of [such] excessiveness. " The people referred to above are the people of other religions, especially Ahl al Kitab [the People of the Book]; Jews and Christians and mainly the Christians. The Qur'an addresses these people:Say: O People of the Book! Exceed not in your religion the bounds [of what is proper], trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by who misled many, and strayed [themselves] from the even Way".Muslims have therefore been warned not to follow in their steps: he who learns from the mistakes of others indeed lives a happier life. Furthermore, the reason behind the above hadith is to alert us to the fact that ghuluw may crop up as an insignificant action which we then unwittingly allow to continue and develop into a
 menace. After reaching Muzdalifah-during his last hajj-the Prophet (SA'AS) requested Ibn 'Abbas to gather some stones for him. Ibn 'Abbas selected small stones. Upon seeing the stones, the Prophet (SA'AS) approved of their size and said: "Yes, with such [stones do stone Satan]. Beware of excessiveness in religion". This clearly indicates that Muslims should not be so zealous as to believe that using larger stones is better, thus gradually allowing excessiveness to creep into their lives. Al Imam Ibn Taymiyah argues that this warning against excessiveness applies to all forms of belief, worship, and transaction, and notes that since the Christians are more excessive in faith and in practice than any other sect, Allah (SWT) admonishes them in the Qur'an. "Do not exceed the limits of your religion" .
"Ruined were those who indulged in tanattu'" And he [the Prophet (SA'AS)] repeated this thrice. Imam al Nawawi said that the people referred to here, "those indulging in tanattu:" i.e., those who go beyond the limit in their utterance as well as in their action. Evidently the above two ahadith emphatically assert that the consequence of excessiveness and zealotry will be the complete loss of this life and of the hereafter.
The Prophet (SA'AS) used to say: "Do not overburden yourselves, lest you perish. People [before you] overburdened themselves and perished. Their remains are found in hermitages and monasteries. Indeed, Prophet Muhammad (SA'AS) always condemned any tendency toward religious excessiveness. He cautioned those of his companions who were excessive in ibadah, or who were too ascetic, especially when this went beyond the moderate Islamic position. Islam seeks to create a balance between the needs of the body and those of the soul, between the right of man to live life to its full, and the right of the Creator to be worshipped by man; which is also man's raison d'etre.Islam has laid down certain forms of `ibadah to purify the human being both spiritually and materially, individually and collectively, thereby establishing a harmonious community in which feelings of brotherhood and
 solidarity rule, and without hindering man's duty to build culture and civilization. The obligatory duties such as s