Even among the wise there is confusion. Even among the learned there is dismay. Even among the pious there is greed. Why is it we hold others to a standard we ourselves cannot keep? Why is it we would trust those who cannot trust themselves? Why is it we would hold the word of one person above all others? Surely if God is God, He would make Himself known to us in a way each and every individual could understand. Cannot the foolish know love? Cannot the uneducated know love? Cannot even the wicked know love? None comes before another for we are all in this together. Listen not to me, for even I can be confused. Listen to the wisdom of your heart.

INTRODUCTION

Praise be to Allah, Lord of All the Worlds. And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and Companions.

The first pillar of Islam is our testimony that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The first half of this testimony is our declaration of monotheism. The second half is our declaration that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him). We can only fully realize the meaning of the second half of the testimony by cultivating in our hearts the following:

1. Belief in everything the Prophet (peace be upon him) has told us. We must believe, first and foremost, that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah sent to all humanity to convey to them what Allah revealed to him of the Qur’ân and Sunnah. This is the religion of Islam, and Allah will accept from his servants no other religion.

2. Obedience to his commands with full acceptance and submission. We must adhere to his Sunnah and emulate his most excellent example and eschew everything to the contrary.

3. Love for the Prophet (peace be upon him). We must love our Prophet (peace be upon him) more than we love anyone else, even our own parents and children. In this way, we will show him the respect and deference that he deserves and we will be inspired to do what we must to support and defend him.

It is incumbent upon every one of us as Muslims to fully realize in our lives the meaning of our testimony “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”. We must truly inculcate this faith in our hearts. The hypocrites had said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): “We bear witness that indeed you are the Messenger of Allah.”In turn, Allah said: “Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars.” [Sûrah al-Munâfiqûn: 1]

There are a number of things that we can do to put our love for the Prophet (peace be upon him) into action and carry out our duty to him. Wemust confront the vicious attacks being waged against him and ransom him with our lives, our loved ones, and our wealth to the extent of our varying abilities. We must all carry out our responsibilities on whatever level we are able.

THINGS WE CAN DO AS INDIVIDUALS

1. We can contemplate the evidence which decisively demonstrates that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah. The first source for this evidence is none other than the Qur’ân.

2. We can learn the evidence from the Qur’ân, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Muslims that it is obligatory to obey the Prophet (peace be upon him) and emulate his most excellent example.

3. We can acquaint ourselves with how Allah has protected the Prophet’s Sunnah. We should learn about the considerable efforts that were made by the scholars throughout the centuries to separate the genuine Sunnah from what was false and how they compiled the authentic Sunnah according to the most stringent conditions. No other civilization of the past had ever developed a more arduous and learned set of principles for authenticating historical evidence.

4. We can cultivate in our hearts our love for the Prophet (peace be upon him) by recalling his noble attributes. We can read about his good character and his noble deeds. We can learn how he embodied all the good qualities that can possibly be attained by a single human being.

5. We can bring to mind the great favor that he bestowed on all of us and how indebted we are to him. He is the one who conveyed to us the true religion. He carried out this duty in a most excellent manner. He fulfilled his trust to Allah perfectly and delivered to us his Lord’s Message.

6. We can give him due credit for all the good that we attain by Allah’s grace in this world and the Hereafter, since he is the one who showed us towards how to attain it and who brought us guidance. Allah has blessed him on our account with the greatest blessings ever bestowed upon a Prophet.

7. We can bring to mind how compassionate and merciful the Prophet (peace be upon him) was to his followers and how concerned he was for our guidance and welfare. Allah says: “The Prophet is closer to the believers than they are to their own selves.” [Sûrah al-Ahzâb: 6]

8. We can become acquainted with the verses of the Qur’ân and with the hadîth that discuss his lofty status with his Lord and the love that Allah has for him and the esteem in which Allah holds him.

9. We can carry out Allah’s command to love the Prophet (peace be upon him). We should love him more than we love ourselves. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “None of you truly believes until I become dearer to him than his own self, his children, his parents, and all of mankind.”

10. We can carry out Allah’s command to show respect for the Prophet (peace be upon him) and for his Sunnah. Allah says: “O you who believe, do not raise your voices above the Prophet’s voice and do not speak to him loudly as you might speak to one another, lest your deeds become vain while you perceive it not.” [Sûrah al-Hujurât: 2]

11. We can fulfill Allah’s command to come to the defense of our Prophet (peace be upon him) and protect him from those who wish to harm or defame him. Allah says: “To believe in Allah and His Messenger that you may assist and honor him.” [Sûrah al-Fath: 9]

12. We can cultivate in our hearts a sincere and constant resolve to defend the Prophet and promote his good name.

13. We can bear in mind the great blessings and rewards that in the Hereafter await those who genuinely put into practice their love for the Prophet (peace be upon him). They will be his close companions in Paradise, for the Prophet (peace be upon him) has promised: “You will be with whom you love.”

14. We can make it a habit to offer salutations of peace upon our Prophet (peace be upon him) whenever we remember to do so, especially after the call to prayer and on Fridays. This will increase our blessings from Allah.

15. We can read the biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him) from authentic sources and benefit from the many lessons that it contains. We can then try to apply those lessons to our lives today.

16. We can learn the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) by studying its authentic sources. We must study the hadîth and strive to understand them correctly. We need to derive from these hadîth the rulings and the lessons that they contain.

17. We can follow the Sunnah in its entirety, giving priority to what we are obligated to do.

18. We can strive to emulate the Prophet (peace be upon him) even in matters where we are under no obligation to do so. It is better even if we do something the Prophet (peace be upon him) did only once in our lives just so we can follow his example to the last detail.

19. We can be vigilant to avoid ever belittling any aspect of his Sunnah.

20. We can make sure that we feel joy every time we see people putting some aspect of his Sunnah into practice.

21. We can feel sorrow whenever we find that some aspect of his Sunnah is being neglected.

22. We can feel enmity towards anyone who defames the Prophet (peace be upon him) or disapproves of his Sunnah.

23. We can show love for the members of our Prophet’s family and for his wives and descendants. We can seek nearness to Allah by loving them for the sake of their nearness to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and for the sake of their commitment to Islam. If we find any of his descendants disobedient to Allah, we should be eager to guide them, since their guidance is something most dear to the Prophet (peace be upon him). `Umar the son of al-Khattâb said to the Prophet’s uncle: “O `Abbâs! The day that you accepted Islam was more beloved to me than the day when al-Khattâb accepted Islam. This is only because I know that your acceptance of Islam was dearer to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) than that of al-Khattâb.”

24. We can act upon the direction of the Prophet (peace be upon him) with respect to his family when he thrice said: “I remind you of the rights of Allah with respect to my family.”

25. We can show love and respect for the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and recognize their honor and distinction with Allah and their superiority in knowledge and good works to those who come after them.

26. We can show love and respect for the scholars on account of their status and their knowledge of the Prophet’s legacy. The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets. They deserve to be loved and honored. This is a right that our Prophet (peace be upon him) has over us.

THINGS WE CAN DO AS FAMILIES AND AS A SOCIETY

27. We can raise our children to love the Prophet (peace be upon him).

28. We can raise our children to emulate his excellent example.

29. We can make available in our homes books about the Prophet’s life.

30. We can make available in our homes recorded lectures about his life for our families to listen to.

31. We can show our children cartoons that have a clear and wholesome Islamic content.

32. We can set aside some family time every week for an Islamic study circle.

33. As husbands and wives, we can follow the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in how we deal with our families.

34. We can encourage our children to memorize and put into practice the words that the prophet (peace be upon him) used to remember Allah on all occasions.

35. We can encourage our children to spend a portion of their daily allowances on charitable deeds that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to encourage, like providing for an orphan, feeding a poor person, or helping the needy. This is an excellent practical application of the Sunnah.

36. We can make our children accustomed to using some of the Prophet’s good sayings in their everyday speech like: “A believer is clever and sage”; “A believer does not get stung from the same hole twice” and “Make things easy, not difficult”.

37. We can hold competitions at home where the children can be tested on their knowledge of the Prophet’s life.

38. We can teach our children about the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) by holding little programs at home like: “A day at the Prophet’s house”.

THINGS WE CAN DO IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION

39. We can cultivate love for the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the hearts of our students by teaching them about the rights he has over us as his followers.

40. We can increase the amount of lectures given covering different aspects of his life and personality.

41. We can encourage educational authorities to add to the Islamic Studies syllabus a subject entitled The Life of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

42. We can make efforts to finance the appointment of professors of the Prophet’s biography in prominent Western universities.

43. We can encourage serious research into the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and encourage scholars to publish works about different aspects of the Sunnah.

44. We can hold exhibitions at schools and universities to inform people about the Prophet (peace be upon him) while focusing on the geographical spread of Islam.

45. We can devote prominent sections of our libraries to books about the Prophet (peace be upon him).

46. We can develop valuable encyclopedic reference works about the Prophet’s life.

47. We can host annual competitions where students can receive scholarships and prizes for writing the best original research papers about the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his life.

48. We can hold youth camps that cultivate love for the Prophet (peace be upon him) and teach the practical application of the Sunnah.

49. We can host training seminars for our future leaders that focus on how to emulate the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

THINGS WE CAN DO IN THE FIELD OF ISLAMIC WORK

50. We can explain the hallmarks of the message that the Prophet (peace be upon him) called towards, emphasizing that he came with the original, pure religion and that his concern was to guide all humanity to the sincere, monotheistic worship of their Lord.

51. We can step up our efforts in calling people of all nations and all walks of life to the guidance of Islam.

52. We can convey to the people the illustrious and noble character that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had even before he began to receive the revelation from Allah.

53. We can explain to the people the good qualities of our Prophet (peace be upon him) and the unique features of Islam in a manner that will hold their attention and capture their interests.

54. We can explain how the Prophet (peace be upon him) behaved toward his family, his neighbors, and his followers.

55. We can focus on how admirably and magnanimously he conducted himself with the Jews, Christians, pagans, and hypocrites who showed him enmity and hostility.

56. We can explain how nobly he carried out his most mundane, daily affairs.

57. We can set aside part of the Friday sermon for discussing certain aspects of the Prophet’s life and occasionally devote an entire sermon to this topic.

58. After the daily prayers, we can offer a few comments on how the verses we recited in our prayers relate to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his life.

59. We can hold study sessions for the memorization of the Sunnah just like we do for the memorization of the Qur’ân.

60. We can correct the misconceptions that the general public has about the Sunnah and emphasize the importance of following the Sunnah inour lives.

61. We can call the people’s attention to the Islamic rulings issued by scholars regarding those who defame the Prophet (peace be upon him) and emphasize that we have to disassociate ourselves from such people.

62. We can work to return the people to their religion by presenting to them the message of the prophet (peace be upon him) in the simplest terms.

63. We can use the media to warn people against going overboard in their reverence for the Prophet (peace be upon him) and explain to them the verses of the Qur’ân that prohibit excess and extravagance. Allah says: “Do not go to excesses in your religion.” We can also mention relevant hadîth like: “Do not venerate me in the way that the Christians venerated the son of Mary.” We must emphasize that true love for the prophet (peace be upon him) is expressed by following him faithfully.

64. We can encourage the people to read about the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) from its authentic sources. We must clarify those sources and make them available.

65. We can refute and dispel the misconceptions and false claims that are circulating about the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his life.

THINGS WE CAN DO IN THE CULTURAL SPHERE AND IN THE MEDIA

66. We can use cultural and media events as opportunities to teach people about the illustrious character of the Prophet (peace be upon him)

67. We can refrain from publishing or broadcasting anything that is contrary to his Sunnah.

68. We can oppose the Western media and refute the misconceptions and false claims that they are propagating about our Prophet and our religion.

69. We can host press conferences and cultural events with moderate non-Muslim thinkers where we can openly discuss the Prophet (peace e upon him) and his message.

70. We can publish and disseminate what objective non-Muslim thinkers have said about the prophet (peace be upon him).

71. We can hold conventions and conferences to discuss the life and methodology of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and to demonstrate how that methodology is suitable for all places and times.

72. We can air televised competitions where contestants can earn prizes by demonstrating their knowledge of the Prophet’s life.

73. We can write and publish articles, stories, and pamphlets about the Prophet (peace be upon him).

74. We can petition the editorial boards of newspapers and magazines to provide a regular feature that highlights verses of the Qur’ân and hadîth of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and explains why Muslims love the Prophet (peace be upon him) and emulate his example.

75. We can petition the executive bodies of television networks to air programs about the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his life, highlighting his good qualities and the exemplary way that he conducted himself with his wives, his children, his followers, and his enemies.

76. We can encourage production studios to prepare professional quality video programs about the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his life.

77. We can encourage our local television stations and satellite channels to produce and air cartoon programs for children highlighting the good qualities of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and stories from his life.

WHAT WE CAN DO THROUGH OUR ISLAMIC ORGANIZATIONS AND CHARITIES

78. We can establish committees and departments within our organizations devoted to supporting our Prophet (peace be upon him).

79. We can reserve space for our organizations at local and international expositions and conventions and distribute literature and other media products about the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his message.

80. We can establish permanent distribution centers for distributing books, pamphlets, and audio recordings about the Prophet (peace be upon him).

81. We can establish a special award with preset standards to be presented to the person who best served the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his biography. The presentation of this award could be accompanied by a major ceremony to which many renowned personages would be invited.

82. We can print books about the Prophet’s life in various foreign languages to be distributed to public libraries, universities, and centers for Oriental studies around the globe.

83. We can publish a periodical journal that specializes in the Prophet (peace be upon him), his life, Islamic teachings, and the Muslims, emphasizing the good qualities of the religion that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came with.

84. We can establish charitable funds to finance our program of supporting the Prophet (peace be upon him) and to pay for the writing and translation of books and articles.

WHAT WE CAN DO ON THE INTERNET

85. We can establish organizations devoted to propagating Islam and showing, among other things, how Islam teaches love and reverence for all of the Prophets (peace be upon them all).

86. We can establish websites and online newsgroups devoted to the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him). On a smaller scale, we can create dedicated web pages for existing websites that have a broader focus.

87. We can participate in live chats online with non-Muslims and invite them to study the personality of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the religion that he came with.

88. We can include at the bottom of our e-mails some appropriate hadîth and sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

89. We can prepare an occasional online newsletter that discusses the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his message to be sent out on special occasions and whenever circumstances warrant it.

90. We can post on major search engines notices about relevant books and lectures.

THINGS WE CAN DO WITH OUR WEALTH AND THROUGH OUR ISLAMIC GOVERNMENTS

91. We can give financial support to Islamic activities that focus on the Prophet (peace be upon him)

92. We can print billboards and bumper stickers that quote the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

93. We can help to establish Islamic television and radio stations, as well as periodicals that are devoted to spreading the message of Islam in many languages around the world and especially in English.

94. We can pay for airtime on television and radio stations in various countries to get our message across.

95. We can establish centers devoted to research into the study of the Prophet’s biography and the publication of that research in many languages.

96. We can establish museums and libraries devoted to the Prophet’s life and his legacy.

97. We can fund the establishment of high quality professional websites on the Internet devoted to the prophet (peace be upon him) and his life.

98. We can pay for the production of high quality books, audio recordings, and television programs in various major languages, especiallyEnglish.

99. We can help to finance Islamic competitions about the Prophet (peace be upon him) and provide substantial prizes to encourage participation.

As for the 100th way, we leave that to you dear reader. We welcome your ideas and suggestions. Please send your input to our e-mail address: info@icsfp.com.

My dear Muslim reader, it is our collective and individual duty to do what we can to support our Prophet (peace be upon him). We are offering this list of suggestions so that no one will have any excuse to remain idle. Let us begin by working together to circulate these suggestions to as many people as we can. We should invite our families and friends to get involved. We should not feel shy to pick up the phone or to send out an SMS in support of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him).

Source: Islamtoday

Nem meglepő hír, ugyanis fénykorukat élik a Guitar Hero szerű játékok mostanság. Az információ véletlenül csúszott ki a Tesla együttes gitárosának ajkán. Az interjú során szó került arról, hogy a Tesla új slágere elérhető lesz a Guitar Hero 5 folytatásában, vagyis a 6. részben.  Bár hivatalos bejelentés még nincs.

Sheikh Abu Hamza(May Allah hasten his release) speaks about the issue of evil scholars and democracy, illustrating how both of them have similarities to the magicians of Farun:

Διαβαστε στα Ελληνικα

AL- ‘ASIM- The Protector

He [Prophet Nuh's son] said: “I will seek refuge on a mountain that shall protect me from the water.” Nuh said: “ There is no protector today from Allah’s punishment but He Who has mercy …” (Surah Hud, 11:43)

People, all of whom are inherently feeble, can encounter all sorts of difficulties at any time, such as an earthquake, flood, hurricane, or volcanic eruption. In addition, people are vulnerable to mental distress. In the face of these unfavorable events, they must consider the following: Regardless of their effort or strength, they can never avoid a threat unless Allah wills this. Allah, the most Compassionate, is the only Protector, as the Qur’an relates in the following verses:

Say: “Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and sea? You call upon Him humbly and secretly: ‘If you rescue usfrom this, we will truly be among the thankful.’” Say: “Allah rescues you from it, and from every plight. Then you associate others with Him.’” ( Surat al-An‘am, 6:63-64)

People remember Allah when they are left alone, when they realize that neither material wealth nor powerful people can help them, or when they fall sick. Yet after these situations pass, they forget what happened to them and become ungrateful toward Allah. Such people, who insist upon ungratefulness despite Allah’s protection, will see the truth when they face infinite punishment in Hell. Their situation is related, as follows:

As for those who show disdain and grow arrogant, He will punish them with a painful punishment. They will not find any protector or helper for themselves besides Allah. ( Surat an-Nisa’, 4:173)

Source: Names of ALLAH

The purity of the person represented by this name is reflected in everything connected to him. It is indeed reflected in the name itself. If you have a heart that’s so Pure and Heavenly, I am sure enough that by pushing everything out of your mind and just looking at the name in the image for a second, you will be cast by feelings of Purity, Peace and Connection to the Divine. Feel the Chastity, Feel the Purity, Feel your Heart!!

Mohammad ibn Abdullah (Ahmed ) – May Allah’s Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him was the last of all Prophet’s and a messenger of Allah who brought knowledge and peace to humanity in the form of his teachings and practice and the revelations in the form of the Quran.

Muhammad means “Praiseworthy” and occurs four times in the Qur’an.

by Zuellah Huma Ahmed

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Wathila b. al-Asqa’ reported:

“I heard Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying : “Verily Allah granted eminence to Kinana from amongst the descendants of Ismail and He granted eminence to the Quraish amongst Kinana and He granted eminence to the Quraish amongst Banu Hashim and He granted me eminence from the tribe of Banu Hashim.”"

(Sahih Muslim, Book #030, Hadith #5653)

I am sure it will come as no surprise to any unbiased person that there never was any Jaariya in the case which has been making the headlines for this past few months. The secularists and hypocrites fabricated this story then promoted it in order to attack Islam and sadly many people fell for their lies. The 17 year old woman in question is in fact married and not a concubine or sex slaves as the liars claimed and Islamically there is absolutely nothing wrong with this.

The story was broken (fabricated?) by Hilath Rasheed on his blog. It is quite sad that anyone would believe what this man says in relation to Islam as he is always looking for ways to attack the religion, doing this under the guise of attacking “extremism”. Hopefully those who where eager to believe this will learn a lesson and will take in to account the words of Allah:

O ye who believe! If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth, lest ye harm people unwittingly, and afterwards become full of repentance for what ye have done.
Surah AL-HUJRAAT 49:06

But of course there are always those who are not really interested in the truth of the matter but rather how the matter can further their own agendas. This was seen amongst some of those who took up this story and spread it. Azima Shukoor used this issue to score political points at a rally and this was when it became public so to speak.

Of course the munafiq Saleem was not going to let the issue slip and so his anti Islamic commission pushed it and claimed that they had proof that there was in fact a Jarriya. This man will stop at nothing in his assault on Islam and again he has been shown to have lied in this crusade – as there was no Jaariya to begin with then their claim that they have proof of one cannot be anything other than a lie. How can such a commission have any credibility?

What is most sad however is that a young pregnant woman and her family have been put through a lot of stress and their address has even been made public by the secularist media. Those who claimed to be doing this for the girl in question don’t give a damn about her. They used her and this issue to attack Islam and the Islamic marriage.

Of course rather than admit they where wrong many of these people are again on the offensive saying marriage to a 17 year old girl is child abuse. What nonsense. Do these people believe the Prophet (SAW) and most of the Sahaba where “child abusers”? Of course most of them can’t and won’t answer this as it will show them as hypocrites. But what about the vast majority of countries in the world which have an age of consent under 18? Does Britain legalise child abuse? The USA? France? Australia? etc etc.

The hypocrites will never be happy with Islam and they will always attack it because they hate the truth. But no matter what they do Allah will protect this religion:

They wish to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will not agree except that He will perfect His light, even though the disbelievers detest it.
Surah At Tawba 9:32

My mother was visiting, she asked me to go shopping with her because she needed a new dress. I don’t normally like to go shopping and I’m not a patient person, but we set off for the mall together. We visited nearly every store that carried ladies’ dresses, and my mother tried on dress after dress, rejecting them all. As the day wore on, I grew weary.

Finally, at our last stop, my mother tried on a lovely blue three-piece dress. The blouse had a bow at the neckline, and as I stood in the dressing room with her, I watched as she tried, with much difficulty, to tie the bow. Her hands were so badly crippled from arthritis that she couldn’t do it. Immediately, my impatience gave way to an overwhelming wave of compassion for her. I turned away to try and hide the tears that welled up involuntarily. Regaining my composure, I turned back to tie the bow for her.

Our shopping trip was over, but the event was etched indelibly in my memory. For the rest of the day, my mind kept returning to that moment in the dressing room and to the vision of my mother’s hands trying to tie that bow. Those loving hands that had fed me, bathed me, dressed me, caressed and comforted me, and, most of all, prayed for me, were now touching me in the most remarkable manner.

Later in the evening, I went to my mother’s room, took her hands in mine, kissed them and, much to her surprise, told her that to me they were the most beautiful hands in the world.

I can only pray that some day my hands, and my heart, will have earned such a beauty of their own.

Source: qisas .com

Read in English

Translation by Xenia

Η 9η ημέρα του dhul-Hijjah είναι η ημέρα του Αραφάτ. Είναι αυτή η ημέρα, όταν οι προσκυνητές συγκεντρώνονται στο πεδιο του βουνόυ του Αραφάτ, προσεύχονται και παρακαλουν τον Κυριο τους. Η ημέρα του Αραφάτ έχει μεγάλη σημασία στο Ισλάμ επειδή αυτή είναι η ημέρα που Αλλάχ ολοκληρωσε την  αποκάλυψη Του στον  αγγελιοφόρο του (sAllâhu alaihe WA-Sallam).

Αναφέρεται στην Sahîhayn (δηλαδή Sahih al-Sahih Bukhari και Muslim), από τον Umar Ibn al-Khattab (Radhi Allahu anhu) ότι ένας Εβραιος είπε:

“Ω Αμίρ αλ-Muminîn (Ω επικεφαλής των μουσουλμάνων)! Υπάρχει ένας στίχος στο Κορανι, που αν ειχε αποκαλύφθει σε εμάς, τους Εβραίους, θα είχαμε λάβει εκείνη την ημέρα ως Eid (φεστιβάλ).

Ο Umar ρώτησε: «Ποιος στίχος;

Είπε:« Την σημερον ημέρα έχω τελειοποιήσει τη θρησκεία σας για σας, ολοκληρώθηκε χάρη μου σε σας, και Εχω επιλέξει για εσάς το Ισλάμ ως θρησκεία σας. “[Σούρα al-Maidah (5): 3]

Ο Umar (Radhi Allahu anhu) είπε: «Γνωρίζουμε ποια ηταν η  ημέρα και τον τόπο στον οποίο αποκαλύφτηκε αυτός ο στίχος στον αγγελιοφόρο του Αλλάχ (sAllâhu alaihe WA-Sallam). Ήταν όταν στεκόταν στο Αραφάτ μια  Παρασκευή. “

Η ημερα του Αραφάτ είναι η ημέρα κατά την οποία ο Αλλάχ πήρε το συμβόλαιο από τις απογόνους του Αδάμ (alaihis-Salam), αναφέρθηκε ότι  ο Ιμπν Αμπάς (Radhi Allahu anhu) αφήγηθηκε: Ο αγγελιοφόρος του Αλλάχ (sallAllâhu alaihi WA-Sallam) ειπε:

“(Όταν ο Αλλάχ δημιούργησε τον Aδαμ  (alaihis-Salam) , ο Αλλάχ πήρε συνθηκη  από αυτόν σε ένα χώρο, Na’mân την ημέρα του Αραφάτ. Μετα εξεγαγε όλους τους απογόνους που θα γεννηθουν  μέχρι το τέλος του κόσμου, από γενιά σε γενιά , και τους απλωσε μπροστά Του, προκειμένου να λάβει ένα συμβόλαιο και απο αυτους, επίσης.  Τους Μίλησε  πρόσωπο με πρόσωπο λέγοντας: «Δεν ειμαι ο Κυριος σας;”
και όλοι απάντησαν: «Ναι, μπορούμε να μαρτυρησουμε».  Ο Αλλάχ, στη συνέχεια Εξήγησε οτι  Είχε  ολη  την ανθρωπότητα  να καταμαρτυρησει οτι Ήταν Δημιουργός Τους και  Ο Μόνος Αξιος της λατρειας τους.

Είπε:

“Αυτό ειναι  σε  περίπτωση που ( η ανθρωπότητα) θα πει  την Ημέρα της Αναστάσεως,« Σίγουρα, εμείς αγνοούσαμε του παρόντος. Δεν είχαμε ιδέα ότι εσείς, Αλλάχ, ήσταν ο  Κυρίος μας. Κανείς δεν μας είπε ότι θα έπρεπε να λατρεύουμε μόνο Εσας. “

[(Sahîh by Shaikh al-Albanî in Silsilah al-Ahâdîth as-Sahîhah vol: 4, no: 1623]

Πραγματικα η ημερα του Αραφατ ειναι μια ευλογημενη ημερα και δεν υπαρχει μεγαλυτερη συνθηκη απο αυτην την συνθηκη.

Η ημερα του Αραφάτ είναι μια ημέρα συγχώρεσης από τις αμαρτίες, της ελευθερία από την φωτιά  της κολασης για τους ανθρώπους που βρίσκονται στο πεδιο του Αραφάτ. Η  A’ishah (Radhi Allahu anha) αφηγηθηκε οτι  ο  αγγελιοφόρος του Αλλάχ (sallAllâhu alaihi WA-Sallam) ειπε:

“Δεν υπάρχει ημέρα που ο Αλλάχ απελευθερώνει περισσότερα άτομα από την Φωτια εκτος από την ημέρα του Αραφάτ. Έρχεται κοντά και εκφράζει την υπερηφάνεια Του στους  τους αγγέλους λέει, «Τι  θέλουν αυτοί οι άνθρωποι (οι Hajis)’” [Sahih Muslim]

Aυτο  to  Hadith αναφέρει συγχώρεση για τους προσκυνητές. Εκτός από αυτό, η  νηστεία την ημέρα του  Αραφάτ είναι Sunnah και μια εξιλέωση των αμαρτιών για τους ανθρωπους.

Αναφέρεται στην Sahîhayn Μuslim,  ότι όταν ο αγγελιοφόρος του Αλλάχ (sallAllâhu alaihi WA-Sallam) ρωτήθηκε σχετικά με τη νηστεία της ημέρας του Αραφάτ, είπε:

“Εξιλεωνει τις αμαρτίες του προηγούμενου έτους και του επόμενου έτους.” [Sahih Muslim]

Αυτή η νηστεία είναι Mustahabb μόνο για την μη-προσκυνητές και δεν προορίζεται για την Hajis (οι προσκυνητές), διότι δεν ήταν η συνηθεια  του αγγελιοφόροu του Αλλάχ (sallAllâhu alaihi WA-Sallam) να νηστευει την ημέρα της Αραφάτ κατά τη διάρκεια του προσκυνήματος και σε μια αφήγηση που επίσης τους  απαγόρευσε να το κανουν.

Ο Ιμάμ σε-Tirmidhî (rahimahullah) (d 275H), δήλωσε:

“Οι άνθρωποι της γνώσης  to θεωρούν οτι  συνιστάται (Mustahabb) η νηστεια την ημέρα του  Αραφάτ, εκτός από αυτους στο Αραφάτ.” [Jâmi'ut-Tirmidhî (3 / 377)]

A frustrating-but-true-and-much-less-frustrating-when-you-grasp-it truth when it comes to the prophetic lifestyle is this:

“There is a blessing in the act of submission that is not present in the act of being right”

It might sound like a quote, but as far as I know, I wrote it.  That one sentence encapsulates almost everything I have learnt about the prophetic lifestyle since I realised that God had called me into more than giving nice pictures of flowers and waterfalls to people in a church meeting.  But it can hurt so much!  And yet this one sentence can relieve that hurt when one walks humbly and in right relationship with leadership: but lately it has caused such pain.

Let me explain.

There is a temptation that prophetic people face often, which almost mirrors the struggle that all people go through when they first hear God speaking: was that God, or me?  And things can go wrong when the prophetic person has established a pattern of hearing from God regularly and clearly: it becomes all too easy to anoint every thought and opinion and idea as being the voice of God. 

Once the idea is duly anointed as being ‘of God’, the prophet becomes passionate about the revelation, faithfully shares it with leaders: but then what?  What does he do if he is rejected? Or ignored? Or feels welcomed, but then sees nothing happen as a result of his words? Surely God has spoken – what fool of a leader would not accept the prophetic word I just gave him – does he not want the church to grow? Does he not want God’s blessing?

Unless the prophet understands his responsibility under God to submit to the leadership that God has established in the church, he will grow in frustration; he will move from frustration towards unsubmission; and ultimately into rebellion.  And, since a prophet’s words seem to have an effect on others for good and for bad, this frustration spills over onto other people, having a similar effect in them as in the prophet. 

It is a tragedy when the prophetic gift and office is demonstrated to be true to the stereotype that it is all too easy to fall into.  It is sad that it can appear almost that this gift is the only one that can be abused in this way.  And it is sad to see so many fathers and role models of mine fall at this hurdle.

I am passionate about Jesus, and the purity of the prophetic ministry, and the partnership of the prophetic ministry with other gifts in the church.  Who will join me in seeking God for more of the true, less of the false; more of Jesus, less of ourselves; more of the Spirit, less of the flesh?  If you will come, then pause for a moment and consider the following Scripture with me: because if we can cheerfully submit the gifts that God has given us to the leaders that He has given us to care for us, we will enjoy the blessings of being faithful with revelation, fruitful in ministry and fathered by godly men who love us.

Hebrews 13: 17 – Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

In a letter to Minivan News and also on their blog the Madkhali sect in the Maldives (know locally as the Super Salafis [SS]) have attacked the Mujahideen and those who wage Jihad in the Path of Allah.

I will reply here to some of the points which they raised, not in the hope of persuading that they are wrong as these are the people of Taqleed (blind following) but rather to illustrate to others they deviant beliefs and methodology of this group. I will not go into too much detail for fear of making the article too long, however I will provide some links for those who seek to read further on this issue.

The letter begins:

Ahlul-athar.net expresses their utter disgust at any acts of extremism and terrorism committed by the Khawaarij and the likes, those that of Al-Qaedah and their ilk.

The Madkhalis make vague statements which hope to appeal to peoples emotions rather than address the actual situation of what is occurring in the world and what Islam has to say about this. They begin by comparing Al Qaeda to the khawarij and this is something which has absolutely no basis whatsoever and rather it is mere rhetoric on their part.

They know that the Muslims hate the khawarij and recognise them as extremist deviants and so they hope that by labelling the Mujahideen as khawarij they will transfer the peoples hate onto the Mujahideen. This is also a tactic of other deviant groups such as the sufis and modernists, but is there any truth to the claim?

To be considered part of any sect such as the khawarij then one has to adopt all the major principles of that sect and this was pointed out by Imam Shatibi in Al-I’etisam and it is also common sense. So to be considered khawarij a group must adopt the major principles of the khawarij which are two:

• The khawarij rebelled against Ali and they rebel against legitimate Muslim rulers (i.e. those ruling by the Sharia)

• The khawarij make takfeer of those who commit major sins and say that such a person should be killed as an apostate. For example if someone drunk alcohol then it is the belief of the khawarij sect that that person should be killed as an apostate. They also make takfeer for those who commit repeated minor sins.

There are also many minor principles of the khawarij such as the fact that they deny the punishment of the grave. So to be considered part of this sect one must at least adopt both major principles above, yet Al Qaeda adopts none of these!  Allah says in the Quran:

Present your evidence if you are truthful
Surah Al Baqarah 2:111

So can the Madkhalis show us where Al Qaeda have adopted both these principles? The actions and statements of that group have been recorded in minute detail and so if this claim against them is true then it would be simple to prove, it would merely take a google search.

Of course no doubt they will say that Al Qaeda and other Mujahideen have rebelled against Al Saud and other regimes in the Muslim world and so the first principle applies to them. We know that the Prophet (SAW) forbade us rebelling against a legitimate Muslim ruler even if he was a tyrant and this is something we follow. But this is depended upon the leader ruling by the Sharia. Whoever rules by other than the Sharia is an apostate and there is no obedience due to him.

The Madkhali have taken something which is in fact in the Quran and Sunnah (obedience to the ruler) and distorted it by removing from it the condition that the ruler must rule by the Sharia. Anyone familiar with them will know that this is a common tactic they use (distorting actual texts) which sets them apart and makes them more dangerous than many other sects who simply oppose what is in the Quran and Sunnah.

The Madkhali will tell you that they follow Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Kathir yet both of these scholars have told us that we must rebel against the ruler who even changes one law of the Sharia and I have pointed this out in previous posts but I will provide these quotations once more:

Ibn Kathir  said in his Tafseer of the Quran:

“Allah denounces whoever renounces the Laws of Allah which are leading to all good and forbidding all evil, and sways away from it to Man-Made opinions and wishes and terms that Man put without reference to Shari’ah, as was the case with the kings of the Mongols who ruled with laws that were introduced by their king Genghis Khan that he put together in the “Yasaq”, which is a book that uses some of Jewish, Christian and Islamic Laws, and some of his own opinions, then these laws became the constitution for his successors to follow instead of the Shari’ah and the Sunnah of the Prophet . So, whoever does such a thing is a Kafir and it is an obligation to fight him until he goes back to Shari’ah, and rule according to it in small and large matters”.

and Sheikh ul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said:

Every group which leaves, changes, or refuses to implement any agreed upon, undisputed law of Islaam, whether it is these people or others, must be fought until they adhere to ALL the laws of Islaam. This is the rule even if they pronounce the Shahaadatayn and adhere to some of the Islaamic laws, as Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq and the Sahaabah(radiAllaahu anhum) waged war on those who withheld the Zakaah.

So if it is based on this issue alone that they call Al Qaeda Khawaarij then do they(The Madkhalis) also claim that Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Kathir where Khawaarij? What about Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen who they make taqleed of on many issues and expect others to blindly follow  as well? Ibn Uthaymeen said that it is correct to rebel aganst many of the Muslim governments today:

so is he Khawaarij also?

On the second issue of making takfeer of the one who commits a major sin then there is no evidence that the Mujahideen have done this and as far as I am aware no one has even made the claim that they do. If the people of taqleed have evidence to the contrary then they should present it, otherwise they should desist from trying to slander those who are fighting in the path of Allah.

The letter continues:

Such unjustified outbursts of wanton violence are against Islam and Islam does not ever justify kidnappings, suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism.

Unjustified? Are these people so blind and misguided that they do not believe that there is justification for the attacks which they mujahideen carry out upon the crusaders and apostates?

Over one million Iraqis have been killed by the enemies of Islam since the begining of the occupation. Half a million children died in the decade proceeding this as a result of UN sanctions. Every week we hear of innocent Muslims being slaughtered in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Chechnya, Philippines, Thailand, China, Pakistan and numerous other countries throughout the world. Our people are being slaughtered, imprisoned, raped, tortured and all this because they say La Ilaha Il Allah. SubhanAllah! Your hearts are closed if you do not feel pain at what is happening to this Ummah and if you see no justification for the actions of the Mujahideen. Rather than attack the kuffar you attack those who are fighting them, those who are defending Islam and defending the Muslims.

As for the actions which you raise(kidnappings, suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism) then let us look at them.

Firstly upon the issue of terrorism I say that you have lied. Not only does Islam justify terrorism but calls us to terrorise our enemies:

Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth know. Whatever ye shall spend in the cause of Allah, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly.

Surah An Anfal 8:60

So Allah orders us to terrorise our enemies and the Madkhalis tell us there is no terrorism in Islam. Clearly they have denied part of the book in doing so.

Of course they may be talking of terrorism in the sense that the west defines it, that is targeting civilians. If that is what they are talking about then I must urge them to stick to the Islamic definition of words rather than adopting meanings given to them by the kuffar as this is not the way of the Muslims.

But even this kind of terrorism is not against Islam. It is certainly true that the Prophet (SAW) forbade the targeting of non combatants but there are cases in which this general rule does not apply. For example the Prophet (SAW) himself ordered that catapults be used against the people of a city knowing that this weapon does not discriminate between combatants and non combatants and non combatants would probably be killed.

When the kuffar kill our women and children then it is completely justified for us to retaliate by attacking their women and children. Allah said in the Quran:

Then whoever transgresses the prohibition against you, you transgress likewise against him. And fear Allah, and know that Allah is with the pious.
Surah Al Baqarah 2:194

Commenting on this issue (targeting civilians) Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

The apparent [Thāhir] is that it is (permissible) for us to kill their women and children- even if it means that we lose profit/benefit from it [since keeping them alive is a profit/benefit because they become the property of the Muslims]; (and killing them in this situation is permissible) due to it threatening the hearts of the enemies and a humiliation for them.
And due to the generality of the Statement of Allāh:
ْمُكْيَلَع ىَدَتْعا اَم ِلْثِمِب ِهْيَلَع ْاوُدَتْعاَف ْمُكْيَلَع ىَدَتْعا ِنَمَف
“Then whoever transgresses the prohibition against you, you transgress likewise against him”
And to (purposely) destroy property (which could later belong) for the Muslims (by killing them in this case) is nothing strange.

And due to this, the baggage, the baggage of the one who steals from the Ghanīmah is burned, even though in that, there is the loss of some property of one the fighters.
Then if someone says:
‘If they rape our women then do we rape their women?’
No, this, no, no we do not do it.
Why? Because this is prohibited as a (whole) category [i.e. it is forbidden within itself], and it is not possible for us to do it.
Meaning, it is not forbidden out of respect for the rights of others [i.e. not because we are respecting their rights] – rather, because it is forbidden as a category [i.e. the action of ‘intercourse’]. So it is not permissible for us to rape their women.
But if the dividing (of the Ghanīmah) takes place, and the woman from them ends up as a slave woman, then she becomes property of the right hand. The person can have intercourse with her as a right hand possession, which is permissible and there is nothing wrong with this”
Later on, the Shaykh was asked about the fact that the women being killed are not the ones who killed our women, so is this justice? So he answered:
ْمُكْيَلَع ىَدَتْعا ِنَمَفْمُكْيَلَع ىَدَتْعا اَم ِلْثِمِب ِهْيَلَع ْاوُدَتْعاَف
“Then whoever transgresses the prohibition against you, you transgress likewise against him”
What is justice? Not at all. They kill our women, we kill their women. This is the justice. It’s not justice to say ‘if they kill our women we won’t kill your women.

Kitāb al-Jihād from Sharh Bulūgh al-Marām.

There are many other scholars who take this position. The reason I refer to Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen is because he is one of the Scholars who the Madkhalis blindly follow on many issues and one who the followers of this sect will respect, yet I would assume that most of them are not even aware of this position of the Sheikh. So given this opinion could we not conclude that in the very least there is a difference of opinion on this issue rather than saying that there is no justification whatsoever for it and saying it is against Islam. Is Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen against Islam?

On the issue of martyrdom operations which they refer to as “sucide bombs”, this is yet again an issue on which there is a difference of opinion. Many Scholars say that such attacks are justified under certain conditions, one of these Scholars being Sheikh Al Albani. His ruling:

The Shaykh, may Allah have mercy upon him, was asked:

“(A question) regarding modern day militant operations, there are some forces named, “Commandos” – and after this happening, the (Jewish) enemy represses the Muslims …. So these suicidal brigades wear explosives, and go to the tanks or such of the enemies, and then he gets killed… What’s the ruling regarding this, is this considered sucide, or something else?”

The Shaykh answered:

“This is not suicide. Becuase suicideis when a person kills himself to escape a hard life which he is going through. But as for this thing which you are asking about, this is not suicide – Rather, this is Jihad in the Path of Allah…..

But there is a note which should be considered – this type of action should not be carried out individually, or alone (based on ones own decisions). Rather, it should only be carried out according to the command of the leader of the Jaysh (i.e. Mujahideen)

So if the commander is not dependant upon the life of this Fida’i (self sacrificer), and the commander believes that even after losing this Mujahid, there is a great profit from another angle, meaning the killing of a large number of mushrikin and kuffar – then the decision is up to the commander, and it is obligatory (Wajib) to obey him. And this is (obligatory) even if the particular person (being ordered) does not want to do such an operation, it is still obligatory to obey him”

Questioner interrupts:

“So there is no problem in doing such?”

The Shaykh responds:

“No, there is no problem in doing such. We (the scholars) do not label this as “suicide”. And suicide is one of the worst sins which Islam has prohibited. No one does that, except one who is displeased with His Lord, and rejecting the Decree of Allah. And refuge is sought with Allah.

As for this (Mujahid), then he goes forth, as many of the As-Salaf As-Salih, and from amongst the Companions and those after them – used to go forth, plunging into the kuffar enemy, attacking them with his sword (alone), and used the sword against them , until they were killed, while they where patient and satisfed, because they believed that the Paradise are in front of them.

So what a difference there is! Between one who kills himself in this method of Jihad and one who escapes from a hard life by commiting suicide.

But if it is done haphazardly and one one’s own decision, then this goes under the warning of self destruction. But if it is done upon the command of the leader of army (of Mujahideen), the one who knows the realities of the battlefield, and its necessities, and its benefits, etc – then this is something permissable. No rather it is something virtuous”

- From “Silsilah Al Huda Wan Nur tape no. 134

And on the issue of kidnapping then we know that the Muslims have always taken hostages and when this occurs then their lives are in the hands of the Amir. Just because someone wants to label this as kidnapping and again resort to kuffar terminology does not make it forbidden and there are numerous examples of this throughout Islamic history and anyone with any understanding will see that there is no issue with it.

He goes on:

It is rather disheartening that some of the Maldvian youth are getting deluded into believing that these acts are Jihaad and from Islaam.

As shown above in brief, the very least we can say about these actions is that there is a difference of opinion upon them and I believe that yes they are from Islam and that is the position of the majority of the Scholars and it is even the position of the Scholars who the Madkhalis claim to follow. So we say Alhamdullilah that there are youth who recognise these actions for what they are and we ask Allah to guide more youth to this position and to save them from the deviant sects who misinterpret his ayats to suit their ideology.

I will address the rest of the misconceptions in this letter in the next few days InshaAllah

photo courtesy of lastnightsparty.com

my own track, “the ghetto”, produced by these dorks, hit the homepage of the sixtyone today….major.

http://www.thesixtyone.com/PROPHETSAYYO/song/The+Ghetto/zXlTfMRnVbk/

So today started like any other day. There was not much going on. Valerna is not doing any work today no music no mixes no nothing  just more smoking . I think i could get use to this if i could just make me a PB&J.  You know just like mama use to make…..BUT I STILL DIDN’T GET MY FUCKING (P.B.)PEANUT BUTTER

We have spoken previously about anger. Here is  a list of remedies for anger!

1. Seeking Refuge with Allah from Satan

Allah says: “And if (at any time) an incitement to discord is made to thee by Satan, seek refuge in Allah. He is the One Who hears and knows all things.” [Sûrah Fussilat: 36]

Sulayman b. Sard relates that two men were arguing in the presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him) until one of them became livid in the face and the veins in his neck stood out. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I know some words that if he were to say them, his anger would leave him. If he would say: ‘I seek refuge with Allah from Satan’ then he would calm down.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (3108)]

Ibn al-Qayyim observes: “Anger sets itself upon the mind like a wolf sets itself upon a sheep. Satan attacks the mind more than anything else at times of anger and lust.”

2. Changing One’s Circumstances

When a person is angry, a change in circumstances can help him to get a grip on himself. It may be enough for him just to sit down.

Abû Dharr al-Ghifârî relates that the prophet (peace be upon him) said: “If one of you happens to be standing when he becomes angry, then he should take a seat. If this helps his anger to subside, then good and well. Otherwise, he should go and lie down.” [Sunan Abî Dâwûd (4782) and Sahîh Ibn Hibbân(5688)]

3. Avoiding Arguments and Keeping Silent

Sheikh `Abd al-Rahmân al-Si`dî said: “It is good to keep in mind that when other people abuse you – especially when it is just verbal abuse – they are only harming themselves by it. They do not cause you any harm unless you give them your time and attention. When you do so, you are harmed by their abusing you just as much as they harm themselves by doings so. If you pay them no heed, they can cause you not injury.”

It is just like an Arabian poet of old once said:

The fool addresses me with every ugliness
Yet I hate to answer his ire

He grows in foolery, and I in graciousness
Just like incense is wakened by fire.

Ibn `Abbâs relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Teach the people and give them glad tidings. Do not make things difficult. And if you get angry, remain silent.” [Musnad Ahmad (3/249) Musnad al-Tayâlisî (2608) and al-Adab al-Mufrad (245)]

Ibn Rajab observes that silence: “is a powerful remedy against anger. This is because an angry person says things in his rage that he greatly regrets later on when his anger subsides. Some of the insults and statement made in anger can have harmful consequences. If the person keeps silent, he avoids all of that harm.”

4. Performing Wudû’

`Atiyyah al-Sa`dî relates that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Anger is from Satan, and Satan was created from fire. Only water will extinguish fire, so if one of you gets angry, he should perform wudû’.” [Musnad Ahmad (4/226) and Sunan Abî Dâwûd (4784)]

Abû Sa`îd al-Khudrî relates that the prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Anger is a burning ember in the heart of a son of Adam. Do you not see the red glow of his eyes and the swelling of the veins in his neck? Therefore, whoever senses something of this coming on should go and perform wudû’.” [Musnad Ahmad(3/61), Sunan al-Tirmidhî (2191) and Mustadrak al-Hâkim (4/551). Al-Tirmidhî declares it to be a good and authentic hadîth]

5. Invoking the Remembrance of Allah

Allah says: “Those who believe and find their hearts’ contentment in the remembrance of Allah – Only through the remembrance of Allah can the heart find peace. ” [Sûrah al-Ra`d: 28]

A person whose heart is content and in a state of balance because of Allah’s remembrance is as far from anger as a human heart can be.

Allah says: “And remember Allah if you forget.” [Sûrah al-Kahf: 24]

`Ikrimah said about this verse: “To forget, here, means: to get angry.” [Tafsîr al-Tabarî (15/226)]

6. Considering the Consequences of One’s Anger

A person who gets angry all the time injures his health because of it. A bad tempered person is more prone to diabetes, hypertension, and numerous other stress related illnesses.

When a person is angry, he is prone to say and do things that he will regret later on when his anger subsides. Because of this , `Alî b. Abî Tâlib said: “The pleasure of giving pardon is followed by a praiseworthy outcome. The pleasure or taking revenge is followed by the bitterness of regret.”

Ibn Rajab writes: “Anger is a distemper of the blood of a person on account either fearing some wrong or out of a desire for revenge against some wrong that was done to him. It provokes many evil acts, like murder, assault, and other forms of oppression and transgression against people. Likewise, it provokes sinful speech, like slander and defamation. Sometimes a person can be brought to an utterance of unbelief, as had was the case with Jibillah b. al-Ayham.

Ibn al-Qayyim writes: “Anger is a disease. It is an illness. It is a sickness of the heart, no less that fever, melancholy, and epilepsy are sicknesses of the body. A person in the throes of anger is like a person in the throes of pneumonia, a fever or an epileptic fit.”

Ibn Hibbân writes [Rawdah al-`Uqalâ (140)]: “If there was nothing blameworthy in anger aside from the fact that all thinkers throughout the ages have agreed that an angry person is devoid of judgment, then that would be enough for him to do everything in his power to avoid getting angry.”

An angry person is incapable of thinking clearly and formulating a sound opinion. This is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No one should judge between two people when he is angry.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6739) and Sahîh Muslim (1717)]

Based on this hadîth, many Islamic scholars have ruled that if a judge is angry when he gives a verdict, then that verdict is invalid. Ibn al-Qayyim says: “This is because anger confuses the person’s heart and mind and makes him incapable of complete understanding.”

7. Accepting Sincere Advice

When we see someone who is angry, we should advise him and remind him about the virtue of clemency and of controlling our rage. The person being advised needs to heed that advice.

Ibn `Abbâs relates that once, during `Umar’s reign as Caliph, al-Hurr b. Qays sought `Umar’s permission to admit `Uyaynah into his presence. `Umar gave him permission and `Uyaynah approached, saying: “O Son of al-Khattâb. You do not give us all that much and you do not judge between us fairly.”

At this, `Umar became extremely angry and showed an intention to strike him, so al-Hurr b. Qays said: “O Commander of the Faithful! Allah said to His Prophet (peace be upon him): ‘Take recourse to pardon, enjoin what is good, and turn away from those who are ignorant.’ – Indeed, he is one of those who are ignorant.”

`Umar then did no more to the man than to recite the same verse to him. In this way,, he held himself in check with the words of Allah. [Sahîh al-Bukhârî(4366)]

Ibn al-Qayyim writes [Ighâthah al-Lahfân (47)]:

The enraged person is like some one in pain. This is why he say the things that he says and do the things that he does. He is trying to relieve himself of the heat of his anger. This is also why he might strike his own face, scream and shout, tear his clothes, or throw down whatever is in his hands. It is all to rid his flesh of the pain provoked by his anger. For the same reason, he might invoke Allah’s wrath upon himself or upon his loved ones, imploring with his words though not really wanting what he is asking for. He might invoke pronouncements that he does not really want to have carried out.

Kings sometimes issue commands that their courtiers know are not intended. It is just their king venting his anger. This is why they do not hasten to carry out those orders, and when the king’s anger subsides, he praises them for their discretion.

In the same way a man in the throes of anger might get up to beat his child or his friend. If someone else gets in the way and prevents him form doing so, the man will be grateful for that after his anger subsides, just like the man who is drunk or beset by fever is later grateful to the one who prevents his injudicious actions.

8. Learning from Past Experience

If we would only remember the last time we did something in anger that we sorely regretted, it would help us to restrain our baser selves in the future. It is far easier to stop ourselves from acting out of anger than it is to fix the mess we make when we let loose our rage.

Ibn Hibbân writes [Rawdah al-`Uqalâ (158)]: “Shortness of temper is a characteristic of imbeciles just as self-restraint is a sign of intelligence. Anger is the seed of regret. A person’s ability to restrain himself before letting loose his anger is greater than his ability to set things right again in its wake.”

RELATED ARTICLE: Tips to control anger

Source: Islamtoday

Friday Khutbah (Sermons) : Lessons from the Farewell Pilgrimage
- by Imam Al-Haramain ‘Abdul-Bari ibn ‘Awad ath-Thubayti
from the Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah, Dhul-Qa‘dah 18, 1422 (February 2, 2002)

The Transcript:

All praise is due to Allah. May peace and blessings be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.

Fellow Muslims! Each time the month of Dhul-Hijjah approaches, a page in Islamic History glitters and a stance of the Messenger of Allah comes to limelight.

Among the major landmarks of Hajj are those comprehensive principles that the Prophet Muhammad announced in his sermon during the Farewell Pilgrimage. The Prophet proclaimed these concepts that were far from mere slogans but formed part of his call right from the onset of his mission and it was never change nor altered by any circumstances. He impressed these principles in the hearts of his companions in order that they could convey them to the mankind, and those principles were made to survive many generations because of their veracity and efficiency.

In that historical sermon, the Messenger of Allah warned against associating any partner to Allah in worship which is a disease that has almost destroyed the humanity, nearly severed man’s relationship with the source of his good and his very existence and dragged him into the abyss of whimsical desires. So, the fundamental meaning upon which the rules of Hajj as well as the rules of acts of worship revolve is Oneness of Allah. Islam is a religion of Monotheism and the House of Allah was specifically built for the purpose of worshipping Allah alone. He says in His Glorious Book,

“And (remember) when We showed Ibrahim the site of the (Sacred) House (the Kaaba at Makkah, saying): ‘Associate not anything in worship with Me and sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it and those who stand up for (prayers) and those who bow (submit themselves with humility and obedience to Allah) and make prostration (in prayer).” (Surah Al Hajj, 22:26)

Hajj is but a manifestation of Oneness of Allah in its brightest form and the Muslim nation has never been in need of re-establishing the essentials of faith as they are during Hajj. There are some people among the Muslims who have bargained the pure faith of Islam with erroneous ideologies, there are some who spread the poison of atheism with their pens; there are some who have conferred some Divine attributes on their leaders who claim to know the hidden things and receive revelations from heaven and there are some who have introduced the idolization of individuals, exempted some people from religious obligations and taken men as intermediaries between themselves and Allah; not to mention those who worship saints, build domes on graves, circumambulate round them, invoke their owners and slaughter for them, thereby causing proliferation of mausoleums and sects.

In the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Messenger of Allah said,

“It is unlawful for you to shed the blood of one another, to take unlawfully the properties of one another or to violate the honour of one another. They are as unlawful as shedding blood on such a day as today, in such a month as this and in such a sanctified city as this (Makkah).” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

These are everlasting basics for fundamental human rights which are unequalled by any man-made system or statute. In protecting human life, Allah says,

“And there is in Law of Equality in punishment, a (saving of) life for you.” (Surah Al Ma’idah, 5:38) In order to preserve people’s honour, He says, “The female and male fornicator, flog each of them with a hundred stripes.” (Surah Al Nur, 24:2)

This punishment is for unmarried man or woman. As for the married, his or her punishment is stoning to death. There should therefore, be no regard for falsehood or immunity for anarchy.

Islam highly respects man’s right to live. It respects the pure and righteous life, not a life of obscenity and crisis nor that of injustice and aggression.

There is no value in the respect for man’s right to live if that respect is not accompanied by a just law and regulation for that life. Islam takes care of man’s right to protect his life in order to make it an honoured one, rich in security, stability and tranquillity.

Islam builds security in the minds of the Muslims then in his life, in order that he may establish justice – based on the Law of Allah – between people, establish power and authority with which the Law of Allah can be consolidated in the earth, promote good relationship between people under the banner of Islamic brotherhood and strengthen the ties of the kith and kin for the sake of Allah.

Among the fundamental human rights in Islam is that, no man should harm another nor backbite him either with word or deed. It is on account of this that Islam prohibits slandering, calumny, ridiculing others and insulting them. The following story illustrates how this principle was applied during the time of the Messenger of Allah, a man was penalised repeatedly for his continuous alcoholic drinking. On an occasion, he was brought before the Messenger of Allah and flogged. A man among those present said,

“May Allah curse him! How many times has he been brought for this same offence!” Upon hearing that, the Messenger of Allah got angry and said, “Do not curse him. By Allah, I know that he loves Allah and His Messenger.” (Al-Bukhari)

Islam not only protects and honours man during his life, it also guarantees honour for him after his death by commanding that he be bathed, shrouded and prayed for after his death. It also prohibits braking of his bones or assaulting his dead body.

As for the present material civilization, it only proclaims ineffective and lame fundamental human rights in the sense that it is influenced and controlled by disgusting racialism as it also has no faith or correct belief. That is why human rights are being violated in the so-called most developed countries.

Where are fundamental human rights where the Quds is being continuously desecrated, when its lands are being wrongfully occupied and the blood of its rightful owners being shed with impunity?! Where are the claimed fundamental human rights when man’s moral values are being systematically destroyed and his humanity being dishonoured?! The Messenger of Allah in his Farewell Pilgrimage said,

“All matters of the time of ignorance have been put under my feet.” (Muslim)

During the time of ignorance (pre-Islamic period), Human life was very cheap, murder becomes widespread and wars and bloodshed were order of the day. This was because those people had no faith that could protect them from their filthy behaviours. Then, Islam came to change this unenviable situation and established basics for the respect of human life and declared unwarranted and illegal killings as crime. Allah says,

“If anyone kills a person – unless it be in retaliation for murder or (by way of punishment) for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed the whole mankind.” (Surah Al Ma’idah, 5:32)

Before the advent of the Prophet, tribalism was deeply rooted but the Messenger uprooted it. He (SAW) said,

“You are all from Aadam and Aadam was created from clay. The most honourable of you is the most pious. There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, or for a non-Arab over an Arab, neither is there any superiority for a red-skinned over a white-skinned or for a white-skinned over a red-skinned except by piety.”

It is by this golden statement that Islam cancelled all human differences. Islam makes it meaningless to evaluate man with the colour of his skin, his lineage, wealth or worldly position, for all this is conferred by Allah upon His slaves with no choice of theirs. There is only one criterion for evaluating man that Allah explains in this verse,

“Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is (that believer) who has piety.” (Surah Al Hujurat, 49:13)

So the strongest in faith and best in deeds is the most honourable. When the strange seed was nearly sowed among the pure Muslim society during the Battle of Banee Al-Mustaliq, the Messenger of Allah quickly nipped it in the bud with his famous saying,

“Are you raising the slogans of the time of ignorance while I am still in your midst?”

He was never pleased to see signs of racialism or tribalism among his companions even in utterances. Abu Dharr once insulted a man and called him, “You son of a black woman!” The Messenger of Allah angrily told him,

“Are you insulting him on account of the origin of his mother? You are indeed a man on whom there is a trait of the time of ignorance.”

He also said in another occasion,

“He is not of us, the one who calls to nationalism, fights for nationalism and dies for nationalism.” (Abu Dawood)

It is therefore disappointing to find some Arabs these days calling to nationalism and being proud of that in total disregard for the saying of the Messenger of Allah,

“Keep away from that (racialism), for it is stinking.” (Muslim)

In the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet said,

“The first usury to be cancelled is our own usury: that of ‘Abbaas son of Abdul Muttalib. All of it is cancelled.” (Muslim)

Allah prohibits usury because of its grievous harm. It destroys the conscience, ruins human life with covetousness, greed and selfishness. It kills collective spirit, causes enmity and sows hatred among people. Allah declares war on its practitioners in this life through economic crises and psychological disturbances, and in the Hereafter with a painful torment. He says,

“Those who eat usury will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Satan leading him to insanity.” (Surah Al Baqarah, 1:275)

The usury-based economic system is responsible for many financial crisis and woes that confront individuals, societies and nations.

In the Farewell pilgrimage, the Messenger of Allah said,

“Fear Allah as regards women, for you married them on a covenant from Allah.”

This saying highlights the protection and the respect that Islam has for woman’s rights either in her capacity as a mother, wife or daughter. It takes care of her rights from the beginning till the end of her life. It makes her body forbidden to the glances of strangers and gives her the right to inherit and acquire knowledge. It also makes no distinction between her and man in reward and religious obligations. Allah says,

“Whoever works righteousness – whether male or female – while he (or she) is a true believer, verily to him We will give a good life and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they do.” (Surah Al Nahl, 16:97)

In Islam, we do not talk of rights of woman through empty theories and useless conferences. But we invite every body to read the history of the past women believers like Khadijah, Sumayyah, Asmaa’, A’ishah, Hafsah and Al-Hansaa’. We are opening for the humanity the shining pages from the history of the Muslim women so that they can see the living example of their feats. We invite the mankind to understand how Islam elevates woman, purifies her feelings, refines her character and takes her to the high aims and aspirations. The human history has recorded for them glowing and everlasting achievements that testify to their nobility and excellence.

As for those who appointed themselves as reformers and claim that they are leading women to the right path, they accuse others who admonish women to maintain their modesty and chastity with stupidity and backwardness. But when you look deeply into what they proclaim, you will find that their thoughts and behaviours are abnormal, that they have naturally perverted and have become captives to their lusts. These people have been surrounded by insinuations, so their aim is to deprive the Muslim nation of its values, deprive the free women their glory and the chaste her chastity.

In the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Messenger of Allah said,

“I have left for you that which if you hold fast unto it you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah.” (Muslim)

It is the Creator of man who knows best what is of benefit for man and makes him achieve happiness; and that is holding fast unto the Rope of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. Allah says,

“Verily, this Quran guides to that which is most just and right.” (Surah Al Isra’, 17:9)

That means it guides man to that which is just in matters of interactions, law, politics, finance, economics, science, education and morals. Allah says,

“He has neglected nothing in the Book.” (Surah Al An’am, 6:38)

Further, whoever wants glory and honour, he can only found that in the guidance of the Quran,

“Whoever desires honour, (power and glory let him know that) to Allah belong all honour power and glory.” (Surah Fatir, 35:10)

Whoever is seeking for security and peace, let him seek for that in the Quran,

“It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah) and confuse not their belief with wrong (by worshipping others beside Allah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided.” (Surah Al An’am, 6:82)

Whoever desires economic prosperity should look for that in the guidance of the Quran,

“And if the people of the towns had believed and had the piety, certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth.” (Surah Al A’raf, 7:96)

Also, let those who want power follow the Quranic injunction on the means of power,

“And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war to threaten the enemy of Allah and your enemy.” (Surah Al Anfal, 8:60)

As regards the foundations of human honour and fundamental human rights, Allah says,

“And indeed We have honoured the children of Aadam, and We have carried them on land and sea and have provided them with lawful good things and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preferment.” (Surah Al Isra’, 17:70)

There is also in the Quran a promise of prosperity in this world and everlasting bliss in the Hereafter for those who do good deeds.

Since the first generations of Muslims and the righteous predecessors followed the teachings of the Quran, they became leaders who guided mankind by the will of Allah and established a compassionate Islamic state. But when the later generations of Muslims abandoned these pure teachings, they became divided into factions and sects that killed one another and cursed one another. And this is an act that the Messenger of Allah strongly warned against when he said,

“Do not turn back after me into disbelievers, striking the necks of one another.”

It therefore, becomes clear that it is the abandonment of this noble directive that caused what the Muslims are suffering from in our contemporary time.

Dear Brethren, Farewell Pilgrimage is a reawakening call to the entire Muslims on the occasion of the Hajj in order to achieve the desired self-examination, staying upright on the true guidance in response to the call of the leader of the Messengers – peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all.

I wrote this at the beginning of 2006 under my original word-press account I am republishing it…. because one sister requested this article to be published, else I would just keep it to myself. I am a sister, a woman, I am not a scholar, I am not a sheikh, I am just a convert to Islam who researched this topic as a non-Muslim. Now that this is clear please read carefully and see that everything in here has been presented to you with proof.

MY ORIGINAL POST:

If you are not new net you would have heard people talking about the 72 women who wait Muslim Martyrs in paradise! Well I say there will be a lot of disappointed people! Why do I say that? Well my friends the term virgin is an error in translation as a matter of fact many things the media throws out there is an error in translation LOL. the 72 virgin women being one of them. Why Am I doing this blog? Well first of all I am sick and tired of answering this Question on Yahoo Answers. Second of All I want people to understand that Allah is fair and anything we want we can get in heaven and the 72 virgin thing LOL will be explained! Inshallah. Now I remind you I am not a scholar but I did research on this over 8 years ago when I first found out and I see many new Muslims struggling with this topic because they do not have sufficient info! I made this blog from info gathered over the years on this topic and info I received from several imams (6 of them) as I was in my first year / almost second year as a Muslim). Again I am not saying man can not have many wives that is known. I want to share light in who these “Huries” are!

First Let’s talk about the term “Virgins” these people are trying to push?

DESCRIPTION:

Houri (حورية ḥūrīya; pl. ḥūrīyāt حوريات)
beautiful and pure young men and women, that Muslims believe inhabit Paradise, or Heaven.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Islamic_terms_in_Arabic

Now the media uses this term “Virgin” which is an attribute of Houri and translates just the attribute not the actual name of the being… HOW CONVENIENT IS THAT?????

ETYMOLOGY:
According to classical Arabic usage in the time when the Qur’an was revealed, Hur’in is made of two words Hur and In. The word ‘Hur’ is the plural of both Ahwar (Masculine) and Hawra (Feminine) which literally translates into persons distinguished by Hawar, signifying “intense whiteness of the eyeballs and lustrous black of the pupils.” (ref: Qamus ), hence ‘the purity’ (ref: Tafsir al’Tabari, and Tafsir al-Razi in 3:52).

And as for the phrase, “In it is the plural of both ‘Ayan’ (Masculine) and ‘Ainao’ (Feminine)”,[8] it was used to refer to the beautiful eyes of the wild-cow whose eyes are blond. In general, this word implies ‘most beautiful eye’ irrespective of the person’s gender. Thus, the most appropriate English endering of the compound word Hur’In will be: “Companions pure, most beautiful of eye.” (ref: Muhammad Asad, Message of the Quran in 56:22 [4]); and it is applicable to both male and female.[9]

Now let’s examine who is a martyr in Islam shall we?

Shaheed (Arabic: شَهيد šahīd, plural: شُهَداء šuhadā) is a religious term in Islam, that literally means “witness”. It is a title that is given to a Muslim after his death, if he died during the fulfillment of a religious commandment, or during a war for the religion.

A woman can obtain martyrdom by the following means: Dying while giving birth, from post natal bleeding, and while the child is still in her womb.

Both men and women can obtain martyrdom by the following means: While guarding the territory of Islam or the territory of Muslims, by falling from his mount while riding to battle or by falling from his mount, on her death bed while striving in the path of Allah, due to the collapse of a building on him while he is still trapped inside, dies by being attacked by a beast, dies while being a stranger in a new land or place, from a stomach ailment.

It is mentioned in a hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah according to which Muhammad said: “The shuhadaa’ are five: the one who dies of plague, the one who dies of a stomach disease, the one who drowns, the one who is crushed by a falling wall, and the one who is killed for the sake of Allah.” This was narrated by Maalik in al-Muwatta’, and by al-Bukhaari.

So a woman giving birth is a martyr…. DID THAT SURPRISE YOU????

Let’s examine rewards in paradise as explained by the Quran:

Here is verses regarding both genders explicitly:

God has promised the believers, both men and women (Lit., waalmuminoona (male believers) waalmuminatu (female believers), gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide, and goodly dwellings in gardens of perpetual bliss: but God’s goodly acceptance is the greatest [bliss of all] -for this, this is the triumph supreme! [Chapter (Surah) At-Taubah (The Repentance) (9):72][17]

As for anyone – be it man or woman [Lit., min (from) thakarin (male) aw (or) ontha (female)][16:97] – who does righteous deeds, and is a believer withal – him shall We most certainly cause to live a good life, and most certainly shall We grant unto such as these their reward in accordance with the best that they ever did. [Chapter (Surah) An-Nahl (The Bee) (16):97][18]

And Allah Almighty, speaking of the believers said, “Men and women who have submitted, obeyed, are truthful, steadfast, reverent, giving in charity, fasting, guarding their private parts and remembering Allah often, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward”
[al-Azhab (the confederates) ch 33 v 35]

THE SPOUSE YOU HAVE HERE ON EARTH AND YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE IN HEAVEN WITH YOU! (NOTICE THE WORD USE IS SPOUSE NOT THE WORD WIFE!!!!!)

A verse regarding other companionship:

“And, O our Sustainer, bring them into the gardens of perpetual bliss which Thou hast promised them, together with the righteous from among their forebears, and their spouses, and their offspring – for, verily, Thou alone art almighty, truly wise [Chapter (Surah) Ghafir (The Forgiver)(40):8][19]

THE SPOUSE YOU HAVE WILL BE RESURECTED AS A PURE VIRGIN:

Here is verses that refer to one’s spouse renewal to a pure state :

“And [with them will be their] spouses, raised high: for, behold, We shall have brought them into being in a life renewed, having resurrected them as virgins [Chapter (Surah) Al-Waqi'a (The Event)(56):34-36][15]

And among His wonders is this: He creates for you mates out of your own kind [min anfusikum azwajan, Lit. “from among yourselves mates (spouses, one of the pair)”] so that you might incline towards them, and He engenders love and tenderness between you: in this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who think! … And He it is who creates [all life] in the first instance, and then brings it forth anew: and most easy is this for Him, since His is the essence of all that is most sublime in the heavens and on earth, and He alone is almighty, truly wise. [Chapter (Surah) Ar-Rum (The Romans)(30):21…27][16]

NOW LET US STOP FOR A SEC AND RE-CAP MMMMKAY!

THIS IS WHAT ALLAH SAYS IN THE QURAN:

Allah Almighty says “And they shall have wide eyed maidens averting
their gaze. They resemble hidden pearls”
[as-Saffat (the Rangers) ch. 37, v 48, 49]

Allah Almighty also says “Thus it will be, and We have them wide-eyed
houris in marriage”
[ad-Dukhan (the Smoke) ch 44, v 54]

Allah Almighty also says, “And round breasted mates”
[an-Naba (the Tidings) ch 78 v 33]

And Allah Almighty, speaking of the believers said, “Men and women who
have submitted, obeyed, are truthful, steadfast, reverent, giving in
charity, fasting, guarding their private parts and remembering Allah
often, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward”
[al-Azhab (the confederates) ch 33 v 35]

What I find interesting is the first three surahs were revealed in Mecca in the earlier period of Islam before the Prophet’s migration to Medina. The revelation of last verse cited above was after the migration in Medina – a gap reflecting a number of years.

When reading the explanation of the last verse above we see that it was a reactionary verse. That is to say a group of Muslim women went to the Prophet Muhammad complaining that the verses of the Quran were revealed directed to the male gender (the duties, the rewards, the
responsibility etc) and they asked, what about the women? Thus Allah Almighty pointed out with this verse that faith, the duties of faith, the rewards of faith, are for all people, men AND women.

Specifically it was reported that Umm Salamah asked the Prophet “Why is it that we (women) are not mentioned in the Quran as men are”
[Ahmed 6/305]

In understanding the Quran, the early period was designated as a way to contrast and attract the attention of the pagan Arabs, focusing more on the material and sexual. The latter period in Medina clearly being observed as the period in which a greater focus on spirituality
is observed as is shown by these two verses where Allah Almighty says,

“Proclaim to those who have believed and done good works…. They shall
also have their pure spouses there…”
[al-Bakara (the Cow) ch 2 v 25]

“…and in which they abide forever along with purified spouses and
Allah’s good pleasure…”
[al-Imram (the family of Imran) ch 3 v 15]

Understanding the above allows us to see how Allah Almighty first catered for the comprehensive abilities of certain groups of people, namely the uncouth, Arabs. Why did Allah Almighty adopt such an approach? Like all things, it was disruptive, it caught people’s
attention, made them think. Once the attention is gained, then a refocus to that which is right as later spelled out in the Medina verses where Allah Almighty refers not to `houris’ but to `purified spouses’.

NB There is dispute over the term houri, whether it relates to beautiful women or beautiful spouses. The word Hoor is the plural of the word ahwar (applicable to man) and of haura (applicable to woman). So the word Houri can relate to both men and/or women.

The word hoor has been used 4 times in the Quran, twice it has been followed by attributive nouns which are (i.e. female) gender specific. But, more interestingly, twice, it has been used without a specific gender.

Female gender: “Wide-eyed, cloistered in pavilions” [55: 72]- Mecca

Female gender: “And wide-eyed houris” [56: 22] – Mecca

Gender neutral: “Thus it will be, and We have them wide-eyed houris in
marriage” [44: 54] – Mecca

Gender neutral: “Reclining on ranged couches, and we shall wed them to
wide-eyed houris” [52: 20] – Mecca

Secondly, I’d like to address is that there is of course no shortage of opinion in classical and latter literature which implies that`houris’ relate to beautiful women, but are not actual earthly women but inhabitants of heaven.

Generally, these comments relate to how houris of paradise will have beautiful wide eyes, a trait of beauty, and how their bodies will be young and supple. Of course, contextualizing this, we see elsewhere in literature that men and women will both be of a young age, both have
good bodies, both have no illness, both have no need or want for anything etc. So it stands to reason that the descriptions of pious partners, of houris may indeed refer to the state at which believing women in the hereafter will revert to – just as men in the hereafter will end up with six-packs, full bodied heads of hair, etc. And Allah knows best

The interpretation that many lament where houris are the sex slaves of men in paradise, and that paradise is full of the satisfaction of carnal desires for men, leaving women with little by comparison is not one which either makes sense to me, nor does it fit within the concept
of justice where Allah Almighty will reward both, men and women, with such wonders that our minds in this life cannot comprehend.

A final note, many classical texts were authored by men thus it stands to reason that the comments found within them will have a male orientated slant. This doesn’t mean to say that aspects of the interpretation are wrong, rather, by our focusing and reducing success
in the hereafter in such a way in isolation, a truly unjust representation of the next life is made – and who are we to comment about that which we do not know that much about of in the first place?

WHAT DID THE PROPHET (PBUH) SAY????
“It was mentioned by Daraj Ibn Abi Hatim, that Abu al-Haytham ‘Adullah Ibn Wahb narrated from Abu Sa’id al-Khudhri, who heard the Prophet Muhammad saying, ‘The smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode where there are eighty thousand servants and seventy two houri, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine and ruby, as wide as the distance from al-Jabiyyah to San’a.

So did he say anything about killing yourself? NO So please Media people get your facts straight and stop making BULL…. Thanks! Allah is fair he rewards and punishes men and women equally READ THE QURAN!!!! And please stop the lies about Islam!

Another note the hadith mentioning 72 virgins … has been found to be a weak hadith: See Salahuddin Yusuf , Riyadhus Salihin,commentary on Nawawi, Chapter 372, Dar-us-Salam Publications (1999), ISBN-10: 159144053X ,ISBN-13: 978-1591440536. It explains how the whole 72 virgin hadith has a weak chain in narration.

For your cross reference I have included the other Hadith here:

Searching what Muslims refer to as Gharib Hadiths (weak or strange Hadiths) we do find something about 72 wives but not virgins. The Hadith we find is the following:

“The Prophet Muhammad was heard saying: “The smallest reward for the people of Paradise is an abode where there are 80,000 servants and 72 wives, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine, and ruby, as wide as the distance from Al-Jabiyyah [a Damascus suburb] to Sana’a [Yemen]”-Sunan al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2562

This is as a weak Hadith that has no Sanad — line or sequence of narration. Although listed in an authoritative collection, this particular Hadith has technical weaknesses in its chain of transmitters and is therefore not considered impeccable. As a result, Muslims are not required to believe in it. Even if the Hadith was true, there is nothing about it that says that if someone commits suicide they would get 72 virgins in paradise.

Muslims know that the description of paradise or heaven in Hadiths and Quran is allegorical. If not, then Allah would have allowed us to take our bodies with us when we die. But the vehicle by which we could enjoy the physical things (especially 72 virgins ) mentioned as being in heaven, is left behind here in this world to rot and decay away. So we know for a fact that for heavenly rewards, physical things of this world are used to describe things totally non-physical. A Hadith to keep in mind is as follows:

The Prophet said, “Nobody who dies and finds good from Allah (in the Hereafter) would wish to come back to this world even if he were given the whole world and whatever is in it, except the martyr who, on seeing the superiority of martyrdom, would like to come back to the world and get killed again (in Allah’s Cause).” (Sahih Bukhari, 4:52:53)

IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS EXPLANATION!

Is cool, I am just trying to present to you another perspective of what scholars think. Because it makes sense that Allah would want both man and women to be happy in heaven. But I understand if some man want sexual pleasures, that is cool, I get that. So many people might think yeah they will get 72 actual virgins and yeah if you want them perhaps Allah will grant it, he can do anything. But are you sure you will even make it there???? LOL!

So anyways, I urge you to write your own blog. Just tell us you disagree, I do not like Drama as I mentioned before. So tell us why you disagree in your own blog so we can see your perspective. Bring Proofs from the Quran and explanation of the hadith you cite. Also make sure they are string hadith! Thanks!

MY ADVICE TO YOU!

Do not worry about Paradise, worry about Now because it does not matter what paradise looks like if you did sin You might be going to hell anyway. Worry about being a good spouse rather than awaiting for heaven to get 72 of them LOL because you know, we have a pretty good chance of ending up down in hell and burning and getting NOTHING. So worry about now, not about the next life! mmmkay! Salams and peace out!

May Allah Almighty have mercy and guide us all, ameen.

Read in English

Μεταφραση Ξενια

“Kαι δεν ειναι δυνατο σε εναν ανθρωπο να του μιλησει ο ΑΛΛΑΧ εκτος εμπνεοντας τουτον, η πισω απο ενα παραπετασμα, η στελνοντας αγγελιοφορο για να εμπνευσει (αποκαλυπτοντας)- με την αδεια Tου- τα οσα θελει. Αυτος ειναι βεβαια ο Υψιστος , ο Πανσοφος.” Ιερο Κορανιο 42: 51

Ο ΑΛΛΑΧ μας συστηνεται. Ο Δημιουργος ολων των κοσμων και ο Μοναδικος Κυριαρχος του συμπαντος ειναι ο Υψιστος και ο Κατοχος του ουρανου της γης και των παντων μεταξυ.

Δεν υπάρχει καμία θεότητα εκτος απο Αυτόν. Υψιστος ειναι Αυτος και Δοξασμενος πάνω απ ‘όλα απο ότι συνδέουν (μαζί Του). Αυτός είναι ο Κυριαρχος, ο Παντοδύναμος, και ο Κύριος του Τρόπου Εξυψωσης. Ο Αλλάχ είναι Αυτάρκης, πάνω απο καθε αναγκη.

Όλα τα ωραία ονόματα ανήκουν Αλλάχ, γιατι Αυτός είναι ο Κατοχος απείρου κάλλους και άπειρης αιθεριότητας. Ένα άτομομπορεί να Τον ξέρει μόνο στο βαθμό που ο ίδιος επιτρεπει, και μπορεί να Τον εκτιμησει μέσα από τους στίχους του Κορανίου. Σε ένα στίχο, Αλλάχ περιγράφει αυτό το όνομα και λεει τα εξεις.

Ο ΑΛΛΑΧ! Δεν υπαρχει κανενας αλλος θεος παρα μοναχα Αυτος. Εχει αιωνια ζωη, και προσεχει για παντα, ολο τον κοσμο. Η αδρανεια δεν μπορει να Τον κυριευσει, ουτε ο υπνος. Δικα Του ειναι ολα οσα υπαρχουν στους ουρανους και στη γη. Ποιος ειναι λοιπον εκεινος που μπορει να μεσολαβησει κοντα Του, εαν δεν του επιτρεψει, Γνωριζει ο,τι υπηρχε πριν και ο,τι θα υπαρξει μετα απο αυτους. Κι ουτε μπορουν να συλλαβουν τιποτα απο ο,τι γνωριζει Αυτος εκτος εκεινου που Αυτος θελησει. Ο Θρονος Του περιεχει τους ουρανους και την γη και δεν αισθανεται κοπο, φυλαγοντας τα και συντηρωντας τα. Γιατι ειναι ο Υψιστος, ο Μεγαλος. (Ιερο Κορανιο 2:255)

Source: Names of ALLAH

“I really do not want to know. In all honesty I am not interested.” It might sound harsh and a little uncaring but I believe that it is the kindest thing to say.

I suggest that nobody  should  be interested.

Why do they do it?

Some people feel they want to share their personal or other’s  secrets. Sometimes innocent but very often sinful. It does not matter to them if you plead ” I do not want to know”.

Persisting in their revelations,stubbornly, show disrespect towards Allah swt, His Messenger saw, and the believers.

Some do it to boast, some looking for support, exposing themselves to all kinds of situations if it happens  their  revelations to  fall in the wrong ears.

It was reported that Ibn ‘Umar said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The believer will be brought close to his Lord until He conceals him and makes him confess his sin. Allaah will say, ‘Do you remember such and such a sin?’ The man will say, ‘Yes, I admit it.’ The Lord will say, ‘I concealed it for you in the world and I forgive you for it today.’ Then He will close up his record of good deeds. As for the others or the Kuffaar, it will be called out before the witnesses, ‘These are the ones who disbelieved in their Lord. The curse of Allaah is upon the wrongdoers.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4408; Muslim, 2768).

This hadith clearly states that Allah swt  conceals and we should also conceal our secrets.

Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “All of my ummah will be forgiven except those who sin openly. It is a part of sinning openly when a man does something at night, then the following morning when Allaah has concealed his sin, he says, ‘O So and so, I did such and such last night,’ when all night his Lord has concealed him and the next morning he uncovers what Allaah had concealed.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5721; Muslim, 2990).

So If Allah swt keeps our secrets why can we not keep them ourselves?

Similarly if we happen to know of anybody else’s secrets we must not disclose them to anybody.

Prophet Muhammad s.a.w (peace be upon him) said: “He, who relieves a hardship of this Dunia (world) for a believer, Allah will relieve (from him) a hardship of the Day of Resurrection; he who makes easy an indebted person, Allah will make it easy for him in the Dunia and the Hereafter; he who covers a Muslim (meaning his mistakes and shortcomings), Allah will cover him in the Dunia and the Hereafter …” [Sahih Muslim]

So for next time…

“I do not want to know…I am not interested. Please do not tell me  your secrets!”

Xenia

The cab ride!

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30a.m.,the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away. But, I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation.Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.So I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute,” answered a frail,elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.After a long pause, the door opened.

A small woman in her 80’s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. “Would you carry my bag out to the car?” she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.” “Oh, you’re such a good boy,” she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?” “It’s not the shortest way,” Ianswered quickly. “Oh, I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice.” I looked in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were glistening. “I don’t have any family left,” she continued. “The doctor says I don’t have very long.” I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. “What route would you like me to take?” I asked. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the  building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular  building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.” We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.”How much do I owe you?” she asked, reaching into her purse. “Nothing,” I said. “You have to make a living,” she answered. “There are other passengers,” I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,” she said. “Thank you.” I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.But great moments often catch us unaware–beautifully wrapped in what others may consider, a small one.