Commit yourselves to acquiring the knowledge of the religion as this knowledge is an important element for the sustainability of Islam.

Know that those who neglect it will be lost and misguided, similar to a leaf blown right and left by the wind, ignorantly following any speaker who appeals to them even when he makes false statements about Islam.


Imam ^Aliyy may Allah raise his rank said:

“People are of three types (i.e. in regards to the knowledge of the religion).

“First are the practicing scholars (i.e. those who have great knowledge of Islam and are implementing that knowledge).

"The second are those who are on the path of success and are acquiring the knowledge as well as implementing it for the purpose of being saved from the torture of Hellfire.

"The third type of people is the rabble, who do not have the knowledge and they do not put any effort to acquire it in the proper manner, rather they follow any speaker who appeals to them even when he makes false statements about Islam”.

Is circumcision compulsory for males and females in Islam? Where's the basis for this rule? And to what extent is the circumcision supposed to be?

Circumsicion is not obligatory for females. It is also not removing an organ from her genitals as some ignorant people practice. If you would like, I have a friend who has more details about the female version of circumsion in Islam. Her name is Hafizun or Hufayza on the forum www.truthaboutislam.info/f

Toward the bottom of the page there is an english section of the forum so I suggest posting the question there and posing it to her.

For men the scholars differed about whether it is an obligation. Some said it is, some said it's not. But of course it has many benefits and even scientifically it has benefits.

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Women of Islam

In the Qur’an, ayah 32 in Surat An-Nisa’ refers to the fair treatment of women in what means:

((Men shall own the shares of their earnings as women shall own the shares of their earnings.))

Women in Islam occupy a high status in which they are free to voice a legitimate opinion. This is an undeniable fact prevalent to all those who engage in social studies of history and the developments of societies. The Qur’an reveals to us the stories of the greatest Muslim women of history. They include our Lady virgin Mariyam-the daughter of ^Imran and the mother of Prophet ^Issa. She is referred to as the best of all women. Asiya the daughter of Muzahim and the wife of Pharaoh, is another great Muslim woman mentioned in the Qur’an.

Great women in Islam were also prevalent during the era of Prophet Muhammad. They participated in great events such as the inauguration (Al-Bay^ah- i.e. swearing allegiance and obedience to the Prophet) and the order of migration revealed to the Prophet. Such women were Lady Khadija, Lady Aisha, Lady Fatima, Lady Hafsa, Lady Um Sulaim, Lady Asma’, Lady Khawla, Lady Al-Khansa’, Lady Rabi^a, Lady Ma^atha and many others. These names include names of women who were wives of the Prophet, wives of his companions from Makkah and Madinah and their pious successors.

The diligence of women in seeking the religious knowledge and adhering to it is apparent especially since the era of the Prophet (SallAllahu ^alayhi wa sallam). ^Ata’ Ibn Rabah used to say about Lady ^A’ishah may Allah raise her rank: “^A’ishah was among the highest ranking jurisprudents, among the most knowledgeable and among the people of best opinion.” This was mentioned by Al-Hakim in the book Al-Mustadrak (v.4, p.15) and Ad-Dhahabiyy in Siyar a^ lam an-Nubala’ (v.2, p.185).

Arab-Islamic history has reported on thousands of elite female scholars who have excelled in the knowledge of various types of sciences and in the Arabic language and Islamic jurisprudence. Al-Hafidh
Ibn Hajar authored biographies in his book “Al-Isabah fi Tamyyiz as-Sahabah” [The Criteria to Evaluate the Companions]. Among them were biographies of five hundred and forty three thousand Muslim women companions. Among them were the female jurisprudents, narrators and litterateurs.

Many other scholars authored biographies of women who were scholars in the science of hadith, fiqh (jurisprudence), tafsir (interpretation), litterateurs and poets. Among them were Imam Nawawiyy in his book ‘Tahdhib al-asma’ wal-lughat’, Al-Khatib al-Baghdadiyy in his book ‘Tarikh Baghdad’, As- Sakhawiyy in his book ‘Ad-Dau’ al-Lami^ liahli al-Qarni at-Tasi^’ and ^ Umar Rida Kahali in ‘Mu^jam a^lam an-Nisa’’. In ways unique to femininity, all these women played prominent roles in spreading the great civilization of Islam.

It is from the wise judgement of the Lord that there are some natural differences between the characteristics of men and women. Both genders have equal claim to their individual sets of rights and responsibilities, as outlined by Islam. Their role as worshippers to Allah which entails their adherence to the creed and the rules of the religion, and their attendance to their duties and rights are expected equally from men and women. For example, they are equally expected to acquire the essential knowledge of Islam, pray five obligatory prayers, pay the Zakat on one’s wealth, fast and perform Hajj; thus illustrating that Islam values the role of women as it does men. And to their favour, women are granted allowances in other areas of worship in recognition of their femininity.

Allah the Creator of everything is the most knowledgeable of the needs and the well being of His creations. In Surat At-Tawbah of the Qur’an, ayah 71 mentions what means:

((The believers, both men and women, are supporters of one another: They bid what is lawful, and forbid what is unlawful: They perform regular prayers, pay their due zakat, and obey Allah and his Messenger. Allah will have mercy on them; For He is the Exalted in Power, Wise.))


Women of Dark Ages

Contrary to the high status given to women by Islam, the situation of women in the era of darkness, was one of gloom and despair. They were denied the right to claim inheritance, yet she was inherited. Females were buried alive to avoid the possibility of future scandals and poverty.

Islam rejected all of that, as is mentioned in the meaning of ayah 59 in Surat An-Nahl of the Qur’an:

((With shame does he hide himself from his people, all because of the birth of a baby girl, he had been given. Shall he retain her (on sufferance and contempt) or bury her in the dust. Oh! What an evil choice they decide on)).

Women of the dark ages engaged in many horrendous practices that aided their decline in society.
They dealt with black magic and sorcery, to an extent that it became an integrated part of every day life. They resorted to black magic to presumably affect many things including the pursuit of: a man, revenge and to treat illness. Those women placed their faith in superficial artefacts including spells and particular beads thought to protect the recipient of any harm. Yet the resulting temperament of those women of the dark ages was of overwhelming pain and sorrow. They used to mourn their dead in uncivilized ways. The female relatives of the deceased, dusted or painted their faces black; wailed for the dead; tore their clothes from the neckline; slapped their faces repeatedly; shaved their heads to boldness, and wore only black outfits for months-even years, in a repelling parade of sorrow. Hence, women of the dark ages were indeed made to be unsightly and uncivilized in every aspect of their lives- through the treatment they received, the abhorrent roles they were expected to uphold and the ignorance and traditions akin to that time.

Islam brings Moderate Laws

In notable contrast, Islam prescribed moderate rules for society including for women. Being moderate rules, they are appropriate, applicable and achievable in every era till the end of life. The constitution of Islam preserves the dignity and honour of Muslim women and protects their rights and wellbeing. For example a man has to commit to a woman in marriage before he has a right to any intimacy with her. Even after marriage and to protect the female from physical harm, the husband is forbidden from having sexual intercourse with his wife whilst the wife is in her menstrual cycle or postpartum bleeding. Needless to say, these entitlements serve to indicate the favourable and gracious treatment given to women in Islam and their encouragement to remain active members of society.

This is further reflected in the response of Prophet Muhammad to the female companions. When they asked the Prophet for religious lessons that cater for their needs, he approved. Abu Sa^id al-Khidriyy and Abu Hurayrah may Allah raise their rank narrated that the women said to the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ^alayhi wa sallam): “Make a day to teach us as you have for the men.” He said: “He came to the women and preached them and taught them.” Al-Bukhariyy mentioned this in his book ‘Sahih’ (v.1, p.421). In these sessions the Prophet advised the women to donate money to the poor and he permitted them to attend the Mosques to pray. Moreover, he strictly informed men to not deny the women that right, as is mentioned in his hadith which means:

((Do not deny the female slaves of Allah from attending the Mosques of Allah.))

Islam allows women to seek employment or pursue a career. But like men, she too has to consider and adhere to relevant Islamic guidelines, in this pursuit. This includes observing that the kind of work or line of career does not oppose: femininity, her obligation to the Islamic dress code, and it does not entail that she remain isolated with a marriageable man at any time. Once these general conditions are met, the Muslim woman is not denied the choice to join the workforce.

The woman in Islam enjoys a level of real total independence evident in such matters as her right to seek knowledge, claim inheritance, claim ownership, and deal with her own finances and possessions. She is free to engage in any trade transaction. And, like the case of men, she must also consider the laws of Islam pertaining to dealings. In the Qur’an, ayah 32 in Surat An-Nisa’ refers to the fair treatment of women in what means:

((Men shall own the shares of their earnings as women shall own the shares of their earnings.))

Different Needs, Different Laws

The Islamic law (Shari^ah) recognizes the different needs of both men and women and facilitates for them in appropriate rules, allowances and guidelines. For example, the Islamic constitution states that women during their menstrual cycle and postpartum bleeding are pardoned from doing prayers including the obligatory five, and fasting including the obligatory month of Ramadan. The pregnant or nursing mother is allowed not to fast in Ramadan if she feels that fasting will negatively affect her health, her pregnancy or the health of her baby. Though, under certain conditions, she has to make up for these missed days during the year. Every civilised and well functioning society is based on a hierarchy. Likewise the nation of Islam. It is on this basis that some difference in the Islamic laws and entitlements of men and women do exist. These differences appear in laws pertaining to inheritance, legal witnesses, and the higher authority of men. In matters of inheritance the Islamic law states that a sister is entitled to one share of a parent’s asset as opposed to two shares that her brother receives. The wisdom behind this rule is to facilitate the male with the means to fulfil the responsibilities he faces, which females are not burdened with in areas of supporting a family. It follows that irrespective of the wealth of a Muslim wife; Islam instructs that she is not bound to share in the support of the family with her husband.

A Misinformed Mass

The evidenced reality of Islam and its fairness and regard to women, is not portrayed in many media. Today, masses of people merely skim tabloids and superficial reports to gather information about Islam and Muslims. In effect they accumulate adverse misrepresentations that most often originate from rumours against Muslims and Islam or misguided preachers disguised as Muslims. Some misinformed people claim that Islam denies women any rights, and that Islam considers women second class citizens to men. Certainly, this is the presumption of the ill-informed or arrogant, not the knowledgeable and enlightened people who are aware of the mechanics of a well functioning society.

Islamic proof pointing to the dignity and importance of women in Islam is unabated. Scores of women in history and in contemporary times have chosen to embrace Islam and remain steadfast to it after recognising the high status and regard that the constitution of Islam offers them.

Outstanding Muslim Women

Remarkably, the women companions of the Prophet who swore allegiance to the Prophet and his teachings were renowned for their strength of faith, patience and their ability to sacrifice their needs and emotions to achieve more eminent goals. In some cases, it was evidenced that the piety of some of these Muslim women exceeded that of some Muslim men. It was mentioned in the book ‘Sifat as-Safwa’ that a woman named ^Aliyah bintul-Kamit, was one of those who abstained from this life’s temptations and was a pious worshipper. It was related that one day when she was performing the mid-day prayer, her visitors found themselves at her door step waiting for her to complete her prayers and to allow them to enter. Being such a pious woman who found pleasure in busying herself in optional prayers, she prayed in sets from the mid-day prayer to the mid-afternoon prayer. When she welcomed her visitors who were waiting outside for a few hours, one of them said to her: “May Allah bless you, we have been sitting outside since mid-day waiting for you to let us in.”

She noticed in his comment a matter that he seemed to have overlooked and astonishingly she replied: “Glory be to Allah! Do you mean to say that you were sitting idol for a few hours without performing any optional prayers?”

Shocked by her unexpected response, the guest expressed that he and his friends felt incredibly incompetent. Similar stories of such pious women in Islam abound.

Conclusion

Certainly, from the facts and evidence mentioned so far, it can be concluded that since the beginning of time Islam has given women recognition for their significant roles and has gained for them the high regard and respect that society owes them. This has followed on in the revelation of Prophet Muhammad. The revival of Islam by Prophet Muhammad rescued women from the subdue treatment of the preceding dark ages. Even today, Islam continues to free women from the oppression imposed by some societies and cultures. Ultimately, the Muslim woman remains able to achieve high ranks in society, which fair and sound observation cannot deny.



Adapted from the annual magazine: “The Muslim Hub” (www.2mfm.org)

The month of Sha^ban is the eighth month of the lunar year in the Islamic calendar and the month immediately preceding the month of Ramadan. For Muslims all around the world, the month of Sha^ban is a special time in which they try to do more good deeds than usual and fast more optional fasts that they do in other months. The Prophet used to fast a lot during this month. It is the habit of the Muslims to celebrate the 15th night of the month of Sha^ban by praying, reciting Qur’an, praising Allah, and making a great deal of supplication to Allah during that night.



Ibn Majah narrated that the Prophet said what means: <<Spend the night preceding the 15th day of Sha^ban in acts of obedience, and fast the next day.>> The acts of obedience meant in this hadith are reciting the Qur’an, making supplication (du’a^) to Allah, and praying optional prayers. Even though there is a difference in opinion among the top scholars of hadith about the degree of confirmation of this hadith, acting in accordance with its orders (on that particular night, i.e., the 15th night of Sha^ban) is a good practice. This is so because the matters is orders with (i.e., reciting Qur’an, making supplication, praising Allah) are, in general, recommended matters in the Religion.



Although making supplication, in general, is a recommended matter, one needs to be cautious about what he is asking for in his supplication. It must be understood that when one supplicates to Allah (asks Allah for things) one is not asking Allah to change His Will. It is among the essentials of the belief of Muslims that Allah’s Will is eternal and does not change. Rather, one would be asking Allah to change the person’s situation from a difficult situation to an easier one, from a good situation to a better one, or the like. Knowing this, one needs to be cautious in his understanding of a supplication which some people recite on the night of the 15th day of Sha^ban.

It should be noted that this particular supplication was not confirmed from the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, nor from the Prophet nor from ^Umar or Ibn Mas^ud (as explicitly clarified by Al-Bayhaqiyy in his book, Al-Qadar).

When reciting this (aforementioned) supplication, some people erroneously understand that they are asking Allah to change His Will. That is, they understand the words they recite to mean: “O Allah, if you willed for me to be miserable, poor, and deprived of the good things, change Your Will and make me happy and solvent.” This is a dangerous situation. The Will of Allah does not change. This is among the basics of the beliefs of the Muslims. Change is among the very obvious signs that thing is a creation. Imam Abu Hanifah said: “Change occurs only in the creations.”

Allah is not attributed with change. This matter is clarified in the Book of Allah and in the hadith of the Prophet. (Some understand that the meaning of Verse #39 of Suratar-Ra^d is: “Allah changes His Will.” Truly, this is not the meaning of this verse as interpreted by the famous companion, Ibn ^Abbas. Al-Bayhaqiyy narrated from Ibn ^Abbas that this verse refers to the abrogations, that is, Allah willed for some verses of the Qur’an to be abrogated, and not for others to be abrogated. This interpretation of Ibn ^Abbas reconfirms that the Will of Allah does not change.)

Surat Qaf, Ayah 29 means: {My Will does not change.}

Ibn Mardawayh narrated from the Prophet that Prophet Muhammad asked his Lord for four matters:



That his nation would not be destroyed by famine;
That his nation would not be completely destroyed by any enemy;
that his nation would not be completely destroyed by torture similar to the torture which destroyed the previous nations; and
That the people of his nation would not fight one against the other.


The Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said that Allah granted him the first three matters but did not grant him the fourth one. So, although it was Prophet Muhammad, the best of the creations, who made that supplication, Allah did not grant him all what he asked. This is because Allah willed in eternity there would be fighting between the Muslims in the different eras—and the Will of Allah does not change. That Allah’s Will does not change was more specifically clarified in Imam Muslim’s narration of the hadith in his Sahih. Imam Muslim narrated that after the Prophet asked Allah for matters, Allah revealed to him that if Allaah Willed for something to occur, His Will does not change.

In conclusion, it is rewardable and recommended to recite the Qur’an, pray, and make supplication during the 15th night of Sha^ban. However, it is blasphemy to make any supplication with the understanding that Allah changes. Reciting the aforementioned supplication with the understanding that one is asking Allah to change the bad situation to become a better one (and not to change what Allah eternally Willed) is not sinful.

Islam: Between Tales and Reality

By Dr Mohamad Asri Zainul Abidin
Mufti from the State of Perlis Darus Sunnah, Malaysia

We have heard it all too often, that Islam is a great religion; that Islam has the power to drive its believers to outclass others and be most progressive. These kinds of statements are typically always followed by historical accounts of the great achievements attained by Muslims in previous era. These narrations are being repeated over and over again so that we can be proud of Islam and so that others will be attracted to this great religion of ours.

Unfortunately, there exists a distinct difference between historical accounts and the reality that we're facing today. The fact is that we as humans are more affected by the reality that we witness first hand rather what is being narrated on the pages of history, even more so when we're not the type that reads and analyzes.If we take a look at our local Muslim community, specifically the Malays who form the dominant group, we can't help but to feel disappointed.

When it comes to social mischief, the Malays who proudly admit that they are Muslims conquer the statistics. To make matters worse, even Malays that exist as a minority group in neighbouring countries lead the revolting path of drugs abuse and vandalism, and are left behind in education and economic growth.Regardless whether we like it or not, the reality is, these black sheeps of the society are being dominated by those that proclaim their religion is Islam and their ethnic origin is Malay.

Questions would arise, or the non-Malays would speculate, on whether it is Islam that's causing all these. On the surface, it is clear that all living souls in this country consume the same air and water, and live on the same land and in the same environment. The only elements that differentiate us are our religion and race and therefore, any deviations among us could only be attributed by either religion or race.It is without doubt that Islam as a religion that's genuinely flawless, with a majestic history of accomplishment, refuses to be associated with such diminutions and weaknesses.

A healthy 'aqidah (faith) will definitely deny anything that implicates Islam with impediment and regression. If Islam is not to be blamed, then there's only one thing left to be scrutinized. This is not an attempt to degrade any race! Not in a million years! Instead, this is intended to incite the needs for self assessment and improvement. Moreover, I strongly feel that in this context, the Malays are not that far off from the Arabs.Being Malays, although admittedly there is a substantial superiority when it comes to manners and words, we will not be able to be competitive in many fields if we just depend on our Malay “cultural inheritance�.

Let's take the Chinese people as an example, they make it their culture to work hard. Their work ethics in doing business and other forms of living is very compelling. In general, somebody that is born in a Chinese family does not have to do a lot to learn about business since business is already a part of their life. They also have a strong community spirit and are always willing to help each other.Therefore, even though many of them do not have high qualifications in Business learning, they can still excel in business putting to shame those who graduate with impressive grades but end up jobless and stuck at home. The nature of working hard, study hard and competing positively, though were recorded in the Malays' pages of history, is still far away from becoming a Malay's cultural inheritance while the Chinese and the Westerners have been inheriting it from generation to generation through their history and evolution.

In order to overcome those shortcomings, the Malays have no choice but to adopt a culture for them to absorb and apply physically and mentally, a culture that has no rivalry that is Islam in its genuine form. I mention here the word genuine Islam mainly to differentiate it with the Islam that has been misinterpreted by a lot of clusters.If Islam is not being digested the right way, then the Malays or Arabs will not have the capability to compete in this world. This is because for certain races, although they don't have a reliable faith, the unique characteristics of the culture that they inherit manage to drive them to successfully build their wealth and possessions.

As for those that embrace Islam, they will be struggling in vain if Islam is not being embedded into the foundation of their lives in a comprehensive way. There won't be any energy to fuel them from either two sources, neither from Islam no from ethnic civilization. In the meantime, all the other ethnic groups that do not embrace Islam have at least a good supply of survival spirit produced by a highly established culture that possesses positive character in many fields. Because of that, they are far ahead and are enjoying many distinguished achievements.

Many then may ask, “Where are all the great civilizations unique to those that embrace Islam? Is there any specialty at all that can be attributed to those racial groups?�My answer to that question is a hopeful may be. When Islam came with all its grandeur and imperial cultivation, it wiped out many cultural inheritances which by now have been non-existent for generations. It is indeed a unique character of Islam to eliminate any custom that is against its sacred principals.
In actual, when Islam came, it substituted cultural inheritance with a much more steadfast system. Unfortunately as time went by, development was subsequently taken over by later generations and a dilution effect took place. These younger generations started to weaken their grip on Islam and at times, even diverted from the correct path. As a result, they began to gradually lose touch of the great civilization of Islam and simultaneously, leave behind their once revered cultural inheritance.

When an ethnic group loses the root of their culture, they become weak and are easily susceptible to external influence and confrontation. That is the reality of our world today. Regardless whether it is the Malays or Arabs, all are currently floating aimlessly without any definite direction enticed by an imaginative world that is full of candies.In addition to that, Islam is no longer being understood genuinely unlike the way it was grasped by the earlier generations that marked their success in building Islamic civilization. The focus on 'aqidah is not being upheld in most fields of study to the point that even those factors that can contaminate the 'aqidah are not being fully understood.

On the other side, there exist certain quarters that are promoting Islam with a demeaning interpretation that has no basis. There are those that consider non-arabic sounded branch of learning as secular. At times, the religious groups are only correlated with the sarongs, Malay suits, tardiness, slow paced, sleeping in mosques, unreceptive towards the opinion of others, can be seen only during funerals and weddings, and is out of sight when the Ummah is struggling to survive the challenge of times. It has come to the point that people will be bewildered when an Ustaz knows a lot of subjects but they will accept it as a norm if an Ustaz doesn't know much about current issues and modern affairs. In the end, religious scholars fail to secure the ciritical positions among the Ummah. As the wealth and economy of the Ummah are being auctioned away, some religious scholars are still too occupied discussing the fatwa on whether non-Muslims are allowed to consume meat from aqiqah (meat of a cattle that's slaughtered in conjunction of the births of a son or a daughter as a gesture to thank Allah) or whether it is prohibited to reply their greeting of Salaam!

We are supposed to think about how to present Islam in a more attractive way such that the non-Muslims around us will accept it and thus will receive the right guidance. When they embrace Islam, all of their wealth will also be “Islamized�. Definitely, this won't be achieved if we continue the bickering about aqiqah or a mere greeting of Salaam non-stop.
In the end, we lose Islam and our cultural inheritance has been left for far too long that it is out of reach. Islam that was supposed to fill the gaps in the sequence of building up our civilization has been abandoned. Many of our youths are apathetic, have low self esteem and have no sense of obligation as a result of living without sound religious values.

If he was a Chinese, he probably would feel ashamed since hard work is a culture that he's supposed to uphold and losing it would bring about shame and contempt. But if he was a Malay that is devoid of religion and culture, he would feel that it was normal to live that way. Amir al-Mukminin 'Umar bin al-Khattab once told the Arabs: “We were once a disgraceful tribe but then Allah honoured us with Islam. Should we try to find honour with anything other than Islam, which Allah has honoured us with, verily we will be humiliated by Allah�. The sanad (chain of reporters) of this narration was classified as sahih (sound) by al-Hakim and was supported by al-Zahabi (al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, 1/237, printing: Dar al-Ma'rifah, Beirut). Dedicate Maulana Abu al-Hasan 'Ali al-Nadwi in his book titled Kaif Dakhala al-'Arab al-Tarikh describes the Arabs as a group of people that were isolated from the arena of history making though they held commendable qualities and had almost divine etiquette. Moreover, they possessed blatant bravery and were highly skilled in the field of weaponry and horse riding. Their language was undoubtedly of the highest value, most beautiful and very expressive. Unfortunately, all these attributes were not able to drive them to appear in the stage of glorious memoirs.

However, in the end, they were able to mark their appearance in the pages of history as the messengers of revelation and guidance. As stated by al-Nadwi, “The Arabs should acknowledge the fact that they would not have appeared in the pages of history if not for the message and teachings of Islam that they advocated. Allah did not cultivate love inside the heart and soul of other people towards them; their language would not disseminate as widely, not embedded permanently and eternally, not used as extensively to inscribe so much knowledge, not incite the erection of libraries so grand that non-Arab scholars managed to benefit more from them than the Arabs themselves, if not for the grandeur of al-Quran and the doctrine of Islam. The Arabs will not be able to win back the distinguished status that they owned during earlier times and will not again able to re-enter the stage of history making if not through the same door that they utilized before.� (Al-Nadwi, Kaif Dakhala al-'Arab al-Tarikh, m.s 26, printing: Al-Majma' al-Islami al-'Ilmi, Lacknow, India).

Therefore, to breathe life into Malay is not just by reviving the inang and makyung dances or anything of similar nature. Instead, it is by eliminating all the negative values that Islam opposes such as laziness, deception, lack of perseverance in executing specific tasks, wasting time, excessive entertainment and a lot more. It is compulsory to stimulate positive values into all Muslims as commanded by al-Quran and al-Sunnah, such as the spirit of responsibility in uplifting the Ummah which in turn will entice the determination to seek knowledge in all fields of study. Indeed, civilization is built by those that uphold the characters of Chaliph (supreme ruler).

Therefore, all religious gurus must acquire al-'uqul al-nadijah al-wa'iyyah (matured and coherent minds) so that they have the potential to drive the Ummah towards achieving a great civilization. And not just discussing outdated cases from hundred of years ago that are almost extinct, and not just repeating chapters on menstruation and post natal bleeding without being able to drive their students to produce themselves all the necessities needed for handling those conditions.

i WANT IN ^^

Have a good Ramadhan everyone. May one of you get to catch lailatul qadar.

Do Not Smear The Divine Look Of Islam

By Dr Mohamad Asri Zainul Abidin
Mufti from the State of Perlis Darus Sunnah, Malaysia

When I stated that we should reply equally the greeting of Salaam from non-Muslims that do not stage any hostility towards Islam, there are certain groups of extremists that voiced out their objection tenaciously based on the simple reason that they had never heard it mentioned by any of their traditional cloister based gurus. In their minds, the whole of Islamic knowledge is perfectly compiled in the cloisters where they learn and study at. Some of the Ustaz (religious teachers) even prohibit themselves from reading or examining any topic that has not been mentioned by the regional mazhab (sect of religious jurisprudence) or by the older generation within his locality. Indeed, it is undeniable that cloister based learning has its own significant contribution towards the Muslim community but baseless sentiments destitute of substantial justifications is not the type of cognition that is certified by Islam.

Islam is a very composed religion for its appearance and essence are both established through solid values and bona fide splendor. Islam will truly radiant its magnificence only if we truthfully build our understanding by means of the al-Quran and al-Sunnah. The opinions of those called Ustaz do not automatically always correspond to the two sanctified sources. Moreover, not all who have been bestowed with the honourable title of Ustaz necessarily master the topic that he teaches or discusses. If all being said were parallel with the teachings of al-Quran and al-Sunnah, then there would not have been any conflict among the Ustaz’s. Has this been not the case, would we ever witness a peculiar scenario in which there exist Ustaz’s in different parties and even worse, they accuse each other of being deviants? In conclusion, the opinions of the religious mass shall either be accepted or rejected but the testimony from al-Quran and al-Sunnah is always undisputable.

Whoever that produces justifications based on the two holy sources and ascribe to the principle of study certified by academic doctrines, then only his opinions are upheld. If that mandatory criterion is absent, then be aware that neither an Ustaz nor a Guru nor a Mufti is a messenger of Allah whose words shall always be weighed using the scale of divine revelation
Back to the issue of Salaam, is my statement regarding the permissibility of replying the Salaam from non-Muslims something that’s newly innovated, or is the commotion actually spurred by those religious quarters mainly because of their strong propensities towards local customary practice and lacking of intellectual contention? I hereby would like to quote a statement by al-Imam Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyyah (deceased in 751H) in his well known masterpiece titled Zad al-Ma‘ad: “There have been different manners of thoughts among the scholars of Salaf (previous generation) and Khalaf (recent generation) regarding the ruling of offering Salaam to the Jews and Christians. Most of them stated: Salaam is not offered to them. There are others that stated: It is permissible to offer Salaam to them as well as to reply their greetings of Salaam. This second option was recorded from Ibn ‘Abbas, Abu Umamah and Ibn Muhairiz. It is also of the opinion from mazhab al-Syafii but the method of replying Salaam to non-Muslims is detailed out as: It is to be replied with only As-Salam A’laika without extending it to wa rahmat Allah, and on the basis of ifrad (directed to a single person).

Some scholars stated: “It is permissible to greet the Jews and Christians with Salaam if it is required above all to advocate goodness, or to avoid unforeseen wrong doings, or to sustain family tie, or for anything that qualifies as a requirement”. This particular stand was narrated from Ibrahim al-Nakha‘i and ‘Alqamah.

Said al-Auza‘i: “If you greet them with Salaam, observe that they had been greeted with Salaam by some of the pious ones before you. If you do not greet them with Salaam, observe that they had not been greeted with Salaam by some of the pious ones before you”.

As mentioned again by al-Imam Ibn Qayyim: “Among the scholars, there are mixed opinions regarding replying equally to their greeting of Salaam. The majority’s opinion is that an equal reply is compulsory and this is the accepted opinion. Some scholars mentioned that a reply is not compulsory.”

Al-Imam Ibn Qayyim again narrated: “It has been authentically recorded in a hadith, Nabi s.a.w passed through a gathering comprised of Muslims, Idol worshipers and Jews, and he greeted them all with Salaam.” (reference: Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyyah, Zad al-Ma‘ad, 2/425-426, Beirut: Muassasah al-Risalah 1990).

Al-Imam al-Bukhari in his volume of Al-Adab al-Mufrad under the topic Bab Kaif al-Radd ‘ala Ahl al-Zimmah (Chapter: How to Reply the Greeting of Salaam from Kafir Zimmi [kafir zimmi means non-Muslims that do not present any hostility or pose any threat towards the Muslims – translator]) narrated a statement from Ibn ‘Abbas: “Do reply the Salaam regardless whether it comes from the Jews, the Christians or the Sun Worshippers for Allah has decreed (Surah al-Nisa, verse 86), “When a (courteous) greeting is offered you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or (at least) of equal courtesy. Allah takes careful account of all things.”” This narration’s status is hasan (good).

Through other recitation in al-Adab al-mufrad, also under the topic Bab Iza Kataba al-Zimmi Pasallama, Yuradd ‘Alaihi (Chapter: Whenever a Kafir Zimmi Writes a Letter Containing the Greeting of Salaam, It Is to be Replied). In this chapter, there’s a sahih (sound) narration about Abu Musa al-Asy’ari writing a letter to a priest in which he greeted the priest with Salaam. Then he was asked: Did you greet him with Salaam while he is a kafir? Answered Abu Musa: “He wrote to me a letter containing the greeting of Salaam and therefore, I replied equally.”

These kinds of narrations are supposed to be studied by the Ustaz’s or whoever it is that intends to discuss this topic before labeling any opinion as profligate. Unfortunately in this country, certain religious groups do not utilize facts as their foundation of thoughts and instead, sentiment towards their traditional Gurus is being applied to measure the profoundness of any piece of information.

As for the hadiths that dictate us to reply “wa ‘alaika” (and on you) to the greeting of Salaam from the Jews, these were because during the times of Nabi s.a.w, the Jews had the tendency to greet Salaam with the phrase “as-samu ‘alaikum” which means death or destruction be on you. Their purpose was to confuse the Muslims. Because of that, Nabi s.a.w instructed his followers to reply with “wa’alaikum” only. This matter was clearly mentioned in his hadith: “”When the Jews greet you, they usually say, ‘As-Samu ‘alaikum (Death be on you),’ so you should say (in reply to them), ‘Wa’alaikum (And on you).” (Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Therefore, it is crystal clear that this hadith has its own specific Sabab al-Wurud (reasons for the conception of certain hadith), that is it refers back to an occurrence or a condition whereby there was a tendency of the Jews to mock the greeting of Salaam and to switch it with an expression that sounded almost the same but with totally different meanings. In other words, this hadith is not applicable for all conditions.

For that reason, when non-Muslims greet us with Salaam using the correct phrase with a noble reason that is to wish us well, then the hadith above is not applicable. Is it really appropriate for us as devotees of the religion that brings about peace and blessing reject good wishes from others in an improper way? Absolutely not! Even more when we are in a phase where Islam is being subjected to malicious looks by the enemies that surround us. Not replying properly the greeting of Salaam from non-Muslims, at least, deviates from the commands stated in these two verses from al-Quran:

First: Surah al-nisa, verse 86. When a (courteous) greeting is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous, or (at least) of equal courtesy. Allah takes careful account of all things.

Second: Surah al-Mumtahanah verse 8-9. Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just. Allah only forbids you, with regard to those who fight you for (your) faith, and drive you out of your homes, and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances), that do wrong.

Consequently, a prominent figure among the scholars of hadith in this era, al-Syeikh Nasir al-Din al-Albani mentioned: “This verse (Surah al-Mumtahanah verse 8 ) clearly advocates giving kind and just treatment to the non-Muslim subjects of an Islamic nation that offer peace and do not pose any threat to the Believers. Undoubtedly, if any one among them greets us by clearly saying as-salaamu ‘alaikum, and we reply it with a mere wa ‘alaika, verily this is most unjust and lacking of virtue. It is because we have treated them as though they are among those who said as-samu ‘alaikum (death on you). This is an utter cruelty.” (Nasir al-Din Al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah, 2/322, Riyadh: Maktabah al-Ma‘arif :1995).

Among the scholars that prohibit replying their Salaam, they even assert that if conditions require it then it is permissible to reply their Salaam. They specify cases such as to avoid any possible harm doings or any evil consequence. I hereby affirm that, based on clear evidence from al-Quran and al-Sunnah and taking into consideration the reality of our lives, the condition of our Ummah today requires us to give equal reply to the greeting of Salaam from non-Muslims. The defiance to reply a good wish with an equally good wish will only add smudges to the divine face of Islam. Thus, replying their Salaam in this era is obligated both in the context of upholding sound evidence and of fulfilling the responsibility of dakwah (spreading the message of Islam).

When Our Entertainment World Goes Off the Rail

By Dr Mohamad Asri Zainul Abidin
Mufti from the State of Perlis Darus Sunnah, Malaysia

Of late, I have been approached and contacted by many reporters soliciting for my opinions concerning the actions of some artistes that frequently invite various controversies. I have been purposely withholding my responses to most of the queries for fear that it will be misinterpreted. I would rather write about it myself to ensure the essence of my idea is clearly conveyed.
Before I dwell on further, it is worth stating that I am neither against entertainment nor artistic work. Mainly because Islam is not a religion that opposes entertainment and artistic work but rather, what needs to be understood is that Islam sets boundaries and disciplines for every single thing.

In the volume of Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Rubaiyi’ binti Mu’awwiz narrated that the Prophet s.a.w came to her wedding, and heard small girls beating the tambourine and singing in lamentation of their father who had been killed on the day of the battle of Badr. Then one of the girls said, “There is a Prophet amongst us who knows what will happen tomorrow.” The Prophet said (to her),” Do not say this, but go on saying what you have spoken before.”
In the hadith mentioned above, the Prophet did not prohibit performing entertainments during celebrations such as weddings but rather, he prohibited the usage of unpleasant expression or lyrics. It is only Allah that knows what will happen tomorrow and the Prophet corrected what they expressed.

The Prophet did that as if he was acting like a screening and valuation department for entertainment or artistic work to ensure that it does not go off the rails laid down by this sacred religion.
Islam is not constricted in nature to the extent that it causes life to be rigid without allowing any element to spice things up. A dash of certain ingredients giving entertaining and pleasing flavor is allowed as long as it is not so exaggerated that instigates the real meaning of life to fade away.

It was also narrated by al-Bukhari from Aisyah, that a woman married a man from the Ansar, and the Prophet said (to her): Oh Aisyah! Why don’t you have with you any entertainment? The Ansar likes entertainment. In a hadith ranked as Hassan (good) that was narrated by al-Nasai and al-Tirmizi, the Prophet said: The differences between halal (permissible) and haram (prohibited) are tambourine and voices during weddings. That means legal marriage is celebrated and announced openly unlike relationships outside of wedlock.

The happiness felt during matrimony is being expressed by playing musical instruments such as tambourines. Voices in this hadith are interpreted as the acts of advertising the nuptials, and it can also be construed as singing as mentioned previously in the hadith from al-Bukhari. What is more, the Prophet even allowed events that were constituted of entertaining performances being held in mosques. As mentioned in a hadith from al-Bukhari, Aisyah r.a. narrated:” Once I saw Allah’s Apostle at the door of my house while some Ethiopians were playing in the mosque (displaying their skill with spears). Allah’s Apostle screened me behind him and I watched (that display) and kept on watching till I left on my own.” So you may estimate of what age a little girl may listen to amusement.

Those hadiths indicated that there are rooms rendered by Islam for its followers to enjoy entertainment within the prescribed limits as life that Allah creates is brim with many forms of circumstances and adversities. More often that not, one needs to take a rest by taking pleasure in listening or watching certain forms of entertainment, that are bound by sound principles, to ease the stress in managing life’s affairs. It goes without saying that entertainment also enhances the joyfulness of special celebrations such as weddings and Eid (specific Muslim festivities – translator).

On the other hand, there are others as well that do not have the need for all those elements. Thus, entertainment is not a necessity but rather a countenance and an opportunity for humans. The highest possible decree is that it is encouraged by the Prophet for particular circumstances and this implies that it shall not be one of the main focuses in our Muslim community. For when entertainment becomes exuberant, it ruins the concentration of a superlative society that is to become the Caliph that builds a civilization backed up by ‘aqidah (faith) and total submission to Allah and ultimately, brings about blessing to human kinds.

The permission granted by Allah’s Apostle for his companions to take delight in entertainment within the accepted degree had never interrupted their supreme mission, as mentioned by Rib’i bin Amir in front of the Persian soldiers: ”It is Allah that resurrected us so that we liberate whoever that He wishes from subjugating among His slaves towards full submission to Him, and from the cruelty of creeds towards the fairness of Islam, and from this tight world towards the vastness of this world and hereafter.”

Unfortunately, it is obvious that among our Muslim society, entertainments that is supposed to be just an endorsement to relief stresses in managing life’s affairs or as a gateway to feel contented has been turned into the main focus in life. It seems like the media is enticing our generation to fully concentrate on their ability to compete in the entertainment industry up to the point that apparently no other agenda is more important in the life of our young generation other than entertainment and fun without respite.

Entertainment that was initially permitted with a prescribed amount has turned into a virus whose effect is akin to drug and cancer that is killing the thought of our teenagers and youths which supposedly are to be utilized honorably and liberally for the rise of a civilization.

Worse still, most forms of entertainment that are being propagated not only lack of virtues and culture but have become the symbol of moral degradations and enslaved souls. Some of those that are involved in the world of entertainment; their life story, dressing, language and style not only show their immature and uncivilized selves but even reveal characteristics associated with idiocy. Just take a look at several comical scenes being shown in our day or even the displeasing acts of certain artistes.

In addition to that, the mould or design of our entertainment itself fails to represent the integrity of an Ummah that possesses its own unique civilization and culture. Just observe the many reality TV shows being displayed almost all the time. Most of them personify subjugated souls that copycat everything starting with the designs right down to the program title which they even unable to conceive differently.

Many of the champions in our entertainment world venerate the Westerners to the extent that even the shoddy conducts of Paris Hilton or Britney Spears or the likes of them are claimed to have their own artistic value. They have been blinded by the fact that the West is currently facing a very precarious moral degradation caused by their artistes. Foul and hideous values have become so normal that it destroys their family bonds, their culture and even their own religion. Their artistes are the icons and contributors of that destruction.

The West still has some superiority though. A part of it is that they have been successful in constructing an unchallenged materialistic empire, so great that earns them the most venerated position in the eyes of the world. Thus the recklessness of their youths can still be patched by the worldly empire that they have constructed. For them to realize what has been classified sturdy shouldn’t be all that difficult.

Moreover, their entertainment industry receives a high economic return because consumers marvel at their labels and are willing to pay the price for enjoying their entertaining products. As for us, there are still no signs of material development, not even hints of a civilization as great as theirs. It is unfortunate that our artistic crafts are more geared towards squandering the wealth of our society and fail miserably to give a high economic return to the country.

We are presently trapped in a condition full of various problems of which only little can be resolved satisfactorily; drug abuse, moral decay, juvenile crimes, lethargy, uncivilized manners. Does it really make sense for us to focus our strength and the ability of our teenagers towards non-stop or boundless entertainment? Certain reality TV shows have managed to restrain the ambition of our youths making them fail to see their own potential other than becoming “overnight artistes”.
The most realistic element of those reality programs is the exuberant profit gained by the sponsors while the direct or indirect loss is being shouldered by “children and fathers” of our society.

Once again, I’d like to affirm that I’m not anti artistes, entertainment or arts. You can refer to my interview with Pentas magazine a publishing of Istana Budaya. However, I’m now discussing the issue of imminent long term loss of our Ummah if we just let our generation to drown in the torrent of uncivilized entertainment that’s currently swelling so effervescently.
My sentiment on this issue is not without basis. I’m fully aware that there are well-known artistes that read my articles. Each individual has contributed something that we can be proud of. Yet, I have high hopes for our artistic pursuit to steer clear of elements which contradict religious disciplines and have the potential to damage the future of our society. It looks as if our entertainment world has lost its direction. In many cases, it appears that not many merits have been added towards the development of our social structure and civilization.

Islam is not constrictive in nature such as requiring films or artistes to portray piousness as skullcap wearing person or by reciting holy verses. Rather, it is the sustaining of disciplines in both appearance and content that counts. A mere skullcap fashion does not necessarily mean that the contents do not contradict the boundary that Islam stipulates.
When it comes to entertainment industry, I feel that we can actually praise Iran even though I disagree with many of the fundamental and secondary tenets of the country’s mazhab. I have to admit that Iran’s film industry has succeeded – to a certain extent – in producing films with commendable principles and with respectable quality. Without having to showcase roles that conflict their religion or adopt Western acts and characters, the film named “Kasut” from Iran managed to win its much deserved awards.

The local authority whose been allocated with a huge budget for developing Islam should produce a concrete planning to ensure that the media is being fully utilized for the development of our Ummah. Media is the magical weapon of this era. Don’t just leave our entertainment programs full with only the stereotypes that could not be marketed for our new generation.
The interest to conquer the media, or to manipulate it, is more important than to figure out how to prevent the Perlis Mufti from appearing in the “Forum Perdana” program. Till this day, the artiste community does not yet have a religious oriented advisor that they can approach whenever they need advices concerning their artistic activities.
All the prestigious religious based awards that are now considered as “museum materials” should be replaced with other awards which represent more important focuses. High quality film making awards whose criteria do not digress from what’s specified by the syariah (rules laid down by Islam) for example could function as catalysts for the development of a more disciplined artistic endeavor.

Together in Building the Muslims’ Economy

By Dr Mohamad Asri Zainul Abidin
Mufti from the State of Perlis Darus Sunnah, Malaysia

When I talk about the need of Muslims to support each other in the field of economy, there are certain individuals that disagree saying that this particular issue should not be mentioned for fear that it will be misunderstood as “racism”.
That opinion is being raised only because I’ve been promoting to our Muslim society to help and purchase the products manufactured by our Muslim brothers. I have never campaigned for them to forsake the products of ‘other people’. To be more precise, I’ m just calling for them to put preference on Muslim products due to many factors, and one factor in particular is because of the sluggish control of Muslims in the production domain despite the fact that we possess the purchasing power. Similarly, the involvement of Muslims in business related activities in this country is also relatively shaky.

Muslim entrepreneurs are facing a tough obstacle in the arena of competition. We can hardly see any hyper market that either belongs to a Muslim or even markets goods produced by Muslims. The number of stores owned by Muslims is very limited and the same goes with Muslim products. Even more, it is very rare to see non-Muslims purchasing Muslim products.
Undoubtedly, this condition will worsen if Muslims themselves do not patronize the small retailers, shops and hyper markets of their own Muslim brothers, and refuse to help out by purchasing Muslim products.

While on international level, the reality is, Muslim countries are still very dependent on the West and this is exactly one of the contributing factors for the dishonorable submissive manners of the Muslim world towards the West. Despite possessing an abundant amount of raw materials, including oil, the Muslim world still fails to emerge as a league venerated by others.
The fact is that we still haven’t succeeded in developing a strong business entity in our Muslim world. Maulana Abu Hassan ‘Ali al-Nadwi r.h voiced out a sharp criticism towards the Arab world in one of his writings: “It is the duty of the Arab world to be an independent Muslim world that possesses a distinguished business, wealth, industry and education system. Their people should not wear garments other than what has been woven using their own hands and from their own crops. Certainly, the Arab world would not make war with the West – should the conditions require for one – as long as they still need the West to fulfill their needs for wealth, clothing and other goods. There are no pens that are being used to sanction agreements with the West that are not made by the West. There are no weapons that are being used to fight the West that are not made by the West. It is an absolute disgrace when the Arabs do not take advantage of their own bountiful resources and strength. It is an absolute disgrace when their lifeline flows through them and out to other people’s bodies.” Abu Hasan ‘Ali al-Nadwi, Maza khasira al-‘Alam bi Inhitat al-Muslimin, page 416, Kaherah: Maktab al-Sunnah).

This is the stark reality, that we are slaves of an economic rule. Despite all the luxurious appearances, many Islamic countries are in essence beggars. The conditions seem to be life-threatening. The world’s pattern has changed in such a way that it is not only weaponry supremacy that determines the reign of a certain race or country over the world but rather, it is the economic strength that directs the course of the world’s map.

As affirmed by Allah in the al-Quran, surah al-Anfal, verse 60 (translation): “And 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. And whatever ye shall spend in the cause of Allah shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly.”

This particular verse is a command from Allah for Muslims to prepare the right force to face the enemies. In this context, force signifies whatever resources that can potentially strike terror in the hearts of the enemies. Horses, among others, were utilized during those times when the revelation of the al-Quran was still going on and the practice still continued decades after.
At present, highly technical weapons frighten off all adversaries and the Muslims must strive to craft and own them. In addition to that, economic power is essentially the new effective weaponry in developing a superpower that’s capable to intimidate the enemies and because of that, fostering an economic strength has become a sacred obligation.

Unfortunately, we are imprudent and ignorant. As stated by Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi: “Our economic strength has been deserted. We live in Allah’s bestowed earth that is most strategic, most precious and most fertile; the earth that is full of precious minerals and whose prosperity is bountiful far and wide. Regrettably, we do not exploit our own resources, not cultivate our own soil, not manufacture goods using our own crude substance although the raw materials used by others are being extracted from our own ground. In due course, we turn into consumers rather than producers and importers rather than manufacturers in many aspects of life. Occasionally when we do produce, we produce petty merchandise and neglect the essential items. We take pride in owning luxurious cars made internationally whereas we don’t have the skill to fabricate even a bicycle”. (Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Aina al-Khalal, pg.12-13, Beirut: Muassasah al-Risalah)

Precisely due to these circumstances, Muslims of all levels are required to cultivate the spirit of Islamic solidarity. It has become an obligation for Muslims to produce top-quality Muslim products and similarly, for Muslims to purchase Muslim products either from stores or hyper markets owned by Muslims. While at international level, mutual business ventures among Islamic countries are obligatory.

We must appreciate that the Islamic principles taught by al-Quran and al-Sunnah in effect bring about a chain of solid Islamic brotherhood (ukhuwah Islamiah). By adhering to these principles, our early generations managed to advance side by side, liberating human kinds from the world of darkness.

The advancement that took place was steered by the sentiments of responsibility towards this religion of Allah, all for liberating human kinds from the cruelty of all systems ever existed to the divine fairness of Islam. All personal interests were left behind in favor of the glorification of Islam.

When the faith of Muslims weakens, so does the whole of other forte including economic capacity. Muhammad Qutb asserted that: “(Prompted) by the degradation of principles, all manners of deprivation emerge and befall the world of Islam; deprivation in knowledge, civilization, economy, warfare, thoughts and culture. (Muhammad Qutb, Waqi’una al-Mu’asir)
Commencing from a sound principle, effectively, the sentiments of ukhuwah (brotherhood) among Muslims should have materialized, which in turn, would have propelled both the economy and strength of our Ummah. Initiated by a strong principle, a chain of reactions should have occurred moulding a feeling of obligation towards the whole of strategies customized to develop the ummah. The lack of principle instigates the disappearance of ukhuwah Islamiah that has been the key driving force in economic advances whereas it is a crucial requirement. It was narrated by Abi Burdah, from Abi Musa, he said: The prophet s.a.w said: “Indeed, when the al-‘Asy‘ariyin have exhausted their food supply during wars, or when their family in Madinah don’t have sufficient food, they will accumulate every single thing that they have in one piece of cloth, and subsequently, they will divide it all equally among them in one container. Indeed, they are of me and I am of them. (recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

In the hadith mentioned above, Allah’s Apostle complimented the spirit of helpfulness, benevolence and concern towards each other. He admired the attitude demonstrated by the al-Asy’ariyin in tending the welfare among them. The part where he mentioned “Indeed, they are of me and I am of them” implies that the Prophet s.a.w endorsed their deeds. Observe the conformance of their deeds to the subservient duty of Muslims to Allah. The spirit of helpfulness among each other, or within a tribe, or within a racial group, or even within groupings in a sphere of goodwill and takwa (an attitude of submissiveness and devotion towards Allah – translator) is not considered as a narrow racial propensity.

As asserted by al-Syeikh Muhammad al-Mubarak when explaining the hadith above: “Indeed, the Prophet s.a.w combat assabiah (racial tendency) that’s solely based on ancestry, then he substituted it with a linkage that’s based on faith and principle. Still he considered the al-Asy’ariyin as a part of himself.” This was mainly due to a similar set of basis namely assurance and corroboration in managing properties, including equal distribution of wealth among each other during a crisis and when involving crucial needs. (Muhammad al-Mubarak, Nizam al-Islam, Mabadi’ wa Qawa’id ‘Ammat).
If the spirit of helping out each other among a specific group was allowed and complimented by Allah’s Apostle, even more when it is directed towards other fellow Muslims during an era where Islam is being rivaled and afflicted. For all intents and purposes, the act of helping, assisting and assuring among Muslims for worthy causes is a requirement for sustaining Muslim brotherhood. The Prophet s.a.w stated: “The bond of a believer to another believer resembles a building, one reinforces the other.” (recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Helping out in developing the economy is one of the dominant measures in this day and age to fulfill the obligation of strengthening the Ummah. If each individual holds an economy grip along with a solid faith and perseverance, then only the Muslim community is able to develop its strength.

However, if the economy of our Ummah is weak and the system of zakat (obligatory charity tax – translator) fails to function, we will have to beg from others and Islam will be humiliated. Dr Mustafa Khin in his book Nuzhah al-Muttaqin, when explaining the hadith mentioned above, stated: “The analogy used in this hadith is intended to encourage the spirit of helping and assisting among believers.”

Certainly, the process of developing our Ummah will not be comprehensive and fruitful unless one side assists in strengthening the other side. A believer can’t afford to be alone in conducting his worldly and religious affairs.
As long as we are still unable to build an economy power that allows us to stand on our own feet, we will always remain as a weak bunch. The world community will look down on us. With that kind of achievement, will we then be competent enough to promote Islam as a religion that’s able to build the strength and civilization of a society?

It is regrettable that we can’t stop complaining about food products being contaminated with haram (prohibited) elements while at the same time, we still fail to produce them ourselves. It is unfortunate that the learning sessions in mosques and other prayer places still fail to upgrade the awareness on the importance of economic growth at the time when that kind of knowledge is really essential.

Furthermore, when it comes to economic related issues, it is unwise if we place too much importance on political background and regional boundary. I would not be very pleased if the excellent achievement of a student is not being reported by the media only because of his residential region whereas, essentially, education should be extended beyond the state borders and beyond political stands as it should for economy.

If the awareness of ukhuwah Islamiah with regards to the responsibility of helping out each other in building up the economy of our Ummah managed to be implanted, then the chance to realize it at implementation level would be widely opened. I’m stating that based on these factors:

* A high purchasing power: The huge number of Muslims leads to, in a mass, a high purchasing power and also a high demand for goods and foods. By manipulating this purchasing power, surely a robust economic cycle will emerge among the Muslim community locally and internationally.

* The issues of halal (permissible) and haram (prohibited): Issues concerning non-halal food have set off a commotion among the Muslims. This is due to the fact that the Muslims themselves fail to manufacture their own food. If this opportunity is to be manipulated to ensure the wellbeing of Muslims concerning their food consumption is well taken care for, then we urge them to concentrate on being self-reliant and being capable to become producers and not just mere consumers.

“The tension there is: Between the West and the Muslim worlds, there exists a strained relationship that can drive the Ummah to develop its own self-determination and independence. Since the Arab tourists now refuse to go to the West, why can’t we make them to only use and manufacture products whose brands belong to Muslim countries?

If ukhuwah Islamiah is really being pushed up to the level where economic adaptation has become habitual, then only the Muslims will have the potential to become self-governing and the potential to acquire a sturdy self esteem in economy. Indeed, economy is the modern artillery, with a major influence, in the struggle to prevent the ruin and to uphold the rise of a particular society.

Ultimately, the struggle to institute an economy with a characteristic unique for promoting the development of our Ummah is an obligation that every Muslim in this age should advocate.

Judge Based On the Vastness of Islam and Not on Sentiments

By Dr Mohamad Asri Zainul Abidin
Mufti from the State of Perlis Darus Sunnah, Malaysia

There are people asking, what is the difference between the politics of a religious advocator and the religious advocate of a politician? I say, most probably it is just a rhetorical play. I don’t favor rhetorical play, what’s more important is the meaning and objective of a particular phrase. That phrase may insinuate that the politics of a religious advocator commonly utilize methods and strategies that are compliant to the Islamic rules. As for the religious advocate of a politician, more often than not, he would manipulate his missionary work for Islam to meet his political objectives.

I don’t deny the fact that there’s a probability politicians are also sincere in his works of advocating the religion. However, if political status becomes the focus of his religious mission, then he is not a genuine missionary of Islam who carries the torch of Islam which is absolute and comprehensive.

We are instructed to enter into Islam through the one absolute door. As affirmed by Allah in surah al-Baqarah, verse 208 (translated as): “O ye who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not the footsteps of the evil one; for he is to you an avowed enemy.”

When we enter into Islam whole-heartedly, we will find in it a complete package consisting of faith, ibadah (acts of devoutness - translator), economy, moral and many others. Because of that, we will strive to ensure that each and every requirement stipulated by Islam is being realized. Additionally, we will also evaluate everything with the vastness of Islam. Should we just look at Islam only through the gateway of economy for instance, without looking at the issues of faith, ibadah, moral, politics and everything else, then our discussion on economy will be destitute from the aspects of faith, ibadah and moral.

Don’t let it be such that the panel of Syariah (way of Islamic belief and practice – translator) compliant banking is only skillful in ‘endorsing’ banking products in the name of Islam but does not contemplate upon the essence of fairness and the liberation from elements of oppression that befalls the customers which is considered as a branch of Islamic demeanor.

Likewise, in the excitement of participating in politics, we should not allow ourselves to scrutinize everything through the lenses of politics. We overlook the focus of principles and Muslim conduct, Muslim brotherhood and everything else that is necessitated by our religion. Of a similar case, a woman that did not conceal her aurat (parts of a body that are prohibited to be exposed – translator) once questioned me: “Doctor! Will I be put into Hell for not concealing my aurat whilst I do prayers and other forms of ibadah?” I told her: “I am not the angel that guards Hell. Moreover, even the angel that guards Hell does not have the mandate to decide who will be put in and who will be taken out of Hell. It belongs to the ultimate sovereign power of Allah that created Hell. In the hereafter, Hell will be entered by anyone as desired by Allah and the same applies to Heaven.”

Nevertheless, Allah describes for us the conditions of humans in the hereafter in surah al-Qariah, verse 6 to 11 (translated as): “Then, he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) heavy, will be in a life of good pleasure and satisfaction, but he whose balance (of good deeds) will be (found) light, will have his home in a (bottomless) Pit. And what will explain to thee what this is? A fire blazing fiercely!”

In effect, I as a meager being do not know what will be the state of your balance in the hereafter. I don’t even know about my own destiny, how then can I know what the destiny of others will be? But, if you ask me whether your deed is right or wrong, then the answer is indeed it is a sin.

Is that specific deed a factor that brings a person to Heaven or Hell? So the answer is, the evidences presented by al-Quran and al-Sunnah regarding this particular deed point to Hell. However, a person’s balance of deeds in the hereafter will not only be constricted to just one chapter.

Whoever does an atom’s weight of good, it will be weighed. Whoever does an atom’s weight of evil, it will also be weighed. Then after, if the outcome of the weighing indicates that his good deeds are heavier than his evil deeds, thus he will be safe. If the condition is vice versa, thus he will be at risk.

In this life, there are tribulations and challenges. Whoever that perseveres with patience will be rewarded and his sins will be eliminated. Other people’s wrong doings towards us will cause their rewards to be transferred to us or our sins will be handed over to them as recorded in a hadith by al-Imam Muslim. Therefore, the decision with regards to Heaven and Hell is the prerogative of Allah. At the end of the day, sins bring us closer to Hell and great rewards bring us closer to Heaven.
If asked, revealing the aurat, practicing usury, impious towards parents and the likes of them, which direction are those taking us to? The answer is, towards Hell. Allah the most Just will weigh them and will determine the outcome. That is applicable to all human souls. In all of us, there are goods and evils, and our deeds will be weighed in the hereafter. That woman just kept quiet, probably feeling satisfied with the answer.

My point is, it is essential to look at each soul through the comprehensive framework of Islam and not only through the sentiments of economy or politics.

Do not let our hatred towards a person or a group to cause us to be unjust towards them. Allah revealed in surah al_maidah, verse 8 (translated as): “O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah for Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.”

I get a little disappointed as I reminisce over some ‘ustaz’ (religious teacher – translator) from a certain group that could not accept a few statements that I’ve made prompting them to retort using vulgar language, and there are those that sell their cassettes.

The contributing factor to this tendency is because they make judgments by founding it on sentiments whilst rightfully academic issues should be replied with academic rebuttals. Do not get carried over by sentiments and consequently, use undignified approach in matters concerning the knowledge endorsed by Islam. Do not interpret and judge every single thing with a political tone or through the lenses of politics.

The determination of truth is by means of evidence and reasoning, and not just by a reflection of those that are in the same boat as we are. Just because a particular person does not reside in the “similar camp”, we cannot just reject all of his opinions. I am not a politician and thus, those opinions I’ve brought up need to be evaluated using an intellectual judgment.
Essentially, the issues of da’wah (missionary work for Islam – translator) and education extend far beyond the focus of election and competition for office positions. The works for a political election are seasonal but advocating Islam in its comprehensive form does not stop with the end of an election. Occasionally, listening to some talks claimed to be religious that are wrapped with curses and other abusive words makes me to question whether those kinds of actions are intended to gain high rewards from Allah or to just let out anger.

Is this really the look and the atmosphere of the Muslim community that we’re dreaming of? Is this really Islam that is complete encompassing all sublimity and harmony? Nevertheless, I’m fully aware that not all sermon givers act in that way and many are considerate and polite.

Probably, it is good if all could benefit from the advice of a prominent Muslim missionary and a well-known personality, Al-Syeikh Abu al-Hasan Ali Al-Nadwi that was dedicated to Al-Ikhwan Al-Muslimin. This advice was recorded in his pamphlet titled Uridu an atahaddatha ila al-Ikhwan (I Wish To Converse With Al-Ikhwan Al-Muslimin). Al-Syeikh Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi also quoted the same beautiful phrases in his book ‘Al-Syeikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Nadwi kama ‘araftu’.
I’d like to translate parts of the phrases: “O ye esteemed Ihkwan Muslimin! The target of da’wah al-Din (da’wah for Islam as way of life- translator) and tajdid Islami (revival of Islam) is not easy. Its objective and focus are not only to replace the government. Also, it is not only to switch a particular political environment to another political environment. Also, it is not only to propagate education and knowledge, or to address illiteracy and ignorance, or to fight against unemployment, or to treat the community’s flaw and morality, or the likes of them as being fought for by the crusaders of revivification in the West and East.

Rather, it is an Islamic call that encompasses faith and moral, practice and system, ibadah, personality of oneself and the community. It encloses intelligence and spirit, body and soul. It is dependent on a transformation deep within the heart and soul, inside the faith and mind. It shines from the heart before emerges though the pen, or printed on pages of a book, or articulated on a lecturing stand. It is realized inside the whole body of a Muslim missionary, and in his life, before it demands to be realized in the whole of a community. The prestige (in being Islam crusaders) and the willpower of the Prophets were unique because of their sincere approach that’s free from all thoughts of materialistic interest. They did not seek with their divine calling and crusade other than the gratification from Allah. They implemented His decrees and fulfilled His messages. Their mind and thoughts were untainted with deeds meant for worldly gain, for achieving certain status, for constructing power for the sake of families and followers, from gaining reign. Even more, all those had never even crossed their minds.

Indeed, the empire and power that they acquired during their times were in actual gifts from Allah. The rightful functions were mainly as a path to lead to the sanctified destination, to execute the rulings of Islam, to change the society for the better and to provide guiding principles in life. This was equivalent to the proclamation by Allah in surah al-Hajj, verse 41 (translated as): “(They are) those who, if we establish them in the land, surely they will establish regular prayer and give regular charity, enjoin the right and forbid wrong: with Allah rests the end (and decision) of (all) affairs.”

It was never one of their intents to acquire an empire, not even one of their objectives. Never had it become one of their topics of conversation, or one of their dreams. Rather, it was purely a natural gain in advocating and crusading for Islam, as natural as a tree that bears fruits as a result of its prolificacy and a diligent fertilizing job.”

He also stated: “O ye gentlemen! So vast is the difference between the intended goal and the results that surface from it. These different elements will be present in the hearts of those who work for it. Thus, he whose goal is to acquire a kingdom will lose his perseverance and will silence himself if he fails to achieve it. He will then stop from advocating Islam. If he’s successful, he will become an extremist at what he does. It is dangerous for any group to have a mindset shaped by the affection on gaining governmental power, and they work for it, because that will cause them to abandon the jihad on the path of da’wah, or to deceive their own group, or to drift off the course. This is mainly because the uslub (a systematic way to do something) to gain governmental power is different from the uslub of da’wah.

It is our obligation to purify our mind and soul to be exclusively for da’wah. Only for da’wah, for a duty, for a sacrifice, for giving a priority to other Muslim brother, for liberating humankind – with Allah’s will – from all darkness to brightness (Islam) and from ignorance to Islam and from the tightness of this world to its vastness, and from the cruelty of deviant religions and its cruel systems plus its erratic sects to the fairness of Islam and its far-reaching hue. The only worthy factors that shall bring us to good deeds and jihad are for accomplishing Allah’s commands and for attaining victory in the hereafter. Then there are other factors like compassion towards all creatures, sympathy towards a tortured soul and the desire for humans’ wellbeing.
If it should come to a stage, or to a certain time – once all principles of da’wah and faith are firm in the souls of Muslim missionaries – that the goals of da’wah could not be attained unless by gaining political power, then only we will strive to obtain it for the sake of da’wah. (It should be done) with a soul that’s sincere and pure, truthful and trustworthy, attentive and honest; done diligently as we are when dealing with the responsibility and pillars of our religion and other acts of devoutness. There should not be any difference, in the mind of a believer, between governmental task and other forms of ibadah if his intention was honest and genuine. All are within Allah’s blessing and all are following the path endorsed by Allah. All are ibadah that bring us closer to Allah.” (Al-Qaradawi, Al-Syeikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Nadwi kama ‘araftu, pg. 122-125, Damsyik: Dar al-Qalam).

Hasan Al-Hudaibi once said, “Establish an Islamic state inside your whole being, surely it will establish itself in your country.”
The struggle to institute a Muslim community that is comprehensive or ideal in terms of comprehending and practicing Islam is a divine ambition. No one has the right to question it. It is only the approach in reaching that target that we’re discussing now. To achieve an Islamic target, one must pass through the adverse path and the etiquette line of Islam.

The end does not justify the means. An Islamic intent has to be transpired in its corresponding Islamic look. Don’t let an Islamic intent be represented by people whose appearances are un-Islamic that will result in doubtful sentiments over the Islamic aspiration.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him said):



Knowledge is definetely the gateway to success, as knowledge protects you from evil and guides you to what is good and what is bad, what is acceptable in the religion and what is not, and what is permissable (halal) and what is forbidden (haram).

Learn your religion and implement it with complete sincerity and you will understand clearly how to be an obedient and moderate Muslim.

Taken from www.darulfatwa.org.au

i didnt know about this clan
count me in?

im a muslim from gaza

Welcome.

Eid Mubarak everyone

^ وانت بالف خير اخي

ان شاء الله العيد القادم وقد تحررت فلسطين يا رب
ادعولنا

3eid mubaarak

in shaa' Allaah

http://talkaboutislam.com/gallery/details.php?image_id=2219

Among the most important matters of the belief (Iman) is to believe in the angels, i.e., to believe, although we don’t usually see them, that angels exist and they are one of the kinds of creations Allah created.

Allah created the angels from light.

They are neither males nor females.

They all worship Allah and obey His orders; they do not sin.

As narrated by Imam Muslim in the famous hadith known as Hadith Jibril, the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, when asked by Angel Jibril to inform him about the belief, said al-Iman (the belief) is what means:

<<To believe in Allah, His Angels, His Revealed Books, His Messengers, the Day of Judgment, and to believe in destiny--both good and evil, (that is that both are decreed by Allah).>>

In the response of Prophet Muhammad to Angel Jibril, notice how he ordered those most important matters of the belief. He said the belief is (first) to believe in Allah, because this is the basis of the belief.

To believe in Allah includes believing that Allah exists and that His existence is without time and without a place, unlike the existence of the created things. The belief in Allah includes believing that He is eternal; there never was a time Allah did not exist and then He came into existence. He is everlasting; there never will be a time when He will cease to exist. Rather, Allah is the Creator of everything. He created everything by his Power, Knowledge, and Will. He does not need any of His creations, nor does He resemble any of His creations. Allah is attributed with Sight and Hearing; He sees and hears all things without an eye, ear, or any other instrument. Allah is not a body and does not have parts. He is One, there is no god except Allah. He has no partner, no division, no sub-division.

The proper belief in Allah includes believing in all these issues. The one who believes in Allah, believes that Allah is the Creator of everything, the True Owner of everything, and that He deserves to be worshipped, and that He deserves to be obeyed. The one who believes that Allah deserves to be worshipped and obeyed needs to know how to worship and obey Him. Allah, by His great generosity and mercy, sent His Revelation to the people, so they would know how to worship and obey Him. The one who believes in Allah, believes in His Revelation.

After mentioning the belief in Allah, the Prophet mentioned the belief in the angels, the Books, and the Messengers of Allah, because this is how Allah’s orders reached us. The ones who convey the orders of Allah are the angels. What they came with are the revealed Books. These Books were revealed to the Messengers of Allah, who were ordered to convey them to the people.

Angels are wondrous creations of Allah and have a very high status among His creations. Allah created all the angels from light, all at once. Imam Muslim narrated the Prophet said what means:

<< Allah created the angels from light, created the jinn from the pure flame of fire, and Adam from that which was described to you (i.e., the clay.)>>

This is a sahih hadith and proof Iblis was not an angel who blasphemed, thus becoming the devil--as some people claim. Iblis is a jinn and is the father of all the jinn-kind, as Adam is a human and is the father of all the human kind.

Allah created the angels as they are now. They do not grow or develop or age. In their original shape, they are gentle bodies; gentle bodies meaning they can’t be grasped or held by the hand. Although they are gentle bodies, they do not have internal cavities--unlike humans and jinn--and they do not eat or drink. This is why when Prophet Ibrahim gave food to the angels who were visiting him (in the shape of men), they did not eat. The angels have different body parts: feet, shoulders, ears, hands, and wings. Some angels have two (2) wings, some have three (3), others have four (4). Some, like Angel Jibril, have up to six hundred (600) wings. If just one of his wings was spread open, it would cover what is between east and west.

Allah gave the angels the power to change their shapes, and it is permissible that they would take the shape of a man, however, without the male genital organ. Often Angel Jibril would appear to the Prophet in the shape of a man to teach him the Revelation. Angels do not take the form of the woman. The one who believes that the angels are female is blasphemous, as Allah said in Surat an-Najm, Ayah 27 which means:

[Those who do not believe in the Hereafter are those who name the angels with feminine names, (i.e., believe that they are female.)]

Some of the angels are very big. It was narrated that the Prophet told us about one of the angels who carries the ^Arsh. He said that the distance between that angel’s ear lobe and his shoulder is equal to the distance that a fast flying bird would cover flying for 700 years. There are other angels whose feet are in the seventh earth and upper body above the seventh sky.

Allah created obedience inherent in the angels. They do not disobey Allah. All of them are obedient slaves to Allah, as Allah described them in Surat at-Tahrim, Ayah 6 which means:

[They do not disobey Allah in what He orders them (to do), and they do exactly what they were ordered.]

Angels, like humans, have a will, but angels choose only to be obedient to Allah. They do not sin. They perform only that which Allah ordered them to do. What was falsely claimed about the two angels, Harut and Marut, committing sins is untrue. Some claimed that they were seduced by a woman named az-Zuhrah, and as a result, drank alcohol and committed adultery. It is also claimed they killed a soul unrightfully and prostrated to an idol. These claims are pure fabrication, none were confirmed by the Prophet. Such claims contradict the Qur’an, the Rules of the Religion, and the Sunnah of the Prophet. What is mentioned in the Religion about Harut and Marut is they came down in Babylon (in Iraq) to teach the people the matters of sorcery. This was not, however, to enable the people to practice sorcery, rather it was to enable the people to differentiate between sorcery and the true miracle.

Angels are the most numerous kind of creation of Allah. There are more angels than the other creations of Allah, including the humans and jinn--even the trees. At-Tirmidhiyy related the hadith of the Messenger of Allah in which he said what means:

<<There is no space equivalent to (the width of) four fingers in the sky except one would find an angel mentioning (worshipping) Allah--either standing, bowing or prostrating.>> They stay as such until the Day of Judgment worshipping Allah.

Allah endowed the angels with the strength to perform the obedience without getting tired, and without being in need of food, drink, sleep, or rest. They do not eat or drink or sleep. They perform only that which Allah ordered them to perform. Every angel has an assignment. Angel Jibril is the Messenger of Allah to his prophets. Angel Israfil is the angel assigned to blow the horn on the Day of Judgment.

^Asra’il is the Angel of death, whose assignment is to capture the soul of the person when it leaves his body at death. Ridwan is the angel in charge of Paradise, Malik the angel in charge of Hellfire. There are angels in charge of the clouds, the winds, and the plants. With each human there are eight (8) angels--whose assignment is to protect that person from the harm of the jinn. It was narrated that if it were not for these angels, the jinn would play with the person like the person plays with a ball. The zabaniyah are angels in charge of torturing the blasphemers in Hellfire. There are other angels who roam around, writing down the leaves that drop off the trees. Some angels are in charge of delivering the salutations to the Messenger of Allah in his grave of the one not present at the grave of the Prophet who says salams to him. There is an angel in charge of the womb of the woman. He writes matters on the forehead of the fetus when the fetus is 120 days old and his soul joins his body. There are the angels who carry the ^Arsh. Rata’il is the angel in charge of relieving the sadness of the believers; Mika’il is the angel in charge of the rain. Angel Isma^il is in charge of 12,000 angels in one sky who are his direct assistants. There are the angels who write down the deeds of the person-each one has two with him, one who writes the good deeds, and the other who writes the mubah and the bad deeds.

There are the angels, Munkar and Nakir, who question the person in the grave, and many, many more.

Allah endowed the angels with great strength. Allah said about Angel Jibril:


which means: [He is very strong.]

Among the examples of his strength is how he destroyed the cities of the people of Prophet Lut. With just the edge of one of his 600 hundred wings, Angel Jibril pulled out of the ground the (4 or 5) cities of Prophet Lut’s people, and raised them near to the first sky, until the angels inhabiting that sky could hear the barking of the dogs and the crowing of the roosters. Then he turned those cities upside down and sent them down to the earth. Allah ordered Angel Jibril to destroy those cities of the people of Prophet Lut to punish them because they belied Prophet Lut and harmed him.

Among all the angels, Angel Jibril is the one with the most merit and highest status. He is the Messenger of Allah to the messengers of Allah, meaning mostly it was Jibril who would bring the Revelation to the prophets. Angel Jibril would come to Prophet Muhammad and convey the Revelation to him, and the Prophet would hear his words and memorize them immediately. Angel Jibril used to come to the Prophet not in his own shape--usually he would take the shape of a man. However, when Angel Jibril brought the Revelation of prophethood to Prophet Muhammad in Cave Hira’, he retained his original shape. When Prophet Muhammad saw Jibril this first time in his original shape, he fainted. He fainted, not out of fear of what he was seeing, (because Jibril did not at all resemble what one usually sees, i.e., humans, animals, the sun, the moon, etc.) and not out of fear that Jibril would harm him.

Rather, he felt that he was seeing a very strange and a very great thing, and was so affected by the aura of what he was seeing that he fainted. During the night of al-Mi^raj, the Prophet once again saw Angel Jibril in his original shape. However, this time the Prophet did not faint at the sight of Jibril , because before that the angels had washed his heart to make it stronger and ready to see the wondrous things in the upper world during the ascension. Allah gave Prophet Muhammad a great strength, enabling him to bear many unfamiliar sights and unusual matters that night.

Angels are truly wondrous creations of Allah. If one thinks about this creation of Allah, it will strengthen, with assurity, his belief in the One Who created the angels--the One Who Created Everything-- Allah.

Allah sent many messengers to the humans as a mercy from Him. Allah sent them all to teach the people what is the correct and acceptable worship of Allah--their Creator and the Creator of everything. All the prophets of Allah, the first of whom was Adam and the last of whom is Muhammad, came with one Religion--Islam, one creed--the belief in the Oneness of Allah. They all taught that Allah is attributed with all the perfect attributes and that He does not resemble any of His creations. They taught what Allah ordered us to perform with and refrain from in this life. They taught there is the Judgment Day in which each one of us will be judged as to whether or not we fulfilled our obligations in this life. None of them taught their people what contradicts the belief in the Oneness of Allah. Each one of them ordered their followers to believe in the rest of the prophets. Imam al-Bukhariyy related that Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said:



which means: <<The prophets are like brothers from the same father with different mothers. Their Religion is one although their Shari^ah (rules of the Religion) differed. I am the most deserving of Prophet ^Isa. There was no other prophet between us.>>



Allah revealed Prophet ^Isa (Jesus) as the messenger before Prophet Muhammad. He was one of the five best messengers of Allah, called Ulul-^Azm, those with the highest status, who were the most patient. He was ^Isa, the son of Maryam, the daughter of ^Imran, from the sons of Israel. Prophet ^Isa, as all the prophets, was truthful in what he conveyed from Allah, and although today we follow the Shari^ah of Prophet Muhammad, Muslims respect, love, and believe in ^Isa and in his prophethood.




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MARYAM, THE MOTHER OF ^ISA



Maryam (Mary), the mother of ^Isa, was a pious Muslim woman from the offspring of Israel during the time of Prophet Zakariyya. Prophet Zakariyya was a prophet of Allah revealed to convey to the people to follow the Shari^ah revealed to Prophet Musa. In the Qur'an there is a chapter named Maryam referring to Maryam (Mary),), the mother of ^Isa. This chapter talks about Maryam: her birth, her story, and the birth of Prophet ^Isa, and other things.



Maryam's mother conceived and delivered Maryam when she was an old woman, at an age when women usually can no longer have babies. One day Maryam's mother saw a bird feeding its young and she longed for a baby herself. She made a supplication to Allah to bless her with a child and vowed that she would make him a servant for the Holy House in Jerusalem, dedicated for worship, because she thought the child would be male. Allah answered her supplication and Maryam's mother conceived and delivered a baby girl. She named her "Maryam" and asked Allah to protect her and her offspring from evil.



Since Maryam's father had died, Prophet Zakariyya (who was the husband of Maryam's sister) became Maryam's guardian. From him, Maryam learned the Religion. She grew up as a righteous, pure, and pious Muslim woman worshipping Allah and endeavoring greatly in performing obedience to Him. Before she turned fourteen (14) years old, Maryam was a waliyyah (a very pious woman with a special status). She became the best of the women in the world. It is mentioned in the Qur'an that the angels said Allah chose Maryam and preferred her to the other women of the world. (Al ^Imran, 42-43).




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THE BIRTH OF ^ISA



Ibn Jarir and others narrated that one day Maryam ran out of water. She asked her cousin, Yusuf, the son of Ya^qub to go with her to get some. He declined, saying he had his sufficiency for that day, so Maryam went to fetch water alone. There, she found Jibril, whom Allah had sent to her in the shape of a man. Thinking he was a human who might harm her, she asked refuge with Allah from him. Jibril told her, "I am the Messenger of your Lord to you. I was sent to give you a pious child who is pure from sins." Maryam told him, "How would I have a son? I have no husband, and I am not an adulterer or a fornicator." Jibril told her, "Creating a son without a father is an easy matter to Allah. Allah will make him a sign for the people and an indication of the Power of Allah. He will send him as a mercy from Him and an endowment to the one who follows him and believes in him. Creating him is a matter Allah willed and destined, so it will not be blocked or changed."



Jibril blew the soul of ^Isa into Maryam and ^Isa's soul entered into her womb. Maryam became pregnant with ^Isa, peace be upon him. There is a difference of opinion as to the term of her pregnancy, some said nine months, some said eight, and some said other than that. However, when the signs of pregnancy became apparent on her, her cousin, Yusuf the Carpenter, was disturbed and did not know how to interpret that matter. If he wanted to accuse her he would remember how pious she was. If he wanted to declare her innocence, he would see the signs of pregnancy. So he decided to open the subject with her. He asked her, "Tell me, would plants grow without seeds? Would trees grow without rainfall? Would there be a child without a male?" To all these questions Maryam said "Yes." Then she asked him, "Did you not know Allah made the plants emerge without seeds the day He created them? Did you not know Allah created the trees the first time without rain? Did you not know Allah created Adam and Hawwa' (Eve) without a father or a mother?" Yusuf knew all these things and when she responded in this way, he felt assured of her innocence and that this was something special given to her by Allah.



When the signs of her pregnancy became apparent, Maryam went away from her people. The pangs of birth led her to the trunk of a dead palm tree. Out of her shyness from the people, and fearing they would accuse her of having done something ugly, she wished she was dead and not a trace of her could be found. Jibril called to her, comforting her. He told her Allah made a small river run under her from which she could drink, and should she shake the trunk of the dead palm tree next to her, it would turn green and moist dates would fall down from which she could eat and be nourished. Jibril told her when she faces her people with her son to tell anyone who questions her about him that she had made a vow not to talk to any human for that day. That day, Maryam gave birth to her son, ^Isa, peace be upon him. Forty (40) days later she carried him back to her people. They accused her of having fornicated. In response, Maryam pointed to her son, meaning to tell them to talk to him. They were angered at this and thought she was mocking them by asking them to speak with a 40-day old baby lying in a small cradle. At this, Allah made ^Isa speak. He said:







which are verses 30-33 of Surat Maryam and mean: [I am a slave of Allah. He will reveal the Book to me and make me a prophet. He blessed me wherever I am. In the rules revealed to me there will be a special attention given to Prayers and Zakat. Allah predestined that I will be kind to my mother and not a tyrant with a bad ending. Peace was on me the day I was born. Peace will be on me on the day I will die and on the day I am raised alive again.]



When Maryam's people heard that, they refrained from harming her or Prophet Zakariyya, about whom they had made ugly accusations. After Baby ^Isa spoke these words, he did not speak again until he became at an age when children normally begin to speak. ^Isa’s speaking from the cradle was a preparation and a sign of his creed and coming prophethood, when he would call the people to believe in Allah, the One Who does not have a partner and to believe in the message of ^Isa--that he was the slave and messenger of Allah. The first words he spoke were, "I am a slave of Allah."




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EARLY LIFE OF PROPHET ^ISA



Lady Maryam took ^Isa to Egypt where they stayed for a period of time. Then they returned to the countries of ash-Sham--to a city known as an-Nasirah. ^Isa, peace be upon him, studied the Torah in the schools and memorized it. He spoke Syriac, the language of the people of Palestine at that time, and the language in which the Heavenly Book, called the Injil, was revealed to him. He was a pious worshipper of Allah, following the rules of the Torah revealed to Prophet Musa.

THE REVELATION OF PROPHETHOOD

Allah sent the Revelation of Prophethood to ^Isa when he was thirty years old. Allah revealed to him new laws which abrogated some of the laws revealed to Prophet Musa. Prophet ^Isa conveyed the revelation to the people and called them to believe in his message.



Prophet ^Isa, like all the prophets of Allah, performed miracles. Allah sent all the prophets with miracles as a proof to their prophethood, so the people would witness, know about them, and believe in their prophethood. Many of Prophet ^Isa's miracles were in curing illnesses, to be a stronger proof of his truthfulness, since the people at his time were famous for being knowledgeable in the field of medicine. Prophet ^Isa cured those with seemingly incurable illnesses. Prophet ^Isa cured a man inflicted with leprosy. He put his honorable hand on the face of a man who was born blind and cured his sight. Once Prophet ^Isa supplicated to Allah to bring back to life one person who had died and was being carried to the burial place, and Allah brought this person back to life.



Prophet ^Isa had other kinds of miracles also. He formed the shape of bats from clay and then they would fly away a distance. One of the miracles of ^Isa is mentioned in the Qur'an in Surat al-Ma'idah, Verses 112-114, which tells about one time when Prophet ^Isa and the people who were with him reached to a place where there was not enough food for all the people with him. The students of ^Isa asked him to supplicate Allah for food which would come down on them from the sky. ^Isa made supplication to Allah and the angels brought down the food on a piece of material before the eyes of the people. Hundreds and hundreds of people ate from that food, and there was no sign the food had diminished in quantity. This miracle increased the belief of the believers. The blasphemers however, claimed ^Isa had performer sorcery on their eyes.



After his revelation, Prophet ^Isa lived on earth for about three years. He used to travel from place to place calling people to the proper worship of Allah. He was so detached from the worldly matters that he did not worry that he did not have a house to return to at night. He used to sleep wherever the night would fall on him, whether he was in an open land or in a sheltered place. He wore clothing made out of unwoven wool. He ate from the raw plants of the earth, without desiring to cook them. He did not marry or have children.

THE INJIL

^Isa received a Heavenly Book, the Injil, which contained the Shari^ah, (rules of the Religion) revealed to him. In it was the prohibition of associating partners with Allah. In it was the prohibition to consume the usurious gain (riba), pig meat, blood, and the meat of animals not slaughtered properly. It contained the order to perform the Prayer (with bowing and prostration) twice a day. It had the order to fast (but other than the month of Ramadan), and the order to perform taharah. Prophet ^Isa came with a Shari^ah that contained making permissible some of the things which had been forbidden upon the children of Israel in the Torah. Although what is called "The Bible" today contains some true stories of Prophet ^Isa, it does not contain the true Injil which was revealed to him.





THE ASCENSION OF PROPHET ^ISA

When Prophet ^Isa was 33 years old, the blasphemers among the offspring of Israel plotted to kill him, but Allah saved him from their harm. Ibn Abi Hatim and an-Nasa'iyy narrated from the route of Ibn ^Abbas that he said:

Prophet ^Isa was in session with twelve of his elite companions in a house. He told them that among them would be who would blaspheme in the future. Then he asked them, "Who among you would want to be made to look like me, be killed in my place, and be my companion in Paradise." The youngest among them stood up and said, "Me." Prophet ^Isa told him to sit, then repeated his same question. Again, the same young man said, "Me." Again, Prophet ^Isa told him to sit, then again asked the same question. After the same young man volunteered for the third time, Prophet ^Isa received the Revelation that this young man would be the one who would be made to look like him and killed instead of him. Prophet ^Isa was raised to the sky from an opening in the ceiling of the house. When the Jews came after Prophet ^Isa, they saw that young man, whom Allah made to look like ^Isa. They took him, thinking he was Prophet ^Isa, and crucified him.

It should be noted here there are two widespread false stories about this matter. In one, it is claimed that one of ^Isa's students was paid a great sum of money to lead those Jews to ^Isa however Allah made him look like ^Isa, so they though he was ^Isa and they crucified him. In another, it is said that the person killed in place of ^Isa was the leader of the Jews. Both of these stories are false.

After Prophet ^Isa was raised to the sky, his nation lived following his guidance, teaching, and methodology for two hundred (200) years. However, the nation of Prophet ^Isa did not remain steadfast to Islam. Three hundred (300) years after Prophet ^Isa was raised to the sky, those who were following the ones who had perverted the teachings of Prophet ^Isa became very numerous, and those who were truly following the Religion of Islam were few and weak. After some five hundred (500) years, none of the believing Muslims of ^Isa's nation were left. When Prophet Muhammad was revealed, he was the only Muslim worshipping only Allah from among the people of the earth.

PROPHET ^ISA'S DESCENT TO EARTH

Prophet ^Isa, peace be upon him, is still alive--in the second sky--worshipping Allah. He will descend to earth before the Day of Judgment and his descent will be one of the great si