₦airaland Forum

Praise be to Allah.

If the student will get a certificate or increase his grades or pass an exam by means of that, then this action is haraam, and it is cheating and deceiving, whether this research is taken from the internet or elsewhere, because the purpose of research is to train the student and test his abilities and so on. So what he must do is do it himself. If he takes the efforts of someone else and presents it under his name, he is cheating and lying.

These people who write reports for others are sinning and doing wrong, whether they do that in return for payment or not, because they are helping in cheating and lying, and because they play a role in the giving of certificates and grades to those who do not deserve them. This causes great damage to society and it is deceiving the ummah, because it results in promotion of those who do not deserve promotion and appointment of those who do not deserve to be appointed.

The money that is taken for selling these reports is haraam wealth, and it is not permissible to make use of it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every body that is nourished on haraam things, the Fire is more fitting for it.” Narrated by al-Tabaraani and Abu Na’eem; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami, no. 4519.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: What do you say about what some people do, hiring someone to write reports for them or prepare essays for them, or write reports on some books so that they can get academic certificates?

He replied: It is most unfortunate, as the questioner says, that there are some students who hire people to write reports and essays for them by means of which they obtain academic certificates, or who write reports on books, so they say to them: Prepare biographies of these figures for me and refer to specific research for me, then they submit the essay and get a degree by means of which they are entitled to become teachers and the like. In fact this goes against the aim of the university and against reality, and I think it is a kind of betrayal, because the aim of that is only to get the certificate, and if he were to be asked a few days later about the subject in which he got the certificate, he would not be able to answer.

Hence I warn my brothers who write book reports and who prepare essays in this manner of the severe consequences. I do not say that there is anything wrong with seeking help from another person, but not in such a way that the entire essay is the work of someone else. May Allaah help us all to acquire beneficial knowledge and do righteous deeds, for He is All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive.

End quote from Kitaab al-‘Ilm.

And Allaah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.

When the traveller prays behind a non-traveller, he has to offer the prayer in full, whether he catches up with the entire prayer or just one rak’ah, or less. Al-Athram said: I asked Abu ‘Abd-Allaah (i.e., Imam Ahmad) about the traveller: should he join in the tashahhud of residents? He said: He should pray four rak’ahs. That was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar, Ibn ‘Abbaas and a number of the Taabi’een, and was also the view of al-Shaafa’i and Abu Haneefah.

The evidence for that is:

1 – The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “The imam is appointed to be followed, so do not differ from him.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 722; Muslim, 4141.

2 – The report narrated by Ahmad from Ibn ‘Abbaas, that it was said to him: “Why does the traveller pray two rak’ahs when he is alone and four when he follows an imam who is a resident (non-traveller)?” He said: “That is the Sunnah” – meaning that it is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 571.

3 – This is what ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) did. Naafi’ said: When Ibn ‘Umar prayed with the imam he would pray four rak’ahs and when he prayed on his own he would pray two. Narrated by Muslim.

And Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

If the traveller prays with an imam then he has to offer the prayer in full, because of the general meaning of the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “The imam is appointed to be followed.” And because the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) used to pray behind the caliph ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan during Hajj in Mina, and he used to lead them in praying four rak’ahs so they offered four rak’ahs with him.

Similarly if the traveller joins the prayer when the imam is offering the last two rak’ahs, after the imam says the salaam he has to stand up and complete his prayer, making it four rak’ahs, because of the general meaning of the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Whatever you catch up with, pray, what whatever you miss, complete it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 635; Muslim, 603. In this case the person’s prayer is connected to the imam, so he has to follow the imam even with regard to whatever he missed of the prayer.

If a person used to pray two rak’ahs behind a non-travelling imam in the past, then he has to repeat the four-rak’ah prayers in which he did that. He does not have to offer them all in one go. He should try to work out the number of prayers involved and repeat them.

Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh, p. 40-41.

Ways to Think Well of Others

There are certainly many ways that a Muslim can think well of others; some of which are:

1- Supplication

Supplicating to Allah The Almighty is the gate to every goodness. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ), would ask his Lord to grant him a sound heart.

2- Putting Oneself in the Place of Others

If each one of us puts himself in the place of his brother when the latter does or says something, this will help him think well of others. Allah The Almighty directs His slaves to this meaning in the verse where He Says (what means): {Why, when you heard it [the falsehood against ‘Ai'shah, may Allah be pleased with her], did not the believing men and believing women think good of one another?}[Quran 24:12] In another verse, Allah The Almighty makes the believers feel as if they are one single entity, to the extent that when one of them meets his brother and greets him, it is as if he is greeting himself. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {But when you enter houses, give greetings of peace upon yourselves - a greeting from Allah.} [Quran 24:61]

3- Interpreting the Words of Others in the Best Possible Way

This was the habit of the righteous predecessors. ‘Umar may Allah be pleased with him said, “Do not think ill of a word that your believing brother utters as long as it can be interpreted in a good way.”

Imam Ash-Shafi‘i may Allah have mercy upon him was ill once, and some of his brothers came to visit him; one of them said, “May Allah strengthen your weakness [He intended to supplicate to Allah in order to eliminate his weakness].” Ash-Shafi‘i may Allah have mercy upon him said, “If Allah strengthens my weakness, it would kill me!” The man said, “By Allah, I intended nothing but goodness.” Ash-Shafi‘i may Allah have mercy upon him replied, “Even if you insulted me, I know that you sought goodness.” Thinking well of others is true brotherhood, even in things that cannot be interpreted in a good way.

4- Making Excuses for Others

When anyone says or does something that annoys or grieves one, he should try to find excuses for him and recall the status of the righteous who used to think well of their fellows and make excuses for them. They would say, “You should make seventy excuses for your brother.” Ibn Seereen may Allah have mercy upon him said, “If you come to know that a brother has harmed you with either a word or a deed, you should make an excuse for him; if you did not find one, you should say, ‘There may be an excuse that I do not know of.’” When you exert your utmost to make excuses for the words and deeds of others, you will save yourself the trouble of assuming and you will avoid blaming your fellows excessively.

5- Abstaining from Judging the Intentions of Others

This is one of the greatest causes that help one think well of others. One leaves the intentions to the only One who knows them: Allah The Almighty, for He did not command us to check each others' hearts and intentions, and thus we have to avoid harboring ill-thoughts about others.

6- Recalling the Harmful Consequences of Evil Assumptions

The one who thinks ill of others lives in endless trouble and grief, to say nothing of the fact that he loses all those who socialize with him, even the closest people to him. It is natural that people make mistakes, even unintentionally. Accusing others along with thinking well of oneself is one of the evil consequences of thinking ill of others. This is one way a person may be guilty of ascribing purity to oneself that Allah The Exalted forbade in His Book. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {So do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him.} [Quran 53:32] In another verse, Allah The Exalted criticizes the Jews when they ascribed purity to themselves. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Have you not seen those who claim themselves to be pure? Rather, Allah purifies whom He wills, and injustice is not done to them, [even] as much as a thread [inside a date seed].} [Quran 4:49]

Thinking well of others requires extensive training and striving against one’s self, particularly because the devil is inseparable from man like the blood that runs through his body. He never stops his attempts to sow dissension within the Muslims and stir up disputes among them. Thinking well of others is one of the greatest means to block this way before the devil. We ask Allah The Almighty to Grant us sound hearts and Help us to think well of our brothers and sisters.

The advent of the internet was a major breakthrough; it brought a great revolution along with it and has been a helpful tool for preachers, seekers of knowledge and workers in all areas of human benefit. It also proved to be a useful means for the idle, small-minded and irresolute people, enabling them to arrive at the object of their quest as well. However, our focus here is on the benefits gained by the workers in the field of Da‘wah (calling to Allah), acquisition of useful knowledge and good-doing.

The internet has been a blessing, and so was the introduction of social media platforms as a culmination of this blessing for those who made the best of them and harnessed them to achieve their objectives, disseminate their useful knowledge and promote Da‘wah.

It is painfully unfortunate though that we find that some virtuous people and influential workers in the Da‘wah field have fallen into the trap of social media and became addicted to them until they have become their main concern; they cannot keep away from their social media accounts, compulsively check them for new posts and cannot break free from their chains. They have become like someone who has slipped in mud, the more he tries to get out, the deeper he sinks.

Disaster

Some good people have turned into social media addicts, and this – as Mr. Muhammad Al-‘Awshan says – is a disaster. What a terrible disaster indeed when positive impactful people, seekers of knowledge, callers to Allah, and people we turn to for advice should be diverted from knowledge and scientific production, practical application, realization of sublime objectives and serving the community to succumbing to consumerism!

It is a disaster that these elite individuals should swerve from minimizing wasted time and taking advantage of every moment in order to benefit thereof to wasting long hours on trivial internet activities!

It is a disaster that people who are able to create an impact and make a change should settle for following social media, retweeting, and adding likes and comments here and there!

It is a disaster when those people, whom Allah endowed with a share of knowledge or understanding or awareness, become preoccupied with checking their WhatsApp, Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram accounts to catch up with what is trending online!

It is a disaster that such people should spend more time on their mobile phones than they do reading, studying, helping their students, performing prayers, reciting Quran, tending to their families, and striving to realize their goals.

It is heartbreaking that these “role models” should be a bad example for others in wasting time, giving things the wrong order of priority, and addictive use of technology.

It is a disaster when the noblest and meanest of people alike, and their cultured and commoners alike are all equal in their passive attitude and vulnerability to the goings-on on social media.

It is a disaster when those people think of themselves as influential actors with perceptible impacts simply because they echo the voices of others and react to their initiatives.

It is a disaster when one of them thinks that such waste of time (on social media) – which is condemned by the Sharee‘ah – is a means to construe current conditions or a manifestation of caring about Muslims’ affairs, whereas it is nothing but an addiction in the full sense of the word, and an actual implementation of the Hadeeth of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) about the three prohibitions (that Allah disliked for us): “… idle talk, asking too many questions (about matters that yield no real benefit), and wasting wealth.”

It is disastrous when those people collude to turn a blind eye to such internet addiction because they themselves are afflicted with it; so they legitimize it instead of counteracting it and treating themselves and others.

Revolution against Internet Addiction:

We stand in dire need for a revolution against this dangerous internet addiction, to be led by the repentant role models against this blind passive drifting behind technology and social networks and what goes on therein!

We stand in dire need to set up parameters, fences, and warning signs against this pathological attachment, infatuation, and losing oneself to social media, even if it is disguised as good and as a means for crowding out evil and triviality!

We stand in dire need to continue denouncing this addiction, developing the tools for denouncement, diversifying its methods, not accepting the status quo under the pretext of ‘Umoom Al-Balwa (i.e., permissibility due to unavoidable necessity; when a matter becomes widespread and is difficult to avoid)!

Important Reminders:

1- This previous speech is addressed from me to you – dear reader – in person, and not to a third person whom you think to be the addressee.

One of our problems lies in the fact that a person feels that what is said applies to “others” only and not to “him”, akin to the third-person effect hypothesis about the media impact, and the illusion that he is an epitome of moderation and balance when it comes to the use of technology, whereas it is contrary to the truth!

2- Beware of assuming that my speech is addressed to the famous Shaykhs and Daa‘iyahs. My speech is rather addressed to you; for great are the roles, tasks, and actions that require your potential, time, and resolve; and vast are the areas of making an impact that need someone like you to fill them and impact others through them. You are not too small to have an impact, and perceiving yourself as not the right person to have such an impact is another problem that you need to address.

3- The scope of the problem is measured by considering the alternative opportunities. How much time do you spend on your mobile phone? What are the tasks that you could accomplish if the internet shuts down in the entire world for a week?

4- I would like to exclude those whose Da‘wah and educational projects are based on harnessing technology to convey their message in a serious, continuous and systematic manner. These people are entrusted with a serious task, through which they can save what can be saved and employ technology to serve their goals instead of being exploited by technology to serve its goals.

5- This reminder does not mean that I am perfectly safe from this peril, but I am simply a man who sensed the danger and wanted to warn of it, hoping that we would be from those about whom Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah} [Quran 3:110] and the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allah exalt his mention ) said: “By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, you will enjoin good and forbid evil or (else) Allah will soon afflict you with a punishment from Him, then you will call upon Him and He will not answer you.”

Praise be to Allah.

There is nothing wrong with setting up a website to provide work for jobseekers and connect them with employers in return for commission paid either by the worker or the business owner, or both of them, according to the terms of the agreement. That comes under the heading of brokerage.

Al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his Saheeh: Chapter on the fee of a broker. Ibn Sireen, ‘Ata’, Ibraaheem, and al-Hasan did not see anything wrong with paying a fee to a broker. End quote.

In that regard it is stipulated that the website should limit its activity to facilitating connections for permissible work only. It is not permissible to act as a middleman or agent for doing haraam work, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and transgression. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty” [al-Maa’idah 5:2].

There is nothing wrong with working for Amazon on the Mechanical Turk website, if the worker is not helping in anything that is haraam.

If we assume that there are haraam jobs that are requested by jobseekers, but his work is far removed from that and he is not helping in that in any way, then his work is permissible.

And Allah knows best.

Sacrifice is part of nature. The excruciating pain a mother endures patiently at childbirth, the years a teacher spends in educating children, the medical personal who attend to accident scenes in the dead of night, the police who patrol the streets during odd times and extreme weather, the Mujahideen who protect the borders of Islam, the patience of innocent civilians under oppressive regimes are just but a few examples of sacrifices for humanity.

“Great achievements and happiness is the born out of sacrifice and not out of selfishness”

Sacrifice may vary in degree and form. Sometimes it may be little and at times it may be immense. It could mean surrendering some of our wealth, time or even health for the benefit of others. Sacrifice is an important part in our contribution to society.

“Sacrifice always brings joy to both the beneficiary and the giver. Sacrifice is a part of life. It’s supposed to be. It’s not something to regret. It’s something to aspire to.”

Allah Ta’ala promises to give you back and most certainly He will increase it manifold. Allah Ta’ala says;



“Say, ‘Indeed, my Lord extends provision for whom He wills of His servants and restricts (it) for him. But whatever thing you spend (give) – He will compensate it; and He is the best of Providers.” (Qur’an Saba’, 34:39)

The Noble Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said:

“No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself.”(Hadith –Bukhari & Muslim)

There is an incident about a little girl named Ameena who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother Abdullah, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother Abdullah carefully, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister Ameena who needed it urgently to survive.

Abdullah hesitated for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes I’ll do it, if it will save her.” As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, seeing that when the blood was given, colour was returning to Ameena’s cheeks.

After some time Abdullah’s face grew pale and his smile faded. Then Abdullah looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?”

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister Ameena all of his blood in order to save her life.

This is the ultimate in self-sacrifice where a person is willing to give his life. Daily we all face a challenge to what extent will we give. If we cannot give the ultimate, then let us at least do whatever “little” we can to bring about joy or benefit to others.

“Value and appreciate the people who sacrifice ‘something’ for you as maybe their ‘something’ was their ‘everything’ “

Piety, sacrifice and giving are all inter-related. Allah Ta’ala says;

“Never will you attain righteousness until you spend (give) from that which you love. And whatever you spend(give), indeed Allâh is Knowing of it.” (Qur’an 3:92)

Sacrifice usually is accompanied by difficulty and our sincerity is put to test. It’s easy to sacrifice and give to those who give back. The real test is to give to those who can give you nothing in return. This reality is often very difficult for people to grasp, that whatever one gives or sacrifices for in a good cause is not really lost. When you sacrifice something precious, you’re not really losing it. you’re just passing it on to someone else and hoping for a reward from your Creator.

In fact there is a huge source of reward for the giver both in this temporary world and even more so in the Hereafter. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said;

“He who removes from a believer one of his difficulties of this world, Allah will remove one of his troubles on the Day of Resurrection“(Hadith-Muslim)

Let us sacrifice our “little” for humanity, remember drops form puddles and puddles form rivers and rivers form oceans!

On one occasion, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) visited a Bedouin who received him warmly and honoured him. So, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) bade him to also visit him.

Accordingly, the Bedouin visited Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said to him, “If you have any need, you may ask me.” The Bedouin replied, “I want a she-camel to use as a conveyance, and a few goats for my family to milk.”

Hearing the reply of the Bedouin, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) addressed the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) and said, “Why do you not be like the old woman of the Banu Israaeel?” The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) asked, “O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! Who was the old woman of the Banu Israaeel and what was her incident?”

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied by mentioning the following incident:

When Nabi Moosa (‘alaihis salaam) departed from Egypt with the Banu Israaeel, they could not find the road (which they needed to travel on). So Nabi Moosa (‘alaihis salaam) asked the Banu Israaeel, “What is the matter (i.e. why is it that we cannot find the road)?” The learned among the Banu Israaeel answered, “When Nabi Yusuf (‘alaihis salaam) was close to passing away, he made us pledge in the name of Allah Ta‘ala that we will not leave Egypt, without taking his body with us.” Nabi Moosa (‘alaihis salaam) asked them, “Who knows the location of the grave of Nabi Yusuf (‘alaihis salaam)?” They replied that an old woman knew the location. Nabi Moosa (‘alaihis salaam) thus sent for her.

When the old woman arrived, Nabi Moosa (‘alaihis salaam) requested, “Guide me to the grave of Nabi Yusuf (‘alaihis salaam).” However, the old woman responded, “(I will not guide you to the grave) until you give me what I want.” Nabi Musa (‘alaihis salaam) asked her, “What is it that you want?” She replied, “I want to be with you in Jannah.” Initially, Nabi Moosa (‘alaihis salaam) was reluctant to accede, but Allah Ta‘ala then sent wahi to him, commanding him to agree to the request of the old woman.

The old woman then proceeded with them to a lake and instructed them to drain all the water from it. After they had drained all the water from the lake, she instructed them to dig. They then discovered the grave of Nabi Yusuf (‘alaihis salaam) and recovered his body.

Once they removed the body from the grave and carried it with them, the road became as clear as daylight for them.

(Saheeh Ibni Hibbaan #723)

Lesson:

Imagine that it was Lailatul Qadr (the Night of Power), or you managed to cling to the Ka’bah at the multazam, and you now had a ‘once in a lifetime chance’ to make a du‘aa that you greatly hope will gain acceptance. What would you ask for? Perhaps many of us would ask for something related to this world such as beauty, health, wealth, a dream home, etc.

However, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) praised the old woman of the Banu Israaeel and encouraged the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) to be like her. The reason is that when this woman saw the golden opportunity, then instead of asking for something paltry and insignificant, she seized her chance to secure Jannah.


Thus, when the hadeeth teaches us to make du‘aa for all our needs, be they big or small, we should not suffice on asking for only our small needs while neglecting to beg for Jannah. Instead, we must make it a priority to beg for Jannah, as this is the biggest need.

Praise be to Allah.

By the grace of Allah, may He be exalted, to all people, and to the Muslim ummah in particular, He has made what is permissible to them broad in scope, and has made permissibility the default; He has restricted the scope of what is prohibited to the narrowest possible, and has made it rare and exceptional. He, may He be glorified and exalted, says in His wise Book (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allâh wishes to make clear (what is lawful and what is unlawful) to you, and to show you the ways of those before you, and accept your repentance, and Allâh is All-Knower, All-Wise.

Allâh wishes to accept your repentance, but those who follow their lusts, wish that you (believers) should deviate tremendously away (from the Right Path).

Allâh wishes to lighten (the burden) for you; and man was created weak” [an-Nisa’ 4:25-27]

“Allâh intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you” [al-Baqarah 2:185]

“Allâh does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favour to you that you may be thankful” [al-Maa’idah 5:6].

Imam ash-Shaatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The basic principle with regard to interactions, transactions and customs is that they are permitted, unless there is evidence to the contrary. End quote from al-Mawaafaqaat (1/440).

Hence there is nothing wrong with you freelancing in the fields you mentioned, such as graphic design, creative writing, research and development, or any other kind of creative, artistic or educational work. What matters is that you should have a purpose in your work, whether it is to help people and make life easier for them, or to promote the values of truth, guidance and justice among them, or to teach them and increase their awareness of important issues having to do with their religious or worldly affairs. All of these are good and valid purposes that you can undertake in the freelance work that you mentioned and other kinds of work. You may rest assured that if you bear these meanings in mind, the outcome of your work cannot be anything but good, and you will find that what you produce will fall into that praiseworthy category, far removed from the few haraam matters that may be involved in such work, such as designing prohibited images, stirring up sexual desire, contributing to the spread of vile practices, selling prohibited things, and so on.

We have previously discussed some of the rulings on design and writing on our website, in the following answers: 105325, 150564 , 174829 and 220161.

And Allah knows best.

Was this answer helpful?

On one occasion, Ummu Salamah (radhiyallahu ‘anha), the respected wife of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), was asked, “Which du‘aa would Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) make the most when he was with you (in your home)?” She replied, “The du‘aa that he would make the most was:

يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوْبِ ، ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِيْ عَلَى دِيْنِكَ

Transliteration: Ya Muqallibal Quloob! Sabbit qalbee ‘alaa deenik

Translation: O the Turner of hearts! Keep my heart firm on Your Deen!”

Ummu Salamah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) asked Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) as to why he made this du‘aa in such abundance. He replied, “O Ummu Salamah (radhiyallahu ‘anha)! Every person’s heart is in the complete control of Allah Ta‘ala. Whomsoever Allah Ta‘ala wishes, He keeps steadfast, and whomsoever He wishes, He allows to go astray.” (Sunan Tirmizi #3522)

In the Arabic language, the verb ‘qalaba’ means ‘to turn around’ or ‘turn over’ (e.g. to turn something upside-down). Hence, the heart is called ‘qalb’ in Arabic as the nature of the heart is such that in a mere ‘heartbeat’, it can take a complete u-turn and have a complete turnaround. From being interested, it can suddenly lose interest. From being happy, it can suddenly become sad. From feeling motivated, it can suddenly feel lethargic and depressed. From having conviction, it can suddenly be plagued with doubts and insecurities.

From this, we understand the great importance of safeguarding the heart from elements that influence it towards evil and tempt it towards haraam and sin. For instance, just one stolen glance at a non-mahram is more dangerous and fatal to the heart than even a poisonous arrow. The poison of this glance penetrates deeply, and from loving the halaal spouse, the heart suddenly takes a u-turn and begins to pine for the haraam stranger.

Likewise, one casual conversation or interaction with a stranger, whether in person or through social media, novels, movies, etc. is sufficient to capsize the heart. A person previously had strong imaan and complete conviction in Allah Ta‘ala, but after being exposed to corrupt ideologies, his heart turns and is now besieged with doubts regarding Allah Ta‘ala and Islam. From being a strong, committed Muslim, he becomes a borderline atheist (if not an outright atheist – may Allah Ta‘ala save us and our families!) – all because he did not safeguard his heart.

Therefore, through making this du‘aa, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) taught the Ummah that together with safeguarding the heart from external influences, we should always ask Allah Ta‘ala to keep our hearts stable and firm on Deen. If our hearts remain firm on Deen throughout our lives, then insha-Allah, we will be able to remain away from sins and will pass away while being firm on Deen and imaan.

Anas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) also reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) would make this du‘aa in abundance. (Sunan Tirmizi #2140) Hence, in this era of severe imaani challenges, we should all try to make this du‘aa as often as possible, and should teach it to our children as well.

To believe that the months of Muharram and Safar bring misfortune or calamity or that a marriage performed in these months will be negatively affected is an un-Islamic belief. The Noble Qur'an states: "No calamity (or harm) can occur, except by the will of Allah". (Surah 64 - Verse 11).

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (R) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alahi Wasallam) said, “…There is no bad omen in the month of Safar” (Bukhari)

To marry during the months of Muharram, Safar or any other month of the year is allowed as Islam has placed no restrictions in this regard. We should reaffirm our belief and conviction that benefit and harm is from Allah Ta'ala alone and occur with his knowledge and permission. No time or person brings bad luck or ill fate.

In order to draw from the protection and mercy of Allah Ta'ala, we should develop the capacity to perform actions that prevent calamities and misfortunes such as performing our five daily Salah, making daily Dua for goodness and protection, seeking forgiveness, repentance, abandoning sins and vices, improve our conduct and give regular charity.

Mygreatestday:
Actually in the dream,i saw a young black man selling healing rings when it got to my time to buy the ring from him, he told me that he would not sell to me because I'm not a Muslim ?
Do they sell healing rings or rings for any other purpose in Islam ?
What is the stand of Islam on dreams ?
Thanks for your response

Arguments, quarrels, fights, bullying, mocking and bad conduct have become common today among Muslims. Muslims seem to be fighting over just about everything, especially on social media. Disputes and arguments are detrimental and weaken the resolve of a believer.

The conduct of believers ought to be one of tolerance, forgiveness and understanding. The Qur'an says, “Obey Allah and His Rasool and do not fight among yourselves, lest you should lose courage and your strength diminishes. Be patient. Verily, Allah is with the patient.” (Surah Anfal Verse 46)

To get along with others and keep people together one must exercise patience over their provocation and ignore their negative comments as far as possible. One should not be so rigid and uncompromising in one's opinion that if it was not accepted then it leads one to become angry and argumentative. Also, the verse prohibits arguments and fights, not the expression of a sincere view or difference of opinion. A difference of opinion which is sincere and honest shall never lead to disputes. Quarrels arise when a person wants to foist his view on others and is not prepared to listen the other view. (Adapted from Mariful Quran – Surah Anfaal – Verse 46)

There are numerous Ahadith where arguing is discouraged, and glad tidings are given for one who quells an argument.

Anas (R) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, "…Whoever forsakes an argument, even when he is right, a palace will be built for him in the middle of Jannah …” (Tirmizi)

Mygreatestday:
Please i need some one to help me answer some of my questions.
Any one willing to do so should quote my comment .
I got the message to convert to Islam in my dream .
I also need your prayers for good health.
Mods please help make this post more visible .
Lalasticlala ,Seun .
Thanks
Lukgaf,fadal,Babaheekmat
Rash4ductluv, Antichristian, Empiree, Thatfairguy1,

A pious student was once studying in Delhi and would sleep in a nearby Masjid. One night, a young woman was on her way to visit some of her relatives who resided in the area, when a riot broke out. She could not manage to escape the commotion and violence in time and quickly ran into the Masjid in fear of her life. When the student noticed her, he was alarmed and explained that the Masjid was not an appropriate place for her to hide. “People may notice us here and my honour will be tarnished. They will then evict me from the Masjid, to the detriment of my studies,” he pleaded.

She explained, “If I leave the safety of this Masjid, I fear that my honour and dignity may be blemished by the rioting mobs out in the streets.”

Her explanation silenced him as he realised the gravity of the situation. He directed her to a corner of the Masjid, where she could remain seated, and returned to continue with his studies. He was immersed in his books for the duration of the night, but occasionally he would place his finger in the flame of a lamp that he was using as a source of light. The young woman too remained awake and intently watched the young man.

Close to dawn, he said to her, “The rioters have dispersed and the streets appear to be safe. I am prepared to accompany you to ensure that you reach your home safely.”

“But,” she remarked, “I will not leave this Masjid until you explain to me why you kept placing your finger in the flame throughout the night.”

He replied, “That is a private matter and I would request you not to question me further about it.”

But the young woman would not give in. When he realised that he could not convince her otherwise, he explained, “Shaitān was continuously enticing me to fulfil my desires with you. Hence, I kept placing my finger in the flame to remind myself of the unbearable intensity of the fire of Jahannam. If I could not bear the negligible burns from a worldly flame, how would I ever bear the torment of the fire of Jahannam? I am grateful to Allāh Subhānahu wa Ta’ala that He saved me from sin throughout the night.”

The young woman left and reached her home safely. She was from a wealthy family and was soon to be married to a family relative. She immediately declined the offer to marry him and said to her parents, “My desire is to marry the student from the Masjid.”

Her parents and family tried their utmost to convince her. Others began harbouring suspicions regarding her. When she heard their remarks, she explained what had transpired on that fateful night and concluded, “The student has the fear of Allāh Subhānahu wa Ta’ala within his heart, and such a man will never harm or inconvenience others. My desire is to marry him.”

Eventually, her family consented and the nikaah was performed. The student who had lived in a Masjid now became the owner of his very own home, due to his fear of Allāh Subhānahu wa Ta’ala. [Ādābul Muta’allimīn, p23]

Allāh Subhānahu wa Ta’ala handsomely rewards a person who abstains from harām.

SOURCE: Pearls from the Path Vol. 3 Compiled by Afzal Ismail

Praise be to Allah.

Prayer is the greatest pillar of Islam after the Shahaadatayn. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Between a person and kufr and shirk stands the abandonment of prayer.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2766. Classed as saheeh by Ibn Maajah, 1078,and by al-Albaani).

Salaah is so called because it is a connection (silah) between a person and his Lord. Whoever does not pray, his zakaah, fasting, Hajj, jihaad, enjoining of what is good, forbidding of what is evil, reading of Qur’aan and upholding of family ties will not be accepted. Indeed, all his good deeds will be rejected if he does not pray.

The scholars, including Imaam Ahmad, said that whoever does not pray should be executed as a kaafir, and his body should not be washed or shrouded, the funeral prayer should not be offered over him, he should not be buried in the Muslims’ graveyard and his Muslim heirs cannot inherit from him.

It is not permissible for you to abandon prayer, because you never know when death will catch you unawares.

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said at the end of his life, during his final sickness:

“(Adhere to) prayer, (adhere to) prayer and (take care of) those whom your right hands possess (i.e., slaves).”

(Narrated by Imaam Ahmad, 3/117; Ibn Maajah, 2697; Ibn Hibbaan, 1220. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwaa’, no.2178).

Prayer is the pillar of Islam. Imaam Ahmad said: Your share of Islam is according to your share of prayer. What we want for you is for you to pray regularly, doing the prayers on time with the Muslims in their mosques. It is haraam for you to abandon prayer, for abandoning it is kufr. This issue has been discussed in great detail by the scholars in their books. And it was said that (the one who abandons prayer) is to be executed as a punishment, as is well known. And Allaah knows best.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.



There is no harm to accommodate two wives in one house, or two separate houses if there is any benefit in that. Muslim scholars have clearly mentioned that basically providing one house for two wives is forbidden unless they agree to that. Ibn Qudamah wrote in his book al-Mughni: ‘A husband is not allowed to keep his two wives in a house without their previous agreement since it causes harm to them due to the Ghirah (a feeling of great fury and anger when one’s honour and prestige is injured or challenged) they have that leads to disputes and disagreements.’ However, this ruling does not mean that they should avoid visiting each other, or that they should cut their relations. Instead they should raise his children to love each other, to have mercy on each other to support and respect each other. The husband should appreciate and teach his wives to love each other and to visit each other and should teach the rights of each family member.

A person can eliminate some problems by making two apartments with a separate entrance as well as the necessary facilities.

Allah knows best.

Just like mentors, it is essential to choose the right role models. There is a big difference between someone who studies and learns from the biographies of pious men and someone who is obsessed with the biographies of tyrants. The first has chosen his role models wisely, while the latter may end up following the worst of role models.

When choosing a role model, whether alive or deceased, look for the following qualities; righteousness, self-discipline, selflessness, good character, and productivity.

Righteousness
The primary quality of a good role model is righteousness. Our role models must be people who love God, are close to Him, and bring us closer to Him. Any role model that takes us away from our Creator is causing great harm to our soul. It doesn’t matter what worldly benefits we get out of such relationships; the bottom line is that if any relationship damages our relationship with our Creator, it is problematic and not worth it.
We must choose role models who are people of piety. Spending time with them should bring us closer to God, and make us better people. This is the primary role of any good role model.

Self-Discipline
A good role model has a high level of self-discipline. Good role models demonstrate strong self-discipline through their ability to meet their goals, fulfill their duties, and get things done on schedule. Studying the life of a highly disciplined individual will help us become more disciplined ourselves.
The easiest way to find out if a role model is disciplined is to look at their daily schedule and the frequency with which they achieve their goals and keep their promises.

Selflessness
A good role model is selfless. This quality is a part of having good character, but it warrants distinct mention because it is one of the most important characteristics we can learn from our role models.
When someone chooses an egotistical role models, that vanity may rub off and cause that person to grow into the worst version of himself. When our role models are selfless, we inherit this beautiful quality and will find it much easier to live our lives in a way that is beneficial to others.

Good Character
A good role model should be a person of outstanding moral character. This does not mean perfection, because no human alive today is perfect. They should be people who hold themselves to the highest standards and inspire others to do the same as well.
In Islam, there is a difference between character (akhlāq) and manners (adab). Character refers to our internal state, while manners refer to our actions. Manners can be faked, but good character can’t. A person can pretend to be polite and friendly, while inside he is full of malice and ill-will. This is called faking good manners. However, a person cannot fake true character as this resides in the heart.
A person of good character will naturally have good manners. Because manners are the natural consequence and outward reflection of character. Character is the key, and that is why it is crucial to find role models who have outstanding character; this will reflect in their manners and their dealings with others.

Productivity
A role model must show us how to live a productive lifestyle. Their lives must be productive, and fruitful. From their lives, we should be able to extract lessons on how to be productive and get things done.
When we analyze the life of ʿUmar II, we find that he had all of these qualities. He was righteous, disciplined, selfless, productive, and held himself to the highest standards of character. There are books written about ʿUmar’s character and piety, and this is evidence that he is a great role model, and one worthy of study and emulation.
In summary, a good role model will inspire you to become righteous, disciplined, selfless, and productive, while showing you how to live your life with exemplary character.

Praise be to Allah.

Many young men in our ummah nowadays are facing addiction to pornography, because it is so easily available online. This type of addiction makes a person unable to be content with real-life, permissible intimacy with his wife, because he is addicted to a haraam virtual reality and because of his following his whims and desires.

The issue is not merely one of whether he feels happy with you and enjoys intimacy with you; rather it has to do with his addiction to viewing other women, especially as he did this in the first month of his marriage to you.

This addiction is a sickness which needs a remedy.

Some of the greatest and most effective remedies for addiction include: keeping away – voluntarily or otherwise – from the source of this addiction; keeping oneself busy with things that will benefit one in this world or the hereafter; and visiting a psychologist who can intervene with medicines and talk therapy, if necessary.

This requires effort on your part to help him give up this addiction, by trying to distract him from electronic devices that opened the door to that, and speaking to him about research that warns against addiction to these devices. You can also try to fill his time with beneficial matters, both worldly and religious, and help him to strive to obey Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

If you find that he is reluctant and rejects these attempts, then you can suggest to him to go to a psychologist, to try to rid himself of his addiction to these devices and the symptoms of anxiety that result from that.

We advise you, as a matter of urgency, to consult a trustworthy and religiously committed female advisor, even if that is online, so that she can advise you in detail about how to handle different issues of life with him in general, and your marital relationship in particular.

Please note that it is not permissible to divulge details of your marital relationship and the like to any man other than your father, whether he is a psychologist or otherwise, because of what that may lead to of opening the door to temptation or haraam infatuation.

In brief, your aim here is to distract him with yourself from others, and make him content with that which is halaal so that he will not seek that which is haraam. Strive hard to achieve that and seek reward with Allah with regard to this important matter.

With regard to him looking at clips of the third sex – may Allah guide us and him – this is perverse behaviour, because he is enjoying looking at something that is perverse. But that does not necessarily mean that he is homosexual, because a homosexual man does not usually enjoy looking at female forms; rather it is the exact opposite.

We ask Allah to guide us and you, for He, may He be glorified, is indeed able to do that.

And Allah knows best.

The rise of Taliban has handed another opportunity to the anti-Islam world and media to raise doubts about the “Freedom of Women” in an Islamic government. I want here to limit myself to what they actually mean and want from the “Freedom” they talk of.

I often feel amused at the innocence with which the most ruthless players of the current world present the issue of ‘Freedom of Women’. The truth is that when they talk of the freedom of women, it is in fact the freedom of men they are seeking: freedom of men to enjoy the beauty of female body, use them, exploit them and avail their all kinds of services including those for the marketing. When women are made to shed their clothes it is men who enjoy it. When they are given liberty to indulge in whatever they want it is men who get the opportunity to play with them. The man dominated market knows it too well that the most profitable human sentiment to market is the physical attraction between the two genders. They have exploited this attraction to the hilt earning trillions of dollars in the process. So all the services of women are now available in the market and the rising proximity between them reaps huge benefits for all kinds of market, from garments to cosmetics, from hotelling to tourism and from media to entertainment.

Men Enjoy, Women Suffer
If anyone suffers most from this “freedom”, though all suffer in the longer run, it is women themselves and their children. It is they who become pregnant, it is they who have to abort their children, and if they are forced by the circumstances to deliver, it is mostly they who have to look after them as single parents. While both men and women catch Sex Transmitted Diseases, women are more likely to catch because of their anatomy. And it is they who have to face the brunt of crimes including rapes and attempted rapes.

Due to this freedom, sex transmitted diseases remain a big threat even in those countries which have the most advanced medical care system. During around last thirty years, more than 38 million people have died of A IDS and double that number are still fighting death. Still one million people die of AIDS every year and of course the number is much greater in those areas where there is more “freedom” than where there is little. But the media will never highlight these deaths lest the sex market suffer. Women and children are big sufferers. Here is an excerpt from the Abstract of a WHO report gives an idea of what the “Freedom” brings in terms of gender:

“For HIV/AIDS cases and deaths among adults other than those due to heterosexual transmission, there seems to be an overwhelming excess of males. For AIDS among children, there seems to be a small excess of males over females overall, and a small excess of females over males for perinatal transmission. For adult cases due to heterosexual transmission, sex differences vary greatly according to time and place. In the United States, female cases far exceed male cases…”



According to another report from Sub Saharan Africa, “it is estimated that women account for 58% of the people living with HIV (PLWH) in the region, a skewed distribution that has been existing for years, and women on average acquire HIV as much as 5–7 years earlier than their male peers.” If trend is showing some change in Western countries, especially Europe, it is because of rising homosexuality and more frequent use of IV drugs by males. Where women are involved, they suffer more.



Rapes and Brutal Killing of Children in Wombs
50 to 70 million times every year women have to abort but nobody talks of this brutality on unborn human beings. Even the sex of the aborted happens to be more females than males especially in countries like India. Hundreds of thousands of times women are raped but nobody ever talks of the real reasons behind this because the reasons are related to big markets including liquor and sex. And to swell the number of “rapes” in the more “conservative” countries, they have found an “excellent” idea of including complaints by wives of force by husbands as “rapes”. Still, America remains at the top of the total number of rapes every year and in countries like South Africa, more than a quarter of women have faced rape attempts.

Islamic restrictions on men rather than women
The crime rates are surely much less in Islamic countries, especially where Islamic legal system is in force like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE. Still, Islam is often targeted for being anti women. They again forget that the so called restrictions on women in Islamic system are in fact restrictions on men. They are prevented from enjoying their bodies. If women enjoy more safety anywhere, it is in true Islamic systems. They face much lesser chances of being raped and kidnapped, becoming mistresses and prostitutes, much much lesser chances of having to abort out of compulsion, even lower chances of becoming single parents. The children too are safest there with remarkably lower chances of being aborted, of having to live with a single parent and much lower chances of living with unnatural and gay parents.

Freedom in Method and Freedom in Results
It would be hugely better, safer and healthier for mankind if the world understands the difference between Freedom in Method and Freedom in Results. What they talk of is the former with massive negative impact on the latter. If accidents are to be saved, there have to be restrictions on trafficking. If “Freedom” is given in traffic, chaos will be the result. It is no surprise that majority of deaths in accidents occur due to drunken driving. Even in technology, good results require strict methodology. If society has to be safe from the diseases, crimes and chaos, there is no other option but to make the laws related to all kinds of behaviour strict in letter, spirit and application.

Praise be to Allah.

The one who wants to stop himself showing off has to do the following things to rid himself of this problem:

He should remember that Allaah is always watching His slave.

This is the status of ihsaan (perfection in worship) which Jibreel (peace be upon him) mentioned to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), which is that you should worship Allaah as if you can see Him, and even though you cannot see Him, He can see you. (Narrated by Muslim, 97).

When a person feels that Allaah is always watching him, what other people think will become insignificant, and this will make him respect and fear only Allaah.

Seeking the help of Allaah to rid himself of the habit of showing off.

Allaah says that the believers should say (interpretation of the meaning):

You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything) [al-Faatihah 1:5].

One of the things that will be of benefit in this matter is seeking the help of Allaah and calling upon Him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: O people, beware of this shirk (form of polytheism), for it is more subtle than the footsteps of an ant. The one whom Allaah willed should speak said to him, How can we beware of it when it is more subtle than the footsteps of an ant, O Messenger of Allaah? He said, Say, Allaahumma innaa naoodhu bika min an nushrika bika shayan nalamuhu wa nastaghfiruka limaa laa nalam (O Allaah, we seek refuge with You from knowingly associating anything with You, and we seek Your forgiveness for that which we do unknowingly).

(Narrated by Ahmad, 4/403; classed as saheeh (authentic) by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami, 3731).

Knowing the effects of showing off and how it will be judged in the Hereafter.

Not knowing this leads to one falling into this sin or persisting in it. One should realize that showing off destroys all one's actions (i.e., cancels out the reward), and that it brings the wrath of Allaah. The wise person does not waste his energy in doing things that do not bring any reward, let alone deeds that bring the wrath and anger of Allaah.

One of the greatest ahaadeeth (prophetic narrations)concerning the punishment in the Hereafter of those who show off is the following, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

When the Day of Resurrection comes, Allaah, may He be blessed and exalted, will come down to judge between His slaves, and every nation will be kneeling. The first ones to be called forth will be a man who learned the Quraan by heart, a man who fought for the sake of Allaah, and a man who had a lot of wealth. Allaah will say to the Quraan-reader, Did I not teach you that which I revealed to My Messenger? He will say, Yes, O Lord. He will say, What did you do with that which I taught you? He will say, I used to read it night and day. Allaah will say to him, You have lied, and the angels will say to him, You have lied. Allaah will say, Rather you wanted it to be said that So and so is a reader of Quraan, and that is what was said. Then the wealthy man will be brought forth, and Allaah will say to him, Did I not give you ample provision so that I did not leave you in need of anybody? He will say, Yes, O Lord. He will say, What did you do with that which I gave you? He will say, I used to uphold the ties of kinship and give in charity. Allaah will say to him, You have lied, and the angels will say to him, You have lied. Allaah will say, Rather you wanted it to be said that So and so is generous, and that is what was said. Then the one who was killed for the sake of Allaah (apparently) will be brought forth and Allaah will say to him, Why were you killed? He will say, I was commanded to fight in Jihaad (battle) for Your sake, so I fought until I was killed. Allaah will say to him, You have lied, and the angels will say to him, You have lied. Allaah will say, You wanted it to be said that So and so was courageous, and that is what was said. Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) struck my knee and said, O Abu Hurayrah, these three are the first of the creation of Allaah who will be dragged into the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.

(Narrated and classed as hasan (sound)by al-Tirmidhi, 2382; classed as saheeh by Ibn Hibbaan, 408, and Ibn Khuzaymah, 2482).

Thinking about the punishment in this world for showing off

Just as there will be a punishment in the Hereafter for showing off, so too there is a punishment for it in this world, which is that Allaah will expose him and make his bad intentions known to others. This is one of the interpretations of the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

Whoever shows off, Allaah will expose him. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6134; Muslim; 2986).

Ibn Hajar said: al-Khattaabi said, this means: whoever does something that is not sincerely for the sake of Allaah, merely wanting people to see him and hear him, will be punished for that Allaah will expose him and make known what he is concealing.

It was said that whoever does something with the intention of gaining status and prestige among people, and does not seek the Face of Allaah by doing it, Allaah will make him the subject of bad speech among the people in whose eyes he wanted to gain status, and he will have no reward for it in the Hereafter. (Fath al-Baari, 11/336)

Concealing worship and not making a display of it

The further away a person gets from places where his worship can be seen, the safer he is from showing off. Whoever looks for places where people gather, the Shaytaan makes him keen to show off his worship so that they will praise him for it.

The acts of worship which should be hidden are those which are not obligatory or those in which it is not the Sunnah to do them openly, such as Qiyaam al-Layl (night prayer), and giving charity, and the like. This does not apply to calling the Adhaan (call to prayer),praying in congregation and other things which cannot and should not according to shareeah (Islamic law) be hidden.

We ask Allaah to make our words and deeds sincere, and to forgive us for what we commit of showing off. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

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What the Shi’ah do on ‘Ashoora’ of beating their chests, slapping their cheeks, striking their shoulders with chains and cutting their heads with swords to let the blood flow are all innovations that have no basis in Islam. These things are evils that were forbidden by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who did not prescribe for his ummah to do any of these things or anything similar to them to mark the death of a leader or the loss of a martyr, no matter what his status. During his lifetime (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) a number of senior Sahaabah were martyred and he mourned their loss, such as Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, Zayd ibn Haarithah, Ja’far ibn Abi Taalib and ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Rawaahah, but he did not do any of the things that these people do. If it was good, he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have done it before us.

Ya’qoob (peace be upon him) did not strike his chest or scratch his face, or shed blood or take the day of the loss of Yoosuf as a festival or day of mourning. Rather he remembered his missing loved one and felt sad and distressed because of that. This is something no one can be blamed for. What is forbidden is these actions that have been inherited from the Jaahiliyyah, and which Islam forbids.

Al-Bukhaari (1294) and Muslim (103) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “He is not one of us who strikes his cheeks, rends his garment, or cries with the cry of the Jaahiliyyah.”

These reprehensible actions that the Shi’ah do on the day of ‘Ashoora’ have no basis in Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do them, nor did any of his companions. None of his companions did them when he or anyone else died, although the loss of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was greater than the death of al-Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with him).

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Every Muslim should mourn the killing of al-Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with him), for he is one of the leaders of the Muslims, one of the scholars of the Sahaabah, and the son of the daughter of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who was the best of his daughters. He was a devoted worshipper, and a courageous and generous man. But there is nothing good in what the Shi’ah do of expressing distress and grief, most of which may be done in order to show off. His father was better than him and he was killed, but they do not take his death as an anniversary as they do with the death of al-Husayn. His father was killed on a Friday as he was leaving the mosque after Fajr prayer, on the seventeenth of Ramadaan in 40 AH. ‘Uthmaan was better than ‘Ali according to Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah, and he was killed when he was besieged in his house during the days of al-Tashreeq in Dhu’l-Hijjah of 36 AH, with his throat cut from one jugular vein to the other, but the people did not take his death as an anniversary. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab was better than ‘Ali and ‘Uthmaan, and he was killed as he was standing in the mihraab, praying Fajr and reciting Qur’aan, but the people did not take his death as an anniversary. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq was better than him but the people did not take his death as an anniversary. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the leader of the sons of Adam in this world and the Hereafter, and Allaah took him to Him as the Prophets died before him, but no one took the dates of their deaths as anniversaries on which they do what these ignorant Raafidis do on the day that al-Husayn was killed. … The best that can be said when remembering these and similar calamities is that which ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated from his grandfather the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who said: “There is no Muslim who is afflicted by a calamity and when he remembers it, even if it was in the dim and distant past, he says Inna Lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon (verily to Allaah we belong and unto Him is our return), but Allaah will give him a reward like that of the day when it befell him.”

Narrated by Imam Ahmad and Ibn Majaah, end quote from al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah (8/221).

And he said (8/220): The Raafidis went to extremes in the state of Bani Buwayh in the year 400 and thereabouts. The drums were beaten in Baghdad and other cities on the day of ‘Ashoora’, and sand and straw was strewn in the streets and marketplaces, and sackcloth was hung on the shops, and the people expressed grief and wept. Many of them did not drink water that night, in sympathy with al-Husayn, because he was killed when he was thirsty. Then the women went out barefaced, wailing and slapping their faces and chests, walking barefoot in the marketplaces, and other reprehensible innovations… What they intended by these and similar actions is to impugn the state of Banu Umayyah (the Umayyads), because he was killed during their era.

On the day of ‘Ashoora, the Naasibis of Syria do the opposite of what the Raafidis and Shi’ah do. They used to cook grains on the day of ‘Ashoora and do ghusl and perfume themselves, and wear their finest garments, and they took that day as an Eid for which they made all kinds of food, and expressed happiness and joy, intending thereby to annoy the Raafidis and be different from them.

Celebrating that day is an innovation (bid’ah), and making it an anniversary for mourning is also an innovation. Hence Ibn Taymiyah said:

Because of the killing of al-Husayn (may Allaah be pleased with him), shaytaan caused the people to introduce two innovations: the innovation of mourning and wailing on the day of ‘Ashoora’, by slapping the cheeks, weeping, and reciting eulogies. … and the innovation of rejoicing and celebrating. … So some introduced mourning and others introduced celebration, so they regarded the day of ‘Ashoora’ as a day for wearing kohl, doing ghusl, spending on the family and making special foods. … And every innovation is a going astray. None of the four imams of the Muslims or any other (scholars) regarded either of these things as mustahabb. End quote from Minhaaj al-Sunnah (4/554).

It should be noted that these reprehensible actions are encouraged by the enemies of Islam, so that they can achieve their evil aims of distorting the image of Islam and its followers. Concerning this Moosa al-Musawi said in his book al-Shi’ah wa’l-Tas-heeh:

But there can be no doubt that striking heads with swords and cutting the head in mourning for al-Husayn on the tenth day of Muharram reached Iran and Iraq and India during the British occupation of those lands. The British are the ones who exploited the ignorance and naiveté of the Shi’ah and their deep love for Imam al-Husayn, and taught them to strike their heads with swords. Until recently the British embassies in Tehran and Baghdad sponsored the Husayni parades in which this ugly spectacle appears in the streets and alleyways. The aim of the British imperialist policy of developing this ugly spectacle and exploiting it in the worst manner was to give an acceptable justification to the British people and the free press that opposed British colonialism in India and other Muslim countries, and to show the peoples of these countries as savages who needed someone to save them from their ignorance and savagery. Images of the parades that marched in the streets on the day of ‘Ashoora’, in which thousands of people were striking their backs with chains and making them bleed, and striking their heads with daggers and swords, appeared in British and European newspapers, and the politicians justified their colonization of these countries on the basis of a humane duty to colonize the lands of these people whose culture was like that so as to lead these peoples towards civility and progress. It was said that when Yaseen al-Haashimi, the Iraqi Prime Minister at the time of the British occupation of Iraq, visited London to negotiate with the British for an end to the Mandate, the British said to him: We are in Iraq to help the Iraqi people to make progress and attain happiness, and bring them out of savagery. This angered Yaseen al-Haashimi and he angrily walked out of the room where the negotiations were being held, but the British apologized politely and asked him with all respect to watch a documentary about Iraq, which turned out to be a film about the Husayni marches in the streets of al-Najaf, Karbala’ and al-Kaazimiyyah, showing horrific and off-putting images of people striking themselves with daggers and chains. It is as if the British wanted to tell him: Would an educated people with even a little civility do such things to themselves?

And Allaah knows best. May Allah keep guiding us all and protect us from any deviation. آمِيْن يَارَبَّ الْعَالَمِينْ

Speech is a reflection of the character of a person and says much about who we are. It is an extension of what is in the heart.

Our beloved Prophet (Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was an example of the best speech and character. Nabi never shouted, or used vulgar language. He was not abusive to anyone and spoke with dignity and integrity.

Regrettably, today, people speak loosely to their parents, teachers, elders, spouses, employees, students and fellow humans. Shouting, screaming, harshness and vulgarity has become common. Some make derogatory and racial statements about others, sometimes publicly.

More dangerous and problematic is when people publicly make irresponsible and derogatory remarks about fellow Muslims. This is contrary to the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah and serves to sow division in the Ummah.

The Noble Qur’an warns us not to label people and to avoid causing hurt and offense to others. In Surah Hujurat, the Qur’an advises us, Do not ridicule people - Do not insult one another - Do not label each other with offensive names - Do not backbite about each other.

Abu Hurayrah (R) narrates that Rasulullah (Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the last day, should speak only that which is good or remain silent.” (Sahih Bukhari)

These are the beautiful teachings of Islam that serve to create harmony and cohesion in a community.

Ali radiyallāhu anhu mentioned in a hadeeth that he frequently had pre-seminal fluid emissions (كنت رجلا مذاء) or what the young generation know as pre-cum (slang). He used to take a ritual bath (ghusl) whenever he had it because he thought the ruling was the same with the emission of semen (Sheikh Abdullah Ibn Abdulrahmān Al-Bassām mentioned this in his sharh of Umdatul ahkām). He (Ali) was ashamed to ask the Rasul the ruling on pre-seminal fluid because (as mentioned by Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen) emission of pre-seminal fluid is related to urges and the private parts. Ali was both the prophet's Nephew and Son-in-law, and thus he felt ashamed to mention such issue to the Rasul.

Instead he sent Miqdād Ibn Al-Aswad to ask the Rasul, and he was told (by the Rasul) to (only) wash his private part, and then perform ablution (i.e preseminal fluid nullifies ablution).

One may say that first paragraph was an overkill. Why go to that extent to discuss a topic like urges? In my defence I will say, I needed to get two points out as a form of introduction:

●Urges are normal occurrences among healthy humans. In fact the chaste and spiritually conscious are more likely to feel sexual urges because they do not seek unlawful means to satisfy their sexual needs, so there is a chance of accumulation.

●The intensity varies among humans. Some have negligible urges. Others have normal urges that come and go. Some others have urges so severe they are difficult to control. Then there are the Nymphomaniacs (and Satyromaniacs).

Perhaps one of the most trying aspects of puberty is handling urges, and people's choices at such a delicate period has left a life long mark on some. Like we have always mentioned, the human sexual biology is designed towards procreation, and once your body senses that you are ready it recruits a cocktail of actions and hormones, many beyond your immediate control, to push you towards the one thing that will ensure the continuity of human existence - sex.

From the development of masculine and feminine features at puberty that will be considered sexually arousing and attractive, to the menarche, nocturnal emitions (wet dreams), early morning erections and the others that may come unannounced, pre-seminal emissions and 'wetness' (in women) that mess up underwears (teenagers at puberty without proper counseling have been known to go to lengths to hide these things from parents and siblings). All these are meant for just one purpose, to drive a man to have sex with a woman, get her pregnant and produce offsprings. The pleasure you chose to derive from the process is entirely at your discretion. Nature's major concern is that you are 'pushed' to shoot shots, that find good 'nets' and become 'goals'.

Now you see that urges are normal human feelings, and there is nothing sinful about having them. What you do with them is what determines what side of the scale your actions will be recorded. However some urges can be extremely difficult to handle, and it is ignorance of this fact that makes parents delay marriage of their children (daughters especially). There are persons that if they don't get married at a certain age, it will take a miracle for them not to commit Zina. That's why any society that has too many unmarried adults will most definitely have cases of promiscuity in abundance. You can't cheat nature, and there is a limit to how much even fasting can help curtail urges.

Crazy urges seem to have a mind of their own. It wil feel like your head wants to go North but your body wants to go South. This is what Allāh has commanded, but.....but...but...damn, it's so overwhelming to resist. Why not just a taste, just once....then just another....then another...boom, you have joined the bandwagon of people who satisfy their urges with the harām.

What can you do?
1. Fear Allāh.
The fear of Allāh may not automatically guarantee you won't falter and sin, but the extent of the fear determines how much resistance you can put up against the roaring inferno of urge inside. More importantly, piety is not the perfection many struggle to depict in public. Piety is something that exists between a slave and His Lord, in public and in secret!

2. Learn self restrain.
Do not be someone who naturally gives in to his desires without a fight. Be the master of your body not a slave to it. Be able to say no to the longings of your loins. This requires a lot of discipline. If children can be taught discipline to refuse sweets from strangers despite their love for it, adults can teach themselves to resist the temptation to fulfill their urges in unlawful means despite their longing for it.

3. Marry as early as you can.
This is the only workable solution, although the first two points need to be present otherwise marriage will solve nothing. Irrespective of what the society now makes of it, Islam 'encourages' people to get married early. This will considerably shorten the duration a person has to spend suppressing urges that threaten to consume him.

4. Avoid free mixing with the opposit gender.
A woman can get so aroused that all it will take to tip her over to a point of sexual recklessness is a touch on her skin from a male. Some women get super aroused by simply being in close proximity with males, perceiving the signature masculine scent, listening to their voices or even just looking at their exposed physique. Free mixing may have become such a norm that some people have adapted to it, their urges have been numbed from over excitement after repeated exposures, yet it still portends a danger to young, inexperienced teenagers and those who are struggling to keep their chastity in the world of today. It is safer to limit your interactions with the opposite sex to only what is necessary. I did not bother mentioning those of men because they are more known.

5. Know that those unlawful alternatives you have fashioned out for satisfying your urges - masturbation, pornography, non penetrative sexual activities, etc- , besides being a sin against Allāh, quenches nothing. They are just temporary reliefs, and the urge returns once you stop. That is why you have to keep consuming more till you get addicted, which is when things take a turn for the worse.

6. Keep the company of the pious, and avoid materials that trigger sexual thoughts.
If you keep friends that are always discussing butts, boobs, size and other sexual inanities, you obviously will think more often of sex. Keep friends that remind you of keeping your duties to Allāh. Avoid materials, video and print, that have sexual connotations. These are triggers that will make your resolve harder to keep.

7. Fill your time with beneficial activities that give you less time to think of sex. An iddle mind is the devils workshop.

8. Pray.

Ask Allāh to help you guard your chastity.

May Allāh ease our affairs.

advocatejare:
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala said:

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشٰرِقِ وَالْمَغٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقٰدِرُونَ
"So I swear by the Lord of risings and settings that indeed We are able"
(QS. Al-Ma'aarij 70: Verse 40)


Who is the Lord of risings and settings that Allah was swearing with?

Praise be to Allah.

It is obligatory to read Qur’aan with the letters with which Allaah has revealed it, with sound Arabic pronunciation, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And truly, this (the Qur’aan) is a revelation from the Lord of the ‘Aalameen(mankind, jinn and all that exists),

193. Which the trustworthy Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] has brought down

194. Upon your heart (O Muhammad) that you may be (one) of the warners,

195. In the plain Arabic language”

[al-Shu’ara 26:192-195]

“Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’aan in order that you may understand” [Yoosuf 12:2]

It is not permissible for anyone to deliberately change any letter of it when he is able to pronounce it correctly. This is a kind of mistake which is a sin.

If a person finds it difficult to pronounce the letters correctly – such as people in whose language some of the Arabic letters, such as tha’, dhal and kha’ do not exist – they have to try to learn the correct pronunciation, but if they are unable to master it then they are excused, but their example should not be followed, and they should be called upon to strive their hardest to learn and correct their pronunciation. And none of them should lead the prayer, unless he is leading others like him who cannot pronounce well either.

Ibn al-Jazari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Whoever is able to read the words of Allaah with correct Arabic pronunciation but he deliberately pronounces it incorrectly like a non-Arab, out of arrogance, stubbornness and complacency, or because he is too proud to go to a scholar who could help him to correct his pronunciation, is undoubtedly falling short and sinning and being dishonest. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Religion is sincerity: to Allaah, to His Book, to His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk.”

But if a person’s tongue will not obey him or he cannot find someone to teach him the correct pronunciation, then Allaah does not burden any soul beyond its scope.

End quote from al-Nashr fi’l-Qiraa’aat al-‘Ashr, 1/299

It should be noted that Allaah has made it easy to memorize and recite Qur’aan, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We have indeed made the Qur’aan easy to understand and remember; then is there any one who will remember (or receive admonition)?” [al-Qamar 54:17]

Hence we see many of our brothers in the countries referred to who are able to pronounce the letters perfectly, better than many of their Arab brothers. So you should strive to learn the correct pronunciation and recite Qur’aan with proper Tajweed, and not despair or give up.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.