Why Doesn’t Allah Punish All Evil In This World? Unknown02:29 0 comments

It is natural to feel strongly that people who do evil and injustice should be held accountable immediately. Every person who has suffered injustice, irrespective of financial or social status, almost certainly wants the perpetrator of injustice to be punished. Every normal person would like the robber or the rapist, for example, to be taught a lesson. Although we see numerous cases where Allah’s justice is served immediately in this life, we also know that many escape punishment and seem to go on enjoying their lives. In such cases, one may question why Allah (SWT) allows this to happen. The answer to this question lies in understanding the purpose and reality of this worldly life.

Per Islamic belief, the final justice will be meted out by Allah (SWT) the Most Wise, on the Day of Judgment. Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:

“And be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah. Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.”

(Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 281)

After a person dies, he will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment along with the rest of the mankind. It is possible that a person receives part of his punishment in this world.

However, as promised by Allah, accounts will be finalized justly only in the Hereafter. So, The Almighty Allah may not punish a robber or a rapist in this world but He will surely hold him accountable on the Day of Judgment. Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:

“Everyone shall taste death. And only on the Day of Resurrection shall you be paid your wages in full. And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception (a deceiving thing).”

[Quran (Surah Aal-e- Imran, Verse 185)]

Besides, we also know that mankind is sinful by nature. No one is completely clean. If Allah had to punish everyone in this life, this world would be an empty place. He says in the Quran:

“And if Allah were to seize mankind for their wrong-doing, He would not leave on it (the earth) a single moving (living) creature, but He postpones them for an appointed term and when their term comes, neither can they delay nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment).”

[Quran (Surah An-Nahl, Verse 61)]

So, Allah out of His Divine wisdom may choose to punish certain evil acts in this world and in some cases, He may give the perpetrators respite until the Day of Judgement when all accounts will be fully settled

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Islam brings me happiness:Sonny Bill Williams Unknown02:22 0 comments

Paris, November 28:

I grew up as Christian,and moving to Australia when I was 15 I learned a lot about the Muslim faith.

It was in the cave of Hira that the prophet Muhammad received the first revelation of the Quran. For rugby’s original wild child Sonny Bill Williams, meeting a Tunisian family who lived with their five children in a one-bedroom flat in the south of France proved pivotal to his conversion to Islam.

“I was real close with them, and I saw how happy and content they were. And to see how they lived their lives, it was just simple,” Sonny Bill Williams said.

He says becoming a Muslim has helped him become content as a man, and helped me to grow. “I’ve become a true Muslim,” added Williams.

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Australian professional rugby player Blake Ferguson converts to Islam Unknown02:19 0 comments

Australian professional rugby player Blake Ferguson has converted to Islam as he was seeking a road to rehabilitation and redemption in the wake of alcohol-related incidents.

Blake made the commitment to the Muslim faith at Zetland Mosque in the southeastern Australian city of Sydney last Friday.

The 23-year-old sportsman was converted to Islam by his cousin and professional boxer Anthony Mundine, who also converted rugby league superstar Sonny Bill Williams to the Muslim faith five years ago when Williams was going through a difficult period in his life.

Williams is now a $1 million-a-year superstar in Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL).

“This will make me strong, God willing. Islam is going to make me a better person and better rugby league player,” Ferguson said.

He added, “It’s going to make me more focused, more dedicated, more devoted. Being an NRL player is really a 24-hour job. I haven’t appreciated that in the past.”

“I want to play NRL, I want to find a club, play for NSW (New South Wales), and I want to beat Queensland.” Ferguson noted.

Ferguson has had a troubled year in the NRL and many of his misdemeanors have been alcohol-related, making his religious conversion a very significant step.

MP/HGH

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Abu Dhabi university professor wins libel suit against British tabloid for Ayatollah of the RAF remark Unknown02:17 0 comments

ABU DHABI // A professor at an Abu Dhabi university has won a libel claim against a British newspaper that called him the “Ayatollah of the RAF”. Ayatollah of the RAF

Dr Joel Hayward, a defence and securities expert who teaches at Khalifa University, successfully sued the Mail on Sunday over the article from 2011.

At the time, Prof Hayward – a Muslim convert – was the head of studies at the Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot training college in the UK.

The article, which has since been removed from the Mail Online website, claimed Prof Hayward encouraged students to take a “softly-softly line” when writing about Islamist terrorism, according to the New Zealand-born academic.

He took legal action to set the record straight.

“I just felt like there was enough of this Islam-bashing,” he said.

“Islam is a beautiful religion, it’s a wonderful thing. The characterisation by the Mail of my faith was just so inaccurate. It presented Islam as something so extreme and dark.

“I thought that if I let this pass, they’ll continue to attack everyone who embraces Islam.”

Prof Hayward moved to the UAE to work as director of the Institute of International and Civil Security and the chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Khalifa University.

He said the environment here was much more friendly toward Muslim converts.

“It’s quite difficult to live as a Muslim in Britain, unless you live close to a mosque,” he said. “Here there’s a mosque on every corner.

“Here the Islam that’s practised is gentle and moderate. It’s a beautiful experience to live as a Muslim in the UAE. It’s liberating and wonderful.”

Prof Hayward said he won “substantial damages” from Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Mail on Sunday, in the action pursued by legal firm Carter-Ruck. He declined to say exactly how much.

“It’s not enough to place me in any rich list but I hope it’s enough for the Mail to think twice about doing something similar in future,” he said.

“I hope that eventually a better portrayal of Islam and Muslims will appear in the British press. At the moment it’s an unbalanced one, because of 9/11 and 7/7.

“Hopefully that will change as Muslims continue to contribute to British society in a positive way, and those prejudices just slip away.

“If my case has helped speed up that process, I’d be very happy.”

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Why So Many Latinos Are Becoming Muslims Unknown02:13 0 comments

Most Latinos know the country is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month right now. What far fewer Latinos know is that next week marks Eid al-Adha, one of Islam’s most sacred holidays.

And yet the two observances are more related now than most Latinos realize.

Just as the U.S. Latino population is on the rise — Hispanics are now the nation’s largest minority — so is the number of Latino Muslims. And it’s not just a result of Arab Latin Americans emigrating to the United States.

According to organizations like WhyIslam.org, Latinos are one of the fastest growing segments of the Muslim community. About six percent of U.S. Muslims are now Latino — and as many as a fifth of new converts to Islam nationwide are Latino.

The American Muslim Association of North America, based in North Miami, says heavily Hispanic South Florida in particular is home to a rising number of Latino Muslims.

Not that conversion to Islam is easy in Latino society, as Marina Gonzalez knows. A Nicaraguan-American nurse in Miami, Gonzalez converted five years ago and wears the hijab, the Muslim women’s head garb. At first her family stopped talking to her.

They [were] calling me Talibana,” Gonzalez recalls. “My mother, she didn’t like to go [out] with me because I wear the hijab.”

But now her mother “understands. When I go to my parents’ house they turn off the TV when I have to pray. I’m so happy.”

Najib Sowma’s first name was Dario before he converted six years ago. Today he’s a leading member of the Al-Ihsaan mosque in South Miami-Dade. But his Cuban mother was initially shocked.

“Now her views have changed,” says Sowma. “Prior to me being Muslim to who I am now, she sees a big difference in my character.”

Spain’s Islamic Past

If it’s a surprise that many Latinos are moving from a predominantly Roman Catholic culture to an originally Arab faith, perhaps it shouldn’t be. For one thing, like African-Americans in the 1960s, Latinos are discovering their own historical and cultural ties to Islam and the Arab world. And that starts with what most defines Latinos: Spanish.

“Our language is nurtured by more than 4,000 words that come from Arabic,” says Wilfredo Ruiz, a Puerto Rican-born Muslim who converted a decade ago and is a lawyer for the South Florida chapter of the Council of American-Islamic Relations. “Every word in Spanish that starts with ‘al,’ for example, like alcalde, alcantarilla, almohada.”

That’s because Arab Muslims ruled Spain for some 800 years during the Middle Ages — and made the Iberian Peninsula one of the most advanced civilizations of its time. A millennium later, Ruiz says that past is an inescapable part of the Hispanic DNA.

“What most Latinos who have embraced Islam find most amazing is their cultural affinity to the Muslim culture,” says Ruiz. “It’s like rediscovering your past. That area of our past has been hidden from us.”

Ruiz points out that both Latinos and Arabs highly value the extended family and traditions like offering hospitality to strangers. In religious terms, Latinos like Gonzalez say Islam provides a simpler, more direct form of worship than Catholicism does. They also feel more structure than they see in the evangelical churches so many Latinos join today.

“The connection I have with God now is better than before,” says Gonzalez.

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Jesus: the Muslim prophet Unknown13:11 0 comments

Christians, perhaps because they call themselves Christians and believe in Christianity, like to claim ownership of Christ. But the veneration of Jesus by Muslims began during the lifetime of the Prophet of Islam. Perhaps most telling is the story in the classical biographies of Muhammad, who, entering the city of Mecca in triumph in 630AD, proceeded at once to the Kaaba to cleanse the holy shrine of its idols. As he walked around, ordering the destruction of the pictures and statues of the 360 or so pagan deities, he came across a fresco on the wall depicting the Virgin and Child. He is said to have covered it reverently with his cloak and decreed that all other paintings be washed away except that one.

Jesus, or Isa, as he is known in Arabic, is deemed by Islam to be a Muslim prophet rather than the Son of God, or God incarnate. He is referred to by name in as many as 25 different verses of the Quran and six times with the title of "Messiah" (or "Christ", depending on which Quranic translation is being used). He is also referred to as the "Messenger" and the "Prophet" but, perhaps above all else, as the "Word" and the "Spirit" of God. No other prophet in the Quran, not even Muhammad, is given this particular honour. In fact, among the 124,000 prophets said to be recognised by Islam - a figure that includes all of the Jewish prophets of the Old Testament - Jesus is considered second only to Muhammad, and is believed to be the precursor to the Prophet of Islam.

In his fascinating book The Muslim Jesus, the former Cambridge professor of Arabic and Islamic studies Tarif Khalidi brings together, from a vast range of sources, 303 stories, sayings and traditions of Jesus that can be found in Muslim literature, from the earliest centuries of Islamic history. These paint a picture of Christ not dissimilar to the Christ of the Gospels. The Muslim Jesus is the patron saint of asceticism, the lord of nature, a miracle worker, a healer, a moral, spiritual and social role model.

“Jesus used to eat the leaves of the trees," reads one saying, "dress in hairshirts, and sleep wherever night found him. He had no child who might die, no house which might fall into ruin; nor did he save his lunch for his dinner or his dinner for his lunch. He used to say, 'Each day brings with it its own sustenance.'"

According to Islamic theology, Christ did not bring a new revealed law, or reform an earlier law, but introduced a new path or way (tariqah) based on the love of God; it is perhaps for this reason that he has been adopted by the mystics, or Sufis, of Islam. The Sufi philosopher al-Ghazali described Jesus as "the prophet of the soul" and the Sufi master Ibn Arabi called him "the seal of saints". The Jesus of Islamic Sufism, as Khalidi notes, is a figure "not easily distinguished" from the Jesus of the Gospels.

What prompted Khalidi to write such a pro­vocative book? "We need to be reminded of a history that told a very different story: how one religion, Islam, co-opted Jesus into its own spirituality yet still maintained him as an independent hero of the struggle between the spirit and the letter of the law," he told me. "It is in many ways a remarkable story of religious encounter, of one religion fortifying its own piety by adopting and cherishing the master spiritual narrative of another religion."

Islam reveres both Jesus and his mother, Mary (Joseph appears nowhere in the Islamic narrative of Christ's birth). "Unlike the canonical Gospels, the Quran tilts backward to his miraculous birth rather than forward to his Passion," writes Khalidi. "This is why he is often referred to as 'the son of Mary' and why he and his mother frequently appear together." In fact, the Virgin Mary, or Maryam, as she is known in the Quran, is considered by Muslims to hold the most exalted spiritual position among women. She is the only woman mentioned by name in Islam's holy book and a chapter of the Quran is named after her. In one oft-cited tradition, the Prophet Muhammad described her as one of the four perfect women in human history.

But the real significance of Mary is that Islam considers her a virgin and endorses the Christian concept of the Virgin Birth. "She was the chosen woman, chosen to give birth to Jesus, without a husband," says Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, an imam in Leicester and assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). This is the orthodox Islamic position and, paradoxically, as Seyyed Hossein Nasr notes in The Heart of Islam, "respect for such teachings is so strong among Muslims that today, in interreligious dialogues with Christians . . . Muslims are often left defending traditional . . . Christian doctrines such as the miraculous birth of Christ before modernist interpreters would reduce them to metaphors."

With Christianity and Islam so intricately linked, it might make sense for Muslim communities across Europe, harassed, haran­gued and often under siege, to do more to stress this common religious heritage, and especially the shared love for Jesus and Mary. There is a renowned historical precedent for this from the life of the Prophet. In 616AD, six years in to his mission in Mecca, Muhammad decided to find a safer refuge for those of his followers who had been exposed to the worst persecution from his opponents in the pagan tribes of the Quraysh. He asked the Negus, the Christian king of Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia), to take them in. He agreed and more than 80 Muslims left Mecca with their families. The friendly reception that greeted them upon arrival in Abyssinia so alarmed the Quraysh that, worried about the prospects of Muhammad's Muslims winning more allies abroad, they sent two delegates to the court of the Negus to persuade him to extradite them back to Mecca. The Muslim refugees, claimed the Quraysh, were blasphemers and fugitives. The Negus invited Jafar, cousin of Muhammad and leader of the Muslim group, to answer the charges. Jafar explained that Muhammad was a prophet of the same God who had confirmed his revelation to Jesus, and recited aloud the Quranic account of the virginal conception of Christ in the womb of Mary:

And make mention of Mary in the Scripture, when she had withdrawn from her people to a chamber looking East,And had chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent unto her Our Spirit and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man.She said: Lo! I seek refuge in the Beneficent One from thee, if thou art God-fearing.He said: I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a faultless son.She said: How can I have a son when no mortal hath touched me, neither have I been unchaste?
Quran, 19:16-21

He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me. And (it will be) that We may make of him a revelation for mankind and a mercy from Us, and it is a thing ordained.

Karen Armstrong writes, in her biography of Muhammad, that "when Jafar finished, the beauty of the Quran had done its work. The Negus was weeping so hard that his beard was wet, and the tears poured down the cheeks of his bishops and advisers so copiously that their scrolls were soaked." The Muslims remained in Abyssinia, under the protection of the Negus, and were able to practise their religion freely.

However, for Muslims, the Virgin Birth is not evidence of Jesus's divinity, only of his unique importance as a prophet and a messiah. The Trinity is rejected by Islam, as is Jesus's Crucifixion and Resurrection. The common theological ground seems to narrow at this point - as Jonathan Bartley, co-director of the Christian think tank Ekklesia, argues, the belief in the Resurrection is the "deal-breaker". He adds: "There is a fundamental tension at the heart of interfaith dialogue that neither side wants to face up to, and that is that the orthodox Christian view of Jesus is blasphemous to Muslims and the orthodox Muslim view of Jesus is blasphemous to Christians." He has a point. The Quran singles out Christianity for formulating the concept of the Trinity:

Do not say, "Three" - Cease! That is better for you. God is one God. Glory be to Him, [high exalted is He] above having a son.Quran 4:171

It castigates Christianity for the widespread practice among its sects of worshipping Jesus and Mary, and casts the criticism in the form of an interrogation of Jesus by God:

And when God will say: "O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother as gods besides God'?" he will
say, "Glory be to You, it was not for me to say what I had no right [to say]! If I had said it, You would have known it.Quran 5:116

Jesus, as Khalidi points out, "is a controversial prophet. He is the only prophet in the Quran who is deliberately made to distance himself from the doctrines that his community is said to hold of him." For example, Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified but was raised bodily to heaven by God.

Yet many Muslim scholars have maintained that the Islamic conception of Jesus - shorn of divinity; outside the Trinity; a prophet - is in line with the beliefs and teachings of some of the earliest Jewish-Christian sects, such as the Ebionites and the Nazarenes, who believed Jesus to be the Messiah, but not divine. Muslims claim the Muslim Jesus is the historical Jesus, stripped of a later, man-made "Christology": "Jesus as he might have been without St Paul or St Augustine or the Council of Nicaea", to quote the Cambridge academic John Casey.

Or, as A N Wilson wrote in the Daily Express a decade ago: "Islam is a moral and intellectual acknowledgement of the lordship of God without the encumbrance of Christian mythological baggage . . . That is why Christianity will decline in the next millennium, and the religious hunger of the human heart will be answered by the Crescent, not the Cross." Despite the major doctrinal differences, there remain areas of significant overlap, such as on the second coming of Christ. Both Muslims and Christians subscribe to the belief that before the world ends Jesus will return to defeat the Antichrist, whom Muslims refer to as Dajjal.

The idea of a Muslim Jesus, in whatever doctrinal form, may help fortify the resolve of those scholars who talk of the need to reformulate the exclusivist concept of a Judaeo-Christian civilisation and refer instead to a "Judaeo-Christian-Muslim civilisation". This might be anathema to evangelical Christians - especially in the US, where populist preachers such as Franklin Graham see Islam as a "very evil and wicked religion" - but, as Khalidi points out, "While the Jewish tradition by and large rejects Jesus, the Islamic tradition, especially Sufi or mystical Islam, constructs a place for him at the very centre of its devotions."

Nonetheless, Jesus remains an esoteric part of Islamic faith and practice. Where, for example, is the Islamic equivalent of Christmas? Why do Muslims celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad but not that of the Prophet Jesus? "We, too, in our own way should celebrate the birth of Jesus . . . [because] he is so special to us," says Mogra. "But I think each religious community has distinct celebrations, so Muslims will celebrate their own and Christians their own."

In recent years, the right-wing press in Britain has railed against alleged attempts by "politically correct" local authorities to downplay or even suppress Christmas. Birmingham's attempt to name its seasonal celebrations "Winterval" and Luton's Harry Potter-themed lights, or "Luminos", are notorious examples. There is often a sense that such decisions are driven by the fear that outward displays of Christian faith might offend British Muslim sensibilities, but, given the importance of Jesus in Islam, such fears seem misplaced. Mogra, who leads the MCB's interfaith relations committee, concurs: "It's a ridiculous suggestion to change the name of Christmas." He adds: "Britain is great when it comes to celebrating diverse religious festivals of our various faith communities. They should remain named as they are, and we should celebrate them all."

Mogra is brave to urge Muslims to engage in an outward and public celebration of Jesus, in particular his birth, in order to match the private reverence that Muslims say they have for him. Is there a danger, however, that Muslim attempts to re-establish the importance of Jesus within Islam and as an integral part of their faith and tradition might be misinterpreted? Might they be misconstrued as part of a campaign by a supposedly resurgent and politicised Islam to try to take "ownership" of Jesus, in a western world in which organised Christianity is in seeming decline? Might it be counterproductive for interfaith relations? Church leaders, thankfully, seem to disagree.

“I have always enjoyed spending time with Muslim friends, with whom we as Christians have so much in common, along with Jewish people, as we all trace our faith back to Abraham," the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, tells me. "When I visit a mosque, having been welcomed in the name of 'Allah and His Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him', I respond with greetings 'in the name of Jesus Christ, whom you Muslims revere as a prophet, and whom I know as the Saviour of the World, the Prince of Peace'."

Amid tensions between the Christian west and the Islamic east, a common focus on Jesus - and what Khalidi calls a "salutary" reminder of when Christianity and Islam were more open to each other and willing to rely on each other's witness - could help close the growing divide between the world's two largest faiths. Mogra agrees: "We don't have to fight over Jesus. He is special for Christians and Muslims. He is bigger than life. We can share him."

Reverend David Marshall, one of the Church of England's specialists on Islam, cites the concluding comments from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, at a recent seminar for Christian and Muslim scholars. He said he had been encouraged by "the quality of our disagreement". "Christians and Muslims disagree on many points and will continue to do so - but how we disagree is not predetermined," says Marshall. "Muslims are called by the Quran to 'argue only in the best way with the People of the Book' [Quran 29:46], and Christians are encouraged to give reasons for the hope that is within them, 'with gentleness and reverence' [1 Peter 3:15]. If we can do this, we have no reason to be afraid."

Soruce.

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Superiority of the Women of Paradise over Hoors Unknown12:24 0 comments

Superiority of the Women of Paradise over Hoors :

Umme Salamah (radi Allahu anha) narrates that she said to Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam): “O Rasul Allah, are the women of this world superior or the hoors (of Paradise)?” He (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) replied, “The women of this world will have superiority over the hoors just as the outer lining of a garment has superiority over the inner lining.” Umme Salamah (radi Allahu anha) then asked, “O Rasul Allah, what is the reason for this?” He answered, “Because they performed salah, fasted, and worshipped [Allah]. Allah will put light on their faces and silk on their bodies. [The human women] will be fair in complexion and will wear green clothing and yellow jewelry. Their incense-burners will be made of pearls and their combs will be of gold. They will say, ‘We are the women who will stay forever and we will never die. We are the women who will always remain in comfort and we will never undergo difficulty. We are the women who will stay and we will never leave. Listen, we are happy women and we will never become sad. Glad tidings to those men for whom we are and who are for us.’” [Tabrani]

As beautiful as the hoors of Jannah are, Muslim women of this world will be far superior to them in Jannah. To imagine how wonderful those women will be who make it to Jannah, we only need to see how hoors have been described and then realize that they are of poor quality when compared to the fineness of the righteous women who Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) puts in Jannah.

From the Quran and hadith literature we learn that “a hoor is a most beautiful young woman with a transparent body. The marrow of her bones is visible like the interior lines of pearls and rubies. She looks like red wine in a white glass.” [Trmidhi] A hoor has big, beautiful eyes with black irises and intense white scleras. She is a woman characterized by modesty and flexing glances; she never looks at any man except her husband. She feels grateful for being his wife and is always reconciled with him. A hoor is young, immortal and does not age. She is free of animosity and speaks softly. “She is of white colour and free from routine physical disabilities such as menstruation, menopause, urinal and offal discharge, child bearing and the related pollution.” [Tirmidhi] Having been brought up in luxury, she is a luxury herself. “If a hoor looked down from her abode in Heaven onto earth, the whole distance between Heaven and earth would fill with light and fragrance. Her face is more radiant than a mirror and one can see one’s image in her cheek.” [Mishkat; volume 3] When a man turns his face away from her, she becomes 70 times more beautiful. If she were to spit in the salty water of the seven oceans, then the oceans would turn sweeter than honey.

A hoor is one of the delights of Paradise. She has only been created in Paradise for the sake of someone else. On the other hand, believing women will be themselves deserving of great rewards and will be given these rewards in Jannah. This hadith tells us that the reason for the superiority of Muslim women over hoors is that they chose to worship Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) in this world.

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Ten Tips for Revert Brothers Seeking Marriage Unknown12:17 0 comments

When it comes to marriage, reverts face many social stigmas that make it a very daunting dream. Making the dream a reality involves overcoming weaknesses, and improving oneself, all while overcoming cultural norms.

It can be a balancing act, and without guidance and direction, it can seem nearly impossible for revert brothers.

Most reverts face a lot of pressure to get married. First they have problems with community acceptance as an outsider, no Muslim family to support them, and usually face racism and discrimination for a number of different reasons.

Some often feel depressed and lonely, as hopelessness enters their hearts, and sometimes they are led to believe that there is no chance to get married to a Muslimah. This sometimes leads some revert brothers to seek out non-Muslims for marriage, or leave Islam altogether out of hopelessness.

The following ten tips are to make it easier for our brothers to gain hope, and make goals, and achieve them insha-Allah. Doing your best and following these tips will increase your chances of finding your ideal bride to be.

1. Improve Upon Your Deen – You Must Be Strong

"…women of purity are for men of purity, and men of purity are for women of purity…" (An-Nur24: 26)

Revert brothers face a huge stigma when it comes to their knowledge of the deen.

It is a legitimate concern for parents of a Muslim woman to ensure that their daughter marries a very pious, honest, respectable man. It is the biggest hurdle for a revert brother because if he is weak in his faith, he may resort to his non-Muslim lifestyle, or even worse leave Islam entirely. If a man leaves Islam, his wife would have to divorce, and no one wants to fear the possibility of divorce due to this reason.

Learn your deen extensively and become a strong pious Muslim before seeking marriage. You must show that you are strong in faith, and adhere to all Islamic teachings to gain the trust of a woman and her family.

2. Strive to Attain a Good Education and Career to Support a Family

A major difference between most Western and Muslim societies is that university education is often free; thus making most men having a degree very common. In Western societies, one must spend a fortune usually to attain a university degree. As a result, the woman or her family will seek a man with a university education, and if he doesn’t have one, they may seek someone else. They want to ensure that the man can provide a good living to support a family. So, do your best to get some sort of higher education to have a career that can maintain a family life without struggles.

3. Learn About the Spousal Responsibilities – Be Willing to Accept

Islam holds both the husband and wife to many roles and responsibilities in an Islamic marriage. Both have rights upon the other. Western cultures tend to not fit this mold, so you must learn about and accept what is expected of you as a husband.

The feminist movement in the West has reversed many roles in western society. This does not imply that Islamic societies don’t give women rights, but obligations are set forth upon the men to be the sole supporter of the household.

A husband shouldn’t expect or plan for his wife to also need to work to support the family before getting married. The wife can opt to do this if she chooses, but it shouldn’t be expected. This is an important matter to discuss before getting married. Some women may feel they don’t want to be expected or needed to work, and prefer to be a stay-at-home wife and mother, and if you marry and discover this afterwards, it can put a strain on the marriage. It is very well known that a majority of marriages fall apart due to financial difficulties in both Muslim and non-Muslim societies.

If you are not in a position to do this, it is recommended to wait until you are stable enough to do so. It will make the start of the marriage go more smoothly.

4. Start Saving Before Seeking Marriage

Most Muslim societies have a very strong family support system that is different from western norms. This doesn’t mean that western societies don’t have strong family ties, but there are differences.

The biggest difference is that in most Muslim societies, the children remain living at home until they marry, even if they are 40 years old. The families support them until they marry. This allows the son to work and save money to put towards purchasing a home, car, and preparing for a dowry (mahr), and a marriage celebration when he gets married. It gives him time to prepare for his future and ability to save a lot of money.

In western societies, it is all too common for the children to move out of their family home between 18-21 years of age, and must support themselves 100%. This makes it harder for a westerner to save money towards bettering their future. So, it is best advised to get your education, and find a stable job and save some money before seeking to marry to improve your chances of finding a wife and getting acceptance from her family.

5. Avoid Those Who Seek Division of Nationalities & Cultures

Sadly, racism and nationalism is still deeply embedded into the minds of people all around the world. You may encounter families that insist their daughters marry a cousin, or a neighbor they grew up with. Many families hold onto their nationalism with an iron fist, and refuse to allow their daughters to marry an outsider. There are also many that favor a lighter skinned person over dark skinned due to cultural stereotypes. (49: 13)

You can’t change your skin color or your nationality, so there isn’t really much a person can do about this other than educating the ignorant to rid them of this social disease.

If you find that a woman or her family hold such enmity within themselves on skin color or nationalism, it is best to just avoid them, and say “Alhamdulillah” that you discovered it before getting married. Do you really want in-laws like that anyway?

6. Prevent Past Sins from Affecting Your Future

Everyone sins, and before accepting Islam you probably had many sins that you don’t want to be reminded of, or held against you. All your prior sins before accepting Islam were erased, and you were given a new slate because God has forgiven you for them.

If a woman or her family inquires about your previous lifestyle, you don’t have to give details, and it is better to just avoid it in a nice manner. Simply remind them that God has forgiven you for sins when you accepted Islam, and that Islam has transformed you into a better person. The less information you give, the less they have to hold against you. Don’t give them things from your past to judge you about, because they may think it is just a matter of time before you do those things again. Save yourself the headache. Think about how it can come back to haunt you in the future before you speak.

If you had sexual encounters in your past, it is recommended to make sure you test yourself for sexually transmitted diseases before searching for a spouse. If you are asked if you are a virgin, and you are not, you can be honest and simply state that you are not a virgin any longer, but don’t go into anything further than that.

You are not obligated to give specifics. Just remind them as stated earlier that your prior sins have been erased and leave it as that, because if you tell your wife, or her family anything about these encounters, it can put a dark spot on their heart towards you and implant negative thoughts about you into their mind and may increase over time. Reaffirm them that you no longer live that sort of lifestyle and strive to be a good Muslim.

7. Implement Proper Islamic Behavior at All Times

To gain respect amongst Muslim, and a future wife, and her family, you must show that you are aware and implement Islamic behavior and manners. Your reputation can either ‘make you or break you’. If you are still holding onto a non-Muslim lifestyle, manners, and behaviors, it can damage your reputation so much that you won’t have anyone to recommend you or accept you.

Do not get involved in haram relationships with a woman before marrying her, because she will realize that you didn’t follow Islam with her in the beginning and may put fear in her heart that you may not follow Islam in other ways in the future. It will only cause heartache and trust issues in the future.

You can’t begin seeking the halal by doing haram. God will not put blessings into such relationships. Gain God’s pleasure by seeking marriage in the halal ways to ensure as many blessings as possible.

Don’t expect to find a woman that models the wife of the Prophet Muhammad if you are not modeling the Prophet yourself. Be the ideal Muslim man to find an ideal Muslim wife.

8. Learn About Various Cultures & Customs

Inter-cultural marriage will always have clashes based on their differences. New Muslims often feel they must accept and integrate into their spouse’s culture. Remember that both the husband and wife will expect the other to adapt to their culture.

The important thing is to avoid learning and implementing anything that is un-Islamic. If you can agree to learn and adapt to the other’s culture, minus the un-Islamic matters, it will make things easier.

9. Remember to Make Dua’

Dua’ is the weapon of the believer, and we should make use of this gift that is a mercy upon us. God accepts the dua’s of a sincere believer.

10. Put Your Trust in Allah & Pray Istikhara

Istikhara (prayer of guidance) is another special prayer and tool that we must always use when we are seeking guidance from God on all important matters of life.

You may find a woman that you feel is suitable to marry, but if you pray istikhara, you may be given signs or indicators of things that could possibly destroy the marriage. Zainab even postponed her marriage proposal offered by the Prophet so that she could seek council from God through istikhara first before making a decision. God is the knower of all things, and if we ask Him to show us what we are blinded to, it can save us from a lifetime of misery. Trust in God in all affairs to be guided to goodness. (2:186)

Conclusion:

Although the ideal solution would be to snap our fingers, and bring everyone out of their fantasy world, we know we can’t change everyone else, we can only improve and change ourselves. Put your trust in God, and work on yourself, and God will reward you for your efforts with the ideal Muslim bride.

Rule of thumb: Allah doesn’t change the situation of people until they change themselves.

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The Virtues and Sunnah's of Jummah Unknown12:13 0 comments

8: Say, "Indeed, the death from which you flee - indeed, it will meet you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you about what you used to do."

9: O you who have believed, when [the adhan] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumu'ah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew.

10: And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah , and remember Allah often that you may succeed. (Al-Jumah 62:8/9/10)

Hadhrat Ali Ibn Abu Taalib (RA) narrated: on the pulpit in the mosque of Kufah: When Friday comes, the devils go to the markets with their flags, and involve people in their needs and prevent them from the Friday prayer. The angels come early in the morning, sit at the door of the mosque, and record that so-and-so came at the first hour, and so-and-so came at the second hour until the imam comes out (for preaching). When a man sits in a place where he can listen (to the sermon) and look (at the imam), where he remains silent and does not interrupt, he will receive a double reward. If he stays away, sits in a place where he cannot listen (to the sermon), silent, and does not interrupt, he will receive the reward only once. If he sits in a place where he can listen (to the sermon) and look (at the imam), and he does not remain silent, he will have the burden of it. If anyone says to his companion sitting besides him to be silent (while the imam is preaching), he is guilty of idle talk. Anyone who interrupts (during the sermon) will receive nothing (no reward) on that Friday. Then he (the narrator) says in the end of this tradition: I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) say so. (Abu Dawood 1046)

1. Jummah preparations should begin on Thursday such as clipping the nails, removing of
the hair etc (Ihya aul-Uloom, vol. 1, page 161)

2. To have a bath (Ghusl) (Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)

On one Friday, Rasulallah said: "O Muslims! Allah Ta'ala has made this day a day of Eid. So have a bath on this day, whoever has perfume should apply it, and use the Miswaak. “ (Ibn Majah)

3. To use Miswaak (Ibid)

4. To use Attar (Perfume) (Ibid)

5. To wear nice clothes (Abu Dawood, Chapter of Ghusl on the day of Jummah)

6. To proceed early as possible to the Masjid for Jummah

Rasulallah (Pbuh) said: "On the day of Jummah, the angels stand at the entrance of that Masjid in which Jummah salaat is to be offered. They write down the name of the person who enters the Masjid first, and thereafter the name of the person who follows, and they continue doing this. The person who entered first will receive the reward of sacrificing a camel in the path of Allah; the one who followed him will get the reward of sacrificing a cow, thereafter a chicken, thereafter the reward of giving an egg as charity in the path of Allah. Once the khutbah commences, the angels close the register and begin listening to the khutbah.“ (Bukhari and Muslim)

7. To walk to the Masjid if possible for every step is a reward of a years Nafl Fast (Tirmidhi)

8. One should listen very attentively to the khutba even if one does not understand. One should not speak or even warn another to keep quite while the khutba is in progress.

9. To try to sit as close as possible to the Imaam. (Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi)

10. If the Saffs (rows) are already filled, one should not jump over the shoulders of the musallies in order to get to the front.(Abu Dawood)

11. One should not fiddle with clothes or fingers but listen attentively (Ibn Majah)

12. When Rasulallah (Pbuh) name is mentioned in the khutba then it is permissible to recite durood in the heart only without the movement of the lips or tongue.

13. Between the two khutba’s one should make dua. It is permissible to make dua without raising hands or moving the lips (I.e. dua should be made in the heart only without the movement of the lips or the tongue) (Aadaab -E - Zindagee)

14. To read: Surah Al A’ala (Sura no 87) in the first rakaat of Jummah Salah and Surah Gaathia (Surah no 88) in the second rakaat. (Bukhari)

15. Related by Hakim and Bayhaqi, from Abu Sa`id “Whoever recites Surat al-Kahf on Friday, light shall shine forth for him between the two Fridays.” (Ibn Hajar, Talkhis al- Habir)

16. Rasulallah (Pbuh) is reported to have said, “Recite Durood upon me in abundance on the day of Jummah since they are presented to me.” (Ibn Majah)

17 . Making abundant dua on Jummah

Rasulallah (Pbuh) said: "There is such an hour on Friday that if any Muslim makes dua in it, his dua will definitely be accepted.”(Bukhari, Muslim)

18 . Reciting Durood 80 times after Asr:

According to a Hadith recorded in Tabarani on the authority of Abdullah Ibn Abbas (RA):
Abu Hurraira (RA) reports that the Holy Prophet (Pbuh) said: “Whoever recites the following Durood eighty times immediately after Asr Salaat on Friday, before standing up from his place, Allah will forgive eighty years of sins and grant him the reward equivalent to eighty years of worship.”

Allahumma salli alaa muhammadinin nabiyyil ummiyyi wa-ala aalihi wasallim tasleema

O Allah bless Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet, and his family and grant them best of peace. (Jame Sagheer)

19. Abu Hurraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) said: The five daily prayers, and from one Jummah to the next, are an expiation for whatever sins come in between, so long as one does not commit any major sin. (Muslim, 233)

20. It was narrated from Abu Hurraira that the Prophet (Pbuh) said: Whoever does Ghusl then comes to Jummah, and prays as much as Allah decrees for him, then listens attentively until the khutbah is over, then prays with him (the imam), will be forgiven for (his sins) between that and the next Jummah and three more days.(Muslim, 857)

Al-Nawawi (Ra) said:
The scholars said that what is meant by his being forgiven between the two Jummah and three more days is that a good deed is worth ten like it, so he will be rewarded with ten rewards for each of the good deeds that he did on Friday.

Some of our companions said: what is meant by what is between the two Jummah is from Jummah prayer and the khutbah until the same time on the following Friday, so that it will be seven days, no more and no less, then three days are added making ten in all.

21. Coming early to Jummah brings a great reward.

Abu Hurraira (Ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) said: “Whoever does Ghusl on Friday like Ghusl for janaabah, then goes to the prayer (in the first hour, i.e., early), it is as if he sacrificed a camel. Whoever goes in the second hour, it is as if he sacrificed a cow; whoever goes in the third hour, it is as if he sacrificed a horned ram; whoever goes in the fourth hour, it is as if he sacrificed a hen;
and whoever goes in the fifth hour it is as if he offered an egg. When the imam comes out, the angels come to listen to the khutbah.”(Bukhari, 814 and Muslim, 850)

22. If a person walks to Jummah prayer, for every step he will have the reward of fasting and praying qiyaam for one year.

It was narrated from Aws ibn Aws al-Thaqafi that the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) said: Whoever does Ghusl on Friday and causes (his wife) to do Ghusl, and sets out early, and comes close to the imam and listens and keeps quiet, for every step he takes he will have the reward of fasting and praying qiyaam for one year.” (al-Tirmidhi, 496)

Ibn al-Qayyim (Ra) said in Zaad al-Maâ’aad, 1/285:
Finally after quoting the hadith which speak of the virtues of Jummah prayer:

What we have quoted, when taken all together, indicates that the expiation of sins from one Friday to the next is subject to all the conditions mentioned above being met, namely doing Ghusl, cleaning oneself, putting on perfume, wearing one's best clothes, walking in a calm and dignified manner, not stepping over people, not pushing between two people, not offending others, praying nafil prayers, listening attentively and avoiding idle speech.

May Allah give us the ability to act upon all of these virtuous deeds and Sunnah of Rasulallah (Pbuh). Ameen

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The significance of first 10 Days of Zhul Hijjah Unknown13:35 0 comments

What of the first ten days of Zhul Hijjah? Sometimes they come and pass anonymously with Muslims unaware of their importance, let alone knowing that they have begun. Sometimes these days are considered nothing but a countdown to the Eid.

During these ten days (Wednesday 17 October 2012 to 26 October 2012), we need to reflect, do we as Muslims give these days their due importance?

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