ARTICLE -1
A sister who does not truly know the superiority of Hijaab will always remain envious of disbelieving women. Why? Because they observe these misguided disbelievers attempting to look beautiful for all to see. Hence, the Muslim woman then compares herself to that woman which causes her to feel ashamed of her own Hijaab.Therefore, what follows is a reminder for my sisters in Islam. It is a reminder of the true status of these so-called beautiful women. It is a reminder of the excellence of the women who wear Hijaab.
Excellent Qualities of Those who Wear Hijaab:
It is well known that the Muslim woman is a creature of modesty. Allaah loves for our Muslim women to be shielded by their Hijaab. It is their outer protection from the decadence of this life. Allaah's Messenger , said: "Allaah is modest and covering. He loves modesty and privacy." [Abu Daawood, An-Nasaa'i Al-Bayhaqi, Ahmad].
Thus, as modesty is a quality that is loved by Allaah, our sisters must take comfort in knowing that they are modest and that they are not like those women who show themselves off to the world. Such women will not be shielded from Allaah's Wrath. Allaah's Messenger said: "Any woman who takes off her clothes in other than her husband's home, has broken Allaah's shield upon her." [Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi)
Therefore, we see that the Hijaab of the Muslim woman is indeed part of modesty. Modesty accompanies Eemaan (faith). That is why Allaah's Messenger said: "Modesty is part of Eemaan and Eemaan is in Paradise." [At-Tirmithi]. Also: "Modesty and Eemaan are companions, when one goes away the other one goes away." [Al-Haakim and others]
The Muslim women must know that the disbelieving women who beautify themselves for the world to see possess no modesty, thus, they are void of any Eemaan. Instead of looking to the latest fashion models for guidance, you must look to the wives of the Prophet .
Look at the regard for modesty that our mother, 'Aa'ishah possessed even in the presence of the deceased; she said: "I used to enter the room where the Messenger of Allaah and my father (Abu Bakr) were later buried in without having my garment on me, saying it is only my husband and my father. But when 'Umar bin al-Khattaab was later buried in (the same place), I did not enter the room except that I had my garment on being shy from 'Umar."
It can be quite difficult for the Muslim woman to go out wearing Hijaab in a society that mocks and torments her. Indeed, she may feel strange and out of place. However, if she knows the status of those who are mocked by the disbelievers, then she would continue to wear her Hijaab with dignity.
Allaah Says in His Book (what means): "Verily! The criminals used to laugh at those who believed. And whenever they passed them, used to wink at one another. And when they returned to their own people, they would return jesting. When they saw them, they said: 'These have indeed gone astray!' But they (disbelievers, sinners) had not been sent as watchers over them (the believers). But on this Day those who believe will laugh at the disbelievers. On (high) thrones, looking (at all things). Are not the disbelievers paid (fully) for what they used to do?"
[Quran 83:29-36]
Allaah's Words should serve as a support for you my dear sister. Also, take comfort in being a stranger among these lewd and sinful women. Allaah's Messenger said (what means): "Islam began as something strange, and it would revert to its (old position) of being strange, so good news is for the strangers." [Muslim]
The Characteristics of the Exposed Women:
Instead of practicing the Hijaab (covering), the disbelieving women expose themselves, making a dazzling display of themselves for others. Such a display is an attribute of ignorance. Allaah Says in His Book (what means): "And stay in your houses and do not display yourselves as you used to during the times of ignorance." [Quran 33:33]
Allaah's Messenger said: "The best of your women is the affectionate, the fertile, the comforting, the agreeable -- if they fear Allaah. The most evil of your women are those who expose and display themselves, and those who strut (to show off) and they are the hypocrites. Those who enter al-Jannah (the Paradise) are like the red beaked crow." [Al-Bayhaqi]. The simile of the red-beaked crow is to show that those who enter Paradise will be as rare as this kind crow is rare.
We see from the above Aayah and Hadeeth that displaying oneself is indeed unlawful. Further, it is a quality of the most evil of women! Therefore, do not be envious of the disbelieving women. They only have this life to enjoy, while the believing women will have Paradise. There is nothing in your Hijaab to be ashamed of, as it is the garment of the righteous and pious female worshippers of Allaah.
In order to truly show you how evil those women who expose themselves are, let us ponder over the following statement of Allaah's Messenger : "Of the people of Hell there are two whom I have never seen, the one possessing whips like the tail of an ox and they flog people with them. The second one, women who would be naked in spite of their being dressed, who are seduced (to wrong paths) and seduce others. Their hair is high like the humps of the camel. These women would not enter Paradise, nor will they smell its fragrance, although its fragrance can be sensed from such and such a distance." [Muslim]
These women who expose themselves are common among us today. These are women that even the Prophet did not see! Look around you and you will see those women who are clothed but naked! Look at the hairstyles of the women who expose themselves -- are they not high like the camel's hump?
Perhaps we are the first generation since the time of Aadam to witness such women. If one ponders over photos taken thirty to fifty years ago, one will see that the disbelieving women did not expose themselves in the manner that their offspring do today! These women are among the people of the Fire! Thus, how can you envy them?
Such lewd women will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise; so our women must avoid their path.
Another lesson from the above hadeeth is that it confirms that what the Prophet , came with is indeed the truth! This is a prophecy that has come to pass in front of our very eyes. Hence, will we continue to envy these evil women, or should we be grateful to our Lord for the Hijaab, which brings modesty, which leads to Paradise?
To sum up, the Muslim woman should abandon all of the ways of the exposed women, and adopt the ways of those who are modest through their love and practice of the proper Islamic Hijaab. After reading this do feel to wear hijab ryt......?
ARTICLE-2
Smoking: A Social Poison
IntroductionDiscovery Of Tobacco
Tobacco was discovered by the Spanish sailors on the American shores at about 1500 CE (900 AH). Since its discovery, the epidemic of smoking has continued to spread all over the world. In our times, one seldom finds a house not afflicted by it.
As early as the Seventeenth Century, the European countries realized the dangers of smoking and fought against it Laws were ordained in England, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, and other countries, prohibiting smoking and punishing violators.
Nowadays, the Western countries continue their attempts to protect their peoples from the harms of smoking. They employ media means, ordain laws and regulations, and apply other methods to discourage people from smoking. Because of that, the rate of smokers has declined to a certain degree in those countries.
Smoking Among Muslims
Smoking was introduced to the Muslim countries by the Europeans around 1000 AH. Its spread among the Muslims was similar to that in the West. The unfortunate fact, however, is that in the Muslim countries, no similar measures were exerted to protect the people from it. To the contrary, the media continues to advertise smoking and encourage people to do it. This caused the epidemic of smoking to continue to spread in those countries to such an extent that it has become hard to control.
Smoking has become the rule, and abstaining from it the exception. Often, people look with astonishment and disdain at a person whom when a cigarette is offered to him, declines to smoke explaining that he does not smoke.
Offering cigarettes to the guests has become among the first rules of hospitality. Anyone who does not offer them to his guests or insist on them to smoke would be violating the ethics of hospitality and generosity!
Furthermore, some of those who pretend to represent the Deen are among the worst addicts to smoking. When they are reproached or reminded of their vice, they respond by providing weak excuses to justify it in the name of Islam. They slyly remark that there is no clear text prohibiting smoking. Therefore, they conclude, smoking is not prohibited, but is only makruh (disliked). By this, they provide a poor excuse for the ignorant, and establish a very bad example for others.
Such statements have influenced many Muslims, causing them to fall into the snares of addiction to smoking. This is observed all over the world. A striking example is that All-American airlines now prohibit smoking, even on most international flights; on the other hand, for Muslim airlines, one travels in a near-suffocation state, even on short trips, because of the high number of smokers.
Thus, it becomes incumbent to write an article which provides evidence concerning the ruling of smoking in Islam. We hope that this will benefit our Muslim brothers and sisters; and we ask Allah to accept it from us as a sincere deed for His pleasure.
Definition
Smoking refers to the action of lighting a cigarette, a pipe, a cigar, a water pipe, or any other object made from tobacco or materials of similar effects. The object is then sucked on with the lips to extract smoke. This smoke is inhaled into the chest and then exhaled from the nose and mouth as a thick white smoke. "Smoking" is now used to refer to the action of producing this smoke in English, Arabic, and other languages.
Evidence for the Prohibition of Smoking
There are many reasons, any one of which sufficient to rule smoking prohibited. Most importantly, it is harmful in numerous ways. It is harmful to the Deen, health, environment, family, brotherhood and social relations, property, etc. The following sections will briefly outline some of its harms and evils.
Haram To The Deen
Smoking spoils a person's acts of worship and reduces their rewards. For instance, it spoils the prayer, which is the pillar of Deen. Allah's Messenger said: Whoever eats garlic or onion, let him avoid us and our masjid, and stay in his home. The angels are surely hurt by things that hurt the human beings(1)
Those with clean and undefiled fitrah (nature) have no doubt that the smell emanating from the mouth of a smoker is worse and more foul than that from the mouth of one who ate garlic or onion. Thus, a smoker is in between two options, either to harm the praying people and the angels with his foul smell, or miss the prayer in jama'ah.
Smoking also spoils fasting. Fasting is very hard for the smoker. As soon as the day is over, he hastens to break his fast on an evil cigarette instead of sweet dates or pure water. Even if he fasts through the month Ramadan, a smoker is reluctant to fast on other days. Thus he loses the great reward of those who fast even one day in Allah's way.
Harm To The Human Body
No one can deny the harm of smoking to the human body. The medical evidence for this is well established and overwhelming. Because of this, the law in the United States and many other countries requires including a warning on any smoking advertisement.
Smoking contains poisonous materials, such as nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, arsenic, benzopyrene, etc., that the smoker swallows in small proportions. Their harm accumulates with time to result in a gradual killing of the human organs and tissues.
The hazards of smoking to the health are hard to enumerate. Cancer, tuberculosis, heart attacks, asthma, coughing, premature birth, infertility, infections in the digestive system, high blood pressure, nervousness, mouth and teeth diseases, etc., are among the many health hazards that have been strongly linked to smoking.
These diseases may not appear all at once, however a smoker is most likely to suffer from some of them, and his suffering increases as he grows older. Furthermore, statistics have established that smokers' age is, on the average, ten years less than other people's.
This is sufficient to prohibit smoking. Islam prohibits any action that causes harm to oneself or to other people. Allah says (what means):
"Do not kill yourselves, Allah is indeed merciful to you."(2)
"Do not cast yourselves, with your own hands, into destruction.": (3)
And the Messenger says: No harm may be inflicted on oneself or others.(4)
The feet of a human being will not depart, on the day of Judgement, from his standing before his Lord, until he is questioned about five things: his lifetime - how did he pass it, his youth - how did he used it, his wealth - where did he earn it and how did he spend it, and how did he follow what he knew.(5)
Whoever consumes poison, killing himself with it, then he will he consuming his poison in the hellfire, and he will abide in it permanently and eternally.(6)
Harm To The Mind and Will Power
Smoking is harmful to the human mind and reason. An obvious demonstration of this is that one who is addicted to it passes through periods of severe craving, making it hard for him to think, concentrate, solve a problem, or do any important matter, until he smokes.
When one smokes, his muscles slacken, and he passes through a brief period of delirium that curtains the thought. His digestive system is also affected, causing him frequent nervousness and trembling of the hands. He passes through periods of excitability, in irritation, and insomnia.
Thus, instead of being Allah's slave, a smoker becomes slave to his cigarette. He develops a weaker control of his sense and reason. The faculty of reason, clear and unobstructed, is one of Allah's great bounties on people. He praised it in numerous places of the Qur'an; and He called on people to use it to see the truth and obey Him in a better way. Allah wants of the believer to be strong and capable of controlling the reigns of his desires. He said (what means):
"AIIah wants to let you into His mercy, whereas those who follow the desires want you to drift far away (from the right path)."(7)
Harm To The Environment
A smoker emits his poisons in the faces of his companions, wife, children, and the environment. It is well established that second-hand smoke is almost as dangerous as first-hand. Thus, whether they like it or not, a smoker's associates are forced to inhale the smoke and be themselves smokers as well.
In addition to the poisons normally carried in the smoke, if a smoker has an contagious disease, such as tuberculosis or influenza, his exhaled smoke and coughing carry the disease to those around him.
Furthermore, a smoker irritates people by the foul smell and poisonous nature of his smoking. If they suffer from asthma or allergies, they are forced to move away from his vicinity. The Prophet (saws) said:
Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should not hurt his neighbour.(8)
Thus, smoking constitutes a definite harm to other people; this is prohibited, as was indicated in the hadith cited earlier.
Also, a smoker is certainly a bad companion to sit with, as is depicted in the following hadith:
Verily, the example of a good companion and a bad one is like that of a perfume merchant and a blacksmith: As for the perfume merchant, he would either grant you (some perfume), or you would buy (some perfume) from him, or (in the least) you would get a good smell from him. And as for the blower of the bellows (ironsmith), you would either get a foul odour from him, or he would burn your clothes.(9)
Harm To The Property
A smoker wastes his wealth on that which harms and has no benefit; he will be asked about his wealth and how he spent it, as has been cited in the hadith earlier. His wealth belongs to Allah, so how would he dare to waste it in disobedience to Him? Allah says (what means):
"And do not entrust to the imprudent ones the possessions that Allah has placed in your charge.. (10)
"And do not waste (your resources) extravagantly. Indeed the squanderers are the brethren of the devils"(11)
And the Prophet (saws) said: Allah hates for you three things: gossiping, begging, and wasting money.(12)
Furthermore, there are numerous cases of burnt carpets, furniture, and even complete houses and establishments that have resulted from this disastrous vice.
Moral Decadence
Smoking is a form of moral decadence. It is most spread among the low-class immoral people. It reflects blind imitation of the non-Muslims. It is mostly consumed in bars, discos, casinos, and other: places of sin. A smoker may beg or steal if he does not have the money to buy cigarettes. He is ill-mannered with his friends and family, especially when he misses taking his necessary "dose" at the usual time.
Evil Substance
Smoking involves the consumption of an evil substance (khabeeth). It has a foul smell, foul taste, and is harmful to the body. This is sufficient to: prohibit it, because Allah says (what means):
"(The Prophet) who will enjoin upon them the doing of what is right, forbid them the doing of what is wrong, make lawful to them the good things of life, prohibit for them the evil things, and lift from them their burdens and the shackles that were (previously) upon them."(13)
Resembling The People Of The Fire
A smoker inhales the smoke that does not give him any nourishment. This is similar to the action of the people of the Hell fire who eat harmful thorny plants:
"No food will be there for them but a poisonous thorny plant, which will neither nourish them nor still their hunger."(14)
Bad Example
A smoker, whether he likes it or not, makes of himself an example for his children and others to follow. He leads them to commit this evil. Actions sometimes have a stronger effect than words. Thus, even if he advises them or forbids them from smoking, his partaking of it provides them with a strong excuse to do it.
The problem is worse when the smoker is of known piety or knowledge. In such case, his harm becomes more emphasized, because more people take him as guide and example, and are thus lead astray by him. This multiplies his sins and increases his burden.
Hostility Toward The Good People
The majority of good people avoid smoking and stay away from smokers. Therefore, a smoker would be forced to stay away from them - at least while he smokes. He puts himself in a selective exile, creating a spiritual distance and hostility between him and the good people, and a closeness to the evil people. The effects of this become more apparent and acute with time.
Note that this applies equally to any sin that a person commits, small or large.
Low Self Esteem
A smoker despises himself, because he feels that a little cigarette is controlling him. Realizing his weakness before desires, this creates in him a feeling of defeat in the face of hardships.
Scholars' Verdict
Since smoking became known to Muslims, all of the great scholars who have the capability of Ijtihad (deriving verdicts in new situations) agree to its prohibition. Thus, there is no value for baseless opinions, conflicting with this, provided by self-proclaimed lesser scholars.
Warnings
In discussing the subject of the prohibition of smoking, there are some important warnings that need to be mentioned:
1. As indicated before, the prohibition of smoking is not restricted to cigarettes, but applies as well to other objects that have similar effects such as cigars, pipes, water-pipes, chewing tobacco or sniffing tobacco, etc.
2. The reasons mentioned above for prohibiting smoking apply as well, and more strongly, to various types of drugs and hashish such as marijuana and -tat. These materials have additional problems such as causing drunkenness, death, madness, etc.
3. The prohibition of smoking is not restricted to consuming it, but applies as well to offering it to people, sitting with those who are smoking, or selling it. All of this involves helping people commit sins, which is prohibited, as Allah says (which means):
"Help one another in righteousness and piety, and do not help one another in sinning and transgression. And fear and revere Allah; verily, Allah is severe in punishment."(15)
Also, Allah's Messenger said: Indeed when Allah prohibits something, he prohibits eating its price.(16)
Treating the Disease of Smoking
Only few of those addicted to smoking are able to stop it. The reasons for this are many, among which are the following:
1. The addictive nature of the poisonous substances contained in it.
2. The smokers are not totally convinced of its prohibition.
3. They do not have a strong determination to refrain from it.
The following are some suggestions to help a person stop smoking:
1. Rely on Allah sincerely, with full determination not to return to smoking, in compliance with Allah's command:
"When you decide on a certain course of action, place your trust in Allah."(17)
2. Stop immediately instead of claiming it is best to do it gradually. The gradual approach is the way of one who does not trust his determination and the will power that Allah has granted him. Let the example be taken from the Sahabah who, as soon as Allah's command reached them regarding alcohols:" Will you not then desist?"(18) They immediately poured out all the alcohol that they had and said, "We desist our Lord, we desist!" They did this despite the fact that alcohol has a greater addictive power over those who drink it.
3. Avoid the bad company of smokers and smoking environments that are full with the smell of smoke.
4. Change the food diet by abstaining from foods and drinks that would entice the craving to smoke such as spices, meat, tea, and coffee; and eating a lot of vegetables and fruits.
5. Use medically tested and established procedures to help stop smoking, as directed by physicians, such as nicotine patches, nicotine gum, etc.
6. Expel the secret whispers of Satan who continuously dictates to the human being that he is weak and incapable of refraining from sinning, as Allah says (what means)
"It is but Satan who instills (into you) fear of his allies; so do not fear them, but fear Me if you are (truly) believers.. "(19)
"Fight then against the allies of Satan; indeed, Satan's guile is weak.. "(20)
References
"The Ruling of Smoking" by Muhammad bin Ibraaheem (r)
"The Ruling of Smoking" by `Abdur-Rahman Bin Naasir as-Sa`di (r).
"The Ruling of Smoking" by `Abdul-`Aziz Bin 'Abdullaah Bin Baaz.
"The Ruling of Smoking" by Muhammad Bin Salih al-'Uthaymin.
Hukm ul-lslami fit-Tadkhin by Muhammad Jamil Zinu.
Hukm ud-Dini fil-Lihyati wat-Tadkhin by 'Ah Hasan al-Halabi.
"Smoking and Its Effects on Health" by Dr. Muhammad 'Ali al-Barr.
Footnotes
(1) Al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Jabir and other Sahaabah .
(2) An-Nisa' 4-29.
(3) Al-Baqarah 2:195.
(4) Recorded by Ahmad and Ibn Maajah from Ibn `Abbaas and `Ubaadah; authenticated by al-Albaani and others.
(5) Recorded by at-Tirmithi and others from Ibn Mas`ud and AbO Barzah , authenticated by al-Albaani.
(6) Al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Jaabir
(7) An-Nisa 4:27.
(8) Al-Bukhaari.
(9) Al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
(10) An-Nisa 4:5.
(11) Al-lsra' 17:26-27.
(12) Al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
(I3) Al-A'raf 7:157.
(14) Al-Ghaashiyah 88:6-7.
(15) Al-Maidah 5:2.
(16) Recorded by Ahmad and Abu Dawud from Ibn `Abbas; authenticated by al-Albaani.
(I7) Al-'lmran 3:159
(18) Al-Maa'idah 5 91
(19) Al-`Imraan 3:175.
(20) An-Nisaa' 4:76.
ARTICLE-3
Consequences of Sinning
If you have ever truly wondered what lies ahead for the sins you commit, read on.
Sin and disobedience make a great impact on the lives of people, and on their hearts and souls. It was none other than sin that resulted in Adam and Eve being ousted from the dwelling of bliss, delight and happiness in Heaven. Sin is what forced Satan out of the realm of Heaven, to be expelled and cursed. His sins replaced his closeness with remoteness, mercy with curse, beauty with hideousness and Heaven with Hellfire. Sins caused the people of Noah to drown when the flood had risen to cover mountain peaks.
Sins were the reason why a howling wind blew the people of Aad until they were thrown dead on earth as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees. Sin was also the reason why the people of Thamoud were afflicted by the dreadful, awful cry that split their hearts, causing them to die. And what about the people of Lot, who used to practice sodomy? The highest part of their city became the lowest, and stones of clay were rained upon them, destroying all of them. What other than sins caused the people of Shu'aib to be seized by an earthquake and struck dead in their homes? Sins were the reason why Pharaoh and his people drowned in the sea and their souls transferred to Hellfire. They caused Qarun, his house, money and his family to be destroyed and swallowed by the earth.
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "A man may be deprived of sustenance because of a sin (he has committed)." (Ahmed). Moreover, Safiyyah also said, "During the reign of Umar, Madinah was shaken (with an earthquake). Umar then said, 'O, people! What is this? How fast you committed a sin. If this happened again, I would never live among you.'" (Ahmed). Also Ibn Umar said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, saying: 'If people refrain from paying a Dinar or even a Dirham (become stingy), deal with riba (interest), follow the cows' tails (busy themselves with worldly matters), and abandon jihad for the sake of Allah, Allah will afflict them with a trial that will not be redeemed until they return to their religion (Islam)." Jareer narrated that the Prophet, sallallahu' alayhe wa sallam, said, "If sins are committed amongst people--even if the number of those who do not commit such sins is more than the number of those who commit them-and if they do not stand against these" sins, all of them will be afflicted with torment." (Ahmed).
Finally, the servant of Allah should be minutely aware of the cost of disobedience. Many people may not realize the consequences of a sin immediately and then tend not to worry, forgetting all about it. Glory be to Allah! How many people did this matter destroy? How many trials did it bring about, and how many blessings did it ruin? Sin is the deceiver of a great number of people, including scholars and eminent persons, let alone the common man. Sins may lie dormant for a time for both believers and non-believers alike; however, the price of sin is high, and it is a debt that will never been forgotten, and one day-not necessarily immediately-it will surely be collected.
ARTICLE-4
Let us not ever forget that this moment could be our last, and not put off until tomorrow what can, and should be done today.
Remembering Death
Prior to accepting Islam, many things were happening in my life prompting me to change my ways. One such thing was a dream I had – well it was more like a nightmare actually. It started with my bed being placed in the middle of an abandoned warehouse. As I looked around, I suddenly became aware of two huge, robed figures standing at the foot of my bed. They took me by the hand and all of sudden we were at the base of a mountain. As we climbed they did not speak, just kept walking with quick, sure steps. When we reached the summit, they both pointed for me to look over the edge. As 1 did, a wave of scorching-hot air blasted me in the face. Beneath me was a sea of fire and blood. People, naked and piled on top of each other, were screaming in agony. They were imploring me to pull them out of the sea. But I was transfixed. I could do nothing but stand in horror at what I was seeing and hearing. When I awoke, I was shaken and utterly terrified. The only thought on my mind was I did not want to end up there.
Alhamdulillah, Allah guided me to Islam and the Sunnah of His Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam. Unfortunately, I have forgotten the lesson of that dream, which was not dying in a state displeasing to Allah. Life and death belong to Allah alone. But if we look at our actions and how we spend our time, it seems that we think that we own both. We plan out our days, weeks and months, as if we were given guarantees that any of these days, weeks or months will come. We plan for life, while we do not plan for death. We live as if we would live in this world forever. We forget that this life is fleeting and that we all have an appointment with death that must be kept. It is a promise from Allah, subhanahu wataala, and whatever Allah promises must come to pass.
"Every soul shall taste death, and only on the Day of Judgment will you be given what you earned. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of deception." Holy Qur'an (3:187)
He, subhanahu wata'ala, says, "Every soul shall taste death, and only on the Day of Judgment will you be given what you earned. So, he who is prevented from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained his desire. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of deception ."[3:187] Death brings with it the true reality of our situations. About his the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "When one of you dies, he is shown his place (in the Hereafter) morning and evening. If he is from the people of Heaven, then he is among the people of Heaven. And if he is from the people of Hell, then he is among the people of Hell. And it will be said to him, 'this is your place until Allah resurrects you on the Day of Judgment." (Muslim). Knowing this, arc we prepared to meet the Angel of Death?
If we knew we only had today to live, how would we live it? What would we do with our day? Are there bridges that need mending? Do we have grudges or misunderstandings that need to be set aright? Would we spend it in front of the television or in reading the book of Allah? Would we spend our final moments chasing down this worldly life or seeking the next life? Would we repent to our Lord? Would we be careful with every word, every deed, every glance and every thought? Would we safeguard our salah? Would we spend it in fasting and in giving charity? Would we spend our day with our families and our children? Would we tell them how much we love and appreciate them? Would we cry out of fear for what is about to befall us? If so, then why don't we do so every day? Every day is some-body's last day and today might be ours.
When death was approaching Umar after he had been stabbed, Abdullah ibn Abbas said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful! You accepted Islam when others disbelieved; you struggled along with the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, when others deserted him; the Prophet, sallallahu alavhe wa sallam, died while he was pleased with you; no two people have disagreed on you and you are about to die a martyr." Umar replied, "The flattered is the one whom you flatter. By Allah, if I had what ever the sun rose upon I would give it away in order to protect myself from what is about to rise [upon me]."(TanbeehulGhafileen).
Umar was more pleasing in the sight of Allah than any of us can ever hope to be. Yet, he was fearful of what death brought. We, on the other hand, are secure in our false hopes and delusions. As we heedlessly zip though our days, we say, tomorrow, tomorrow. Unfortunately for most of us tomorrow never comes. So let us strive to do our best today. Let us resolve to remember death. When we purchase a new outfit, let us remember the burial shroud that will serve as our final outfit. When we arc outfitting our new homes and domiciles, let us remember the smallness of the grave. Let us remember to ask ourselves, will our deeds make it a place of rest or a place of torment?
Death, as the Prophet, sallallahu alayhewa sallam, said is the robber of desires. By remembering death, the servants of Allah purify themselves and their actions. They acknowledge their feebleness and helplessness before the Lord of the Worlds and walk through this life with caution and hope. We should live as the companions of the Messenger o f Allah, sallallahu alavhe wa sallam, lived. If they lived to pray the Fajr, they did not hope to see the Isha; and if they made the Isha, they did not hope to see the Fajr. Let us not ever forget that this moment could be our last, and not put off until tomorrow what can, and should be done today
ARTICLE-5
Who Do Muslim Worship ?
The submission of man to his Creator is the essence of Islam. The word "Islam" literally means, "to submit" or "to surrender. "The real question one should ask is: "submit and surrender" to whom? Muslims submit and surrender their will and desires to the will and the laws of the Creator. This is what "Islam" truly means. By referring to, "The Creator", Muslims are talking about "Allah."
Allah is the Creator of all that is in the heavens and the earth. In Islam, Allah is the True and Only Creator, and only he deserves to be worshipped. Nothing else is worthy of worship; not stones, statues, crosses, tombs (of any religion), the sun, the moon, stars, temples, animals, Prophets (from any religion), messengers, saints, priests, movie stars, musicians, athletes, or religious scholars. All of those are created beings, and are not worthy of worship in Islam. In fact, doing that is to associate partners with Allah, and it is the only sin that would never be forgiven on the Day of Judgment.
Allah is the Arabic word for God. This is the way all Arab Jews, Christians and Muslims call God. Allah is the personal name of God, which He gave to Himself in the Qur'an. The Qur'an is the last and final revelation from Allah to mankind, that Allah gave to Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, through the Angel Gabriel. The name "Allah" is unique. It has no feminine or masculine form (unlike 'god' or 'goddess'). It also has no plural form (unlike 'gods' and goddesses'). The name "Allah" simply means "The One and Only True God."
The name "Allah" was not a name invented by the Arabs. It has been the name of God since the beginning of time. In the Torah, we can easily find the name that God gave Himself, "Elah", or in some cases, "Eloh" (Elohim -[im] being a form of respect in the Hebrew language). It was also used in the Aramaic language, which was the language spoken by our beloved Prophet Jesus, alayhes salam.
The Creator, Allah, has perfect attributes. He is the First; there was none before Him, and He is the Last. Allah is the Ever-living; everything will end in death, except Him. He is the Protecting Friend and to Him is the Final Return, where everything will be dealt with and judged in the Most Perfect and Just way.
Muslims are confident of the Just and Perfect Judgment of Allah, The Creator, because He tells us repeatedly in the Qur'an that He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, and perfectly just.
Allah also tells us in the Qur'an, that He does not beget, nor is He begotten. Begetting offspring, eating and sleeping are all characteristics of created things. Compare this, for example, to the Biblical ideas of God resting on the seventh day of creation, and begetting a son.
Muslims believe that Allah does not have the characteristics of people, animals or any created things. Muslims also believe that Allah is All- Powerful and able to do all things, He merely says to it "Be" and it is. Such as the case of the miraculous birth of Prophet Jesus, alayhes salam, and when Allah created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them.
The most important point about Islamic worship is to understand that Muslims worship One God only. This pure and simple message of Islam has remained unchanged since the first man walked on earth. From the Prophet Moses, alayhes salam, calling out to his people, "Hear 'O Israel: The Lord our God is One" [Deuteronomy 6:4 (English-KJV)]; to Prophet Jesus, alayhes salam, teaching and reprimanding his disciples, "Why does thou callest me good? There is none good but one, that is, God" [Matthew 19: 17; Mark 10: 18; Luke 18: 19 (English-KJV)]; to the last messenger of monotheism who came with the final revelation from God proclaiming, "Your God is One God, there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful" [Qur'an 2: 163].
Allah, The One. This is whom over one-billion Muslims across the world pray to five times each day.
The declaration of faith for one who wants to embrace Islam is: "Ashadu Alla Ilaha Illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasoolullah", which means when translated to English: "There is nothing worthy of worship but Allah; alone, and Muhammad is His Messenger."
This simple, yet profound belief is what draws thousands of Westerners and people from all walks of life, religions, cultural and ethnic backgrounds to Islam every year and has made the religion of Islam the fastest growing religion on earth today.
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