Fasting - An Islamic Perspective

Introduction

Fasting in the month of Ramadaan is one of the Pillars of Islam.

Fasting in Islam means abstaining from eating drinking, smoking, allowing anything to enter in the body and sexual Intercourse, from the break of dawn until sunset. 

However fasting does not only mean refraining from eating and drinking. Fasting is prescribed on us so that we may achieve Taqwa (Piety, Consciousness of Allah, Fear of Allah)

Allah the Most High said:

“O you who believe, fasting is prescribes for you as it was prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you that you may achieve Taqwa (Piety, Consciousness of Allah, Fear of Allah) [Surah Al-Baqarah Chapter 2 Verse 183)

 Aboo Umaamah said: I came to Allaah’s Messenger (pbuh) and asked, “Instruct me to do something which will put me in paradise,” and he replied, “You should fast for there is nothing equal to it.” When I came to him a second time, he said, “You should fast.”
Collected by Ahmad and an-Nasaa’ee [Saheeh Sunan an-Nasaa’ee, vol. 2, Hadidth no. 2099.]
(The Narrator: Aboo Umaamah: Aboo Umaamah’s actual name was Sudayy ibn ‘Ajlaan and he was among the companions who narrated many sayings of the Prophet (pbuh).

The reason for the superiority of fasting over other deeds is that riyaa (show off) does not take place in it as easily as it does in other deeds. Other deeds require actions while fasting requires intention
which is normally hidden from people.

Fasting of the Heart
The understanding of fasting among most people is to abstain from food, drinks and sexual intercourse from sunrise to sunset. That is fasting according to the letter of the law (Sharee‘ah). But the meaning of fasting and its goal and the greatness of fasting lies in the heart fasting from evil and
abandoning the corruptions of pride and jealousy.
It is sad to mention that some people although they pray and fast but their hearts are hardened, they don't speak truth, they are involved in haram business and riba as well as they do not estabilish good family relations.
So fasting in the month of Ramadan is a way to train people to improve themselves and the diseases of their hearts. Among the signs of the righteous in Ramadaan is the smile, good character, gentleness, visiting, returning greetings and maintaining good family relations.
For the heart to fast from false pride and vanity a person should be down to hearth and have to protect himself from arrogance and attitude.

Nifaq (Hypocrisy): Definition and Types

Definition:
Linguistically, Nifaq is derived from the hole of raters or mice that is, articles holes in the grounds, when that animal is chased from one hole he would exit from another one, or it means a tunnel or a subterranean excavation used for hiding.

In the Sharee'ah: Nifaq (hypocrisy) means a pretense of loving Islam while concealing Kufr and evil. A hypocrite is given this appellation because he enters the religion from one door and exits from another.

Hence, Allah, the Exalted, cautioned against hypocrites saying:

“Verily, hypocrites are the rebellious.” (Soorah at-Tawbah Chapter 9 verse 67)

 And Allah, the Exalted, says:

“The hypocrites (think) that they deceive Allah when in fact it is Allah who deceives them.” ( Soorah an-Nisa Chapter 4 verse 142)

 Types of Hypocrisy:

Hypocrisy is of two types:

The first type: Doctrinal hypocrisy which is major hypocrisy; the one who upholds it displays Islam and conceals infidelity.

This type constitutes absolute apostasy, and condemns those who uphold it to the lowest level of Hell-Fire.

Allah  has described its people as possessing evil characteristics; such as Kufr, lack of Eemaan, derision of faith and its people and inclining entirely to the enemies of Islam for sharing their hostility. Such people exist in every age, particularly when Islam prevails and they cannot resist it publicly, therefore they pretend to be Muslims in order to plot against it and its people privately. And because they live with the Muslims, they ensure the safety of their blood and properties.

A hypocrite displays his belief in Allah  and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers and the Final Day, while in fact, he is far from believing in all that, rather the denies all that and does not believe in Allah.

Allah has uttered a speech which He revealed to a human and made him a messenger to mankind to guide them with His permission, threaten them, and warn them against His punishment. Allah has revealed those hypocrites and exposed their secrets in the Qur'aan and unveiled to His slaves the conditions of the hypocrites in order to be cautious against them.

In the beginning of Soorah al-Baqarah, Allah, the Exalted, classifies mankind into three categories;

1. the believers, 
2. the infidels and 
3. the hypocrites. 

He revealed four verses with respect to the believers and two verses with respect to the infidels while he revealed thirteen verses with respect to the hypocrites due to their large number and severity of
their affliction and commonness of their deception, and severity of their hostility against Islam and its people. For the affliction Islam suffers through them is intensive because they are counted as Muslims and supporters of Islam, while in fact they are it enemies. They express their enmity to Islam in every form which the ignorant thinks of it as knowledge and reform, while in fact it is utter ignorance and corruption.

Kufr (Infidelity): Its Definition and Types

Definition:
Kufr, linguistically means covering or concealing. Legally (in the Sharee'ah): antonym of Eemaan, for Kufr or infidelity is disbelieving in Allah and His Messenger (pbuh), whether the disbelief is associated with denial or not, rather with doubts, suspicion, aversion, jealousy, arrogance, or following some whims which deters from adhering to the Message. Even though the denier's infidelity is worse than others, so is the one who disbelieves and denies out of jealousy while he recognizes in his heart the veracity of the Messengers.

Types of Kufr:
The types of Kufr are two:

The first type: The greater Kufr which constitutes apostasy and is of five kinds:

1. Kufr of denial, as referred to in the following verse:

“And who is more unjust that he who forges a lie against Allah, or rejects the truth when it comes to him? Is there not an abode in Hell for those who disbelieve?” (Soorah  Al-Ankaboot Chapter 29 Verse 68)

 2. Kufr of arrogance with acknowledgement, as proven by the words of Allah, the Exalted:

“And when We said to the angels: 'Prostrate yourselves before Adam,' and they all prostrated except Iblees (Shaytaan), he refused and was proud and was on of the Kafireen (arrogant, disobedient to Allah).” ( Soorah Al-Baqarah Chapter 2 Verse 34)

 3. Kufr of doubtfulness, as mentioned in the Words of Allah:

“And he entered his garden while he was wronging himself (through arrogance). He said, 'I do not think this will ever perish; not do I think the Hour will ever come. And even if I am ever brought back to my Rabb, I shall, surely, find a better resort than this. His companion said to him while he was arguing with him, 'Do you disbelieve in Him Who created you from soil, then from a sperm-drop, then fashioned you into a perfect man? But as for me, I believe that Allah Alone is my Rub, and I will not ascribe a partner to my Rab.” (Soorah Al-Kahf Chapter 18 Verses 35-38)

Shirk - Definition and Types

Definition: Shirk is ascribing a partner to Allah in terms of His Rububiyyah and Uloohiyyah (worship). The common type of Shirk is the Shirk in Uloohiyyah, which entails supplicating others along with Allah , or dedicating to them worships such as, offerings, vows, reverence, fear, hope, and devotional love.

Shirk is the gravest of all sins due to the following:
1. It is resembling the creatures with the Creator in terms of the attributes of Divinity, for he who ascribes a partner to Allah ; he in effect resembles him with Him (Allah). This is the gravest injustice. Allah says:

“Verily, Shirk is gross injustice.” (Soorah Luqman  Chapter 31 Verse 13)

 Injustice signifies putting a thing in a wrong place. Thus, he who worships other than Allah , he places the worship in a place other than its own, and dedicates it to one who does not deserve it; hence, it is gross injustice.

2. Allah has stated that He does not forgive the one who does Shirk.
He says:

“Surely, Allah will not forgive (the sins of) ascribing partners to Him, but He will forgive whatever is short of that to whoever He wishes.” (Soorah An-Nisa  Chapter 4 Verse 48)

 3. Allah  has stated that a Mushrik (one who commits Shirk) shall be banned from Jannah (Paradise) and that he shall live in Hell-fire forever.

Aqeedah At-Tawheed ....The Introduction

Allah  has created the creatures to worship Him, and provided them with provisions to enable them to do that. Allah, the Exalted, said:

“And I have created Jinn and men only to worship Me. I want no sustenance from them, not do I want them to feed Me. Surely, it is Allah, Who is the Provider, The Powerful. (Soorah Az-Zariyat  Chapter 51 Verses 56-58).

 Man naturally acknowledges Allah’s divinity, loves Him, worships Him, and ascribes no partner to Him. But human and jinn devils who suggest to each other polished speech out of deception, corrupt his natural disposition, and lead them astray.

Tawheed (belief in the Oneness of Allah) is firmly instilled in human nature, while polytheism is accidental and intrusive Allah says:

“And remain steadfast on the religion of Islamic Monotheism, Allah's Fitrah with which He has created mankind. No change let there be in the religion of Allah, that is the straight religion.”(Soorah Ar-Rum Chapter 30 verse 30).

 Fitrah is the innate pure instinct inborn in every human, which recognizes the True Lord. Fitrah, if not corrupted leads one to the Belief in the Existence of Allah, the Exalted.

The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said:

“Every infant is born with Fitra but it is his parents who make him a Jew, or a Christian or a fire worshiper.” (Saheeh Al-Bukharee and Saheeh Muslim).

 Mankind in the beginning was a single nation upon true Tawheed. Subsequently and gradually Shaytan misguided them towards associating partners with Allah.

Polytheism and corruption in Aqeedah appeared first among the people of Noah (pbuh) who was the first Messenger of Allah.

According to a narration in Sahih Hadeeth:
Ibn Abbas (S) relates:
“Indeed these are five names of righteous men from the people of Nooh (pbuh). When they died
Shaytaan whispered to their people to make statues of them and to place these statues in their places
of gathering as a reminder of them, so they did this. However, none from amongst them worshipped
these statues, until when they died and the purpose of the statues was forgotten. Then (the next
generation) began to worship them.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (11/418) and Saheeh Muslim (18/52)]

Aa'ishah (pbuh) reported that Umm Habeebah  and Umm Salamah  mentioned about a church they
had seen in Ethiopia in which there were pictures. They told the Prophet (pbuh) about it, on which he said:
“If any religious man died amongst those people they would build a place of worship at his grave and
make these pictures in it. They will be the worst creature in the Sight of Allah  on the Day of
Resurrection.” [Saheeh Al-Bukharee (vol.1; no.419) and Saheeh Muslim (vol.1;no.1076)]

Jesus -- A Prophet Of God -- A Short Article To Clarify Issues Surrounding Jesus

Jesus is a figure who is loved and revered by billions of people around in world, yet there is much confusion surrounding this personality. Muslims and Christians both hold Jesus in high regard but view him in very different ways.
This Article aims to clarify the issues surrounding Jesus and the differences in the belief of Muslims and Christians. Some Important questions like:

• Was Jesus God, or was he sent by God?
• Who was the real historical Jesus? 

would be answered below.

Jesus- As God? 
Some Christians claim that "Jesus is God" or part of a trinity - that he is the incarnation of God on earth, and that God took on a human form. However according to Bible, Jesus was born, he ate, slept, prayed and had limited knowledge- all attributes making him a human and not befitting God.
God has attributes of perfection whereas Man is the opposite. How can anything be two complete opposites occur simultaneously.
Islam teaches that God is always perfect. To believe that God became a man is to claim that God is or was (at some point in time), imperfect. Those who believe that Jesus was God should ask themselves how is it possible for god to be a weak helpless child, who needs food and sleep etc, The answer is a Sure No.
Again one may ask ; '" If God can do anything, why can't he become a man? " The answer to this query is that by definition, God does not do ungodly acts, God does not do anything that would make Him, something other than God. if God became man and took on human attributes, he would, necessarily, no longer be God.
Some ambiguous verses of the Bible can be applied erroneously to show that Jesus is in some way divine, but if we look at the clear direct verses of the Bible, we see again and again that Jesus is being referred to as an extraordinary human being and nothing more. The Bible contains many verses in which Jesus speaks and behaves as if God is a separate being to himself
For example:

Jesus fell on his face and prayed (Matthew 26:39)

If Jesus was god , then would a god fall on his face and pray? and who would he be praying to?

The Bible calls Jesus a Prophet (Matthew 21:10-11), so how could Jesus be God and be God's prophet at the same time?

Jesus said: I am going to Father, because the Father is greater than me. (John 14:28)

Jesus said: I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God. (John 20:17)

If Jesus was God, then why would he say "to my God and your God" and who was he ascending to?

If Jesus was God , he would have clearly told people to worship him, and there would be clear verses in the Bible stating this, yet he did the opposite and disapproved anyone worshiping him.

 And in vain they worship me (Matthew 15:9)

Son Of God ?
Some Christians claim that Jesus is the son of God. What does this actually mean?Surely God is far removed from having a physical and literal son. Humans have human children, Cats have kittens, What does it mean for God to have a child?
Rather than being taken literally, we find the term " Son of God" is symbolically used in the earliest biblical languages for a 'righteous person' and has been used for David, Solomon and Israel, and not exclusively for Jesus.
In fact, anyone who is righteous is referred to as God's son.

Basic Concepts Regarding Tahaarah (Purification) In The Light Of Holy Quran And Saheeh Hadeeth (Sayings Of Prophet Muhammed pbuh) ... Part 3

Continued.....

What to Say When Going To the Toilet: 

Narrated Anas (r): Whenever the Prophet (pbuh) went to answer the call of nature, he used to say, 

".“[Bismillah]1Allaah-umma innee a‟oodhu bika minal Khubuthi wal khaaba‟ith.” ([In the Name of Allaah] O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from devils – males and females (or all offensive and wicked things, evil deeds, etc.)

 [Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 1, Book 4, Hadeeth Number 142]

Important Points: 
1. It is commendable to supplicate with these words when one intends to go to the toilet, to be safe from the devils.
2. One of the harms of the devils is that they cause impurities to befall the people, so as to invalidate the person‟s Salaat. Hence, one must seek refuge from them to be protected from their harm.
3. The obligation of avoiding all impurities, and taking the necessary measures to protect oneself from such impurities. It has been authentically reported that one of the causes of punishment in the grave is the neglect of protecting oneself from urine when using the toilet.

It was narrated that ibn „Abbaas (r) said: The Messenger of Allaah (pbuh) passed by two graves, and he (pbuh) said, “They are being punished, but they are not being punished for anything grave (i.e., it was not difficult to avoid). One of them used to walk around spreading malicious gossip, and the other did not protect himself from his urine.” He (pbuh) called for a palm branch, split it in two, and then planted one piece on one grave and the other on the other grave. Then he (pbuh) said, “Perhaps it (the punishment) will be reduced for them so long as this does not dry out.” [Saheeh Muslim, Volume 1, Book 1, Hadeeth Number 677]

While Urinating Or defecating never face the Qiblah except when you are screened by a wall or building or something similar: 

Narrated Abu Ayyoob Al-Ansaaree (r): The Prophet (pbuh) said, “While defacting, neither face nor turn your back to the Qiblah (Ka‟bah at Makkah) but face either east or west.” Aboo Ayyoob (r) added, “When we arrived in Ash-Shaam we came across some lavatories facing the Qiblah; therefore we turned ourselves while using them and asked for Allaah‟s forgiveness.” [Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 1, Book 8, Hadeeth Number 394, ; Saheeh Muslim, Volume 1, Book 2, Hadeeth Number 609]

Important Points: 

Basic Concepts Regarding Tahaarah (Purification) In The Light Of Holy Quran And Saheeh Hadeeth (Sayings Of Prophet Muhammed pbuh) ... Part 2

Continued ....

For Part 1 go to the link below:
http://onlineibrahim.blogspot.com/2016/11/basic-concepts-regarding-tahaarah.html

Regarding Urinating in Stagnant Water: 

It was narrated from Aboo Hurayrah (r) that the Prophet (pbuh) said, “You should not pass urine in stagnant water which is not flowing then (you may need to) wash in it.”[ Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 1, Book 4, Hadeeth Number 239].

 In a version in, Saheeh Muslim, it says,

“None of you should perform Ghusl in standing water when he is Junub (in a state of sexual impurity).” [Saheeh Muslim, Volume 1, Book 2, Hadeeth Number 658].

Important points: 
1. The prohibition of urinating in stagnant water and that it is Haraam.(prohibited).
2. The prohibition of taking a bath in still water by immersing one’s body in that water, especially the person who is in a state of major ritual impurity – even if he/she did not urinate in it.
3. The permissibility of the above in flowing water, even though it is better to avoid such.
4. The prohibition of everything harmful or transgression upon others.

If a dog drinks from the utensil it should be washed 7 times:

Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (r): Allaah’s Messenger (pbuh) said, “If a dog drinks from the utensil of anyone of you, it is essential to wash it seven times.” [Saheeh Bukhaari, Volume 1, Book 4, Hadeeth Number 172]

In a version, in Saheeh Muslim, it says, “…the first time with mud.” [Saheeh Muslim, Volume 1, Book 2, Hadeeth Number 652]

It was narrated that Ibn Al-Mughaffal (r) said: The Messenger of Allaah (pbuh) said, “…If a dog licks the vessel of one of you, let him wash it seven times and rub it with mud the eight time.” [Saheeh Muslim, Volume 1, Book 2, Hadeeth Number 653]

Important Points: 
 1. The severity of the un-cleanliness of the dog, due to its filthiness.
2. The licking of a dog in a utensil – and likewise its eating from a utensil – makes the utensil unclean, as well as its contents.
3. The obligation of washing, whatever the dog has licked in, 7 times.
4. The obligation of using turaab once and it is best that it be with the first washing, so that the water may follow.
5. Whatever is used in the place of turaab takes the same ruling as it, since the intention is cleaning. This is the madh-hab of Ahmad, and one of the sayings of ash-Shaafi’ee. But the more famous saying of ash-Shaafi’ee is that you must use turaab. Ibn Daqeeq al-Eid supported this position saying that it has been mentioned in the text of the hadeeth, and that it is one of the two major sources of purification. Additionally, if an extracted meaning goes back to contradict the literal text [which it is derived from], then that extracted meaning is rejected. Imam an-Nawawee said that soap or similar substances do not take the place of turaab according to the most correct opinion. I [the author] say: New scientific research has shown that the elimination of these impurities which is achieved through the use of turaab is not achieved by other substances.
6. It is important to mention here that the modern medicine came along with its scientific discoveries and microscopes confirming the existence of microbes and contagious diseases in the saliva of the dog, which cannot be eliminated by water alone.Allah and His Prophet (pbuh) had guided us about this already many years ago.

How to Perform Ablution (Wudhoo):
It is mentioned in the Holy Quran:

Basic Concepts Regarding Tahaarah (Purification) In The Light Of Holy Quran And Saheeh Hadeeth (Sayings Of Prophet Muhammed pbuh) ... Part 1.

Linguistically at-Tahaarah means: purification.
Islamically it means: Lifting the impurity and removing the filth. This is the physical aspect of purification. It also covers the non physical aspect, and that is: The purity of the creed, actions and moral character.
Allah mentions in the  Holy Quran:

“Take Sadaqah (alms) from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it, and invoke Allah for them. Verily! Your invocations are a source of security for them, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower. ” (Soorah at-Tawbah 9:103)

In contrast, Allah  says in Soorah at-Tawbah:

“Verily, the Mushrikoon (idolaters) are Najas (impure)” (Soorah at-Tawbah 9:28)

And in Soorah al-Anbiyya:

“And we saved him from the town (folk) who practiced Al-Khabâ'ith (evil, wicked and filthy deeds, etc.)” (Soorah al-Anbiyya 21:74)

Also for this aspect we read in Soorah al-Ma‟idah:

“al-khamr (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), al-maysir (gambling), al-ansaab (idols), and al-azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are rijzun (abomination) from the works of Shaytaan. (Soorah al-Ma‟idah 5:90)

It is the case, with the compilers and the authors regarding the subjects of Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) and ahadeeth concerned with rulings, to begin their books with a chapter on Tahaarah (purification), because it is the key to Salaah (prayer). And because no Salaah is established without purification.

There is also another aspect to this (which may not have been intended by the scholars in particular) and that is; reminding the one seeking the knowledge that when he begins this journey to learn, he should purify his heart and have sincere intention to Allah in this task of seeking the knowledge.

The main reference for writing this article is from the book “Tayseer al-„Allaam Sharh Umdatul-Ahkaam” by Shaykh Abdullah ibn Abdur – Rahmaan Aal Bassaam, who is presently teaching in Al-Masjid Al-Haraam. He is one of the leading scholars in Saudi Arabia today and has written this book as a means to deliver the Fiqh of Islaam to the Muslims in a simple way by examining the hadeeths of the Prophet (pbuh) and then checking what rulings are correctly derived from them.

Basic Concepts:

Simple, Easy Deeds With Great Rewards - Islamic Perspective.

Introduction: Allah the Almighty has sent us in this world so that we worship Him alone and try our best to make our Lord happy so that we get the best of the rewards in the life hereafter.
In contrary to what should be the purpose of our lives , we spent our time, energy and our all our resources to make the life of this world a comfortable and beautiful one. Nobody can deny the fact that one day he/she has to die and as a Muslim we also believe that we have to answer Our God about the life spent in this world, so why not try our best to gather as much good deeds as we can.
The way of life which Islam teaches is not a difficult one, neither it is hard to earn rewards from simple and easy deeds, which with a little practice we can make them a part of our daily lives.

Here I have tried to summarize simple and easy deeds which are great and rewarding in the sight of Allah. We would neither need much time, energy or money to make these a habit but surely we hope that Allah will give us lots of rewards in this life as well as in the hereafter.

1. Having Good Intentions: Before doing any work, either it is your studies, household work or business if we start it with a good intention to please our God- Allah it becomes a reward.
Our Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:

Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended. Whoever migrates with an intention for Allah and His messenger, the migration will be for the sake of Allah and His messenger, And whoever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration will be for the sake of whatever he migrated for. ( Narrated By Sahih Bukhari And Sahih Muslim) 

We do a lot of things daily for example we eat, drink, make friends,  go to work, cook, etc, and if before doing any of these things we simply make a good intention for example before we eat we can make an intention that we are eating because Allah has told us to take care of our bodies and that once we get energy from this food we will praise Allah for providing us the blessings , the action of eating will be rewarded too.

Mary- Mother Of Jesus (Mariam Peace be Upon her) Mentioned In The Holy Quran

Mariam or Mary -mother of Jesus (pbuh) is one of the most respected woman for Muslims and she is the only woman mentioned by name in the Holy Quran. Indeed there is a full chapter after her name, Surah Mariam the chapter 19 of the Holy Quran. Allah has mentioned her at numerous occasions in Holy Quran and also where ever Prophet Essa or Jesus has been mentioned, he is mentioned as Essa Ibn Mariam (Jesus - the son of Mary)

The Birth Of Mariam (Mary):
A description of her birth in a noble and righteous family is described as follows in the Holy Quran:

Allah did chose Adam and Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of Imran above all people. Offsprings one of the other; and Allah hears and knows all things. Behold! When the wife of Imran said: O my Lord! I do dedicate unto You what is in my wombfor Your special service, so accept this of me, for You hear and know all things. When she was delivered, she said:O my Lord! Behold! I delivered a female child, And Allah knew best what she brought forth- and the male is not like a female. i have named her Maray, and I seek refuge with You(for Your protection) for her and her offspring, from devil (shatan) the rejected. (Surah Al-Imran Chapter 3 verses 33-36)

Her Acceptance By Allah As A Righteous Woman And Servant Of God:
The word Mary or Mariam means maid servant of God. Although Mariam's mother vowed to giver her unborn child for the service of God hoping it to be a male child, still when she delivered a female she was accepted by God as mentioned in the following verses;

Basic And Simple Instructions To Lead The Life- From The Holy Quran

Holy Quran is the last and the final Message from Our Lord Allah to the whole mankind. It is a pure word of God and is retained in its pure and unchanged form since the time it was revealed.
This Book (The Holy Quran) has simple and basic yet very important instruction to lead our life and if we follow these simple instructions from our God (Allah) our life in this world as well as hereafter will get better. These direct instruction for the mankind from Allah are given below along with reference from the Holy Quran:

1. How to Speak With Other People:

And be moderate in your pace, and lower your voice; for the harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the ass. ( Suarh Luqman Chapter 31 verse 19)

2. Controlling Ones Anger: 
 In Surah Al - Imran chapter 3 verse 133-134 Allah gives glad tidings to people among them are the one who restrain when in anger.

3. Respecting the Parents: 

Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility and say: My Lord ! bestow on them your Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood. (Surah Isra Chapter 17 verses 23-24)

And We Have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents..... (Surah Luqman Chapter 31 verse 14).

4. Be Good To Everyone:

Serve Allah and join not any partners with Him and do good - to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near of kin, neighbors who are strangers, the companions by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (slaves) whom your right hand possess. Verily Allah does not like those who are proud and boastful. ( Surah Nisa Chapter 4 verse 36)

5. Do Not Ridicule Others:

O you who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others; it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former), nor let some women laugh at others; it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former). Nor defame nor be insult each other, nor call each other by offensive nicknames. How bad is it to insult one's brother after having faith. And whoso ever does not repent . then such are indeed wrongdoers ( Surah Hujarat Chapter 49 verse 11).

6.  Do Not Take Bribery:  

 And do not eat up one another's property unjustly, nor give bribery to the rulers, that you may knowingly eat up a part of the property of others sinfully. ( Surah Baqarah Chapter 2 verse 188)

7. Do Not Consume Interest/ Usury:

Those who devour usury will not stand except as stands one whom devil by his touch has driven to madness. That is because they say trade is like usury, but Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury........  ( Surah Baqarah Chapter 2 verse 275)

Lailatul Qadar ( The Night Of Decree) In The View Of Different Islamic Scholars

Lailatul Qadar ( The night of Decree or The Night Of Power ) is the blessed night in which the holy Quran was revealed. Allah describes and mentions about this night in the Holy Quran in Surah Qadar Chapter 97 verses 1-5 as:

We have indeed revealed this  (Message) in the Night of Power. And what will explain to you what the Night of Power is?. The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down the angels and the spirit by Allah's permission,on every errand. Peace!...This until the rise of morning.

We do not know the exact date when this night comes but from the Sahih Ah hadeeth ( the saying of Prophet pbuh it comes on the odd nights of the last 10 days of Ramadan. We should make an effort to get the rewards from this holy night and ask Allah for forgiveness and the good for this life and the hereafter.
A collection of short videos from different Islamic scholars about this blessed night is given below.

The Six Pillars Of Islamic Faith

Islam has six important pillars of faith and a Muslim should believe in all of them. These include:

1. Belief in the Oneness of God (Allah): This is the first and the central belief in Islam. There is no god except One God Allah the Almighty. He has no partners and He Has no offspring. Allah Alone is the Lord of the universe. There is nothing equal to Him.

2. Belief In The Angels: Angels in Islam are spiritual creation of Allah that have no free will and worship Allah continuously. The angels have no gender and they have certain tasks appointed to them by Allah for example: angel Gabriel who conveyed the message of Allah to the prophets in the form of the revelations. angel of death who takes the souls of people on the appointed times, angel Micheal is in the charge of bringing the rain and so on. There are angels who write the good and the bad deeds done by humans, there are angels who will come to question after death in the grave. etc. Angels are not normally seen by naked eye but if Allah wills they can take the form of human on certain occasions.

3. Belief In the All The Prophets Of Allah And the Last Prophet Mohammad (Pbuh): A Muslim believes in all the prophets of Allah including the last and the final messenger Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). It is important part of Islamic faith to believe in all the prophets and respect all of them. The exact number of the messengers sent is not known but about 25 are mentioned by name in the Holy Quran which includes prophet Adam, Noah, Salah, Abraham(Ibrahim), Joseph(Yusuf), Moses, Zakariya, Yahya(John), Yunus (Johnah) ,Jesus and so on.... Most of these messengers are also mentioned in the old and the new testaments of Holy Bible.

Change Yourself For A Better Future And The Life Here After - Islamic View Point.

Introduction:

During our life we come across many reminders and tests that call us towards Allah, and give us a chance to change and improve ourselves. All humans can make mistakes but a good believer is the one who realizes his/ her mistake immediately and repents sincerely to Allah and changes oneself so as not to repeat the same sin.

If we try to remember that during our life time how many reminders have we come across, how many Islamic lectures have we heard, how many Quranic verses have we read with understanding, the answer will be countless but what change did these brought in our lives is sometimes none or minimal. We are reminded many times about getting closer to Allah, to leave our bad habits, not to waste our time, stop taking usury and so on, inside our heart most of the times we know that what is wrong and what is right but in the end we are still the same people that we are. We do not make any effort to give up the bad habit or to bring any change on our selves. So what is the benefit of all theses reminders???

The problem is that we don't want to change ourselves but we want our life to get better, we hope and expect to be rewarded in the here after, we want our supplications to be accepted, we want other people to be nice with us and so on.... 

Allah says in the Holy Quran in  Surah Raad Chapter 13 Verse 11:

...... Surely never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves.....

The Significance And Virtues Of Trust In Allah.

Allah our One and Only God , our Lord is all Powerful. Trust in Allah means to rely on Him alone for all our needs and affairs. Trust in Allah means having a firm belief that He alone can help us and guide us through all our needs and Allah alone can protect us from all the harms.

Whoever comes in this world from the first day of life till the death needs support and help from a trust worthy person to live the life. It is Allah who has put love in the heart of the mother and the father or the care taker who takes care of a newborn baby and so the weak dependent baby becomes a grown up adult person. Without Allah's help and support no one is able to survive even a second.
Our bodies are functioning with normal heart beat, circulation, mental function, digestion, respiration etc without even our realization. It is our God, Our Lord and Creator, Allah the Almighty Who is controlling and helping us with all these functions without even us knowing about it.
Then when a calamity befalls on us, something difficult comes in our way, if we are going to have an exam, a job interview or any health concerns then why do we forget to trust on Allah and seek help from Him alone. It does not mean that we should not try our best, but instead it means we should be doing our best along with full and complete trust in Allah for each and every step of our lives and situations.
There are many verses in the Holy Quran that emphasizes on the importance of trust in Allah.

It is mentioned in Surah Talaq Chapter 65 verse 3:

And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine, And if any one puts his trust in Allah, Sufficient is (Allah) for him, For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose, surely for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion.

Another place in Surah Al Maida Chapter 5 verse 23:

......but on Allah put your trust if you have faith.

Never Give Up Your Efforts:
Trust in Allah should never be mistaken to give up our efforts thinking that somehow Allah will resolve our challenges, instead it is the duty of every believing Muslim to continue their efforts in the best possible way as long as it is not in a way that is forbidden. It is a great reward to struggle for a good cause and to achieve some good goal.  Also one should not just sit at home praying without trying to work for sustenance thinking that Allah will provide for him. Instead going out for work and earning money in a halal (allowed manner) is also a reward from Allah and a form of worship for Muslims.

Allah says in the Holy Quran in Surah Ibrahim Chapter 14 verse 11:

........And in Allah let all men of faith put their trust. 

Again a similar message is repeated in Surah Ibrahim Chapter 14 verse 12:

.........For those who put their trust should put their trust in Allah. 

The Power And Virtues Of Asking From Allah (Making Dua/Supplications)

Introduction:
Dua is an Arabic word which can roughly be translated into English which means supplication or making an invocation In Islamic terminology dua means calling out to God (Allah alone). Making dua or supplication means asking from Allah for anything that we need. Allah the Almighty is our Lord and the Creator of the universe. He knows about everything in the past, present and the future. He is the one Who can change our destiny if we ask Him. Dua is the most powerful weapon for a true believer. It can change our life and our destiny. When we call out to Allah and make dua it is in fact a manifestation of our needs for Allah. We humans are a mere creation of Allah and we are helpless. We do not have power over anything without the help of Allah and we need to ask Him for every need in our day to day activities.

The Virtues Of Dua:
Dua is a way of making conversation with Allah our Lord, Who has power over all things. It is the best conversation a person can ever have. It is Allah alone who knows our problems and our sufferings and He can solve them if we ask Him with sincerity and true belief.

Our Prophet Mohammad (Pbuh) said:

The supplication of everyone of you will be granted if he does not get impatient and say 'I supplicated my Lord but may prayer has not been granted" ( Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim).

One should never lose hope and should never stop asking from Allah. When a person makes dua to Allah, he gets one of three things in return:
1.  Either Allah will give what the person just asked for.
2. The person may not get what he asked for but Allah gives something else in return of it which is better than what he asked for.
3. Allah saves his dua to be rewarded on the day of judgement.
This concludes that making dua will never go unrewarded, even if we think that we are not been answered we should always continue making dua to Allah.

Allah is all Generous and He even listens to the non-believers. Allah even provides with the best of everything in this world to the worst type of people, the one who act evil and those who even reject Him. Then why would He not listen to the invocation from the true believers, those who supplicate Him , with full trust in Him alone and ask Allah for help in everything.

It is very important that the dua should be done at all time and not only in times of need or hardships. Indeed we need Allah at all times. Dua should not be our last resort when everything else have failed instead it should be our first approach.  Allah says in The Holy Quran in Surah Al Baqarah Chapter 2 verse 186:

And when my slaves ask you concerning Me , I am indeed close (to them); I listen to the prayer of every supplicant when he calls on Me.......

A similar message is repeated in Surah Momin Chapter 40 verse 60:

And your Lord (Allah) says: Call on Me I will answer your prayers.....

Asking Allah At All Times;
Dua is like a powerful weapon for us to live and face the struggles of this life. Life in this world is full of hardships. From the moment a child learns to walk and speak he should be taught to ask Allah for everything. In our day to day activities nothing is possible without the help from Allah and so we should continue asking Him for His help and to make our tasks accomplished and to fulfill our needs.

We should make a habit of asking from Allah for minor needs to the greatest things. Nothing is too big for Allah the Lord of the universe and nothing is too small for us the human beings. We should always ask Allah with the hope that our prayers will be answered.

Prohibition For Celebrating Valentines Day - Islamic Views

Valentines day is celebrated on February 14th as a festival of love and is becoming a part of the culture not only in the the west but also among the Muslims. It is important to understand where this comes from and why it is prohibited to celebrate this day.

Going Back To The Origin Of Valentines day- Where It comes From?
Since the origin of the human beings on this earth , people worshiped their creator in different ways. Allah sent messengers to different nations to guide them to the true path and to worship only one God and to stay away from the false gods but among the people some did worship one true God but some were misguided and either made idols to worship or some worshiped nature, like sun, moon, and some based their religion on the movement of the sun and the stars.
Similarly they had some myths in which they believed and gave spiritual importance. The Festival of love was celebrated by the pagan Roman like more than seventeen centuries ago in the mid of February. Later this festival was adopted by the Christians.

Where Does The Name Valentine Comes From? 
Saint Valentine  is the name given to two ancient martyrs of the christian church about whom it is believed that they died in Rome as the result of the persecution of the Gothic leader Claudius.
The Romans would not let man marry because they wanted them to serve in the army but this Saint was against it and helped people get married secretly. later when he was caught and executed he wrote a letter to a couple in the end stating from your Valentine and from here comes the origin of name valentines for this day.
When the Romans embraced Christianity , they continued to celebrate their 'festival of love' but just changed the name to 'martyrs of love' represented by saint valentine who advocated love and peace and with time it got the name 'valentines day'.

Why Should Muslims Not Celebrate Valentines Day?
After knowing the origin of valentines day it is clear that it is a pagan festival and Muslims has nothing to do with it but unfortunately nowadays this day is celebrated for fun, for exchanging gifts and flowers, to propose for a marriage and even by some people to get married on this day. Here i would like to summarize a few points why this day should not be given any importance by the Muslims and not to be celebrated:

1. Allah says in the Holy Quran in Surah Al-Imran Chapter 3 verse 85:

Virtues of Doing Istighfar ( Asking Forgiveness From Allah)

'Istighfar' Or Saying 'Astaghfirullah' are Arabic words which means "I seek forgiveness of Allah". It is a very simple but an important supplication for every good Muslim to remember.
We are all human beings and we can always make mistakes but Allah, the Merciful has kept the doors for repentance open for us and if we make mistakes or commit any sin it is our duty to seek Allah's forgiveness and to repent to Him.
Also it is important to note that it is not necessary to do istighfar only if we commit a sin instead we should supplicate and seek forgiveness from Allah at all times because our acts of worship and obedience are clearly insufficient to thank Allah for all the blessings which He has given us.
Allah says in the Holy Quran in Surah Az Zumar Chapter 39 verse 53:

Say; O my servants who have transgressed against there souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah; for Allah forgives all sins; for he is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

A similar message is repeated in Surah Nisa Chapter 4 verse 110:

If anyone does evil or wrongs his own soul, but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Surah Najam Chapter 53 verse 32:

Those who avoid great sins and indecent deeds, only (falling into) small faults- certainly , your Lord is ample in forgiveness.....

Surah Hud Chapter 11 verse 90:

But ask forgiveness of your Lord, and turn unto Him (in repentance), for my Lord is indeed full of Mercy and loving kindness. 

Asking Allah for forgiveness and repenting on our sins will wash away our bad deeds and can even change them into good deeds. This is what Allah told in the Holy Quran in Surah Furqan Chapter 25 verses 70-71:

Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous deeds, for them Allah will change the evil into good deeds, and Allah is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful. And whoever repents and does good has truly turned to Allah with an (acceptable) conversion- in repentance. 

Supplications For The Cure Of Illness - Islamic Perspective

All of us do get sick at some point in out life and this illness may be a minor headache or a common cold and it may be something more serious even requiring a surgery. it is our duty as a good Muslim to seek the best of the treatment within our means and get advice from the doctors but at the same time it is very important to ask Allah to cure the disease and to supplicate to Him.

The Messenger Of Allah Our Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said:

There is no disease that Allah has created except that He also has created its treatment.  (Sahih Bukhari volume 7, book of medicine, Hadith Number 1962) 

Holy Quran is a miracle that Allah has revealed to Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) as the last and final message. This book is a blessing for the humanity. The Holy Quran is not only a guidance for mankind but Allah has also made it has spiritual cure and healing for various illnesses. This includes treatments for all worldly problems, physical and psychological diseases and a protection against evil eye.  It is clearly mentioned in the Holy Quran itself by Allah that the words of Quran are a healing (shifa) for the believers.
Allah says in the Holy Quran in Surah Israa Chapter 17 verse 82:

And We sent down of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe......

There are many verses in the Holy Quran that we can recite and make supplication to Allah when we are sick. Some of those verses are mentioned below:

1.  

 And when I am ill, it is He (Allah) Who cures me. ( Surah Shura Chapter 26 verse 80)

2.