This LISTis awesome! Everyone can use it.
Apples
Protects your heart
prevents constipation
Blocks diarrhea
Improves lung capacity
Cushions joints
Apricots
Combats cancer
Controls blood pressure
Saves your eyesight
Shields against Alzheimer's
Slows aging process
Artichokes
Aids digestion
Lowers cholesterol
Protects your heart
Stabilizes blood sugar
Guards against liver disease
Avocados
Battles diabetes
Lowers cholesterol
Helps stops strokes
Controls blood pressure
Smoothes skin
Bananas
Protects your heart
Quiets a cough
Strengthens bones
Controls blood pressure
Blocks diarrhea
Beans
Prevents constipation
Helps hemorrhoids
Lowers cholesterol
Combats cancer
Stabilizes blood sugar
Beets
Controls blood pressure
Combats cancer
Strengthens bones
Protects your heart
Aids weight loss
Blueberries
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Stabilizes blood sugar
Boosts memory
Prevents constipation
Broccoli
Strengthens bones
Saves eyesight
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Controls blood pressure
Cabbage
Combats cancer
Prevents constipation
Promotes weight loss
Protects your heart
Helps hemorrhoids
Cantaloupe
Saves eyesight
Controls blood pressure
Lowers cholesterol
Combats cancer
Supports immune system
Carrots
Saves eyesight
Protects your heart
Prevents constipation
Combats cancer
Promotes weight loss
Cauliflower
Protects against Prostate Cancer
Combats Breast Cancer
Strengthens bones
Banishes bruises
Guards against heart disease
Cherries
Protects your heart
Combats Cancer
Ends insomnia
Slows aging process
Shields against Alzheimer's
Chestnuts
Promotes weight loss
Protects your heart
Lowers cholesterol
Combats Cancer
Controls blood pressure
Chili peppers
Aids digestion
Soothes sore throat
Clears sinuses
Combats Cancer
Boosts immune system
Figs
Promotes weight loss
Helps stops strokes
Lowers cholesterol
Combats Cancer
Controls blood pressure
Fish
Protects your heart
Boosts memory
Protects your heart
Combats Cancer
Supports immune system
Flax
Aids digestion
Battles diabetes
Protects your heart
Improves mental health
Boosts immune system
Garlic
Lowers cholesterol
Controls blood pressure
Combats cancer
kills bacteria
Fights fungus
Grapefruit
Protects against heart attacks
Promotes Weight loss
Helps stops strokes
Combats Prostate Cancer
Lowers cholesterol
Grapes
saves eyesight
Conquers kidney stones
Combats cancer
Enhances blood flow
Protects your heart
Green tea
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Helps stops strokes
Promotes Weight loss
Kills bacteria
Honey
Heals wounds
Aids digestion
Guards against ulcers
Increases energy
Fights allergies
Lemons
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Controls blood pressure
Smoothes skin
Stops scurvy
Limes
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Controls blood pressure
Smoothes skin
Stops scurvy
Mangoes
Combats cancer
Boosts memory
Regulates thyroid
aids digestion
Shields against Alzheimer's
Mushrooms
Controls blood pressure
Lowers cholesterol
Kills bacteria
Combats cancer
Strengthens bones
Oats
Lowers cholesterol
Combats cancer
Battles diabetes
prevents constipation
Smoothes skin
Olive oil
Protects your heart
Promotes Weight loss
Combats cancer
Battles diabetes
Smoothes skin
Onions
Reduce risk of heart attack
Combats cancer
Kills bacteria
Lowers cholesterol
Fights fungus
Oranges
Supports immune systems
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Straightens respiration
Peaches
prevents constipation
Combats cancer
Helps stops strokes
aids digestion
Helps hemorrhoids
Peanuts
Protects against heart disease
Promotes Weight loss
Combats Prostate Cancer
Lowers cholesterol
Aggravates
Diverticulitis
Pineapple
Strengthens bones
Relieves colds
Aids digestion
Dissolves warts
Blocks diarrhea
Prunes
Slows aging process
prevents constipation
boosts memory
Lowers cholesterol
Protects against heart disease
Rice
Protects your heart
Battles diabetes
Conquers kidney stones
Combats cancer
Helps stops strokes
Strawberries
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
boosts memory
Calms stress
Sweet potatoes
Saves your eyesight
Lifts mood
Combats cancer
Strengthens bones
Tomatoes
Protects prostate
Combats cancer
Lowers cholesterol
Protects your heart
Walnuts
Lowers cholesterol
Combats cancer
boosts memory
Lifts mood
Protects against heart disease
Water
Promotes Weight loss
Combats cancer
Conquers kidney stones
Smoothes skin
Watermelon
Protects prostate
Promotes Weight loss
Lowers cholesterol
Helps stops strokes
Controls blood pressure
Wheat germ
Combats Colon Cancer
prevents constipation
Lowers cholesterol
Helps stops strokes
improves digestion
Wheat bran
Combats Colon Cancer
prevents constipation
Lowers cholesterol
Helps stops strokes
improves digestion
Yogurt
Guards against ulcers
Strengthens bones
Lowers cholesterol
Supports immune systems
Aids digestion
Monday, December 28, 2009
"Narcotics are more destructive to societies than nuclear weapons!"
His Eminence the Muftee, may Allaah preserve him:
Reported by Lutfee Abdul-Lateef for the "al-Madeenah" newspaper in Riyaadh
The eminent Shaykh Abdul-Azeez bin Abdullaah Aal as-Shaykh, Grand Muftee of Saudi Arabia, President of the Panel of Major Scholars, and President of the Permanent Committee of Verdicts, Allaah preserve him, declared that:
"Narcotics in their various forms, from heroine, cocaine, to hashish, are more harmful and destructive to human societies than nuclear weapons!"
Said his eminences, Allaah preserve him: "If the nuclear weapon threatens mankind, then surely narcotics are a destructive force that demolishes human societies. They corrupt people, remove their intellects, cause the spilling of blood, cause a horrendous array of diseases, cause memory loss to those who indulge in them, cause great harm to families, they rob a person of motivation, ruin a person's Islaam, and they are the source of many crimes and evil consequences; hence their being labeled as the 'Mother of All Filth'."
The Grand Muftee, Allaah preserve him, insisted upon the turning in of drug dealers, the pursuit of them, and lowering upon them the strictest of deterrents. (He also urged) that no muslim be lenient or merciful to them because they are corrupt criminals.
His eminences the Shaykh Abdul-Azeez Aal as-Shaykh, Allaah preserve him, said:
"Neither is the defense nor the mediation on the part of one proved to be engrossed or involved in the trafficking of narcotics allowed. This is because they are a depraved criminal mob that fall into the generality of Allaah's, the Blessed and the Sublime's statement,
'The only reward for those who make war upon Allaah and His Messenger and cause corruption in the earth is that they are executed, crucified, their hands are cut on the opposite side of their body that their foot is cut, or that they are exiled from the land.'"
His Eminence added that: "The enemies of al-Islaam attempt wreck the Muslim countries with the use of narcotics, and their colonization of the Muslim lands is now through this murderous blight whose access and distribution they allow for the subversion of the Muslim world."
He, Allaah preserve him, continued: "All Muslims are obliged to maintain a tough unyielding stance in combating narcotics and its traffickers, as protectors of the Muslim lands and their peoples from this disastrous problem." He went on to say, "Al-Islaam has forbidden narcotics because of their extreme harms and grave nature. Furthermore, trade in narcotics has been prohibited, and the moneys made from the narcotics trade is forbidden and counted as dirty and impure."
Finally, he stated, "It is not permitted for the Muslim who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to participate in the distribution, sale, trade, or the trafficking of narcotics. Neither is it permissible to conspire with the traffickers, defend the conspirators in drug cases, to advocate for them, or to grant them leniency."
Newspaper "al-Madeenah"
Reported by Lutfee Abdul-Lateef for the "al-Madeenah" newspaper in Riyaadh
The eminent Shaykh Abdul-Azeez bin Abdullaah Aal as-Shaykh, Grand Muftee of Saudi Arabia, President of the Panel of Major Scholars, and President of the Permanent Committee of Verdicts, Allaah preserve him, declared that:
"Narcotics in their various forms, from heroine, cocaine, to hashish, are more harmful and destructive to human societies than nuclear weapons!"
Said his eminences, Allaah preserve him: "If the nuclear weapon threatens mankind, then surely narcotics are a destructive force that demolishes human societies. They corrupt people, remove their intellects, cause the spilling of blood, cause a horrendous array of diseases, cause memory loss to those who indulge in them, cause great harm to families, they rob a person of motivation, ruin a person's Islaam, and they are the source of many crimes and evil consequences; hence their being labeled as the 'Mother of All Filth'."
The Grand Muftee, Allaah preserve him, insisted upon the turning in of drug dealers, the pursuit of them, and lowering upon them the strictest of deterrents. (He also urged) that no muslim be lenient or merciful to them because they are corrupt criminals.
His eminences the Shaykh Abdul-Azeez Aal as-Shaykh, Allaah preserve him, said:
"Neither is the defense nor the mediation on the part of one proved to be engrossed or involved in the trafficking of narcotics allowed. This is because they are a depraved criminal mob that fall into the generality of Allaah's, the Blessed and the Sublime's statement,
'The only reward for those who make war upon Allaah and His Messenger and cause corruption in the earth is that they are executed, crucified, their hands are cut on the opposite side of their body that their foot is cut, or that they are exiled from the land.'"
His Eminence added that: "The enemies of al-Islaam attempt wreck the Muslim countries with the use of narcotics, and their colonization of the Muslim lands is now through this murderous blight whose access and distribution they allow for the subversion of the Muslim world."
He, Allaah preserve him, continued: "All Muslims are obliged to maintain a tough unyielding stance in combating narcotics and its traffickers, as protectors of the Muslim lands and their peoples from this disastrous problem." He went on to say, "Al-Islaam has forbidden narcotics because of their extreme harms and grave nature. Furthermore, trade in narcotics has been prohibited, and the moneys made from the narcotics trade is forbidden and counted as dirty and impure."
Finally, he stated, "It is not permitted for the Muslim who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to participate in the distribution, sale, trade, or the trafficking of narcotics. Neither is it permissible to conspire with the traffickers, defend the conspirators in drug cases, to advocate for them, or to grant them leniency."
Newspaper "al-Madeenah"
"Narcotics are more destructive to societies than nuclear weapons!"
His Eminence the Muftee, may Allaah preserve him:
Reported by Lutfee Abdul-Lateef for the "al-Madeenah" newspaper in Riyaadh
The eminent Shaykh Abdul-Azeez bin Abdullaah Aal as-Shaykh, Grand Muftee of Saudi Arabia, President of the Panel of Major Scholars, and President of the Permanent Committee of Verdicts, Allaah preserve him, declared that:
"Narcotics in their various forms, from heroine, cocaine, to hashish, are more harmful and destructive to human societies than nuclear weapons!"
Said his eminences, Allaah preserve him: "If the nuclear weapon threatens mankind, then surely narcotics are a destructive force that demolishes human societies. They corrupt people, remove their intellects, cause the spilling of blood, cause a horrendous array of diseases, cause memory loss to those who indulge in them, cause great harm to families, they rob a person of motivation, ruin a person's Islaam, and they are the source of many crimes and evil consequences; hence their being labeled as the 'Mother of All Filth'."
The Grand Muftee, Allaah preserve him, insisted upon the turning in of drug dealers, the pursuit of them, and lowering upon them the strictest of deterrents. (He also urged) that no muslim be lenient or merciful to them because they are corrupt criminals.
His eminences the Shaykh Abdul-Azeez Aal as-Shaykh, Allaah preserve him, said:
"Neither is the defense nor the mediation on the part of one proved to be engrossed or involved in the trafficking of narcotics allowed. This is because they are a depraved criminal mob that fall into the generality of Allaah's, the Blessed and the Sublime's statement,
'The only reward for those who make war upon Allaah and His Messenger and cause corruption in the earth is that they are executed, crucified, their hands are cut on the opposite side of their body that their foot is cut, or that they are exiled from the land.'"
His Eminence added that: "The enemies of al-Islaam attempt wreck the Muslim countries with the use of narcotics, and their colonization of the Muslim lands is now through this murderous blight whose access and distribution they allow for the subversion of the Muslim world."
He, Allaah preserve him, continued: "All Muslims are obliged to maintain a tough unyielding stance in combating narcotics and its traffickers, as protectors of the Muslim lands and their peoples from this disastrous problem." He went on to say, "Al-Islaam has forbidden narcotics because of their extreme harms and grave nature. Furthermore, trade in narcotics has been prohibited, and the moneys made from the narcotics trade is forbidden and counted as dirty and impure."
Finally, he stated, "It is not permitted for the Muslim who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to participate in the distribution, sale, trade, or the trafficking of narcotics. Neither is it permissible to conspire with the traffickers, defend the conspirators in drug cases, to advocate for them, or to grant them leniency."
Newspaper "al-Madeenah"
Reported by Lutfee Abdul-Lateef for the "al-Madeenah" newspaper in Riyaadh
The eminent Shaykh Abdul-Azeez bin Abdullaah Aal as-Shaykh, Grand Muftee of Saudi Arabia, President of the Panel of Major Scholars, and President of the Permanent Committee of Verdicts, Allaah preserve him, declared that:
"Narcotics in their various forms, from heroine, cocaine, to hashish, are more harmful and destructive to human societies than nuclear weapons!"
Said his eminences, Allaah preserve him: "If the nuclear weapon threatens mankind, then surely narcotics are a destructive force that demolishes human societies. They corrupt people, remove their intellects, cause the spilling of blood, cause a horrendous array of diseases, cause memory loss to those who indulge in them, cause great harm to families, they rob a person of motivation, ruin a person's Islaam, and they are the source of many crimes and evil consequences; hence their being labeled as the 'Mother of All Filth'."
The Grand Muftee, Allaah preserve him, insisted upon the turning in of drug dealers, the pursuit of them, and lowering upon them the strictest of deterrents. (He also urged) that no muslim be lenient or merciful to them because they are corrupt criminals.
His eminences the Shaykh Abdul-Azeez Aal as-Shaykh, Allaah preserve him, said:
"Neither is the defense nor the mediation on the part of one proved to be engrossed or involved in the trafficking of narcotics allowed. This is because they are a depraved criminal mob that fall into the generality of Allaah's, the Blessed and the Sublime's statement,
'The only reward for those who make war upon Allaah and His Messenger and cause corruption in the earth is that they are executed, crucified, their hands are cut on the opposite side of their body that their foot is cut, or that they are exiled from the land.'"
His Eminence added that: "The enemies of al-Islaam attempt wreck the Muslim countries with the use of narcotics, and their colonization of the Muslim lands is now through this murderous blight whose access and distribution they allow for the subversion of the Muslim world."
He, Allaah preserve him, continued: "All Muslims are obliged to maintain a tough unyielding stance in combating narcotics and its traffickers, as protectors of the Muslim lands and their peoples from this disastrous problem." He went on to say, "Al-Islaam has forbidden narcotics because of their extreme harms and grave nature. Furthermore, trade in narcotics has been prohibited, and the moneys made from the narcotics trade is forbidden and counted as dirty and impure."
Finally, he stated, "It is not permitted for the Muslim who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to participate in the distribution, sale, trade, or the trafficking of narcotics. Neither is it permissible to conspire with the traffickers, defend the conspirators in drug cases, to advocate for them, or to grant them leniency."
Newspaper "al-Madeenah"
The Purposes of the Believer's Trial
From the Book: Fatawa Islamiyah Islamic Verdicts Volume 1
From the Noble Scholars: Shaykh 'Abdul-'Aziz bin 'Abdullah bin Baz
Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih Al-Uthaimin
Along with: The Permanent Committee and the decisions of the Fiqh Council
Collected by: Muhammad bin 'Abdul-'Aziz al-Musnad
Pgs. 177-180
Question:
Why does Allah burden the believers, who perform many acts of worship, with illnesses and trials, while the disobedient ones enjoy the good things in life?
Answer:
This question comes from two angles: The first is one of dissaproval and the second is one of seeking advice. As for the disapproval expressed, it is indicative of the questioner's ignorance, for Allah's Wisdom is too great for the human mind to encompass; He, the Almighty, the All-Powerful says:
And they ask you (O Muhammad [sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam])
concerning the Ruh (the spirit); say: "The Ruh (the spirit)
is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my
Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a
little." [1]
So this spirit, which is in our bodies, and which is the essence of life, we do not know what it is, and scientists, philosophers and theologians have tried in vain to define it and to describe it. Therefore, if we do not understand anything about this spirit, which is the closest creation to us, except what has been described to us in the Qur'an and Sunnah, how can you expect to understand the wisdom behind this (i.e. the trial of the believers)? Allah, the Mighty, the Majestic is Wiser, Greater, More Powerful and More Able; thus it is incumbent upon us to accept His Decree with a complete acceptance, both those which He allows to happen without necessitating His approval, and those which happen with His liking and approval. This is because we are unable to appreciate the design and purpose behind the Wisdom of Him, the Almighty, the Majestic. What is incumbent regarding this aspect of the question, is to say: "Allah knows better, He is Wiser, more Able and Greater."
As for the second angle, which is the question of guidance, we say, in answer to this question: The believer is tested; and the trial is from Allah, which tests him through harm has two purposes. It is a test of the man's faith - is it firm, or shaky? The true believer accepts and understands the Decree of Allah and His Will and he hopes to be rewarded for it, and so the matter becomes easy for him. It is said that a believing woman was afflicted by an injury to her finger, but she did not feel any pain, nor did she show any signs of distress. She was asked about it and she said: "Verily, the sweetness of its reward made me forget the bitterness of its pain." So the believer hopes for a reward from Allah, the Most High and he submits with complete conviction. This is one purpose; as for the second, verily, Allah praises those who patiently persevere with great approval and He informs them that He is with them
*[1] and He grants them their recompense without measure or account. Patience is a high rank, which none can reach except those who are put to trial in matters over which they demonstrate patient perseverance. If he does so, he achieves this high rank in which is this great reward. Thus, the trial of Allah upon the believers by what harms them enables them to achieve the rank of the patient ones. This is why the Messenger (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) - who was the best of mankind in faith and the most pious of them and the most God-fearing - suffered from illness enough for two men, and it was extremely hard upon him when the agony of death came to him. And all of this was so that he might perfect his level of patience; and verily, he (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was the most patient of the patient ones. From this, you can see the wisdom behind Allah testing the believers with such calamities. As for Him giving the disobedient ones, the sinners, the profligate and the disbelievers well-being and sustenance in abundance, this is a lure into destruction from Allah, the Most High for them. It is authentically reported from the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) that he said:
((Verily, this world is a prison for the believer and a
Paradise for the disbeliever.)) **[1]
So they are given these good things as advance compensation for their good in the life of this world, but on the Day of Resurrection, they receive their just reward. Allah, the Most High says:
And on the Day when those who disbelieve (in the Oneness
of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) will be exposed to the Fire,
(it will be said): "You received your good things in the life
of the world, and you took your pleasure therein. Now this
Day shall you be recompensed with a torment of humiliation,
because you were arrogant in the land without a right, and
because you used to rebel and disobey (Allah)." [2]
In brief, this world is for the disbelievers, by which they are lured to destruction, after which, they go on from this life in which they were blessed, to the afterlife, where they find punishment - we seek refuge with Allah from that - and the punishment will be worse for them because they will find therein torment and suffering, in addition to which, they will suffer the loss of things dear to them in the life of this world, its blessings and its luxuries. This is a third purpose which we might add to the above mentioned two, concerning the harm and illness the believer endures, for he transfers to an abode of goodness from this world, so he will have gone from a painful situation to one of ease and comfort, and his happiness at the felicity given to him will be doubled, because he has found ease and comfort in place of the pains and calamities he previously suffered.
Ibn 'Uthaimin
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Al-Isra' 17:85.
*[1] That is, in His Seeing, His Hearing and His Knowledge.
**[1] Muslim no. 2956.
[2] Al-Ahqaf 46:20.
From the Noble Scholars: Shaykh 'Abdul-'Aziz bin 'Abdullah bin Baz
Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih Al-Uthaimin
Along with: The Permanent Committee and the decisions of the Fiqh Council
Collected by: Muhammad bin 'Abdul-'Aziz al-Musnad
Pgs. 177-180
Question:
Why does Allah burden the believers, who perform many acts of worship, with illnesses and trials, while the disobedient ones enjoy the good things in life?
Answer:
This question comes from two angles: The first is one of dissaproval and the second is one of seeking advice. As for the disapproval expressed, it is indicative of the questioner's ignorance, for Allah's Wisdom is too great for the human mind to encompass; He, the Almighty, the All-Powerful says:
And they ask you (O Muhammad [sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam])
concerning the Ruh (the spirit); say: "The Ruh (the spirit)
is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my
Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a
little." [1]
So this spirit, which is in our bodies, and which is the essence of life, we do not know what it is, and scientists, philosophers and theologians have tried in vain to define it and to describe it. Therefore, if we do not understand anything about this spirit, which is the closest creation to us, except what has been described to us in the Qur'an and Sunnah, how can you expect to understand the wisdom behind this (i.e. the trial of the believers)? Allah, the Mighty, the Majestic is Wiser, Greater, More Powerful and More Able; thus it is incumbent upon us to accept His Decree with a complete acceptance, both those which He allows to happen without necessitating His approval, and those which happen with His liking and approval. This is because we are unable to appreciate the design and purpose behind the Wisdom of Him, the Almighty, the Majestic. What is incumbent regarding this aspect of the question, is to say: "Allah knows better, He is Wiser, more Able and Greater."
As for the second angle, which is the question of guidance, we say, in answer to this question: The believer is tested; and the trial is from Allah, which tests him through harm has two purposes. It is a test of the man's faith - is it firm, or shaky? The true believer accepts and understands the Decree of Allah and His Will and he hopes to be rewarded for it, and so the matter becomes easy for him. It is said that a believing woman was afflicted by an injury to her finger, but she did not feel any pain, nor did she show any signs of distress. She was asked about it and she said: "Verily, the sweetness of its reward made me forget the bitterness of its pain." So the believer hopes for a reward from Allah, the Most High and he submits with complete conviction. This is one purpose; as for the second, verily, Allah praises those who patiently persevere with great approval and He informs them that He is with them
*[1] and He grants them their recompense without measure or account. Patience is a high rank, which none can reach except those who are put to trial in matters over which they demonstrate patient perseverance. If he does so, he achieves this high rank in which is this great reward. Thus, the trial of Allah upon the believers by what harms them enables them to achieve the rank of the patient ones. This is why the Messenger (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) - who was the best of mankind in faith and the most pious of them and the most God-fearing - suffered from illness enough for two men, and it was extremely hard upon him when the agony of death came to him. And all of this was so that he might perfect his level of patience; and verily, he (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was the most patient of the patient ones. From this, you can see the wisdom behind Allah testing the believers with such calamities. As for Him giving the disobedient ones, the sinners, the profligate and the disbelievers well-being and sustenance in abundance, this is a lure into destruction from Allah, the Most High for them. It is authentically reported from the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam) that he said:
((Verily, this world is a prison for the believer and a
Paradise for the disbeliever.)) **[1]
So they are given these good things as advance compensation for their good in the life of this world, but on the Day of Resurrection, they receive their just reward. Allah, the Most High says:
And on the Day when those who disbelieve (in the Oneness
of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) will be exposed to the Fire,
(it will be said): "You received your good things in the life
of the world, and you took your pleasure therein. Now this
Day shall you be recompensed with a torment of humiliation,
because you were arrogant in the land without a right, and
because you used to rebel and disobey (Allah)." [2]
In brief, this world is for the disbelievers, by which they are lured to destruction, after which, they go on from this life in which they were blessed, to the afterlife, where they find punishment - we seek refuge with Allah from that - and the punishment will be worse for them because they will find therein torment and suffering, in addition to which, they will suffer the loss of things dear to them in the life of this world, its blessings and its luxuries. This is a third purpose which we might add to the above mentioned two, concerning the harm and illness the believer endures, for he transfers to an abode of goodness from this world, so he will have gone from a painful situation to one of ease and comfort, and his happiness at the felicity given to him will be doubled, because he has found ease and comfort in place of the pains and calamities he previously suffered.
Ibn 'Uthaimin
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Al-Isra' 17:85.
*[1] That is, in His Seeing, His Hearing and His Knowledge.
**[1] Muslim no. 2956.
[2] Al-Ahqaf 46:20.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
The Issue of Minarets upon the Mosques
Question:
Was there a minaret in the time of the Prophet sallallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam)?
Answer:
Our Shaykh mentioned from ash-Shaatibee (in al-Iýtisaam), and those that quote from them that the prophetic adhaan was called from the minaarah (minaret). Likewise, it was quoted similarly from Ibnul-Haaj, (in al-madkhal). However, he (Shaykh al-Albaanee - rahimahullaah) was not pleased with that statement, and he said (in al-Ajwibah an-Naafiýah page 33-35) under the title: Was there a minaret in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam)?
al-Albaanee commented, I did not come across that which clearly shows that the prophetic adhaan was on the minaret, except that which preceded in the hadeeth that it was above the entrance of the masjid. So from what is apparent, is that it (the adhaan) was called upon the roof, above the entrance. And what supports this claim from that which is well-known is that Bilaal, the one who would call the prophetic adhaan on the day of Jumu'ah, had something to climb upon in order to call the adhaan.
In the Saheeh of Imaam al-Bukhaaree, al-Qaasim Ibn Muhammad narrated from 'Aa'ishah that Bilaal would call the adhaan in the night, so the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam) said, "Eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktoob calls the adhaan, surely he does not call the adhaan until the time for fajr enters."[1] al-Qaasim said, ýThere wasnýt between their adhaans except that one was rising and the other was descendingý
Then our Shaykh said in the previous book,[2] "In summary, that which I hold in this topic is that it has not been established that the minaret was known to be part of the masjid at the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam). In conclusion, the adhaan in that time was made from a raised place above the masjid, climbed upon, as mentioned previously. From that which is likely is that the climbing that was mentioned was only at the back of the masjid, and it is also likely that it was upon something that was (raised) above the back of the masjid. As comes in the hadeeth of Umm Zayd, in either two situations, that which we take to be correct, is that the minaret which is known today is not from the Sunnah in any way, however, that which is the intended meaning of it, a conveyance (call to prayer) is a legislated affair without doubt. If the conveyance (call to prayer) cannot take place except by it, then at this point, it is legislated, as is found in Usoolul-'Ilm:
If that which is waajib cannot take place without it, then it, itself, becomes obligatory, to the extent of whatýs needed.
However, my opinion is that the presence of microphones or (other) conveyance tools of today frees us from the (need for) minarets, especially since it (the minaret) is expensive (and burdensome). Its construction under these circumstances, considering it is an innovation, and having that which frees us from needing it, is not legislated. Because whatýs found in it of extravagance and wasting money, and that which shows with irrefutable proofs, that it has become something of no benefit. Verily, the muýadhineen (callers of the adhaan), never ascend it and are not in need of it because of the amplifiers.
Footnotes: [1] Al-Bukhaaree (4/110) [2] al-Ajwibah an-Naafi'ah page 33-35
Shaykh Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaanee
Was there a minaret in the time of the Prophet sallallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam)?
Answer:
Our Shaykh mentioned from ash-Shaatibee (in al-Iýtisaam), and those that quote from them that the prophetic adhaan was called from the minaarah (minaret). Likewise, it was quoted similarly from Ibnul-Haaj, (in al-madkhal). However, he (Shaykh al-Albaanee - rahimahullaah) was not pleased with that statement, and he said (in al-Ajwibah an-Naafiýah page 33-35) under the title: Was there a minaret in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam)?
al-Albaanee commented, I did not come across that which clearly shows that the prophetic adhaan was on the minaret, except that which preceded in the hadeeth that it was above the entrance of the masjid. So from what is apparent, is that it (the adhaan) was called upon the roof, above the entrance. And what supports this claim from that which is well-known is that Bilaal, the one who would call the prophetic adhaan on the day of Jumu'ah, had something to climb upon in order to call the adhaan.
In the Saheeh of Imaam al-Bukhaaree, al-Qaasim Ibn Muhammad narrated from 'Aa'ishah that Bilaal would call the adhaan in the night, so the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam) said, "Eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktoob calls the adhaan, surely he does not call the adhaan until the time for fajr enters."[1] al-Qaasim said, ýThere wasnýt between their adhaans except that one was rising and the other was descendingý
Then our Shaykh said in the previous book,[2] "In summary, that which I hold in this topic is that it has not been established that the minaret was known to be part of the masjid at the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ýalayhi wa sallam). In conclusion, the adhaan in that time was made from a raised place above the masjid, climbed upon, as mentioned previously. From that which is likely is that the climbing that was mentioned was only at the back of the masjid, and it is also likely that it was upon something that was (raised) above the back of the masjid. As comes in the hadeeth of Umm Zayd, in either two situations, that which we take to be correct, is that the minaret which is known today is not from the Sunnah in any way, however, that which is the intended meaning of it, a conveyance (call to prayer) is a legislated affair without doubt. If the conveyance (call to prayer) cannot take place except by it, then at this point, it is legislated, as is found in Usoolul-'Ilm:
If that which is waajib cannot take place without it, then it, itself, becomes obligatory, to the extent of whatýs needed.
However, my opinion is that the presence of microphones or (other) conveyance tools of today frees us from the (need for) minarets, especially since it (the minaret) is expensive (and burdensome). Its construction under these circumstances, considering it is an innovation, and having that which frees us from needing it, is not legislated. Because whatýs found in it of extravagance and wasting money, and that which shows with irrefutable proofs, that it has become something of no benefit. Verily, the muýadhineen (callers of the adhaan), never ascend it and are not in need of it because of the amplifiers.
Footnotes: [1] Al-Bukhaaree (4/110) [2] al-Ajwibah an-Naafi'ah page 33-35
Shaykh Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaanee
Monday, December 21, 2009
Responding to Merry Christmas:
The following is a summary translation of a post taken from sahab.net
Responding to Merry Christmas by Sheik Uthamin
Question: What is the ruling on congratulating the disbelievers on their Christmas celebration? And how do we respond to them if they greet us with it. And is it permissible to go to the places where they are having celebrations for that purpose. And does the person (Muslim) take a sin if he does the aforementioned without any intent? Rather he only does it being courteous, or due to shyness or due to being put in an awkward situation, or due to some other reasons. And is it permissible to resemble them in this?
Answer: Congratulating the disbelievers on their Christmas celebration or other than that from their religious holidays is not permissible according to the consensus. As was related by Ibn Al Qayim, may ALLAH have mercy upon him, in his book “The ruling on the people beneath the Muslim protection”, when he said: As for congratulating the disbelievers for their religious ceremonies that have kufr (disbelief) attached to it, then it is not permissible according to the consensus. For example congratulating them for their holidays or their fasts, so the person says, “May you have a bless holiday”, or he wishes them well for their holiday or something like that. So this, if the one who says it escapes from falling into kufr (disbelief), is(still) from the impermissible things. And it is on the same level as congratulating them for prostrating to the cross. Rather it is a greater sin with ALLAH. And it is a more severe abomination than to congratulate them for drinking alcohol and killing someone, committing illegal sexual intercourse and things of this nature. And many of the people who don’t have any deen(or respect for the deen) fall into this. And he doesn’t know the ugliness (evil) of what he has done. So whoever congratulates a person for committing sins, or innovations, or disbelief, then he has exposed himself to the hate, wrath (anger) of ALLAH. –End of the Sheik’s (Ibn Al Qayim) speech may ALLAH have mercy upon him--
(Sheik Uthamin continues)
So congratulating the disbelievers on the religious holidays is not permissible, as shown by the proof brought by Ibn Al Qayim. Because in it, (congratulating the kufar on their religious holidays) is an approval for what they are upon from their kufr ceremonies, and showing them that you are please with it. Even if the person is not pleased with the actual kufr itself, it is also not permissible for the Muslim to be pleased with kufr ceremonies, or to congratulate them for it. Because ALLAH the Exalted is not pleased with that, as ALLAH the Exalted says, “If you disbelieve, then verily, ALLAH is not in need of you, He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you.” (chapter 39 verse 7) And the Exalted says, “This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Chapter 5 verse 3) So congratulating them with this is haram whether this person is your co worker or not.
So if they greet us with their holiday greeting we don’t respond to them with it, because it’s not our holiday, and they are holidays that ALLAH is not pleased with, and because it is something that is either innovated in their religion, or it was legislated but has since been abrogated by the deen of Islam that which Muhammad peace and blessing be upon him, was sent with to all of the creation. And He (ALLAH) says about it (Islam) “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers” (Chapter 3 verse 85)
And for the Muslim to accept their invitations to these occasions (holiday celebrations) is haram. (Impermissible) Because this is worst than congratulating them with it, because this would entail participating with them in this. Also it is haram for the Muslim to imitate the disbelievers by establishing celebrations for these occasions, or to exchanges gifts, or to distribute sweets, or trays of food, or to stop work or anything like this. Due to the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, “Whoever imitates a people is from them”. Sheik of Islam Ibn Taymia said in his book, Follow the straight path and oppose the path to the fire,“Imitating them in some of their celebration causes happiness in their hearts for what they are upon from false hood. And it is possible that this might encourage them to take advantage of this opportunity to humiliate the weak minded”. –End of his (Sheik Ibn Taymia) speech. May ALLAH have mercy upon him.
And whoever does anything from this is a sinner. And it is the same whether he did it being courteous, or seeking friendship, or due to shyness, or any other reason, because this is from being deceitful in the deen of ALLAH. And this is from the reasons that reinforce the psyche of the disbelievers and to make them proud of their deen.
Responding to Merry Christmas by Sheik Uthamin
Question: What is the ruling on congratulating the disbelievers on their Christmas celebration? And how do we respond to them if they greet us with it. And is it permissible to go to the places where they are having celebrations for that purpose. And does the person (Muslim) take a sin if he does the aforementioned without any intent? Rather he only does it being courteous, or due to shyness or due to being put in an awkward situation, or due to some other reasons. And is it permissible to resemble them in this?
Answer: Congratulating the disbelievers on their Christmas celebration or other than that from their religious holidays is not permissible according to the consensus. As was related by Ibn Al Qayim, may ALLAH have mercy upon him, in his book “The ruling on the people beneath the Muslim protection”, when he said: As for congratulating the disbelievers for their religious ceremonies that have kufr (disbelief) attached to it, then it is not permissible according to the consensus. For example congratulating them for their holidays or their fasts, so the person says, “May you have a bless holiday”, or he wishes them well for their holiday or something like that. So this, if the one who says it escapes from falling into kufr (disbelief), is(still) from the impermissible things. And it is on the same level as congratulating them for prostrating to the cross. Rather it is a greater sin with ALLAH. And it is a more severe abomination than to congratulate them for drinking alcohol and killing someone, committing illegal sexual intercourse and things of this nature. And many of the people who don’t have any deen(or respect for the deen) fall into this. And he doesn’t know the ugliness (evil) of what he has done. So whoever congratulates a person for committing sins, or innovations, or disbelief, then he has exposed himself to the hate, wrath (anger) of ALLAH. –End of the Sheik’s (Ibn Al Qayim) speech may ALLAH have mercy upon him--
(Sheik Uthamin continues)
So congratulating the disbelievers on the religious holidays is not permissible, as shown by the proof brought by Ibn Al Qayim. Because in it, (congratulating the kufar on their religious holidays) is an approval for what they are upon from their kufr ceremonies, and showing them that you are please with it. Even if the person is not pleased with the actual kufr itself, it is also not permissible for the Muslim to be pleased with kufr ceremonies, or to congratulate them for it. Because ALLAH the Exalted is not pleased with that, as ALLAH the Exalted says, “If you disbelieve, then verily, ALLAH is not in need of you, He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you.” (chapter 39 verse 7) And the Exalted says, “This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (Chapter 5 verse 3) So congratulating them with this is haram whether this person is your co worker or not.
So if they greet us with their holiday greeting we don’t respond to them with it, because it’s not our holiday, and they are holidays that ALLAH is not pleased with, and because it is something that is either innovated in their religion, or it was legislated but has since been abrogated by the deen of Islam that which Muhammad peace and blessing be upon him, was sent with to all of the creation. And He (ALLAH) says about it (Islam) “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers” (Chapter 3 verse 85)
And for the Muslim to accept their invitations to these occasions (holiday celebrations) is haram. (Impermissible) Because this is worst than congratulating them with it, because this would entail participating with them in this. Also it is haram for the Muslim to imitate the disbelievers by establishing celebrations for these occasions, or to exchanges gifts, or to distribute sweets, or trays of food, or to stop work or anything like this. Due to the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, “Whoever imitates a people is from them”. Sheik of Islam Ibn Taymia said in his book, Follow the straight path and oppose the path to the fire,“Imitating them in some of their celebration causes happiness in their hearts for what they are upon from false hood. And it is possible that this might encourage them to take advantage of this opportunity to humiliate the weak minded”. –End of his (Sheik Ibn Taymia) speech. May ALLAH have mercy upon him.
And whoever does anything from this is a sinner. And it is the same whether he did it being courteous, or seeking friendship, or due to shyness, or any other reason, because this is from being deceitful in the deen of ALLAH. And this is from the reasons that reinforce the psyche of the disbelievers and to make them proud of their deen.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Is the Religion of Islam True or False?
Three important questions which allow a person to see if the religion is correct or incorrect.
If we compare the life of the last prophet before his mission as a prophet to his life after he began his mission as a prophet, we will conclude that it is beyond reason to think that the last prophet was a false prophet, who claimed prophet-hood to attain material gains, greatness, glory, or power.
If we would like to know whether a religion is true or false, we should not depend on our emotions, feelings, or traditions. Rather, we should depend on our reason and intellect. When God sent the prophets, He supported them with miracles and evidences which proved that they were truly prophets send by God and that the religion they came with was true.
The true religion can be found by answering three questions:
1. What is truly the literal word of God, revealed by God?
2. Who was truly the last prophet sent by God?
3. What truly is the religion from God?
1. What is truly the literal word of God, revealed by God?
The literal word of God, revealed by God was revealed 14 centuries ago. It mentioned facts only recently discovered or proven by scientists. It is beyond reason that anyone fourteen hundred years ago would have known these facts discovered or proven only recently with advanced equipment and sophisticated scientific methods.
Since the literal word of God was revealed by God, no one has been able to produce a single chapter like the chapters of the literal word of God in their beauty, eloquence, splendor, wise legislation, true information, true prophecy and other perfect attributes. The smallest chapter in the literal word of God is only ten words, yet no one has ever been able to meet a challenge to produce the like of it, then (1400 years ago) or today.
The verses in the literal word of God mention future events which have later come to pass.
The literal word of God speaks about the stages of man's embryonic development. How could anyone have possibly known these stages 1400 years ago, when scientists have only recently discovered these stages using advanced equipment and powerful microscopes which did not exist 1400 years ago.
The literal word of God describes the structure of mountains that modern geology has only recently confirmed.
The literal word of God mentions the origin of the universe. Someone who did not know something about nuclear physics 1400 years ago could not be in a position to find out from his own mind that the earth and the heavens had the same origin.
The literal word of God describes the cerebrum. Scientists have only discovered these functions of the prefrontal area in the last 60 years.
The literal word of God describes the barrier between the seas and rivers. This information has been discovered only recently, using advanced equipment. The human eye cannot see the difference between the two seas that meet nor the division of water in estuaries.
The literal word of God describes the structure of clouds that meteorologists and scientists have only recently come to know. Their modern ideas on meteorology were dominant 14 centuries ago when the literal word of God was revealed.
2. Who was truly the last prophet sent by God?
When God challenged those in doubt, to produce one chapter like the chapters in the literal word of God. Some of the disbelievers who were enemies of the last prophet tried to meet this challenge in order to prove that this prophet was not a true prophet, but they failed to do so.
This failure was despite the fact that the literal word of God was revealed in their own language and dialect. In addition, the people at the time of the last prophet were very eloquent people who used to compose beautiful and excellent poetry, still read and appreciated today.
Many miracles were performed by the last prophet by God's permission. These miracles were witnessed by many people.
Before his mission as a prophet, the last prophet had no financial worries. As a successful and reputed merchant, the last prophet drew a satisfactory and comfortable income.
After his mission as a prophet and because of it, he became worse off materially. Two months would pass without lighting a fire in his house to cook a meal, with nothing to sustain him but dates and water.
His mattress on which he slept was made of leather and stuffed with the fiber of the date palm tree. He used to milk his own goat, mend his own clothes, repair his own shoes, help with the household work, and visit poor people when they got sick.
An envoy of the disbelieving leaders offered him money to be the richest, leadership to be the leader, and a kingdom to be a king and the last prophet refused it all.
If we compare the life of the last prophet before his mission as a prophet to his life after he began his mission as a prophet, we will conclude that it is beyond reason to think that the last prophet was a false prophet, who claimed prophet-hood to attain material gains, greatness, glory, or power.
3. What truly is the religion from God?
The true religion from God must contain as it's pillars the literal word of God and the last true prophet. Therefore, we must seek the religion that stands on these pillars.
The only religion available today that stands on these pillars "Is the fasted growing religion in America. It's a guide and a pillar of stability for many of America's people." - Hillary Rodham Clinton.
"The followers of this religion are the world's fastest growing group." - USA Today
"This religion is the fastest growing religion in the country." - Newsday
"This religion is the fastest growing religion in the United States." - New York Times
This phenomenal growth indicates that this religion is truly a religion from God. It is unreasonable to think that so many Americans converted to this religion without careful consideration and deep contemplation before concluding that this religion is true. These Americans come from all classes, races and walks of life. They include scientists, professors, philosophers, journalists, song artists, athletic stars, pastors, ministers, members of the armed forces just to name a few. SOURCE:ISLAAM.CA
If we compare the life of the last prophet before his mission as a prophet to his life after he began his mission as a prophet, we will conclude that it is beyond reason to think that the last prophet was a false prophet, who claimed prophet-hood to attain material gains, greatness, glory, or power.
If we would like to know whether a religion is true or false, we should not depend on our emotions, feelings, or traditions. Rather, we should depend on our reason and intellect. When God sent the prophets, He supported them with miracles and evidences which proved that they were truly prophets send by God and that the religion they came with was true.
The true religion can be found by answering three questions:
1. What is truly the literal word of God, revealed by God?
2. Who was truly the last prophet sent by God?
3. What truly is the religion from God?
1. What is truly the literal word of God, revealed by God?
The literal word of God, revealed by God was revealed 14 centuries ago. It mentioned facts only recently discovered or proven by scientists. It is beyond reason that anyone fourteen hundred years ago would have known these facts discovered or proven only recently with advanced equipment and sophisticated scientific methods.
Since the literal word of God was revealed by God, no one has been able to produce a single chapter like the chapters of the literal word of God in their beauty, eloquence, splendor, wise legislation, true information, true prophecy and other perfect attributes. The smallest chapter in the literal word of God is only ten words, yet no one has ever been able to meet a challenge to produce the like of it, then (1400 years ago) or today.
The verses in the literal word of God mention future events which have later come to pass.
The literal word of God speaks about the stages of man's embryonic development. How could anyone have possibly known these stages 1400 years ago, when scientists have only recently discovered these stages using advanced equipment and powerful microscopes which did not exist 1400 years ago.
The literal word of God describes the structure of mountains that modern geology has only recently confirmed.
The literal word of God mentions the origin of the universe. Someone who did not know something about nuclear physics 1400 years ago could not be in a position to find out from his own mind that the earth and the heavens had the same origin.
The literal word of God describes the cerebrum. Scientists have only discovered these functions of the prefrontal area in the last 60 years.
The literal word of God describes the barrier between the seas and rivers. This information has been discovered only recently, using advanced equipment. The human eye cannot see the difference between the two seas that meet nor the division of water in estuaries.
The literal word of God describes the structure of clouds that meteorologists and scientists have only recently come to know. Their modern ideas on meteorology were dominant 14 centuries ago when the literal word of God was revealed.
2. Who was truly the last prophet sent by God?
When God challenged those in doubt, to produce one chapter like the chapters in the literal word of God. Some of the disbelievers who were enemies of the last prophet tried to meet this challenge in order to prove that this prophet was not a true prophet, but they failed to do so.
This failure was despite the fact that the literal word of God was revealed in their own language and dialect. In addition, the people at the time of the last prophet were very eloquent people who used to compose beautiful and excellent poetry, still read and appreciated today.
Many miracles were performed by the last prophet by God's permission. These miracles were witnessed by many people.
Before his mission as a prophet, the last prophet had no financial worries. As a successful and reputed merchant, the last prophet drew a satisfactory and comfortable income.
After his mission as a prophet and because of it, he became worse off materially. Two months would pass without lighting a fire in his house to cook a meal, with nothing to sustain him but dates and water.
His mattress on which he slept was made of leather and stuffed with the fiber of the date palm tree. He used to milk his own goat, mend his own clothes, repair his own shoes, help with the household work, and visit poor people when they got sick.
An envoy of the disbelieving leaders offered him money to be the richest, leadership to be the leader, and a kingdom to be a king and the last prophet refused it all.
If we compare the life of the last prophet before his mission as a prophet to his life after he began his mission as a prophet, we will conclude that it is beyond reason to think that the last prophet was a false prophet, who claimed prophet-hood to attain material gains, greatness, glory, or power.
3. What truly is the religion from God?
The true religion from God must contain as it's pillars the literal word of God and the last true prophet. Therefore, we must seek the religion that stands on these pillars.
The only religion available today that stands on these pillars "Is the fasted growing religion in America. It's a guide and a pillar of stability for many of America's people." - Hillary Rodham Clinton.
"The followers of this religion are the world's fastest growing group." - USA Today
"This religion is the fastest growing religion in the country." - Newsday
"This religion is the fastest growing religion in the United States." - New York Times
This phenomenal growth indicates that this religion is truly a religion from God. It is unreasonable to think that so many Americans converted to this religion without careful consideration and deep contemplation before concluding that this religion is true. These Americans come from all classes, races and walks of life. They include scientists, professors, philosophers, journalists, song artists, athletic stars, pastors, ministers, members of the armed forces just to name a few. SOURCE:ISLAAM.CA
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Educating Children about Evils of Terrorism
With recent media coverage re terrorists and their plots I have posted excerpts from the advice of Shaykh Abu Umar al-Utaybi [hathidahullah]with regards to educating our children with regards to these affairs, so they have the correct outlook and do not feel sorrow for the capture or imprisonment of these people.
quote:
And remind for Verily a reminder benefits the Believer] (51:55)
From the Shaykhs speech: quote:
Each of you is a shepherd and each is responsible for his flock.
The leader is the shepherd and responsible for his flock.
A man is a shepherd over his family and responsible for his flock.
A woman is a shepherd at her husbandýs home and responsible for her flock.
A servant is a shepherd over the property of his landlord and responsible for his flock.
And a man is a shepherd over the property of his father and responsible for his flock.
So, each of you is a shepherd and responsible and will be questioned about his flock.1
Hatred for Terrorism & the Terrorists
One of the issues we are required to do is raise our children, cultivating within them abhorrence for terrorism and terrorists;exposing them, their plots, and their patterns.
And we must isolate our children from them and distance children from following their way and objective.
Also, they are advised to be glad when terrorists, even one of them, are stopped (arrested, etc.) and put away. Children should be taught that by even one terrorist's arrest or being stopped, this is a victory for Islam and Muslims; it is a relief and comfort to Muslims without the evil of such a destructive terrorist.
They are certainly days of happiness and joy when we hear of a terrorist's plot being exposed or a terrorist's crime prevented, or even if capital punishment is carried out upon a criminal terrorist.
We must neither display nor feel sympathy for terrorists when they are defeated so that our children see no contradicting behavior nor give terrorists the benefit of doubt.
And if they ever do see someone displaying any type of grief over the death of a terrorist, then it should be explained that such may be sadness in the sense remorse over their situation; how Satan deceived and destroyed them, and not in a sense of liking the terrorists.
Terrorist acts are to be taken very seriously (when discussing them with children) and treated with firm resolve and strictness as should the terrorists themselves. This is so that those who don't yet know the truth about them donýt begin to sympathize with them.
It's the obligation of every Muslim and to protect himself and those under his care from any means that could lead to extremism, intolerance, and terrorism. AllAh [subhanahu wa t'ala] says:
Oh believers, save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are (appointed) angels, harsh and severe. They don't disobey Allah in what He commands them, but do (everything) they are instructed.
[Surah al-Tahrim, verse 66:06]
I ask Allah to shelter us and our children from extremism and corruption and to make them righteous people encouraging others to righteousness.
And Allah knows best.
May Allah send peace and prayers upon our prophet, Muhammad [sallallahu alaihi was sallam]
1. Recorded by al-Bukhari (no. 893), Muslim (no. 1829), al-Tirmidhi (no. 1705), Abu Dawud (no.2928, and others.
The full article an be found here at
THE ARTICLE WAS TAKEN FROM ANSWERING EXTREMISM.COM
quote:
And remind for Verily a reminder benefits the Believer] (51:55)
From the Shaykhs speech: quote:
Each of you is a shepherd and each is responsible for his flock.
The leader is the shepherd and responsible for his flock.
A man is a shepherd over his family and responsible for his flock.
A woman is a shepherd at her husbandýs home and responsible for her flock.
A servant is a shepherd over the property of his landlord and responsible for his flock.
And a man is a shepherd over the property of his father and responsible for his flock.
So, each of you is a shepherd and responsible and will be questioned about his flock.1
Hatred for Terrorism & the Terrorists
One of the issues we are required to do is raise our children, cultivating within them abhorrence for terrorism and terrorists;exposing them, their plots, and their patterns.
And we must isolate our children from them and distance children from following their way and objective.
Also, they are advised to be glad when terrorists, even one of them, are stopped (arrested, etc.) and put away. Children should be taught that by even one terrorist's arrest or being stopped, this is a victory for Islam and Muslims; it is a relief and comfort to Muslims without the evil of such a destructive terrorist.
They are certainly days of happiness and joy when we hear of a terrorist's plot being exposed or a terrorist's crime prevented, or even if capital punishment is carried out upon a criminal terrorist.
We must neither display nor feel sympathy for terrorists when they are defeated so that our children see no contradicting behavior nor give terrorists the benefit of doubt.
And if they ever do see someone displaying any type of grief over the death of a terrorist, then it should be explained that such may be sadness in the sense remorse over their situation; how Satan deceived and destroyed them, and not in a sense of liking the terrorists.
Terrorist acts are to be taken very seriously (when discussing them with children) and treated with firm resolve and strictness as should the terrorists themselves. This is so that those who don't yet know the truth about them donýt begin to sympathize with them.
It's the obligation of every Muslim and to protect himself and those under his care from any means that could lead to extremism, intolerance, and terrorism. AllAh [subhanahu wa t'ala] says:
Oh believers, save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are (appointed) angels, harsh and severe. They don't disobey Allah in what He commands them, but do (everything) they are instructed.
[Surah al-Tahrim, verse 66:06]
I ask Allah to shelter us and our children from extremism and corruption and to make them righteous people encouraging others to righteousness.
And Allah knows best.
May Allah send peace and prayers upon our prophet, Muhammad [sallallahu alaihi was sallam]
1. Recorded by al-Bukhari (no. 893), Muslim (no. 1829), al-Tirmidhi (no. 1705), Abu Dawud (no.2928, and others.
The full article an be found here at
THE ARTICLE WAS TAKEN FROM ANSWERING EXTREMISM.COM
Thursday, December 10, 2009
the difficult circumstances Yusuf faced at the time when he was being called to the evil act of Zinaa.
Imaam Sadi (rahimahullaah) mentioned :
[1] Firstly; Allaah has placed in man's nature an inclination towards a woman, just like the inclination of a thirsty person towards water and that of a hungry person towards food. And even though many people do exercise patience with regards to their (desire) for food and drink, but not with regards to their (desire) for women. This is not (something) blameworthy if it is in accordance with what is permissible, rather it is something praiseworthy.
[2] Yusuf (at the time) was a young man, and the sexual desire of a young man is much stronger.
[3] He was a bachelor.
[4] He was a slave of the Azeez's wife and was bought for a few dirhams. And a slave has no control over his affairs.
[5] He was a stranger in the land; a stranger in a strange land can fulfil desires, which he is not able to fulfil in his own land and in the presence of his family and those who know him well.
[6] The wife of the Azeez was a woman of high status and beauty; so one these two (affairs) calls one to agree with her request.
[7] The wife of the Azeez was not inaccessible.
[8] She sought after Yusuf; she desired him and was infatuated with him. Many many men become filled with vanity/pride when a woman (merely) waves or winks at them.
[9] Yusuf was living in her house. He was under her authority and would have feared being harmed for refusing to obey her in what she was calling him to.
[10] Yusuf was safe from being exposed; because she sought after him and locked the doors.
[11] She also appeared in her best adornment and said to Yusuf, 'Come on O you!'
[12] She also threatened Yusuf with imprisonment and belittlement.
[13] She sought the assistance of the rest of the women and Yusuf sought the assistance of Allaah against them. He said:
'Unless You (Allaah) turn away their plot from me, I will feel inclined towards them and be one (of those who commit sin and deserve blame or those who do deeds) of the ignorant' [Surah Yusuf; Ayah: 33]
Despite all these difficult circumstances surrounding Yusuf (alayhis-salaam), he exercised patience and preferred obedience to his Lord. He preferred the pleasure of Allaah and fear of Him. His love of Allaah made him choose imprisonment over committing adultery. He said:
'He said: 'O my Lord! Prison is dearer to me than that to which they invite me.' [Surah Yusuf; Ayah: 33]
Yusuf knew that he could not avert what they were calling him to; and that if his Lord does not protect him and avert the plot of those women, he will be inclined towards them and become of the ignorant ones. This is from Yusuf's perfect knowledge about his Lord and himself.
[1] Firstly; Allaah has placed in man's nature an inclination towards a woman, just like the inclination of a thirsty person towards water and that of a hungry person towards food. And even though many people do exercise patience with regards to their (desire) for food and drink, but not with regards to their (desire) for women. This is not (something) blameworthy if it is in accordance with what is permissible, rather it is something praiseworthy.
[2] Yusuf (at the time) was a young man, and the sexual desire of a young man is much stronger.
[3] He was a bachelor.
[4] He was a slave of the Azeez's wife and was bought for a few dirhams. And a slave has no control over his affairs.
[5] He was a stranger in the land; a stranger in a strange land can fulfil desires, which he is not able to fulfil in his own land and in the presence of his family and those who know him well.
[6] The wife of the Azeez was a woman of high status and beauty; so one these two (affairs) calls one to agree with her request.
[7] The wife of the Azeez was not inaccessible.
[8] She sought after Yusuf; she desired him and was infatuated with him. Many many men become filled with vanity/pride when a woman (merely) waves or winks at them.
[9] Yusuf was living in her house. He was under her authority and would have feared being harmed for refusing to obey her in what she was calling him to.
[10] Yusuf was safe from being exposed; because she sought after him and locked the doors.
[11] She also appeared in her best adornment and said to Yusuf, 'Come on O you!'
[12] She also threatened Yusuf with imprisonment and belittlement.
[13] She sought the assistance of the rest of the women and Yusuf sought the assistance of Allaah against them. He said:
'Unless You (Allaah) turn away their plot from me, I will feel inclined towards them and be one (of those who commit sin and deserve blame or those who do deeds) of the ignorant' [Surah Yusuf; Ayah: 33]
Despite all these difficult circumstances surrounding Yusuf (alayhis-salaam), he exercised patience and preferred obedience to his Lord. He preferred the pleasure of Allaah and fear of Him. His love of Allaah made him choose imprisonment over committing adultery. He said:
'He said: 'O my Lord! Prison is dearer to me than that to which they invite me.' [Surah Yusuf; Ayah: 33]
Yusuf knew that he could not avert what they were calling him to; and that if his Lord does not protect him and avert the plot of those women, he will be inclined towards them and become of the ignorant ones. This is from Yusuf's perfect knowledge about his Lord and himself.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Orientalism, Misinformation and Islam :
Any open-minded person embarking on a study of Islam, especially if using books written in European languages, should be aware of the seemingly inherent distortions that permeate almost all non-Muslim writings on Islam. At least since the Middle Ages, Islam has been much maligned and severely misunderstood in the West. In the last years of the Twentieth Century, it does not seem that much has changed—even though most Muslims would agree that progress is being made.
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QUESTIONABLE MOTIVES & GENERAL IGNORANCE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I feel that an elegant summary of the West's ignorance of Islam and the motives of Orientalism are the following words by the Swiss journalist and author, Roger Du Pasquier: "The West, whether Christian or dechristianised, has never really known Islam. Ever since they watched it appear on the world stage, Christians never ceased to insult and slander it in order to find justification for waging war on it. It has been subjected to grotesque distortions the traces of which still endure in the European mind. Even today there are many Westerners for whom Islam can be reduced to three ideas: fanaticism, fatalism and polygamy. Of course, there does exist a more cultivated public whose ideas about Islam are less deformed; there are still precious few who know that the word islam signifies nothing other than 'submission to God'. One symptom of this ignorance is the fact that in the imagination of most Europeans, Allaah refers to the divinity of the Muslims, not the God of the Christians and Jews; they are all surprised to hear, when one takes the trouble to explain things to them, that 'Allaah' means 'God', and that even Arab Christians know him by no other name.
Islam has of course been the object of studies by Western orientalists who, over the last two centuries, have published an extensive learned literature on the subject. Nevertheless, however worthy their labours may have been, particularly in the historical and and philological fields, they have contributed little to a better understanding of the Muslim religion in the Christian or post-Christian milieu, simply because they have failed to arouse much interest outside their specialised academic circles. One is forced also to concede that Orientals studies in the West have not always been inspired by the purest spirit of scholarly impartiality, and it is hard to deny that some Islamicists and Arabists have worked with the clear intention of belittling Islam and its adherents. This tendency was particularly marked—for obvious reasons—in the heyday of the colonial empires, but it would be an exaggeration to claim that it has vanished without trace.
These are some of the reasons why Islam remains even today so misjudged by the West, where curiously enough, Asiatic faiths such as Buddhism and Hinduism have for more than a century generated far more visible sympathy and interest, even though Islam is so close to Judaism and Christianity, having flowed from the same Abrahamic source. Despite this, however, for several years it has seemed that external conditions, particularly the growing importance of the Arab-Islamic countries in the world's great political and economic affairs, have served to arouse a growing interest of Islam in the West, resulting—for some—in the discovery of new and hitherto unsuspected horizons." (From Unveiling Islam, by Roger Du Pasquier, pages 5-7) The feeling that there is a general ignorance of Islam in the West is shared by Maurice Bucaille, a French doctor, who writes: "When one mentions Islam to the materialist atheist, he smiles with a complacency that is only equal to his ignorance of the subject. In common with the majority of Western intellectuals, of whatever religious persuasion, he has an impressive collection of false notions about Islam. One must, on this point, allow him one or two excuses. Firstly, apart from the newly-adopted attitudes prevailing among the highest Catholic authorities, Islam has always been subject in the West to a so-called 'secular slander'. Anyone in the West who has acquired a deep knowledge of Islam knows just to what extent its history, dogma and aims have been distorted. One must also take into account that fact that documents published in European languages on this subject (leaving aside highly specialised studies) do not make the work of a person willing to learn any easier." (From The Bible, the Qur'an and Science, by Maurice Bucaille, page 118)
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ORIENTALISM:A BROAD DEFINITION
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The phenomenon which is generally known as Orientalism is but one aspect of Western misrepresentations of Islam. Today, most Muslims in the West would probably agree that the largest volume of distorted information about Islam comes from the media, whether in newspapers, magazines or on television. In terms of the number of people who are reached by such information, the mass media certainly has more of a widespread impact on the West's view of Islam than do the academic publications of "Orientalists", "Arabists" or "Islamicists". Speaking of labels, in recent years the academic field of what used to be called "Orientalism" has been renamed "Area Studies" or "Regional Studies", in most colleges and universities in the West. These politically correct terms have taken the place of the word "Orientalism" in scholarly circles since the latter word is now tainted with a negative imperialist connotation, in a large measure due to the Orientalists themselves. However, even though the works of scholars who pursue these fields do not reach the public at large, they do often fall into the hands of students and those who are personally interested in learning more about Islam. As such, any student of Islam—especially those in the West—need to be aware of the historical phenomenon of Orientalism, both as an academic pursuit and as a means of cultural exploitation. When used by Muslims, the word "Orientalist" generally refers to any Western scholar who studies Islam—regardless of his or her motives—and thus, inevitably, distorts it. As we shall see, however, the phenomenon of Orientalism is much more than an academic pursuit. Edward Said, a renowned Arab Christian scholar and author of several books exposing shortcomings of the Orientalist approach, defines "Orientalism" as follows: " . . . by Orientalism I mean several things, all of them, in my opinion, interdependent. The most readily accepted designation of for Orientalism is an academic one, and indeed, and indeed the label still serves in a number of academic institutions. Anyone who teaches, writes about, or researches the Orient—and this applies whether the person is an anthropologist, sociologist, historian, or philogist—either in its specific or its general aspects, is an Orientalist, and what he or she does is Orientalism." (From Orientalism, by Edward W. Said, page 2)
"To speak of Orientalism therefore is to speak mainly, although not exclusively, of a British and French cultural enterprise, a project whose dimensions take in such disparate realms as the imagination itself, the whole of India and the Levant, the Biblical texts and the Biblical lands, the spice trade, colonial armies and a long tradition of colonial administrators, a formidable scholarly corpus, innumerable Oriental "experts" and "hands", an Oriental professorate, a complex array of "Oriental" ideas (Oriental despotism, Oriental splendor, cruelty, sensuality), many Eastern sects, philosophies, and wisdoms domesticated for local European use—the list can be extended more or less indefinitely." (From Orientalism, by Edward W. Said, page 4) As is the case with many things, being aware of the problem is half the battle. Once a sincere seeker of the Truth is aware of the long standing misunderstanding and hostility between Islam and the West—and learns not to trust everything which they see in print—authentic knowledge and information can be obtained much more quickly. Certainly, not all Western writings on Islam have the same degree of bias—they run the range from willful distortion to simple ignorance—and there are even a few that could be classified as sincere efforts by non-Muslims to portray Islam in a positive light. However, even most of these works are plagued by seemingly unintentional errors, however minor, due to the author's lack of Islamic knowledge. In the spirit of fairness, it should be said that even some contemporary books on Islam by Muslim authors suffer from these same shortcomings, usually due to a lack of knowledge, heretical ideas and or depending on non-Muslim sources.
This having been said, it should come as no surprise that learning about Islam in the West—especially when relying on works in European languages—has never been an easy task. Just a few decades ago, an English speaking person who was interested in Islam, and wishing to limit their reading to works by Muslim authors, might have been limited to reading a translation of the Qur'an, a few translated hadeeth books and a few dozen pamphlet-sized essays. However, in the past several years the widespread availability of Islamic books—written by believing and committed Muslims—and the advent of the Internet have made obtaining authentic information on almost any aspect of Islam much easier. Today, hardly a week goes by that an English translation of a classical Islamic work is not announced. Keeping this in mind, I would encourage the reader to consult books written by Muslim authors when trying to learn about Islam. There are a wide range of Islamic book distributors that can be contacted through the Internet.
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IMPERIALISTIC AIMS & EAGER MISSIONARIES
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moving on to a more detailed look at the West's distorted view of Islam in general and Orientalism in particular . . . Edward Said, the Arab Christian author of the monumental work Orientalism, accurately referred to Orientalism a "cultural enterprise". This is certainly no distortion, since the academic study of the Oriental East by the Occidental West was often motivated—and often co-operated hand-in-hand— with the imperialistic aims of the European colonial powers. Without a doubt, the foundations of Orientalism are in the maxim "Know thy enemy". When the "Christian Nations" of Europe began their long campaign to colonize and conquer the rest of the world for their own benefit, they brought their academic and missionary resources to bear in order to assist in the task. Orientalists and missionaries—whose ranks often overlapped—were more often than not the servants of an imperialist government who was using their services as a way to subdue or weaken an enemy, however subtly: "With regard to Islam and the Islamic territories, for example, Britain felt that it had legitimate interests, as a Christian power, to safeguard. A complex apparatus for tending these interests developed. Such early organizations as the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (1698) and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (1701) were succeeded and later abetted by the Baptist Missionary Society (1792), the Church Missionary Society (1799), the British and Foreign Bible Society (1804), the London Society for Promoting Christianity Among the Jews (1808). These missions "openly" joined the expansion of Europe." (From Orientalism, by Edward W. Said, page 100) Anyone who has studied the subject knows that Christian missionaries were willing participants in European imperialism, regardless of the pure motives or naïveté of some of the individual missionaries. Actually, quite a few Orientalist scholars were Christian missionaries. One notable example is Sir William Muir, who was an active missionary and author of several books on Islam. His books were very biased and narrow-minded studies, but they continue to be used as references for those wishing to attack Islam to this very day. That Christians were the source of some of the worst lies and distortions about Islam should come as no surprise, since Islam was its main "competitor" on the stage of World Religions. Far from honouring the commandment not to bear false witness against one's neighbour, Christians distortions—and outright lies—about Islam were widespread, as the following shows: "The history of Orientalism is hardly one of unbiased examination of the sources of Islam especially when under the influence of the bigotry of Christianity. From the fanatical distortions of John of Damascus to the apologetic of later writers against Islam that told their audiences that the Muslims worshipped three idols! Peter the Venerable (1084-1156) "translated" the Qur'an which was used throughout the Middle Ages and included nine additional chapters. Sale's infamously distorted translation followed that trend, and his, along with the likes of Rodwell, Muir and a multitude of others attacked the character and personality of Muhammmed. Often they employed invented stories, or narration's which the Muslims themselves considered fabricated or weak, or else they distorted the facts by claiming Muslims held a position which they did not, or using the habits practised out of ignorance among the Muslims as the accurate portrayal of Islam. As Norman Daniel tell us in his work Islam and the West: "The use of false evidence to attack Islam was all but universal . . . " (p. 267)." (From An Authoritative Exposition - Part 1, by 'Abdur-Raheem Green) There is a great deal of proof that one could use to demonstrate that when it came to attacking Islam, even the Roman Catholic Church would readily embrace almost any untruth. Here's an example: "At a certain period in history, hostility to Islam, in whatever shape or form, even coming from declared enemies of the church, was received with the most heartfelt approbation by high dignitaries of the Catholic Church. Thus Pope Benedict XIV, who is reputed to have been the greatest Pontiff of the Eighteenth century, unhesitatingly sent his blessing to Voltaire. This was in thanks for the dedication to him of the tragedy Mohammed or Fanaticism (Mahomet ou le Fanatisme) 1741, a coarse satire that any clever scribbler of bad faith could have written on any subject. In spite of a bad start, the play gained sufficient prestige to be included in the repertoire of the Comédie-Française." (From The Bible, the Qur'an and Science, by Maurice Bucaille, page 118)
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WIDESPREAD LIES & POPULAR CULTURE
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The dedicated enemy of the church, referred to above, was the French philosopher Voltaire. For an example of what he thought of at least one Christian doctrine, read his Anti-Trinitarians tract. Also, the above passage introduces a point that one should be well aware of: the distortions and lies about Islam throughout the ages in Europe were not been limited to a small number of scholars and clergy. On the contrary, they were part of popular culture at the time: "The European imagination was nourished extensively from this repertoire [of Oriental images]: between the Middle Ages and the eighteenth century such major authors as Ariosto, Milton, Marlowe, Tasso, Shakespeare, Cervantes, and the authors of the Chanson de Roland and the Poema del Cid drew on the Orient's riches for their productions, in ways that sharpened that outlines of imagery, ideas, and figures populating it. In addition, a great deal of what was considered learned Orientalist scholarship in Europe pressed ideological myths into service, even as knowledge seemed genuinely to be advancing." (From Orientalism, by Edward Said, page 63)
"The invariable tendency to neglect what the Qur'an meant, or what Muslims thought it meant, or what Muslims thought or did in any given circumstances, necessarily implies that Qur'anic and other Islamic doctrine was presented in a form that would convince Christians; and more and more extravagant forms would stand a chance of acceptance as the distance of the writers and public from the Islamic border increased. It was with very great reluctance that what Muslims said Muslims believed was accepted as what they did believe. There was a Christian picture in which the details (even under the pressure of facts) were abandoned as little as possible, and in which the general outline was never abandoned. There were shades of difference, but only with a common framework. All the corrections that were made in the interests of an increasing accuracy were only a defence of what had newly realised to be vulnerable, a shoring up of a weakened structure. Christian opinion was an erection which could not be demolished, even to be rebuilt." (From Islam and the West: The Making of an Image, by Norman Daniel, page 259-260) Edward Said, in his classic work Orientalism, referring to the above passage by Norman Daniel, says: "This rigorous Christian picture of Islam was intensified in innumerable ways, including—during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance—a large variety of poetry, learned controversy, and popular superstition. By this time the Near Orient had been all but incorporated in the common world-picture of Latin Christianity—as in the Chanson de Roland the worship of Saracens is portrayed as embracing Mahomet and Apollo. By the middle of the fifteenth century, as R. W. Southern has brilliantly shown, it became apparent to serious European thinkers "that something would have to be done about Islam," which had turned the situation around somewhat by itself arriving militarily in Eastern Europe." (From Orientalism, by Edward W. Said, page 61)
"Most conspicuous to us is the inability of any of these systems of thought [European Christian] to provide a fully satisfying explanation of the phenomenon they had set out to explain [Islam]—still less to influence the course of practical events in a decisive way. At a practical level, events never turned out either so well or so ill as the most intelligent observers predicted: and it is perhaps worth noticing that they never turned out better than when the best judges confidently expected a happy ending. Was there any progress [in Christian knowledge of Islam]? I must express my conviction that there was. Even if the solutions of the problem remained obstinately hidden from sight, the statement of the problem became more complex, more rational, and more related to experience." (From Western Views of Islam in the Middle Ages, by R. W. Southern, pages 91-92) Regardless of the flawed, biased—and even devious—approach of many Orientalists, they too can have their moments of candour, as Roger DuPasquier points out: "In general one must unhappily concur with an Orientalist like Montgomery Watt when he writes that 'of all the great men of the world, no-one has had as many detractors as Muhammad.' Having engaged in a lengthy study of the life and work of the Prophet, the British Arabist add that 'it is hard to understand why this has been the case', finding the only plausible explanation in the fact that for centuries Christianity treated Islam as its worst enemy. And although Europeans today look at Islam and its founder in a somewhat more objective light, 'many ancient prejudices still remain.'" (From Unveiling Islam, by Roger Du Pasquier, page 47 - quoting from W. M. Watt's Muhammad at Medina, Oxford University Press) source: islaam.ca
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QUESTIONABLE MOTIVES & GENERAL IGNORANCE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I feel that an elegant summary of the West's ignorance of Islam and the motives of Orientalism are the following words by the Swiss journalist and author, Roger Du Pasquier: "The West, whether Christian or dechristianised, has never really known Islam. Ever since they watched it appear on the world stage, Christians never ceased to insult and slander it in order to find justification for waging war on it. It has been subjected to grotesque distortions the traces of which still endure in the European mind. Even today there are many Westerners for whom Islam can be reduced to three ideas: fanaticism, fatalism and polygamy. Of course, there does exist a more cultivated public whose ideas about Islam are less deformed; there are still precious few who know that the word islam signifies nothing other than 'submission to God'. One symptom of this ignorance is the fact that in the imagination of most Europeans, Allaah refers to the divinity of the Muslims, not the God of the Christians and Jews; they are all surprised to hear, when one takes the trouble to explain things to them, that 'Allaah' means 'God', and that even Arab Christians know him by no other name.
Islam has of course been the object of studies by Western orientalists who, over the last two centuries, have published an extensive learned literature on the subject. Nevertheless, however worthy their labours may have been, particularly in the historical and and philological fields, they have contributed little to a better understanding of the Muslim religion in the Christian or post-Christian milieu, simply because they have failed to arouse much interest outside their specialised academic circles. One is forced also to concede that Orientals studies in the West have not always been inspired by the purest spirit of scholarly impartiality, and it is hard to deny that some Islamicists and Arabists have worked with the clear intention of belittling Islam and its adherents. This tendency was particularly marked—for obvious reasons—in the heyday of the colonial empires, but it would be an exaggeration to claim that it has vanished without trace.
These are some of the reasons why Islam remains even today so misjudged by the West, where curiously enough, Asiatic faiths such as Buddhism and Hinduism have for more than a century generated far more visible sympathy and interest, even though Islam is so close to Judaism and Christianity, having flowed from the same Abrahamic source. Despite this, however, for several years it has seemed that external conditions, particularly the growing importance of the Arab-Islamic countries in the world's great political and economic affairs, have served to arouse a growing interest of Islam in the West, resulting—for some—in the discovery of new and hitherto unsuspected horizons." (From Unveiling Islam, by Roger Du Pasquier, pages 5-7) The feeling that there is a general ignorance of Islam in the West is shared by Maurice Bucaille, a French doctor, who writes: "When one mentions Islam to the materialist atheist, he smiles with a complacency that is only equal to his ignorance of the subject. In common with the majority of Western intellectuals, of whatever religious persuasion, he has an impressive collection of false notions about Islam. One must, on this point, allow him one or two excuses. Firstly, apart from the newly-adopted attitudes prevailing among the highest Catholic authorities, Islam has always been subject in the West to a so-called 'secular slander'. Anyone in the West who has acquired a deep knowledge of Islam knows just to what extent its history, dogma and aims have been distorted. One must also take into account that fact that documents published in European languages on this subject (leaving aside highly specialised studies) do not make the work of a person willing to learn any easier." (From The Bible, the Qur'an and Science, by Maurice Bucaille, page 118)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ORIENTALISM:A BROAD DEFINITION
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The phenomenon which is generally known as Orientalism is but one aspect of Western misrepresentations of Islam. Today, most Muslims in the West would probably agree that the largest volume of distorted information about Islam comes from the media, whether in newspapers, magazines or on television. In terms of the number of people who are reached by such information, the mass media certainly has more of a widespread impact on the West's view of Islam than do the academic publications of "Orientalists", "Arabists" or "Islamicists". Speaking of labels, in recent years the academic field of what used to be called "Orientalism" has been renamed "Area Studies" or "Regional Studies", in most colleges and universities in the West. These politically correct terms have taken the place of the word "Orientalism" in scholarly circles since the latter word is now tainted with a negative imperialist connotation, in a large measure due to the Orientalists themselves. However, even though the works of scholars who pursue these fields do not reach the public at large, they do often fall into the hands of students and those who are personally interested in learning more about Islam. As such, any student of Islam—especially those in the West—need to be aware of the historical phenomenon of Orientalism, both as an academic pursuit and as a means of cultural exploitation. When used by Muslims, the word "Orientalist" generally refers to any Western scholar who studies Islam—regardless of his or her motives—and thus, inevitably, distorts it. As we shall see, however, the phenomenon of Orientalism is much more than an academic pursuit. Edward Said, a renowned Arab Christian scholar and author of several books exposing shortcomings of the Orientalist approach, defines "Orientalism" as follows: " . . . by Orientalism I mean several things, all of them, in my opinion, interdependent. The most readily accepted designation of for Orientalism is an academic one, and indeed, and indeed the label still serves in a number of academic institutions. Anyone who teaches, writes about, or researches the Orient—and this applies whether the person is an anthropologist, sociologist, historian, or philogist—either in its specific or its general aspects, is an Orientalist, and what he or she does is Orientalism." (From Orientalism, by Edward W. Said, page 2)
"To speak of Orientalism therefore is to speak mainly, although not exclusively, of a British and French cultural enterprise, a project whose dimensions take in such disparate realms as the imagination itself, the whole of India and the Levant, the Biblical texts and the Biblical lands, the spice trade, colonial armies and a long tradition of colonial administrators, a formidable scholarly corpus, innumerable Oriental "experts" and "hands", an Oriental professorate, a complex array of "Oriental" ideas (Oriental despotism, Oriental splendor, cruelty, sensuality), many Eastern sects, philosophies, and wisdoms domesticated for local European use—the list can be extended more or less indefinitely." (From Orientalism, by Edward W. Said, page 4) As is the case with many things, being aware of the problem is half the battle. Once a sincere seeker of the Truth is aware of the long standing misunderstanding and hostility between Islam and the West—and learns not to trust everything which they see in print—authentic knowledge and information can be obtained much more quickly. Certainly, not all Western writings on Islam have the same degree of bias—they run the range from willful distortion to simple ignorance—and there are even a few that could be classified as sincere efforts by non-Muslims to portray Islam in a positive light. However, even most of these works are plagued by seemingly unintentional errors, however minor, due to the author's lack of Islamic knowledge. In the spirit of fairness, it should be said that even some contemporary books on Islam by Muslim authors suffer from these same shortcomings, usually due to a lack of knowledge, heretical ideas and or depending on non-Muslim sources.
This having been said, it should come as no surprise that learning about Islam in the West—especially when relying on works in European languages—has never been an easy task. Just a few decades ago, an English speaking person who was interested in Islam, and wishing to limit their reading to works by Muslim authors, might have been limited to reading a translation of the Qur'an, a few translated hadeeth books and a few dozen pamphlet-sized essays. However, in the past several years the widespread availability of Islamic books—written by believing and committed Muslims—and the advent of the Internet have made obtaining authentic information on almost any aspect of Islam much easier. Today, hardly a week goes by that an English translation of a classical Islamic work is not announced. Keeping this in mind, I would encourage the reader to consult books written by Muslim authors when trying to learn about Islam. There are a wide range of Islamic book distributors that can be contacted through the Internet.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPERIALISTIC AIMS & EAGER MISSIONARIES
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Moving on to a more detailed look at the West's distorted view of Islam in general and Orientalism in particular . . . Edward Said, the Arab Christian author of the monumental work Orientalism, accurately referred to Orientalism a "cultural enterprise". This is certainly no distortion, since the academic study of the Oriental East by the Occidental West was often motivated—and often co-operated hand-in-hand— with the imperialistic aims of the European colonial powers. Without a doubt, the foundations of Orientalism are in the maxim "Know thy enemy". When the "Christian Nations" of Europe began their long campaign to colonize and conquer the rest of the world for their own benefit, they brought their academic and missionary resources to bear in order to assist in the task. Orientalists and missionaries—whose ranks often overlapped—were more often than not the servants of an imperialist government who was using their services as a way to subdue or weaken an enemy, however subtly: "With regard to Islam and the Islamic territories, for example, Britain felt that it had legitimate interests, as a Christian power, to safeguard. A complex apparatus for tending these interests developed. Such early organizations as the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (1698) and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (1701) were succeeded and later abetted by the Baptist Missionary Society (1792), the Church Missionary Society (1799), the British and Foreign Bible Society (1804), the London Society for Promoting Christianity Among the Jews (1808). These missions "openly" joined the expansion of Europe." (From Orientalism, by Edward W. Said, page 100) Anyone who has studied the subject knows that Christian missionaries were willing participants in European imperialism, regardless of the pure motives or naïveté of some of the individual missionaries. Actually, quite a few Orientalist scholars were Christian missionaries. One notable example is Sir William Muir, who was an active missionary and author of several books on Islam. His books were very biased and narrow-minded studies, but they continue to be used as references for those wishing to attack Islam to this very day. That Christians were the source of some of the worst lies and distortions about Islam should come as no surprise, since Islam was its main "competitor" on the stage of World Religions. Far from honouring the commandment not to bear false witness against one's neighbour, Christians distortions—and outright lies—about Islam were widespread, as the following shows: "The history of Orientalism is hardly one of unbiased examination of the sources of Islam especially when under the influence of the bigotry of Christianity. From the fanatical distortions of John of Damascus to the apologetic of later writers against Islam that told their audiences that the Muslims worshipped three idols! Peter the Venerable (1084-1156) "translated" the Qur'an which was used throughout the Middle Ages and included nine additional chapters. Sale's infamously distorted translation followed that trend, and his, along with the likes of Rodwell, Muir and a multitude of others attacked the character and personality of Muhammmed. Often they employed invented stories, or narration's which the Muslims themselves considered fabricated or weak, or else they distorted the facts by claiming Muslims held a position which they did not, or using the habits practised out of ignorance among the Muslims as the accurate portrayal of Islam. As Norman Daniel tell us in his work Islam and the West: "The use of false evidence to attack Islam was all but universal . . . " (p. 267)." (From An Authoritative Exposition - Part 1, by 'Abdur-Raheem Green) There is a great deal of proof that one could use to demonstrate that when it came to attacking Islam, even the Roman Catholic Church would readily embrace almost any untruth. Here's an example: "At a certain period in history, hostility to Islam, in whatever shape or form, even coming from declared enemies of the church, was received with the most heartfelt approbation by high dignitaries of the Catholic Church. Thus Pope Benedict XIV, who is reputed to have been the greatest Pontiff of the Eighteenth century, unhesitatingly sent his blessing to Voltaire. This was in thanks for the dedication to him of the tragedy Mohammed or Fanaticism (Mahomet ou le Fanatisme) 1741, a coarse satire that any clever scribbler of bad faith could have written on any subject. In spite of a bad start, the play gained sufficient prestige to be included in the repertoire of the Comédie-Française." (From The Bible, the Qur'an and Science, by Maurice Bucaille, page 118)
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WIDESPREAD LIES & POPULAR CULTURE
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The dedicated enemy of the church, referred to above, was the French philosopher Voltaire. For an example of what he thought of at least one Christian doctrine, read his Anti-Trinitarians tract. Also, the above passage introduces a point that one should be well aware of: the distortions and lies about Islam throughout the ages in Europe were not been limited to a small number of scholars and clergy. On the contrary, they were part of popular culture at the time: "The European imagination was nourished extensively from this repertoire [of Oriental images]: between the Middle Ages and the eighteenth century such major authors as Ariosto, Milton, Marlowe, Tasso, Shakespeare, Cervantes, and the authors of the Chanson de Roland and the Poema del Cid drew on the Orient's riches for their productions, in ways that sharpened that outlines of imagery, ideas, and figures populating it. In addition, a great deal of what was considered learned Orientalist scholarship in Europe pressed ideological myths into service, even as knowledge seemed genuinely to be advancing." (From Orientalism, by Edward Said, page 63)
"The invariable tendency to neglect what the Qur'an meant, or what Muslims thought it meant, or what Muslims thought or did in any given circumstances, necessarily implies that Qur'anic and other Islamic doctrine was presented in a form that would convince Christians; and more and more extravagant forms would stand a chance of acceptance as the distance of the writers and public from the Islamic border increased. It was with very great reluctance that what Muslims said Muslims believed was accepted as what they did believe. There was a Christian picture in which the details (even under the pressure of facts) were abandoned as little as possible, and in which the general outline was never abandoned. There were shades of difference, but only with a common framework. All the corrections that were made in the interests of an increasing accuracy were only a defence of what had newly realised to be vulnerable, a shoring up of a weakened structure. Christian opinion was an erection which could not be demolished, even to be rebuilt." (From Islam and the West: The Making of an Image, by Norman Daniel, page 259-260) Edward Said, in his classic work Orientalism, referring to the above passage by Norman Daniel, says: "This rigorous Christian picture of Islam was intensified in innumerable ways, including—during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance—a large variety of poetry, learned controversy, and popular superstition. By this time the Near Orient had been all but incorporated in the common world-picture of Latin Christianity—as in the Chanson de Roland the worship of Saracens is portrayed as embracing Mahomet and Apollo. By the middle of the fifteenth century, as R. W. Southern has brilliantly shown, it became apparent to serious European thinkers "that something would have to be done about Islam," which had turned the situation around somewhat by itself arriving militarily in Eastern Europe." (From Orientalism, by Edward W. Said, page 61)
"Most conspicuous to us is the inability of any of these systems of thought [European Christian] to provide a fully satisfying explanation of the phenomenon they had set out to explain [Islam]—still less to influence the course of practical events in a decisive way. At a practical level, events never turned out either so well or so ill as the most intelligent observers predicted: and it is perhaps worth noticing that they never turned out better than when the best judges confidently expected a happy ending. Was there any progress [in Christian knowledge of Islam]? I must express my conviction that there was. Even if the solutions of the problem remained obstinately hidden from sight, the statement of the problem became more complex, more rational, and more related to experience." (From Western Views of Islam in the Middle Ages, by R. W. Southern, pages 91-92) Regardless of the flawed, biased—and even devious—approach of many Orientalists, they too can have their moments of candour, as Roger DuPasquier points out: "In general one must unhappily concur with an Orientalist like Montgomery Watt when he writes that 'of all the great men of the world, no-one has had as many detractors as Muhammad.' Having engaged in a lengthy study of the life and work of the Prophet, the British Arabist add that 'it is hard to understand why this has been the case', finding the only plausible explanation in the fact that for centuries Christianity treated Islam as its worst enemy. And although Europeans today look at Islam and its founder in a somewhat more objective light, 'many ancient prejudices still remain.'" (From Unveiling Islam, by Roger Du Pasquier, page 47 - quoting from W. M. Watt's Muhammad at Medina, Oxford University Press) source: islaam.ca
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
superstitions of new years.
'Good Luck' traditions of the Kufaar
to Beware of during the Christian New Year
Around the globe, people celebrate the coming of a new year with traditions specific to their country. Although the celebrations are not always held on the same day, they often include religious ceremonies, costume parties, parades, and good luck charms said to bring fortune, luck and love in the new year.
Good Luck Customs and Superstitions Around the World...
Venezuela:
Wear yellow underwear for good luck. Venezuelans also write wishes in a letter and burn it so they come true.
Brazil:
Jump seven ocean waves and your wishes may come true. Citizens of Rio de Janeiro also throw flowers into the water as an offering to the Goddess of the Seas.
Mexico:
Eat 12 grapes and make 12 wishes (one for each gong on the clock at midnight.) And if you're looking for love, Mexicans opt for red underwear.
Ecuador:
To forget the old year, people create a dummy and stuff it with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, each family lights the dummy on fire and as it goes up in smoke, the firecrackers also go off to add to the festivities.
South America:
On New Year's Day, most people make a habit of eating black-eyed peas and turnip greens (to bring good fortune and plenty of money.)
Lithuania:
Single women put 12 men's names on slips of paper, plus one blank slip of paper under the pillow. When they wake up the following morning, they select one of the slips of paper, which means that is the person they will marry.
Sicily, Italy:
Eating pasta in Italy doesn't sound very unusual, but many Sicilians ring in the new year with a plate of lasagna for good luck.
England:
The first visitor on New Year's Day will bring you luck — good or bad.
Denmark:
Many Danes horde old plates to throw at friends' houses. They believe that broken china means more friends.
France:
There's a fair amount of champagne drinking and screaming on New Year's Eve, but for many French people the new year officially begins by eating king cake, "Galette des Rois," on the holiday known as Epiphany. Epiphany, which celebrates the arrival of the Three Kings to pay homage to Baby Jesus, is honored in most parts of France on the first Sunday of January. The almond-paste round cake is cut into pieces and distributed by a child hiding under the table. Whoever finds "la fève" — the charm hidden inside —is king or queen for the day and can choose a partner.
Vancouver, British Columbia:
Take a dip in the English Bay with the Polar Bear Club to wash the year's sins away.
Japan:
On New Year's Eve, bells are rung 108 times to chase away 108 troubles. The Japanese all laugh after the gongs because it's believed that sharing a chuckle will drive away the bad spirits.
China:
The Chinese New Year (slated for Jan. 29, 2006) is the first day of the lunar calendar, so it is also called the Lunar New Year. This holiday trumps all other holidays in China, and the festivities last 15 days. New Year Eve's dinner has lots of symbolic meaning. Eating dumplings implies wealth because they have the shape of ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots. Everyone, even kids, drinks a little liquor, which is a symbol of longevity. People also give each other red envelopes with money in it, a symbol of luck and wealth.
United States:
Wild cheers at the stroke of midnight is believed to ward off evil spirits. Chase the bad away and ring in the new year. Kissing your loved one ensures that friendly ties will grace you and the person for the next 12 months.
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