Prophets (ﷺ) Farewell Advice To Muadh

Bismillah walhamdulillah wa ssalaathu wassalaam 'aala Rasoolillahi wa 'alaa aalihi wa sahbihi wa man walaah, ammaa ba'ad. 

My dear brothers and sisters,

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaathuhu

I'll share one beautiful hadith with you that I've been thinking about for a long time. And this was the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad [ﷺ], when Muaad ibn Jabal was leaving towards Yemen. And Muaad didn't know if he would come back and see the Messenger of Allah [ﷺ] again, after that time. So this was the farewell advice that he gave him. And perhaps some of the most significant advice Mu'aad had received from the Messenger of Allah [ﷺ]. And he told Mu'aad, 3 simple things. He told him, 'fear Allah, wherever you are, follow up a bad deed with a good one and it will wipe it out and treat the people with the best of manners.' 

Sometimes we get so engulfed by more complex and technical issues, that we forget about the basics. So here, the messenger of Allah [ﷺ] makes Islam very very easy and very basic. And this is the Islam that we need to go back to. That before we get into the more complex matters, let us go back to the simple issues, of having Taqwa of Allah (subhaanahu wa ta'ala). Every time we do a bad deed, seek Allah's forgiveness and follow it up with a good deed and it will wipe it out. And here's the important one - Treating people with the best of manners. In our day and age, this is something that is overlooked. Each and every person lives for themselves, works for themselves, spends on themselves. But this was not the characteristics that Islam brought. So we need to be more considerate of each other. We need to be more involved in each other's lives in terms of what type of khair we bring to one another. The messenger of Allah [ﷺ] told us that we won't truly believe till we love for one another what we love for our own selves. 

So try to make this day a day where at least you do one good deed for one of your brothers, bi ithnillahi ta'ala, without him even asking for it. Perhaps buy him a gift, treat him out with lunch, you know. Just do something that is nice, even if it's just a smile in his face, purely for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala). 

JazaakumAllahu Khairan

Wassalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaathuhu

By Sheikh Navaid Aziz 

Get Back On Track

Assalaamu Alaikum

What is the reason we go through different modes in life? 

Why are there times when we have so much motivation to complete a specific task and times when this motivation just fades away and we don't want to do anything anymore...

Why?! 

Remember the times I used to read the Qur'aan for like an hour a day, why did I stop? I was doing good. Or did you ask yourself this? 

I used to help the poor people without them even asking, what happened to me? I was doing good. Why did I stop? 

You were doing good! 

Why did you stop? 

You see the problem here is that you forgot, you forgot that doing good does you good, so you stopped doing good and you started telling yourself, 'You were doing good!' 

'You were doing good!'

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) he used to say: 

'Oh Allah, turner of hearts, turn my heart firm on your religion.'

Umm Salama, the wife of the Messenger (ﷺ) she was standing nearby and she said, 'Oh Messenger of Allah, is this for everybody? Does this apply...this Dua that you said, does it apply to everybody or is it only for you?'

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'Indeed, Our hearts are between two fingers of Allah's fingers, He turns them around as He wishes.'

Today, you may be doing really good, you know you have that high level of faith and you're up here, tomorrow, you're probably not doing as well, you go back down here and you know you're not praying on time or you're slacking off a little bit. Then the next day, you're doing good again.

And then another day comes when you completely slack off and you stop doing everything, all you do is like pray five times a day and not even on time. So it goes up, down, up, down, up, down...

Did you ever go to the hospital and visit a sick person and you saw the machine where the heart pulse rate is going up and down, up and down, up and down, it's the same thing! 

When we do good we go up, then when we slack off we go down, then we do good we go up... 

Just like that, and that's healthy, that's ok! There's no problem with that. IF you get back on track as soon as you slack off, that's OK, but where is the big problem? The big problem is when we do good and then we slack off, then we do good and we slack off and we continue to slack off until we die, that is the big problem, just like the machine.

That means he's dead. Alright, so we have to get back on track.

If you used to pray Qiyam Al-Layl, Do it tonight, get back! If you used to pray Fajr on time in the Masjid, get back! If you used to be good to your parents and you're not anymore, get back! If you used to go to work on time and you were doing really good and you were sincere, get back! If you used to give lectures and speeches every week and every now and then, get back! If you used to give Da'wah every time you see the people on the street, get back! If you used to remember Allah day and night, when you wake up and when you sleep, get back! Get back on track! And remember that Allah Azza Wa Jal wants you to do good and He accepts you He always accepts you, He will never reject you, as long as you get back on track, He will accept you and remember this, this is the last statement that I will leave you with. Work for your Hereafter as if you're dying tonight and work for your Dunya as if you will never die. Work for the Hereafter as if you are leaving this Dunya tonight and work for this Dunya as if you're never gonna die. 

See you next time. 

WAssalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaathuhu

By Ustadh Rayan Arab

How Satan Works

And We said, "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will. But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers."

Hey!

Listen both of you (Adam & Eve).

That tree over there...I am talking to both of you...that tree stay away.

Now when the tree is right here, 'hadhihis shajara.'

So you will find in Quran when the tree is further away...it's, 'tilkumas shajara'.

When the tree is closer, 'hadhihis shajara' which actually plays the role in how we analyze the story.

How we analyze...and by the way how many trees are there in jannah?

It's called 'jannah' which means its lush...which means it's filled abundantly, endlessly with trees.

How big is Jannah?

And how many trees in Jannah are haram?

One!

How much real estate do you have to find halal in jannah?

And Shaythaan could still get you to come to...the billions of trees...that is the expanse of the skies and the earth.

He tried to get you to go near that one tree.

Originally, when He first introduces them to jannah, He says, 'Settle here. This is the tree you can't go near. Now go enjoy yourself.'

And they go enjoy themselves. And they go faaar...out there.

But after the mistake, 'tilkumas shajara.'

To illustrate, by the way, that you came a long way to do this.

And that's why we understand, 'Fadallahuma bighuroor.'

Shaythaan wheeled them in using deception.

You know what 'dalla' means, 'dalu'?

What's 'dalu'?

It's a verb that comes from that - 'dalla....'

To use a bucket to lure people in.

'Dalla' is also used when you pull a bucket up from a well.

Does it come up right away or slowly?

Yes?

Now if a bucket comes up quickly - 'adla'!

When a bucket comes up slowly -- 'dalla'!

'dallahuma bighuroor.'

He slooowly wheeled them in!

It was little bit...then a little bit...then a little bit...and every time was almost...almost inconceivable that we are doing something wrong.

Cuz it was just a little bit of a...one step closer, 'we are not even at the tree.'

'We are just kind of...we can't even see it yet!'

'We can't see it. We are just a step closer.'

'This is not haram!'

What do people do when they fall into a trap of Shaythaan?

Shaythyaan comes to them and says, 'Hey! Why don't you do like ultimate super crazy haram and burn in hell?'

No!

He says, 'Hey man! Take it easy a little.'

'Whatever...there's still time for fajr. Chillax!

'Just a little bit more. Just go back to sleep!'

You can feel Shaythaans foot pressing down on the pillow.

And you are like, 'I gotta a little bit of time.'

So first he gets you at salaat.

You will be the guy who shows up first before the adhan.

Then, 'you don't have to go that early.'

Show up after the adhan. Then you would be like, 'You don't have to pray all the sunnas. It's not fun!'

Then he'll be like, 'okay! Okay, we have salat at 8.15. Its only 8 right now! Just go at 8.10.'

Then a couple of weeks later you would be like, 'look! You are gonna catch salat.'

He is gonna work his way, right?

So then you catch like the 3rd rak'ah.

Then he comes back and says, "hey man! I mean it's already over. Just pray at home.'

Then he comes back and says, 'It's already over and you're like half way through the movie, just finish the movie and pray.'

He works his way.

And then, eventually, now you start...you used to be praying at the masjid, and slowly you are praying at home, then you are praying at home really late, then you are like, you are really tired right now.

You just finished watching a movie.

Why don't you sleep a little and wake up and pray.

Just a little! I mean, You'll wake up. You know, you got control.

So you wake up at 2.00 in the morning, 3.00 in the morning and you are like, 'I haven't prayed Isha.'

'dallahuma bighuroor.'

Little by...little!

But it all happens very little...!

He's got a lot of patience.

And he has done this with plenty of people before.

By Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan (NAK)

The Poverty Of The Soul

Today I am going to talk about poverty. Yet the poverty that I speak about is not the apparent kind. You see, before you can begin to speak about any concept, we need a criterion. We need definitions. In speaking about poverty, we need to understand that there is external poverty and there is internal poverty. And one of them is far more dangerous than the other. Because while one form of poverty determines how we live temporarily, the other form determines how we live eternally. Today I will speak about the latter form. Internal poverty is the poverty of the soul. It describes the unmoved soul. The soul that has been created but has still failed to realize why. It is the soul that lives a purposeless life. The heart that beats but has already died. Because while this body cries and bleeds and feels pain from the material world, the soul is untouched by these things. There is only one thing that can cut or stab or impoverish the soul. There is only one thing that can kill it. To deprive it of its only one true need. To be close to its Originator, to be near God. Spiritual deprivation is the true impoverishment. True poverty is standing poor on the Day of Judgment. Despite this reality, we continue to live this life feeding our bodies but starving our souls. The sad irony of this focus is that the body that we tend to is only temporary while the soul that we neglect is eternal. When a body dies, we cry. But the death of the body is not true death. It's only the removing of a shell and the movement from one realm to a truer realm. We weep for the departing bodies but our hearts are unmoved by those bodies which are still alive but whose hearts and souls have already died. Because of the alienation from that which gives Life - God.

What impoverishes and kills the heart? 

It is allowing the heart to love anything as it should only love God. See, the heart was created with a very particular nature and for a very particular purpose. When you fail to use any created thing for the very purpose for which it was created, it breaks, it drowns, it starves, it dies...

The heart was created by and for God. The heart was created to know and love God. The heart was created to be given to God. To be filled, with God. The heart that is given to or filled by any other thing suffers the most painful impoverishment and death. 

The human heart is like a boat in the ocean of Dunya. The boat that allows the ocean's water to enter, breaks and then drowns. The human heart that allows this Dunya to enter, breaks and drowns and becomes owned...

Owned by this life, owned by our gadgets, our facebook, our jobs, the distractions, the fashion trends, the marketing tools, the money, the power, the status.

The heart that is owned by this life is a prisoner of the worst kind. The heart that is owned by any other master than the master of masters, it is the weakest of all slaves. That is true oppression, true death, true poverty.

By Ustadha Yasmin Mogahed 

Ponder Over The Quran

Assalaamu Alaikum! 

MashaAllah...it's very great to be a part of this.

And in sha Allah I wish to share with you in the next few episodes my favourite verses of the Quran.

That is a very very interesting question!

The reason is...everyone knows that as Mulimeen the favourite book of every Muslim is the Quran!

And if it isn't, it's supposed to be.

Some people don't have the knowledge of the Quran and for that reason they distance themselves from the Quran.

However, to be very honest with you, my favourite book ever is the Quran!

And it's because I've read it.

It's because I've have tried my best to understand it!

It's because, every single day, I try to look into the meanings of the Quran and how they apply to me in my life.

Every single day I try to open the Quran and find peace in it!

And I do!

And subahanAllah we learn and continue learning.

If we take a look at the question...now that we know which is supposed to be the favourite book for every Muslim.

Let's ask, 'which is the favourite verse?'

Well I can answer that question for myself.

I have many favourite verses. 

All the verses that are connected to, 'why Allah (subḥāanahu wa ta'āla) revealed the Quran, I really find intrigue in them.

I find them to really really on a different level!

When I see the reason why Allah revealed the Quran or some of the secrets of the Quran, or that Allah (subḥāanahu wa ta'āla) is encouraging us to do something regarding the Quran...Amazingly!! 

I find those verses really really powerful!!

Let me take you through one these such verses.

In Surat Sa'ad, Allah says, 'A book, a book...' subahanAllah!

'A book that We have revealed, a book that We have revealed'

This is what Allah (subḥāanahu wa ta'āla) is saying, 'blessed' -- 'mubaarakun' 

'Blessed' - the book is blessed

So, it is the most blessed book in existence because it's the word of Allah (subḥāanahu wa ta'āla)

Imagine!

People are looking for blessings in everything else, SubahaanAllah the word of Allah (subḥāanahu wa ta'āla) has great blessings!

He says it is a book, a book in which there are great blessings or a book that is blessed!

Mubaarakun! 

'In order that they, in order that they do something known as...tadabbur.'

'Tadabbur' is deep pondering!

Deep reflection! 

You know, deep rooted pondering over its verses! 

So Allah is telling us, 'A book that We have revealed blessed in order that they ponder very deeply over its verses.' 

'And for it to act as a reminder or for those to take heed who are of sound intellect.'

So...Amazing!

If you have sound intellect what would happen?

You would realize the blessed book!

And you would want to learn what is in it.

So this is how we would achieve the closeness to Allah, our Maker (subḥāanahu wa ta'āla)!

And this how we will become people who know that their link with their Maker is what will take them to Paradise.

How can I expect to enter Paradise when I don't have a link with the Owner of Paradise?

That Owner of Paradise has His words in our midst!

And those words are in the form of the Quran.

And He is telling us so many times, 'Ponder over the verses of Quran.'

This to me is one of the favourite verses if not the most favourite verse.

No verse is in the Quran just without purpose!

There is a purpose for every single verse.

And it's important for us to know that unless we go to ponder very deeply over the verses of the Quran we will not be able to achieve the blessings of Allah Subḥānahuwata'āla, the comfort, the peace, the happiness!

And perhaps we might lose out when it comes to the hereafter.

We don't want to lose out.

These are amazing words that are used in the Quran.

So, in sha Allah we meet again.

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaathuhu

By Speaker: Sheikh Mufti Ismail Musa Menk

Can Money Make You Happy?

Assalaamu Alaikum!

This your brother Majed Mahmoud 

Does money make a person happy?

Is money a source of every evil?

Can money be with those that are religious?

Can I be a Muslim, proper 'Alem, Scholar, Sheikh, Qari that is a multimillionaire at the same time?

Before I answer that question, be honest with yourself.

What's the answer to it?

As a believer you have to know right away that absolutely yes! 

You can be very rich and be very religious in the same time!

You can be the one that has all the money in the world, in addition be the one who supports everyone that is in need and be in the highest level in paradise!

Look at Rasoolullahi (ﷺ)

At one time Rasoollullah (ﷺ) had amount of vehicles (ghanam) which is like animals that covered the valley between two mountains!

And wasn't he multimillionaire at that time?

If not even more? Absolutely!

Wasn't he happy with it?

Of course he was!

He was Rasoollullah.

Look at Suleiman (Alayhi Salaam)

Prophet Suleiman - the richest person ever walked on the face of this earth and let me add one more point.

And the richest person that will ever walk on the face of this earth!

And wasn't he happy?

ﷺ to Suleiman (Alayhi Salaam) who will be attaining 'firdaus al 'ala' - the highest ever!

Wasn't Abu Baqr As Siddiq, Abdur Rahman bin 'Auf, the ten people who were promised paradise?

How many of these ten people (RadiyAllahu Anhum) these great companions, the Prophet said, 'You are in jannah, you are in jannah, you are in jannah.'

How many of them were multi multimillionaires?

Abu Baqar As Siddique (RadiyAllahu Anhu) he is known as As Siddiq and he is also known as another nick name.

What was it?

What's his other nick name?

Al Atiq!

The one who frees that slaves.

He had so much money that he would buy slave and free him, buy the slave and free him.

So this concept that a religious person cannot be happy with money or basically that money comes only with evil...that's incorrect!

But the question that we should ask, 'What's that one element had we have along with money then we will benefit, then we will be happy from it?'

That's the real awesome question. 

The answer to this question brothers and sisters, it is—Iman!

Bring Iman with whatever blessing with Allah that Allah has blessed you with then that will be a source of happiness to you.

What's the proof?

Allah says in the Quran

'Whoever does a righteous deed along with the Iman'...what will happen?

'We will bless them with a good life.'

SubahaanAllah!

So if you have money, is it with Iman?

Yes!

Then bi'ithnillah you will be happy with it.

Because Iman will allow you to get the money form halal resource, spend it in the way that pleases Allah, and enjoy your time with whatever Allah made permissible.

And you fulfil your duties with it.

That's when Iman comes in place. 

Many people are rich, filthy rich, but they are miserable!

They commit suicide, why?

Because they are missing the Iman component!

Even if they got it from the halal perspective, they got it from a proper business and they spend it for orphans etc. but there is no Iman.

It will not work out.

Subhaan llah!

So the key point is Iman.

We ask Allah Subhanahuta'ala to bless me and you with wealth, had it been good for us, along with Iman to be of benefit to the whole Ummah and be with the Sahaabah and with our Prophet (ﷺ).

Although in sha Allah we will meet altogether in jannah.

Jazakummullahu Khair.

By Ustadh Majed Mahmoud 

Reflection On Current Events

Allah ('azza wa jal) has told us...given us a formula, 1400 years ago, speaking about time - the importance of time - giving us a concept of reflection and projection. Allah ('azza wa jal) has revealed at the end of the Suratul Hashr

Allah has revealed to us, 'O you who believe, have the consciousness of Allah and let every soul look to what it put forward for tomorrow. And fear Allah. Surely Allah is well aware of all that you do. And be not as those who forgot Allah and so he made them forget themselves. Surely, they are the disobedient ones.' And so, in this ayah we see the divine formula telling us to have taqwa first (the consciousness of the creator) and that every soul, (male, female, young, old) everybody should look toward the future. That's the projection. And fear Allah, have the consciousness of Allah. Because surely Allah ('azza wa jal) is...is aware of everything that we do. And the gem of wisdom that we need to reflect on, Allah tells us, '...do not be as those who forgot Allah. He will make them forget themselves. Surely they are the disobedient ones.' And so in this time of great change, we need to reflect and to project. People are marching in the streets. The occupy movement is spreading around the globe. And people, especially young people - under 25 who actually make up the majority of the earth's population - young people want change, and they are taking to the streets. Frustration is being expressed...and there's a reason for that frustration. Recently a study was done and the study showed that half of the earth's population is living with less than $2.50 per day. Although there are people who are billionaires and millionaires, with so much wealth, they don't have time to spend it. The majority of human beings can hardly provide for themselves. And so this inequality, this injustice has reached a climax point. And this not only in the non-Muslim countries, this is in the Muslim countries. And you will hear the Muslims in streets and they are saying... 

You will hear this rhythmically being said. 'The people want the nidhaam (the system) to come down.' They want the relationships between leaders and followers, rich and poor to change. And this is being echoed throughout the Muslim world. And many people would say, 'well, how can this be? We are Muslims.' We need to reflect upon ourselves; recently a hujjaaj (pilgrims) came back, from Makkah - Alhamdulillah. And they reported an amazing hajj that the numbers were larger than anything they had ever witnessed before. But they also recognized positive changes that went on. There were high levels of technology. They are talking about 30,000 buses. They're even talking about the hajj metro, that you can take the train that will take you from 'Arafah to Muzdalifah, air-conditioned tents, they are talking about improvements in technology and we have to say Alhamdulillah. But at the same time, a study was done to show the rebuilding of the ka'aba itself, and they found that the door of the ka'aba weighs about 280 kilos. It is 280 kilos (616 pounds) of solid gold. That's the door of the ka'aba. The kiswah (cloth that covers the ka'ba) itself is made of hundreds of pounds of gold and silver. Yet and still, 5 of the poorest countries on earth are Muslim countries. This is a contradiction. It's a contradiction that Muslims have to come to a realization of. Our leaders have to understand what is going on. There is a difference between modernization and modernism. Yes we want to modernize ourselves, we want the high technology. But we don't want a situation of the 1% and the 99%. And so, there is a difference between the two and when we understand this, we can understand more about what is happening in our Muslim world.

By Sheikh Abdullah Hakim Quick 

What To Do When Praised

My dear brothers and sisters

Assalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaathuhu! 

So I was at a conference last year and a brother came up to me after the talk. You know, I've just poured my heart out, poured my soul out and he comes up to me and says, 'Bro! That talk was retarded.' And at that point I couldn't understand what is this brother trying to say. Is he trying to praise me? Is he trying to criticize me? You know, what is he trying to do? And it was such an emotional state, I just ignored the brother and I walked on. Now, eventually, you know I met the brother again and I asked him, you know, 'What did you mean by, 'Your talk was retarded?'' Like to me retarded means something really bad. But he was like, 'Ya - It was a form of praise for you.'

And I recalled something at that time which I said to myself which was something I had read and a beautiful book by Imam al Bukhari called 'Al Adab al Mufrad.' You gotta pick this book up, check it out! And there's a chapter in the book called, 'What a person should say when he is praised.' And there's a beautiful dua that the companions (radayAllahu anhum), when they were praised they would say...

اللهمَ اجْعَلْنِى خَيْرًا مِمَّا يَظُنُّونَ وَاغْفِرْ لِى مَا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ وَلَا تُؤَاخِذْنِى بِمَا يَقُولُون 

That, 'Oh Allah! Do not hold me accountable for what they say about me. Make better than they think of me and forgive me for that which they do not know of me.'

Now when you think about Islam, SubahaanAllah! And what a complete religion it is! This is one of the manifestations of that perfection and that completion. That Islam even teaches you what to say when an individual praises you, that you want to direct all praise towards Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala). So you say, 'Oh Allah! Do not hold me accountable for what they say about me. And make me better than what they think of me and forgive me for what they do not know about me.' And the ending is very very important. That is, especially when it comes to sin, SubahaanAllah! 

People do not see our sins regularly. The predecessors used to say that if we could carry our sins and our sins gave a fragrance of -- no one would ever sit around us. And thus, it is the miracle of Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) that our sins do not give off a stench and we don't carry our sins in front of us. But rather Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) hides our sins and we pray that Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) hides our sins in this world and the hereafter. So next time you are praised, you know what to do.

Learn the dua.

Take care - All the best!

Wassalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaathuhu

By Sheikh Navaid Aziz

One Third of the Quran

1. Say: “He is Allah, the Unique.”

2. “Allah, the Self-Sufficient.”

3. “He does not give birth, nor was He born.”

4. “And there is none equal to Him.”

(1) Say: “He is Allah, the Unique.” This verse represents Allah’s own affirmation of His unique Monotheism, His inimitable Oneness. Thus, the first verse is a command to the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, and whoever reads or recites this verse to affirm Allah’s Unique Oneness. He is one like whom there is no other. There are many unities in this world, but they all are not unique as each unity has others similar to them. For example, there is one Mount Everest, but there are other tall mountains similar to it. In the case of Allah, there is no other unity similar to Him. All other unities can be divided into parts, while Allah is unique in His Oneness and is as such indivisible.

(2) Allah, the Self-Sufficient. Allah’s uniqueness is realized in His self-sufficiency. On the other hand, all created beings have ne eds and are dependent on others to fulfill their needs. Allah is not in need of any of His creation in any way, as nothing they can do can better or benefit His already perfect state. This attribute of self-sufficiency invites the believers to reflect on the purpose and the goals of their worship. Most people worship as if they are doing God a favor. The purpose of human creation is to worship Allah because all human beings have a need to worship Him. He has no need for or from them. Human beings need to worship and glorify God because obedience to divine law is the key to their success in both this life and the next.

(3) “He does not give birth, nor was He born.” This verse describes another aspect of Allah’s Unique Oneness. False religions generally represent God in human terms by either giving Him human characteristics and or human form. This verse deals primarily with two distinct characteristics of human beings and other living creatures in general: coming into existence by being born and procreating by giving birth. “He (Allah) does not give birth,” because there is nothing similar to him. A child is made from portions (sperm and ovum) of the bodies of its parents which is why it is similar to its parents in form and characteristics. If God gave birth, there would be another god like Him, which His uniqueness has already negated. The Almighty also rejected the concept of having a child from the perspective that bearing offspring usually requires a female partner similar in form to the male. Allah also rejected offspring from the general perspective that it is not befitting, since to have a child would reduce him to the status of His creatures. This answers the question of those who claim that since it is agreed that God can do anything, He should be able to have a son if He wished. It is not befitting because it would make God like His creatures. Furthermore people have children out of a need for help to survive in this material world or out of the need for continued existence through one’s progeny. By describing Himself as self-sufficient, Allah also negated this possibility.

“Nor was He born” subtly rejects the notion that Jesus was God, because he was born. For God to be born, He must first have not existed, which contradicts the basic unique divine attribute of eternal existence.

(4) “And there is nothing equal to Him.” Allah closes the chapter with a restatement of the opening verse. If God is unique, nothing can be equal to Him. If nothing is equal to Him, then He alone is unique. If He alone is Self-Sufficient and all creation is in need of Him, nothing in creation can be equal to Him. If He does not bear offspring, nor did anyone or anything give birth to Him, nothing or no one can be equal to Him as every created being came into existence after a period of non-existence. Every created being has something similar to it, called its pair, or something resembling it, called its equal. If the Creator were from one or other of these species He would have an equal and a similitude.

Thus, this chapter contains the genealogy and description of God, the Most Merciful. It was revealed by Allah to refute beliefs attributed to Him by misguided people concerning His similitude, form, origin and offspring. For example, those who paint pictures or make statues of Allah are claiming similitude, those who worship others besides Him claim similitude, and those who attribute some parts of His creation to others besides Him claim similitude. However, nothing is similar to Him in His Attributes, His Dominion or His Divinity. Therefore, only He alone deserves to be worshiped by His creatures.

Surah Al-Fatiha

“I begin with the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

All praise is to God, Lord of all the worlds

Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Master of the Day of Judgment

You Alone do we worship and You Alone do we ask for help

Guide us to the straight path

The Path of those on whom You bestowed Your bounties

Not the path of those who incurred Your wrath or those who went astray.” (Quran 1:1-7)

Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, told us, that this chapter in the Quran is unlike any other. Nothing like it was revealed in any previous scripture. When one recites this chapter sincerely they would be professing their belief as a true Muslim.

All praise is to God

When you state that all praise is due to God alone, you are in fact acknowledging that only He has all the attributes of perfection and that only He is the bestower of all the bounties that any of His creation enjoys. And since gratefulness is the essence of worship, you are also acknowledging that He is the only one who deserves to be worshipped.

Lord of all the worlds

The Arabic word for Lord, Rubb, conveys a number of meanings that are not accurately captured by the English word Lord. It means that He is the one who owns, who creates, who sustains and who looks after all that exists. The only relationship between Him and all creation is that He is the creator of all that exists. He cannot therefore be the father of anyone in any real sense! To say that He is the Creator and yet the father of some of His creation is a contradiction in terms. You don’t create your child, you beget him. It is because of this that the Quran keeps reminding those who claim that God has children (the Arabs who used to say that the angels are the daughters of God, the Christians who say that Jesus is the son of God, and a Jewish sect who used to believe that Ezra is the son of God) that God is the Creator and Owner of everything. 

Most Gracious, Most Merciful

The two Arabic words, Rahman and Raheem, for which these English phrases stand, are two intensive forms of a root word which conveys the meaning of mercy. Rahman is more intensive than Raheem, and refers to God’s all-encompassing mercy, His mercy to all His creation in this life and the life to come. Raheem refers to His special mercy to the faithful. No created being can therefore be Rahman, but created beings can be described as Raheem in a limited and special sense of the word. 

Master of the Day of Judgment

God is the Master of all days and all things, but while some people can have some limited mastership or even falsely claim to have it, no one can be, or claim to be master in any sense on the Day of Reckoning. On that Day God will ask all of His creation: “To whom is sovereignty today?” And the answer will be “To God, the One who holds absolute sway over all that exists”. This reminds us of the fact that this world is only a transient station on the road to the final abode where we shall either be rewarded or punished for what we do here. 

You Alone do we worship and You Alone do we ask for help

The foregoing verses were like an introduction to this one. It is as if you are saying: because we acknowledge the fact that all praise is to You, that You are the Lord of all the worlds, that You are Most Gracious and Most Merciful, and that You Alone are the Master of the Day of Judgment, we hereby declare that we worship none but You and seek help from none except You. This verse emphasizes the fact that what is important is not only that You worship God, but that you worship none besides Him, because none except Him deserves to be worshipped. Worship in the broader sense of the word includes that you obey none but Him in any absolute sense, love no one as or more than you love Him and pray to no one except Him. It also includes that you seek help from none but God; this doesn’t mean that you don’t extend or accept any help from any of God’s created beings in matters in which they have the power to help. It only means that you believe that even when you give or receive such help that it is ultimately coming from God because nothing in this world happens without His will and power. So it is from Him alone that you are ultimately turning for help, and it is on Him that you ultimately and absolutely depend. 

Guide us to the Straight path

Having acknowledged all those truths about God, and having declared to Him that it is He Alone that we worship and ask for help, we now go on to ask Him to grant us the thing that we need most: knowing and taking the shortest path that leads to Him. Having known who God is we are convinced that such guidance must come from Him, that it must be available to all who want to follow it, and that there must be no doubt about the fact that it is from Him. That guidance, we know, is no where to be found in any complete way except in God’s words, the words that He revealed to His chosen Prophets like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, may God praise them all. But we also know for sure that none of the books that contain that guidance is now at our disposal except one - the Quran. It is to this Divine book that we must turn for a detailed description of the Straight Path that leads to our Lord. This path is an absolute path that was given to each Prophet and Messenger of God and it does not change over the passage of time. 

The Path of those on whom You bestowed Your bounties

The straight path described in the Quran is not a theoretical path; it is an actual path that some people before us have taken. As Muslims, we believe every Prophet and Messenger of God preached the belief in the Oneness of God and that all worship was to be dedicated to Him alone. 

Not the path of those who incurred Your wrath or those who went astray

Just as the Straight Path is described above in a positive way, the paths of those who deviated from it are described in a negative manner. We always ask our Lord to keep us away from the paths taken by two kinds of deviant people: those who knew the truth about religion and yet refused to act according to it, and there brought upon themselves the wrath of God. The second group of people were those who made their religion suit their whims and desires and are thus went astray.

May Allah Guide us to the Straight Path... Ameen

Cover Me Up - Embrace Me!

AssalaamuAlaikumWaRahmatullahiWaBarakaat­huhu

Dear brothers and sisters, this is your brother Omar Suleiman 

You know, when the Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings be upon him) received his first revelation, he was concerned. He didn't understand whether this was something that was coming from God or whether this was something that was coming from...from some other source or whether this was something,that was some supernatural experience. And he was concerned and, it was at that moment that he truly needed a form of reassurance. And he knew the right person to go to because he ran to his wife, Khadeejah (may God be pleased with her). And he said to her the famous words

'Cover me up, embrace me - cover me up, embrace me'

And before that incident took place where the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) received the first revelation from God, his wife Aieeshah(peace be upon her), may Allah be pleased with her says that he developed a love for being alone, he developed a love for seclusion. So he used to go to the cave of Hira' and he used to meditate and contemplate for weeks and sometimes months, trying to find peace, trying to find answers, trying to find that connection with God. And then finally when the revelation came to him, it was so powerful that he truly did not know how to handle it. Then came Khadeejah (may God be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) who was there to reassure him. Now the words that Khadeejah said to the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) were that...

Which means, 'God will never disgrace you.' 'God will never disgrace you.'

Now, she then proceeds to give the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the reasons why God would never disgrace him. And I want you to think about this for a moment. When you think about religion, when you think about worship, and when you think of the effects of worship, why would God not disgrace you? She said God would never disgraced you because you uphold the ties of kinship, because you were generous to the needy, because you...you...you take care of the poor and the orphan. So she started to mention some of his good to society, his character (peace be upon him). And in essence this was the call of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), when he says that, 'I was only sent to perfect good character.' And in truth his call to Islam, his call to God started before even he realized that his call to God was starting as one of the famous Imams, Al Muzainy(may God be pleased with him) said that,'his da'wah(his call) started with good manners before he even realized that his call started.' It was with that love that he showed to people. The nicknames that he gained as 'as saadiq al amin', the trustworthy, the honest, the one who was beloved, the one who could always reconcile between people, the one who would always go out of his way to take care of the orphans. And so it was only befitting now that he found a woman of good faith and good character that truly understood that, and truly had that insight and could come to him from that direction and could say to him, 'O Prophet of God, God is not disgracing you. This is God honoring you. This is God giving you virtue. This is God elevating your status because of all of the people that you have been elevating your entire life.'

So we ask God to give us that same exalted character. Jazakumullahukhairan

WassalaamuAlaikumWaRahmatullahiWaBarakaa­thuhu

A Passionate Call For Unity

Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) warns us! Warns us of something that we do need a warning about today in the world. Today what happens to the Muslims? Every small thing we are divided. Small thing, we cannot work together! We are divided. If a person, for example, is tall...he doesn't get along with those who are short. I mean, that's a bit ridiculous, but it can happen! Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) really has warned us about dispute amongst you as an Ummah. If you are to dispute and argue, what will happen? You lose your power and your might as an Ummah. Today, we have two billion Muslims on the globe. We cannot agree to swat a fly! I'm honest with you. We have two billion Muslims on the globe, we cannot agree to swat a fly! Why? Because everyone is a big Sheikh on his own and everyone wants to have a big say. And the Sheikh's are fighting each other! Each one calling the other a Kafir. Wallahi, it's a reality! So, what is happening? Our leaders are debating and arguing and fighting and calling each other names. The public are even more confused because, any message of goodness, they are kept away! 'Hey! Don't go here. Don't go there.' What is the story? What happens? Allah says...Verse number 46 of Suratul Anfaal. 

'Follow Allah and follow his Rasool and do not dispute with one another, because it will result in your total failure and the going away or snatching away of your might as an Ummah!" 

Gone! Totally gone! Why?! Because small disputes. Today brothers and sisters don't speak to each other. What a shame! Uncles and aunts don't speak to each other. Trustees from one Masjid do not get along with trustees from another Masjid. Why? It's an issue of prestige! Allahu! What are you talking about?! We are an Ummah! We share the Shahaadah. That's enough! Put aside your differences and come together. We need the might as an Ummah! We have the numbers...we have everything! But the problem is we are disputing and so Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) warns us in another verse in the Quran. You know what he says? 

'The Kuffar! They are supporters and protectors of one another.' Come what may, they put aside their differences when it comes to sticking up for one another! This is in the Quran. We read this verse tonight. Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) warns us, this in fact is verse no. 73 from the same Surah (Suratul Anfaal). Do you know what Allah says after he tells us that the Kuffar stick up for one another? And they protect one another? He says...

'If you are not going to do the same, then there will be great fitnah and fasaad on Earth!'

That means, if you are not going to stick up for one another and protect one another, then there will be chaos and corruption on the whole globe. Hence, we find the chaos and corruption on the globe today. It is a decree of Allah. We are totally disunited! We cannot see face to face. Yet we are born through one mother and father. May Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) bless the Ummah (Ameen!). May Allah protect us (Ameen!). It is worth crying for my brothers and sisters! We are calling for unity. It is not going to come without tolerating one another. We need to understand, not everybody is going to think the same! Not everybody is going to have the same inclinations. But don't we share the Shahaadah? Isn't that stronger than the bond of blood my brothers and sisters? May Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) protect this Ummah and may He grant us unity. May He open our doors! Until we meet again..

By Mufti Ismail Menk 

Who is Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)?

Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, is the man beloved by more than 1.2 billion Muslims. He is the man who taught us patience in the face of adversity, and taught us to live in this world but seek eternal life in the hereafter. It was to Prophet Muhammad that God revealed the Quran. Along with this Book of guidance God sent Prophet Muhammad, whose behavior and high moral standards are an example to us all. Prophet Muhammad’s life was the Quran. He understood it, he loved it and he lived his life based on its standards. He taught us to recite Quran, to live by its principles and to love it. When Muslims declare their faith in One God, they also declare their belief that Muhammad is the slave and final messenger of God. 

When a Muslim hears Muhammad’s name mentioned they ask God to send blessings upon him. Prophet Muhammad was a man, a human being just like any other man, but it is his love for humanity that sets him apart. Muslims love Prophet Muhammad, but it is his love for us, that makes him a man like no other. He longed for Paradise not only for himself but also for all of us. He wept tears not for himself but for his Ummah, and for humanity. He was often heard to cry “O God, my Ummah, my Ummah”.

Muslims also believe in the same Prophets mentioned in Jewish and Christian traditions, including Noah, Moses, Abraham and Jesus, and they believe that all prophets came with the same message – to worship God alone, without partners, sons or daughters. There is a difference, however, between all other prophets and Prophet Muhammad. Before Muhammad, prophets were sent to particular people in particular places and periods. Muhammad however, is the final Prophet and his message is for all of humankind.

God tells us in Quran that He did not send Prophet Muhammad except as a mercy for humankind. “And we have sent you O Muhammad, not but as a mercy for humankind and all that exists.” (Quran 21:107) God did not say Muhammad was sent to the people of Arabia, or to men, or to the people of the 7th century. He made it clear that Prophet Muhammad was a prophet like no other, one whose message would spread far and wide and be applicable in all places for all times. Muslims love him, respect him and follow him. They hold him in such regard that for many it is emotionally painful to see or hear their beloved mentor ridiculed or disrespected. 

Throughout history and around the world non-Muslims have shown great respect and honour to Prophet Muhammad and he is considered influential in both religious and secular matters. Mahatma Ghandi described him as scrupulous about pledges, intense in his devotion to his friends and followers, intrepid, fearless, and with absolute trust in God and in his own mission. Prophet Muhammad taught Islam as a way of life, founded an empire, laid down a moral code and instituted a code of law focusing on respect, tolerance and justice.. 

What is it about Prophet Muhammad that inspires such devotion? Is it his gentle and loving nature, his kindness and generosity or is it his ability to empathise with all of humanity? Muhammad was a selfless man who devoted the last 23 years of his life to teaching his companions and followers how to worship God and how to respect humanity. Prophet Muhammad was acutely aware of just how much responsibility had been thrust upon him by God. He was careful to teach the message just as God had prescribed and warned his followers not to adulate him the way Jesus, son of Mary was praised.

Muslims do not worship Prophet Muhammad; they understand that he is only a man. However, he is a man worthy of our utmost respect and love. Prophet Muhammad loved humanity so much that he would weep out of fear for them. He loved his Ummah with such deep and profound devotion that God remarked on the depth of his love for us in Quran.

“Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to repent to God, and beg Him to pardon and forgive your sins, in order that you may enter Paradise and be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire), for the believers he is full of pity, kind, and merciful.” (Quran 9:128)

Prophet Muhammad taught us to love God and to obey Him. He taught us to be kind to each other, to respect our elders, and care for our children. He taught us that it was better to give than to receive and that each human life is worthy of respect and dignity. He taught us to love for our brothers and sisters what we love for ourselves. Prophet Muhammad taught us that families and communities are essential, and he pointed out that individual rights although important are not more important than a stable, moral society. Prophet Muhammad taught us that men and women are equal in the sight of God and that no one person is better then another except in respect to his or her piety and devotion to God. 

Who is Prophet Muhammad? Quite simply he is the man who will stand before God on the day of Requital and beg God to have mercy on us. He will intercede for us. Muslims love him because he is the slave and messenger of God, he is a mercy to humankind and his gentleness, and devotion to humanity is unprecedented.

Allah Is Sufficient For Us!

They say that, when you lose hope, you lose everything. When you give up hope, you've lost everything. So there's always hope. When you have hope, you have everything, man. When you have hope in Allahu (subahaanahu wa ta'ala), you have everything man. You have everything that you could ever possibly need. I don't care who likes me. I don't care who respects me. If I have favour with Allahu (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) man, forget you! Seriously! I don't need you to give me my dignity, Allahu (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) has given it to me. Because on the flip side of this, ArRasul (ﷺ) said, 'But whosoever seeks to be pleasing to Allah, even if it's at the displeasure of the people' that means, I do what Allah likes, I don't care who likes it. I don't care if my boss doesn't like it, I don't care if my neighbours don't like it, I don't care if my family doesn't like it, I don't care if my wife doesn't like it. I don't care if my parents don't like it. I don't care who doesn't like it! I do what Allah likes and nothing else! ArRasul (ﷺ) said about this person, that, 'when they seek the pleasure of Allah, even if it's at the displeasure of the people, that not only would Allah become pleased with them, He would make the people pleased with them.' He would make and force the people to be pleased with them! And this is the promise of ArRasul (ﷺ), and we know that ArRasul (ﷺ) spoke nothing but the truth! So, ArRasul (ﷺ) is saying that if you seek to be pleasing to Allah, that means, I don't care who doesn't like the fact that it's time for me to make salaah, I don't care what you got goin on. I don't care if it's time for whatever it is, else that is goin on! It's time for me to pray, I'm prayin. Droppin everything, and I'm making salaah. Allah has said in the Qur'an that he has prescribed salaah at fixed times. Not with the exception: Unless you're working. Unless you're going to school. I don't know if that Tafsir, or that explanation is out there, but in sha Allah, I don't know everything. I don't care what my boss thinks. I don't care if I go to this job interview, wearing this hijab, yeah, maybe they don't hire me, But, if they don't hire me because I'm wearing a hijab, I don't need that job anyway! That's a job I don't need anyway! Because if they don't want me to wear hijab, they certainly not gonna let me pray, they certainly not gonna let me go to jum'ah, they certainly not gonna let me do anything that resembles the action of a Muslim, So, why would I even waste my time? That to me, I would wear it everywhere, every job interview I went. Just to see if this is a job I wanna take or not.

If you would hire me with this, then maybe, we might be able to work with something. Or you don't wanna hire me, because I have a lahyah (beard), or I'm telling you that on Fridays, I have to go to Jum'ah. They like, 'oh, wait a minute! Friday is Jum'ah. Come on man! This is the middle of the day, you can't just leave work!' Then I'll be like, 'look here, man. I would work morning time, I work night time, I work overtime, I work weekend time, I work Christmas, thanksgiving, new year's, I work any other time, but Friday at noon, is Allah's time. See 'ya! Im outta here. No matter what you say.' When we begin to think like this, Allahu (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) will begin to change your life and He will begin to change our condition. And I'm not telling you this just from reading some books! I am telling you this because I have put it to the test over, and over, and over, again! I wouldn't be here right now doin what I'm doin, if I didn't put it to the test. I've done it. And I've seen over and over again how Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) never abandons his slave when his slave turns to him. Never Ever! Without a doubt!

By Sheikh Ustadh Yusha Evans 

Are we truly Believers !

So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers.

[Al-Quran 3:139]

This verse was revealed to the Messenger (SAS) by Allah The Almighty from above the Seven Heavens, soon after the Muslims suffered a defeat in the Battle of Uhud and returned to Al-Madinah dejected and downtrodden. It was revealed as an encouragement to the believers after a victory that was in their grasp, was snatched away from them and turned into a defeat. And why should the Companions (RA) not have felt devastated at this defeat? Seventy of the best human beings on Earth at the time were killed and countless others were injured. Even the Messenger (SAS) himself was seriously wounded until blood flowed from his face and he said in great anguish whilst wiping the blood from his noble cheeks: Allahâs Wrath is Great upon the people who besmeared His Messenger's face with blood.

However, this defeat was only a temporary setback so that the believers could reflect upon the reasons for the defeat, described in successive verses of Surah Ale-Imran. The mistakes and sins of a few believers had deprived the whole army of victory.

When Umar bin Al-Khattab (RA) despatched the army of Saad bin Abi Waqqas (RA) to the Battle of Al-Qadisiyyah, he advised him: Fear your sins more than you fear the enemy as your sins are more dangerous to you than your enemy. We Muslims are only victorious over our enemy because their sins outnumber ours, not for any other reason. If our sins were equal to those of our enemy, then they would defeat us due to their superior numbers and resources.

And so Saad (RA) proceeded to fight the Persians and, sticking to the advice of his leader, he imprisoned the alcoholic Abu Mahjan Ath-Thaqafi lest his presence in the army delays the victory. Until, Abu Mahjan lamented in his shackles and composed verses of poetry that touched the wife of Saad (RA) to temporarily release him so that he could participate in the battle with his brothers. Abu Mahjan thus went out riding the horse of Saad (RA) (as Saad (RA) was bedridden with fever) and performed unmatched feats of valour before returning to his cell in the evening and wearing his shackles back by himself. This continued for three days until, when Saad (RA) found out about the heroics of Abu Mahjan, he untied his shackles with the words: By Allah! I will never imprison you again for drinking alcohol! Upon this, Abu Mahjan replied, By Allah! I will never again touch alcohol after this day! The army was victorious and Saad (RA) appointed the ascetic Companion Salman Al-Farsi (RA) as the new ruler of Persia, who lived on a meagre salary of one dirham per day.

Victory and defeat, gains and losses, and successes and setbacks are not decided by money, resources, numbers or skills. Rather, they are decided by the balance of obedience and disobedience of Allah The Exalted. The more we obey Allah, both individually and collectively, the more we hasten His Victory. The more we disobey Allah, the more we delay the arrival of His Victory. One Muslims sins can delay the victory for everyone. It is very easy to blame Bush and Blair, the West, the kuffar or simply them for all our woes and worries. But it is not so easy to look in the mirror and point the finger at ourselves.

Look at us and our pathetic state. We have abandoned Salah or we delay it or rush through it. We are too stingy to give Zakah, let alone optional charity. We prefer to go on holiday than to go for the obligatory Hajj. We drink alcohol, we use and supply drugs (Muslims are amongst the biggest suppliers of drugs in the world today), we cohabit outside wedlock, we steal, we cheat. We eat haram, earn haram and sell haram. We beat our wives and force our daughters into marriages then use Islam to justify it. We are quick to spend on fashion and luxuries but slow to spend on orphans and the needy. We fail to utter a single word, let alone raise a finger, when we see our fellow Muslims imprisoned , tortured, house-arrested, extradited or slain for fear of being linked to them. We waste our lives watching television and playing computer games then complain that we don't have enough time to become better Muslims. We are too addicted to music to find time to listen to or memorise the Quran. We are too busy in fun and games to fulfill our responsibilities as vicegerents on Allah's Earth. And after all this (and more), we have the audacity to wonder why Allah's Victory has not yet arrived. With our paltry state, we should more likely expect Allah's Wrath and Punishment rather than His Victory.

Every sin we commit delays the arrival of Allah's Victory. Every Salah we delay extends the incarceration of a captive at Guantanamo Bay. Every hour we waste watching TV allows another Muslim to be kidnapped and extradited into the hands of savage beasts. Every time we gaze at something forbidden, we place an obstacle in the path of Allah's Victory. A sin is not a private matter between me and Allah but one sin can make the difference between victory and defeat. Every sin we commit is one more reason why Allah should not grant us relief, safety and victory.

Allah has made us a Promise in the aforementioned verse: So do not weaken and do not grieve, for you will indeed be superior if you are truly believers. He promises us relief, assistance, superiority and victory on the condition that we are true believers. If we suffer defeats today then it does not mean that Allah's Promise is false. Instead, the question we must ask ourselves is: are we truly believers?

By British Political Prisoner Babar Ahmad MX5383

The Sahaabi & The Child

Islam is that beautiful faith that advocates kindness even to the children of kuffar! 

And that is the beauty we need to reflect! 

That sahaabi Khubaib (radiyAllahu Anhu) when he was taken to the kuffar and he was about to be executed, one day prior to his execution, one of the children came and sat down in his lap. One of the kafir children. A child doesn't understand color, race...these are the borders that we introduce the children to. What does a child know? A child is not prejudiced, a child doesn't know anything! 

It is the parents that shape the mind of that child. Nonetheless, this child comes and sits in the lap of this Muslim knowing not, that this man had killed my uncle in the battle and tomorrow he is going to be executed, and this sahaabi has a blade in his hand, the riwaayat comes in Bukhari. And the child is sitting in the lap and the mother comes out...

The child comes out; the mother is unaware, oblivious. This sahaabi senses the phobia and the nervousness on the mother of this child. So he looks at the women and he says... 

'O sister, I know tomorrow I will be executed, do you think I will stoop so low to take out my anger on this defenseless child? That is not the teachings of Islam, I love this child and I embrace this child, knowing very well tomorrow this child's father will be killing me.'

It is high time, I swear by Allah, let me tell you brothers, the anti-Islamic sentiments that are being echoed, this does not have its roots from the inception of the media, this has its roots from the very beginning of Islam. I substantiate it in the light of Quran...

Those who lived around Nabi (ﷺ), were convinced on the character of Nabi (ﷺ), the impeccable behavior, the flawless character of Nabi (ﷺ), yet when the journeyed beyond the borders of Arabia and they interacted with other people and at times they were asked, at times they were asked, with regards to the character of Nabi (ﷺ), they would say, 'Nay! It is nothing but ancient tales!'

It's nothing...knowing very well of the beauty of Islam! 

Hence, this has its roots from the very beginning of time. But the world will have no choice if we belie the media by virtue of our character.

Commentary by Sheikh Sulaiman Moola