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 

Blind Hearts

There are many people who see what is haram as halal. Not because their eyes can't see the difference. The eyes can see everything within existence but it's because the hearts are blind. And it is not Allah ('azzawajal) who blinds the heart. It's the person himself who blinds his own heart after putting himself in a state of denial after rejecting the truth. So he sees what is halal...and he doesn't like it. But he sees what is haram...and he loves it.

Allah ('azzawajal) says in the Qur'an...

'Have they never journeyed through the land so that they have hearts to understand or ears to hear with? Verily, it is not the eyes but it's the hearts behind the chest that are blind.'

One day I saw a person, who cheats, lies, listens to music and does many bad things. Things that don't please Allah. So I asked this person, 'when you plan to be straight?' When you plan to be straight? The person said, 'when Allah guides me.' When Allah guides me. Ya Salaam!

You know, the problem with these people is that they don't think about death and how could you not think about death? I mean...I could picture it right now, some of us are gonna be lying on the death bed one day, crying on the death bed, hoping that we could have one more day to live, fearing that we may not even have one more hour. And those are the moments that we will remember the times that we committed all these bad actions, those are the moments. You know Al Imam Al-Shafee? Al Imam Al-Shafee (rahimuhullah) when he was dying, when he got really sick, his friend came to visit him, and he said...

'How are you Imam?'

The Imam said... 

'I'm waken up leaving this duniya.' I mean I woke up today leaving this duniya. 

'I'm also leaving my brothers. My friends and my brothers.'

'I'm going to see my bad actions. My evil actions.'

Al Imam Al-Shafee is saying, 'I'm going to see my bad actions in the aakhirah.'

'And I don't know, is my soul going to Jannah so I give it good news, or is it going to the hell fire so I give it bad news.' 

Those are the moments that you will remember these times when you used to commit all these bad actions, and there will be no doctor to increase your life span, there will be no surgeon, there will be no electrician, there will be no nothing, that's it! 

When death comes, all reasons go and nobody could help you at that moment but Allah. But, when I sit down right here, I am starting to ask myself, why would Allah be there for us when we are weak, whereas He there for us when we were strong but we didn't want Him. 'Allah? Now? No! Maybe when I'm forty. Maybe when I'm sixty.'

I now come to conclusion and I say, do you remember the last time you parked your car and you went to the grocery store, or to the school or wherever you work and you walked out going back home, you left your office, or wherever you were, and you were walking back to your car to go back home. If somebody came to you from behind you and did like this...and shut your eyes so that you can't see where you'regoing, would you be able to find your car? 

No! 

Same thing with Allah's guidance. If you close your eyes to the truth and say, 'I'm going to live my life until Allah guides me' then you will never be guided. The only time you will be guided is if you search for the truth yourself. That is when Allah will guide you. When you want to be guided. I ask Allah ('azzawajal) to guide you and I, and I ask Allah ('azzawajal) to have mercy on us, and to raise our ranks high amongst the rightly guided. 

Jazakumullahu Khairan 

Wassalaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaathuhu

Commentary by Ustadh Rayan Arab 

A Story Of True Repentance

During the time of Bani Israel, there was a great drought, a major drought in the area. And so the people approached Prophet Musa (alayhi salaam) and they said, 'O Musa! Children are starving, the elders are suffering, the animals are dying, the vegetation is all shriveled up. Supplicate to Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) that he will send down rain to us.' 

And so Prophet Musa (alayhi salaam) gathered Bani Israel in an open area in a desert...and he supplicated to Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) saying, 'Ya Allah, the children are starving and the elders are suffering, the animals are dying and the vegetation is all shriveled up, dried up, send rain down upon us, ya Allah.' 

Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) answered him with a statement, 'O Musa, there is a servant amongst you. There is a servant amongst you who has been disobedient to me for forty years. Tell him to leave the congregation and I shall send down rain.' 

And so Prophet Musa (alayhi salaam) looked towards the congregation, and he said, 'O so and so, whoever this person is, have mercy upon the congregation and the people and leave so that Allah may send down rain to us.'

So that person, he knew who he was. He looked to the right, he looked towards the left, nobody was leaving and he knew it was him. Nobody else except him. So he went...he covered himself with his shirt and he started to cry because people were suffering and the rain isn't coming down. If he doesn't leave, but if he leaves, everybody will know that this person has been disobedient to Allah for 40 years. 

So what is he going to do? 

He was so remorseful, so saddened. He didn't know what to do, he just asked Allah, 'Ya Allah, forgive me.'

In tears of sincerity and repentance, mercy in his heart for the people, in repentance. That remorsefulness in his heart caused the tears to come down and as soon as the tears hit the ground, the rain also came down with it. 

So Prophet Musa (alayhi salaam) looked, and he said, 'Ya Allah, nobody left the congregation, why did You send down the rain?'

And so Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) responded, 'I sent down the rain because of that same person, because of his sincere repentance, and his remorsefulness. I sent down the rain because of that same person.'

And so Prophet Musa (alayhi salaam) said, 'Ya Allah, Ya Allah, show us that repenting servant of yours so that we may be thankful.' 

So Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) said, 'O Musa, for forty years he disobeyed me and I covered up his sins...and now that he has repented, you think I am gonna show you who he is?'

All of us when you look down at the problem and around us, we always start blaming other people, but its no one else except for us. Everyone of us right now, we have to realize Allah has covered up our sins and its time to change. Lets realize that we have to repent and there is a time when you make that conviction that you change. You don’t just say it with your mouth. Istigfar is what you say with your mouth, repentance is the conviction and showing it in action. That’s what we need to do. Not just say it, but to put it in action. And thus, all of us, we have to realize that repentance entails that we make the conviction to be the best that we can be.

commentary by Sheikh AbdulBary Yahya 

Fatima Bint Muhammad (ﷺ)

Take the example of this beautiful woman by the name of Fatima (radiyAllahu Anha), the daughter of Rasullullah (ﷺ). One of those who also had perfected her imaan or her faith as well, as Rasullullah (ﷺ) had said. The Prophet (ﷺ) also said that Fatima would be the first to follow him from his family to the Hereafter, meaning that she'll be the first to pass away. In one amazing amazing couple of verses, Allah says....Allah revealed a couple of verses in the Quran which I came across, when I was reading the tafseer of...of Ibn al Jawzih. I came across his explanation of a couple of verses of the Quran and the verses of the Quran go like this....Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) says...

'They feed out of the love of Allah, a poor man, an orphan and a POW (prisoner of war).'

And they say, 'Verily, we feed you for the face of Allah. We do not ask you for any reward in return, nor even a word of thanks.'

'Verily, we fear a day; we do this because we are afraid for ourselves on a day in which the hearts will turn inside out from fear, on that Day.'

Which is the day of judgement...right? 

And these verses, by the agreement of all the scholars of Islam, was revealed regarding Fatima (radiyAllahu Anha). They were revealed regarding who? Fatima (radiyAllahu Anha) Why? 

Because Ali (radiyAllahu Anhu) was the son-in-law of Rasullullah (ﷺ). He used to carry things on his head and ferry water and ferry things from people's house to other houses, and then get some wheat and barley as payment. He would take the wheat and barley home, Fatima (radiyAllahu Anha) would then use that wheat and barley to cook bread with it. So one day Ali (radiyAllahu Anhu) did some other ferry, came home, after a hard days of work, in the 55 degree Celsius heat of Medina, which I am telling you is far hotter than Malaysia.. (cut this) brought that Barley back home, she made bread with it. She made three loafs of bread. One for her, one for him and one for Hassan and Hussain. But before the food could be served to Ali & Hassan (and) Hussain, a prisoner of war walked by, so she looked at him....saw that he'd just been freed and he's hungry, so she gave him a piece of bread. Two more to go and an orphan passed by, she rubbed her hand over his head, felt sorry, pity and gave him a piece of bread...not thinking of anything, not thinking where they going to eat. And then, thereafter, a poor person walked by and she gave another piece of bread, so the blessed family went to bed hungry that night, the whole family! And so Allah revealed this verse. Do you know what's amazing about this verse? 

Do you know what's amazing about this verse? 

Is that...thereafter, after these verses, God describes Paradise, in no less than fifteen verses and extensive description of Jannah, extensive description of Paradise. Now whenever you go to any extensive description of Paradise in the Quran, you will find that God talks about the beautiful women of Jannah as well, which are the wives created for husbands. God talks about them except for these places, this part in the Quran. In this extensive description of Jannah, God does not talk about the Hoor-ul-Ayn or the women of Jannah. The beautiful women of Jannah...Why? 

Ibn-ul-Jawzih (may Allah have mercy upon him) said, 'Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) loved the action of Fatima (radiyAllahu Anha) so much and knew her jealousy of other women because she didn't want Ali (radiyAllahu Anhu) to take another wife....knew her jealousy so much so, that He revealed verses about Jannah and did not mention the Hoor-ul-Ain at all. Because He (Allah) did not want to offend Fatima (radiyAllahu Anha).'

Allahu Akbar!

The 'Sheikh Google' Trend

There was a leader of 'Aus whose name was Sa'd Ibn Mu'adh ( May Allah be pleased with him). What a name! Sa'd Ibn Mu'adh, one of the leaders of 'Aus. He noticed Mus'ab Ibn Umair had come to Madinah Munawara and was staying at the house of As'ad Ibn Zurarah (may Allah be pleased with him). And so he tells Usaid Ibn Hudair, who was his cousin. He says, 'You know what. These two here, they have come to spoil the belief of our forefathers and to contaminate the minds of the peoplehere in Madinah. So go and stop them! Go and see what they all about and stop them from what they're doing. So Usaid Ibn Hudair, later to be known as RadiyAllahu Anhu, he went to Mus'ab Ibn Umair. And he, as he was entering As'ad Ibn Zurarah says, 'O, this is one of the leaders of 'Aus.' One of the leaders of 'Aus. So this man comes in and he says, 'What are you two doing?' 'Why is it that you have come here to mess the mindset and what we've been doing all along' and so on. Mus'ab Ibn Umair says, 'Hang on.' 'Why don't you listen to what I have to say and then you can make your mind up.' 'If it is palatable and if you feel you'd liketo accept it, accept it and if not, we can stop. Don't worry, we won't harm your people.' So he says, 'What is it?' So Mus'ab Ibn Umair read some Quran, told him about Islam, told him about Tawheed and not worshipping the idols, told him about Nabi (ﷺ) and immediately Usaid Ibn Hudair, he bears witness. He says, 'You are right!' This is a beautiful message. 'I agree with you and I also bear witness.' SubahaanAllah, look at how many seconds it took them to turn. They came to block. To stop. It took them a second or two and they turned. SubahaanAllah! Usaid Ibn Hudair (may Allah be pleased with him), immediately.

The question for us is how many of us are ready to surrender? When we hear every day, 'This is right (and) This is wrong.' 'This is the way it should be, this is the way...' We wait sometimes and in some cases...nowadays that the globe is a small little village, people wait for loopholes. You know, when someone says, 'Interest is Haraam', we'll start Googling - they call it Sheikh Google, mashaAllah! Start Googling. Who say's its not. When we find the fatwa, we quickly stick to it -- 'I found something else.' That's the attitude nowadays. We quickly go and use Sheikh Google in order to justify what we want to do rather than surrendering to it. Come on, it say's, 'Allah and his Messenger have said this!' The game is over! Every thing stops at that point...SubahaanAllah! May Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala) make us from those who can surrender, because remember...the only way that we can achieve success is to follow the Command of Allah (subahaanahu wa ta'ala).

A Mother's Letter To Her Child

My dear brothers and sisters, at this particular juncture I want to...I want to coin a question. And that question is, 'what is our relationship with our parents?' Right now I want you to ask yourselves, 'what is our relationship with our parents?'

'Are we diligent children with our parents?'

'Are our parents truly happy with us?'

'Are there days in our parent's lives when they sit and they wish we would be different children to what we are?'

Ask yourself this question, especially our mothers! Because Rasoolullah (ﷺ) taught us about how the mother has a precedence in our lives over the father. And to make us understand this better...I want you to imagine a mother who writes a letter to her child. What do you think this mother would say in her letter?

Would she not say,

'My Dear Son, a long time ago...I received the best news a mother can receive, a human being can receive. And that was the news when I was informed that I was pregnant with you.

And my dear child...

I cannot express how happy I was on that day!

And weeks passed by after that. And my body started changing. And I was scared. Because I could not eat except that I would vomit what I ate. And I would feel weak. And my body started expanding as you grew in me. And my dear child I promise you...that with all the fear that I had, I was loving you more with everyday that passed...

Even though all these was happening to me!

The day that I held you, became even more dearer to me and my dear child...

Those weeks became months and I became even more heavier to such an extent where I couldn't stand for long. I couldn't walk for long.

And then a time came when I couldn't even sleep on my back because of the weight of carrying you would cause immense pain on my chest. So I would sleep on my side. But I would fear when I would turn to my side that I might role on to my stomach and harm you. That was a fear in my mind, my dear child!

But I would try my best and everyday that passed...my love for you grew stronger. And my desire to hold you grew stronger. Until my dear child, the day came when I felt a pain that I never ever felt in my life before. A pain in which I thought I would die. Wallahi! I thought I was going to die. A pain which I would not wish that my enemy felt. And it was the day when you were about to enter in this world. And it lasted for long.

Pain after pain!

Contraction after contraction!

Second after second, minute after minute by Allah it felt like a life time.

I thought I wouldn't survive from this but I promise you my dear child that there was never a moment, never a moment that I hated you during that process!

Never a moment where I said an evil word to you or an evil word about you. Rather my desire for you, my desire to hold you, my desire to see you, kept me going. That in sha Allah it's soon, that in sha Allah it soon...and I carried on going!

I never ever said that I will take revenge over you after you are born. I never ever said that woe to you, woe to you!

I never uttered a word of enmity and hatred towards you as I suffered these pangs that felt like the pangs of death. And then my dear son, oh my dear child! You entered this world. And when I saw you, the pangs of death that I thought I felt...dissipated. And the tears that I had in my eyes became tears of joy. And the hurt that I felt in my body became a hurt of joy!

As I held you and brought you to my chest and smiled and said,

'Subhaana Rabbial 'Ala!'

Allah has blessed us with a great blessing.'

Allahu Akbar!

Unhappy With How You Look?

Allah says, 'He created the rest of the skies.' He could have added, 'He created you too.' But He's already said that before; He changed it; He said, 'He molded you.' 'Sawwara' in Arabic is to fashion something, to mold something, to sculpt something, make a sculpture that's perfect and beautiful. He says, Allah Himself says, 'I did a really good job making you!' He Himself is telling us! He takes pride in how beautifully He made us. 

You know what the ungrateful says? 

'Why am I so fat?'

'Why am I so skinny?'

'Why am I so short?'

'Why am I so...why do I have freckles?'

'Why do I have this? Why do I have that?'

'How come I am not smart like my brother?'

'How come that one's rich and I am poor?'

'How come I don't have this?' and 'How come I don't have that?'

And you know what happens in this society, especially in modern society? And it's happening globally, not just in America. People start getting old; the hair starts going; starts turning grey a little bit, Right? Then you notice, you know...wrinkles on your skin. And this entire multi-million dollar industry to make sure that you look like you did when you were 20, and you end up looking like a zombie, Right? But they'll put hair implants on you, and they'll stretch your skin for you, and they'll tuck your belly in for you, and they'll do all these things to you, so maybe you can pretend you're still 25. 

Allah is saying, 'Accept who you are. I think you're beautiful. Why do you think you're ugly? Why do you have to be so unhappy with yourself?'

He did a beautiful job with you! And molding is not just in the physical sense. Even in our personalities, or capabilities, Allah has given each and every one of us certain strengths, certain abilities, certain talents. He is the One who gave them to us. So when we don't appreciate what we have been given, then we are not appreciating Allah Himself! Because He's the One who gave! Just like when somebody gives you a gift and you don't appreciate it, its disrespect to the one who gave you the gift. All of what we have been given is a gift from Allah ('azza wa jal).

And if you don't recognize that... 

'You'll all be going back to Him anyway.'

Whether you take advantage of these gifts or not, they will have to be returned to their original owner. To Him is the final return eventually anyway.

Concept of Gender Equality in Islam

Before discussing the concept of equality and how it relates to men and women in Islam, we need to make an important distinction. Many people who speak about equality presume that this should be reflected in treating two groups exactly the same. However, this is manifestly not always the proper thing to do. People’s needs, strengths, abilities and disabilities need to be accommodated and considered as opposed to subjecting all to a single standard that may only be suitable for a few.

Thus we need to make a distinction between the superficial procedural equality and the substantive equality, which is justice. Most societies recognize that the important thing is not to focus on superficial procedural equality but to provide substantive equality for all its citizens, which treats them justly according to their needs and circumstances. Human beings favor substantive equality over procedural equality on a daily basis because we recognize that the former allows for justice. We accommodate in our workplaces, schools, and commercial areas, those with disabilities. We recognize the need for social services to take care of the impoverished in the society, while the wealthy are subject to taxes. We give extra attention and consideration to those experiencing emotional, psychological, or physical difficulties in their lives. All of this is substantive equality, equity and justice.

Men and Women

When it comes to men and women, everyone recognizes that there are inherent indisputable differences between men and women. They are not identical; men and women are naturally different in many ways. As a result, it does not follow logically to neglect those differences and advocate a single standard in matters where they are not the same. That may be procedural equality, but it is not substantive equality. For example, it would be unjust for a husband to suggest that his wife work equally as hard as he does when she is pregnant. Justice is served by recognizing the burden of pregnancy and the need for the husband to adjust accordingly. There are obvious biological differences - men experience neither menstrual periods nor childbirth while women generally live longer and have less health problems at an elderly age. The AARP Bulletin published[1] an article on 8 health differences between men and women:

When it comes to health, differences between men and women extend well beyond their attitude toward getting annual checkups and needed treatment. In case men need a few reasons to make a doctor’s appointment, they should consider the following:

· The life expectancy for men in the United States, 74.4, is a little more than five years shorter than for women, 79.8.

· Cancer kills men at a higher rate than it kills women.

· Of those killed by heart disease before age 65, 70 percent are men.

· Sleep apnea, a potentially serious disorder that causes breathing to stop and start repeatedly during sleep, is more common in men than women.

· Four times as many men die by suicide, the number-eight cause of death among men.

· Men are 50 percent more likely than women to develop coronary heart disease after age 40.

· Men have fewer infection-fighting T-cells than women.

· By the age of 100, women outnumber men eight to one.

In the Olympics, men and women compete separately because of physiological differences. At the age of 18 years, the average male is 70.2 inches tall and weighs 144.8 pounds, while the average female is 64.4 inches tall and weighs 126.6 pounds. On the basis of weight, men have 50% greater total muscle mass than women. The average woman’s heart is 25% smaller than that of the average man. Women carry about ten percentage points more fat than men. [2]

In academics, women generally score higher than men in subjects such as languages and humanities while the opposite is true for mathematics and sciences. Both genders have unique strengths and capabilities. Concerning the psychological differences between men and women, an article entitled Men and Women Really Do Think Differently quotes a recent neurological study:

Psychology professor Richard Haier of the University of California, Irvine led the research along with colleagues from the University of New Mexico. Their findings show that in general, men have nearly 6.5 times the amount of gray matter related to general intelligence compared with women, whereas women have nearly 10 times the amount of white matter related to intelligence compared to men. [...]In human brains, gray matter represents information processing centers, whereas white matter works to network these processing centers.

The results from this study may help explain why men and women excel at different types of tasks, said co-author and neuropsychologist Rex Jung of the University of New Mexico. For example, men tend to do better with tasks requiring more localized processing, such as mathematics, Jung said, while women are better at integrating and assimilating information from distributed gray-matter regions of the brain, which aids language skills. [3]

Another article published in Psychology Today describes the differences between men and women as ‘inescapable’:

When it comes to speaking and making hand movements that contribute to motor skill, the brain seems to be very focally organized in women compared with men. This may relate to the fact that girls generally speak earlier, articulate better and also have better fine motor control of the hands. Also, a larger proportion of women than men are right-handed, and unequivocally so. But when it comes to certain, more-abstract tasks, such as defining words, women’s brains are more diffusely organized than men’s, although men and women don’t differ in overall vocabulary ability.

[...] Neuropsychologist Marian Diamond of the University of California at Berkeley, comparing cortical thickness in male and female rats, did find that the right cortex is thicker in males at most ages, while the left cortex is thicker in females but only at some ages (see “A Love Affair with the brain,” Psychology Today, November 1984). [...]The fact seems inescapable that men and women do differ genetically, physiologically and in many important ways psychologically. [4]

Modern psychological research continues to unveil differences in men and women from the most obvious in behavioral patterns to those as trivial as picking out an angry face in a crowd. In light of such manifest differences between the two genders, it is unsuitable for men and women to assume identical roles. As mentioned in a New York Times article on Women’s health:

In contrast to the feminist premise that women can do anything men can do, science is demonstrating that women can do some things better, that they have many biological and cognitive advantages over men. Then again, there are some things that women don’t do as well. [5]

God created us with different but complementary strengths and capabilities. A man does not need to become a woman nor vice versa in order to be successful.

Islam recognizes that while men and women have some physical differences, spiritually they enjoy absolute equality before God. The Quran and Sunnah are unequivocal in stating that one’s gender will have absolutely no bearing on their reward or punishment in the next life.

“I shall not lose sight of the labor of any of you who labors in My way, be it man or woman; you proceed one from another…” (Quran 3:195)

“If any do deeds of righteousness,- be they male or female - and have faith, they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them.” (Quran 4:124)

“Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will We give a new Life, a life that is good and pure, and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions.” (Quran 16:97)

“He that works evil will not be requited but by the like thereof: and he that works a righteous deed - whether man or woman - and is a Believer- such will enter the Garden (of Bliss): Therein will they have abundance without measure.” (Quran 40:40)

“Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women - the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember God often and the women who do so - for all has God prepared forgiveness and a great reward.” (Quran 33:35)

“O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you with God is the most pious. Verily, God is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Quran 49:13)

Therefore, Islam openly declares that men and women have an equal status and value before God, and piety alone differentiates one individual from another.

In legal and practical aspects, the general rules are the same for men and women. Both have the same acts of worships, the same Islamic etiquette and manners, and are subject to the same legal penalties. But there are also many cases where the rulings are different. Women are exempted from fasting and prayer during their period. Men are prohibited from wearing gold and silk while women are allowed to, as it is women’s nature to beautify themselves. Friday prayers are obligatory for men but optional for women. Men must spend their money on the family but a woman’s money is entirely her own to spend as she chooses. There are differences in clothing requirements as well, since the physical appearance of men and women is dissimilar. All of this is reflective of the natural differences between men and women. So in lesser jurisprudential matters, Islam treats men and women according to their inherent differences as per substantive equality and in the interest of justice.

In conclusion, Islam affirms the absolute spiritual equality of men and women, and assigns both an equal rank before God. In jurisprudential matters, Islam promotes the substantive equality of men and women, recognizes their unique strengths and capabilities, and rules accordingly protecting the rights of both.

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[1] 8 Health Differences Between Men and Women, Gaby Gollub. (http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/yourhealth/Articles/a2004-02-17-8diff.html)

[2] Performance Moderator Functions for Human Behavior Modeling in Military Simulations

(ADDENDUM) Adrenaline – Khat – Exertion, Chang

 Y Chung, Dr. Barry G. Silverman, Jason Cornwell.

(http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:OYtYvD7FS3QJ:www.seas.upenn.edu/%7Ebarryg/PMF_Addendum1.doc)

[3] Men and Women Really Do Think Differently, Bjorn Carey, LiveScience.

(http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/050120_brain_sex.html)

                               

[4] Male Brain, Female Brain: The Hidden Difference,

 Psychology Today Nov, 1985

[5] The New York Times.

 (http://www.nytimes.com/specials/women/nyt98/21saga.html)