{ARABIC AND ENGLISH}


www.islamway.com (islam)


www.studygs.net (Study Guides and Strategies)


www.islamonline.net (islam)


www.al-islam.com (islam)


www.tharwat.net (islam)


www.islam-qa.com (islam)


www.islamic-relief.com (islam)


www.khayma.com (islam)


www.islamtoday.net (islam)


www.islamic-message.net (Conveying Islamic Message)


www.islamweb.net (islam)


www.thamarat.com (different books)


www.islamicmedicine.org (islam)


www.islamic-hospital.org (islam)


www.alhabibali.org (Ali AL Gafry )


www.bouti.com (shiekh Albouti)


www.mamashealth.com (information about health)


(IN ARABIC}


www.binothaimeen.com (Ibn Othaimean )


www.islamiyyat.com (SEERA)


www.ahmadamer.com (Tajweed - by Ahmad Amer)


www.al-eman.com (islam)


www.almutawa.info ..email at (jasem@almutawa.info)


www.raddadi.com (islam)


www.suwaidan.com (Dr/ Tarek Al Swidan's Site)


www.resala.org (Charity)


www.aljazeera.com (News Channel)


www.iqraatv.com (Iqraa Channel)


www.amrkhaled.net (Amr Khaled's site)


www.alafasy.com (Quran and Anasheed-by Mishary Rashed)


www.khayma.com/chamsipasha/ (Medicine In Islam and Teb Nabawy)


www.lakii.com (for ladies)


www.gam3aonline.com


www.hamasna.com


www.kate3.com


www.islamna.netfirms.com (recyclying)


www.mamashealth.com (information about health)


{IN ENGLISH}


www.islamtomorrow.com (islam)


www.islamyesterday.com (islam)


www.todayislam.com (islam)


www.islamalways.com (islam)


www.islam.com (islam)


www.sultan.org (everything about islam)


www.anasheed.com (Islamic Anasheed)


www.aljazeera.net (News Channel)


www.sa7aba.net (islam- companions sotries)


www.SamiYusuf.com (anasheed-islamic songs)


www.mamashealth.com (information about health)

This article presents the current relationship between a father and a child in this fast paced and time constraint society and provides many practical advises on how to improve this relationship to benefit the whole family.


It has been estimated that working fathers spend about 3 minutes a day with their children.


Fathers who abandon their families, fathers who rarely see their children because of divorce, and fathers who are busy and have very little or nothing to do with the raising of their children are common.


Dad gets up early, takes the long drive to work, gets off late, takes the long drive home, and gets home very tired. He just wants to have dinner, relax a little, and go to bed so that he can repeat the same routine the next day. Every now and then, he tells himself that he will spend more time with his children tomorrow.


"But Muslims aren't like that," you say.


Perhaps.


How much time do you spend with your children in the day? Not just in the same house, but together - really together.


A popular American song by Harry Chapin tells the sad story of a boy who always tries to spend time with his father, but always finds him too busy. When the boy grows up and the father gets older, the father always wants to spend time with his son, but his son always has other things to do.


Quality time spent between a father and his children is essential for both the parent and the children. The children need to know that their father loves and cares for them, and the father needs to be careful that he doesnصt lose his relationship with his children by neglect.


Tips to Improve Father-Child Relationship


There are several ways a father can spend quality time with his children and develop a relationship with them. Even if he is extremely busy, he can probably free up enough time to do some of these things.


Show your children in simple ways that you love them.


Some fathers try to appeal to their children by showering them with gifts rather than giving of themselves. This may cause more harm than good. The simple example of Prophet Muhammad is much better, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him. When his daughter Fatima (May Allah be pleased with her) would come to him, the Prophet used to stand up, kiss her, take her hand, and give her his seat. Later in life, this personal type of affection will be much more memorable to children than receiving a gift that anyone could have given them.


Tell or read your children stories on some nights before bed.


There are lots of excellent Islamic stories and books available that you can use, or you can make up your own. At the same time, you will be helping your children develop Islamic character. SoundVision sells a vast selection of Islamic children's books. A twist on this idea is to ask your children to make up stories to tell you.


Play with your children sometimes.


You could play ball, color pictures, build toy houses from blocks, or do whatever they like.


Let your children help you with simple tasks.


Allow them to help you carry in the groceries, make dinner, or mow the yard. Children often get great joy from doing things that adults consider work.


Take the family to for a picnic.


Spend time with your children playing Frisbee, passing a ball, or pushing them in the swings. Your children will cherish this special time together as a family.


Help your children with their homework.


Show them that you are truly interested in their education and life by asking them what they did in school and looking at their books, projects, and assignments with them.


Have at least two meals a week as a family.


Use driving time with your children.


Don't just turn on the news and forget your children when they are in the car with you. Talk or joke with them, or sing Islamic songs together.


Give your small children a bath sometimes.


Usually, mothers bathe the children, but bath time is an excellent opportunity for fathers to be with their kids. Let them splash around and play a little more than mom does.


Teach your children to make wudu and pray with you.


If at home, praying together as a family Jamat is better than praying alone. Children love to call azan. Make the youngest one the salat manager at home, taking care of prayer rugs, timing, and inviting everyone to salat.


Take your children to the masjid with you.


This is an excellent way for you to build a relationship with them as both a father and a Muslim.


Be available for your children, and let them know that you are there for anything they want to discuss.


If you are not available to talk to your children, somebody else probably will be, and it may be the wrong kind of person. A good way of getting to know your children better as individuals is to take them out one at a time for eating, conversation, or some other event.


Practice talking with your child, not at him.


Since the father often takes the main responsibility for disciplining the children, it is very easy for fathers to merely become order-givers rather than parents and companions of their children. Spend some time listening, rather than talking.


We only have one chance to be with our kids before they grow up. If we want them to love us and respect us when we are old, we have to build those relationships while they are young.


Fathers usually don't have the time to devote to their children that mothers do. But if we make the little time we have with our children quality time, we still might be able to build enduring relationships with them before it's too late.


source: themodernreligion.com


امة الله رابعه بنت الاسلام


Ammatullah Rabiah Bint ul Islam


Group Moderator.. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islam_peac...erstanding

This article is intended to be a trip in time to a very special period in world history: from the ninth to the thirteenth century in Andalusia, and more specifically in Cَrdoba, where a million people lived in Europe's largest city, the cultural center of that period. There existed no separation between rigorous scientific study, wisdom and faith. Nor was East separated from West; nor was the Muslim from the Jew or the Christian. It was there that the European Renaissance actually began, and from where it grew. By examining the trajectory of Islam in Andalusia, the objective is not to praise an illustrious dead, but to reintroduce in our life the affirmation of absolute and universal values of Islam without which our society will inevitably disintegrate.


The Myth of the Muslim Conquest of Spain


More than five hundreds years have elapsed since Islam was irradicated from Spain. The event was celebrated in grandeur at Expo '92 in Seville, during which the organizers tried to make us believe that Spain was formed by over seven centuries of continuous struggle against Islam. But was the defeat of the Muslims on 2 January 1492 a liberation for the Spaniards? Was the reign of the Muslims a colonization of the Iberian Peninsula? When looking at the Muslim expansion in Spain one is struck by its speed, its generally peaceful aspect and civilizational component. It took the Muslims less than three years (from 711 to 714) and one battle (at Guadalete, near Cadiz) to spread throughout the whole of Spain. In contrast to this, it took the Prophet Muhammad twenty-two years (from 610 to 632) and nineteen expeditions to get Arabia to accept Islam. This difference in both time and effort, to gain Arabia and Spain to Islam, is due to theological affinities as well as socio-cultural and politico-economical reasons which appealed to the Spaniards.


Pre-Islamic Arabia was predominantly polytheist, with small Jewish and Christian communities. There, Islam had to fight against a 'world without law' (Jahiliyya) to make monotheism prevail. Pre-Islamic Spain was Christian with important Jewish communities. This difference, according to Roger Garaudy, not only explains the speed of the expansion, but also its type.


W. Montgomery Watt in A History of Islamic Spain states:


It is a common misapprehension that the holy war meant that the Muslims gave their opponents a choice "between Islam and the sword". This was sometimes the case, but only when the opponents were polytheist and idol-worshippers. For Jews, Christians and other "People of the Book", that is, monotheists with written scriptures - a phrase that was very liberally interpreted - there was a third possibility, they might become a "protected group", paying a tax or tribute to the Muslims but enjoying internal autonomy The case of Spain is therefore not exceptional and that is due to the very essence of Islam.The Prophet Muhammad never pretended to create a new religion:


'Say: I am no bringer of a new-fangled doctrine among the Messenger' (45:9); and


'Nothing is said to thee that was not said to the messengers before thee' (41:43).


He came to remind the people of the Primordial Religion:


'Say ye: We believe in God, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham,


Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and


that given to all the Prophets from their Lord: we make no difference between


one and another of them: and we bow to God (in Islam).' (2:136).


Islam came to confirm the previous messages, to purify them from historical alterations to which they were subjected and to complete them. The Qur'an says:


'If thou wert in doubt as to what We have revealed unto thee,


then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee.' (10:94).


The Muslim community was then opened, without distinction to all those who believe in the unity and transcendence of God. Besides, in the Iberian Peninsula there raged a civil war between Trinitarian Christians, who accepted the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus, and Arian Christians, who saw Jesus not as God but as a Prophet inspired by God. The Council of Nicea in 325, invoked by the emperor Constantine in order to unify ideologically his empire, imposed the dogma of Trinity and condemned the teachings of Anus of Alexandria who refused these dogmas. The conflict erupted, when in 709, the Trinitarian Christians declared Roderick as king. The archbishop of Seville opposed him and the inhabitants of present Andalusia (Bétique) revolted against his rule. When Roderick invaded Andalusia, the inhabitant of the latter looked south help. The able Berber General Tariq ibn Ziyad crossed to Algeciras and a battle in Guadalete, near Cadiz took place. The Bishop of Seville as well as that of Toledo rallied to the Muslim army.


The peasants had a very difficult time, were ill-treated and reduced to the status of slaves. Poverty, corruption, ignorance and instability were the order of the day. Even the free men felt themselves to be underprivileged. There was much discontent, and many ordinary people looked on the Muslims as liberators and gave them all the assistance they could. The Jews who have been persecuted for a long time under the Visigoth rule (e.g. a special decree in 694 enslaved all those who did not accept baptism), opened the gates of many cities. So deep and widespread was the satisfaction given to all classes that during the whole of the eight century there was not a single revolt of the subjects.


It is difficult to understand how a small army could cross the whole of Spain in less than three years if one imagines a military invasion. The historian Dozy, in Histoire des Musulmans d'Espagne, describes the event as 'a good thing for Spain' which produced an important social revolution, setting the country free from the chains it was groaning under for centuries. Taxes were much less compared to those imposed by previous governments. The Muslims introduced land reforms by taking land from the rich and distributing it equally among serf-peasants and slaves. The new owners worked it with zeal. Commerce was liberated from the limitations and high taxes that caused its demise. Slaves could set themselves free in return for a fair compensation, something which threw in new energies. All these measures, says Dozy, created a state of well-being which was the reason behind the welcoming of the Muslims.


The great Spanish writer Blasco Ibanez in Dans l'ombrc de la cathédrale talks about a 'civilizational expedition' coming from the south rather than a conquest. To Ibanez, it was not an invasion imposing itself by arms, it was a new society whose vigorous roots were sprouting from everywhere. Describing the conquering Muslims, he says: 'The principle of freedom of conscience, cornerstone of the greatness of nations, was dear to them. In the cities they ruled, they accepted the church of the Christian and the synagogue of the Jew.'History, therefore makes it clear that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through Spain and forcing Islam at the point of the sword is an absurd myth. The expansion of Islam in Spain was not a military conquest, but a liberation.


The Meaning of Life in Andalusia


The meaning of life and its goal in Andalusia at the time of its Islamic apogy, directed each act of day to day life, as well as scientific and technical research. The spiritual giants like the Muslims Ibn Rushd (i (1126-1198) known in the West as Averroës and Ibn Arabi (1165-1240), or the Jewish philosopher Maimonides (11351204), are some of the men who put across most brilliantly the message of Andalusia. This spirit lay behind all the scientific and technical progress of those golden centuries.Science was not set apart from wisdom and faith, and nothing can express this fact better than Ibn Rushd when he writes: Our philosophy would serve for nothing if it were not able to link these three things which I have tried to join in my 'Harmony of science and religion':


A Science, founded on experience and logic, to discover reasons. A Wisdom, which reflects on the purpose of every scientific research so that it serves to make our life more beautiful. A Revelation, that of our Qur'an, as it is only through revelation that we know the final purposes of our life and our history. The unity of the Abrahamic tradition and the critical approach to philosophy are expressed with the same force, in the work of the Jewish philosopher Maimonides, who was a contemporary of Ibn Rushd. At the synagogue before the Torah, he said:


If for Ibn Rushd the Holy Book is not our Torah but the Qur'an, we both agree about the contributions of reason and of revelation. These are two manifestations of one same divine truth. There is only a contradiction when one is faithful to a literal reading of the scriptures, forgetting about their eternal meaning.


In Andalusia, Islam takes a new dimension with Ibn 'Arabi, nicknamed Muhyi al-Din (the one who gives life to faith). What interested Ibn Arabi was not what a man said about his faith, but rather what this faith makes of that man. He states: God is unity. The unity of love, of the lover and the beloved. Every love is a wish for union. Every love consciously or unconsciously is a love for God. Bear witness to this presence of God within yourself, of God's creation, which never ceases. The act is the exterior manifestation of faith. Islam recognizes all the Prophets as messengers of the same God. Learn to discover in each man the seed of a desire for God, even if his belief is still dim and sometime idolatrous. Help to lead him towards the fullest Light.


Ibn Rushd endeavours to bring to light the universal message of Islam overshadowed by regional traditions, when he defines the best society as, 'That where every woman, every child and every man is given the means of developing the possibilities God has given to each of them.' The power to establish it 'will not be a theocracy, like that of the Christians of Europe, a power of religious accomplices or tyrants: God says in the Qur'an, "He has breathed into man His spirit". Let us make Him live in every man!' When asked about the conditions of such a society, he answers: 'A society will be free and pleasing to God, when none acts either out of fear of the Prince or of Hell, nor the wish of a reward from a Courtesan or of Paradise, and when no-one says: This is mine.'


Islam in Andalusia gave birth to a number of spiritual giants who have shown that humanity has no future without the warmth and the spiritual values that emanate from the belief in the transcendence and oneness of God. Men such as Ibn Massara of Cَrdoba (883-931), for whom man was responsible of his own history; Ibn Hazm of Cَrdoba (994-1064) who was a pioneer of the comparative history of religions; Ibn Gabirol of Malaga (1020-1070) whose fundamental work was the synthesis of the Jewish faith and the philosophy of Ibn Massara; Ibn Bajja (1090-1139) with whom the Islamic philosophy xvas presented in a systematic way with its own direction; Ibn Tufayl from Cلdiz (1100-1185) whose central theme was the relation between reason and faith.


All these men of knowledge, wisdom and faith stand as memories to a glorious past when true Islam was preached and practised; a time when the beautiful example of the Muslims won them fame and respect; a time when these peace-loving people would rise simply because injustice was being practised and would fight in the name of God with a strength that led handfuls of believers to victory over armies of non-believers.


The Style of Life in Andalusia


Andalusia was unique in terms of its tangible accomplishments in all spheres of life. Learning was emphasized, marked by a fascination with science, the Arabic literature and the philosophical discourse on reason and faith. In the world created in the land of Andalusia, there was commercial wealth, wealth in terms of consumption, and wealth of productivity and exchange. There was also a wealth of information, thanks to the libraries of Cَrdoba and a wealth of thinking about the meaning of life, God, and material things. And there were even poets who sang to all the ways of wealth. We will restrict ourselves to a brief description of the scientific and technical achievement, and a more detailed account of the Mosque of Cَrdoba as it is one of the first monumental expressions of Muslim rule, and arguably the building that most fully embodied an image of the Muslim hegemony in Andalusia.


Scientific and Technical Achievement


When discussing the scientific development in Andalusia, one cannot separate it either from the contributions of the other great civilizations, nor from the wisdom and faith that inspired the efforts of all researchers in Andalusia: science is One because the world is One, the world is One because God is One. This principle of tawhid commanded all aspects of scientific research in Andalusia as well as in other parts of the Islamic world, at its period of apogy. The following are some of the achievements of such a philosophy of life. The first attempt to fly was in Cَrdoba by Abu Abbas al-Fernass. Al-Zahrawi, born near Cَrdoba in 936, was one of the greatest surgeon of all times. His encyclopedia of surgery was used as a standard reference work in the subject in all universities of Europe for over five hundred years. Al-Zarqalli, who was born in Cَrdoba, devised the astrolabe: an instrument which is used to measure the distance of the stars above the horizon. The astrolabe made it possible to determine one s position in space and the hours of the day, to navigate and to call the faithful to prayer at the given time. Al-Idrisi, who was born in Ceuta in 1099 and studied at Cَrdoba, drew maps for the King Roger II of Sicily in which he used methods of projection to pass from the spherical shape of the earth to the planisphere that were very similar to those used by Mercator four centuries later.The agricultural and irrigation methods of the Muslims of Spain were revealed by the great Italian engineer Juanello Turriano, who came to Andalusia to study the hydraulic and agricultural techniques of eleventh century Muslim Spain to solve his problems of the sixteenth century in Italy.


The Great Mosque of Cَrdoba


Cَrdoba deserves its titles of the 'bride of the cities' and the 'jewel of the tenth century'. A city of factories and workshops, which attracted many scholars and produced her own. It was the first city with street lights in Europe. It rose to eminence as the torch of learning and civilization at a time when the Normans had savaged Paris and England had been ransacked by the Danes and Vikings. Its showpiece was its magnificent mosque, which is the most famous building of Spain after the Alhambra palace in Granada.The foundations of the mosque were laid by Abd al-Rahman I in 785 on the site of an old Christian church. Since the time of the conquest in 711, the church had been used by both Muslims and Christians. The Muslims bought the church because of the growth of the population at that time, and not because of religious intolerance. It had been enlarged between 832-848, then in 912, and mainly in 961, by al-Hakam II, with its splendid mihrab. Al-Mansur, in 987, doubled the prayer hall which then contained 600 columns.


It had already been perturbated in 1236, when Cَrdoba fell to Ferdinard III of Castille and chapels were inserted, and further in 1523 when a cathedral was built in the heart of the mosque. King Charles V is recorded to have remarked upon seeing the new cathedral: 'Had I known what this was, I would not have given permission to touch the old, because you are making what exists in many other places and you have unmade what was unique in the world.' As we can see it today, despite the opposition of the Spanish government to a UNESCO project to move the cathedral as it is without omitting the least detail (as the temple of Abu Simbal in Egypt was moved), the Mosque of Cَrdoba still reflects the image of the Muslim art at its best.


The practical problem faced by the architect of the Cَrdoba Mosque for the construction of a huge room for a big community, was to raise the roof of the oratory to a height proportionate to the extent of the building, so that a feeling of depression-like the one we feel when we get into an underground parking can be dispelled. The antique columns, or the building-spoils which were available, were insufficient. It was therefore necessary to supplement them, and the example of Damascus suggested arcades on two levels. But the model of Cَrdoba has a very surprising feature: the lower and upper arcades are no longer part of a wall, but are reduced to their pillars and arches without any intermediate masonry. The upper arches which support the roof, rest on the same pillars as the lower arches. Such a concept, without precedent in the history of architecture and unique to the Cَrdoba Mosque, is a real defiance to the weight and inertia of stones.


Let us say, to give a better picture of the image evoked by this architecture, that the curves of both series of arches soar like palm- fronds from the same trunk, which rests upon a relatively slender column, without the feeling of being too heavy for it. The arches with their many-coloured and fan-shaped wedge-stones have such expansive strength that they dispel any suggestion of weight. This expression in static terms of a reality which goes beyond the material plane, is due to the outline of the arches. The lower ones are drawn out beyond the shape of a pure semicircle, whereas the upper ones are more open and purely semicircular.


Many archaeologists have suggested that the composition of the arcs used by the architect of Cَrdoba was inspired by the Roman aqueduct in Merida. However, there is a fundamental difference between the two compositions. The Roman architect had respected the logic of the gravity, a building's support must be proportionate to the weight, thus the upper arcs must be lighter than the supporting elements. For the Cَrdovan architect-and more generally for all Islamic architecture-this rule does not work. Why?


To answer this question we have to move from the technical considerations, to the symbolic expression of space in the Muslim prayer, which was the most important factor preoccupying the 'Master' of Cَrdoba. The purpose was not to achieve an architectural exploit, but rather to create a new type of space-one that seems to be breathing and expanding outwards from an omnipresent centre. The limits of space play no role at all; the walls of the prayer hall disappear beyond a forest of arcades. Their sheer repetition (there were 900 of them in the original mosque) giving an impression of endless extension. Space is qualified here not by its boundaries but by the movement of the arcades, if one may describe it as movement. This expansion which is both powerful yet in reality immobile. Titus Burckhardt describes this as being 'a logical art, objectively static but never anthropomorphic.'


It is to al-Hakam II that we owe the marvellous mihrab, the master piece of Cَrdovan art, as well as the various copulas which stand before it, including their substructures, of interlacing arcades. The niche of this mihrab, which is very deep, is surrounded in its upper part by an arch, that is like an apparition and a source of light, of which the very curve seems to dilate, like a chest breathing in the air of infinity. According to the highest Muslim spirituality, beauty is one of the 'signs' which evokes the Divine Presence. The inscription above the symphony of colours, in severe Kufi script, proclaims the Oneness of God.The Mosque of Cَrdoba is the embodiment of the universal message of Islam. Muhammad Iqbal in his poem A Ia mosquée de Cordoue wrote:


Oh! Holy Mosque of Cَrdoba


Shrine for all lovers of art


Pearl of the one true faith


Sanctifying Andalusia's soil


Like Holy Mecca itself


Such a glorious beauty


Will be found on earth


Only in a true Muslim's heart


Who Killed Islam in Andalusia


The scientific and philosophical learning of the Andalusians was channelled off beyond the Pyrenees, to irrigate the dry pastures of European intellectual life. Students from Western Europe flocked to the libraries and universities set up by the Muslims in Spain. This decisively changed the European mind, and it is no exaggeration to say that Western civilization owes its regeneration to the intellectual energy released by the dynamo that was Islam. The period of regeneration, which started in Florence in sixteenth century Italy, is referred to by the West as the Renaissance. It was a direct result of another European Renaissance which began at the university of Cَrdoba in ninth century Spain. This profound truth of our common history becomes clear when we know how to listen to the music of the stones of Cَrdoba. There is, however, a fundamental difference between the two 'renaissances': the one which started in Cَrdoba was based on faith and was conscious of the universality of the divine; the one which began in Florence was made against God with its essential project of secularising all aspects of life.


The reasons leading to the death of the Cَrdovan-type renaissance generated by Islam, can be understood best by reference to the causes of its success. Islam owed its spectacular success entirely to the teachings of the Qur'an and the example (Sunna) of the Prophet Muhammad (s). The active vigour of the system was neutralized as soon as the Muslims relegated the Qur'an to the status of a treatise on dogmas, and the Sunna became a mere system of laws and a hollow shell without any living meaning. In his Muqaddima, Ibn Khaldun condemns the methods of education practised by some of the fuqaha' of Andalusia when, he says that, instead of helping the student to 'understand the content of the book on which he is working', they force him 'to learn it by heart'.


The Maliki school of thought (madhhab) was so dominant in Andalusia to the point that no other madhahib were taught, and knowing by heart the Muwatta' of Imam Malik and its commentaries was enough to make a faqih a renowned scholar. This closure of the door of ijtihad (independent judgement), which would have been condemned by Imam Malik himself were he to witness it, was encouraged by most of the rulers of Andalusia for it implies an unconditional obedience to the established power. It led to an intellectual degeneration, the treatment to those spiritual giants mentioned before illustrates this best. Ibn Massara was forced to exile; Ibn Hazm was evicted from Majorca; al-Ghazali's books were burned; the universal library of al-Hakam II was thrown into the river; Ibn Tufayl and Ibn Rushd were expelled; and Ibn Arabi evicted. All these acts were not performed by Christians, but by fellow Muslims! These were but signs that this grand structure represented by Islam which had weathered many a storm, had reached a stage when its inner vitality had been slowly sapped away and one powerful blast might well uproot it from the soil on which it has been thriving for centuries.


The early Muslim conquerors in Spain had a mission which made it impossible for them to be selfish, cruel or intolerant. The moment this was lost on their successors, their clannish spirit replaced their unity of purpose. At one time there were as many as twelve Muslim dynasties. That was a signal for collapse. The Muslim society came to represent a decadent social order incapable of dynamic growth and with no capacity for effective resistance. Under such circumstances, it is difficult for any society to survive a serious external threat. The Muslim rule over the Iberian Peninsula started to shrink on account of the treachery of the different Muslim Princes until Granada fell to the hands of the Crusades on 2 January 1492.


When Abu Abdullah the last king of Granada, looked at the Alhambra for the last time, tears came into his eyes. At this, his aged mother Aisha said: 'Abu Abdullah Cry like a women for a kingdom you could not defend as a man.' But our history should play a more inspiring and guiding function than to reminisce about the past. When one sees all these marvels, and all these palaces left in Andalusia-one wonders: Surely, there must have been injustice, there must have been oppression. As Abu Dharr said to Mu'awiya: '0 Mu'awiya! If you are building this palace with your own money, it is extravagance and if with the money of the people, it is treason'. We should not glorify our past and our ancestors regardless of their mistakes. Our study of the history of Islam should be more objective, and not a mere justification of all acts by our predecessors.


Conclusion


We must aim to ensure that the tragedy of Andalusia is not repeated. To do that we must not address our children: Once upon a time in Palestine... Once upon a time in Bosnia... We need a true Islamic Renaissance that will lead us to the eternal and universal Islam. An Islam that is the constant appeal for resisting all oppression because it excludes any submission other than to the will of God and holds man responsible for the accomplishment of the divine order on earth. An Islam, in the words of Roger Garaudy, whose principles are:


in the economical field: God alone possesses, in the political field: God alone commands, in the cultural field: God alone knows. It is for us to respond to this eternally living call: without imitating the West and without imitating the Past.


References


*The Holy Qur'an, Translated and Commented by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.


*Ibn Rushd, On the Harmony of Religion and Philosophy, trans. by George F. Hourani, 1960.


*Roger Garaudy, 'For an Islam of the XXth Century', Report presented at the 1st International Conference of Muslims of Europe, Seville, 18-21 July, 1985.


*Roger Garaudy, L' Islam, en Occident, Editions l'Harmattan, 1987.


*Khola Hassan, The Crumbling Minaret of Spain, Ta- Ha Publishers, London, 1988.


*Pamphlet about the Calahora Tower in Cordoba, 1988.


*Ali Shariati, And Once Again Abu Dharr, trans. by Laleh Bakhtiar and Hussain Salih, The Abu Dharr Foundation, Tehran, I 985.


*Titus Burckhardt, Art of Islam, World of Islam


Festival Trust, London, 1976.


*J. D. Dodds (ed), Al-Andalus, The Art of Islamic Spain, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1992.


*W. Montgomery Watt, A History of Islamic Spain, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 1967.


[Currently, the author is a Research Associate at the School of Mathematical Studies, University of Portsmouth. He obtained his PhD in Computational Mathematics from Wessex Institute of Technology, Southampton, and a BSc in Pure Mathematics from the Ecole Normale Supérieure of Rabat, Morocco.]

http://alpha.lasalle.edu/~smithsc/Astron...ograd.html


Click above to see animation


Please read, very interesting article


The science of astronomy states that the speed of planet Mars has been


decreasing in its course toward the eastern direction in the few past weeks


to the level we notice the "waver" between the east and the west..and on


30th of July the planet movement stopped going toward the eastern direct..


Then in the months of August and September...Mars changed its course in the


opposite direction to the West- and that until the end of September..which


means the sun will rise now from the west on Mars!!


And this weird phenomena of the opposite movement called "Retrograde


Motion" Most scientist state that all the planets will go through the same


once at least and our planet Earth is one of them. Planet Earth will move


in the opposite direction some day and the sun will rise from the west!!


This might occur soon and we are unaware!


The rise of the sun from the west is mentioned in the Hadith and this is


the major sign of the day of Judgment, most if not All, the minor signs


have occured. O Ummatul Muslimeen! Wake up.


Our beloved Nabee Mohammed Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam said:


"One of the signs of the hour..the sun will rise from the west, where


no longer Taubah (forgiveness) will be granted" !!


And the strange thing..most of our Sharia'h scholars mentioned that the rise


of the sun from the west occurs only once..on that day..the sun will rise


from the west..then again from the east..and continues until Almighty Allah


Subhanahu Wata'ala wishes..and this is similar to what is happening to


Mars..it stops, then it changes its course of direction for a short period of time..


then returns to way once it was.


And Hazrat Abdullah Bin Amro (R.A.) said: (I memorized from the Messenger (SAW) a


Hadith I will never forget..I heard the messenger of Allah (SAW) say:


The first aya to come the rise of the sun from the west) [Ahmad]


And the Messenger Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam said:


"Allah (SWT) places HIS hand at night to forgive his


morning sinners, and places in the morning to forgive his night sinners


until the sun rises from the west" [Muslim]


This piece of news is very important as it brings with it a great sign of


warning and remembrance of the coming of a new WORLD - the world of the


Hereafter And it is also good material for calling others to Almighty ALLAH


Subhanahu Wata'ala.


Whether for muslims, the unwary of us or the Kuffar- when we show this


Hadith that was told 1400 years ago about this miracle..you will


Insha'Allah see a lot will enter this beautiful religion...And the Muslims if


they see this phenomena happening on Mars..who knows maybe it would bring


them closer to our CREATOR.


May Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala keep all of us in the Right Path and


provide us with success in this world as well as in the hereafter.


article by shareislam@hotmail.com


http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/allabout/nights...sky04.html

In the name of Allah Most gracious Most Merciful


In respone to the question about the contradiction in the quran in counting the days of heavens and earth creation.


First of all we most say that The quraan Is the only book on earth .. that calims that it is from God directly.


And it is the only book that chalenge all mankind.. to try to write just one chapter like its chapters


we can read in th e quraan ( Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy ( contradictions and errors) ) The holly quraan ( 4 : 82 )


And now back to the question


It states that there is a contradiction between the following two parts


(Your Guardian-Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days) quraan 7 : 54


and


(


9. Say: Is it that ye deny Him Who created the earth in two Days? And do ye join equals with Him? He is the Lord of (all) the Worlds.


10. And He set on the (earth), mountains standing firm, high above it, and bestowed blessings on the earth, and measure therein all things to give them nourishment in due proportion, in four Days, in accordance with (the needs of) those who seek (Sustenance).


11. Moreover He comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: "Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly." They said: "We do come (together), in willing obedience."


12. Then He completed them as seven firmaments in two Days, and He assigned to each heaven its duty and command. And We adorned the lower heaven with lights, and (provided it) with guard. Such is the Decree of (Him) the Exalted in Might, Full of Knowledge


)


quraan 41 : 9->12


the first one states that it was in 6 days


and the second states 2 + 2 + 4.. so you think it is 8


and now... first of all you most know that quran is in arabic..


and arabs .. without any difficulty can understand it easily.. so easily


the answer is the 4 days... includes the first 2 days also.. and here is the explaination ..


consider that you are telling your son " i will give you 10 dollars "


and after giving him 10 dollars.. you telling him again " now i will make it 20 dollars " and you gave him another 10 to complete them 20 ..


why don't you give him 20 dollars and make them 30 ??


you say noo you are a fool.. you do not understand english.. the 20 dollars includes the firs 10.. and the last 10


and that is it.. arab.. can understand it easily...


and that because in the arabic text.. there is are some small words used.. that can clear that point..


when God talks about the 4 days he said " and "


but when he talks about the last 2 days he says " then "


the arab can understand from that the the first 2 days.. are inculded in the 4 days.. but using then.. made the last 2 days.. separates from the first 4 days..


so we can find that it is 6 days an all chapters... an no contradiction


And men of translation must take care of that and add some explaination in the bottom of the pages.. to clear these points to nonarabs.


May God Bless you all..


And may peace be upon you

Teachings of the Qur`aan


An-Nisaa


Soorah 4


Aayat 101 - 112


by Ayub A. Hamid


The next section deals with rules of praying salaah when Muslims venture out fighting in the way of Allaah. It should be remembered that when the Qur-aan talks about salaah, it is implied that it is the obligatory Salaatul-Jamaa’ah (congregational prayer).


The first verse gives permission to shorten salaah while travelling. According to this permission, as determined by the Sunnah of the Prophet Sall Allahu `alayi wa sallam, the obligatory raka’aat for Zuhr, ‘Asr and ‘Ishaa are reduced to two, without reducing the obligatory raka’aat for Maghrib and Fajr.


101 And when you travel, it is not sin for you to shorten the salaah if you fear that the disbelievers will cause you distress; surely the disbelievers are your open enemy.


Although the context was travelling for fighting in Allaah’s way, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala used the occasion to grant this permission for all kinds of travelling. That is indicated by the wording “when you travel” instead of “when you travel in the way of Allaah” as used in the verse 94. The Prophet Sall Allahu `alayi wa sallam himself shortened the salaah in non-military travels. Also, though the consideration mentioned for granting the permission is the danger from disbelievers, the permission remains applicable to other inconveniences or logistical issues encountered in travelling[1].


The wording of the verse clearly indicates that it is a concession granted in consideration of insecurities and inconveniences of a journey. When justified, this concession should be utilized without any reservations. When circumstances require, it is not in keeping with the Islamic spirit to forego a concession granted by Allaah SWT as a token of His mercy and kindness to people[2]. On the other hand, it also must not be treated as an obligation, because it is not. Many people treat it as an obligation and insist, promote and demand shortening of salaah even when the situation or circumstances do not warrant it. This is an extremism that is not supported by this verse at all.


Neither the Qur-aan nor the Prophet defined what “travel” is. Many people use a certain number of kilometres or miles to define “travel”. These distances have been calculated on the basis of some journeys of the Prophet Sall Allahu `alayi wa sallam where he shortened the salaah, without taking into consideration multiple other factors that would have affected the decisions of the Prophet, such as the duration of the journey, the hardships, the logistical issues, the weather conditions, the security concerns, the general situation of the law and order, etc. Many people are misguided by this rigid, calculated definition of travel arrived at by such a one-sided and extremely narrow perspective. Consequently, they shorten the salaah while commuting within distances that they travel back and forth multiple times a day, which cannot be contemporarily regarded as travel by any stretch of the word and where shortening is not justifiable from any reasonable consideration.


Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala and His Messenger Sall Allahu `alayi wa sallam leave this kind of things to be determined by “Ma’roof” or “as recognized in the society”. Thus, no explicit definition from Allaah or His Messenger implies that the believers should determine if they are in travelling mode or not, according to the generally accepted concepts of the contemporary society, modes of transportation and circumstances and conditions of the traveller. Of course, they will do so under the guidance of Sunnah considering all the factors, conditions and circumstances that surrounded the travels of the Prophet. From this perspective, travel for a person who has only a donkey to ride on, will be totally different from the person who can hop on a helicopter or personal jet to go from place to place.


People can easily make their own judgments. For example, if a person can pray a salaah in his hometown on a timely basis and pray the next salaah on a timely basis after arriving at his destination, he has no need to shorten the salaah. But if he has to stop on the side of a road, rest area, transit lounge, in a train, in the air, etc. to offer the next salaah before time runs out, that is clearly a case for shortening the salaah. Similarly, if a person is a stranger at the place of his destination, he will be considered a traveller. But if he arrives at a friendly, familiar, Islamic environment in the company of the people who are offering all salaah with him on a timely basis, why would that person behave differently than his friends and hosts; unless by praying with them, he will miss his flight or train, etc. The imam and the community of one’s destination should be respected and people should pray behind the imam and with the host community normally without creating disturbance of arranging separate jamaa’ah for “travellers” as we frequently see people doing in Muslim gatherings.


Thus the important points to remember are that permission to shorten is only a concession from Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, not an obligation; it is good to avail the concession when warranted; it should not be considered a must when circumstances do not warrant it; and whether a person is in travelling mode or not is determined by many factors, conditions and circumstances of the traveller.


The next verse gives rules of praying a shortened salaah in the battlefield when armies are not actively engaged:


102 And when you are among them and have stood up to lead them in salaah, let one party of them stand up for salaah with you, while holding on to their arms. Once they have performed prostration, let them go to your rear, and let the other party who have not prayed come up to pray with you while taking their precautions and holding on to their arms. Those who disbelieve desire you to be careless of your arms and your belongings so that they may assault you all at once with a sudden attack. However, if you are troubled by rain or if you are sick, there is no blame on you for putting away your arms, but continue to remain on your guard; surely Allaah has prepared a disgraceful punishment for the disbelievers. 103 Once you have finished salaah, remember Allaah standing, sitting and lying on your sides. Then, when you are secure from danger, establish salaah completely; surely salaah is a timed obligation for the believers.


Verse 103 reminds the believers of two important facts: Firstly, that the essence of salaah is the remembrance of Allaah SWT and that remembrance must continue fervently and continuously at all times after the salaah has been completed. Secondly, although the situation in the battlefield may warrant exceptions, in the regular daily life the salaah must be offered at its prescribed times.


In relation to the prescribed times of the salaah, this verse makes another important point: The matters obligated by the Prophet are indeed the obligations from Allaah. The Prophet Sall Allahu `alayi wa sallam had taught Muslims to offer prayers at prescribed times while those times were not explicitly commanded in the Qur-aan. They are alluded to at various places in the Qur-aan, but the Muslims learnt them from the practical examples and teachings of the Prophet. This verse acknowledges that those matters taught by the Prophet were in fact obligations from Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala.


The next verse is the concluding remark on the topic of fighting to protect the Islamic mission, Islamic reforms and Islamic systems from the attacks of its enemies.


104 And do not relent in pursuit of the enemy. If you are suffering hardships, they too are suffering similar hardships as you are suffering; but you hope from Allaah what they do not hope; and Allaah is Knowing, Wise.


These are very encouraging remarks for the believers. While the sufferings caused by the war imposed by the disbelievers are common to both sides, Muslims have a tremendous benefit in the sense that they are earning the pleasure and rewards from Allaah SWT, which are not available to the enemies. Hence, the Muslim should not relent or show any weakness. Rather they should stand up for the truth more bravely and more enthusiastically because no matter what happens to them in this life, they are victorious.


The next section deals with an improper reaction by some Muslims to another type of hypocritical behaviour. The occasion for these instructions was created by an incident where a so-called Muslim (whose behaviour was that of a hypocrite) stole another Muslim’s shield and pawned it with a Jew. When the owner complained to the Prophet, and the thief was confronted, he blamed the Jew for the theft. The Jew denied the allegation. The thief’s clique and clan spoke very strongly and vocally in his favour and against the Jew and tried their best to pressure the Prophet Sall Allahu `alayi wa sallam to believe the thief’s plea and reject the Jew’s. When, under the guidance from Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala, the Prophet decided against the real culprit and honourably discharged the Jew, the “Muslim” hypocrite ran away and openly joined the enemies of Islam against the Islamic mission.


This incident is one example of the many hypocritical games that were played. The hypocrites used to indulge in many subversive activities secretly, but they used to pose in public as champions of good causes. When they were caught, many Muslims fooled by their propaganda would speak vocally in their favour. That continues to happen even in contemporary society. In fact, every society has people who on the surface are religious, law-abiding men of good words and worthy claims of noble works; but behind the scene, they commit crimes and practice vices. They usually are cliquish and maintain a group of strong supporters recruited under various pretexts who sympathize with them vocally. They plan their subversive and evil activities within their inner circle where they also develop public relation programs to promote their goodness in public view, to defend their activities, to fool authorities, and to avoid legal consequences. If or when they are caught, they append the blame to some innocent person who, for some reason, may not be well liked in the society. Their clique and their fooled supporters stand up in their defence, campaign for their “innocence” and pressure authorities to honourably discharge them while demanding punishment and strong action against the person who was wrongly blamed. This obviously is very much against the Islamic concept of justice for the establishment of which the Qur-aan has been revealed. Often, it may be politically correct, and usually politicians fall for it, to let the real culprit go and punish the wrongly accused to make an example of him. But Islam is for doing the right things, not the politically correct things. Hence, Muslims have been warned against defending anyone’s criminal activity of which they are personally aware.


105 Indeed We have revealed the Book to you with the truth so that you may judge among people according to what Allaah has taught you; and do not be a defender for those who betray their trust. 106 And seek forgiveness from Allaah; surely Allaah is Forgiving, Merciful. 107 And do not plead for those who betray themselves; surely Allaah does not like anyone who has been habitually treacherous, sinful. 108 They hide their crimes from people but they can never hide from Allaah. In fact, He is with them when they secretly talk about things that He does not approve of; and Allaah surrounds whatever they do. 109 Look! There you are, those who plead for them in the life of the world, but who will plead for them with Allaah on the Day of Judgment, or who shall be their advocate? 110 And whoever does evil or acts unjustly to himself, then seeks forgiveness of Allaah, he shall find Allaah Forgiving, Merciful. 111 And whoever commits a vice, he only commits it against himself; and Allaah is Knowing, Wise. 112 And whoever commits a blunder or a vice, then casts its blames on an innocent person, he indeed burdens himself with slander and flagrant vice.


Naturally, when the Prophet Sall Allahu `alayi wa sallam disregarded the pleadings and the vocal support from the Muslims, and took action against the hypocrites, many of those novice Muslims would feel ignored. To address that sentiment, the Qur-aan eloquently addresses the Prophet first, indirectly telling those Muslims that the Prophet is not free to listen to them. He has a job to do from Allaah. He has been given the Book to establish justice on the earth, not to favour criminals or to listen to those who stand up for those criminals. It also exposes the behind-the scene subversive activities of those hypocrites so that the Muslims understand they should not insist on their opinions without having all the facts or deliberately disregarding those facts. Then in verse 109 the message has been given to them point blank.


It should also be noted, as these verses remind, that those who cheat are actually cheating themselves and those who practice vices or crimes are in fact doing wrong to themselves. Although the society suffers from their actions, they are the first victims of their own evils because of the wrong effects of the crime on their own psyche and personality and because of the severe punishment that will be waiting for them in the hereafter. It should also be noted that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta`aala never gives up on people. While the Qur-aan condemns the vices and crimes of people, it always does it in such a way that anyone who has any good left in him will learn from it, seek Allaah’s forgiveness and reform his behaviour


______________


[1] Ibn ‘Abbaas reported that the Prophet left Madeenah for Makkah and while he had no fear except that of Allaah SWT, he prayed only two raka’aat.


[2] When ‘Umar raised this matter with the Prophet, he said, “This is a charity that Allaah SWT has bestowed upon you, so accept His charity.”


Next: Verses 113 - 126

All the teachings contained in the former Scriptures that were meant


to be of lasting value and importance are included in the Qur'an.


The Qur'an also gives some specific accounts, although selective, of


what the pre-Qur'anic scriptures contained and it is worthwhile to


look briefly at this material:


A reference to the 'sheets' (suhuf) of Ibrahim and Musa:


'But those will prosper who purify themselves, and glorify the name


of their guardian Lord, and (lift their hearts) in prayer. Nay,


behold, ye prefer the life of this world; but the Hereafter is


better and more enduring'


(87: 14-17). (3)


A reference to the Torah (taurat) of Musa:


'It was We who revealed the law (to Moses): therein was guidance and


light ...


We ordained therein for them: life for life, eye for eye, nose for


nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth and wounds equal for equal, but


if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity it is an act of


atonement for himself and if any fail to judge by (the light of)


what God has revealed they are (no better than) wrongdoers' (5: 47-


8).


A reference to the Psalms (zabur) of Dawud:


'And verily We have written in the Psalms, after the Reminder: My


righteous slaves will inherit the earth' (21: 105).


A reference to the Gospel (injil) of 'Isa:


'Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard


against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. Thou (O


Muhammad) seest them bowing and falling prostrate (in worship)


seeking bounty from Allah and (His) acceptance. The mark of them is


on their foreheads from the traces of prostration. Such is their


likeness in the Torah and their likeness in the Gospel - like as


sown corn that sendeth forth its shoot and strengtheneth it and


riseth firm upon its stalk, delighting the sowers - that He may


enrage the disbelievers with (the sight of) them. Allah has


promised, unto such of them as believe and do good works,


forgiveness and immense reward' (48: 29).


The pre-Qur'anic scriptures, besides carrying the same basic message


about Allah, the Master of the worlds, and man, His creation, also


brought specific instructions addressed directly to particular


communities of people at given points of time in history and in


particular circumstances, such as the Jewish or Christian


communities. Revelation before the Qur'an, and hence scriptures


before it, were in many of their details situation-oriented in


nature and therefore confined to their particular frameworks. This


also explains the continuity of revelation. With changing


circumstances and in different situations new guidance from Allah


was required. As long as the revelation and scripture were not


completely universal in nature, revelation would not reach its


finality.

16) Hadith Number 2


Jaabir bin Samurah (Radhiallahu Anhu reports that: "I saw the Seal


of Prophethood of Rasullullah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) between


his two shoulders, which was like a red tumour (protruding flesh),


the size of which was like that of a pigeon's egg".


Commentary


There are various and different narrations regarding the size and


colour of the Seal of Prophethood of Sayyidina Rasullullah


(Sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Qurtubi has reconciled these by


sayimg that the size changed from time to time, as did the colour.


According to this humble servant, this reconciliation may also be


possible, that in reality all these are similarities, and every


similarity is according to a person's understanding, which is an


approximate state. There is no disagreement in explaining


approximates. This is a more appropriate explanation.

Wudhu' or ablution is a requirement of salat


there is no salat without wudhu'


Allah says in , . Al-Quran


declares:


"O believers, when you get up for prayer, wash up your faces and


your hands up to the elbows and wipe your heads and wash your feet


up to the ankles..." (Al-Quran, 5:7)


One performs Wuduu with clean water in the following procedure:


Bring in the heart Niyyah, intention, for Wuduu.


Then say silently "Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem," in the name of


Allah, most gracious, most merciful.


Starting with the right hand, wash both hands up to the wrist three


times.


Rinse the mouth, using the index finger, all about the mouth three


times. This procedure is known as Madmadah.


Clean the nostrils by sniffing water and blowing it out three times.


This is known as Istinshaaq and Istinthaar, respectively.


Wash the face three times. The face is what is between the forehead


and chin, and ear to ear.


Wash the arms up to the elbows, three times. Begin with the right


arm.


Rub the head with wet hands in a front to back motion, once.


With thumbs and fingers, rub both ears, once.


Wash the feet up to the ankle three times, begin with the right


foot.


As one finishes washing the left foot, one says the following Du'aa:


Ash hadu allaa ilaaha ill I bear witness that there is no deity


Allah, wahdahuu laa shareeka but Allah, He is one and has no


laha. Wa ashhadu anna associate. And I bear witness that


Muhammadan `abduhuu wa Muhammad is His servant and


rasuuluhu. Allaahumma Messenger. O Allah, join me with those


j`alnee minat tawwaabeena who repent of their sins again and


waj`alnee minal mutatahireen . again, and join me with those who


keep themselves neat and clean at


all times.

Iman


Yousuf M Islam


Imagine that there is a large boat in the middle of the sea. On this boat


there are people of different beliefs and faiths: one person believes in the


Creator, and there is another person who says that he does not believe in


God. They are visited by a terrible storm, as if the boat is about to


capsize. Faced with this situation, what would each person on the boat do?


Significantly, what would the atheist do? Would not he at least say,


“Creator, if you exist, please save me”? The remaining people on the boat


would also realize that it is the Creator alone who can get them out of this


trouble and drive them to a safe ground. Regardless of religion, each person


would approach the Creator directly, without any intermediaries. This


implies that each person, regardless of their religious beliefs, inherently


acknowledges the Power of the Creator.


When the Creator puts the boat on the shore, it is what each person says


from their free-will that defines “Iman” or correct belief. Ironically


enough, some will say it was sheer luck that saved them; others will claim


that it was their lucky charm (stones, pendants, etc.); others will credit


their intellect; still others will give credits to intermediaries like


prophets, ancestors, religious leaders, “pirs”, idols, etc. The person who


thanks the Creator directly for bringing them to safety is the only true


believer! The storm was only a test given by the Creator to separate those


who have correct belief from those who do not.


Allah, our Creator, succinctly clarifies this in the Qur’an in the following


verse:


And when harm touches you upon the sea, those (others) that you call upon


vanish from you except Him (Allah alone). But when He brings you safely to


land, you turn away (from Him)…… (17: 67)


Allah (SWT) uses the sea as the location as at sea we clearly realize our


limitations and dependency on His mercy. Such dependency extends to the land


where we normally stay. The following hypothetical situations would


demonstrate how we normally respond to our Creator.


Before exams, students sincerely pray to Allah, begging for His help. They


believe that without His help, they would not be able to achieve desired


results – no matter how good their teachers are, or how perfect their


preparations are. Once the results are published, parents credit the


achievements to their children. Children, in turn, credit their teachers or


tutors. People forget to thank Allah, Whom they approached before exams.


Sometimes people begin their day by praying Fajr in the morning, or seek


Allah’s help by pronouncing bismillah at the beginning of work. But


pressures of work keep some people from praying other prayers like Zohr, Asr


and Magrib. Getting work done is deemed more important than remembering


Allah in prayers. People forget that they are meant to offer prayers to the


same Being Whom they approach for help. If forgetfulness about duties to


Allah is the fact, then the very claim of belief is questioned. Allah says:


Do you then feel secure that He will not cause a side of the land to swallow


you up or that He will not send against you a violent sandstorm? (In such a


case) you will find no wakil (helper) [except Allah]. Or do you feel secure


that He will not send you back a second time to the sea and send against you


a hurricane of wind and drown you because of your disbelief? Then you will


not find any avenger therein against Us. (17:69-69)


Allah reminds us of the honour He has given each of us. He has given us a


beautiful personality and made us unique – this means each of us is


important to Him. In the following verse, He reminds us of this particular


favour:


And indeed We have honoured the children of Adam, and We have carried them


on land and sea, and have provided them with At-Tayebat (good and lawful


things), and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created


with a marked preferment. (17:70)


Allah tells ss who He is:


Your Lord is He who drives the ship for you through the sea, in order that


you may seek of His Bounty. Truly, He is ever Most Merciful towards you.


(17: 66)


Forgiveness


It is only if we have correct belief, i.e. iman, that Allah will consider


the forgiveness of our sins. He will forgive our mountain of sins only if we


demonstrate belief in Him and Him ALONE. We sin against commandments given


by Allah. As such, it is only He that we need to approach. We therefore need


to ask forgiveness from Him directly. Consider the case where we ask


forgiveness from saints, ministers, religious leaders or pirs – on the Day


of Judgment, there is nothing to stop Allah from saying, Why come to Me; go


to your pir saheb, see if he can forgive you! These are the people whom we


ask forgiveness or give credit to for events in our lives, and whom Allah


calls His supposed partners in the Qur’an. It is to warn against these


partners that Allah has sent His prophets throughout the ages.


Verily, Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners with Him, but He


forgives whom He wills, sins other than that, and whosoever sets up partners


in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far away. (4:116)


Partners


The first supposed partner of Allah is our ego. If we feel that there are


better ways to be grateful or worship than the ways Allah and His Prophet


have shown us, we worship our egos. If we feel our daily work is more


important, as it provides us with the livelihood, than our salat (prayers),


we put our material greed before Allah.


Knowledge


The inexcusable fact is that we have not bothered to find out what guidance


Allah has provided in the Qur’an. The Qur’an is Allah’s guidance to each of


us individually as well as collectively. If a friend wrote us a letter in a


language that we did not understand, would we put the letter on the top a


shelf or a cabinet and forget about it? Would we assume that we already know


the contents? It is very important that we find out what Allah has said in


the Qur’an regarding our lives in both the worlds. Allah has said that there


is nothing that He has left out of the Qur’an. It is the primary source of


all knowledge for us. It is only when we learn to apply this knowledge that


we can understand the meaning of our existence in this world.


Reading the Qur’an


Translations of the meaning of the Qur’an into the major languages of the


world are available. We have to get hold of a copy in our preferred language


and establish regular reading of the meaning of the Qur’an at least at two


levels:


ط We should read at home to all family members and


ط We should support and fund a program to learn the meaning of the


Qur’an at institutional level.


To find the meaning of the Qur’an, one needs to be armed with a sincerity to


find out what Allah has said in it. We have to seek Allah’s help and


guidance when reading the Qur’an. One good time to regularly read the Qur’an


is when the entire family members get together for the evening meal. The


head of the family should sequentially read a section (about two pages) of


the Qur’an each day with its meaning to the rest of the family. The head


should encourage questions and all should attempt to apply what has been


read to their day-to-day life.


At the same time, we should get in touch with local educational


institutions. We should ask authority to start a class on the meaning of the


Qur’an. We should fund, support and follow-up the implementation of this


class.


May Allah give us the motivation to find the meaning of the Qur’an, guide us


to implement what He has given by following the example of His Prophet


(SAWS)!


Source: Al-Baiyyinah


(The e-magazine of Witness-Pioneer)


Volume 4 Issue 1 June-July 2004


http://www.witness-pioneer.org/VMagazine