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lifeofresulullah · 5 years

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The Life of The Prophet Muhammad: The Miracles of The Prophet Muhammad

The Miracle of the Splitting of the Moon

“The hour (of Judgment) is nigh, and the moon is cleft asunder. But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say "This is (but) transient magic."

In this part, we are going to give information about how the miracle of the splitting of the moon, which is a clear sign of the verse of the Qur’an, occurred and seen in all authentic hadith as well as in sirah sources at the degree of Mutawatir manawi and we will also try to answer some questions that may come to the mind.

How did the Miracle of the Splitting of the Moon occur?

The miracle of the splitting of the moon occurred before the migration to Medina upon the demands of the polytheists with the permission of God and it was shown by the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as narrated by many companions like Anas b. Malik, Hz. Ali, Huzayfa b. Yaman, Abdullah b. Mas’ud, Abdullah b. Abbas, Abdullah b. Umar, Abdullah b. Amr b. As, Jubayr b. Mut’im (May Allah be pleased with all of them).

Among Quraish polytheists, Walid b. Mughira, Abu Jahl. As b. Wail, As b. Hisham, Aswad b. Abdi Yaghus, Aswad b. Muttalib, Zama b. Aswad, Nadr b. Harith and others said to the prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

“If you truly are a Prophet that has been appointed by Allah, then split the moon in half. Let it be in such a way that one half will appear over the Mount Abu Qubais and the other half will be seen over Mount Quayqian.”

The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) asked:

“If I do it, will you become Muslims?”

The polytheists answered:

“Yes, we will.”

On the 14th night, when it was full moon, the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) wanted Almighty Allah to give him the miracle which the polytheists demanded from him.

When the Gabriel (AS) informed the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that God had accepted his prayer, he announced it to the Meccans. The polytheists witnessed the splitting of the moon on the 14th night.

When Almighty God let the moon split in half, one half standing over Mount Abu Qubais and the other half over Mount Quayqian, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) shouted at Muslims:

“O Abu Salama b. Abdulasad! Arqam b. Abi’l Erqam! Bear witness!

And to the polytheists, he said, “Bear witness! So and so!

However, the polytheists said “This is one of the spells of Abu Kabsha’s Son.” “The son of Abu Kabsha cast a spell on you!” They said “Muhammad cast a spell on us!”

Some of them also said:

“If Muhammad had cast a spell on us then , He couldn’t have cast a spell on everyone! Let us ask the wayfarers who came from the surrounding areas if they saw what we saw.”

They asked the people who came from every everywhere.

“Yes! We also did see the moon in that state! We saw the moon as split! They informed that the moon was split. Among the people who came from everywhere and seen the moon split, there was no one who had not informed them about it.

However, the polytheists rejected to be Muslims and to believe by saying:

“This is a prevalent magic!”, they said “Abu Talib’s orphan affected the sky with his spell!”.

Almighty God mentions this miracle in the chapter of al-Qamar as follows: “The hour (of Judgment) is nigh, and The moon is cleft asunder. But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say "This is (but) transient magic." They reject (the warning) and follow their (own) lusts but every matter has its appointed time. There have already come to them Recitals wherein there is (enough) to check (them), Mature wisdom― but (the preaching of) Warners profits them not.”

An Explanation about the splitting of the Moon

We want to answer the questions that may come to the mind about the splitting of the moon. Our question is this “Did the miracle of the splitting of the moon occur? Why do the historical records not mention about the splitting of the moon? Despite the advancement of science nowadays, why is there no any trace of the splitting on the moon? If the event of the splitting had occurred, then the trace of this should have been on its surface.” We are going to answer the first part of this two-part optioned question with five points and after that we will give the answer to the second question.

Did the miracle of the splitting of the moon occur? Why do the historical records not mention about the splitting of the moon?

The miracle of the splitting of the moon is a miracle shown to some of the polytheists who denied the Apostle of God in order to prove the authenticity of his cause to them with the permission of God. We will try to explain why it is not recorded in history books by items:

1. The miracle of the splitting of the moon is a miracle which is narrated in all books of the Islamic history and sirah sources; besides it is a miracle which is mentioned in the first verses of the surah of al-Qamar of the Qur’an (28). None of the stubborn polytheists who witnessed this miracle along with deniers of the Qur’an denied this but tried to reject it by calling a “Magic!..” (29) No information that this event did not exist in history is given. If this miracle had not occurred, polytheists who did not disregard using even a small event against Islam for denigration would have certainly denied this event which is narrated by history and the Qur’an. Their failure of denying shows that there is no doubt about the occurring of this event.

2. Great scholars like Taftazani said,

“The miracle of the splitting of the moon is a mutawatir event just like the water flowing down from his fingers, the dry wooden stud that the Prophet leaned against while reciting sermons in the mosque crying due to leaving the Prophet and the whole congregation hearing it. [30] That is, it was reported by such a big congregation that it is impossible for them to agree to lie about something. We are sure that a comet called Halley was seen from the world and recorded by historians a thousand years ago because people transmitted that information through centuries; that is, it is mutawatir; we are sure that there is a country called Sri Lanka only by hearing its name though we have not seen it; similarly, the splitting of the moon is mutawatir.

It is stupidity to doubt or to suspect such a certain issue. It is not something impossible. The splitting of the moon is possible like the breakup of a mountain due to a volcanic eruption.

3. Miracles are shown to persuade people who do not believe in a prophet. If they had forced unbelievers to believe, it would have been contrary to the mystery of testing. Therefore, if the moon had remained in two parts for such a long time as to make it possible for everybody to see after being split, it would have caused everybody to believe and the mystery of testing would have been eliminated. Or, it would have been recorded as an ordinary celestial incident. Therefore, the miracle of the splitting of the moon was shown at night all of a sudden to the polytheists and companions who were present there.

4. The following question can come to the mind: “Why was the incident of the splitting of the moon not mentioned in the history of other nations?” This event took place at night. It was daytime in the other part of the world; therefore, it is normal that it was not seen in the other part. Besides, it is normal that it is not mentioned in the history of the Europeans because they were famous for ignorance and wildness. Fog and cloudy weather might have prevented it from being seen in some places. If such an event is seen by some individuals; they will not believe their eyes and cannot make other people believe it; therefore, it is not recorded in history books.

To sum up, we can say,

1.The statements of the companions who are the representatives of honesty and justice that this event took place,

2.The agreement of many tafseer scholars that this incident was the reason why the verse, “the moon is cleft asunder” was sent down,

3.The narrations of those hadith scholars who report from reliable sources that prove this incident,

4.The news by all of the saints that can discover unknown things and be inspired about them that this incident took place,

5.The confirmation of the incident by various kalam imams, scholars and experts who usually have very different ideas,

6.The belief of the ummah of Muhammad who never agree on something wrong that this incident took place, prove very clearly that the moon was split.

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iheartallah · 6 years

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Why Laylatul Qadr? The Significance & Virtues of the Most Important Night of the Year

Islam makes certain times and places especially sacred. While a believer can certainly engage in worship such as remembering or glorifying God at any time (“standing, sitting or lying on their sides”[1]), some periods of time have special and unique blessings associated with them. Similarly, while the entirety of the Earth has been made a place of worship and prostration, there are some locations (such as the three Mosques) that are uniquely blessed. This creates within the psychology of the believer a yearning to seek out these unique opportunities in order to come closer to Allah. That yearning brings about several positive spiritual emotions: awe, reverence, wonder, anticipation, eagerness, excitement, hope, and longing, all of which are encompassed in the term shawq.[2]

As we live today in an era of digital distractions and materialistic heedlessness, often acts of worship are squeezed into brief moments in our daily routine, which does not furnish one with a complete transformative spiritual experience. Serious worship requires not just taking a brief moment to pray, but allowing our prayers to define our direction in life. Thus, Islam offers opportunities for intense spiritual experiences, experiences that involve setting aside the dunya (worldly life) and its distractions. Of the greatest of such opportunities are the blessed nights of Ramadan. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Whoever spends the nights of Ramadan in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins.”[3] The foremost of these opportunities are the last ten nights of Ramadan. As the Prophet’s wife `A’isha narrates, “When the last ten nights began Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) kept awake at night (for prayer and devotion), wakened his family, and prepared himself to observe salah (with more vigor).”[4] It is no coincidence that i`tikaf (seclusion in the masjid) is also recommended in Ramadan. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to practice i`tikaf for the entirety of the last ten days of Ramadan.[5]

By far however, there is no day or night that has been emphasized more than the night known as laylat al-qadr (the Night of Decree). The Qur’an’s 97th chapter is dedicated entirely to this night:

Indeed, We revealed [the Qur’an] during the Night of Decree. And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn. (97:1-5)

The companion Anas ibn Malik reported: “Ramadan approached, so the Messenger of God said: ‘This month has come to you, and in it there is a night that is better than a thousand months. Whoever is deprived of it is deprived of all goodness, and no one is deprived of its goodness except one who is truly deprived.’”[6]

The precise night on which Laylatul-Qadr occurs has not been mentioned. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Search for Laylatul-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan.”[7] There is a tremendous wisdom behind not knowing exactly when it occurs, which scholars have pointed out. As Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (d. 620 H) writes:

God has concealed this night from the ummah so that they may strive in seeking it and performing worship throughout the month in the hopes of catching it. Similarly, He concealed the hour of special acceptance on Friday so that one would increase in their supplications throughout the day, and He concealed His Greatest Name (ism al-a’dham) amongst His Divine Names and His Pleasure with acts of obedience so that people would strive for them. And He concealed an individual’s lifespan and the Hour [of the Day of Judgment] so that humanity would continuously strive in good deeds, being heedful of them.[8]

The theological significance of Laylatul-Qadr

Islamic scholars differ regarding the meaning behind the name of ‘Laylatul-Qadr’, as the word ‘Qadr’ can hold a variety of meanings, and each has its own theological significance.

Some scholars defined ‘Qadr’ in the context of this holy night as ‘destiny/decree’ (qadar). To them, this meant that this was the night in which the destiny of each person was decided. It would be this night in which a person’s sustenance, lifespan, and other critical matters would be sealed for the coming year.

In support of this, ‘Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “It is written in Umm al-Kitab (the Heavenly copy of the Qur’an) during Laylatul-Qadr what shall come to pass in the following year of good and evil, sustenance, and lifespan. Even the pilgrimage of the pilgrim (shall be decided); it will be said ‘so-and-so will perform pilgrimage’ (on this night).”[9]

Al-Hasan Al-Basri (d. 110 H), Mujahid (d. 104 H) and Qatadah (d. 117 H)—three renowned early Muslim scholars—shared this view and were reported to have said that “all the affairs of lifespan, deeds, creation, and provision are decreed on Laylatul-Qadr in the month of Ramadan and will come to pass in the coming year.”[10]

Imam Al-Nawawi concluded his discussion on Laylatul-Qadr by saying: “It was named Laylatul-Qadr, meaning: the night of judgment and discernment (in the affairs of men). This meaning is what is true and popular.”[11]

Other scholars defined the meaning of ‘Qadr’ as ‘power,’ indicating the greatness of the honor and might of the night.[12] Similar to this view is the interpretation of ‘Qadr’ as ‘power’ in that the righteous deeds performed during this night are far more powerful than they would be on any other night.

Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: “A person would attain the reward of the night, even if he has no knowledge of it. This is because the Prophet said ‘whoever stands (in prayer) during Laylatul-Qadr, with faith and hope, will be forgiven,’ and the Prophet did not make knowledge of the night a condition of their forgiveness. And had knowledge of the night become a necessary factor, the Prophet would have made this clear.”[13]

In this view, since knowledge of the night is not a prerequisite to prospering from the night, then it is not required for the worshipper to understand concepts of destiny or decree in order to achieve the rewards of worshipping on this night. All they need to do is perform acts of worship on that night.

Another meaning of ‘Qadr’ in the context of Laylatul-Qadr, involves the meaning of ‘restriction.’ This is understood to indicate that the earth becomes restricted as angels descend to the earth on the holy night, occupying the earth. This descent of the angels is referenced in the Qur’an, and since angels are typically associated with concepts such as light, guidance, and blessings, it is a symbol of how majestic Laylatul-Qadr is.[14] Furthermore, since angels occupy the highest heavens, they are described in the Qur’an as ‘close to God’; yet on Laylatul-Qadr they are ‘seeking permission’ from God to descend to earth in recognition of the divine blessings that God places on earth during this night.[15] In one narration, the Prophet ﷺ stated: “Truly the angels on this night are as numerous as the pebbles upon the earth.”[16]

Laylatul-Qadr has also been described as a gift for the Prophet Muhammad’s community (ummah). In the Muwatta of Imam Malik, there is a hadith that states: “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was shown the lifespans of the people (who had gone) before him, or what Allah willed of that, and it was as if the lives of the people of his community had become too short for them to be able to do as many good actions as others before them had been able to do with their long lives, so Allah gave him Laylat al- Qadr, which is better than a thousand months.”[17]

In addition to the aforementioned significance related to Divine decree and providing the Prophet’s ummah with a unique opportunity for worship, there is also a special connection that Laylatul-Qadr has with the Qur’an. In Surah al-Qadr (97:1) and Surah al-Dukhan (44:3), it is mentioned that the Qur’an was revealed on this night. Ibn Abbas has explained this by mentioning on Laylatul-Qadr that the Qur’an was revealed in its entirety from the highest heaven to the lowest heaven, and placed in a special chamber called Bayt al-`Izzah (the House of Honor). From there, it was revealed gradually over the course of twenty three years to the Prophet Muhammad.[18] This was in order to emphasize the lofty status of the revelation and to announce to the inhabitants of the Heavens that this was the final revelation.[19] It is also mentioned by other scholars, such as Imam al-Sha’bi (d. 105 H), that the revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad began in the month of Ramadan on Laylatul-Qadr when Jibreel first descended to visit the Prophet Muhammad.[20]

What is the connection between its function and its virtue?

What is the connection between Laylatul-Qadr being the night of decree, and also being the most virtuous night to pray on? Why is the night when angels descend with the decree also the best night to worship in?

One possible answer to this can be found in the explanation (tafsir) of the opening passage of Surah ad-Dukhan:

Hā, Meem. By the clear Book, verily, We revealed [the Qur’an] during a blessed night. Indeed, We have always forewarned humankind. On that night, every wise decree (amr hakeem) is specified, by Our command. Surely, We have always been sending [messengers] as a mercy from your Lord, indeed He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (44:1-6)

This passage reiterates the significance of Laylatul-Qadr as the night during which the fates, destinies, and decrees are sent down for the forthcoming year. The famous Qur’anic commentator, Abu’l-Thana’ al-Alusi (d. 1270 H/1854 CE), notes in his tafsir that when God says, “On that night, every hakeem decree is specified,” one of the meanings of hakeem is mukham (decisive) which entails that “this decree cannot be changed after it descends, in contrast to before that.”[21]

If a person reflects on all the things that could potentially happen to them in the coming year, they will experience immense hope and/or fear. Perhaps in the coming year they may experience—God forbid—the loss of a loved one, the onset of a debilitating illness, a bitter conflict, destruction of property, or worst of all the loss of their faith and connection to God.

Or perhaps in the coming year they may experience great joy and closeness with their family, the most successful achievement in their career, bliss in their marriage, a solution to old problems, new friendships and prosperity, or best of all growth in their relationship with the Divine. When a person reflects on this, he or she realizes that Laylatul-Qadr provides the perfect opportunity to pray for the realization of their best dreams, and the prevention of their worst nightmares. This is the night when that yearly decree is finalized. In a sense, this is that night when one’s fate is ‘downloaded’ from the heavens.

Just as a person awaiting the decree of a judge in the courtroom prays most intensely at the moment when that decree is about to be decided, likewise Laylatul-Qadr may signal that final opportunity to change one’s fate (taqdeer). After that, a person’s taqdeer in the record of the angels is only changed if it was written from before that it would be changed. The hadith scholar, Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani (d. 854 H) notes the difference between the contingent decree (al-Qada’ al-Mu’allaq) which God has given the angels and the irrevocable decree (al-Qada’ al-Mubram) which is with God.[22] The recording of one’s fate which the angels possess can be subject to change, as the Qur’an states “God erases and confirms what He wills” (13:39) and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Nothing averts fate except supplication (la yaruddu al-qadar illa al-du’a).”[23] However, one’s record with God in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfudh) is immutable. Thus, a person praying on Laylatul-Qadr may result in their records with the angels being altered, before those records seal one’s fate for the coming year. Du’a on this night has the greatest power to change decree, hence the night is both the Night of Power and the Night of Decree.

There is also a special link between this night and seeking forgiveness from God. A’isha asked the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah! If I knew which night is Laylatul-Qadr, what should I say during it?” And he instructed her to say:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عُفُوٌّ كَرِيمٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

O Allah! You are Most Forgiving, and you love to forgive. So forgive me.[24]

The Prophet ﷺ instructed us to call out to Allah using the Divine name al-Afuww (The Most Forgiving) on this night, and this has a special connection with Qadar. The linguistic meaning of this Divine Name is explained by noting that the root of ‘afuw (forgiveness) linguistically connotes erasure (al-mahuw) and effacement (al-tams).[25] Thus, our prayers to Allah on this night are explicitly connected to a plea for Him to erase the consequences of our misdeeds. The Qur’an states that Allah’s ‘afuw protects calamity from being decreed for us as a result of our sins:

And whatever strikes you of calamity (museebah), it is because of what your hands have earned, although He pardons (ya’fuw) a great deal. (42:30)

So the decrees on Laylatul-Qadr may be descending with calamities that are consequences of our sins, and on this night we have an exclusive opportunity to invoke the forgiveness of al-Afuww to erase those sins as well as the resultant decree, and remove them from our fates for the upcoming year.

Seeking its rewards

As Laylatul-Qadr is certainly the most blessed night of the year, a person who misses it has certainly missed a tremendous amount of good.[26] Many scholars mentioned that what’s to be avoided beyond sin is wasting time on that precious night, unnecessary socializing with people, arguing, shopping, etc. One should keep in mind that the night technically starts at Maghrib (sunset), and be heedful of how time is spent from that point onwards. If a believing person is keen to obey his Lord and increase the good deeds in his record, he should strive to spend this night in worship and obedience. If this is facilitated for him, all of his previous sins will be forgiven.

Suratul-Alaq, which was revealed on this blessed night, begins with the command to read the Qur’an, and ends with the command to prostrate and draw close to your Lord. In that is a Divine prescription for how the night is to be spent. Ash-Shafi’i (d. 204 H) said that some of the pious predecessors preferred to spend this night in prayer, some in Quran, some in dua, and all are rewarded by Allah.[27] This also shows the importance of intention in that even if you don’t catch the night for some reason out of your control, you will still be fully rewarded for it. While it is best to perform full i’itkaf (i.e., seclude yourself in the masjid for the entirety of the 10 days), there are many important things one can do even if one is unable to engage in i’tikaf.

Merely praying Isha and Fajr in congregation on that night is enough to fill its scales. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever attends Isha prayer in congregation, then he has the reward as if he had stood half of the night. And whoever prays Isha and Fajr in congregation, then he has the reward as if he had spend the entire night standing in prayer.”[28] Moreover, Imam Malik (d. 179 H) narrated that he had heard that Said ibn al-Musayyab (d. 94 H) used to say, “Whoever is present at Isha on Laylatul-Qadr has taken his portion from it.”[29]

If one is able to do more than that, the next step involves performing extra voluntary prayers during the night. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Whoever stands in prayer during Laylatul-Qadr with faith and hope in the reward of Allah, all of his previous sins will be forgiven.”[30]

Finally, as mentioned earlier, the supplication the Prophet ﷺ advised his wife A’isha to make on that blessed night is a prayer for an all-encompassing forgiveness that involves invoking Allah’s love for forgiveness.[31]

Here lies a benefit to the believer in discovering their own love to forgive as they invoke Allah’s love of forgiveness. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated to his companions: “I came to inform you of the (specific) night of Laylatul Qadr but found so-and-so arguing and (in the process of mediating) had the knowledge of the night lifted from me.”[32] Since the Prophet’s knowledge of the specific night of Laylatul-Qadr was taken from him due to internal fighting between two individuals, this serves as a reminder that the grudges between mankind veils them from attaining the pardon and forgiveness of the night. For just as the Prophet was veiled from knowing the night due to the grudges between others, it is by offering forgiveness to others, and overlooking each other’s faults, that we discover the forgiveness of Allah during Laylatul-Qadr.

And in the equation of success found in the limited efforts of that one night, is the embedded infinite mercy found in the eternal pathway to salvation. The same God who commands you to seek His pardon willingly offers it to you for an effort that can be performed even by the youngest and weakest amongst us. The same God who created you with limited years to do good, gives you days and nights that are equivalent to lifetimes of worship. And the same angel, Jibreel, that He sent to honor the Prophet ﷺ that night is sent to the earth that same night annually to honor his nation.

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#ramadan #ramadan2k19 #Ramadhan #Ramadaan

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fridaypreaches · 2 years

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BELIEVE IN THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT

[Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Silver Jubilee Mosque]

“They ask you (O Muhammad) about the Hour: when is its arrival? Say, “Its knowledge is only with my Lord. None will reveal its time except Him. It lays heavily upon the heavens and the earth. It will not come upon you except unexpectedly.” They ask you as if you are familiar with it. Say “Its knowledge is only with Allah, but most of the people do not know.”

-Surah Al-A’raf: Verse 187

As a Muslim, we all know that the Day of Judgement is the sixth pillars of faith and no one knows when it will occur; only Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala knows when is the Day of Judgement will take place. Not only that, it is included in the five unseen actions that are kept hidden of the time and day by Allah SWT. During the Day of Judgement, we would not be able to run or hide to locate a place to seek shelter except for those who are protected by Allah SWT which are divided into seven groups or types of people according to Hadith Rasulullah SAW:

Narrated by Abu Huraira: The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, “Seven people will be shaded by Allah under His shade on the day when there will be no shade except his. They are: (1) a just ruler; (2) a young man who has been brought up in the worship of Allah, (i.e. worship Allah (Alone) sincerely from his childhood), (3) a man whose heart is attached to the mosque (who offers the five compulsory congregational prayers in the mosque); (4) two persons who love each other only for Allah’s sake and they meet and part in Allah’s cause only; (5) a man who refuses the call of a charming women of noble birth for an illegal sexual intercourse with her and says: I am afraid of Allah; (6) a person who practices charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given (i.e. nobody knows how much he has given in charity); (7) a person who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes get flooded with tears.” [Sahih Al- Bukhari]

As a Muslim, we are acknowledged that everything that we do in dunya wheather good or evil are recorded on our book and during the Day of Judgement, everyone including all religion will be assembled in Padang Mashyar to be counted and judged for all that we have done during our life. Furthermore, we will receive a retribution without the slightest addition or removal of the deeds that have been done. As for our book of deeds, if it is given and accepted with the right hand, an individual will be blessed as heaven will awaits him, however if it is given and accepted with the left hand, damnation or hell awaits him as stated in the Holy Quran of Surah Al-Insyiqaq, Verse 7-12:

“Then as for he who is given his record in his right hand, He will be judged with an easy account and return to his people in happiness. But as for he who is given his record behind his back, he will cry out for destruction and will burn in the blazing Fire.”

All Muslims are taught regarding the goodness of the signs or small addresses of Day of Judgement and it has been and is happening in our lives, for instance, time feels short and goes by so fast where we feel like we don’t have enough time to handle our demands and everyday lives. However, we should be thankful as it considers as one the greatest wisdoms where we were provided with indications of the approach of the Day of Judgement. Thus, as human being and Allah SWT servants, we should prepare ourself by developing our faith and taqwa to Allah SWT in order to avoid being negligent and lazy.

Reference: Friday preaches 2nd July 2021 http://www.kheu.gov.bn/Lists/Khutbah/NewDisplayItem.aspx?ID=908&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ekheu%2Egov%2Ebn%2Flists%2Fkhutbah%2Fviewall%2Easpx&ContentTypeId=0x0100EE34442FD552CC4FAECE608C6A2C143B

#UBD #AX3305 #BruneiMosque #AllahFoundYouLost

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alhindee · 3 years

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How to straighten the rows in Salah? تصفح برقم المجلد > Group 2 > Volume 6: Fiqh – Salah 2 > Imamah > How to straighten the rows in Salah? Fatwa no. 18919 Q: Two people argued about how the rows of those offering Salah (Prayer) in congregation should be straightened. One of them said that the Ma'mums (persons being led by an Imam in Prayer) must place their toes on the line drawn in the Masjid (mosque) while standing up and align their knees with each other when sitting down for Tashahhud (a recitation in the sitting position in the second/ last unit of Prayer), no matter how different the length of their limbs are. The other person said that the Ma'mums should level their heels and shoulders when standing up. As for sitting down, the shoulders should be aligned together no matter whether the knees are on the same level or not because the moving limbs are not the same in length. Because both opinions are personally inferred, we hope you would illustrate the Shar`y (Islamically acceptable) and correct way that should be followed when standing and sitting down during Salah so that this issue would be clarified to them. May Allah reward you with the best and guide you to what He likes and that which pleases Him. A: It is Sunnah (supererogatory act of worship following the example of the Prophet) to straighten rows when offering Salah and to arrange the rows (Part No. 6; Page No. 318) beside each other. All the Ma'mums should observe this and the Imam (the one who leads congregational Prayer) must urge the Ma'mums before starting Salah to straighten their rows and correct any misalignment in them, as the Messenger (peace be upon him) used to do. It was authentically reported from Simak ibn Harb that he heard Al-Nu`man ibn Bashir saying: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) used to straighten our rows as if he were straightening an arrow until he saw that we had learnt it from him. One day, he came out, stood up (for Salah) and was about to say "Allahu Akbar, i.e. Allah is the Greatest" (to start Salah) when he saw a man whose chest was bulging out from the row, so he said: Servants of Allah, straighten your rows or Allah would create dissension amongst you. [1] (Related by Imam Muslim in his Sahih (authentic) Book of Hadith, volume 4, page 157 - Sharh Al-Nawawy; and Imam Ahmad in his Musnad (Hadith compilation), volume 4, page 272). In another narration, it was reported: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) used to straighten the row (in Salah) and make it as straight as an arrow or a spear. [2] Refer to Musnad Imam Ahmad, volume 4, page 277. The Hadith was also related by Al-Nasa'y in his Sunan.Also, on the authority of Anas who reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Straighten your rows as the straightening of rows is essential for a perfect and correct Salah. [3] In another narration, he said: Establish rows in Salah, for the making of a row (straight) is one of the merits of Salah. [4] (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim and the quoted wording was by Al-Bukhari (volume 1, page 177) and Imam Ahmad in his Musnad (volume 2, page 314 and volume 3, page 122))Moreover, Imam Muslim related in his Sahih, volume 4, page 156 - Sharh Al-Nawawy - on the authority of Anas ibn Malik who reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: (Part No. 6; Page No. 319) Straighten your rows, for the straightening of a row is a part of the perfection of Salah. [5] The same wording was related by Imam Ahmad in volume 3, page 254.On the authority of Salim ibn Abu Al-Ja`d who reported that he heard Al-Nu`man ibn Bashir saying that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Either you straighten your rows or Allah will cause inversion among your faces. [6] (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim and the quoted wording was by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih, volume 1, page 176)Furthermore, on the authority of Anas who reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Straighten your rows, for I see you from behind my back. [7] We used to stick our shoulders and feet to each other. (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim and the quoted wording was by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih, volume 1, page 177)Muslims should fear Allah and apply this Sunnah as much as possible. However, they should be cautious lest this may result in harming other people offering Salah, especially if the row is already crowded. It is possible that being preoccupied with observing this Sunnah may affect the Khushu` (the heart being submissively attuned to the act of worship) of the Ma'mums and harm them. The objective is to straighten the row as much as possible. The Hadiths mentioned above are enough to illustrate this meaning. All the Ma'mums should be keen on aligning their heels and shoulders but not the knees, as was authentically reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him).May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions. The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' Member Member Member Deputy Chairman Chairman Bakr Abu Zayd Salih Al-Fawzan `Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan `Abdul-`Aziz Al Al-Shaykh `Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz [1] Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on Adhan, no. 717; Muslim, Sahih, Book on Salah, no. 436; Al-Tirmidhy, Sunan, Book on Salah, no. 227; Al-Nasa*y, Sunan, Book on Imamate, no. 810; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Book on performing Prayer and its Sunan, no. 994; and Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 4, p. 276. [2] Ibn Majah, Sunan, Book on performing Prayer and its Sunan, no. 994; Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 4, p. 277. [3] Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on Adhan, no. 723; Muslim, Sahih, Book on Salah, no. 433; Abu Dawud, Sunan, Book on Salah, no. 669; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Book on performing Prayer and its Sunan, no. 993; Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 3, p. 291; and Al-Darimy, Sunan, Book on Salah, no. 1263. [4] Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 3, p. 274. [5] Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on Adhan, no. 723; Muslim, Sahih, Book on Salah, no. 434; Al-Nasa*y, Sunan, Book on Tatbiq, no. 1117; Abu Dawud, Sunan, Book on Salah, no. 671; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Book on performing Prayer and its Sunan, no. 993; Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 3, p. 291; and Al-Darimy, Sunan, Book on Salah, no. 1263. [6] Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on Adhan, no. 717; Muslim, Sahih, Book on Salah, no. 436; Al-Tirmidhy, Sunan, Book on Salah, no. 227; Al-Nasa*y, Sunan, Book on Imamate, no. 810; Abu Dawud, Sunan, Book on Salah, no. 663; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Book on performing Prayer and its Sunan, no. 994; and Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 4, p. 271. [7] Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on Adhan, no. 725; Ahmad, Musnad, vol. 3, p. 263. https://www.alifta.gov.sa/En/IftaContents/PermanentCommitee/Pages/FatawaDetails.aspx?View=Page&PageID=12498&CultStr=en&PageNo=1&NodeID=1&BookID=7 https://shamela.org/src/files/contents_url.php?id=3ac52f6192c34c340043a7721ba99ea9 #Islam #Quran #Hadith #Sunnah #Fatwa

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islamthewayforward · 3 years

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Jesus (peace be upon him) One of the Mightiest Messengers of God

Quick Introduction

Prophet Jesus sent to Israel and the Holy Quran also reported the name of the prophet. He is the fifth of the six prophets, who are the highest among the prophets and are called the Ululazm. His mother is Hazrat Maryam. Allah created him without a father. He was born in Jerusalem. He became a prophet at the age of thirty. The book called the Bible was sent to him. At the age of thirty-three, he was raised to heaven alive. He will descend on the earth close to the doomsday.

Hazrat Maryam – Mother of Jesus (PBUH)

Maryam Hatun, mother of Jesus (PBUH), was a righteous and clean lady from the descendants of Suleiman aleyhisselam. When Hazrat Maryam was fifteen years old, she was engaged to a person named Yusuf-i Neccar. But before marrying him, Allah announced that he would give a child without a father to Hazrat Maryam.

The Birth of Jesus (PBUH)

Hazrat Maryam, with the command and power of Allah, became pregnant with Jesus. After a while, normal pregnancies began to appear. Seeing these situations, the Israelites began to gossip. They made various slanders and said things that would not come to mind and would not be taken into account. Unable to tolerate these rumors, Hazrat Maryam retreated to Bayt-i Lahm, a quiet town about 10 km south of Jerusalem. Considering that everything happened with the discretion and can of Allah, she was patient with people's words about herself.

As the birth of Jesus (PBUH) approached, she came under a dried date palm tree while walking in the garden of his place. She leaned against this tree as her labor pains intensified. The dried date palm tree on which he leaned turned green. Although the season was winter, it bore fruit. Under his feet, a little water channel began to flow. This situation comforted Hazrat Maryam. Meanwhile, Hazrat Isa came to the world. When Jesus (PBUH) was born, all idols within the east and west were destroyed and fell to the bottom . The demons were surprised by this situation. Finally, their elders, Iblis, informed them that Jesus (PBUH) had come to the world. When he was born, a great star appeared in the sky.

Jesus Talks in the lap of Mary

The Israelites, who learned that the Prophet Jesus was born, came to Bayt-i Lahm. When saw the newborn child in the lap of Hazrat Maryam, they said;

“O Mary! What is this? You came here doing a really ugly job. Where did you get this child, even though you were a very young girl but without a husband? What a wonder and wonder is this? "

The Holy Virgin listened patiently to all or any that was said. She didn't answer at all. But; pointed to the Prophet Jesus.

“Let him inform you of the reality of the matter. Talk to him. Ask him and understand! "

When they said that the child in the arson could not speak, Jesus Christ, who was in the arson, raised his hand and said:

“O ignorant ones! Do not attack my high reputation and condemn my mother. Surely, I am the servant of Allah. He will give me the book and make me a Prophet. Wherever I was, he made me blessed and ordered me to pray and give zakat as long as I was alive. He made me respectful of my mother ... On the day I was born, on the day I die, and on the day, I will be lifted alive, my salvation is upon me. "

The Israelites, who were amazed at how Prophet Jesus spoke, seemed to swallow their tongues. They couldn't say anything. Despite this, they did not refrain from making the said-code and making various slanders. They did not hesitate to make various slanders.

Life Before Prophethood

The governor of Damascus of the Roman emperor wanted to kill the two of them because he was born without a father. His mother took him to Egypt. They stayed in Egypt until the Prophet Jesus was twelve years old. Then they came to Jerusalem again and settled in the city of Nasıra.

Prophethood and the Background of Killing Plan

When he turned thirty, he was declared a Prophet by the will of God. When his prophetic order was announced, he immediately started preaching. He wanted people to believe in Allah and to follow His orders and avoid his prohibitions and rebellion.

The Israelites did not accept this invitation. Jesus (PBUH) showed miracles to non-believers. Although Jesus (PBUH) made a great effort, very few people believed. Just as the Israelites didn't believe him, they opposed his invitation and have become angry day by day. Seeing the softness of Jesus Christ, they did not believe. They even went further and attempted to kill the Prophet Jesus. Thereupon, the Prophet Jesus took a word from the twelve people named as apostles, whom he chose among those who believed in him, that they would believe and worship Allah and help him.

Killing Plan

A group of Jews spoke to Isa (PBUH) and his mother Hazrat Maryam. When Jesus (PBUH) heard this, he made a curse about them. Allah accepted this prayer and turned those who prolonged his tongue to Jesus and his mother into monkeys and pigs.

Seeing this situation, the Jews discussed the event among them. All of them agreed to kill the Prophet Jesus. They started looking for Prophet Jesus. They tricked the Roman Emperor's Governor of Jerusalem Jones Pilot to believe that Jesus was against the Roman Empire which he was trying to determine a replacement government in Palestine.

The Last Talks of Jesus (PBUH)

For the last time, Jesus had a secret conversation with his Apostles one night and said to them, “Before the rooster crows (that is, before the morning) one of you will deny me and sell me for small money.”. In fact, the Apostle named Yahuda took some money from the Jews before morning. He informed the whereabouts of the Prophet Jesus.

So-Called Crucifixion

When Jesus entered the house with the Jews to catch the Prophet, Allah likened Yehuda to Isa. The Jews also caught him, saying Jesus (PBUH), and killed him by hanging him on the cross (crucifixion). Allah raised Jesus (PBUH) to heaven. Jesus (PBUH) was thirty-three years old at this point.

The Events after Jesus (PBUH)

Forty years after Jesus (PBUH) was raised to heaven, the Romans attacked Jerusalem. They killed most of the Jews and captured some of them. They plundered the city. They burned their books. As punishment for what they did against Jesus, they became despicable.

Christians’ Belief Vs. Muslims’ Belief

Christians believe that Jesus (PBUH) fell to the cross and died there, but then rose to heaven.

Muslims, on the other hand, believe that Jesus alaihis-salam was lifted directly to the sky.

This matter Quran 'In the 158th verse of the chapter of an-Nisa, it is stated as follows:

“They did not hang him, they did not kill him. On the contrary, Allah raised him to his level.”

In addition, it was stated in the hadiths:

“Jesus (aleyhisselam) did not die. He will return to you before doomsday. ",

"I am the closest of the son of Mary to Jesus (aleyhisselam) within the world and therefore the hereafter."

" there's no other prophet between me and Jesus (aleyhisselam) ."

The Start of Misconceptions about Jesus

Allah raised Isa as well as Idris at the age of 33. He invited people to religion for three years. Upon his will, the Apostles scattered around. They started to tell people about Christianity. It took 80 years for this true religion to spread.

Then Christians were perverted. Bible has changed. Just as the Jews slandered the Holy Virgin and Jesus, Christians got stuck in three wrong beliefs about him.

Some of them, "The son of Mary is God." said. Some say, "He is the son of God." said. Another group said, "He is one of the father, son and spirituality".

The Return of Jesus

Jesus aleyhisselam never married. He did not give value to the world. He will go down to the minaret of the Umayya Mosque in Damascus close to Doomsday, get married and have children. He will meet with Hazrat Mahdi, he will live for 40 years, die in Madinah, and be buried in the cell where the Prophet’s grave is located. He will be subject to the provisions of the religion of Islam and he will be judgmental.

European Books about Islamic Year and Christmas Night

It is written in European books that Plato died 347 years BC. Since Jesus (PBUH) came to the world secretly, remained a little in the world, and was raised to heaven, and only twelve apostles knew him and the Christians lived secretly for a couple of centuries, that is, Christmas night wasn't understood correctly.

It is written in books in various languages that the current Islamic year is less than five years, as it is supposed to be the twenty-fifth of the first law (December) or the sixth or other day of the second law (January). In that case, the Islamic year is not correct and definite, and its day and year are doubtful and wrong.

According to what Imam-i Rabbani (kuddis sirruh) and Burhan-ı Kati report, the Greek philosopher Plato lived in the time of Jesus aleyhisselam.According to this, the Islamic calendar is incomplete for more than 300 years, and therefore the time between Isa and Muhammad aleyhisselam isn't but a thousand years.

The Miracles of Jesus (PBUH)

There were nine types of miracles:

1. 1. He spoke in his cradle.

2. 2. He raised the dead. It is especially famous that he resurrected four dead. These are Sam bin Nuh, Shaddad bin Ad, Masan bin Malan and a child from Bani Israel.

3. 3. It would make the blind ones see as if they are healthy, and it would cure the baras disease, which is a skin disease. It would be nice if he touched the patient with his hand. He was called Isa-i Messiah because he cured the patients by anointment together with his hand. (Surat al-Maida: 110)

4. 4. As stated in the 49th verse of the chapter of Iml-i Imran, he informed about the things that his people ate or hid for eating.

5. 5. As stated within the 110th verse of chapter al-Maida, when a bird was made up of mud and blown thereon, it might become a bird with the permission of Allah.

6. 6. As stated in the 114th verse of chapter al-Maida, the Apostles offered to bring down a table containing food. When the Prophet Jesus raised his hands and prayed, a table with bread and meat came down.

7. 7. When Jesus was asleep, he knew everything that was spoken and done with him.

8. 8. Whenever he wanted, when he raised his hands to the sky and prayed, food and fruit would come before him.

9. 9. Jesus (PBUH) knew his words and secrets even though he was far from the Jews (Bani Israel).

The religion of Jesus Christ; Christianity:

The religion of Moses (peace be upon him) continued until the time of Jesus (PBUH). But when Jesus aleyhisselam came, it was not permissible to follow the religion of Moses, and until the religion of Muhammad aleyhisselam came, it was necessary to obey the religion of Jesus.

The Negative Role of Paul

Paul, one of the notables of the Jews and one of the greatest enemies of the Christians, made up the lie that he accepted Christianity and that

Jesus

(PBUH) made himself a lie to invite non-Jewish nations to Christians. He changed his name to Pavlos (Bolus). Appearing as a very good Isevi, he broke the religion of

Jesus

(PBUH). Tawhid (belief in one God), trinity (belief in three gods = Father-son-holy spirit); He converted Christianity to Christianity. Bible changed.

Jesus

is the son of God, he said.

Quotes of Jesus (PBUH)

“World love is the head of all evil. The eye gaze magnifies lust in the heart. (The greedy makes a person insatiable.) I swear that lust (to obey the desires of the soul) leaves its owner long-lasting trouble. Look through the world. Do not bother with repairs."

“Who wants the world is like those who drink sea water. The more he drinks, the more his thirst will increase, and eventually he will die. "

"Good news to those that cry once they remember their sins, who protect their tongue and who have enough house to stay their heads."

“The most beloved thing in the sight of Allah is righteous hearts. Allah keeps the world alive for their sake. When they are destroyed, they destroy the earth."

“Trees are many, but not all bear fruit. Fruits are many, but not all are sweet. The sciences are many, but not all of them are useful. "

“I cured the deaf and dumb, I revived the dead. But I could not find the cure of Jahl-i inkb (thinking ignorance of science and maturity). (Because that nobody is as if the knowledge and ripeness of ignorance.)

#jesus #jesus in islam #jesus christ

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hg47 · 3 years

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47 ISLAM

47 ISLAM By @hg47 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Instead of a Dedication, an Appeal: Before you accuse an Infidel of hate speech against Islam, accuse Islam of hate speech against Infidels. ++++------- http://www.amazon.com/Cruel-Usual-Punishment-Terrifying-Implications/dp/1595551611/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380310980&sr=1-1&keywords=CRUEL+AND+USUAL+PUNISHMENT+by+Nonie+Darwish In CRUEL AND USUAL PUNISHMENT Nonie Darwish maintains that there are upwards of 35,000 Islamic laws and scriptures urging intolerance and violence against Non-Muslims. ++++------- http://www.cspipublishing.com/statistical/charts.html On one of the many excellent charts at this site is a break-down of the Anti-Jew text within Islamic holy writings. For comparison purposes, Hitler’s MEIN KAMPF is referenced at 7% Anti-Jew, slightly more than the Koran at 6.7% Anti-Jew. ++++------- If Islam is a serious threat to our Western way of life, don’t we need to know about that? Don’t we need, as Infidels, the freedom to study what Islam is all about, and then the freedom to warn others according to our conclusions? Don’t we need the freedom to compare our own conclusions on Islam with what other Infidels have concluded about Islam? This requires Freedom of Speech for the sharing of knowledge, even if that “knowledge” be provably wrong or offensive to some. A part of Freedom of Speech is that particular ideas will offend others. It’s a given. Some widely disseminated ideas are silly. Some so called “truths” can be scientifically demonstrated to be false, even though a majority of people may believe them. The moment blasphemy laws kill Freedom Of Speech, our Western culture is done. Stick a fork in it. When laws are in place which require that communication be inoffensive to everyone ACCORDING TO RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES, Scientific Inquiry is finished. The proponents of slavery will have then won against us the believers of LIBERTY. What of the individual Infidel who is offended by a particular religion? What of the individual Infidel who is frightened and horrified by a particular religion? Is that person’s voice to be silenced by mob rule and by fear? To be in opposition to Islam is not to be racist, but rather to be concerned about your own survival, and the survival of your own culture. It is to be religionist (in the sense of being in opposition to a specific religion). Muslims are all races. About 60% of the world’s Muslims are not Arab, which makes Arabs a minority within Islam. Inside the United States, only about 20% of Arab Americans are Muslim (circa 10/15/2013 5:34 AM). Race has nothing to do with it. Something like 65% of Arab Americans are pious Christians who put most of us casual home-grown American Christians to shame by their devotion to Christ. Christianity has an interpretive tradition where the violent Old Testament passages concerning non-Christians tend not to be taken so literally, and are generally understood today to be amended by Christ’s teachings in the New Testament. In Church, a typical sermon today involves an appeal to good behavior according to Christian principles and tolerance of others, regardless of their faith. Although, some fire and brimstone for personal failure to comply with Christ’s message may be involved. It is a very personal thing: an intimate relationship between the valued individual and a basically loving God. Islam is the reverse: the peaceful passages in the Koran concerning Infidels are cancelled out by the violent passages about us, and the literal violent verses have been codified into unchangeable Islamic Sharia law for precisely how we Infidels are to be subdued. In Mosque, a typical sermon today involves an appeal to good behavior according to Islamic principles, and prompts for intolerance concerning unclean Infidels; likely, blaming Infidels for Muslims’ problems will be involved; and don’t forget, religious chanting for the death of the enemies of Islam. It is an impersonal thing: a relationship between The Muslim Group which is superior to all else, the Infidels who are inferior, all before a harsh, unpredictable God. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NOTE-1: On My Use Of The Word “Islamic” There is much disagreement among Muslims of what constitutes an “Islamic Nation,” and of what “Islamic” means. I use the term to refer to Muslims or things associated with Muslims. A Muslim majority country, I regard as an Islamic country; just as I would call a Christian majority country a Christian country. (In Western Nations, there tends to be a separation of Church and State; in Muslim majority nations, Islam tends to percolate and influence every aspect of the State.) The technically-correct definition is probably something like: “Only when the Sharia is the established law in a country, does it constitute an Islamic state.” There is no way to please everyone: Shias and Sunnis are murdering each other over minor disagreements of what constitutes proper Sharia and what true “peaceful” Islamic behavior is. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 47 REASONS WHY I FEAR ISLAM -1-I am suspicious of any religion that demands the death of any member who quits.+MORE+ -2-In Islamic nations any Muslim male can have his way with any female he has access to, because it is impossible to convict a Muslim male of rape under Islamic law. +MORE+ -3-I am suspicious of any religion with a zero tolerance for criticism: Any criticism of Islam is blasphemy, the penalty for which is death. +MORE+ -4-I am suspicious of any religion which claims that it is perfect “as is” and must never be changed or moderated on penalty of death for anyone attempting to do so.+MORE+ -5-Islam divides the world into “House of Islam” and “House of Warfare,” which means that a technical state of war exists between Islam and anything that is not Islamic. A religion that claims to be peaceful, but is at war with everything else!+MORE+ -6-In Islamic nations, male members of the religion are first class citizens, female members of the religion are second class citizens, non-members are third class citizens, and Jews are fourth class citizens.+MORE+ -7-I am suspicious of any religion with holy texts statistically more anti-Semitic than Hitler’s MEIN KAMPF.+MORE+ -8-I am suspicious of any religion that legally defines the worth of female members as half that of male members, and which views non-members as sub-human.+MORE+ -9-Complex prayer rituals which must be done a minimum of five times a day, every day without exception, are not healthy for people, or for people living near people compulsively praying in military formation like that. In my opinion. +MORE+ -10-I am suspicious of any religion which has no honorable surrender for its members, but rather demands that its members fight on in suicide against hopeless odds.+MORE+ -11-Initially, Islam was a peaceful force, with peaceful teachings; during that first decade it gained about 150 members through persuasion. Then Islam changed character, with warlike teachings; during that second decade it gained about 30,000 members through looting, killing, and forced conversions. Today, the warlike teachings over-rule the peaceful teachings. +MORE+ -12-Moderate Muslims are in the minority, have no influence, and are afraid to speak up.+MORE+ -13-Mentally-ill people are used as front line troops in the struggle against non-Islamic forces.+MORE+ -14-Muslims tend to blame other people for their own problems.+MORE+ -15-I am suspicious of any religion where cursing your enemies and chanting for their death is an accepted religious ceremony.+MORE+ -16-My intent is to expose Islam to Christians so that we can know what we are dealing with, not “attack” Islam. However, some parts of Islam seem so nasty from the Western point-of-view, that to expose them, to write about them at all, seems like an attack. Me? Islamophobic? Just because I am afraid of Islam, doesn’t mean that these slaves of their God aren’t trying to destroy my way of life, and possibly my life.+MORE+ -17-Muslims will NEVER accept the existence of Israel (or Spain for that matter, but Spain is on the back burner): 66% of Palestinians think their goal should be to start with a two-state solution but then use their Palestinian state as a launch pad to destroy Israel. +MORE+ -18-Sharia Law is a systematic encroachment of legal rulings to raise up the Muslim male, lock the Muslim female into hopeless submission, denigrate, devalue, and destroy anything non-Islamic, placing non-Muslims as third-class citizens, and Jews as fourth-class citizens until their eventual extinction.+MORE+ -19-The Islamic God hates Infidels and plots against us. Actually, I think I am supposed to fear this.+MORE+ -20-Terrorism by Muslims is not a perversion of Islam, but a form of accepted (and actually required) Islamic behavior according to a straight reading of the Koran, Sharia Law, the Hadiths, and is approved by the highest Islamic authorities in the world; a frightening percentage of Muslims within Western nations believe that terrorism is appropriate under some conditions.+MORE+ -21-The Islamic vision of Paradise is unlimited awesome sex after death for male Muslims. Can’t think of a better recruiting tool to funnel emotionally disturbed young men not into psychiatric hospitals but into front-line troops hoping to kill themselves for Islam and orgasmic eternity.+MORE+ -22-Islamic religious leaders, especially in the Middle East and Islamic majority countries like Pakistan, can whip up an angry mob of rioting Muslims whenever they please, and aim the mob at a specific target, due to the hair-trigger fever-pitch intolerant religious passion inside average Muslims (We are the slaves of our God, you are the scum of our God.) +MORE+ -23-It’s starting to look like only the few moderate Muslims can be trusted; and the fanatical Muslims may pretend to be friendly so well you won’t find out the truth until it’s too late.+MORE+ -24-The Muslim religion preaches disinformation as an article of faith; they are at war, so they must lie to the enemy about their troop movements, their subterfuges, and even what their religion is all about.+MORE+ -25-“Infidel” is the ugliest gutter insult one Muslim Arab can hurl at another person, roughly equivalent in emotional tone to the Western insult suggesting that a son has an inappropriate sexual relationship with his mother.+MORE+ -26-I fear for the freedom of Muslim women locked away behind a veil, and I fear for the safety of non-Muslim women not behind a veil because Muslim men, who already view Infidels as inferior scum, are more likely to see Western women as whores, fair-game to be raped. +MORE+ -27-The Islamic religion has not changed 2% in 1,100 years; and probably will not change 2% in the next 1,000 years. Rather than adapting to civilized laws, unchangeable Islam forces civic laws to adapt to it by violence, intimidation, terrorism, mob rule, murder, warfare, extortion, assassination, and disinformation.+MORE+ -28-Yes, moderate Muslims can be productive members of Western society; but only if they are “Bad Muslims” according to their own religion, or if they are “deep-cover agents” playing a “long-range” or “sleeper” game for the eventual destruction of non-Islamic forces.+MORE+ -29-Hollywood Comedy Writers can write a TV show making fun of the Pope, making fun of the U.S. President Barack Obama, making fun of [our] God, making fun of [insert any name except the Islamic Prophet]. Free speech? Nope. Fear speech. Muslims have us running away, scared of them.+MORE+ -30-Non-Muslims who like Islam don’t have a clue what the religion is all about. Non-Muslims who attempt to expose Islam are often accused of Hate Speech by those in the West largely because Islam itself is vicious. Accurately describing the way Islam functions seems to Western ears as unbelievable exaggeration motivated by hate. Also, Muslims have an army of PR experts and disinformation specialists who collectively yowl in the media like wounded wolves because of an “improper” and “intolerable” and “insulting” attack upon their religion by unclean Infidels who contaminate Islam with words they, as inferiors, have no right to speak.+MORE+ -31-There are “Good Muslims” and “Bad Muslims” just like there are “Good Christians” and “Bad Christians.” But what people in the West think of as a “Good Muslim,” the devout Muslims regard as “Bad Muslims.”+MORE+ -32-I’m all for “Freedom of Religion,” but I’m not sure Islam should be accorded the subsidized and protected status of a “religion” under American Law: isn’t that like us paying Communism to destroy Capitalism? +MORE+ -33-The only sure way into “paradise” for Muslim males is to die fighting enemies of Islam.+MORE+ -34-In my opinion, Christianity conquers through LOVE. In my opinion, Islam conquers through FEAR. If Machiavelli was right, we are doomed. +MORE+ -35-Earthly Islamic success seems more about loot, taking possessions from Infidels rather than self-actualization.+MORE+ -36-109 verses in the Koran advocate violence against Non-Muslims; 527 verses in the Koran are intolerant of Non-Muslims; of the 245 verses that are slightly “positive” on Non-Muslims every one of those has been abrogated, redacted, annulled, and do not apply to Islamic Law or influence Muslim behavior.+MORE+ -37-The only sure way a Muslim woman can get into Paradise is if her husband is happy with her at her moment of death.+MORE+ -38-Rather than assimilating into Western nations as productive members of society, on average Muslims tend to gather together into self-contained Islamic zones, or “no-go” zones, where Police & Fire & Social Services are afraid to enter because Non-Muslims are violently not welcome there.+MORE+ -39-Dangerous “holy” words lead to dangerous “unholy” behavior; if Moderate Muslims are ever to be taken seriously as moderates in the West, the 109 verses in the Koran which advocate violence against Non-Muslims should be abrogated, redacted and annulled. Will this happen? Never. The moderates attempting this would be killed as Apostates if they even talked about it.+MORE+ -40-I am suspicious of a religion which demands total and absolute slavery from its members.+MORE+ -41-Islam does not respect civil law, but rather seeks to invade civil law, to become the civil law. There is no “Render unto Caesar those things which are Caesar’s.” +MORE+ -42-Moderate Muslims essentially share the exact same ideology as violent Islamists, but prefer different tactics: a long-range strategic destruction of all American values, not a short-range bomb explosion to kill a few of us Infidels today. +MORE+ -43-Since Islamic holy writings refer to Jews as apes who must all be killed before Judgment Day can occur, I think the following analogy is fair. Fundamentalist Muslims are like barking sheepdogs that herd moderate Muslim sheep in the direction the radicals want. Also, several Christian refugees from Iraq have mentioned to me in passing that Muslims in the Middle East treat their women like dogs.+MORE+ -44-Islamic hatred of non-Muslims is often simmering just below the surface, only needing a pretext to flash into violence. We are unclean, detestable scum who are polluting the Earth, THEIR EARTH, with our miserable presence.+MORE+ -45-When the ideal male person of your religion marries a girl when she is six and has sex with her when she is nine, setting the standards for all other men, you know you are in the wrong religion, but it’s too late, the other members of your religion will kill you if you try to leave.+MORE+ -46-The word “LOVE” does not appear once in the Koran. I don’t know about you, but that scares me. A “religion” devoid of love!+MORE+ -47-Moderate Muslims scare me when they say that violence against non-Muslims is an incorrect interpretation of Islam, and not a part of the Koran: either they don’t know their own religion, or they are deep-cover agents for the subversive advance of Islam.+MORE+ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Note-2: My method is to first list my 47 reasons concerning Islam. The initial list has no distracting links or supporting arguments. Probably most readers will abandon this book before completing the initial list, and go on to some other form of entertainment. (Yes, I am exactly that cynical.) [This Second Section does not yet exist in the online version of 47 ISLAM; It only functions in the eBook version of 47 ISLAM.]Secondly, I list my 47 reasons concerning Islam with internal links; in this way, any point that strikes the reader’s fancy can be followed up in the third section by a few of my own supporting arguments (which, admittedly, are not much different from what can be found in books or on the Internet), and additional material. It has all been said and written before, many times. But this is the START SECTION to drill down and explore any point that interests you, by following the links. I am attempting to take advantage of hypertext and electronic books so that readers may explore Islam according to THEIR INCLINATIONS not mine. All external links were functional at the time of publication; but the Internet is always changing; research done over a decade has given me much material which I have not included within this book because the links no longer function. Thirdly, I list my 47 reasons concerning Islam with supporting arguments, and with links to Internet sources. And humor. I’m trying to be entertaining, so I also mix it up. If I can’t hold your interest you’ll go watch some video on demand. Anyway, THIS PART IS THE BOOK, if you want to read linearly the way most books are written and read, from start to finish. The purpose of links to Internet sources is to encourage you the reader to actually go to the article or web site and read further. In this way, any point that interests you can be followed up in-depth quickly. The points that bore you are easily avoided. Mostly I let others argue my case, which you may follow with links to the online article or to Amazon where you may purchase the physical book. I like to use other’s words to make my point whenever possible. They are the experts. I also like to mix things up; this is fair, since the Koran is all mixed up. I am also wary of long reasoned rational arguments, because most readers are bored by them and just skip over them. However, if you follow the links and read the full text of the articles you will get more rationality than you can handle. Read the books in my bibliography, and you will be an Infidel Expert on Islam. If you want long, reasoned, rational arguments concerning Islam, supported by facts which are substantiated, FOLLOW THE LINKS! READ THE BOOKS IN THE BIBLIOGRAPHY! You’ll get deductive logic there. I do not expect to persuade anyone—the writer/reader relationship is too flimsy. But if you already sort of agree with me about the danger of Islam, this book should provide you with the tools you need to persuade your friends. Friend-to-friend is how persuasion really takes place anyway. And, sadly, persuasion usually happens for emotional reasons, not intellectual reasons. In addition, expect some error in this project. I am not perfect. As Eric Hoffer expressed, it is impossible to think in understatements. Some of my declarations may go too far. Some of my declarations may not go far enough, due to my own ignorance. I am also sometimes guilty of over-simplification; not mentioning a minor clause if it is not relevant and/or would distract from my cherished sound bites. For example: When I stated that Islam divides the world into HOUSE OF ISLAM and HOUSE OF WARFARE, I simplified; there is also a HOUSE OF TEMPORARY TRUCE, not much in use, where jihad against Infidels is not allowed. Additionally, there is a HOUSE OF PEACE, what the entire world will supposedly become once Islam has conquered the entire world. There may be other archaic Islamic “HOUSES” that I have not noticed. If I try to bring all the “HOUSES” into the argument, I just confuse the essential duality. The main fact is that according to Muslim jurists, the Non-Muslim living in territory not subject to Islam (and therefore considered a land of war) has no rights: his property and his life are legal prey to any Muslim. The more I try to “fully explain” all the details, the more I just confuse most readers. One flaw I find in many books on Islam is that exhaustively dealing with all the exceptions dulls the edge of the argument, and has the effect of boring rather than enlightening readers. I’m not the hero here; the writers I point to with links, and YOU, the readers who share this information with YOUR FRIENDS are the heroines and heroes. These writers are the experts; they have done all the research and scholarship; some of them are hiding for their lives. I’m only good for jumping up and down and pointing at the pros who really understand the threat of Islam to Western Civilization. Even the best of my own writing on Islam is likely just paraphrased arguments from the professionals condensed down into sound-bites. If I have a talent it is in cramming a thought into 140-characters. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A SHORT FORWARD: The word LOVE does not appear once in the Koran. There is no love between Muslims and their God. There is no love between Muslims and Non-Muslims (quite the opposite, actually). And, according to the Koran, there is no love between Muslims and other Muslims (there are, however, many texts in the Koran and the Hadiths about how a wife may never refuse her husband sex—my favorite is the one about sex on a camel). Islam means to submit. As the slaves of their God, the ones who submitted, Muslims regard themselves as the lords of the Earth, the true owners of the Earth. Thus, according to twisted Islamic logic, looting and stealing from non-Muslims is, in their eyes, repossessing what is naturally theirs. Non-Muslims, or Infidels, are the lowest animal form of life, except for Jewish Infidels, which are even worse; when forced conversion to Islam is not practical, intolerance is encouraged (especially, if loot can be collected on a regular basis), murder of Infidels is condoned, and temporary peace treaties may be allowed with Infidels, provided the final goal is always kept in mind: the eventual destruction of anything Non-Islamic. Islam is 1/3rd religious force and 2/3rds political force. Much of the Koran functions as a rule book for precisely how and when the detested inferior Infidel must be conquered, marginalized, humiliated, taxed, converted, and killed. This is the Islamic Golden Rule: Kick the Infidel’s butt! The dangerous Muslims, in my view, are the ones who have studied Islam carefully and who take the teachings of Islam seriously. The moderate Muslims are the ones who don’t know their own religion or who don’t take it seriously. Christianity has an interpretive tradition where the peaceful teachings of Christ tend to over-rule the few violent Old Testament passages; in Islam the many violent hateful verses have rendered the few peaceful verses officially null and void. If you want a simplification, Islam is an ass-backwards Christianity. Instead of the Christian impulse to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” it’s the Muslim desire to “Do unto others before they do unto you.” Islam divides the World into HOUSE OF ISLAM and HOUSE OF WARFARE. War is a major theme of Islam; any action which expands Islam is a good action. Because Muslims are always praying, or they have just prayed, or they are just about to pray, or they are memorizing some holy words to be recited later, there is a religious spin on everything Muslims think, say or do. Because Infidels are “the enemy” the Koran repeatedly forbids Muslims to be friends with Infidels. It is perfectly acceptable, however, for Muslims to pretend to be friends with Infidels to gain some advantage. The religious leaders in Islam have an inordinate power and influence upon Muslims because the Koran has been randomized and redacted, so it is obscure and difficult to make sense of without expert study involving Islamic texts outside the Koran, particularly the Hadiths. Essentially, all the peaceful passages of the Koran have been annulled, voided, reduced to empty words that have no influence upon Islamic Law or Muslim behavior, by chronologically-later passages calling for intolerance and violence toward Non-Muslims. Also, Muslims are not allowed to critically examine the Koran, but must accept without question what their religious leaders tell them. Much emphasis is placed upon memorizing and reciting the Koran in the difficult Classical Arabic language in use from the Fourth to Ninth Centuries; so most Muslims are saying sounds they do not fully comprehend, over and over. As a result of this, many Muslims don’t know their own religion, but depend on their religious leaders for instructions. Orders given to Muslims from Islamic religious leaders in a Muslim majority Nation (“Death to America! Death to Israel! An accursed infidel on the other side of the world burnt a Koran, so boys after service go out and kill me some Infidels at the U.S. Embassy!”) are far different from orders given to Muslims living as minorities in Western Nations (“Keep your heads down until we get our numbers up, then Jihad!”). What all Muslims do know is if they quit Islam they might be killed, possibly by a family member, and at a minimum, they would be forever cutting off all contact between themselves and anyone in their extended family; they would be banished, to live in exile, under a death sentence. The religious leaders in Islam have also redacted and rewritten history. Islam denies its birth, and insists it has been around since the time of Adam and Eve. Islam denies the Holocaust, and many other “Western facts.” In Western Nations, Muslims tend to live together in “no go” zones where Non-Muslims are violently not welcome, and where an alternate Islamic history of the world is home-schooled to their children: Little tiny growing Islamic separate outposts for the future conversion of whatever Western nation they are in to a completely Islamic state. I have no clue what to do about Islam. But these are my fears, and my reasons. Occasionally, I make a suggestion, knowing full well it will never occur. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +Go-To-1+

#islam

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jamejumah-blog · 5 years

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1. Observations

Name of Community: Muslim Society of Guelph Place: ‘Jame Masjid’ at the Muslim Society of Guelph (MSOG) 286 Water Street Guelph, Ontario Dates of visit: January 18th, February 8th, February 22nd Notes: This blog will use the Islamic term of ‘masjid’ which translates to ‘mosque’ in English.

The Muslim Society of Guelph abbreviated as the MSOG, is a religious institution in Guelph, Ontario which is also home to ‘Jame Masjid,’ a mosque which I have been visiting occasionally for the past three years. The men in my family, which consist of my brother and father, attend Jumah, congregational Friday prayer every week at this mosque. I chose this community to observe because I have slight familiarity with it, however I have never actually taken the time out to observe my surroundings properly. For this field research project, I attended Jumah at Guelph’s Jame Masjid, three times in a way I had never done before. By this I mean that I attended Jumah and actually observed my surroundings and analyzed the space, rather than just partaking in the ritual as I have previously done. For me, Jumah has always been a ritual I occasionally engaged in because it is a part of my religion. I have grown up watching the men in my family attend Jumah as it is mandatory for them to partake in it weekly. However, despite having knowledge about this ritual and having attended it several times throughout my life, I have never made it a point to observe my surroundings objectively, especially at this particular location. This blog will share my experience attending Jumah prayer thrice at Jame Masjid, making it a point to describe my spatial surroundings, interactions, as well as other observations which may help me to analyze a ritual this community engages in on a weekly basis.

The initial observations that I made when arriving at the masjid to partake in Jumah prayer were observations regarding segregation. Upon arriving on the property of the Muslim Society of Guelph, I immediately noticed that there were two different entrances for the masjid, the entrance from which I entered was on a different side of the masjid than the entrance my father and brother had to go through. This is something that as a Muslim woman I have encountered many times before through my trips to various masjids. However, for someone who does not know that there are gender-based entrances to Jame masjid, the signs placed around the building would be extremely helpful. I drove by the men’s entrance which was located at the front of the masjid, and marked by a large sign which read “brothers entrance” in both English and its Arabic counterpart. Again, I was able identify the text as Arabic, because of my prior knowledge of the language through Quranic studies. The womens entrance was situated at the back of the masjid, with a sign that read “sisters entrance” again, in both English and Arabic. I noticed while parking outside the masjid, that many families who came together first parked before parting ways to enter the masjid through their respective entrances. I also noticed that younger children who came with their parents, who were infants or toddlers, regardless of gender, went inside the mosque with their mothers (or female guardian). However, boys who surpassed the toddler age, accompanied their father. In my family’s case, my 12 year old brother went inside the masjid with my father.

Upon entering the building, there was a large hallway lined with shoe shelves on which people placed their shoes before making their way into the actual prayer room in which the Jumah prayer was to be offered. Again, I noted the signs placed around these shelves which read “please remove footwear before entering masjid.” I was able to see down the hallway that men were doing the same as women, removing their shoes before making their way into the prayer hall. I noticed right away that the entire masjid was filled with the sound of Arabic verses being recited by a man on the microphone. Once again, I knew that the verses being recited were in Arabic because of the knowledge I possessed of the Quran, the Islamic holy scripture.

Image 2: Shoe shelves.

On all three of my visits, I arrived to the masjid quite early to give myself ample time to make observations. The prayer was to be performed at 1:35PM, and I had arrived to the mosque at around 12:50PM each week. After removing my shoes, I entered the prayer hall (the masjid itself), and was greeted by the few women who were in the room. They smiled and said “Assalamualaikum,” to me, a gesture which was repeated upon the entry of every woman into the masjid. All of the women were dressed modestly, wearing loose fitted clothing and covering their hair with head scarfs. I also noticed that there was a box of scarves and skirts at the back of the masjid for women to borrow if needed. Regardless of what a woman was wearing, the common aspect was that each woman was completely covered, with nothing but her face, feet, and hands, showing. As for the men, the clothing varied from simple jeans and t shirts, to a few traditional outfits.

During all three of my visits, there were not very many women present for the prayer. However, on the televisions which streamed the prayer in the men’s hall, it was apparent that already, more than 50 men were present. By the time of the actual prayer, approximately 20-30 women were in attendance (this number varied during each of my visits). On the other hand, numerous men attended every week and after discussing with my father, he had estimated that approximately 200 men attend the Jumah prayer at Jame Masjid weekly.

Continuing with my observations regarding segregation, I noted that although the prayer hall for the men and women were side-by-side, they were divided with an opaque partition; both having separate entrances as well. This partition was a divider of some sort, which was thick enough to have two television screens hung on it, which streamed a live video of the men’s prayer hall for the women to see. I noticed that there was substantially more space allocated for men than for women. From what I could make out through the television screens, the men’s prayer hall was probably three times the size of the women’s. Furthermore, the women prayed behind the men, with the leader of the prayer, a male, standing at the very front. The leader of the prayer was the only person who prayed with nobody on either side of him.

Image 3: Mens prayer hall.

Image 4: Womens prayer hall.

The Jumah prayer was preceded by a sermon which was delivered mostly in English with multiple references to the Qur’an (the Islamic holy book) and Hadith (the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad). I noted that the topic of the sermon varied week-to-week, and everyone in the mosque sat and listened to it very attentively. In fact, I overheard a few young girls who were chatting in the masjid being told to quiet down and pay attention to the sermon by another woman. This woman was elderly, who was sitting at the back of the masjid, with her head facing down. She was completely quiet much like the other women in the room, and seemed to be focusing on the sermon being delivered, as she wished for complete silence. These young girls obeyed immediately, and stopped their chatter for the duration of the sermon. On my visit to Jame Masjid on the 18th of January, the sermon discussed the rank of a mother in Islam. The speaker mentioned how heaven lies beneath the feet of the mother, and respecting her is the gateway to eternal happiness. On February 8th, the sermon discussed the significance of charity, through the form of donation and volunteer work. The speaker highlighted various stories of the Prophet Muhammad partaking in charitable acts, which Muslims all around the world could learn from. The speaker encouraged all the individuals who were in attendance to donate anything to the masjid, whether that be their time volunteering or any amount of money. He emphasized that doing good deeds in this life will certainly make for a fruitful life in the hereafter. Finally, the sermon delivered on February 22nd discussed the importance of visiting and taking care of the sick. The speaker emphasized the reward which an individual receives through visiting a sick person, be it one’s neighbours, friend, family member, or even acquaintance. The speaker highlighted the importance of visiting the sick through the narration of stories of the Prophet Muhammad, and his encounters with the ill. Learning from the actions of the Prophet was integral to becoming a good Muslim; a point which the speaker emphasized multiple times. Each of these sermons consisted of two parts, where the speaker sat down for a break before continuing on to the second portion of the sermon. I noticed that during this break between the sermon, some women got up to pray on their own, while some made use of the Qurans placed on a shelf on the side of the prayer room. The Qurans were placed on an elevated shelf, and nothing was placed on top of these scriptures. I knew immediately that these women were reading the Quran (as opposed to another scripture) through the faint sound of their recitation which I recognized through previous knowledge of Quranic verses.

Image 5: Qur’an shelf.

The athan (call to prayer) was made shortly after my arrival, and the sermon was given for approximately 35 minutes before the prayer began. A man (who was not the leader of the prayer) recited another call to prayer and very quickly everyone in the masjid began to line up shoulder-to-shoulder and prepare for the prayer. I noticed a few women who were insistent on filling the gaps between each other, and made sure everyone was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with no spaces in between them. During my first visit, I did not understand why it was so important to stand so close to one another during prayer. However, during the second time I attended Jumah, I overheard a woman telling a little girl to fill in the gap between another two ladies because “we do not want shaytan to pray amongst us.” This statement really got me thinking, as I had never realized that this may be the reason why people stress the importance of standing shoulder-to-shoulder during prayer. During the prayer itself, everyone seemed to be following the bodily movements of the leader of the prayer. For example, when the leader bowed down to the ground, everyone else followed a few seconds after him. At all times, the leader was the first one to perform a new prayer movement. I also noticed that a few (maximum 3) women were holding up the Qur’an while they were praying. I did not notice any of the men performing this particular act. Seeing a few women perform this act was a bit peculiar for me, as being raised in a Sunni family, I had always been told that praying while holding the Quran was forbidden. Perhaps these few women associated with a different sect of Islam, or simply held different views, I am not too sure.

After the prayer was over, I noticed that many of the women immediately formed small groups in which they talked to one another in their respective languages. I noticed a few Pakistani women who sat together speaking to one another in Urdu, a language I recognized because it is my mother tongue. They were simply greeting each other, and making casual conversation before parting ways and heading out of the masjid. A few women made conversation with me as well, simply introducing themselves, asking me general questions such as my name, and telling me that they hoped to see me the following week. On my second and third visits to the masjid, a few of the women who had made conversation with me in the earlier weeks recognized me, and to my surprise, greeted me warmly- some even remembered my name. I noticed during my third visit to the masjid, that there were two girls who sat at the back of the room and observed the prayer. I had guessed that they were probably observing the community and ritual in some way. I noted that the girls were wearing their scarf very loosely, where a lot of their hair actually was still left uncovered. This gave me an idea that they were probably outsiders to the community, because as an insider, I know the importance of having all the hair covered when in the masjid. A mid-aged woman approached these two teenage girls and encouraged them to stay after the prayer and join for tea and samosas. I went and spoke with these girls after the prayer had concluded, and to confirm my intuition, they were in fact non-Muslim girls who were observing the Jumah ritual for a grade 12 sociology project.

After Jumah had ended, most people left the masjid after a few minutes of socializing as described above. I made it a point to stay an extra few minutes after the prayer to record some spatial observations. I noted that the masjid was very simple, painted in a light green- almost white colour, with no paintings or posters on the walls. The only item on the walls were televisions, one which was located at the back of the prayer room which listed prayer times for the duration of the month. It was brightly lit, and offered accessible entrances in the case where a wheelchair may need to come through. The masjid was lined with soft, green carpet which was thick enough to provide comfort despite having sat on the floor throughout the entire sermon. I must note that everyone in the masjid sat on the floor, with the only exception being a few elderly individuals who sat on chairs. Washrooms were present inside the masjid with a designated area for wudhu (partial ablution). I also noted signs on the doors to the masjid which stated that no food was permitted inside the prayer room. However, I did note that many of the women carried water bottles with them inside the masjid. The masjid was very clean and well maintained. I noticed that after everyone had left, a man was walking around tidying up the space, making sure that the Qurans were lined up properly.

I do not think my presence had any impact on my observations through my three visits. As an insider in this community, someone who is familiar with the masjid and the Jumah prayer itself, I was already aware of the general rules and regulations of a masjid i.e. the fact that I had to cover my hair as a woman. I did not have much of an interaction with anyone present at the prayer until the actual prayer was over, where I introduced myself to a few women. Moreover, my presence did not seem to be impacting anyone’s actions. The women were all engaging in their rituals, such as attentively listening to the sermon, making Dua’a (prayer) and actually partaking in the congregational prayer, without looking around much at their surroundings. It seemed that everyone was quite busy in their own acts of worship to pay much attention to what others were doing, as long as the others were being quiet and respectful.

Since I had stayed back after most of the individuals had left the masjid, I asked my father if I could introduce myself to the president of the Muslim Society of Guelph. I spoke to him outside of the actual prayer rooms, and simply asked him if I could see the men’s side of the masjid. To my surprise, he was happy to allow me in, as long as prayer was not occurring. I obtained his permission to take a few photos of my surroundings, respecting his wishes to do so once the premises were relatively clear of people. He also provided me with permission to utilize any audio-visual resources which could be found on the masjid’s official website.

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ramz-igill-blog · 5 years

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Budget Umrah package

Tips for Hajj and Umrah

First of all congratulations! Because we come to this article, assume that you are preparing to go to the Holy Land to perform Hajj or Umrah or at least you have defined your intention in your heart, God willing. Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and is the final test for a person who describes himself as a Muslim. Labbaik Allaahumma labbaiik, labbaika laasyariikalaka labbaik, innalhamda wanni'mata lakawalmulk, laasyariikalak.

The following articles about Hajj will be more important for the technical aspects of traveling in Hajj, such as luggage, health, etc., and technically will carry out a series of mental activities as well as tawaaf, seeking, thalul, jumrah, etc. The author assumes that the wise reader has led manasik Hajj , So he already knows the procedures of Hajj / Umrah, such as Ihram, miqat, tahalul, etc. InshaAllah, we will suspend the arguments of the Qur'an and the Hadith when necessary. This article will also show you a lot of photos, maps, and videos to make your tips easier to learn.

Congratulations on receiving the following tips, and again, congratulations on budget umrah package Hajj and Umrah!

Preparation: Packing

In general, Hajj Travel Company will prepare 4 types of bags with travel characteristics (color and logo) to be worn. Big bag, small bag, carry bag, small bag / waist / sling. Each bag has its own function. Usually, when we leave, our luggage is not too much, so it's still easy. But when you go home, in general, the content will increase significantly from the moment of departure, and one of these reasons is that we will bring back memories. So if you do not plan to buy, usually after seeing many stores there, you'll tend to buy.

Your big bag is the main bag that contains all the necessities while you are in the Holy Land. While we will use a small bag during the pilgrimage from the eighth, descend to Desley to Mina, and then 9 in Arafat, back to Mona for the dome, back to Mecca to circumnavigate, and then return to Mina to launch three gems until the thirteenth rib (12 misguided if breathed early) . During these 5-6 days, large luggage will be left behind and stored in a safe place for your trip.

These are the recommended articles to upload.

Big Bag:

Ihram (1-2 pairs) * For women, Ihram clothes are white Prayer rug Muslim clothes / Muslim clothes / Pirjo Daily clothes / casual wear. Trousers Warm clothing * Especially during the winter in the city, the morning prayer is very cold. The sarong is the main unisex dress in the archipelago Towels are large and small Lingerie * It is highly recommended to use or discard once to facilitate and reduce washing load. Open sandals (do not close ankles) * For pregnant women and light socks Toiletries * This makes it easy to separate one bag and another for a small bag during Hajj. Personal medicine Small bag for sandals small bag:

Wearing clothes * During his stay in Mina, after removing ihraam, he was usually dressed in informal clothes, because the activities were only around the shop and only to throw places. Lingerie * It is highly recommended to use or discard once to facilitate and reduce washing load. Prayer rug Bathroom/bathroom amenities Personal medicine A small bag for storing muzzled stones for Hajj. Capital:

Bring enough money from Saudi Arabia (SR). If possible, do not do all this in one place if something unexpected happens. If you join ONH plus, as long as you are in Makkah, Medina, Mina, and Arafat, breakfast, lunch and dinner are prepared entirely for fruit, tea, coffee, milk, juice, etc. To eat outside when you simply eat snacks, for example, sandwiches at Indonesian restaurants in Mecca, KFC sandwiches or picky chicken sandwiches.

* Also prepare money to pay prey (for goats / $ 120)

* The author, in addition to the wallet, also holds a safe place in the bag/bag. In addition to bringing deposits in US dollars if necessary (many cashiers in Mecca and Medina)

* Remember, in addition to Hajj activities, there will be activities to visit the city, shopping, etc. There are frequent sets of Umrah in 2019, including the abundant day's effort that can be the best companion to your task without being pressured. Make sure that the Umrah Package you choose fits your needs according to your financial situation, suitability and the number of your family members. Why not make the Umrah trip in 2019 a beautiful trip during the last ten days of Ramadan that cannot be ignored forever? To stay in this sacred campaign, one must choose appropriate treatment for Umrah so that they can travel in comfort and convenience. Many travel companies work in the world of the travel industry and also try to provide amenities to God Almighty. You can choose any of these travel companies for your trip, but if you are looking for a company that guarantees your trip, you can not find any other travel company that has more knowledge of Umrah travel. We are working to transfer our best customers to our valued customers, and for us, the most satisfying thing for our customers is to satisfy our customers. Read our famous posts: How to perform Umrah• Choose 4 or 5 stars of Umrah offers When booking your offer, it is recommended to book your Umrah packages through luxury 4 or 5-star accommodation and other services. As you know, you will be on a divine journey, you must be comfortable and comfortable during your age.• Deals with the proximity of the Haram al-Sharif and the Prophet's Mosque Always choose offers that offer the closest to no man's land and dwelling. It is the best way to save energy and within 5 to 10 minutes to reach the Grand Mosque and the Prophet (peace be upon him).

• The agency must be reliable.

Before booking your budget Umrah packages in 2019, you should check the background and reliability of your company. If you think the company is reliable, book your offer for your religious trip to Mecca.So, there are more tips you need to know, so contact our trained travel agent and get more information about your spiritual journey.

#low umrah package #budget umrah package #expense on umrah package #less price umrah package #umrah visa requirments #performing umrah #umrah laws #why hajj necessary

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questionsonislam · 25 days

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How should we spend holy nights? What should we do in order to gain Allah's (SWT) content?

There are some important means of deserving forgiveness and intercession, earning thawabs, advancing in religion, being safe from troubles and problems and gaining Allah’s content, which can be –and necessary to be- applied in holy nights. It will be useful to remember some of them in short and with the list below in general:

1. One should read the Quran and listen to the ones who read. There should be Quran-citing invitations held in appropriate places. The feelings of love, respect and loyalty for the words of Allah, i.e. the Quran should be renewed and strengthened.

2. One should send compliments (salawat) to the Prophet and renew his/her awareness of being one of his followers, and hope for his intercession.

3. One should perform qada and nafilah (supererogatory) prayers. If there are prayers exclusive to that night, they can be performed as well. Holy nights should be spent with prayers and with consciousness of kindness in prayers, in accordance with their essence.

4. One should meditate; “Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going to? What does Allah expect from me?” are the main issues which one should contemplate, besides other important matters.

5. One should make an account and revision of her/his past and outline the plan and program of the present and the future.

6. One should repent her/his sins sincerely and should regret and turn to the Lord, considering that night as the last chance.

7. One should perform invocations (dhikr) and supplications to Allah.

8. Believers should make amends with and forgive each other, and assure their content with others.

9. Resentful and offended people should be reconciled; people should be pleased, and sorrowful faces should be given a smile.

10. One should pray for the good of himself and for other Muslim brothers and sisters mentioning their names.

11. One should ask the news of those who have got rights over himself and the necessities of moral quality of fidelity and gratefulness should be fulfilled.

12. One should visit the poor, orphans, the sick and the elderly people and please them with love, compassion, respect, gifts and charity.

13. Verses, hadiths about that night and comments of them should be read from the books about them individually or in groups.

14. Religious meetings, panels and conversations should be organized, ;advices of preachers should be listened; poems should be recited and a different feeling should be evoked in hearts with religious songs and hymns.

15. Prayers of maghrib, isha’a and fajr should be performed in groups in mosques, at holy nights.

16. Tombs of the Companions, scholars and saints should be visited and they should be pleased, and supplications should be made to Allah in the spiritual atmosphere of their tombs.

17. One should visit their dead relatives’, friends’ and ancestors’ graves, which is a requirement of faith brotherhood.

18. One should wish their elderly people, masters, parents, friends and other acquaintances blessed holy nights, by visiting them in person or by phoning, faxing and e-mailing to them.

19. If possible, one should fast the day before the holy nights.

There is not an exclusive way of praying for holy nights. Holy nights can be spent with prayers (salat), reading the Quran, supplications and other kinds of worship… Some special prayers performed at holy nights are not present in sunnah; and they are not based on a notable narration either. Nevertheless, it does not mean that “it is makrooh to perform prayers at those nights”. There are many narrations encouraging tahajjud and nafilah prayers. Of course, it is more virtuous to perform them at holy nights.”

Moreover, it is unobjectionable to perform prayers which are said to be exclusive to holy nights additionally; it makes one earn thawabs.

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discoverislam · 11 years

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The Quba Mosque

Quba Mosque

The Quba Mosque (Quba' Masjid or Masjid al-Quba, Arabic: مسجد قباء), in the outlying environs of Medina in Saudi Arabia, is the oldest mosque in the world. Its first stones were positioned by the Islamic prophet Muhammad as soon as he arrived on his emigration from the city of Mecca to Medina[1] and the mosque was completed by his companions. Muhammad spent more than 20 nights in this mosque (after migrating) praying qasr (a short prayer) while waiting for Ali whose house was behind this mosque.[citation needed]

According to Islamic tradition, offering two rakaʿāt of nafl prayers in the Quba Mosque is equal to performing one Umrah.

Muhammad used to go there, riding or on foot, every Saturday and offer a two rak'ah prayer. He advised others to do the same, saying, "Whoever makes ablutions at home and then goes and prays in the Mosque of Quba, he will have a reward like that of an 'Umrah." This hadith is reported by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Hakim al-Nishaburi.

When Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil was commissioned, in the 20th century, to conceive a larger mosque, he intended to incorporate the old structure into his design. But the old mosque was torn down and replaced with a new one.[2]

The new mosque consists of a rectangular prayer hall raised on a second storey platform. The prayer hall connects to a cluster containing:

residential areas,

offices,

ablution facilities,

shops, and

a library

Six additional entrances are dispersed on the northern, eastern and western façades. Four minarets mark the corners of the prayer hall. The minarets rest on square bases, have octagonal shafts which take on a circular shape as they reach the top.

Prayer hall

The prayer hall is arranged around a central courtyard, characterised by six large domes resting on clustered columns. A portico, which is two bays in depth, borders the courtyard on the east and west, while a one-bayed portico borders it on the north, and separates it from the women's prayer area.

The women's prayer area, which is surrounded by a screen, is divided into two parts as a passageway connects the northern entrance with the courtyard.

When Quba Mosque was rebuilt in 1986, the Medina architecture was retained - ribbed white domes, and basalt facing and modest exterior - qualities that recalls Madina's simplicity. The courtyard, is flagged with black, red and white marble. It is screened overhead by day from the scorching heat with shades. Arabesque latticework filters the light of the palm groves outside.

Imams and Khateebs

Sheikh Salih Bin 'Awad Al Mughamisi

Sheikh Muhammed Khalil

Sheikh Muhammad Ayyub And Adil

Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali bin Abdur Rahman Hudaify

Mentions in the hadith

The merits of Masjid Quba are mentioned in nineteen Sahih al-Bukhari hadiths; thirteen Sahih Muslim hadiths; two Sunan Abu Dawood hadiths; and six Al-Muwatta hadiths.[3]

Muhammad frequented the mosque and prayed there. This is referred to in a number of hadith:

Narrated 'Abdullah bin Dinar: Ibn 'Umar said, "The Prophet used to go to the Mosque of Quba every Saturday (sometimes) walking and (sometimes) riding." 'Abdullah (Ibn 'Umar) used to do the same

—Collected by Muhammad al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari Volume 2, Book 21, Number 284[4]

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: The Prophet used to go to the Mosque of Quba (sometimes) walking and sometimes riding. Added Nafi (in another narration), "He then would offer two Rakat (in the Mosque of Quba)."

—Collected by Muhammad al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari Volume 2, Book 21, Number 285[5]

Mention in the Qur'an

It is mentioned in the Qur'an as the mosque founded on piety and devoutness (Masjid al-Taqwa):

Never stand (to pray) there. A place of worship which was found upon duty (to Allah) from the first day is more worthy that thou shouldst stand (to pray) therein, wherein are men who love to purify themselves. Allah loveth the purifiers.

—Qur'an, sura 9 (At-Tawba), ayah 108[6]

#Sahih al-Bukhari #Quba Mosque #Muhammad al-Bukhari #Muhammad #Medina #Islam #Hadith #Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil

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engaxmedsalan · 4 years

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Learn why people trust wikiHow

RELIGION

ISLAM

How to Become a Muslim

Author Info

Last Updated: March 4, 2020 References

At almost two billion members and growing, Islam is, by some measures, the fastest-growing religion in the world.[1] Unique among the world's religions in the ease with which new members may join its ranks, Islam requires only a simple, sincere declaration of faith to become a Muslim. The declaration is not to be made lightly, however—devoting oneself to a life guided by Islamic principles is one of the most important (if not the most important) acts you'll ever make.

You should know that accepting Islam destroys all sins which come before it. As a new convert, your record is clean; it's similar to a literal rebirth. One should try as much as possible to keep their records clean and strive to do as many good deeds as possible.

Please note Islam does not advocate killing; in most religions, killing is a major sin. Extreme practices such as these are not advised. Islam does have a dress code that places an emphasis on modesty, which all Muslims are required to follow.

Part 1 of 3:

Converting to Islam

Make sure you know what it means to be a Muslim and how to act like one. The first and foremost rule of being a Muslim is believing in the one and only Allah. Allah is the only God, the only Creator and the Almighty. He is the only one you should be doing your good deeds for and the only who shall be worshipped. There should be nothing stood beside His place. Allah's messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the messenger and the last Prophet who came down to Earth, and there will never be any prophets after him. Islam considers itself to be the natural way of all creation. That is, Islam is the original, perfect state of being. So, when a person "converts" to Islam, he/she is actually reverting to their own original nature.

Islam considers anyone who follows its teachings to be a Muslim, regardless of when or where she or he lived. For instance, Islam believes that Jesus was a Muslim, though he lived hundreds of years before modern Islam's historical founding.

Allah, the Arabic word for God, refers to the same God worshiped by Christians and Jews (aka the "Abrahamic" God). Thus, Muslims revere the prophets of Christianity and Judaism (including Jesus, Moses, David, Elijah, etc.) and consider the Bible and Torah to be divinely inspired, but modified over time, and therefore, unreliable. The Qur'an is God's final scripture that affirms the truth in the previous scriptures and rectifies any falsehoods or corruptions.

Avoid associating yourself with any sect in Islam. Allah and his Prophet command us to be united. Therefore, Muslims should only obey Allah and his Prophet and avoid bid'ah (innovation in religious matters). If the Allah or the Prophet didn't command or do an action, don't do it.

"Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects—you, [O Muhammad], are not [associated] with them in anything. Their affair is only [left] to Allah ; then He will inform them about what they used to do." [6:159][2]

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Beware! The people of the Book before were split up into seventy two sects, and this community will be split into seventy three: seventy two of them will go to Hell and one of them will go to Paradise, and it is the majority group."[3]

Read Islamic scripture. The Quran is the central religious book of Islam, believed to be the unadulterated word of God and the culmination of all previous Christian and Jewish scripture.[4] Another very important religious scripture is the Hadith, the sayings and accounts of Muhammad. Hadith collections form the basis for much of Islamic law.[5] Reading these writings will give you an understanding of the stories, laws, and teachings that make up Islamic belief.

Talk with an Imam. Imams are Islamic religious scholars who conduct religious services inside and outside the mosque (Masjid). Imams are chosen for their knowledge of Islamic scripture and their good character. A good Imam will be able to provide you with advice when deciding whether you're ready to devote yourself to Islam.

Say the Shahada. If you're absolutely sure you want to become a Muslim and fully submit to the will of Allah, all you need to do is recite the Shahada, a short oral declaration of faith. Be aware that once you have said the Shahada, you are committed to following Islam for life. The words of the Shahada are "Ash-hadu anla elaha illa-Allah wa ash-hadu anna Mhammadur rasul-Allah", which translates to "I testify that there is no other god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is Allah's messenger."[6][7] By saying the Shahada, you become a Muslim.

The first part of the Shahada ("Ash-hadu anla elaha illa-Allah") refers not only to deities from other religions, but also to worldly things which can take the place of Allah in your heart—wealth and power, for example.[8]

The second part of the Shahada ("wa ash-hadu anna Mhammadur rasul-Allah") is a recognition that Muhammad is Allah's final messenger. Muslims are required to live by the principles of Muhammad, revealed in the Quran and follow his example.

The Shahada must be said with sincerity and understanding to be binding. You can't become a Muslim just by pronouncing the words—the oral recitation is a reflection of belief that's held in the heart.

You should never kill, lie, steal, or anything of the sort, and will follow Allah's commands detailing how He wishes to be worshiped. In other words, you will follow the Islamic rules.

To become a legal member of the Muslim community, have witnesses present at your recitation. Witnesses are not strictly required to become a Muslim—God knows all things, so a Shahada said alone, with conviction, will make you a Muslim in God's eyes. However, to become legally recognized by the Muslim mosque, you generally must make your Shahada in front of witnesses—two Muslims or an Imam (Islamic religious leader) who is authorized to certify your new faith.

Wash yourself. Immediately upon becoming a Muslim, you should take a shower or bath as a form of purification. This is a symbolic act that signifies the washing away of the past and of emerging from darkness to light.

No one's sins are too grave to prohibit newfound purity. Upon making your Shahada, your past sins are forgiven and you are pure. You symbolically begin a new life centered around striving to improve your spiritual state through good deeds.

Males are strongly recommended to submit to circumcision as soon as possible after becoming Muslim. Although this may seem daunting, it is considered important for cleanliness and represents an act of love for Allah, seeking His reward. The local mosque should be able to direct you to a nearby hospital where this procedure can be performed in a sterile environment by qualified experts.

Part 2 of 3:

Living According to Islamic Principles

Offer prayer to God. If you're not sure how to pray as a Muslim, the easiest way to learn is to attend a Mosque for the five daily prayers. Prayer should be a relaxing, enjoyable activity, but be aware that the five daily prayers are obligatory for all mature Muslims. Take your time when praying. Rushing the prayer should be avoided in order to gain maximum benefit.

Remember, prayer is a direct spiritual connection between you and the being who keeps your heart beating and who created the universe. It should bring serenity, happiness, and peace. This will come with and improve over time. Avoid being excessive or ostentatious with your prayer—pray simply and humbly. Your initial goal is to establish a habit and make it an enjoyable and fulfilling experience.

Structure your day around the five daily prayers. Make sure that you leave plenty of time for supplication (dua) after performing the obligatory prayers, as this is the way Muslims seek help from Allah. Try to adopt the habit of praying all the optional prayers as well.

Pray to Allah for good judgement and success in life. However, keep two points in mind. First, you must perform the duties that Allah has required of you. It is not enough to merely pray for success—you must do what is necessary to achieve it. Second, have faith in Allah in all matters. Your material success is fleeting, but Allah is eternal—keep your devotion in Allah whether you are successful or not.

Remember that Allah is self-sufficient and does not actually need our worship, rather He commands us to pray for our own benefit.

Perform Islamic obligations (Fard). Islam requires Muslims to fulfill certain obligations. These obligations are called "Fard." There are two kinds of Fard: Fard al-Ayn and Fard al-Kifaya. Fard al-Ayn are individual obligations—things every single Muslim must do if he or she is able, like praying daily and fasting during Ramadan. [9] Fard al-Kifaya are community obligations—things that the community as a whole must do, even if every member doesn't do them. For instance, if a Muslim dies, some of the Muslims in the community must get together to say funeral prayers. It's not required for every individual Muslims to say the prayers. However, if no one says the funeral prayers, the whole community is at fault.

Islamic belief also mandates the observance of Sunnah, lifestyle guidelines based on the life of Muhammad. Some acts are recommended, and some are mandated. The narration (hadith) will inform you if the described action is required.

Observe Muslim etiquette (Adab). Muslims are required to live their lives in certain ways, avoiding some behaviors and adopting others. As a Muslim, you will keep the following habits (and others):

Observe halal dietary practices. Muslims abstain from consuming pork, carrion, and alcohol. Additionally, meat must be properly slaughtered by an authorized Muslim.

Say "Bismillah" ("In the Name of God") before meals.

Eat and drink with your right hand, and never with the left.

Practice proper hygiene.

Refrain from non-essential interaction with the opposite gender. Remember that all forms of sexual activity outside the bounds of marriage are forbidden in Islam.

Married women must abstain from sex during the menstrual cycle.

Study and follow the Islamic dress code, which places great emphasis on modesty.

Understand and embody the five pillars of Islam. Islam's Five Pillars are obligatory actions that Muslims must take. They represent the core of pious Islamic life. The Five Pillars are:

Testimony of Faith (Shahada). You make this when you become a Muslim by declaring that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger.

Performance the five daily prayers (Salah). Prayers are made throughout the day, five times, in the direction of the holy city of Mecca.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan (Sawm), if able. Ramadan is a holy month marked by fasting and additional good deeds such as prayer and charity.

Giving 2.5% of your savings to the poor (Zakat). It is a personal responsibility of Muslims to help those less fortunate.

Making a pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj). Those who are able are required to make the journey to Mecca at least once.

Believe in the six articles of Faith. Muslims have faith in Allah and his divine order even though it cannot be perceived by human senses. The six articles of faith mandate that Muslims must believe in:

Allah (God). God is the creator of the universe and the only being worthy of worship.

His angels. Angels are the unquestioning servants of God's divine will.

His revealed scripture. The Quran is the perfect will of God as revealed to Muhammad by through the angel Gabriel (Christian and Jewish scripture is also considered holy, they were given from Allah but some or more of the content has already been changed).

His Messengers. God sent Prophets (including Jesus, Abraham, and others) to preach his word on earth.

The Day of Judgement. God will eventually raise all life for judgement at a time known only to him.

Fate. God has ordained all things—nothing occurs without his will or pre-knowledge.

Part 3 of 3:

Maturing Your Faith

Continue to read the Qur'an. You can learn much from translations of the Qur'an. Some of these translations may be harder to understand than others. Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Pickthall are the two most common Qur'an translations, but give Sahih International a try if you're experiencing difficulties in understanding the old English of the other translations. However, it's even better to seek guidance from people who are trained in the study of the Qur'an rather than simply relying on your own ability to interpret the Qur'an. Your local mosque will likely have people who will be more than willing to guide and assist you in learning more about Islam and many have "New Muslim" study circles, which are often a good place to start. Be careful, but relaxed, about finding someone who you feel comfortable with and who you are convinced has enough knowledge in order to teach well.

Many Muslims devote much time to memorizing the Qu'ran as it brings great reward. When your Arabic improves, start learning by heart some of your favourite surahs. These can then be recited during prayer or whenever you feel you need a lift.

Research and study authentic collections of hadith (sayings or acts of the Prophet Muhammad [pbuh]), for example Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. See Sunnah.com to browse the collections.

Study Islamic Law and choose a school (optional). In Sunni Islam, religious law is divided into four schools of thought. Look into the different schools and choose the one that appeals most to you. Subscribing to a school will inform your interpretation of Islamic law as revealed in the primal sources of Islam [Quran and Sunnah] Note that all schools are equally valid. Although the Shariah may seem very strict at first, the laws and punishments are gifts from Allah to ensure a safe and fair society. Do your best to embrace them and try to implement what you learn in your own life. The officially recognized schools are:

Hanafi. The Hanafi School was founded by Imam Al A'dham Nu'man Abu Hanifa and is the most widely practiced school and has the most information available in English, it ranges from the widely secular Turks to the Ultra-Orthodox Deobandis and Barelvis. Most Hanafis live in the Indian subcontinent, Turkey, Eastern Iran, parts of Egypt and many non-Muslim-majority countries

Shafi'i. The Shafi'i school was founded by Imam Abu 'Abdillah Muhammad Al-Shafi'i and is the second most populous school and is the majority in Egypt and East Africa as well as Yemen, Malaysia and Indonesia, The Shafi'i school is known for their complex legal system.

Maliki. The Maliki school was founded by Imam Abu Anas Malik, who was a student of Imam Abu Hanifa; it is the majority school in North and North West Africa, as well as a reasonable following in Saudi Arabia. Imam Malik took his practices from the people of Madinah; one famous Maliki scholar is Hamza Yusuf.

Hanbali. The Hanbali school was founded by Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and is practiced almost exclusively in Saudi Arabia, with some followers in the West. The Hanbalis place great emphasis on creed and ritual practice and it is considered the most conservative and strict.

It is not obligatory to follow one of the aforementioned schools of thought. These did not exist during the time of the Prophet, and are simply different minor interpretations of how to perform certain actions, such as prayer. Do not worry if someone else follows a different school; Islam warns against dividing the religion into sects. Follow the Qur'an and Sunnah, and you won't go astray.

Above all, be the best person you can be. No matter what may anger, sadden or upset you, your duty on earth is to be the best person you can be by serving Allah and seeking His reward. Muslims believe that Allah created us to have a good life, and to be happy through our service to Him. Use your talents to help others and better your community. Be open-minded. Never do harm to anyone. Make it your mission to tell people about Islam, emphasizing that Islam is a religion of peace.

Like many religions, Islam advocates that its believers follow the "Golden Rule." Follow the advice of the prophet in the following Hadith:

Community Q&A

Question

What if I want to convert to Islam, but my family doesn't know and I'm scared to tell them? I feel in my heart that Islam is my true religion.

Anousha

Top Answerer

Remember, Allah is always there. He knows and understands all that is in your heart. You can convert to Islam if you want to, and practice it too, until you find the right time to tell your parents.

Question

How do I become a Muslim at the age of 11?

Community Answer

There is no age restriction to say the shahadah, so all you have to do is just pronounce your faith by saying the shahadah. You may also take your time to consider if this is what you truly want, as you are only 11.

Question

Do I have to cut my locks to become a Muslim?

JadeKindleysides

Community Answer

No. Your hair can be any length. For women who plan on wearing a hijab, there are special clothing items you can use to hide your hair beneath the hijab.

Question

Are Muslims allowed to go to their friends' weddings?

Community Answer

Yes. We are encouraged to socialize, make friends and spread good character.

Question

When do I use the phrase "Bismillah?"

Hammad Abdullah

Community Answer

Bismillah means "in the name of Allah." It is recommended (sunna) that you take the name of Allah before you do anything, big or small.

Question

If I convert into Islam, can I marry someone that is already Muslim, or would her family not accept me?

Hammad Abdullah

Community Answer

Yes, you can. As far as Islam is concerned, there's no problem for the family to accept you.

Question

I will make my shahada tomorrow but my family doesn't know I'm becoming Muslim. Will Allah protect me?

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pkchanel · 4 years

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Death of Hazrat Jesus

(as)

Introduction

There was a time when the circumstances surrounding the crucifixion of Hazrat Jesus(as) was a matter of great debate between Ahmadis and non-Ahmadi Muslims.

Whereas Ahmadi Muslims believe Hazrat Jesus(as) was a prophet who died like all other human beings, a great majority of Muslims held the view that Hazrat Jesus(as) was taken to Heaven by Allah and a Jesus-look-alike was crucified by the Jews instead.

Few non Ahmadi scholars today like to raise the topic of the death of Hazrat Jesus(as). To most it has become a non issue. They would rather vigorously propound their interpretation of khatam nabiyyin. It has become the “flavor of the month” so to speak. The majority of Muslims appear to be indifferent or just plain uninterested.

A more interesting change in the attitude of Muslim scholars has been in the total abandonment of the belief that Hazrat Jesus(as) is alive in Heaven. Only recently I ordered books from the Juma Masjid in Toronto, the largest non-Ahmadi Mosque in Toronto. One book entitled “Myth of the Cross” by Al Hajj Ajijola gave full support to the Ahmadiyya view that Hazrat Jesus(as) died a natural death. Similarly, well known Muslim scholars such as Ahmed Deedat back the Ahmadiyya position on Hazrat Jesus(as). Moreover, several commentaries of the Quran from Egypt, one of them endorsed by Al Azhar, now interpret the verses regarding the death of Hazrat Jesus(as) as Ahmadis do.

A four part series of articles on the death of Hazrat Jesus(as), based on the Quran, the Hadith, and books of history is presented.

Dr. Tahir Ijaz, M.D.

Evidence in The Holy Quran

The so-called orthodox Muslim belief that a Jesus-look-alike was crucified instead of Hazrat Jesus(as), and that Hazrat Jesus(as) was raised to heaven, to descend a later day, has no support in the Holy Quran. The origin of this popular belief is from Christian sources, as will be shown in a future article.

The Quran is quite clear that Hazrat Jesus(as) has passed away, and gives no support to the concept of Hazrat Jesus(as) physically going to heaven. Some specific verses will now be considered:

“Jesus said, I am a servant of Allah. He has given me the Book and made me a prophet. And He has made me blessed wheresoever I may be and has enjoined on me prayer and alms-giving so long as I live. He has made me dutiful toward my mother, and He has not made me haughty and unblessed. Peace was on me the day I was born, and peace there shall be on the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised up to life again.” (19:31-4)

The verse shows Hazrat Jesus(as) must have died, and could not exist in heaven with his physical body:

If he was still alive, he would have to give alms in heaven, but who would need alms there?

If he would descend again to earth alive, he would have to follow the Jewish prescriptions on both prayer and alms-giving – and could not be a follower of Islamic law.

Did his mother accompany him to heaven physically? How could he otherwise behave like a dutiful son towards her?

“Keep in mind when God will say to Jesus, son of Mary: Didst thou say to people: Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah? – and he will answer, Holy art Thou, I could never say that to which I had no right. If I had said it, Thou wouldst have surely known it. Thou knowest what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Thy mind. It is only Thou who art the Knower of hidden things. I said nothing to them except that which Thou didst command me: Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them, but since Thou didst cause me to die, Thou hast been the Watcher over them, and Thou art Witness over all things.” (5:117-8)

The verse proves that:

The corruption of Christian doctrine took place after the death of Hazrat Jesus(as). If Hazrat Jesus(as) is still alive, as some Muslims believe, then Christianity must still be pure.

The same Hazrat Jesus(as) will not appear a second time in this world, as he would then become aware that Christians had now taken his mother as Divine, and could not, therefore plead ignorance in front of God’s judgment seat.

The Quran says about persons or beings worshiped as God:

“They are dead, not living; and they know not when they will be raised.” (16:22)

If Hazrat Jesus(as) is alive, as some Muslims believe, he must be God?

Physical Ascension

The notion that Hazrat Jesus(as) floated into the sky towards God is an Un-Quranic concept. Before going into the specific verses which refute this popular belief, it should be noted that Heaven is a spiritual state which our souls experience after death. It is not a physical location beyond the stratosphere. By climbing Mount Everest, we do not come closer to God!

Humans, according to the Quran, must live and die in the physical universe:

“And for you there is an abode on the earth and a provision for a time, He said, therein shall you live and therein shall you die and therefrom shall you be brought forth.” (7:25-6)

“Have we not made the earth so as to hold the living and the dead?” (77:26-7)

On one occasion the enemies of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, challenged him that they will not believe in him unless he “ascend up into heaven” and “send down to us a Book.” (17:93) The Holy Prophet(saw) replied: “Holy is my Lord! I am but a mortal sent as a messenger.” (17:94)

Thus the Prophets, like all humans, lived and died on the earth. If Jesus is alive today, he must be more than a mortal.

If any human being was able to go to heaven with his physical body then it would have been our beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw), the greatest of all prophets. But the verses above indicate that since he is but a man, it is not possible.

“I will cause you to die”

An important verse is the following:

“When Allah said, O Jesus, I will cause you to die and will raise you to myself, and will clear thee of those who disbelieve, and will place those who follow thee above those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection, then to Me shall be your return and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you differ.” (3:56)

The verse clearly indicates that Hazrat Jesus(as) was to die a natural death and then only would he be raised to Allah. The verse does not say that Hazrat Jesus(as) will be raised first then will die.

An important word used in the Quran is mutawaffi, derived from tawaffa. When God is the subject and a human is the object, tawaffa means to take away the soul, i.e, death.

Zamakhshari (467-538 A.H), an Arab linguist of great repute says, “Mutawaffika means, I will protect you from being killed by the people and will grant you full lease of life ordained for you, and will cause you to die a natural death not being killed (Kashshaf).” Scholars and commentators like Hazrat Ibn Abbas, Imam Malik, Imam Bukhari, Imam ibn Hazm, Imam ibn Qayyin, Qatadah, Wahhab and others are of the same view.

Note that the same word Tawaffa, has been used in other places in the Quran to indicate death. For example, 2:235: “and those of you who die (yatawaffou-na) and leave wives behind, these wives shall wait concerning themselves for four months and ten days.”

Another important word is rafaa, which means raising, elevating, lifting, exaltation, honor. When the rafaa of a man is spoken of as being towards Allah, the meaning is invariably spiritual elevation and exaltation. For example the Quran says about Prophet Enoch: “We exalted him to a lofty station (19:58).”

A commentary of the Quran by Ibn Khatib (“modern” Egyptian Commentary) summarizes: “And those who assert that Jesus is dead, point to the word of the exalted God: every soul shall taste death, and Jesus, peace be upon him belonged to the human species for which death is ordained. Some people presume that he is dead, and lies buried in a locality which they mention by name, and may be it is India, and God – may He be exalted – knows best what He has said and done.”

The Crucifixion

The verse that refers to the crucifixion is 4:158-159:

“And for their saying, We did slay the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah; whereas they slew him not, nor did they bring about his death upon the cross, but he was made to appear to them like one crucified; and those who differ therein are certainly in a state of doubt about it; they have no certain knowledge thereof, but pursue only a conjecture; and they did not arrive at a certainty concerning it. On the contrary, Allah exalted him to himself. And Allah is Mighty, Wise.”

The argument of the Jews was that because Hazrat Jesus(as) died on the cross, considered an accursed death according to the law of the Torah, Hazrat Jesus(as) could not be a true prophet. The Quran rejects the slaying of Hazrat Jesus(as) in any form, including killing by nailing to the cross. Nothing in the verse suggests Hazrat Jesus(as) was NOT nailed to the cross: the verse only denies DEATH by nailing to the cross.

The words “Shubbi-ha la hum” means “he made it or him to be like it or him”, or “dubious.” The question arises, who is the person who was made to appear “like one crucified.” Clearly it was Hazrat Jesus(as) whom the Jews tried to crucify or slay. The theory invented by some Muslim commentators that someone else was made to look like Hazrat Jesus(as) and was then crucified in his place, is simply absurd. The context of the verse cannot be twisted to make room for someone else. No one else is mentioned. Besides, the belief that God made someone else, an innocent person, look like Hazrat Jesus(as), and die in his place, makes God look very cruel.

As will be shown later in this article, the belief of a Jesus-look-alike dying on the cross instead of Hazrat Jesus(as) has its origin in Christianity, and came into Islamic belief through conversion of Christians to Muslims.

So the Quran is clear that Hazrat Jesus(as) only appeared to be crucified, and in fact the Jews were in a state of doubt.

The last portion quoted above refers to rafaa, spiritual exaltation. The plan of the Jews to make Hazrat Jesus(as) appear accursed by making him die the accursed death of crucifixion failed, and on the contrary, Hazrat Jesus(as) survived the crucifixion. In the sight of Allah, Hazrat Jesus(as) was not accursed.

In summary, according to the Quran, humans live and die in the physical universe. Prophets are human beings. Prophets, like all humans, are subject to hunger, pain, death, etc. The Quran is clear that Hazrat Jesus(as) was a human being like the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw). To say that Hazrat Jesus(as) is alive today, 2000 years after he was born, is to make him more than a human. The Laws of God do not change. In fact, the Quran makes a general statement: “But you will never find any change in the way of Allah, nor will you find any alteration in the way of Allah.” (35:44)

The Hadith

The fact that Jesus (peace be upon him) is dead is clearly mentioned in the sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

These will be outlined below:

“If Jesus and Moses had been alive, they would have had no choice but to follow me.” (Kathir vol II, p 245 and al yawaqit wal Jawahir, part 2, page 24).

“Jesus son of Mary lived for 120 years, and I see myself as only entering upon the beginning of the sixties.” (Kanz al Ummal, part 6, p.120).

In Bukhari, it is reported that in the spiritual event known as the miraj, the Holy Prophet(saw) saw Hazrat Yahya(as) and Hazrat Jesus(as) in the second heaven. If Hazrat Yahya(as) is dead, then Hazrat Jesus(as) is dead, for the dead do not keep company with the living.

In Bukhari, it is recorded that after the death of Hazrat Muhammad(saw), some of the companions, among them Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattab(ra), doubted he was really dead. However, Hazrat Abu Bakr(ra), ascended to the pulpit in the Mosque and recited the Quranic verse: Muhammad is only a Messenger. All Messengers before him have passed away. If he dies, or is killed, will you then turn upon your heels? (3:145)After the short speech and recitation of this verse, the companions realized that indeed, the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) had passed away. No one objected that Hazrat Jesus(as) or any other prophet had not died. Everyone accepted and confirmed the death of all previous prophets. This was the first Ijma’ or consensus of the Muslim community.

The family of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) were also agreed on the death of Hazrat Jesus(as). Imam Hasan(ra), recounting the events relating to the death of Hazrat Ali(ra), stated, “he (Ali) died during the 27th night of the month of Ramadan, the same night that the spirit of Jesus was raised to heaven.” (Tabaqat Ibn Sa’ad, vol III Page 26).

The words of the Holy Prophet(saw), his family, and his companions all indicate that Hazrat Jesus(as) passed away like all mortals.

Connection to Christianity

The death of Hazrat Jesus(as) in Islamic Christology is a complex and controversial subject. In some Islamic circles, the crucifixion of Hazrat Jesus(as) was denied altogether. Instead, according to some Muslim scholars, Allah miraculously transformed a disciple of Hazrat Jesus(as) into the physical image of Hazrat Jesus(as), and the Jews crucified the disciple, thinking him to be Hazrat Jesus(as). This concept may be called the “Substitution theory.” Hazrat Jesus(as), having been saved from such suffering and death, ascended to God in Heaven.

As mentioned in the previous articles, the substitution theory and eventual physical ascension of Hazrat Jesus(as) is not substantiated by the Quran and Hadith. Rather, the Quran and Hadith is clear that Hazrat Jesus(as) died a natural death. However, the theory of substitution has figured prominently in Islamic tafsir literature. The purpose of this final part is to explain how the substitution theory was introduced into Islam. I will show that the belief of Hazrat Jesus(as) not being nailed to the cross and a Jesus-look-alike replacing him was introduced into Islam from the teachings of certain Gnostic Christian sects. These teachings were brought into Islam through conversion of the “People of the Book.”

1. Different Versions of Substitution Story in Islamic Literature

The belief that someone substituted for Hazrat Jesus(as) on the cross has been mentioned by various Muslim commentators of the Quran over the past centuries. Most of the traditions relating the details of the story of Hazrat Jesus(as) are told on the authority of Jewish or un-named Christian converts (reference: “Towards an Islamic Christology: The Death of Jesus, Reality or Delusion” in The Muslim World vol 70, No. 2, page 96). The commentary of Tabari (d. 923 A.D) relates on the authority of Wahb (a Jewish convert) that when the Jews were seeking Hazrat Jesus(as) to crucify him, God cast the likeness of Hazrat Jesus(as) on seventeen disciples. The Jews threatened to kill them all, but instead took just one in the group and killed him, believing him to be Hazrat Jesus(as).

In the next stage of development of the substitution theory, one of the disciples of Hazrat Jesus(as) voluntarily accepts to die on the cross for the purpose of saving his master. Such a story may have originated to avoid a major problem associated with the idea of substitution: Why would God force an innocent person to suffer and die to save another? Tabari relates on the authority of Qatada: “It has been related to us that Jesus, son of Mary, the prophet of God, said to his companions, Who among you would consent to have my likeness cast upon him, and be killed? One of them answered, I would, O Prophet of God. Thus that man was killed and God protected His Prophet and took him up to Himself.” A similar account is mentioned in the traditions of Ibn Ishaq. His source was an unnamed Christian convert. In this story, the person who offered to bear the likeness of Hazrat Jesus(as) was not one of the twelve disciples, but a man named Sergus.

In other versions, the miracle of transforming a person into the likeness of Hazrat Jesus(as) was a form of Divine punishment for that persons’ persecution and betrayal of Hazrat Jesus(as). For instance, it is said that the enemies of Hazrat Jesus(as) sent a man named Tityanus to kill him. However, God foiled the plan by raising Hazrat Jesus(as) to Himself and miraculously causing Tityanus to resemble Hazrat Jesus(as). Tityanus was subsequently put to death on the cross by the Jews. BUT, God cast the likeness of Hazrat Jesus(as) only on the man’s face and not the body. Thus the people were confused as to the identity of the man killed. This is added to explain the Quranic verse 4:158 which states that those who differed concerning him followed only their conjecture. (reference, The Muslim World same issue as quoted above).

2. Origin of Substitution Theory in Islamic Thought

The substitution of Hazrat Jesus(as) on the cross for someone else has no basis in the Quran or Hadith, as mentioned earlier. This concept likely originated from the influence of Gnostic Christianity on Islam. Several Gnostic Christian sects were known to flourish from the third to the ninth centuries A.D. They were regarded as heretical by the Roman Church. These sects eventually disappeared, both as a result of persecution and gradual conversion of their followers to the fastest growing faith at the time, namely, Islam. Most of the persecution was at the hands of the Roman Church. In the 1940s, documents and writings of these sects were discovered in Egypt, and they became known as the Nag Hammadi documents. These documents are valuable in understanding Gnostic Christian theology.

It is not my purpose here to go into details of Gnosticism. Only the philosophy of docetism will be discussed here. Docetism was a prominent feature of Gnosticism, which held that matter and spirit are antagonistic; matter was considered evil, and spirit considered good and holy. Docetism proposed that Christ only “appeared” to have a real human body, and that Christ only “appeared” to suffer and die on the cross: it was either an illusion or someone else was substituted for him. This tendency to deny or at least diminish the reality of the humanity and suffering of Hazrat Jesus(as) was central to the docetic view. It is believed that docetism had its roots in the difficulties some felt in the notion of the Incarnation of God in the person of Christ – it was difficult to associate a Divine-incarnate Son (spirit) with a human being (matter) subject to suffering and death (reference: “Gnosis” by Geddes MacGregor).

A reference from the Nag Hammadi documents demonstrates the docetic view of Hazrat Jesus(as). The book “Apocalypse of Peter” relates a vision of the disciple Peter. He sees Hazrat Jesus(as) apparently nailed to the cross and another Jesus floating above the cross. Hazrat Jesus(as) explains to Peter: “He whom you see above the tree (cross), glad and laughing, is the living Jesus. But the one whose hands and feet they drive the nails is his fleshy part, which is the substitute…one made in his likeness.” (Reference: “The Laughing Savior“, by John Dart, Page 107).

In summary, the death of Hazrat Jesus(as) in Islamic thought has been that of controversy and debate. It is clear that belief in the ascension of Hazrat Jesus(as) and death of a Jesus-look-alike did not exist in the original teachings of Islam. The existence of such speculations in the Quranic exegesis appear to have resulted from the influence of certain Gnostic Christian philosophies such as docetism.

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aribaasghar · 4 years

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Best Requirements for Umrah Journey Preparation

Umrah Journey

Umrah is a journey in simple words, but it means a spiritual journey to the house of Allah because the word Umrah is derived from Itamar which means "to visit the populated place".

Umrah journey is not essential as Hajj is essential for Muslims. Hajj is a compulsory part of Islam only for those Muslims who can perform it, if they cannot perform it then Hajj is not compulsory. Umrah is Sunnah and Hajj is Fard.

Ziyarat Places

Umrah is not only a visit to the House of Allah rather during this journey Muslims visit the various sacred places there as Masjid e Nabvi, Cave of Hira and Cave of Saur, Graveyard of Jannat ul Baqi and Graveyard of Jannat ul Mualla, Mountain of Uhud, etc

Nowadays, anyone can visit these sacred places using the 5 Star Umrah Packages All Inclusive which are easily get from the Hajj and Umrah Travel agencies.

What things do we need for Umrah?

1: Umrah Visa 2: Umrah Package 3: Ihram 4: Important Items

Umrah Visa:-

Full form of VISA- Visitors International Stay Admission You can understand the word of Visa as it is the most important document when anyone is travelling to some other country.

So there are some rules to get Umrah Visa:

1- An original Umrah Visa application form.

2- If anyone has a non-Muslim name, he/she should need to submit a certificate that is approved from an Islamic centre or a mosque.

3- 1 scanned picture.

4- Passport should be valid for at least six months from the date of submission of the application form.

5- Departure from Saudi Arabia must be made within 2 weeks from the date of entry.

6- Women and children should be accompanied by husband/ father.

Women can get an Umrah visa by submitting the relationship certificate with the application form as a marriage certificate and birth certificate.

In Islam, a woman must travel with a Mahram. According to the rule of Saudi Arabia, a woman can perform Umrah journey without her Mahram if her age is equal to 45 or above then she can perform Umrah in any organized group by submitting a no-objection certificate from her Mahram.

Note: Umrah Visa is not issued from the 16th Ramadan to the month of Dhul Hijjah (month of Hajj).

New Update from Hajj and Umrah Ministry for Umrah Visa:-

After new updates in getting Umrah visa, the old rules of this type of visa is changed worldwide but especially for 49 countries. Hajj and Umrah Ministry has introduced a new method to get this and it is called Umrah e visa.

According to this method, people do not require an agent to get this rather they just need an electronic device like a computer, tab, and mobile, so that, people directly contact the official website of Saudi Arabia for Umrah e Visa (Umrah Electronic Visa) instead of any source (agent). Where you only type your name, passport number, country's name etc. and after completing the online application, you will only need to wait for the confirmation email from Ministry, in which authorization will send your electronic visa.

Note: To find out more about Umrah visa, you should read this article- Saudi Visa 2020 Requirements and Fees

Umrah Package:-

Due to the rising rate of everything, Muslims need a good and reliable Umrah package and it should be available from every travel agency. Nowadays, different packages of Umrah are available in UK travel markets.

Travel Agency arranges package on the customer’s demand. For example, if anyone wants to perform Umrah from the United Kingdom then seeker of the package has many options as Umrah Packages from the UK, Cheapest Umrah Packages Manchester, Umrah Packages With Flights, December Umrah Packages from London, etc.

Now it all depends upon the customer what he/she wants.

Ihram:-

Ihram is a dress which is used during the Umrah and it is very essential. It is different for men and women. A man’s Ihram consists of two simple white sheets in which one is used to covering his upper part of the body and second is used to cover the lower part of the body. Ihram’s colour white is essential for men without any stitching.

A woman’s Ihram is different from the Ihram of a man. A woman’s Ihram consists of the normal dress by covering an Abaya. Normal dress means which she wears in daily routine life. There is no restriction about the colour of Abaya. A woman can wear Abaya in any colour like white, blue, purple, etc.

How to enter into Ihram:

Ihram

5 main points should be remembered in mind before wearing Ihram.

1- Cutting the nails 2- Combing in the hair 3- Removing unwanted body hair 4- Shaping the beard and trimming the moustache. 5- Taking a bath to enter into Ihram.

Main Prohibitions in the state of Ihram:

1- Head Covering for Men and Face Covering for Women.

A beautiful hadith in which Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) stated: “He should not wear a shirt, hooded robe, trousers, a turban or leather slippers.”

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) stated for women: “The woman in Ihram should not wear niqaab or gloves.” 2- Cutting the nails and shaving or cutting the hair.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: “and don’t shave your heads until the Hady reaches the place of sacrifice.” (Surah al Baqarah 2:196)

The word Hady means sacrificial animal.

3- Wearing perfumed.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) stated concerning a man whose camel had trampled him to death while he was in Ihram “Wash him with and lotus leaves and shroud him in his two garments, but don’t cover his head or perfume him with hanoot.”

4- Hunting animals. 5- Sexual activity.

The rituals of Umrah are four in which Ihram is the first ritual thereby Tawaf (walking 7 times around the Kaaba), Saee (running 7 times between the hills of Safa and Marwah), and Halq or Taqseer (shaving the head or cutting the hair). Halq is preferable for men and Taqseer is preferable for women. Pilgrims do not leave the state of Ihram before performing the ritual of Halq or Taqseer.

Important Items:-

Before going to Umrah Journey, everyone has some knowledge about the Umrah and he/she must have some important items which will be very helpful during the Umrah Journey. Documents: Important Documents for Umrah 1- Passport. 2- ID Card. 3- Airline Ticket. 4- Hotel Booking receipt. 5- Transport Vouchers. 6- Vaccination Record. 7- Health Insurance Certificate. 8- Relationship Certificate (for children and women). 9- Passport Size Pictures. 10- Saudi Riyals or ATM/Credit Card for any emergencies. 11- Phone No./ Addresses (family members and concern agent) 12- Shahadah certificate. 13- 2 or 3 copies of all important documents.

General items:

General Items for Umrah Journey 1- Medication (first aid kit and some basic medicines). 2- A Scissor (for performing the last ritual of Umrah). 3- Slippers and shoes. 4- Towel. 5- Unscented tissues/ small tissue packs. 6- Unscented Sunscreen and Sunblock. 7- Unscented Soap. 8- Unscented Petroleum jelly. 9- A lightweight Prayer mat. 10- Travel Bag with wheels. 11- Mobile Phone. 12- Miswaks

Specifically for women:

1- Cotton Scarfs/Hijab 2- Hair tie-backs/Clips 3- Small Bag (purse). 4- Sanitary napkins/pads 5- Simple comfortable clothes (loose clothes).

Unscented soap, tissues, Sunscreen and Sunblock should be unscented because wearing perfumed are prohibited in the state of Ihram.

#Umrah #Umrah journey #cheap umrah packages #umrah visa #ihram #umrah packages #Islam #Saudi Visa 2020 Requirements and Fees

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keepyourgoodheart · 7 years

Link

Gender segregation and Muslims refers to the issue of the separation of men and boys from women and girls in social settings in Muslim countries and communities.

However, there is no evidence from the Quran or Hadith that enforces the segregation of sexes,[1] [2] [3] [4] and some even claim that there is, in fact, evidence indicating the opposite.[3] [5] There are diverging opinions among experts in Islamic theology concerning sex segregation. On one side of the spectrum, an Islamic theologian in Canada, Ahmad Kutty, has said segregation of the sexes is not a requirement in Islam, as men and women used to interact during Muhammed's time without any partitions.[5] On the other side of the spectrum, an Islamic theologian in Saudi Arabia , Abdul-Rahman al-Barrak, has issued a death warrant in the form of a fatwa against those allowing the mixing of the sexes.[6]

Views

There have been fatwas which forbid the free mixing between men and women (known as Ikhtilat (Arabic: اختلاط)), especially when alone. The stated intention of all restrictions is to keep interaction at a small and modest level. Islamic jurisprudent laws have traditionally ruled that Muslim men and women who are not intermediate relatives may not, for instance, socialize in order to know each other with a handshake (for any reason) and any form of contact which involves physical contact, and even verbal contact to a certain extent.[7] [8] [9] A number of westernized Muslim intellectuals have challenged this ruling and claim certain physical contact to be permissible as long as there is no obscenity, inappropriate touching (other than a simple handshake), secret meetings or flirting, according to the general rules of interaction between the genders.[10]

Sources

The Qur'anic verses which address the interaction of men and women in the social context include:

O believers do not enter houses other than yours until you ask permission and greet its inhabitants; this is better for you perhaps you may understand. Then if you do not find anyone then do not enter them unless permission is given to you; and if it is said to you go back then go back that is purer for you; and God has knowledge of what you do. There is no blame on you on entering undwelt houses where are belongings for you; and God is aware of what you show and what you conceal. Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity: this will be most conducive to their purity - (and,) verily, Allah is aware of all that they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and to be mindful of their chastity, and not to display their charms beyond what may be apparent thereof; hence let them draw their veils over their bosoms and do not show their adornments except to their husbands or their fathers or their husbands' fathers or their sons or their husbands' sons or their brothers or their brothers' sons or their sisters' sons or their women or what their right hands possess or male servants free of sexual desires or those children who never knows the private things of women; and do not stamp their feet so that it may show their hidden adornments; and repent towards God collectively O believers so that you may succeed.

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.

The Prophet Muhammad specifically admonished the men not to keep their wives from going to the mosques:

Ibn Umar (Abdullah bin Umar) reported what is translated as:

The Messenger of God said, "Do not prevent the maid-servants of God from going to the mosque."

It is clear from the following hadith that in some mosques, the women prayed behind the men and were not separated in a separate room or even concealed by a curtain or partition where there wasn't one available (where the screen is practiced in many mosques today, and in the past, it is as a precaution to prevent unnecessary socializing and distraction during prayers):

Asma' bint Abi Bakr (daughter of Abu Bakr) said what is translated as:

I heard the Apostle of God say, "One of you who believes in God and in the Last Day should not raise her head until the men raise their heads lest she should see the private parts of men."

Sex segregation in Islamic countries

Afghanistan

Afghanistan, under Taliban religious leadership, was characterized by feminist groups and others as a "gender apartheid" system where women are segregated from men in public and do not enjoy legal equality or equal access to employment or education. In Islam women have the right to equal access to employment and education, although their first priority should be that of the family. Men too are said to be actively involved in the child rearing and household chores. Muhammad helped his wives in the house.[13] [14]

In 1997 the Feminist Majority Foundation launched a "Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan", which urged the United States government and the United Nations to "do everything in their power to restore the human rights of Afghan women and girls." The campaign included a petition to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and U.N. Assistant Secretary General Angela King which stated, in part, that "We, the undersigned, deplore the Taliban's brutal decrees and gender apartheid in Afghanistan."[15]

In 1998 activists from the National Organization for Women picketed Unocal's Sugar Land, Texas office, arguing that its proposed pipeline through Afghanistan was collaborating with "gender apartheid".[16] In a weekly presidential address in November 2001 Laura Bush also accused the Taliban of practicing "gender apartheid".[17] The Nation referred to the Taliban's 1997 order that medical services for women be partly or completely suspended in all hospitals in the capital city of Kabul as "Health apartheid".[18]

According to the Women's Human Rights Resource Programme of the University of Toronto Bora Laskin Law Library "Throughout the duration of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, the term "Gender Apartheid" was used by a number of women's rights advocates to convey the message that the rights violations experience by Afghan women were in substance no different than those experienced by blacks in Apartheid South Africa." [19]

Iran

When Ruhollah Khomeini called for women to attend public demonstration and ignore the night curfew, millions of women who would otherwise not have dreamed of leaving their homes without their husbands' and fathers' permission or presence, took to the streets. After the Islamic revolution, however, Khomeini publicly announced his disapproval of mixing between the sexes.[20]

Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, male doctors were not allowed to treat female patients in the past, unless there were no female specialists available; and it was also not permissible for women to treat men.[21] This has changed, however, and it is not uncommon for men and women to visit doctors of the opposite sex.

A woman is also not allowed to meet her spouse unveiled until after the wedding. Saudi daughters are encouraged to wear the niqāb in public.[22] Conservative religious Saudis who support the niqab believe it is forbidden for a woman to eat in public, as part of her face would be exposed, so in most restaurants barriers are present to conceal such women.

Mandate Palestine

Of the late 1800s and early 1900s European Jewish immigration to Palestine, Norman Rose writes that secular "Zionist mores" were "often at odds with Arab convention, threatening the customs and moral assumptions that lent cohesion to a socially conservative, traditional Palestinian society."[23] The active political role of the women of the Yishuv, and their lack of segregation, was judged as particularly offensive.[24]

Sex segregation in mosques

Some schools of thought claim that Muhammad preferred women to pray at home rather than at a mosque. According to one hadith, a supposed recounting of an encounter with Muhammad, he said:

I know that you women love to pray with me, but praying in your inner rooms is better for you than praying in your house, and praying in your house is better for you that praying in your courtyard, and praying in your courtyard is better for you than praying in your local mosque, and praying in your local mosque is better for you than praying in my mosque.[25]

Muhammad is also recorded to have said: "The best places of prayer for women are the innermost apartments of their houses".[26]

Some schools of thought interpret these hadith as signs that women should be encouraged to pray at home rather than in a mosque. However, other schools prefer to look at the context of the sayings, which they suggest were given at a time when women were in danger when leaving their homes, and consider mosques as welcome for women as their homes. Muhammad did not forbid women from entering his mosque in Medina. In fact, he told Muslims "not to prevent their women from going to mosque when they ask for permission".[27]

However, segregation of sexes in mosques and prayer spaces is reported in a hadith in Sahih Muslim, one of the two most authentic Hadith books in Islam. It says that the best rows for men are the first rows, and the worst ones the last ones, and the best rows for women are the last ones and the worst ones for them are the first ones.[28]

It is also recorded that Muhammad ordered that mosques have separate doors for women and men so that men and women would not be obliged to go and come through the same door.[29] He also commanded that after the Isha' evening prayer, women be allowed to leave the mosque first so that they would not have to mix with men.[30] But it has not been reported that there was any barrier between men and women in the prophet's mosque.

After Muhammad's death, many of his followers began to forbid women under their control from going to the mosque. Aisha bint Abi Bakr, a wife of Muhammad, once said, "If the Prophet had lived now and if he saw what we see of women today, he would have forbidden women to go to the mosque even as the Children of Israel forbade their women."[31]

The second caliph Umar also prohibited women from attending mosques especially at night because he feared they may be sexually harassed or assaulted by men, and he asked them to pray at home.[32]

As Islam spread, it became unusual for women to worship in mosques because of male fear of immorality between sexes.[33]

Sometimes a special part of the mosque was railed off for women. For example, the governor of Mecca in 870 had ropes tied between the columns to make a separate place for women.[34]

Many mosques today will put the women behind a barrier or partition or in another room. Mosques in South and Southeast Asia put men and women in separate rooms, as the divisions were built into them centuries ago. In nearly two-thirds of American mosques, women pray behind partitions or in separate areas, not in the main prayer hall; some mosques do not admit women at all due to the lack of space and the fact that some prayers, such as the Friday Jumuʻah, are mandatory for men but optional for women. Although there are sections exclusively for women and children, the Grand Mosque in Mecca is desegregated.[35]

There is a growing women's movement led by figures such as Asra Nomani who protest against their second-class status and facilities.[36] [37]

Justifications for segregation, include the need to avoid distraction during prayer, although the primary reason cited is that this was the tradition (sunnah) of worshipers in the time of Muhammad.[38]

Criticism of segregation

British-born Muslim author Ed Husain, argues that rather than keeping sexual desires under check, gender segregation creates "pent-up sexual frustration which expressed itself in the unhealthiest ways," and leads young people to "see the opposite gender only as sex objects." [39] While working in Saudi Arabia for seven months as an English teacher, the Arabic-speaking Husain was surprised to find that despite compulsory gender segregation and full hijab, Saudi men were much less modest and more predatory towards women than men in other countries he had lived. In Saudi — unlike in Britain, or the more "secular" Syrian Republic — students commonly downloaded hardcore pornography off the internet in violation of school rules. Despite the modest dress of his wife — who "out of respect for local custom, ... wore the long black abaya and covered her hair in a black scarf" — she was on two occasions "accosted by passing Saudi youths from their cars. ... In supermarkets I only had to be away from [my wife] for five minutes and Saudi men would hiss or whisper obscenities as they walked past." Discussions with local women at the British Council indicated that her experience was far from unique.[39]

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