#umar does a draw

[speedfreak01]

Francesca by hozier is a beautiful and poignant song, but every time i hear the lyric 🎵What good would it be on the far side of things?🎵 my brain just goes to

[teecupangel]

i am already unfathomably attached to the transistor au (sent the same day you first posted the ask), and would love to hear more about how he breaks away from Lucy and the assassins. like, does he still do some Ezio memory diving with Shawn n Becca n Lucy before going AWOL? did Altaïr tell Desmond about Lucy's betrayal or did they figure it out based on Altaïr being suspicious of her and going digging?

does her death spur Becca and Shawn and/or Bill to start looking into Lucy or do they double down on the "she’s our friend and we trust her"?

im loving the stargate/tok'ra vibes of transistor in general, but especially having read stargate brotherhood by the ever-lovely esama. do Desmond and Altaïr like share brainspace or is it more than they just communicate telepathically?

and just for my own visuals, how does Des wear Altaïr’s sword? like at his hip or (stretching believability) on his back? horizontal at his lower back?

(anyways thank you for answering, your ideas are always so wonderful and inspiring and it’s actually kind of a problem when I just want to write something for all of them. but thanks, I hope you and yours are doing well 🧡)

The Transistor AltDes AU for those curious.

He didn’t need to break away from the Assassins because he and Altaïr decided to kill every single red in Abstergo’s Rome facility… which includes Lucy.

They run away afterwards, with the Sword of Altaïr having the properties of a Sword of Eden, including a shockwave that manages to destroy surveillance cameras and other recording devices.

The most they were able to save from the recording are videos of Desmond walking before the sword glows gold and the recording ends.

They don’t necessary thought it was Desmond until they learned that Lucy died by being beheaded. Others died from puncture wounds the size of the Sword of Altaïr in vital points of the body or, strangely enough, by what appears to be something similar to thunder strikes (this is, of course, a capability of the Sword of Eden as seen in AC Unity).

Becca and Shaun definitely believes that Desmond has fallen into the madness of the Bleeding Effect and they’re torn between wanting to save him because they believe it’s not his fault, it’s the Bleeding Effect, but also they can never forgive him for killing Lucy.

Bill is actually the one who believes there’s more to it because he believes that Bleeding as Altaïr wouldn’t have Desmond go on a killing spree. He saw Lucy as an enemy that needs to be cut down and, not only that, he might even believe that Lucy being the only one beheaded among them means something (it does, beheading is a common punishment for traitors that must die for the Levantine Brotherhood and it is also the way Umar Ibn-La'Ahad is executed by the Saracens).

Of course, Bill and Rebecca thinks Bill is doing this because he wants to protect his son (which is also true but Bill is also being logical about this)

Oh man, yeeessss. I love Stargate Brotherhood, mainly because I love Stargate and I love esama’s works hahaha. For this one, I think it would be fun if they believe that they’re just telepathically communicating but the truth is it’s sorta true? They’re communicating telepathically… for now but the more Desmond and Altaïr stay together (aka: they talk telepathically), the more their brains sorta… connect with one another. This is a key to how Altaïr can save Desmond later on as I have written in the reblog of the original ask.

My initial idea is that Desmond actually holds the scabbard on his left hand like Virgil in DMC because the sword itself is a one-handed sword so it would work.

But when he’s trying to go incognito, my first thought was a drawing/blueprint storage tube because I remember Blood the Last Vampire XD

But then I remember it looks like this:

And that won’t work because of the wing crossguard of the Sword of Altaïr.

Unless…

the wings can be folded which becomes a clue that the sword can change its form in some ways.

(Thank you! I would absolutely love it for you guys to write these ideas because there’s so many that I can’t do it myself but no pressure. I’m just happy to read your asks, reblogs and replies to any of the ideas I post XD)

[doctorofmagic]

@eileen-crys said:

Loved the first issue as well!!! And like u I'm also confident this won't be just a run to make Stephen and Clea break up again 😅 love her outfits so much, specially the long skirt that here is so flowy and seems made of pure darkness rather than fabric 🙏🏻💕 though I feel this artist is better at larger shots and not much at closeups, I often don't like how he draws faces which is a shame bc the style as a whole is very interesting and unique... hope for improvement

Amen, Vishanti! I also noticed that about her outfit and it just fits her perfectly because, well, although the Dark Dimension is colorful, it’s still called the Dark Dimension hehehe and she was raised by Dormammu and Umar so... Also it reminds me of Wanda’s and Ororo’s hair, mixing up with their powers. Loved it so so so much! And I agree with you, the faces are kinda wonky sometimes but the colors are quite charming. I'll get used to them and hope for improvement as well!

@machinethoughtexperimentone (can’t tag, sorry) said:

With every new issue I'm more and more grateful that Cates introduced Bats to Stephen's life. Having him step in almost as master of the house in Wong's absence was a lovely touch

Same fr! Bats is just so important to me because I too went through a similar experience with my late dog, and his presence warms my heart. It’s a homage to say that doggos are always with us, no matter what. And Bats’s presence, as you pointed out, is important for Stephen to deal with his loneliness, at least when Wong and Clea aren’t around. I’ll Always be thankful to Donny Cates for creating our little ghost dog.

@benedict-cbe said:

What comic run is this? Please and thanks

It’s from Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley’s run (2021)!

@navek15 said:

So, does anyone else feel like collectively labeling The Death of Doctor Strange, Strange, and the new Doctor Strange ongoing as the Jed MacKay Saga?

Jed’s holy trinity, so true!!

[questionsonislam]

Is there a kind of worshipping peculiar to the Arafah of (the day before) Eid al-Fitr?

Arafah is the day one day before eid al-adha, the 9th day of the month of Dhul-hijjah of the Hijri calendar. No other day can be called Arafah. However, the day before eid al-fitr is also called Arafah in some Islamic countries.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following :

"The most virtuous day among the days is the day of Arafah. It is like Friday in terms of virtue. It is more virtuous than seventy hajjs except the one performed on Friday. The most virtuous prayer (dua) is the one said on the day of Arafah. The most virtuous sentence uttered by me and the prophets before me is (Lailaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lahu. (There is no god but Allah; He is one; He has no partners.)" (Muwatta, Hajj, 246)

Hazreti Aisha narrates:

"There is no day when Allah sets free more servants from Hell than the day of Arafah. He draws near His slaves and praises them to the angels, saying: 'What do these want?'" (Muslim, Hajj, 436)

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Show respect to the day of Arafah. Arafah is a day that Allah appreciates."

Thus, the Prophet (pbuh) wanted us to show respect to the day that Allah appreciates and to try to live consciously. Respect starts by realizing the boon that is granted and being able to know and see. To spend the day of Arafah by performing fasting, saying prayers, asking for forgiveness without committing sins is an expression of respect and gratitude to Allah, who gave the glad tiding that He would forgive His slaves. (Daylami)

The following conversation between Hz. Umar and a Jew shows the importance of the day of Arafah:

During the caliphate of Hz. Umar, a Jew said to him,

"O Umar! You read a verse; if it had been sent down to us, we would have celebrated that day as an eid (festival)."

It was the third verse of the chapter of al-Maida. Allah Almighty stated the following:

"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you."

That verse was sent down in the tenth year of the Migration during the Farewell Hajj on Friday, which was the day of Arafah, in the afternoon when the Prophet (pbuh) was on his camel called "Adba". The camel slumped down due to the heaviness of the revelation.

When Hz. Umar heard the verse from the Jew, he said,

"We know that day and the place where that verse was sent down. It was on Friday and Arafah." Thus, Hz. Umar mentioned the importance of Arafah by stating that it was eid for us.

The day of Arafah is the day when Hz. Adam and Hawwa (Eve) met.

Tawriyah is one day before Arafah.

The Prophet (pbuh) stated the following:

"A Muslim who performs fasting on the day of Tawriyah and does not utter any sinful words enters Paradise."

The fasting performed on that day is equal to supererogatory fasting of one thousand days. Besides, it causes the repentance of the previous year and the next year to be accepted. One gets a lot of rewards when he fasts on the day of Arafah. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following:

"A reward of twice the number of the people that lived beginning from Hz. Adam and that will live up to the Day of Judgment will be given to a person who performs fasting on the day of Arafah."

"The fasting performed on the day of Arafah is equal to supererogatory fasting of one thousand days."

"The fasting on the day of Ashura is equal to supererogatory fasting of one year and on the day of Arafah two years."

The fasting performed on the day of Arafah is equal to freeing two thousand slaves, sacrificing two thousand camels and giving two thousand horses in the way of Allah for jihad."

"The fasting performed on the day of Arafah will be atonement for the sins of the previous year and the next year."

It is recommended to read the chapter of al-Ikhlas one thousand times by some great personalities. It is stated in hadiths that reading the chapter of al-Ikhlas will be a means of forgiveness for the sins except individual rights.

"The sins of a person who reads al-Ikhlas one thousand times with Basmala are forgiven and his prayer is accepted."

The Prophet (pbuh) prayed to Allah on the night of Arafah to forgive his ummah. His prayer was answered as follows: 'I have forgiven them, except for the wrongdoer, with whom I will settle the score in favor of the one whom he wronged.' The Messenger of Allah said,

'O Lord, if You wish, You will grant Paradise to the one who is wronged, and forgive the wrongdoer.' No response came from Allah in Arafat to this prayer. The next day at Muzdalifah, he repeated the same prayer. This time, his prayer was accepted. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) laughed, showing his joy. Thereupon, Hz. Abu Bakr and Umar said to him,

‘May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! This is not a time when you usually laugh. What made you laugh?’ The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

‘When the enemy of Allah, Iblis, came to know that Allah answered my prayer and forgave my nation, he took some dust and started to sprinkle it on his head, crying 'Woe on you! You have been destroyed!' This cry of Satan's, which I saw, made me laugh.'

It is necessary to show respect to the day of Arafah; we should join the prayers of hajjis who are on Arafat on that day by feeling that we are with them spiritually. We should avoid anything that can cause us to commit a sin on that day. Nowadays, the day of Arafah is experienced as a very busy day with worldly affairs since it is one day before eid. In fact, Arafah is one of the most important time periods given to man. These days are days of worshipping and forgiveness. It is the most valuable time period when hajjis come together in Arafat regardless of their languages, races and skin colors reminding of the Day of Gathering by saying, "Labbayk (Here I am at your service)" and when servitude is presented to Allah by supplications and talbiyahs. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following:

"The most virtuous prayer is the one said on the day of Arafah." (Bayhaqi)

"Allah looks at His slaves on the day of Arafah and forgives anyone who has even a very little amount of belief."

Allah informed the Prophet (pbuh) that prayers are not rejected on some nights. The four holy nights when the doors of mercy are opened are as follows:

1. The night of (before) eid al-fitr,

2. The night of (before) eid al-adha,

3. The night of Tarwiyah (8th night of Dhul-hijjah),

4. The night of Arafah. (Isfahani)

It is very virtuous to spend the day and night of Arafah worshipping. There are narrations stating that a person who spends the night of Arafah worshipping will be saved from Hell. It was stated by the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) that a person who avoids sins on the day of Arafah will be forgiven.

"On the day of Arafah, a young man who was near the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was thinking about women and looking at the women. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) turned the man's face away from the women a few times. The young man started to think about them again. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"My brother's son! Today is such a day that anyone who controls his ears, eyes and tongue is forgiven." (Musnad)

The following are advised to do on the day of Arafah:

1. It is necessary to start uttering takbirs of tashrik after the fard of the morning prayer.

2. One should perform fasting on the day of Arafah.

3. One should show respect to the day of Arafah and try not to commit sins.

4. One should pray to Allah and ask for forgiveness a lot on the day of Arafah.

5. One should read the chapter of al-Ikhlas 1000 times on the day of Arafah.

[fahrni]

Saturday Morning Coffee

Good morning from Charlottesville, Virginia! ☕️

Another week in the books. It’s my favorite time of the year. Trees are changing color and dropping leaves. Temperatures are beginning to drop. We have Halloween and Thanksgiving coming up. What a wonderful season!🍁🎃🦃

Robert D. McFadden • New York Times

Dianne Feinstein, 90, Dies; Oldest Sitting Senator and Fixture of California Politics

A friend of mine worked for Dianne Feinstein when he was in college. He was a registered Republican but that didn’t matter to her. She still hired him.

RIP 🪦

Moira Warburton and David Morgan • Reuters

WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Hardline Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday rejected a bill proposed by their leader to temporarily fund the government, making it all but certain that federal agencies will partially shut down beginning on Sunday.

And, here we go. All these knuckleheads want to do is tear down democracy. They don’t legislate and pass laws. You’re there to do the work of the people you represent back home.

Anyway, the modern GOP is full of idiots like Gaetz, Boebert, and Green. Why Republicans are so angry and hateful is beyond me. 🤬

Jacob Kastrenakes • The Verge

“Did he say we were moving to it specifically or is thinking about it?” Yaccarino asked.

That was Linda Yaccarino’s reply when asked if Twitter was going to start charging a fee for all users, a claim Space Karen made. She was caught off guard, she didn’t know that was the plan. She’s not the CEO of the company. She’s probably there just so Space Karen can say he lived up to his stupid poll.

I’m sure Linda Yaccarino is a more than competent executive but she’s made a deal with the devil. She should be nervous. Especially once he’s fired her. I originally said she be gone in six months. I’m sticking by that. She’s 100 days into her new role and already out of the loop.

Christian Tietze

SwiftUI.View is actually a view model – a model of the view. It’s a blueprint for what to display, but doesn’t contain any actual pixel drawing.

This is an interesting take and I think Christian is right. Once you think about it for a bit it starts to make sense. At least it did for me.

Now, I’ve done a bit of work on one of my apps — Arrgly — that has a few view models and they fit right into the new SwiftUI I’m writing. So, view models work as well, but is it an unneeded level of indirection? Maybe. 🤔

Jenny Gross • The New York Times

A 16-year-old boy was arrested Thursday on suspicion of criminal damage after one of Britain’s most famous trees, a sycamore that stood in a dip in Hadrian’s Wall, was cut down overnight in what the authorities described as “an act of vandalism.”

This is one of those head scratchers. Why in the world would someone just cut a down a random tree?

Hopefully we find out.

Craig Hockenberry

The only explanation I can find for the Timer’s design regressions is an unfamiliarity with some use cases. In the following critique, I’ll focus on how the watch is used in the kitchen and how older customers struggle with the new layout. Suggestions will be kept to a minimum: the effort here is to be descriptive, not prescriptive.

Wow! Craig does a deep dive into the Apple Watch Timer. I also used the built in timers when I’d grill.

Umar Shakir • The Verge

Google is offering its employees a new incentive to come into its Mountain View, California office: discounted hotel stays. The company is promoting $99 per night rates for its on-campus hotel to help remote employees transition into a hybrid working schedule, according to a report from CNBC.

Yeah, that’s not what I’d call good marketing. 🤣 you pay us $99 a night so you don’t have to commute to work! Brilliant! How ‘bout you just let folks work from home? 🧠

Gabriela Galindo • WIRED

The Fruit Union Suisse is 111 years old. For most of its history, it has had as its symbol a red apple with a white cross—the Swiss national flag superimposed on one of its most common fruits. But the group, the oldest and largest fruit farmer’s organization in Switzerland, worries it might have to change its logo, because Apple, the tech giant, is trying to gain intellectual property rights over depictions of apples, the fruit.

If Apple goes after a company over 100 years old because the have a logo with an apple on it they’re pathetic. 🤬

Believe it or not it’s part of what motivated me to change my little company’s name from Apple Core Labs to Hayseed.

Scott Jenson

Android and iOS share a common problem: they copied desktop text editing conventions, but without a menu bar or mouse. This forced them to overload the tap gesture with a wide range of actions: placing the cursor, moving it, selecting text, and invoking a pop-up menu. This results in an overly complicated and ambiguous mess-o-taps, leading to a variety of user errors.

I’ve mentioned I compose all my blog posts on my iPhone. I do it largely out of laziness. 😁

I’ve used Tot for a number of years and it has the best editing experience of any iPhone apps I’ve used.

Once I’m happy with my post I copy it to Micro.Blog and post it to my blog. Easy peasy.

Jeff Seldin • Voice of America

White supremacists appear to have settled on a new strategy to grow their numbers and ready capable fighting forces across the United States, Canada and Europe while avoiding the scrutiny of law enforcement.

I’ve been waiting for a war to break out in our country. At the least a bunch of very targeted attacks. If these wannabe soldiers can actually get their act together folks may have to start worrying. If they’re as disorganized and dumbass as they were on January 6, we’ll be fine. Yes, people will die, and that’s a terrible price to pay for stupidity.

Rogers Cadenhead

I publish this blog and seven other sites with Wordzilla, a CMS I wrote for myself and have never released. I began it 20 years ago and the PHP codebase is best examined in small doses because to look upon its full extent would bring a descent into madness worthy of Yog-Shoggoth.

I’ve read Rogers blog for years and years and I had no idea it was a home rolled solution. Good for you, Rogers! I’ve always wanted to create my own publishing system but I don’t have the gumption any longer to do it. 🎩

Ross Dellenger • Yahoo Sports

About 20 minutes after the conclusion of, let’s call it, the Autzen Stadium Massacre — Oregon 42, Colorado 6 — Prime Time himself nicely summed up the sordid affair.

I knew they’d lose eventually. It’s just going to happen, especially with a program in rebuild mode. They’ve already doubled last years win total so I’d say this year has already been a success. I also suspect they’ll win quite a few games this season. More than they lose. 🏈

X Out Hate

We are a group of rabbis, leaders of Jewish organizations, artists, activists, and academics. We have diverse ideologies and beliefs, but we have come together to address the danger Elon Musk and X represent to Jews and others.

Space Karen strikes again. He’s a racist and antisemite and has no place running a social media sit with so much power. X has become a home for the worst of the worst and it all his fault.

Hopefully we get some regulation around trust and safety issues that force social media companies to police their platforms better. 🤞🏼

It’s beyond time to leave Twitter. You now have much better choices; Mastodon, Threads, and Bluesky. Very selfishly I’d recommend Mastodon. It’s not controlled by a corporate entity who’s interest is using your data as the product. It’s a rag tag, loosely federated, collection of misfits and absolutely beautiful people carrying on the best conversations. It’s a place to build your community with a site controlled by your community. You don’t answer to anyone but yourself.

Aaron Brooks • MakeUseOf

A critical vulnerability in the WebP Codec has been discovered, forcing major browsers to fast-track security updates. However, widespread use of the same WebP rendering code means countless apps are also affected, until they release security patches.

Yikes! Make sure you patch your browser ASAP.

Evan Low • The Mercury News

Contrary to how some have misrepresented the letter my colleagues and I sent to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, we are not asking to “unilaterally strike (Donald) Trump’s name” from the ballot.

I’d love to see Trumps name stricken from as many states as possible. Especially those where he encouraged election fraud.

As a nation we need to do everything legally possible to keep this dangerous man out of office.

David Jays • The Guardian

A star with incredible presence, Gambon – who has died at the age of 82 – brought heft and delicacy, mischief and feeling, to the stage and screen

Most folks will remember him as Dumbledore. I remember him best for his roles in Sleepy Hollow and Mary Reilly. He played a real nasty piece of work in Mary Reilly and that stuck with me. 🪦

[dailytafsirofquran]

Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Surah Hud Ayah 18-22

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

11:18 And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah.

Such will be brought before their Lord, and the witnesses will say, ''These are the ones who lied against their Lord!''

No doubt! The curse of Allah is on the wrongdoers.

11:19 Those who hinder (others) from the path of Allah, and seek a crookedness therein, while they are disbelievers in the Hereafter.

11:20 By no means will they escape on earth, nor have they protectors besides Allah!

Their torment will be doubled! They could not bear to listen and they used not to see (the truth).

11:21 They are those who have lost their own selves, and that which they invented eluded them.  

11:22 Certainly, they are those who will be the greatest losers in the Hereafter.

Those Who invent Lies against Allah and hinder Others from His Path are the Greatest Losers

Allah, the Exalted says,

And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah. Such will be brought before their Lord, and the witnesses will say,

Allah, the Exalted, explains the condition of those who lie against Him and that their scandal in the Hereafter will be presented before the heads of creation (for testimony) from the angels, Messengers, Prophets and the rest of mankind and Jinns.

This is just as Imam Ahmad recorded from Safwan bin Muhriz. Safwan said,

"I was holding the hand of Ibn Umar when a man was brought to him. The man said, `How did you hear the Messenger of Allah describe An-Najwa (secret counsel or confidential talk) on the Day of Resurrection?”

Ibn Umar said, `I heard him say,

Verily, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, will draw near the believer and He will place His shade over him. He will conceal him from the people and make him confess to his sins.

He will say to him, "Do you recognize this sin?

Do you recognize that sin?

Do you recognize such and such sin?''

This will continue until He makes him confess to all of his sins and he (the believer) will think to himself that he is about to be destroyed.

Then Allah will say, "Verily, I have concealed these sins for you in the worldly life and I have forgiven you for them today.''

Then he (the believer) will be given his Book of good deeds.

As for the disbelievers and the hypocrites, the witnesses will say,

These are the ones who lied against their Lord! No doubt! The curse of Allah is on the wrongdoers.''

Both Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded this narration in the Two Sahihs.

Concerning Allah's statement,

Those who hinder (others) from the path of Allah, and seek a crookedness therein,

This means that they prevent the people from following the truth and traversing upon the path of guidance that leads to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. In doing so they also keep the people away from Paradise itself.

Allah's statement, (and seek a crookedness therein),

This means that they want their path to be crooked and uneven.

Then, Allah's statement,

while they are disbelievers in the Hereafter.

This means that they deny the Hereafter and they reject the idea that any of its events will occur, or any of it exists at all.

Concerning Allah's statement,

By no means will they escape on earth, nor have they protectors besides Allah!

This means that these disbelievers are under the power of Allah and His force. They are in His grasp and are subject to His authority. He is Most Able to exact vengeance against them in this life before the coming of the Hereafter.

This is like Allah's statement,

but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror. (14:42)

In the Two Sahihs it is recorded that the Prophet said,

Verily Allah gives respite to the oppressor until He seizes him, then he will not be able to escape Him.

For this reason Allah says,

Their torment will be doubled!

This means that the torment will be doubled upon them, because Allah gave them hearing, vision and hearts, but these things did not benefit them. Rather, they were deaf from hearing the truth and blinded away from following it. This is just as Allah has mentioned concerning them when they enter into the Hellfire.

Allah says,

And they will say: "Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire!'' (67:10)

Allah also says,

Those who disbelieved and hinder (men) from the path of Allah, for them We will add torment to the torment. (16:88)

They could not bear to listen and they used not to see (the truth).

For this reason they will be punished for every command that they abandoned and every prohibition that they indulged in.

Then Allah continues by saying,

They are those who have lost their own selves,

They lost themselves, meaning that they be made to enter a blazing Fire, where they will be punished, and its torment will not be lifted from them for even the blinking of an eye.

This is as Allah said,

Whenever it abates, We shall increase for them the fierceness of the Fire. (17:97)

Concerning the statement,

and eluded them,

meaning that it has left them.

that which they invented.

besides Allah, such as rivals and idols. Yet, these things did not avail them in the slightest. In fact, these things actually caused them great harm.

This is as Allah says,

And when mankind are gathered, they will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping. (46:6)

Allah says,

When those who were followed disown those who followed (them), and they see the torment, then all their relations will be cut off from them. )2:166(

Likewise, there are many other verses that prove this loss of theirs and their destruction.

For this reason Allah says,

Certainly, they are those who will be the greatest losers in the Hereafter.

In this verse Allah informs about the direction of their end. He explains that they are the greatest losers among mankind in their transaction for the abode of the Hereafter.

That is because they exchanged the highest levels (of Paradise) for the lowest levels (of Hell) and they substituted the pleasure of Gardens (of Paradise) for the fierce boiling water (of Hell).

• They exchanged the drink of sealed nectar with the fierce hot wind, boiling water, and a shade of black smoke.

• They chose food from the filth of dirty wounds instead of wide-eyed lovely maidens. They preferred Hawiyah (a pit in Hell) instead of lofty castles.

• They chose the anger of Allah and His punishment over nearness to Him and the blessing of gazing at Him.

Therefore, it is no injustice that such people should be the greatest losers in the Hereafter.

[sahihmuslim]

Sahih Muslim, The Book of the Merits of the Companions, Book 44, Hadith 14

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

A person had been driving an ox loaded with luggage. The ox looked towards him and said: I have not been created for this but for lands (i. e. for ploughing the land and for drawing out water from the wells for the purpose of irrigating the lands). The people said with surprise and awe: Hallowed be Allah, does the ox speak? Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: I believe it and so do Abu Bakr and 'Umar. Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: A shepherd was tendirig the flock when a wolf came there and took away one goat. Tile shepherd pursued it (the wolf) and rescued it (the goat) from that (wolf). The wolf looked towards him and said: Who would save it on the day when there will be no shepherd except me? Thereupon people said: Hallowed be Allah I Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: I believe in it and so do Abu Bakr and Umar believe.

Sahih Muslim, The Book of the Merits of the Companions, Book 44, Hadith 14

[tawakkull]

ISLAM 101: SPIRITUALITY IN ISLAM: PART 111

The meaning of Tasawwuf

Part 6

As for the origin of the word Tasawwuf, it may well be from Sufi, the person who does Tasawwuf, which seems to be etymologically prior to it, for the earliest mention of either term was by Hasan al-Basri who died 110 years after the Hijra, and is reported to have said, “I saw a Sufi circumambulating the Kaaba, and offered him a dirham, but he would not accept it.” It, therefore, seems better to understand Tasawwuf by first asking what a Sufi is; and perhaps the best definition of both the Sufi and his way, certainly one of the most frequently quoted by masters of the discipline, is from the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) who said:

Allah Most High says: “He who is hostile to a friend of Mine I declare war against. My slave approaches Me with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him, and My slave keeps drawing nearer to Me with voluntary works until I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks me, I will surely give to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely protect him” (Fath al-Bari, 11.340–41, hadith 6502);

This hadith was related by Imam Bukhari, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Bayhaqi, and others with multiple contiguous chains of transmission, and is sahih. It discloses the central reality of Tasawwuf, which is precisely changing, while describing the path to this change, in conformity with a traditional definition used by masters in the Middle East, who define a Sufi as Faqihun ‘amila bi ‘ilmihi fa awrathahu Llahu ‘ilma ma lam ya‘lam,‘A man of religious learning who applied what he knew, so Allah bequeathed him knowledge of what he did not know.’

To clarify, a Sufi is a man of religious learning, because the hadith says, “My slave approaches Me with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him,” and only through learning can the Sufi know the command of Allah, or what has been made obligatory for him. He has applied what he knew because the hadith says he not only approaches Allah with the obligatory but “keeps drawing nearer to Me with voluntary works until I love him.” And in turn, Allah bequeathed him knowledge of what he did not know, because the hadith says, “And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks,” which is a metaphor for the consummate awareness of tawhid, or the ‘unity of Allah,’ which in the context of human actions such as hearing, sight, seizing, and walking, consists of realizing the words of the Qur'an about Allah that,

“It is He who created you and what you do” (Qur'an 37:96).

The origin of the way of the Sufi thus lies in the prophetic sunna. The sincerity to Allah that it entails was the rule among the earliest Muslims, to whom this was simply a state of being without a name, while it only became a distinct discipline when the majority of the Community had drifted away and changed from this state. Muslims of subsequent generations required systematic effort to attain it, and it was because of the change in the Islamic environment after the earliest generations, that a discipline by the name of Tasawwuf came to exist.

But if this is true of origins, the more significant question is: How central is Tasawwuf to the religion, and: Where does it fit into Islam as a whole? Perhaps the best answer is the hadith of Muslim, that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said:

As we sat one day with the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace), a man in pure white clothing and jet black hair came to us, without a trace of traveling upon him, though none of us knew him.

[couldntbedamned]

This is What I Brought You, This You Can Keep

Summary: ...who is he to deny the woman he loves - the woman who has seen into his soul with all its trials, agony, and dreams and loves him because of it! - who is he to deny her anything she desires?

Warnings/AO3 Tags: SPOILERS FOR DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, MINORS DNI 18+, ALTERNATE UNIVERSE AHOY! - This is NOT the MCU, Stephen Strange/Clea, Clea/Peter Parker, Stephen Strange/Peter Parker, Stephen Strange/Peter Parker/Clea, Extremely Dubious Consent, Kidnapping, Misuse of the Mystic Arts, Smut, A Gentle Caress of Mindbreak (because of who I am as a person), Stephen Strange is a Hypocrite and He is A-OK with That, Clea is Perfection in Faltine-Assuming-Human Form and Shall be Treated as Such, The Author is Being Borderline Self-Indulgent and Poetic, But it’s For a Friend, So it’s Okay,

For @rawringryu you amazing, glorious being!

Ever since meeting the noble young man who has fought so bravely by Stephen’s side, Clea has been preoccupied.  She spends long hours scrying through mirrors, anything with a reflection, all in an attempt to see him.  Stephen understands that she’s smitten, has felt it himself.  But what she’s asked for...

“We can’t just keep him, Clea,” Stephen tells her.

“Why-ever not? He could use some looking after, the poor thing. He’s alone, Dearest.” Clea makes it sound as if her conclusion is perfectly reasonable.  And for the Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension and Faltine being that she is, it may very well be.

Truth be told, there is a part of him… a dark, insistent part of him that wants to agree with her and bring Peter Parker into their lives and make sure he can never leave them.

“He isn’t a pet,” Stephen says on a reluctant sigh. “That isn’t how things are done here.”

“Of course, he won’t be a pet,” Clea agrees. “He will be far more cherished than that.” She takes one of his hands and with love in every motion, stokes over his scars with smooth fingertips capable of forming stars and ending galaxies.  “I’ve seen the way you look at him, Stephen.  At first I was jealous, but after meeting him, seeing him…” Her deep eyes stare into his. “I want him, too.”

It’s everything he shouldn’t do. He would be no better than Kaecilius, Umar, Mephisto, or Wanda Maximoff were he to even consider it.

But unlike the legions he’s fought alongside and the legions he’s fought against, he’s never been afraid to admit to being a hypocrite.

After all, in the grand scheme of the infinite multiverse, who is he to deny the woman he loves - the woman who has seen into his soul with all its trials, agony, and dreams and loves him because of it! - who is he to deny her anything she desires?

Two days, four dozen candles, and eight grimoires later, Peter Parker is naked before them on their bed, arms and legs bound by the Crimson Bands. Clea is murmuring soft, reassuring words to Peter while she coaxes yet another orgasm out of his perfect body. “You’re safe now, Peter,” she tells him. “We’re going to take such wonderful care of you.”

Peter’s eyes, wet with betrayal and tears meet Stephen’s. “Stephen, please! You can’t do this!”

“Oh, Peter, everything is going to be alright,” Stephen tells him. A simple hand gesture removes his remaining clothing and Peter’s eyes go wide at the sight. “You’ll understand soon enough. All we want to do is take care of you.”

Clea has spent so much time preparing Peter to take his cock that Stephen slides in with relative ease once the fat head pops the rim. Peter moans pitifully and Clea shushes him with a soft kiss. They’re beautiful together, His Clea and Their Peter.

“Don’t tease him,” Clea chides when she notices he’s barely moving. “We’re supposed to be proving a point, remember?  That we will be cherishing him?”

“Yes,” Stephen says as he withdraws from Peter’s tight heat. “We are.”

The bands shift and with them, so does Peter. Clea seems to understand Stephen’s intent and draws Peter onto her body. He can see impressions of flame under her pale skin, wonders long it will take Peter to realize he’s been chosen by the closest being to a goddess he’ll ever meet.

“Come into me, Peter,” she urges, arching her hips beneath him. “All of this we’re doing, is for you.”

“Well,” Stephen corrects, watching intently as Peter sinks inside his lover and is unable to stop the moan of ecstasy. “A great deal of it is for you.” He guides his cock to Peter’s rim, watches in satisfaction as the quickly-healing body fights against his claim for a second or two before he’s driving forward into him, into Clea. “And much of it is for us.”

“You’re ours,” Clea tells Peter with a beautiful smile and eyes rolled back in bliss. “And we will keep you safe and happy.”

Stephen begins to move, ensuring that when he thrusts, so does Peter. “You’ll never want for anything,” he promises. “All you have to do is be ours.”

Peter is lost in sensation and pleasure so unrestrained by mortal bounds he swears he can see through the universe itself. Clea is so beautiful, soft, warm and infinite, and tight beneath him, her lips promise the fulfillment of every desire he’s ever had and he knows he could spend days driving into her warmth and her care. Stephen is a force of a man atop him, claiming him. There’s no spot inside of him Stephen hasn’t taken for his own, hasn’t filled. The man is so large inside of him he wonders how he’s not split into two, then he orgasms again and decides he doesn’t care.

It doesn’t matter how many times he comes, he stays hard inside of the deity beneath him and desperate for the claim of the Titan inside him. He can have this, he thinks. He can have this.

Hours, maybe days later, Peter sleeps between them, his head resting on Clea’s breast and arm flung over Stephen. His perfect skin is highlighted by the marks of their devotion and they’ll continue to pay tribute lest those marks ever fade.

“Stephen, my Dearest, I think we finally broke him,” Clea coos softly, stroking Peter’s soft brown curls.

“There was no other way,” Stephen agrees, and leans over to kiss her. He’ll never tire of Clea. He’ll never tire of touching Peter, of watching Clea touch Peter.

“We’re going to be so happy together.”

The multiverse, in all of its infinite iterations, shudders for a fraction of a billionth of a second. It is a small price to pay, the loss of the Spider.

A small price to pay for the protection from the Supreme Sorcerer and the Sorceress Supreme. Ensuring their happiness will ensure the very fabrics of all realties’ survival.

The Supreme Sorcerer, the Sorceress Supreme, and their Spider.

[sonnet009]

Wilder: Jamal’s Story (Route Summary)

PROLOGUE:

MC decides to flee Ziya alone. A rotund wine merchant named Barlow offers her a timely rescue, smuggling her out in one of the wagons in his caravan. On their journey across the Shining Sands MC learns that Barlow is a wealthy and ambitious man who can afford not only a team of djinn guards but even a pleasure slave. It is this pleasure slave who warns MC that Barlow intends to ransom her back to Ziya and urges her to leave the caravan. Though afraid, MC chooses to stay rather than risk facing the desert alone. Jamal is not pleased at the prospect of continuing to share his wagon.

CHAPTER I:

The caravan stops so Barlow can take his dinner out under the stars. MC joins him and Jamal while the djinn guards keep watch. Barlow is very blatant about his sexual relationship with Jamal and Jamal for his part fawns over Barlow in return. MC has never seen anything like it. Left alone for a few moments, Jamal teases MC that she can't keep her eyes off him.

During the next day's travel the caravan is attacked by a raiding group of djinn come down from the Western Hills. The djinn guards rally around Barlow to protect him but change their minds when the leader of the wild djinn offers them a free life with the tribe. Barlow and MC are pushed onto their knees, faces in the sand, and Barlow is beheaded. MC hears Jamal's horrified gasp.

MC does not share Barlow's fate. She is restrained and brought back to the Hills with the tribe and their new recruits. She is not sure why, but feels in her heart that this is no salvation.

CHAPTER II:

While the new djinn are welcomed into the tribe, Jamal sneaks over to where MC has been tied. He probes her about her rich, important family and muses that she must have connections in Umar. Though he knew she was fleeing Ziya he doesn't seem to have the full story – he certainly doesn't know that MC is an accused murderer and therefore utterly without connections or power.

After a ritual in which each new djinn must eat a piece of a raw deer heart, the disgusted Jamal has had enough. In the dead of night he frees MC in return for her promise to take him to Umar. They catch their breath by the river but are soon discovered by one of the ex-guards whose disdain for Jamal the pleasure slave is obvious. He calls out for the rest of the tribe and MC and Jamal run.

The tribe pursues them far, all the way to the base of the mountainous Knives. With little other choice, MC and Jamal head up – away from the Hills but only into more danger.

CHAPTER III:

MC offers condolences for Barlow's death. Jamal is dismissive and MC realises that though he appeared to adore the man it was all just an act. He doesn't miss Barlow, just the security that being his personal slave offered. Jamal insists that MC is his master now, though MC insists that she is not. Jamal reveals his intention for MC to sell him to a famous pleasure house in Umar, and for that she has to be his master.

Jamal whines and gripes the whole way up the mountain path. In contrast, MC finds a fortitude within herself she never knew she had. In the night he attempts to seduce her though she rebuffs him, saying, “I told you, you don't need to do that.” The next day they stumble into the path of a mountain lion. Jamal hides behind MC while she scares it away.

They come across a hot spring and MC spends most of her time trying to avoid looking at Jamal's naked and shameless displays designed to get her attention. But when he asks her to wash his hair it is with genuine, vulnerable wanting so she does so. It is the most intimate moment MC has ever shared with anyone.

CHAPTER IV:

In the sprawling farmland on the other side of the mountains, MC and Jamal are caught in a sudden downpour. Sheltering in an old barn, they share a sweet, quiet moment that turns into an argument when she once again refuses to claim him as her slave. MC is secretly very drawn to Jamal, but fears that his affection is all a lie and that she will be taking advantage of their positions if she lets herself believe him. He accuses her of looking down on him and gives her the cold shoulder. This means that MC has missed another chance to confess that she is not the connected noblewoman he believes her to be.

As they continue on their journey in strained silence, a group of bandits appear and block their path. MC is afraid but not as afraid as Jamal. However, when one of the men grabs MC and makes lewd comments, Jamal exclaims, “Hey!” surprising no one more than himself. As the scene turns to violence, MC and Jamal learn that even a light slap from a djinn whose claws have been growing for weeks can be devastating to a human body. MC thanks Jamal for his protection while he desperately tries to get the blood out from under his nails.

They finally make it to Dijarah, a port town where MC intends to board a ship sailing for Umar. The one problem? She has no money.

CHAPTER V:

To earn money in Dijarah, an innkeeper agrees to hire MC and Jamal to work in the kitchen. Jamal is aghast at the prospect, especially when he meets the old battleaxe of a cook on whom his charms utterly fail. Jamal is terrible at every practical task put before him and, after only a few days, is utterly miserable.

MC is gentle and encouraging with Jamal, and he eventually is able to put aside his pride (a little) and improve. He finds it amusing to think of a world in which he worked here instead of as a pleasure slave. But when MC takes this question seriously he balks and insists that he would never want an unglamorous life like this. “I know what I am,” he says quietly.

As the two grow closer, Jamal tells MC the story of his life. Bred illegally and born sick, Jamal was passed under the table from master to master, role to role, failing at all of them. Finally dumped in a pleasure house as an insult, Jamal actually flourished there – able to put his natural charm and artistic talents to use. That is why he cannot even consider another life. MC asks if he would choose the same life if he were a free man. Jamal goes quiet and does not answer.

CHAPTER VI:

One day MC walks into the kitchen to see Jamal scrubbing pots with all his might then absent mindedly tidying up some things – not as part of his assigned task but just because it needs doing. MC announces herself and they compare their palm callouses and growing arm muscle. One night Jamal is asked to perform for the inn's patrons by playing the lute – he is giddy with excitement to be the centre of attention once more, though the audience is not his usual clientele. He plays and sings beautifully and MC sets off a standing ovation that nearly makes him cry.

An evening shift turns tense when a group of drunkards start causing trouble. Jamal shocks everyone by taking charge of the situation and intimidating them into leaving. Though, as soon as they are gone, his legs turn to liquid and he slides to the floor declaring how terrifying the whole thing was. The innkeeper draws him a hot bath in thanks. Jamal asks MC to wash his hair again. Though she won't join him in the tub – despite his persistence – Jamal does wash and style her hair for her in return.

Finally MC and Jamal have enough money to book passage on a ship. As they are boarding MC catches sight of Hamza in the crowded street. She drags Jamal away to avoid getting caught, though now she is less afraid of being arrested than she is being exposed to Jamal who still doesn't know that she is a fugitive. She resolves that she must tell him soon, even if it ruins the... friendship... that seems to finally be blossoming between them.

CHAPTER VII:

Hamza has also boarded so MC spends most of her time hiding in her cabin – and Jamal has no objections to passing the days relaxing on a soft bed. She tries many times to broach his misconceptions about her but is consistently thwarted by interruptions and her own cowardice. A rich passenger tries to buy some time with Jamal from MC but she staunchly refuses. Jamal is delighted by this, then confused as to why he is so delighted.

One night they lie side by side on the bed and MC asks Jamal why he is so set on being sold to this particular brothel. He explains that, not only is it a famous venue, but if they purchase him then by Umar’s laws he will no longer be a slave but an indentured servant. MC says that isn’t good enough – she wants to free him. Jamal is dismissive of such an impossible idea but MC insists that Lord Yasir, the most powerful man in Umar, could surely help them. Jamal asks why MC would be seeking Yasir’s help for herself and she prepares to finally tell him the truth when– the ship’s bell rings. They have arrived.

Hamza catches sight of MC at just the wrong moment. She drags Jamal off the ship, pushing past everyone else, and manages to lose Hamza in the moonlit streets of Umar. They come to Minerva’s Pleasure House. Inside is a whole new world to MC but Jamal is in his element. Then he goes quiet. “I don’t want you to leave me here. I want to stay with you. I want to be–”. The madam interrupts, realises exactly who MC is, and throws her and Jamal out of the place, calling MC a murderer and threatening to tell the authorities if either of them ever return.

CHAPTER VIII:

MC hurries to Yasir’s estate, a confused and suspicious Jamal with her, and fortunately finds the merchant-turned-lord to be very welcoming and willing to provide sanctuary. Jamal confronts MC and she finally admits everything. Jamal is devastated. He accuses her of using him, of dragging him through danger and hardship just for the amusement of it, of being just as rotten as Barlow and the others. “You think so little of me. You think nothing of me.” MC cannot explain her actions without admitting – to Jamal and to herself – that she has been falling in love with him. Jamal is stunned. Then he turns and leaves the manor.

He returns in the morning and apologises for leaving, kissing MC on the cheek and saying that he understands she was only doing what she had to do – she’s a survivor. He turns down MC’s attempts to make him a free man and instead asks Yasir to use his influence to place him in the pleasure house. “No more pretending,” he says in response to MC’s protestations. “I know what I am.” Yasir arranges for the madam to accept him as an indentured servant.

MC and Jamal say a fraught goodbye in the gaudy room that is to be Jamal’s from now on. Jamal kisses MC and, at his soft declaration that he has fallen in love with her too, she gives in to her passion and they come together in a tangle of flesh and emotion. After, as they lie in bed, the door is kicked down and in bursts Hamza to arrest MC. Jamal is remarkably unsurprised. “I should’ve known it was all a lie from the beginning. All those things you said about my potential. Trying to make me doubt who I am; what I am. But you know something, mistress?” There is nothing but cold resolve in his eyes. “I’m a survivor too.”

CHAPTER IX:

MC is transported back to Ziya to face her execution. She spends the journey thinking on Jamal. That night he left the manor he must have gone to Hamza to arrange the ambush. Anger and betrayal come in cycles but always give way to regret and the knowledge that she brought this on herself. MC’s execution is a public event on the steps of the shah’s palace, but the proceedings are suddenly interrupted by Jamal and Yasir’s right-hand-djinn Royo. Since MC was under Umar’s protection, Ziya’s actions in abducting her have been taken as a hostile act. Hamza takes justice into his own hands and attacks MC with his sword. Jamal tries to protect her but she pushes him away, taking the blade in her chest.

MC wakes in her old bedroom in her Aunt and Uncle’s villa. The blade missed her heart and, though badly wounded, she will live. Jamal is by her bedside. He asserts that he hasn’t forgiven her, and he’ll never forgive himself, but he wants her to know that Hamza was the one who caught and pressured him into the betrayal that night, and Jamal convinced himself that she deserved it. But he regretted it immediately and went running to Yasir for help. He confesses that he wasn’t lying when he said he’d fallen in love with her. He thinks that’s their shared fatal flaw – they’re dreamers.

When MC next wakes quite a lot of time has passed. This time it is Royo who comes to see her, informing her that the political pressure from Umar – and Yasir specifically – has worked. To avoid trouble between the two cities, Ziya has agreed not to execute MC but to exile her. Royo must return to Umar now but says that MC is welcome there once she is well enough to travel. MC asks after Jamal but Royo shakes her head. He is waiting by the carriage to leave and will not return to the villa. MC asks Royo to take something with her when she goes – a letter addressed to the madam of Minerva’s.

BITTER END:

Two years have passed since the almost-execution and MC has been travelling ever since, working tirelessly in whatever jobs she can in order to save money and send it periodically to Minerva’s to bit by bit pay off Jamal’s “debt” to the pleasure house. Finally with enough to complete the contract she returns to Umar.

When Jamal sees her in Minerva’s he covers his shock by asking if she is there to taste him once again. They go to his room and MC interrupts his cold, emotionless seduction with the last of the money he needs to truly be free. He insists at first to not want it then finally cracks open, tears spilling down his cheeks. “But where would I go?” MC says he can go with her if he likes. He doesn’t answer, conflicted, still so afraid to trust. MC backs off and says he can go wherever he wants to go; anywhere in the world. She leaves the pleasure house but lingers outside, hoping that when Jamal comes out a free man he will choose to go with her after all.

SWEET END:

Two years have passed since the almost-execution and MC has been travelling ever since, working tirelessly in whatever jobs she can in order to save money and send it periodically to Minerva’s to bit by bit pay off Jamal’s “debt” to the pleasure house. However when she journeys to Umar with the final payment she is informed by the madam that Jamal has already been freed from his contract and left months ago. MC turns to Royo for help, who informs her that Jamal had also been working hard to pay for his freedom – taking on extra chores and responsibilities at Minerva's – and that last she knew he was heading for Dijarah.

MC sets sail immediately. When she disembarks at Dijarah’s docks she is stunned to find Jamal waiting, Royo having sent word ahead. There is a tense moment of uncertainty then Jamal launches himself at her, catching her in a tight embrace. He thanks her for contributing so much to buying his freedom and says he’s never worked so hard for anything before – for the chance to live a free life. To stand before MC as an equal. To say he loves her and for it to be the simple truth. Hand-in-hand, Jamal escorts MC to his new place of employment – the inn in which they spent so much time before. He winks. “I hear they're hiring. I’ll put in a good word for you.”

[asma-al-husna]

Allah calls Himself Al-Badee’— The incomparable Originator— on two occasions in the Quran. He is the One who initiates and creates in amazing and original ways that have no precedent, without any model or example. Al-Badee’ is the incomparable, the unique, and only One who originates, commences, invents, and creates in a perfect way!

The incomparable originator, the wonderful inventor and innovator

Badee’ comes from the root baa-daal-‘ayn which points to three main meanings. The first main meaning is to originate, innovate, or start. The second main meaning is to start something, to uniquely contrive without any similarity to anything pre-existing. And the third main meaning is to be incomparable, superlative and amazing.

This root appears four times in the Quran in three derived forms. Examples of these forms are ibtada’oohaa (“they innovated”) and bid’an (“a new (one)”).

Linguistically, bid’ah means an innovation or something new, something not done or said by anyone before.

Al-Badee’ refers to the one and only Originator who time and time again does something new, unlike anything else, originating its existence without the use of any tool and without being limited to time or space.

Al-Badee’ Himself says: [He is] Originator of the heavens and the earth. How could He have a son when He does not have a companion and He created all things? And He is, of all things, Knowing [Quran, 6:101] ..Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, “Be,” and it is. [Quran, 2:117]

Bida’h: the concept of innovation in religion

According to Islamic teaching bid’ah is any invented or innovated way in religion that is aimed at worshipping or drawing closer to Allah ‘azza wa jall. This means that this act, saying, or distancing from something, has no proof—or daleel— in the Quran and Sunnah and was not known at the time of the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the companions. (These unaccepted religious inventions and innovations don’t include worldly inventions, like technology.)

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would start a khutbah (sermon) saying: …The best of speech is the Book of Allah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The worst of things are those which are newly-invented, and every innovation is a going astray . . .  [Muslim] This shows us it is forbidden to innovate something in Islam or to follow an innovation someone else started.

He salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam kept repeating:  Every newly-invented thing is a bid’ah (innovation), every bid’ah is a going astray, and every going astray will be in the Fire. [An-Nasaa’i]  He also explained that when you invent something in Islam this deed will be rejected from you: Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours that is not a part of it will have it rejected. [Al-Bukhaaree]

This shows how important it is to gain correct Islamic knowledge, as any innovation will not be accepted from the believers and can lead to the Hellfire.  Examples of bid’ah are denying any of the five pillars of Islam or of the six pillars of emaan (faith), celebrating non-Islamic events and declaring that which is haraam (forbidden) halaal (accepted) and that which is halaal, haraam.

How Can You Live by This Name?

1. Stay away from innovation in your religion.

Study the Quran and the sunnah from trustworthy sources so you equip yourself with knowledge on what is commanded, recommended, forbidden and discouraged in Islam. Gain knowledge about the ways of the prophet and his companions as these are key to implementing Quranic knowledge in your life. The prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: If anyone introduces an innovation in the religion, he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in the religion) he is cursed by Allah, by His angels and by all the people. [Abu Dawood] Ask Al-Badee’ to protect you from innovation.

2. Follow the prophet.

The prophet said: Leave me as I leave you, for the people who were before you were ruined because of their questions and their differences over their prophets. So, if I forbid you to do something, then keep away from it. And if I order you to do something, then do of it as much as you can. [Al-Bukharee]

And: . . . we were with ‘Umar and he said: We have been forbidden to undertake a difficult task beyond our capability (i.e. to exceed the religious limits, e.g., to clean the inside of the eyes while doing ablution).[Al-Bukhaaree] Never change or twist the meaning of the Quran or Sunnah to suit your desires. Be honest and take responsibility for your choices. Be careful with cultural activities; if they don’t contradict the Quran and sunnah there is no harm, but if they contradict Islam, avoid them.

3. Revive a sunnah.

The prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa  sallam said: He who starts a good sunnah will be rewarded for it, in addition to receiving rewards equal to the rewards of those who follow him into it. Whereas he who starts a bad sunnah will be burdened with it, in addition to receiving burdens equal to the burdens of those who follow him into it. [Muslim] The only good sunnah is a revived sunnah and not a newly-invented one!

5. Present Islam in a correct way.

When presenting Islam to someone, present the Quran and Sunnah and not your opinion. 


6. Ask Al-Badee’.

. . . Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is. [Quran, 2:117] Know there is no problem too big, no situation too challenging, and no difficulty too hard as long as you call upon Al-Badee’ to ask for His support and for your every need.

O Allah, Al-Badee’,we know that You are the incomparable Originator. Make us of those who follow Your rope, gain correct knowledge of Your Book and the sunnah and protect us from bid’ah. Guide us in reviving the ways of Your prophet correctly, make us convey the message of Islam to others as You revealed it and adorn us with complete faith and trust in Your power to create and originate, ameen!

[speedfreak01]

kaguragi debonesby

[rafuuu]

SUFFERING UMMAH

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST

Very important for our ummah.

By Hadhrat Moulana Abdul Hamid Saheb (Daamat Barakaatuhum)

During a trip to the United Kingdom, I gave a talk in a Masjid in London. In the vicinity of the Masjid, Jews predominantly reside.

In that talk, I mentioned that once, when Haaji Bhai Padia (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh) was travelling by air, a Jewish Rabbi was seated next to him. In conversation, the Jewish Rabbi said to Haaji Bhai Padia (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh): “We are not afraid of the Muslims today, because Allah’s help is not with them, nor with us. Today, everything is about power: The one who has more arms and more ammunition, wins. We have more, and we are more powerful. However, when the Mosques (Masaajid) of the Muslims start filling up for the Fajr prayer as the Masjids get full for the Jumu’ah prayer, we will not be able to fight the Muslims, because Allah’s help will be with them, and we can never overcome the one who is assisted by Allah.”

After this talk, a young man came to me and informed me that he is from India (or Pakistan). He said: “I go home once a year. Each time, on my return, my neighbour, who is Jew, asks me: ‘How many people are attending the Fajr prayer?’ …This is the question posed to me every time. Once, I asked him: ‘Why do you always ask me this same question?’ He said: ‘Today, we have no fear for the Muslims, but when their Masjids get full for the Fajr prayer as they do for Jumu’ah, we will not fight them as Allah’s help will be with them and we cannot fight Allah.”

Abdullah S’aud is a brother from South America, whose homeland is Palestine. He related that he was a little child when his family was exiled to South America. At that time, Ariel Sharon mentioned to the father of Abdullah S’aud: “You will come back; but not today and not tomorrow. You will come back when your Masjids are full for Fajr like how they are for Jumu’ah.”

We clamour and we shout and we cry, for the rise of Islam, yet we do not rise for the Fajr Salaah.

Our hypocrisy becomes evident in the light of the Ahadith. There is no doubt of a person’s Nifaaq (hypocrisy) if he is absent from the Fajr and Isha Salaah, in the Masjid.

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are ‘Isha and Fajr, but if they only knew what they contain, they would come even if they had to crawl.”[1]

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “A person who does not go for Salaah after hearing the Azaan is committing a great wrong and is doing an act of Kufr (disbelief) and Nifaaq (hypocrisy).”[2]

Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (Radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had said: “If you neglect the Sunnah, you will go astray. Verily, I have seen a time when no one stayed away from the congregational prayers except for the hypocrites who were well known for their hypocrisy or a sick man. I remember that a man would be brought leaning on two men and put in the Saff (row) to attain its reward and escape the sins of missing it.”[3]

If the entire Ummah performed Salaah - established Salaah - the entire Ummah would be in the protection of Allah Ta’ala, the One who is Al-Mighty and All-Powerful. No power on the surface of the earth will be able to overcome or defeat a people in the special protection of Allah Ta’ala.

Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “Whoever prays the dawn prayer (Fajr), then He is under Allah’s protection. So beware, O son of Aadam, that Allah does not call you to account for being absent from His protection for any reason.”[4]

Boycotting, sanctioning and marching may find a place in bringing attention to injustice and crippling an economy but they do not draw the assistance of Allah Ta’ala. The assistance of Allah Ta’ala comes only with obedience to Allah Ta’ala and with conforming to the Sunnah.

Muslims, today, see some kind of solution in marching and boycotting – but sadly, do not see the solution where it is: In practically implementing the teachings of the Qur’aan and Sunnah.

We will only overcome the forces of Zionism and the enemies of Islam taking the route of obedience to Allah Ta’ala and His Rasul (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam).

Our condition is that Salaah is neglected; the beautiful Sunnah is disregarded - there is no care and no concern to identify ourselves with Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam), by adopting the Sunnah Libaas (dress/garb), maintaining the beard one fist length and following in his noble footsteps. ...The majority do not want to give up the song and dance, the interest and gambling, the western culture or the Hollywood/Bollywood culture, and all other sins. ...Then how will we invite Allah Ta’ala’s Nusrah[5], in this manner?

Allah Ta'ala has His conditions. These will have to be met first, before we can overcome our enemies.

Allah Ta’ala clearly defines His conditions and His promises:

“Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and perform righteous deeds, that He will, of surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them…

So establish Salaah (Prayer) and give regular Charity (Zakaah); and obey the Messenger that you may receive mercy. ”

[Surah Nur 24 : 55 / 56]

The Sahaba-e-Kiraam (Radhiyallahu ‘anhum) were able to overcome the super powers of their time because they were living Islam.

The keys of Masjid-e-Aqsa were willingly handed over to Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallahu ‘anhu), the Ameerul Mu’mineen, whose reign as the Khalifa saw the establishment of justice on the face of the earth. This justice was through the implementation of the Qur’aan Sharief and Sunnah and standing firm and resolute on its teachings.

Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallahu ‘anhu), himself, said: “We are a people whom Allah Ta’ala elevated with Islam.” – i.e. true and sincere submission to Allah Ta’ala.

We talk about Masjid-e-Aqsa and the violation and desecration of Masjid-e-Aqsa by the Israeli Zionist forces. However, the condition of Masjid-e-Aqsa is only a reflection of the condition of the Ummah at large.

Sheikh ‘Ali Abbaasi, the Imam of Masjid-e-Aqsa, had asked Hadhrat Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Daamat Barakaatuhum), the principal of Madrasah Taleemuddeen, about the sad and distressing condition of Palestine and asked why there is no support from the Muslim countries.

Hadhrat Mufti Saheb (Daamat Barakaatuhum) explained that he had read in the Tafsier of Hadhrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh) that Allah Ta’ala has different systems for Masjidul Haraam in Makkatul Mukarramah and for Masjidul Aqsa.

Hadhrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Rahmatullahi ‘Alayh) had explained in his Tafsier that Masjidul Haraam is continuously under the protection of Allah Ta’ala. The Kuffaar will not be able to gain control of Baitullah, and the condition of the Muslim Ummah does not affect this protection. This protection has no interruption.

The condition of Masjid-e-Aqsa is centred and based on the condition of the Muslim Ummah.

If the Ummah is obedient to Allah Ta’ala, then Masjid-e-Aqsa would be in their full control. If the Ummah is in the disobedience of Allah Ta’ala, then the Muslim Ummah loses control of Masjid-e-Aqsa and the land of Palestine. Control is handed over to our enemies.

This is what we see today. A great majority of the Muslim Ummah are heedless of the Commandments of Allah Jalla Jalaaluhu; even engaging recklessly in sins.

We raise our voices against the Israeli Zionist forces who desecrate our beloved Masjid-e-Aqsa; we march against the injustice, we wave the Palestinian flag everywhere, and we wear its colours in some way or the other - all in solidarity. ...However, if we are not performing Salaah and if, in our lives, there is disobedience to Allah Ta'ala, then let us understand the very, very sad reality: We are instrumental in the desecration and violation of Masjid-e-Aqsa and the oppression of the Palestinian people. Then our role is not constructive; rather it is destructive - because we are a contributing factor to the Israelis having control of Masjid-e-Aqsa.

Imam Maalik (Rahmatullahi 'alayh) had said so aptly, in his time: "The last generations of the Ummah can only be reformed by that which reformed its first generations. What was not part of the religion then, cannot become part of the religion now."

The first step is establishing Salaah in our lives and working towards bringing the whole of Islam into our lives, practically. If we really want to solve our problems, this is the only way.

May Allah Ta’ala forgive us, have mercy upon us, guide us, and grant us the understanding and the Taufeeq of becoming practical on Deen.

http://hameediyyah.blogspot.com/2014/10/deliverance-for-suffering-ummah-gateway.html?m=1

[quirkynomads]

Showing love and affection to unbelievers

The word ‘love’ has many different definitions and subdivisions. Scholars of Islam have divided the types love into a variety of categories according to different perspectives. However, our discourse is often confused because we use a single word ‘love’ (hubb) to mean different things in different contexts. Does Islam teach us to love the unbelievers or to show them affection? It depends upon what definition of love we are using.

It is permissible in Islam to show affection (mawaddah) to neighborly non-hostile unbelievers by speaking kind words to them, giving them gifts, and so on, as long as we do not express love for the aspects of their religions or deeds that contradict Islam. This is a type of permissible ‘natural love’ that all human beings experience, such as with their parents, coworkers, and friends.

Ibn al-Qayyim defines this permissible type of love, writing:

وَهِيَ الْمَحَبَّةُ الطَّبِيعِيَّةُ وَهِيَ مَيْلُ الْإِنْسَانِ إِلَى مَا يُلَائِمُ طَبْعَهُ كَمَحَبَّةِ الْعَطْشَانِ لِلْمَاءِ وَالْجَائِعِ لِلطَّعَامِ وَمَحَبَّةِ النَّوْمِ وَالزَّوْجَةِ وَالْوَلَدِ فَتِلْكَ لَا تُذَمُّ إِلَّا إِذَا أَلْهَتْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَشَغَلَتْ عَنْ مَحَبَّتِهِ

Natural love (al-mahabbat al-tib’iyyah) is what the human inclines to by his nature, such as the thirsty one’s love for water, the hungry one’s love for food, love for sleep, a wife, or a child. This love is not blameworthy unless it diverts from the remembrance of Allah and distracts from His love.

Source: al-Jawāb al-Kāfī 1/190

There are several examples from the life of the Prophet (ṣ) in which he had natural love for his family, relatives, and other non-Muslims. The most obvious instance was his relationship to his uncle Abu Talib, who had raised him and protected him but who died as an idolater.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to his uncle Abu Talib as he was dying:

قُلْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ لَكَ بِهَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

Say there is no God but Allah, and I will testify for you on the Day of Resurrection.

Abu Talib said, “Were the Quraysh not to blame me and say only anxiety made him do that, I would delight your eyes.” Then, Allah revealed the verse:

إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ

Verily, you do not guide those you love, rather only Allah guides whom He wills. (28:56)

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 25, Grade: Sahih

The Prophet (ṣ) clearly loved his uncle with the natural love of a relative and Abu Talib loved him as well, which demonstrates that it is permissible for us to show such reciprocal affection. It would be unjust to return familial kindness shown by non-Muslim family members with hostility or indifference.

Shaykh Abu Faysal al-Badrani cited this example, writing:

تجوز مودة الكافر للمؤمن ولا يُلام المسلم على ذلك إذا لم يكن سبب هذه المودة سبب محرم وقد كان أبو طالب يحب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

It is permissible for an unbeliever to show affection to a believer and there is no blame upon a Muslim for that, as long as the means of this affection are not unlawful means. Abu Talib used to love the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

Source: al-Walāʼ wal-Barāʼ wal-ʻAdāʼ fī al-Islām 1/47

In another verse, the Prophet (ṣ) was commanded to convey the message of Islam to his tribe and to ask for no earthly reward in return, except for the expectation that they would maintain ties of reciprocal affection as family members.

Allah said:

قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَىٰ

Say: I do not ask you anything for it, except affection due to relatives.

Source: Surat al-Shura 42:23

Shaykh Abu Faysal al-Badrani cited this verse and commented on the issue, writing:

طلب مودة الكفار غير المحاربين واستدعاؤها بسبب شرعي جائز بلا شك كالهدية وحسن التعامل ونحوهما هذا وإن كان يندر أن يحبك الكفار وأنت تقيم فيهم الشريعة كما ينبغي

Seeking affection of the unbelievers, except for those who wage war, and inviting it by legislated means is permissible without a doubt, such as giving gifts, dealing with them kindly, and so on. This is even if the unbeliever’s love for you is rare as you uphold the divine law among them as it should be.

Source: al-Walāʼ wal-Barāʼ wal-ʻAdāʼ fī al-Islām 1/47

The prohibition of showing affection to unbelievers only applies to those who are hostile to Islam or who are otherwise committing acts of oppression against others, as Allah said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِم بِالْمَوَدَّةِ وَقَدْ كَفَرُوا بِمَا جَاءَكُم مِّنَ الْحَقِّ يُخْرِجُونَ الرَّسُولَ وَإِيَّاكُمْ

O you who have faith, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, meeting them with affection, while they have disbelieved in the truth that has come to you and expelled you and the Messenger.

Surat al-Mumtahanah 60:1

In the same chapter, Allah makes a clear distinction between hostile and peaceful non-Muslims:

إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوا عَلَىٰ إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَن تَوَلَّوْهُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ

Verily, Allah only forbids you from those who fought you for the sake of religion, expelled you from your homes, and aided your expulsion, that you take them as allies. Whoever takes them as allies, they are certainly wrongdoers.

Surat al-Mumtahanah 60:9

Moreover, when the Prophet (ṣ) entered a town, he would ask Allah to make him and his companions beloved to its inhabitants, even though they were unbelievers, as a way to bring them closer to Islam.

Ibn Umar reported: We were traveling with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and when he saw a town he wanted to enter, he would say three times:

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيهَا اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْنَا جَنَاهَا وَحَبِّبْنَا إِلَى أَهْلِهَا وَحَبِّبْ صَالِحِي أَهْلِهَا إِلَيْنَا

O Allah, bless us in it. O Allah, provide us with its fruits, make us beloved to its people, and make the righteous of its people beloved to us.

Source: al-Mu’jam al-Awsaṭ 4755, Grade: Jayyid

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen commented on this tradition, writing:

أن الإنسان لا حرج عليه أن يطلب محبة الناس أي أن يحبوه سواء كانوا مسلمين أو كفاراً حتى نقول لا حرج عليه أن يطلب محبة الكفار له … ومن المعلوم أنه إذا برهم بالهدايا أو الصدقات فسوف يحبونه أو عدل فيهم فسوف يحبونه والمحذور أن تحبهم أنت

There is no blame upon a human being for seeking the love of people, that they love him, whether they are Muslims or unbelievers. Even we say there is no blame upon him if he seeks for unbelievers to love him… It is well-known that when he is kind to them by giving gifts or acts of charity, they will eventually love him, or if he establishes justice among them, they will eventually love him, but be cautious not to love them yourself.

Source: Sharḥ al-Arbaʻīn 1/322

The Shaykh’s comment “be cautious not to love them yourself” is a reference to the type of impermissible love that might divert someone from the remembrance of Allah or His religion. Of course, the Prophet (ṣ) loved guidance and blessings for the inhabitants of the town, as is evident by his traveling there to deliver the message of Islam to them.

Some of the Prophet’s (ṣ) companions continued his tradition of seeking the love of unbelievers as a way to draw them nearer to the truth of Islam. Indeed, a faithful Muslim of good character who encounters ordinary neutral non-Muslims may always win them over by their sincerity and exceptional manners.

Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

مَا سَمِعَ بِي أَحَدٌ يَهُودِيٌّ وَلا نَصْرَانِيٌّ إِلا أَحَبَّنِي

None of the Jews or Christians heard of me but that they loved me.

Source: al-Adab al-Mufrad 34, Grade: Hasan

All of this is to say that reciprocating love and affection to unbelievers is permissible and not blameworthy in the slightest, as long as the limits of Islam are respected. This is the ruling in respect to the natural love experienced by every human being.

At a higher and much more important level than natural love is the religious love (al-mahabbat al-diniyyah) that expresses itself in good will towards all creation, believers and unbelievers. The believers should hold this desire to guide and benefit all people irrespective of their religion or deeds.

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لا يَبْلُغُ عَبْدٌ حَقِيقَةَ الإِيمَانِ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِلنَّاسِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ

The servant does not attain the reality of faith until he loves for people what he loves for himself of goodness.

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 238, Grade: Sahih

The key to understanding this concept is to appreciate the grammatical structure of this profound prophetic statement. The Prophet (ṣ) did not say love people, as if to imply love for everything about them, but rather he said to love goodness for people. The preposition here qualifies the intended meaning. This is the believer’s unconditional love to see goodness reach all other human beings regardless of the identity of those who receive such goodness.

Shaykh Hamza Muhammad Qasim commented on this tradition, writing:

الأولى أن يحمل قوله حتى يحب لأخيه على عموم الأخوة حتى يشمل الكافر و المسلم فيحب لأخيه الكافر ما يحب لنفسه من الدخول في الإسلام ولذلك ندب الدعاء له بالهداية وقد كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يدعو لكفار قريش بالخير و يحبه لهم و يقول اللهم اهد قومي فإنهم لا يعلمون ومما يؤكد أن المراد محبة الخير للناس جميعاً لا فرق بين مسلم وكافر قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم أفضل الإيمان أن تحب للناس ما تحب لنفسك و تكره لهم ما تكره لنفسك

The Prophet’s (ṣ) saying to love for his brother what he loves for himself is interpreted as universal brotherhood, such that it includes the unbeliever and the Muslim, and he should love for his brother, the unbeliever, what he loves for himself which is his entering Islam. For this reason it is recommended to supplicate for their guidance. The Prophet invited the unbelievers of the Quraysh to goodness and he loved good for them. He would say: O Allah, guide my people for they do not know. This confirms that the meaning is to love good for all people. There is no difference between a Muslim and an unbeliever in his saying that the best of faith is to love for people what you love for yourself and to hate for people what you hate for yourself.

Source: Manār al-Qārī 1/91

By contrast, the believers must purge their hearts of any malice, ill will, or desire to harm others, whether it is against believers or unbelievers. It is the prophetic Sunnah to purify one’s soul of such spiritual diseases and to achieve a sound heart (salamat al-sadr or al-qalb al-salim).

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to me:

يَا بُنَيَّ إِنْ قَدَرْتَ أَنْ تُصْبِحَ وَتُمْسِيَ لَيْسَ فِي قَلْبِكَ غِشٌّ لِأَحَدٍ فَافْعَلْ

Young man, if you are able every morning and evening to remove any malice in your heart towards anyone, do so.

Then, the Prophet said to me:

يَا بُنَيَّ وَذَلِكَ مِنْ سُنَّتِي وَمَنْ أَحْيَا سُنَّتِي فَقَدْ أَحَبَّنِي وَمَنْ أَحَبَّنِي كَانَ مَعِي فِي الْجَنَّة

Young man, that is my Sunnah. Whoever revives my Sunnah has loved me, and whoever loves me will be with me in Paradise.

Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2678, Grade: Hasan

The Prophet (ṣ) warned us against the presence of ‘malice’ (ghish) in the heart, which is the opposite of ‘good will’ (nasihah). He also made clear that a believer should not have malice towards “anyone,” which includes unbelievers.

Shaykh ‘Ali al-Qari commented on this tradition, writing:

لِأَحَدٍ وَهُوَ عَامٌّ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ وَالْكَافِرِ فَإِنَّ نَصِيحَةَ الْكَافِرِ أَنْ يَجْتَهِدَ فِي إِيمَانِهِ وَيَسْعَى فِي خَلَاصِهِ مِنْ وَرْطَةِ الْهَلَاكِ بِالْيَدِ وَاللِّسَانِ وَال��َّأَلُّفِ بِمَا يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَالِ … أَيْ خُلُوُّ الْقَلْبِ مِنَ الْغِشِّ

Towards ‘anyone’ means it is general for the believer and the unbeliever. For good will towards the unbeliever is striving to bring him to faith and to lend effort to free him from the traps leading to destruction, by hand or by word, and to show mutual affection (ta’alluf) to the extent possible by gifting property… meaning, empty the heart of malice.

Source: Mirqāt al-Mafātīḥ 1/262

The effort to purify the heart from malice can be very difficult, to be sure, as Allah tests us with the injustice of oppressors. Nevertheless, one ought to make the mindful effort to turn away from evil thoughts of hatred and vengeance, by consciously cultivating good will and compassion as a regular exercise every morning and evening.

In sum, it is permissible to show unbelievers natural love and reciprocal affection on condition it does not violate any Islamic teachings or embolden wrongdoing. A believer does not love the religions or deeds of unbelievers, but he or she may love them and show mutual affection to them as parents, children, friends, and colleagues. These positive interactions may be a very effective way to share Islam with our non-Muslim families and neighbors.

Greater even than simple affection is the unconditional love of goodness the believer must have for every person, the believer or the unbeliever, the righteous or the wicked. This is love not based upon a person’s identity or as an act of reciprocation, but rather it is pure love for the sake of Allah, the love to see His message, guidance, and mercy prevail upon the earth. Without a doubt, this divine love is the mighty foundation of His religion and the pure way of His Prophets.

[raimaamjad]

Uzi

“Mohammad Usman Chaudhry, a 21-year-old Pakistani American, was fatally shot at 1435 N. Curson St. in Hollywood at 4 a.m. Tuesday, March 25.” Funny, that’s not how they identified his body after failing to notify us for twenty one days. They thought he was black. I’ve heard the phrase “manners maketh man.” I didn’t realize when it comes to identifying a body, hair texture could maketh man as well. Would we have known sooner if he was correctly labeled as Pakistani? Would it have been even longer? I think it depends on your bias of choice.

According to the LA times, “Officer Joseph Cruz and his partner were patrolling the street when they saw a dark figure by an apartment complex. The officers approached to investigate and encountered Chaudhry lying behind some bushes. As Cruz was questioning Chaudhry, he pulled out a folding knife and stabbed Cruz on the left hand. Cruz pulled out his gun and fired several rounds at Chaudhry. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics pronounced Chaudhry dead at the scene at 4:21 a.m.”  Mohammad Usman Chaudhry was not a dark figure, he was a human being. He was somebody’s son, somebody’s brother. Mohammad Usman Chaudhry was my cousin. He was also the last person in the world to own a knife, let alone draw one upon an officer of the law. No one believed the bullshit for even a split second.

Usman came from a home that you would call, in my judgemental culture, “broken.” Growing up I always knew that in terms of the rest of my family, Usman’s was different. His parents did not sacrifice their entire lives for their children or place the pressures of their happiness on them. They found solace in their own pursuit of knowledge, studying what they desired and working the occupations that appealed to them. Their entire world was not their kids, and while in the United States would constitute that as healthy, in Pakistan it meant you were a failure of a  parent. If your child was not successful, you were not successful. If your child was not the only priority in your life, there is something definitely wrong with you. My aunt and uncle had three children: Umar, Usman, and Usma. When Umar was born, my aunt and uncle left the country to study abroad and left him under the care of my grandparents for six years. This is what was the first sign of the reckoning to come. When they returned, Usman refused to live with them. “That’s not my home, home is where I grew up.” Continuing to stay in my grandparents home instead, Umar had a new set of parents. He did not need my aunt and uncle to raise him because he’d already been raised by the same people who raised his father. You’d have thought they did a good enough job the first time around, but apparently not if their child was handing off his own to galavant the world instead. At least, that’s how society saw it.

And because their first shot at having a child was a failure, they set out to have a second. Enter, Usman. Usman was born a year after they returned to the states, and just in case they screwed up another kid they had a backup plan pop out nine months later. Her name was Usma. Not having their brother in the house definitely put a strain on their family, both internally and facing the judgement of society about what had gone wrong. Nonetheless, the siblings still kept in touch and tried to remain closer than ever. It was clear that Usman was unfortunately, not the brightest bulb in the room. This wasn’t his fault by any means, he was just born on the spectrum and diagnosed as an autistic from a young age on. His parents knew that nothing could be done and because of this “hindrance” he would never be the success they wanted him to be, so their hopes were drawn to their last and final child.

Usma and Usman did live in the same house, and because of this the pair were closer siblings than with Umar. Usma received the most attention, and the most pressure from their parents because she was their only chance at a future. One kid they didn’t screw up.

Because Usman was autistic, and would often wander from home. He built his sense of community with the homeless.  He’d disappear for days on end and no one would look for him. “He was an adult”, they would say. “He needs his space, we don't want to suffocate him.” Well I hate to break it to you, but your “space” got more than 6 feet of space between his corpse. He was autistic, and not ready to be out in the world alone. He didn’t need space, he needed someone to protect him. We were all deeply upset when we found out about his death, but the grief could not overtake the comments that came with it.

“Maybe if they’d raised him right this wouldn’t have happened”

“If they’d paid better attention to him, maybe he wouldn’t have been murdered like this.”

“It’s because of his hair and his dark skin. His parents should have straightened it and not let him go out into the sun so much, they wouldn’t have thought he was black then. ”

My parents especially would say the most, that Usman’s parents basically killed them with their neglect. I wanted to tell them that they tried their best like all parents, like they do. But I didn’t. I wanted to tell them that no, it wasn’t their fault, they made mistakes but my aunt and uncle didn’t kill their son. But I didn’t. I wanted to tell them that they didn’t hold that gun up to him and pull the trigger, that someone else was behind the shot. I wanted to tell them that being black wasn’t a reason to die. But, I didn’t.

And I still don’t know why I didn’t. What was I scared about? Scared to have my own thoughts? Scared of l guilt for “talking back” to my elders because I didn’t share the same view points? As time went on so did the fight to bring justice to Usman’s name. My uncle and aunt would lead multiple protests against the LAPD  and although my family knew Usman was innocent, no one but his parents and Usma would go to clear Usman’s name. They were too scared of making a ruckus in public. Just like I was too scared to make a ruckus in my own home.

I asked if I could go to the protests for Usman’s justice. Of course, that was completely out of the question.

“Are you out of your mind? You’re too young to know what you’re doing going to a protest.”

Fifteen years old is apparently not enough time for the brain to form an opinion.

“What will people say?”

And just what will they say? That an innocent man was murdered and his family is there to support him? Why are we worried about what people have to say when our family member was murdered in cold blood? Why should we be scared to make noise when we know we’ve been wronged? Why was I too scared to speak against my family’s opinions, even when I knew THEY were being wrong? Was there even a difference between them and me if I let it happen?

Well, LA Times, let me give you a run down of what really happened. “Officer Joseph Cruz and his partner were patrolling the street when they saw a dark figure by an apartment complex. As if that statement isn’t racist enough, don’t you worry it gets worse. The officers approached to investigate, and encountered Usman lying behind some bushes. Cruz had a history with Usman, and often harassed him and other homeless people, probably of color. Funny, considering his last name is Cruz. Cruz sent his partner to “investigate Chaudhry” on the database located in the police car. When out of his partner’s line of sight, Cruz pulled out his proceeded to shoot him. Usman was immediately dead. Cruz withdrew a folding knife from his pocket, and threw it next to Usman’s body. His partner lied and said that he was with Cruz the whole time, and Cruz shot Usman in self defense. He lied not to protect only Cruz’s name, but the name of every other murderous cop that has gotten away with taking an innocent life because their skin does not match the hues of the snow but the shade of earth. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics pronounced Chaudhry dead at the scene at 4:21 a.m.”

The only people’s opinions we should have been worrying about were the Jury’s when it came to declaring a verdict on the civil rights trial that followed suit. The trial that revealed that Officer Cruz wasn’t just a stranger to Usman, but someone he frequently encountered on his check ups of LA. The trial that told us the only DNA found on the knife was Officer Cruz’s. The trial that told the world that Usman Chaudhry was wrongfully murdered by an abusive LAPD police officer who tried to slander his name.

Soon we were receiving calls of congratulations and apologies from everyone we know. Usman’s  name cleared and his trial gained fame highlighting the true corruption of the LAPD. Images of my aunt and uncle and cousin leading the masses that never doubted my cousin's innocence from the beginning stamped on the front page of every paper. People began asking why my family weren’t present in any of the protests. I wonder what they will say.

[trunksgender]

Curious, what do you not like about Trunks or Goten with Marron? I don't ship them either, it's Truten or nothing for me; but the age difference is only about 3 or 4 years. By the time of GT, I think they're all old enough for it not to be creepy.

mmm imo no, from the way she looks during the buu saga in z im assuming she was about 2 years old at that point (which like,, obviously appearance alone is to be taken with a grain of salt as its just drawings but still) which would make her 5 years younger than goten and 6 years younger than trunks. in gt shes 18 at the VERY oldest which like,, an 18 year old dating a 22 or 23 year old is still iffy AT BEST if not outright bad since an 18 year old is barely an adult at all (like. im nearly 20 atm but im not sure i would date a 23 year old? definitely not when i was 18) and considering that they did know each other as children that does make it a bit weirder too cuz if u can like remember someone when they were a baby ur likely gonna keep thinking of them in that way even if theyre a legal adult

i did mention disliking tr/umar and ma/rten in my pinned post but its nbd if u didnt see it. the bottom line is i would prefer if ppl who ship either or both of those didnt follow me