Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Imaan
From Weakness to Strength via Sabr Modesty in Men... An Overlooked Characteristic The Day of Accounts, Qiyamah: The Driving Force behind being Honest and Ethical Are You a Sagittarius or a Scorpio? Ah! So you believe in Horoscopes! Being Elite is Not a Privilege From Beauty Full to Beauty Fooled... The Myth of Good Looks Looking like a Young or Living like a Young Crises: The Outlook and The Outcome Don't Kill This Sunnah Etiquette of Generosity: The Islamic Ways to Preserve Your Charity The Example of a Donkey... Those Who Dont Give Due Rights to Their Holy Book Sinners and Repenters: Hopes and Assurance from Allah Fruits of Being Thankful to Allah Great Qualities of Believers... Try to Achieve Them The Best Anti Depressant: Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi Rajeoon The Impact of Islamic Environment What is your Gheerah Index? Do you really Posses Gheerah?
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Marriage
Delayed Marriages: Bitter Fruits Plucked from the Western Orchards Stumbling Blocks in the Way of Marriages Our Priorities: Marry at 21 or Pursue Studies or Both? Willing to Marry But to Whom? Good Wives and Husbands Age of Consent or Age of Marriage! A Fresh Look at Marriage Prospective Failed Marriages! An Analysis Pre Marriage Counseling: Dare you challenge...! A Pleasant Spouse A Delightful Life... A Wonderful Akhera What is 'Togetherness' in a Marriage life.? Tremors in Marriage life... Haste versus Tolerance Don't Worry about Your Rights but Worry about Her Rights Ways to Matrimonial Happiness Planning to get Married? Then Plan it Properly How to go for a Simple Nikah How Grand Should our Weddings Be? The Big Bang Weddings : How Grand Are Our Weddings? Part II
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Career
When Should You Start to Earn O! Young men? Are You Really Educated or Merely a Graduate? The Economic Terrorism: But No One is Terrified
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Youth
Sex education or Sexy Education The Do It Yourself Kit to Spoil Kids: (S)expose them Hit Him Hard Man! The Cult of Violence Fast Bikes... Fast life... The Rage of Rash Riding Co-Education in Islamic Perspective Your Friends Reflect Your Personality Celebrity Struck: The Race to Fame and Shame Lewd Musicians and Singers: The Pied Pipers of Today
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Growing up in a Grown up Manner Dont' Ignore Personal Hygiene Mirror Mirror on the Wall... The Obsession of Good Looks A Hungry world versus a Dieting World Mental Laziness: A Huge Block to Success Junk Reading! Junk Minds! Junk Characters! All That Glitter... A Greedy Civilization of Spendthrifts The Addiction to Spend More : The Hi-Fi Syndrome The High-Fi Syndrome: Are you suffering from it? Breeze before Storm: Dangers Ahead. The Epidemic of Fast Spending Why do we fail on the Financial Fronts? Are We Really Poor or Assuming to be Poor
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Heroes of Islam
Destined to be Honored: My Noble Prophet (Peace be upon him)
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Islamic History
Glorious Pages from the History of Islam.
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Imaan
It was here that Prophet Moosa (a.s.), when questioned by his men who were afraid, showed immense patience and rejected their fear saying KALLA! My Lord is with me and He will guide me. The word Kallah means "Impossible!" NOT POSSIBLE that my enemy will catch me. Then he said "My Lord is with me. Pharaoh had a huge well equipped army but Moosa had Allah. With whom is Allah? The Qur'an says multiple times. Allah is with those who show Patience. Moosa (a.s.) showed patience and Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) showed patience, so Allah justified their confidence in Him and helped them because He is with those who are patient. These days Muslim Nations are politically weak. In spite of being 55+ Countries, nobody cares to ask our views, our lives are cheap, our lands are easily accessible, and our rulers can be driven out overnight. The Qur'an testifies with the example of Bani Israel's victory that Sabr is one of the main qualities that turns an entire Nation from a weak society to a power packed community. That is what Moosa (a.s.) said to his people, Pray for help from Allah and bear with patience, for, the earth belongs to Allah to give a heritage to such of His servants as He pleases. Surah al-Ar'af ch 7, verse 128. The community was about to lose sabr when Moosa further said to them: It may be that your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you inheritors in the earth... says the 129th verse of the same Surah. The Bani Israel though they were rebellious and sinners yet they had people who showed extreme patience and that is why Allah appointed leaders among them giving them guidance till they persevered with Sabr and continued to have faith, says in Surah as-Sajdah chapter 32, verse 24. Allah gave them political leadership and religious leadership as well. Out of the 25 Prophets mentioned by name in the Qur'an, a large number of them were from Bani Israel. Prophets like Dawood and Suleman were Kings as well, peace be upon them. The Bani Israel turned into a super power of their time when Prophet Dawood routed the Palestinians and King Suleman was feared by many rulers of his times. Sabr is a quality that transforms not only an individual but an entire community into a strong Nation.
newlywed bride. Uthman bin Affan (r.a.) was a modest and a shy man yet he got the privilege of marrying two daughters of the Prophet (pbuh). It was Umar bin Khattab's (r.a.) sense of gheerah and modesty that made him eagerly wait for the Qur'anic verse regarding the wives of the Prophet to be revealed. A Muslim man observes his modesty not only when it comes to the dress of his wife or daughter or sister but also in context with other peoples wives, sisters and daughters. That is what we call a Modest Islamic man.
The Day of Accounts, Qiyamah: The Driving Force behind being Honest and Ethical
Satyam is a so called huge company which showed a large number of employees and manipulated their accounts. These types of manipulation is common in many companies and also in those business where some partners are active and others are sleeping partners who just invest. Financial forgeries are the biggest crimes of our times which corrupt the masses in general. I remember a well-known cricketer of Pakistan who was accused of gambling and accepted bribe for letting his national team be defeated. The reason that came out was: I lost my precious savings in the BCCI liquidation and had no options but to accept bribe, the man said. Last decade saw a catastrophic economic crime when a share broker called Harshad Mehta caused a big tumble in the Mumbai share market. I remember very clearly how news about tea-stall owners and small time middle class people lost their precious wealth in the fall of share market index. A woman's story still haunts me. She was a lady from Gujarat and her husband had saved a huge amount for their daughter's marriage which was very close. The lady got carried away by the rising share market index wave and without informing her husband, she sold the entire jewellery and bought the share planning to sale it off a week before the wedding in order to profit more and faster. But Mehta was arrested and the Mumbai share market saw a never seen before plunge and many people including this lady lost their capital as well. Imagine how embarrassing situation for the woman! I dont know the rest of the story as to what happened afterwards. The question is what drives a person to be honest and ethical? What makes a person accountable? How can honesty and ethics be groomed in a person? Are there any syrups or tablets to pull down the index of greed of a person? There are two aspects of responsibilities; Accounts and Accountability. Accounts can be manipulated but accountability cannot be. It is directly connected with your heart and no open heart surgery can exploit it. This reminds me an incident in the life of Umar Khattab who was the famous righteous Khalif of Muslims. He once found that a camel from public property had escaped in the desert. So Umar searched in the afternoon of hot desert and when someone asked him, he replied, "It is a camel from the public property so I am searching for it." In another incident he found a poor widow's child crying for food. Umar went back quickly and carried a bag of food on
his back; his helper too went along with him and offered his help to carry the bag on his back. But Umar replied, "Will you carry the burden on the day of Judgement?" This is accountability. One day you have to stand before your creator and give all the accounts of what you did. The sahih hadith says: No one will be able to move from their place until they have given account of few things; one of them is: where did you earn from and where did you spend? The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) announced, "By Allah! Even if my own daughter Fatima steals, I will not hesitate to cut off her hands." This is honesty and honesty is protected through strict laws. Honesty and accountability are not imposed but established by the law. Strict law in the world and stricter after death. That is why Qiaymat is also called THE DAY OF ACCOUNTS... YAUM-E-HASHR.
The other hadith of Sahih Muslim: Whoever approaches an astrologer or a palmist (or a Tarot reader, or a Fengshui or Linda Goodman, or Nostradamus or Vastu Shastra) and believes in what they say, he will have 40 days of Ibadah discredited from his accounts. Very simple!
off. The Prophet (pbuh) announced: By Allah if my daughter Fatima steals I will not hesitate to chop off her hands. All the Caliphs lived a simple life style and people loved them and prayed for them. The elite Muslims were all from poor class and middle class but Allah granted them the authority over the whole of Arabia and they captured the thrones of Persian and Roman Empire. Today a huge chunk of Muslims community follow the corrupt elite class from movies, rock stars, sports stars and look up at them to be their guide and role model. On the other hand today no section of the Muslim community is under pressure as much as the elite Muslim, be he in any field. Their leaders are hanged, their wealth is scrutinised. In spite of being a group of 53 nations yet no one is interested in hearing their views! The UN never consults them in International matters their places of worships are being watched as hub of terror. Today if the Muslim realise the power and the responsibility of being elite and choose their role model accordingly surely it will not take time for the ummah to regain its lost glory.
A little girl shared her experience of dieting on the net: I am afraid of putting on weight, so I stuck a picture of a fat lady on the door of my refrigerator to frighten myself every time I am tempted to open it for having ice cream or butter! People refuse to age, they dont want to look old, and so they seek refuge under the sharp knives of cosmetic surgeons and anti-aging creams to hide their wrinkles and grey hair. Women entering into their thirties are afraid of losing their jobs and their boyfriends to younger girls. A man's class is no more measured by the amount of his wealth. Instead it is measured by the number of female followers he has. Adultery and fornication is served like a tasty dish. Famous men appear in public with beautifooled girls proudly displayed like trophies. School children are also dragged into this pomp and show. Sexy education is jammed inside their minds in the pretext of sex education with the inclusion of 'how to use contraceptives' and 'ways of avoiding unwanted pregnancies'. The age of consent has replaced the age of marriage in many constitutions. People have been given liberty to enjoy with whomever they want, without taking any social or financial burden of females and families. "Fruits of Radical Liberation."
If you have a mission in your life then age should never be looked as an obstacle or excuse. None of the above mentioned people depended upon cosmetic surgery or cosmetics to hide their age but their performance outshone that of young people. Compare it with the fast growing junk food generation who get on the peak of their career in their teens and fade out before they reach thirty! Their short journey to fame and game gives them an early exit. Some fall to drugs, some chase girls and drown themselves in wine and the rest just dream of becoming like them. Once you are out of the womb of your mother, then nothing can stop you from aging, no matter how many cosmetics you apply. Your aging does not stop even if you stop counting your age. After all it is not important how long you live but how good you lived that matters most. Will the people bear witness that you were good, while walking along with your janazah? Will the angels of death welcome you by seeing your beauty?
The most important outcome of crises is our attitude towards it. Even in wars, all the warriors may not be able to come out successful like James Bonds and Rambo just because we are in an age of movies TV serials; we have begun to wish that melodramas are always the best end of crises. Musaib bin Umair (r.a.) was among the best dressed young man of Makkah, but he had to leave all the luxury when he parted from his pagan mother. He died in Uhud and his shroud was too short to cover him completely. Study the tragedy of Uthman (r.a). The man who once sponsored the entire Muslim army, had to face a rebellion, he did not get to drink water from the very same well he had donated for the welfare of the community. Will you call these two men as unsuccessful? NO. The outcome of crises can also be Jannah which is the best outcome, Radi Allahu anhum wa radhoo anho, Allah be pleased with them and they are pleased with Allah, Dhalikal fauzuool Azeem, that is the supreme success, Surah Maidah chapter 5, verse, 119.
Then why do many of us still refuse to share? The answer is also found in the Qur'an Surah Taghabun Chapter 64, verse 14-15. Indeed among your wives and your children are your enemies (A test for you); so it warns that it is the love and concern for wives and children that man fails in the test of wealth, and the next verse confirms it that it is the children and wealth that is a test for you. Don't fail in this test.
Give to those who are ashamed to ask or beg before people and they appear to be rich, because of their modesty Spend at night as well as day because emergency can arrive at any time of day so dont delay your charity if the opportunity arrives at night too.
The Example of a Donkey... Those Who Dont Give Due Rights to Their Holy Book
The biggest change that the Qur'an can bring in our lives is that it can make us a giant of a personality, but not unless we give the Qur'an its rights. How many students or reciters of Qur'an amongst us really ask our teachers about the rights of the Qur'an? Let us study some of the very important rights of the Qur'an upon us. It should be recited properly and regularly. Some people are very careless regarding their makhraj of Arabic alphabets themselves. Makhraj in English is understood as enunciation and not pronunciation. How you utter each word can at times make the big difference in the meaning too. I have seen Muslim youth working hard on their English accents and learning Urdu poetry for impressing people in gatherings and making lucrative careers. They attend special courses and pay thousands of rupees to learn those accents, but when it comes to the Qur'an they say, Allah will reward us as per our niyah (Intentions). Just compare the two niyah! It should be Understood Properly: The Qur'an does not give permission to understand its teaching on your own. Consider this: The Prophet (pbuh) was unlettered, an Ummi, and many of his students, the companions, were scholars of Arabic language, yet they went to understand the meaning of the Quranic verses from the Prophet, rather than deriving their own meanings. After all the Qur'an is a book of Laws and Constitution. An excellent example is given by Ibn Kathir in the reference of Surah al An'am chapter 6 verse 82, it is those who believe and confuse not their beliefs with zulm- they are in security, they are on right guidance. Some of the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) went to him and were worried because they felt that each one of them did some thing or wrong or zulm with others sometimes or somewhere. So were they on guidance? The Prophet explained them with the other Qur'anic verse, Surah Luqman chapter 31 verse 13, Indeed Shirk is the highest form of wrong doing (zulm). That is the reason why Hadith is important in understanding the Qur'an. Those who reject the status of hadith may note this. Abdullah ibn Masood (r.a.) was ever ready to travel hundreds of miles to know the context of even one verse. On the other hand, today we have Ibn Kathir online and other tafaseers too yet how many of the internet users really study Ibn Kathir. In my book shop, once I had a young visitor who argued with me about the price of ibn Kathir. I explained him the reasons but he was not ready to agree. Finally I asked him
how much did he pay for his cell phone and the amount came to be three times more than Ibn Kathir! 'Wonderful!' I exclaimed. It should be obeyed: It is not only that how many times you recite the complete Qur'an in Ramadan but it is equally important that how much of the Qur'an you implement in your life. Those to whom the Book is given, they recite it the way it has the right to be recited, al-Baqarah 121. An important verse in Surah Jumuah notes: The example of those who were given the book (Torah) but failed (in obeying), is that of a donkey which carries huge tomes (but understands not). Are we not donkeys? No book in the world has so much detailed of explanations the way the Qur'an has. Every century has seen scores of commentaries of Qur'an by noted scholars, yet when it comes to obeying the Qur'an most of us are like that donkey mentioned in Surah Jumuah, chapter 62 verse 5. I pray to Allah that we dont turn into a community of donkeys. It should be spread. Haza Balagul linnaas This is a message for the entire mankind... ends Surah Ibrahim with this note. It is the duty of every Muslim to spread the fragrance of Qur'an, not just by gifting free copies of the Qur'an Translations to Non-Muslim friends, but by showing them Qur'an in our dealings with people in our personal lives or professional lives.
Normally people delay charity during both the situations giving reasons like: these days I am running short of money so I will spend later when I get my increase in income; and in prosperity: I have to buy a car and a new apartment .Thus spending in both the conditions saves us from being greedy as well as miser. The same act is detailed in the 104th verse of Surah at-Toubah: And know that Allah accepts the repentance from His worshippers and charity too and He is indeed Forgiver and Most Merciful. If you want forgiveness then forgive other people too! The above mentioned verse further goes: They control their anger and forgive people. It sounds little difficult to implement. Controlling anger and pain caused by others requires an immense amount of Sabr as Allah says in sura al-Baqarah: Indeed it is a big thing except upon those who fear Allah. A companion of the Prophet (pbuh) was given glad tidings of Paradise just because every night he slept after cleaning his heart of ill feelings he had towards others or hardships or pain caused by others. He did not wait for others to come and say SORRY to him. Rather he initiated forgiveness. Controlling your anger when you are in a position of punishing someone is a great pardon and makes us qualify to get a pardon from the Most Forgiver and Most Merciful. In fact, in Surah Noor, chapter 24, verse no.22, Allah mentions forgiving others as one of the opportunities for receiving a pardon from Him: Let them forgive and overlook. Do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? The context is worth knowing. This verse was revealed to correct abu Bakr as-Siddique (r.a.) who did not give his poor cousin the charity that he gave him regularly just because the later was involved in spreading rumour about Aisha the wife of the Prophet (pbuh). Even an injury of this magnitude should be overlooked if you want to be a candidate of Allah's Mercy. 3. Remembering Allah and not to be obstinate in repeating sins says the last part of the verse. That is as simple as the verse itself. It builds a hateful attitude towards sin. Surah Nisaa's verse 110 elaborates it: And whoever commits a sin or an atrocity upon him and returns to Allah, he will find Allah Oft Forgiving and Most Merciful. Justifying this condition, Surah al Ar'af says: do not commit mischief on the earth after it is corrected. 4. Pray for the Forgiveness of others too. Surah al_Hashr verse 10: And those who came after them say: Our Lord forgive us and our brothers who came before us into the faith and leave not in our hearts (sense of injury) against those who believe.
5. Have you noted how the angels pray for the forgiveness of the believers? Refer Surah Ghafir ch 40, verse 7: And those Angles who carry the burden of the Arsh: 1. They Glorify Allah. 2. They praise their Lord. 3. They believe in Him. 4. (Then) they pray for the believers to be pardoned. 6. Finally, Last but not least, do Toubatun Nasooha, a sincere repentance, an intense repentance.
1. Tasbeeh does not only mean to chant Allah's name but also be charitable and generous towards others. 2. If you are ungrateful towards the Blessings of Allah, than Allah may snatch away His Blessings that he has given to you. 3. Being grateful to Allah for His blessings also include sharing His blessings with others. 4. If you have shown ungratefulness yet repenting will undo your evil inshallah. In Musnad e Ahmed, another story of this sort is mentioned by Anas bin Malik (r.a.): Once we were sitting in the company of the Prophet (pbuh) and a beggar came asking for alms. The Prophet (pbuh) had only a piece of date. So he asked a person to go and give that date to the beggar. The beggar, on receiving only one date, got irritated and returned the date and walked away saying, I had heard that his messenger of Allah is very generous. Now I come to know how generous he is, he is offering me only one date which even I can offer him. A few minutes later another man came begging, the Prophet (pbuh) offered the same date to the next beggar. This man tossed up the date happily and kept on saying, Subhanallah, a date from the house of the Prophet! SubhanAllah a date from the house of the Prophet, and he moved happily thanking Allah aloud. The Prophet (pbuh) smiled and asked Anas bin Malik to go to Umme Salam's house and get those 40 Dirhams she had, and he gave it to the beggar. The same 'date' but two different attitudes and two different responses and two different results. Moral of the Story? If you thank Allah you get more. This is precisely what Allah offers in Surah Ibrahim verse 7: And if you be grateful then I will give you more. Now to motivate you, Umar bin Abdul Azeez said: O People grab firmly the blessings of Allah by thanking Him and it will be with you for ever. Do you have a list of blessings from Allah? Though we cannot enlist all His blessings even if we try to but at least some of them can be counted. Look into it and see how many blessings you have thanked Him for...
Mustagfireen Bil as'har; one who repents during the last part of the night. In the darkness he or she discards his warm blanket and washes his face and performs wudhoo and prays tahajjud and repents. This was a regular habit or sunnah of the Prophets of Allah and men around them.
translation: O you have believed, preserver and endure and remained station and fear Allah that you may be successful If you analyze the early setbacks or hardships of Muslims you will discover that many failures are the early signs of success. For those who feel that success should be fast and immediate then consider this: In first thirteen years of early Islam, only a handful of people became Muslims, in the next decade almost the whole of Arabia submitted to Islam, and the next decade saw empires like Rome, Persia and Egypt losing out to Islam. Many students have formulated a wrong version of success in their minds. They relate it with their grades. If success is directly proportionate with your achievements then what about those prophets who did not have followers except a handful! Would you call them failures? Many companions of the Prophet (pbuh) were killed or remained poor while other perished in the hot sands of desert and a few even lived to be victims of various trials and tribulation, yet they were entitled to get a merit card from Allah. Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Allah. This is the supreme success, says the second last verse of Surah M-aidah. Islam de attaches you from materialism. It teaches you how to handle failures and deal with it and let not failure cause you a loss in your morale, in your motivation and in your attitude towards your life. And it is very simple. SABR, PATIENCE. If you lose something, a relative to death, wealth in business loss or a chance to build a career which you were dreaming of for years, you only have to say, + The same verse is the best 'anti-depressant assurance' from Allah, those are the ones upon whom are the blessings from their Lord and they are the rightly guided, Surah Baqarah ch 2 verse 156-157. Among the hastiest decision, which also proves harmful emotionally and socially , is divorce. People rush for divorces like any thing. Why many people find themselves incompatible for their spouses but they get along well even with their aggressive boss, disobedient children, stubborn customers and irritating neighbors ? It may seem to many people that spouses can be replaced easily but bosses cant be. Children can be disobedient but spouses should never be. Customers can be stubborn but they follow it up by a profit in deal, spouses don't. You can shut your doors for neighbors but not for your spouse. You can sell your house but cant sell your spouse. So, many people are in a haste to replace them. Spouses err. They fall short in expectations. Their shortcomings strike brighter than their good qualities. These are common features everywhere. If you look at your spouse's errors and shortcomings through microscope then it will give you a magnified image. This is how Shaytan works. Haste is a weapon used frequently by
Shaytan to instigate a man to do wrong and destroy his Akhera. It is haste that leads many warring couple to separation. If haste is a weapon of shaytan, then it is also a test for man. Note these three Qur'anic verses that reflects human pyschology : 1. Man was created weak 'Khuliqal Insaana Dhaeefa' ..Surah Nisaa verse 28. 2. The prayer that man should make for good, he makes for evil, for man is given to Haste ... Surah Al Isra ch 17 , verse 11. 3. Innal Insaana Khuliqa halooa.. Indeed man was created very impatient..Surah Ma'arij chapter 70 , verse 19.
waiting, said my host. This was a mass approval of an honest Muslim merchant who was identified by his religious values. When was the last time that you or I were a part of an Islamic environment that promoted Islam through our dealings or are we merely like that book shelf with books for show but no one to use? Fortunately, Islam is not only talking big about Islam but a display of affection and security towards your fellow humans which reflects your noble religion in your dealings with the people. Only then you have submitted to Allah.
The Bani Israel's fitnah was women. It lead them to destruction and threw them down from the sight of Allah. Look at the Bible and note how the scribes have treated women. Multiple rapes, incests everything is there in the religious book! This reflects their mentality. Even today the most vulgar and obscene films were introduced in Hollywood by the Bani Israels. They have corrupted the west. Now it is the turn of Muslims to be tested. One cannot drag a Muslimah out of her hijab. So the approach is new. FACE BOOK. Be friend with boys and learn deen from them. Get impressed by his picture in beard. Follow his notes and shares. Be happy if he tags you. Ask him a question on deen. Get replies and then find out if he is married or not and what type of girl is he looking for. This is how fitnah initiates. Nothing offers you seclusion like the silent lanes of cyber world. Sisters! Shouldn't you be worried about your modesty when a young man tags you to his Islamic note? Why is he tagging you and not your wrinkled skinned and grey haired aunty? Does such question ever arise in your mind? If not, then you are a target in a game and the result is sure.. You will loose.
Marriage
The Non-Muslim Gujarati Community gets their boys married by the time they are twenty two, and by the time these young men finish their graduation they are also ready to take up the reins of their fathers business or a job. Meanwhile, their father is still young, around 50, who then joins a charitable organization and gives time to community services. There are no less than hundred such centers superbly run by the Gujarati communitys middle aged men who have time. On the other hand, our middle aged men are still busy in looking for extra income to meet the college fees for their children and medical expenditures of their aged parents. Reasons are common for delayed marriages in the society: Boys dont look beyond Education: Boys want to complete their studies and feel that their spouses would disturb them. Ah! There are so many industrialists, entrepreneurs and sportsmen who not only have wives and children but also multiple companies, and events to focus on. Many of them even find time to go around with girlfriends, yet they flourish. So how can your wife be an obstacle in your prosperity? Impractical Expectations: With item girls, fashion models and beauty princess rewriting the definition of good looks, every young man hunts or desires a tall, fair and slim girl. My Dream Girl is the title floating in their minds. On the other hand, the beautiful girls parents prefer men who are rich, own a car and can afford expensive holidays and above all, they must not have many sisters to interfere in the daughters marriage. After all, my daughter is beautifoooool. So the hunt goes on and young men wait for money while the beautiful girls wait for rich men. Lack of funds for Marriage and Rituals: One of the reasons of the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) is clearly mentioned in Surah Araf Ch.7, Verse 157: He frees them from the yokes bonded on their necks Lavish valima, expensive gifts to the relatives of the bride and groom are the yokes in our necks. Islam has made marriage easy. Valimas are not supposed to be hosted in huge halls and invitations are not a status symbol if you cannot afford them. We have elevated these customs but there were marriages in the Prophets time when the sahaba did not invite the Prophet in their valimas! There are a hundred more reasons I can write and refute them all, but for the time being, Ill let you free so that you may think it over yourselves.
With young women it is little different. In a Western culture they are educated with a mental preparation of life after divorce, long before marriage. They stay in an environment where her looks are graded and used as currency for prosperity. They are independent because they earn. So they dont want to be a housewife and undergo labour pain, run kitchen, check childrens homework while their husbands are freaking around with other girls. So they too have affairs and divorces and go into live-in relations. In other words, they use haram options. Then what about the Muslim women whose marriages are delayed? They have been brought up in a modest environment but their marriages are delayed due to her post-graduation, lack of funds for marriage expenses and hunt for a rich guy. What will they do? The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said If there comes to you with a proposal of marriage one with whose religious commitment and attitude you are pleased, then marry [your daughter or female relative under your care] to him, for, if you do not do that, there will be fitnah (tribulation) on earth and widespread corruption. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1084; Ibn Maajah, 1967. Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in alSilsilah al-Saheehah, 1022. This is a hadith which many people may find hard to implement. We have made marriage very difficult and the reasons are just a few, some of them global and some borrowed from un-Islamic cultures.
If we look into the example of the generation of Sahaba, we will find that they got married when they reached the age of puberty, and yet they performed their duties properly. Ayesha (r.a.) got married to the Prophet (pbuh) at a young age yet she became a scholar of par excellence in her field of Religious Knowledge. After all: Allah intends easiness upon you, and he does not want to put you into difficulties, says Surah Baqarah chapter 2 verse 185.
Due to this matrimonial chaos, the marriage market looks saturated with only a few boys available for an increased number of women. When the early generations of Muslims chose taqwa as the criterion for choosing a spouse, there was not a surplus of women waiting for marriage as there was a variety of religious men available and they were in abundance. Today many young people, girls and boys, want hours of meetings and have scores of questions to discover whether they are compatible or not. Yet, many complain of unhappiness and wrong choices within a few years after marriage. The reasons are simple: Boys go for looks and just looks, and girls prefer wealth if they possess those looks. Remember: Happiness cannot be judged by how much money your man spends on you but by how much quality time you spend with each other.
implementing it. That is what we say Sawab-e-Jaariyah, a continuous reward, even after the death of the parents. Ibn Abbas, Al Hasan Basri and others said: Leaders who would be taken as examples in good (at Tabari 19:319). Even Ibrahim (a.s.), when Allah offered to make him the Imamun Naas, the leader of mankind, he immediately invoked, "and my offsprings too". Refer to verse 214 of Surah Baqarah. The Arabic word for 'offspring' in the above verse and the verse of Surah Bakarah is "zurriyati". Zurriyati does not only cover our children, but also grandchildren and great grandchildren. Man should be constantly worried about his children's wellbeing from the perspective of Hereafter. Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) also prayed: My Lord make me regular in salah and my offsprings too. So we pray to Allah that not only He gives us good spouses but also makes us a good partner for our spouses as well and gives us Offsprings that are delight for our eyes. Ameen.
Government surveys in India reveal that more than 30 percent of girls in inner India get married before they reach 18, but there are no statistics of girls sharing a bed with boys during their school age. The former is taken as a genuine concern of worry while the latter is taken as 'fruits of liberty'. The Prophet's (pbuh) marriage to Aisha, who was more than 10 years younger to his youngest daughter, went un-protested even by his staunchest enemies. No Jew or a Christian or a Mushrik ever raised the issue, but we see that many Muslims, who are educated in the secular environment, feel uncomfortable on being confronted. In fact, the smart Muslim would turn the tables over putting counter arguments on illicit affairs among school age children in most parts of the world. Twenty percent of abortions carried out worldwide are done for the purpose of getting rid of unwanted babies in illicit relations. Islam has offered so many options to make marriage easy and zina (adultery and fornication), difficult. Consider these norms which were very general in those times and essentially required in today's time: Marriages do not include expensive banquets. In one of his marriages, the Prophet (pbuh) asked people to bring whatever eatables they had and the people shared the meal. If a girl likes a virtuous man she can also request her guardian to send a proposal for marriage. A pregnant widow delivered her child and prepared herself for another marriage. Her guardian found it odd and presented the matter to the Prophet (pbuh) who approved it. The age factor is never an issue when arranging a marriage. A truthful man like Abu Bakr Siddique (r.a.) never minded his daughter getting married to the Prophet (pbuh). Ali bin Abi Talib got his daughter married to Umar bin al Khattab (r.a.). Abdullah bin Abbas said: By Allah! Even if I knew that there is only one day left in my life yet I would get married! Size, shape and color never matter. Ummuhatul Mom'ineen Sauda, the wife of the Prophet was a woman of large size, people could identify her easily. Another wife,
Safiyya (r.a.) was short and Khadeeja was 15 years older to the Prophet. (May Allah be pleased with them all) The elderly Khadeeja and the teenage Aisha were the dearest wives of the Prophet (pbuh) and he (pbuh), never showed any signs of regrets for marrying them. Indeed in the Messenger is the best example for you to follow ,Surah al Ahzab, Verse 21. A young maiden accepted the proposal of a dark and short sahabi just on the recommendation of the Prophet. She did not compare her status and looks with his. Narrators say that after the sahabi died there were offers of marriage proposals from many Noble Arabs to this lady, who had accepted the proposal of a man not matching his looks. Abu Talha (r.a.) had been injured in the battle of Uhud and he had a small limp. Despite that he was receiving marriage proposals. Moral of the story? Even noble men love to marry women who do not mind their physical and social shortcomings because of their religious inclinations. This is what is expected when male and female Muslims desire to marry a person of religion. My advice to sisters: Huge and lavish houses and lucrative careers should not be the main criteria for choosing your partner. Prefer Simplicity. Simplicity offers the best alternative. There are very few boys who earn huge amount of money to satisfy your expensive desires and can offer you luxurious tours and designer items, but there are large numbers of boys who can keep you happy with little amount they earn. My advice to brothers: There are very few girls whose looks can fit into the image of the good looking females whom you have been carrying in your minds after watching pictures of models and actresses, but there are large number of girls who will carry on with you in spite of your ups and downs in your life and be happy with what Allah has given you. Choose your spouses from this list. If you don't take up the easy route to peace and tranquility offered by your Creator then you may have to tread on difficult paths made by others. In that case, instead of being the leaders of the world, you will be following the rest of the world meeting more miseries on the way.
together happily. Since then I had been asking my grandmother that what did she do or what did she say to the couple that prevented a divorce within a span of five minutes? She never gave me a reply but used to smile. Later, after ten years, when she was ill in bed, I repeated the question. This time the sick old lady whispered in my ears, I slapped both of them! And then she smiled. Many a times, a timely interference of an elderly person in a matrimonial dispute can save a marriage life even though it seems that it is running into rough weathers. But slaps are not always a solution unless you hold a position in the heart and the mind of the warring couple that goes unchallenged in terms of love and affection. You must have that charisma that people will give up their egos upon your command. This is a sign or characteristic of a good and a successful counselor.
they rather stay away or are kept away from decision-making. If they are involved then it will be the practical lessons that the school syllabus will never include. Misconception about the age of marriage: One of the brothers wrote: Some young men prefer to get married at the age of 25, because our own Prophet got married at 25! An astonishing question! I would remind that brother that the Prophet at 25 married a woman of 45 and a widow. How many young men today would begin their matrimonial life with a widow who is older to him? Islam has broken all the barriers that are obstacles for marriages. It encourages marriage, discourages fornication. It commands a simple marriage. It rebukes extravaganza in marriage. Neither status nor age is a rule for disqualification of a proposal. Someone should trace the roots of this uncrowned authority in our marriage customs, and find out who dictated that the difference in age of bride and groom should not be more than few years, or have just borrowed from other cultures? Those who worry about "what will people say?" should shed away this inferiority complex, by reading the biographies of the noblest men on the earth. They will throw out this feeling "what will people say?". The hidden fear: Some sisters are concerned about having proposals from UnIslamic boys. Yes, but it all depends upon who gets the proposals for you and where do you look for the prospective groom. You may come across people who will put invisible pressure upon you like, "if you reject this proposal then you may not get a better one" or "you will remain unmarried" or "get married to this boy and correct him". Many girls get frightened to say 'yes' to such proposals where as some unwillingly give up. The local da'wah centers perhaps can play a good role in getting good proposals. Or a common family friend can help in getting a good proposal. Many females who attend Islamic seminars for women, keep an eye for a good girl for their son or their brother, and many relations are built through these seminars. Finally Allah is the best decision maker. My last question to the young men would be: How long will you wait to get married?
It is essential that your wife is a Mominah. Let us understand the term 'Mominah' in the context of the above mentioned hadith. Allah gave the best women of that time to our beloved Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Each of his wives had a unique quality that benefitted the Ummah. Khadeejah's wealth was thrown open for the poor in the way of Allah when very few people supported Islam. . Yet it was a unique feat that Jibrael came and greeted Khadeejah! Zainab bint Khuzaima (r.a.) was the most charitable among the women. She was called 'Ummul Masakeen'. Allah be please with them all. Both the wives may not have been scholars in Fiqh like the other wife Aisha (r.a.) was. Yet they raced in good and qualified to be among the best women of their time. Brothers who insist only for a wife who is well versed in fiqh should note this. Your wife can be a fantastic wife if she posesses excellent manners and generous heart and encouraging nature and average in fiqh. But suppose you get a proposal from the family of a girl who is a product of madarasa and good in fiqh? I know many boys would say ' No, she knows laws and shariah and will always fight for her rights!'. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was so pleased with Aisha (r.a.) a scholar of her time, that he certified, Aisha my wife in this world and here-after. After the death of the Prophet (pbuh), Aisha (r.a.) was a Consultant for all the four pious Khalifa and served a teacher to the 'Tabeein', the next generation Muslims. She carried on the legacy of passing on the knowledge of fiqh to the later generation. Asma bint Abu Bakr, the wife of Zubair bin Awwam (r.a.) was so aware of her husband's gheerah that she was always careful about it. Once she was walking down the hot desert with some material on her head and the Prophet (pbuh) passed by on a camel. Seeing her plight the noble Prophet offered his camel, but she recalled her husband's gheerah and refused the offer (al-Bukhaari (4823) and Muslim (4050)). Gheerah means self-respect, honour and possessiveness. A good wife is one whose husband is pleased to see her, says a popular authentic hadith. Now when does this pleasant smile become due on the face of her husband? Imagine a husband returning home tired and exhausted after a hectic day in office and struggling traffic and finds his wife waiting with loads of complains about his mother or children or neighbours. A nagging wife or a nagging husband can rarely cause a pleasant smile. This is true for men too. A fussy husband always criticizing his wife's style of dressing because the well-dressed young ladies in his office appears more
fashionable to him, cannot notice a charm on his wife's face. He is fussy about food and other things too. One of our biggest problems in generating happiness in our matrimonial life is that we have erected many 'fantasy parameters' for our happiness. These fantasies are borrowed from modern culture of glamour and richness. A pleasant spouse (this is for both husband and wife) fits in this verse: The believing men and believing women are auliya of each other; they command good and forbid evil. Read Surah Toubah verse 71 for more details and examine if we really encourage our spouse in good things or pull him/her down? Do we stop him/her from haram or just nag and complain to our mothers and sisters and friends regarding him/her? Moral of the Lesson? If you want a pleasant spouse she also has a right to have a pleasant spouse. So, the search is within us and efforts on ourselves, to be qualified to be that dream spouse every Momin and Mominah craves for.
So keep your eyes open and also your heart broad and over look the weakness of your life partner because after all you have to stay together in Jannah to..for ever... Sa'ad bin Ubadah was a sahabi..his gheerah was unmatched... If any of his wife sat on his horse he would never sell this horse. If any of his wife sat on a camel he would make sure that he would slaughter his camel. He was a man of gheerah. He would not tolerate any one to sit on the horse or camel on which his wife sat. His gheerah was admired. People honoured his gheerah so much that if he divorced any of his wives, no sahabi would marry that lady. RadiAllahu anhu ..Allah be pleased with him..
Don't Worry about Your Rights but Worry about Her Rights...Ways to Matrimonial Happiness
When Prophet Ayub (a.s.) was tested by Allah with a severe sickness, he was seventy. He lost all his wealth and his children too left him. Even the people of his town feared infection so they avoided to meeting him and finally they got him shifted out of the town near a garbage can. The only person who did not leave him was 'HIS WIFE'.She remained with him and helped him to carry out everyday necessities that he could not do on his own. Finally she even took up jobs to feed him. She dressed his wounds too...Ibn Kathir, in his Qasasul Ambiya, The stories of the Prophets, gives the reason : She remembered her good time with him and his kindness to her. The story of Prophet Ayub's wife is a case study. We all men want to have such wives who would not desert us in the time of need. What made Prophet Ayub's wife so great in companionship? The answer is there.."She remembered her good times with him and his kindness to her" So the moral of the story is : If you are looking for a wife of that caliber, then you have to be a husband of that caliber. Goodness reaps goodness..as Surah Rahman says" What else can be the recompense for good, then good itself? In my ' Marriage preparatory workshops' I tell young men " Don't go after studying your rights over your wives, they will come to you. But if you study and give your wife's rights, you will get your rights in return and that too constantly. What are the rights of a wife? Simple ? If you want your wife to be neat, clean and tidy and look beautiful then she also has the similar rights over you. Ibn Abbas, the scholar of the Qur'an and the companion of the Prophet (pbuh) used to be neat, tidy and clean before he went to his wife. When asked, he used to say: It is mentioned in the Qur'an, and he referred to Surah Baqarah, verse 223: They have the rights over you same as you have. Today many married young men leave their house for offices applying the most beautiful fragrant and dressed up in the most formal way. Why not? After all there are beautiful ladies in the office...But when he returns back he is sweating and shabbily dressed. He goes to bed in the same way. But he expects his wife to be well dressed and well smelled.
Many young men still cling to the habit of being with friends at the street corner till late night. They hang around with friends on weekends and go to picnics with friends. At home they are busy with computers and newspapers or TV. There is no communication or very less. It is your right over the wife that while you are away in the office, she works in your house and prepares food for you and waits for you. But it is her right over you that at home you must be busy talking to your family. Share exciting things that happened to you whole day. Men who stray outside without causes are wasting their precious time which can never come back. Today people look for peace and tranquility in Gym, Malls, street corner, yoga classes, friend circles.. but Allah says : Allaho Ja'ala lakum fee buyutikum sakana.. Allah has made peace for you in your houses.. Surah Nahl chapter 16, verse 72...
Do you know how much money just an ice cream costs which is served after the dinner? Is it wise to spend lakhs of Rupees for a few hours of get together? How many nikah take place in our own city every May-June? Hundreds! If we save our wealth from being paid to caterers, decorators! How about conducting nikah in Masjids only? Our Masjids are community centers. We can save huge amount of wealth. Next time when some one in your family is getting married dont forget to offer your polite suggestions. Who knows how many families can be saved from getting bankrupt dues to marriage! And Allah too rightly says who ever intercedes for a good cause shall have a share in it Surah Nisa' chapter 4, verse 86.
you are rich then add more amount of dry fruits in Biryani but subtract the number of dishes. Let people remember your special dish and dont be bother about your status. Trim down the list of invitees. If the marriage is posted in Masjid then the invitees will understand that there wont be too many cuisines. A rich man's wedding party attracts more guests because of the lavish food and the status attached to it. But now Mashallah many rich and well known Muslims prefer simple Nikah in Masjid. Soon simplicity will became status. Inshallah. If your wedding life begins with simplicity then your journey to Islamic married life is easy and smooth, even if you don't invite me all the way from Mumbai...
The agro Ministry of India says that the ice cream industry is worth 15 billion Rupees in India, and 40 percent of that ice cream is consumed in the western India. From Ahmedabad to Mumbai Ice creams float like foams over sea. In our marriages ice creams have become a staple food. The rates of ice creams in wedding are quoted higher like the other items in the venue. How many weddings take place in Mumbai every year? There are no less than 500 wedding halls in Mumbai alone which cater to higher middle class. How many marriages take place in these halls every year? In Mumbai, Karachi, Lahore, keep counting how many guest push down ice creams into their throats after eating chicken tandooris, biryanis, noodles, seekh and shami kebabs. Just one example. Now assemble the rest of the expenditure you plan to have in your wedding and think how many days will it take you to give the accounts to Allah and justify it? So how grand should your wedding be? Before you answer to your own self, know that there is no grandeur like simplicity.. See you in your wedding.Assalamualaikum..
The Big Bang Weddings : How Grand Are Our Weddings? Part II
Ponder into this Quranic verse-Surah Araf chapter 7, verse 157. The Prophet releases them from their heavy burden and from yokes. Nikah that were supposed to be a simple affair has become a yoke on the community. Our weddings are like Big Bang theory. Like the big explosion that blew particles in every direction and went on stretching its space, our big bang weddings have explosions that blow our money in all the directions, Haldi- Mehdi, Expensive make ups, Multi cuisine receptions, Wedding coats and Dresses for entire family, lavish invitation cards the list keeps on stretching like the universe after the Big Bang Theory. A Muslimah, who is the daughter of a very rich man, was getting married so she insisted that her wedding be simple, and she argued profoundly and courtesy with her mother and it went on for days till she got her point across. Throughout her discussion, her argument was simple and straight: Why should my father celebrate my departure in a grand manner? The parents smiled. The Islamic daughters insistence saved more than half a million Indian Rupees of her father. Moral of the story? Most of us give up to the pressure of parents and other elders of the family, instead of talking to them with respect and politeness. If we be little firm towards Deen our parents will also get inclined InshaAllah. A few months back a friend of mine invited me to his wedding and waleema. It was more like an event than like a wedding. It was an event in actual term. There was an event manager, staffed with an anchor who was giving a running commentary of the activities going on there along with jokes and all. I found it strange like a TV reality show. At times it becomes uncomfortable for us to respond at that time. It was then that I was introduced to a new trend in weddings. People are handing over their wedding management to event planners. Marriage is a big Industry. A new industry of around $11, growing at 25 percent annually. The Indian and Pakistani weddings are famous worldwide. Even the poor want to imitate this grandeur in their own way. Years ago, a young man, who worked with, at my uncles grocery shop in a small village, was getting married. He asked for a loan of ten thousand rupees in those days. It was ten times of his salary. My uncle explained but in vain. The young man borrowed money from his relatives and friends and in few years he had to sell of his house to repay his debt. There are thousands of young Indians and Pakistanis who go out of their way to celebrate their wedding on
things which are enjoyed for only few hours. This has promoted even the banks to come out with loans for weddings, as they say in Gujarati. Where ever there are greedy people, frauds and cheaters dont go hungry. The minimum budget for a wedding ceremony is $34,000, say wedding planners, while the upper-middle and rich classes are known to spend upward of $2 million. (The average American wedding costs $26,327.) This doesnt include cash and valuables given as part of a dowry. Yesterdays Times of India reported that the British Muslims spend a lot on stage decoration and Mehndi ceremony! With the mehndi artists and make-up artists charging around 300 to 500 pounds , weddings are getting expensive globally as average Asian wedding in UK costs around 40 -50 thousand pounds equivalent to 30 lakhs of Rupees!! Two years ago The Time Magazine had published an article The Big Fat Indian Wedding Grows Bigger and Fatter showing how much money Indians spend on their wedding. The article did not have any moral or lesson except that it spoke big and loud about such marriages. In a lay mans language it glamourized and encouraged such marriages. A group of Sikh leaders called for a July 28 meeting of representatives from New Delhis more than 400 Sikh gurdwaras, or temples, to discuss ways to rein in over-thetop weddings. The Sikh leaders said the deluxe wedding trend puts an unfair burden on brides families, who traditionally pay for the parties. I wait for the day our Masajids also call such meetings and rein our expenditures in weddings, with no malice towards anyone who is getting married in near future..
Career
children and he earned around 1000 INR a month! That was a huge amount for a teenager in those days. Today he has taken teaching as his profession and I am told that he earns around a hundred thousand rupees a month! Another young friend of mine used to help his father to run his business and by the time he graduated he took over the entire business. Early experience in jobs, business and sales gives you an edge in your professions as well. Muslim youth should take lessons from this. After all halal earnings, right from early days, are a part of financial education. Learning practical lessons in early youth will give you a speed in moving ahead as well as make way for you to get married early as many of you delay marriages because you are unable to settle till you pass twenty five.
graduate. It is here that you require revealed knowledge to get the best out of your acquired knowledge. Your acquired knowledge is what you learn from your school and college text books, from your friends, tutors, seniors, from newspapers, from your experiences, whereas revealed knowledge is what your find in the Qur'an and Hadith. Without taking guidance from revealed knowledge, acquired knowledge cannot guarantee you any success. If people focused on revealed knowledge, then we would not be hearing stories of corrupt doctors stealing kidneys and selling them, companies making unhealthy medicines, civil engineers permitting mixing more sand in the cement than the standard rules permit when building a structure. It is high time to include Islamic morals, ethics and laws in our syllabus to leave behind a better world before we die.
According to USA Todays survey the greatest fear in US was not terrorism but the fear of running out of money during retirement. Today, the Americans are one of the most unsecured people in the world. Today due to economic meltdown, they have job insecurities which results in social insecurities leading to divorces, adultery, fornications, and domestic violence. This results in a hostile society where we receive news about people committing suicide or killing their whole families. The Moral of the story? Lets learn from the Qur'an itself: Nor strain thy eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to parties of them the splendor of the life of this world through which We test them; but the provision of thy Lord is better and more enduring. (Surah Taha chapter 20 verse 131).
That reminds me of a noteworthy Muslim in the time of the Prophet (pbuh) Owais Qarni who could not meet the Prophet (pbuh) just because he had an ailing old mother to look after. He was highly regarded by the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions. Whenever somebody would go to visit Owais Qarni, Umar bin al Khattab (r.a.) used to convey his greetings to him and request him to pray for him! Another companion of the Prophet (pbuh), was exempted from battle because he had old parents at home. There is no concept of homes for old age in an Islamic society, rather the parents enjoy full rights to stay with their children. "Your parents are yourrparadise or Hell " says a famous tradition coming with an authentic chain of narrators. The first share from the wealth of a child who dies, goes to the parents. Yes they inherit from their property.
biggest obstacle in his passion of Touhid. Compare this with our corrections of our parents who are regular in salah and nice people! Even body language is a form of communication, isnt it? Looking harshly at parents can give you negative grades. Aisha (r.a.) said : A man looking harshly at his father is not a man of rightous conduct (In spite of his being a regular in the masjid, giving charity) Ibn Abbas said : Ihsan towards parents also include, not to shake one's clothes before them so as to prevent the dust from our clothers fall on them ! Allah loves kindness to parents says a popular Hadith from Bukhari. But many of us exclude spending on parents. Let us check from the Qur'an: They ask you what should spend? Say: What ever you spend is good on parents. So spending on parents is an act that qualifies you to stand in the ranks of those who do Ihsan with parents. A father has right to spend the money of his son. This is an Islamic ruling with no second opinion. Today we run out of our money in buying expensive gadgets for our wives and kids, while our parents run short of money for their medicines. Let me whisper one more thing- wasting your parent's money is also a bad conduct towards them. In spite of doing all these things have we really thanked our parents? No not possible. Refer to Surah Luqman, verse 14: In travail upon travail did his mother bear him-this means that when we were in the womb of our mothers she carried us with utmost care, and two years of weaning, says the verse. Can we carry our mother continously for 24 hours day and night? No. Then how do we thank her? Since we are not able to return their obligation with Ihsan, with better conduct then they did to us, so we continue doing best to them and yet leave the matter to Allah to reward them. Note this Qur'anic verse : (Pray for them ) My Lord ! Bestow on them your mercy as they cherished me in childhood...
2nd Participant: Half my salary and most of my savings 3rd Participant: I never keep an account but I dont spend less than others Counsellor: But excuse me sir, I did not ask how much money you spend, did I? What I meant was how much time do you spend on your children? Most of the fathers measure their contribution to the family with the amount of money they spend on them. Working hard vs. working hardly Many workaholics claim to be busier than they are actually. Some of them are procrastinators of the present pending work and keep on delaying it, and then they sit till midnight to finish it, ignoring homely responsibilities. Some of the workaholics enjoy being away from homes sitting before the computer searching for peace and comfort on social websites. A day comes when they are stunned to discover that their children have grown up and they are still strangers in their own houses! They will regret for missing the beauty of seeing their children grow up. Their children grow up in the company of strangers who arrive in their homes in the form of movie actors and actresses, fashion models, superman, Batman, Tom and Jerry and all that. These are the people who are parenting our children while we are fixed up in our monasteries called 'Offices'. The same is the ruling on those fathers who return to their families only once in two years from the Gulf. I agree with those scholars who rule that it is not allowed to be away from wives for more than four months. Umar bin Khattab did not permit any warrior to be away from the family for more than four months, that too in the case of a war, where as many young men stay away for materialistic gain for years, robbing their children of the rights to have an affectionate father around them when they need.
Many Fathers are like paying guests, who leave early morning and return home late night. Every month they just pay their salaries as a rent, not bothered about their growing sons. Many fathers limit their responsibilities by focusing only on the academic brilliance of their children. I know of fathers who are very particular in keeping a watch on their childrens studies and grades. They are suffering from "Career Anxiety". What will my son do after he graduates? For many fathers, the academic equations of their sons go like this: History+ Geography + Maths + Science = Good character! Our children have many teachers besides the academic ones. The rugged movie hero imparts an uncivilized language in him, the playboy sportsmen allures him to take pride in having affairs. The model appearing to be beautiful with cosmetics plastered on her face, gives a direction to our daughters to look at their bodies and realize how over weight or ugly are they! The only real teacher they are missing is a 'Daddy-cated Father'.
Allah the Wisest, who is well aware of His creations inside out, knows well that people would display artificial love towards Him so he wisely put a condition in the Qur'an: Qul in kuntum tohhibunallaho... Say, if you love Allah then follow me (The messenger). (Surah Imran chapter 3 verse 31, 32). Now you cannot display love towards Allah in an artificial manner. He, Allah the Exalted, has given the parameter to each one of us to judge how much we love Him. Let us introspect and check it using the 'itteba-e-rasool' the obedience to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and discover if we really love Allah.
Eating of Pork versus eating of a dead man's flesh Let me explain to you with another example. Every Muslim child in every country, every city, is programmed to believe that Pork is haram and the pig is a dirty animal. So we see that the moment some pigs walk into a Muslim neighborhood, little children chase them away with sticks and stones. That is because of programming a child's mind. But does the same child feel hatred about eating human flesh with the same intensity? Though Gheebah (back biting) is denounced as bad as eating the flesh of our dead brother, yet how many of us rate a child's involvement in backbiting as bad as eating the flesh of a pig? We see many elders cherishing it like eating a chicken or thigh beef. So the child grows up while involved in sins like backbiting, which he has studied from his parents and other elders by observing them doing it. Fighting with the enemies versus fighting with Allah and His Messenger (pbuh) It is very common for a Muslim to react angrily whenever he is confronted by a maligning statement against Allah and His messenger (pbuh). When Satanic Rushdie wrote his filthy book mocking at the Qur'an and our beloved prophet (peace be upon him), every Muslim wanted him punished, but many among those Muslims knowingly are themselves involved in war against Allah and His messenger (pbuh). Interest based loans for education, for buying houses and vehicles are growing into unavoidable essential transactions for many Muslims. So the child grows up hating the enemies of Islam but gets into war with Allah and His messenger (pbuh). Ali (r.a.), used to say: Play with your child till he reaches 7, then discipline him till he reaches 14, then keep him with you till he is 21, then set him free, as InshaAllah he is mature. But our little children grow up seeing us breaking shariah in every nook and corner of our lives, we are ourselves badly disciplined and therefore we are programming them to be worse than us.
In Islamic syllabus there is no term like sex education, but a variety of issues related to sex, anatomy, sexual hygiene and above all moral and ethics of sexual life are highlighted in a civilized manner. Maintaining hijab through modest dressing and avoiding intermingling with opposite sex are the most important chapters taught from an early age. Children who have reached the age of puberty are not allowed to enter the bedroom of their parents without seeking permission, an excellent right of privacy for the parents. Husbands and wives are not permitted to discuss their bedroom details with their relatives and friends and if some does it, then it is compared to sex performed by a male and female devil in the middle of the market place. The other main difference between the so called sex education and Islamic education of morals and values, is that Islam permits marriage at an early age to allow the satisfaction of sexual desires legally, whereas, the so called sex educators do not touch this subject, they focus more on safe affairs, and sex outside marriage, opening more doors of moral decay for an already sexually rotten society.
Has anybody raised this question, Why do kids get influence by bad things? There can be many answers. Note down a few possible answers you can expect from a child whom you see entering into the forbidden zone. Here are a few of them : "Nobody stops us from doing it. " "Many people around us are doing it." "Parents and teachers never tell us that it is really bad." "It is hard to differentiate between the good and the bad." "We dont know that evil is harmful." The side effects of this Sexposure are poisonous and the biggest is an obsession with good looks. Many children are learning to believe that good looks are more important than honesty, courage, generosity and academic grades. In the past one year, the number of teenage boys visiting gym, beauty parlors, and cosmetic shops have increased like anything. Many girls are happy to go under the knife of a cosmetic surgeon, as cosmetic surgery happens to be the fastest growing medical specialty. Students, who find botanical and zoological terms difficult to remember, are more familiar with cosmetic terms like rhinoplasty and otoplasty. Good looks are quickly being accepted as the currency to success. Good looks get some extra marks in receiving attention from the opposite sex, more offers in modeling, fashion shows and proposals from opposite sex with bouquet of roses on Valentines days and birthdays. The teen generation grows faster than youth, breaking more records in obscenity and adventures in sexual escapes. No wonder, among the signs of the Qiyamah is: Sex out of wedlock will be common and the little children will be learning it!
What do you understand when people take killing ruthlessly as a mere entertainment. The culture of violence decorated and glamorized by the dream merchants is turning into a cult. No wonder we are foretold in Sahih Hadith that when Qiyamah will be near, there will be a lot of killing. In another hadith it says, A person will not know why he is being killed! The most advanced nations have largest killings including suicides. If US lead in violent killings in all forms, i.e. domestic violence, murder, arson, murders by school children, Japan leads in suicide. Hardcore violence and volatile race and killing video games are breeding a new cult of dangers. Being brave is one thing and showing foolish bravery is another thing. If only our youth realize this...
Even media is influencing and speeding up the corruption of the youth. There are no NGOs to take them to law. Maybe because it is not like terrorism that influences foreign policies. As I pray for the recovery of Azharuddin's Son, I also pray for those millions of fathers whose son are still into rash riding waiting for an accident to happen.
Co-Education in Islamic Perspective Yesterday, a reader wanted to know the reaction of the journalist when I replied to her question, "Why Muslims don't educate their daughters? In the midway of my answer she interrupted and asked, Ok, then why do you prefer to send you daughters to 'Single Sex Schools' only? The answer was again swift and simple: Because there are many single sex schools in Mumbai! Many of these schools, especially the schools run for girls only, display awards from Governments for running girls schools, but if the Muslims send their daughters to the same schools then it is a sign of backwardness, alieness, ghettoism. Statistics inform that the majority of girls in these single sex schools are Non-Muslims! Teen pregnancy is one of the biggest problems in the Western educational institutions. The United States still has a teen pregnancy rate that is significantly higher than other industrialized countries; only one-third of teen mothers will complete high school. From 5 million girls in schools, over half a million teens between 15 and 19 years of age give birth each year in the United States. The best solution opted by the NGOs, the Government officers and the medicos offer to check teen pregnancies is to DISTRIBUTE CONTRACEPTIVES. Teenpregnancy.org, a site managed by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, states that there are "750,000 teen pregnancies annually. Eight in ten of these pregnancies are unintended and 81 percent are to unmarried teens." Their advice to the students thinking about having sex, "the best way to prevent an unwanted pregnancy is to educate yourself about different forms of contraceptive." In fact one of the reasons for home schooling gaining popularity is moral corruption in schools. There are at least 2000 single sex schools even in US as more and more parents are worried about their children getting spoiled in the schools. Islamically, the same standard rule applies for boys as well. Even boys should be sent to single sex schools preferably to prevent intermingling with the opposite sex. Islam never stands as a barrier between Muslims and Education but cautions you from threats waiting on the journey to education. That is the difference between being educated and remaining ignorant in spite of graduation.
serials, watching movies or chasing girls? Do you possess enough courage like that believing man from the people of Pharaoh who dared to stand up for the truth in spite of all odds being against him? Bad companions will discourage you; they will try to pull you down and yet continue to be with you pretending to be your well-wishers. You will find many around you. If you refer to Surah Ahzab, Surah 33, verse 12- 13, you will find a mention of such people too: They have a disease in their hearts. So at a crucial junction when the Muslims were busy in encouraging each other, they tried to demoralize them, farjeoo they passed a word, Return back to you homes, trying to cause fissures among the ranks of the Muslims. Do your friends discourage you from going ahead with good things? Or do you discourage your friends from going ahead in good things? The Qur'an describes the plight of a person who will regret for being doomed due to wrong friends: Ah woe to me! I wish I had not taken so and so as my close friend. Surah Furqan, chapter 25 verse 28.
and girls are available in plenty, each one trying to outscore the others in affairs, in liberty... Lindsay Lohan got into fame at the age of 11, and soon she started getting into a series of car crashes, arrests, and times in Rehabs. She was also arrested for possessing cocaine. Britney Spears started as a pre-teen on The New Mickey Mouse Club and then she was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward. There are TV channels that host entertainment shows of children dancing and swaying to lewd music bowing and turning their bodies in all possible obscene shapes and their parents and relatives sitting in the audience, cheering them and some even getting emotional when their children win. Children do have a right to have their own dreams, but someone should teach them the difference between a pleasant dream and a pleasant look-alike dream that can turn into a sudden nightmare when she wakes up but it would be too late. Even dreams should be practical. Desires should be benefiting humanity and not just light a candle of fame. That is where the Islamic perception of certain careers becomes essential.
There are many Muslim singers and musicians, including award winners in Oscars and Grammys, who sing and compose tunes for lyrics which have kufr related phrases. Imagine you find one of those songs good and you hum it many times and death meets you all of a sudden, while you are humming it. In what state will you die? How many of you are aware of the fact that the arrival of Dajjal will be welcomed by many people and the musicians will be leading them. Guess, if the musicians march, would not those who are intoxicated by the music follow like those rats and little children of Hamelin?
Productivity and Wellbeing Are You Investing Your Time or Merely Spending It
The average age of people of this ummah is 65 years. Out of that 15 years are passed away in childhood and early teenage, from the remaining 50 years almost one third is lost to sleep. So, subtracting 16 years approximately from the remaining, you get 34 years as balance to live. What we do in these 34 years will shape our life after death. The choice is ours, whether we waste it away or use it for ourselves and others. In simple words, are we merely spending our time or investing it? That draws our attention towards the common term we use, "Time Pass". In fact there is nothing like time pass, either you are wasting your time or using it. The time is passing anyhow and you cannot control it by slowing it or fastening it. What is the difference between time waste and time invested? Imam Bukhari, the author of the Master piece in Islamic literature Sahih al Bukhari invested his time. He invested 18 years to compile a book that gives him extra ordinary dividends while he sleeps in his grave. Day in and day out he analysed through his sets of strict rules before picking up around 2230 hadith. The book explains in detail the Islamic jurisprudence since 1200 successive centuries! He travelled extensively throughout the Arabia in cross examining the 2, 00,000 hadith that he had memorised during his tenure as a student! Amazing feat! Every year hundreds and thousands of madrasas across the world quote Bukhari to learn and teach Islam. Note the following hadith: When a man dies, he leaves behind three things that benefit him even after his death; righteous children who would pray for him, a Sadaqa-e-Jariya (continuous charity) and the knowledge that he leaves behind for the people to benefit. How do we use out time? Are we merely spending or investing? Time is wealth and you cannot buy it, nor can you transfer your time from your life to someone else's life. It is a thing which you can never get it back. If you lose your wealth you can earn it back. But lost time can never be recalled back. If you fail in exams you have next year to try again but if you fail in your life you never get another chance. The following hadith will make it clear how precious this life is: The Martyr will be allowed to roam in the paradise anywhere he wishes to and he will be asked by Allah, Do you desire
anything more? Yes My Lord! I want to go back in the world and get martyred again, he will desire. "No! You cannot go back." The people before us lived for centuries. Noah (pbuh) worked among his people for 950 years! Yet we are assured that though we are the last to come yet we will be the first to enter into paradise! How come? The answer is simple: Our lives may be shortened but our rewards are multiplied. For example, if we pray five times we are rewarded for praying 50 times. If we pray in congregation we have prayed 27 times. If we pray Isha and Fajr in congregation we have prayed whole night. If we get one Laylatul Qadr we have worshipped for 1000 nights. There are many things we want to do in our lives yet unable to do it. They maybe big dreams like building a school or a hospital and we never get money to fulfil our dreams of sawab-e-jaariah. But have you noticed that there are many things which we can, which we are supposed to do and yet we are not doing it? Make a list of your pending good works that you desire to do and squeeze out time to do it. It might be that you want to write a useful book or memorize the Qur'an or learn Arabic Language. It can be any good thing and you are delaying it. Pick up your pending work and start doing it and that is what we say time invested properly. Remember; time is not wasted in hours but in minutes which we let it slip doing nothing and then: When death approaches one of them he says, O my Lord give me send me back. That I go back and work righteousness in the things I neglected. No! You cant go b ack. Surah al Mo'minoon chapter 23 verse 99-100.
moustaches and keeping the hair of head and beard clean..., everything required by the Muslims to achieve cleanliness. In spite of all this, when I pass from a slum inhabited by Muslims, I feel hurt on observing the filthy condition they stay in. Indeed Allah loves those who repent and are neat, clean and tidy. (Surah Toubah).
Then there is a camera man standing on the stage recording all these happenings as if the angels Kiraman Kateibeen are not recording anything. This cameraman's lens move on the bride with close ups and other angles and neither the husband, nor the Wali of neither the bride nor any person among the crowd get a feel of gheerah (selfrespect). I would say this is a sin in congregation; or rather a sin approved as normal culture. The most common places people look for grooms and brides are other peoples weddings. They say, "In one marriage there are many marriages taking place." It is right. Men look for good looking young men for their daughters and nieces and women look for young girls appearing pretty (yes appearing pretty through the layers of make ups) and moving here and there being introduced to other ladies. The message, though unannounced yet very clear, "my daughter is very smart and beautiful and we are looking for some great guy for her." For many bride hunters, an extra ordinary beautiful girl has become a status symbol. There are marriage centers in Mumbai, where the match-makers charge higher fees for searching for a very good looking girl! There was this sister who attended Islamic classes which were conducted for college girls during vacations. Somebody spotted her taking contact numbers of fair and slim girls from the crowd. Someone asked her the reason. She replied, "I am looking for some good girls for my nephew!" One of the ladies rightly protested, "Excuse me, kindly dont do this hunting here. There are other girls here who may not be very beautiful and they may get terrible complexes for not being good looking." Someone rightly said to me, "If you want to get an idea about the attitude of Muslim families towards the deen, attend their weddings." My words of advice to my brothers who are getting ready for marriage or ready for marriage but not yet getting ready, selection of your spouse should not be on the basis of what people will say but it should be on how much peace and affection will follow in your married life. As the Qur'an says: And among his signs are, he created spouses for you, IN THEM YOU FIND SOLACE AND HE HAS MADE AFFECTION AND MERCY BETWEEN THEM. In this are signs for people who reflect. (Surah ar Room ch 30, verse 21). Will you reflect in this?
It is very astonishing that on one hand Governments call up for population control citing food shortage as a main reason and on the other hand a country like India, with rich fertile soil, still runs short of food due to wastage. Another important thing to be noted: If you visit the book shelf of Amazon you will find hundreds of titles on diet control and weight control. If only one of them is right in its suggestions there is no need to have hundreds of books on the subject. There are no less than 12 thousand weight watchers club in the US and Europe. The Western countries have abundant food due to food processing, yet a huge section of their population especially women go hungry to reduce or control their weight. It is estimated that a dieting woman in US or UK eats only 800 calories, which is one third of the food that a hungry tribal woman of India gets to eat. British girls as young as 9 years old are dieting to achieve a curved figure. After all Allah has His own ways of food control. Doesnt He? Next time when you attend a wedding banquet, make it a point to instruct your younger ones that they should not get excited by the fragrance and the color of the food presented on the table. This will lead them to fill their plates with every colorful item and most of it would end up in the dustbin.
Laziness was one thing our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) asked refuge from Allah in his supplications, where as many of his so called followers take refuge in laziness to avoid doing good deeds .
old to digest, and in fact, girls cover these books and keep them hidden from their parents and elder brothers. Girls who grow up reading these stories and novels look for the same qualities in their men and when their expectations in romance, looks, style and personality doesnt meet their dream man, they get frustrated. In many cases it ends up in affairs outside marriage or an unhappy continuation of marriage. The same is with boys who read the same books, read stuff about affairs. In them arises a desire to search for a perfect looking girl, tall and fair, trying to match her with the personalities of the girls they have read and dreamt about. All of this is a result of junk reading. 'You are what you read'. The books that you read are the ones that will influence your thoughts, your actions, and your character and finally all of these will be a combination, playing an important role in grading you on the Day of Judgment. That is why Allah has always revealed Books to construct our thoughts properly and shape our characters. The Qur'an is a miraculous book. Just 5000+ verses, but has a tremendous capacity to wipe out all the traces of immodest junk that you have been carrying on your minds all these years, and able to transform your entire personality into a well thought, well behaved and well character personality. Will you still not read it?
companies. Some of these cards even offer a minimum of a hundred thousand rupees credit limit. Our spending habits are spoiled. Our spending habits are affected by the conventional economy. Many people of all income groups, loose a lot of money because they buy things that glitter and are not actually gold. I dont mean actual gold. Many products are bought because of publicity and because of advertisements by actors and sport stars. The products that are advertised more are the ones that glitter more. These ads are extremely expensive, and someone has to pay for it, isnt it? Who will pay: the manufacturers or the customers? Many of us cannot differentiate between gold and something that glitters like gold. So we are buying things glittering like gold for the price of gold. Even in sports we require a referee to show yellow cards or red cards, but who will show these plunderers who rob people in a legal manner?
other hand his expenses remain the same, this leads to stress and in many cases leads to suicide too. 2. Increased divorces: The Hi-fi life style makes many of us strangers in our own homes. The people who are trying to resist stress look for peace in recreation, chatting on the internet, reading newspapers, or going to clubs with friends, so they may forget their stress for a limited time. But it does not solve their problems. While doing all this, they remain away from their families, they are strangers in their own homes, visit their house like a stranger or a guest and are there like a piece of furniture and go away. Reduced communication with their family members deprives them of a family life thus adding more stress. In fact while ignoring family, people are creating more problems or kindling new volcanoes. Consider this scenario: Your boss is angry in your office due to financial stress and he fires you for no reason. When you return home you scold your kids because of the stress that you have carried home from the office. Reports say that when BPO staff, the pressurized salesmen and the sales executives reach home they are too tired to talk to their wives and children, resulting in loneliness and in many cases divorces too. Garry Becker the Nobel Prize winner explains that recession has always been a factor raising divorce rates. Well, this brings a Qur'anic verse to our attention: Do not be a spendthrift, indeed a spendthrift is the brother of shaytan, Surah Isra.
Experts call is HIGH-FI syndrome. In these cases the person does not cut down his luxuries but cuts down his necessities. He refuses to pay for his old and ailing parents. Mass Extravagance is quickly becoming an accepted form of civilizations. From Government to common citizens including private sector, we are spending the valuable wealth lavishly. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh have a huge population belonging to the middle class, with labour class, clerks, sales men, small shopkeepers, government servants but look at their sales chart for the past five years! Look at their marriages, their furniture, and their life styles. Naturally they are buying beyond their capacity. Most of these items are bought out of loans, hoping to use it today and pay tomorrow. Do you know what the amount of Indias annual food wastage is? Guess! It is 58,000 crore Rupees every year! A nation whose 20 percent of population lives with only one meal a day wastes its 58,000 crores rupees of food every year! The Qur'an sums up this mentality in Surah Isra Ch, 17, verse 26-27: Do not waste your wealth like an extravagant. Indeed extravagant are the brothers of Satan, and Indeed Satan is ungrateful to his Lord. In an Islamic financial system, your financial IQ is connected to your spending wisdom. After all a person who has no knowledge is termed as AN IGNORANT but a person who possesses it and yet does not benefit from it is a SUPERLATIVE IGNORANT.
How many of us take our children along to the market and demonstrate the art of bargaining? Our teenage boys learn rash motorbike riding earlier than cleaning it, and maintaining it. If you are teaching your child how to buy good clothes then you must also teach him how to iron his clothes or how to pick up dry clothes, wrap and place them in the wardrobe. My earliest lessons in finance were learnt as a salesman in my grandfather's shop. I never went there as a prince-in-waiting to sit on the cash box, but I learnt how to sell, how to respond to customers grievances, how to buy from the whole sellers, how to pack the goods, everything required to run a shop successfully. I have seen and experienced hard crises in finance and realized that they come as afflictions when we spend money on needless things before we spend on what we need. Getting good grades in Math is not enough to make you wise in finance. Nor lessons in investments will make your rich; rather it is the wisdom in spending that saves your wealth from flying away onto other peoples pocket and accounts.
During Ramadan, I see a lot of Huffaz-e-Quran lining up to recite taraweeh, with each one of them wanting to lead in taraweeh in places where rich people pray. At times I pity them. Many of them prefer to lead the taraweeh in large congregations hoping to get a good income after the khatam-e-Quran. Here is a batch of people whose status will be envied by others on the day of Qiyamah but in this world they have to wait for Ramadan to solve their financial problems. That is their only source of big income throughout the year. The reason is that people dont value Ilm e deen. We spend huge amount of wealth on our childs academic education, hire expensive tutors, buy expensive books, but we bargain like a stingy person when we hire the service of Islamic teachers for our childs religious knowledge, be it tuitions in tajweed, makhraj or essentials of fiqh etc. I had a discussion with a prominent Huffaz, and I advised him to build a parallel career so that he may not be dependent upon the donation in the month of Taraweeh. Last month I met him, and he told me that he is buying a small house. I was happy to receive his supplication for my advice. The other day I advised a trustee of a prominent madrasa that they should include a subject on accounts in their syllabus. They should also be taught essential fiqh and ethics in business dealing too. After all Islamic finance is not only about accounts but accountability as well. Isnt it?
In the early days, a poor man was one who could neither afford to have a single meal nor a pair of dress to cover his body. It was about such poverty that our beloved Prophet (PBUH) sought refuge from Allah. Today when we recite this dua we seek refuge in Allah from relative poverty, that we may not be deprived of luxuries.
The best way or a readymade kit to corrupt a society is to introduce a popular character as a criminal or fornicator and market him as a mass promotion product. People will not object because everybody sees it as an entertainment. Through entertainment every bad thing including smoking has been promoted to a mass level. Someone should ask the Governments that if they ban smoking why not adultery and crimes in movies too?
have 5 different credit cards. Many children consider that their parents are ATMs. Children these days play prominent advisors and consultants when it comes to buying a cell phone, or a shirt, or choose movie as well. Statistics say that maximum products that children buy are Music Albums! What do they get out of it? Obscenity! It not only damages their ears but their character too. The glamour struck generation When evil is glamorized through advertisements people get convinced to buy them. Every year more than one thousand commercials for beer and wine are shown in the US TV. The amount of money spent in advertising beer and wine reaches up to $2 billion. The net result is: The Americans buy $90 billion of alcohol! What is the result? There are more than 15 million of drunkards, in the US and around 5000 road accidents on the American roads just on the night of 31 December every year. There are 11 thousand rehabilitation centres run by the American tax payers. (S)exploitation of Women by the Media: James Cook noted in the Forbes Magazine issued 18 Sept 1978: This economy is and X-rated economy. Careers, promotions, affairs marketing, news circulation, everything strives on obscenity through ad- world. Women are earning more money through their bodies than their skills. 4 years ago Maria Sharapova earned only $2 million US through her victories, but earned 18 million through advertisements. When are we going to tell people about Islam? In this media where advertisements have the longest and the sharpest tongue how many Muslims have come out with an advertisement of Islam and The Qur'an? Let us begin working on it from today Insha-Allah. Make media your parallel career. Take it as a passion. Learn to speak write and analyse.
death of thousands of its soldiers means a huge burden on the taxpayers to run foster homes and homes for old ages and pensions. No Nation can continue without moral character and God's blessing. The down fall of Israel has been a continuous process. If you study Surah Yusuf, it speaks about the grand entry of the Bani Israel in Egypt, and Surah Taha tells us that their exit was also a grand one when they saw Pharaoh along with his entire army being drowned in front of their own eyes. Though this race was once "the chosen people of God", they had clouds shading them in the deserts, food coming from the heaven, Prophets after prophets and kings after kings among them yet what happened? Their history tells us about their captivity by the Pharaoh in Egypt, Assyrians and the Babylonians followed by the crusaders and finally Hitler! The Muslim Nations are the next one in the firing line. We are losing our daughters to fashion and music maniacs like Hannah Montana, our young men to smoking, time destructive sports and movies, our money to buy unneeded luxury brands, our faith to shrines of dead saints and our lands to greedy army invading and destroying our infrastructures, hospitals schools, taking away our oil legally, just because they want to give us democracy. No wonder History repeats itself because the world doesn't learn.
Say! Now Which Sword Overpowered You: The Rising Index of Islam...
9 / 11 seem to be upgraded as a Holy day with candles and pictures being published every where from Alaska to Adelaide. 9 /11 has become a global festival with many nations like New Zealand, Australia in competition to please the US by trying to remind its nationals the painful event of 9/11. It is like a person coming to you and scratching your healed wound and reminding you of your pain. A decade ago this day was unofficially declared as a landmark in the relations between Islam and the world. Suddenly Islam was being viewed as a religion of violence. The sceptics among the Muslims thought that Islam will be reined like communism. The things turned out to be different. Islam too has grown stronger than usual with more new entrants crowding the entry gate. The west especially US and UK have grown weaker as new equations have come up with China and India emerging as candidates of new super power. Every year thousands of Filipinos embrace Islam in the Gulf. From Dubai to Kuwait via Saudi, the Filipinos are welcomed in every Islamic seminar and they respond with equal well wishes. "In ten years, Inshallah, Philippines will be a Nation with a dominant Muslim Population," said one of my hosts of Dubai Lecture Tour. I said Ameen to his supplication. There are hardly few hundreds black families in the US which do not have at least one member as a Muslim. Some Gujarati girls Students staying in the company of Arab girls in the UK embrace Islam just by coming in touch with Islamic values and culture, especially the personal hygiene that Islamic teaching offers to individuals. Dawah Centers are a homely name in many cities. Educated and gutsy people are becoming Muslims and giving strength to the community. Hijab is becoming more popular among girls. Walk into any masjid and you will see a lot of young Muslim men sporting beard and waiting for the prayers to begin. Can anyone allege that it is the fear of Islamic terror that is making thousands of people Muslims every year? NO. Can anyone say that the petro dollars are buying the faith of Europeans and Americans? In fact the westerners are fed up with their socially rotten system and are looking for a way out and find a solace in the lap of Islam. That is why if US mourns for the right cause then they will be mourning for
everything that is happening in their country. The fall of the dollar has caused more grief to the American common men but no one mourns from them. Every day around 2000 plus rapes, thousands of robberies every day, domestic violence, killing in schools and homes, when will US mourn these misfortunes? After 9 /11 how many American women are raped in their own nation? How many children have lost their parents to divorces and gay-lesbian marriages? The only comfort is Islam. Therefore, it is not the sword that is defeating the west but it is the comfort of Islam that is wining them.
Heroes of Islam
People can do PhDs in every lesson he taught. Islam is the only subject on which largest numbers of books are written, against as well as for. If there were media in those days I can imagine the headlines appearing like this, MAKKAH TIMES: The Arab Prophet wins in Badr. BREAKING NEWS OF BBC: Islam captures Arabia. CNN exclusive: The unlettered Prophet wins back Makkah and announces general amnesty. FOX TV latest: Islam heads towards Europe. NDTV: Abu Jahl among 70 killed in Badr. Alas when I see huge crowd protesting in Tunisia, Cairo, I feel like asking them, "Where were you when your Prophet's cartoons were magnified in world Media? If only you would have taken to street in this grand manner before Afghan and Baghdad were attacked." This shows that though we claim love and honor our Prophet but it is Allah who actually sends His blessings and peace upon his noble Prophet that he remains destined to be honored today and also tomorrow as well, with our without our protests and obedience to him. And they wish to blow off the light of Allah but He will never let it happen, Surah Toubah.
That single night in the cave when the Prophet (pbuh) lay with his head on the lap of Abu Bakr(r.a.), when a poisonous insect bit Abu Bakr(r.a.), he bore the pain with patience for not disturbing the Prophet's sleep, remains on the top amongst the examples of patience. Today, many of us get restless in just few minutes, sitting in a seminar to learn just a few lessons from the biography of the Prophet (pbuh). The shortage of fund during the Battle of Tabuq prompted Abu Bakr (r.a.) to spend hundred percent of his possession in the way of Allah. Today many of us find it hard to share just 2.5 percent of their savings to give as zakah! In the later days, one of his sons told him, My father! In the battle of Badr when I fought against you, twice I got you under my sword but I left you alive. Abu Bakr (r.a.) replied, By Allah if you would have got under my sword even once, I would not have spared you. Today many Muslims spare their children from hijab, f rom prayers not even asking them to do it. For those who want to strengthen their faith should study the biography of Abu Bakr (r.a.) and judge where they stand in those qualities of Sabr, Courage, Wisdom and Generosity as compared to the "Siddique". How rightly Allah says: This is the day when the truthful shall be rewarded for their truthfulness, Surah Maidah chapter 5, verse 116.
Islamic History
He went out one day to some Muslims while they were sitting around the Prophet, and no sooner did they see him than they lowered their heads and shed some tears for his wearing worn out garments. They were accustomed to his former appearance before he had become a Muslim, when his clothes had been like garden flowers, elegant and fragrant. The Prophet (pbuh) saw him with the eyes of wisdom, thankful and loving, and his lips smiled gracefully as he said, I saw Mus'ab here, and there was no youth in Makkah more petted by his parents than he. Then he abandoned all that for the love of Allah and His Prophet! In a famous incident after the victory at Badr, the Muslims captured some Makkans and sought to ransom them. Musab was passing by the ranks of the prisoners and stopped he when saw his brother, Abu Azeez ibn Umayr among them. However, he instructed his brothers captor to bind him securely and to extract a large ransom for the prisoner, because his mother was a very rich woman. When the brother sought to remind Musab of his relationship, Musab replied, I only recognize brotherhood of the faith, this man is my brother, not you! At the end of Uhud, The Prophet (pbuh) stood at the remains of Mus'ab ibn Umair saying, while his eyes were flowing with tears, love and loyalty, Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah. (Surah Al Ahzab, chapter 33, verse 23) Then he gave a sad look at the garment in which he was shrouded and said, I saw you at Makkah, and there was not a more precious jewel, nor more distinguished one than you, and here you are bare-headed in a garment! There was nothing to shroud him except his old shirt which could not reach his feet, so his feet were covered with grass and they buried him. These jewels of Islam are the parameters for us to judge how high we can climb to Taqwa. Is our faith capable enough to sacrifice our extravagance style of life? The moral of the story of Mu'sab: Mus'ab did both. He lived for Islam and lived by Islam, and died for Islam and died on Islam. We are ready to die for Islam (as per our claims) but how many of us are willing to live for Islam?